Euronymous

Chapter Fourteen

T/W - drug/alcohol use, mental health, mature themes

Krista and I sat, tv on in front of us, but both of us flicked mindlessly through magazines. We hadn't hung out in a while.
I'd found myself indulging in my depression, isolating myself. Erik had even noticed and tried to coax me out of my cave, but his efforts were short lived. I was getting restless now though, itching for something I couldn't put my finger on.
My dad walked through the front door, greasy hair hidden under his beanie as he juggled the keys and two six-packs of beer.
Tempting, I'd thought.
As if reading my mind, Krista put her magazine down and faced me.
"Get dressed. We are going out." She was firm. I shrugged and nodded. "Okay."
"Okay?" She looked surprised. "You've been moping for months. I've asked you out so many times, begged you even."
"I'm ready now." I said simply. She grinned.
"About time!" She jumped up, grabbing my hand and leading me to my bedroom.
We walked into the unfamiliar house. Krista had been there before, but I had not. She'd always been the more social of us, even when we were growing up. I was usually the plus one, but I didn't mind, preferring it that way.
Quickly, she found Emil. They had been casually seeing each other for a while now, but she wasn't one to be tied down easily, though he seemed determined. Aksel approached as I watched them kiss hello. I gave him a smile.
"Hey stranger." He greeted me like an old friend, nudging my arm lightly with his elbow, beer in hand.
"Hey." We made small talk for a while, but he was kind enough to keep fetching me drinks. I definitely didn't mind. My aim tonight was to forget that I was drowning. I just needed some air.
We were chatting for a couple hours, people coming and going throughout the night, but Aksel and I remained seated together on a dingy couch in the backyard beside a heater. I leaned over and he placed a cigarette between my lips, cupping the lighter to protect the flame from the light breeze around us.
He smirked at me, lounging back in his corner of the couch. "What?" I laughed, unsure.
"Nothing. You're just adorable." He shook his head. I rolled my eyes.
Aksel was conventionally attractive, but he didn't do anything for me.
Maybe that was okay though. A distraction could be what I needed to move on from Øystein.
I almost winced at the thought of him. I'd been doing well to avoid him in my brain until then.
Krista came bounding out of the house, Emil trailing behind her. "C'mon!" She attempted to pull me from the couch but I was stronger.
"Where?" I laughed at her excitement.
"A club downtown. If we leave now we can get in for free." She beamed. I sighed and looked at Aksel. He shrugged. "Could be fun." He finished his smoke, flicking it aside.
"Alright, let's go." I said, feeling a knot of anxiety form in my stomach. I was outnumbered.
We arrived at the club. Luckily, Krista knew someone working the door and we managed to get in free of charge. We went straight to the bar, the boys following close behind. Drink in hand, I practically guzzled half of it in one hit. Aksel must have noticed because he raised an eyebrow, taking my hand and pulling me over to the wall.
Slyly, he fished something out of his jeans pocket. He took my hand as if he were going to hold onto it, but I felt him slip a couple of pills into my palm. I looked up at him and he gave me a wink.
"Something to take the edge off."
I was nervous, but fuck it, right? These had to make me feel better, surely. I glanced around before quickly swallowing them, chasing them with the remainder of my drink.
Aksel's hand found my back and he guided me to the dance floor to Krista and Emil. We danced for a while and I could feel the knot in my stomach transform from anxiety to excited energy.
Aksel and I laughed as Krista dragged Emil off toward the bathrooms. Emil glanced back at us, a victorious grin plastered on his face.
I motioned toward the bar and we got another drink each. He clinked the neck of the bottles together and smirked before taking a swig.
Suddenly, Emil was there, grabbing Aksel's arm. "We gotta go." His voice was firm and Krista followed behind him, giggling. I followed her gaze and saw that a security guard was ushering them out. Aksel and I quickly finished our new drinks and met them outside.
"What the fuck happened?" I asked Krista, wide eyed. She was still giggling.
"We got caught." She rolled her eyes, grabbing Emil's jacket and pulling him closer. I sighed. Great, I had this buzz - now where would we go?