Breaking Free

Tallulah Wileman heaved a sigh, navigating her car slowly over the bumpy terrain, praying that it didn’t damage her car. She could see the brightly lit house just past the trees and unlike her friends in the backseat she couldn’t feel the excitement about entering and as they called it ‘letting loose.’ It just wasn’t how Tallulah was, she liked control and order in her life, it was the only way she could function. But after her friend Madison found out that her boyfriend had been cheating on her Nicole thought she could use some cheering up and that cheering up came in the form of this party that Brian Hewer - a guy from Tallulah’s English class - was throwing.

Of course Tallulah had wanted nothing more than to stay at home, possibly finish up some college applications and the Sarah Dessen novel that had captured her attention over the past few days. Tallulah had always hated parties, she hated the way people got after having even a small amount of alcohol, it’s like they lost their minds. But for her friend she had decided she would stick it out, she knew that Madison would do the same for her as would their other friend Nicole.

Even inside of the car Tallulah could hear the music and feel the vibrations as they neared the house, as she maneuvered her way up the twisting pathway Tallulah looked for a parking space among the hastily parked cars that lined the sides. Suddenly a familiar car came into view and Tallulah’s eyes widened ever so slightly. Mitch? She wondered silently, slowing her driving down to examine the car.No, she assured herself, Mitch was at home studying for an exam he had on Monday, she knew this from the brief text she had received from her boyfriend when she had requested that he come to dinner with her. She was just imagining things, it must have been all the stress that her parents had been placing on her to get into a good college, plus all the pressure of her final exams. Just imagining thingsshe concluded, pulling into a parking space further up the path.

In the back Nicole was fixing her dress so it hung perfectly on her slim frame while Madison fixed her lip gloss, giving her plump red lips a shine. Next to them Tallulah felt plain, they we’re so effortlessly beautiful. Tallulah pulled up the tight camisole that Nicole had earlier thrust into her hands, ordering her to put it on. It wasn’t normally the type of thing she wore, she liked things plain so she wouldn’t draw much attention to herself, but this top with its sparkling design and how tight it was made her stand out.

“Party!” Nicole exclaimed as she slid out of the car, putting her hand up in the air. People all around cheered with her as they made their way up to the open doors of Brian’s house. Tallulah on the other hand was contemplating her chances of being able to slam on the locks of her car and speed out of there before Nicole or Madison knew what she was doing. She knew the chances of her getting away were slim to none.

Hesitantly Tallulah slipped out of the car herself, her long brown hair being ruffled by the wind. She self consciously pulled the camisole, making sure she wasn’t showing too much cleavage. “Lu,” Madison’s voice was low and deep behind the mask she was putting on Tallulah could hear the sadness behind it. “you look amazing.” Tallulah smiled at her redheaded friend, Madison was truly beautiful and Tallulah couldn’t understand how any guy in his right mind could go and sleep with other girls when they had such a girl as Madison.

“Thank you.” Tallulah watched as Nicole looped her arm through Madison’s and slowly started tugging their heartbroken friend up towards the house. Slowly Tallulah trailed behind them, watching her feet making sure she didn’t trip in the heels that Nicole had borrowed to her. As they got closer to the door, the smell of alcohol and sweat that had hit Tallulah’s senses as soon as she exited the car grew stronger to the point where she thought she was going to vomit.

Surprisingly she held it back and entered the house with her friends, she was in awe as she looked around. She imagined it as if it wasn’t in the middle of a party, as if there wasn’t things littering the floor and their wasn’t people grinding on each other in a seductive manner. The house was beautiful, being the daughter of an architect and an interior designer she couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the house she was now standing in. The marble floor was speckled with bits of black and the two staircases arched around the back of the room and met in the middle as they led up to the second floor.