Complicated People, Complicated Love

Darn Dances

Lucas

I drive to the party as quickly as I can without getting pulled over. My jaw drops as I reach it. It's being held in a huge house that can only be categorized as a mansion. I see Maya almost immediately as I walk in the door, her blond hair like a beacon. She's wearing a black jacket, blue skinny jeans, and her blond hair is in the same loose curls as she was wearing at the dance. She's dancing towards the back of the house to blasting music. I've never seen her dance before, she looks so free. Her eyes are closed, her body swaying. She's in her own world back there.

I walk over to her and that's when I see that she looks pretty tipsy.

"Cowboy! You made it!" She says, her words slurred, a plastic cup in one hand. Her arms raise as she says this, almost spilling her cup and she wobbles as she tries to steady her arm. I hold her up to steady her and her breath is pure beer. Oh no.

"Maya, what are you doing?" I slowly let go of her to see if she can stand on her own. Barely.

"It's a party!" She yells over the music and spreads her arms around her. She definitely spilled that time.

"I can see that, but why are you drinking?" A guy knocks shoulders with me as he passes. He must have been in his twenties. I look around and see that at least half the people here are in their low twenties and the rest teenagers. I don't recognize anyone. "Maya, who invited you?"

I look to my side, but Maya's gone. My heart rate escalates and I look around panicked. She can't be alone drunk, especially at a party like this. I push past dancing people, yelling for her but my voice is drowned out by the music. I try to look above people as I pass, but with everyone's arms raised as they dance, it's hard to see anything. I shouldn't have questioned her. I'm frantic now. I should have just grabbed her and gone.

I make my way towards the stairs hoping to get a better look at the crowd below. I get to the top and look down at the crowd of people as I grasp the glass barrier keeping me from falling over the edge. I only see ten blondes and seven of them are guys. The rest are too old to be Maya.

"Rick!" I hear from behind me. I turn fast and see Maya staggering to me, still holding her drink.

"There you are!" I say as she gets to me. "Where'd you go?"

"Over there," she says through closed eyelids, pointing to the wall. I hang my head and sigh. She's so messed up. "Wow!" She exclaims as she leans over the edge of the glass.

"No no no," I pull her away from it by her waist and direct us over towards a far wall, a safe distance from her death. "I'll take that," I say and easily pull the cup away from her despite her attempt to hold on. She pouts and stomps her foot like a child. "You're drunk Maya,"

"I know you are but what am i?" She taunts me and snorts a laugh, like it was her that created that joke. I place my hand on her back and lead her to the bathroom. As someone comes out I push her into it and lock the door behind us.

"Oh you dirty boy," she says and laughs again.

I sigh once again and put my hand to my head. "What are we gonna do?" I ask myself. I look at Maya who has sloppily climbed into the bathtub and is now playing with a rubber duck and laughing every time it squeaks. It would be cute if I want afraid she was going to get alcohol poisoning.

I walk to her, sit on the edge of the bathtub and take her duck slowly. She reaches for it at first and then gives up. I turn around and place it on the sink counter. When I turn back around, Maya's crying. Silent tears covering her face, more coming quickly. I try to reach out but then she speaks quietly.