Chords

Trap

After a long hiatus of unpublishing this sucker then republishing it with a little more confidence, I give you a new chapter of this messy writing. 

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Chicago is kind of loud. The group manages to slide into a bar - I dared to ask Peyton how they pulled it off, but she just smiled at me like I was making a joke - and from there it got even more uncomfortable.

Ptolemy hardly seems in the same situation as me. I get that he's eighteen, but it still makes me sick to see him participating in the bar scene. I guess he can't help himself around some girls, it's always been a pattern. He's wrapped up in Tori's obnoxious jokes and Peyton's soft hair. 

Binny is missing, the last time I saw her she ordered nachos for five and disappeared into the crowd. Gray took a seat only to be pulled out of it minutes later by Mary, who claimed she had "seen somebody who looks just like a fat Tom Cruise".

Jake is completely out of the group's madness, but doesn't mind as he sits and drinks. Maybe I can ask him where the only calm friend I have is.

I wander over, squinting through the lights. "Have you seen Tai anywhere?"

Jake turns just enough for me to see the smaller kid sitting beside him and the collection of beer. I glare. "Tai, what're you doing?"

Tai hiccups. "My ears feel weird."

I groan and go to drag him out of the chair. Jake lightly hits my arm to get my attention, making me flinch. He juts his head up at me when I look back, "He's fine, don't kill it."

"He's a freshmen!" I bark.

"I want cheesesticks." Tai announces.

Jake remains indifferent. "Even better, I thought he was still in middle school."

I swallow the lump in my throat and turn away to grab Tai and haul him off the chair. He hics and leans against me groggily. Ugh, he's in horrible shape. What am I going to tell his parents when he gets home? I can feel my stomach doing Cirque Du Soleil at the thought of being told to stay away from their son. Tai is one of my best friends, he has been since fifth grade. I would hate to lose that. Whilst in my shroud of panic, Tai leans away to grab his half empty cup.

"Tai, don't do that-" I start.

Tai swerves back around with the drink and smacks it into my chest, spilling it all over me. I cut off and grimace at the mess. Tai muffles a burp. "This wouldn't have happened if I got cheesesticks." I hear Tori laugh a few feet away.

She comes over. "Freakin' light weights, right?"

"He's fourteen!" I snap.

"Are you?" She quirks a brow.

I start to shake. Is everyone here stupid?! "N-No, but .  . . but I need to get him out of here, this was a bad idea."

"Alright, I saw one of your weirdo friends in the corner." Tori rolls her shadowed eyes.

"Thank you." It doesn't really sound as grateful as it should.

Thank goodness Binny is that "weirdo friend". She's relaxing in a booth tucked in the corner, eating an entire mountain of nachos and enjoying the music playing. Tori and I both plop Tai down beside her.

She looks up from a loaded chip she was about to eat. "What's up with him?"

"Can I just eat the cheese instead of the entire stick?" Tai asks loudly.

Binny frowns. I sigh. "It's an accident."

Tori snickers. "I dunno, I like him more like this."

I give her a look. She shrugs, "Okay, okay. My opinion, yeesh. But you guys should at least have something, huh? If not the fun stuff, they have juice."

I begrudgingly nod. "Yeah, thanks . . . "

Tori smirks and leaves briefly. She comes back minutes later holding three sloshing glasses. She sets them down and I take one to gulp down.

She's watching me the entire time. I slow and look over at her. "What?"

"Oh, Jess, how're you supposed to be as good as you were back at auditions when you're drinking so much?"

It hits like a wave of headaches. I blink and rub my eyes. Binny glares, shoving her untouched glass aside to come for me. As she races towards my side everything gets harder to comprehend.

She grabs my arm and tries to pull me up, I hear her bark something at Tori. I can't tell what she or anybody is saying, it's like I'm underwater. Not only sound, but feeling. I'm drowning. I start to slump out of Binny's grip.

Being such a lightweight, I should've expected this immediately. But for some reason it's completely shocking, and to my horror I can't even react to me falling. 

And promptly slamming the back of my head into the table.

It cuts to black, but I can still hear my heart pumping in my throat. I'm so afraid. But passing out isn't what I'm afraid of right now. I'm afraid of the same thing that's been happening over and over.

I'm afraid somebody else is going to show up.