In Another Life

VI o'Clock - Madness

I walked straight past him and went inside to blend in with the crowd. Haley ran towards me with an open mouth. "Anna?! You were almost there!" I turned around. "Haley, forget it! I'm just not supposed to talk to him! It's not meant to be!"  She widened her eyes. "What are you talking about? Do I have to do my peptalk all over again? This is a night where nobody cares who you are! You're acting like a wimp! Man up!"

"I can't, Haley." I said, lost in my own desperation.

She stared at me for a while, attempting to explode my brains. And then her face relaxed. She had an idea. "Okay, alright, this is it. You asked for it." she said while she turned around. 

She headed right towards Jonathan. 

"Nooo Haley!!!" I screamed. I literally screamed. For a second I was frozen but the next second the adrenaline shot through my veins and I ran through Jonathan's house while I heroically pushed everyone away in front of me.

But I was too late. When I stumbled into Haley, I also stumbled into Jonathan.

"Oh here she is!" She said to Jonathan in a teasing way . "I was just going to tell Jonathan that you needed to speak him! I'm gonna go now." She gave me a shoulder pat while she smoothly walked away like a boss. 

There I was, alone with Jonathan Wade Campbell. I felt myself turning red already. "Sorry... She's doing this to bully me. I wasn't really... I didn't need to speak you..." He laughed. Oh god he laughed!  "It's okay, my friends do that all the time when I see a pretty girl." "Oh! Well I guess we're not so different at all!" I said with a grunting laugh. He looked around him. Probably to see if there was anyone more interesting to talk to. "You remember me, right?" I asked insecure. "What? Of course!" he nickered bewildered, "I mean we're in the same class most of the time! For like... I don't know like... four years? It would be inhuman if I wouldn't know you." What a relieve! He knows me!  "Yeah, that's true. I was just... not sure. You know, you're popular... I'm not..." He laughed again. White, straight teeth blinded my eyes. "So that means that I'm selfish? Auch..."  "No! I'm just nobody in contrary to you." I recovered. "Nobody? Wauw that is some really low self image you got there!" "But it's true..." I admitted. "No. I think you're pretty cool. You're smart and extremely nice and you're not annoying in contrast to other girls." He took a sip of his drink. I smiled. Did that really just come out of his mouth?Shit don't let an awkward silence happen. "Hey what is that? It tasted kind of weird to me..." He looked down to his cup. "Oh this? Oh that's coke mixed with tequila. Greatest party drink ever. Try some?" He reached out his cup out to me. "No, thanks." I smirked. He raised his shoulders. "Are you enjoying the party?" He asked while he took another sip. "Yeah! Yes! It's wow! So many people!" I said too enthusiastic. "Yeah. I kind of hoped for more but..." I nodded. Of course.

"Love your necklace by the way. Vintage." He touched it. 

Suddenly he jumped backwards and he looked confused at his hand as if he cut himself. "What happened?" I asked him afraid. "I don't know," he said getting himself together again, "I touched it and... I... got this kind of electric shock." He looked at the clock with sharp eyes. "I'm sorry. It's probably broken or something, I don't know. Are you okay?" He nodded lightly but seemed still a little shocked. "Where did you get that thing?" he whispered. His eyes switched from the necklace to my face and back. "I don't know, I think it's old. I didn't even know I had it." He slowly stepped back. "I eh... I'm gonna go... talk to some people." He walked away.  Faster than normal people walk. As if he ran away from me. 

"Sorry!" I yelled, "Happy Birthday!" He looked behind for a last time and faked a smile. What  happened that would scare him away like that? If it was just an electric shock like he said, why would he be so scared off? I touched the pocket watch to see if I'd get a shock, but nothing happened. 

I went inside to look for Haley. I quickly realized that that was an impossible job: Jonathan's house was massive. The deeper I went, the more I got juggled up. Everyone was bumping against each other and kissing one another. Coke mixed with tequila flew over my head every five seconds. I said sorry every time I pushed someone away while squirming myself through. God I hated parties.

And then I saw a familiar face.

Haley's. 

She was talking to someone on the staircase: Jonathan. I hurried towards them but as soon as he noticed I was approaching, he went upstairs.

"What did he say to you?" I asked Haley, who was sipping on a bottle of tequila. "Not much. I asked him why he wasn't with you and he answered: we were done talking. And then you came." She noticed I was uncomfortable. "What happened out there?" she asked after swallowing a gulp of tequila. On that moment her eyes widened. "Oh my god. You didn't..." She looked at me as if she expected me to know what she was thinking. "You did..." I didn't get her. "Did what? Finish your sentence please." Haley just stared at me. I had no idea where she was going with this. She was probably drunk too. "Did you show him the ugly toe?" she whispered. What the... "No!" I cried. She sighed relieved as if she really expected me to do that. "Why in the world would I want to show him my toes?? And stop calling it ugly! It's just a little deformed... It's cute..." She burst out laughing in my face. "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth!" I felt extremely offended. Remind me why I'm friends with her... "And by the way, I know that that's how you think you'll get the guys. Hate to break it to you but... it's not." I could smell her with-alcohol-filled breath. "And when have I ever done that before?" She sipped from the top of the bottle, smiling. "Adam Flesher." I dug in my memory, trying to remember the face that belonged to the name. "You mean the kid that bit my finger in kindergarten?" Haley nodded. "I don't remember showing him my foot..." She laughed. "I remember it like it was yesterday, girl." She acted as if it was normal to her that she remembered something that I did ten years ago. "Okay, GIRL, you are not drinking of this any longer." I pulled the bottle out of her hands and put it on the staircase. "We're going home." I turned around and went down the stairs. "Nah nah." Haley sounded while she grabbed my arm. "WE are not going home before you've danced." She walked past me, and gestured that I should follow her. Alright. One quick dance. 

We were dancing when it happened. We were in his living room. We were having fun. Unknowing of what could have possibly been happening in that moment. I finally wasn't worrying about me or my pathetic life or the guy next to me. Anything. And everything seemed so damned normal.

And then it happened. Nobody realized it at first. They thought it was some kind of prank. Until we heard the sirens.

Men in bright yellow suits rushed inside and made their way upstairs.

And all I could do was stare. Behold the scene that was being played right in front of me. Repeating the unbearable scream in my head of a girl in tears. Amongst her crying and the loud music I had heard her squeal: "Call 911! Please! Somebody help!" That was around five minutes before they got here. I hadn't done anything. To me, it seemed like I suddenly got transported into a movie. And all I could do was watch.

I watched how the yellow men appeared again and how they were carrying a stretcher down the stairs. I was in the front seat of the theater. I could see every detail. And then I watched how the person on the stretcher had his hands covered with blood. How he was hiding what seemed to be a serious injury in his chest. His eyes were closed. His mouth was open. I recognized those white teeth out of millions. He was just rolling past me. As if he was asleep. All I could think about in that moment when I saw his face, was how beautiful he really was. Maybe it was the shock. Maybe it was the unbelief that made me ignore the things I never thought I would have to see. I forgot about Haley. I forgot about the party. I blocked out the music. I blocked out my thoughts. 

I forgot myself.