Once Upon a Cliché

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 ~

"So this is the party they were talking about."

It was. We could both tell. I glanced out the car window at the place Aiden had parked next to. The house was unfamiliar to me, with its huge grand archway and white oak doors, but there was no need to check if the address was correct. You could already hear the bass of the music coming from inside.

"Thanks," I said, for what felt like the millionth time that night. "You really didn't need to drive me here."

"It's no big deal," he assured me. "You would've had to walk all this way if I hadn't."

"Still."

He shrugged. "Just good luck finding your sister. I've been to this kind of party before and it gets pretty crazy in there, especially if you're alone."

I managed a smile. "Thanks for the tip. But don't worry, I'll be fine." I slid out of the car, trying to look as confident and prepared as possible. I mean, it was just a high school party, after all. How bad could it be?

Apparently, Aiden still wasn't convinced. "You sure you don't want me to go in with you?"

"I said don't worry," I told him, laughing. "You're supposed to be watching your sister, anyway. Could you tell her and Nolan again that I'm sorry I had to leave?"

"Sure. Need anything else?"

At first, I shook my head. But then, right before I closed the car door, I remembered one question I'd been thinking about for a while. "Wait. Aiden?"

"Yeah?"

"This might sound really nosy of me to ask, but..." I bit my lip, curiosity getting the best of me. "What did Natalie mean when she said 'I don't blame you?'"

The immediate look he got on his face was confirmation enough that it was an inappropriate question to ask. I shook my head abruptly, suddenly regretting asking at all. "Sorry, I get it. Not my business. Forget I said anything."

"No," he said, surprising me by keeping me from shutting the door. "You should know. Just...not right now. It's a long story." He seemed focused on the steering wheel for a long moment, long enough that I thought he was done talking. But then he said, "Ask me later, maybe."

I didn't know what exactly to say to that. Besides, of course, "Okay." I brushed a piece of hair behind my ear awkwardly. "I'll see you later, then?"

"See you," he said back. And then he was gone.

Leaving me alone at the party where my sister needed rescuing.

It took a moment of steeling myself before I could make the walk up to the front door, the sounds of the hordes of people and the music growing louder with every step. As I got closer, I couldn't help but replay the phone call in my head.

It was my sister. I stepped away from my friends for a second to pick it up, pressing the phone against my ear. "Hailin?"

"No, it's Lyssa."

"Lyssa?" I frowned. "Why are you using my sister's phone?"

"I found it on her." She was almost shouting by this point; there was too much background noise. "Listen, I only called you cause I can't find Hale, and I'm worried about Hailin."