Fostered

Chapter Eight

I've gotten somewhat used to Calla's tendency to pretend I don't exist for a while after a kiss or an argument. It doesn't bother me too much if I don't think about it. After today's earlier encounter, it surprised me when Calla invited me to go to a "Youth Group Party" with her. I reluctantly agreed and Calla celebrated before disappearing to get ready.

Flash forward a few hours and I'm standing in the middle of an incredibly nice house. Like, nicer than the house I'm currently staying in. I clutch a red solo cup in my right hand, moving around just enough to look like I'm dancing. Music blares and shakes the picture frames on the walls. As I wander through the unfamiliar mansion, I examine the picture frames and decorations. At the far end of a hallway, a table with a plastic plant sitting on top of it is surrounded by picture frames. One is of a dog, the other is of a man in a fancy suit with another man in an even fancier suit. I take a left at the end of the hallway and examine the paintings that vibrate against the wall.

One canvas is completely blank except for a tiny blue circle in the upper right hand corner. I stare at it for a long time, trying to concieve the concept that the artist had in mind. I take a sip from my cup and I lean against the wall, taking in the surroundings. I remain there for a while and stare at the painting. Even when I'm supposed to be socializing, I'd rather be alone. I take a deep breath and blow it out contently. When I finally push off of the wall and begin walking back toward the life of the party, I'm approached by Kelsey.

I haven't seen her since the bonfire. She smiles and walks up to me, clearly intoxicated. She takes my hand.

"Oh, man. It's been a long time." Kelsey slurs, twining her fingers through mine.

I grin uneasily and nod slowly, "Ah... Yeah, it has... How much have you had to drink tonight?"

"Not enough," She giggles.

"I think that's debatable. How about some water?" I suggest, starting back down the hallway.

"I'm not thirsty," Kelsey whines, tugging on my arm.

"You need some water," I tell her.

"No," She comes to a stop and I turn around, glaring at her.

Kelsey inches closer to me until I'm backed up against the wall. The music carries through the wall and buzzes against my back and shoulders. I try to move from Kelsey's embrace, but she stumbles forward and I hold her up. She looks at me with foggy eyes. The tip of her nose has turned red, as well as her chest. I read somewhere once that things like that happen when some people get really drunk. I try to move Kelsey but she just starts sobbing and at that point, I'm not really sure what to do.

After some struggling, I finally get her to follow me and I take her into a room with a pool table and a couch and, surprisingly, a mini bar. I set her down on the couch and scout the fridge until I find a water bottle. I return to Kelsey, who is barely clinging to consciousness, and force-feed her some of the water. She wipes at her mouth and sniffles loudly. I put the water on the coffee table in front of the couch and pick up my drink, taking a few more swigs.

I'm not drunk enough for this shit.

I finish off my cup and return to the mini bar to find something that will help me deal with this. After mixing up the strongest things I can find, I return to Kelsey's side to keep an eye on her. As I gulp down my cup, Kelsey finally stops crying. She shakes her head and looks at the ground.

"My boyfriend is not good enough. My mom said so, my dad said so, even my sister thinks he's a loser." Kelsey blurts out.

I try to ignore her and just focus on making sure she isn't dead, but she just keeps on talking.

"That night that I met you at the bonfire, me and him were in a fight," She hiccups and continues on, "And I thought you were so cute and nice. I still do."

I awkwardly shift on the couch and Kelsey looks up at me. Her eyes are now puffy and filled with tears. A few of them roll down her cheeks and onto her lap. I'm not really sure what to do in this situation. I've never been in a situation like this before. My brain begins to spiral down into panic mode, but my body slowly extends a hand out to Kelsey and places it on her shoulder. I swear to God my systems are going haywire. Kelsey wipes at her eyes and sniffles before leaning in toward me. My eyes widen and I scoot back, trying to avoid her like the plague.

Kelsey's face is just centimeters from mine when the door to the room goes flying open and a boy who looks lost comes rushing in. His face changes from confused to furious in an instant when he sees Kelsey and I. My slightly intoxicated brain does the math and comes up with the idea that this character might be Kelsey's boyfriend. He storms over to us and yanks Kelsey up by the arm rather viciously. Then, he starts shouting. Kelsey just sobs and sobs and I sit there, paralyzed by the immense awkwardness.

"I cant believe you, you fucking idiot! Running off without me and doing stupid shit like this! Do you even know this girl's name?" He shouts, causing Kelsey to cry harder.

I try to get up to exit the room, but he points at me.

"Listen, fucker! This is my girlfriend! You have no business trying to make moves on her when she's in a relationship!" He's turned bright red now and it's clear that he's seething with rage.

I smirk defiantly and step closer to him, "Oh, yeah? She's your girlfriend? Maybe you should keep her on a shorter leash, then."

"Shut the fuck up, asshole! You're probably the one who brought her in here, anyways, you sick fuck!"

"So what if I did? What are you going to do about it? I didn't fuck your girlfriend," I tease.

"I'll knock the shit out of you. Do you think I care that you're a girl? I'll still beat you fucking senseless," He threatens.

Growing up in an environment where words are just words and only actions prove something is a dangerous environment to grow up in. On the one hand, you learn how to take words so that they don't really harm you. But on the other, you learn how to take words until they turn into actions. And sometimes those actions are dangerous. Of course, I can't ever keep my big mouth shut, so I flash him another shit-eating grin.

"Prove it."

In that instant, he goes from completely enraged to almost impressed. He releases his iron grip on Kelsey, who nearly collapses to the floor in a heap of tears. He then cocks his head and nods slowly, smiling like a maniac.

"Just wait," He replies before grabbing Kelsey and leaving me alone in the room.

I stand there for a while until I'm sure he isn't coming back. Then, I down the rest of my deadly cocktail and return to the party. I find Calla dancing and having the time of her life with a group of her friends. Even Angie is getting down. I can't help but smile as I approach the group. I catch Calla's eye and she pulls me into the chaos. Instead of ruining the fun and telling her about my earlier encounter, I decide to dance the night away with her. It can wait.