Broken

The After Party

Alena

The music had been playing and I knew nobody could pay me to go out there and dance for everyone to see and make a spectacle of me. Plus with Violet on her rampage I knew I'd only be asking for it.

Slow song after slow song I sat and watched my mother switch from dancing with her husband, to Henry, to David and everyone in between, making me sigh and walk to the back of the room and exit, wandering to the bathroom to get some air from all of that emotional stuff.

I strolled back and found the bartender on the outside packing up as the new ones entered the room to set up the one inside.

Glancing inside to see all of the adults preoccupied with something arbitrary, I grabbed a cup sitting on the bar top, swallowing the burning vodka.

"Can I top you off?" She asked, clearly not paying attention to who she was serving, I inhaled deeply and nodded, holding my glass out. "Vodka." I requested, finishing the second tumbler of the drink, causing my brain to fuzz and crave more.

I wandered inside and found full cups of the stuff on tables, sitting beside half consumed ones, allowing me to grab it and swallow the fiery liquid.

I started to see double however the desire to dance didn't increase, only the need to sit and grasp my bearings.

"Are you alright darling?" A male voice asked, I tried to make out his face but my distorted view made it almost impossible to make out his face, or remember.

"Just a bit dizzy." I slurred, gripping the table as I tried to hold the alcohol, forgetting about the stressful day I had endured, most of it pleasant, but the uneasy feeling in my chest that I got each time my mother began to tear up, or use terms of endearment, it terrified me to the core.

She loved me, which would only make the heartbreak worse if they were to betray me, making the alcohol more appealing.

"You clearly had a bit too much to drink." He chuckled, moving another cup to my mouth filled with the foul liquor, forcing it down my throat.

"Stop." I gurgled, unable to swallow the majority of the contents as it spilled on the tablecloth, making a stranger turn and raise an eyebrow.

"What's going on?" A British woman asked, her dark hair twisted back with jewels that contrasted against her turquoise jumpsuit.

"Nothing Jasmine, she choked and I'm helping her wash it down." The man said holding the drink to my lips, feeling my eyelids growing heavy from whatever was placed in my drink.

I tried to thrash as he helped me up, getting a muffled scream out of my lips, causing my mother to immediately turn and snarl at my offender.

"Oh, she stubbed her toe on someone's heal, I'll help her out." He lied, making my mother shuffle closer and wrinkle her nose at my odor.

"Why do you smell like that?" She questioned, reaching out in my direction, but my altered state allowed me to flinch and shrink away from her touch.

"I spilled some vodka on me from the bar while they were packing up." He chuckled, trying to lighten my mother's mood.

"Oh, well, if you could take her to Zelena that would be greatly appreciated, good night Alena, I love you." She said in a deflated tone, squeezing my hand gently before motioning towards her sister, the boy nodded and explained that he was going to grab me some tissues then return me, hoisting me up and walking me out despite my best efforts.