How To Love

Chapter Two

Half unconscious, I ran my fingers through my hair. My heart stopped and I could feel my breath get caught in my lungs as I searched my hand for a red substance. Straining my eyes in the darkness, I lifted my hand to my face. Confused, I saw no blood. I sat up from where I was laying on my back and realized that my whole body was wet. My legs wobbled as I stood up, my hands working on un-sticking, my already skin tight dress, from my skin. Looking around, I tried to get a sense of where I was. I had no recollection of how I even got here. It seemed I was on someone’s lawn. The grass surrounding me was completely soaked but from the smell of my hair and my ruined mini dress, all that rained on this lawn was a full six-pack of beer. I cringed at the pain searing through my legs as I tried to walk towards the house. The place was deserted. There was only one red Mercedes parked crookedly on the slick black pavement that led to the massive three-story house that was towering over me. I racked my brain for my options. I could either go up to the house and ask where the hell I was, or I could stand here in this wet grass, clearly with no way home or shoes. I groaned as I realized the first option was the only suitable thing to do. I straightened my dress as best I could as I walked up the steps to ring the bell. I paused, taking a deep breath, before I pushed my index finger against the hard door bell. I could hear the echo of the bell ring throughout the house. I chewed on my lip anxiously, not expecting who's face I'll see when the door finally swung open.

"Oh." I said, immediately covering my mouth with my hand.

"Uh... hey." Jarren pulled his fingers through his tousled brown hair. He looked almost as surprised as I did, with my mouth hanging open and my eyes wide. "What are you still doing here?"

Jarren stood in his plain black Calvin Klein boxers, waiting for an answer.

Still? Why was I even at Jarren Murphy's house, the most popular, good looking guy at school in the first place? My eyes fluttered at the sight of his beautifully tanned six-pack.

"I-," I looked back at the grass where I had been just laying, wishing I could even remember why I was here in the first place. "I really don't know." I shrugged, giving up.

"Did Sarah drive off without you or something?" His forehead creased as he tried to help me figure things out. Probably so he could be done with this crazy, beer smelling chick who stood at his door pathetically. Guys like him didn't have the time of day, or night in this case, for a girl like me.

"Sarah?" I crinkled my nose. Why would Sarah and I even come to Jarren's house and why was he seeming like it was no big deal?

"Yeah, you came to my party with Sarah, didn't you?" His voice sounded more confused than annoyed. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. The last thing I wanted was to annoy him.

It took me a few seconds to process his words. Party? Suddenly the nights occurrences flashed through my mind. I cupped my hand to my head. Was I drugged? I felt sadness rush through me, but I tried to quickly cover it with anger. Sarah left me passed out at a party that SHE dragged me to. Who knows what happened to me after I passed out. I can't remember ever coming outside let alone laying on the wet grass.

"Yeah I did." I searched his eyes for clues of what happened but all I got was pure confusion. "Sorry, it's just I guess I passed out and woke up on your lawn and Sarah left me here by myself and I'm really sorry to bother you when your," I looked down at his boxers, "Sleeping. Just I have no way to get home and until you opened the door I had no

idea where I was, in fact-"

He stopped me from rambling any further by grabbing my hand and gently leading me inside his huge home. Red cups and what looked like his personal belongings were scattered everywhere.