a message to Tina Belcher

yayo - lana del rey

night time hit. white specs dotted the sky and streets were illuminated by artificial light mounted on poles that shot far from the ground. a stench of teenage desperation and vodka drifted down the road as ashley burbank strolled toward walker slowbin's house for the party said boy invited her to. her smile was small but expectant, eyes filled with hope for what was to come from that night. she almost had a spring in her step, hands clasped behind her back and eyes twinkling with the idea of a good fortune coming from that party.

she took her first step onto the porch and pushed the door open. music blasted through speakers standing at the other end of the room. people swarmed around the place, buzzing with talk and laughter. and not too long after taking her second step into the house, a hand landed on her shoulder gently. standing with a winning smile and a red solo cup in hand, said boy offered ashley a drink. immediately she smiled and took the cup. third step, she took a swig. her face contorted and crumpled like a drawing an artist had discarded. her eyebrows pointed down to her chin and her lips turned up in disgust. she swallowed and gagged.
"ugh."
"don't drink?" said boy laughed, eyebrow raised. "not hard liquor." ashley breathed, grin wide and eyes squinting. "fair enough." they laughed and continued talking. said boy held ashley's hand loosely and guided her through she sea of people to a quieter part of the mansion. "more drink?" said boy glanced at ashley, eyes glowing with a look indescribable. "sure."

they walked close by one another. said boy wooing ashley with his prince like behaviour. kissing her hand and telling her jokes, complimenting her and leading her on. leading her into his web of disaster. she wondered in unknowingly but hopefully. she thought she had a chance. she knew that said boy was always with a different girls but she believed she could be permanent. and she kept taking steps. kept stepping further into his game.

fifth step, swig. sixth step, another swig. seventh, eighth, ninth, umpteenth step, swig. ashley's cheeks were tinted rose, her freckles
masked pink. her smile was wide like a cheshire cat, stretching beneath both eyes.
"i ne-eed the toilet." she hiccuped, laughing boisterously and holding said boy by the arm. he smirked at her blushing figure, swaying from side to side as if she were at sea. "toilet?"
"mmyes." she breathed heavily, closing her eyes and bowing her head. it seemed as if she may have been taking a moment as she groaned, a string of saliva fell from her mouth to the floor. ashley then began to whisper indistinctly. said boy asked her to repeat herself time after time but she wasn't making sense.

he reached up to her chin, holding it between his index finger and thumb and lifted her face to look at him. he craned his neck and leaned in, connecting their lips softly. and the kiss didn't last long, it was short and sweet. ashley stood motionless, lips still puckered and still swaying. said boy kissed her again and she failed to respond, but he didn't stop. soon ashley was on her back with said boy on top of her. she groaned, making an effort to lift her hands to said boy's chest and push him away only to have her efforts thwarted by the influence of the alcohol. "no" she licked her lips to fight the dryness of her mouth. "stop". her protests were close to inaudible, but they were heard; just ignored. "it's okay huh," said boy interrupted. "it's just some fun, relax". now, the sand was at poor ashley's neck, sand hand clasped tight around her throat, adam's apple bobbing and thought process slowing.

everything was in slow motion. ashley's cries were loud enough for said boy to hear, but too quiet for anyone else. no one could come to her aid, no one could save her from why i am sending a message to Tina Belcher.