Together or Apart

Chapter 8 - Party Pooper

C H A P T E R E I G H T : PARTY POOPER

Scarlett's POV

Going to sleep was hard for me, I felt guilty and ashamed of myself. I promised myself to tell him later and get to sleep. but everytime I fell alseep, I just replayed Holden trying to feel me over and over again. It was a movie that I didn't want to see. I woke up in sweat and felt rigorous pain in my back.

Once again, I didn't see Anne standing in the doorway or cooking any breakfast. I didn't know of any of her friends, or family so I couldn't call or contact anyone asking about her "disappearance". And maybe I was being too worried, she did say she would probably be back by Friday, so maybe she'd come back today.

Once I got dressed and ate my homeade oatmeal - yum.. I walked out of the foor to find Holden asleep outside of my dorm room. I shook his shoulders a few times and tried to wake him up, but he didn't budge. When I told him to get out, I meant out of my dorm room, I didn't know he would wait for me. But I guess I didn't specify, I mean - he did do as I asked.

I hurried to my first two hour class and got situated before others started rushing in. Holden never showed up, meaning he was still sleeping outside of my room. Professor Potter kept jittering and talking about nonsense, when the board of director came rushing in and interrupted the class to whisper somethig to our professor.

While he walked out of the rooom with the board member for a second, the class went wild. People started throwing pencils at each other and yelling loudly. Some boy came up from behind me and started to tickle me, too bad for them that I'm not very ticklish. I smiled as they started to find a ticklish spot, and eventually they found my only weakness - my chin. I remover Jack always tickling me there, and making me giggle.

When the Professor walked back in, 5 minutes later, he looked gloomy and sad, and then he looked angry. The classroom had books all over the floor, as well as kids up out their seats, sitting on others laps. Others were trying to get earwax out of their ears. He looked around as his eyes got larger.

"Who made this mess?" he asked. His bald spots shined in the light above as smoke ran from his ears. As he began to yell some more he was interuppted by the intercom.

"Everyone please file into the auditorium quickly." It was a short, message but it sounded pretty serious. I closed my book and hurried to form a line in the front of the classroom. Professor Potter still was angry, but he started to tear up.

I spotted Greg in another classes line, and he hurriedly walked over to me and got in front of me.

"What's going on?" I asked him as he leaned back to listen. He shrugged his shoulders as we reached the gym and started sitting down. As the board started to talk, Holden came rushing in. He must have just woken up.

Once he sat beside Greg, The board started to talk again.

"At precisely 2:00 this morning, Anne Carter died." The administrator said. Many people looked around, trying to figure out who she was, many people didn't know her. I had tallked of her to the boys, but they never mentioned being friends with her. Being her roommate, I felt sad and uneasy. I hadn't known her very well, but she was an awfully nice person.

"Heaven received amother angel." whispered Greg to my side. He had said another, meaning he had known of another person that had gone and left us, and thats when it clicked - June, Anne's former dorm mate, had gone last year.

Even though I didn't know her very well, didn't mean I didn't care or mourn for her loss. We were quickly dismissed and sent back to our classrooms. Holden walked back with me, but we didn't talk. Last night was still playing in my head. Because of Anne's death, I never did attempt to confess or call Jack, instead I stayed in my dorm - Anne's dorm and mine to share.

I didn't go to my second class, and neither did I eat. I just thought of how lucky I am to be alive, because you never know when your life can be taken. I was then greeted by Greg who had opened my ajar door and sat down on my bed beside me.

"Sorry." he said.

"How did you know about June?" I asked him referring to his earlier comment.

"She grew up in the same town as I did, and I dated her for 2 months, she was sweet. I was really devastated when she died. I remember what I had told her before she died." He says, reminiscing.

I looked at him for a while, and waited to hear what he had said, but there was no response.

"What did you say?"

"I told her I wished she'd die." He said. I then knew why he didn't want to talk about it. Maybe June didn't die of Scarlett Fever, but of self destruction. "I hate my last words to her, I just. I don't know." He said. His head was hung down low.

"Anyway, are you still coming to the party?" he asked me, as he placed his hand in my hair. He looked me in the eye. Even though I didn't want to, I didn't want to break our promise, so I agreed to go.

It would be weird with an empty dorm, with no one to say good morning to in the morning.

I got ready for the party by just curling my hair, I stayed in my jeans and a tank. Once Greg and Holden showed up at my door, I was ready. They escorted me to Holden's car and we drove off to a Frat house. I walked in, and just followed the guys the whole time.

A lot of people were already there with enough booze and boobs to choke a horse. Many girls wore what looked to be only their bra and underwear. I felt uncomfortable being around this much male attention and I started to think about what had happened last night and what could happen tonight as well.

And I guess Holden was thinking the same thing. He pulled me aside and pulled me to a corner.

"Hey, about last night.." he started to say. "Let's forget about it. Don't tell Greg and if you had told me you had a boyfriend, I wouldn't have asked you to hit on me. Scarlett, I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me and my actions."

"I know, I should have told you about Jack." His eyebrows wrinkled into a questionable manner. "my boyfriend." I said. Then we shook hands and forgot it ever happened.

Even without a skin tight, ass crack dress, guys were still looking at me and winking. Greg pulled me over to him and we all decided to go back to my dorm and order pizza. And that's what we did. Even with me not being very religious, we all prayed a little psalm from the Bible to recognize Anne's death.

We had pizza, talked about our professors, laughed, cried about Anne, and enjoyed life in my new one person dorm.