After Hannah Baker- Zach Dempsey's New Life

4: Party

I walked back out onto the steps where Ryan was waiting. She turned to me with a half frown. 

"Do you want a piggy back ride back home?" I smiled at her. She nodded then giggled. "Hold my bag," I handed her my bag then walked down the two steps so she could climb onto my back. She climbed onto my back then laughed when I started walking to her house. 

"I'm going to fall over," I said then pretended to wobble. 

"Don't," she screamed then giggled when I stopped wobbling. 

"Okay, okay," I said then kept walking to her house. 

I walked up the steps to her house then set her done. She handed me my bag then opened the door and walked in. 

"Does your mother know it's a boy that's spending the night?" he asked with a glass of alcohol in his hand. 

"It's your business because?" Ryan asked then lead me to the stairs then up them. 

She shut her bedroom door after I walked in. She locked it then sighed before going to lay on her bed in the corner of the room. 

"Are you okay?" I asked setting my bag down. 

"Yeah," she nodded then crawled under the covers. "Do you want to watch a movie?" she asked leaning against the pillows.

"Sure," I nodded when she pointed to the movies in the corner of the room.

...

"What are you doing Friday?" Ryan asked as we were getting ready for school the next morning.

"Nothing, why?" I asked putting my shoes on.

"I got invited to a party and I don't want to go by myself," she said shyly.

"So you want me to come?" I asked then smiled. "Like a date?" I stood up then grabbed my backpack from the floor.

She sighed then shook her head walking into the bathroom while towel drying her hair.

I walked over to the bathroom doorframe and watched her brush her hair. "I'll go with you," I said when she made eye contact with me in the mirror.

"Thanks," she smiled then put her hair into a ponytail.

"No problem," I said when she walked past me.

...

Friday after school Ryan and I hung out at my house until six o'clock then headed to the place where the party was going to be, which was in the middle of the country.

"So who are these people who invited you to this party?" I asked after a while of driving.

"She's an acquaintance. I talk to her in my art class a lot," she answered.

"Is there going to be any drinking or drugs?" I asked slowly.

She shook her head. "No," she answered, "Mercedes parents don't want to be held reliable if a bunch if drunk and high teenagers get injured," she nodded "It's most likely a bomb-fire and cards against humanity," she started talking. "And probably scary movies," she chuckled. 

"You party hard," I laughed. 

"You know it," she chuckled. 

I pulled up to the house then parked. Ryan climbed out and waited for me. 

A girl walked out the front door then smiled at Ryan. "I didn't think you'd come," she said to Ryan. 

Ryan chuckled then gestured to me, "This is Zach, he's new at school," she said.