Time and Again

Chapter 2 - Part 2: Boring?

A couple of boys howled as they stepped through the doors and the girls near me screamed in response. The energy in the room surged as the DJ chose a more frenzied, upbeat song. I could feel the music's bass flow through my veins like an electrical current.

I stood on the outside of the growing circle awkwardly, feeling like I was way out of my comfort zone. It wasn't that I was a wallflower. I just tended to be more extroverted when I had friends around me.

A strong arm wrapped around my middle suddenly and I came face to face with an attractive, blonde boy. He winked at me before he spun me away from him. Then, just as quickly, he pulled me back into his arms.

He leaned forward, his breath hot on my ear. "You having a good time, girl?" I nodded feebly. "Let's dance!"

Grabbing my hand, he pulled me towards the giant moshpit. He tugged me along behind him, pushing people aside until we were in the center. Bodies pressed in on me from all sides and the salty tang of sweat lingered in the air. White spotlights swept the room and, in those brief moments, everything was illuminated. At least two hundred teens grooved in the center of the room, some holding cups in raised, swaying hands.

"What's your name?" I yelled at the boy over the noise. When he tossed me a questioning look, I repeated myself.

He leaned in close again, placing his muscly arms around my waist. "Drake. And yours?"

I smiled, leaning up on my tip toes to reply, "Nice to meet you! My name is Grace!"

Pulling me even closer, he gave me a quirky grin. I felt slightly uncomfortable dancing so closely to a guy that wasn't my boyfriend, but what were we supposed to do? The middle of a moshpit wasn't exactly somewhere were personal space was a top priority. Liam wasn't present and Shelley wanted a full report of the event of the season. What kind of report would I be able to deliver if I stood on the outskirts of the dance floor the whole time? I tried to relax, allowing myself to get lost in the loud, delirious beats of the techno song currently playing. Drake spun me around in the small space we were allowed.

After that song ended and another upbeat one took its place, he pulled my arms up around his neck while he placed his around my waist. Occasionally, Drake would lean in towards me and point out different crazy dancers around us. Whether he did this to make me feel better about my own dancing skills or because he was genuinely entertained, I have no clue. A girl to my right was trying to crowd surf and couldn't seem to manage to stay up for more than 30 seconds.

Drake seemed like a nice enough guy. His blonde hair was spikily styled and he was nearly half a foot taller than me. Even in the spastic lighting, I could tell he had a well-defined jaw line and long eyelashes. There was a part of me that couldn't help reassuring myself that Liam would have approved of the one guy who had asked me to dance.

I found myself jumping along to the faster songs and when the DJ threw in a random waltzy melody and Drake pulled me close, I followed his deft movements as the space around us widened as couples went off to dance alone. I was surprised to find myself gliding gracefully over the floor as I let him lead me.

Me? Not tripping over my own feet for once? Never.

"You're making all of this look so easy," I said to Drake over the sympathetic whine of a violin. "I can't dance at all and you make it look effortless."

He nodded, the corners of his mouth curving into a slow smile. "Dance lessons," he replied, looking slightly embarassed.

When the song ended, he dragged me back into the moshpit for more of the same. The delighted screams and laughter of other teenagers could be heard all over the room as people took advantage of the free (and, probably by now, spiked) drinks and the riotous atmosphere.

A few songs later - I lost count - a steady throbbing in my temple began to build. It was all too much. The throbbing music, the bodies packed so closely that even breathing was difficult, the chaotic light show. It was all too much. Too much.

I covered my head with my hands in an effort to calm down the growing pounding for a few minutes. I stood still while the crowd around me continued to pulse with an erratic and uncontrollable intensity. When I looked up again, Drake was nowhere to be seen. I pushed through the crowd - finding it a lot harder without Drake there to part the seas - and headed for the chairs near the walls of the room. An analog clock hung on the wall and I squinted my eyes to read the time.

10:03pm.

It had only taken a little more than an hour and a half to trigger a horrid headache. Great. As I took a seat, I scanned the crowd for Drake. It wasn't quite fair for me to leave without an explanation. I had to admit that I felt in debt to him for his kindness during the dance.

I grumbled as a wave of nausea hit me. Being in this hectic environment was not helping the matter at hand. My cell was at my house - I couldn't call Shelley to pick me up. I'd planned on staying the whole time (who wouldn't want to stay the whole time?) and texting Liam was absolutely out of the question. 

If I could only talk to the Andersons and have one of their limousines take me back home early. 

The Andersons. I hadn't seen Barrett anywhere although this was his birthday party. It seemed odd, but none of the other attendees seemed to noticed his absence. If they did, they obviously cared little. The party was going full-speed-ahead regardless of his presence.

I scanned the crowd again, now deadset on leaving. My headache only continued to intensify. Shelley would be upset, but it was for the best. She would understand.

Pulling up the hem of my dress, I stood up and strode over to the edge of the crowd and looked for Drake. Hundreds of teens, but Drake was not in the midst of them.