The Bet

Chapter 70

Flashback

"We found his car in the wreck. But I'm afraid that his body or any trace of your son was not found."

Those words had echoed in my head as I drove down the road that night. It was hard for me to comprehend what the police officer said. We all instantly assumed that there was an accident and that he would be at the hosptial. All hoping for the best but also preparing ourselves for the worst. The car ignited into flames and it was nothing but hunk of metal. But he wasn't found. Not a single trace of him. That was a riddle in itself.

I screamed so loudly my throat was on fire. Every time I swallowed it felt like I'm taking in needles. I had found a bottle of Jim Beam in my mother's glove compartment. The seam on the top hadn't even been cracked yet. I raised the bourbon to my lips. I took in the taste of honey and a certain sting that came along with it. I had only been drunk a few times in my life but this one took over like a wave. I kept collecting the liquor to my lips  as I remained in the car. I was greedy for another focus. I couldn't help but taste the salt of my tears along with the liquor. I thought being intoxicated would've help me cope with all of this. But come to find out it only made it worse.

My focus was split into two as I drove down the dark roads. There was a high school party near by. I wouldn't have been found dead in that party. But my mind was not my own. And my morals were on vacation. I staggered out of my car. My steps were shaky and not fully thought out. Things already seemed fuzzy and blurred. I couldn't remember where the house was or why exactly I was there.

Everything was in a warm haze. Bodies were crowding the space, laughter and shouting clashed against the loud music. It smelled of alcohol and a tinged of sweat. The whole room was set to a low red lighting. It made everything more darker. More harder to comprehend. All I could remember was those hands on my hips. I wasn't sure if I was even dancing or not. I was just floating on nothing. A thumb had wiped my stained cheeks. My mind was completely took a turn for the worst. Then lips planted my jaw then the cheek. I leaned into the stranger's affection. It was selfish.

✴✴

I woken up in a different bed that morning. The sheets were unfamiliar. And so were the smell of the pillows. I was welcomed with a hammering pain in my head. It throbbed over and over. This had to be the hangover of the century. I tried sitting up and it was almost physically impossible. I had two problems. I couldn't lift my head to save my life. It felt like a large bowling ball attached to my neck. It was spinning over and over. Then the second problem came to surface quickly. There was a soreness in between my legs. It throbbed worse than my head. I had never felt this before.

No. It couldn't be that. I knew better than that. I slowly lifted myself up from the bed. I clutched onto the sheets. My hand almost shook with the comforter. Then I removed the sheet just enough to look under it. Something sank in my stomach as I let out a choked but muffled sound. I raised a hand to my mouth. A dark brown spot laid down under the entrance of my legs. Not even to mention my lack of clothing. I looked around to see if there was any trace of someone else in the room.

Nothing-not even a soul.

I had lost my virginity. Just like that. It was taken from me and I didn't even have say in it. I was roaring drunk last night. I didn't even know who even took it. How could I have been so stupid? How did I let myself come to the point of loosing something so sacred? Then other memories came into play. My brain had it's flaws this morning. But nothing could make me forget about Liam. He was missing and here I was hungover and half of a memory to show for it. I felt like an awful person. What kind of sister was I? My brother was out there somewhere and I thought about nothing but myself.

I cried for what seemed like the tenth time in under twenty four hours. My whole body shook as everything caved in on me at once.

It was hard to stand up. But once I was on my feet it wasn't too awful. I shamefully gathered my clothing from the floor and slipped it on. I didn't think about my hair or my apperance period. I had quitely slipped out of the room. Bodies were spread around the hallways passed out. I'm pretty sure the whole house was a wreck. I manage to step over the bodies and exit the house. I did it all with quietness. Not like they were going to wake up. So this is was happens after a party is over. I predict nothing but hangovers and loss memories. Just like I was. Once I left the house I tried to see if I knew where the hell I was. Luckily I gathered I wasn't so far out of town. Remembering how I got here wasn't even an option. After last night I don't want to remember how I got home. I wanted to forget this house and forget this night completely.

Liam's face was on every news report, every radio station, every newspaper. You'd have to be compeletly isolated from the world not to have heard about it. Interviewers asked for stories and other stuff. Thinking this would spread the news even more. But my family wouldn't hear of it. The last thing anyone of us wanted to do was stand on a soap box and talk about something we barely have information to ourselves. I stopped speaking completely. Ignored all questions of that night. Everyone questioned my mental state. No one understood I just wanted to be left the hell alone. I stayed in my room to myself. I didn't cry. I didn't scream. All I could do is think and wish. What else was there?