Reaching

2

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Disclaimer: This story is based in a world where COVID-19 doesn't exist. Stay safe people!

Also, whenever you're at a party, only accept drinks that are unopened. If someone pours you a drink, only consume if they do too.

Make sure your designated driver is sober.

I hope you enjoy the chapter!

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I watched TV and ate some dinner with Claudia before we started getting ready for the party. It took a while to find something wearable, but I decided to wear a black denim skirt with a blue halter top. Claudia decided on wearing ripped jeans with a black tube top. While applying makeup we chatted about what boys had the nicest cake and placed bets on what girl we would find crying/puking in the bathroom. 

Oliver waited for us in the living room. "Finally you guys are done". He sighed. "Beauty is pain, Ollie. I needed to pluck my brows!" Claudia sneered in response. "The one in pain is me, you guys know I hate waiting." An annoyed Oliver said while texting. I couldn't see who he was texting, but I didn't really care.

Oliver is a blonde guy, about 5'11. His arms are decorated with tattoos, and you can often see him wearing caps. He has a nice build and I'm positive he has many admirers. I do find him attractive, but he's more like a brother to me. "The uber's here, let's go," he said. We followed him out the door while arguing about which girl he will bring home and make sing tonight.

The house was about 20 minutes away, but it was definitely worthwhile. It was only 9 pm, but the party had already begun. Claudia and I went inside while Oliver played beer pong with some people he knew. I convinced her that we should start the night with a shot instead of beer, but we couldn't find any liquor. 

"Oh my god, Lucy is that you?" I heard a deep voice say from behind me. I turned around and was met with a pair of brown eyes. A few seconds passed before I broke the silence. "Yeah, that's me". "You remember me right? James from high school." He pointed at his face with a bright smile. He was Asian and looked like he could be a model. There was something familiar about him, but I couldn't recall. If I did go to school with him, he must have had a glow-up. "Yeah, I do" I lied. I mean, who remembers people from high school? Not me.

 Claudia who was still looking for something to drink caught up with the conversation and Introduced herself, and they clearly got along. Not long after two of his friends joined in too. "This dumbass right here is Brad, and here's the famous playboy Lucas," James said, mocking them. "What do you mean dumbass!?" Brad said, clearly annoyed while fixing his hair. "Maybe he refers to moments ago where you decided to walk into a door, " the other guy said, which must have been Lucas.

I let out a laugh. "You walked into a door?" He smiled and looked away, but I could still make out the dimples on his attractive face. "No... I mean yeah, I did". "How?". He didn't seem drunk, and he wasn't holding a drink either. "I was admiring your beauty, " he said and winked, making the others go "ooooh" and giggle. "Cute!" I heard Claudia say. "Down bad" someone else added, trying to contain their laughter. 

Further into the night, we got better acquainted with the boys. James used to be in my science class, and Lucas goes to the same college as Claudia. Travis plays in a band, and they are currently working on an album. More people kept pouring into the party but we stayed with each other. They shared their liquor with us, and we had a great time. They seemed like good friends, and Lucas even threw water on James making him whine while we laughed. At some point, I felt the need for a breath of fresh air, so I excused myself and stepped out on the balcony. 

I took a sip of my drink and looked up to the sky. The stars were out, and they were moving. Do stars move? I was so fascinated by this that I almost forgot to swallow. Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted because a girl with red hair stepped in front of me. "Hi, I'm Tori, " she said with a stiff smile. She reached out a hand, and I shook my hand in hers. "Lucy". She shot a quick glance into the house before her attention was back on me again. "How do you know James?" She asked. "I went to high school with him," I replied honestly. Is this an angry ex-girlfriend that's out to kill me?

"Why?" I asked. She gave me an awkward look. "Nothing, I was just wondering. Have a nice night, " she said with a sigh. She headed back inside and I made my way through the dance floor to the kitchen to get some snacks. Oliver was standing there, looking like an idiot. "Where's Claudia?" He asked me with a puzzled expression. "I don't know, she was with the guys when I left". He frowned for a second, but then he chugged the rest of his beer.

He pointed at a girl that was dancing. "I'm gonna shoot my shot with her". I looked in the direction he was pointing. She was really good at dancing, I was not surprised he noticed her. "Good luck man" I replied. He opened another beer and acted like he was offended. "Shut up, I don't need it". 

The guys went from being 3 to 2. "Where's James and Claudia?" I asked, hoping they would know. She's not exactly great at letting me know if she goes somewhere. They looked at each other, and then at me. "Probably hooking up" Lucas replied, chuckling. I smiled. "Well, we better let them be, then". I sat down next to Travis, and the three of us vibed to the music while chatting. Normally I would be concerned if my friend went missing during a party, but there is a 100% chance that Claudia was in a room because she wanted to be, not because she was dragged away.

We had a great time until we suddenly heard yelling from the living room. "Are you crazy?! You can't just barge in like that!" I heard Claudia shouting at Oliver. The shouting had attracted the attention of the party, and people were looking. He looked angry and yelled back. "I was just looking for you! I didn't know you were gonna act like a slut!". I stood in awe and had no idea what to do. What did he just say?

She looked surprised and took a step back, her eyes watery. She looked away and a second later she ran off. Oliver tried to follow, but couldn't make it through the crowd. He took a glance around the room and landed his eyes on me with a pleading expression. I frowned at him and walked away. That's low.

I turned on my phone and sent Claudia a text.

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Lucy

Are u okay? Where are u?

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A very confused-looking Travis followed me. "What just happened?" he asked. I shrugged. "I have no idea, but I can tell Oliver didn't handle the situation very well, " I replied drily. "I guess not, " he paused, looking like he was thinking about something. 

Travis is actually very good-looking. He has green eyes and brown hair, and he's over 6ft tall. As far as I know, he's a very sweet guy. As I was staring holes into this cute boy, my phone buzzed. Claudia replied.

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Santa Claud

On my way homr

yber

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I smiled. "She's heading home in an uber, I think I'd better go too," I told him. He looked at me and offered to drive me home. My heart skipped a beat. "Do you think that's a good idea?" I asked, trying to see with my non-sober eyes if he was sober. He grinned at me and said, "I haven't had anything to drink tonight, it that's what you were wondering". I held my breath for a moment. "It's fine I don't want to burden you with that, I'll just call an uber". Dang, why do I suddenly turn polite when I drink?

He looked a little disappointed, but he gave in. "It was really nice meeting you, Lucy, " He said and gave me a sweet smile. Do I have heart problems or something? I swear my heart is glitching today. "It was really nice meeting you too".