moments ↠ hood a.u [s.updates]

seven.

I walked into the crowded, hot, sticky room, ducking and dodging raised arms and dancing bodies. Safely reaching the kitchen, I found a clean plastic cup and poured myself a drink. Most people advice to drink Vodka in small amounts, but tonight I planned to go completely against that. I filled my cup 3/4 full with the strong alcohol, the last quarter taken up with blackcurrant juice. 

I raised the cup to my lips and took a large gulp before feeling a tap on my shoulder, 

"Have you talked to Isabelle recently?" I turned around to face Ashton, his face flushed and sweaty from dancing most probably, 

"I've tried, but she's proving difficult." I shrugged my shoulders, thinking about how these past three weeks had gone to absolute shit whenever it involved Isabelle. She had ignored me whenever I tried to talk to her and apologize. I had even tried the whole cliche throwing rocks at her window at midnight, which resulted in her brother coming out and chasing me for four blocks. Everything I did was completely hopeless. 

"Don't worry about it Cal! You don't need her." Ashton slung a sloppy arm around my shoulder with difficulty for the fact I was a couple of inches taller. I returned the favour though and threw my arm back around his shoulders, the both of us walking off into the crowd of party-goers. 

~~~

I lost Ashton a while ago when a hot red head took an interest to him, and of course I wasn't going to deprive the boy so I let him go telling him I'd find some more people. I was helping myself to another drink when I saw a familiar brunette walk by. Quickly pouring my drink I ran after her, trying not to lose her in the busy house. 

"Imber!" I bellowed over the loud music, and luckily she heard me. She spun around and greeted me with a scowl,

"Oh hello heart breaker." Her face never showing the slightest glimpse that she was joking, mainly because I knew she wasn't. I tried to ignore her unwelcoming stare and carried on,

"I need to talk to you, about Isabelle." I looked at her hopefully, maybe she'd hear me out but I was definitely wrong because she was already walking away.

"No wait please!" I grabbed her wrist and twisted her around to face me again, "You need to tell her I'm sorry! That's what I've been trying to say these past weeks." Her expression softened a bit,

"Calum, what you did was a dick move. Don't you think you should just leave her alone?" I was tired of people telling me what I did was stupid, or horrible or a 'dick move'. I understood that completely, except no one got that I was trying to make up for it. 

"I can't just leave it Imber! I feel fucking awful," My voice was becoming stronger, not only from the music becoming louder, but also because I was getting angrier. "But I need to ask you something else."

Imber raised her eyebrows, encouraging for me to go on. 

"What's this whole deal about her dad? I mean, I know he doesn't live with her but why?" The curiosity had been killing me this whole time, I was dying to know about it, to know more about her.

"Go fuck yourself Calum. That's not my business to tell, and you should know better than to ask. I don't even see why you care, you made it pretty clear you don't that night. And I don't even know where the fuck she is anyway." My anger was stupidly high now, but her last sentence was the only thing I could think about.

"What do you mean you don't know where she is Imber?!" I didn't even wait for her to answer, I was already walking away to find her, panic now replacing my anger. 

I had been searching about 15 minutes but I still had no luck. I had established by now she wasn't downstairs, so I decided to check upstairs again, taking the steps two at a time. I came out of the spare bedroom to see Jack going into another room and placing the door slightly shut.  Following him into the room, I was about to ask if he'd seen her when a sight that made my stomach knot greeted me.    .