Adrenaline.

7.

S E V E N

✧

Justin and I stood in front of the crimson colored door. Our arms were linked tightly. The door had suffered some type of abuse from drunken teenagers, considering the fact that it's hinges were hanging on by a thread. Multiple holes were imbedded into the door, revealing the dusty brown that laid underneath the thick coat of paint.

The whole world was shaking, literally. The walls of the house were vibrating with the sound of nineties R&B music and loud shouts from intoxicated teens. I could feel the vibrations under my feet as if I was experiencing a mild earth quake.

I looked at Justin hesitantly and he shot me a sweet smile. I reached for the door knob, but pulled away when a sense of realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

Everyone hates me.

"You're nervous," Justin stated bluntly as he flicked his tongue across his bottom lip. I looked up at him, nodded and then gazed back down at the door knob. I felt a light grip on my wrist, and snapped up quickly, realizing it was Justin. He slowly tugged at my hand and placed it over the knob. He gripped over my hand with his rough one, and looked at me with his eyebrows slightly cocked.

"Turn it," he stated.

"H-How about we go to iHop again? They're having a two-for-one deal and I can't miss—" I began nervously, but he cut me off.

"Nova, I promise I won't let anything happen to you," he assured, but something in his voice gave me the impression that he wasn't talking about my bullies. I looked up at him and shook my head as an immense sense of discomfort took over my body. He looked down at me sympathetically and there was something in his eyes that gave me a sense of relief—that everything was going to be okay.

I began to turn the knob, and he smiled. We pushed past the door and walked inside. Loud beats and vibrant colors were bouncing around the room, making me feel at ease. People were so drunk and caught up in themselves that they didn't even realize Nova—the monster—had arrived.

Justin grabbed onto my hand tightly and led me through the crowded room. Screams and shouts were erupting from every direction. Thick clouds of smoke were puffed up into the air, making me feel like I was on top of a mountain, touching a cloud.

—but unfortunately, it was just marijuana.

"Oh, look. It's her," someone shouted from the crowd. I whipped my head over and saw Bianca standing five feet away from me. I looked down sadly and Justin tugged on my arm. "Let's go, sweetheart," he cooed as he lead me through the sea of people.

We walked over to stained pool table. Multiple bottles of vodka, whiskey, and rum were scattered across the table. A few rolled blunts that were soaked—with whatever liquid was spilt on them—laid there. The illuminating blue and purple lights reflected off of each bottle, blinding me. Justin reached over and grabbed a bottle of Hennessy Cognac and lifted it to his glistening lips. He took multiple swigs from the bottle with an expression on his face that proved he wasn't phased. He then took a few more sips and handed it to me, making me feel nervous.

"It will make you feel better," he assured convincingly. I raised my eyebrows at him skeptically and shook my head.

"Liquor and I aren't friends," I murmured, trying to play it off with a humorless laugh. He raised his brow at me, and lifted the bottle to his lips again, gulping away.

"You might just be right. Although, you and I are friends, and I won't let anything bad happen to you," he promised as he stared at me intensely.

Something about his words hit me the wrong way. My bones began to rattle, and I stared at him as if I had seen a ghost. I could feel the color drain from my face as I watched him drink from the bottle. It was almost as if he had an underlying meaning behind his words—a cryptic code that he figured I couldn't crack. He kept repeating that he wouldn't allow anything to happen to me, but why?