The sounds of the party surrounded me as I pushed through the thick crowd of people as I tried to get outside. All I wanted to do was leave and escape the anxiety that being here gave me. My best friend had dragged me to this party and then got completely wasted and ditched me. I wasn't totally surprised, I had expected this of her and it was why I had refused to go to other parties with her. But you could only say no to her so many times, she was very persuasive.
The problem was I wasn't very social, I didn't like drinking or doing drugs so I really didn't fit in with this crowd. Nobody paid any attention to the shy, quiet girl standing in the corner.
When I finally reached the front door and stepped outside, I was elated to be rid of the smell of weed and sweaty teenage bodies. I pulled out my phone and called the one person who I knew without fail would come to my rescue, Grayson.
He picked up on the third ring. "Hey Y/N, what's up?" His voice instantly sent a wave of relief through my body. We were best friends and just seemed to get each other in a way no one else could.
"Hey, so, I kind of need a ride," I said. "I came to this party with Y/F/N and she totally ditched me and now I'm stranded." I sighed. I felt really bad asking for a ride like this, but I was desperate and Gray always insisted that I could call him whenever I needed him.
"Damn, I can't. I'm nowhere close to home right now, I'm sorry. I took my girlfriend out into the mountains to go hiking and now were getting dinner. I wouldn't even be able to get to you for another two hours."
My heart dropped. I tried to keep my voice light and up beat, even though that was the exact opposite of how I felt. "It's okay, Gray. Don't worry about it, I'll just figure something else out its really not a big deal." I was pretty sure my only other option was walking home because I had stupidly blew all my money ordering books online.
"I'll just call Ethan to come get you," he suggested.
"No!" I practically shrieked. "That's okay, really you don't... I can just-"
He cut me off. "I'll call him right now, he'll be there in like 10. Love you, Y/N. Bye." He hung up before I could respond.
Dread swelled within me, creating a pit in the bottom of my stomach. While Gray and I were super close, Ethan and I had never gotten along. He was always making fun of me, picking on me for being awkward and quiet. He would constantly call me out in group settings for not speaking, as if that would make me want to talk anymore.
I couldn't say I was totally innocent in the whole situation, I definitely had a few choice words to say about the questionable girls he brought around.... and then completely dropped. I also constantly lectured him on his disgusting habit of smoking. His only response was to blow smoke in my face. For some reason, even with all of the teasing and the bad decision's he loved to make, I was still drawn to him and that was what scared me the most.
I took a seat on the front porch steps and clutched my phone in my hands. I couldn't help but notice they were shaking slightly, I wasn't sure if that was from being uncomfortable at this party, or from the dread of seeing Ethan.
True to Gray's word, Ethan pulled up front 10 minutes later. I sent my friend a quick text letting her know that I was leaving and reminding her not to drive home drunk. I walked up to his car slowly. God, even his BMW with it's black rims intimidated me.
I opened the door, expecting to be hit with the smell of cigarettes, but instead I was enveloped in the warm smell of Ethan. "Hey," I muttered quietly as I got in.
He didn't say a word as put the car in drive and took off. We drove for a few minutes in silence, which was perfectly okay with me. The radio played softly in the background, just enough so we could hear it but not too loud where it was hard to speak over. I kept expecting him to turn it up.
