Bad Boys

t h i r t y s i x ~ Gone

I swerve my bike into Haven Park and put my foot down. Driving around is getting me nowhere, neither is screaming inside my helmet. I tear the helmet off, then twist the key and swing my leg off the bike. I toss the helmet into the seat. Then I knock the kick stand down and walk into the grass. I walk up the hill and stop in front of that stupid tree. My eyes catch on my name. Five letters. Tracing them, over and over again. I shove a hand into my leather jacket and pull out the switch blade I stole from Jax this morning.

I twirl the blade between my fingers and step forward. I press the tip of it into the bark. And then I tear it away. Backing up several steps to run a hand desperately through my hair. My eyes scan the park, even though it's dark and there's no one here. I step back up to the tree and press the blade back into the wood. But I can't will myself to scratch out my name. I just keep making several nicks in the wood. Several explicatives shoot out of my lips. I flip the blade back in. Then I tug my phone out of my pocket and scroll through my contacts. My eyes catch on her name, hovering for several hundred beats too long. And I don't know if I'm waiting for a call to come through or the guts to call her.

I slam my finger back down onto the screen, scrolling again until I find the number I'm actually looking for. I bring the phone up to my ear and he almost doesn't pick up, giving me just enough time to regret this decision and realize how much of an idiot I am.

"Kyle?" he questions, obviously confused.

"Bryan. I need a party, and a good one." I say, my voice falling flat.

"How trashed do you wanna get?"

"I want to wake up six days from now in Arkansas."

"Okay, I'll send you the address." I hang up without another word and wait. It doesn't take longer than a minute for an address to pop up. I click on it without hesitation, opening up the map to find the location.

I return the phone to my pocket and storm back down the hill. I yank my helmet out of the seat and get back on my motorcycle. And then I'm taking off down the street again. Swerving through lanes and turns, chasing down a much needed buzz. But I know I'm going to need something hotter than the booze tonight.

I park my bike several houses away from the party. And take all of thirty seconds to ditch Daniel and find Kyle. I saunter down the street and into the house, shooting any girl that looks a smirk. I head for the kitchen and immediately grab a cup. I take the whiskey and fill my cup to the brim. I chug it, downing the liquid in seconds. And then I refill my cup another three times.

My eyes snag on a blonde who walks into the kitchen and grabs a beer. I move forward, my hands catching her around the waist. She giggles and spins around to look at me.

"Hi," she says. I just move straight in, pressing my lips against hers. She fumbles around, trying to kissing me back. I keep going, trying to find a pace we can both keep. Despite the body beneath my fingertips, my mind drifts back to Kayla. I growl into the girl.

The two of us stumble into a wall. My body against hers, leaving no room for air. But still, I'm not remotely interested in this girl. I pull back and watch as her eyes flutter open into mine, dazed and foggy. Army green. I frown and back away.

"Wait," she mumbles.

"Chelsea!" Another girl calls, giggling. "Where have you been? It's our song!" The girl I kissed turns her head and I move back towards the booze. My hands grab another beer. I twist the top off and start drinking. Time twists itself out of my grasp slower than I want it to, but I do lose it and that's all that matters.

I curl my lips around the rim of the bottle again and tilt my head back. But nothing slides down my throat. Not a single drop of alcohol. I pull the bottle away and stare at it a little too long. I lower the empty bottle to the counter and pitch forward in my steps. I grab a plastic cup from the counter and make my way to the sink. I fill it with water and down it.