Beacon Hills 1983

Chapter 10: Halloween Party

(Teen wolf)
31 October 1983, Friday

I arrive at the party in my comfortable AC/DC oversized T-shirt, baggy jeans, and leather jacket. Over the phone, and while at school, Lucy tried, really hard, to convince me to dress for the occasion, but even if I wanted to, I couldn't.

Unexpectedly, when I asked if I could go to this party, Talia said no. Something is bothering her, she hasn't quite been herself since yesterday. She asked Taylan to 'escort' me to school again this morning, where I had to go through that horrendous flirting between my brother and best friend; and Lucy invited Taylan to the party.
"Gag me with a spoon." I said to her, after he left.

Taylan seems to have snuck out just as I have, because I see him entering Natalie's house in a black hoodie. Rolling my eyes, I follow.

Slobbering through sweaty bodies of obnoxious teenagers, I find my way to the host of the party.
"Natalie!"
The red-headed girl wears a bright pink mini skirt and a neon green scrunchie in her long, flowing hair. Silver glitter scatters her bare skin, and a pair of strap-on fairy wings hang on her back. Her body sways to the throbbing beat of the music.
"Natalie!" I try again.
For just a second, she opens her eyes, then waves excitedly,"Nes!"
As I approach the ecstatic girl, she throws me a glass bottle of... what smells like vodka? Luckily, my werewolf reflexes act quickly and I catch the bottle before it shatters all over the wooden floor.
Suddenly, she leans in, embracing me in a tight hug.
"I can't believe people showed up!" She she shouts over the booming music.
"Well they couldn't miss out on such a rad party!" I shout back, while giving her a thumbs up. "Nice costume by the way!" I add on.
She laughs and shouts,"Thank you!"

Natalie grabs the bottle from my hand, and pours some into a plastic cup, drinks it all in one gulp and says,"I'm having the time of my life!"
I loosen up a bit and grab the bottle from her, taking a swig of the intoxicating liquid, knowing that I could drink ten of them in a row without getting close to drunk. Perks of being a werewolf, I guess.

The lights are off, but there is a sort of warm glow shimmering around the house. I search for the source and find that Natalie has a grand chandelier in the living room, lit by candles. She also set up candles on shelves and cabinets throughout the house. Lining the ceiling and draped on the walls are tiny, golden fairy-lights that add to the glowing, cosy environment.

On the couch in the living room, I find a drunk and stubborn Lucy, huddling a box of doughnuts, refusing to share any with the surrounding kids.
"No!" Get away from them!" She swats a skinny boy away like a fly.
"Well you didn't buy them!" He squeals.
"Niether did you!" She retorts with a scowl.
Shaking my head, I scream, "Lucy!" 
She looks up, dazed and sees me, but
continues to argue with the skinny boy.
Somehow, I slide threw the party-goer's, and make it to my friend.
It's odd though, I expected to see Taylan somewhere around her, but can't find him.
"Lucy what are you doing?" I ask when I'm close enough.
"What are you doing?" She repeats my question.
"What?" I ask back confused.
"What?" She mimics.
Then I realise, "You're wasted!"
"No, you're wasted!" She lets go of the doughnut box for a second to point at me, and the skinny boy lurches for it. Before Wasted Lucy realises, he's already running off to hide among the crowd.
"HEY!" She screams, standing up to look for him. I pull her hand and she falls back onto the couch. And begins to sob. "He didn't even let me have one."
Awkwardly, I pat her back saying, "There there, Lucy."

Now I'm wondering why I decided to come to this party when I knew it was just about teenagers getting drunk (which I can't do) and hooking up (which I also can't do, considering how anti-social I am).
If mom actually allowed us to do things, maybe I would be more social. But then again, I'm the only child of hers who always goes by the rules.
Emel's completely off the trail, and Taylan slips now and then. But I always go by the rules.
Until now.

Finally, I catch Taylan's scent from across the room, where he enjoys flaunting himself near some blushing girls, until he sees Lucy and I. Lucy springs to life as he approaches, and stops moping about the stupid doughnuts.
"Hey you." He winks at Lucy, who blushes in return. Taylan holds his hand out for her to join him dance, and she grabs it- giving me déjà vu of their first meeting.
Taylan's hands travel down to her waist. He pulls her close to him, and she wraps her arms around his neck.
I see the hairs on her bare arms stand, and can hear her heartbeat racing. They stare at each other with unmistakable lust, and I find myself wanting to throw up.
Before I'm forced to watch my best friend and older brother make out in front of my face, I rush out of the living room and somehow end up in the kitchen.

Alone by the large sink, the red-headed fairy is silently crying.
"Natalie? What's wrong?"
"I'm so stupid."
Confused, I frown at her. She answers by looking up, a little distance from us.

Leaning against the staircase, body pressed firmly against a short, brunette girl, engaged in an intense make out session, is Jeffrey Martin.

"I'm so stupid to think he'd notice me. He's the reason I even threw this party."
Natalie's eye make-up smudges and runs down her glittery cheeks.
Watching Natalie cry at her own party stirs up a strange, sympathetic feeling inside me. It makes me angry at Jeffrey, and I feel like ripping him up into a million pieces...
Just be calm. Breathe.
I turn to Natalie and say,"You're not stupid, Nat. In fact, you're one of the smartest people I've ever met."
I put my hand on her shoulder and reassure her. "Even your grades are higher than his standards."
Just as she wipes her tears and laughs...
someone screams.

The sound sends scared teenagers flying out of Natalie's house like a swarm of bees.
"Wait!" Natalie runs after them, just as puzzled as I am, and gets caught in the stampede. While struggling to get someone's attention, she's pushed and hits her head, hard, on the wall.
Natalie's out cold.
My werewolf senses are triggered, and I start sniffing around like a police dog for my brother's scent.
When I finally find it, I am drawn to it. 

Candles blow out. Fairy light's flicker. An icy breeze crawls into the empty house through the open door. Without making a move, I whisper, "Taylan? Are you okay?"
He replies in an echoing whisper, "I'm fine. Are you?"
"Yeah. Is Lucy with you? I can smell her..."
I hear a smile in his voice, "Oh yes. She's all over me."
"Gross! Now where are you?"
"Still in the living room."
"I'm coming there."

I drag Natalie all the way to the living room where I find a number of limp bodies scattered on the wooden floor.
Taylan and Lucy, are two of them.