The Rise of Hel {Loki Laufeyson} Book Two

Chapter Fifteen

I line my eyes with the obsidian coloured liner, winging it out at the bottom - the last touch on my party look. My hair is curled, lips scarlet red, eyes smokey and mysterious - like my whole damn life - and Tessa's words echoing in my mind. She doesn't understand - Hel knows who I used to be! Not only am I back here because I want to be, but I'm also here because of Hel's constant threat. She knew the Connors' because of Addison and her thirst for revenge against me. I'm not stupid - if anything, Hel's the stupid one if she so much as thinks of doing anything to these people - no matter how f**ked up they all are. I mean, every single one of them, even me, are walking science experiments.
No Becca, just because you want everything to be the way it was, doesn't mean that you have the right to trick those people into believing that you're the person they love - because you're not. You're not Addison and that's wrong. I stare at myself in the handheld mirror, my dark and stormy eyes staring back. I feel someone touch me and I gasp quietly, finally noticing that the mirror is now on the countertop, shattered, my fist bloody with shards of the reflective glass sticking out of the flesh.
"Addison! What have you done? Oh my god!" Victoria shrieks and I'm pulled out of my daze, panic enveloping me. My hand is bleeding and glass is everywhere. "I'll get the First-Aid kit under the sink." She gently guides me sideways, away from the sink so she can get to the cabinet. Upon grabbing it, she stands back up and opens it, taking my hand in hers and plucking the glass out with sterile tweezers. Afterward, she wraps my hand in soft gauze, the blood soaking through.
"Thank you." I mumble, watchng her every move.
"What in the hell got into you? Why would you ever try to hurt yourself like that?" Victoria demands, but I ignore her, shoving past.
I hop off of the last step, nearly slamming into Skyson, who turns. His eyes immediately focus in on my injured hand, giving me a concerned look. "What the hell happened?"
"Nothing. None of your business." I snap, jumping as the doorbell rings.
Jonah runs past, throwing it open. Friends and family file in, casseroles and desserts in hand and wide smiles plastered over their painted faces. Then again, so is mine.
As they pass Skyson and I, not one of them stops to ask about my hand and for that I'm grateful. In fact, none of them even acknowledge us - they just go straight to Victoria.
Turning, I bound up the steps, locking myself in my room and vowing never to come out.
"Becca?" Calls a familiar voice. I rise from the bed, creaking open the door and peeking out. August stands there, his ginger hair ablaze among the Christmas lights strung up and down the corridor. "Hi." He smiles, his eyes crinkling at the sides, making his freckled face even more adorable than usual.
"What are you doing here?" I squint.
"Well, for one, I live two blocks over. Also," He pulls a bottle of champagne out from behind him. "Tony thought you might've needed one."
I eye him, my focus going from him to the frosty bottle in his hands. "So, Tony sent you?"
He nods.
I step out of the doorframe, allowing him to come inside. With a bookbag over his shoulder, he lays it on the bed, handing the bottle over to me and producing two glasses. "I came prepared." He laughs and I smile, joining him.

I'm actually enjoying myself.
I stand in the lab downstairs, a bottle of whiskey in my hands, laughing my ass off. August is hilarious and when you pair him up with Skyson and his idiotic friends, they're a comedy group.
The adults haven't come to find us yet - I don't think they've even noticed our abscence - they're too absorbed in themselves up there. Us, we're downstairs, raiding the wine cellar and getting drunk. Skyson chugs from his bottle of red wine, the liquid spilling down his chin. We all laugh at him, raising our bottles to him as if to salute his bravery. August drapes his arm over my shoulders, laughing, and I feel uncomfortable. I don't want anyone to touch me. I like the feeling that the alcohol is giving me, not the feeling that everything else is giving me.
I wiggle out from under his arm, laying my bottle down. "I have to... do... stuff." I declare flatly, running up the stairs. Making a beeline for the bathroom, I kneel down and vomit into the toilet, trying to keep my noise to a minimum. If someone were to come up here and realize that we were all drinking down in the lab, they'd probably kick our asses.
Another go at it and I wipe my mouth, coughing and swishing a little mouthwash around, spitting it back out. I open the door and stumble down the stairs, hearing a knock.
At first, I think it's just my imagination, but then I realize that it's not. I rush over to the front door and throw it open.
Something attacks my lips - something warm and soft. I pull away, shoving the person back and glaring at them. It's Peter, the last person I want to see right now.
"What are you doing here? And what the hell do you think you're doing?" I demand, my voice slurred.
He narrows his eyes, stepping toward me. "Why do you taste like alcohol and mouthwash?" His eyes travel down to my hand. "And what happened to your hand?"
"Stop changing the subject! I said, what the f**k are you doing here?" I yell.
"Okay - that's not at all what you said-"
"Just answer it!"
He averts my eyes. "Tony. It was Tony's suggestion. He told me that you went home. He said that Addison's return has to be as believable as possible - therefore, I had to play my part."
My fury rises. "So, you're just here because Tony told you to come?"
He nods, still looking away.
"Leave." I order and he finally looks at me.
"What?"
"I told you to leave. Get off of my property-"
"Her property-"
"Oh f**k you!" I scream and go to slam the door in his face but I miss. My arm swings through the air and I lose my balance, falling to the ground.
Peter catches me and scoops me up, carrying me inside. Again, no one notices as he pushes through the crowd - a widly drunk girl in his arms. I'm too tired to do anything, to break free of him, so I just lie there and enjoy the sway of him walking up the stairs. I pass out just before we reach my bedroom, the Christmas lights being the last thing I see.

(SORRY! It's been so long, I know. But I've been incredibly busy! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the update!)