Neverlost

Owen.

 Owen

 I had turned up to the party, slipped in through the door, everyone barely even noticed I was there. I sat on the green fabric setee, can of coke in my hand. I wasn't gonna get pissed like the rest of them, I'd been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

  And then she walked in. I had to stop myself from gasping out loud, train my eyes not to stare at her. She looked gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. Her light-brown hair curled and tumbling to just below her shoulders. If she'd only have worn a little less fake tan and foundation to mask her actual real beautiful self, then maybe idiots like Vallery woulden't have used her. 

  I could kill him. I could actually kill him for what he did.

   Gem and Piper came into the living room, where I was. I could tell she was already a bit tipsy. She laughed that beautiful laugh, her dark brown eyes lighting up and crinkling around the edges, sitting on the edge of the green setee. I pretended to look over at something else, avoiding looking directly at her.   My eyes were begging me to glance at her, 'I'm not a stalker, thats just creepy, Owen.' I told myself, standing up and walking to the kitchen. As I walked out, I passed Vallery in the doorway. He glared at me with muddy-green eyes, and I thought to myself that if he'd been an animal he would have been a shark, glittering eyes, gliding through that room looking for a girl he could get. I just cant beleive it was Piper. I cant beleive I let it happen.

  "Owen!" Shouted Dave. Trust Dave to be in the kitchen. He was alternately taking swigs of his can of beer, and taking huge mouthfuls of a  giant sandwich that looked like it had everything remotely edible in the kitchen in it."Wanna bit?" He said, barely comprehensible. 

"Nah, I'll pass!"

"Your so skinny, Owen. Does your mother ever even feed you!?" He laughed. I shuddered, remembering the state mum was in when I left. I blinked,  bringing myself back to reality.

"Course she does. I'm just not hungry right now."

"Alright then. Have a bit of this, though," He said, sliding a can along the table to me. I opened the top with a pop and took a drink.

  I left the kitchen after a while, to come back into the living room. I looked up. It felt like I'd been shot in the chest. Chris was kissing Piper, half dragging her drunken self up the stairs. I looked at Chris. It was clear he hadn't drunk anything, he was just trying to get her drunk. My hands turned into fists, clenching my teeth. Gem was already saying to Piper, "Pipe! Listen to me, we'll go back home to your mam now, yeah?" If only she'd have listened.

"No, no, no, Gem, I'm gonna stay here, with my boyfriend. He'll look after me! All..ways trying to stop me having funn, Gemmie beaar!" Piper claimed, swaying around, barely standing up.

"He's not your boyfriend!"

"Of course he is, you silly-billy. We've been going out for years, haven't  we Chrisss?" Vallery grinned,

"Yeah. Of course we have, Piper. Now lets go upstairs, stupid so-called 'friends' trying to stop you having fun."

"Stupid so-called friends trying to stop me having fun." Piper repeated. She didn't know what she was saying.  But Gem...

"I swear to god, Piper!! I'm trying to help you! I know your drunk but can't you see he's a creep who's using you for sex!? I've had it with you!" She stormed out, slamming the front door. Shit.

"Right, thank god she's gone, Piper! Trying to  tear us apart."

"Trying to tear us apart!"

"I love you, Piper."

My blood boiled inside, eyes shooting knives at that pathetic excuse for a persons head.

"I love you!" She replied. I had to bit my lip to stop myself from breaking down in tears. He picked her up and carried he upstairs. I heard the bedroom door slam shut.

  In the morning, most people had gone. I waited for Piper to be there for her if she needed me. Not that I talked to her. But still. I stirred the coffee, taking tiny sips of it, sat on the green fabric settee. A boy was sprawled passed out on the one end of it, a girl half-lying on a beanbag on the floor. Another was huddled on the red leather chair, a blanket over her, one eye open. Jeremy Kyle shouted at a girl for sleeping with her cousin on the TV. 

  Suddenly, someone thundered down the stairs, swept into the living room, and collapsed on the settee next to me. Oh my god, I thought, it's Piper. She sobbed into the kahki green cushions, barely noticing I was there. What should I do, what should I do!? I put my hand on her shoulder. 

"Are you okay?" I asked gently. 

 She flicked her head around, her eyes meeting mine. Shes even more beautiful, close up. She stuttered, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." In a high-pitched tone. "Sorry, I did'nt realise.."

"Its fine, dont worry. And your clearly not. Dont worry, I'm not gonna say anything. And I doubt these lot will either." I said, refering to the motionless messes of the hungover teenagers.

  "Your not hungover?" She asked.

"Nope. Dont really drink anymore. I do some stupid shit when I do." Why would I say that!? To her!?

Her face fell.

"Me too, apparently."

"I saw."

"What!? You watched me-!"

"No no, no. I mean I saw that creep get you drunk and..use you. It was'nt your fault, Piper. It could have been any of the girls."

"But it wasn't. It was me. I thought I was better than that. I though..Ow, my head." She grumbled.

"Here, have my coffee."

"But thats yours!"

"I dont mind." I handed it to her, and she drank it appreciatively, getting less and less teary, recovering a little.

" So." She began "What did I do, then? I'm prepared for the worst."

"You told Gem she was a bad friend. She stormed out, and you told Chris you loved him."

"Fuck, really!?"

"Yeah. Gem left last night."

"Shit, shit, shit." She murmured. "I'm such a bad friend...And here I am, crying to you. Oh god, I'm so sorry, Owen!" She cried. I was making her cry. Nice going owen.

"No, no. Its fine.You havent done anything wrong." I hugged her, and to my surprise, she hugged me back. Cried on my shoulder. 

"You know, your alright, Owen." She said, as we walked out the house. We dedcided we couldent stay there, it didn't feel right at all, with Vallery upstairs and everything. I asked her if she wanted to go into the city, have a coffee, get some food. She agreed. She actually agreed. She said she'd love to.

 And now we were sat in starbucks, the sun shining outside, Piper Miller sat in front of me. Considering last night, I dont think this day could get any better.