I'm Not Dead

[ C H . 9 ]

This chapter is dedicated to @Nox_butterfly for all their incredible support of this story and for being the first person to hold a friendly conversation with me outside of reads for reads! Its always fun connecting with fellow Wattpad users. :) 

Trigger Warning: teen partying and violence. 

When I pulled up to the address Lorenzo gave me, I wasn't sure what I expected.

I knew though I wasn't prepared to see something so normal. A scene, that brought back uninvited high school nostalgia. That ache for memories I never had, because I was focused on what I thought were the right things back then. I could've been having fun, instead, I was trying to fit myself into a mold that wasn't made for me.

As I listened to the music pour from the house, smelled the faint wafer of marijuana, and saw teenagers stumble past the open windows, I ached for the bar scene. I wanted to be intoxicated. I wanted to be immersed in the nightlife, having fun. I hope Evie had fun tonight because I had a feeling this would be her last part for a while.

Despite my mom's orders to leave immediately without packing, Sophia still had everyone pack a backpack full of clothes and any essential overnight items we needed. She also convinced Mateo to give up the bats. Everyone got one, except Alice of course. She was asleep in the back of the car, completely oblivious to our dire situation. Mateo didn't know what was happening either and made that clear each time he muttered how stupid this night was. Sophia had taken away his phone so he couldn't see the news. We could've explained, but we didn't want to scare him. I wasn't sure if we should tell Evie either. What was the point in freaking them out? Enough of us were already on edge, myself included.

"Okay, you guys wait here, I'll go find Evie." I threw the running car into park and looked behind me. The light from the house cast eerie shadows over everyone's faces, making them look more bleak. "Lock the doors, don't open them for anyone. I'll be quick." I turned to Sophia then, placing a hand on her shoulder. She was trembling. "Soph. It's safe here, for now, we don't have to stress until we get to the city." I assured, squeezing her arm.

Letting out a shaky breath, she nodded as she used the tips of her fingertips to wipe unshed tears from her eyes.

Undoing my seatbelt then, I threw open the door and shut it behind me before walking up the gravel driveway. Pulling out Sophia's phone, I dialed Evie's number as I pushed open the cracked front door. Stupid kids, anyone could wander into their party.

Evie's phone rang three times before it went to voicemail. She ignored my call. Pressing the green button again, I put the phone back to my ear as I grabbed the first kid that walked by me. "Hey, have you seen Evie Maneli?"

"I don't know who that is man." He slurred.

Pushing him away from me, I wandered deeper into the kindly decorated interior of the house. They chose all warm colors, abstract art, had rubber house plants, and posed family portraits on the wall. Whoever lived here wanted to make it seem like they cared, but they didn't know how. They wanted to put on a show, give society an image of themselves that was the absolute opposite of what they were. 

It was funny how much you could tell about a family based on what color their couch was. I'd always been observant. Especially after doing a project on the psychological aspects of interior design in art school.

The phone went to voicemail again.

Grunting in frustration, I grabbed another kid, a girl this time.

"Where's Evie Maneli?"

Instead of answering, she pulled her arm away from me and disappeared in the mess of underage drunks. I could continue my practice of grabbing individual children to demand the location of my sister, or I could grab everyone's attention at once.