Illuminate

Chapter 28- Colton

1 HOURS EARLIER

8:30 PM

I was upstairs in my room, playing some video games when I felt my phone buzz. I paused the game and looked at it, noticing a text message from Asher.

From asher 

hey man, you goin' to liv's party. I'm leaving now.

Liv's parties were nuts, especially considering she was only a sophomore. I usually steered away from them, a lot of insane stuff happened there.

From me

probably not... 

From asher

you should! if you change your mind I'll b there.

From me

I'll think about it... thanks man.

From asher

no prob

I threw my phone across the room and started to resume the video game when something hit me. Eva was out tonight, with Emma and Lacey, but I thought she said something about Liv. I couldn't remember what. I had been having to cover for Eva lately, she had been making some not so good choices. She had called me twice, drunk, at parties to come and pick her up. She swore it would never happen again after the last time and I was really over it at this point. Our relationship was not where it used to be. Our family felt broken.

I scrambled down the stairs into my mom's office, who was still working. She was studying her computer screen intensely and when she heard me come in, she put up a finger, signaling me to wait. Not long after, she broke her stair and looked up at me.

"Sorry, honey. What's up?" she asked.

"I was just wondering, do you remember was Eva said she was doing tonight?" I asked.

"To a movie with Lacey and Emma and then to sleep at Liv's. Why?" she asked.

"Some of my friends were thinking of heading over to Liv's tonight too and I was thinking about tagging along, just wondering if she would be there," I said. I wasn't lying, but I definitely wasn't telling the whole truth.

"Is something going on at Liv's?" my mom asked suspiciously.

"Maybe, I doubt it though if Eva said she was sleeping there," I lied as I started to feel guilty.

"Oh, okay. Well, if something is, you make sure to take yourself and your sister home, yes?" she said.

"For sure, I'm meeting Asher so I'm going to go, will you tell Dad for me?" I asked.

"Of course. Have fun, sweetheart. Please make good choices," she instructed.

"Will do, see you later tonight. I'll be home by curfew," I promised.

"Perfect. Bye!" she smiled and I left the room. I grabbed my keys and immediately started the 10-minute drive to Liv's house. God I hoped Eva wasn't there, but I was pretty sure she was. I was so over this and I knew it was not going to be pretty the second I found her. I decided right then and there that if she was drinking, I would be telling our parents this time for her own good. Drunk people do stupid things. 

As I pulled onto Liv's street, I could hear the music thumping from the backyard, and cars were lined up all over. I put my car in park and headed to the yard. I greeted a few people as I walked in and Asher noticed me.

"Hey, man! I didn't think you were going to come!" he exclaimed. It didn't seem like he was drunk at all, which was good.

"Sadly, I'm not here to stay. Have you seen Eva anywhere?" I asked him.