Freedom Ignited

2; mesmerizing

IGNATIUS' POV

People started filling our house a few hours after nightfall, and now, at eleven at night, the party was raging. Ma didn't mind if we threw it as long as we helped her clean the house the next day; I think she just liked me being home if I'm being honest. She had disappeared to a neighbor's house before we even started setting up the keg.

"What about her?" Isaiah pointed out a cake-faced blonde dancing with a few other girls in my living room. My best friend hadn't left my side the entire night, and even though he wouldn't admit it, I think he was afraid that I would slip away again if he left me alone.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't need a girl right now?" I took a swig of the beer in my hand and glanced at him. Isaiah had the most electric blue eyes I had ever seen on a person, and even though they were pretty, right now in the LED glow they looked creepy. I didn't like creepy.

"Dude, you haven't gotten laid since Ginny." He pointed out. Ah, Ginny. My first real girlfriend throughout my two years of highschool. She was my first, and only, if you're following what I'm sayin'. Once I got locked up she disappeared real quick, and according to Isaiah, she had gone to Europe for college. Good riddance.

"I'm just enjoying my first day as a free man." I smirked. Again, that felt good to say. I finished my beer and shook the bottle at him, silently saying I was getting another drink from the kitchen.

Bodies moved to the beat of the blasting music, making it hard to fucking breathe normally. The kitchen was less crowded, a few guys standing around the keg and hollering when someone shotgunned a can. Calista was leaning against the counter, solo cup in hand while a dude stood across from her, a hand on either side of her waist.

Cali wasn't a shy girl, if someone was bothering her you would be able to hear her go off from across the room, so I took the smiling as a good sign and kept my place, glancing at them from my stance against the fridge. She had told me about boys before, mostly the ones that she wanted me to scare when I got out, but on occasion she blushed when I asked if she had a boyfriend. Maybe this was him.

Instead of going back to Isaiah, I went out to the porch, the door muffling the music inside once it shut. Adrian was sitting on the top step, textbook open next to him while he scribbled notes down in a binder.

"You're such a nerd," I chuckled, sitting down on the step below him. He shook his head with a tiny smile in response.

"You are aware that's your party going on inside, right?" He pauses and looks at me. My hands are already moving to light another cigarette, the nicotine calming my thumping heart.

"It's too loud," I shrugged. Before, parties like this would be my solitude, calm in the chaos, but now it was just irritatin'. Unless I was playing poker or talking to my cellmate, I didn't say a word, that was my comfort now.

Adrian gave me a weird look, but changed the subject anyways. "How many is that today?" He nodded towards the stick in between my two fingers.

"Three." I took another drag and leaned my head back against the railing, closing my eyes as I exhaled.

"How'd you afford that in Juvie?" My eyes snapped open. No one had asked me outright about my time away yet.

"I'm real good at poker." He laughed and then went back to scribbling notes down.

I leaned back again and kept my eyes open to look at the sky. Even with the buildings there were stars covering the sky. I don't even remember the last time I was outside at night, but I do know I didn't appreciate it enough.

I don't know how much time passed, but my cigarette had run out awhile ago and Adrian was still flipping through pages of his textbook when Isaiah came outside.