Anger Management- Euphoria

one

I slid the lipgloss across my lower lip. It was the finishing touch on my look. I had been preparing for this night all summer, I had perfected my outfit weeks before. I hadn't seen him in months, not since my dad left. His family had kicked my family to the curb ever since.

I went from spending all my time outside of school with Nate to never seeing him. We had been raised together, best friends until we got into high school and we separated. We attended the same private elementary and junior high but he wanted to play football for East Highland.

Kat waved her hand in front of my face. "Hello? Earth to fucking Rose?"

She immediately kicked me out of memories. Kat was my only friend from EHL, we met through Fez. We spent the entire summer stoned in my car, driving around. Kat was a few pounds over curvy but still heartbreakingly beautiful. Her hair was straightened into a short black bob and her lips coated in bright red lipstick.

"What were you saying??" I asked, zipping up my makeup bag.

Kat groaned, sliding her gold glasses over her eyes. "I swear you disappear into Narnia sometimes."

She wasn't exactly right about that. I was extremely close with Kat but I wasn't willing to tell her all about my relationship with Nate Jacobs. People who associated with him always got into trouble and that was the last thing I wanted. The most I risked was buying a few grams of weed from Fez for me and Kat.

It wasn't a secret that Nate had some serious issues. Even the kids at my private school knew all about the girls he fucked and his tendency to beat someone's ass everyonce in a while. But it's not like his attitude was a new thing. Nate had always been that way, at least as long as I had known him. Though he had never been violent with me, I watched him rip Erin Roger's shoulder out of it's socket in eighth grade. That wasn't the first or the last time I had witnessed his rage.

"Shit!" Kat exclaimed as she checked her phone. "We are sooo late."

Grabbing our purses, we hurried out of the house and climbed into my car. I headed toward Mckay's. Kat pulled out the blunt, lit it and puffed on it twice before passing it to me.

I took a long drag, anticipating the relief the high would soon bring. Kat hooked up her phone to the aux cord and blasted a song that I didn't know and didn't care about.

She began to talk about Cassie and her relationship with Mckay, again. She hadn't stopped talking about it since Cassie had told her. I didn't know Cassie, or any of Kat's friends really. I had met a few of them over the summer but I hadn't really cared to get to know them.

I tuned Kat out as she prattled on and on about a relationship that seemed some basic and uncomplicated. I failed to understand what was so interesting about it.

Thankfully, we were in front of Mckay's house in a few minutes. I flicked the blunt's roach on the road as I closed my car door. People were standing outside on the lawn and the porch. I didn't see anyone I knew. Kat wrapped her arm around my shoulder, leading me through the familiar front door.

I had also known Mckay as long as I had known Nate, but we weren't ever as close. Right then, the smell of alcohol assaulted me and I felt a rush. This wasn't close to my first party, this was at least my tenth at Mckay's house.

Jules, a tall blonde girl greeted us upon entering. "I'm surprised you came." her voice was disaproving toward me. Both her and Kat had advised me to stay away. My ex, Dean would be there.

"It's been two months, I think I can manage to be in the same house as him." I said pushing further through the crowd. Damn, I really needed a drink.

I easily found the kitchen, bottles of alcohol littered the island, red cups all over. I reached for the closest bottle. Vodka. I poured into a solo and threw it back without thinking.

There was a voice at my ear. "Damn Cole. Still drinking it straight?"

I turned to find Mckay, his brown eyes red from the blunt he held in his hand. "It's the superior way." I said, taking his blunt without asking. He didn't seem to mind.

"Shit. You were supposed to be the good one, Rose." he said, observing my features. I knew that I looked different. Sophomore summer had been a good one in terms of hormones. For whatever reason my body filled out, giving me hips and a slimmer waist.

I hit the blunt before handing it back. "I guess not Christopher."

Mckay leaned closer to me, clearly having trouble hearing me over the loud music. "Have you seen Dean yet?"

I expression fell immediately. Of course, Mckay, Dean's best friend was asking me. "No. I don't want to see him."

"Isn't that why you're here?" Mckay asked confused.

"Definitely not."

He shrugged, I'm sure he didn't want to get into the middle of whatever drama Dean thought was going on. "Enjoy the party, Rose." was all he said before walking away.

With nothing else to do, I threw back a few more shots. It wasn't long before Jules and Kat found me. Both were obviously excited to tell me something big.

"What is it?"

Kat looked like she was about to burst. "Maddy is fucking some guy in the pool right now!"

I looked at her, confused. "You mean Nate?"

She shook her head, as if it was obvious. "No. Its some random. Come see!" she said, tugging me toward the outside, to the pool. And she was not exaggerating. Maddy Perez was definitely banging some other guy in the middle of the swimming pool.

People had their phones, recording the whole thing. I just stared at the scene. Maddy was Nate's girlfriend, or she had been last I heard. The guy she was with was blonde and pale. It was without a doubt not Nate.

"Oh my god." A gorgeous blonde girl gasped next to me. It was Cassie.

"I know right." said Kat.

I couldn't watch anymore, it was too gross. I walked away, heading toward the living room. I turned around as soon as I saw Dean lounging next to Mckay. A drink in one hand, a pretty girl in the other. I figured my heart should stop but it didn't. I remembered how his flowing blonde hair and light blue eyes used to turn me on but now all I could think is that he looks like he could be my brother.

All of a sudden there was yelling coming from the kitchen. There was a loud shattering of bottles. It was too loud to tell who it was or what they were saying. Pushing through the tight crowd, I made my way to the kitchen. I was curious about what was happening.

The air was taken out of my lungs as soon I got into the line of sight. Jules held a knife in front of her, blood dripping from her arm. She was facing someone I couldn't quite see. He held his hands in front of himself in defense.

"By the way, I'm Jules. I'm new." She said as she set the knife down and exited the kitchen.

The guy pushed himself from the counter, swearing angrily. I knew that voice anywhere. The boy stepped around the corner and right infront of me.

"Nate?"