Right at Nine ✓

three

part III

something more & alcohol

day seven

     IT WAS A group of friends he saw Via with. The smile on her face reached her eyes and the can grasped in her hand was beer. Different to most other girls around, Via's face wasn't heavily loaded with makeup. Most noticeably were her eyes and lips. No dramatic or bold colors. She came natural. Via didn't seem completely drunk from the way she was speaking, but perhaps a little tipsy. Looked like she wasn't the driver this time. Landon figured Scott would be around and instinctively searched the room for him. But he came up none again.

     His gaze made its way back to Via's giddy figure. Landon fought the urge to intervene Via's conversation. He knew she wouldn't mind, would have delighted in it even, but he didn't want to interrupt her good time.

     He slid deeper into the house, having already forgotten the name of the guy who hosted the party. He refused the offer of a drink pushed to his chest by a boy tripping on his own words, drawling nonsense. Landon would stop by the kitchen to get water if he was thirsty. Various strangers bumped into his shoulder as he walked, mumbling incoherent apologies. It felt more crowded than Danielle's party. It made the house feel small.

     Two seconds later, he looked up and found Scott. Landon froze. The smirk on Scott's face was huge as he let a girl grind up against him. The shock in Landon's gut turned into murder. The girl leaned heavily on Scott's body, obviously drunk. There was a red solo cup raised in her hand and Scott poured more alcohol into it with a wink at his friends.

     Then he let his hands roam. First both hands were on her waist, but slowly he reached further and further down. His friends were laughing around him, egging him on, and hooting like maniacs. The girl's eyes were unfocused and pounded with heavy makeup. She wore sky-high heels and had curly brown hair tumbling down her shoulders. She was nothing compared to Via, Landon thought. His anger clouded everything else. His vision swam in red.

     Landon watched as Scott abandoned the girl, dizzy and vulnerable onto a nearby seat. He was ready to march right up to the fucker and pummel the stupid smirk off his face. Until Via happened. She crept up silently towards Scott, ice cold fury in her eyes. She made no move to hit him. "You fucking asshole," she seethed. Her words were quiet, but impossibly deadly. A promise to end him.

     Scott used the back of his hand to hit one of his friends just below the shoulder, muttering something along the lines of 'dude, you were supposed to warn me.' His friend gave him a noncommittal shrug.

     Discreetly, Via leaned her head towards a girl standing next to her. She gestured at the girl Scott was just taking advantage of and whispered something into her ear, pushing a set of car keys into her hands. Via's friend looked concerned for Via though, and whispered something back with a frown before sitting beside the curly haired girl and helping her up.

     Via left quickly after that, with Landon following up after her. Via's eyes were cast down as she walked alone into the night. "Wait!" Landon called. But she didn't glance back. Maybe she hadn't recognized his voice over the music. "I know you, right?" Landon yelled louder.

     Via turned back immediately, openly displaying her red eyes and falling tears. She wrapped her arms around her body and waited for Landon to catch up, shivering in the cold wind. He was already taking off his coat as he walked and slung it around her when he was in range. Landon pulled her to him, embracing her in a hug, listening to her cry. He traced his fingers gingerly down her back. Via let her sobs get louder.