Chasing Euphoria

Chapter Two

Landon Rivers

Nobody wanted to come out tonight. It was the last week before the next semester started and we all just wanted to stay home. Since it was Cailen's last week in Northlyn Hills and every month when she went back home to visit Spain, we had no choice. All of us vowed to have a night out wherever she chose to go. Something about making up for the lost time she'll have. Not like she was gone for long, but it was a routine at this point.

A ritual if you will. Her family is from a small town called Marbella in Spain, so each month she has to visit for at least a week so they can all keep in touch. Occasionally, it was a pain and could disrupt all of our plans, but she didn't exactly have a choice in the matter.

Which is why even if we didn't feel like going out, we always did and it always ended well. When we're all together, it's hard to now have a good time.

Until now.

Elle had a panic attack and we were all going crazy looking for her, especially Adrian.

The two always kept their distance whenever we were all together because of the stacks of unresolved issues and feelings, but they wouldn't let it ruin their friendships. It was awkward at first, but it soon became a habit to have them on opposite ends of the table and never leave them alone together. However, when something triggered her one step too far, she left before anyone could notice. Adrian turned into her saviour like nothing had ever happened and wound-up yelling and cursing at everyone.

We wouldn't hold it to him, he was just as protective over her post-break-up as he was when they were together.

I knew he would be the last person Elle wanted to see and before I could say it, Cailen had beat me to it.

"Listen, you need to calm down. Do you really think she's going to want to see you right now? We can split up and find her but if you get to her first, you do not speak to her unless she speaks first. Understood?" She forced.

Her dominative nature was unmissable and her stone blue hair was blowing behind her in the breeze, making the stern look on her face ten times more perceptible.

Adrian still wasn't taking much notice; all he could probably think about was her and he was damn near trembling from the paranoia. The only thing that ever made him weak was her. I guess some things never change. Would he acknowledge her? Perhaps not, I really hoped he would though because she was right. In the past, he may have helped her – things were different now.

We needed to split up, that we all agreed with. More so for someone to keep him doing the right thing.

"Chase, can you go with Adrian to find her? Cailen can come with me." I suggested. Cailen may be a little too much for him and I want didn't her to be left alone on the streets filled with drunks and creeps.

Of course, she could handle herself, it was simply precautionary.

He nodded and they both went off to find her.

None of us ever had to do this before. She hadn't had a panic attack in so long that we thought she was getting better at controlling them and soothing herself before they really began to kick in. Whenever they did happen previously, she would be with someone who was willing to stay with her as long as she needed it. Never had she ever ran. It was unpredictable and out of character. If that happened unexpectedly, then who knows what else she might do?

As the two walked in the opposite direction, Cailen and I wandered for a couple of blocks that started to blend and all appear to be the exact same place. We could have actually went over some areas twice, but I like to say that we were just being thorough.