1 Part One: Oblivion | 1. Sleeping Pills

I slammed the door to my bedroom and threw myself onto the twin bed, lying face down to muffle my sobs. My parents, of course, weren't home when I came in from my absurdly long day of preparatory academy. Most days I was able to at least change out of my uniform before I broke down.

Not today.

Today had been the worst yet. I had gotten used to being bullied by the other girls over the years. I had learned to tune it out. Today, however, they found a new low.

I had met a guy I really liked a few months ago and we started dating after a couple of weeks. Everything was perfect with our relationship. He was kind and caring and always thoughtful. Every date was the best time I had since the last.

We had a camping trip over the weekend and had sex. It was my first time and I thought it was magical. But then, today, at school, there he was talking to my bullies. I watched him hand them my underwear from that night, stained with blood. They gave him a wad of cash in exchange and I felt my world break apart.

I felt dirty.

I looked around my neatly appointed room filled with stuffed animals and academic awards starting during my first year of school. I thought it would make my parents happy with me, or force them to spend time with me. It hadn't worked. I didn't exist to them.

Why do I bother? I always wondered.

I looked at my bag knowing those papers wouldn't write themselves, then heard my phone chime from my pocket. I slipped the slim device out and tapped the screen to see the notification preview. My parents were both out of town until the next week, emergency business trips. I rolled my eyes and shook my head tossing the phone at my pillows where it safely landed.

I caught sight of my reflection and grimaced. My eyes were red and swollen from crying, my mascara and eyeliner leaving streaks down my cheeks. My braid was coming undone, stray hairs floating all around my face and shoulders.

Defeated, I stripped out of my uniform and climbed into bed. I couldn't face another minute of this day. Crying so much, for so long, had worn me out. Sleep easily swept me away once I got comfortable.

I woke up to my phone ringing somewhere near my head. It took a moment to remember what happened after school. Ready to go right back to sleep, I checked who was calling and the time before I answered.

"I was sleeping," I complained.

"Are you serious? What? Are you, like, eighty and I just didn't know it?" my best friend, Jessica, replied on the other end of the call. "Dude, it's eight at night. What's wrong?"

I told her everything that had happened. She knew about my, now, ex-boyfriend. She knew about my plans for our camping trip, I had called her while I got ready. Halfway through telling her I was in tears again and her previous attitude vanished as if it never existed.

"Okay, that is beyond shitty. And your parents are gone until next week? What assholes. Okay, calm down and get changed into something that makes you feel sexy. I know just what you need, my friend. I'll be there in a few to pick you up," she told me without giving any more information and ended the call.

I sighed, I really didn't feel like being around more people, but maybe she was right. I didn't have anything that could be remotely defined as sexy in my closet, so I went to my mother's. She had at least a dozen cocktail dresses in every color imaginable.

I decided to go with the simple black one she usually wore to business parties. It was form fitting and ended halfway down my thighs. It was elegant and sexy. I stopped at her jewelry box, digging out the set she never wore but I loved. It was sterling silver with onyx gems in the she of hearts. The set was a matching necklace, bracelet, and earrings.

I turned to head back to my room and paused. Mom kept a plethora of medications in her bathroom drawer. Some were for anxiety, others to keep her awake, some diet pills, some water pills, and the one I sought. Her sleeping pills. She never took them and probably forgot all about them not long after filling the prescription. I snatched the bottle out of the drawer and left the master suite for my mini master suite.

I sent Jessica a text message letting her know to come in the back door, which I left unlocked, and hopped in the shower hoping it might freshen my appearance up. At least make me look less pathetic before I left the house. The bathroom was filled with so much steam it was like walking in smoke clouds that smelled like flowers. I spotted the pill bottle on my bathroom counter and decided now was better than never.

I needed to stop feeling anything for a little while. I wanted to forget all about my stupid ex-boyfriend, my bullies, my predominantly absentee parents, the papers I didn't feel like writing. I wanted to forget it all and just be for one night. I filled up the glass on the counter with water from the sink and opened the bottle. I shook out two of the small white pills and then added another two. They weren't particularly strong, as I recalled last time I had taken them it took five just to make me sleepy. I wanted numbness, so I doubled it. In pairs of two I swallowed the pills and decided to take the bottle with me tonight. It's not like my mother would miss them at all.

Jessica was lounging on my bed waiting for me when I stepped out of my bathroom in a haze of steam. She had on what I guessed might be called a skirt, I wasn't sure since I could see her scrap of bright red lace underwear showing in the position she had laid down.

Her clothes barely contained her curves while mine hugged all of them without showing so much skin. I slid into the heels I knew I would regret wearing later and let her do my makeup. Within an hour of her arrival, we were headed out the door to her expensive car.

"When did you get this?" I asked looking over the shiny blue Infiniti feeling a little green with envy.

"Cameron got it for me a few weeks ago," she replied with a little sigh as she said his name.

Cameron was her older boyfriend, who I had yet to meet. Jessica claimed she didn't want to spoil their "honeymoon phase" by introducing him to friends , which I understood. She was head over heels for him and I was happy for her, so long as he treated her right. Though, I was surprised he never got upset with how she dressed or behaved. My parents always said she was a terrible influence and there was a reason she had been expelled from every private school in the nearby area.

I knew why, she was a rebel. Jessica didn't want to be stifled by rules and uniforms and what everyone else seemed as appropriate. I loved that quality about her. She broke me out of my shell more than once and I loved her more for it each time. She knew what I needed after my crappy day, she always knew what I needed.

That's what best friends are for, right?

"He must be loaded to buy you this. When am I finally meeting him?"

She grinned at me, her pearly white teeth shining in the overhead light of her car as we climbed in. "Actually, he's going to meet us where we're going. That's why I took extra care with my outfit tonight. I haven't seen him in two weeks and I want him to remember what he's been missing that while time," she explained, starting the car and pulling into the street from her parking space out front.

"Then you'll take him to the backseat for an appetizer?" I teased her.

Jessica laughed keeping her eyes on the road, "I would get offended and say no, but I would make a liar out of myself later. So, probably, yeah... Don't worry, you have shotgun all night so you won't accidentally sit in anything."

We both laughed. I already felt better just being around her and away from the chaos that was my own little life. Jessica got to live how she wanted, her parents supported everything she did, even when she was getting kicked out of schools. They knew they had raised a strong, opinionated daughter and expected nothing less from her.

She parked beside a nightclub three towns over. I had never been to the town before but I doubted we could get inside the club. Or at least I couldn't, not at seventeen. She killed the engine and checked her makeup in the visor mirror.

"Hey, Jess, I'm not going to be able to get in there," I commented as she reapplied her lip gloss and put on a layer of translucent setting powder to keep her makeup in place.

"We'll get in, don't worry. Here, get those lips looking pouty and kissable. You have got to remember there are more, better guys out there," she said handing me a tube of "plumping" lipstick in a rich, red wine shade.

I slowly applied it to my defined lips, it took time and skill to apply dark lipstick to my lips without making a mess. The tingling sensation intensified as the lipstick settled into the curves of my mouth and before long I had the pout Jessica was wanting.

"Perfect," she said smugly and pulled my hair forward over my bare shoulders so the natural, loose curls drew attention up my body to my face. She purposely tousled my hair some giving it that glamorous, bed head appearance. "Now, let's go break some hearts."

I still wasn't sure how she was going to get us in, but as we walked to the door I felt like I was floating rather than balancing on high heels. I hadn't noticed the pills kicking in on the drive, unless having too much fun singing along to the stereo with Jessica. Now, though, I could tell they were working and I was glad I brought them with me, I would need more later to maintain my blissfully numb state of being.

There was a line at the door, people barely dressed and waiting to be lucky enough to get inside. I headed for the back of the line, but Jessica hooked her arm through mine and took us straight to the bouncer, skipping the line entirely. He was a tall, heavy muscled man with a bald head and narrow, suspicious eyes. He had his arms crossed over his impossibly large chest, blocking the door with his whole body.

Jessica smiled and spoke sweetly to him, "Hey there buddy, we need to get in."

"Back of the line," he responded automatically without giving us a second glance.

She batted her long lashes, "Oh, sweetie, you misunderstood me. We need to get in, we're expected and on your clipboard list."

That got his attention. He looked us both over, especially me, and normally I would have been in a full blown panic attack but not tonight. Tonight nothing could burst my bubble. He looked at Jessica, "Name?"

"Jessica Cartwright, plus one," she told him and he moved his finger down the columns of names on the clipboard he had taken off the wall beside him.

After a few moments, he nodded his head, "Sorry about the confusion ladies. Welcome to Oblivion. Your cover charges have already been paid. Have a good night."