So It Begins

My Saturday morning stretched on as I struggle to find words to fill the final page of my English paper.

The blank white page has tormented me for the last three hours. I was ready to write senseless bull to fill the page. I moan and lean against the headboard and wince when I hit my head. I’m too exhausted to focus on the pain. I close my eyes and think about the prompt question for English.

What the hell DOES it mean to be a millennial in today’s society?

The heading was at the top of the blank page in bold, black letters. I stare at the screen until tears pool in my eyes. I blink them away and sigh loudly.

Mr. Howard thought he was doing us all a favor by assigning an essay on, in his words, a relatable topic. I couldn’t think of anything to write. It was the type of question easier to discuss face-to-face rather than on paper.

When it came to writing, there was no limit to expressing your opinions on an issue. It's finding the evidence and creditable research to validate your position. I can talk for hours about the differences between the young and old generations.

I groan, remembering that I still have a few assignments to complete. I'm exhausted from staying up until two a.m. I only have a few more hours before my friends would be here.

I put the laptop on my thighs and start typing.

An hour later, I shove my laptop off my lap and jump out of bed. I make my way to the kitchen as my stomach growls. Maria is walking towards me when I enter the room. She raises her head and smiles at me. A long, black ankle dress hangs from her body. I realize I've never seen her in casual clothing before.

"Hola."

I wave before she passes me. I hear her footsteps creaking down the hall.

I look over my shoulder, and watch her disappear through a door. I assume the room was her quarters because you needed a specific key to open the door.

I hurry into the kitchen and heat the leftovers from the night before. When I get back to my room, I dive into the rest of my homework. I try not to overthink the last paragraph in my essay.

When I've done everything, I save the documents and put everything back into my bag. I hear the doorbell ringing and glance down at my phone.

When I reach the door, I find my friends standing on the other side. They had their eyes glued to the intrinsic designs around the border of the door.

"Hey, come in."

I open the door wider so they can walkthrough. My friends explore my home as we trail inside.

I curse under my breath as I scan my messy room. I throw the clothes on my floor into a hamper, then gather the papers on my bed before I shove them in my bag.

I snap my head to the rustling sounds coming from behind me.

"Sorry. It's a fucking mess in here."

Savannah snorts. "Girl, be quiet. You should see my room."

She slowly looks around the room before dropping her bag on the floor. Anna strolls past us and falls on my bed. A small duffel bag lands on her lap. She picks at her nails anxiously. I can tell she's out of her comfort zone. I need to find a way to get her to loosen up.

I go to the small desk against the window and tap the on button on my Echo Dot. It revives to life, and Slide by H.E.R. blasts from the speakers.

I snatch Anna's limp hand from her bag and pull her off the bed. She opens her mouth to protest, but I raise the volume and move my hips. Savannah joins me and sways her hips to the melody. She's barely doing a two-step because she was so stiff.

Her face is straight as I plead, "Come on, Girl. We need to loosen up before the party."

I raise our conjoined hands in the air and sway us with the music. Anna starts to mimic my movements and sways on her feet. She loosens up a bit more when the song changes.

We scream out the words to a rap song I've never heard before. I was singing a bunch of nonsense, but I was enjoying myself too much to care. Our laughter leaped off the walls as we moved to the music. I lower the volume when I peek at the time.

They fumble through their bags as I head into the bathroom. I was wearing some skin-tight jeans and a cute crop top because I wanted to keep it casual tonight. Savannah's dressed to impress. She changed into a tight, blue dress that showed off her to-die-for curves. There's a light coat of pink lipstick on her lips. Anna got my jive; she dressed comfortably. A rust-colored bandana top covered her chest. She paired it with a black flaxen skirt that reached her ankles. Her hair was a dark mass of waves that cascaded down her back. Like me, the only make-up on her face was the lip gloss shining from her lips.

Before leaving for the party, we jumbled up together to take a few selfies in the bathroom. Anna was in the center. Her protests go ignored as Savannah snapped multiple pictures of us. We waste several minutes waiting for Savannah to decide what image to post to her Instagram.

I was about to rush her when she raises her head. She examines herself in the mirror one last time before glancing between us.

"Ready?" Anna scoffs.

"We have been ready."

"Right." Savannah raises an eyebrow before walking out of the bathroom.

Anna catches the look I give her and gives me one in return before following her into my bedroom.

When we step outside, it's was a little windy. I'll take this nice breeze over the heat any day. We trail to Savannah's Jeep, and Anna disappears into the backseat. I hop in the front.

Music blasts from the speakers as soon as the ignition wheezes to life.

Savannah flips her visor mirror down and double-checks her make-up. Her eyes floated to mine, then Anna’s.

“We look good.”

She did a cute side shrug thing and turned to face the wheel. Savannah adjusts her body in the seat. She shifts gears and drives out my driveway.

I look out at the pine trees as the truck comes to a stop at the end of the path. The gate gradually opens before the car moves through the expanding gap.

I relax in the seat and concentrate on the lyrics to some indie song playing on the radio. The singer’s voice is soulful and calming. We turn onto the highway street. I gaze out the window as another indie song fills the car.

◆◆◆

I spot the large glasshouse sitting in the distance. The land is massive. The windows were big enough to see the fuzzy figures moving inside. There were a lot of people here.

I look at Savannah, and she smirks at me. Then she pulls her focus to the dark path in front of us. The only thing that's helping us see down the trail is the glowing lights from the house.

"Whose party is this again?"

"Oh, it's Eric's party..."

I lift a brow, and she licks her lips to hide her grin. She said it so casually as if he was just another guy.

She does another mirror check as a distraction before adding another line of lip-gloss to her lips.

As she pulls her truck in a small space between two cars, I hear Anna's voice erupt from the back.

"Not to sound like a party pooper, but who is Eric..."

I keep forgetting that I just met this girl. We hit it off so good it felt like I've known her for years. I found two dope-ass females.

Savannah played with her nails. "He's a friend from school."

She didn't want everyone to know about her and Eric. She tried to keep their relationship a secret. The thing was, everyone already knew they were a thing.

I try and fail to cover my chuckle. I twist around to look at Anna and roll my eyes with a smile.

"No, they're into each other but too stupid to admit it."

Savannah glares at me from the corner of her eye. It was the truth. She couldn't tell me I was wrong.

She nods her head with a knowing look. "Oh, I got it."

I catch Savannah releasing an Ugh sound under her breath. She opens her door and jumps out of her monster Jeep. We start walking towards the house.

I see a few bodies glued to the door the closer we get. Savannah grabs the handle and opens it without warning. The guy leaning against it falls on the ground. Half his torso is outside the door.

Savannah puts a hand on her hip and waits for him to stand. I snort when he's upright and glaring down at her. She dismisses him with her hand and walks into the house.

I don't look his way as I go through the door. I know he's drunk because he smells like he's been drowning in bottles of alcohol.

I ignore his mindless rambling and walk deeper into the house. Music's blaring every corner of the room. I was almost ready to cover my ears from the bass. I couldn't see through the large crowd dancing around the open space. I bump into countless people as I weave through different faces. I assume we're in the living room when I think I spot a couch on the wall. There was a vast, glass patio door up ahead. I spot Savannah's white hair and head towards the glass doors. Savannah grabs our hands when we get to her.

"Come on, let's go find Eric."

She turns and wanders around the backyard while my eyes travel to patio tables off to the side. There are a pool and jacuzzi, and the view was amazing.

The house was right on the lake. There were palm trees scattered around the lagoon. It made me feel like I was at the park or something.

I trail down the rock pavement and spot a group of people forming around the tables. I halt when I spot Damon's face. His emotionless eyes were on a half-naked blonde moving between his hips.

I was ready to turn back when a male's voice called out Savannah's name. A wide smile graced Eric's mouth before he embraces her. He hugged her tight before pulling back to look her in the eyes. Anna and I stand awkwardly behind them. I want to keep a safe distance between the group and us.

My eyes casually skim the diverse crowd. I resist the urge to look his way. I have a feeling he knows I was looking at him. I peek over and see him checking me out. I try not to blush from his admiring eyes. I can't stop myself from glancing his way again.

Anna leans close to me before I hear her whisper near my ear. "He looks like he wants to eat you."

My eyes pop before I snap my head to her gawking gaze.

"He’s just trying to get under my skin."

"What's the deal with you two?"

"I don't know. I barely know the guy, but he's an asshole."

My vision snaps back to Savannah and Eric. They were approaching us. You could see the happiness flowing off her body in waves.

"Eric, these are my new friends I was telling you about."

She's blushing as she looks up at him.

"I'm Rome."

He bobs his head.

"I'm Anna. Nice to meet you." She says in a timid voice.

He forced a smile. "Cool, nice to meet you both."

With a sly grin, he puts an arm around Savannah's shoulders. He connects his forehead to hers. He mutters something to her, and she says something back.

I leaned closer to Anna and whisper, "Hey, want to get some drinks?"

Her nod is sparse. "Sure."

"Savannah, we're going to get drinks."

She drags her lips from his, and I see a line of spit between them. I act like I don't notice it and twist my head sideways. Nasty.

"Okay, I'll see you guys later?"

"Yeah. Text me."

I turn my back and wander into the house. On the way there, I collide with two guys. Neither of us was paying attention.

"Sorry." I stutter.

They look past me as if I wasn't there. My eyes follow them as they head towards a couple of girls sitting on the edge of the pool. They do fist bumps with a few guys in passing before they sit between the girls. They pull two girls in the water. I curl my lips when they start making out. I draw my eyes to Savannah and Eric. They were sitting at the table. Damon's eyes catch mine when I happen to look his way.

I spin on heels and dash to find Anna. I spot her at the keg table and head that way. I grab a red cup and watch as she pours liquid into it. Then she pours some into her cup.

I scan bodies swaying to the song. My ears were ringing. That's how loud it was in here. I was still asking myself why I agreed to come in the first place.

I feel a light tap on my arm and turn my head. Anna signals to the couch and starts walking toward it. I rest my back against the wall since a couple was making out on the sofa. I try not to look at the couple eating each other's faces off. The room's packed like sardines. You can't hear your voice over the music and chatter. Either you were inside or out. There's no space to sit and chill.

We were on our third drink when I notice Anna's drunk. She was a lightweight. All it took was two or three drinks for her to get drunk. Her movements are sluggish as she grips my arm to pull me to the dance floor.

There are crowds of peopl as we fight our way to the center of the room. Everyone gets hype when Back Your Ass Up blares through the speakers. I try not to focus on the bodies brushing against me and sway with the music. I feel awkward at first. I never dance with people around. The alcohol is probably helping to make me loosen up.

Anna moves her body in sync with mine. She smiles before wrapping her arms around me. She drops to her knees and rolls her hips in a circular motion. She rubs her hands on her body while she rises to stand. I snap my fingers and wine my hips to the beat. I'd never felt so free. I slow my movements when Anna rocks closer to me. Her face disappears beside my ear. She's still rocking to the music.

"I'm going to find a bathroom. Be back."

She makes a kissing sound in my ear and walks around me. I watch her disappear into the crowd before I turn around. I get lost in another rap song and dance. Everything around me begins to fade away.

Then I hear a deep voice seeping into my ear. I know it's his voice.

"You look good tonight."

I close my eyes at his compliment. I turn slightly. Damon was towering over me like a shadow. Our eyes locked as he bent down. I don't know if it was the alcohol or what, but I do not think as I lean against his chest. I see an unhinged look flash across his face.

His hands flashed out before they're pinching my hips. I jump when he tightens his grip. I feel the front of him pressing against my butt. My skin tingles when I feel his breath on the shell of my ear.

"Who knew trash would be so easy..." He was taunting me, and it's working.

One thing he won't get away with is disrespecting me. I pull from his grasp and turn to face him. I took a step back as his lips spread into a twisted grin. There had to be something wrong with him if I let him touch me. I take another step back and collide with someone before my eyes snap to the angry girl glaring at me. She was drunk.

She spits at me. "Bitch."

I was too embarrassed to react. I slump my shoulders and glance at Damon. There's a predatory look in his eyes. I bet he's enjoying this.

"I'm sorry. I got to go..."

I rush through the crowd and go to find Anna. I should've asked where the bathroom was before I dashed off. I couldn't spend another moment in his vicinity. Whenever he's around, I want to either kill him or kiss him.

I roam around the house until I enter a dark hallway. I figure it leads to the bathroom and starts to walk down the hall. Damon distracted me from realizing I needed to look for my friend. She's been gone for a minute. It was maybe, twenty or twenty minutes since I last saw her. I assumed she was lost or went back outside. I had a bad feeling.

I spot a door coming up and stop in front of it before I twist the handle. It doesn't bulge. I knock on the door. I put my ear against it and don't hear anything inside. I knock on the door again and wait for a voice to emerge. The only sound I hear is the faint noises of music blasting from the other room. I was starting to get bad vibes as I knocked again. I catch a soft sound coming from inside. Hope fills my chest. I bang on the door and call out Anna's name.

I pull out my phone to send a quick text to Savannah just if my gut feeling was right. When I go to bang on the door again, I look down as my phone pings.

An unfamiliar voice erupts next to me. I snap my head to where I hear the voice. I narrow my eyes to slits when I see a guy standing inches from me. He looks around my age, maybe a little older. He wasn't attractive in the typical sense. His skin is pale, and his nose jutted out like a bird's. He looked like a creep. I smell an odor coming from his way. It makes my stomach curl. If I was naive, he'd be another guy trying to holler at me.

With a slight tilt of his head and pinched lips, his smile fades from his face. He studies me from head to toe. This pervert is up to something. I would eat glass before I'd let him put a hand on me. His mere presence was ringing alarm bells throughout my head.

"Hey, cutie. Why are you standing here all alone."?

I get nervous when he inches closer until his body falls on the doorframe. He starts checking me out. I step back to put some distance between us. Why was he so damn creepy looking...?

His hand goes to reach for my bicep, but I dodge the endeavor. I take another step back before he can touch me.

He playfully raises his hands. "Hey, I'm not here to hurt you. Just trying to make conversation with a pretty girl like yourself ..."

He was trying to flirt with me, and I wasn't the least bit interested. I sigh deeply with a grated look. I had to find Anna.

I turn my back to him, and he's in front of me in a flash. I jerk my head back and furrow my eyebrows.

"Is there a problem?"

I was ready, trust me. I was waiting for him to try something. He disregarded my question. Disgust flows through my veins as his lips pull into a devious grin. If I could never see someone smile at me like that, I'd be a happy woman. My body feels dirty as his eyes flow down my torso before they settle on my chest.

Annoyed and repulsed, I push my body roughly into his using all my strength to make it past him.

"Follow me, and I'll cut off your dick." My voice echoes down the hall.

I walk with haste steps to the door. My eyes scan the hall for my missing friend. I spot another door and grab the handle to pull it open, but it's locked.

"Anna? You in there?" I tap on the door.

My voice rises as fear wafts through my body. "Hello?!"

"I'm not leaving until you open the door", I say louder this time.

The door suddenly opens. Some guy's face appears in the crack of the door. I can't see anything past half of his face. I know he's hiding something. His expression is ashen before annoyance covers his face.

He eyes me up and down. "Can I help you?"

I notice the sprinkles of sweat covering his forehead. I push my body against the door. I hope he doesn't see me trying to sneak my way through. He appears to calm for someone who physically looks nervous. His chestnut eyes are wide. The curls on his head are damp and stuck to the skin above his brows. I can't tell whether he was going for the high-top fade look, being that the top of his hair was longer than the back. I never understood the trend. The style wasn't cute to me.

I shove my body into the door. He follows my movements and thrusts back. I stumble back. When I regain my footing, I try using words and not violence.

"I'm trying to find my friend. The last time I saw her, she was trying to find the bathroom."

His expression grows nervous. His once pale cheeks turn a rosy, red color. I press into the wood with more force, and it crashes into his nose.

I hitch my breath at the sight of blood as he hollers in agony. I use the distraction to push the door wide enough to slide through. My eyes scan the small washroom, and drift to Anna's sunken body in a fetal position on the floor. My chest tightens then I realize the guy's still in the bathroom. I walk over to him and shove him out of the room. I slam the door in his face before he can react.

Her eyes stay closed as I move into a kneeling position beside her body. I place two fingers on her neck and feel a faint pulse. I exhale a breath of relief. She's passed out, but it was better than the alternative. I don't remember her being drunk when she went to the bathroom. She barely slurred her words. Her usual tan complexion was long gone. I hope she doesn't have alcohol poisoning.

None of it felt real. I sobered up quickly after I found Anna. Savannah busts through the door, and her expressions wild with fury at the sight of our friend. I didn't want to believe she was drugged, but I know there was no other explanation. Her eyes flutter open when we give her some water and a few crackers to eat. Savannah forces two Advil's into her mouth to swallow.

We prop her up between us and head for the exit. The party was still going on as we leave.

I take one last look at the beautiful lake house as we carry Anna to the car. She falls into the backseat and is out cold.

I'm antsy the whole way home. I can't stop rewinding everything that happened tonight. Savannah drops Anna home first. I stay in the car and watch her carry Anna to her door. She knocks twice before it opens. Her parent's eyes widen when they see their daughter. There's no doubting she was in a lot of trouble. They pull her into the house and slam the door on Savannah.

When she hops back into the truck, she doesn't say anything. The drive to my house is silent.

I wave goodbye before I close the door. I hear her tires crunching as I step into my house. The house is pitch-black when I stroll inside. I rush to my room and throw off my shoes before I slide under the covers.

I was hoping I would forget what happened by morning.

As if...