Cloud 69

58:

april 24, 2022:

This party blew. 

I mean, not really. Everyone else seemed to be having a good enough time.

She rolled her eyes as she pushed past a couple, making out on the middle of the staircase like it was a private bedroom, the LED lights painting them bright red and exposing them more than they had probably hoped. 

Whoever had thrown this party had gone all out, sparing no expenses and leaving no one uninvited. It was most likely because it was the last day of spring break, meaning the size of the party was even larger than usual– everyone wanted to go out on a bang. 

She thought a bustling party would bode well for her; the party would be too chaotic and crowded for her to think properly. However, her social battery had run out long ago, and she couldn't find the energy to let loose, and hooking up with someone was completely off the table. 

She managed to squeeze her way out of the house, feeling much better once she was met with fresh air and a cool breeze. She quickly made her way down the street, trying to get far enough away from the loud music to think straight. 

She hadn't planned on leaving so early, or so sober. She was at a loss of what to do with herself, now. Luna was on a plane ride home from her family trip in Bora Bora; Dylan was also on his way back from an accepted students day for UT in Austin; Jason was in California visiting his grandmother; Zach was home, but they were never really close enough of friends to just dial up and ask to hang out on their own, and now that him and Luna were broken up, it would just be weird. That left only Carson, and, for obvious reasons, Carson was not an option. At least, that's what she told herself as her finger hovered over his contact in her messages. 

Maddie groaned, shoving her phone into her back pocket, and began to walk down the street. Fortunately, everything on this side of town was pretty close together, and she figured she could walk to the nearest drug store and buy herself an amusement for the night.

The near-dilapidated 24/7 convenience store was the first she stumbled across that would have what she was looking for. As she pushed open the door, the bell above jingled, alerting her presence. She smiled at the cashier, a middle-aged, shaggy-looking man, and quickly made her way to the liquor aisle. 

There were only a few other people in the convenience store, all of which only concerned with only themselves– either trying to buy a lottery ticket or securing whatever midnight craving sent them out of their house when all other stores were closed. 

It didn't take long for her to grab an adequate-sized bottle of tequila and make her way to the single register up in the front of the store. She placed the bottle on the counter and begun pulling out her credit card. 

"ID?" The shaggy-looking man asked, drawing Maddie's attention. 

Maddie made a small show of feeling her pockets, a feigned look of panic before she brought her eyes back up to the cashier and gave him her best, tight-lipped smile. "It seems I must have left my ID in my car."

"I can't sell you this without an ID, miss," he said bitterly. 

Her smile faltered. "Look," Maddie started, speaking as sweet and as composed as she could.  She studied him over, her eyes lingering on his name tag where the name Charlie was poorly scribbled in with a sharpie. "Charlie." The cashier lifted an eyebrow but did not look too amused. "This is silly. My ID's just in the car, I promise. I have the money right here, maybe you could let it go this once?"

"I'm not selling you anything unless I see an ID," the cashier maintained firmly. 

Maddie's panic turned real for a moment. She hadn't really expected to be carded– convenience stores are rarely ever too picky with their customers. She was about to say something that would, most likely, worsen the situation even further, when a smooth voice interrupted.