Damage

Chapter 5

The last real party I went to was back in Georgia, right after graduation.

There was a small spot by the lake about half a mile in the woods behind the house of a boy named Josh Morrison. The air felt warm, too warm, and people were daring each other to jump into the lake and dancing wildly - typical of any other party that Josh threw.

Josh was the quarterback of our school's football team. He would always call me 'baby' even though I didn't like when he did and had a jawline of steel that could crush your heart if he wanted to. He tried to get me to jump in the water with him, telling me "Baby, come on, please" even though we weren't together and I loved and hated it.

Josh was the most popular boy in school and had a party what felt like almost every weekend, but this time was different. With high school over, we were all going in different directions - some of us staying, some of us leaving. We were growing up. This was our last chance.

Looking back on it, I shouldn't have even gone.

This party is completely different - there's no lake or forest or people who I've known since middle school. It seems like Emily and I are the only freshmen here; all the other people are seniors and juniors, 2 or 3 years older than I am. I feel completely out of my element, milling around what looks like a penthouse and watching people chatter and make out in dark corners.

The music is loud and the lights are practically off, a soft blue light hanging over the room. But it's full of people, dancing and taking sips from red cups and smoking cigarettes or maybe something else. Before I know it, I've lost track of Emily and Michael and I'm lost in the crowd.

Although I feel terrified and uncomfortable, there's something electric about this party that makes my head spin and gives me a headache in a good way.

I sit down on a plush couch and close my eyes for a few seconds, trying to calm myself down. There's too much cigarette smoke and it's making my brain hazy and I can barely think. But it's not the smoking that bothers me so much, I think, as I try and collect my thoughts while sitting on the white sofa that's in front of an enormous flatscreen TV. It's when I see a boy grab a large bag of pills that makes me uncomfortable.

More so, when I see him and everyone around me take one of the pills and chase it with a gulp of beer, their slightly red and dilated eyes crinkling at the sides as they laugh at something funny that I couldn't hear over the music. Where is Emily?

I feel like I've suddenly been thrown into a pool of icy water, given no time to test the water. I quickly get up from the sofa and walk into another room further into the penthouse, trying to get away from the group of people in the living room.

I stand out like a sore thumb, straightening out my white dress while the girls around me are dancing and losing themselves in skin-tight black ones. Their hair flows around, bouncing to the beat of the song that's playing and I reach behind for my ponytail, suddenly wanting to stay in a corner for the rest of the night.

And when I see a group of girls and boys making white lines on a coffee table with their black and gold credit cards and bending down with their noses to the powder, I know that I need to get out. It's too much too soon.

Only maybe 30 minutes have passed since I've been here, but it feels like hours, maybe days as I push through the crowd, feeling like I want to faint or cry, or maybe both. The bass of the music is thumping through the room and I can hear his voice, echoing in my mind.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I need some air.

I'm back in the living room and I push my way towards a window that opens onto a balcony, stepping outside and taking as many gulps of air as I can.

I've almost drowned before and it feels the same now. My lungs feel like they're on fire and even though I'm surrounded by fresh air it's difficult to breathe. I grip onto the railing of the balcony and I feel so suffocated that I'm surprised my lungs even work anymore. But they do and I breathe.

"Are you okay?" a boy with dark hair and dark brown eyes asks me. I nod my head, looking back at the raging party inside and wonder how I ever made it out.

"I'm fine," I manage, putting my head in my hands briefly and almost laughing. "It's just really crazy in there."

When I look up, I can fully see the person in front of me who's probably been standing here the whole time.

"I'm Calum."

"Mia," I respond, loosening out my pony tail and shaking my hair out so the unruly curls fall down my back before putting my hair back up.

"Do you want some water or something?" he asks, leaning against the railing and smiling a warm and reassuring smile, with only the slightest hint of amused pity. "You looked kind of freaked out. Are you sure you're alright?"

I smile and nod my head, breathing out. "Yeah, I'd really like a water," I laugh. "I'm okay. I've just. I've never been to party like this."

He returns the laugh and nods his head towards the kitchen that's on the other side of the balcony as the night air whips around us.

He opens the door to the penthouse and leads me to the kitchen, gently resting his hand on my back. It's such a simple gesture, a slightly protective one at that, and shouldn't be as romantic as it is, but I can't help but feel like ice water has been injected down my spine.

When we walk into the kitchen, it's one of the largest most high-end kitchens I've ever seen. The tabletops are all granite and the sink is all sterling silver and I trail my fingers along the countertop before leaning against it. Calum closes the door to the kitchen before resting his hands on my waist and lifting me up to sit me on top of the island in the middle of the room.

The metal of his Rolex watch gleams in the bright light of the kitchen and he pulls open the door to enormous fridge, pulling out three different water bottles. Just from looking at him, I can tell that he's rich, but he doesn't act ostentatiously about it.

"Do you want Fiji, Voss or Veen?" he asks, setting the water on the counter and leaning one arm on the granite next to me.

"Whichever one you like the most?" I say, not sure how to respond.

"The Voss is good," he chuckles softly. "It's Norweigian." He unscrews it for me and I bring the bottle to my mouth. It's incredibly smooth and refreshing, no wonder it costs four times as much as a regular bottle of water.

We make small talk and Calum asks me about myself, throwing in little flirtatious jokes that make me laugh. Speaking with him is so easy and I find myself forgetting all about the party that's raging outside the kitchen and the friends that I've quickly lost track of.

"Cal, where are my rolling papers?" a blonde boy walks in and suddenly asks, the smallest hint of an accent laced in his voice. He doesn't sound happy.

"Oh, right. Sorry, mate, I think Ashton was smoking them earlier. He got some really good shit earlier today."

When I look over at him, I can see the Rolex watch that hangs off his wrist and the dark black t-shirt that he's wearing along with the silver chain that hangs from his neck. He rolls his eyes in annoyance before pulling his lip ring between his teeth and turning away.

"Who's this?" he asks off-handedly from over his shoulder, grabbing a beer from the fridge before turning back to face me.

"My name is Mia," I speak up without thinking, feeling my cheeks flush underneath his hard stare.

Calum clears his throat before introducing me.

"Mia, this is Luke. Luke Hemmings."

***

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