𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐀.ᐟ 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀

nineteen

"Hi," She spoke, tapping his shoulder incase he couldn't have heard her over the obnoxiously loud music.

The boy turned with a grin. "Hey," He adjusted his position; legs now crossing and elbow against the wall. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually." She replied. "Do you know where the basement is? I'm looking for a friend."

He nodded, then motioned his head towards an opened door just a couple feet away from the kitchen. "Just down there, sweetheart."

Vera smiled graciously, not paying attention to the pet name. "Thanks."

Though before she even had the chance to move, the boy gently grabbed onto her wrist.

She gasped, snapping her head back to him.

His striking green eyes flickered between hers. He licked his lips, backing away from the wall.

"Don't I get a reward for helping you? You're wearing such big shirt I'm sure there's nothing but panties under there, hm?" His voice had suddenly dove deep.

Okay. What the fuck?

Are all drunk teens like this? It was disturbing.

There was a moment of silence before she laughed.

She twisted her wrist out of his hold, looking up at him innocently. "Oh, yes! How could I leave you without one." Her voice was full, of what the boy read as, desire.

She inched closer to him, looking down at his chapped lips. The brunette boy closed his eyes and leaned in, but his lips never met hers.

Instead, a stinging wave swept across his right cheek. "You bitch!" He yelped, immediately covering it with his hand in an attempt to relieve it.

"Thank you!" Vera sighed. She turned away and walked towards the basement door.

It was yet another struggle to get passed all the drunken bodies that lingered on the steps, but she eventually got passed them. The basement was huge, but she knew she could find the Ducks' team in the living space.

"Charlie?"

Vera could barley hear her own voice. It was so loud her ears were ringing, and it began to get very hot in the room.

She just had to find Adam and get out of there.

Her eyes scanned the entire room. They landed on a familiar head of long, brunette hair. It was that girl that visited a couple weeks ago, Connie!

Vera kept her gaze on the girl as she pushed through a group of people. As she got closer more familiar faces of the Ducks appeared. A lot of them looked familiar— granted she saw a picture of them in a newspaper article for the Goodwill Games almost five years ago.

A hand was suddenly placed onto her shoulder. She managed to bite back a startled squeal as she turned around.

"Are you Vera?"

The girl let out a sigh of relief as she recognized Charlie. For a second, she thought the creep from the hallway had followed her.