𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 ﾒ 𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘺

☾ chapter four

As the night wore on, Ethan found himself growing increasingly anxious. He watched as Tatum downed drink after drink, her smile growing more forced with each one. He watched as Chad flirted with random girls, completely oblivious to the way Tara was eyeing him from across the room. And he watched as Anika and Mindy grew more and more distant, lost in their own thoughts.

Ethan was lost in his thoughts himself when Tatum, whom he didn't even realize had gotten close, suddenly turned to him and asked, "So, Ethan, what's your deal? You seem pretty quiet."

He was taken aback by the sudden attention, but he quickly composed himself and replied, "Oh, I'm just not used to being in such a big city. It's overwhelming."

Tatum raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're from California, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but not Los Angeles. It's different here."

Ethan's heart sank as he realized how drunk and possibly high Tatum was. Her eyes were bloodshot, her movements unsteady, and her speech slurred. He couldn't believe that just a few minutes ago, she was having such a lively conversation with Chad. Now, she could barely stand up straight.

He wanted to help her, but he didn't know how. He had never been in this situation before. He didn't want to seem judgmental, but he also didn't want to enable her behavior. He wondered if he should say something to Chad, but he didn't want to create tension between them. At least, not now.

He had to stick to the fucking plan.

"Hey, Ethan," Tatum slurred, leaning into him. "Do you know what I really want right now?"

"What's that?" Ethan asked, trying to keep her steady.

"I want to dance," she said, her words slightly slurred.

"Uh, maybe we should get you some water first," Ethan said, looking at Chad for backup. Where the fuck was he?

But Tatum just laughed and started swaying to the music playing in the background. Ethan could tell she was enjoying herself, but it almost didn't feel real. 

"Tatum, are you okay?" Ethan asked, placing a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"I'm fine, Ethan," Tatum said, waving her hand dismissively. "I just want to have some fun, okay? I don't need anyone to take care of me."

Ethan nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. 

"You know, I bet you're a really good dancer," Tatum said, grinning at him. "Why don't you show us what you've got?"

Ethan chuckled, feeling a bit self-conscious. "I'm not really much of a dancer."

But Tatum wasn't having it. She grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor, laughing and spinning around. Ethan couldn't help but smile as he danced with her, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of worry that gnawed at his gut.

It wasn't long before Tatum was stumbling back and nearly falling onto a glass table. "Tatum, are you okay? Maybe you should slow down on the drinking."

She just laughed and stumbled a bit. "I'm fine, I'm just having fun," she slurred her words.

Ethan watched as Tatum took another swig from the bottle. His mother used to do that, too. She lived and died doing just that.

"Tatum, seriously. Let me take you home," Ethan said, trying to grab the bottle from her.

Tatum pulled back and glared at him. "I don't need your help, dude. I can take care of myself. I don't even fucking know you."

But she was wearing his hat, and she smiled once he indulged her and danced, and he had seen her messy room and was the only one keeping an eye on her, right now. Still, she pushed him away, and he didn't follow, choosing to only watch her from afar.