Red Love and Cheap Booze

Chapter 4: Karen

I walk around the crowded pool side trying to find a seat. The drink in my hand, it's not what anyone thinks. While they all have vodka or beer, I have sprite. Finally finding an empty and dry seat, I sit down and look around holding my cup.

"What up honey? Looking around for your boyfriend?" says a voice right next to my ear. I jump and turn around. Standing before me is Austin who is my gay best friend....okay well he's bi but he normally sides with boys over girls. I met Austin when I was doing my interview for Dartmouth. We were sitting in the office together, one thing led to another, and we were exchanging numbers planning to see a movie that night.

"Nothing much you blubbering idiot," I say rolling my eyes. Austin throws his head back and laughs.

"Not your kind of crowd huh Karen?" he said smirking at me, "However I am going to get my hands on some little freshman tonight." Austin rubs his hands together looking around at the crowd. "Hmm who should I pick as my victim tonight?" I look around until I spot a girl with black hair and a bikini jumping around with her friends. She paused and turned around, walking over to the giant keg area to get another drink.

"That girl over there," I say pointing at her. Austin perks his head up and smiles. 

"Thanks K!" he says hugging me quickly and running over to the girl. I smile at him rolling my eyes. I turn back to look at the pool. The crowd had dispersed and gone over to another side of the house leaving me with about 20 other people. Still, those 20 people were also beginning to climb out of the pool. I stand up and begin to walk around the pool. The air is getting cooler as time passes by, yet the smell of beer and chlorine wafts through the air. I wrinkle my nose at the smell and walk towards the cave of the pool. All of a sudden, there was a giant boom behind me and I soon began to smell smoke. I shriek at the sound of the noise slipping on the patio and falling into the pool. My head hits something and everything becomes a blur. My body hits the water with a big splash as I sink down. I try to swim upwards but as my arms say yes, my brain doesn't make them move. Trying to get help, I open my mouth but no noise comes out. 

"This is it Karen. No this isn't it come on Karen move your body we gotta get out of here! Get up to the surface!" my mind screams with pain as I start to black out due to the loss of oxygen. Just when I think it's the end, someone grabs my hand. I feel my body getting lifted up and placed on the shore.

"Holy shit! Are you okay? Can you hear me? Karen?! Look at me Karen come on!" someone shouts at me. I groggily open my eyes and look up to see Matt standing over me pumping my chest. Before I know it, he has his mouth on mine blowing in air. His mouth is warm and soft, not slimy or as bad as I thought it was. That was probably every time I'd seen him kiss someone, it was some gross make out session with Lily. Suddenly my brain comes back to me and I sit up coughing out water gasping for air. Matt freezes and sits back letting me get some space.

"Karen? Are you alright?" he asks me slowly. Matt places his hand on my chin turning my head towards his. He puts his finger in front of my face and moves it from left to right. I follow his finger groggily and soon begin to feel dizzy.

"Shit," Matt says grabbing me before my head hits the ground, "Come on Karen let's get you too the nurse." He picks me up and walks out towards the garage. Suddenly, before my senses come to me, I am sitting in the front of Matt's car with a towel wrapped around me. Just as the car engines begin to rev up, I lean against the window and the world goes black.