Not So Normal

Chapter 48

   It's been a week since my miscarriage. I've cut three more times, and no one knows about it. Tyler knows something is wrong, but he never knew about me cutting in the first place, so I don't think he suspects anything. Lindsey asked me if I had cut again, but I told her I hadn't. I try to seem happier when I talk to Niall, so he doesn't even know the extent of my depression right now.

   All I've been doing the last week is hanging around the house doing nothing. It sucks. Today I've decided that I am done staying in and doing nothing. I'm going to party tonight. And I'm not going to tell anyone. I'll leave a note for Tyler when I leave, but I'm not telling him exactly where I'm going. I want to be left alone by people I know. I just need something to act as a temporary distraction from my life. Partying seems like it will do the trick.

   I dig a good club dress out of my dress closet and find some stilettos to go with it. I slip my phone in my bra and grab the keys to my car. I drive downtown and find a club that I haven't been to for a few months. I get to skip the line and go right in, which is awesome. The place is crammed with people drinking and dancing. And I'm about to join them.

   After being here for an hour I'm extremely drunk. I just started out with a couple beers, but then I got dared to do some shots, so I ended up doing 7 or 8. Maybe even more; I don't really remember. I stumble out onto the dance floor and join the sweaty bodies moving to the blaring music. It's nice that the place is really dimly lit right now, because so far no one has showed any sign of recognizing me. It's really too crowded and dark to really see faces.

   I'm about to leave the dance floor when a guy grabs my hips from behind and starts grinding into me. My mind flashes to Niall for a split second, but then the thought goes away just as fast. A little dancing will be fine, won't it? I dance with the guy for a few minutes and then he leads me off the dance floor to a better lit part of the club.

   "Oh my god, Elissa?" he asks, astonished, when he sees my face.

   "Heeeey, what's up," I slur, giggling.

   "I am so sorry. I know you're with Niall. I shouldn't have danced with you," he says. What? I keep giggling and stumble forward, thinking that stilettos maybe weren't the greatest idea for getting drunk.

   "I'm not Niall," I say. "Oops, I mean I'm Elissa. Wait, I meant I'm not drunk," I say, giggling even harder. I fall forward and the guy catches me before I can hit the ground.

   "You're definitely drunk. More drunk than anyone should be. Let's get you a cab, okay?" Mystery guy puts a hand on my back and starts leading me towards the entrance. We get outside to where the valet guys are and I suddenly feel really light-headed.

   "I'm gonna-" I start to warn everyone I'm about to pass out, but I fall over before I finish my sentence and everything goes black.

   When I wake up I'm lying in a bed that isn't mine in a room that isn't mine, in weird white clothes that definitely aren't mine, and with a headache that I wish wasn't mine. I sit up and look around the room I'm in. The walls are blindingly white and clean. And so is almost everything else. The bed sheets are a light green color and the window curtains match, but that's the only color in the room. I see my dress and shoes from last night sitting on top of the white dresser, but my phone is nowhere in sight.

   I'm about to start freaking out when a lady comes into my room with a clipboard. She's kind of dressed like a nurse, but less... nursey, I guess. She tells me to sit down on the bed, and she pulls the chair from over by the window over to my bed.

   "Where am I?" I ask as soon as she sits down.

   "You're at Briar Rose," she says softly. Briar Rose? That sounds really familiar for some reason. I think some crazy celebrity was here a while ago. Wait. Briar Rose Rehabilitation Center? No. I can't be here. I don't belong here.