Against the Wall

You told

"Sorry we're late," Colby said as I closed the door and buckled myself in. "I had to get gas, and then my girlfriend decided that she needed a slurpee."

I glanced at Norah, who had said slurpee in her hand, and she stuck out her tongue, which was dyed a bright green. I burst out laughing, and Norah dissolved into giggles as well. We drove to the party with the stereo blasting some Katy Perry song that Norah screamed the words to.

We pulled up to the party when it was in full force. Cars crowded the street, and the front lawn was littered with cups and slightly intoxicated teenagers. Colby and Norah walked towards the house in front of me, holding hands, and I walked by myself.

As I padded across the soft grass, a boy came over to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Hey!" He breathed into my ear as I tried to pull away. "I want some drugs."

"Excuse me?" I asked, gagging on the stench of alcohol on his breath.

"You heard me," he said, "I know you're selling."

Without a word, I shoved the boy off of me and he sprawled against the ground and started laughing. I just rolled my eyes, deciding that he asking about drugs had been because he was so wasted, and I continued on to the house. I had just walked through the door when the whispers started.

I knew that they were aimed at me, but I just assumed that everyone was still fixated on the fact that I'd punched Kaia in the face. However, as I walked through the rooms of the house, the looks I was getting from people started to make me feel sick to my stomach.

I had just walked into the kitchen when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I turned around to find Norah gaping at me. "Do you know what-"

"Your dad's a drug dealer?" Norah blurted, cutting me off. My jaw dropped and I took a step back, bumping into the counter behind me.

I didn't know what to say.

No one was supposed to know about that. I had made sure to cover my tracks, to keep my past a secret. I mean, how could anyone have found out about my dad? The only person I'd told had been Griffin.

Griffin.

I pushed past Norah and started searching for him. The only way people would've found out would have been if Griffin had told them.

"Sawyer!" Norah called, following me. "Is it true?"

"I've got to find Griffin," I mumbled numbly, "I've got to find Griffin."

Now, I knew what the whispers were about. They were about me; I'd been right about that. However, they weren't about what had happened between me and Kaia. They were talking about how my dad was a drug dealer. They were talking about the past I'd worked so hard to keep hidden.

I stepped into the back room and scanned the people in there, searching for Griffin. Instead, I found Kaia leaning against a wall, smirking at me. I glared at her as she straightened and flounced over to me. Kaia got very close, and it was like the room had gone dead silent.

"Got any crack I could borrow?" she asked, smiling victoriously at me.

It was as if everybody was holding their breath, waiting for me to back hand Kaia, but I couldn't. Instead, I swallowed hard, blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall, and I turned on my heel and walked out of the room.

About halfway to the front door, I couldn't help but break into a sprint. I pushed through the door and smacked into a tall, solid chest. I looked up and fury washed over me. "You," I spat, shoving past him. I hurried down the steps, and I could hear him coming after me.