𝐔𝐍𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 // 𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙣 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬 (𝘛@𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥)

7 - "I lost myself."

"One night, I was having issues of my own. Family stuff, friend stuff...and I needed a night to just...get away from it all. To let loose and have fun. Just for one night." Arden told them, "So I went to a party my friend was throwing without Michael knowing, and I was having a good time. I had a few beers, and I was dancing with my friends...just being a regular teenager."

As soon as Arden turned the corner of the street of her friend's house, she immediately heard it. Vibrations and muffled music coming from the house a few blocks down.

The sound made her heart pick up in her chest and her stomach had nervous butterflies in it. It was nerves from her mind racing and questioning if she really wanted to do this.

Arden hadn't hung out with her friends in so long...what if they didn't want her there? What if something bad happens? What if Michael found out she went?

"Arden, hey! You made it! I'm so glad you came!"

While her thoughts had been swarming, her legs had apparently kept going, because she was suddenly face to face with my good friend Melanie, who was throwing the party, standing in the doorway of the house.

"Hey Mel," She smiled, "It's good to see you."

Mel grinned, stepping forward and hugging her tightly. Instinctively, Arden stiffened for a second, but the warmth of her quickly made her relax...and she smiled as she hugged her back.

God, she missed her.

"Oh! Come in, come in!"

She let go of Arden and pulled her inside the house, where the music was bumping the walls and kids from their school were moving throughout the house like waves.

"Take a shot with me?" She smiled, "For old time's sake?"

Looking over at her, Mel was grinning up at her excitedly, and Arden found herself smiling as well. Melanie had always been so bubbly and energetic...she used to bring that out in Arden as well. And right now, she could use some of that positivity and liveliness in her as well.

"Okay, but only one." Arden told her, "I'm not planning on getting drunk tonight."

She giggled happily, grabbing Arden's arm and pulling her towards the kitchen, "Deal!"

"Halfway through the party, Michael called me and...I remember being there, in the kitchen and looking down at his name on the screen. And I just...I ignored the call. I let it go to voicemail." Arden said, "He called two more times after that and I ignored those calls too. Then the calls stopped, and I figured he got the message that I didn't want to talk right now. I remember thinking...I'll call him back as soon as I get home."

One shot and two beers later, Melanie and Arden were hanging out in the kitchen, catching up. Arden was sitting on the countertop sipping her beer as Mel leaned against the counter across from her, a mixed drink in a red solo cup in her hand. She was telling Arden about how she had become captain of our school's dance team. Hearing this made Arden super happy because she knew how much Mel loved dance and how much this meant to her.