🅈🄴🄻🄻🄾🅆 🄲🄰🄽🄰🅁🅈 🄱🄸🅁🄳 •Stanley Barber•

The In-Between Chapter

"Stay here," she said, lightly grabbing my arm. "I'll drive my car over here."

She turned her Mary James around, and began running back to the bridge. I lowered Kara back to the ground, and sat with her in the grass. My fingers found their way to Kara's hair as her head sat in my lap.

"Ugh."

Kara pulled the jacket closer to her body, and opened her eyes. She groaned again, and put a hand to her head.

"Kara! Oh my god, Kara, are you okay?"

She just tugged at the jacket again, making herself smaller. That couldn't be good. Luckily Veronica was quick, and she pulled over to the side of the road. I picked Kara up, and sat her in the backseat with me.

"So, where am I going?" Veronica asked.

I gave her instructions, and she began to drive off. I was going to have to come back for my car later. (Although I bet it won't be the only guest sleeping over at Bradley's tonight.)

Veronica drove over the bridge, her car jumping with everyone shaky beam we went under. Kara paled, and had a hand to her mouth. I knew that sign well enough to tell Veronica to open a window. I unbuckled myself, and moved Kara towards the open window, where she began to puke.

"Oh my god!" Veronica shouted from the driver's seat. "Is she getting any of that on my car?"

"No," I lied. No use telling her the truth.

Veronica kept driving, and even after Kara finished vomiting, she dangled limply out of the window. I held her hair back, just in case, and sat with her the whole ride long.

The drive felt too long for an emergency. Kara had practically gone to sleep again, and I had pulled her back inside the car. She slept on my shoulder until we arrived to our destination.

"Is this her house?" Veronica asked.

"No. It's mine." I reached over Kara to open the side door. "Thanks for your help."

"Here, let me help you." Veronica got out of the car, and slipped one of Kara's arms under hers. I did the same, and we walked her to my front porch. I was able to get the door open, and we sat Kara in the living room. Veronica took a step back, and examined Kara.

"She needs to get into dry clothes," she said. "And a bath. She stinks."

Well, yeah. Anyone would smell like that after puking up almost a quarter bottle of alcohol. Hell, my stomach wasn't doing too awesome, either, and I've done this before. I reached out for Kara's hand, and gently rubbed it. Whether I'm trying to reassure me or her, I wasn't sure.

"So what exactly happened?" Veronica asked. "I mean, I'm guessing you two were at that stupid party, but..."

I sighed, and rubbed my eyes. "It was just a drink, but then... Well, we drank a bit more, and–"

"Did you do any drugs?"

"Yeah. I was getting to that part."

"Right. Sorry. Continue."

"It was just weed, by the way. And barely enough to really do any damage, but I think it was too much for her. Someone offered to pierce her lip, so that's where that came from," I said, pointing at her bruising lip. "She saw the blood, freaked out, and went outside. I think you know the rest."

Veronica nodded, and glanced over at Kara again. "I can probably get her into a bath if you wanna go get her some fresh clothes. Maybe – hopefully – that actually wakes her up, and we can put a little food in her. Then I should probably get home."