ONE
Harper knew Allison like the back of her hand, even in a pitch-black room full of drunk teens and flashing coloured lights with a weird green tint blinking in every six seconds. Harper recognized the little things. Like how Allison put her pinky out when brushing her wavy long blonde hair that could make anyone swoon, or how she only drinks iced coffees because hot drinks make her tongue feel weird. She knew everything about her. Mostly because they have known each other since they were about nine.
The floor is sticky. Allison hates that. She looked over at Allison seeing an unamused look on her face as she stepped over to Harper, her eyes winching at every sticky-step. The air getting less tense the closer she got.
"Hey, how's things going?" asked Allison, "seen any cute guys yet?"
"I wish" Harper takes a sip of the raspberry cruiser in her hand, re-adjusting it to look at the label.
The condensation from the drink made her hands damp so she wiped it on Allison's new black top with weird frilly bits.
"Ew!" Allison wiped her top back onto Harper's face, smudging the blue-ombre eye-makeup.
"Bitch!" Harper laughed, nudging her.
She missed times like this, when her and Allison would just have fun and hangout, when everything was okay. Before Allison started dating that jerk, Simon. Harper hated Simon. Like she actually wanted to kill that asshole. She wouldn't though, she's not like that.
Everyone was enjoying themselves, having fun and drinking. This moment almost felt like a movie. When everything was going right. But something wasn't quite perfect. Though it had nothing to do with her... she hoped.
Harper chose to ignore it anyway, turning her head back to Allison who was focused on the man standing next to her, ugh.
She was clearly uncomfortable, why couldn't he leave her alone. Allison stepped back and he stepped forward. Harper wished she could just dig her nails into his throat, not like anyone would care. They would all be too drunk to notice anyway. Harper screwed the bottle cap on and placed the bottle in her hand onto the table next to her.
The way he looked at her was disgusting, the only thing he wanted was to get in her pants. Fucking loser. Harper eyed him down as he rubbed Allisons arm, making her flinch. She just wanted him to leave her alone, why can't he get it? Why doesn't he get it? Go away. Go away. Go away. No one wants him here.
Shes not a killer but right now she'd fucking blow his head off, she's done her research on how get away with it because of a project of hers from seventh grade. She didn't know him so at least there wouldn't be a connection, anything to really make her a suspect. She would follow him home, getting his number plate and address. In the weeks before she would kill him, she would buy a new outfit, shoes, gloves, bleach, gasoline, large plastic sandwich bags, a lighter and everything else she needed. Making sure to pay in cash at different stores so there were no records. Waiting patiently until he's alone and then she'd come in, leaving her phone at her house, put ketamine in his drink and then he'd be out cold so he can't scream. Harper wasn't sure where she would get them, but she would. Someone at the party has to know a dealer. she would use a revolver so there was no shell casting left at the scene, two shots to the back of his head. She would pour out the drugged water into the sink and place the cup and gun into separate plastic bags. Harper would have to do this in the early hours of the day when everyone was asleep, around 4am. She would pour gasoline everywhere, then light it. Getting rid of any trace of possible DNA.
When getting home after killing him she would pour out the bleach and place all of her clothes, the gloves and everything she touched including the cup and gun into the bucket. Harper would leave them in bleach for a few days before burning it. Then she would be in the clear.
Oh my god.
Harper didn't even know this guy's name, but she was already thinking about him dead. What was wrong with her?
He was still bothering Allison. They were talking. No, they were arguing.
"Cmon, it's just for a bit." He said.
"No, stop touching me." Allison replied.
"Why are you being such a bitch?" The man said, raising his voice and tightening his grip on her.
"Let go of me Aaron." She demanded.
Aaron. That's his name, Aaron. Harper wanted to scream at Aaron, but she couldn't. She couldn't do anything; she was stuck looking at them. Frozen. He walked away, thank fuck. She wasn't sure what she would do if he stayed any longer.
"You're gonna regret this bitch." Aaron snarled, stumbling
away, probably about to harass some other innocent girl.
But at least it wasn't Allison. Her beautiful Allison. Harper took a sip of the half-empty cruiser, the lid now missing, she must've dropped it somewhere.
"God, he's obsessed with you." Harper laughs, watching his brown shoulder length hair bounce as he walks.
"I know, it's honestly repulsive." She replies.
"Who even is he?"
"Just some guy, he kinda stalks me but I doubt he will do anything."
"Right."
The music was loud enough to basically burst an eardrum, each beat another hit to the head, making her clench her brunette locks, the strands intertwined with her fingers. Allison's green eyes being complemented perfectly by the hue in the room. Harper could never get over how pretty she was, her somehow perfect blonde hair, green eyes, a perfect body shape, and she was just overall perfect. Ever since they were little she wished to look like her.
Caught up by her daydream, Harper suddenly gets pulled away by someone, dropping and smashing the bottle on the ground. The sudden yank on her arm mixed with the alcohol made her vision go black, knocking into people while they simply just scoff. Everything runs through her mind in those few moments of pure darkness. Harper's mum told her not to go to the party. Why didn't she listen? She would be at home, safe, and everything would be fine.
She got dragged aggressively out the side door of the house this party is being hosted at. Whose house is it? Allison invited her, told her the address but who's hosting the party? What time is it? Is Allison okay? What if Aaron comes back? Did she remember to feed her dog? A million questions she's unable to answer.
What's the square root of 68? She can't answer that. Why did she even come? She can't answer that either.
It feels like everything's in slow motion. She might vomit. Or cry.
The world's spinning, too fast, or too slow. It's definitely not going the rate it should.
Darkness.
Harper's vision is still blurry, but at least she can see, she looks up and there is...
"James?... wh-" She gets cut off.
"Sorry. I had to get out of there, it was way too loud." His wavy brunette hair brushed over his darkened eye, scratches on his knuckles almost like he just got in a fight.
"That doesn't explain why you had to grab me. I was talking to Allie."
"Sorry, again but I just had to-" Either he stopped talking or Harper lost her hearing. Which is insane because she has amazing hearing. But then again shes drunk as fuck and her vision already went out the window.
She felt a sudden thump in her head. And again. And again. And again. It doesn't stop. Her eyesight went black again and she heard a ringing in her ears. Her heart's pumping. The stress came back, Then it went. Everything disappeared . She can't move. Everything was so loud, then it all stopped. What was happening? She doesn't drink often but she knew that wasn't normal.
It's like she'd been drugged, but it couldn't have been. Could it? The bottle cap was on and she was watching her drink, surely no one could have slipped anything in.
The next thing she heard was the sound of the radio. It was playing a familiar song. Hotel, Montell Fish.
She sat up, the seatbelt jolting.
"Oh good, you're awake. Finally, how are you feeling?"
James. It was James driving.
"Okay, I guess... what happened?" Harper asks curiously.
"You blacked out, my guess is you drank a little too much."
"Where are we going?"
"Home, I already told your mum what happened, and don't worry Allison is getting a lift back to hers."
"What?" There was a snap in her voice.
"Allisons getting a lift-" he gets cut off.
"Yeah, no I heard that." She blurted. "Who's dropping her off?"
"I dont know-"
"You dont fucking know?!?" She shouted.
"It was just this guy."
"Did he say his name or anything?"
"Yeah it was like Alvin or something-"
"Aaron."
"Yeah, he said he knew her."
"I can't fucking believe you."
Harper stared out the now foggy window, gritting her teeth against one another. Where is Allison? Will she be okay?
The silence was deafening. A cloud of anger lurked in the car as her mind raced.
The rest of the drive almost felt like a fever dream. Going in and out of consciousness the whole time until James turned down a familiar road, she was almost home, finally.
A small grunt left her mouth as James pulled into her driveway, still not opening her eyes she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the passenger door, her eyelids heavy.
There was light beaming through her front door, enough to make out a mum-shaped-silhouette waiting for her, her clothed arms falling on top of eachother.
As Harper got closer she noticed her golden hair was slightly messy, unlike what it usually was. It usually was half up, half down, no bumps or ridges, Just smooth. Her mum was a master of the art of hairstyles, unlike Harper. Harper usually kept it down or tied to the back, the front parts of her hair oozing out like a chocolate river of brunette strands.
Her mum had a very formal style, even her worst clothes were Harper's best. Unlike her appearance she was laid-back, but it didn't seem like it. She seemed like the type of person to be a helicopter mum, stalking their children like they're some sort of prey. She wasn't like that though.
Harper layed on her fabric couch, her mother leaning over her, speaking softly.
"How are you feeling hun?"
"Better." Harper swiftly replied, taking in her mum's hazy-green eyes. They gave her goosebumps, her iris a hidden forest, streaks of golden hour sifting through the sage branches of the tall trees. There is a kind of green that speaks to the soul of nature, of fresh wands of grass and new buds, and her eyes were that bright colour, bold and beautiful.
Lost in her mother's ethereal beauty, Harper began to doze off, her eyelids becoming heavier by the second until she finally gave in, her head hitting the mauve couch cushion.