The next couple of days went by too fast. Before I knew it, it was New Years Eve. People were planning their parties and shopping for flashy outfits. Jake and I were official. Our life in the house was pretty low key. We spent the last couple of days being lazy and lounging around the house. We watched holiday movies and I baked way too many cookies.
"Do you want to go to a New Year's party tonight?" Jake asks as he walks into my room, a toothbrush in his mouth.
"Um, I don't know. I thought that we were just gonna hang out at the house tonight. Maybe watch the ball drop?" I say as I set my laptop to the side.
"We've been hanging out in this house for the past several days. We should go do something fun. Like really fun," I says as he raises his eyebrows.
"I guess you're right. Who's having a party tonight?" I ask as I sit up on my bed and cross my legs.
"I think it's Osvaldo? I don't know. I've never even heard of him, but apparently everyone is going. It's supposed to be really fun. He's the only one who's parents are out of town on New Year's, I guess," he says as he walks to the bathroom to spit out the toothpaste foam in his mouth.
I slip off my bed and follow him out of the room. "I don't know. It sounds like fun. I can call Katie and invite her, too. I don't think she has plans. Where does this guy live?" I ask. Jake finishes gargling and then turns to look at me.
"I think close to down town. In the Sorority/Fraternity area. Apparently, all of the college students are going to this party, too, " He says. We have a university in our town, so partying is very common.
"Well, we should go. I think it would be fun to go out of the house for a night. But can we just promise one thing?" I smile. God, we sound like an old married couple.
"Anything," he says back as he props himself against the counter.
"Let's not get wasted tonight. I want to remember this night. And no drugs or anything. I just want a fun, sober-ish night."
He smiles at me. "Deal. No drugs. I'm not doing that in my life anymore. I promise you, babe. Only a few drinks with you."
I nod my head as he leans into me.
"And you better save me that midnight kiss," he smirks as he walks up to me and kisses my forehead lightly.
...
I stare at my closet. "Jake!" I yell out.
"What?" He says as he steps into my room. He wears light wash denim jeans, white converse and a maroon sweatshirt. "We need to go soon, Babe."
"I know, I know. I just can't figure out what to wear." I say as I touch my thumb to my lip. My hair is still up in a messy bun. I have running shorts on with a stained sweatshirt. I look like shit.
"Just wear anything. You'll look hot no matter what," he smirks as he leans in the doorway of my closet.
"Help me," I whine as I poke out my bottom lip.
He rolls his eyes and steps into the closet. "Why do girls have so many clothes?" He says in awe. His phone suddenly starts ringing in his pocket. He digs in the pocket of his jeans. "What's up, Dude?" He asks the person on the phone. "One sec," he says as he walks out of my closet. "I don't think I have your shirt, bro." His voice trails off as he walks into his room.
I shrug as I turn back to my closet. Then, I see it. I grab the hanger that holds my black pencil skirt. It is high waisted and hits me mid-thigh. It's shorter than I remember. I grab my skin tight, white, V-neck, long sleeved crop top and pair it with the skirt. It goes perfectly. I quickly slip on a pair of glittery, golden pumps. I waddle over to my vanity mirror and quickly do my makeup. I give myself a shimmery, golden smokey eye to add a pop. I paint my lips a nude blush color, and brush out my hair. My shirt has a low V-cut back to match the front, so I put my hair up into a cute, messy bun. I put some golden dangly earrings in, and hang a delicate matching necklace around my neck.
I stand, and peer at myself in the mirror. I'm not gonna lie I look-
"Holy shit," Jake says as he walks through the door of my bedroom. He smirks as he eyes me up and down. "How about we skip the party tonight?" He laughs as I walk over and smack him.
"Let's go," I say as I grab my golden, glittery clutch purse. It perfectly matches my heels.
We walk out of the front door and walk over to my car. "I'm driving." Jake says as he snatches they keys from my hand.
"Why? I'm a good driver," I say as he opens the passenger door for me.
"Oh, totally," he says sarcastically as I stick my tongue out at him. He laughs and shuts the door.
We pull out of the drive way and begin driving. I assume he knows where he is going, which he apparently does.
He leans over and turns on the radio. Bryson Tiller flows through the speakers. I look over at Jake as he drives. His jawline clenches every time he turns the car. I turn and look back out the window. Suddenly, Jakes hand is on my thigh. I look over at him, and it's as if he didn't even notice he was making me weak. He mouth slowly moves with the words of the song.
He pulls up in front of a house in the middle of a college neighborhood. The cops definitely won't get any noise complaints from the neighbors, considering every neighbor is at this party. The house isn't gigantic, but it's a good size. Teens and college students pile into the crowded house.
Jake opens the door for me and reaches his hand down. His eyes crazily run over me, taking in every inch. "My girlfriend is beautiful."
I smile at him as he helps me out of the car. I purposefully brush up against him and I step out. "Thank you, Jacob," I say seductively as I brush a stray hair behind my ear.
"Maya, do you want to drive me crazy this whole night?" He says roughly as I smirk. We begin to walk inside of the house and he places his hand on the small of my back. He eyes every guy, making sure none of them stare at me for too long.
"Calm down, babe," I say as we step into the kitchen. Jake grabs two solo cups and fills them with booze.
He hands me a cup, and smiles at me. "Here's to what's hopefully the best year of my life."
"Maya!" I hear Katie's voice yell as she stumbles over to me. "This party is a total rager, am I right?" She says.
Holy shit, she is so drunk.
"How many drinks have you had?" I ask her as her eyes close for a bit. She places her hand on her forehead.
"Um, lemme think. Not enough!" She cheers as she grabs the nearest bottle of Malibu and takes a few swigs. "Peace out, 2015! You mother fucker!" She yells. All of the drunk people in the kitchen begin cheering along with her.
I look over to where Jake was, and he is gone.
"What the fuck?" I say as I try to peer over the heads of others to find him. He just left me? That's fucked up.
"Come with me!" Katie says as she grabs my hand. "Wait, first. Take this," she holds out a pill in her hand. I look up at her.
"Katie. Where did you get that?" I say as I snatch it from her hand.
"Some guy out back. He's selling them to people."
I slip the pill into my purse. "Neither of us is taking this tonight."
Katie frowns. "You're no fun, Maya! Then at least drink this," she says as she pours the liquid from the giant punch bowl into my cup. Oh God, the punch. She hands my the cup and tips her drink towards me. "Happy New Years, Babe. I love you," she smiles as she takes a swig out of her cup.
I lean the cup back and take a sip. It's fruity taste lingers in my mouth. It has a bite to it, but you can barely tell. It tastes so good.
"Can we go find Jake?" I ask as she pulls me through the crowd to the living room. People all around me grind on each other to the loud music.
Suddenly, I feel two hands grab my hips and start grinding against me. I rip my hand away from Katie. Woah, I did not sign up for this. I turn and face the stranger. The drunkest man I have ever seen breathes directly into my face. Ew.
I pull away from the stranger and look for Katie. Strangers bump into me as I try to squeeze through the sea of people. I try to keep my drink steady as I push into a random door. I turn and close the door, taking a deep breath.
I'm in some sort of closet. It smells like vomit. I turn on the light and see exactly what I smelt all over the floor. Ew, ew, ew.
I shiver as I quickly exit the closet. I continue to steadily drink out of my cup. Except, my cup is now empty. I drank all of it. I drop the cup on the floor and continue my search.
I look around the crowds. The music seems to get louder and louder. I look at the clock. 10:25. I push through the drunken crowd and up the stairs. I weave around the people who are smoking joints on the steps.
A person I recognize steps out of the bathroom, but I can't see his face. "Hey! Have you seen Jake?" I yell out to the guy. He has to know Jake.
The guy lifts his head up and looks at me. A smile spreads across his face. "Maya! How have you been?" Zach says.
Oh my God it's Zach.
The guy I sucked face with after going on a double date to the movies with Katie and Travis.
"Zach? How are you?" I say awkwardly as we share a small hug.
"Well, now that I finally got over never getting a call from you, I'm doing pretty great," he jokes as he flashes his perfect teeth.
"Oh shut up," I smile as I lightly shove his arm. "I'm really sorry though. Life has been crazy."
"I totally get it. Who are you here with?" He asks as he looks around.
"I'm honestly not sure. I came here with my boyfriend, Jake, but he's gone," I shrug as I glance around the upstairs. It is less crowded up here, the party is definitely downstairs.
"That douche bag guy you live with?" Zach asks with raised eyebrows. "I always knew he was a bit too overprotective of you," he laughed.
"He just has a weird way of showing he cares. Have you seen him?" I ask. "Or my friend Katie? I don't know if you know her. She's like, extremely drunk."
"Oh, so every girl at this party?" He laughs. "And no, I haven't seen Jake. I may have seen Katie, but literally everyone is extremely drunk here."
I pull out my phone and tap on a picture of her. I hold the screen out to him. "Oh, that girl? Some guys just walked with her into that room." He points at a closed door that has a sock on the doorknob.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me. Can you help me get her out of there? She's too drunk to understand what sex is," I roll my eyes. We walk over to the door, and I knock.
"Occupied," a male voice says.
"Is Katie in there?"
"Um, no." The man nervously says from behind the door.
I try the door knob, but it is locked.
"Look, bitch, can't you see the sock?" He snaps.
I look up at Zach with worried eyes. Katie isn't responding.
"Hey man, open the fucking door," Zach says as he pounds on it.
There is silence. A few shuffling and squeaking noises, but overall silence.
"That's it," Zach huffs. He throws his shoulder into the door, busting it open. What I see makes me sick.
An unconscious Katie, bent over the bed. The male has her pants and panties pulled to the ground.
"What the fuck? Katie!" I yell as Zach charges the man. He pulls the man off of Katie, and throws him to the ground. I run over to Katie and shake her. She doesn't wake up. I quickly turn her onto her back and pull her pants up. I sit her up in the bed. Her eyes won't open. She has a pulse and is breathing steadily.
"Look man, she was asking for it," the stranger argues and Zach steps on his chest. Zach grabs the guys collar, and helps him stand up.
"You're a fucking piece of shit, you know that?" Zach hisses before he punches the guy in the jaw. The man throws a punch back at Zach, clipping his lip. Zach punches back and begins beating the shit out of the bastard.
"Zach!" I yell as I rush to him. I grab his shoulders to stop him as the man falls to the ground. Zach kicks him one last time. The man lays quivering on the ground. Zach shakes his hand, his knuckles are bloody and his bottom lip is split open. He dabs it with the back of his hand. "Oh my God, Zach," I say as I touch his bottom lip.
The man quickly staggers to his feet and rushes out the door, his pants around his ankles.
We turn our attention back to Katie. I sit down next to her and tap on her cheek. "Katie, Katie," I say.
She doesn't wake up.
I look at Zach. "I don't think she is too bad. Just passed out from too many drinks. But we should still get her out of here. I'm gonna go try to find Jake, he has my car keys. And I'm gonna get some water for her, and some ice for your knuckles. Can you stay here with her while she wakes up?" I say as I quickly rise to my feet.
"Of course. I can't really lock the door when you leave, though. I'll just wedge that chair under the handle." He laughs as he stands to let me out of the door. The wall is busted from him pushing in the door.
"Hey Zach," I say as I step out of the room. He turns and looks at me.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for being here. I don't know what would have happened tonight if I hadn't met you." I say as he goes to shut the door.
"Well, I'm glad we met," he smirks before closing the door. I hear him wedge the chair underneath the door handle, and I turn and look around.
Where the hell could Jake be?
I walk through the halls of the upstairs. I open and close some of the doors, but am mostly unsuccessful. I sigh as I push my way down the stairs. I walk through clouds of smoke and vape before reaching the bottom of the staircase. The music is much louder down here. I push through the crowd. Every few seconds, my ass is grabbed or a guy attempts to grind on me. I shiver as I look around for Jake. I push into the kitchen, checking every face. I grab two cups and fill one with ice and one with water.
My hands are full as I begin to push back through the crowd. Trying to reach the stairs is like mission impossible.
I turn my head and finally spot Jake. "Jake!" I yell out, he can't hear me. I stare at him, and yell his name louder.
Wait... What is he doing?
He slips some cash to a guy next to him, and the man hands him a something very secretively. Jake puts the small object in his mouth, and takes a swig of his drink.
Are you fucking kidding me? He promised me no drugs. He said he didn't do that anymore. I want to date a man, not a boy who makes false promises.
My furious eyes meet Jake's. His eyes go wide as he notices me. I saw all along. He then eyes the two cups in my hands, and begins to make assumptions.
He thinks I'm bringing someone a drink.
He furrows his brow as he try's to push through the crowd of people. A guy comes up behind me and grabs my hips, grinding against my ass. I yank away from him, and Jake's eyes turn to fire. He begins yelling, but it is barely audible over the music. I quickly shuffle away, but Jake grabs my forearm. The water splashes onto my arm. I yank my arm away from him.
"I can't ever fucking trust you, can I?" I spit before the crowd begins to go crazy. A girl is standing on a table with her shirt off. The chaos causes Jake to be pushed away from me. Thank God.
I duck my head and find the stairs, before quickly racing up them. Fuck, my keys. I didn't get my keys. I shake my head as I approach the door.
"Zach, can you let me in?" I say as I hear the door knob rattle. The door opens. Katie sits on the bed, her eyes slightly open. Tears pour down her face.
"Maya," she cries as I enter the room, setting the cups down on the dresser. I sit next to her on the bed and hug her closely. She cries into my shoulder.
"It's okay, you're okay." I whisper.
We stay like this for a bit, with Zach standing awkwardly by the door. The chair is wedged against the doorknob again, preventing any unwanted guests.
Katie leans back onto the bed and curls up. "I just want to sleep," she whimpers.
"I know, I know." I grab the cup of water and set it next to her. "Drink this," I say as she grips the cup. Sipping at the contents. "Zach," I say as I fill the rag with ice. He sits on the small, two person couch. I walk over to him, noticing the bottle of vodka on the shelf next to him. I grab it, and twist the top off. I take a swig out of it and wince.
"Drink this," I say as I hand him the bottle. He takes a swig, and grimaces before handing me the bottle. "Don't scream," I say as I pour a bit of vodka on his split hand. He inhales sharply as the vodka runs down his bloody knuckles. I hand him the ice, and he places it on his hand. I look over at Katie, and she is fast asleep on the bed. I pull the blanket that is on the end of the bed over her body.
I exhale as I sit down on the couch next to Zach. "Thank you so much," I say as I grab the vodka bottle. "I don't know what would have happened if you weren't here." I say as I take another drink from the bottle.
"I'm glad I was. That guy deserved what he got." He smirks as he rearranges the ice on his hand. I look over at him face, and notice his split lip.
"Oh, he got a good one, too, didn't he?" I raise my eye brows as I touch my thumb to his lower lip, wiping the blood. His lips are full and soft. My mind begins to trail off to the time we kissed. He was such a good kisser. I gaze off at his lips, before I realize what I'm doing. I shake my head and turn back to look at Katie. She is still fast asleep.
"How is you're hand?" I ask as I take another swig of vodka. I'm definitely buzzed. My arms have that heavy feeling, my stomach is warm and fuzzy and my lips feel more numb.
"Good. I'm not one to complain about my hand when that guy got what he deserved. I just hope he hurts tomorrow morning, too." Zach shrugs as he dabs his knuckles with the ice.
Suddenly, there is shouting from downstairs.
"Ten!" They are starting the countdown already? I glance at the clock. 11:59.
"Nine!" I look at Zach and he smiles. We both join in.
"Eight!" Katie is sound asleep.
"Seven!" He takes a swig from the bottle of vodka. Holy shit, he's drunk.
"Six!" I take a drink from the bottle. Holy shit, I'm drunk.
"Five!" I set the bottle down, and Zach sets down his ice.
"Four!" We lock eyes.
"Three!" His eyes dart down to my lips.
"Two!" I lean in slowly.
"One!" His hand rests on my thigh.
"Happy New Year!" Everyone yells downstairs. Cowbells ring, and cheering occurs. But I barely even notice it.
Zach leans in, sliding his hand up my thigh. His lips meet mine. We kiss slowly, and I kiss him back.
Maya, what are you doing? My voice screams in my head. I push it out of the way, he's such a good kisser.
I wrap my hands around his neck and throw my leg over him. I straddle him as he puts his hands on my hips. He brings his lips to my neck. Gently sucking on my delicate skin. His hand grazes my inner thigh, slowly sliding further and further up my skirt. I run my hands through his hair and lightly pull at the roots.
"Zach," I groan as I roll my head back.
There is a knock at the door.
"Occupied," Zach says as he tears his lips from mine. I bring my lips to his neck, wanting more. Damn, it was going in such a good direction.
The person knocks harder. "Occupied," I say angrily.
"Maya?" I hear Jake's voice boom from outside.
Oh fuck. I pull away from Zach and our eyes meet. They both read the same message. What the fuck are we gonna do?
Suddenly, Jake busts through the door and into the room. I turn and look at him. His eyes move up and down our body's.
"Jake!" I yell out, but he is already out the door.
Oh fuck. What have I done?
I climb off of Zach, and rush out the door. I see Jake storming towards the stairs, his hands tangled in his hair.
"Jake! Wait, please!" I yell out to him. I put my hand on his shoulder, and he whips around and faces me.
"You know what, Maya? I think that you are Ryan are perfect for each other. You're both cheating, liars. You should give him a call," Jake spits. He turns to walk down the stairs.
My face gets hot as the blood rushes to it. I try to process the words he just said to me. I stare at him with my mouth hanging open as he storms down the stairs. He pushes through the crowd of people, and is soon lost in the sea of drunk teens.
I put my hands on my head.
What have I done? What have I done? What have I done? What. Have. I. Done?
It's hard to explain the feeling you get when you know you really, really fucked up.
Your breathing becomes shallow. Your face turns red. Your legs get weak. Your head feels heavier. Time slows down.
It's like your life is falling apart, and there's nothing that you can do about it.
I slowly walk back into the room.
"I fucked up. I really fucked up this time," I mumble to Zach. He sits with his face in his hands.
"It's my fault. I shouldn't have made the move. I'm sorry," he says as he leans back onto the couch.
I close the door and sit on the bed next to Kat. She silently sleeps.
"I can drive you guys back to your house. Cause Jake left with your keys," Zach says as he stands up, walking over to us.
"That would be great, thanks. We can drop her off at her sister's house. She'll be safe there, and her sister won't tell their parents about the partying," I say.
Zach walks up to the bed. "I'll carry her," he says. Suddenly, Kat wakes up.
"I wanna go home," she mumbles as she sits up.
"Do you need help walking?" I ask. She nods as she yawns.
"Did I miss the countdown?"
...
I help Kat down the stairs as Zach keeps people from ramming into us. We push through the crowd, trying to find the door. Jake is no where in sight. We finally push to the front door, and step out into the chilly night air. I help Kat down the stairs of the porch. We shuffle out to Zach's car. Luckily, his car was parked right up front. I open the back door of his Range Rover, and set Kat down on the leather seats. I shut the door, careful not to hit her with it.
We step around to the front of the car. "Are you coming with?" He asks.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll show you where her sister lives. We aren't that far away." I say as he leans against the hood of the car.
"Okay, cool. Look, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have initiated any of that. You have a boyfriend, and I shouldn't have tried to kiss you. I should have stopped kissing you," he says as his eyes dart down to my lips. He clenches his eyes shut and looks at the ground.
"Let's get out of here," he says as he opens the passenger side door for me.
I smile as I climb into the car. Before Zach closes the door, I hear a much too familiar voice.
"Mother fucker!" Jake yells as he appears out of nowhere. He is obviously wasted. He stumbles as he walks, and his words are slurred.
He charges Zach, throwing a punch at him. He clips Zach's jaw. Zach suddenly realizes who it is, and takes a step back.
"Look, man. I'm just taking her home," he says as he puts his hand up.
"Like hell you are!" Jake yells as he throws another punch at Zach. Zach ducks and punches Jake in the cheek.
I step out of the car. "Jake! Jake! Stop!" I yell as I walk near him.
Jake tackles Zach to the ground and begins punching him in the face. Fists swing, and Zach tries to push Jake off of him. Zach's face becomes more bloody by the second. Jake stands and kicks Zach in the ribs.
I run over to Jake and grab his arm. "Jacob, please stop," I say. Jake shakes me off. He pushes me back. I trip over my heel, and fall to the ground. My head hits the concrete sidewalk, making a loud smack. A sudden burst of pain jolts through my head.
I wince as I scramble to sit up.
"Oh my God, Maya!" Jake says as fear rushes into his eyes. He quickly runs over to me. He tries to help me up.
"Don't touch me," I say as I pull my hands away from him. He continues to try to help me up, mumbling apologies. "Don't fucking touch me!" I yell at him. His eyes go wide as I tear away from him. "Don't fucking touch me," I whisper again as I shakily stand up. I touch the back of my head and examine my hand. My fingers are sticky with a slight bit of blood.
He looks at my hand, and then his head snaps up to me.
"Oh my God, Maya. Baby, I'm so sorry," he said as he voice shook. He stumbled over onto the ground, and tried to stand up.
He reaches out to touch my feet, but I step back. I look down at him in disgust as I run to Zach. He sits up, wiping the blood off of his face.
"Oh my God," I say as I help him up. Jake continues to attempt standing.
"Maya, wait. Baby, please," Jake fumbles as he walks towards me.
Zach climbs into the passenger seat as I turn on the car. Jake rushes over to the driver side window. He taps on the window with his bloody knuckles.
"Maya, baby. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he says with tears rolling down his face. I avoid looking at him, and put the car in reverse. I don't say a word.
I back up out of the parking space, leaving Jake standing in the shine of my head lights. He collapses to the grass.
Isn't it funny how one stupid mistake can set off a chain reaction?
A/N
Hi guys. It's been a while. If you haven't noticed, I changed my account up. A lot. New username, picture, bio, etc. I decided to start over. Hope you enjoy getting to know the new me.