Jeremy drives us all over to his luxurious fraternity so we can meet up with the rest of our crew there. When we arrive, we make our way down into the basement. The entrance has dangling chains hanging from the ceiling with caution tape littered across the floor. Pushing them aside, we emerge into a room full of pumping music, strobe lights, and loads of vampires and angels walking by with beers in their hands. I easily spot Jess and Jared and wave in their direction.
"Hey!" I say as I walk farther into the chaos to meet them halfway. I glance around at the exorbitant costumes of college students surrounding our group but realize we are missing a presence.
"Where's Luka?" I ask momentarily confused.
"He's out on a date," Jared informs me smugly, his arm looped around Jess's shoulders. Jared is dressed as a millionaire with fake bling and money taped onto his currency striped shirt. Jess has her hair pinned in springy curls and is in all leather with red heels coming just below Jared in height, sporting a Sandy look-alike from the Grease movie. Looking at them arm-in-arm they come off as a very intimidatingly attractive couple.
"Oh really?" I say growing delighted for Luka.
"Yeah, but he didn't tell me anything so don't ask," Jared responds smirking a little at the secret.
"Drinks!" Jamie announces coming back with multiple cups that I don't how she got so fast. She puts one in my hands and I take a sip, the liquid burning down my throat and I cough slightly from the discomfort. Jamie and Jeremy take their drinks together. After downing hers, she hands him her phone to take a picture of us. She wraps her arm around me and she strikes a pose. I smile and Jeremy hands back her phone as she glimmers in excitement. "These are hot Emma. I'm posting them," she declares.
"That's fine," I mutter taking a bigger sip of my drink growing more accustomed to the taste.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Becky pull Ray away after Ray stares at the alcohol a little too long. I look after her concerned ready to follow after them, but Jess and Jamie pull me back into the crowd urging me to dance. "Come on!" Jess says rocking her body to the music. I tentatively smile and dance with her and Jamie much more conservatively. After finishing my drink, I start to loosen up.
"Wooooh!" Jamie cheers on filming us dancing on her Instagram story. I dance more boldly than I normally would, getting into the groove of the music and the atmosphere even waving at her camera to her story giggling.
Jamie gets us more drinks about two more times and somewhere along the way, a red-headed guy joins me smiling. I giggle a little exorbitantly and start dancing on him.
"I'm Ron," the redhead introduces himself to me or he could have said John, I can't hear and I don't care at the moment. He leans down and meets my lips with his, kissing me. My eyes remain open for a fracture of a second before I just go with it. It is not as romantic as I like, but the alcohol flowing in my veins encourages me. He tastes like alcohol and cigarettes which I would normally find repulsive. He runs his fingers along my body and I press into him more intensely. It feels pretty good to let loose. I faintly recall in the back of my mind we are making out pretty heavily for being in public so I pull away to go and grab another drink.
I get two cups from the bar and stumble upon Jess and Jared on my path deep in the middle of an argument. I squint at them trying to hear what they are saying. I take a step closer to ask what's wrong, but a guy bumps into my back and I spill some of my drink. I scowl down at it. At least it's not down my back this time. When I look back to Jared and Jess, she appears furiously shouting about an old booty call or something at him. I slowly edge away, my ears ringing as I swerve around them, trying not to spill any more of my drinks. They don't even notice me I travel back to where my Ronald Mcdonald was where I last saw but he is missing.
Walking in circles looking for a pile of redheaded hair and then next Jamie, I give up and walk outside craving some fresh air. That tiny basement is like being stuffed in an oven. I find an appealing curb to plop down on and cross my ankles leaning back chugging my first cup. I hum "This is Halloween," giggling to myself. Once my lips meet the air on the cup, I start downing the second drink I was going to give to Ronald.
Still feeling overheated, I take off my red cloak unable to acknowledge the cold air. All I feel is extremely disoriented. I never have drunk this much alcohol before. My thoughts are growing hazier by the moment and even in this state, I know it is not the brightest idea to be alone any longer. I abruptly burst up to standing almost falling over and notice a group of guys strolling my way. I look left and right frantically observing I am alone and immediately panic.
Feeling as though they could be coming straight for me, I sprint down the street my boots clacking against the pavement the laces nearly tripping me several times. I am not as fast as normal, but I don't stop until I am stumbling so far down the road with zero clue as to where I am. I squint at the street sign unable to read it coherently. My thoughts scrambled, I grab my phone and dial Jamie but she doesn't respond. I try calling Jess and then Becky but it goes straight to voicemail.
I think hard and I know who will always respond and pull up Sebastien's name. I select "call" and he answers, his background amplifying loud music almost as like I am back at the party I was just at.
"Emma?" Sebastien says muffled.
I want to cry in happiness from hearing his voice.
"Bash!" I exclaim excitedly totally forgetting my purpose for the call. "Happy Halloween!" I murmur or at least that's what I think I say it may have come out like "sappy queen".
I hear him rustling like he is moving somewhere and the background noise goes quiet. "Are you okay Emma?" He asks, his voice more clear.
"Mhmm, all good and dandy," I retort back in a chipper voice twirling my hair around my finger thinking about when he did that the last time I saw him.
"Where are you?"
"Ummm," I say spinning in a circle. "I got no clue," I say giggling.
"What do you mean you have no clue? Wait... Emma are you-Are you drunk?" He responds stunned.
"Psssh, nooo" I reply instantly.
"Emma" he says sternly.
"Alright, maybe a teeny bit," I say.
"Okay explain your surroundings to me. I'm coming to get you," he tells me.
"Yay! Bash is coming!" I say clapping my hands nearly dropping my phone. I start blabbing, "I'm red riding hook Bash! No wait, hood. Yeah, red hood. Don't forget to hurry Bash."
"Just don't move far Emma. I'll stay on the phone with you the entire time. Can you send me your location?"
After fussing with my phone my mind struggling trying to figure out how to remember to share my location, I somehow manage with his guidance and forward it over to him. I strap my cloak back on and try to walk in a straight line as they do in movies waiting for him to arrive. I continue to hold the phone on speaker listening to Bash's gps voice as I lose my balance every time. I don't how long it takes because it feels like mere seconds before I see him pull up and he opens the door getting out. I halt in my tracks my foot hovering mid-air at his appearance.
My drunken mind is overly admiring how delicious he looks. He was right when he mentioned his costume a few weeks before, if I knew he was dressed as sexy as he is, I probably would have wanted to go to the party a little more. His suspenders lay against his bare chest showcasing his perfectly sculpted abs that are too much for me right now. I drop my foot to the ground almost falling. He looks at me his eyes dark and unrevealing as he examines my costume before I run up and hug him tightly. He is a hot firefighter hero coming to my rescue.
"You okay?" He asks and I nod my head against his chest murmuring in agreement. He helps me to the car and I mutter more nonsense to him on the ride to my dorm that I don't even know what I am saying at this point. I am pretty sure he walks me to my room and I walk straight for my bed.
"You can stay with me," I slur at him patting my bed.
He chuckles. "Good night Emma."
I grunt in disagreement collapsing straight into my blankets untying the cloak tossing it aside. I start to slowly attempt tugging off my boots my eyes shutting against my will from exhaustion. He helps unzip them for me and I close my eyes snuggling under the covers.
"Thanks, Bash. You the best. I love you," I say into my pillow. I feel his lips brush my forehead. I try to hold my eyes open a little longer. "Sorry I made you deal with me like this. It's not fair of me," I say.
"I am always there for you, Emma. This is nothing. Don't worry about it." I smile, shutting my eyes.
He whispers, "I wish I could stay with you too. I love you my drunk little Emma," but I am fast asleep before the words could even process in my mind.
***
*Author's Note*
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