It's not the future you're afraid of. It's repeating the past that makes you anxious.

Mae

"We figured since Damien isn't here, you could sit with us at lunch." Solan smiled as he approached me.

"I actually don't sit with him at lunch," I told him and smiled. "Where do you guys sit?"

"The benches outside the cafeteria," Daniel answered. "But I have to go. Coach wants his team to meet in his classroom. I should be back within the last fifteen minutes."

"Okay." Solan nodded. Daniel gave a bro-handshake to both Solan and Axel before turning to me, smiling. He smiled awkwardly before settling for a wave and walked away.

"You're not in any clubs?" Axel asked, and I shook my head.

"Not really the club type," I said, lifting my shoulders.

"Don't lie. You don't gotta lie to kick it," Solan joked, making both Axel and I laugh.

"Do you mind if Zach and James join us?" I asked at the same time they shook their head, so I texted Zach and James where and who I was hanging out with.

"I invited Bennett, but he said he wasn't at school." Solan shrugged, looking a bit sad.

"Aww, are you two already having relationship problems?" Axel teased, making me laugh.

"Yeah, I miss my boyfriend," Solan joked, his features turning into a funny face, and we broke out laughing.

"No invite?" I heard and looked back, seeing Max walking up to the table. He looked at the guys as they smiled and nodded up once.

"You're welcome to sit with us too." Solan smiled, gesturing down toward his table that was big enough for sixteen people. Max looked at me for confirmation, so I nodded. "Daniel and Ryder are at a lacrosse meeting, but they'll be here in about twenty minutes, give or take."

"Alright, thanks," Max said as he sat down next to me. "Enjoy the silence before Ryder comes."

I smiled at his joke, but if I knew how right he was, I probably wouldn't have smiled. "Let's get lunch," Zach said, walking up to the table.

"I'm starved, bro," James said as he approached me, greeting me with a hug. "What's up?" He asked the guys, giving them the bro-handshake.

"Isn't there three of you guys?" Zach asked, making Solan laugh.

"Daniel and Ryder are at a lacrosse meeting," Solan informed. "I feel like a broken record." Axel patted Solan's back, making Solan smile.

We went to get lunch at the closest cart, which was by the building we were sitting next to, and by the time we came back, Ryder and Daniel had come back, carrying a plate of pizza in their hands.

"I think I like this school," Daniel said as he took a bit of his pizza.

"Where'd you get that at?" Solan asked, looking bummed as he looked down at his mashed potatoes with turkey bits.

"Our coach," Daniel said, sliding over the second piece on his plate toward Solan as he continued to eat his pizza, looking at the passing students.

"Thanks!" Solan said as he ate the pizza to which Daniel just nodded without looking at Solan. I figured Daniel was the caring type but didn't like to show it.

"This is the part where you share your pizza too," Max said, and Ryder laughed with his mouth open, the contents in his mouth no longer looking like pizza.

"Have you met me?" Ryder laughed, eating both slices of pizza.

"Can't believe you don't like the crust," Daniel said, picking up the crust from Solan's plate and eating it.

"It's-"

"Hey, Solan," a sweet voice in the back of me said, cutting off Solan. I looked back and saw Kimberly waving her hand. I looked at Solan, and he smiled as he waved back.

"Hey, Kimberly. You look pretty," Solan replied, making her smile as she looked down.

"Thank you." She smiled, shyness covering her face as she walked away with her friends.

"'You look pretty,'" Daniel mocked, looking sour as he ate Solan's crust.

"Don't be jealous." Solan laughed, eating his mashed potatoes. Daniel stole Solan's bread roll and rolled his eyes. Everyone started talking, but I looked at Daniel again, seeing as he looked at Solan with a look I've seen Damien give me. A question clouded my mind until Axel snapped his fingers and took my attention away from Daniel.

"Where's Damien?" Axel asked with curiosity. "I wanted to know if he could help me with my engine. It's been sounding a bit funny lately."

"He had an appointment," I said, and technically, it wasn't entirely a lie. Axel nodded, and the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"We'll see you later," Axel signed, and I nodded.

"Later," Max nodded up toward the guys.

"Later, man," Ryder told Daniel, nodding up once, and Daniel did the same.

"Bye," Solan smiled, walking in a different direction than his friends. I waited for Zach and James to finish their lunch. I was curious about what classes Axel and Daniel had as I watched them walk away together. I would have to ask them later. I saw Axel and Daniel talking, and Daniel looked back at me but stopped when Axel bumped his elbow with his. I wondered what they were talking about.

"Hurry up!" Ryder snapped as James ate slowly.

"Leave," Zach growled. Through many years of living with Zach, I learned to never mess with him while he ate.

"Fine," Ryder said, dragging me by my long sleeve.

"See you at home." Zach held up his hand.

"Okay," Ryder said, making Max laugh. "If I'm late, I'm kicking his ass."

We rushed to our next class and made it inside as the bell rang.

Once the bell rang signaling the end of the day, I felt relieved until I realized I wouldn't see Damien. He hadn't even texted me all day. I could have texted him, but I figured he didn't text me because he was busy.

I walked out into the front of the school and saw Ryder, Max, and Max's sister getting into Ryder's car before leaving. 

Once I made it home, I saw Ryder's car in my driveway. I got off the car and waited by his car, but they didn't come out. I peeked in the window, but they weren't inside. I looked at my house and gaped. They wouldn't.

They did.

When I walked into my house, they were in the kitchen scarfing down all of my Hawaiian bread rolls.

"Fuuck, these are hella bomb," Max moaned, shoving a bread roll into his mouth.

Ryder closed the fridge and smiled when he saw me. "Did you know you have a spare key under the mat?"

He was unbelievable. I gaped at him, and Max laughed, shoving another bread roll into his mouth.

"Those taste better with butter," Ryder said.

"Aww, Gordo [chubby]," Max cooed, and I laughed. 

"Hey! I'm six-two, a hundred and ninety-five pounds of muscle, okay?" Ryder asked, flexing his impressive muscles. "Where's the fat?" Max rolled his eyes, continuing eating. 

"Such a douchebag thing to say." Max shook his head with a teasing smiling lacing his lips. My phone vibrated, and when I went to check the notification, it was a text from Damien.

Hey you -D

How was your day? -D

I smiled and sat down at the kitchen table.

Heyyy -M

It was good, how was your day? -M

Alright. -D

Just alright? His text seemed boring. Did he not care to text me? I felt disappointed. All-day for just that?

Well, I hope it gets better. :) -M

I sent the text and set my phone down. If he texted back, I'll let him wait since he doesn't even want to text me. Petty, I thought toward myself. I walked to the counter to grabbed a bread roll, but Max ate them all.

"Sorry." He smiled, his cheeks filled with bread.

"Damn, bro, she has you under Damien," I heard Ryder say, so I turned around and saw that he was on my phone. "Not even 'My Love,' 'My Man.'"

"Give me that," I told him, but he rushed around the kitchen table.

"Or 'Boyfriend,'" Ryder added.

"He's not my boyfriend," I said, feeling embarrassed by Ryder's teasing.

"Ouch." Max winced.

"Brutal," Ryder said, my embarrassment only increasing.

"Is that Damien?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah. He wants to know why you don't have him under a nickname," Ryder said.

"He's lying," Max said, shoving his face with cheese puffs.

"Give me the phone," I told Ryder, holding out my hand.

"Answer the question."

"She doesn't have to," Max muffled.

"Give me the phone."

"Answer the question."

"Does he have a nickname for me?" I answered by asking a question.

"She wants to know if you have her under a nickname," Ryder said. He looked off to the side as he heard what Damien was saying before looking back toward me. "Yeah."

He did?!

"What is it?" I asked, feeling excited.

"It's so boring," Ryder answered. "Yes, it is. Basic... that's what you think."

"What is it?" I asked again because he got distracted.

"'My Girl,'" Ryder answered, and the biggest smile took over my face. "She's hella smiling!"

"Stooop! Give me the phone." I laughed, embarrassed.

He handed me the phone. "Hey," Damien said, and I laughed, still embarrassed. "So you have me under Damien?"

"Damien King, actually," I said as I walked to my room and closed my door.

"Ouch. So formal," He chuckled, and I smiled.

"I just wasn't sure what to put," I admitted. "Do you want me to change it?"

"If you want to," he said, and his response seemed boring to me. I stayed quiet, unsure of how to respond. He stayed quiet, and I felt even more bummed.

"We can talk another time if you're busy," I said, sounding a bit sadder than I wanted.

"No," he said, clearing his throat, sounding clearer. "It's just the time zone."

"Ohh!" I said, feeling like a complete idiot.

"It's like one in the morning here, and I feel hella tired," Damien said before yawning.

"You want me to hang up, so you can get some rest?" I asked, silently hoping his answer would no.

"No, please. I really wanna be with you. I think it's the whole being in another continent again that makes me miss you," he said. It was honest and felt refreshing by how honest it was. Was it because he was sleepy?

"I'm so used to seeing you," I said, and he laughed his voice sounding more sleepy the longer I was on the phone with him.

"Have Ryder and Max started fighting yet?" He asked, his voice sounding groggy and rough but cute and hot at the same time.

"Give me the remote!" I heard Max shout right on cue.

"I got it first!" Ryder yelled back.

"No, you didn't!"

"Yes, I did!"

"Nevermind. I can hear." Damien laughed, his laugh sounding cuter now that he was sleepy. "Sorry about that. I'll text them." I grew tired of sitting, so I laid down, putting the phone between my ear and the pillow.

We kept talking, but somewhere between talking, I stopped because I knew he was only answering because I kept talking. I knew he really wanted to go to sleep but was sacrificing to talk to me. He started dozing off, and soon, I followed, falling asleep as I was on the phone with him, taking a small nap.

"MAE!" I jumped into a sitting position and looked at Ryder. "I'm bored." I looked at him, and I didn't think I could last three days without killing him. It was only, I looked at my phone, three hours, and I already wanted to murder him.

Looking at my phone, I saw that Damien was still on the other line. I smiled as I heard his faint snoring. I hung up, and when my attention went back on Ryder, my smile faded, and I glared at him.

"I'm bored. I was gonna wake you earlier, but Max said I should let you sleep. He went home, something about his sister wanting to murder their brother for being annoying." He shrugged.

"Sounds familiar," I said, looking at him, and wanting so badly to murder him. Was it a bit extreme? Maybe. Was it a satisfying thought? Also maybe.

"Same." He laughed, completely oblivious to the fact  I was talking about him. I looked at him as he was looking at his phone texting, and his face grew serious as he typed.

"You okay?" I asked him. He kept typing before looking up at me.

"Yeah. I, uh, I'll come back tomorrow." He nodded, his voice sounding different. He looked at his phone again, and it didn't feel like everything was okay.

"Okay, well, if everything isn't okay, you can talk to me," I told him, not wanting to push him any further. He looked at me and smiled.

"Thanks."

I nodded and walked him out. "Let's go to the mall," James said as he walked out of Zach's room. He looked all dressed up in a jean jacket, a black hoodie with a white shirt showing on the bottom, his black jeans, and his all-white air force ones.

"You're just tryna pick up girls," I told him, and he laughed.

"Damn, it's hella weird hearing your voice." He smiled as he shook his head. I laughed and nodded. It did feel weird talking to him, but it also felt nice. "But, you, my friend, are correct. So get dressed."

I shrugged and went to my room. Having nothing better to do, I got all dressed up, and we went to the mall. I smelt cologne, and the guys rarely used nice cologne. It was usually the same old strong, smelling cologne, but this one smelt nice, mature, and masculine, even.

I leaned over a bit and sniffed Zach, paying extra attention to the road as I did.

"Damn, are y'all tryna get laid too?" I laughed.

"Mae!" Zach said, embarrassed, and I laughed.

"We're gonna go to a party later," James said.

"Damn, no invite." I shook my head, but the truth was, I didn't really care to go to a party.

"We were going to!" James said, and I shook my head, still pretending to be offended. "We were, but we know you don't really care to go."

"But you should," Zach said. "Get out there, live your teenage life, and have fun. What if you look back when your older, and regret not going to high school parties?"

He had a point. I contemplated whether I should go or not. I did feel cute being all dressed up, but I worried if I was dressed up enough to go to a party.

"But don't girls wear dresses?" I asked.

"When the weather starts to change, some don't. I mean, some do. They be wearing short ass dresses, and it's all cold and shit," James said before laughing. "You're fine. You look cute. You'll live." I felt a confidence boost, so I decided to go. "We'll go to the mall first, see what's up, maybe grab a pizza pretzel, those are the bomb, and then go to the party."

"Aye, Aye, captain," Zach said. "Oh, wait. It's co-captain."

"Shut up." James laughed.

 I was nervous to go to a party. Anxiety filled my body, fuzzling in my stomach and in my heart. The more I thought about the party, the more nervous I became. We arrived at the mall, and with much difficulty, I finally found parking.

When we got off the car, a group of girls walking to their car looked at Zach and James. I looked at James, and he was smiling at them. I laughed and walked a little ahead so the girls could know we weren't a thing. I walked toward the entrance and looked back for the guys, but they were talking to the girls. I shook my head, smiling, and walked inside.

I headed to the little coffee shop in the mall and bought a cup of coffee. If I was going to be parting tonight, I was going to need caffeine to make sure I didn't get sleepy.

I took a sip of my hot coffee, and it was delicious, but when I took another drink some liquid went down the wrong pipe. My eyes widened, and I couldn't swallow the rest that was in my mouth. I covered my mouth and started coughing through my nose. I kept coughing, but nothing felt better.

"Are you okay?" A voice said and started patting my back. It didn't help, but the embarrassment that people were watching me almost die did. It was embarrassing enough to make the pain in my throat stop.

I stopped coughing, swallowed the coffee in my throat, and looked at who was patting my back. The guy looked familiar, and I remembered him as the guy who was in Khols when I needed shoes on the first day of school.

I thought about answering back, not entirely to his question but with my voice. I spoke to Damien and his friends but not to Axel and his friends. Why was that? Axel and his friends went past my trust, and I was starting to trust them more than I had before, but I still never spoke to any strangers before.

Owen looked at me with a concerned expression, leaning his head toward me. "Are you okay?" He asked again.

I nodded, unable to use my voice.

"That's good. How have you been?" He smiled. "I mean, besides the whole almost choking and dying part. I mean, not that you were going to die or anything, that sounds a bit dramatic, not that your whole coughing wasn't serious or anything."

I smiled at his rambling and then laughed. He smiled and cleared his through, awkwardness clear as day on his face. He seemed harmless. I mean, despite his extremely tall height that reminded me of Mitch's height and Owen's muscular build, he seemed sweet, and there was an intelligent look he carried on his face as he looked at me, making me want to believe he was smart.

I'm okay. Thanks for asking.

I smiled and put my phone down. "Of course, anything for a friend." Owen smiled. "You wanna walk, or are you headed someplace in particular?"

I looked toward the entrance, but I saw neither my brother nor James.

Yeah, we can walk.

"Are you here by yourself?" He asked, so I shook my head, trying another sip of my coffee. "Do you mind if we go to build a bear? My little girl has been begging me for one."

No.

"Thanks," he said. He had a kid? He looked really young for someone to have a child. Well, my mom was younger than me when she had Zach and me, so I guess anyone could be a parent.

You have a kid?

He smiled and nodded. I was hoping he would elaborate and tell me his kid's name and maybe his kid's age, but he didn't

What's your kid's name?

"More like kids." He laughed. "I have two, both girls, and both just like their mom. One wants a build a bear, the other wants a pet dragon; one loves dogs, the other loves cats; they love each other, they hate each other; they're best friends, they're enemies." He sighed but then smiled. "They drive me crazy, but I love them."

He shook his head and pulled at his hair.

A parent's job seems like the wildest.

"Oh, trust me, it is. It great one day, wild the next; I'm the good guy one day, the bad guy the next day. It's 'I hate you, dad,' one day, and 'I love you, dad,' the next. Goddamit, my kids are growing up!" He said, and I started laughing, throwing my head back as I did. He smiled. "No, but seriously, I love being a dad."

I smiled, hearing the truth in his words and voice. He seemed like a good person, and probably a good father as well.

You seem like a good dad.

"Thank you." He smiled. "Do you want kids?"

I nodded.

"How many?"

I held up three fingers.

"Do you have a specific gender?"

I shook my head.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be a good mom." He nodded.

"Thank you." I smiled.

He started building a build a bear, and once he got to record the message, he took out his phone and pressed play.

"Hey, baby girl. Mommy loves you. My sweet, sweet, beautiful baby girl, I love you so much. I can't wait to see you again. I love you, Ophia," the voice over the recording said, a southern accent heavy in her voice. I smiled at how cute the recording was. I looked at Owen, and my smile faded as I saw his eyes watered over.

With a gentle touch, I put my hand over his forearm. He smiled through his glazed over eyes and blinked several times, fluttering his eyes, and drying his tears.

"I'm okay. It's just really nice hearing her voice," He said, his eyes watering over again. "I'll tell you about her sometime. Let's pay for this."

I nodded, following him to the counter. He put the bear on the counter and paid for it.

"Were you going somewhere, or did you get all dressed up for the mall?" He asked with a small smile and a teasing tone.

A party.

"A party?!" He crossed his arms over his chest, a very parental authority ringing in his presence. I laughed and nodded. He smiled when he knew I caught onto his teasing. "How old are you?"

Seventeen.

When I said that, he raised his eyebrows and took a step back.

"We're just friends," He said, looking around in the back of him, but no one was there. I laughed and shook my head.

I'm going to be eighteen in April.

"Seventeen and sneaking off to a party," He said, shaking his head but couldn't help to smile.

How old are you, pops?

He laughed after reading my phone. "Twenty-three."

I raised my eyebrows and took a step back. "Just friends." I signed as I looked around.

"Friends." He mimicked my sign and laughed. "Just friends?" He said as he signed, asking if that's what I said.

We both laughed.

You know sign language?

"The girl I'm dating now, she's teaching me." 

You should come to the party.

"Is it a high school party?"

I'm not too sure, but you look young.

"Thank you." He smiled.

I'm serious. Come.

"Send me the address, maybe I'll check it out," He said, so I held out my phone, and he put his number in, handing it back to me. We said our goodbyes, and he left.

A little while later, when I met up with Zach and James, we left for the party, and I had Zach send me the address to which I sent to Owen.

"There are so many people," I said, having to park for what seemed like a quarter of a mile away from the party. I looked around, seeing nothing but an open field.

"The Northside does it wild," James said with excitement. "Let's get wild!"

"That's wassup." Zach nodded.

We laughed and got out of the car. Walking toward the house, I stayed close to Zach, scared, and anxious to go to the party.

"You a'ight," James said, putting his arm around my shoulder and squishing me toward his chest.

"I'm wearing makeup today!" I told him when my face smudged against his hoodie.

"It's always the same with you girls." He shook his head, a playful smile on his lips. I bumped his arm, and he smiled, wrapping his arm tighter around my shoulder. "Alright, when we go in there, you on your own, shorty. I gotta be single for 'em ladies."

"Get out." I laughed, but he wasn't kidding because when a group of girls came into view, he let go of me. I laughed, and he smiled but still remained close to me.

Music booming and the sound of cheering is what I heard first. Shots being taken, bodies dancing next to each other, blunts being rolled and smoked, drugs being taken, and people grinding on each other is what I saw next.

Everything was wild, but that was the exciting part. Everything was so different, crazy, and that brought a sort of rush of adrenaline. It felt like my eyes had been opened to a new world. I would have never guessed that this is what it felt like and looked like at a party.

This wasn't a high school party, no, this was something entirely different. There was a variety of people here, but tonight, everyone was the same, and it seemed like that's what they were celebrating. They had to of been celebrating something because if not, then they truly lived on the wild side of life and knew how to have a good time.

"Drinks," Zach and James said in sync. I followed them as they walked around the house. In the kitchen, there were several kegs, so James went to one, grabbed a black party cup, handing one to us, and filled them up. James and Zach clanked cups and chugged them before filling their cups up again. I chugged mine, and James laughed.

"Tryin' to keep up with us?" James asked. He filled our cups, and I chugged mine. I understood why they called alcohol liquid courage.

"More like try to keep up with me," I said and grabbed the handle and poured more in my cup before chugging it.

"Oh, it's like that?" James asked before chugging his beer. I chugged mine and started laughing halfway through at how ridiculous this felt. But it felt fun. It was nice enjoying myself.

"Woah, woah, woah," Zach told me when I finished my third cup.

"Keep up, brother," I told him.

"What happens at the party, stays at the party!" James shouted when a song with major bass came on.

Lifting our cups and clanking our drinks, we let that be our agreement. A girl with blonde hair walked into the kitchen, and when she saw Zach, she walked up to him. When she got closer, I recognized who the girl was.

"Hey!" Crystal greeted Zach. He looked at her, smiled, and hugged her. She hugged James too, and they started chatting. "Hey!" She looked at me.

"Whatsup?" I nodded up. Her eyes widened, and James snickered. Zach looked at me with a worried look in his eyes. It read: Are sure you want to speak? I waved him off and smiled at Crystal.

"H-how have you been?" Crystal asked, clutching her beer bottle almost as if she was nervous. Was she? She didn't seem like the popular girl people either loved, hated, didn't care enough to care about, or would slut-shame all the time; she seemed like an ordinary girl, sweet, nice, who just so happens to dress very seductively. But if I had a body like hers and was just as confident, I would probably flaunt it too.

But that's how society was. If someone had a nice body and showed it off, they were a slut. If someone didn't have a nice body, they were ugly. If someone had a nice body but didn't show it off, they were considered a prune.

But that's wrong. Young girls shouldn't be taught that.

Society was built upon diversity, yet we shamed people for it.

Society basically says, 'welcome, enjoy the stay, be yourself, but not too much but not too less. Don't be perfect but don't be flawed. Show your achievements but don't be a bragger. If you have a nice body, everyone will know, but don't show it off because no one can know.

"I'm great! Alcohol." I raised my cup, and she smiled. "How have you been? What have you been up to for the past ten years?" I laughed because probably too much has happened.

"I've been good, too. And so much." She laughed. "Maybe we could catch up sometime?"

"For sure. Let's dance!" I shouted, pulling James' hand to where the music was the loudest. James and I started dancing, and Zach and Crystal started dancing too. Their dancing seemed a bit more intimate and sexual than James and I, but I guess, what happens at the party, stays at the party.

I swayed my hips side to side with the music, and James put his hands on my waist as he stood in the back of me. I wasn't sure if it was the atmosphere with all of the horny people, but our dancing felt sexual too. Our bodies were pressed against each other, his arms wrapped tighter around my body, and he put his face next to mine, leaning against me.

"I think the alcohol kicked in. I'm drunk." James laughed.

"Me too," I shouted back. But was I? I knew how I was dancing with him; I only said that because if I was the only one sober, did that change what our dancing meant? It was sexual, but if we were both drunk, did it even mean anything? If we were both sober, did that also mean something?

I chugged the rest of my drink, and I could feel James doing the same. We kept dancing for a bit until the urge to pee grew too strong.

"Where you going?!" James asked, raising his voice over the music when I started pulling away.

"Pee!" I laughed and pulled away from him. I smiled as I walked toward the stairwell and started going up, only to stop a few steps up. This was going to be more difficult than I anticipated. It sort of sucked being a lightweight.

"You're gonna fall," James said, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"You didn't have to come." I shook my head. Was I ruining his parting? Gosh, I was a terrible friend. "Go party. Go mingle." I snickered at the word mingle.

"Buddy system, all right? And I gotta pee, too." He smiled. Cute smile, I thought. We walked upstairs and found the bathroom on the first try. To my surprise, it wasn't preoccupied. "You go first." He closed the door behind us.

I walked to the toilet, and he turned around, facing the door. I pulled down my pants, sat down, but I couldn't go. "Can you turn on the water?" I laughed. He laughed and turned on the faucet. I peed as quiet as I could manage but failed when my pee splashed out from holding it in for so long. He started laughing, and I got embarrassed. "Stooop!" I laughed, my laughter forcing out my pee.

"It's like a broken faucet." He laughed, making me laugh more.

"I was holding it in for so long." I laughed, wiped a couple of times, and flushed the toilet. I pulled up my pants and went to wash my hands. James started peeing, and I started laughing. It felt awkward hearing him urinate.

"Stooop!" He laughed. He finished and washed his hands after flushing the toilet. "Hey," He said when I was going to open the door.

"Hey." I smiled, facing him.

"I don't know when I'll get the courage to do this." He shook his head. "But I wanted you to know."

"Okay." I nodded.

"Mae-"

"Oh, c'mon! No sex in the restroom," A guy said when he walked into the restroom. I was relieved that we both finished because I would have been embarrassed if I was peeing and the guy walked in. I looked at the guy and recognized him.

"Owen!" I smiled.

"Oh, shit," Owen said when I spoke. "H-hi."

James walked out. It was vague, but it sounded like James mumbled something about more competition. I didn't understand what he was talking about, but I figured he was going to find Zach.

"You made it." I smiled, and he nodded with an absentminded look.

"I-I didn't..." He trailed off, shaking his head, confusion written over his face. "You-you speak?"

"Sometimes." I shrugged and walked out. "Let's get drunk!" He followed after me laughing. The restroom break kicked in all of the alcohol because when I walked out, I felt drunker

"I'm tripping out, dude." He laughed. We went to get drinks, and as I walked to the keg, Owen walked to the fridge. "Try this." He opened two bottles and threw away the caps.

"Smirnoff," I read, and he nodded.

"I think you'll like it," Owen said. I drank it and raised my eyebrows because of the taste. It tasted like strawberries. I could still taste the strong cough syrup taste, but it was bearable.

"Mmm." I nodded, and he smiled. I kept drinking until I finished the bottle.

He grabbed a closed twelve-pack of Smirnoff's and handed it to me before grabbing a twenty-four pack of Coronas. "Let's go," he said and walked out to the patio. There was a couple making out, and with one nod to the right from Owen, they got up and left. We sat down on the chairs, and he opened our drinks.

"We could have sat somewhere else," I told him.

"Nah, this is my spot." He smiled, drinking half his beer.

"Do you party here?" I started sippin' my Smirnoff, but I didn't like the lime flavor as much as I did the strawberry, but I drank it anyway.

"Yeah. I live on the Northside. This house is always throwing parties, and you're welcomed anytime." He opened his third beer. 

I chugged the rest of my drink to get to another flavor and so I wouldn't look like a noob at drinking. Grabbing his flat bottle opener, I chose another flavor from the box, opened the bottle, and started drinking.

"So who was the guy you were with in"—he hiccuped—"the restroom? Your boyfriend?"

"Bestfriend." I opened another bottle, taking a sip of a new flavor. "Been best friends for"—I thought about it in my head—"ten years."

"Damn." He raised his eyebrows. "What's his name?"

"James. James Samuel Baxter." I laughed. "And my twin, he's around here somewhere."

"You're a twin?" He laughed, which made me laugh. It was always funny when people found out Zach and I were twins.

I nodded, opening another bottle. Not realizing I kept nodding, I stopped, only to feel a bit dizzy afterward. We talked for a bit longer, but the urge to pee again grew. I stood but sat back down in an instant.

"You good?"

"Yup," I said. "Gotta pee."

"I'll go with you. You might get taken advantage of now that you're drunk." He stood and helped me up.

He was right. Once we walked in, guys tried dancing with me, grinding their crotch on me, and almost knocking me over. Owen had to act as a bodyguard which made me laugh, adding pressure to my already bursting bladder.

Owen waited outside the bathroom as I handled my business. I sat on the toilet and let everything flow with the biggest smile on my face. Uhh, the relief was astounding. Best feeling ever.

I finished up, washed my hands, and walked out. "All done!" I announced, making Owen laugh. Raising his hand high, I high-fived him, and we both leaned over laughing.

"You're a loser." He laughed.

"You high-fived me." I laughed, almost on the verge of tears. "You're the loser."

"I h-hhave to p-pee." He laughed-cried, holding out his hand, telling me to stay as he walked into the restroom. I calmed my laughter, but anytime I thought about his high-five, I would laugh.

He came out, and with one look from each other, our laughing fit erupted.

"Get out." I laughed, pushing him away so I could stop laughing.

"Let's go." He chuckled. We calmed our laughter down but still had huge smiles on our faces. We made our way back into the kitchen, and to my surprise, there was more alcohol on the table.

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" The crowd in the kitchen shouted as a boy was upside down on the keg.

"That's my brother," Owen said, and when the boy came down, he had a big smile on his face as he stumbled to Owen.

"Owen Bear," the boy smiled, and Owen laughed.

"This is Sergio, my brother," Owen said. The boy looked young, most likely around my age.

"It's nice to meet you." He smiled, extending his hand out. I smiled and shook his hand.

"My name's Mae."

"Mine's Sergio." He smiled then shook his head, probably realizing that that has been discussed.

"Sergio!" Someone shouted, and he walked away.

"Say bye," Owen told him, and Sergio waved without looking back. "He's drunk, don't mind him." Owen laughed, grabbing another box of Coronas alongside a bag of crunchy Cheetos. When we went back outside, he opened a bottle for both of us as well as the bag of Cheetos and held the bag to me. I smiled, grabbing a handful.

"Thanks, Owen Bear." I laughed.

"That's my middle name." He smiled.

"No!" I chuckled, not believing him, but when he nodded in confirmation, my laughing intensified. I covered my mouth once I realized I was laughing at his name but couldn't help to smile.

He nodded, smiling. "My wife used to call me that, and they were close, so he started calling me that."

"You have a wife?"

"Used to." He nodded. "She passed away..., so I guess that makes me a widower."

"I'm so sorry, Owen." I meant it. I couldn't imagine losing someone I was in love with. To still be in love with someone and lose them, knowing you would never see them again, seemed painful.

He nodded, forcing a small smile. The atmosphere was different, darker, and a bit sad despite the music booming inside.

"Have you lost anyone?" He asked, handing me another beer when I finished mine. I didn't drink it; I was too distracted thinking whether I should open up or not. I wasn't sure if it was the alcohol that was numbing me or me being tired of living too closed off for so long, but I opened up. The anchor holding me down and making me be closed off weighed too much at the moment, and nothing felt better than to just cut it loose.

"My very abusive father." I took a sip of my drink. "I wasn't sad though when he died. I don't know if that makes me sound cold-hearted or not, but to live with someone who makes you hate existing, well, it gets pretty damn exhausting."

"He always hit you?" He furrowed his eyebrows, cocking his head to the side.

"He's the reason I don't talk." I nodded. "For most of my life, he always told me to be quiet, that I shouldn't talk because my voice was annoying or because people would hate the way it sounded. Or, when I would laugh, he would tell me I had an ugly laugh. When I would talk to him, he would ignore me. So, eventually, I stopped talking, and that brought me a lot of peace. The more silent I grew, the more he stopped telling me those harsh things."

Two girls came outside laughing and stumbling. Owen looked annoyed, so he stood and grabbed the box of beers and the chips. He nodded toward the open field in front of us, so I followed after him, and we walked the long pathway. It looked like the backyard went on for miles, which it probably did since the house was sort of out in the country.

"Did he hit your brother too?"

"Yeah. Zach got a lot of it, but I feel like I got the worst of it. When Mitch was going to hit us, Zach would piss him off, and that would take some of the beating off of me, but there were times when it seemed like Mitch was only satisfied after he finished beating me. He never looked that way after he finished beating Zach."

"Mitch is your father?" He looked down at me as I looked up at him, and I nodded. It was a trip how tall he was, probably a bit taller than Mitch. "And Zach's your brother?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Mitch sounds like a monster."

"He was, but I have to believe he wasn't always that way. I remember having a happy childhood. At least, the first seven years had to of been happy. I remember my mom waking us up when breakfast was ready and us having a family breakfast, laughing, enjoying ourselves, but when she left, the beatings started. I think she's the reason we started getting hit. I think he was so mad at her, but since he didn't know where she was and he couldn't take his anger out on her, he took that anger out on her kids, on us."

"And she never came back? Not even a phone call? A letter?" His voice held disbelief as he asked.

"Never." I shook my head, looking at the bottle in my hands. "Not one."

"I'm sorry, Mae." He looked down at me with a sad look. "I think some people just aren't meant to be parents."

"I think that's very true." I nodded, agreeing with my whole heart. I truly believed that. "That's what scares me about being a parent. I don't wanna be my parents."

"That's what I thought too. I didn't want to be a repeat of my drug addict father, but I feel like I'm a good dad." He smiled. "I mean, I don't mean to brag. But being a dad, it's something I never thought I'd love, but I feel like I'm good at it."

"You seem like your good at it." I smiled as we walked at a slow pace.

"Thank you." He smiled.

"What about your mom?" I looked up at him.

"My mom," He said, a huge smile appearing on his face. "Man, my mom was cool, and I'm not just saying that 'cause she's my mom. She was, she was hella cool. But she passed away, but man, my mom was cool." We started laughing. "She was. My sister and I used to throw these parties in the backyard, and our mom used to come out in her robe and cut it up with the homies. It was hella funny. All our people loved her."

It sounded nice to have had a mom like that. I enjoyed hearing him talk about his mom with so much love in his voice.

"What's your mom's name?"

"Simone. I had an older sister named Vicotria and an older brother named Pedro, but they, uhh, they passed away." He nodded with a sad but loving expression. "So, it's just me, my little brother from my mom's side, and several half-siblings from my father's side."

"Sergio?" I asked. He finished his bottle and handed me the box so he could open another drink. I carried the box for a bit, not minding as we continued to walk. I looked toward the house, and we weren't too far from it. I could still hear the music blasting from here.

"No, he's from my father's side, but I've known him for, like, eight years." He nodded. "My little brother's name is Angel."

"How old is he?"

"He's eighteen now, but I rarely see him. He's been through a lot, and he's always distant, out on the streets, thinking it's cool and shit." He shook his head, disapproving. "I haven't seen him in, like, two years."

"He lost almost his whole family," I said, realizing it out loud.

"Yeah. My older brother, Pedro, died from an overdose. Pedro was always in and out of prison, hooked on drugs. He actually got cleaned for two years, but when our mom passed away, he couldn't deal with it, so he started using again. My older sister, Victoria, had been through a lot too. She lost our mom, my older brother, her dad, her boyfriend, and one day she was drinking and driving, crashed her car, wrapped it around a tree. They say there were no track marks on the road, so she didn't even use her breaks. Maybe she didn't care to." He shrugged, shaking his head with a distant look on his face.

He looked down, his eyes filled with sadness and a bit of darkness from all he's lost. I couldn't imagine losing as many people as he had. I would imagine it made it hard to let people in.

"It sounds like you've been through a lot as well," I told him, and he nodded. "I'm here if you ever need me. I mean, I know we're kind of new to being friends, but I've been through stuff too. We can talk."

"I appreciate that." He nodded. "So why'd you decided to talk to me now? I mean, not that I'm complaining, but..." He shrugged with a smile.

I thought about it for a second before answering. "I guess, I'm just tired of it." Saying it out loud made me realize that's exactly how I felt. I was tired of being the mute girl, the girl who never spoke. I wanted it to stop. I always felt like I was being held back by something, but what if that something was me? "And the alcohol helped." We both laughed.

"For real, though, is it tiring never talking, or is it nice? Seems like it would nice. I mean, I don't really like people, so maybe that's why I think that." He chuckled.

"At the beginning with my dad, it was nice to not talk, but with people at school, it was hard. They always thought I was stuck up, rude, mean, you name it. People talking about me only made my anxiety worse, so trying to communicate with people my way became difficult. When I first stopped talking, I did lose people, but James and Zach stuck with me. James actually introduced me to sign language. A boy named Ian, who I was friends with, moved away, so I lost him, and a girl named Crystal decided she couldn't be friends with the class' quiet girl."

"She sounds like someone you wouldn't even be friends with."

I smiled. "True, but... she seems different now. I actually talked to her today for the first time in ten years. The beer helped." We laughed again.

"Alcohol helps with a lot of things."

We kept drinking and drinking until both of us needed to pee again. He couldn't wait until we got back to the house, so he walked farther out to find a good spot to pee.

"You're so lucky!" I shouted, feeling like my pee was going to fall out or burst at any given second. I started walking toward the house, crossing my legs as I did.

"Go here, dude." Owen laughed. I tripped and fell, the urge to pee only growing stronger. "Dude, dude, d-dude, no one's even here, dude." I got up and rushed toward the long, yellow grass. I pulled down my pants, squatted, and peed.

"Dude, if you tell anyone about this, I'mma kill you." I laughed.

"Dude, I believe you, dude." He said as he laughed, making me laugh.

"I don't have anything to wipe myself." I laughed, wanting to cry, but also finding this humorous.

"Just shake it off." He laughed so hard to the point where he snorted.

I started laughing, but I didn't know what to do. "Shake what off?" I laughed.

"I-it's w-what we do." He wheezed, sounding like he had breathing problems. "I-I can't."

His laughing made me laugh, and I didn't know what to do. With all of the squatting, eventually, I was dry, so I pulled my pants up.

"I hate you," I told him when I saw him bending over laughing and laughing. I smiled as I saw him laughing with tears in his eyes.

"D-did you shake it off?" He laughed aloud, snorting when he inhaled. I laughed at his snort and pushed him, making him stumbled back a bit and drop the empty box of coronas and the bag of chips.

"Oh no!" I felt sad that he dropped the chips.

"Are they still good?" He looked at the dirt-covered Cheetos. "I'm sorry, dude," he told the Cheetos, making me snort, and then we both started laughing again.

"Dude," I said, having the best idea.

"Let's get pizza." He shouted.

I gasped because it was like he read my mind.

"Dude!" My eyes widened.

"I'm psychic?" His eyes widened, and I nodded, amazed with his talents. "I always knew my powers would kick in."

We both stumbled inside the house, and he went to the counter, grabbing two water bottles. He opened one for me and handed it to me before guzzling his. I took a sip but went to wash my hands and then drank some more.

"I have to find my brother and James," I told him, and he nodded, following me. I went to where the music was and saw James making out with a girl. I turned to Owen with a look that asked if I should interrupt him, but he shrugged, being unhelpful. "Fuck it," I told him, and we both laughed as I walked to James. I patted him, and the girl backed away when I looked at him.

"Do not tell me you have a girlfriend!" The girl told him, and James and I both shook our heads.

"Just a friend," James and I said, before I added, "I was gonna go."

"I can take you home," the girl offered James with a sweet smile, batting her eyes.

James looked at me for a second, but I wasn't sure why. "I don't want to leave you here. I can wait for you," I offered, shrugging. He looked at me with a look that I wanted so badly to understand. What was it? Couldn't be sadness, right? What was there to be sad about? Or was he deciding something?

"I-I should go with you," James told me, nodding. He looked at the girl, and she had a small frown. After getting the girl's number, James went with us to find Zach. We kept calling Zach's phone, but he was nowhere to be found. I was actually starting to get worried. We went upstairs and started checking the bedrooms, which we found Zach on top of a girl, half-naked as they made out. He covered her with his body, so I couldn't see who she was.

"I'm leaving," I told him since I had already interrupted him. Might as well say what I was going to.

"Okay," He said with a tone that suggested I leave.

"I don't want to leave you here."

"No, trust me, I'm good." Zach nodded.

"Alright," James said, pulling me back. "Good luck, buddy. Wrap that willie before ya get silly."

"Get out!" Zach laughed, and James closed the door, smiling.

We walked out of the party, and my head felt clear again being away from the chaos.

"I'm tired. I can't wait to sleep," James sighed.

"We were gonna get pizza." I smiled.

"I'm too sleepy to eat," James frowned, putting his arm around my shoulder, and his head on top of mine.

"How much did you drink?" I asked.

"Only the beer in the beginning, but that was like"—he pulled out his phone—"damn, three hours ago."

"You wanna take my car?" I asked, but in an instant, I regretted it.

James backed away and shouted, "Yes, please, please, pleeeeeeease! I'm not drunk! I swear!"

I stayed quiet, scared that he was going to crash my car.

"If you crash it-"

"I won't, but if I do, I'll fix it. I don't know how, but I will! I promise, maeeee!"

"Okay, okay, okay." I nodded, reaching for my car keys. I couldn't believe I was doing this. I did say I was going to let him, but I didn't think I was going to go through with it. His eyes stayed on my hand, not believing that I was actually going to let him drive my car. When he saw a glimpse of my keys, he fell to the floor and got up an instant. Owen started laughing, and I smiled.

"Fuck yeah!" James shouted, reaching for my keys.

I pulled them back, and he frowned. "Do not, and I mean do not tell Zach I let you drive first. He's always wanted to drive my car."

"I won't, I swear. I'll lie to him forever if I can drive your car." He stood straight. "Don't tell him I said that." I handed him the keys, and he clutched onto them as if they were his life.

"Don't crash—" He took off sprinting toward my car.

"Can I activate her?" He shouted from afar.

"She doesn't know your voice!" I shouted back, but I wasn't sure if he heard me because I couldn't see him.

"What car do you drive?" Owen asked as we started walking toward his car.

"A Camaro," I told him, and he started laughing. "What?"

"He's gonna drive the fuck out of your car." Owen laughed, and now, I was more worried. I heard the sound of revving and tires squealing, making my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. We got into his car, and I was worried that he would be driving after he drank.

"Are you gonna be okay driving?" I asked, putting my seatbelt on.

"Yeah. I'm not that drunk anymore." He smiled and started driving. I, on the other hand, had never been this drunk, so after taking his word, I started enjoying the car ride. I leaned back into the seat and felt extremely comfortable. "Are you falling asleep?"

"No, I'm just resting my eyes." I smiled, opening my eyes, and he laughed.

"You're gonna fall asleep."

I smiled. I could have fallen asleep, but I was too cold, and that's all I could think about. As I looked out the window, I noticed sprinkles of water dropped on the windshield, and then it started pouring. My teeth started chattering, and I pulled my jacket tighter around my body.

"Are you cold?" He reached in the back and pulled out a unicorn blanket, handing it to me so I could cover myself. He put the windshield wipers on, having to put them on high speed because of the rain.

"Thank you." I smiled. "It's cute."

"It's my daughters. She's into unicorns right now." Owen smiled, shaking his head.

"Tell me more bout them?" I smiled, and his smile grew twice its size.

"They're a lot like their mom—stubborn, crazy, hyper, a brat, and god forbid I don't give them attention for more than five minutes or they go berserk." He shook his head, laughing. "But tell me about you."

"There's really nothing to tell," I said.

"There has to be something. Hobbies, sports, a boyfriend, something."

"I don't have a boyfriend, but I'm talking to someone. I think."

"A guy, a girl?"

"A guy." I laughed, and he held up his hands.

"Hey, I don't judge." He smiled. "I have a sister who's into chicks, so it's cool."

I nodded, liking that he supported it. "It's a guy, though. His name is Damien, and my god is he hella good looking." We both started laughing.

"Relax." He laughed, making me smile. "How long have y'all been talkin'?"

"Umm... well... like, the beginning of the school year." I didn't really know when it really started, and the more I thought about it, the more the alcohol was taking the memory from me.

"Is he a good person? Treat you right?" I smiled at how he asked. It sounded so fatherly, it made me laugh.

"Yeah, he's always nice to me. I could use more attention from him, though," I said, making him smile.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I feel like everyone always wants more attention from the one they like."

"True." I nodded. "But he has, like, a whole gang thing, and I dunno if I really like it."

"He's in a gang?!" Owen shouted, waking the hell out of me. "Mae."

"What?" I asked a bit more alert.

"People who are in gangs are criminals," he said, looking at me instead of the road.

"Look at the road!" I told him, so he shifted his attention back toward the road.

"I've seen how people are when they're in gangs. The old neighborhood I lived in was always crawling with people in gangs, getting shot and shot at, doing drugs. Mae, it's not a life," he told me. "I mean, I'm not trying to make you not like him. He's young, and he could always change, but really consider it."

"Consider what?" I asked. I hadn't actually spoken to anyone about Damien. Anytime I tried talking to Zach about it, he would tease me that I was finally talking to someone and that I was all in love.

"People who are in gangs usually end up in jail. My dad was always in and out, never being around and raising his kids. What if that's how it is for you? Do you really want that kind of life? If you have kids, is he gonna be there for them, for you, or is he always going to be in and out of jail?" Owen asked. "In novels, people fantasize about gangs and shit, but it's serious. People get killed because they walk on the wrong side of town, what if someone shoots him because he's on the wrong side of town?"

"But-"

"I know, it's hella serious, and you're young, so you might not really think about it, but you should. Maybe I'm only thinking about it like this 'cause I'm twenty-three and I'm a dad, but I wouldn't want that for any of my sisters, and especially not for my daughters. It's not a good life."

He was really making me think; I hated it. But, he was right. It really wasn't a life to live, and I knew that's not how I would want my family to be when I was older. I couldn't live my life loving someone and being scared if they were to get shot. I looked at my phone, and Damien hadn't even texted me. What was he doing? Getting shot, or was he the one doing the shooting?

I felt sad about everything I was thinking.

"Do you mind me asking what you're thinking?" Owen asked.

"That you're right," I whispered, sadness clear in my voice. I wasn't going to cry; the alcohol made sure of it, but I was definitely feeling something.

"He can leave the gang life, though. He just has to do it before it's too late and he starts makin' enemies. It'll be hard, though, 'cause I hear shit, like, they kill people who try to leave, but I dunno." He shrugged.

I nodded, worried that that could be the case for Damien. I leaned back and closed my eyes, hearing the rain hit the car. It wasn't even the day after, and already, a small headache was forming. He kept driving, and the longer it took to arrive at the pizza parlor, the sleeper I grew.

"Do you want me to take you home?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"Don't be." He shook his head. I smiled because he was really sweet. I gave him my address, and he became sketchy the moment he started driving on the long, dark dirt road. "Are you sure this is taking me to your house? You're pretty drunk."

"Why?" I asked, about him not believing me, but the question only made him confused, and I laughed when I realized I didn't finish my question. "Why do you think I'm lying?" I laughed.

"Oh, wait," he said when my house came into view. "Damn, it's hella sketchy out here."

I looked around, and it really did look ominous. "Essepically on Halloween. That's when the old man wallows."

"What the fuck! Awe, hell nah." He shook his head. "No, ma'am! I don't do ghost."

I started laughing, and he smiled, knowing I was only joking. He pulled up in front, and my Camaro had all its pieces together. I unbuckled my seatbelt, and Owen did the same.

"I'll walk you in, and then I'll leave," Owen said. On three, we both ran out of the car and toward the front door, but my drunk self had other plans, and I fell in a puddle, soaking all of my clothes. I started laughing, and Owen helped me up. "Are you okay?"

"Took a bath." I smiled, shivering. "Kitty pool, here I come." I laughed

He smiled and helped me inside. "You're so drunk." 

I felt like every time I laughed, I grew drunker.

"Do you want to wait until the rain passes?" I asked. "My room's this way." We walked to my room, but when I walked in, he stood by the door. "C'mon." I waved for him to come inside.

Very awkwardly, he walked inside my room. I laughed at how awkward he looked. I fell on my bed, not caring enough that I was wetting my bed with my soaking clothes. 

Why care now when I was still going to care tomorrow?

"Your bed," Owen said. "Uhh, do-do you want... me to change you? I do it all the time for my girls, even my girlfriend when she's drunk."

"Yeah." I nodded. It sounded nice to be taken care of. He helped me up, taking off my jacket first then my shirt.

"I'm taking your shoes off now, is that okay?" He asked as he stood by my feet. I nodded, and he untied my boots, slipping them off with my socks. "I have to unbutton your jeans."

I tried to do it so I could help him, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to do it. "I can't." I shook my head, laughing. Such a simple act, yet my fingers felt tingly and like jello. He reached for the button on my jeans, but I bucked my knees when he grabbed the button, finding it ticklish because I wasn't used to a guy handling that area of me.

"It's okay, I'm just gonna unbutton them and then change you, I swear," he said, and I nodded. He unbuttoned my jeans and slid them off. He covered me with my blanket as he went to my dresser to find clothes. I sat up on struggled to take my bra off. I could never sleep in those things. Perhaps it was because I didn't have boobs, so I didn't have extra padding or the need for a bra. I slid my bra over my body and threw it. "Mae!" Owen whispered-yelled.

"What?" I whispered back, looking at him, and laughing as my bra slid off his head.

"Here," he said with his back facing me as he tossed a shirt over his head, having it land on my head. Karma. I laughed and struggled to put it on. I looked down at my shirt after putting it on and never knew I had an all-white shirt before. "You put it on backward."

I laughed, and he came to take my arms out and rotate my shirt without having me take it off. "Whoops." I laughed.

"I found some sweat pants," he said, but I shook my head, not wanting pants. It felt nice to be this free under my blanket. "Okay, do you want socks, so you're not that cold?" He looked at the ground but couldn't find my socks.

"Top drawer," I told him. "Not matching."

"Why?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"Too boring," I said, and he kept looking at me with a smile on his face. "What?"

"Nothing." He shook his head and pulled out a rainbow sock and a fourth of July sock. He picked up the blanket from my feet and put the socks on me. He covered me, pulling the blanket up to my shoulders. "Do you have Advil?"

"Mirror," I pointed to my closet and gave him a thumbs up when he went to my restroom, understanding my mistake. He grabbed the bottle and walked out of my room. After a couple of minutes, he came back with two water bottles.

"Here, drink this," he said. I sat up, and he held the water for me after I almost spilled some on my blanket. "Drink it slow. It'll quench your thirst without giving you a tummy ache from drinking too much water."

I drank the cold water slowly, and it tasted like heaven. I hadn't even thought about how thirsty I was. I stopped drinking, and he closed the water, setting it on top of my nightstand.

"Thank you," I said.

"You're welcome," he said. "Advil and water for the morning. Might be the first thing you do."

"Thanks, pops," I snorted, and he chuckled.

"I think the rain cleared, so I'm gonna leave."

"Okay, be safe," I said, and he nodded before walking out. I heard his car turn on, and I knocked out, unable to stay awake any longer.