Changing With Autumn

Chapter 8

I searched that house up and down. Literally I went room to room and searched downstairs and upstairs. That really was not my smartest idea as I opened a few doors that should have been locked and saw some unwanted sights I really didn’t want to see, and probably would never be able to unsee. Erika was nowhere to be found though. At first, I had just hoped that maybe she slipped away to the bathroom so I waited near the long line and tried to see if she would come out. When she didn’t, I moved on. I went through the kitchen seeing if she walked off to get a drink and I even gathered up the nerve to start asking people. 

That part was the hardest part. Each time I asked someone if they had seen her I had to endure the dirty looks and the response as if they were trying not to gag at me being near them. I was getting more and more irritated with each person I talked to. There was one girl that I seriously had to refrain myself from hitting. I had never wanted to hit someone so bad in my life, but when she said “ew” in her snobby, prissy voice I swear I saw red. After the 10th person I asked and the 10th person that looked at me like I was some form of unknown mutated species, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore and I had to give up.

I took one last shot in the dark and went out the back to check in the backyard. I figured she wouldn’t be out here, but at least it would get me out of that freaking house and away from everyone. Just as I figured, she wasn’t out here. I searched through all the faces in the pool and all of the people congregating around it too. She was nowhere to be found. 

I pulled out my cell and dialed her number but got the voicemail. So I dialed again and again. My anger began to fade and I was seriously starting to get worried. My mind whirled with worst case scenarios. Was she drinking? I don’t think so. What if she was and she passed out somewhere. What if she slipped away and someone was taking advantage of her. Worry slowly turned to panic and I cursed at myself. I was supposed to be her bodyguard tonight. What kind of friend was I? I was so busy gawking at some guy that I didn’t even notice her get up from next to me. Stupid female teenage hormones. Stupid hot guy.

I was making my way back towards where Erika parked her car when suddenly my phone started to wail in my hand. The caller ID read “My b***h” which was the name Erika had given herself in my phone and I smashed it to my ear before it could even ring twice. 

“Erika? What the Hell? Are you ok?” I said, panic was very evident in my voice.

“Willow?” A male voice that was so not the one that I expected responded.

“Aaron??? Where is she? Why do you have her phone?” I snapped.

“Calm down Willow. She’s ok. We started talking and drinking at the party and she had way too much and passed out so I took her home. I didn’t know she brought you with her or else I would have brought you back too. I’m so sorry. I didn’t find out until I put her to bed and she started asking for you.” He said with sincere regret clear in his voice. 

It took me a moment to register exactly what he had said and exactly what that had meant. I couldn’t breathe for a minute and I swear that my heart had stopped beating. My head was throbbing as the feeling of dread started to sink in.

“Aaron please tell me you took your own car, and I’m going to be driving Erika’s car back.” I pleaded with my eyes closed bracing for impact. I knew the answer already but hoped I was wrong.

“I’m sorry Willow. My friend brought me to the party so I just drove Erika’s car back.” he said.

My stomach dropped. I could feel it sinking lower and lower, and I had to fight down the bile that started to slowly make its way up. Panic, pure panic is all that I could focus on. What the Hell was I supposed to do now? I could feel my breathing speed up and my heart started hammering in my chest so hard that I was sure it was going to give out on me as my mind whirled trying to calculate the distances to my house or Erika’s house. 

“So what am I supposed to do Aaron? Am I supposed to just stay here all night until she wakes back up? Or am I supposed to just walk back?” I said getting more and more frustrated by the second.

“Don’t worry I already figured it out. I called my friend who took me to the party. He’s still there so he said he can take you back home.” He tried to sound reassuring. “He said he’s going to bring up his car and just to meet him at the front. He’s driving a black mustang. You won’t be able to miss it, trust me.” 

“Alright I guess, thanks Aaron.” I said unhappily and hung up. My mind whirling trying to process the extent of the unluckiness that surrounded my night. Well, at least my streak of hatred for parties continued. 

“Oh yeah, real fun night Erika. Totally had a blast. Oh and you showed such restraint against getting back together with your boyfriend.” I was ranting out and yelling my frustrations to my invisible irresponsible and inconsiderate friend. I really started looking like a crazy person when I started cursing at Erika much louder than I wanted to. The frustration rolled off of me in waves and I’m sure anyone that was in the proximity could feel the tension in the air. 

I was about to make my way up to the front when realization dawned on me. Oh God no! Please don’t let it be who I think it is. Please, please don’t let it be that friend. Please don’t let it be the cousin. I don’t think I would be able to stand it if it was. I really, really wasn’t in the mood to play nice right now, and especially not to some all into himself boy. 

Dread washed over me. Like heavy hearted dread. I dragged my feet in the direction of where I would meet Aaron’s friend. Maybe I would get lucky. I mean something good would have to happen to me tonight right? I couldn’t be that unlucky right? 

I made it to the front at the same time as the mustang pulled up. Aaron was right, there was no way that I would have been able to miss it. This car was a beast. Unfortunately the windows were tinted so I had no idea who was in this beast of a car. I couldn’t bail out now and pretend that it wasn’t me he was waiting for. I mean it’s not like I could hide and blend into the crowd. I’m sure Aaron told him to look for the only freak at the party. I hate Aaron. Stupid Aaron. Stupid Erika.

With one last deep breath to steady and calm myself I pulled the door open to climb in. As I looked up my stomach dropped for yet another time tonight. Yup, I was definitely that unlucky.

Ugh, I knew I should have just walked.