Minute Taker

Chapter 18.1

John and I finally woke-up from falling asleep on the couch, both laughing about how tired we must have been from the dance class. He admitted that he was too worried about me to leave me by myself, wanting to keep an eye on me but clearly his tactics of staying awake didn't work. I couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of waking up beside him, as innocent as it was and for that very reason. The alarm on his watch had gone off fifteen minutes earlier, and he had to be at work in less than ten. I offered for him to use my shower so that he wouldn't have to run back to Fletcher's house, sparing him any scolding from his uncle for being late to work.

While John was showering, I went upstairs to brush out my hair and change into fresh clothes. I had left my laptop open and decided to briefly check f*******: before I headed back downstairs, having received a message from Jannie saying that she was finished classes early and was on her way back to Harrow Hall with her special guest. This guest she was speaking of had been a very hot topic in the last few months, unfortunately it was top secret between us. She had been seeing one of her teacher's assistants, despite the fact that it was against university policy for a student and a TA to be in a relationship of any sort due to favouritism – among many things. She promised me that she wasn't using him for better grades, that what they had was very real, but also promised she wouldn't make it official with him until the last day of classes. She had two more weeks left of school, but attending classes wasn't necessary and most of her professors told her that it wasn't even mandatory. This extra break allowed her to work on her final thesis that she had to submit in a few weeks time, though I knew she would probably save the hard work until last minute.

I was excited to see Jannie again, feeling like our time together on her last break was cut significantly short due to scheduling conflicts. I knew I wasn't going to get to spend as much time with her now that she was bringing Freddy home with her, but I was happy for her regardless. Jannie didn't have the best luck when it came to relationships, I tried to tell her not to invest herself so quickly so that she didn't get too intense before it was the right time. She was a hopeless romantic, and I hoped – for her sake – that Freddy was the same way. By the way she had spoken of him I figured he was, either that he was a really good actor.

At the end of her message she mentioned that she was planning to go to the first Red Bridge party of the year tonight and that she wanted me to come with. Apparently it was Freddy's birthday and she wanted to introduce him to all of her friends, as well as finding a cheap way to celebrate his big day. I wasn't particularly crazy about going to the Red Bridge party, merely because I felt as though we had outgrown the scene. Jannie and I had gone to a lot of the parties in high school, and I attended a number of them with Atheson. They were definitely fun, that I couldn't deny, but it was also a hot spot for the police to nab underage drinkers if they hadn't met their quota for the month, so it was always hit and miss when the party would be broken up by the cops. For the most part the Harrow Hall police looked the other way.

I closed f*******: and went downstairs, John had finished his shower and was just putting on his boots by the front door. He smiled at me as he adjusted the laces a few times, shuffling his feet into the comfortable grooves of the soles. "I really hope I didn't overstay my welcome," John said, fishing the keys to his vehicle from his pocket.

"Not at all," I replied, leaning up against the small table across from him. "I'm actually really glad you stayed, that was – nice."

"I've never slept better," He commented. I could sense that he wanted to move closer to me, but there was a timid air between us both. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him and kiss him already, though that didn't look like it was going to be happening any time soon. "I'm glad you're okay, and if anything like that happens again feel free to call me."

He stepped up to me but reached beyond me to the table that I was leaning on, scribbling down his phone number on a spare piece of paper before handing it to me. I memorized the numbers in my head before looking to him again. "What if I called you and it wasn't because I felt like I was going to pass out? Would that be against the rules?" I joked, chewing at my lip playfully.

His smile was so radiant that I had a hard time paying attention to much else. "Why no, Ellion, you may not call me because you just want to talk, or because you might want to see me – that would be unheard of!"

"So I just have to pretend to pass out all the time now? I'm a terrible actress, just letting you know," I laughed.

"I'll pretend I don't notice then," He added, chuckling to himself as he propped open the door. "If it meant spending more time with you, then I'm willing to overlook your acting skills."

"Well, if you're feeling up to it, there's a party over at the red bridge tonight. Jannie is coming home early from the city and she's bringing her new boyfriend, she wants me to tag along. You interested?"

John stepped out onto the front porch, nodding his head casually. "Well ---" He paused, thinking something over before continuing, "I'll go with you, that's no problem, it's just that – Hadley is planning to go, as far as I'm aware. She invited me to join along, but there's something else."

"I'm not worried about Atheson," I interjected. John nodded, but clearly that wasn't what he was going to mention. He sighed, shrugging his shoulders as he glanced down to his watch. I felt bad for holding him up, though he didn't seem to be rushing out the door. "Yeah, he's going to be there, but he's not the only person. My ex-girlfriend, Nora, is coming up to visit from Brook. She's been friends with Hadley for a little while now, so I guess Hadley invited both her and Ryler."

"Sorry, Ryler is?" I questioned.

"My best friend – the one she started seeing behind my back."

"Got'cha," I replied, shimmying on either foot as I felt the disappointment wash over me. I wanted to spend more time with John, but if it was going to be awkward for him then I wasn't going to ask him to go with me. "Don't worry about it, you don't have to come if you're uncomfortable."

He put his hands up in defense, shaking his head at me as he quickly reached out to grab my hands in his. "Oh no, it's not that. I just figured you may want to know beforehand – I wouldn't want to show up there with you and for Nora to bombard us without you having any idea that she's going to be there. She can be – well, intense."

"That's okay, I have a good head on my shoulders," I smiled as I squeezed his hands in mine.

"I know you do," He gently squeezed my hands in return.

~~~

The car stereo blasted so that I could feel the vehicle shake, while Jannie carelessly sang the words of the song at the top of her lungs as Freddy joined in occasionally, trying to keep his eyes focused on the road. I looked over to John to mouth sorry, but he shrugged at it and tapped his foot along to the beat. The sun was already setting, leaving just a hue of orange in the distance as the blue crept in. It wouldn't be long until the party at the red bridge would be packed full of people, especially given that it was the first one of the year. The fun part about the parties at the bridge was that it was all ages, no one discriminated if you were too young and especially not if you were older – it was tradition for everyone to gather around and have a good time.

Freddy was only going to have a maximum of two drinks spaced within a few hours so that he could be our designated driver, which was usually my role for the night – but tonight Jannie wanted me to have my first drink and to really enjoy myself. That had never been an issue before, I liked the parties just as much without alcohol as I was sure I would with it. I had watched Jannie get very drunk at these parties and didn't really see the appeal of it, not to mention the many times I had to drive Atheson home while trying to get him not to puke in my van. I saw the effects of a hangover and wasn't really sure why anyone would willfully do that to themselves, but tonight I was trying something new.

Cars lined the small back road of concession six which made it difficult to find somewhere to park, but eventually Freddy did. The haze of a large bonfire drifted lazily into the deepening night sky while music boomed through the woods, bodies drifting all around the bridge and the road as well as down below it. Usually there was a group of people who piled a bunch of old couches into the back of a pick-up truck and then littered them underneath the bridge so that there was ample seating, it was a long standing tradition within Harrow Hall. Jannie and Freddy were quick to hop out of his car and soon after Jannie saw someone she knew, waving them over towards us. John and I stood about a foot apart from each other as another group of people came up to talk to Jannie. She introduced our group to the others and soon we were invited down below the bridge to get a drink from the keg that had been supplied.

I couldn't help but wonder if Mahala was lingering nearby, especially if this was where she was hiding out for the last week or so. I hated to think of how often she was around without my knowledge, always feeling a little on edge wherever I went. I tried to push her from my mind as Jannie passed me a red plastic cup, swishing around the foamy light brown liquid before bringing it up to sniff it. John took a sip of his own, staring at me for a moment before leaning in.

"Not a fan of beer?" He questioned, his eyes scanning out at the rest of the group as they cheerily bumped their cups together.

I shrugged. "I don't know yet."

He lifted an eyebrow, obviously unaware of how naive I was to drinking. I smiled at him, finally taking a sip. As soon as the liquid washed towards the back of my throat my first instinct was to spit it out – it was absolutely foul. But I managed not to make a fool of myself, swallowing it down with all my might. He couldn't help but laugh, bringing his cup towards mine to gently clink it against.

"Cheers to your first beer is in order, I suppose," He said, taking another swig of his.

On the second sip I couldn't hide the disgusted face that so desperately had tried to escape the first time, sticking out my tongue as soon as I swallowed the mouthful. "That's putrid, it tastes like how gasoline smells."

"Yeah, a lot of people say that about Bud Light," He couldn't help but laugh at his own joke, not bothering to explain.

"I know I'm going to sound like such a twit, but what's the big deal? I don't see why people want to willingly drink this crap," I said, taking another large swig. He gently reached over to stop my cup from flowing into my mouth, finding himself laughing.

"If you keep that up you're going to find out real soon."

Jannie tore away from her group of friends, excitedly bouncing over to me. "So, what's the verdict?"

"Is there something less – beer tasting?" I questioned.

Jannie laughed, nodding her head. "Oh baby, you've barely just begun. Finish that up and I'll show you all about cocktails."

Someone behind her said the word cocktails in a sing-song voice, causing another part of the group to join in. Jannie ushered both John and I to join in on the group, but both of us still felt out of place. Mostly I just wanted to spend more time with John, but I humoured Jannie by making small talk with a few of her other friends. I talked to one of her good friends from high school, Mathew Henderson, who clearly still had eyes for Jannie seeing as how he wasn't able to peel them away from her for a single second. I could see the jealousy ripping over his usually stone-like face whenever Freddy placed his arm around Jannie, and I noticed that Mathew wasn't the only one sharing this look. Jannie was so beautiful and alluring that most of the eyes in the crowd were drawn to her at some point, awing at just how bubbly and outgoing she was. For a moment I felt slightly protective of Jannie when I noticed how many of them weren't just noticing her big beautiful smile, but her other assets. I hated how people could be so demeaning towards her, and hoped that Freddy didn't treat her like an object.

Jannie checked my cup to see that it was nearly empty, snatching it from me as she excitedly called out cocktails and the crowd roared in return. She poured a concoction of alcohol into a variety of different cups, finally handing mine back to me and one to John as well. He didn't strike me as the type to drink fruity alcoholic beverages, and by the look on his face I wasn't too far off.

"You don't have to drink it if you don't like it," I whispered to him.

"I feel like I'm missing some rite of passage for these momentous parties if I don't at least try it," He replied as he finally bridged the distance between us.

I took one sip of the drink and hated to admit how much I enjoyed it, and unlike the beer I couldn't taste the bitter and pungent undertones. It was a mixture of pineapple and citrus, with the occasional punch of whichever alcohol had been used to freshen it up. John made the same disgusted look that I had made earlier when I drank the beer, finding myself laughing at him. I started to feel warm and fuzzy, and it wasn't just because of John.

"I want to like it, I really do – but there is nothing appetizing about vodka and pineapple," John said, smacking his lips a few times as he swished the liquid around in his cup. "Frankly I don't find there's much good to vodka as there is, let alone when people try to mask it with an array of fruits."

"So you're more of a fan of beer?"

"I guess you could say that," He paused, trying to take another sip of his drink but finding himself too disgusted. "I'm not really much of a drinker, to be honest. I'll have a beer or two in the summer, but it's not something I like to do casually."

I felt like he wasn't enjoying himself and immediately regretted asking him to go. I should have asked him to do something else instead, perhaps we would have been better off going to see another movie or something like that. John really didn't strike me as the type to party, and from what I was seeing so far I wasn't wrong. He was clearly trying to enjoy himself for my sake, but he seemed out of place. Oddly, I felt like I related more to him now than I did before. I had done the party scene with Jannie, but I never really enjoyed it like she had. She loved to dance and drink, she knew how to work a room and meet everyone in sight – while I preferred to find one person to speak to for the entirety of the night, typically the other designated driver of the group. Knowing this about John only made me like him more.

"Do you want to go for a walk or something? Seems like they're about to bust out the shots and I don't really want to get mixed up in that," I said, pointing to the bottles that were being distributed around the group.

"Are you sure? Don't you want to try a shot at least?" He asked.

"I don't think I do," I laughed. "Maybe later, but right now I kind of just want to get away from – well, this," I said as I motioned to the people who were getting increasingly drunk by the second.

John extended his hand towards mine, making my heart flutter as I placed my hand in his. We walked from beneath the bridge and began to follow the stream away from the hustle of people, but we came to a quick halt as John pulled me back. It didn't take long for my eyes to follow his towards a group of people descending the slope towards us, seeing Hadley and Atheson hand-in-hand while another equally as attractive couple followed not far behind. John's hand left mine immediately, leaving mine dangling in mid-air. It didn't take me long to realize that the woman in the couple behind was the same one from my premonition, except her arm wasn't in a cast. She was just as stunning as I remembered, only now she had a certain aura that radiated around her like someone was following her with a spotlight. This must have been John's ex-girlfriend, Nora, and his best friend, Ryler. It didn't take a genius to figure that out simply judging by John's reaction to seeing them.

John cleared his throat as Hadley took notice of him, a smile flickering over her bubbly face as she pointed to him and ushered the others towards us. Atheson was clearly already under the influence of something, not noticing me until they were practically three feet away. His eyes lit up, which wasn't saying much because his eyelids were heavy and drooping, a goofy smile breaking out on his face.

"Hey, you came!" Hadley said, nudging John as she broke free from Atheson's arm. "And you came with a friend."

John forced a smile, tearing his eyes away from Nora so that he could politely turn to me. "Yeah, this is Ellion. Ellion, this is my cousin Hadley."

Hadley extended her hand towards mine, but I could already sense that she felt awkward about having to meet me. I had no doubt in my mind that Atheson had told her about me, and probably embellished a lot of stories surrounding me – as was tradition with Atheson. "Oh, you're the same girl from the fair last week? I barely recognized you without the chicken visor," Hadley said, letting a small giggle escape.

"Hi John," Nora peeped up from the side, stepping up to gently hug him with one arm before quickly pulling away. "You look good – rested."

"I am, thanks. You – too," John stammered. Not once did John and Ryler make eye contact, which made the entire meeting that much more awkward. Immediately John looked as though he wanted to get out of this situation, his fists balled up so that his knuckles were blanching.

I lifted my cup to them, pointing at it. "You guys should really go over and try one of Jannie's cocktails, it's fantastic," I said, trying to be as cool as a cucumber but feeling as though I was forcing every word that I said.

"You're drinking?" Atheson interrupted, his speech slightly delayed. He cackled for a second, wiping a hand over his face. "Well, if that's the case then call me around for your next shot, we'll do one together."

I forced a smile and nodded. There was no way I wanted to drink anything if it involved doing it with Atheson. Hadley bumped up against Atheson and, as if on cue, he wrapped his arm back around her. "Let's go get something to drink, I don't think we pre-drank enough," Hadley laughed, tugging Atheson along towards the underside of the bridge where the drinks were being distributed.

John and Ryler still refused to look at each other, both of them acting as if the other didn't exist. Nora smiled at me, though I could see how uncomfortable she was by the look on her face. She was such a beautiful woman that it seemed odd to see her looking as tense as she did, there was nothing relaxed about her demeanour. She cleared her throat, awkwardly looking behind us at the group as they began talking to the others.

"How long are you here for?" John asked, almost mechanically.

"Just a few days," Nora replied in a very similar tone.

"With Hadley?"

Nora paused. "Is that an issue, Johnathan?"

"No."

I swallowed hard, trying my best not to show how uncomfortable I happened to be. At this point it seemed as though John and Nora didn't realize there were other people standing around them, as if they tuned the whole world out.

"Because if it is, we can easily get a motel room."

"Nonsense."

Nora took another moment to think, the two of them staring at each other in a way that seemed as though they were speaking telepathically. Nora pulled her eyes from John's, trying her best to once again seem calm as she turned her attention towards me. "I'm sorry, we weren't properly introduced. I'm Nora, and this is my boyfriend, Ryler," Nora said, leaning forward to shake my hand as she used her opposite hand to pull Ryler forward. His face was like a statute, not a single emotion to be seen. He nodded once at me before focusing his attention elsewhere. "What did you say your name was, darlin'?"

Something about the pet name struck a nerve, but I tried my best not to be petty and chalked it up to the slight southern drawl in her speech. "Ellion," I replied, firmly shaking her hand in return.

"Say, you wouldn't mind going with Ryler to get us a couple'a drinks, would you?" Nora asked, not once looking to gauge John's reaction. "It's just that I need to catch up with Johnny here for a minute."

"Not a problem," I said, lying through my teeth. I hated to think of how uncomfortable John was, and it was clear as day that he was. "Anything you're opposed to?"

"Just a beer would be fine, thanks," She almost ordered, gently pushing Ryler towards me. He walked past both John and I, rubbing shoulders with John as he did, making his way towards where the drinks were. I didn't hesitate to follow him, looking over my shoulder once as Nora crept in close to John. She immediately began talking to him, trying her best to stay calm. I wondered what they were saying, but decided not to bother myself with the details. It wasn't any of my business.

Ryler and I went our separate ways, I didn't have any intentions of getting Nora her drink, instead I headed straight to Jannie. I could feel Atheson watching me as I did, trying to ignore him the best that I could. He wasn't going to ruin my evening, despite the fact that I knew he was clearly upset about seeing me with another guy – especially his new girlfriend's cousin. It wasn't like I had planned any of it.

Jannie turned to me, starry-eyed from a few too many drinks, and immediately noticed the disheveled look on my face. "You look like you could use a drink – or six," Jannie said, pulling me to the side. "Is it that bad?"

"Not with Atheson, no," I replied, nodding my head towards John and Nora. "I think we should call it an early night, I don't think he's as okay with this as he originally let on."

Jannie looked disappointed, eying Freddy from a distance, who was involved in a deep conversation with two other people. "We just got here, is there any way you guys could hold out for another hour or two? I swear only a few more drinks and then we can leave."

I didn't want to ruin Jannie's evening, but I also didn't want John to feel the way he did. Maybe there was a way that we could stay away from them for the rest of the evening? I didn't know how, but I was willing to make it work for Jannie's sake. I sighed and nodded, which made her happy. Jannie's happiness was most important to me, and I knew that she was excited to allow her new boyfriend time to get to know everyone. I could see why she did; Freddy seemed like an upstanding guy and he was very well-educated, I couldn't see what wasn't to like about him.

Jannie reached out to squeeze my arm before heading back to Freddy's side, joining in on the conversation that she had left hanging. I looked into the remnants of my distorted orange cocktail, bringing it up to my mouth to finish it off in one large chug. I went over to ask Jannie to make me another one, which she did without a moment's notice. Atheson lingered nearby for awhile, playing it off like he was making conversation with a group of people but finally found an opportunity to break away.

I sipped at my beverage, unable to stop myself from glancing over at John and Nora. By this point Nora was moving her hands in exaggerated movements, trying her best not to show that she was very clearly arguing with John. Meanwhile he was standing still with his arms crossed over his chest, watching her as she continued to argue. This scene was very reminiscent of the premonition, but there were too many things that differed for it to be the same. The setting wasn't right, Nora didn't have a broken arm, and there were far too many people around.