Chapter 24- Secret party

The trail is dark and lonely, owls hooting and crickets chirping are the only sounds to be heard. I'm alone walking down a dark horror-stricken trail in one of the world's scariest forests. The cold breeze sends a bite down my body, it's a good thing I'm wearing my jacket. I stand at the bus stop alone in the dark and wait for the bus which is supposed to be here in the next 10 minutes according to the schedule.

''I'm sorry ma'am but we don't go this far up. I will drop you up to the trail and you'll have to walk in, I'm not sure where this cabin is.'' the driver informs me as I step into the bus.

The drive up the trail is 40 minutes long and there's no sign of any cabin up here. We passed all the cabins a while ago and now there are just trees and dirt grounds. I begin to wonder if I'm stepping into a trap. What if the guy on the phone knew that it was me and he gave me an address to come so that they can kill me or something? Oh god, what am I walking into? I step out of the bus and keep on walking to the left.

The text said that it's a dirt trail barely noticeably and keep walking until I see a large red maple tree turn right and keep following the trail. The trail gets darker and darker as I continue walking and I wonder how far up am I, pretty far. As I keep walking I see no sign of a cabin anywhere, maybe it's a trap. Just as I'm about to turn back I hear metal music and I see lights flashing in the distance, as I bend the corner I see the cabin.

It's a pretty big cabin, three stories high and wide base. Numerous cars are parked to the front, the front door is open and people are constantly in and out. The place is packed. No wonder the driver didn't know where this cabin was, it's practically in the middle of nowhere. It's the only cabin and building up here. I walk inside and immediately a red cup is placed into my hand, I politely accept the cup and bring it to my nose and the alcohol almost burns my nostrils.

''Hey gorgeous where do you think you're going?'' a guy puts his arm around my shoulder.

''I'm looking for Hero'' I say over the boisterous music.

''Aren't they all'' he laughs.

''I'm afraid Mr. Stefan is a little busy right now'' he smirks.

Busy? What is he busy doing?

''But come over here let me show you the rest of the group'' he says and pulls me through the crowd before I can answer.

He leads me past the kitchen and into the living room. There is a couch with three girls and five guys. All of the girl's hair is dyed in red with black ends and I immediately know who they are. They're the girls from that night and I think these are the guys from that night too. Two of the girls have each of their legs curled on one guy's legs and the other girl is sitting on top of another guy's lap. The other guys are sitting on the other couch smoking and drinking. The girls are wearing really short pants that I can practically see their butt cheeks hanging out from their seating position, their tank tops are tight exposing their stomachs and bellybutton rings. All the guys have piercings on their face but there's this one guy who stands out the most with the most piercings on his ear, they go from his earlobe and come back all the way down.

''What'd you say your name was again?'' the guy asks me.

''Sia''

''Everyone this is Sia. Sia meets Dash, Axe, Diesel, Stone, Gigi, Roxy and Livia'' he gestures to everyone.

''And I'm Blade'' a guy says.

I realize that he just introduced me to everyone, everyone but Brooke and Hero are here which obviously means that they're together right now, a pang of jealousy rages through me with a hint of saddness making its way through.

''Come sit over here'' Diesel says.

''Sia, hmm that name sounds really familiar'' Diesel says way too loud next to me now all the attention is focused on me.

''Are you new around here?'' one of the girls asked whose name I've forgotten already.

''Are you?'' she asks even louder when I don't answer.

''Uhm, yeah'' I say.

''What is a girl like you doing out here?'' she asks while everyone is staring at me.

''I'm here for an internship for four months''

''Hmm'' she says and looks at Dash.

''Were you the girl that called me an hour ago?'' Stone asked he stands out the most as he has the most ear piercings.

Hero has a lot too but not as much as this guy.

''Yes'' I admit.

''How did you hear about the party?'' he asks and I have no clue how to answer.

''No thank you'' I say and politely refuse a bottle of Vodka. I see everyone take a sip of it as the bottle is passed on from mouth to mouth, that's so nasty just thinking about all the mouths that were drinking from it. Doesn't he notice the red cup in my hand, so why did he offer me the bottle?

''You don't drink?'' another girl asks me.

''No''

''You're here for an internship, right? which means you're like at least 17 and you don't drink?'' her brows raise at me and I have no idea how to respond so I just shake my head.

''Let's play a game'' Livia says and I'm afraid to hear what kind of game it is.

''Let's play strip poker!'' Gigi suggests.

We all form a circle in the middle of the living room on the ground.

''You do know how to play strip poker right?'' Gigi asks and I shake my head, I've never played this game before but just hearing the name of it sounds like a very inappropriate game.

''We don't have to follow the actual poker rules we like to make it our own. Instead of playing for cash you play for cash in strip poker, you can start out playing for money, then players must offer up articles of clothing to stay in a hand when they run out of chips or cash. If you lose, your clothes get removed one piece at a time. Sometimes players all get a draw, then they show their cards. All the losers have to take off a previously specified item of clothing while the winner gets to keep everything on. You can play any variation of poker, although it's best to keep it to simple games with fewer betting rounds, such as or one of the five-card draw variations. Basically, everyone is dealt with five cards and they can then exchange one or more of them for an equal number of cards from the remaining deck. But here we like to spice things up a bit. So each item of clothing that a person takes off the person to the right of them suck the exposed area for 5 seconds. We also like to play a little truth or dare in between.'' Stone explains.

My mind tells me to run, to run far away from these people and head straight back to the tents but I nod and agree to play. Diesel takes his shirt off and Gigi sucks his neck for 10 seconds. I cringe then look away. It's now my turn and I'm scared to death. I show them my cards and apparently, everyone starts saying 'oooo' and Dash tells me that I have to take off something. Everyone is staring at me and I have no idea what to do. I take off my jacket and I stare clueless and nervous at Blade indicating that I don't want him to suck me.

He nods and yells, 'Roxy's turn' and everyone's eyes are now on her, I'm surprised by his actions but so yet so relieved. My phone interrupts and it's Nelson if I don't answer he'll know something's up and he will tell my mom and she will freak out and make a big deal and might tell the leaders or something that I'm not answering.

I make my way outside far enough to so that he wouldn't hear the music.

''Hey'' he chirps.

''Hey'' I say back.

''I've texted you a couple of times today but you haven't responded''

''Oh yeah I was really busy and I'm really tired right now''

''Oh shit sorry'' two drunk girls bump into me and the phone falls to the ground.

''Are you okay? who was that?'' he asks.

''Yeah, I'm fine. Look I gotta go''

''Is that music in the background? Where are you?''

''Oh we're having a party tonight'' I lie.

''Oh really?''

''Yeah, with all the interns and everything''

''Oh''

''Yeah so I gotta go now. I will text you tomorrow''

''Okay goodnight. I love you. Be careful'' he says.

''I love you too'' I say and hang up.

I make my way back inside and I just stand in place as I notice a face that looks the most familiar and the reason I came here. Hero's now sitting on the couch with a girl latched onto him, whom I assume is Brooke. His hair is messy and his eyes are bloodshot, he looks like he's been drinking for hours and his clothes look like he just woke up. The girl's hair is also messy and her fingers are running through Hero's hair and I can tell that they just slept together.

Did they? Please, I hope not.

The thought of him touching her and her touching him and having sex makes me want to throw up inside my mouth, I can't imagine him touching her after the way he touched me, I don't want him touching anyone else and I don't want anyone else touching him especially her. But who am I to say, we don't mean anything to each other and he couldn't care less about me and I have no right to mess with his personal life, whoever he chooses to mess around with is his business, not mine and I have no right to tell him otherwise.

I knew from the moment that she called him that night and made his mood totally changed that I didn't like her. Her leg is latched onto his and her hand over his chest. She's wearing a mini black skirt that makes her pink panties quite visible with her seating position on Hero. Her long hair is sprawled out on her body and Hero's chest. She's wearing a purple strapless tight top that exposes her chest and stomach, her boobs are spilling out from her bra and her in very close contact with Hero's face.

Hero's wearing the same outfit I saw him wearing today. A black t-shirt and black jeans. He takes a sip from his beer bottle then rests it on the table next to him he then picks up his cigarette from a small bowl on the table. His hand is now playing with her fingers while his other is trailing up and down her leg. They're looking at each other talking and laughing and the way they look at each other I can tell they have a deep connection. He looks happy, much happier than he is with me, he looks much happier than today at the stream. I just keep staring at them and he still doesn't seem to notice me.

''Sia! thought you left'' Dash says that takes me out of my stare and as soon as Hero hears my name his head snaps up and he looks at me then look away.

''Oh, uhm no I just had to answer a phone call''

He pats the seat next to him on the couch and I sit.

''Oh Sia this is Brooke and this is Hero, oh weren't you looking for Hero?'' he asks and everyone eyes are on me again.

''Oh yeah'' is all I can say.

''Oh Gigi had to leave and Roxy and Stone have gone into the bedroom so we decided to cancel strip poker and we'll play it next time'' Dash says, I don't get bad vibes from him, he seems like the nicest one.

''Sia I like that name, felt like I've heard it before'' Brooke twirls her hair then looks at Hero and they share an awkward glance. Her voice is annoying and I feel to smack all that makeup off her face.

The bottle of Vodka comes my way again and this time I don't refuse it. I grab it and gulp down a mouthful. I try my best not to think about all the mouths that have drunk from this same bottle because I might end up throwing up. The taste burns my tongue and my throat as it makes it's way down and I feel Hero's eyes on me. How do people like this? This is my first time drinking alcohol, I've never drunk it before nor have I even held a bottle before.

''Wow take it easy there tiger!'' Diesel sneers.

I look forward and now Hero and Brooke are making out. How could he do this to me? Right in front of me. Right in front of everyone.

He acts so different around his friends and well his girlfriend Brooke. He says he doesn't date but they both look like they are dating and I hate to say it but they actually look good together.

''You did know that you were coming to a party right not the park'' Brooke laughs and so does everyone else except Hero he just remains silent and avoids eye contact with me.

He acts like he doesn't know me at all when truly he does and has done things with me no one else ever has. I thought that after our time today he maybe actually likes me and he's not a total heartless crazy guy as he looks, but he is. After our time at the stream and dinner, the way we kissed, the way we talked and the way he touched me I thought that he actually liked me but I was wrong he doesn't, he doesn't care about me or anyone but Brooke and his group. He's a totally different person right now, he's not the person that took me to the stream today and who I shared one of the best times of my life with.

I hope that today was our last meeting and he doesn't plan on seeing me again, I really don't want to have anything to do with him ever again, I don't ever want to see him. After seeing him tonight I now see who he really is, although I thought I saw something different in him today besides the fact that he's a masked man of the forest who does witchcraft and taunts people, I thought I saw something today in him at the stream, but I was wrong. He blends in perfectly with his group of friends, with their tattoos, piercings and just their personality they are all the same unlike me I'm so different and I don't belong here, I shouldn't be here. I need to leave, these people are up to no good.

''Want a smoke?'' Diesel asks.

''I don't smoke''

''Wow you're the first seventeen year old who doesn't drink nor smoke. I didn't know your type still existed.'' Axe says causing Brooke to laugh and now Hero is twirling the ends of her hair, she looks at him and gives him a seductive smile.

Dash puts his arm around my shoulder and gives me a schemish smile, I force a smile back and he speaks.

''I hope you didn't tell anyone about what you saw that night'' he says.

''Yeah I hope you kept your little trap hole shut because if you didn't there will be some serious consequences'' Brooke growls and I look at Hero and he just looks at me but doesn't say anything.

''You're lucky I didn't see you that night otherwise I would've shown you something that would've made you run far away from here and never look back'' she says.

''I didn't tell anyone''

''Very well, so do you have a boyfriend?''

''Yeah''

''Hmm so do you sneak out every night and fuck him?'' Livia asks and I gasp and now everyone gaze is to me.

''Wait a second, you're a virgin aren't you?'' Brooke smiles and I shift uncomfortably in my seat but I don't answer.

I can't believe she just asked me that in front of everyone, this is so embarrassing. I barely look at her I just look down of humiliation.

''Who the hell's a virgin at 17, I mean seriously'' Brooke laughs.

''Alright take it easy on her, she's not used to these kinds of things and especially us'' Dash says.

She lays down on Hero's lap and he continues playing with her hair and her fingers. It disgusts me and hurts me at the same time, I can't bear to see anymore of this. I need to leave.

''It's getting pretty late now, I need to go''

''It's now 10:30'' Axe says.

''Yeah I know but I have to get up early in the morning'' I say and I realize how ridiculous that makes me sound as Brooke swallows back her laugh.

''Okay good night everyone'' I say and make my way for the door. Hero doesn't even look at me, he just stares at Brooke then starts talking to his friends.

I push my way through the crowd without looking back. I walk down the lonely path trying to remember my way back to get the bus. The music gets softer and softer as I make my way further down the path.