Slowly Getting… 16B

Which they did. Stopping at a store to pick up more drinks and more snacks. Parking the van in an abandoned lot. Drinking and eating, blaring music on the highest volume and singing without a care, like the world was theirs. Noelle and Sawyer watched. After all they're not as familiar with the group as the group is with each other.

One of the girls, leaving the others still dancing, walked up to Sawyer with a smile on her face. "Dance with me." Emi said, taking his hand without waiting for an answer and pulling him to his feet. Noelle chuckled, shaking her head.

With a smirk on his face, Sawyer lazily got up. "If I'm doing this, you're doing it too." With his free hand, he pulled Noelle with them. They danced and danced the night away, until one of the guitarists announced that they still had to return the instruments that night. And what is the time? Two in the morning. They scrambled back to the van like they were about to be set on fire, laughing all the way

"Are you serious? You're just telling us now?" The other guy asked.

"I just forgot." The guitarist said, slamming the door shut and starting the van at the same time.

The whole group of six were either drunk or tipsy. They managed to get back to school and back to the music department by three. Despite having clearance from the school and security, they hushed their way through the building. Shushing each other as they dragged instruments and dropping some and giggling and shushing until they reached the hall they'd taken the instruments from. After which they all settled into desk chairs before the instruments, talking in whispers and laughing. The trip to and from the van had left them all a little exhausted in their intoxicated states. While Noelle and three of the band members talked among themselves and got high, Perla, who hadn't danced with Sawyer a little over an hour ago, was with him.

Drunk as he was, "My mom she," He swallowed. His new friend watching him and too drunk to really pay attention to what he was saying. "She always wanted to be involved in like whatever we were doing. And when we said no she'd pout. Like a little girl." He chuckled. "She called us killjoys. But my sister…" he rubbed his eyes. "I never understood how they could be so close. But they were and honestly I was kinda jealous. But at the same time I didn't want her wrapping my head around her arms. And she always wanted to. Not always always. I think we both grew out of it and Peggy hadn't. Peggy can be both annoying and adorable. Sometimes I'd get upset just hearing her knock on my door." He licked his lips and kept talking. It felt good to talk about them. His mouth kept moving and all he knew was he was talking about them. His little release, a block to the leak he still didn't realize was there. He managed to stop himself after blabbing for ten minutes. "Sorry." He smirked. "I got caught up in my own umm…" He adjusted his glasses.

"I don't mind." She shrugged. Her eyes moved from his eyes to his mouth. "Anything else you want to talk about?" She watched him smile and shake his head. She clicked her tongue. "Aww… too bad."

The excitement drained all of them. Soon enough, they were all sitting around. Sawyer stared at the instruments in front of them with an itch to touch the guitar. He stood up from his chair beside Noelle and went to it. One of the guys got up too. After feeling up the electric guitar, Sawyer picked it up. Placing his hands like he'd seen so many people do. "Do you play?" The guy asked. Sawyer shook his head.

"How Noelle?" The two girls pulled their chairs up to Noelle's sides. Still behind her yet close enough to whisper in her ears even though they didn't. "How are you okay just being friends with him?"

Noelle smiled, fixing her eyes on her friend looking like he can play the guitar.

"Imagine if he were a rockstar or something." Perla by her right said.

"Don't make it any worse." Emi begged, practically pleased. "Those eyes, that hair, that face, that body and a voice to go with it. I'd die."

Noelle laughed. "You exaggerate."

"Of course I do."

"Screw Hannah or whatever. I'll make him mine." Perladeclared.

All three of them were looking at him. His hair over his face as the guy showed him what to do. He really looked like he could be a rockstar. He looked up and pulled his hair back.

"Did you see that?" Perla gasped.

"Help me, I want him in my dreams tonight." Emi groaned.

Noelle chuckled. Seeing and noticing something her new friends didn't. Sawyer's hair is longer than usual. It was strange considering it had been basically the same for a year, even longer than it was when he got back to school weeks ago. But then again, he might be trying something new. Or he's not ready to cut it yet. But his hair has never fallen over his face for him to have to pull it back. Her forehead creased for a second. She chose to let it go, instead of over thinking nothing. She folded her arms.

"If Otto were here as well…" Emi trailed off. "Seriously Noelle, how are you just friends with them? And where have they been hiding?"

Perla shook her head. "I don't care. Hannah can go-"

"You know, he also has to want to be with you." Noelle pointed out.

She hissed at Noelle's dream killing truth.

"You get to hang out with him whenever. We were talking before and I promise you, I wanted to kiss him."

"What was he telling you?" The two girls behind Noelle looked at each other.

"I don't remember." Perla shrugged. There will be classes in the morning. Monday morning. But lucky for Sawyer, his first class was not till afternoon, so drinking… which continued and whispering and learning to play the guitar while drunk and talking to his new friends till dawn isn't a problem. Although now it was closing in on four thirty. He hadn't exactly learned to play but he enjoyed holding the instrument and the few cords his sudden teacher showed him.

A door slammed shut. The group stood suddenly. All six of them suddenly a little bit sober and looking at each other. "Who's in there?!" They heard the shout.

Another look around. "Run!" On of the guys barked, taking Perla's hand and pulling her with him. The other guy followed.

"Wha- stop!" Emi called after them. Clear minded enough to remember they had permission and she had the slip. She started after them, Noelle and Sawyer behind her.

The others burst out the lecture room, passing a security guard. The very one who'd called out and sent them running. "Hey! Stop!"

"Ruuun!!!" The same guy and Perla laughed in excitement as they turned a corner.

"Hey!" He was about to run-

"Sorry!" Emi came out. He looked at her. "We have permission." She brought out the slip and handed it to him.

He moved towards the light in the room instead of using his already on torchlight. He looked up from the slip. "Then why did they run?"

Noelle and Sawyer watched blankly as the near trouble was sorted out and the guard asked them to leave. With the obvious reason that it's too late and there will be classes at dawn. Noelle pointed in the direction the other three had run off in. "I'll go get them." She walked backwards, seeing the security guard nod in approval.

As the guard turned to leave, Emi turned as well, following Noelle who was rushing away. Sawyer looked at the guard, then Noelle up ahead and then Emi, grabbing her arm with no warning and making her face him. A smirk on his face seeing the shock on Emi's. He stepped forward, making her step back until her back hit the wall of the very lecture room they were in minutes ago. The hallway was dark, the light from the lecture room streaming out, it made it possible for Emi to watch the way his eyes moved and see the mischievous smirk on his face.