Chapter4

#Chapter4

The music was too loud.

It seemed to pulsate from every direction, waves of it riding through my body. I staggered out the door, the distorted chatter of people laughing and having a good time fading to the background as the cold slap of midnight air hit my face.

I puked. Streams of it shot from my mouth, hitting the wet ground. The taste brought tears to my eyes and as I braced myself against the wall, I just wanted to go home.

The streets were mostly empty. It was late on a wet, murky Thursday night—or maybe it counted as Friday now. I wasn't sure—and I had thought it had been a good idea to tag along with my new friends for a night out.

It wasn't a good idea; it was the worst idea of my life. I had lost Kyle and Aaron. They had been with me and then a sea of people had divided us and it didn't matter how much I looked, I couldn't find them. Lucy and Florence had been with us, too. They had gone off to dance a while ago but I had no idea where to start looking for them. The dance floor had been so packed that I had barely been able to move.

I struggled to get my phone out my pocket, just barely managing to get it out of my pocket without dropping it in my own vomit. I phoned Kyle but his phone rang out; I wasn't surprised. The music was too loud. I doubt he would have heard it.

I tried all of them before trying my sister's number. She didn't answer either. It was late, though and I knew that she had had a busy day. I needed to stop depending on her as much.

Through blurry eyes, my attention dropped to Joel's number. I had been working at Neptune's for almost a month now. After the first time that I had accidentally called Joel, we spoke to each other a lot. We texted each other most days, even if it was me just asking him dumb questions like if a do fish get thirsty. He always answered my questions. Even the ones that Nicky found stupid and would ignore.

I called him. The phone rang out and I whimpered again as the world felt like it was spinning, squeezing my eyes shut.

/"Hey,/" Joel's concerned voice distorted through the speaker. /"Are you okay? You didn't answer my texts. I know that you might just be having a good time but I got a little worried./"

Joel had been invited to come along with us but he had declined. He had said that it was because he was busy; Florence had said it was because him and Aaron didn't get along.

/"Joel,/" my voice slurred out. /"I'm lost and I'm sicky. It's on my shoes./"

/"Where are you?/"

/"There... there's a streetlamp?/" I offered up. I wasn't sure where I was. We had originally started off at a local pub. Then we had moved out into the town. I didn't remember how I had gotten there, if somebody had driven or if we had gotten a taxi.

/"Asa, I need you to listen to me carefully, okay?/"

/"M'kay,/" I whispered before groaning and doubling over again, more throwing up once more. Tears were freely running down my face now.

/"Shit, Asa, is there anybody with you right now?/"

I glanced around; everything seemed to twirl until I felt like being sick again. There were no people outside. The queue that had been there when we had arrived had vanished and only a bored-looking doorman remained. He was looking at me blankly, as though it was just another day for him.

/"There's a big scawy man that stops people from going into the magic doors,/" I told Joel.

/"Give him the phone./"

I did what he asked. The doorman glared at me out of four—no, wait, six—eyes, his face a moving blur, and his hand snatched out. I shrank down to the ground, uncaring that I was getting wet, blinking up at the man who spoke low and fast. He handed me my phone back.

/"Every damn night,/" the doorman muttered sourly. /"Dumb kids like you./"

I ignored him, hugging my phone to my chest and laying my head against the brick wall. I wasn't sure if Joel was still on the phone; my arms were too heavy to hold it up. A group of men walked past. They laughed at me. They jeered out a few insults to me. Their words didn't register and the man at the door said something to them that had them carrying on.

I think maybe I fell asleep because the next time I blinked, Joel's face was in front of mine. He was speaking to me.

/"You haves pwetty eyes,/" I told him, hand reaching up to try and grab them. They were a light shade of brown that turned a golden colour when the light hit them right. My phone slid out my hand, hitting the ground. I tried to pick it up but there were three of them and I kept reaching for the wrong one.

/"I can fly,/" I gasped when the ground began to get further and further away.

/"No,/" Joel grunted. /"You're just lucky you're not heavy./"

I blinked. He was holding me. His strong arms supported my body and my head had flopped against his shoulder. My hands opened and closed, sure that I had been trying to get something. I just couldn't remember what it was.

/"Oh, look, Joel. You gotta rock me cuz I'm a baby,/" I told him, snuggling into him. /"Just a smol bean. A jumping bean. Can beans jump, Joel? I wanna jump./"

/"Even pissed, you can't shut up,/" Joel grumbled. Walky walky. We passed the bright streetlamp. I waved to it because I knew it was shining bright just for me.

I vaguely remember being strapped into the car. Joel fastened my belt, not even getting mad when I nommed on his arm as he leaned over me.

/"Where's Kyle?/" He demanded while he still loomed over me. His face was close to mine. It looked mad. It looked real mad. He wasn't smiling like he usually was. His face was twisted into a tight pinch.