Phoebe - Chapter 14

The night was going fine... well, mostly fine. A few hiccups here and there, but nothing I couldn't handle.

I'd already walked straight into the emotional landmine that was Zach and Lena. They hadn't said a word to each other all night. Just awkward eye contact, tension so thick you couldn't cut it with a knife.

Every time they ended up in the same ten-foot radius, the air around them turned frosty.

I swear, it was like babysitting divorced parents at a wedding.

Thankfully, it was a big enough party to avoid anyone you didn't feel like dealing with. The abandoned house and the open field gave us space to breathe.

Cushions were scattered around in little groups, lights strung between posts and tree branches flickered in soft yellow, casting everyone in this surreal, dream-like glow. Music pumped low in the background, the kind that made your chest hum just slightly if you stood close enough to the speakers.

At some point, I managed to sneak Victor in through the side fence while Aaron was off helping Adrian rig the dodgy bonfire setup. I didn't want to deal with the whole "Why is he here?" drama.

Victor deserved to be here. I didn't care if it caused a fight later. This night was for all of us.

There were fourteen of us total.

And yet, something about the number made me pause.

Fourteen. Not a random gathering. It felt… intentional.

And the atmosphere tonight, maybe it was just the heat, or the buzz from the drinks, or the weight of all the school-year drama building up and finally breaking free, but it felt different.

Heavier.

Brighter.

Charged.

Like the kind of air just before a lightning storm. You could feel something, even if you couldn't explain it. It stirred deep in your chest, made your skin tingle, made you glance over your shoulder even when nothing was there.

I shook the thought off with a smile and wandered through the party, plastic cup in hand, the vodka and raspberry soda sweet on my tongue. The music had switched to something upbeat, something with a heavy bass that made the makeshift dancefloor bounce.

I stopped to chat with Tia and Thea, who were debating whether or not Demi's playlist was "good chaotic" or "unhinged." Max walked by with a slice of watermelon and a glow stick around his neck like a necklace. Classic.

Everywhere I turned, the people I'd spent the last few years growing up with were finally cutting loose. Laughing, dancing, lounging. Acting like we weren't just teenagers pretending we weren't afraid of growing up.

But beneath all of it, beneath the music and the drinks and the jokes and the drama, I still felt it.

That weird feeling.

Like something powerful was watching. Or waiting.

I took another sip of my drink and kept moving, weaving through the party with my usual practiced ease, smile warm, laughter light.

Whatever the feeling was, whatever was in the air tonight, I wasn't about to let it ruin the night.

Not yet, anyway.

"Look, Zach! I don't care what you have to say!"

The yelling cut clean through the music, sharp enough to make a few heads turn. The bass still thumped in the background, but the vibe had already shifted. The warmth, the glow, it cracked a little at the edges.

I was halfway through a laugh with Thea and Adrian when I heard it. Lena's voice. I sighed and set down my drink, already knowing where this was heading.

I stepped outside and sure enough, there they were.

Lena, clearly tipsy, her cheeks flushed, drink still in one hand. Zach was standing a few feet from her with both palms raised like he was surrendering. His voice was low, trying to calm her down, but Lena wasn't having it.

"Guys, hey, what's up-" Dion walked past me, always the peacekeeper, always stepping in even when he probably shouldn't.

Lena whipped around toward him, her expression twisted with frustration.

"Don't butt into our conversation, Dion. You're always trying to fix shit." She slurred slightly, pointing accusingly at Zach.

"This cunt needs to admit what he did was wrong."

Zach exhaled, his tone pleading. "I did apologize-"

"Yeah? A half-ass apology doesn't count." Her voice cracked over the music, and I could feel the tension tightening like a rope. Everyone near them was pretending not to watch, but they were absolutely watching.

I started to step forward, wondering if I needed to intervene, when suddenly, I heard more yelling.

From inside.

No. No, no, no.

I turned around and bolted back through the open doorway, weaving between people and empty drink cans.

That's when I saw them, Aaron and Victor.

Aaron was standing tall, fists clenched at his sides, face red with anger. Victor was backed against the wall, trying to hold his ground, but I could see the panic in his eyes. He gripped his cane tighter, his whole body tensed like he was preparing for the worst.

"Why the fuck are you here, Victor?" Aaron spat, voice low but dangerous. He shoved Victor in the shoulder, hard enough to make him stumble.

"Hey! Stop!" I forced myself between them, pushing against Aaron's chest. "I invited him."

Aaron's eyes snapped to mine, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might crack.

"Don't try to save his ass, Phoebe. Move."

"No, I'm not moving," I shot back, standing firm.

He took a step closer, towering over me. I felt the pulse in my throat, but I didn't back down.

Before anyone could throw another word (or a punch)-

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!"

The music cut off in a burst of silence. Conversations died mid-sentence, heads turned, the air thick with tension.

We all looked up at the second floor of the house.

Tia.

Standing at the edge of the old, crumbling balcony, holding the microphone from the makeshift DJ setup. Her hair was wild from the breeze, eyes blazing like she'd had enough.

"Seriously? All year, everyone's been at each other's fucking throats!" Her voice rang out, clear and furious. "Every single one of you, Zach, Lena, Aaron, Victor! All of you have been carrying around your drama like we don't all have our own shit going on!"

No one said a word.

She continued, voice shaking now, not with weakness, but with exhaustion.

"We're here to end the year together. Together. Not ruin another night with more arguments and broken friendships. This, this night, is so we can have fun before another fucking school year, before everything changes. So maybe, just maybe, let's not waste it."

Silence.

Then, slowly, the room breathed again. A couple of people clapped. Someone let out a low whistle.

I exhaled, stepping back from Aaron, who was now staring at the floor, his jaw still tight but his fists unclenched.

Zach was still outside. Lena had sat down on the porch steps, her face buried in her hands. And Victor… Victor leaned slightly on his cane, staring at Tia with this unreadable look, like maybe someone had finally said what he'd been too tired to say himself.

I reached over and pressed play on the speaker again. The music returned, softer this time. The night wasn't ruined, but it had come close.

I picked up my half-finished drink, heart still racing, and whispered, mostly to myself:

"Thanks, Tia."

~~~

The party had begun to die down by the time 1 a.m. rolled around. The music was still playing, but it was low now, muted, almost like it was winding down with the rest of us. Most people had either passed out on cushions, curled up together on bean bags, or disappeared into other rooms, searching for a quiet place to crash.

I stepped over an empty bottle and sidestepped Max, who was sprawled across a makeshift mattress made of couch cushions, half-snoring, half-mumbling something about toast.

The house smelled like cheap drinks, sweat, and the kind of chaos only a party could leave behind. I needed air.

Outside, the night was cooler than expected. A breeze rolled past the porch, rustling the overgrown grass and making the fairy lights strung across the balcony flicker slightly.

That's when I saw him.

Victor, sitting alone on the front steps, hunched slightly, his cane resting beside him. His posture was stiff, like he hadn't decided whether to relax or stay on guard. His eyes were focused on nothing in particular, just staring out into the gravel and the darkness beyond.

Aaron was nowhere to be seen. Good. He hadn't said a word to me since our argument earlier, but at least he wasn't still hovering with that simmering anger of his. I hated tension. I hated feeling like I had to pick sides.

I cleared my throat softly, trying not to startle Victor.

"Hey... can I sit with you?" I asked, voice quiet.

He didn't turn his head. Just nodded once.

"Sure... whatever."

I eased myself down next to him, leaving a small space between us. The porch boards were old, creaky beneath us. I hugged my knees loosely to my chest, watching the way the gravel reflected bits of light from the house.

We sat in silence for a moment. Not uncomfortable silence, just the kind that settles when you've both had too much to drink, too much emotion, and too many unresolved conversations still hanging in the air.

Victor finally spoke, voice barely above a murmur.

"You didn't have to help me."

He still didn't look at me. His gaze stayed out in the dark, far away from the party, far away from me.

I shrugged, forcing a small smile.

"Well... it's what friends do."

The word felt heavier than it should've. Friends.

Memories of shared laughter, whispered secrets between classes, late-night texts that used to mean something, all of it came back in a flicker, like a slideshow I wasn't ready for.

Victor gave a quiet, almost bitter chuckle.

"Mhm. Friends."

Another pause.

Then, without warning, he asked:

"So... what's going on with you and Aaron now?"

I exhaled slowly, leaning my head back against the railing behind me. The wood was rough against my scalp, grounding in a weird, uncomfortable way.

"I don't know." I admitted. "He's mad. I'm mad. We both said things, but... I couldn't just stand there and let him do that to you. I mean, yeah, you and I haven't exactly been close lately, but that doesn't mean I don't care."

Victor finally turned to look at me, just briefly. His expression was unreadable, tired, maybe. Sad.

"He hates me."

It wasn't even a question. Just a flat, honest statement.

I looked at him properly then, catching the way the porch light cast shadows under his eyes, highlighting the tension in his jaw.

"Maybe he does," I said honestly. "But I don't."

He blinked. Just once. And I saw the walls shift just slightly, cracked, not gone.

I bumped his shoulder lightly with mine.

"Hey. Next time you get into a fight at a party, maybe give me a heads-up?"

He rolled his eyes but a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"No promises."

We both looked out again at the quiet, messy aftermath of a night that started with fireworks and ended with questions.

And somewhere in the distance, someone laughed—soft, slurred, human.

The world felt quiet for the first time in hours.