Chapter 18: Let Me Talk To Him
The rest of the summer continued to be unusually rainy. There were only three clear days in August. Aside from her trips to the church, Arianna confined herself to her room.
If the rain lightened or let up for some time, Louis took her to the flea market. She collected music albums and various versions of comic books.
Arianna herself knew that there was a cause for her abnormal behavior. She was trying to escape from something.
As the summer drew to an end, she received an invitation to a high school classmate’s party.
She had received many party invitations in the past month, but she turned them down one by one. Arianna didn’t usually participate in group activities, so no one was really surprised.
However, this was the last party before she and her classmates left town to attend their respective universities. They would be scattered worldwide and would maybe never see each other again.
The host tried to persuade her by calling her home phone and sending multiple invitations. Arianna debated whether to go for a while. Maybe she should return to the normal world and start a real life for herself.
She carefully observed herself in the mirror, hoping that no one would notice her physical and mental changes. To make herself look fresh and energized, she applied face powder and put on light-pink lipstick and a similarly colored shirt to match.
Arianna followed Louis to the car. She sat in the front seat beside him while he drove. She was having trouble identifying how she felt about attending the party.
Was she anxious? Was she excited? Was she relieved that this part of her life was ending after tonight?
****
The party venue was in the entertainment area of town. The place usually held large adult parties and galas and even doubled as a hotel; it was not meant for high school students. However, the host’s relatives owned the property and were welcoming of the teenagers.
After passing through the grand lobby and going up a flight of stairs, there was the ballroom. On one side of the room were tables of food and drinks ready to be consumed. On the other side was a large dance floor illuminated by colorful flashing lights.
A DJ sat on a raised platform overlooking the dance floor. He was already playing loud, upbeat music. Arianna sat with some friends at a round table. A boy came up behind her and squeezed her shoulders gently, “I want to spend my life loving you.”
She rolled her eyes and passed him a paper towel to wipe away his wine stains.
Another boy came and grabbed her hand, “I have loved you since we were kids.” But his words were so slurred that Arianna could barely understand him. She sighed.
All the students were let loose. The girls, who usually acted like ladies, were dancing wildly with the love-struck boys cheering them on. Arianna was the only person who was not drinking.
Her head began to ache due to the loud noise. The air in the room was getting more and more humid by the minute. Arianna decided to go outside to get some air. She had to dodge another boy on her way out.
This new entertainment area was recently built. The building itself still smelled like fresh paint. Arianna walked down the grand staircase entrance and looked up at the sky. There was even a rooftop patio in this building.
When she stepped outside, she was on a terrace that wrapped around the entire venue. It was lit with white wall lamps. She walked over to the edge of the terrace and rested her elbows on the railing.
She looked out at the empty street. There were shops lining the street that were closed for the night, except for the odd convenience store or bar.
Arianna turned around and placed her back on the railing to look up at the party.
She could see everything going on up there through the big windows.
Two men were taking their jackets off aggressively by the food with a crowd surrounding them. The dancing girls had not lost any momentum and were still moving like crazy. The DJ had one hand in the air and was bumping along to the beat of the music.
A group of young men walked past Arianna on the terrace arrogantly. They seemed to be very wealthy and did not attend her school.
Stumbling out of the building came a boy with his arm draped over the shoulders of a pretty girl. They were quietly giggling together.
Arianna stood there and looked at her surroundings. She knew that peeping was not something a lady should do, but she didn’t want to go back inside yet. However, her headache was beginning to ease, so she figured she should return.
She returned upstairs, where she was persuaded to drink two cups of beer and was invited to dance by a boy she had never talked to.
Probably because she didn’t sleep regularly, Arianna was already feeling tired. It was only 9 p. m. She wondered how her classmates could keep their energy up for so long.
She began to say her goodbyes and thank the host before heading home early. Immediately, several boys volunteered to escort her home. Arianna kindly declined and explained that a family member was coming to get her.
Arianna entered the lobby, where she noticed a beautiful woman.
She was leaning on the side of a table, smoking a cigarette while speaking on her cell phone. Her body was wrapped in a long, patterned, pastel-colored dress. In contrast to her dress, her posture was not elegant; she seemed like a carefree spirit.
As she walked by the woman, Arianna could hear that she was upset with the other person on the call. Though her voice was crisp and sweet, the annoyance was apparent.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
The woman noticed Arianna looking at her and gave her a charming smile but lowered her voice. Arianna felt a little embarrassed and walked faster.
However, the woman’s words caught her attention, “fuck off, idiots. Where the hell is Travis Cooper? Let me talk to him.”