Those Worse Off Than You

It was quiet and dark, but I heard a shuffle in the room, causing me to regain conciousness. Someone shook my shoulders. "Hey- wake up."

It was Ace.

I giggled, "I'm already awake elephantman- if you stomp around here any louder, you're going to wake up my parents."

"Well they never woke up any of the other times I was here. Now get up."

"What? Why?"

"If I have to go through a bunch of shit tomorrow, we're going to a party- now get up."

I sighed, "I don't know, Ace- if they wake up..."

"So what. You get in trouble. The worst they'll do is lecture you- it's not like they're going to beat you."

I scowled, "Ace, you are not funny."

"So what, just get up- I want to go to a party," he whined.

"Fine," I stated, and got out of bed and walked into the bathroom.

"What are you doing?"

"If you're making me go out in the middle of the night- I do not want to look like a zombie."

"Who cares? No one can even see you- they're too stoned. They look like zombies themselves."

"I care- now shut up."

"Fine then. Just hurry up."

I grabbed the eyeliner sitting on the counter and ran it under my eyes, threw on the clothes I was wearing earlier, since they were scattered across the bathroom floor and walked out. "See- that didn't take very long."

"Yea, now lets go." He started jumping around and slid open the window.

I crawled out, followed by Ace, who had to close the window, because I wasn't tall enough.

"You could have picked a warmer night," I remarked.

"I know. But I wanted to go out tonight! Common- jump around! Get excited! Do something you'll regret!"

"You're crazy," I screamed as he started dancing around and doing carlwheels in the street.

I admired Ace for the type of person he was. He had been through so much pain and hurt- and he still jumped around like he owned the place with a childish grin on his face. He had bruises all over his body, which must have hurt, but he was carlessly throwing himself around like he was made of metal; laughing and dancing and skipping like I remember David's little sister doing.

"Common," he called after me, "Come and skip with me!"

"I think not..."

"Aw, common," he said and ran up to me, grabbing my hands.

I started laughing before I turned red... and finally started skipping down the road in the dark, hoping to God no one I knew was watching... I was on my way to the first party I would ever be at with my good friend, Ace.