Brave This Storm

“Ana, are you busy tonight?” Paul asked, walking across the living room to his girlfriend.

Mariana lifted her head from the account paperwork of Jacob’s dad Billy, and raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I’m with Donovan, so…yeah,” Mariana frowned, “why?”

“Because there’s a party that we’ve been invited to and I really want to go,” Paul pleaded.

“I’m too old for parties like that, Paul,” Mariana scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Paul sighed and sat down next to her, tucking her hair behind her ear before leaning down to press gentle kisses along her neck.

“Paul! You can’t seduce me into going to a party with you!” Mariana squealed, batting at him with her hands.

“But I really want to go! I haven’t been to a party in ages and I know you haven’t been to a party in years, and it’ll just be a night to wind down and have some fun!” Paul protested.

“I’m not interested in going to a random underage teenager’s house party where you can get drunk off your face and where I get to watch over-made-up brats drool over you,” Mariana retorted.

“The whole Pack are going – it’s one of Kim’s friend’s parties,” Paul said hopefully.

Mariana sighed. He wasn’t going to give up, was he?

“Why are you so insistent?” Mariana asked, really looking at him.

“I don’t know. I just want to have some fun and I want to have it with you there too,” Paul smiled.

Mariana frowned as she felt her resistance crumbling. She didn’t like this. There was a bad feeling running in her gut and she knew it wasn’t going to go away any time soon.

“I don’t like this, Paul,” Mariana said softly.

“Please babe,” Paul said, taking her hands in his.

Mariana chewed her bottom lip before nodding. She knew her Grandma wouldn’t mind taking care of Donovan, but that wasn’t the point. Something bad was going to happen tonight, she could feel it. But what?

*

“It’s gonna be the party to end all parties, babe!” Paul said excitedly.

“Mm, I’m sure,” Mariana said sarcastically, making the rest of the Pack laugh.

Paul didn’t seem to notice and just kissed the side of Mariana’s head, tugging her up the path to the house. Kim and Jared were already there, and that’s who Paul made a beeline to first. Sam and Emily had decided not to come, so it was only Mariana, Paul, Jared, Kim, Jacob, Embry, Quil, Seth and Leah at the party. As well as at least fifty 18, 19 and 20 year olds. Great, just what Mariana wanted, a party with younger kids.

“Alright, who wants a drink?!” Paul hollered.

Everyone cheered and followed Paul to the kitchen, Mariana included. She poured her own drink, a very weak vodka and lemonade, refusing the shots that Paul gave her. She wanted to stay sober tonight. She just didn’t know why. Paul shrugged and downed Mariana’s shots and well as his own, before pulling Mariana out onto the make-shift dancefloor. He twirled her around before dipping her backwards, pulling her up again so she was pressed against his body, all the time with a big grin on his lips. Mariana couldn’t help but laugh and danced along with him, Jared and Kim joining them not long after.

Maybe she had nothing to worry about tonight. Maybe it was all just going to be some fun, like Paul said. Maybe.

*

3 hours later, and it was nearly 11pm. Mariana, Paul and the Pack were still at the party, but everyone was completely drunk. Apart from Mariana. And Jacob, but that was because Jacob was the designated driver. Paul was absolutely smashed and Mariana had left him in the kitchen with drunk Embry and drunk Quil while she went to call her Grandma to check up on Donovan.

Mariana: Hey, Amy?
Amy: Ana! Is everything okay?
Mariana: Of course! I was just checking up on Donny.
Amy: He’s absolutely fine. We watched a few cartoons after dinner, and he had some chocolate milk before he went to bed at 8pm. No problems at all.
Mariana: Oh good. I really am sorry about leaving him with you like this. I promise it won’t happen a lot.
Amy: Nonsense, you just enjoy your youth! Donny and I are just fine, so you have fun, you hear me?
Mariana: Yes ma’am. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?
Amy: Okay, bye!

Mariana smiled as she ended the call, sliding her phone back into her pocket. It was a relief to hear the Donovan was okay. There was something inside her that just needed to know he was safe tonight. Without any more hesitation, she headed back inside the house, laughing as she saw Jacob supporting Embry and Quil, who clearly could not walk on their own. But then she stopped laughing. If Embry and Quil were out here, then who was Paul with?

“Ana, a little help please?” Jacob asked as she walked up to him.

“I’m a little busy,” Mariana said between gritted teeth.

Jacob frowned and dropped Embry and Quil, following the older girl.

“What’s wrong?” Jacob asked.

“Something isn’t right,” Mariana said, opening the door to the kitchen.

And it turned out she was telling the truth. Pressed up against the kitchen side with a big-chested blonde girl entwined around him was Paul, their lips attached messily and both sets of hands groping. Mariana felt her entire body grow cold as her world froze, everything slowing down as all she could focus on was the boy in front of her. He…he was with another girl. And he was enjoying it.

How could she believe he would ever change?
How could she believe he just wanted a fun night out?
How could she believe he loved her?

“PAUL!” Jacob roared, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Paul immediately broke away from the girl, who then scuttled away, his eyes half-opened and unfocussed. But he focussed straight away when he realised Mariana and Jacob were standing there.

“Babe, it’s not what it looks like,” Paul slurred.

And that’s when Mariana snapped.

“My ass it’s not what it looks like. Don’t you dare try to sugarcoat me, Paul Walker, because I am not one of your bimbo sluts! How could you fucking do this to me? You know how much I put into this relationship, even after Juan’s death, and you throw it back in my face at a teenage party?”

“Ana, I…”

“Save it, dickweed,” Mariana spat, interrupting him, “we’re over,”

It was then that Paul seemed to shock back into his normal self, and he stepped forward.

“You don’t mean that,” Paul said angrily, reaching for her arm.

“WE’RE FUCKING OVER!” Mariana shrieked.

Paul tried to reach for her again, but Mariana was beyond the point of furious. Without thinking she picked up a kitchen stool and threw it at Paul, hitting his shoulder, before she ran out of the back door and into the forest.

“You’ve done it now, Paul,” Jacob growled.

All Paul could do was stare at the back door.
All Mariana could do was run.