Sequel: Over Again ›
More Than This
11
As soon as I entered the party, the smell of stale alcohol and smoke filled my lungs. I smiled and walked over to where Zach was sitting.
“Hey, B!” He stood up and threw his arms around me. I laughed, as he was already well on his way to being drunk and giddy.
“Hey, Zach attack!” I replied, ruffling his hair. “What’s a girl gotta do to get shots around here?” He grinned and led me by the hand to the kitchen, where we encountered Taylor doing a shot with a guy I didn’t know.
“B!” She yelled, doing her shot and then rushing over to me. “I’m glad you came. Let’s get you wasted!”
I grinned and took a shot from her hand, downing it. Everyone In the kitchen cheered, and I took that as my cue to do another. Just as I swallowed the alcohol, my phone buzzed with a text from Harry. I rolled my eyes, but opened it.
Please be safe, Bailey. I have a bad feeling about this.
I sighed and put my phone back in my pocket without responding. Instead, I took another shot of alcohol, letting it burn my throat in a satisfying way. The unknown guy Taylor was doing shots with smiled at me, and I smiled back at him.
“Let’s dance!” I said, grabbing the stranger’s hand. He willingly let me pull him to the living room, and we started dancing to the music blasting through the speakers. He bent down and tried to kiss me, but I stopped him, moving my face. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I shushed him. I didn’t want to get to know him, I didn’t want to kiss him. I just wanted to let loose and blow off steam.
When the song was over, I went to look for Taylor and Zach, not seeing them anywhere.
Shrugging, I grabbed a beer and started talking to a girl who sat on the couch. Every so often, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the unknown man was staring at me from across the room.
He was starting to creep me out a little bit, so I went searching for my friends again, still not being able to find them.
As I went upstairs, I noticed that the man was following me, careful to stay at least far enough behind to not draw attention to himself, but I knew what he was doing. Panic started to set in as I carefully walked toward the backyard where more people were, trying not to draw attention to the scene, hoping to find my friends or a familiar face.
Once I was out in the backyard, I noticed he was still behind me, so I pulled my phone out, dialing the only number I could think of in my slightly hazy, panicked mind. He picked up after 1 ring.
“Bailey?” Harry’s voice filled my ears and I tried to remember how to breathe, how to talk. I couldn’t. My words were failing me as the man came closer to me. “Bailey!” Harry’s voice was more alert now. “Is something wrong? What’s happening?”
“Harry, there’s a guy following me. I’m at Zach’s and he’s been watching me all night and following me around and he tried to kiss me and my friends disappeared and I don’t-“
That was all I got out of my panicked mouth before a hand was on my shoulder. I wanted to jump, I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t.
All my words had failed me.
The man pulled me into him and forcefully attached his lips to my lips. I wanted to react, I wanted to kick him and run, but I froze.
I froze at the flash of the camera. I froze at the face I knew behind the camera.
Everything was in slow motion as I watched as someone I thought I knew smiled brightly behind the camera at the picture of a boy forcing himself on me. The man pulled his lips off of mine and then pushed me, hard. As I fell toward the ground, he had to nerve to smile at me.
“Girl cheats on famous popstar.” He said. As I looked up at him, he gestured to the camera. “The perfect news story.”
“Hey, B!” He stood up and threw his arms around me. I laughed, as he was already well on his way to being drunk and giddy.
“Hey, Zach attack!” I replied, ruffling his hair. “What’s a girl gotta do to get shots around here?” He grinned and led me by the hand to the kitchen, where we encountered Taylor doing a shot with a guy I didn’t know.
“B!” She yelled, doing her shot and then rushing over to me. “I’m glad you came. Let’s get you wasted!”
I grinned and took a shot from her hand, downing it. Everyone In the kitchen cheered, and I took that as my cue to do another. Just as I swallowed the alcohol, my phone buzzed with a text from Harry. I rolled my eyes, but opened it.
Please be safe, Bailey. I have a bad feeling about this.
I sighed and put my phone back in my pocket without responding. Instead, I took another shot of alcohol, letting it burn my throat in a satisfying way. The unknown guy Taylor was doing shots with smiled at me, and I smiled back at him.
“Let’s dance!” I said, grabbing the stranger’s hand. He willingly let me pull him to the living room, and we started dancing to the music blasting through the speakers. He bent down and tried to kiss me, but I stopped him, moving my face. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I shushed him. I didn’t want to get to know him, I didn’t want to kiss him. I just wanted to let loose and blow off steam.
When the song was over, I went to look for Taylor and Zach, not seeing them anywhere.
Shrugging, I grabbed a beer and started talking to a girl who sat on the couch. Every so often, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the unknown man was staring at me from across the room.
He was starting to creep me out a little bit, so I went searching for my friends again, still not being able to find them.
As I went upstairs, I noticed that the man was following me, careful to stay at least far enough behind to not draw attention to himself, but I knew what he was doing. Panic started to set in as I carefully walked toward the backyard where more people were, trying not to draw attention to the scene, hoping to find my friends or a familiar face.
Once I was out in the backyard, I noticed he was still behind me, so I pulled my phone out, dialing the only number I could think of in my slightly hazy, panicked mind. He picked up after 1 ring.
“Bailey?” Harry’s voice filled my ears and I tried to remember how to breathe, how to talk. I couldn’t. My words were failing me as the man came closer to me. “Bailey!” Harry’s voice was more alert now. “Is something wrong? What’s happening?”
“Harry, there’s a guy following me. I’m at Zach’s and he’s been watching me all night and following me around and he tried to kiss me and my friends disappeared and I don’t-“
That was all I got out of my panicked mouth before a hand was on my shoulder. I wanted to jump, I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t.
All my words had failed me.
The man pulled me into him and forcefully attached his lips to my lips. I wanted to react, I wanted to kick him and run, but I froze.
I froze at the flash of the camera. I froze at the face I knew behind the camera.
Everything was in slow motion as I watched as someone I thought I knew smiled brightly behind the camera at the picture of a boy forcing himself on me. The man pulled his lips off of mine and then pushed me, hard. As I fell toward the ground, he had to nerve to smile at me.
“Girl cheats on famous popstar.” He said. As I looked up at him, he gestured to the camera. “The perfect news story.”