Torn (13 page)

We watched Nate head off, giving
him a wave, and then headed up to the Rogers building to go grab ourselves some
caffeine and work out our route for the day’s classes. We managed to get
someone to take a photo of the three of us with the huge, rusty, red-looking
scorpion sculpture outside. I wanted something to remind me of our first day. I
was so lucky to have found these guys. It was great to have friends with the
same academic aspirations as me, not to be the only one who looked forward to
learning.

Friday Night

“
What?”
I cupped my hand over my ear, trying to hear what Josh was saying to me over
the noise. The music playing was so loud, it was making my chest vibrate. Josh
put his arm around my shoulder and leaned right in, and I could have sworn he
smelled my hair as he did.

“I said great party,” he yelled.

“As parties go,” I responded. One
of our classmate’s parents were out of town for a week, so he’d decided to
throw an orientation week kegger in their absence. There had to be over two
hundred people crammed into the ultra-modern house, and I dreaded to think what
damage was going to be caused. I wouldn’t dare do the same at my house. My
parents would ground me for the rest of my life.

“Here’s your water,” shouted
Billy, handing me a cup. “Can’t believe you’re not drinking.”

“I promised Mom and Pops, they’d
kill me.”

“Like Nate’s gonna kill you if he
finds out, Billy. I think you’ve had enough,” Josh warned. He was being
sensible too, or rather “boring” as Billy put it. Billy, on the other hand, was
making the most of the free beer and was already looking a little worse for
wear.

“Will it kill him to let loose a
bit?” I asked.

“No, but he shouldn’t mix alcohol
with his meds,” Josh stated firmly. Billy flipped him the finger and draped his
arm around my shoulder as well, which led to them both trying to nudge the
other’s arm off, so I quickly stepped forward and away from them both.

“Come on, let’s have some fun.
I’m in the mood to dance,” I advised. I hadn’t been to a party in forever, I
actually felt slightly drunk just from the high of it. My head was buzzing and
I felt a little less inhibited than normal. The boys followed me out of the
stark white and concrete-floored kitchen into another huge white room, with
modernistic artwork all over the walls, and a huge deck off the patio doors
that led to the swimming pool. It was already full of students, some clothed,
some not so clothed. People were making out everywhere the eye could see and I
dreaded to imagine what was going on in the bedrooms and bathrooms. I’d been to
use one off the laundry room, only to be confronted with some random guy’s
naked ass as he pummeled a girl up on the countertop, with her screaming like
she’d been impaled by red-hot knives. If Mom could witness this party, she’d
call it a virtual orgy and have heart failure.

I let loose on the impromptu
dance floor, where some other students were dancing, several grinding against
each other, as Beyoncé blared out from the in-house stereo system. I giggled
with delight to see that Josh and Billy had some moves, and soon the three of
us were laughing hard as we each took turns trying to outdo the others. I
hadn’t had so much fun in ages, or felt so protected. When some guy tried to
touch up my backside and grind behind me, he was soon seen off by my two
bodyguards.

“Break,” I yelled, holding up my
fingers in a timeout, not feeling so great.

“Find a seat, I’ll get another
drink,” Josh confirmed, slipping through the crowd back toward the kitchen.
Billy and I ended up slumping on one of the lower steps of the staircase, since
all of the comfy seating areas were already taken. I shook my head and opened
and closed my eyes a few times. I’d never been drunk before, but from what I’d
heard, I could well be. I felt lightheaded and dizzy, and the room was swaying
slightly.

“You sure that was water you got
me, Billy?” I asked, letting my head drop onto his shoulder.

“Yeah, why? You feeling ok?”

“Bit dizzy.”

“Not surprised. The moves you
were doing out there, that was a workout in itself.”

“You should talk. I had no idea
you could do the robot.”

“That’s nothing. Wait until you
see Josh bust his best moves, he’s a demon when it comes to krumping.”

“Josh krumps?” I roared with
laughter and had to hold my sides, then clutch my head. My sweet Josh? Surely
not. Krumping was all about hard, fast moves, stomping, chest pops, and strong
arm movements, tending toward the aggressive. Josh seemed more of a b-boy style
dancer.

“He’s damn good,” Billy laughed,
putting his arm around me to support me as I felt my body slumping even
further, almost as if my bones were melting. What the hell was going on with
me?

“Jesus, Billy, can you get any
closer? Give Sky some breathing room,” Josh bit, as he returned with three
plastic cups and held them out.

“Chill out, Josh. Just looking
after her, she’s feeling weird.” Billy let go of me to reach for his beer, and
I forced myself to sit up.

“You ok, Sky?” Josh asked, his
face changing to one of concern in an instant.

“Will be,” I nodded. “Think I
need more water.” I took the cup off him and took a good sip. It was definitely
water, they’d been bringing me cups all night, so what the hell was wrong with
me? “Think I need the bathroom.” I grabbed the banister, but stumbled and
landed flat on my ass on the step again, and I cursed.

“I think we need to get you home,”
Josh advised as he crouched in front of me and took both of my hands in his,
his green eyes searching mine for a clue as to what was going on with me. I
couldn’t help him, I had no idea either.

“No, I just need … what’s it
called … I just need  … to hit the head.”

“Ha-ha,” Billy laughed. “She’s
definitely been hanging out with us too long, she’s using our expressions.”

“Take my hand, I’ll take you to
the one downstairs. If you’re dizzy, I don’t think heading up is a good idea.”

“Thank you, you’re really good to
me. Both of you, both of you and Nate. Where is he?”

“At home studying, where I should
be. He’s gonna kill me when he finds out I snuck out to come here. Ok, count of
three. One, two–” I halted him in his tracks as I launched myself up and then
fell into his arms, my knees buckling underneath me. He immediately put his
arms around me to hold me up. “Jesus, Sky, what the hell have you had?”

“Don’t know, but it’s made me
feel real funny,” I drawled, blinking again to try and focus my eyes.
Everything was spinning really fast now, it was an effort to hold up my head,
and I could see two of Josh’s face in front of me. All of a sudden, a wave of
nausea slammed into me like a juggernaut from out of nowhere. “I feel … I feel
soooo sick,” I moaned.

“Shit. Come on, Billy, grab one
arm, I’ll take the other. We need to get her to the bathroom and then get some
water or coffee in her.”

I stumbled as the two of them
half-carried me to the laundry room, which had now been vacated. My legs felt
like they were made of jelly, and other than throwing up, all I wanted to do
was sleep.

“I’ll get water,” came Billy’s voice
as they gently set me down on the floor. I covered my mouth with my hand,
fighting the urge to heave as Josh quickly grabbed handfuls of toilet paper and
cleaned the seat. Seconds later, I shoved him out of the way, stuck my head
over the hole, and watched the contents of my stomach coming up through a wave
of tears as he held my hair and rubbed my back.

“Josh,” I cried as I hugged the
toilet bowl. There was a roaring sound in my ears and my eyelids felt so heavy
as the dark shadows from the corners of the room started to creep toward me. If
this was what being drunk was like, I didn’t want to do it again. Even if I
hadn’t voluntarily taken a sip.

“Sssshhhh, it’s ok,” he soothed,
gathering me in his arms as he sat on the floor next to me. “I’m calling Nate
to get you home.”

“
Nate
.” I breathed his
name as the darkness stole my vision and the roaring in my ears faded to
nothing.

Nate

I elbowed my way through the rowdy
crowds, frantically trying to find them. What the fuck were they thinking,
coming to a party like this? The boys I could understand, I’d been to enough
wild parties in my time, but bringing Sky?

“Nate, over here!” came Billy’s
voice over the sound of
Drake
rapping, the song being blasted through
the house and virtually making the walls rock. I was amazed the neighbors
hadn’t called the police. I spotted Billy and fought my way over, ignoring a
group of girls who started screaming when they saw me. Christ, even a year ago
I’d have loved that. I’d have lapped it up and invited one of them back to my
car to give them something to really scream about. But lately it wasn’t so much
fun, especially not since Sky came into my life. She was suddenly all I could
see. She was all I wanted.

“Where is she?” I barked as I
reached Billy’s side. He avoided eye contact by focusing on the floor. He knew
I was pissed off without the obvious rage seeping from every pore or the tone
and volume of my voice.

“Follow me.” He hurried through
the kitchen, with me hot on his heels, and opened a door into a laundry room.
At the far end, through another open door, I spotted her immediately. Josh had
her in the recovery position, a towel under her head to cushion it. He gulped
as he read the fury on my face.

“Don’t yell, please just help
her. I don’t know what to do. She’s breathing fine, but it’s like she’s gone
into a deep sleep.”

“What’s she been drinking?”

“Water.”

“Josh, don’t lie to me,” I warned
as I skidded across the floor on my knees to her side and put my fingers on the
side of her neck to feel for her pulse. Thankfully it was strong. She wasn’t in
any immediate danger, which couldn’t be said for my idiotic brother and cousin.

“I’m not lying, Nate, I promise.
She’s only had water all night. I even got her three cups myself, Billy too. I
don’t understand what happened.”

I took a deep breath as I looked
at him and nodded. Ma and Dad had brought us up well, and lying in our
household wasn’t tolerated. I’d tried it once when I was nine, and had been put
over my dad’s knee and given a good hiding. I hadn’t needed any further
lessons. Neither had Josh when he’d come to my room to find me crying and
rubbing my tender backside.

“Either of you see anyone switch
her drinks or stick anything in them?” I asked, bouncing my eyes between Josh
on the floor opposite me and Billy standing in the doorway.

“No, Nate. Will she be ok?”

“I’d better get her home and her
parents can decide if they want to let her sleep it off or take her to the
emergency room. Scoot back, Josh, give me some room.” He stood up and moved to
stand by Billy, and I lifted her small frame up into my arms and cradled her
against my body. “Ok, make me some room to get her out of here, quickest route
possible. My car’s further up the block. ”

Josh spotted a door out of the
laundry room to a side passage and we all headed out, Josh leading the way and
Billy bringing up the rear, none of us saying a word. I directed them as we hit
the sidewalk and looked down at her. Her lightly tanned face looked pale under
the dim light of the moon. She looked fragile and vulnerable, and the thought
made the blood boil in my veins. Right now I had a feeling this was exactly how
Bruce Banner felt before he hulked out. Someone had either spiked her drinks or
slipped her a roofie. From what Josh had told me during his frantic call for
help, the second option was the most likely conclusion given the way she’d gone
downhill so fast. I’d kill the fucker if I ever found out who it was. Thank God
she’d had Josh and Billy with her. It was the first time I was grateful for
them being virtually handcuffed to her side. Christ knows what would have
happened if they weren’t with her. I shuddered at the thought and felt the heat
in my body turn white, threatening to scorch me.