Sixteen
The smell of vomit and vodka twisted in my stomach.
The growing internal revulsion, made worse by the low lying fog of sweat and spirits; sufficiently contributed to the uncontrollable urge to cut my losses and run.
"No-one will miss me"
The primal instinct was also completed out of necessity, before I started chasing people with coasters to prevent cans leaving ring marks on the furniture. An incident like that would get around high school within hours and would definitely wreck my reputation, if I had one.
I was known only by association to Hayner who was an abnormally good hockey player and to Pence who was an early morning DJ at the local radio station. Olette and I had a different if slightly derogatory label, the lab geek best friends who tagged along the ride.
Apparently, teenagers plus a party equalled fun. I had half heartedly reassured myself at the beginning of the night that it wouldn't be too bad. Just my friends who saw everyday.
It wasn't that I was antisocial, just fussy about who I spent my time with and who I trusted not to burn my house down.
Unfortunately, I didn't factor gatecrashers into my equation.
Seifer and his gang -who I'd known since forever- had practically bashed the door down, dragging what looked like a body bag, with half of the local Community College following like lemmings. Bottles of cheap whiskey and vodka that they got at a five finger discount were handed out to grasping hands and cheers of gratitude as the resident bully smirked like he was a cross between Robin Hood and Santa.
Hayner had been at the front of the queue. He wasn't type to turn down a free opportunity to get off his face, and didn't care where the means to do so came from.
I'd been given instructions by my parents not to destroy anything or I'd be grounded for life. They considered Olette to be the most responsible and told me in no uncertain terms that she was in charge.
They would have had a fit if they knew that she was the one who let the gatecrashers in, saying that it would make the party more interesting and for me to trust her. She was also the first person to stand on a table and down shots of vodka in front of a braying crowd. Leaving Pence gawping like a goldfish as soon as she started gyrating like a lap dancer.
Trying to leave, I had shoved past the swaying people in the living room as brutally I could, ignoring the accusing eyes and not even bothering to react to the shouts that were a mixture of confusion and anger.
I virtually threw myself across the kitchen towards the front door and was greeted by a sight that was both questionable and rather disturbing. Hayner was flattened up against the kitchen wall, in a drunken lip lock with Seifer of all people. It was another example of his lack of responsibility or acknowledgement of what the consequences of kissing his worst enemy would be in the morning. Sometimes, I really wanted to knock him out and hide him somewhere before he did anything stupid.
Too late now.
Their ferocious looking PDA was inches away from my jacket that hung limply on a hook behind the door. Several people had tried unsuccessfully to barge past, only to be frightened off by a possessive growl. I couldn't tell which blonde it was and didn't want to wait around to find out.
I silently slipped out of the back door, folding my arms against the wind which violently slapped me out of my warm haze.
Inside someone had just put techno on the stereo and had turned it up loud enough to obliterate ear drums and a few brain cells. The house was packed with people who appeared to be so drunk that they wouldn't notice I'd gone or even care. There was nothing worse than being a nobody at your own party.
I crept around the house to the garden. Relishing the darkness and the fresh air, wishing the night was over.
The rumble of the bass vibrated through my entire body; dying down the further I shuffled from the house. Following the flashes of the strobe lights from the living room that illuminated a path across the grass, which was damp from the rain.
The grass ticked my toes every footstep making me shiver. It was then that I remembered someone had poured beer in my shoes and in the rush to escape my own version of hell; I had neglected to find a dry pair.
Luckily, it wasn't every day that you turned 16.
The rain had started again, clouds throwing it down like they were answering a request to flood the planet. I was only wearing jeans and a thin T-shirt, if I died of hypothermia, I would haunt Hayner for the rest of his life.
A small red light by the dense bushes at the bottom of the garden caught my attention. It was about 6ft off the ground and if I wasn't stone cold sober I would have sworn it was a UFO or something. The light dipped up and down as I closed in, wondering if it would be cheesy to say take me to your leader.
Ok, I wasn't completely sober, Hayner had plied me with something smelt like battery acid and most of it had ended up in the plant pot in the upstairs hallway. I didn't usually drink.
I hated the fuzzy headed; I'm king of the world feeling.
I could see smoke now, fine tendrils weaving their way into the dark.
"The names Axel, got it memorised?"
The voice was low and slightly rough.
My heart lurched, the annunciations of his speech sounding familiar and exuded a type of confidence that I couldn't put into words or coherent thoughts if I tried. A faint hint of burning charcoal floated on the air. Suddenly I didn't feel cold any more.
Snatches of colour during the distant light flashes hauled me in. A long black coat, spiky red hair, cat-like green eyes. I focused one each one, building a mental picture.
I watched him fix me with a penetrating gaze. I couldn't walk away, even if I wanted to, my legs failing me when I needed them most.
It felt like the whole world had stopped in silence. Any light from the house being sucked into the darkness behind him.
I opened my mouth to ask him who the hell he was, but my vocal chords tightened and wouldn't comply. Leaving me feeling powerless and at a distinct disadvantage. I blinked several times; every time I opened them again he was still there, chaos vibes radiating from every pore.
He flashed a lopsided grin. I could feel the burn, the kind that comes from deep inside and eats away at you. A feeling of guilt, but I didn't know why. My heart beat faster.
I took a deep breath. He didn't feel like a stranger, it felt like he had always been deep inside my soul.
"Roxas"
A voice called my name, I cringed on the inside. It was Olette
"Where are you? You've been out there for hours."
I could see a line of light being drawn slowly down the garden as the door opened.
"Hayner has disappeared somewhere with Seifer and Rai has managed to put his fist thought the bathroom door trying to be someone out of a horror movie. Please come back in"
The door slammed and the light disappeared.
Suddenly, it all felt insignificant. Goosebumps slowly cascaded up my arms. Wretchedness erupted in my chest. Every emotion I had ever experienced was being smacked around my body all at once, ricocheting off the core of my being like a pinball getting a high score. I could feel myself falling as if the world had been tugged out from under me.
He stepped back as if he knew what I was thinking and disappeared as if he had always been part of the dark. A flame flickered, and then the smoke returned. The smell spun in my head.
"See you around Roxas"
My name flowed off his tongue like he has waited his whole life to say it and I had been born to listen. The whisper that I had to strain to hear now floated away on the wind.
"What are you doing out here?"
The voice close to my ear made my heart jump. I finally noticed that it was getting lighter and the rain had stopped.
I turned to face a dark haired guy, a little taller than me. I willed my expression to stay passive.
Luckily he didn't want to engage in battle without his psycho leader, who I was grateful was nowhere to be seen.
Rai was holding up a figure who was wearing one my sweatshirts with the hood up. The hoodie wearer groaned and slumped against his side
"Fuu, that you?"
Fuujin was like me, not a heavy drinker.
"HANGOVER" She mumbled into Rai's side as she couldn't stand straight enough to reach his shoulder. He rolled his eyes.
"We have to go." I'd never seen him display anything but contempt in my vicinity. "Were you talking to the bushes? Dude, your loosing it ya know"
I glared at him – the one I reserved for video shop clerks who asked for ID for 12 rated movies - then gazed into the darkness wondering if he was right.
I turned to see him bundle Fuu into the back of a waiting taxi. I could hear her one word curses just before the door was slammed in her face and it went quiet again.
I shuffled slowly towards the house, to give my addled brain time to formulate an ingenious plan to extract my best friend from the clutches of Seifer.
As I opened the door the smell hit me, forcing me to remember why I was outside in the first place.
From my position at the front door, I could see Olette who was in the middle of the living room holding a black bin bag, picking up bits of paper plate and waxy paper cups. She looked a little worse for wear and was wearing one of my jumpers which covered her like a short dress. Pence was gently placing empty bottles in a battered cardboard box. They danced around each other to a long drawn out tune.
I took a deep breath and silently closed the door.
A few of the guests had passed out on the sofas that had been pushed to the edge of the room to make space for dancing. It was the first time I'd noticed, the guilt radiated so hot that I swear they could feel it.
"Roxas, I was getting worried. We missed you."
The brunette looked up, smiled at me as I entered the room and threw a black bag in my direction which landed three feet to the left. I picked it up and started to gather up any stray cups squashing any questions into a compartment of my mind.