Chapter 14
One Of The Boys
If Dolph Ziggler had entered the bar's office five seconds later, he surely would've missed that one phone call that had been made on that late Friday evening in 1980; he was a month away from turning 19 years old, still stuck between being a boy and man.
It had nearly been impossible to hear that thing ringing over the numerous loud conversations that were being exchanged between the dozens of customers that had decided to visit Ziggler's to celebrate the beginning of a new, well-earned weekend by chugging away their favorite alcoholic drinks, talk and joke around with a couple of buddies; just generally having a good time. It had only been a matter of minutes before the stale smell of cigarettes, a smell that Dolph practically had grown up with, almost entirely filled up the whole bar after the first handful of costumers had entered. The first glasses of beers were ordered, followed by more and more as the next guests followed, along with a couple of glasses of whiskey, gin, scotch, tequila and a cocktail here and then for some of the very few women attending tonight, who were either with a date or a group of friends. And as usual, it was up to Dolph to help out his father with keeping the customers satisfied… that one chore he hated the most. The blonde boy felt that same frustration on each night he had to help at Ziggler's. While he could be out there to enjoy what was left of his years as a teenager, he was stuck here, often barely able to breathe through the thick, disgusting cigarette smoke that at times would make his eyes feel dry and stingy, on the verge of throwing up whenever he had to clean up the vomit of a guest who had a bit too much to drink and didn't quite make it to the bathroom in time, listen to his father lecturing about the fact that money didn't grow in the family's fridge whenever he dropped a glass by accident. But what sucked most about working in his old man's bar had to be when a costumer could no longer control himself because of the alcohol. (Of course there had been some cases of drunks who had been female, but it was mostly the men who usually became beyond wasted) There had been a couple times where he had managed to duck away from glasses, half-full bowls of peanuts and one time, even a bar stool, that were thrown at him, just because he was doing what his father told him to say when a costumer had become too drunk: refuse another drink and telling him to go home. It weren't only physical objects that would be flung at his head at times: it wasn't a rare occasion when a drunken guest wouldn't back away from verbally abusing him as well. They'd hurl words that they probably would all forget about by the next morning.
Oh yeah, working in his father's bar definitely was something that Dolph had wanted… that's what he got for choosing not to go to a college after he graduated from high school, something he now deeply regretted. As soon as he had enough money to get a place for his own, he would get the hell out of here and never look back; the blonde boy refused to stay longer if this was unnecessary. He'd figure out which job to take to earn his money along the way, as long as it was far away from Ziggler's. The blonde boy knew that Brian Kendrick, his closest friend, had the same idea as well, except that he did know what he wanted as an occupation; becoming a world-famous rock star. Yeah, good luck on that, buddy. It's wasn't like Brian lacked the talent to make hundreds of fans flock to sold-out arenas to go absolutely nuts on his music, oh no; it was always cool to listen him play on his electric guitar, which he had been gifted to him by his mother a couple years ago, when he had turned 15 years old. It's just that you had to be insanely lucky if you wanted to make it big in the music industry. Dolph hoped for Brian that he would become one of those lucky bastards.
Was there at least one good thing about his father's bar? Yes, there actually was, if he had to be entirely honest; the jukebox near the pool table contained some rocking tunes from the 70's that were quite enjoyable.
As most of the times, Ziggler's was packed with customers, but the blonde boy knew that there was something lingering in the air this time… and he could easily guess what it was.
It had been the talk of the town since three days, for a damn good reason.
The sudden, violent, gruesome murder of the young Alicia Fox had shaken up the usually quiet town of Hope's Creek to its very core. Dolph could hardly believe it himself when he heard about this. A murder? Here? In Hope's Creek? Bullshit, he thought at first. Nothing ever happened here, so this chilling news surprised and mostly unsettled him at the same time, just like all the residents of this town. He couldn't remember any other crimes that had taken place before this happened, no matter how hard he tried. Well, there was this one thing, but it wouldn't really count as a crime. Funny enough, the 'crime' had been committed by him. When he was five years old, his mother had taken him with her to buy groceries and he couldn't resist the temptation to snatch an apple-flavored lollipop and put it in his pocket while his mother was paying more attention to the difference between the prizes of two different brands of peanut butter than to him. Mary Ziggler's wasn't easily fooled though, as she remembered not buying a lollipop for her son after she had paid for her groceries and saw him happily sucking on it outside the stores. Clearly, a toddler stealing a lollipop from the local grocery store wasn't big enough to make headlines in the news papers; the only punishment Dolph got that day was a big scolding and that was it.
'Local Girl's Mutilated Body Found Near River' was printed in large, thick letters on the front of the news paper that was lying on the family's dining table a day after Alicia's body had been discovered; there was no way Dolph couldn't have seen that news paper when he entered the kitchen that morning. It sure as hell did fully wake him up. Reading through the article made his skin turn cold, all thanks to the gruesome details. Apparently she had been found by two young boys who just happened to be playing at the river on that day, after they were unfortunate enough to find her severed left arm. Those poor kids had to be permanently mentally scarred by now, the blonde boy had thought to himself. It was also reported that Alicia had been reported missing by her parents the day before she was found dead because she had failed to return home after she had visited a friend. So whoever did this must've snatched her up while she had been walking home… The mental image of the defenseless girl being dragged into a rust-stained van with darkly tinted windows before she even got the chance to fight back against her attacker, who covered her mouth with a gloved hand to muffle her desperate screams for help, almost immediately sent a chill up Dolph's spine.
Fucking hell… this was so sick. So damn sick.
Three days after the brutal murder of the young girl, people had been coming up with their own theories of who the killer could be and why she had been killed. The blonde boy's have heard them all at Ziggler's. Some of the theories seemed pretty logical, but some of them were a little too far-fetched, if you'd ask Dolph. He could agree on the killer possibly being an escaped lunatic from a nearby asylum (he assumed that if the cops were smart enough, they'd check all the asylums and other mental institutions in the area around Hope's Creek), but the idea Alicia Fox being kidnapped to be the sacrifice in some satanic cult… even though this did sound like something straight out of a horror novel or movie, Dolph knew that this wasn't entirely impossible. The world nowadays was so strange and terrifying these days, there would definitely be people around who would have no problems with doing something so grisly. You truly had to be one sick fucker to pull off this kind of shit.
Did AJ perhaps know her? He had no idea, he could ask her next time the group would get together to hang out. Speaking of which, it reminded him that he was finally able to hang out with his friends tomorrow, like a normal boy in his late teens should do, although he wasn't too keen on AJ Lee showing up.
Before the call could be missed, the blonde teen picked up the phone. 'Hello, this is Ziggler's, how can I help?' he asked.
'Hey Dolph…' a soft voice that he recognized within a second replied to him. It was her. But why was she calling at this hour of the night? The blonde teen wouldn't be surprised if she somehow had ended up neck-deep in a heap of trouble and needed to get her troubles off her chest. That wouldn't be surprising. At all.
'Oh, hi AJ.' Dolph replied, briefly looking over his shoulder to check if his father had heard him. If he had, he would most definitely tell him to get off the phone and get his ass back behind the bar. But luckily his old man seemed to be too occupied with handing over a couple shots of vodka to a group of middle-aged men with scruffy beards and trucker caps. 'What's the matter? Is everything alright?'
'Yeah yeah, everything's fine, really!' the girl answered on the other side of the line. I just wanted to tell you something real quick…'
'Well, what is it? I don't mean to be rude, but you really do have to make it quick, I have to help my dad. The place is packed tonight. I'm not in the mood for getting yelled it if he finds out I'm talking on the phone during work, you know how it goes.'
'I know that, jeez Dolph. Look, I want to tell you that tomorrow I'm taking a friend with me to hang out with you guys. Is that okay with you? It should be no problem, right? She's a really nice kid, I think you-'
'Are you sure that would be a good idea?' Dolph interrupted her. 'Because I don't think you going out at night would be the safest idea at the moment.'
A few seconds of silence followed. 'What do you mean by that?' AJ's voice had grown slightly softer, as if those words had hurt her to some degree. 'Don't you… want me to hang out with you guys anymore?'
'That's not what I'm saying.' the blonde teen sighed, slightly shaking his head. 'I mean… AJ, think about it for a second. Whoever killed Alicia Fox is still on the loose, and as far as I know, nobody has been caught yet. That psycho could still be in Hope's Creek for all that matters. What if something would happen to you? It wouldn't be safe for you, or for your friend. Don't take this the wrong way, but I really think you should stay indoors for now until they catch that guy. You can always come chill with us another time.'
'I'm not scared, Dolph! I can still come! Have you seen all the cops swarming the streets lately? They're, like, literally everywhere! Don't you think that makes it safer for me to go out?'
Just when he wanted to point out to her how painfully oblivious she was about the sheer seriousness of the current situation, he realized she just made one good point. She was right about that, the blonde teen thought. Everywhere you looked or went during the following three days after Alicia Fox's gruesome death, you could see police officers going up and down nearly every street you could find in Hope's Creek, their numbers were especially large in the town's center, where his friends had agreed to hang out. Dolph had seen it himself. He had seen them, alone or with a colleague, going in and out of stores, their brief visits most likely made in attempts to find witnesses who could give any leads to solving this bone-chilling case. He had seen a handful of their cars slowly driving around, he had seen some of them going through garbage cans and bags in the alleyways, clearly for the afore-mentioned reason. Would the killer still risk coming out of whatever dark, foul-smelling, repulsive hole he hid himself in and search for his next victim despite the large number of police officers? If he had grown cocky, then yes. But if he was smart, then no. It was difficult to assume the right answer. It was risky, so damn risky to go out at dark while there was a ruthless, dangerous murderer who had taken a sick pleasure in carving up a young girl like a pig in a butcher house. As long as AJ would take a route where there will be a cop on every corner…
'Are you planning on heading straight to the center?' Dolph asked.
'Duh, of course I am.'
'Okay, that's good. You two stick together, alright? Try to take a route where there are a lot of police officers. No detours, no going through dark alleyways or any of that shit, you come straight to the cinema's parking lot. And I will be the one bringing you home, I will do the same for your friend, because I'm not letting you-'
'Yeah yeah, I got it!' AJ replied, her voice sounding surprisingly cheerful. 'It's gonna be fine Dolph, don't worry about it! I will see you tomorrow night then! Good luck with being your dad's slave! Bye!'
Click. Gone, just like that, before he could have the chance to wish her goodbye on his part. The blonde teen sighed and shook his head. How could a girl be so reckless and naïve? Part of her age, he guessed. When you're thirteen years old, it was so easy to feel like nothing and nobody could ever harm you. Now that he thought about it… this was actually the very first time she insisted of bringing a friend along. Did AJ Lee really make a new friend?
It surprised him, in a good way.
Hopefully this friend could make her realize that the way she was living at this moment wasn't getting her anywhere.
'AJ, are you really sure this is a good idea? What if that psycho is still out there? They still haven't- eek!' Kaitlyn tried so hard to keep up with her friend that she didn't look where she was going, almost tripping over her own feet as they quickly walked towards the town's center. Luckily she regained her footing before it almost looked like she was going to make a nasty tumble. It nearly seemed like the excited AJ didn't even notice this, as she continued to pull her friend's arm, dragging her along with her and forcing her to keep up the pace. It was a Saturday night and even though the sky was dark and decorated with a star here and there (more of them were surely bound to appear as the hours would go by) and the only source of light were that of the many street lights down the street, the temperature was actually quite pleasant. Not cold, but not too warm either; it was perfect for two young, lively girls like AJ Lee and Kaitlyn Bonin to go out and make new memories.
It may have looked so peaceful and innocent… but Kaitlyn felt everything but at ease, and for a good reason.
'It will be fine!' AJ replied without even looking over her shoulder. 'I already told you, it won't be that far! Plus there are cops everywhere, remember? Seriously, look around you. Look, there's already a cop car over there, on the corner, see what I mean? And you're going to be okay when you're around my friends, those guys are absolutely cool. Trust me, I know them! They're really great guys! I can't wait to introduce them to you!'
By know, Kaitlyn had managed to keep up with her friend and got a good view on her face; each time AJ had mentioned her friends while talking, she could clearly see a twinkle appearing in the corners of her eyes, again and again. She looked absolutely elated, like a child who was going to see Santa at the mall. It was like she was completely oblivious to the horror and fear that had swept through Hope's Creek from the day Alicia Fox's body had been discovered; and it was the same horror and fear that refused to leave, having set its countless, razor-sharp, needle-thin teeth in the community. Kaitlyn felt it, she felt every bit of it. Just like everyone else (with the exception of AJ and possibly the group of guys who were either brave or dumb enough to go out while the investigation was still going on), she feared for when this ruthless maniac would strike again. It was almost too insane to believe it. A murder in her peaceful, quiet hometown… stuff like this only happened in horror stories, and yet it had happened in real life. And Alicia, oh God… she didn't deserve to die in such a horrible way, she never did. Sure, she was someone that Kaitlyn would possibly never really befriend due to Alicia tending to be so overly dramatic, but it didn't mean that she was an awful person. The large, black-and-white photo of the forensics team which consisted of men and women wearing white overalls that covered their entire bodies and rubber gloves, scavenging the crime scene that was taped off with yellow police tape in an attempt to search for any evidence, that was printed on the front paper of the local news paper along with the ominous headliner 'Local Girl's Mutilated Body Found Near River' didn't fail to send chills up her spine.
'Didn't you know this girl, Kaity?' her father, like the sensible man he was, had asked her when he handed her over that news paper that morning. Kaitlyn had to read the horrific article three times before she could fully wrap her mind around it, almost unable to believe what she was reading.
Dear God… Alicia…
When she arrived at school and entered the main hall, a nearly surrealistic atmosphere hit her like a crumbling brick wall. She was far from the only person who had heard about the unbelievable, shocking news. Students, some alone or in groups, took a moment to walk to Alicia's locker, where a memorial had been created for the murdered girl. A photo of hers was attached to the small, metal door of her locker. It was a class photo and Kaitlyn remembered this year's picture day so well; Alicia had been asking her friends if her make-up and hair looked good enough so many times that it slowly began to drive Kaitlyn nuts. The smile she had on her face was so big and bright, it was almost like she wasn't posing for a school picture but for a well-known fashion magazine. Little did Alicia know on that same day what awful fate was awaiting her… Short, thick, wax candles had been lit and put on the ground, creating a warm light that reflected on the red lockers. Numerous cards in pink, green, blue, red and yellow with texts that expressed the mourning of the fellow students were put there as well, along with a flower here and there, some of them bound together in thin bouquets. But what broke Kaitlyn's heart the most was seeing four girls, who she knew were Alicia's friends, standing closely together in a circle and embracing each other in an attempt to somehow find comfort and console each other. Tears rolled down their faces, all of them loudly sobbing, their grief too immense for them to care about the short-lived glances they got from other students. Kaitlyn couldn't blame them. Later on that day, all students were gathered in the school's gym, where they silently listened to the principle, Mr. McMahon, who tried his best to ease the shock and grief that had nestled deep inside them by encouraging them to stand strong in a time like this and informing that police were already working on the case, so hopefully whoever was responsible for the gruesome death of Alicia would be arrested soon enough.
AJ wasn't anywhere to been seen at school during the day, which didn't surprise Kaitlyn at all, but she did wonder if she knew about what had happened.
That Friday night, after another day of being surrounded by all possible theories traded between fellow students about who committed the grisly crime and the reason of why the poor girl's life had to end like this, a call was made to the Bonin residence. It was Kaitlyn who picked it up, all while wondering who would call at this time, since it had been three hours after a dinner where the tension between her father and mother was yet again so intense that it left the girl with no appetite whatsoever. It was AJ. Thank goodness, hearing her voice on that moment did help to make her feel better. She didn't expect at all that her friend would invite her to meet some of her other friends, it surprised her in two ways. For one, it seemed like AJ wasn't frightened about going out at night while a ruthless killer was still on the loose, and for two, she had always thought that AJ didn't have any other friends before she befriended her. From the moment the news of the murder had spread through the community of Hope's Creek like a wildfire, her parents had made it perfectly clear to her that she was forbidden to go anywhere, be it to the supermarket or to Liv's place, after school, until the murderer had been caught. But just on that moment, when Kaitlyn was about to decline the offer and explain her why, then accusation the girl's mother made to her father about flirting with the same, blonde, voluptuous secretary at his work, caused the tension to finally explode and erupt into a full-blown shouting match between the two. Kaitlyn was forced to cover the phone in an attempt to muffle the fight that was going on in the kitchen. Hearing AJ's voice did work to make her feel better, but her parents had yet again managed to make her feel miserable again. She quickly told her friend that she would think about going with her and hung up before she was able to hear her parents fighting. The next morning, the atmosphere in the house hadn't turned pleasant in the slightest, but her parents tried to cover this up by telling Kaitlyn they would go out for a fancy dinner in Bangor, thus leaving their own daughter alone for tonight. She could heat up a pizza in the oven if she wanted. It made her wonder: did they sincerely try to patch things up between them? But then, as she was about to mentally prepare herself for a lonely night, she suddenly realized in a sudden whim of adolescent rebellion that she didn't have to be alone… in fact… this was actually perfect. As soon as she had some privacy on her own, Kaitlyn had called back AJ to tell her that she would be coming with her tonight; everything was better than staying home all alone, fearing for being witness to yet another fight from the moment her parents would come home. As long as she would come back before her parents would, everything would be fine. That night, not long after her parents had taken off, AJ arrived at her place and the two took off.
But now that it was actually happening, Kaitlyn began to wonder whether this rebellious action against her parents had been such a good idea after all. She had the uncomfortable feeling that whoever was responsible for the gruesome death of Alicia Fox would jump out at any second, ready to drag them into the darkness and end their lives in the blink of an eye. But thankfully AJ had kept her word about sticking to a route where a lot of police would be present. On nearly every block, from Kaitlyn's neighborhood to the center, there was a police car on the corner. This helped to make her feel safer, much to her own relief.
About a bit more than ten minutes later, the girls arrived in the center of Hope's Creek, thankfully without hitch. AJ had told Kaitlyn that they would meet up at the parking lot of the local cinema. Alright, at least it was a location where there would be a lot of people, so that was fine in Kaitlyn's book. Soon enough, she could see the cinema's parking lot in the distance, constructed on the left of the massive, brick-shaped, peach-colored building with a flat, red roof, where some people had already lined up to buy a ticket to whichever movie they wished to see, an effective way of getting their mind off the fear that kept this town in its iron grip. (How many people would go see a movie based on a real life, horrific murder in a quiet, all-American town located in Maine?) None of them seemed to be paying any attention to a large group that had gathered on the parking lot. Occasional puffs of cigarette smoke ascended into the summer sky before being blown away by a breeze and as Kaitlyn and AJ got closer and closer, they heard laughter now and then coming from the group. AJ looked so excited that she didn't even bother to check for oncoming traffic before crossing the street; hadn't her friend grabbed her by the sleeve of her t-shirt, she would've been run over by a car that passed them by with considerably high speed.
Now that she saw the group from up close after they crossed the street, Kaitlyn was slightly startled. Holy crap…there were a lot more of them than she thought. She counted roughly twenty-five guys and two girls, all of them ranging from the ages of sixteen to nineteen. She automatically assumed the two girls in the group were the girlfriends of two guys, judging by the fact that one boy had his arm wrapped around his girl's waist while he lit up a cigarette for a friend who had the thing sticking out of his tightly closed mouth, while the other couple had distanced themselves a bit from their friends to make out while leaning against a car. ('Get a freaking room, you two!' one of the guys shouted at them, but Kaitlyn couldn't figure out who it was) Kaitlyn noticed that there were maybe seven faces she could recognize (mostly because this was a small town, so you were bound to seeing the same people on the street now and then), but the rest must've been from other towns near Hope's Creek. The young girl couldn't help but wonder how the hell AJ had managed to befriend these young teens who were definitely in their sophomore and senior years at high school; there was no way they could've met at their middle school. This left her mildly confused, but she was soon snapped out of her thoughts when AJ let out an excited shriek.
'Hey guys!' she exclaimed cheerfully as she approached them. They all looked up and Kaitlyn saw their mouths curling into smiles before they greeted the girl back.
'AJ!' a handful of them said. 'How's everything going?'
The young girl immediately let her new friend now how comfortable she was feeling around these guys. As soon as she got close enough to one of the boys, a seventeen-year old, red-haired fellow who had managed to get rid of most zits on his forehead during the past couple of days, a short, albeit big hug. He replied by briefly patting her on the back, almost seemingly a bit uncomfortable with this sign of endearment from the way younger girl. AJ let go of him and quickly proceeded to do the same thing to boy who stood closest to her. One by one, all the guys got a hug from AJ, some of them hugging her back, others giving her a pat on her shoulder or back, and only four of them not responding to her hugs at all. AJ didn't have any problems with hugging the two boys who had brought their girlfriends along; Kaitlyn saw the look on the faces of the girls as she wrapped her arms around the waists of the boys, it wasn't really jealousy, but they still looked quite surprised by what they saw. Kaitlyn just simply watched, a bit sheepishly, not sure about how she should feel about this.
One boy in particular got something extra from AJ. It was an eighteen-year old boy with blonde hair, wearing a black, denim jacket, a pair of jeans, black sneakers and a black t-shirt with the logo of some rock band Kaitlyn didn't know printed on it. He was having a conversation with a boy who looked like he was around the same age as him, his straight brown hair grown close to his shoulders. He was wearing a faded dark grey tank top, a pair of jeans of which a hole was visible on the left leg and a pair of black boots. A thin, golden necklace was the cherry on top of the bad boy cake. Their unknown conversation was abruptly interrupted when the both of them looked up, hearing a familiar voice calling out the blonde boy's name.
'Oh my gosh, Dolph!' AJ exclaimed as it was finally his turn. 'It's been so long! Hope your dad has been treating you right!' She then proceeded to hug him, just like she did with the others, earning a smile from the guy, though it was a bit of an awkward smile. Standing on her tippy-toes, she had reached up high enough to plant a little kiss on his jaw line. Kaitlyn could clearly see the boy's smile slightly shrinking while a light blush formed on his cheeks. Was it a blush of embarrassment? It was hard to tell at first, but seeing the way he took one step away from AJ as soon as she let go of him, Kaitlyn guessed that the kiss did indeed embarrass him a bit.
'Good to see you too, AJ!' he said. 'How is everything going?'
'Oh you know, I've been doing my usual stuff lately.' the brunette girl replied nonchalantly. 'Ran away from home again because of my mom, got into a fight with some stupid bimbo at school, decided to forgo school for the rest of my life… you know, the usual stuff, nothing too special. But something cool did happen during this week, actually!'
'And what would that be?'
AJ gestured to Kaitlyn, her eyes twinkling with excitement as she did so. 'I made a new friend! This is Kaitlyn! Kait, Kait, come here!'
Almost immediately, she felt the gazes of the other guys on her. Oh no, why did she suddenly have to make her the center of attention for a bunch of strangers? Even though she did feel a bit uncomfortable because of this, but she didn't want to look like a stick in the mud during her first impression on everyone. Curling her mouth into an awkward but small smile, she walked towards the blonde teen. Thanks to the faint light of one of the few lampposts that were installed at the parking lot, she got a good sight on the color of his eyes as she got closer to him, which were a very cool shade of blue, nearly grey even. Kaitlyn had to admit, it did fit well with his blonde hair. Now standing in front of him, the girl decided to do the polite thing and reached out with her hand, ready to shake his.
'Hi Dolph, nice to meet you!' she said. Dolph's hand found hers while she spoke, shaking it with a firm, but warm grip.
'Same here.' he replied. 'So you must be AJ's new friend!'
'Yup, we've been befriended since… well, we officially became friends during this very week, actually! We have been in the same class during this year, but we only became friends until recently.'
Dolph smiled and slightly nodded. 'That's great!'
'So I guess you're part of the group now!' the brunette boy suddenly said. He and Kaitlyn exchanged a brief handshake. 'The name is Brian. How's it going?'
'Hello, Brian.' Kaitlyn politely replied. 'I'm okay, it's just that… well, I've never done this before, I have never gone out at night, ever. And all these new people that I've never met before… it's crazy!'
'You can be yourself around us, okay?' Dolph said reassuringly before chuckling. 'We're all a bunch of nutjobs, you don't have to be shy. I have to say though, you have to be pretty brave to come here while that psycho is still on the loose…'
For a split moment, the young girl was considering to tell him that the only reason why she went out was because she couldn't stand being alone at home to nervously anticipate another senseless, heated fight between her parents as soon as they'd step through the front door, but decided during that same moment not to say it; because after all, she had only known this boy for less than five minutes. It was still too personal to share it. Instead, she nodded.
'It's so scary to think that he's still out there… I knew Alicia from school. We weren't close at all, I didn't know her that super well, but damn… it's so awful what happened to her.'
Dolph nodded in agreement. 'You have to be one sick fuck to do this kind of shit to a girl.' he said. 'I hope they will catch whoever did it as quick as possible. I bet they will. And you don't have to be afraid of that fucker, because you'll be safe with us.'
'Damn right about that.' Brian agreed. 'No psycho who is ever gonna lay a finger on you. Same goes for you, pipsqueak! You don't have to be scared either.' While a broad smile appeared on his face, he patted on AJ on the head like she was some sort of precious pet, but the girl was completely fine with this, grinning from ear to ear and closing her eyes for two seconds in delight.
It was Kaitlyn who decided to change the eerie subject into something more pleasant. 'How come I have never seen you around here?' she asked Dolph. 'I have been living here for years and this is the first time I have ever seen you. Are you from another town?'
'No, I'm not, I've been born and raised here.' he replied, speaking nothing but the truth. 'I work at my dad's bar. You know Ziggler's? He owns that place.'
'And what do you do there?'
'Oh you know, I clean, I pour drinks… I occasionally throw out a wasted customer now and then, you know, just the regular stuff you do at a bar.'
Though this wasn't really meant as a joke, it still managed to make Kaitlyn laugh. 'Oh dear, I hope it isn't too rough for you!'
'It's not my dream job, but I can handle it. I'm used to it by now. And believe me, kicking out drunks isn't even the worst part of it all…'
'What is it then?'
Her curiosity was so befitting for a girl from her age, but Dolph decided to be merciful and not gross her out that cleaning up chunky, foul-smelling vomit that hadn't ended up inside the toilet at the men's bathroom was far worse than having to shove a resistant shit-faced costumer through the door with all his strength.
'Oh believe me, you don't want to know!' he chuckled. 'You really don't want to know!'
Just then, the first cold breeze of that summer night had arrived in Hope's Creek, rolling across the cinema's parking lot and brushing against the bodies of all the teens, signaling the cold that was about to settle in for the night. It felt like the cold you would feel on an autumn day, it felt that chilly. And most of the teens had clearly assumed the night would've stayed warm, because Kaitlyn noticed that they weren't wearing jackets or coats. Immediately after that one breeze, another followed, far more cold this time. That's when a few complaints about the temperature began to arise from the large group, one of them coming from AJ. Goosebumps appeared on the teens' naked arms, including those of Kailtyn's, despite the fact that she was wearing a thin jacket at the moment.
Brian was clearly one of the teens who thought it was too cold.
'Guys!' he suddenly called out, making everyone turn their heads to look at him. 'What do you all say if we go to my place for tonight? My mom's working the night shift, it will be okay! And yes… there's beer in the fridge!'
That last part must've easily convinced everybody, because all the teens excitedly cheered in union. It obviously looked like that plan was settled. Even though Kaitlyn had no interest in the alcohol that had been promised, she had to agree with Brian; she was not in the mood of getting the flu before school was out for the summer. Then, due to the realization, some nervousness began to creep up in the pits of her stomach. They were all going to the home of some boy she had only got to know now… oh no, what if it was outside Hope's Creek? Would she make it home in time before her parents would find out? The thought of their razor-sharp glares piercing right through her soul as soon as she set foot inside the home only made the nervousness worse.
'You and AJ can catch a ride with me if you want.' Dolph said. He probably had seen the slight worry on Kaitlyn's face, because he immediately said this afterwards. 'Brian's home is on the other side of town. We will be there in five minutes or something. It's gonna be fine, don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure you will have an awesome time with us!'
Within in a matter of less than half an hour, chaos had fully ensued in Brian's home; chaos you'd expect when you have nearly thirty teenagers inside a small house with fresh beer in the family's fridge and a brand-new radio that was capable of playing cassettes.
Dolph had told the truth about the location of the house. Not only that, but also about how long it would've taken to get there. While they followed the other cars ahead of them (which were like five or six of them, all belonging to the members of the group and offering everyone the opportunity to ride along to the location) it had taken a little less than five minutes to arrive in the neighborhood on the other side of Hope's Creek. It was a neighborhood that Kaitlyn knew, since most of her classmates lived on that part. It was a middle-class area, though the house they parked in front of seemed smaller in comparison to the other houses they had passed by. When Kaitlyn looked at it, she thought at first about the houses in the neighborhood where AJ was unfortunate enough to grow up in, but she quickly realized that comparing these houses was wrong. Despite the fact that Brian's house was small, it was very well taken care of. Not one speck of filth could be spotted on the white paint on the walls, the front lawn looked like it had been mowed recently, the daffodils that were planted in the planters that were attached to the windowsills looked lively and even the small, round bushes on the sides of the path that lead to the front door had been well taken care of, not one branch was sticking out. Kaitlyn immediately speculated that Brian's mother was a very neat person.
One by one, while talking and often laughing about how 'crazy this shit was going to be', the group of teenagers entered through the doorway after all the cars had been parked in the street, nearly taking up all the empty spots. While walking towards the house, Kaitlyn stayed close to AJ, who looked just as excited as everyone else was. She probably felt like her friend was staring at her, because she turned her head to face Kaitlyn and winked at her with a big smile on her face.
'This is gonna be great!' she exclaimed, letting a soft chuckle afterwards. 'I wonder if one of the guys has cigarettes… it's about time I try one. You want me to fetch one for you?'
Kaitlyn awkwardly chuckled and shook her head. 'Uh, no thanks AJ, I'm good.'
Her friend shrugged at the response. 'Alright, if you say so… But if you change your mind, you can still ask me!'
She was pretty sure she wasn't going to, no offense to AJ.
The inside of Brian's house looked just as well taken care of like the outside. Even then, Kaitlyn could tell that his mother thought hygiene was a top priority. She must have had cleaned recently, because when she and the other teens walked through the hallway, she swore she could smell the faint scent of cleaning solution coming from somewhere. It was likely that she had mopped the wooden floor with this stuff. But for how much longer would it continue to smell like oranges until clouds of cigarette smoke would mask it? Probably not too long, she thought.
The living room, which was predictably small but looked pretty cozy otherwise, was soon filled up with teenagers who were in the mood for partying the night away with some beer, snacks, loud music, all whilst making new, crazy memories to share with their children or grandchildren once their youthful years would be far behind them… and hide said memories from their parents for a good long time, most likely. At first it wasn't too rowdy. While loud chatter began to fill the living room, members of the group plopped down on the two long, brown, leather couches, Kaitlyn and AJ being two of those lucky teens. Those who didn't get to the couch in time were standing around on various spots in the living room (some teens were sitting down on the floor, their backs leaning against the wall while making sure nobody would trip over their legs), while others already headed to the kitchen or remained in the hallway. Just as predicted, nobody had forgotten about Brian's promise of beer in the fridge, because as soon as the first teenagers had entered the recently cleaned kitchen where a dining table with two chairs only took up the most space in the far left corner, the apple-green fridge was opened to reveal two bottles of milk, ham, five eggs, a mix of various vegetables, butter, bottles of soda, orange juice and of course, three six-packs of beer. (Seeing the amount of beer made poor Brian realize that a trip to the nearby liquor store would eventually have to be made during the night. Multiple trips, possibly.) In a quick pace, the fridge was plundered and drops of foam hit the ground when some of the beer cans were opened. Some teenagers were apparently not in the mood for alcohol just yet; they could be seen with glasses of orange juice, cola or water in their hands while they talked with each other.
AJ had briefly gone to the kitchen to get a glass of water for Kaitlyn and a glass of orange juice for herself. Appearing in the doorway when she walked back to Kaitlyn, her friend noticed how she looked at those who were standing around with a beer can in their hand. She had a bit of a curious look in her eyes, as if she was wondering how that beer would taste like. This combined with her curiosity for smoking she had mentioned earlier made Kaitlyn wonder if tonight was going to be the night where she was going to try these things for the very first time. She had none of these interests. Never had she thought of how it was like to drink a beer or take a lung-full drag on a cigarette and she was pretty certain that she would never get these interests. These things killed your health and she wished to live a little bit longer. Why would AJ be so curious about alcohol and smoking? Kaitlyn just didn't understand this. Looking around her, sitting between these teenagers who she had never met before, made her feel like she had ended up in a whole different world. So this is what older kids this at this hour. While she, the role model of a daughter all parents could wish for, sat in her bedroom to try her best on finishing her homework for the next day while trying to block out the arguing that ensued downstairs by turning on her radio, this world was happening outside. This living room was brewing with life and Kaitlyn knew that this memory was going to stick with her. This would have never happened if she hadn't befriended AJ Lee… This felt so strange, but it was something new.
Something different.
'So this is what you do each night?' she asked AJ when her friend sat down next to her and handed over her drink.
She shook her head after she had immediately taken a sip of her orange juice. 'No, not every night. Only now and then. It's not like I see them every night, you know. We usually hang around on the parking lot of the cinema. We rarely go hang out at each others' homes. I guess we were lucky that Brian's mom is working the night shift tonight, or else he would've never offered us to come here. But hey, it's nice for a change! At least it's warmer… and Dolph's here.' She gestured to the blonde guy, who was standing in the doorway that lead to the hallway and burst into laughing at that very moment because of something one of his friends told him; Kaitlyn could see a little twinkle in the right corner of AJ's right eye. 'He doesn't hang out a lot with us anymore because his father makes him work at that bar of his, really, the last time I saw him was… like, a month ago or something? I don't know, either way, it has been way too long. I do talk on the phone with him sometimes, but it's more fun when he's here, in person, do you know what I mean? It makes it feel like he's less far away from me… he's such a cool guy.'
And while AJ took another sip of her drink, her eyes were still set on the blonde teenager who just a few feet away from her.
It was only when Kaitlyn's glass of water half-full when the aforementioned chaos that was bound to happen broke loose at last. Brian had decided to make the party livelier (and let's not forget, louder) by turning on the radio at full blast after he had come back from a quick trip to the liquor store with even more beer, which would surely keep his friends around for longer. Rock music was blasted throughout the entire house, even from the kitchen and the hallway you could still hear the lyrics the lead singer sang at the top of his lungs. It appeared that most of the teens were into this type of music, because some of them were singing along while other nodded their heads and tapped their feet on the floor to the rhythm of the song. And clearly the music helped to spice things up, because when Kaitlyn had gone to the kitchen for another glass of water, she saw the couple who she had seen making out earlier at the parking lot; the girl was sitting on the kitchen counter, the way she and her boyfriend were kissing made the younger girl think they were about to tear each other's clothes off and do the thing her fellow classmates often joked about during lunch break. They didn't acknowledge Kaitlyn's presence or that of the others in the slightest. Her cheeks bright red with embarrassment; she quickly filled her glass and left.
By this time, AJ had pretty much left her on her own to talk to the other boys. At first Kaitlyn hadn't minded it that much since she thought she should be able to talk with her other friends as well, but after standing alone in a corner for a while, taking occasional sips of her drink while awkwardly staring at what was going on around her, she noticed that she was wishing for her friend to come back. She didn't know any of these teenagers, she had no ideas what interests they had besides partying and rock music and the fear of starting conversations with strangers about a subject they had no interest in whatsoever lingered inside her. Dolph was an exception, but only because they had talked for about five minutes or so when they first met, and he was already talking to another small group of boys. She suddenly felt so out of place here, like she was an intruder to a party she wasn't invited to.
Then, she caught a glimpse of AJ, who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen… with an unlit cigarette stuck between her lips. A chubby-looking boy wearing a baseball cap and who looked like he was around sixteen years old held a lighter near the tip of the cigarette; the tiny flame instantly lit it up. AJ's cheeks hollowed as she took her very first drag. Immediately, her eyes were tearing up and she burst into a huge coughing fit, earning laughter from two boys and a girl who just happened to be standing around her at the moment. This only lasted for a few seconds. After catching her breath, AJ took another drag, less heavy this time. Though Kaitlyn could clearly see on her face that it was still everything but pleasant, she handled it way better this time. Smoke escaped past the young girl's lips, ascending towards the ceiling before disappearing into thin air. There. Now she knew.
After another half an hour, maybe even longer than that, the chaos was finally complete when Brian entered the living room with a black, electric guitar in his hands; a friend of his followed, carrying a cable and a guitar amplifier with a purple sticker of the peace sign on the side. The rock star wannabe had to move aside a couple of beer cans, glasses and bowls of chips and peanuts in order to create more space on the liquid-stained coffee table between the couches to temporarily put his guitar on before walking to the radio and abruptly switching it off. Silence instantly followed, causing an eruption of surprised mumbling from his friends, all questioning who the hell shut the music off.
'Alright then, guys…' Brian said out loud while casually plugging in the amplifier in an outlet near the TV; Kaitlyn strongly wondered how much this guy had been drinking. 'Who's in for a private concert? Because you know, when I'll become a rock star, y'all can say that you had been attending a concert from Brian Kendrick before he got famous!'
The crowd of lightly tipsy teenagers burst into a cheering fit for the up-and-coming rock star, including AJ and Dolph even, but not Kaitlyn, who kept staring at him while wondering if this goal of his was a spur of the moment dream caused by a considerable amount of alcohol or was genuine. Either way, the encouragement of his friends seemed to boost his confidence further, because he grinned from ear to ear while looking around him. He plugged a cable that was connected to the amplifier into his guitar. Then, like his rock star dream had already come true, he stood on the coffee table, knocking over whatever was in his way in the progress. One glass fell over the edge and shattered into various sizes of pieces as soon as it touched the floor, but the sound was largely drowned out by the loud cheering.
That's when Brian noticed Kaitlyn standing in the corner and gestured her to join the group; seeing those piercing blue-grey eyes staring right at nearly made the blood in her body rush to her head in surprise.
'Hey, don't you stand there alone, girl!' the teen called out. 'It's time to be alive! Get over here! I may let you be my background singer!'
The young girl chuckled, hoping that he was just kidding. Just then, one voice she recognized so well, managed to convince her to join the rest. 'Come on Kaitlyn!' AJ called out. 'Come on, come here!'
Now with all eyes aimed at her, she had no other choice than to walk to the whole group of friends, who had gathered around the coffee table, to avoid looking like a total stick in the mud. She stood close to AJ, who was standing even closer to Dolph. Now all the attention was shifted back to Brian, who clearly enjoyed every second of it, soaking it all in while grinning like a proud idiot.
Despite the fact that he had most definitely had a couple of drinks during this night, the music Brian created with his trusted guitar sounded actually very enjoyable, really good even, like alcohol only increased his skills. Kaitlyn watched as his fingers smoothly moved over the guitar's neck, hitting every right note each time. She couldn't really recognize the song from any band she listened to, so she assumed that it could've been that Brian had written it himself. And she had to say… he definitely had talent. And when he began to sing, she also admitted that he had a great voice for singing as well. Even though she was still young and thus had not a full idea about how the music industry worked, Kaitlyn hoped that it would give Brian a chance, because the talent was there. Some of the teenagers began to slightly jump up and down, others clapped their hands rhythmically, then some others cheered Brian on and the rest did all of these at the same time. Kaitlyn was one of the people who were clapping their hands, genuinely enjoying the music and having a great time. AJ on the other hand was one of those who cheered Brian on, pausing for a moment to wrap her arms around Dolph's waist and jumped to give him a quick kiss on his cheek. Her friend saw it from the corner of her left eye; as soon as the blonde teen felt her lips on his face, he took a hold of them and gently pried them off his waist. He didn't say anything to her, but he there was this hint of annoyance that could be read on his face. Only for a few seconds, AJ silently stared at him, almost like she was hurt… but then, like nothing happened, she went back to cheering on Brian. Dolph didn't do anything; he just watched with his hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans.
During the time Kaitlyn attended the private concert, she hadn't been promoted to background singer of the rising star, much to her relief. However, after listening to his music for a good half hour or so, she felt a mean headache creeping up. She tried to ignore at first, but it soon grew worse; she knew it was likely due to the combination of the loud music, the cheering, clapping and the stale smoke of cigarettes. What she needed right now was some fresh air, lots of it. The girl turned around and headed towards the hallway, maneuvering through the crowd of teenagers to get there, practically squeezing herself through it. Luckily the hallway was empty, making it way easier for her to walk.
Immediately after she opened the front door, the cold air of a summer night welcomed her with open arms. Eagerly, Kaitlyn breathed it in. Just like she hoped to, the fresh breeze helped to push away the nasty headache for a good chunk; there was still some lingering pain on her left temple, but it felt relieving nonetheless. The cigarette smoke, beer and Brian's rock star career disappeared on the background, muffled down by the calmness that only a night in the summer of 1980 could create. It felt like she was cleansing out her lungs after sitting in the smoke for what felt like hours to her, she could actually taste the staleness on the back of her tongue because of it. Maybe she could wash it away with some water when she would go back inside. Kaitlyn looked up at the sky, noticing that countless stars had formed while she had been inside experiencing how the social life of an older teen was like. Like any other starry sky she had witnessed throughout her entire life, it was absolutely beautiful.
The young girl sat down on the wooden, short flight of stairs of the front porch. She was all by herself, but she completely okay with it. Thankfully the muffled noises back inside the house did barely anything to disturb the peace and rest she felt right now. Kaitlyn continued to look up at the night sky, barely bothered by a frisky breeze that rolled through the street. Somewhere in the distance, crickets had begun to play their own song, contributing to the already wonderful peacefulness. Just perfect. Kaitlyn leaned the back of her head in her neck and breathed in deeply once more, closing her eyes for a moment. Yes… this was just what she needed.
'Is everything alright?'
The voice made Kaitlyn open her eyes and look over her shoulder to see who it was. Standing behind her was Dolph, with his hands still in his pockets.
'Did you feel sick or something back there?' he asked. 'Or are you tired?'
'Uh, no… it's okay!' Kaitlyn replied, shaking her head. 'I just needed some fresh air. I got a bit of headache, I needed to go outside for a bit.'
'Alright, I just wanted to know if you were alright. I bet all that smoke and noise must've gotten to you. I have that too sometimes when I work in the bar. But a bit of fresh air always seems to help.'
The girl softly chuckled. 'Yeah, same here.'
'And do you feel better now?'
'Yeah, thanks. I will go back inside in a minute, but for now... I think I'm gonna look at the stars a bit more.'
'Really?' Dolph looked up at the sky for a few seconds. 'Huh… I can see why you want to be outside for a bit longer. That looks amazing!'
There was a spot left next to Kaitlyn, thankfully there was enough space for the blonde teen to sit down and join her to stare at the countless stars in the sky, which almost looked like tiny diamonds, they shone so beautifully. On that moment, the young girl learned something new about Dolph; even though he was a boy who enjoyed having a big crowd of friends around him and party like there was no tomorrow, he still was the kind of person who could just stop for a moment to enjoy the smallest things that made life so good… like a starry sky on a summer night, for example. A wonderful trait, if you'd ask Kaitlyn. They both didn't say anything for a moment. She turned her head to look at Dolph, whose mouth had curled into a small smile while he continued to stare at the night sky. It was just the two of them, with the rest of the group inside where Brian continued to entertain his friends like his life depended on it. For some reason, Dolph Ziggler's looks reminded her of those of an actor; if he truly did possess some fine acting skills, Hollywood would definitely be embracing him with open arms.
'Dolph, can I ask you something?' Kaitlyn suddenly asked.
'Yeah, of course.' the blonde teen replied, glancing at her.
'I've been wondering… how exactly did you get to know AJ? How long have you been friends? I'm pretty sure you didn't meet at school, did you? I'm really curious about this, actually.'
Dolph chuckled and shook his head. 'No, you're right about that.' he said. 'We have been hanging around together since… a couple months ago, I think it was in March. Yeah, it had to be March, because I, Brian and a couple other guys went to a football game in Bangor on that day. We went to the supermarket to grab some drinks when we came home after the game. We were just about to go inside and out of nowhere, she walked to us, no hesitation whatsoever, like she has known us for years. She asked if one of us could give her three dollars so that she could buy a smoothie and a sandwich. I think she was assuming that we didn't believe that she had any money with her, because she immediately pulled out the insides of her pockets to prove her point. So I gave her three bucks, she went inside the store and a couple minutes later she came out with a smoothie and a sandwich. She came back to us and we talked for a while, and again, she talked to us like we all had been friends for years. Hell, she even sat down to eat with us. And that's how it pretty much happened. Ever since then, AJ has been a part of our group and she'll always be there when we get the chance to meet up. She's a really spunky kid for her age, but... there are times where I can't help but worry about her.'
'Why?'
'I already found it weird that a thirteen-year old girl went out in the dead of the night to grab some food for herself, that's where it already started. Sometime later, I learned more about her. From what she told me, her mother apparently couldn't give less than two shits about where she is or what she's doing, because the heroin is way more important to her. Once she shoots up some heroin in her arm, things can get pretty ugly. I have seen AJ's bruises, Kaitlyn. And I'm pretty sure you have one or two as well, haven't you?'
Kaitlyn nodded. So she wasn't the only one who knew…
'I'm convinced that her life at home is what messed her up so much in the first place. No father, an addicted mother… I can imagine how someone would feel if their life looked like that. And lately she had been telling me about never going back to school again. It's like she has completely given up on life. She shouldn't be doing this! She's thirteen years old, she still has a whole life ahead of her. I wish I could do more for her, but it's like she completely fine with all of this. I can't remember how many times she has told me how much she hated her mother, but she always keeps returning home. Maybe somewhere inside she still loves her, or it's simply because she has no other family to turn to. But you know… I think things will get better for her now.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'I mean… she has you for a friend, doesn't she?' And while Dolph's lips curled into a small smile, Kaitlyn saw how straight and white his teeth were; yup, definitely Hollywood actor material right here. 'You are from around her age and if I have to be honest, you don't look like a troublemaker at all to me. So I hope you can be a better influence on her than we have.'
The young girl couldn't help but briefly laugh at the thought of her being a troublemaker. 'Yep, I am a different kind of person, that's true. Heck, I avoid causing trouble, all the time. But I too want to be there for AJ. I have seen how they treated her at school, there was nobody who stood up for her when Carmella Van Dale and her friends bullied her.'
'Oh yeah, I think she has told me about her once. The popular girls always have to be the meanest, huh?'
'You could say that again.'
'AJ has told me about what happened in the school cafeteria that day. What you did was amazing, Kaitlyn, I really mean that. She's lucky to have you as a friend.'
Blood rushed to Kaitlyn's cheeks in the blink of an eye while she smiled from ear to ear. At first she had no idea what to say to this, because wow, what a compliment that was... it turned her shy, really.
'Well… AJ's lucky with you as well. She seems to be very comfortable around you, she must trust you a lot.' she said. Maybe a bit too comfortable at times, though; she remembered the unease on Dolph's face whenever her friend planted an unwanted kiss on his cheek. 'But she looks like she gets along well with the other boys as well!'
'Oh yeah, she does, with all of them. Speaking of them… how do you like Brian's music? Do you think he has any chance on making it big?'
'I think he does, yeah. He's not bad at all, if I have to be honest. My God, is he still playing? How much energy does that guy have?'
'Tons of it, believe me!' Dolph let out a sigh. 'Even if he can be a loudmouth and a show-off at times, it makes me happy to see him like this. That guy has to be my closest friend. I have known him ever since I was fourteen years old and around the time I got to know him, he, uh… he used to be quite a different person. Nothing like you saw back inside, in the slightest. Because before I met him, his twin sis-'
The blonde boy's words were abruptly cut off when an unknown car suddenly stopped right in front of the house, the tires screeching with a high pitch as the driver furiously stomped on the brakes. Both he and Kaitlyn looked up in surprise. What the hell? Kaitlyn didn't recognize the vehicle as one of those that belonged to some members the group. Immediately after the car had come to a halt, the door on the driver's side swung open with the same fury that was used for the brakes. The driver turned out to be a woman in her mid-forties with short, curly, dark brown hair and wearing a light blue nurse uniform. Her white high heels rapidly clacked onto the asphalt as she quickly hurried around her car, heading straight to the house.
'Oh damn…' was the only thing that Dolph mumbled. And Kaitlyn could see exactly why; now that she got a closer look at the woman, it was perfectly clear that she was absolutely, undoubtedly, without any doubt, fucking pissed.
As the woman got closer and closer to the front porch, the young girl could almost swear that her green eyes were burning with the fire of Hell itself, she looked that angry. It even scared her a bit. The enraged nurse was only a meter away from the stairs when both Kaitlyn and Dolph realized that they should move out of her way before her fury would be aimed at her. They stood up as fast as they could, getting out of her way as she was just about to walk up the short flight of stairs. She didn't acknowledge them at all when she passed them by, her mind only set on what was going on inside the house, where everyone was still cheering on Brian for one more song.
'Who is she?' Kaitlyn practically whispered.
'That's Brian's mom…' Dolph replied, his voice just as soft as hers. 'Fuck… Why did she come home earlier?'
It was an easy guess that all hell was going to break loose from the moment Susan Kendrick had set foot inside the home. Just a meter or two behind her were Dolph and Kaitlyn, who both couldn't help but see what was going to happen, like spectators of an impending car crash. Making sure there was enough distance between them and her, they snuck back inside, into the hallway and heading straight into the living room. They had arrived just in time.
'Shut up! Everyone, sit down and shut the hell up!' Brian's infuriated mother screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice so loud that it towered over all other noises inside the living room, including that of Brian's guitar. Almost like the shocking news of someone passing away had reached the group, everyone fell silent and turned their heads to Susan Kendrick, their eyes widened with shock and surprise. Brian, who was still standing on the coffee table, was possibly even more shocked than everyone else was.
'Mom!' he exclaimed. 'What are you doing here?! You weren't suppo-'
'The neighbors called me, Brian!' his mother shouted at him. 'You were so goddamn loud that they called me, complaining about the noise! Who has been smoking in here?! Oh my God, look at this mess! The coffee table! You've ruined the coffee table, Brian! Those stain marks will never get out! Get the hell off there! And who the hell are all of these people?!'
'It's okay mom, they're my friends!' Brian said when his feet touched the floor.
'I don't give a flying fuck if they are your friends! I don't want my house, for which I pay all the fucking bills for, to be a clubhouse for all the damn kids in town! I want them out! All of you! Get out of here! And I swear to God, if one of you has broken something…!'
'But mom…'
'No, Brian! I don't want to hear anything from you! I can't believe I had to get out of work for this! Goddamn it, Brian! Get them out of here! Now!'
The brunette teen rolled his eyes and let out a loud sigh, knowing that there's was no way to get the party back on track either way. 'Alright… Sorry guys, the party is over!' he said out loud.
While protesting mumbling emerged from the group, Susan Kendrick decided to make it perfectly clear for one last time. 'Out! All of you! Get out!' she shouted once more.
And just like that, the party had Brian Kendrick's house was officially ended… but despite the abrupt ending, there were still some guys who found it pretty humorous, because as the teens headed to the front door one by one, laughter and chuckling escaped past the lips of some while they talked about how much trouble Brian was going to be in. It was only then when AJ was reunited with Kaitlyn; while they walked through the hallway, she could definitely tell that her friend had been smoking more cigarettes while she had been outside, since her breath reeked of smoke when she laughed about how crazy that was.
Kaitlyn could swear that the neighbors collectively sighed in relief when all the teens had gone outside. 'See you later!', 'Let's do that again!' and 'You're driving?' were mostly said as the group parted. Their cars drove off, through the street and out of Kaitlyn's sight. Of course, it was Dolph who offered her and AJ to drive them home. There was a bit of doubt on AJ's face when the blonde teen did this, like she was considering whether it would be a good idea to go back home to the woman she loathed so much at times… but then she nodded, accepting Dolph's offer.
Kaitlyn was the first one to be dropped off at her house; much to her relief, her parents' hadn't been parked in the driveway just yet. There was still time left to get inside undetected, thank goodness about that.
'Thanks for that, Dolph!' she said after opening the door. 'I really had a great time! Hopefully Brian will be alright…'
'I'm sure he will be.' the blonde teen calmly answered. 'This isn't the first time his mom got pissed as a newt at him, you know. Don't worry, he'll live.'
'Remember saying that when tomorrow the cops will discover his body buried in the garden!' AJ said with a grin on her face. She had put her feet against the dashboard, and even though her voice sounded like she still had plenty of energy left while cracking that sinister joke, she almost immediately let out a yawn after saying this; she covered her mouth with the back of her hand as she did so. 'I'll see you around, Kait!'
'You can come hang out with us as much as you want, just so you know.' Dolph said.
'I bet I definitely will.' Kaitlyn replied. 'Bye!'
She slammed the door shut and off they went, heading towards that one side of town where only the neighbors there would know if AJ's mother was already sound asleep or busy shooting up another dosage into one of the many veins she had used. Looking left and right, the young girl wanted to make sure that her parents weren't driving into the street just yet. Thankfully, she was all on her own for now. She hurried towards her house, the key to the front door already clenched between her thumb, index finger and middle finger.
Five minutes later, when she was laying in her bed while thinking about when the next time would be where she would see Dolph again, her parents came home.