PRE GAME
"I'll call the uber, y'all start the pool." I was holding onto Becca's arm as we walked out of the dorm, and I was incredibly confused when we didn't grab our jackets. We each had our ID in our bra and our debit cards and our phones tucked into the best places we could on our tiny ensembles.
"Uh, why aren't we taking our coats, won't we be fucking freezing like this?" I questioned, watching Becca's feet walk perfectly in their six inch heels.
"Nope!" Jess popped the "P".
"A hoe never gets cold~!" Angela chimed in, grinning at me, I could only grin back, still shocked I was even a part of all of this. Part of me hated that they were all right, I felt hot as hell, and why shouldn't I? I set my back straight and looked up from my feet, more confident in my own shoes as we made it outside.
I wanted to call bullshit immediately. I was a hoe, and I was cold. None of the other girls seemed bothered, and I gave Jess a shivering, bitter look as all of us climbed into the uber together.
When we got to the bar, we were all feeling the adrenaline, clamoring out and adjusting our outfits to head up to the bouncer, showing our ID's one at a time and getting ushered in. The place was certainly busy, full of bad silver and gold decorations and accessories, everything looked sparkly. The Ball Drop was playing on every TV in the bar, and the champagne was already being poured. Everyone seemed to be in a great mood though, so I took a breath and smiled.
It helped me relax, I tried to shake off thoughts of him for just one night. We all made our way to the bar as a group, and Jess started us off with a round of shots. The plastic shot glasses all had "Happy New Year!" Printed on the sides. I smiled and started in with a cheer as the others did, throwing it back.
About two hours later we had lost track of how many rounds we'd done. We'd been laughing and talking shit the entire time, discussing Thesis proposals briefly before none of us could pronounce our topics. Jessica and Angela played up their outfits to get free drinks, I just stayed on my stool, chatting on and off with them until chatting became slurring. I was far more drunk than I was used to. The whole room seemed dark and I was talking louder than I would normally, they hadn't been kidding when they said we'd be getting wasted. I was honestly nervous to get down from my stool, but I felt good, free. I was still sipping on a mixed drink while the others did more shots, chickening out for my tolerances sake. But that last round had Jess looking pretty green.
"Oh..fugh…" She seemed to rock a little bit on her feet and Angela sort of caught her.
"Oh sshid, les go to the bathroom boo-" She also sounded pretty slurred, but she grabbed Jess' shoulders, Becca looking at me, I was grimacing.
"If I see 'er puke, iss gon' make me puke.." I thought that was coherent enough. Becca nodded in understanding and headed after the other two to hold Jess' hair back. I closed my eyes to keep the room from rocking in my vision, giggling to myself at how silly I felt. I sighed and grabbed my drink again, taking another gulp of it. I paused after I did, making a face. I couldn't place the taste I just got, but it was worse than the rail vodka. I stirred it in the glass and took another sip, but the taste was still there. I mulled over it for several minutes, but my brain was becoming almost sludge from the alcohol. I felt lightheaded now, and I put down the drink, shaking my head to try and clear it a little bit, but it didn't help. I felt myself falling off my stool, feeling like my muscles were getting weaker. I caught myself with my foot, but rolled my ankle a little when the heel tipped, my glass falling out of my hand and shattering on the floor.
"Oh fuck-" I wanted to bend down and try and clean it up, but I was seeing double, I was getting scared, alcohol had never made me feel like this before. I was getting so tired all of a sudden, it was hard to keep my eyes open. I stumbled a little into the bar, catching myself just barely, worrying my knees were going to give out.
Suddenly, I realized what the flavor had been in my drink that was so off putting, the realization sending a chill through the last of my rational brain as my heavy eyes began winning the fight.
It tasted like salt.
Somewhere, I knew that was bad, but I couldn't remember how. I felt something around my waist then, but I was so tired, I didn't fight it. I thought I heard someone nearby mention their girlfriend, but I couldn't keep my eyes open long enough to see who.
The thing around my waist kept me vertical, but my feet weren't cooperating. I tried to walk but I couldn't find the muscles. I tried to whimper at the hard thing on my waist, wanting to just lay on the ground so my head would stop spinning.
A blast of cold air suddenly hit me and cleared my head slightly. And I opened my eyes, I looked at the things holding me up, and the ground. We were outside, and the things were arms. They were hairy arms in a brown leather jacket. I didn't know those arms. I turned my head up to try and see the owner of the arms, and he looked back at me with a smile that made my stomach turn. I didn't know that face either. I remembered then what salt meant, and felt my pulse pick up, though my arms and legs felt like lead.
Rohypnol.
I knew I had to fight as I understood what was happening, but I couldn't find my voice or my hands. I squirmed weakly, seeing my hands and moving them to press against the strangers chest. But he was much stronger than me in that moment. He stuck his hand in the hair at the nape of my neck and gripped it, pulling it up.
"Just play nice doll, it will be over soon, just go to sleep." The voice was horrible, gravelly and smelled like cigarette smoke, it made me nauseous again. I didn't have a chance to vomit before I was suddenly shoved into what felt like a hospital bed. I opened my eyes briefly, no, it was the back of a car, it smelled in here too.
The monster crawled up and over me, and turned off the overhead light in the car. I tried pushing at him again, but it did nothing. I felt tears start to pour down my face, the only sound I was able to make being a whimper. I felt his hands on my breasts, my waist, my hips.
I felt him starting to push the skirt of my dress up and I tried to kick out, losing my shoe on the asphalt outside. I felt so helpless, so alone, I couldn't stop him myself.
I wanted to scream and fight but my head felt like it was underwater. I squeezed my eyes shut, gritting my teeth, crying out weakly as he tore my skirt up my thigh in frustration at being unable to get up far enough, leaving my underwear exposed which he went to grab at next, the sound of his belt unclipping ringing in my ears. No one would save me this time, no one even knew where I was. I choked on a sob as I tried to swing a fist at him, but there were too many of him, my eyes too unfocused. I could only cry out in my head, I didn't want this, I could only save myself, but I couldn't help but wish, feeling the monster yank something down my thighs.
"Edward!"
It was so sudden I almost thought I'd finally passed out, one moment the weight of the monster was crushing me, pawing at me, and the next it was gone. I heard the strangest sound, like a big dog or a tiger snarling loudly. I managed to open my eyes again, and was absolutely shocked in my haze.
Edward Cullen had the Monster pinned a foot up the brick wall of the alley by his throat. The snarling sound was coming from him, I realized as the monster choked and kicked and clawed at his hand uselessly. But I couldn't keep my eyes open for long. I tried to sit up, managing to flop, but sobbed, I hated this feeling, I kept trying weakly to crawl out of the backseat. As I rolled again I couldn't stop it, I coughed as I retched onto the floor of the car, emptying my stomach with a horrid sound, almost choking. I panted in between retches, but suddenly felt a cool hand take my ponytail and hold it out of the way, an angelic, concerned voice quietly soothing me as another cool hand stroked my back.
"It's okay Eva, get it all up, you're going to be alright…" I recognized this voice. These arms. That face, and felt myself slump again. Crying weakly as the last of it turned into sad dry heaves. Edward gave me something, some kind of handkerchief, and I immediately held it over my mouth. My head was clearing slightly, but not a lot. Something large and cold was draped over my back, but it smelled amazing compared to the vomit covered back seat, and I was suddenly wrapped in it, being cradled by firm cold arms.
"Just hold on, I'm going to get you somewhere safe, you're alright now, I've got you.." He sounded so worried, and I wished I could soothe him, but I could only whimper in response, hiding my face in his chest, shaking like a leaf. I was placed on a seat in a warm car now, buckled in and leaned back, still wrapped in the lovely smelling thing. I was finally calming down, and I let myself go limp, falling in and out of consciousness as the warm car made turns and braked and accelerated. I registered being carried again, and I squinted open my eyes, the bright white lights of the hospital almost blinding me.
"Hurry, she's been drugged-" I heard the angelic voice again, and I was carried more, suddenly I was being placed on something soft, but crinkly, and I heard a new voice.
"Can you hear me? Open your eyes for me sweetheart." It was a woman's voice now, and I opened my eyes, letting her shine a flashlight in them. She let me close them again after that, and I tried to mumble. "It tasted…like salt…" It didn't even sound like my own voice, smothered and slurred.
"It's alright honey, you're in the hospital." she assured me. I was so tired…
"She was sick on the way over, emptied her stomach it looked like. She also didn't finish the drink, she dropped it." Edward explained, still worried.
"At least that's something. We'll run her blood now to see where she's at. Are you her friend?"
"Yes, ma'am, may I stay with her? She's very frightened."
At that I realized they might kick him out, even through my fog my hand reached out and fisted in his sweater weakly.
"P-please don' go..please let 'im stay.." I begged, sobbing again, not wanting to be alone. I felt his hand take mine so gently.
"It's alright Eva, I'm right here, I won't leave you."
"Yes, you may follow then. I'll page your father." I felt the bed moving then, and we were wheeled into a quiet exam room. Edward never let go of my hand, and I clung to it like a lifeline.
"It's ok to sleep now, love, you're safe." He sounded so sad, so scared. I didn't like it. But I couldn't stay awake anymore. As everything faded into black I could still feel his cool hand, and it brought me enough comfort that I was able to let go.
And I drifted.