Crossing the boundaries
Chapter 5: Rock Bottom
"Where's Greg?" Andrew looked around the party as he asked Sammy. "I have no clue. He was greeting some guest just a few seconds ago." Sammy replied as he took down a chug of his beer. "Hey Mina." Sammy greeted. "Hey Sammy. Well you guys seem to be having some fun here." Mina replied as she saw some girl taking straight shots in a corner. "Well we're trying to keep the liquor down to a minimum. You know Greg's neighbors are pretty nosy." Sammy patted Andrew's back. "Um… okay. So where do we put our jackets?" Andrew asked. "You could put it in the backroom on your left." Sammy pointed at the closed door. "Let's just leave them on for now. I really don't trust leaving my stuff unattended." Mina whispered to Andrew. "Okay come on look there's Lita!" Mina grabbed Andrew's arm and led him through the crowd. "Hey Lita!" Mina shouted over the music. "Oh hey. What's up Andrew?" Lita smiled. "Hey Lita. So what are you doing here all by yourself?" Andrew asked. "Oh I was with some guy here. He went to get us some drinks. So nobody seen Ray or Darien?" Lita asked. "Nope. Well Darien's home with a stomach virus and Ray… I have absolutely no clue where she is. Though her little posse is here." Mina pointed at some girls in little kinky clothing flirting with some guys in the corner of the room. "Ha! Those girls never cease to amaze me. They've been with about half of the guy population of the school." Lita laughed and drank the rest of her drink. "Well where's the drinks. I'm dying of thirst?" Mina asked. "Look at it over there sweetie. I'll take you over there." Andrew walked with Mina to the kitchen to pour them selves a drink. Oblivious to the fact that Ray was right in the room next to the kitchen.
Ray kissed Greg more passionately. She put her hands through his hair and caressed his face. Greg was caressing her back as she did so. Ray pulled away and looked at him. "What's wrong Ray?" Greg asked. "Nothing. I'm just a little tipsy that's all." Ray smiled. Greg pulled her back down and kissed her neck softly. Ray shuddered by his kisses. "Don't worry Ray. I won't hurt you." Greg whispered. Ray wanted to burst out laughing. Little did this idiot know that virginity was a thing of her past. She had lost it to Darien a year ago. She was just using Greg for a little fun that's all. Ray added in a kick of pleasure just to make sure that Greg didn't think that she wasn't interested. Tonight Darien was the farthest thing from her mind.
"Okay now I'm a little hot. How about we just leave our jackets in that room." Mina pulled off her jacket and fanned herself with her free hand. "Okay." Andrew grabbed Mina's jacket and walked to the room. He opened the door and turned on the light. What he saw in that bed was a sight for sore eyes. "Ray?" Andrew asked confused. Ray pushed herself off of Greg. "What the hell is going on here?" Mina asked. Ray put on her blouse and stuttered. "Guys look…" Ray tried to explain. "What kind of girlfriend are you? Darien's in his house sick and you're here making out with his friend? You have got to be kidding me?" Mina shouted. The music had stopped and now all eyes were on what was occurring. "Look Mina I got a little drunk I didn't know what I was doing. Wait why the hell am I explaining myself to you?" Ray asked. Mina punched Ray as soon as she had finished her sentence. Ray touched her lip and saw the blood on her fingers. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Ray grabbed Mina's hair and pulled it with all her strength. Mina shouted and uppercut Ray sending her flying towards the bed. "Now everyone look here who's the real tramp of Crossroads High. Say hello to Ray Hino." Mina shouted. Everyone began to laugh and whisper things to one another. Ray looked at the crowd. She stood up and grabbed her jacket. She ran past everyone staring Mina down in the process. "Alright now back to the party." Someone shouted and the music was back on. "Come on Andrew. Now that that's out of the way let's party!" Mina shouted
Serena sat down on the couch and looked at the empty television screen. Ami had left a few minutes ago since her mother wanted her home at a reasonable hour. All the thoughts of the day had flashed through her mind. All the hurt she felt, all the embarrassment that she had been put through for one guy. One guy who she thought was the person she wanted to be with. Now she realized he was only a jerk who wanted to make her life a living hell. She just had to try to live without him no matter how hard it was. She didn't know why though, why had he done that to her. He had saved her from Greg and she felt the spark between them. Was he just faking it? Pretending just so he could break her heart and make her feel that she wasn't good enough. "Well I won't let them bring me down. Not now." Serena stood up and looked at her reflection in the hall mirror. Inside her eyes she saw all the pain she was going through. But she wasn't going to let it faze her tomorrow. She'd just let it all pass her by.
The next day at school was a whole new beginning for Darien. "What's up Darien I heard what happened." Sammy patted his friends back. Darien looked confused. "Darien you don't have to deny anything. We saw it all for ourselves. That chick Serena and that girlfriend of yours Ray must be exactly the same. Both after Greg!" His friend Alex laughed. "Ray? What are you guys talking about?" Darien didn't comprehend what the hell his friends were even talking about. "Man she was making love with Greg. Mina and Andrew caught them. Didn't Andrew tell you?" Sammy asked. "What? I didn't hear. Andrew didn't tell me." Darien felt like vomiting. He couldn't imagine Ray with Greg. It was so…disgusting. "Have you seen Ray?" Darien asked. "Yeah she's in the auditorium." Alex replied. "Yo Dare, whoop her ass!" Alex shouted. Sammy punched Alex lightly on the arm as a signal to shut up.
Ray sat on the stage contemplating what she would tell Darien and secondly would he believe her. She heard the doors slam open and she looked up. There was Darien standing there his hands clenched at his sides. "Hey Ray should we keep rehearsing?" The brunette at the stage asked. "No take a break." Ray replied keeping her eyes on Darien. Slowly Darien walked up to Ray. "I can't believe you." He finally spoke after the awkward silence. "Listen Darien, I was drunk and I…" "Shut up Ray. I just can't understand you. I give you all I could give and you pull this stunt on me? Are you insane?" Darien shouted. The tears welled up in Ray's eyes. "Darien please forgive me. I don't know what's gotten into me." Ray tried to hug him. Darien pulled away in disgust. "Don't lay those hands on me." "I did it because you seem to be all over Serena nowadays. I've noticed it in the way you look at her, in the way you mention her name, and even in the way you defend her. You chose her over me. So what the hell was I expected to do? Try to fight for you? No Darien I've done that for so long. I love , I honestly do but it's just so hard. I gave myself up to you do you remember? I care about you. Just don't leave me!" ray was hysterical. "Stop with the dramatics Ray, seriously. I can't keep on with this anymore. We'll just go our separate ways. I can't be with someone who's tried to cheat on me. And you know what? Maybe your right. Maybe I do like Serena! She's perfect and I know it was you who did those damn flyers and it's not going to stop me from trying to win her love that I can promise you Ray. So to make it official. We're through!" Darien replied. He gave her the once over and walked out of the auditorium. "Darien you can't leave me! You and Serena will regret this. I can promise you." Ray cried and threw herself to the floor. Life was completely topsy-turvy.
"Darien thank God I spotted you in time. Look Ray…" Andrew ran up to Darien out of breath. "Andrew I already know. I ended it with her. I'm ready to go after what I really want." Darien replied. "What's that?" Andrew asked in surprise. "Serena." Darien smiled.