i. but she always picks up

Maddy and Nate were no strangers to fighting, but honestly – why the fuck wasn't he answering any of her texts? It was too late for him to be working out and she knew when he was working out, his phone was on silent. He could be at the party she was driving to right now with Kat in the passenger seat and Jules and BB in the back, but even if that was the case, Maddy knew had to keep his attention. Baiting someone like Nate Jacobs in with her pettiness wasn't hard. She could get anything she wanted from him. But tonight… something seemed off. Nate could be ten shots in, nurse a bottle of beer and still blowing her phone back up like she does to him. However as she drove to this New Years Eve party all dressed up and looking to die for, she glanced for a split second at her phone. No texts, missed calls or even snaps. Nothing.

Part of it bugged her. It was almost insulting how he didn't talk to her. How dare he fucking just leave her on delivered. Maddy just rolled her eyes and put her cell back in her cup holder. Whatever. He can eat a dick. She was still going to have fun. The three other girls chirped in excitement, talking amongst themselves about how they were pumped that at any moment they were going to pull up to the house and rage till five o'clock in the moment, or at the very least till they pass out or get kicked out. Maddy was ready too, there was no doubt about that, it was just… she couldn't put her finger on why her phone wasn't chiming from any message or any calls whatsoever. Even something so mundane as a "hey bb, just grabbing something from the store real quick, otw in 5" or "sry lost track of time, otw." would have sufficed. Usually also before parties they exchanged snaps of their outfits, but there was nothing. Did something happen? Was Cassie okay? Did her and Lexi get into a fight? Did her and her mom get into a fight and now she's grounded and her phone get taken away? There was just too much possibilities and Maddy found herself overthinking.

"Has anyone heard from Cassie at all?" Maddy changed the subject between the girls as she glided her hands across the wheel making a turn.

It was silent for a second as all of them were thinking. Kat started up first. She began to realize something was off too. "No… actually."

"She's probably getting her guts rearranged by McKay." BB laughed as she took a hit off her vape. "You shouldn't worry. You'll see her at the party. You know she doesn't miss a single event."

Maddy was doubtful. "Maybe. Just concerned that's all. We always talk. She hasn't said a word to me tonight though."

"She'll show up, Maddy." Kat reassured her. "Don't worry. She's just probably being oblivious and not paying attention to her phone."

But again, Maddy was doubtful. Cassie was like the rest of them, their phones were glued to their hands. Her best friend could be wasted, naked, out by a pool and she could be spilling the tea to Maddy of what her whole day was like and what she was doing right now. Where was this bitch and why wasn't she at the very least letting Maddy know she was safe?

The stimulation of liquor, weed, lights and rap music flowed through Maddy's system for hours. She could smell the overwhelming scent of sweat and body spray pouring off the backs and necks of people that moved back and forth; dancing with no intentions of stopping. However the problem with back to back shots is not the concern of how much is too much, it was eventually Maddy was going to realize that she needed to get out of that crowd and go fucking pee. The weed much less the alcohol was hitting her something fierce and she needed a break anyway. So she frantically ran around the gigantic house in search of a bathroom. The sounds of her heels echoed throughout the halls and each room, opening up every door she could. Maddy huffed in frustration. She needed get this out and she was mad that she didn't realize that it was apparent earlier. Of course asking people wasn't helping either because every time she asked a person if they knew where a bathroom was, they were too wasted, too busy with their tongue down someone's throat or just genuinely didn't have a fucking clue.

"If I don't find a bathroom in the next second, I'm going to spend New Years with a fucking UTI." Maddy complained, still on the hunt.

Her tunnel vision for relief kept her on that destination, but what didn't realize in her search was that she almost bumped into Lexi. Which she found a little more off about tonight because the younger Howard sister wasn't really the party type. So why was she here… but her best friend wasn't.

"Hey Maddy, do you know where Cassie is?" she asked her.

"No clue, why is everything okay?" Maddy asked, feeling her heart beat a little faster.

Lexi shook her head. "I don't know. We got into this big screaming match and she got out of the car on the side of the road drunk and now she wont pick up any of my calls."

Now there was a problem. If Cassie wasn't answering Lexi, then what was happening? "But she always picks up."