AN: Hey! I'm loving you're feedback! Keep it coming! So this is the cast party. It's...well you'll find out soon ;) I REALLY hope you enjoy!
Chapter 42
Closing night arrived in the blink of an eye, bringing the musical to a bittersweet end.
"Congratulations cast, we kicked some major ass tonight!" Ari screamed throughout the girl's dressing room, everyone hooting in agreement.
"And I am absolutely ready to let loose and forget my own name" a voice peaked through the crowd, referring to the cast party that was scheduled to commence within the hour.
I hung up my costumes on the clothing rack and tucked Fantine away into a tiny box within my head, sad to see her go. I knew from the start that it was inevitable.
"Is it safe?" Matthew poked his head into the girl's dressing room with his hands covering his eyes. I looked around the room to check if any girls were still changing, but everyone was all packed and ready to go.
"Yeah, come in" I shouted out to him, chuckling slightly.
"Well, it's done. Now only nine months till this world takes over our lives again" Matthew smirked.
"Yeah, only" I rolled my eyes, buttoning up my coat and Ari doing the same.
"Alright, ready?" Matthew asked, the two of us nodding. We marched out the door and exited the building, hopping into Matthews 2004 Honda Accord.
We blasted the radio and sang along, loosening up for the long night ahead of us. I wasn't 100% sure what that long night entailed exactly, but would soon find out.
After getting lost twice, we arrived at our cast mate Sarah's house. It was your average suburban neighborhood, each house almost identical, only with minor variations.
"Hello hello! Party is right down stairs" Sarah's sister greeted us. We walked down the narrow flight of stairs to our right, spilling out into a medium sized basement. It was lit with color changing lights, turning the area a different hue every ten seconds or so. The floor was made of hardwood, which was essential in a room full of reckless teenagers. A single futon rested against the back wall, opposite the bar area which everyone had full access to. It also harbored a massive stereo, playing mostly alternative tunes.
Ari, Matthew and I stayed linked at the arms when maneuvering through the crowd and finding our own space next to a grouping of chairs.
"I'm gonna go get a drink, either of you want anything?" Ari raised her voice to Matthew and I, since it was the only way we could hear over the blaring music. By drink, she meant ones of the alcoholic family. I wasn't keen on drinking, for obvious reasons.
"Anything diet. And don't mix it with anything" I replied into her ear.
"A coke" Matthew requested. Before we knew it, Ari was lost in the sea of teens. Matthew was our designated driver, so he had to stay sober for the night.
"Straight edge, eh?" He joked, earning a punch in the arm from me. Ari returned with our drinks, handing me a diet ginger ale. In her cup was a mixture of rum and coke, her personal favorite.
We stood on the outskirts of the activity, observing mostly. Couples kissing, strangers sucking face, drunk girls dancing (which soon included Ari). As we looked deeper into the bustle we found kids snorting what seemed to be a white powdery substance.
"Is that what I think it is?" I said into Matthew's ear.
"If you're thinking cocaine, than you hit the jackpot" He replied, chuckling. I could sense he had been to one or more of these 'get togethers'.
"Damn, I guess this is where the expression 'go hard or go home' comes into play" I giggled, receiving one from Matthew as well.
We kept watch of a wasted Ari, making sure she didn't go too over board.
As Matthew and I were chatting about the scene, a group from the ensemble moved towards us and sat in the empty chairs. One of them pulled out a cigarette and rummaged through her bag, coming up empty.
"Shit, I lost my matches. Does anyone have a light?" She asked to the bordering people.
"Oh- I do!" I responded, digging into my skirt pocket and pulling out my Nirvana zippo.
"Ah! You're my savior Fantine!" The girl proclaimed. The cast had gotten used to calling each other by the name of their character, instead of their actual names.
"Want one? I owe you" The noticeably intoxicated girl offered. I hadn't had a cigarette in months, and I was craving one like hell.
"Uh- sure, thanks" I replied, accepting the tobacco filled tube and lighting the tip. The smoke enveloped my lungs and immediately lifted any remaining stress off of my shoulder.
I turned to see a glaring Matthew.
"What?" I asked between drags. He gave me a joking smirk.
"We're at a party, so I won't patronize you for this. But I better not catch you smoking after this" He informed me. It was a fair reaction.
"Will do my friend" I grinned, ruffling his hair.
Approximately ten minutes after I finished my cigarette, I was hit with an overwhelming wave of heat.
"I-is it h-hot in h-here?" I asked, feeling my forehead then tying my hair up into a pony tail.
"Are you kidding? It's freezing down here" He laughed.
My heartbeat sped up rapidly, I felt as if it was either going to beat out of my chest or explode. My anxiety instantly went through the roof for no apparent reason, but it made my overactive heart speed up tenfold.
Matthew was busy talking to a friend of his back turned to me, and my limbs suddenly wouldn't allow movement.
As I looked around the room in panic, hoping someone would notice my distress and help me, objects began to move. By move, I mean they twisted and swirled and pulsed, some even changing color.
"What the..." I whispered to myself, astounded by what my eyes were seeing, but terrified just the same.
My rational mind knew that what was happening was entirely impossible, frightening me further.
"Jenna, Jenna what's going on?" Matthew rotated to face me, crouching down and placing his hand on my back.
"Th-...ev'r'th...mving..." I slurred, not being able to tear my eyes or mind away from the sights. I was hyperventilating at that point, which caused even more panic than I already harbored.
"Jenna, are you alright?" Matthew's voice warped from one end of the sound spectrum to the other, startling me.
I jerked my neck down when I felt something on my skin, and was horrified by what I found.
There were tiny masses, crawling underneath every part of my body. I screeched and launched myself off of the chair, losing my balance and taking a crash onto the floor. I clawed at the moving parasites, desperate to get them out.
"Jenna! Jenna stop it you're hurting yourself!" Matthew yelled, grabbing both my wrists with one hand, making it impossible for me to escape.
"No- I n-need to g-get them o-out" I stammered. If I bothered to look up, I would have noticed half of the guests eyes were on me. But I was a smidge pre occupied.
"That's it, you need a hospital. Let's go" Matthew declared, picking me up bridal style and carrying me up the stairs, out the door, and placing me in the back seat of the car.
We left Ari behind, in the care of a few of her peers.
"Jenna, I want you to keep your eyes closed and cover your ears" He instructed, sliding his fingers over my eye lids and placing my hands over my ears.
I felt the car accelerate, and I started humming to calm myself down. Images of nonsense danced through my brain, creating shapes of all kind.
"Dr. Reid? Hi, I hate to bother you this late at night, but you need to meet us at St. Mary's Hospital" I heard Matthew's worried voice through my cupped ears.
That's when I knew I was really in deep shit.
"I'll explain everything when you get there, long story short Jenna was drugged and she's freaking out"
My anxiety advance due to the one ended conversation I was hearing. After the recent events I'd thrown Spencer into, this was the last thing either of us needed.
After what seemed like light years later, the car came to a screeching halt.
Matthew carried me into the emergency room. I made the mistake of opening my bloodshot eyes, and the bright hospital lights burned my retinas.
"Excuse me? My friend has been drugged and need immediate care!" Matthew shouted to anyone who would listen. Two nurses ran over, their faces warping in shape.
"We need to get her on a stretcher" One of the announced, and seconds later retrieved one. Matthew lowered me down onto the cloth, standing by my side as I was wheeled down a white hallway.
"Sweetheart have you been drinking? What are you seeing?" an unfamiliar woman in a blue uniform asked, wiggling a flashlight in front of my face and inspecting my eyes.
Suddenly, she began to strip me of clothing to relieve my excessive sweating. I screeched as loud as I possibly could and twisted my body, kicking my legs up and flailing my limbs violently.
"No! Don't touch me!" I yelled and yelled, thrusting my first at anyone who got in my way. They tried to hold me down, but my adrenaline went into overdrive and I wouldn't stop.
"GET OFF OF ME!" I shrieked, kicking as hard as I could, trying to fight them off.
I felt an unexpected pinch on my upper arm, and an unidentified substance pushed through my veins. Then, everything went black.