“No, he went out for town for work. He won’t be back until next week.” Holly nodded, but she could tell her friend wasn’t even paying attention as she typed furiously on her phone. God, Cayla just wanted to call it an early night, but she did love Holly for not letting her mope at home and think of Kane all night, which is exactly what she would have done.
****
An hour into the frat party and Cayla was ready to go home. The music was too loud, the guys were too obnoxious, and the girls were hardly wearing anything.
“I think I am ready to go, Holly.” They sat on a couch, which smelled strongly of cigarette smoke and vodka. Holly and Luke were currently sucking each other’s faces off, so Cayla gave her friend a nudge and said, “I’m going to see if someone can give me a ride home.”
Holly broke the kiss and turned toward her. “You really are ready to leave?”
Cayla nodded. This had been a bad idea anyway, especially since she was feeling out of sorts since the whole Kane thing.
“Okay, give me five and I’ll be ready.” And that was why she loved Holly so much. Not only was she the most kick-ass friend there was, she also wasn’t a bitch.
“I’m sorry.” Cayla did feel bad about cutting Holly’s night short, and knew that next time she was just going to stick with her gut and wallow at home, that or drive herself. Although they always went together to parties, and never left the other there alone, so now, she wouldn’t be driving herself, but then again she wouldn’t make Holly go alone. She exhaled. Whatever.
“Girl, you have nothing to be sorry about.” Holly leaned in and smiled. Her walnut-colored hair fell forward like a curtain. “Besides, Luke is following me home.” She lifted her eyebrows up and down, and Cayla couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’ll give you guys a minute and meet you by the car.” Cayla made her way through the drunken partiers and out the front door. The cool night air cleaned away all the nasty scents that clung to her from being inside.
“Hey, don’t I know you?” The slurred question came from behind her, and she turned around and watched a tall, lanky looking guy weave toward her. If his fucked up words didn’t let on that he was trashed, the way he stumbled toward her with red-rimmed eyes gave it away. “Yeah, I think I do know you.”
“I don’t think so.” She turned back around and started making her way toward Holly’s Corolla. Before she could make it ten steps he grabbed her arm and yanked her backward.
“Hey, I was talking to you.” He fell into the banister but kept his hand tightly wrapped around her. She gave a tug, but for such a skinny guy his hold was strong. Leaning forward and squinting his eyes he said, “Yeah, aren’t you Shayla’s sister?”
“No, now let me the fuck go.”
He became off balanced and started to tip forward. Before she could move out of the way Cayla found herself on the ground, stars dancing in front of her vision, and his scrawny ass draped over her.
“Get off me.”
He struggled to get up and grabbed the strap of her tank in the process, tearing the thin piece of fabric in two. When he was finally off he muttered something unintelligible and stumbled off. Her shoulder burned, and she felt something warm and wet start to slide down. Had she landed on a rock? Her head chose that moment to start to pound, but more than anything she was annoyed and pissed with how this night was going, and cursed all the drunks in the world.
“Hey, you okay?” Holly all but ran out of the house, her eyes wide, and a panicked expression on her face.
“I’m good. It was just some drunk acting stupid. He lost his balance and took us both down.”
“Asshole.” Holly lifted her ripped strap and scowled. “Come on, let’s go.”
Holly took her hand, and they walked to the car. She didn’t miss Luke following closely behind then getting into his car and following them back to her house. When they pulled into Cayla’s driveway and she saw all the lights off, she was glad she wouldn’t have to talk with her parents. Another pair of drunks was not something she wanted to deal with tonight, even if she did love them.
“Hey, I’m sorry about tonight,” said Holly.
“No worries. I don’t think I’ve been hit on so much before, but hey, it was fun.” Cayla’s sarcasm didn’t go unnoticed, and the worry on Holly’s face increased.
“Okay, point taken. No more frat parties in the foreseeable future.” They gave each other a hug, promised a text or call tomorrow, and Cayla climbed out. She gave one more wave to Luke and Holly’s departing cars and dug in her purse for her house keys. She caught a glimpse of her tattered strap and cursed.