30 Days Together

Chapter 9

“I’ll be with you the entire time,” Kyle reassured her but Akina didn’t believe him.

“What if your friends call you or something?” she was hyperventilating.

Jessica’s lake house was huge and Akina could hear the music thumping from inside the house. The streets were packed with cars and her anxiety kicked in full force, she wasn’t used to being in such a crowded place.

Kyle took both of her hands in his, “look at me,” he said softly and she looked up to his brown eyes that always seemed to suck her into their depth. “I’ll be by your side the entire time. I brought you here so I won’t leave you alone, okay?”

The look in Kyle’s eyes seemed to do the trick. Akina’s nerves slowly faded. He opened his door and got out and walked over to her side to open her door.

She reluctantly got out and Kyle took her hand. “I promise if you want out then I’ll take you home or some other peaceful and quiet place,” he reassured her for the million the millionth time that night.

There were empty red solo cups thrown on the lawn and the music was louder as Kyle pushed open the front door. Immediately they entered, red solo cups were shoved into their hands by a blonde girl who looked to be well out of it already.

“Yo Kyle! you finally came,” she slurred as she swayed from side to side, “we were getting worried.”

Kyle offered her a tight lipped smile as he placed his hand on Akina’s back and ushered her away from the drunk girl. As Kyle led her to a quiet place, he was stopped by a lot of people that they went to school with. Some of the guys gave him fit-bumps, others gave head nods while the girls sent him flirtatious smiles.

The living room had been turned into a make-shift dance floor complete with a DJ booth in a corner of the room. The place was crowded with bodies packed together dancing, well more like grinded against each other. Kyle shoved a couple of people out of their way as he led her to a less crowded place.

“Is this what high school parties are like?” Akina asked once they had gotten away from the drunk girl who had shoved cups in their hands. She eyed the suspicious liquid in the cup and smelled it.

Kyle laughed from beside her, “it’s called beer,” he said as he noticed the look she was giving the cup. He took the cup from her and set it on a nearby table as he took a small sip from his cup. “Baby steps. We’ll get you a bottle of water instead.”

“Yeah that would better.”

“I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere. I mean it.”

Akina rolled her eyes, “where would I go? I don’t know anyone here.”

Kyle nodded his head and headed to what she figured was the kitchen. She stood there alone people watching. Three quarters of the people were either drunk or completely stoned out of their minds. If this was what happened at high school parties, then she hoped to never have to attend any in the future.

“What do we have here?” a guy slurred from behind her.

Akina spun around and eyed the guy. He had muddy brown hair which was a little too long and a hungry look in his eyes.

“Please leave me alone,” she said.

The guy caressed her cheek as he eyed her up and down. “C’mon, I just want to have some fun with you. Don’t you want to have some fun with me too?”

In no way did Akina want to have any type of fun with the creepy guy. All she wanted was for him to take his slimy hand of her and for Kyle to return and for them to leave. She was more than uncomfortable at the look he was giving her.

“No thanks.”

“Aw don’t be like that. I promise I’ll show you a good time.” The guy persisted as his hand moved to her back and pulled her closer to him.

He reeked of alcohol and Akina squirmed in hands but that only made him tighten his hold on her. “Stop acting like such a bitch.” She managed to free her hand and slapped him, hard.

The guy shoved her at the wall so hard she hit her head in the process. He pinned both her hands over her head and captured her lips in his. She tried resisting but that only made the guy shove his tongue in her mouth. She felt helpless as she looked around at the sea of people, willing any one of them to turn and see what was happening. But she knew from her vantage point that it looked like two people having a conceptual hook-up.

His hand roamed lower to her shorts where he slowly rubbed his thumb over her navel. “You’ll pay for that b***h,” he whispered in her ear and slammed his mouth back onto hers. He undid her zipper and shoved his hand in her shorts rubbing his thumb roughly on her.

Akina squirmed as tears fell freely. Where was Kyle? He said he would be by her side the entire time but he wasn’t. Why had she agreed to come to this stupid party in the first place?

She stood there helpless as the guy removed his hand from her shorts and pulled them down then used it to unzip his pants. All the things that she hadn’t done flashed in her head as she closed her eyes and surrendered to her fate.

There was a ruckus and Akina could no longer feel the weight of the guy pressed up on her. She slowly opened her tear covered eyes and saw Kyle shove the guy on the wall beside her. She slowly slid to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest as she sobbed.

She heard the c***k of a bone before she actually saw the punch land on the guy’s face. Kyle had broken someone’s nose.

“Why f**k did you lay your filthy hands on her?” he sneered, “tell me!” He shouted.

The guy laughed as blood gushed from his now broken nose. “What? She’s your w***e and you don’t want to share?” he laughed as he spat blood. “These w****s aren’t meant to be kept alone dude.”

Kyle held him by the shirt and shoved him against the wall hard enough that his head slammed against it. “What the f**k is your problem?”

Akina could tell that Kyle was pissed off but she couldn’t do anything. She just sat there sobbing which made Kyle even angrier. He threw the guy on the floor and threw punch after punch.

By now, people had gathered around them watching the scene unfold but doing nothing to help.

“Kyle’s in a fight,” someone yelled and the music abruptly stopped as more people gathered around them watching.

Kyle continued hitting the guy as blood pooled around his face. Three guys came over and pulled Kyle off of the guy.

“You’re gonna kill him Kyle,” brown haired guy said.

“Let go of me Jackson so I can kill this son of a b***h,” Kyle spat fighting back. “He was about to r**e her while you all watched from the side-lines.” He turned to glare at the people who did nothing.

“Just leave it alone.” The guy who Akina now knew as Jackson said and then whispered something in his ear.

Kyle seemed to calm down a little as he nodded his head in understanding. “Fine, but I don’t want to see his face.”

The other two guys picked up the guy and took him away as Kyle made his way over to her and knelt in front of her.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “f**k, sorry I didn’t mean that.”

Akina shook her head and stared at him through tear stained eyes. Kyle gently lifted her up and took off his jacket and wrapped it around her waist and then picked her up.

“Jackson can you ask Jessica if she has any spare clothes.”  He turned to Jackson and Jackson nodded his head before leaving them. “What the f**k are you all still looking at?” he glared at the other people and they went back to doing what they were doing.

Kyle hugged her and she buried her head on his chest still crying. She knew his shirt would be stained with her tears but she couldn’t help it. He carried her upstairs to an empty room and laid her on the bed as he sat next to her.

“I’m really sorry, this is all my fault.” He ran an angry hand through his hair, “I shouldn’t have left you alone. f**k I messed up, didn’t I?”

Akina wanted to tell him that it wasn’t his fault she had almost gotten r***d by some drunk guy who she doubted went to their school. But she couldn’t even though she was grateful that he come when he had.

There was a knock and he stood up. He opened the door to Jackson and the two guys who had picked up the bloody guy. Jackson handed him some clothes.

“How is she doing?” the auburn haired guy asked.

“I don’t know, she hasn’t said anything,” Kyle responded as he turned to look at her with guilt plastered on his face. He walked over and handed her the clothes. “Change into these and we’ll be outside if you need us.”

They left the room and Akina slowly stood up and took the clothes in her hand. She roughly wiped the tears away and changed into the new clothes. She wouldn’t let that guy ruin her night, she was going to go back downstairs and pretend that she wasn’t the least bit affected by what had almost happened.

She opened the bedroom door and true to his word, Kyle and his friends were waiting for her. Kyle was the first to notice her presence.

“Are you okay? Should I take you home?” he asked softly.

Akina didn’t want to be pitied and she knew that everyone pitied her and would be all that anyone could talk about for the next few days. “I’ll be better once I get some alcohol in my system.” She was determined to forget everything that had happened, at least for the night.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” the auburn haired guy asked. “I think you should go home.”

“I agree with Vincent on this,” Kyle said, “I think I should take you home.”

Akina hardly knew these people and she could feel them judging and pitying her. “I’m okay, really.” She would keep telling herself that and anyone else until she and everyone else believed it. “I’d like to have my full high school experience, after all, it is my last year.”

The guys exchanged looks and the ginger haired one shrugged.

“Let’s give the girl what she wants, shall we?” He slung his hand on her shoulder and led her downstairs.

“What the hell Wyatt?” Kyle asked as he followed closely behind them. “I don’t think this is a good idea Akina.”

She pretended to not be affected by his words but in truth she was. “Aren’t you the one who wanted to give me the full experience?” she shot back and the ginger laughed.

“I like her already,” Wyatt said as they entered the kitchen. He walked over to the cooler and poured her a red a solo cup then handed it to her.

Akina took a gulp of the liquid and it burned her throat. She coughed and splattered as she tried to swallow.

“It gets better after a couple more drinks,” Wyatt said as he poured three more cups and handed one to Jackson and Vincent but Kyle shook his head. “Why not?”

“I’m driving.” Was Kyle’s response as he watched her take yet another gulp from her cup.

Wyatt shrugged, “suit yourself man. But don’t whine about how you didn’t get your fix.”

Akina drained the entire contents of her cup and handed her cup back to Wyatt. “Another one,” she said. She didn’t feel anything except for the burn and bitter aftertaste.

“I don’t think…” Kyle started but she cut him off.

“Relax Kyle. I’m okay, really I am.” She said as Wyatt handed her another cup and she gulped it all down. The burn faded quickly this time and she poured herself another cup. She could feel her body begin to loosen up and it felt good.

The other three guys stood there smirking as Kyle shot daggers in Wyatt’s direction.

“I think I’m gonna find my girlfriend.” Wyatt left them as he went in search of Jessica.

“And I think I’m gonna go find a random girl to hook-up with,” Vincent said as he took a sip from his cup and walked out of the kitchen.

Jackson threw Kyle a look before he too left, leaving Akina alone with Kyle who didn’t look so happy.

Akina could now feel the effects of the alcohol in her system and now understood why most teenagers drunk. The feeling of being on top of the world was amazing. She threw the cup away and got a beer can from the fridge instead and gulped it down all at once.

“I think that’s enough,” Kyle said as he tried to take the can away from her but she moved out it out his way.

“I’m just getting started,” she slurred.

Kyle looked like he wanted to argue but instead bit his bottom lip as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“C’mon drink some,” Akina slurred as she tried to shove a beer bottle in Kyle’s hands.

Kyle shook his head, “nah, I’m okay.”

Akina rolled her eyes at him. “Stop being such a prude Kyle. Have fun with me at least.”

“I’m driving remember?”

“That’s a lame excuse.”

“It’s not an excuse. It’s a fact.”

“Uh-huh, whatever you say.”

Akina had made up her mind to forget and she was slowly able do. Even though she knew that the effects would only last for a few hours before the alcohol began to clear out of her system and then she remembered everything.

She threw the now empty bottle in the trash and turned to head back to the living room which had been turned into a makeshift dance floor. She grabbed Kyle’s hand and dragged him as well.

“Where are you going?” he asked but followed her nonetheless.

“I want to dance.”

Kyle shook his head with a frown on his face. Akina wasn’t yet that drunk but she wasn’t sober either. The music had been turned back to full force and the people looked to have forgotten the whole ordeal. She placed her hands on Kyle’s shoulders and began to sway from side-to-side.

“What are you doing?” Kyle asked trying his best not to laugh.

Akina continued swaying her hips to the music. She was finally letting go and having fun. “What does it look like I’m doing?” she countered.

“Like you’re having an aneurysm,” Kyle burst into laughter and Akina laughed as she rolled her eyes.

“Whatever, just dance with me.”

Kyle had an amused smile as he put his hands on her waist and began moving his body to the music. He moved his body in tune to the music as he continued laughing. They danced to a few songs before he took her hand in his.

“C’mon,” he whispered in her ear as he led her to a couch.

They sat down and Kyle pulled her close with his hand casually hanging on the back of the couch. They watched the other people dancing or accurately grinding against each other in a very s****l manner. Akina led her head against Kyle’s chest as her eyes began to feel heavy.

                                                                         *****************

Akina woke up with a pounding head. She slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to find it wasn’t her room. The room had blue walls with band and football posters hang up. It was definitely not her room.

She was in a room that was not hers, in a bed that was most certainly not hers and she couldn’t remember anything that had happened the previous day. All that Akina could recall was Kyle taking her to a party, that was about it.

The bedroom door opened and Akina pulled the covers further up her body. She was surprised she was dressed in an over-sized t-shirt. She didn’t even know where her glasses were and lord help her if she did something stupid.

Kyle entered the room with a tray and a glass of water. “Good, you’re finally awake.” He had a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He walked over to the bedside and placed the tray down. “C’mon take this.”

She slowly pulled down the covers and took the glass of water from his out-stretched hand. “Thanks,” she said quietly as she gulped down the water.

“No problem.”

Kyle stood there with his hands in his pockets watching her and Akina felt uncomfortable under his stare. “How are feeling?” he finally asked.

“Like I did something really dumb and stupid last night,” she replied.

“You did,” he chuckled humorously.

Akina groaned as she covered her face with her hands. “Oh lord, please tell me it wasn’t that bad and no one took a video.” She looked up at him with a pleading look.

Kyle smirked as he sat on the bed, “you know I hate lying.”

Akina groaned and wished the ground would open up and swallow her. Kyle burst into laughter at the look of despair on her face.

“I’m joking,” he said. “Don’t you remember anything?”

Akina shook her head. If only she hadn’t drunk. She turned to look at him and the look that he gave her was filled with guilt.