Freefall ✓

31 | wrong

Don't give me up

—birdy

▬▬▬ ♫ : ▬▬▬

Flicker - Niall Horan (Acoustic Version)

This Town - Niall Horan

(yes, I love his music.)

▬▬▬ ✦ ▬▬▬

CAMERON

To admit that I was getting lost in the directions that tall, brown-haired girl had given me would have been embarrassing. Especially straight after teasing Audrey for thinking so, and assuring her it wouldn't happen.

This house was a blasted labyrinth with installed traps and challenges aimed at misleading its victims — I was convinced of it. In fact, I was pretty sure there was a room full of an audience watching me through hidden cameras somewhere, entertained by my complete incompetence. 

As if the near half-hour it took me to find the restroom wasn't enough, I was now afflicted with a new challenge this living castle presented — the door to the restroom wouldn't let me out.

Wonderful. I had just voluntarily locked myself up inside of an impassable escape room. 

I was beginning to get impatient and actually considering calling someone for help — be it 911 for mercy's sake — when the door flung itself open, the knob I was so desperately clutching flying out of my grip. 

A girl stood on the other side of it. I recognized her. It was Danielle — Calum's girlfriend. 

"Thank goodness. I thought I'd stay confined in here forever now," I mumbled impulsively, a wave of relief washing through me.

She gave out an unrestrained tee-hee. I realized that she was, in fact, drunk. Very very drunk. 

"I know. Calum's house is so swanky, but this door's always been failing," she hiccuped, emptying the little that was left from her wineglass in a harsh dram. "Don't know why they can't get it fixed once and for all."

I passed her by, desperate to get out of there. But I didn't miss how unsteady her footing was, along with the stains of runny mascara below her eyes. 

The girl was clearly not okay. And, as much as I wanted to act as an indifferent jerk and head my way, I knew that very drunk girls with runny mascara were not in a stable position to be left alone. Who knew what she could do to herself.

She attempted to step down the stairs but lost her balance and stumbled. I grabbed her by the arm for support. "Are you okay?"

Why did I even ask? It was evident that she wasn't.

When she looked up at me, I regretted whatever thought that had pulled me to ask her anything in the first place. Her eyes were welling up with tears.

"No," she whimpered quietly, shaking her head. She was still shaking her head as she sank to sit on the steps, head down. "He doesn't love me. He doesn't. He's still in love with her." She slashed her tongue through the last word disdainfully. I almost heard the swish of the blade. "She took him from me. I hate her!"

I didn't want to continue her pronoun game, nor question her about it. I realized that her hand was still gripping my arm then. When I shook it off me, her head jerked up, eyes suddenly determined. I felt uncomfortable under their gaze.