Cornerstone

New beginnings

Drip. Drip. Drip.

It feels like the walls are closing in on me.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

I think the walls are closing in on me.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

That's it. I can't take it anymore.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick and powder my nose," I said, smiling at the kid in front of me. I quickly grabbed a pack of cigarettes I found on the counter and basically ran out of the kitchen. Although there was loud music playing and kids talking all I could hear was that stupid broken tap. Maybe I seemed a little too eager to getaway.

It was around 11 o'clock and I was at some lame party filled with kids from school. Most were year 11s but there were a few year 12s and 10s. I had just moved to Sheffield a few months ago and some girl I met during math class and befriended invited me here but never ended up showing. I had planned on just leaving but a boy had stopped me and tried to start a conversation in the kitchen. He was pathetically attempting to flirt with me. I couldn't even remember his name but I do remember him smelling like cheap liquor.

I walked into the bathroom and checked my pocket for my phone so I could call my mum and ask her to pick me up. It wasn't that late so I was hoping that she would still be awake. I soon realized that my phone wasn't in my pocket.

"Shit," I whispered under my breath.

I checked again. It had to be here. It wasn't.

"Shit shit shit," I said louder this time as I sat down on the cold bathroom floor and put my head in my hands.

"Will you hurry up in there, Jesus," I heard a male voice say from outside the door as he rattled the doorknob.

"Why does no one here have any patience," I scoffed and got up.

I opened the door and shoved past him.

"Thank God," I heard him mutter under his breath.

I dreadfully walked back into the kitchen to look for my phone. Hopefully, the guy I was talking to before I ran out still wasn't there. I scanned the counters and pushed past groups of people. I was frantically searching for any sign or memory of where I had left my phone last. I couldn't even remember taking it out of my pocket. Without it, I wouldn't be able to get a ride home and would have to walk home alone at night with the cold streets filled with creepy, drunk, old men and prostitutes.

Before I could think of anything else a cold hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a boy, not much taller than me with shoulder-length messy brunette hair, holding something up.

It was my phone.

"Excuse me, is this yours?" He asked tilting his head.

"Oh my God thank you so much I've spent the past twenty minutes looking for it. How did you know it was mine?" I asked.

"I've noticed you scanning around frantically for the past five minutes. You look very distressed." He chuckled.

"Oh haha. But seriously, words cannot describe how thankful I am right now." At a closer look, I realized that he was wearing a plain white button-up, a leather jacket, and a pair of black jeans. He was actually pretty cute and had a jawline that looked like it could cut stone. As I grabbed my phone from his extended arm our fingers brushed.

"Don't worry about it. You should probably be more careful with it though. I'm surprised it didn't get stolen," He joked.

"Me too honestly. Everyone here seems too drunk or high to care though," I laughed.

"True," he replied.

"Sorry, but what's your name?" I asked. "You look really familiar."

"Oh um, Alex. I actually sit next to you in maths, english, and history," he said putting his hands in his pocket. "You're the new girl, right? Charlotte, was it?"

"Yep that's me haha," I faced the floor so that my hair could hide the fact that I was blushing. I felt terrible. He knew my name but I didn't even notice the fact that he was in the same classes as me. He was sitting right next to me too for fucks sake.

"Whelp I should probably go call my mum," I smiled as I opened my phone and went to contacts. He just awkwardly stood there. I was kinda expecting him to leave.

I held my phone up to my ear and could hear the ringing noise. No answer.

"That's strange," I muttered under my breath as I called her again.

Again, no answer. I kept calling her over and over again yet there was no response. I also texted her but again, no reply.

"I think she must be asleep," I said looking up.

"Oh. Why were you calling her anyway?" Alex asked.

"I was gonna ask her to drive me home."

"Well, that's too bad. Do you live far?"

"Not too far it's about a fourty to fifty minute walk but I don't want to walk home alone. It can get quite scary. You know how this place is at night," I smiled.

"You're right," he replied. He went silent and looked up almost as if he was thinking.

"You know I could drive you home...if you want?" he looked back at me.

"Oh wow that's awfully kind of you but I don't want to be a bother. I don't want you to leave the party just because you have to drop someone off."

I honestly didn't know if I wanted him to drive me home. I didn't want to be a burden and I don't know if having a stranger I barely knew drive me home in the middle of the night was a good idea.

"Nah, don't worry about it. Trust me I don't mind. I've got nothing better to do and I'm only here because one of me mates forced me to come. Would rather do anything than go to dumb house parties filled with kids I don't know and shite music playin" He shrugged.

"Okay then. Thank you again," I said as we both walked towards the door. Honestly having some cute nice guy drive me home was a better idea than walking home alone.

A/N: HEYYY 😋 I hope you liked this chapter. Sorry if it was a bit short tho 🙁. ALSO, PLEASE DON'T BE AFRAID TO COMMENT OR LEAVE IDEAS FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS AND STORIES. Love y'all. I'll try to be consistent. Oh and vote 😈 🔪 ...or else. jk...