Before the New Moon

November 8th, 2002

Ninth grade was exciting for a lot of people, it was the first time we'd be a real graduating class and have a prom. This is something the class starts preparing for the year before. Throwing parties, bowling nights, casual days all in effort to start raising money for the prom at the end of ninth grade. Now, much of the school, as well as many others who came to dance and have a good time, were at one of these fundraising events. A Christmas party, a week before the senior party the following Saturday.
    All these parties were the same really, the only distinguishing feature were the decorations. Still they were fun, and some of the only nights where we could all be out till midnight and not get in trouble. Of course, we had to be supervised, and the teachers and some of the parents that helped organize the party took care of that. Fortunately, my mom was never one of the parents that always came to these things. She was always either working or too tired to do anything other than bring me to these things. Unfortunately, our coach was one of the teachers that always came to supervise these things. And when the coach knows you it's easier for him to spot you and call you out if you're doing something.
    Despite this, I managed to not run into him most of the night. The communal hall the party was held at was far too full and far too loud with popular songs playing and people dancing. The smell of the fried foods and snacks they sold was in the air and the lights were frantic and colorful enough to induce an epileptic attack. The usual school party. And despite the party being two hours in, it was still in full swing. Around 10pm I stood in line to get something to drink to keep my energy up when I heard someone calling me.
    "Eleonor!" Camila, one of my classmates, call out over the music. "Have you seen Natalia?"
"Isn't she dancing?" I looked through the dancefloor, unable to find her. I could've sworn she was just there. 
"I thought so, but no one can find her, I thought maybe you knew." She sighed, putting her hands on her hips, "She asked me to give her a ride home, but I need to leave now and I doubt she wants to leave early."
"Probably not." I answered, laughing, Natalia was always the last to leave at a party.
"Can you tell her I can't take her home? I really need to go." She begged, grabbing my arm.
"Sure, I'll tell her."
"Thank you, thank you!" She said as she faux kissed my cheek and quickly made her way out of the hall.
I finished ordering the coke I wanted at the makeshift food qiosk and then made my way to look for Natalia. The party was full, so getting from one side of the venue to the other was a bit time consuming. I eventually made my way around the whole place, asked around, and Natalia was still unaccounted for. I was about to ask one of the supervisors for help when I remembered that she might be outside. Natalia sometimes went outside with some of the older students to smoke, so she might be outside. 
Same as inside, the parking was full, leaving me wondering how some people were going to be able to leave, given that their cars were completely boxed in. The lot was a decent size, and in the maze of cars it was hard to check every area. There were a few groups and couples scattered around, some teens, some adults, but still no Natalia.
I was starting to panic, it wasn't completely unusual that she'd disappear, but she would at least tell me when she did so. Before I could completely lose my mind and run to tell a supervisor to call the police, I noticed a vaguely familiar car at the edge of the lot. It wasn't until I got a bit closer that I was able to make out the red coloring it had, and I recognized it. It was Natalia's boyfriend's car. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. She must be with him, though it was strange that she hadn't told me he'd be coming here. I couldn't see anyone inside but I got closer anyway. Even if it was gross and awkward, they could just be in the back seat, and I had to make sure she was alright. Plus I had to tell her Camila wasn't taking her home anymore.
My relief grew when I made out two figures in the back seat. Okay, this was probably going to be incredibly unpleasant, but it was necessary. I took a breath for bravery and finally approached the car. Ok ok The closer I got the more I could make out. The interior of the car was very well kept, in fact the whole car looked like it was barely ever used with how clean and well kept it was. It was a pretty expensive looking car, I wondered if her boyfriend's parents had money to get him a car like this.
They didn't seem to notice me as I stood next to the backseat window. His back was turned to me, so k couldn't see what he looked like exactly, but I could tell he was tall. Or at least taller than me. I waited a second, hoping that they noticed me so I wouldn't have to tap on the glass to get their attention, but I was seemingly out of luck. So I sighed, looked around making sure there were no supervisors that could get us in trouble, and gently taped on the glass.
And looking back, I really wish I hadn't.
The face that turned to look at me, smeared with Natalia's pink lipstick, was an all too familiar one. It wasn't the unknown face of some high school senior from another school, or maybe even one of the seniors in our school. No, it was someone I saw almost every day and never really thought much about outside school hours.
Holding Natalia's hips while she straddled him, was our coach. Shock read all over both their faces as they stared back at me. No one moved, no one reacted. Each party was waiting to see what the other would do. A commotion in one of the groups in the lot snapped me back to reality. I took a step back, Natalia looked at the coach then at me rapidly.
"Eleonor, wait!" Her voice was muffled through the glass, as she came closer to the window I could make out love bites on her neck. How long has this been going on? I didn't stay any longer to find out, I turned and ran. I heard the car door open behind me.
"Eleonor!" I heard the coach call, something between anger and surprise in his voice.
"Eleonor, come back!" Natalia called again. Their voices slowly became faint as I made my way out of the parking lot. I thought I heard fast footsteps behind me, but I didn't dare look back until I was back inside the party.
The music no longer seemed so loud, and the room was suddenly not full enough. There needed to be more people, I needed to hide. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I knew the coach was inside the hall. I didn't look back, I just tried to make my way to the other exit. Right as I was walking out I heard the coach call my name, sending a horrible chill up my spine.
I ran, and I kept running until I was almost three blocks away. I looked back to make sure I hadn't been followed and continued walking until I got to the train station. And only when I saw the doors to the train close as I was safely inside did I actually start to process what I had just seen.