Echoes of Innocence

00: Prologue

TW: this story contains themes of sexual assault, trauma and violence that might be triggering for some readers.

6 years ago

Matéo could hear the thumping bass from Noah's house party long before he turned the corner. The music vibrated through the pavement, growing louder with each step he took down the dimly lit street. It was one of those early summer nights where the air was thick with humidity, making everything feel surreal.

Or perhaps the strangeness was more in Matéo's mind, where an uneasy feeling has been gnawing at him, darkening his thoughts.

Today was supposed to be a good day. Noah, one of his close friends, had been planning this house party for weeks, eagerly waiting for the moment his parents would leave on a vacation without him. Matéo had been just as excited, counting down the days u til the "big summer party". But for some reason, a terrible gut feeling had settled in, casting a shadow over his anticipation and pulling his mood down into something he couldn't quite shake.

Maybe he was just overthinking.

Relief washed over him as he finally arrived at Noah's house, hoping that he would forget all about his cloudy thoughts. Noah always knew how to have a good time, maybe this would be a good distraction. Forcing a grin onto his lips, he walked through the open door. 

The house was packed, friends and strangers mingled in a haze of laughter, a sharp smell of alcohol and cigarettes filled the air. Matéo wove through the crowd, exchanging quick hello's and nods as he went to look for his friends.

"Matt, where the hell have you been? The party started an hour ago! And don't give me that 'fashionably late' crap." Noah laughed, doing their hand shake and fisting his shoulder in a friendly way.

Matéo forced another smile, trying not to show his frustration with his friend's inability to show empathy. "You know I don't own a car, man. And i was stuck at work and couldn't get off earlier, sorry."

Even though Noah was one of his closest friends, Matéo wouldn't say that he's a good friend. Noah was practically drowning in his dad's money, living a life of luxury while Matéo juggled 2 jobs to provide for him and his mom. He never missed a chance to remind Matéo of their class differences, teasing him at every chance he got with a playful laugh. But despite the humor in his tone, Matéo couldn't ignore the sting that lingered behind those jokes sometimes.

All night long, Matéo struggled to relax, the bad feeling still wouldn't let go. His conversations were shallow, his smile forced. He couldn't even enjoy the music— it felt too loud, too aggressive, yet it still couldn't drown out his thoughts.

Needing a distraction, he grabbed himself a beer and glanced out the window, where he spotted Noah, the center of attention as always. He was surrounded by his usual group of admirers, including a girl who was sitting on his lap. Noah's hand was casually resting on the girls bare leg as he got a small plastic bag filled with some pills from the guy beside him. His charm was magnetic, his grin infectious, but there was something unsettling in his eyes tonight— a gleam that Matéo hadn't noticed before.

Matéo found himself distracted, his thoughts wandering as he emptied his red cup over the sink, deciding that he had drank enough tonight. He felt out of place, like he was on the edge of something dark, something he couldn't quite see but could sense lurking just beneath the surface. Suddenly, a strong urge to leave overcame him, like a punch in the gut. He didn't want to be part of whatever was unfolding tonight.

Deciding to follow his instincts, he said his goodbye's to his friends, noticing that neither Noah nor the girl were nowhere to be found. Shrugging it off, he headed upstairs to Noah's room to grab his jacket and get the hell out of here. The hallway was quieter, the noises from the party muffled by the closed doors.