Close As Enemies

Twelve.

Now Playing... Therapy 

    My worst nightmare was like a ticking clock leading to my despair. It listened to my worst fears and understood what made the anxiety swell in my chest until it consumed me. It controlled me like a remote control toy. I saw the mirage of someone I used to know, but then it painted him into someone I grew to fear. My past was the thing that haunted me most. He was the one thing that tortured my mind most. Well, not necessarily him, but what he did to me. It tormented my mind late at night when I was alone, teasing me, manipulating me to give in, but I knew if I gave in, it would transform me into the person I would loathe for the rest of my life. That one night where mistakes were made dangles over me like a dagger, threatening to drop and ruin me.

And sometimes, I let it.

Staring at my fifteen year old self in the mirror, I tilted my head to the side, examining my outfit. I was dressed in a cute yet mature outfit, seeing as it was my first real party without him. The first party I ever went to, Wes had persuaded me to go, and it was where everything ended for us. I never went to another party after that night.

But then one of his friends invited me the summer before sophomore year, and there was no way I could say no without being the laughing stock of our class. So, I wore a black crop top with a high rise denim skirt. My hair laid in ringlets against my shoulders, and for once, confidence radiated off of me. I was determined to prove to not only his friends, but especially Wes, that I was doing fine without him.

"Molly."

The familiar voice sent chills down my spine, and when I turned around, my eyes met Wes' piercing green orbs. It had been so long since I had seen him standing in my bedroom, the light hitting him differently than any other place he stood. His hair had grown a little longer, his shoulders, a little broader, and somehow, he had managed to tower over me, but the one thing that remained the same was those eyes that seemed to be able to see right through me.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I wrapped my arms around my waist. "What... Why are you here?"

"I know you're going to that party tonight," He started, leaning against the door frame, "But you can't go. You need to stay here."

I thought he would laugh, or make fun of me for actually believing him, but when his seriousness never faltered, I knew he was being genuine, and for some reason, it ticked me off more than him actually being there in my life after he left.

Narrowing my eyes, I glared, crossing my arms over my chest. "Last time I checked, you don't have a say in anything I do. Not anymore."

He sighed. "Molly, please just listen to me. What reason do I have to lie to you about something like this?"

"I don't know, maybe the fact that you hate me? I know why you really don't want me there. It would be too embarrassing for you. Me, your pathetic ex best friend, showing up to a party you so conveniently happen to be at? Your new friends would criticize you for weeks for that one." I bitterly laughed. "Well, I don't care about you and your friends. I'm going, and I'm going to have a good time without the opinion of you and everyone else."

"That's not why--"

"Leave, Wes." I growled, shoving his chest so he was outside my room. His jaw ticked, and I swore he hesitated, as if he had more to say, but then he shook his head and stormed out of my house. For the next ten minutes, my mind repeated everything that had happened, but then I realized that I didn't deserve to stand there and torture myself with Wes' stupid opinion, so I forced myself to remember how excited I was about the party in the first place.

But oh, how oblivious I was to the warnings I ignored.

Running down the stairs of my house, I hollered goodbye to my mother before walking to the party house. When I arrived, music blared in the living room where people were drinking, dancing, and conversing, while other stood in the kitchen, making drinks and playing stupid games like spin the bottle and truth or dare. I had never drank, so I tried to steer clear of the kitchen, but then one of the girls from school offered me a drink, and I thought it would make me cooler if I accepted. At first, my throat burned from the taste, but after a couple more sips, I couldn't resist the urge to drink more. Bottle after bottle, I drank until the room spun and my stomach begged me to stop. As I tried to find the bathroom, a hand suddenly grabbed mine, dragging me away from my destination. I tried to see their face, but it wasn't until he threw me into a locked room that I knew exactly who he was.