Mending a broken heart.

Part a : Atrocity...

"Is this the only New Year's party tonight that we can go to?" Leya asks her best friend, Chelsea, as the two teenagers stop in front of their friend, James' house and he climbs into the back seat.

New Year means the beginning of school and this one, the last trail of freedom before they are clouded with end exams and the stress of rejection letters and acceptance letters from all the universities they have their eyes set upon. So tonight means being carefree and letting go. Especially for Leya.

"Yes," Chelsea answers, hesitantly.

A while back, Leya had to wave goodbye to her childhood friendship and relationship from her best friend Mike and ever since their breakup, Chelsea has been tiptoeing around Leya's emotions, trying to be safe. But there comes a point where everyone has to let go and just move on. For Chelsea, that moment is now and it's not for her, but her best friend and the only way Chelsea is going to make it happen, is by putting Leya into uncomfortable and confrontational situations where Mike is involved.
Hence why they are going to Bethany's house for the New Year's party.

"Thanks for picking me up," James says, putting his seat belt on.

Leya looks at Chelsea, for a good second before deciding to drop the topic. Just yesterday they had this conversation -You're not over Mike, yes I am, no you're not, yes I am- and so it went on.
Leya takes her phone out of her bag and texts her mom back, letting her know where she's going, deciding that it just might be better attending the party than being at the receiving end of Chelsea's pity parties.
After a few minutes of driving and singing along to the radio, Chelsea parks her car, just one house from Bethany's, as other cars have already taken up the nearest spots.

"Okay, we're here," she announces opening her door.

All three of them, exit the car and follow the music, nearing Bethany's house step by step. .
As they approach the house, the music gets louder, but surprisingly not until the point of deafening.
Bethany's house still looks the same, to Leya's memory: Two-story, with a front yard that would be any pollen 'allergetic's' worst nightmare. Hell to be precise.
On the porch, a group of people are drinking and laughing, non that Leya and Chelsea can recall, but James seems to be pretty acquainted with a few of them, greeting them as he walks past and then opening the door and walking in.

Within a few minutes of entering the house, Leya starts feeling as if their heads are wrapped with plastic bags; suffocating from warm air contaminated with heavy body odour and sweat.

"Why is it so stuffy in here?" Chelsea asks as if reading her mind.

"Let's go outside," James suggests as he leads them through the kitchen, out the back door.
As they pass through the kitchen, they receive a few looks from people seated on top of the kitchen islands and counters, all heavily intoxicated, bottles of all kinds laying on the ground and counters, abandoned.
Outside, people are jumping into the pool, screaming and chugging down cans of what could only be beer.
Among a group of people standing by the pool, stands a pair, one wearing black skinny jeans and a grey t-shirt with his hand wrapped around the other's waist. Leya is first to notice that it's Bethany and Mike, just before James, who then screams their names out loud with excitement.

Upon hearing her name, Bethany turns around and smiles, running towards them. Or rather towards James.
Chelsea not being able to stand the sight of Bethany, she turns around and walks back into the house, leaving Leya standing awkwardly idle, as Mike who just followed Bethany stares at her.
As James and Bethany continue talking, Mike decides to walk towards Leya, who upon realising what is happening immediately turns around and walks back into the house, following Chelsea.