Sink or Swim

18

Chapter Song:

"Hey have you seen Liam," I yelled in Ty's ear trying to drown out the music.

We were at Riley's annual New Years Eve party. Except this year there was a theme and of course it was Gatsby. After all we were entering the roaring twenties.

"No I haven't seen him," he yelled back.

It was almost midnight. Riley had told me that all of us needed to be together by midnight. That was her one rule besides dressing up. He'd been missing all night and it was really annoying.

Come to think of it I hadn't seen him or Cal anywhere. Mason and Ty were dancing with a few of the senior girls. Riley was chatting with some of her bun heads.

"Riley!"

"It's me I'm here," she screamed back at me. "Have you seen Liam?" She yelled some more. She was about to break my ear drum if she kept it up.

"No! I haven't seen Cal either!" I yelled back.

"Let's just get Mason and Ty outside and well call them yeah?"

I nodded and went back to the makeshift dance floor in her living room. I had to drag them by their collars to get them outside. I think they liked it a little bit.

"Oh my god it's so quiet out here," Mason sighed happily looking around.

There were a few stragglers lingering outside but other than that everyone seemed to be inside enjoying all the booze and other festivities.

"Okay I texted Liam and Cal and I think they are coming. Everyone grab a sparkler," Riley instructed.

She wanted us to light our sparklers and do the countdown. We also wrote something we were afraid of and something we were excited for in the new year. We were all going to burn it in the fire pit together. It sounded super corny but it made her happy so we couldn't say no.

"Ten...Nine..." we heard everyone yell from inside as Riley lit my sparkler.

"Where are they," Ty groaned. I think he was mad they weren't here participating and he was.

"Ahhhhhh," I heard Liam yell announcing himself. I didn't see it in all the commotion of helping light the sparklers.

"Three...two.... Happy New Year!"

Finally I looked around in all the commotion. There were fire works blasting everyone was screaming. I think someone popped a bottle of her parents champagne inside. Which I didn't think they'd be too happy about once the got back from Australia.

I tried to look for Liam again and my heart stopped.

I dropped the sparkler and my letter in front of me. I think I heard Riley scold me saying something about the grass hit I didn't care. I also didn't really hear her over the sound of my shattering heart.

The only thing I could focus on were the two people in front of me lips locked on one another. I turned away and ran before I could do anything worse. I heard Riley shouting after me and her footsteps followed.

I had to get out of here I couldn't breathe. I tried to take deep breaths but I couldn't get enough air. I think I tripped over my own feet because the next thing I knew was feeling the wet grass against my bare legs. It was cold.

"Kenny what's going on?" Riley shook me snapping me out of my daze.

"She..he..they," I huffed. The words couldn't come out no matter how hard I tried.

"They who what?" Riley sat on the grass next to me licking eyes with me

"He kissed her Riley! Cal kissed Natalie," I let a tear slip that I tdidnt know I was holding onto.