Night Sky (Harry Styles)

26. numb

CHAPTER 26: NUMB

                          Sunday, June, 4th 2017 - Los Angeles, California

                        I love it. This is why I love being drunk on a party surrounded by people I don't know. No one judges you for anything or confronts you with uncomfortable questions.

 Sweaty and warm bodies rub on each other and create a feeling of suffocation yet it's so fun because you get lost in the shuffle. Here I'm just one of many and this is great. Even though I love having the spotlight on me. But all these people will eventually forget about me. And there is so much happening at once so no one is focusing solely on me.

  "Another shot?" The blonde haired, hot guy next to me asks and holds up a filled shot glass for me. I forgot his name already but I've been hanging out for him almost the whole night already.

 He is really funny and witty. And he seems to sense whenever I need a new drink because every time I have the desire to drink again my glass is filled to the brim with something alcoholic.

  "Yes!" I say determined and take the shot glass from him. In one go I down the hard liquor and then shake my head as the disgusting taste spreads out on my tongue. But the effect it has is amazing. The dizziness is making me forget about my arguments with Sam and the guilt I have been carrying with me for ever starting something with Harry and allowing it to continue.

  I lean forward to fill my glass again. But I moved with too much verve and nearly knocked over the bottle. However, the guy immediately reacts and catches the bottle with and for me.

  "Thanks..." I struggle with his name and he laughs.

  "Zach."

  "Right, I totally knew that," I giggle, "Thanks Zach."

 Zach chuckles and fills my glass up for me. Somehow, he managed to be not as drunk as I am even though he drank as much as I did. Suddenly, I jump off the chair and take the shot glass in my hand.

  "C'mon, we should dance!" I scream and tilt my head, feeling the burning liquor run down my throat. I pull at Zach's hand and he slowly gets up, then following me to the part of the room where all the other guests are dancing.

 I don't even know who the host is of this house party but what I know is that Dylan somehow knows the host. Another thing I know is I can't think or walk straight. Even dancing turns out to be difficult because I keep stumbling forwards or backwards.

 Zach and I dance and dance. At times a few people join us, dance with us or talk to Zach and then disappear again. During the time we are not dancing we keep drinking. I haven't seen Beth and Dylan for a while and the last time I checked the time was when we left. It was around 8:30pm but I don't have a clue how much times has passed since then.

  "Stella, are you all right?" Zach asks as I sway forward and my eyelids get heavy. He holds me up by grabbing my arms as he worriedly looks at me.

  "Of course, I am. I feel great." I tell him even though my body is telling me something completely different. A sickening feeling appears in the pit of my stomach.

  "I'll get you a glass of water. Sit down here, okay?" Zach says and leads me to the table we've sat on before.

 When he disappears, I quickly get bored and pour myself another drink. Bored, I take one shot and another one until Zach appears again with a huge glass of water in his hand.

  "You took more shots?" He asks when he catches me filling the shot glass again. Worry is coating his voice. 

  "Maybe." I laugh but he snatches the shot glass away from me and instead replaces it with the glass of water, "It's my birthday. I don't want water."