The Party 145 a.m.
The Party
Billy had never been hit in the face before, and holy shit, that fucking hurt.
His back was pressed into the grass, and Justin was on top of him, wailing on him, a fist colliding with his side, his cheek, his shoulder.
He’d talked shit to Justin before, but the kid never threw a punch at him like a goddamn mafioso. Who did he think he was?
As Justin pulled his arm back, Billy seized the moment and wiggled his way out from beneath Justin’s weight. Scrambling to his feet, Billy backed away.
“Aha!” Billy said, adrenaline pumping through him so intensely he barely felt drunk anymore. “Sucker!” But Justin was looking at him with eyes full of rage, his mouth forming a snarl, and the smile dropped from Billy’s face. “Dude, let’s—”
The wind left him swiftly, an elbow thrust into Billy’s stomach, and he wailed in pain.
But instead of clutching his middle, he reached up to Justin’s neck and raked his fingernails against skin, eliciting a high-pitched wail.
There was blood now, tiny red spots that trickled onto Billy’s white shirt.
“You asshole!” Justin’s fists slammed against Billy’s head, and Billy’s vision grew fuzzy, like someone was changing the channel on him, turning his brain on then off again.
Justin spit on the ground, a bloody clot of saliva, then wiped his face with the back of his arm.
He was on his feet again, and then before Billy could get up, he felt a sharp pain in his back and realized it was Justin’s foot colliding with his spine.
“Argh!” he called out, spots floating in his eyes as he blinked and looked around the patio to see who was watching his humiliation. Thankfully, the party was basically over. The only people left were Ethan and Dylan…but Erica’s bag was still here. Where was she?
Another kick came swiftly, causing him to curl in on himself, to cry out again in pain. He blinked open his eyes, and in the distance, he saw pink. That bright pink bikini. Erica.
“Dude, stop!” Ethan tried to hold Justin back, but the kid was too strong, and Billy felt another kick land, this time right in his ribs.
“Erica!” He wanted her more than he could admit.
He wanted her to come here and make this all stop.
He saw her move along the dunes, a flash of color in the darkness.
She was rushing to him. Thank goodness. His heart fluttered, and though his body was on fire, he knew it would all be over soon.
She couldn’t see him lying on the ground like this and ignore him. She had a heart after all.
“Enough!” Ethan said, and Billy looked over his shoulder to see that both Dylan and Ethan had pulled Justin away from him, that they were now standing between them, and Billy was finally able to push himself to stand. Wobbly, but still standing.
He looked back for Erica, for that spot of pink against the inky sky.
She was getting closer, and Billy smiled, though he tasted blood.
“Erica,” he said again, and started walking toward her.
But when he got close, he realized she was not the only figure in the darkness.
Before Billy could see who it was, his whole world turned black.