The Last Goodbye

I had spent hours dancing with Christian and Beth. I was finally coming out of my comfort zone and actually having fun. Pretending the world had stopped and it was just the three of us living in this moment. I needed to take a break and so I walked over to the bar to get a drink.

Red plastic cups aligned the countertop and was filled with a substance that looked like punch. As soon as the liquid touched my tongue I knew that it had been spiked with some sort of alcohol. I was getting ready to toss the drink in the trash until I noticed everyone’s attention dart over to the spiral staircase. They were all looking at Harry.

For a second I had forgotten he was even still up there. He had placed his black masquerade mask back on his face, but that didn’t stop all the girls from admiring him. Once he had descended down the stairs automatically girls darted towards him.
I didn’t know if I was anxious about people recognizing him or that I was slightly jealous that he indulged in a conversation with them. I held the cup back up to my mouth and for the first time I drank away my innocence.

As the night grew older and the weather outside started to brew, it began to put an effect on the electricity. Every now and then the lights would flicker on and off. Then finally the lights blinked off and stayed that way. It was complete darkness. People started to laugh while others made suggested noises.

And I couldn’t careless because I was still standing next to the bar already on my third cup. It was disgusting and left a rancid taste in my mouth.

“Alright I need everybody’s attention! “ A voice of authority yelled. “We seem to be experiencing trouble with our backup generator. All the doors have been unlocked and the festivities are over.” As soon as the guy said that as if by luck the lights came shinning on and so did the music.

People went back to dancing totally ignoring the fact that they could go home now. My cup was finally empty and I was probably the only person ready to leave. I scanned the dance floor for my friends. I spotted Beth standing up against the wall talking to some guy who looked a few years older than her. Christian was sitting at a table with some of his friends, and Harry was in a three way conversation with a pair of twins.

The two girls were both tall with long straight black hair, and their dresses were identical. They wore maroon skin tight backless dresses. One of the girls had her arm looped through his and the other girl kept running her hand through his hair. Either he didn’t mind them fawning over him or he was oblivious to the fact that they were competing for his attention.
Because of my current state I went over to find Christian. He and is friends parted ways and I followed in behind him.

“HEEEYYY!” I sang putting my head on Christian’s shoulder while trying to balancing myself from falling.

“Are you feeling okay?” Christian asked as he held me up.

“I’m great!” I grinned.

“Wow did someone cross over to the dark side?” He laughed. I raised my eyebrow in confusion. “You’re drunk?" He added. Christian placed his arms around my back and drew me in closer.

He leaned his face closer and said something in my ear. “Lets get out of here.” I didn’t know if it was the alcohol in my system, but my big mouth had to open itself.

“I kissed someone else.” I whispered. He had a smile on his face as he soon started to process what I had told him his smile vanished. “What did you just say?”

“I’m so sorry... but it happened more than once ” I swallowed a lump that was forming in my throat. I waited for him to say something, anything. He looked at me like he was searching for an answer to why I would have kissed someone besides him. The suspense was deadly and I couldn’t stand it. So instead I did the only thing that made sense to me at the time. I walked away.

As soon as I made it outside I leaned against a tall metal pole that came from the ground and pulled off the nude platforms heels that I’d been wearing all night. I felt that at any minute I was going to hurl. My head was spinning , and my stomach was in knots. Why did I just do that? Why would I tell Christian I kissed another guy? Why didn’t I say it was Harry? And why didn’t he come running after me?

I leaned my back against the pole and held my head in my heads.

“Victoria?” I recognized the voice but I didn’t look up. I was so caught up in the moment I probably just thought I heard his voice.

“Victoria!” I heard my name being called louder. I looked up this time. Harry was standing there with a concerned look on his face.

“How did you know I left?” I asked. He walked around the pole and leaned his back up against it as well. Our backs were facing each other.

“As creepy as this is about to sound. I’d been watching you all night.” He explained. I laughed quietly to myself. “And after you left from upstairs. I had an interesting conversation with your friend. No offense but the redhead is nuts.” Harry laughed.

“What did you guys talk about?” I asked curiously. He paused and he leaned his around to face me. “You.”

“Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not.” Harry answered. “Why are you outside in the first place its freezing?”

"At first I wanted to leave and then I told my boyfriend to his face that I made out with another guy.” I spilled. I hated the last part of that sentence, but I knew once it was said I could no longer take it back.

“Why would you do that Victoria?!” Harry said coming around to face me. I was surprised by his reaction.

“And you now care all of a sudden because?” I asked slowly rocking side to side.

“I care because you care. You need to go inside and find him and tell him you were just kidding.” He tried to pull me to stand on my feet, but I resisted. I opened my mouth to say something but my words were beginning to slur. After a couple of tries they started to make sense, for the most part.
“Maybe I don’t want to tell him that.” I admitted. He looked at me with the saddest expression on his face.

“You have to fix it. At least do it tonight before I go.” Harry said holding onto my hand. It was as if I snapped into sobriety.

“Earlier you told me you weren’t. What changed your mind?” He dropped my hand and turned his back.

“I don’t want to ruin what you have here. You seem to belong here now and I don’t.” He said. I went over to face him bare foot holding both shoes in one hand.

“What do you mean I belong here?” He gave me that same reaction and the same look like it pained him to answer anything. If I was going to convince him not leave I obviously had to stop prying for information, at least for right now.

“If you’re definitely sold on leaving this place I’ll just have to be okay with it. But..”

“I knew a but was coming?’ he said. “Can you at least stay for tonight?” I tried forming a grin on his face with my hands but he didn’t budge.

“Come on a lot can happen in one night and I have a feeling about you.” I told him.

“You sure it’s a good one?” Harry asked me strangely. The way he said that still sent chills down my spine. He was acting odd and I didn’t know whether or not I should be alone with him at night. But everything else screamed go.

“Where would we go anyway?” This time he asked excitedly. I thought about it and nothing came to mind.

“How about for the night we just get lost.” I could tell he found the idea appealing.

“Alright but before we go we should just start over.....We can become strangers. That way when you ask me something you won’t judge what I have to tell you…”

Notes