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  It was about 8 p.m. when the first bunch of high school juniors and seniors arrived for Lauren’s party outside of town. Shortly, there were at least a hundred with a drink in hand. Party music was playing loudly.

  “Hey, who invited you?” asked a jock as Will stepped up to the front door of Lauren’s house.

  “Get lost,” replied Will. He then entered the house through the already open door.

  “Ooh, that little punk has balls, man,” said the jock to one of his friends from outside. His friends outside then laughed after him, having a good time.

  Inside there were party animals everywhere. People were huddled in the living room dancing to club music. There was another group of invites standing around the kitchen table taking shots together. And there were people already passed out on the stairway.

  Wow, this is one crazy party, Lauren, thought Will. Where is she anyway? Will looked around the house for Lauren, but could not find her anywhere in sight.

  “Hey, have you seen Lauren?” he asked some random guy.

  “Ha-what-who dude?” he replied, blazed out of his mind. “Who’s Lauren?”

  “Congratulations, you’re at her party.”

  Will asked another person. It was one of Lauren’s close friends Jill. “Hey, where’s Lauren?” he asked her.

  “Um, excuse me?” she replied. “You have no business here, Will.”

  “Lauren invited me last weekend.”

  “Ha, yeah right,” she replied. She then purposely spilled her drink on him. “Losers don’t belong at parties.”

  She and her friends laughed hysterically, staring as they walked away. It was so embarrassing.

  Will grabbed a nearby napkin and began to wipe his shirt off the best he could.

  A new person then walked up behind him. It was Starr, the rocker goth chick. “Here, let me help you with that,” she offered. She helped him out, wiping his shirt off the best he could. “There.”

  “Thanks,” replied Will.

  “Yeah, no problem,” she said. “So you’re looking for Lauren, right?”

  “Yeah, have you seen her? This is her party, am I right?”

  “Yeah, last I heard she was in the upstairs bathroom throwing up already.” She pointed to the staircase.

  “Thanks.”

  Will then headed upstairs, passing by a few passed- out people on the way up.

  “What’s that creeper doing here?” asked some random person who noticed him heading upstairs.

  Upstairs, Lauren was heard from the bathroom throwing up.

  “Lauren?” asked Will.

  “Will?” replied Lauren from the other side of the door.

  “I need to talk to you, it’s important!”

  “Will, now’s not a good time!”

  “Listen, it’s about Charlie!”

  “Charlie?” she replied.

  “Yes, can I come in?”

  “Yeah, hold on,” she replied, reaching for the door handle. She unlocked it and opened it, then quickly got back to the toilet to hurl one more time.

  “Listen, I’m sorry but I need you to borrow me your car... how much have you had to drink?”

  “Quite a few shots. I think I’ll be able to stand up now.”

  “Do you need me to help you up?”

  “No... I can do it... all by myself,” replied Lauren, attempting to stand up, but fell over again.

  “Got you,” said Will, grabbing her before she hit the floor.

  “You got me?” exclaimed Lauren, drunk. “Will?”

  “Yes, it’s me, Will.”

  “Oh, hey.”

  “Hey,” he replied, annoyed.

  “Look at me, okay? This is about Charlie.”

  Lauren just stared at him, then squeezed his cheeks. “Will, look at you! You’re so cute! Ooh, Little Willy!”

  “Don’t call me that!” He responded, pulling her hands away from his face. “This is a big deal, just try and understand the best you can, okay?”

  “Okay,” she replied, forcing herself to sober up a bit. “I understand, it’s about Charlie. Go on.”

  “Yes, it’s about Charlie. I need to go to his house tonight, and I really believe something is terribly wrong. I need your help.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yes, tonight.”

  “Okay, just let me think about it for a second,” replied Lauren finally. She then paused dramatically, making a stupid facial expression that lasted more than a second, then said, “Okay, Will, let’s go do this.”

  “You’ll come with me?” responded Will. “Like this? Look, I only need to borrow your car, that’s it. You’re drunk, look at you.”

  “Will, I’ll be fine, I’m only a little tipsy now.”

  “Are you sure??”

  “Yeah.”

  Will thought about it for a moment. “Well, okay then.”

  And drunk, a minute later, Lauren was able to stand up on top of her living room couch before leaving the party, saying out loud, “Okay, people, I know I’m a little out of the loop right now but I’m sorry. I have to go now. Just keep the party going until I get back, alright everyone?”

  Everyone cheered. The music then got louder, and people went even crazier.

  “She’s leaving with that Will kid,” said someone.

  “What?” snapped Jill.

  “Okay, we need to go,” hurried Will, as he grabbed her arm from the couch and helped her to the door.

  “Where are you going, Lauren?” asked Jill as she stepped outside.

  “I have some business to take care of,” she replied, half-drunk, as she continued to have Will lead her down the steps.

  “Where’s your car?” asked Will frantically. “It’s over there,” she pointed, and there was her car.

  “Do you have the keys?”

  “Right here,” she replied as she pulled them out of her pocket.

  “Alright,” he said, grabbing them. He opened the passenger door for Lauren and she got in. He then got in on the driver’s side and started the car.

  The car radio turned on. It was the rap station.

  “Ugh,” mumbled Will, quickly turning the station to rock music, as Lauren buried her face in her knees, about ready to hurl again.

  “Don’t pass out on me now, you’re already in the car,” said Will. “You said you wanted to come with me.”

  “I know,” she replied.

  “I’ll be fine by the time we get there, or at least I’ll feel a little bit better.”

  “Good.”

  They then set out on their way to Charlie’s house to look for answers as to why he was missing.

 

  Chapter 18