Bad Night - Part 1

Sydney took a brief step out as she gave the slightest smile towards the setting sun in the distance, watching how it wavered a second, reticent to say goodbye. She closed the car door lightly, listening to the engine of the sporty little white thing rumble.

“Hold up, we gotta go pick up Jorey.” Megan snapped from the front, window cracked, eyes invisible beneath the big black discs that made up her designer sunglasses, the darkness sucking at the edges of light, maybe eating the sun itself. The car lurched back, as Sydney turned, eyes widening in a moment of panic. “Don’t worry, we’ll need your spot! House’s unlocked, go get things ready for the party.”

There was a giggle on the wind as the car roared backward, turned in the massive driveway, and sped out, leaving Sydney holding her little purse tightly to herself and shaking at a touch of dirt that had gotten on her white miniskirt. The giggle stayed a moment in Sydney’s ears, teasing. “You got leeefft~” She thought it said.

Sydney walked up to the monolith of a house, a great big egg-white thing, threatening to crack open and release its yolk all down the street. She tentatively pressed against the dark-wood door, feeling it click open as promised and Sydney let out a little breath; Megan had yelled at her last time when that door had been accidentally relocked by some late-to-leave maid.

The first thing she noticed was the scent of flowers. She turned into the main foyer, a grand hall she never quite understood the use for. Unlike what Sydney expected there weren’t somehow hundreds of flowers in this room, maybe some ‘natural’ flowerpot gone wrong and splitting its vines up the wall, no, just the normal gold-trimmed flowerpots on their immaculate stands with their perfect little floral arrangements.

The music was already playing too. Not the typical deep beats of hiphop that eased like the thrumming of her heart into another glass of Megan’s winecoolers, but alt-pop music that didn’t fit the room, the home, the whole situation. The sound system wasn’t even turned up, so the music seemed to just float throughout the whole house right now.

Was someone else here? She wouldn’t start drinking ‘til some girl pressed it into her hand right before party started, but surely there were other reasons she could get in trouble for being alone in Megan’s house. Had her parents canceled their trip?? She couldn’t imagine either of them listening to this croning.

A man stepped in behind Sydney, towering over her, clearing his throat like thunder. Sydney turned, shocked, eyes wide, voice caught in her throat-

“THIS ONE GOES OUT TO MY GIRL SKYDNEY!” He screamed, plucking his fingers across the shining strings of Chase’s bright red guitar and jumping down from the stairs! The scruffy blond’s shoes were off someplace, and he almost tripped over his socks.

“I love ya, girl!” He said again, less loud, a dumb grin on his face. Sydney was overwhelmed for a second with the scent of wine off his voice, and the rotten pear smell of his aftershave. Not the flowers, yet. She didn’t respond, didn’t know how since he started screaming that at her last week.

“Chase, you got invited to, uh, Megan’s party??” Sydney started, glancing back at the door.

“Nah, come on, aren’t ya happy to see your boyfriend? I thought surprising you would be sweet!” He declared loudly, waving her in for a hug. She pressed herself against him quickly, intent to move before the trap of his arm came down around her, but he was quick despite seeming to be drunk already, and she was in his vice grip.

“Yeah, it was sweet!” She said, forcing a bit of a smile, still out of sorts. “Wait, did you break in here?” She asked, tilting finally to glance up into his distant face. Maybe he was looking for the flowers too, the way his eyes roamed the furniture of the sitting room beyond.

“Ha, no, not that either! Come on, be smart, Skydney!” His hand curled around her shoulder and tapped her forehead. She grimaced for a thousandth of a second, but he was already leading her to the couch beyond, pressed her down onto it and slid in right next to her, his guitar poking at her from its loose sling.

“Okay, please, yes, it’s super sweet to see you! I thought you were, uh, out of town for that college admission thing. I’m just surprised to see you, is all!” She said warmly, flashing him a bright smile as she subtly pushed the guitar down and away.

“I wrote you a song, babe. For our getaway weekend. Megan set it up for us, had me tell you about that college nonsense and this party! We have her whole parent’s house to ourselves until Sunday!” His hand reached around the neck, tight, choking the poor instrument. It squeaked out some discordant notes in protest, and he dragged it back up, the end nudging at Sydney again, asking for help. She gave it a single mournful glance.

A moment later, the string broke.

“Shit!” Chase yelped and tossed the wooden thing to the ground. Sydney let out a short little scream herself as it clanged loudly, an angry whimper, but it didn’t try to escape further.

“Ugh, I just got that thing in tune! Shit, Skydney, I’m
sorry, girl.” He was silent for just a moment, and she pressed herself a bit back onto the couch, trying to get comfortable at last.

“Well, that sucks, but there is still the other big surprise!” He said, leaping up and gripping Sydney’s wrist.