Chapter 22:

POV: You’re Paul, and It’s Part 2 of the Party

It’s All Just So Weird and Confusing


“I’m at the party!” I said frantically.

“The moon’s about to rise, you idiot!” he lashed out. “I told you about this on Monday, what the fuck were you thinking?”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’ll leave right now, I swear to god. I thought you said Sunday, seriously, I’m so sorry!”

“Just get home now. You have less than an hour,” he demanded, before hanging up.

I fucked up bad. I was still pretty sure I could make it back, but I would be cutting it close.

I had to find out if I needed to take Noel and Jessica home.

When I turned around, I was shocked that my stomach could drop a rung further.

Noel was sitting at the campfire, holding the bottom of his shirt up to his shoulders. A lion headed guy, a dragon looking fuck, and a dry-skinned guy who looked like he was wearing face paint surrounded him. The lion and the dragon were groping him. Noel’s face was contorted in disgust.

I ran over as fast as I could. “Noel!” I yelled.

Noel looked at me, pleading. One of the freaks—the dragon—turned to me and stopped in shame, while the other continued.

I was about to blow a fuse. I swiped the lion guy’s hand away, and Noel’s shirt fell back down. “What the fuck, dude?” the perve asked.

I just gave him a good fucking slap. I couldn’t take the nerve of someone so disgusting he’d get angry at being stopped from committing sexual assault. He was silent after that, and no one came to his defense.

“Aw, see, she’s totally a girl,” the harpy snarked. “She had her boyfriend come and save her~” she slurred.

“Shut up, bitch,” I growled. She retracted in submission. “Come on, Noel, we gotta go.” The Montana guy sat back, awkwardly.

Noel was less enthusiastic. He scoffed.

“Come on,” I said again. I grabbed his wrist, and pulled him up.

We walked a few steps before he yanked his hand back. “Get off me!” he blabbered. “Th-thanks or whatever, but I don’t need your help…” he sulked. “I’m not a girl.”

I was baffled. “I don’t care. We gotta go, and I gotta get Jessica.”

“Why?” he said indignantly.

“Because bad stuff is gonna happen to me otherwise, and my parents are pissed.”

“Sounds like your problem,” he pouted.

“I don’t have time for this,” I shook my head. I wanted to give him a good slap, too. “Come with me, now.”

He finally complied. I walked around the party grounds, and he stewed behind me.

I saw Jessica and Geoffrey standing next to each other in a circle of five or so.

“Hey Jessica, I’m going home,” I announced.

“Oh. Darn,” she lamented.

Geoffrey got it instantly. “Where do you live? Mok and I might be able to take you instead.”

“Oh, kind of by the school,” she said happily.

“Hey, that would work, right?” Geoffrey asked.

Mok nodded.

“Thanks guysss,” Jessica hissed, “Then, I’ll see you around?” she asked Noel and I.

“I guess so,” Noel said, unhappy.

“If you want to stay, I’m sure we could bring you home, too,” Goeffrey offered.

“Thanks, but he’s super drunk.”

Noel grumbled something incomprehensible.

We walked away. I had already wasted more time than I wanted, but not having to drop Jessica off would make up for it.

We got to the car, and I just shook my head, my rage building up. Someone was blocking us in. “FUCK!” I screamed.

“I’m going to stay here,” Noel said unhelpfully.

“Sure, whatever.”

“At the party.”

I just couldn’t win. I squeezed my fists, about to draw blood. “If you stay here you’re going to get—” I stopped myself, not wanting to say the word.

“Get what?” he asked angstily. But I’m sure he knew.

I was still frustrated, but his scared, sorry face dampened my mood. “Look, just come with me. You’re super drunk, anyway.”

He looked down, disappointed. I opened the passenger door, and he begrudgingly got in.

I sighed. I scoured the party, asking anyone and everyone if they knew the guy with the blue Fjord Foci. I was ping ponged between circles. X would say that Y might know, Y would say Z knows, and finally Z would predictably say that X knew all along.

Finally, I found the guy blocking me. It was fucking Matthew of all people. I had to stop myself from grabbing a big rock.

It was a full thirty minutes after I got the call that I was finally able to take off. I’d have to speed the whole way back, and Noel would have to sleep in the car or something, but I was still certain I could make it.

I floored it.

Noel was looking at me, glowering.

I glanced at him, shaking my head.

“Why did you take me here, anyway?” he asked frustratedly.

“I thought it would be fun,” I sighed. I meant it.

“I was having fun.”

“Dude, look, you’re drunk.”

“No. You just want to parade me around as your lame friend to make yourself look cool.”

“What?”

“You take me there, and then when I start having—” he hiccupped, “—fun, you pull me away.”

“You were having fun?”

“Before… whatever, or whatever, yeah!”

“Okay.”

“You’re a shitty friend!”

I glowered at him.

He retreated.

We were silent for the next few minutes. Then he started to breathe loudly.

He was sleeping. I sighed in relief, tapping my fat, hairy finger on the dashboard.

I panicked. I could see the moon peeking over the trees.

I watched in terror as the hair on my arms became thick and wirey, and I could feel my hands becoming callused and powerful claws as I crushed the steering wheel in my grip.

It kept happening. At the rate I was going, I knew I would lose my senses and crash the car.

And I would kill Noel. Or worse.

I pulled over far off the ruined tar and chip road, almost ending up in the ditch. We were nowhere near the edge of the forest.

As peeved as I was at Noel, I wasn’t about to let myself hurt him. I needed to run away and pray to God there wouldn’t be anyone else.

I got out of the car and locked the doors. I threw the keys under the tire and ran as fast as I could into the forest.

My muscles expanded rapidly, my skin thickened, my blood boiled.

I tried taking my shirt off, but I just ended up ripping it. My shorts were too rigid to endure, and they tore at the seams, sliding off me. I wanted to stop and wait, and I almost did, but with my last ounce of sanity I commanded my feral brain “That way!” as I plowed my way through the dense undergrowth.

And so “that way” I went, far, far away from the car.

Vforest
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