Whispered Secrets by Jay Mirano (the beginning after the end novel read .txt) 📖

certainly wasn’t into drinking, but at my high-school, if you didn’t drink, you weren’t cool.
“Sam! Sam, over here!”
I turned abruptly, searching the pulsating mass for the source of the voice.
“Sam!”
I saw a hand appear above the crowd, beckoning me over. I made my way through the sea, apologizing to all the people I had to squeeze past.
“Sam, there you are!”
My face fell when I realized it wasn’t Jake. It was Johnny, my chemistry partner.
“Oh, hey John.”
He threw his arms around me, reeking of booze. He was clearly drunk, and his voice was husky from drinking too much.
“I’ve missed you so much Sam,” he slurred, rubbing his face against my shoulder and breathing deeply.
I pushed him off me, trying not to look too disgusted. I barely knew the guy, after all, and he was acting like he was my best friend. A prime example of why I didn’t like to drink.
“Hey, have you seen Jake?” I asked, trying to steady Johnny as he swayed and laughed.
“Uh,” he seemed to be in deep thought, although I couldn’t be sure. “Jake... No, I don’t even know the guy.”
He laughed again, and wrapped his arms around my waist.
He’s a Hugger

, I thought to myself, prising his groping hands away. I liked to give drunks various ratings, and Johnny was definitely a Hugger. At least he wasn’t trying to force his tongue down my throat.
I left Johnny slumped on the stairs, and continued my search. Some faceless drunk spilled the contents of his cup on me, but I didn’t stop. If Jake wasn’t here, that was my cue to leave. I wasn’t about to stay here without reason.
I made my way into the kitchen, a room that was crammed from wall to wall with people. Packets of chips lined every counter, surrounded by hordes of ravenous teenagers. This really was a nightmare.
I pushed past them, not even sparing the time to apologize. I spilled out onto the patio, breathing in the icy Autumn breeze. At least it was quiet out here, and devoid of people. I pulled my phone out, and scrolled through the names until I found Jake's.
Thanks for abandoning me

, I typed, gritting my teeth as I did so. This party is totally killer.

I fired the text off, and shoved it back into my pocket. A few seconds later, I heard a phone go off. But it wasn’t mine...
I walked around the edge of the patio, and found a bench. On it was Jake. And on him was Lacey Milton.
I gasped, which seemed to snap the two out of their lustful embrace. A pang of hurt and betrayal surged through me, and I staggered away. Tears streamed down my face, and I wiped them away with my sleeves. I slipped back into Amy’s party, ignoring Jake’s pleas for me to stop.
I had to get away, I had to forget the image of Jake and Lacey that was burned into my mind.
A few people pointed and sneered when they saw my tears, but I paid them no heed. I charged up the stairs and locked myself in a bedroom. I crumpled to the floor, burying my face in my hands.

***

An hour later, I re-emerged. My face was puffy and tear-stained, but by now everyone was so drunk I didn’t think they’d notice. I stumbled down the stairs, my hurt at Jake’s actions fading into anger. He’d made me come to this party, and then he’d hooked up with Lacey Milton.
I’m never speaking to him again.

I found myself in the dining room, and took a seat at the table. I sank into my arms, closing my eyes and trying to forget the roaring din around me.
I felt a soft tap on my shoulder, and I looked up. It was Johnny, looking highly concerned.
“I saw you run off before, are you okay?”
He was still swaying and slurring his words, but at least he wasn’t trying to hug me.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I sighed, knowing I could never tell anyone how I was truly feeling.
Johnny stared into his cup, long and hard. It was almost like he was Narcissus, trapped in his own reflection.
“Here, have this,” he said, thrusting the cup in my direction.
Usually I would have refused, but I needed a little pick-me-up. People drank all the time to drown their sorrows, right? Maybe I should give it a go.
I took the cup, and flashed Johnny a grateful smile. I raised it to my lips and took a hesitant sip. A wave of burning liquid rushed down my throat, and I coughed until my eyes watered.
“What is that?” I managed after some time.
“Rum and cola,” he beamed. “Mostly rum.”
I nodded, and took another sip. This time it wasn’t as vile.
“Hold up a second,” Johnny said, before rushing off into the crowd of people.
I shrugged, and continued to down the drink. There wasn’t much left in the cup, so it didn’t take me long to finish.
In what seemed like a matter of moments, Johnny had reappeared, grasping two full-to-the-brim cups in his hands. He gave me one, spilling at least a quarter of it on me as he did so.
“How much have you had to drink tonight?” I giggled, mopping up the spilled alcohol with the bottom of my shirt.
Johnny’s eyebrows knitted, and he fell back against the chair as if he were exhausted. “Too many to count,” he said, before dissolving in a cavalcade of snorts.
I nodded, and knocked back as much of the cup’s contents as I could in one go. My body’s first reflex was to choke, but I forced it back. I couldn’t get that image of Jake and Lacey out of my head, but I desperately needed to.
Before I knew it, I’d downed three cups of Johnny’s toxic elixir, and was starting to feel its effects. A subtle warmth was surging through my veins, and suddenly the room was much too hot. I took off my jacket, and melted into the dining chair.
I don’t really remember what Johnny and I talked about, but it must have been funny because I couldn’t stop laughing.
The room was starting to spin by the time I started on my fourth drink, but I could still see Jake clear as day when I spotted him standing in the doorway, Lacey hanging off his arm.
I can’t tell you what was going through my mind at that moment, but all I know is I was filled with such an intense rush of hatred that words simply wouldn’t be enough to convey it. I gripped Johnny by the neck, and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips. The kiss was awkward, and not at all pleasant, but when I peeked out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Jake was horrified.
He finally retreated, and I let go of Johnny. He collapsed back into his seat, a satisfied grin etched on his face.
“That... Was amazing,” he breathed.
I felt the complete opposite.

Chapter II

I ’d been conscious for a good two minutes before I was actually awake. My mind was clouded with a thick fog, which seemed to spread to every limb of my body. My head was thumping, and as I eased my eyes open, I was assaulted by a violent surge of white light.
I groaned, and rolled onto my stomach. All my senses seemed to be heightened; the cars on the road outside sounded like freight trains roaring through a construction yard, the stench of stale beer hung in the air like a tangible mist, and of course the light... The light of day was almost too much to bear.
I staggered to my knees and crawled around on the floor. A wave of nausea coursed through me, but I fought against it. No way was I going to vomit here, wherever I was.
I collided with a piece of furniture, and I used it as a prop to help pull me to my feet.
My head was spinning, and I had to steady myself against the wall just to prevent falling over.
I took the momentary lapse in my quest to try and figure out where I was. I cast my mind back to the night before, but the entire thing was so hazy. The last thing I remembered doing was kissing Johnny, and after that things just became shap-snots, fragments of a drunken night.
My purse was still slung over my shoulder, and for that, I was grateful. I rifled around in it until I came across my phone.
15:35?! Mom’s going to kill me.

I put the phone back in my purse, and finally registered my surroundings. I was in a bedroom which I guessed was Amy’s, on account of all the pink objects lying around. There were three other people in the room, who looked almost as bad as I did.
I slipped out the door, and tried to make my way down the stairs without tripping.
I failed.
I landed at the bottom of the staircase with a loud thud and a curse, before heaving myself to my feet once again. The house was a tip; Amy was in for it big time.
I stumbled out into the afternoon sunshine, keeping my head down. I wasn’t about to call my Mom and ask to be picked up, so I decided on walking home instead. It was only a mile or so away, not that much of a stretch.
My phone buzzed with a call from Jake, but I ignored it. If my phone’s Call Log was anything to go by, Jake had called seven times already. And my Mom had called twenty-nine times.
Great, just great.

I knew it was a bad idea to come to this stupid party. Curse my infatuation with Jake! It always made me do things like this.
I found my compact mirror in my purse, and surveyed the damage to my face. My eyes were puffy and blood-shot, and my mascara was smeared half-way down my cheeks. I really did look like a mess.
By the grace of God there was a tissue in my bag, and I managed to remove most of the offending make-up. Next, I needed to start on my story to Mom.
My phone buzzed yet again, and I angrily declined the call.
Leave me alone, Jake. I don’t want to talk to you.

I texted, taking my fury out on the buttons of my phone.
What’s the big deal?

He sent back. You’re acting like you’re my girlfriend or something.

His words struck a chord, and I felt my heart constrict. I switched my phone of and shoved it back in my purse. A single tear trailed down my cheek, but I’d have to wait until I was home again to give into the grief and frustration.
My hangover was rising in intensity now, and I felt as though my brain was going to burst out of my skull entirely.
After what seemed like an eternity, I finally made it home. All I wanted to do was go back up to bed, but I still had my Mom to deal with.
My hands were shaking as I opened the door, and I peeked my head around it to make sure the coast was clear.
It wasn’t.
“Samantha Louise Lorden, where have you been?”
I bit down on my lip, looking sheepish. My mother stood before me with a look of thunder on her face. Her hair - which was wild at the best of times - hadn’t even been brushed, which only added to the