October of 2014.

Just as Brooke suspected, the night was a disaster. While it was still pretty fun, there were a few things that could have just ceased to happen. Like maybe the police coming- but what do you expect. A party with loud music in a pretty big neighborhood.. yeah.. the cops were bound to get called.

 

7:57pm

After successfully dragging Brooke up the steps to the front door, through a group of strangers having a conversation and passing a joint around, Miki vanished. The smell of teenagers, young adults, alcohol, sweat, and drugs started to cling to Brooke's clothes- after barely ten minutes of being there. She was feeling a little uncomfortable, with her tank top having set a little too low for her liking all of a sudden. She crossed her arms over her chest. Brooke really wishes she had brought a jacket, anything.

"I'll be back! Just gonna drop this shit off in the kitchen and let Ko-jiji know I'm here!" and with a short lived kiss to Brookes lips, Miki was slipping through the crowd like a snake. Easily navigating as if she lived here, knowing exactly where to go. It made Brooke set her teeth with an uneasy feeling.

At least 'Kojiji' was a name she recognized, the other must have been talking about Koje Donnel. He was a foreigner, but Brooke didn't know where he was from. He had blue hair, just like herself. She wondered what he would be doing at a party, and if he's here... surely Rune is? Lost in her thoughts, Brooke decided standing by the front door wasn't exactly a good idea anymore, as the same drunk, and now high, lot of people staggered in and swinging the door roughly. Brooke was unlucky, standing too close to the door as it slammed into her- the knob dug into the spot right under her elbow and knocked her off balance. She yelped and grimaced as she moved away, taking big steps around the individual groups of people drinking and chatting amongst themselves.

They were much older, much taller. Brooke felt intimidation creep up her spin and she kept her eyes peeled for Miki's unruly head of red hair. The girl said she would be back, but its been nearly ten minutes with no sign of her. Loud cheering caught her attention, coming from the opened slider that was between the kitchen and the spacious living room. The girl made her way around a big recliner which had a group of drunk girls on it taking selfies. Her eyebrows furrowed as she ducked between two people coming inside, the now cold dusk air felt great against her flushed cheeks. There was way too many people in there, the smell was becoming toxic. She breathed in a gulp of fresh air, sighing. It felt nice- even if it smelt like skunk out here.

Brooke scanned the back yard as she propped herself up on her tip toes. She noticed a group of boys and maybe a few girls standing around a cheap fold up table, one of the legs sported duck tape around it to mend what she assumed to be a broken leg. Solo cups scattered on the floor around it, and also set up on the table. The blue haired girl fell back on her heels.

Beer pong.. and all of a sudden it smelt like shit out here.

Her eyes drifted up, and to her surprise Miki was standing at the top of the table that was by the door to the garage, there were people standing in the door frame watching from behind her. A cigarette hanging from her lips, that was something that Brooke wasn't surprised about. Miki's been smoking cigarettes since middle school. The porch light was the only source of light and it was illuminating the hoard of people, there was also an in-ground pool with lights out far in the backyards right corner- but it wasn't that bright.

The other hadn't noticed Brooke’s presence as the girl made her way over to the table, avoiding stepping in sloshes of beer and god knows what else all over the pavement. She also stepped around every solo cup; which there was a lot of. She internally shook her head. There was another round of cheering as Brooke slid her body through a more condensed part of the group; right behind Miki. Brooke grinned.

Miki rose her arms, a cheer coming from her own lips as her ping-pong ball landed in a cup on the opposite side of the table. Brooke took this as an opportunity to snake her arms around Miki's stomach, the other girl immediately flinched her arms down and yelped. Brooke stood on her tip toes and brushed her nose against the taller ones ear, letting out a breath and then yelled as loud as she could:

"I was looking all over for you!"

Miki spun around, bringing her hand up to cover her ear, giving Brooke a startled look that turned into a glare. It looked more like a pout. Some guy came up and handed Miki the cup their ball landed in, she must have missed them making a score when Brooke surprised her- but she took it with grace, looking down at the piss liquid inside of the red and white cup. A grin smeared onto her face as she brought her hand up to offer the cup to Brooke, the exterior light shimmering off of her sharp black nails. "Don't be silly! I didn't leave you, Brooke, i simply left to get you a drink."

Brooke rolled her eyes in annoyance but a smile tugged on her lips in fondness, "Lying?" she asked as she grabbed the dented cup from Miki's hand, taking a swig of it under the intensity of the other girls blue eyes. They watched Brooked her throat bob as she swallowed, and also watched the disgusted grimace take over the other girls face as she turned to the side to spit it out.

Miki laughed at Brooke’s reaction, watching the liquid splatter onto the cement below them.

"This is disgusting!" Brooke spluttered, bringing the back of her other hand up to wipe it off her mouth. "The hell is this? This isn't beer."

"Right~o!" Miki snatched it back out of her hand, and took a swig of her own. She sloshed it in her mouth to coat her teeth, some of it dripped out the corner of her mouth and down her chin. Swallowing, and then humming in consideration; "Hmm..."

Brooke stared at her, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyebrows were still furrowed from the disgusting taste in her mouth.

"Yeah... oh... hmm.. maybe.." Miki kept pondering, smacking her lips and pretended she was trying to taste it. Her tongue was numb from the alcohol, she couldn't taste a thing. Brooke tapped her foot and gave a tilt of her head, confusion and anticipation oozing from her being. "Well?" She asked Miki impatiently.

The other nodded back as she wipes the sticky residue from her chin, giving Brooke a serious look as she reached over to brace her hand on the girls shoulder; "I have no idea what is in this cup."

Before Brooke could start ranting about how dangerous that is, Miki grabbed her hand and started to drag her back inside the house, carelessly bumping into other people who didn't even glance back at the two of them. Not a care in the world. Brooke spat out some protests and questions of where they were going, but Miki ignored them in favor of dragging her into the kitchen.

 

8:23 pm

 

"I'm going to actually make you a drink now."

"Oh, i just can't wait. I'm vomiting in my mouth already."

Miki shot a pointed stare at Brooke, who was sitting on the counter top now with a smile, it wasn’t clear if the redhead was trying to glare at her, or pout. Never the less; "That's not very nice!" she chimed, and then laughed, pouring two bottles into the cup at once, Brooke couldn't read the label from where she sat, but whatever it is she knew you probably shouldn't be mixing two hard liquors together. In the same drink. Sickening, and it’ll probably taste just horrible enough to have your stomach rejecting it before you even swallow. Miki then moved onto her own cup, and poured the same stuff into it. The cup from outside had been dropped into the sink, which was stupid because no one was going to wash out the plastic and keep it as dinnerware. Approaching Brooke with both cups in hand, Miki hands over one of the glasses to Brooke, who grabbed it from her grasp gingerly. It was a real glass cup, not a solo cup.

"You could've put some ice in here." she muttered, looking down into the dark liquid with her nose scrunched up. Miki rolled her eyes in response, now standing between Brooke's legs that were draped off the edge, hanging in the air with the balls of her shoes dug into the cupboard underneath. The house was pretty big, not as big as Miki's own home, but a big suburban house none the less. The people who lived here were most definitely rich. Brooke wondered how much trouble the kid who lived here would get in.

Ignoring the ice comment, Miki brings her own cup up to knock the one in the others hand, bringing her from her thoughts. Brooke looks up to meet Miki’s blue eyes. "Cheers?"

Tinking her cup back against Miki's they both brought the glasses up to their lips. Brooke took two sips, feeling her throat cringe at the burning sensation, definitely from scotch and maybe there was some vodka in there. There’s some artificial taste of strawberry, it was putrid. She choked down half the cup in slow yet big gulps, which was torture. Miki downed her own without so much as bobbing her throat. Brooke set her glass down next to her thigh on the counter top, it was just the two of them even if there were people coming in and out of the kitchen, the music blaring from the other room reverberating around them.

Miki put her cup next to Brooke's, the glasses hit eachother and sloshed the liquid inside of Brooke's. Miki moved her gaze to the Brooke’s flushed face, bringing her left hand up to cup around it. Her thumb softly caressed over her cheek and down to swipe over her lips. Brooke's lip twitched into a smile, and Miki leaned in and pressed her lips against the others. They were soft, they were always soft. Miki's lips were sharp, and jagged; chapped from biting at them and maybe from malnutrition. She could use some chap-stick.

Brooke closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss, bringing her arms to circle around Miki's torso and hummed. Miki circled her empty arm around Brooke as well, moving her left hand up to tangle itself in the girl’s blue hair. She gave a slight tug to it and Brooke's arms tightened around her, Miki deepened the kiss, poking her tongue out to enter the other mouth. Miki gave a hard suck on Brooke's bottom lip before popping off,

"Want to go dance?"

 

9:37 pm

 

The party was going great, it really was, much better than Brooke expected it to go. The two were having an amazing time getting drunk, dancing, stumbling about, laughing while exploring the expensive suburban house. Brooke doesn't know when she lost Miki, but she's been looking around for her everywhere. There was a dance off, in the second living room. The duo got separated by a hoard of girls coming inside to drunkenly squawk at the guys break dancing.

Pushing messy strands of her blue hair from her face, Brooke hazily looked around, rounding the corner to the kitchen where they were before they started dancing, the kitchen had a few people in it. They were mixing drinks, there was no sign of Miki. She sighed, walking through the entry to the main living area. Brooke stopped, hearing yelling coming from the backyard and looked to her left out of the open slider. Straining her drunk vision, trying to clear the lights from smearing all around her. Green eyes bulged once her vision focused, she hurried to the door and had her hand on the frame to steady herself, gaping at the scene in front of her.

They couldn't have been separated for more than half an hour. Miki was standing on a quad, someone else sitting on a different quad behind her, but Brooke wasn't paying attention to them. The girl had both her hands gripped tightly on the throttle and the crutch, she had a crazy smile etched onto her face, looking over her shoulder to yell something at the other person, swerving and making a complete 180 as she sped past the other. The grass in the backyard was getting thrashed- and wait a second;

Why was Miki shirtless?!

She watched as the other person, who she now recognizes to be Koje, spins his wheels; chunks of grass shooting out behind. Miki pulled up next to him, and they exchanged a few words. Miki let out a hollering laugh. Brooke started walking fully outside at this point, all the way to the edge of the grass next to the small group of drunk idiots that have formed to watch. Some were making bets, and Brooke rolled her eyes- a scoff forming under her breath.

Koje picked up one of the biker helmets that were lying on the ground next to his quad, and handed the lime green one to Miki. She slid it on eagerly, immediately waving her arms around in a boisterously manner. She took the helmet off, and bashed the plastic window on the quads handles until it smashed in. Koje looked like he was trying to stop her, yelling out and waving his hands but his words were muffled from where Brooke stood.

"Look, much better right?" Miki laughed after putting it back on, only shards of the window remained in it; giving her a clear view out. Koje just shrugged a little, and showed Miki with his own helmet that she could have just slid the eye shield open. She shrugged back in a similar fashion, probably telling him something about how it looks cooler her way. He laughed and Miki joined him.

More people were coming out from inside of the house, joining the crowd with drinks in their hands. Some had cups, some had cans and bottles. Brooke was going about to shout to get Miki's attention, but the girl already noticed her and gave a big thumbs up in her direction.

“Wish me luck!” Miki slurred loudly in Brookes direction, who only stiffened a little in reply.

Someone took that as cue and came to stand between them, holding their red solo cup in the air.

"Are you ready?!" The guy shouted, Miki and Koje cheered determinedly, giving a challenging stare forward. "Okaaayy!"

"On your marks,"

"Get set...."

Both quad riders got into position, leaning forward and gripping the handles, ready to take off. The back wheels on Miki's were spinning, dirt kicking up and flying behind her. The grass was going to be ruined, completely ruined. Chunks were already missing, dirt was flying.

"GO!"

Brooke cringed as the two took off, watching the beautiful grass be mutilated while everyone cheered around her. Miki was also standing up on her quad, bent over with her face right between both of her arms, which were strained. They picked up speed, Koje caught up effortlessly, seemingly educated on how to ride a quad.

Miki... on the other hand...
Koje slowly got into the lead, his blue hair whipping wildly in the wind. He then turned sharply to cut off Miki, riding in front of her. She didn't seem to enjoy that though, slamming on her brakes to avoid impact and then speeding up and ramming into the back end of his; bumping him forward. She swerved to the left and turned to circle around him; her back wheel scraping against the front of his vehicle. The drunk idiots standing around Brooke were yelling, more cheers for whoever they wanted to win. Don’t they realize how dangerous this is?

The whole scene probably lasted less than three minutes, TOPS. As quick as they took off, three bangs were sounded from the inside. Since they were outside and away from the music it was easier to hear the door bell ringing, the pounding at the door. Not the kind of knock that signals they're here for the party, the kind that says the cops are here to RUIN the party. People around started whining disappointedly, Brooke took a few steps back and bent back a bit to peer her head inside towards the front door. Just as she thought, cops.

She could see them explaining to people about the music and probably a noise complaint, everyone has to leave. Her heart stopped, feeling frozen as she looked back over to Miki, who was arguing with Koje who was trying to tell her cops were here. He was off his quad, someone from the outside crowd had yelled "COPS!!!!!" at the top of their lungs. A few people were hurrying to swipe powder off of the fold up table set up behind the beer pong table. How didn't Brooke notice earlier? They were grabbing little baggies and shoving them in their pockets to hide as they walked back inside acting their best nonchalant.

Miki and Brooke were the two teenagers there. It was pretty obvious they were teenagers; midst of all the young adults. Everyone here was at least 22. Koje seemed frustrated as he stomped off past Brooke and into the house. Brooke finally caught sight of Rune as the two argued in the frame of the sliding door. Brooke looked back to Miki and Miki's hands were left up in a gesture of 'what the fuck?'. Her blue eyes met green, the music was still blasting; Koje probably left her to go turn it off. Miki drove her quad up to the sidewalk, knocking the game table over.

"Get on!"

"What the fuck, Miki, no! We got to go!"

Brooke stared at her, Miki just shook her head and patted the seat, "We will get out of here, its quicker this way. Hurry, before he turns off the music." She was speaking fast, eventually leaning over and off the side of the quad to grab Brooke's arm and pull her closer, trying to pull her onto the quad. Brooke tugged her arm and glared at Miki's erratic behavior.

"You're drunk! Let me go!"

Miki let go of her arm immediately and took the helmet off, handing it to Brooke. She shouted at her to put it on. They could hear the cops ushering people out and arguing to turn off the music, they were getting impatient. Brooke felt the pit in her gut swell as she slipped on the helmet, Miki clearly wasn't budging. Miki grabbed Brooke's hand once she offered it and heaved her up. She pressed hard on the throttle and made a sharp turn out into the yard.

The giant backyard was surrounded by stone wall, but over by the side of the house and around to the garden there was a wooden fence. Brooke yelped and quickly wrapped her arms around the others waist as Miki sped towards the opened chain gate leading into the side garden, it loudly clinked together with the metal of the vehicle and slammed open right into the other side of the fence, bouncing off and slamming shut behind them. Miki didn't slow down, and Brooke went to tighten her arms around Miki and grip her shirt, but then it registered again that Miki didn't have her shirt on. She moved her hands down to grip the fabric of the girls shorts instead.

"Where did your shirt go?!"

Wood spluttered as Miki burst through it, she made a sharp left; and the quad balanced onto its right wheels for a second. Brooke squeezed her eyes shut as she quad slammed back down onto the dirt outside of the fence and continued speeding around to the back of the house. Miki made a hard stop, and quickly hopped off the four wheeler and Brooke immediately noticed the jittering that accompanied Miki's entire being. She gave the girl a suspicious look as Miki helped her off. She slid the helmet off and went to leave it on the quad before Miki swiped it out of her hands. Brooke jolted from the speed of Miki’s action.

"This is mine now." was all she said and tucked it under her arm. Brooke shrugged, not exactly caring, and just stared at the girl. Miki's pale torso contrasting in the moonlight. Her eyes grazed over the black bra, giving a look of confusion. Miki was shifting on both of her feet. She moved her hand up to itch and rub at her nose, reaching out to grab Brooke's wrist. With no warning, she took off. Brooke stumbled and tried to catch her footing to run along with the girl. It all clicked in Brookes head, the dingy corner table, the little baggies, the white powder dissipating into the air as they dusted off the table.

Brooke tried to pull her hand free, a hard look set on her face. Miki wasn't letting go. They hopped someone's low fence, through their yard and out onto the street. Brooke felt her chest tighten, looking up at the back of her girlfriend's head. She tried to pull her hand back again and that finally got Miki's attention to slow down. Their pace evened out to a slow, stumbling walk. It was silent as they walked, their arms brushing against one another's. Skin on skin.

"Seriously," Brooke huffed, rubbing at her wrist that Miki had been tugging on, "where did your damn shirt and hoodie go?"

Miki snapped her head to look at Brooke, eyes wide as she jolts in her own skin at the sound of the others voice. She then looked down to her torso with quirked eyebrows,

"Oh shit, I have no clue."

Miki laughed loudly, swaying in her steps a bit as she brings her hand up to rub at the back of her head. "That was one of your hoodies too, Brookie."

Brooke scowls, pushing Miki jokingly. The girl wasn't expecting it so she lost her balance and just fell back and off the side of the curb. Miki didn't even look like she tried to brace her fall, She caught herself with her elbows; the right one getting skinned. Brooke frantically started apologizing and went to help her up, slinging the non-injured one behind her neck and pver around her shoulders, trying her best to hold Miki up. Which was hard because Miki was a good 5 or more inches taller. It seemed, just from that interaction, that Miki's body was dead weight. Luckily Miki weighed as much as a feather.

"Hey.." Brooke started, swallowing her saliva and clearing her throat. The bad feeling pooling around her stomach once again, swirling around her insides like a predator getting ready to attack it’s prey. ".. you didn't take anything at that party, did you?"

Miki hummed in thought as a response, her shoes scuffing the pavement- mostly dragging. Miki had a tendency to over drink. She also had a tendency to take mysterious drugs and pills that were being passed around at parties. Brooke also knew that shes talked about buying some from some contact she knew. Brooke had advised her against it, but she doesn't think Miki actually has the will to listen.

It was silent, and Brooke started to wonder if she would even get a reply. She sighed. Miki's phone started ringing, and they both ignored it, already knowing who it was. It was probably closer to ten maybe eleven o'clock at night. Miki was supposed to have been home hours ago, and there was no way she was getting off the hook for staying out past curfew; whether her parents know it was because of a party or not. Miki could be sitting out in her own front yard, but if it’s past curfew they’ll still rip her a new one.

Hell, Brooke could have died; Miki could have died! Her parents still won't care. Get home on time, that's all they cared about. As if Miki couldn’t get herself into trouble before seven at night.

The ringing eventually stopped, leaving them to walk in silence again. Brooke sighed, listening to their foot steps and to the sound of sparse gravel that was spread out on the ground of the bike-lane skip as it’s kicked or crunched from their shoes. They walked for a little while longer, Miki was mumbling incoherently but once they turned onto the street of the bus stop and Miki sat down onto the bench, she brought her gaze up to Brooke's, grabbing her wrist before she could sit down next to her. Brooke turned her head and locked eyes with her, looking down. The dark circles under Miki's eyes made them look sunken in, she looked sick. It made Brooke’s heart clench in a way, a way that made her feel bad about herself.

"What?" Brooke muttered, slightly confused. There was a pause where they just started at each other. Brooke could see the bob of Miki's throat, the street lights around them softly illuminating the two of them, she could tell the other was contemplating her next words.

"It’s a mystery." Miki finally said, hushed and slurred, breaking her gaze and letting go of Brooke's hand. Brooke gave her a look, a little confused but her question from earlier rang in her head. Her eyes widened a little and then they narrowed as she stood up straight- starting to get irritated, Miki noticed and let out an amused snort. She was about to yell at Miki, about how it isn’t a joking matter. But Miki opened her mouth and started speaking,

"I took stuff, well, snorted. I think it was coke. I don't really know, you can never be too sure. Everyone else was doing it and seemed fine so.." Miki's speech was slurred as she trailed off, leaning back and sliding down on the bench, body turned to putty. Brooke's brows furrowed and she moved around to finally sit down next to Miki, their thighs pressing against each other.

Both of them were lost in thought for a little while, Brooke was thinking as she tried to google if there was a bus they could catch this late. She didn't really feel like dragging Miki 6 miles to the town over, where her aunt lives. Miki started mumbling again, asking broken up questions, asking Brooke how she knew. Brooke just ignored her, not understanding most of the word vomit coming from the others mouth. She puts her phone down in favor of finally asking;

"So, you did it because everyone else was too?"

Miki stopped rambling abruptly, turning half lidded eyes to look in her girlfriend’s direction. Another beat of silence as Miki thinks the question over before she gives a small a nod. Had Brooke not been paying attention or sitting so close, she wouldn't have seen it. Miki’s body is trembling, it could be from being cold but Brooke thinks it’s from something else. "Yeah, I like this stuff. Didn't wanna be lef' out."

Brooke just sighs, slumping back against the seat of the bench. She crosses her arms over her chest, setting her jaw and staring forward to the street light across the street from them. "If your friend jumps off a bridge, then, would you too?"

It was a motherly question, a question that isn’t a question at all. It’s just another way to call someone stupid. Miki broke her gaze on the other’s face to follow Brooke’s to across the street. She doesn’t give a reply, just a cracked version of a laugh. Brooke just huffs, giving up and looking back down to her phone with the slight roll of her eyes. The sound of Miki's shoe tapping and scraping on the concrete from bouncing her leg was irritating Brooke, she was about to tell her to quit it, but instead Miki spoke up. Her voice was solemn,

"I'd jump off a bridge for you."

Brooke didn't tell Miki to stop bouncing her leg.