{EDITED}
TW: Alcohol, harassment

Maddison Brooks

Neva's mouth didn't shut until fifteen minutes after we left the target. Enough time for us to take out the things we bought and put it out on the quilt while she talked back and forth between Charles liking me and me liking him. Eventually she stopped when I told her all shit we did as kids, all the trouble we put each other in.

"This is good, so extremely good!" Neva burst out once she took a bite from the chocolate cake we bought. I nodded in agreement, my mouth filled with the lovely tasted chocolate taste.

"Cheers to a good cake." I laughed after I swallowed, the cake thick enough for me needing to concentrate myself to swallow the big piece. Lifting my glass up into the air before clinching our glasses together with more force than neither of us intended to do, almost breaking the glass into pieces in our hands.

We both broke into loud laughter. Bending over myself from laughing so hard, trying to get air into my lungs. Drying the side of my eye when tears formed. Catching a few confused looks from where we sat on a quilt in the middle of the small park that only was a few trees, bushes and a small playground that havent gotten used in a very long time because it has been there for ages without anyone checking up on it.

"You know what?" Neva asked when we had gotten our laughter under control. I shook my head while cleaning my glass with a plastic spoon, making sure to not leave any rests in the glass to have it better cleaned once we decide to clean them. Licking the spoon with my tongue before laying it in the glass before placing it on the soft quilt we sat on. "You should stay at my house, if you want of course. It can be a sleepover?"

"Sure." I nodded, lost in thought for a second. "Wouldn't you need to ask your parents first?"

She let out a short laugh while taking one last spoonful with cake before placing it on the quilt as I had done. "No, I don't live with them." I looked at her, my eyebrows squished together in confusion. "I was an exchange student until I graduated high school but didn't feel like moving back from Indonesia so I decided to stay against all odds." Neva shrugged. "I doubt that the man and woman I stayed at even have noticed me gone."

I didn't know what to say so I kept quiet to not say something that could be taken the wrong way and end the day on bad notes. Also because we are going to dance together more often so I don't need anyone against me since dance is about trusting yourself and the people around you. I trust everyone, except Claire. And that's better than last year when I still hadn't figured out how much trust you need to become a professional dancer, that it isn't just the performance but everything around it.

"You don't have to say anything. It's messed up." She leaned back on her elbows while looking around in the park as silence fell over us, neither of us knowing what to say after Neva told me a small part of her family and choices that she has made in her life so far.

Laying down on my back, my hair spreading over the quilt when I looked up at the clear blue sky. Shielding the sun with my hand covering my eyes. "So what are we doing tonight?" I asked, turning my head towards Neva.

"How about..." Neva got quiet, chewing on her lip while she thought. "Ordering pizza and seeing where the night takes us?" I nodded to answer before looking up to the sky again.

•••

My brother dropped me off at the address Neva told me before I went home to grab a few things that might come handy tonight. Looking up; the old building only a street from town, seeing the apartment stretch up to three floors. Flowers on the railing on the balcony made the house look alive even if it probably has been here since the old days. "Text if you need anything!" Max yelled before rolling the car window up and drove down the street, opposite direction to our house but the right direction to get to Charles house. 

Opening the door with one hand without needing Neva to run down to lock up since the lock had been broken since she moved in here a few days after her graduation. The smell of dust made my nose itch when the door closed behind me and I moved up the stairs.

Knocking on the door when I got up to the second floor. Without another knock; the door opened into Nevas flat. "Long time no see." She joked before joining me into a welcoming hug while I looked over her shoulder and into her small flat, with a lot better smell than outside. Down the small hallway was a big window pointing to the backyard behind the building.

Following Neva who showed where everything was, the mini bathroom and her average sized bedroom with plain light gray walls. Plants filling the window frame, light streamed through the window from the sight over the town square. The headboard to her bed against the wall. Blue, purple and pink pillows filled the front of her bed.

Walking into the open space. A small kitchen; only a few counters, an oven, a sink and a fridge filled the smaller space since a couch and smaller table took up the rest of the room. Paintings; I'm sure Evan would appreciate, filled the light gray walls with all types of colors.

Turning against the woman behind me only to see a gray cat almost pressed into my face. "This is Millie." Neva introduced me to the cat before letting her down to the floor only for the gray cat to sprint into Neva's bedroom and out of our eyesight. "She doesn't like new people so don't take her offensive." She looked back to me, clapping her hands one time before braiding her fingers together. "Pizza?" I nodded, my stomach growling with hunger since I haven't found time to eat since the cake earlier today.

•••

The doorbell rang telling us the pizza we ordered was just outside the door. "I got it!" I called into Neva's room since she was changing clothes. Opening the door for a blonde male standing on the other side of the door with a pizza in his hands. Clear blue eyes looked at me before giving me the pizza in his hands. "How much?"

"Twenty dollars." The guy mumbled while looking up from his phone with a rosy blush on his cheeks.

Giving him the cash for the pizza. "Who is the person?" I asked, trying to not sound so invested in the guy's life more than delivering pizza even if I asked a personal question because my curiosity is making it hard for me to bite my tongue sometimes.

"No one."

I shrugged while giving him five dollars more. Just as he was going to argue, I spoke before he could do more than part his lips. "Buy that person something for the cash, you seem to like the person." He gave me a nod before saying goodbye and walking down the stairs.

"I got us the pizza!" I yelled, lifting the pizza box up in the air while walking into the living room where Neva sat down on the couch; scrolling on the TV to find something to find.

"Thank the pizza gods." She mumbled under her breath while she took a slice of the pizza. Taking one slice for myself; for the first time in a long time, I wasn't thinking about what I ate or what I would look like after. The cheese melted on my tongue, spicy pepperoni lifting up from the cheese. Neva paused on a movie, turning her head to look at me.

"Are you trying to get me horny right now?" I joked, holding a hand over my mouth while I spoke to not accidentally spit out the food in my mouth.

"Maybe.." Neva smirked before leaning back on the couch and clicking into the movie for it to play out on the TV in front of us while we ate.

•••

"Let's go clubbing." Neva said from nowhere the movie ended and only the pizza box on the table in front of us.

"I have a boyfriend."

"Who?"

"Trevor." I mumbled, knowing well that what he is to me is barely a boyfriend by everything he has done. A year ago everyone knew our relationship status but now, not so much.

"Wait, girl. Trevor Richards, the guy Claire sleeps with?" I nodded while taking a sip of the cola can in my hand.

"Have you ever cheated on him like he does to you?"

"No" I lied straight to her face.

"Then, now is the day!" Neva jumped off the couch while grabbing my hand and dragging me off the couch together with her. Placing the coke on the table before I could spill it out. Arguing with Neva how we could get into a club when we are below eighteen while she dragged me to her bedroom. "See if you can find something hot there," She pointed to the clothes that were hanging in the open wardrobe before she shut the door after herself.

Looking through their clothes that hung on hangers while I convinced myself that this probably was good, not as Trevor stopped partying. Finding a black dress that could work for the night even if it looked a little short. Taking the dress on after taking off the clothes I had gotten here with. Deciding to take my bra off in the rush of taking off clothes. The dress looked good, hugging the right curves; even those who I didn't want to show but the dress was the closest I could come to my type of clothing. Even if I always have been wearing short and tiny clothing during dance classes so was this another thing I didn't feel fully comfortable with.

But I can't get comfortable with it if I don't do the things I find uncomfortable.

"Will this do?" I wondered while stepping out in the hallway; my old clothes hanging over my arm.

"Perfect, you're a hottie." Neva said while stepping up, her eyes falling over my body for a second time without making me uncomfortable. "I'll change, borrow whatever you want!" She closed the door into her bedroom.

•••

Thinking that my ears were used to loud music before we got into the bar; thanks to Neva who knows the person that checked everyone that walked in. Having the feeling as if my eardrums would explode before I started to get used to the loud tones from the many speakers. Red spotlights moving over the dancing people, making me feel dizzy without a drop of alcohol.

"Let's sit there!" Neva yelled over the music and pointed to an empty table with a few chairs surrounding it, giving her bag it's own chair. Sitting down on a chair next to Neva, looking out over the crowded dance floor even if it was still early night. "Let's have fun." She took up a few shot glasses and a bottle of clear liquor before pouring into the glasses.

Watching her shots down the liquor before I even had time to grab one for myself. The first made my throat burn, warming my stomach when alcohol came into my bloodstream. The second was better and made my head buzz, but if it was from the alcohol or the blinking spotlights, I don't know. Deciding to leave the alcohol for a while while my friend made her way to the dance floor, her mind was already foggy from drinking; something told me that she had been drinking more than a few shots.

Trying to not bump into anyone while we walked over the crowded floor, Neva closed in front of me; her arms in the air while she moved her body to the music. Swaying my hips to the music when I started to feel more comfortable; the few shots making wonders on my brain and giving me a small boost of confidence, people cheered when a new song came on that changed the rhythm from the earlier song.

Moving my hands to my loose hair when someone stepped in behind me. "You dance so well, little girl." A manly voice whispered in my ear when his hands found my hips. Freezing my movements when he pressed against me. "Oh no, keep dancing. You're so good at it." The man forced my hips to sway with his hands.

Keeping my eyes on my friend while dancing, just making sure she doesn't do anything she would regret in the morning while I ignored the man behind me knowing I wouldn't want to do anything with him and could stand up for myself if I needed to thanks to my brother and Charles fighting me as child; not that is was defense but better than nothing. "Want a drink?" The male asked while turning me around to face him.

"No thank you." I mumbled, looking up to the man in front of me. Light thin ginger hair and beard with so dark blue eyes that I thought they were black. His hands gripped my behind when I tried to back away when his lips touched the nape of my neck. My hands gripped the front of his shirt while my mind rushed. How would he react if I pushed him away? How would he react if I told him no? Would it feel good if I just let him do whatever he wants? No.

Pushing him away from me, making him step back with a confused look on his face. "What's wrong, little girl?" Tilting his head to the side while his hands found my waist; making me a hundred times more uncomfortable, knowing the scars in my skin and how it wasn't in the perfect shape Trevor wants it to be in.

"I'm gonna go and find my friend..." I stepped away from the man and backed into the crowd. The unknown male that looked as if he was in his forty, reached after me when I turned around and got further away from the male. Looking for Neva who had disappeared on the crowded floor.

I got away, this time...

Author's Note

I just want to say that if you ever see a creep like that man, no matter if its a woman or man that is harassing someone; step up and say no and if the person don't listen then look around for help! And if you see another person that needs help, then go and help the person; it can saves someone's life!

I'm always in DM if you ever needs to talk to someone or want someone that just listen to your ramble! Please stay safe and don't be scared to say no.

Felt as if I left you on a small cliffhanger... obs. A cliffhanger that won't show until later chapters (don't know exact). Stay reading if you wanna find out I guess;)

Also wanna say that if everything goes to plan with my writing, it won't be the last you see of the man. And if I can write every story that I have planed (probably won't happen in a while 'cause it takes time to finish just one book and I have many planed), then we will see a book about Neva but I won't promise anything!