The smell of weed, cigarettes, and alcohol poured from the abandoned warehouse. Colorful lights flashed in every direction and music seeped from every window and door. If you were an anybody, you were at one of these parties.

Blake offered to drive to the party, his friends found it weird but no one protested. Normally they'd call an Uber home and one person would remain the DD, that was usually during season. No one offered to be the DD so, they got a ride with Blake.

What am I doing here? I'm just going to have to be DD for these idiots. God, I wish Krystal was here.

A blonde came bouncing over, she was already tipsy, Blake could tell by the pink in her cheeks and clavicle area.
"Blake, you remember Winter, right?"

Her face, not her name.

"Yeah, yeah totally." Blake nervously shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Cool, get more acquainted." Ted shoved the blonde at his friend. She stumbled into Blake.
"Sorry." She giggled. Her fingers started to comb her unnaturally large curls. He gave her a quick smile and looked out into the party.

What am I, 80? How long since I've been to a party? I don't even remember what to do! Although this blonde next to me, is feeling me. I'd rather not. I don't want to drink or make out, I just want to talk to Krystal.

"Do you want a drink?" Winter called over the music.
"Huh?"
"Drink?"
"Oh, no thanks. I'm DD tonight." She played with her hair again. 

Why is she touching her hair so much?

"Do you want to dance?" She swayed to the music, the alcohol making her lose her balance every once and awhile.
"Maybe later." He smiled politely at Winter. She still lingered next to him.

Why won't she go away?!

Blake's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out. A picture message from Krystal just came through. He opened it. She had her laptop on her lap with a bowl of ice cream. She wrote, 'I'll have my own party'. Blake smiled so hard his cheeks hurt.

I want to be at her party instead. I want ice cream and to watch a movie.

He replied with, 'Be careful, I might just crash your party.' She replied almost immediately. 'VIP members only.' Blake chuckled.
"What are you reading?" Winter peered over Blake's shoulder, he quickly hit the lock button and his screen went black.
"Just texting a friend."
"But aren't they all here?" She looked up at him with glassy eyes.
"Uh no, not Krystal."
"She didn't want to come?" Blake scrunched his nose.
"Not her scene."
"So why be friends with her?"

Because I don't think this is my scene anymore either.

Blake finally shook Winter when she went to get another drink. He circled around the clumps of people all pressed into one another.

This is what I used to do for fun? This is what I enjoyed? It looks so different from the outside. On the i side the lights guide you, the music moves you and the people are just like you. But from here, the lights are blinding, the music gives me a headache and I'm not like these people anymore. For the first time, I'm an outsider. I'm sitting on the bleachers and not on the field anymore. The question really is, did I even like the game?

🌙  🌙  🌙  🌙  🌙  🌙

Krystal was nose deep in a book, she didn't even hear her dad enter the room.
"Good book?" She jumped at the sound of her voice. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." She smiled at her father.
"It's okay, and yeah it is." He sank into the spot on the bed next to her.
"Where did you disappear to last night?" A smile played on his lips as a blush creeped into her cheeks.
"Do you remember Officer Hardy?" He nodded. "His son, Blake, is my partner in a class and I don't know, we've become friends." Her father smiled fully.
"I'm glad your making friends kiddo." She nodded, her eyes dropping down to the book in front of her.
"His sister Hannah used to be friends with Nancy." She spoke softly, hoping not to upset her father. Her mother would have lost it at this comment, her dad reminded composed. "I really miss her." Tears started to flood her cheeks. Mr. Kamowski scooped her up into a hug on his lap like he used to do when she was little.
"I miss her too." He talked into her hair. "Your sister was an amazing person and she had love for everyone and everyone loved her."

They sat like this for a long time, Krystal cried all the tears that had failed to escape recently. Surprisingly, there wasn't as many as there used to be. The pain of Nancy's absence was being replaced by the joy of Blake's presence.
"Can we go visit Oma tomorrow?" She pulled back to look at her father. His eyes were just as puffy as hers.
"I think she would like that."
"Me too." Her voice cracked as another tear rolled down her cheek.

Eventually Mr. Kamowski left his daughter alone to her reading. She was a mir 60 pages from the end. This was one of the few books Nancy ever owned. Krystal couldn't bring herself to read any of them until about a year ago.

Nancy had always loved her romantics. She lived for love stories and romantic comedies. Krystal being so much younger, she hadn't entered that phase yet. She'd rather barf than watch two people makeout on TV. Nancy would always roll her eyes and shoo her away. That was one of the rare things the girls didn't do together.

Just as Krystal started the last chapter of Safe Heaven by Nicolas Sparks, her phone buzzed. The screen lit up with Blake's name, he was calling her. Butterflies raced from her toes to her nose.
"Hello?" The faint sound of the party lingered in the background of the call.
"Uh, hey." He sounded odd. Krystal shot up in her bed. "I messed up and I need help. My sisters will blab and I have no one else to call." Her heart pounded in her chest.
"Blake, what's wrong?"
"I was supposed to be DD, but somehow I got drunk. They told me there was no alcohol, but I can clearly prove that's a lie." Krystal glanced at the clock to her right, it was almost midnight. She wasn't one to sneak out, but Blake needed her help.

He has helped me out in so many ways, I can't leave him. I hope my parents understand if they find out.

"How do I help?"
"Can you drive to my house? I'll pay for an Uber from there to here for you."

An uber? Doesn't he know I don't ride shotgun anymore?

"Why can't you just Uber home?"
"My car needs to be home, and I need to be with it."

And I have to drive him home? This seems more than I can handle.

"Can you help me, please?" He sloshed.

He was doing the right thing by calling me, and he'll pay for everything. Blake's my friend, I need to help him.

"Yes. I'll let you know when I'm at your house."
"Yes!" He cheered into the phone. "You, Krystal Kamowski are amazing!" Pride swelled within her.

🌙  🌙  🌙  🌙  🌙  🌙

The smell of the party smacked Krystal in the face as she got out of the Uber. It smelled like a teenage trash can. She wrinkled her nose but pressed on. Her eyes scanned rapidly, looking for Blake. At the back of the yard was Ted, making out with a random girl. They seemed to slowly be losing clothing.

The double doors to the warehouse were wide open and staked to stay that way. Heat and humidity poured from inside. Krystal's heart pounded in her chest.

Where is he?

"Oh my god, you're here!" Her head snapped the right, leaning against the wall, was Blake. He was propped up, by himself.
"I told you I would be." He smiled brightly at her. His cheeks were pink and his normally perfect hair was wet and plastered to his forehead. Blake looked like a total mess. "Come on, let's get you home." Blake threw his arm around Krystal and they staged to the car together. At the car door, Blake released Krystal. He watched her for a moment.
"You're a good friend." He gave her a lopsided smile. Due to Blake's drunken state, she figured she could be completely honest with him.
"Well, you showed me how to be one." Blake breathed out deeply.
"That's the nicest thing someone has ever said to me."

In the car Blake talked Krystal's ear off about the party. She felt like she was almost there with him all night.
"Am I the first person you've ever driven somewhere?" Blake blurted out. Krystal was caught off by his abruptness.
"Uh, yes."
"Youare doing great. I barley knew." She giggled at his intoxication.
"Thanks Blake."

The space between them was filled by the radio.  It was set to a hip hop station, it wasn't Krystal's style but it also wasn't Krystal's car. Blake jabbed his finger forward, hitting button number 5. The station changed to a song she quickly recognized, Vienna by Billy Joel. This was one of her dad's favorite songs, she knew it well.
"Slow down, you're doing fine. You can't be everything you want to be before your time," She sang along. Blake's jaw slacked as her stared at her.

I could listen to her sing forever. She sounds just as beautiful as she looks. I think it might be the alcohol, but I just want to kiss her, so much.

"Are you a virgin?" Blake blurted out again, the alcohol was definitely making him bold. Krystal froze. "Sorry, I just- ya don't slowshalsize with people but youare also pretty bad ass. I dunno. It was a, a stupid question." Blake rambled on, she smiled a little.
"No, I'm not." She sighed before she started again. "When I turned 16 I would go out and find guys to sleep with hopes to make myself feel better, it only made me feel worse. I only did it 4 times, I regret each time." She admitted softly. Blake nodded his head. His hair now only damp flopped with each nod.
"Thank you fer sharing that with me, you didn't haveta." She shrugged.
"Well you already know some of my secrets, why not all?" Blake smiled to himself.

That is an overwhelming feeling. She trusts me. She believes in me enough to share all of herself with me. What a brave girl.

Krystal pulled into the Hardy driveway and parked Blake's Jeep where she saw it yesterday. She killed the engine and they sat in silence for a moment.
"Thank you, for tonight, yaknow."
"Don't worry about it, just glad you're safe."
"Me too. Me too." The silence settled again. Just as Blake was going to say something else, Krystal popped her door open.
"Let's get out." Blake followed. By the time he managed to climb out, she was already next to him. "I got it." She closed the door and locked it. "Need help getting in the house and stuff?"
"No. Parents are at the other end of the house." They stared at the two story home.

That house looks like a Barbie house come true for a girl like me. I'm sure Nancy has been here before, she loved houses like these. It wasn't about the value, it was about the stories that lie beneath the paint.

"I should get going."
"Probably." Krystal pushed herself off the Jeep door.
"Thank you again. You're a good friend." Krystal blushed.
"Goodnight Blake."
"Goodnight Moon girl." Krystal laughed lightly and touched her scar. "I really like your scar," he whispered. "I think it makes you stronger."

Stronger.