It's a special kind of betrayal when it's from my own high heels. 

I take the smallest of steps and somehow trip and fall on a very muscular guy with tattoo sleeves on both his arms. I shoot him my most innocent smile and goes back to sipping from his drink, a two-toned cocktail with a tiny umbrella.

I feel someone holding my hand. It's Alex, who's smiling and nodding towards the door. I follow him, happy for the support.

As soon as we get out and the door behind us closes, I can hear static in my ears while the music from the inside is muffled but nowhere near gone. We sit at the steps and I take off my shoes, cringing at the red marks sprinkled where the straps were touching me. It's a little chilly, and the fact that I'm sweaty from dancing like a chicken doesn't help.

"Did you drink more when we left the bar?" Alex asks me, almost cautiously. "You seemed like you were about to fall all night."

I chuckle. "It's the shoes."

His face relaxes. "I didn't think of that." He lets out a yawn. "Do you think we should be going home?"

I take my phone from my back pocket and check the time. "I guess we should. Let me text Olivia and see how she's feeling."

"You were right, by the way," Alex says.

I'm typing the text for Olivia but my fingers freeze. "About what?"

Alex smiles. "I talked with Sofia, about...all my concerns and now we're fine. Thanks for helping me."

I can feel my cheeks flush. "No problem," I say and send the message to Olivia.

Alex scoots a little closer. "Don't you like anyone?"

I lock my phone and put it back in my pocket. I fight the urge to tell him the truth by stating something that's also true. "Calum Hood from 5SOS."

Alex chuckles. "C'mon, anyone real?"

As I'm looking into his light brown eyes and his half-smile, I consider telling him the whole truth, just for a second. "Only you," I say before I can think logically. Before he can react, I add, "Daddy."

Alex hides his face with both hands. "Alright, I took that joke too far. Please don't remind me." He drops his hands on his lap and pouts. "And it's fine if you don't want to tell your oldest friend who do you like."

I shake my head. I'm outright telling you I like you, idiot.

"Hey," Olivia shouts from behind us, dragging the last vowel and almost causing me a heart attack. "I found Christopher on my way out."

Christopher and Kal are right behind her, with Christopher steadying himself with Kal's help. The contrast between them couldn't have been stronger: Christopher is on the shorter side and his blond hair is glued to his forehead from the sweat while the striped dress shirt he has on is clinging to his torso. Kal is more casual in his black skinny jeans and the flannel he has wrapped around his waist, but he also looks fresh, since he barely got up from the barstool all night.

"Yeah, he's completely useless though because he's drunk as a skunk," Kal spits.

"What?" I hiss.

As if to answer, Christopher falls on his butt and starts singing a Dan + Shay song.

Yup, definitely drunk.

"So what now?" I ask, already thinking of what my parents will be saying tomorrow morning about us being irresponsible.

"We've all drunk," Alex says but then his face lights up. "Sofia didn't though! Wait, I'm going to text her."

I don't want to die because of her awful driving and so I try telling Alex we should just call a cab, but he doesn't listen. Less than five minutes later, Sofia and Kate walk out of the club. The redhead runs to Alex and wraps her arms around his neck.

"Hey, why did you run off?" she asks in a sweet voice.

"I thought Summer wasn't alright," Alex says as he bends down and plants a kiss on her forehead.

Sofia's gaze shifts towards me. "Are you okay now?"

I simply nod before looking around, waiting for someone to speak up. I suppose Christopher senses that and so he starts mumble-singing WAP, his head hanging low and eyes closed.

We all burst into laughs. Kal quickly takes his phone out from his back pocket and soon the memory isn't being recorded just in our heads.

"I can blackmail him so much with this one," Kal says between laughs. "Sorry for him. I should have known he wouldn't be able to drive, he never is."

"Oh, I can drive you guys home," Sofia suggests. "I haven't drunk anything but Schweppes, and I have been sleeping all day. I'm nowhere near tired now."

"I am," Alex replies and drops his head about a foot to rest on his girlfriend's shoulder. "Are you sure you're not tired though?"

Sofia chuckles and gives him a peck on the lips. "Yeah, I am."

Olivia gasps. "What about my car though? I can't just leave it here."

"Right. I'm a little tipsy, so I can't drive at all," Kate says. "Oh, and Alison and Sarah are still inside."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "I think my sister can drive us home."

"Oh, right!" Sofia agrees. "I can go get her with my car, then come back here and she'll drive Olivia's car and I will drive mine again and we're all going home."

Kate nods. "Sounds good, and while you're gone I'll go in and find Angel and Foteini."

"Right." Sofia pokes Alex's cheek. "I'm guessing you're coming with me to sleep in the backseat?" Alex mumbles a yes, making us all chuckle. "Does anyone else want to come along?"

I'd love it if I could be dropped off immediately, but then again the certain awkwardness of the car ride isn't worth it.

"Wait, we didn't tell Eliza about it," Kal says.

I take a deep breath before I pull up Eliza's contact. I know she's going to nag as much as our parents. I don't even expect her to pick up, but three beeps later, she does.

"Wait, you're awake?" I ask.

"Yeah, what's up?" she asks in a groggy voice that tells me she was sleeping. Even so, I decide she's going to have enough time to fully wake up until Sofia gets there.

"See..." I glance at Christopher. He's singing Lizzo now. "Christopher's drunk, Olivia is sleepy and we need someone to drive us back. Sofia offered to come to get you so you can drive Olivia's car. Is that okay?"

Eliza groans."I half-expected that. Christopher can't even ride a bike while sober." 

My chest deflates. "Okay, we'll figure something out-"

"I'll pick you up," Eliza says, cutting me off. "Just tell Sofia to stop a block before our house."

My lips stretch in a smile. "You're the best!"

"I know," she replies before ending the call.

Sofia and Alex leave while Kate and Olivia go inside in search of the other two and I'm left with Kal and a now-snoring Christopher. We're all sitting at the steps, or actually, Christopher is laying on them with his head on Kal's lap.

"So..." I begin "do you like Sofia or what?"

Kal's head shoots towards me. "What? No."

I narrow my eyes. "Why did you kiss her, then?"

Kal lets out a breath. "I did like her then, okay. But...it's complicated."

"We have time."

He sucks his lips in and looks at his shoes. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Hey, I deserve to know, you know. I'm keeping it a secret and-"

"Summer, please stop," Kal says quietly.

"No, your guilty act doesn't work and- mph!"

Before I can finish my sentence, his dirty palm is covering my mouth and he's sealing his lips with his finger. He nods behind me where a few people are sitting below a lampost and holding lit cigarettes and bottles of whiskey.

I tear his hand away from my mouth. "What's up?"

"What if they're smoking weed? These guys yesterday had to be dealers of some kind, what if these" -Kal nods towards the group behind me- "are their clients?"

"You're being paranoid."

"Can you blame me?"

I shrug. "We should really tell the cops."

"If it's about drugs they already know. Some of them are in it, too."

"How do you know?"

Kal looks around, then shrugs. "I really don't want to talk about it either."

His social skills really are less than those of a piece of toast.

"There, there, we're going home now."

I turn around and spot Kate holding Foteini, whose face is faintly green. Angel is whining about the night still being young and wanting to go back in but her slurring of words suggest she should be as far away from the club as possible.

Kate and Olivia drag them both to the steps and we all sit silently, for the most part, waiting to be picked up.

Blech

My eyes widen as I slowly turn towards the source of the sound. Sure enough, there's a disgusting pale yellow puddle right on Sarah's feet.

Kate hides her face in her hands. "Not again, Foteini! Why did you have to drink so much?"

Blech

I jump up from my seat. Eliza shows up in Olivia's car, right after Sofia, before I can even wish for it. Grabbing my shoes, I run to the backseat after bidding goodbye to poor Kate. Kal tries to wake Christopher up but to no avail, so, with Olivia's help, he hoists him up and helps him in the backseat next to me. I instantly hold my nose to prevent the alcohol reek from making me throw up too.

Olivia hops at the front seat and closes the door.

"Where's Alex?" Eliza asks.

She shouts his name and the boy stands at the passenger's seat, his elbows resting on the windowsill. "What's up?"

"Get in," Eliza says with a tired voice.

"No, I'll stay with the girls," Alex says. "Sarah probably has alcohol poisoning so we'll take her to the hospital."

"No, her friends will do that," Eliza says, emphasizing on "friends".

"Sofia needs me," Alex argues.

"C'mon Al, she has Kate," Kal says in an attempt to reason with him.

Alex shrugs. "She's going to have me too," he says before leaving.

Eliza bangs her fist at the wheel, accidentally pressing on the horn. She starts driving with the radio tuned to a station with lo-fi music and her eyes glued at the road ahead. I expect a short lecture before the one I'll listen to tomorrow morning though it never comes. Soon, my eyelids are droopy and I give in to the temptation to sleep.

"I know you took my ID, by the way."

Fuck.

...............

1396 words

Such a creative title, huh? I thought I should probably name the chapters that I cut in half like that so that...you know, you can tell which of them go together. Chapter dedicated to stellaaa_rose , thank you so much for your support:)