Past Promises Chapter 2

“You have to come,” Meena said as she searched through Anna’s closet for clothes.

     Anna sat in the center of her bed staring as her friend attacked her closet. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Meena Breyer was a good looking girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes, the all American California girl look. She was tall, had a nice tan year round, and wore a size two. If Meena wasn’t her friend, she’d hate her for always looking perfectly polished. Even today, she managed to make a pair of jean shorts and a white tang top look stylish. Her braid was falling apart and her liner was running. But did she look unglued? Nope, not at all.

     “I don’t want to,” Anna said.

     Meena stopped rummaging around and turned to face her. “Why not? Would you rather stay in and listen to your parents argue about what to watch on TV?”

     “No, but I don’t know anyone there!” 

     “You know me.”

     “Oh, great! One person, holy buckets, I should get going.”

     Meena gave her an annoyed look and walked to sit down beside her. “Come on, Anna, don’t be a party pooper. It’s a house party. Not everyone will know everyone there. Besides, it’ll be fun, I promise. There will be alcohol and cigarettes.”

     Anna laughed. “Whoo-hoo, alcohol and cigarettes. Gee, where do I sign up?”

     Meena rolled her eyes. “Come on!”

     Sighing, Anna said, “Ok, fine. But I am choosing my own clothes.”

     Anna arrived in a gold sequin top and a pair of black shorts with gold sandals from Meena. Her friend had suggested she curl her hair and although Anna felt it wasn’t necessary, she did it to avoid Meena’s pout. Now that she arrived and found everyone wearing jeans and t-shirts, she felt overdressed. Meena wasn’t a very good friend because the moment they arrived, she disappeared and was nowhere to be found. Feeling out of the sorts and looking like one, she grabbed a bottle of beer and walked outside.

     The house was a nice big one with large tinted windows. From outside, you couldn’t see a thing. Whoever owned the house was pretty damn rich. She didn’t have much time to explore it, but she knew it was a house that she’d longed for in her retirement time. It was situated right on the beach and the waves were crashing in as she settled in the sand. Someone had started a bonfire and people were singing and clapping along. Music was loud, but not ear shattering, thankfully. She drank her beer and pulled her knees up to her chest. She finished her beer and tossed it behind her when it landed on a thump and she heard a moan. She gasped and turned to find she’d tossed her empty beer bottle on someone. She got up and was about to apologize when she recognized who it was. The young man who had hit her head earlier with the volleyball was stumbling around as he tried to get his vision to focus. He was wearing all white with half of his buttons missing and his pants dirtied. He also had red marker drawn on his face in the shape of a clown.

     “Where am I?” he asked.

     Anna turned to go when he grabbed her arm and swung her around. A curse died on her lips when he fell on top of her. She pushed him away and before she could prevent it from happening, he vomited on her shirt. She screamed and shoved him off of her. The smell overwhelmed her and she felt the urge to vomit too.

     “You idiot!” she cried.

     He stumbled backward and fell down. Then she heard him let out a scream. She walked to him to take her anger out on him when she realized he had turned onto his belly and there was blood on his back. She then saw he fell on top of her beer bottle and it had cut his skin. She gasped and dropped down to help him to a sitting position.

     “Hey,” she cried. “Are you alright? Can you talk?”

     He mumbled something and grabbed a handful of her hair. She tried to free his hand, but he held on tight. She fumbled with his fingers until she was able to free them from her hair.

     “Help me!” she cried. “Someone help me!”

     She heard feet rustling and then Meena’s voice. “Anna? What happened?”

 

     Anna sat in the hospital waiting room dressed in scrubs after her shower in one of the hospital rooms. She was freshly scrubbed and was now waiting to hear news of the young man. The young man, whose name, she found out was Jedidiah Lincoln. He was the son of the owner of the house they were partying at. He was the host. He’d gone missing for two hours and no one had noticed until she tossed her empty bottle at him and woke him up. Meena was sitting beside her dressed in a slinky black dress. Apparently, Meena fit any atmosphere and she saw a few doctors do a double take at her friend, for beauty or out of shock, she wasn’t quite sure.

     “How did you find him again?” Meena asked.

     “I already told you.”

     “Tell me again.”

     Before Anna opened her mouth to speak, she noticed Meena was trying to stifle a laugh. She was annoyed and she crossed her arms. “Are you making fun of me?”

     “No.”
     “You’re trying not to laugh right now.”

     Meena smiled. “I’m sorry, Anna. It’s just hilarious.”

     “How is this hilarious? He could have died!”

     Meena took her hand. “What I meant about being hilarious is you being puked on and then him getting stitches. I swear revenge happens in the oddest of ways.”

     “It’s not like I wanted him to get hurt for puking on me. It was an accident. Besides, I think he’s high. He had no idea what was going on around him.”

     “Darling, he’s not high. He’s drunk. Bill’s son likes to turn to the bottle…a lot.”

     “Why?”

     “Why not? When your father is a rich businessman who only cares about money and prostitutes, anyone will turn to the bottle. This isn’t even his real residence. He lives in New York and comes here only during the summer.”

     Anna frowned. “How come I’ve never seen him?”

     “This is his second time here. Before then, he usually went with his mother to France. But she died a few months ago.”

     “Is this the reason for his actions?”

     Meena nodded. “Yes, Jedidiah is a good person. He visited often throughout the years with his mother when they came out to visit the house. He’s nice, really nice. You’d actually like him. He’s your type.”

     Anna frowned. “My type? How do you even know what type I like?”

     “I don’t. It’s an inkling I have in my mind.”

     “Don’t try to be a match maker, ok? It’s annoying.”