Both Sides of The Party
Two high school teen's paths cross at a popular party,
which alters both their lives forever.
which alters both their lives forever.
Written by Peter Spout
2019 All rights reserved. For personal reading and enjoyment only
Part of the World of Entopia Short Story Series
Part 7. - the Conclusion is now online!
2019 All rights reserved. For personal reading and enjoyment only
Part of the World of Entopia Short Story Series
Part 7. - the Conclusion is now online!
You have heard of two sides to every story. But this is about two sides to a party. Two teenagers paths collide at a popular high school party. Both lives are changed forever. But will anyone reading this change their ways because of it? I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out.
Alex was seventeen at the time of “The Party.” He is now eighteen and has a story quite different than most everyone else that was there that night.
At the time, Alex was a senior in high school who played basketball, baseball, and was on the track team. A good-looking lad with brown hair and eyes, slim and tall. His infectious smile made even the other guys envy him for his charm.
He excelled at sports and was a captain on the basketball and track teams. His grades were subpar, but his talent kept up with his cocky attitude, and he knew he would get a free ride to a well-known school.
He had several close friends; Austin, who was also very athletic, and Baylor, not as talented, but a follower of Alex. Basically, he was Alex’s lackey.
The three of them were tight and spent a decent amount of time together outside of school and attending parties.
Alex had a reputation of breaking young girls hearts by luring them in with his charm, taking their innocence, and then leaving them for another. He didn’t have much of a conscience, nor did he care about fallen tears and heartbreak. To him, the world was his oyster, and with his looks, talent, and charm, he could do no wrong. Even if he did, no one could look him in the eyes and be angry when he flashed that cute and charming smile.
His parents had money. Dad was a big shot CEO in a large firm, and mom was a lawyer. To his parents, Alex was always a good kid who did make a few mistakes here and there, but always justified his behaver with a boys will be boys’ attitude.
His parents didn’t spend much time with Alex or his younger sister growing up. They were too busy with their late-night meetings or business trips to the other side of the country to truly worry about what they did.
Mom and Dad were both jocks in high school, and both received full scholarships to well-known schools. If you looked at their family portrait, you could easily see the resemblance.
Lisa was sixteen at the time of the party. She was an excellent student; taking dual-enrollment classes at the same time. She was planning on graduating with a high school diploma and an Associates in Arts degree from the community college.
She was average in looks but made up for it with smarts and a quick wit. She was average in height with a medium build. She had both brown eyes and hair.
Lisa spent a lot of time studying and loved art. She would paint pictures with watercolors in her bedroom of whatever she was feeling. Mostly of clouds, lush mountainsides, and happy forests.
She was happy in life and content in who she was and what she was doing. Her best friends were Patty; a seventeen-year-old as smart as Lisa, and Baylor, a little shorter than Lisa, with an extra twenty pounds she could never lose.
Lisa’s parents were both blue color workers but were always home at 6:00 p.m. to make dinner and spend time eating together. Lisa was an only child, and her parents were very proud of her. Mom hung several of Lisa’s paintings in the living room, to be seen by anyone who came to visit.
She would always brag about Lisa in public and had her desk at work covered with her pictures of different stages in her life.
Lisa didn’t have much experience dating. Most guys thought she was a geek and nerd. She would have preferred there to be opportunities for seeing boys, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Until Jenna, who loved watching make-up videos on YouTube, convinced Lisa to do a makeover.
“Come on, girl. I’ve seen so many of these videos. We can transform you,” Jenna would argue with Lisa.
“I don’t know. I’m pretty happy with who I am.”
“Are you going to tell me you don’t ever want a date? I mean, you have the body. You just need to put some makeup on, do your hair, and get some new clothes,” Jenna replied.
“No, it’s not that. It’s just not who I am. I’m comfortable in my appearance, and people know me.”
“Yes, they know you as a nerd. I’m sorry, I’m one too. But you have much more potential to attract boys than me.”
“Look, why don’t you come over my house for a sleepover tonight and we’ll invite
Patty. She has some clothes you can maybe try on,” Jenna pleaded.
“I’ve seen the clothes Patty wears. She can be a little revealing at times.”
“Yes, but she is also smart like you and goes on dates with boys.”
“Alright. I’ll come over, and we can play around with some makeup and that. But no promises.”
“Deal!”
Later that evening, Lisa and Patty joined Jenna at her place for a sleepover and experimentation.
“We’re going to have so much fun!” Patty excitedly said with a kid like excitement.
“First, let's get going on the make-up,” Jenna said.
After an hour of trial and error, they found what made Lisa look older and more seductive.
“I like it!” Lisa happily proclaimed while looking at herself in the mirror.
“You see, I told you it would work,” Jenna proudly crowed.
“Now, Lisa let’s look at that hair,” Patty stated.
After some brushing, braiding, and a few more style attempts, Lisa’s hair was looking far different than her former self.
When they finished, Patty opened a bag she brought with her and pulled out some shorts and shirts.
“Now, we have to try these on. This will complete the transformation.”
Lisa tried on the first shirt and short set. But wasn’t impressed with the look.
“I’m concerned these shorts show too much of my ass and this shirt is revealing too much stomach. “
“Yeah, but your ass is ‘popping girl,’” Patty enthusiastically said.
“I agree, Lisa! You have a nice butt and should really show it off,” Jenna said agreeing with Patty.
“My mom will never go for this. She’ll say my butt cheeks are exposed and I look slutty.”
“Well, your mom doesn’t have to know. Just bring these clothes with you to school and change in the bathroom,” Patty suggested.
“I don’t know, guys. This really isn’t me; you know that.”
“Do you want to attract some boys or not?” Asked Jenna.
“Yes, but I don’t want to do it this way.”
“Sometimes, you have to get their attention. The best way to do that is to show off a little skin. Let them know you’re a real ‘vixen’ inside,” Patty assured her.
Lisa agreed, and they spent the next several hours watching scary movies.
Monday, Lisa decided to sneak Patty’s clothes to school in her backpack. Once her mom dropped her off, she went to the girl's bathroom and into a stall. She closed the door and took off her regular school clothes and changed into Patty’s. She put her other clothes into her backpack. She then went to the sink and put on the makeup as Jenna had done on Friday and exited the bathroom.
Within moments, she noticed boys walking by and staring at her as she walked past them.
Then she walked by a few of her guy friends.
“Damn Lisa! What gives, girl?” asked one of them.
“Just trying something new, that’s all,” she replied.
“You’re drawing a lot of attention with that outfit. Even the other girls are taking note.”
“That’s good, right? I mean, I’m smart, but I’m also a young, vibrant teenage girl looking for some attention from the opposite sex.”
“Well, I think you’ll get it now.”
Lisa walked on and ran into Patty and Jenna.
“How does it feel getting all the stares?” asked Jenna.
“Actually, I like all the attention. I feel sexy.”
“Well, I have a few more pair of shorts and shirts I can bring over later for you to try if you want?”
“Sure. Sounds good!”
They headed to class, and Lisa received the same stares from her classmates during first period. She also noticed a little whispering taking place amongst the girls.
“During her third-period class, she was passed a note by the boy sitting next to her. She opened it up and read it.
“Hey, girl. You’re looking ‘FINE!’ Want to hook up tonight?”
Lisa put the note down, looked over at the boy who was smiling at her. She wanted attention, but maybe not this attention.
“Sorry,” she whispered to him.
He just shook his head and looked toward the front of the room at the teacher. She folded the note and put it in her pocket.
At lunch, she met up with Patty and Jenna. As they sat down to eat, Patty asked her, “So how’s it going with your new found sex appeal?”
“Not sure yet. I have gotten a lot of attention, but no good-looking boys have talked to me yet.
As Lisa was talking, a young man walked up to her and asked if she wanted to hang out that night.
“We can hang out and do stuff if you’d like.”
Lisa looked at him and declined. “I’m sorry, I already have plans.”
“See girl, you would never have gotten that attention in the clothes you were wearing before,” Patty said.
Then Jenna added, “You look like your 19 with that eyeliner.”
“I know. But I don’t think it’s me. Even my teachers are looking at me differently. They know how smart I am and now they look at me kind of different.”
“Hey, I’m smart too. But I want to be recognized as a female, not a nerd,” Patty said.
As soon as school got out, Lisa rushed to the bathroom, changed her clothes and took off her makeup. She then ran out to meet her mom, who was outside waiting for her.
“What took you so long? You’re normally a little quicker to get here,” her mom asked her.
“Sorry. I had to talk to a teacher really quick.”
Patty dropped off the other clothes later that evening. Lisa brought them with her Tuesday and did the same thing with her makeup.
While eating with Patty and Jenna at lunch that day, Lisa received an unexpected visit from someone she has always dreamed of dating but knew she couldn’t.
“Hey, Lisa. How’s it going?”
Lisa stopped eating, swallowed her food, and looked up at him.
“Hi Alex, I’m doing good. How are you?” Lisa replied nervously.
“Great! Listen, I’m having a big party this Saturday at my house. Would you like to come?”
Lisa was in shock. She just stared at Alex and couldn’t answer.
Then Patty said to her, “Are you going or what? Answer him?”
“Yes, I’d love too!” She excitedly replied.
“Cool! Here are my address and the time. See you there.”
As soon as Alex and his friends walked off, Lisa looked at Patty and Jenna and said, “Can you believe what just F**kin happened! Did you see that!”
“Yes, girl. You did it!” Jenna enthusiastically replied.
Patty clapped for her. “I told you! If you weren’t wearing my clothes and that makeup, he would have continued to walk right by you.”
Lisa knew Alex was very popular and had any girl he wanted. He didn’t stay with any one girl too long, as he always stayed free of commitment. But this was Alex, and this was “The Party” everyone was talking about. She didn’t care.
Part 2.
Friday night, Lisa invited Patty and Jenna over for a sleepover.
“Do you know how lucky you are?” Jenna told Lisa. “Being able to go to this party the whole school is talking about.”
“Seriously! Jenna and I wish we could go.”
“I’m really excited. This could change who I am and how I’m seen at school.”
“How are you going to get there and what are you going to tell your mom?” asked Jenna.
"Alex included his cell number on the piece of paper he gave me with his address and time. I texted him and told him I needed a ride. He said it wouldn’t be a problem and is going to pick me up.
As far as getting out of the house, I told my mom I am going on a date.”
“What did your mom say when you told her you had a date?” asked Patty.
“She was excited and surprised.”
“Is she going to make you come home at a certain time?” Jenna questioned.
“Probably. And since this is my first ‘real date,’ they may want to meet him.”
“Does Alex know this?” asked Jenna.
“No. I don’t know how to tell him. I mean, he invited me to his party. This isn’t ‘technically a date.’”
“But if you don’t tell him that your parents will most likely want to meet him, then he’s not going to be prepared,” added Jenna.
“I know. Shit! This is getting messed up! I got to figure something out and quick.”
“You are in a bind. A definite pickle, girl. Jenna and I can maybe help. I mean, I can drive but would have to borrow my parents' car. That would prevent Alex from having to come over.”
“I know. But I don’t want you to do that just for this. That wouldn’t be fair to you. However, If I tell Alex this, he may say it isn’t worth it.”
“Maybe it isn’t worth it. This is or could be a big mess. Alex has a reputation for using girls,” Jenna said.
“Well, maybe I can change that. I need to break free of this nerd mold and spread my wings.”
Then Patty told Lisa, “There will be booze and drugs there. Are you ready for that? You haven’t done any drugs yet and only a slight bit of drinking. You could get wasted quickly.”
“I know. I’ve thought about it a lot. But dude, there's going to be so many cool people there. I will be popular. I’ll just be careful.”
The girls then played with each other’s hair and watched funny videos until they fell asleep.
The next morning, Lisa woke up nervous. It was a big day. After she saw Jenna and Patty off, she went back to her room and laid down on her bed to plan more and fantasize of how everything would go.
As the time approached for her ride, Lisa became more and more nervous. She packed her shorts and shirt that Patty lent her in her non-school backpack. As well as extra makeup.
While eating dinner with her mom and dad, her dad asked her if she was excited about her date.
“Yes! Very much,” she replied.
Her mom asked her, “Tell us about him.”
“Well, he is on three sports teams, is very athletic, and tall and handsome. He is also very popular.”
“How did you guys meet?” asked her dad.
“We met at lunch one day. I was talking with Patty and Jenna, and he walked up to the table and started talking to me.”
“Wow. That’s great,” replied her dad. “Where are you guys going tonight?”
“Not sure. He said it was a surprise.”
“Well, we look forward to meeting him when he picks you up,” her mom said.
“He is pretty shy. He may not want to come in to meet you two the first time.”
“I think any boy that is dating my daughter should meet the parents. You’re my daughter, and I would like to meet the boy who takes my daughter out,” replied her dad.
“OK, dad. I’ll text him and see if he can.”
After dinner, Lisa went to her room and texted Alex, “Hey, my parents think I’m going on a date with you. Do you think they could meet you?”
It took some time for Lisa to get a reply, “Sure. No problem. Understand.”
“Thanks!”
“Any time, Babe.”
Lisa was so relieved and stunned that Alex called her babe already. “Man, he must already think we're dating. That’s cool.”
An hour before his arrival, Lisa put on her makeup. She stayed hidden until right before he was to arrive to avoid any confrontation about how she looked.
Right when she heard the doorbell ring, she came out of her room and opened the door.
“Hi, Alex. It’s great to see you. Come on in.”
“Hey, Lisa. Looking pretty. Would love to.”
As Lisa took Alex to the living room to meet her parents, Alex commented on how nice her pictures of her paintings looked.
“Thanks!” She replied.
As they walked into the living room, Lisa said, “Mom and Dad, this is Alex. Alex, this is my mom and dad.”
Her parents were surprised to see such a good-looking young man.
“Hello, Lisa’s mom and dad. It’s nice to meet you both.”
Then he smiled and said, “I can see where Lisa gets her good looks from.” Then he smiled and instantly won their hearts with that charm.
“Why thank you, Alex. That is very kind of you,” mom said.
Dad couldn’t stop staring at Lisa and her makeup. She was wearing her regular clothes but looked so much older. He didn’t want to say anything to her, because he didn’t want to embarrass her and cause a scene.
“Have a seat for a minute, Alex,” Her dad said.
“Sure.”
They began to ask him questions about school and sports, even about his family. Alex answered everything and made sure to flash that brilliant smile each time.
Feeling he was being interrogated, Lisa said, “I think we should go now.”
Alex looked up at her and said, “You’re right. We have a movie to catch.”
“Oh, nice. What movie?” her mom asked.
“Nemo Istabel. It starts in 45-minutes.”
“Oh, I heard that’s a good movie. Well, don’t let us keep you. What time should we expect Lisa home,” her dad asked.
“Well, we're going to dinner after and then maybe a nice beach walk. Would 11:30 – 12:00 a.m. be too late?”
“That sounds good. Thank you, Alex,” her mom said joyously.
“It was a pleasure meeting you both. Hope to see you again soon.”
“Same here, Alex. Take good care of her, please,” her dad pleaded.
“Absolutely. I promise.”
As Lisa and Alex left the house, he went to the passenger side of the car and opened her door. She got in and reached over to open his. Her parents happened to be watching from the living room window and were impressed.
“What a nice, good looking, well-mannered young man he is,” her mom said.
“Yes, but when did she start wearing makeup?”
“That’s a good question. I’m not sure. We’ll have to ask her about that tomorrow,” her mom replied.
As they started driving toward Alex’s house, they began talking, beginning with Lisa telling him how thankful she was for him taking the time to meet her parents. “I really appreciate you doing that, meeting my parents.”
“It’s no problem. I’m glad I did. Your parents seem so nice and caring. They must love you very much.”
“They do. They are great! I know so many teens complain that their parents don’t care enough about them or are too restrictive.”
“Well, my parents are too busy working and traveling to worry about me.”
“But I’ll bet their real proud of you and all your athletic achievements.”
“Honestly, Lisa, I’m not sure they even know what I’m playing. I mean, they know I’m on the football team and track, but as far as how our team is doing, what position I play; they probably don’t know anything.”
“Don’t they come and watch you play?”
“Hell no! They tell me they never have time for that. They’ll say, ‘How do you think we pay for all of this? Do you think it just magically appears?’”
“Wow! That must stink.”
“It does. It’s nice having a fancy car and a big house, but I wish I could have parents like yours who hang your painting up in their living room.”
Lisa stopped to think about what Alex just said. She knew how much her parents loved her and thought about what she was now doing.
“I have to confess something to you, Alex.”
“Sure. What’s that?”
“I feel bad lying to my parents about what I’m doing. They love and trust me so much. And here I am heading to a party.”
Alex himself paused to think about what Lisa just said. While stopped at a red light, he turned to look at her and said, “I believe you’re beautiful and I want to get to know you. I know this is a big party, but Austin and Baylor will both be there and can handle things while I get you home as promised.
I’ll keep my eye on you. Don’t drink much and be calm. Just hang with me.”
“I really appreciate that. Thank you!”
As they started driving again, Alex said to her, “You’re welcome.”
When they pulled onto Alex’s street, Lisa marveled at how big the houses were. “Damn, these aren’t houses, their mansions!”
“Aw, you get used to it. Your place is nice too!”
There were already about ten cars in the driveway and on the street. Alex commented, “Looks like some of the guests have already arrived.”
“The party has already started?”
“Yeah. About thirty minutes ago. More will show up later.”
Lisa thought about how nice it was for Alex to be late for his own big party, just to talk with her parents.
As they exited the car and walked to the front of the house, Lisa was overtaken by how large the place was. As soon as she stepped inside, she gasped at the large foyer and chandelier hanging, in between two grand staircases.
As she followed Alex, she could hear music playing toward the living room. They entered together, and Lisa felt stares from a few of the girls in the room. She noticed they immediately started whispering to each other while looking at her.
“Hey everyone. Glad you could make it. We’re going to have the best party ever tonight. If you don’t know, this is Lisa. Say hi to Lisa.”
Most said hi, while the girls barely said anything. Their faces said it all.
“Common, let me give you a quick tour.”
As they started walking up one of the grand staircases, Baylor yelled out at Alex, “Don’t forget to show her your bedroom. She’ll need to know how to get there later.”
“Baylor shut the hell up!” Alex yelled at him.
“Sorry, dude.”
Alex stopped and looked at Lisa and said, “I’m sorry about that.” Then he flashed that charming smile and Lisa already forgot about it.
They went from room to room, and Lisa became more and more amazed at how much there was to see and all the beautiful furniture, paintings, bathrooms, everything just reeked of money.
Alex then took her into his room. “This is my crib. I’ve lived in this room since I was born.”
Lisa walked into the center of it and looked all around at the trophies and awards hanging on the walls.
“You have accomplished quite a bit, Alex. Look at all of these awards. How long did it take you to get all of these?”
I started collecting them when I was in middle school. But, can I tell you the truth?”
“Sure.”
Alex sat down on his bed and Lisa followed.
“Since you were honest with me, I’ll be honest with you. I hate playing sports.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. Very.”
“Then why do you do it?”
“Because my parents did it.” It’s in the family genes. They got scholarships, and they want me to do the same.”
“But you guys have money. Why can’t they just pay for you to go to school?”
“Because they want something to be proud of. They say, ‘How can we be proud of some nerd?’”
“What would you do instead if you weren’t playing sports?”
“I’d like to be an engineer. I want to design roller coasters and thrill rides. But I never have time for the hard classes and homework. The classes I take now are easy, and they pass me no matter what I do because athletes are treated differently. It’s far worse in college.”
“That sucks!” That really does.”
“Yep. But what do I do about it? What do you say we go grab a drink and join the party? After all, I’m the host at ‘The Party.’”
“Sure. Let’s do it.”
As they walked back downstairs, one of the girls yelled out, “Look, she’s already walking funny.”
Part 3.
Alex quickly lashed out at her, “Knock it off!”
“Oh, OK. Sorry, Mr. Sensitive.”
Lisa just looked at the girl who made a comment while walking down the stairs. The girl was more than happy to glare at her. But Lisa wasn’t trying to start anything. She was just glad she was there and knew she needed to “fit in” and “be cool,” as Alex told her too.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the doorbell rang. Alex said to her, “Why don’t you go get yourself a drink and relax and I’ll catch up with you in a while. I need to play host for a bit.”
Lisa walked over to the table with all the coolers and bottles of liquor on it.
“You sure you know what you’re doing? Don’t want you to get wasted and have your mommy and daddy upset if they find out?” one of the other malicious girls said to her while standing next to the table with a drink in her hand.
Then Austin walked up to Lisa and said, “Don’t worry about her. She’s just upset Alex isn’t sleeping with her anymore.”
With that comment, the other girl walked away and sat down across the room.
“Hi, my name is Austin. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hi, Austin. I’m Lisa. It’s nice to meet you as well. Your best friends with Alex, right?”
“Yep. We’ve known each other for over ten years now, ever since elementary school.”
“Wow! You guys go way back.”
“Yep. We’ve been through a lot together. We’ve even shared some of the same girlfriends. Not at the same time, of course,” he said laughing.
Lisa laughed as well. “That would be weird.”
“Why don’t you make yourself a drink?”
“Well, I haven’t done much drinking, so I’m still kind of new at this.”
“Gotcha. Your sort of a drinking novice.”
“Yes, you could say that.”
“How about we have a rum and Coke to start you with. You like Coke?”
“Yes, I do.”
“OK. I’ll start you off light and see how you do. You won’t taste the rum in it. But drink slowly.”
“That sounds like a plan. Thanks!”
“You’re welcome.”
Austin made Lisa the drink, and they went to go sit down on the couch together. She was a little confused about why he was now sitting next to her, spending this uninvited time together. But she also didn’t want to be alone, either.
Just within the few minutes Alex had left her to be the host, at least thirty people showed up. Mostly high schoolers, but a few who recently graduated as well. They all knew Alex and the others very well.
Many of them were walking up to Austin and shaking his hand.
Lisa asked Austin, “Do you know all these people?”
“Yes. We have all been to many parties together.”
Alex kept letting more people come in, and Austin kept talking with them while sitting with Lisa. The drinks were flowing, the music got cranked up loud, and Lisa could smell marijuana in the air.
She said to Austin, “I know that smell. I smell that in the girls’ bathrooms at school.”
“Oh, yeah. Have you ever tried it?”
“Nope. Never had the need or want to.”
“Maybe you should take a hit or two. It will work well with your drink and help loosen you up.”
“Maybe later. I’m feeling a little buzz already from this drink.”
Austin looked over and saw it was almost empty.
“Shit, you need another one. You can’t just sit there with an empty cup. I’ll be right back.”
As Austin got up from the couch to get Lisa another drink, another guy quickly sat down next to her.
“Hey, what’s your name?” he asked.
“Lisa. What’s yours?”
“Tony. I’ve never seen you at a party before. First time?”
“Yes. First time.”
“So, you’re a party virgin.”
Lisa was hesitant to respond, but then said, “I guess you’re right.”
“Well, we’re going to have some fun tonight. You ready to have some fun?”
“Yeah. I mean, I’m just going to hang out and watch the action.”
“Shit. That’s not much fun. You need to get messed up and really have some fun!”
Lisa just stayed quiet, for she didn’t know what fun Tony was talking about. She looked over for Austin, but he was busy talking with three or four other people at the drink table.
Tony kept taking quick looks at her, even checking out her legs, but trying not to be noticed. Lisa started feeling uncomfortable. Luckily, Alex came over and asked how she was doing.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“Not bad. Austin is fixing me another drink.”
“That’s cool. Listen, there may be some drugs being passed around. Be careful. I don’t want to see you get messed up. I’ve got to get you home in one piece and sober.”
“Thanks for the `heads-up’,” Lisa replied.
“I’m going to circulate a little, and then I’ll come back, and we can hang out.”
“Sounds good!”
As Alex walked away, Tony looked at her and asked, “You Alex’s girl?”
Lisa replied, “He invited me to the party. I’m not sure if I’m his girl or not.”
“Well, if he invited you to the party, then you’re here for one reason.”
“What’s that?” Lisa asked.
“Well, how can I say this nicely, you are.”
“Tony! Why are you are bugging her? Get up and leave her alone,” Austin said to Tony.
Being that Austin was tall and athletic, Tony just looked at Austin and got up, “Yes sir.”
Lisa didn’t hear what Tony had to say, but didn’t care now that Austin handed her a fresh drink and sat down next to her again.
“Sorry about that. I got caught up in a conversation that took longer than I anticipated.
“It’s cool,” she replied.
“I made your drink a little stronger, so take it easy.”
“OK. Thanks.”
Lisa sat for a while and just watched everyone interact with each other. She noticed a few of them starting to act in peculiar ways. She assumed it was the drugs being passed around amongst each other.
“Hey, what’s your name?” asked one girl who walked up to Lisa.
“My name is Lisa.”
“Cool. So, Lisa, want to take some ecstasy? It makes everything so crazy cool.”
“No thanks. I’m good.”
“OK. No problem. How about you Austin?”
“Sure. Love too.”
She gave Austin some pills, and he quickly put a few in his mouth and washed them down with his drink.
“What does that do for you?” Lisa asked.
“Makes everything really cool. Plus, it makes you feel more sensual. This stuff is great at raves and music festivals.”
A few minutes later, someone else walked over to them and handed Austin a joint, in which he took a few hits.
“Want a hit?” he asked Lisa.
“No thanks.”
“You got to loosen up a little. This is a party.”
“I will. I’m enjoying everything and the drink you made me.”
“Well drink up then. Let’s have some fun.”
The music started to become louder, and the portable disco lights were turned on. There was even a fog machine running and making the rooms smoky.
Alex came over and asked Lisa how she was doing.
“I’m good. Sitting here taking it all in with Austin.”
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Yes. It’s interesting to watch everybody get messed up.”
“Yeah. It does tend to happen that way.”
“Sure do have a lot of people here.”
“Right. More than usual. Then again, I have the whole house. So, I invited more people.”
“Do you want to dance?”
“Not now. Maybe later. Thanks though.”
“Sure. You can hang out with me as I circulate or sit here, and I’ll keep checking on you. Your choice.”
Lisa didn’t want to just keep hang around Alex as he walked around and talked to his friends. She felt more comfortable sitting with Austin. But now, he was taking drugs and drinking more.
“I’ll just hang out here for a bit.”
About thirty minutes went by, and it was now around 9:00 p.m. She noticed more and more drugs being used, right in front of her. She could hear people talk and laugh louder, and a few were slurring their speech.
Austin would get up every ten minutes or so and get a drink or disappear for a bit and then return.
That empty seat allowed others to have a place next to her and chat.
One young man, who seemed pretty buzzed, sat down next to her and asked, “You look pretty hot. You want to go upstairs?”
Lisa was a little naïve, and asked, “What’s upstairs?”
“Bedrooms. You know, hang out in a bedroom?”
“No thanks!”
“Fine. I’ll find someone else. You’re no fun.”
As soon as she heard about the bedrooms, she started to notice people walking up and down the stairs. She didn’t notice it before. She was also starting to get really buzzed from the rum and Coke.
Finally, Austin returned and handed her another drink.
“Here, you’re almost done with that.”
“But I still have half a cup left.”
“Yeah, but it’s all diluted now and probably tastes like shit.
“OK. Thanks.”
Lisa gave Austin her drink and took the new one he brought back for her. She just watched as many continued dancing to the loud thumping music, standing around talking to each other, and the stream of couples going up and down the stairs. There were also people running out and jumping into the pool.
Over the next half hour, Lisa sipped her rum and Coke, Alex came back to check on her, and Austin continued to take pills, smoke pot, and drink.
Around 10 p.m., she got a text from Patty. “Hey, girl! How’s it going?”
“Good. Sitting here next to one of Alex’s friends having a rum and Coke.”
“You still have all your senses?”
“Yes. But I have a good buzz going.”
“Are you hanging with Alex at all?”
“Not really. He’s being a good host and walking around and talking with everybody.”
“That kind of sucks!”
“A little. But I understand.”
“OK. Well, let me know if you need anything. Be safe. Text when you get home.”
“Will do. Thanks!”
Austin asked her who she was texting.
“My friend, Patty.”
“I don’t think I know Patty.”
“She’s a geek like me.”
“Oh, wait a minute. I think I do know her. I don’t know. I’m getting F**ked up. How’s your drink?”
“It’s good.”
“You barely touched it.”
“I’ll drink some now.”
Lisa drank about half the cup quickly. As she did, someone passed Austin a joint, and he took a hit.
“You want to take one hit? It’ll make you feel even better.”
Lisa thought about it. “Damn, I am at a cool party. I should loosen up a bit more,” she thought.
“Come on, take a hit!” Austin pushed.
Lisa took the joint from him and put it up to her lips.
“Take a drag and hold it.”
She did and immediately started coughing.
Austin and a few others close by started laughing.
“Don’t worry about it. It may not be your thing,” Austin said.
She passed the joint back to him and said, “I’m sorry. I don’t smoke at all.”
“It’s cool. I understand. Want to get something to eat?”
“Sure. Love too.”
“OK. Let’s hit the kitchen.”
They both stood up and started walking toward the kitchen. But as Lisa was walking, she noticed she felt wobbly.
“Wow, I think the alcohol is taking effect.”
“Maybe. You alright?”
“Yes, I’m good. It actually feels good.
Lisa started to feel disoriented, and as she walked into the kitchen, the room and people started to change. She began to feel like the lights were brighter and more colorful. The guests started looking much more attractive, and now with the music and the smoke, everything was starting to become surreal.
She walked up to the counter with all the food and grabbed a plate. There were disco lights and colored lights around the whole house. The kitchen had just a few colored lights illuminating the room.
As she started putting a few chicken wings on her plate, she felt someone press themselves up behind her and reach their arms around her. She was somewhat hesitant, but not startled or resistant.
Thinking it was Alex, she turned to see him, but it was Austin. She didn’t flinch or say a word as she turned herself to face him. He reached around and grabbed her bottom and said, “I knew you’d like that last drink.”
Lisa surprisingly responded with, “I did.”
Part 4.
Austin moved in closer and started kissing her. Lisa was seemingly under his spell. She felt her body go limp against the counter and his.
But suddenly, Lisa felt herself come back to reality and quickly pulled back her head.
“I’m sorry. I’m not myself. I can’t do this.”
“It’s cool. I probably should have known better.”
“Known what?”
“That you weren’t ready.”
Lisa just stared at him and pondered what he just said.
“I’m sorry. What are you referring to? What am I not ready for?”
“Well, often times, when Alex brings a girl around, she is open to advances from others. But I guess you’re not that type.”
“Are you telling me Alex brings girls here and others can have their way with them?”
“No, not at all. I’m saying that the girls that he invites to his parties like to have fun. That’s all. I mean, you’re not on a date with him. Think about it. Why do you think he invited you?”
Lisa thought for a few moments. She thought about what she was wearing when Alex approached her at school. “Maybe it gave him the wrong idea?” she thought.
But she also thought about what he said to her in in the car on the way over here and how he met her parents. Maybe she was different?
“How about we get some food and go sit down and eat,” Austin suggested.
“OK.”
Lisa filled up her plate, and they walked around the house trying to find another place to sit. The couch where they were once sitting was now taken.
They went out the back by the pool. There was music playing out there as well as colored lighting. They sat down at one of the umbrella tables and began eating while watching the others play in the pool.
“Does that girl have any clothes on?” asked Lisa.
Austin looked across the dimly lit pool and said, “I don’t think so. They are skinny dipping.”
As they were about halfway through eating, Alex came up to them and said, “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. How’s it going?”
Lisa finished chewing the food in her mouth and replied, “Good! I’m having fun.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I’m going to get a drink and sit with you for a bit. Want one?”
“Sure. Maybe one more. I think it’s around 10:00 p.m. now.”
“What are you drinking?”
“Rum and Coke, please.”
“You got it.”
Alex took off to get her drink, and Austin looked at her and said, “Maybe he does see something with you. He did pick you up, and you said he’s dropping you off.”
“Yes. I’m supposed to be home around midnight.”
“I’m sorry I grabbed your ass and kissed you. I just assumed you were a ‘partier.’”
“It’s cool.”
Lisa was still very much buzzed and still felt very sensual. She had never felt this kind of lust toward men, and the lights and music were all again coming together.
When Alex returned, he sat down next to her and put up his drink to toast her.
“Here’s to your first big party.”
“Cheers,” she said as she tapped his cup.
They sat and talked for a bit about school and some of the people they knew. Austin got up and took off.
As Lisa continued to sip on her drink, she started to feel slightly dizzy. She kept talking, ignoring it at first. But as she sipped more, she felt even dizzier.
“Whew. I better stop. I’m really feeling this now.”
“OK. Maybe that drink was one too many?”
“Maybe.”
A few more minutes went by, and she said to Alex, “I feel like I’m going to pass out. Maybe we should go.”
“Sure. Let me let Austin and Baylor know, and we’ll take off.”
Lisa stood up and felt so dizzy, she had to sit right back down.
“I don’t think I can make it to the car.
“Do you think maybe you should lay down for a few minutes. It may not be a good idea to have your parents see you like this.”
Lisa agreed. “You’re right. I still have about an hour and a half. Maybe I should just lay down until I feel better.”
Alex stood up and asked her to stand. He took her right arm and put it around his shoulders. They then started walking inside the house. She was barely able to help walk, so he picked her up and carried her up the stairs.
Once he reached the top, he laid her down against the wall to check on the bedrooms for a vacancy.
Several rooms he checked were occupied. He went to unlock his bedroom door and went back to pick her up. He carried her into his room and laid her on the bed. Then said to her, “I’m going to lock the bedroom door so no one can touch you. I’ll come back shortly to check on you.”
Lisa turned her head to look into his eyes and said, “Thank you!”
Alex flashed his smile at her and said, “You’re welcome.”
He left the room and locked the door. Lisa fell asleep quickly.
As the party went on, the drugs and alcohol were still flowing. People were going up and down the stairs to get sick in the bathrooms or to have sex in the other bedrooms and spare rooms. Anywhere they could find a private space.
By 11:30 p.m., most everyone was wasted and drugged. Many were barely hanging on to consciousness. Alex himself was drinking and doing more drugs then he usually would.
He looked at the time and went upstairs to wake Lisa to take her home. When he opened the door, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Holy shit! What the hell happened?”
His yelling woke Lisa, who looked at him and said, “What’s wrong?”
“Your clothes. What happened to your pants?”
Lisa sat up in bed and looked down. “What happened. Where are my pants and underwear?”
Alex turned on the lights and sat down next to her. “I’m so sorry. Who did this? Did you see anyone come in here? I had the door locked.”
Lisa tried moving and said, “I don’t feel right down there. As she moved, she realized there was blood on the sheets.
“I think I better go home now,” she said with a quivering voice.
Barely able to stand up, Alex found her pants in the corner by the closet, but no underwear. She started to cry and shake.
“I can’t believe this happened!”
Alex sat next to her and held her in his arms as she cried.
“I’m so sorry. I’ll find out who did this and call the police.”
But Lisa thought about her parents and what they would think if they found out she went to a party, instead of the restaurant and a movie?
“No, don’t call the police. I don’t want the embarrassment and public humiliation.”
“Let me go see if I can find out what happened. I’ll be right back.”
Alex left the room and started to ask anyone if they saw or knew anything. But the music was so loud, the lights still flashing and the fog machine still pumping out smoke, that no one saw anything.
Had his house not been in a secluded area or surrounded by other homes, the police surely would have been called due to the noise.
He then went out the back door to the pool and asked those swimming if they saw or knew anything. Nobody did.
On the way back inside, he ran into Austin. “Dude, I think Lisa was raped! Did you see anyone go into my bedroom?”
“Holy shit! Are you f**king kidding me!?”
“No! I wish I were!”
“Where is she at?”
“Upstairs, still in my room.”
Austin took off toward Alex’s room and ran upstairs. He knocked on the door and asked, “Lisa, it’s Austin. Can I come in?”
Austin couldn’t hear anything due to the music. So, he opened the door anyway. Lisa was still sitting on the bed, now with her pants on, sobbing.
“What happened?” Are you OK?”
“No. I woke up with my pants and underwear off. There is blood on the sheets. It hurts down there.”
Austin looked at the blood on the sheets and then back at Lisa, then sat down next to her. He put his right hand around her shoulder to comfort her, and she leaned her head onto his.
She continued to weep when Alex came back into the room.
“I’ve talked to everyone. Nobody has seen anything. Then again, whoever is left is so messed up, I doubt they would even know what happened.”
“I think we should call the police,” Austin said.
“I already asked her if she wanted me too. Plus, I thought about it; if we call the police, they’re going to find drugs, and underage people messed up. I think a few of us would be going to jail.”
“Well, what are we going to do? Lisa was violated.”
Alex kneeled down in front of Lisa, “Honey, I’m so sorry this happened to you. What do you want us to do?”
As Lisa was sobbing on and off, she straightened up her head and looked at Alex and said, “I think I just want to go home. Go home to my bed and my mom and dad.”
“Alright. I can make that happen.”
“Austin, while I take her home, please get everyone out of here. Cut the music, turn on the lights and send them home.”
“You got it.”
Lisa stood up and started walking with Alex down the stairs. Alex was still quite buzzed himself and had difficulty walking and steadying Lisa at the same time.
They walked out past the rest of the drug-induced group and out into the garage. He helped her get into the passenger side of his car and buckled her in.
As they started driving toward her home, she got a text message from Patty. “Hey, just checking in. Are you home yet? How did it go?”
Lisa just lowered the phone down to her lap and started crying again.
“She’s asking how I’m doing and if I had a good time. How can I tell one of my best friends I was raped?”
Alex didn’t say a word as he tried to keep from swerving in his lane.
As they got closer, Lisa started to calm down and tried to collect herself. “I’ve got to get my shit together. I probably look a mess.
“What are you going to tell your parents when they see you?”
“I’m not sure.”
All her makeup was smeared and had run down her cheeks.
“Let’s pull into this gas station and maybe I can wash my face.”
“OK.”
They pulled in and walked inside. Lisa went into the ladies room while Alex looked around the store. H decided to buy her a soda and bag of chips to help cover up the alcohol on her breath.
As he walked to the register, he got a text. It was from Austin, “Everyone is cleared out. Locked all your doors. Heading home. See you tomorrow.”
Alex texted back “Thanks,” and finished walking to the register.
Lisa came out of the bathroom and looked much better. She was makeup free, although her eyes were bright red.
“I have some Visine in the car which should help your eyes.”
They paid and got back in the car. Lisa put the drops in her eyes, and they continued toward her home.
Once they pulled up, Alex turned off the engine and asked her how she was feeling.
“I think I’ll be alright. I’m calm now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I need to get this over with.”
Right before she got out, Patty texted her again, “You OK?”
She texted back, “Yes. Just got home. Tell you about it tomorrow. Thanks for checking. Goodnight!”
Patty texted back, “Goodnight!” and Alex got out of the car to go open her door.
As she stood up, her legs were slightly wobbly. Alex helped her stand while she gained her footing.
He walked her up to the front door, and they looked into each other’s eyes.
“I wish this night didn’t end the way it did tonight.”
“Me too. I had fun up to that point.”
Alex then moved closer and gave her a warm and comforting hug. “You got my number. Call me tomorrow,” he whispered into her ear.”
“I will.”
As he released her and stepped back slightly, she leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. He looked at her and flashed that charming smile.
She unlocked the front door and went inside, where her mom was waiting in the kitchen to see how her date went.
Alex got back into his car and started driving home. About three blocks from Lisa’s house, he noticed flashing police lights in his rear-view mirror.
He thought for a moment it may have been for someone else and maybe they wanted to get past him. He put his right turn signal on and pulled into a parking lot. But the police car followed right behind him.
Part 5.
Alex’s heart was racing as he parked the car and turned off the engine. The officer aimed his spotlight on the back of his car so he couldn’t see anything behind him, other than the lights flashing.
He knew he was in trouble and was definitely under the influence. He felt trapped and knew his charming smile might not get him out of this.
The officer walked up to his car door, and Alex rolled down his window. The officer asked him for his license and registration.
“Yes, sir. Did I do something wrong?”
“I pulled you over because I noticed you were driving without your headlights on, and when I got behind you, I noticed you swerving in your lane. Have you been drinking tonight?”
The officer shined his flashlight into Alex’s eyes briefly to help assess his condition. Alex knew he’d better answer this question right. He was 17 and impaired.
“No, sir. I just dropped my girlfriend off a few blocks from here. She was very distraught. I may have had that on my mind and didn’t realize my lights weren’t on when I left her place. As I was driving, my phone slid from my leg onto the floor, and I reached down to pick it up. That may be why I swerved.”
“OK. Hold tight for a few minutes and let me run your license before we continue. I’ll be right back.”
The officer walked back to his car. Alex was getting even more nervous, and now feeling anxious. His parents were on a business trip/weekend get-a-way out of state.
Earlier, after Alex left Lisa’s place, she walked into her home and through the living room, past her pictures hanging on the wall, where her mom was waiting for her in the kitchen.
“Hey, sweetie. How was your date?”
Lisa was hoping her mom was in bed sleeping but knew she would want to know how things went. Plus, she knew she wanted to make sure she got home safely.
Lisa stopped in front of her mom. With most of the lights off, her mom couldn’t see her very well. She was afraid her mom would see her without the makeup she had on when she left. Plus, she was still having difficulty walking and experiencing dizziness.
“It was fine.”
“Fine? That’s it? Did you have fun?”
“Yeah. It was good. I’m really tired though. It was very exhausting. Do you mind if we talk in the morning?”
Her mom was bummed that she didn’t want to share more about what happened now and felt blown off.
“Can you at least tell me how the movie was? Where did you go to eat?”
Lisa didn’t have the mental ability to even make anything up quickly. She was still under the influence of both alcohol and whatever may have been in her drinks.
“Mom. I’m just exhausted. Can we please talk tomorrow?”
Her mom’s face showed disappointment, and now curiosity but after a brief pause, she agreed.
“Thanks, mom. I love you,” Lisa said as she gave her mom a hug.
Her mom smelled her hair and asked, “Why does your hair smell like smoke?”
“Some people were smoking outside the restaurant, where we were sitting.”
“You couldn’t eat inside?”
“No. They were full inside.”
Lisa then walked away toward her bathroom. Once inside, she closed and locked the door. As she went to take off her pants to go pee, she noticed the back and crotch of her pants were bloody and filled with, what she thought, was semen.
She decided to try and take a shower to clean herself up. She turned on the water to get the right temperature and then turned the shower nozzle on.
Her mom came knocking on the door, “Lisa, you know it’s almost 12:15 a.m., right?”
“Yes, mom. But I don’t want to go to bed with this smell in my hair.”
She got into the shower and wet her hair and body down. She took the shampoo and squeezed a portion into her hand and began to lather her head. With her eyes closed, she started to feel dizzy again and started wobbling around.
She tried opening her eyes to regain her balance and even tried leaning back on the side wall of the shower. But the soap started getting in her eyes, so she closed them again.
While she was rinsing, she struggled to keep her eyes from burning and tried lifting her head to flush them with water. This made her even more unsteady, and she lost her balance and fell sideways out of the shower toward the toilet.
On the way down, she hit her head on the sink and was knocked out. Her mom heard the noise and started knocking on the door to check on her. When there was no response, her mom tried opening the door, but it was locked.
She quickly ran to get her husband out of bed. He quickly woke and came with a screwdriver to try and unlock the door. But he had no luck.
They both kept banging on the door for her to answer. “Lisa! Lisa! Are you OK? Please open the door! Please!”
Lisa’s mom decided to call 911 while the dad kept trying to force the handle to open.
“Break the God damn door down if you have to!” her mom yelled while on the phone with an operator.
“If I do, it could hurt her. Plus, this door is so narrow, it will be very difficult to do.”
“Please get here quickly. Our baby may be knocked out. Please! Her mom pleaded with the operator.
Several minutes later, while Alex was waiting for the officer to return, he started to hear sirens coming. He watched as the fire rescue and fire engine approached and went by, not knowing they were for Lisa.
The officer walked up to his window and asked, “Sir, would you mind stepping out of the vehicle?”
“Sure.”
As Alex was getting out of the car, he asked, “Did I do something wrong?”
Just then, another patrol car pulled up onto the scene in front of Alex’s car.
“I am concerned about your story of not drinking. Your eyes are bloodshot. Combining that with what I witnessed, I believe you may be impaired. I would like the other officer to conduct a field sobriety test on you.”
After a few minutes of the two officers talking privately, the one who just arrived walked up to him and said, “Hello, Alex. My name is Officer Hindsight. I am here to administer a field sobriety test to see if you’re driving impaired.
I need you to follow my instructions to the best of your ability. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Can you please tell me your name and address.”
Alex started telling him his name and address, but he wobbled a quick second while doing so. The officer was quick to note it.
“OK. Please repeat the alphabet backward.”
Alex had gotten away with almost everything he did wrong his whole life. His smile and good looks, combined with his athletic talent and wealthy parents, kept him from taking responsibility for nearly anything he did wrong. It also made him a smart alec.
“There is no way I can do that. Can you?”
“Sir, I am not taking the test. You are. Can you do it?”
No. I won’t even try. Listen, I told the other officer what happened. Can’t we wrap this up and let me go home?”
While Alex was talking, he became more animated and used his hands to help with his speech, causing him to experience a few wobbles.
The officer backed up a bit then asked him, “Sir, I would like for you to try and walk a straight line toward me, one foot behind the other”
Alex started walking toward the officer without putting one foot behind the other. Even without following directions, he still wobbled a bit.
“Sir. I need you to try again. This time, walk toward me, one foot behind the other.”
Alex again started walking toward him not following directions.
“Sir. Will you submit to a breathalyzer test?”
Alex’s mom is a defense attorney. He remembered her talking about citizens taking the test and being found guilty based on the results.
“I would prefer not to, as I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong. In fact, I believe you are just wasting my time.”
With that last statement, the other officer walked up to him and asked him to turn around and face the car.
“What for?” Alex asked.
“Sir, I need you to turn around and face the car and put your hands behind your back. You are under arrest for refusing our breathalyzer test and failing the field sobriety test.
As Alex turned around and put his hands behind his back, he yelled, “This is bullshit! My mom’s a lawyer, and she’s going to eat both of you for breakfast.”
The officer handcuffed him and turned him back around. Then he read Alex his rights.
Then the arresting officer asked, “Sir, everything here has been recorded. Now that you know your rights, would you like to say anything without your lawyer being present?”
“No. I don’t want to say anything.”
“Very well.”
The officer guided him back to his police car and asked if he had anything in his pockets.
“Just my phone, keys, and wallet.”
The officer started checking his pockets and pulled out his cell phone from his back left pocket, his keys in his right front, and his wallet in the right rear pocket. When the officer checked his left front, he felt a lump of some sort.
“Sir, what do you have in your left front pocket?”
Alex replied, “I don’t know.”
The officer reached in with a few fingers and his thumb and pinched a piece of it to pull it out. He slowly pulled the object out and held it up. What are these doing in your pocket?”
The officer was holding up a pair of women’s underwear.
Part 6.
Alex looked at the underwear and wasn’t quite sure whose they were or why they were in his pocket.
“I don’t know.”
“Are you telling me you don’t know how these got into your front pocket? Do you know who they belong too?”
Alex thought about Lisa and how he couldn’t find her underwear in his bedroom. “What the hell is going on?” He wondered.
The officer put the underwear in the same bag as his wallet, keys, and cell phone, and sealed it. He then helped Alex get into the back of his patrol car and closed the door, leaving him in the car by himself.
“Son of a bitch,” he said out loud. “My parents are going to f**king kill me.”
Back at Lisa’s home, the fire engine and paramedic trucks arrived. Lisa’s mom ran out of the front door to greet them. “Hurry, please! She must have fallen and is knocked out. We can’t get into the bathroom.”
The firemen and medics followed her into the house and to the bathroom, where her dad was almost hysterical, trying to get her to wake.
“Step back, please, sir. Let us try and handle this,” the one fireman said.
After knocking on the door and trying to unlock it themselves, they summoned one of the other firemen to go get a saw. He quickly returned and then cranked it up and started to cut a circular hole around the doorknob.
Once the hole was cut, the fireman put the saw down and reached through the hole and unlocked the door. As soon as the door flew open, her mom let out a scream. There was a small pool of blood next to Lisa’s head.
The two medical personnel quickly rushed into the bathroom and checked for a pulse.
“She has a pulse.”
Her mom yelled out, “Oh, thank God!”
They tried waking her, but she wouldn’t respond. They covered her with a sheet, put a neck brace around her neck and patched up her head with bandages.
Her mom started to break down, and her dad tried comforting her. A few firemen brought in a stretcher and then helped the others lift her and place her on it. They were then able to wheel her out.
As they stopped to secure her, her mom walked up and held her hand. “Oh, baby, what happened? Oh, my baby.”
They wheeled her out to the ambulance, which had just arrived.
“You can follow us to the hospital if you’d like. We’re only going down to Forester, a few miles away,” one of the medics said.
They loaded Lisa into the back of the ambulance. Her dad put on some pants and a shirt, and her mom changed out of her pajamas and into regular clothes.
By now, it was 1:00 a.m. and as they raced to their car, the ambulance sped away with the lights ricocheting off of everyone’s home windows.
Lisa’s parents quickly caught up and started following the ambulance to the hospital. They went right by where Alex’s car and the two police cruisers were, both with their emergency lights on.
“What happened?” Her dad asked her mom.
“She must have fallen in the shower. She said she was exhausted and wanted to go to bed. Then I heard the water turn on. I told her how late it was. She said she wanted to wash the smell of the smoke out of her hair.”
“Did she appear drunk or under the influence of anything?”
“I couldn’t tell. Most of the lights were off. I was sleepy and didn’t want all the lights on to keep me awake. I just had the stove light on in the kitchen.”
“Then I don’t understand what happened. How can she just fall out of the shower like that?” her dad questioned.
Alex was driven down to the police station and brought into booking. His fingerprints were taken, as well as a mug shot. He was asked if he would submit to a blood test to check his alcohol level. He refused.
He was told he would be charged with driving under the influence regardless and his license would be suspended. He was given a chance to make a phone call.
He called his dad. “Dad, Sorry to bother you, but I’ve been arrested on a bogus driving under the influence charge, and I need your help to get out of here.”
“No problem, son. Do not say anything more, as this line is probably recorded. Tell me what police station you’re at, and I’ll contact our lawyer and get you out of there.”
Alex gave him the police station name and address. His dad said, not to worry.
Alex was processed and put into a holding cell with others being held, most of whom were drunk or on drugs.
Within an hour, a lawyer was at the station. He was no ordinary attorney. Mr. Abbersmith was a very prominent attorney, well known for getting his clients out of trouble with little to no punishment. The police knew as soon as he walked in, they were in for a fight.
“I understand you have once again inappropriately detained an innocent person. I am now representing him and would like to speak to him and find out what you all screwed up now.”
Alex was told he had a visitor and met with the attorney privately.
“Tell me everything that took place before you were pulled over,” he asked Alex.
“I had this party and took a girl I invited home. She was very distraught because of what happened earlier. I drove away from her home and was pulled over a few blocks away.”
“Were you drinking tonight? Answer me, honestly.”
“Yes. I was.”
“Did you do any drugs?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Would you say you were under the influence?”
“Yes. I still am.”
“Tell me about this girl you took home. Is she your girlfriend?”
“Not really. I do like her and invited her to the party. I thought she was hot and easy. But I got a chance to know her at her home and on the way to my party. She was different than what I expected, and I liked her and her parents.”
“Why was this girl distraught?”
“I had her lay down on my bed because she was feeling very lightheaded. I locked the door and came back to wake her a while later to take her home. When I came into my bedroom, her pants and underwear were missing from her.
When I woke her, she noticed blood on the sheets. Somebody must have come in and raped her.”
“What did you do?”
I asked her if she wanted me to call the police, and she said no. She was afraid of what her parents would say if they found out she lied and went to a party instead of going out to eat and seeing a movie.”
“You said your bedroom door was locked? Does anyone else have access to your room?”
“Not that I know of.”
“By the way. They found a pair of woman’s underwear in my pants when searching me.”
“Whose underwear?”
“Not sure. But I couldn’t find Lisa’s. Only her pants.”
“Is Lisa the girl who may have been raped?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think they’re hers?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Did you black out at any point during the time you laid her down, and when you went back to wake her?”
“I don’t think so.”
“But you don’t know for sure?”
“I thought I was sure. But I’m the only one with a key. I don’t know anymore.”
“How drunk do you feel now?”
“Not too bad. But I did smoke some dope and took some pills earlier. I am still feeling the effects of those.”
“Well, we better not submit to the blood test then. We’ll just have to fight our way out of this. As far as the possible rape, don’t say a word to anyone. Not even your parents.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll get you out of here shortly. Just hold on.”
Alex’s lawyer went to go get bail setup and posted, while Alex was taken back to the holding cell.
Meanwhile, the ambulance that Lisa was being carried in arrived at the hospital, and she was taken to the emergency room. Her parents parked and ran inside to catch up with her.
They were kept outside the room where they were working on Lisa. Her mom was hurting inside, afraid to lose her only child. Her dad was barely able to hold it together.
For an hour, they paced the floor and watched as medical personnel went in and out of the room where Lisa was.
Finally, around 2:10 a.m., a doctor approached them and asked that they have a seat in a private room.
“Lisa had a concussion, and a brain bleed. Her brain did swell due to the impact, and we needed to cut out part of her skull to relieve the pressure.”
As soon as Lisa’s mom heard that, she immediately started breaking down.
“I think she’s going to be okay, but we have to wait and see. It will take some time for us to know. She is still under now but should wake up soon.
I want to tell you about something we are concerned about. One of our nurses noticed that she had dried blood on her inner thighs.”
“Oh, no. Do you think something happened to her? She went out on a date tonight,” her mom nervously asked.
The doctor sat back for a moment and thought. “Was she under the influence when she came home?”
“I’m not sure. But we’re not able to figure out how she fell out of the shower,” her mom replied.
“Maybe we should order a tox screen and rape test?”
Now her dad was starting to get upset. “Do you think she could have been raped?”
“We’re not sure, sir. But we should run the tox screen and see if anything was in her system that would cause her to fall in the first place.”
“I agree. Let’s, please do it.”
“Very well. Let us get these tests done, and then we’ll let you see her.”
The doctor went to order the tests, and Lisa’s parents were left wondering what may have happened.
“He seemed like a nice young man. I hope it isn’t true. I really do,” her mom said.
“If I find out he raped my baby girl, I will kill him.”
Part 7.
Thirty minutes went by, and the doctor came back and sat down with them again in the same room.
“I have the results from the tests. The toxicology report came back with alcohol, a small trace of marijuana, and MDMA methylenedioxymethamphetamine, otherwise known as Ecstasy or Molly.”
“Isn’t that the date rape drug?” her dad asked.
“Yes, it is referred to that.”
“Did you think she was raped?” her mom asked.
“Out test was inconclusive, but we did find semen and blood inside her.”
“Oh my God! Oh, my Lord! I cannot believe this is happening,” her mom said as she started to choke up.
“I want the police called, and a report filed against that bastard she went out with tonight!” her dad angrily responded.
“Do you know the name of the boy she went out with tonight?” asked the doctor.
“All we know is his name is Alex, and he is a student at her school,” mom said. “Damn, we don’t even know his last name. We let our daughter go out with a man we don’t even know the last name of.”
“Do you have the number of any of her friends? Maybe they would know?” asked the doctor.
“No. I would have to check her phone. I think that’s probably at home, in the bathroom still,” answered Mom.
“I will call the police. Why don’t one of you stay here with Lisa and maybe the other can go get her phone so we can find out who this guy is,” the doctor suggested.
As the doctor left to call the police, Lisa’s mom broke down. “We don’t even have her friend’s phone numbers. What’s wrong with us? What kind of parents are we?”
Dad consoled as best he could but knew he needed to find out about this boy and get him locked up. He left to go home and retrieve the phone, while her mom went into Lisa’s room to be by her side.
“Oh, baby. What did he do to you?” her mom quietly said to Lisa while slowly stroking her still damp hair. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
Her dad raced home and went inside. He walked into the bathroom and found her phone on the counter.
He picked it up and turned it on. But the screen came up locked. “Shit, I don’t know the passcode,” maybe her mom does.
He picked up her backpack and brought it out to the kitchen. He opened it up to look for anything that would tell more about what happened earlier.
He found makeup, her wallet, and a pair of shorts and a shirt. He decided to put everything back and take it with him to the hospital. He ran back out of the house and raced back to the hospital to see his wife.
He came into Lisa’s room and asked his wife, “Hey, I got her phone, but it’s locked. Do you have her, passcode?”
“No. I don’t. Let’s try her birthday and some other dates and see if that works.”
As they continued to try different number combinations, her dad became frustrated and said, “Why don’t we have her passcode?”
“Because she is such a good kid. I never thought I would need to check her phone.”
Just as mom became frustrated and slammed the phone down on the table, it rang. The number ID displayed Patty.
“Hello, this is Lisa’s mom. Is this, Patty?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Patty. We’re at the hospital with Lisa.”
“Oh, no! What happened?”
“We don’t exactly know. We hope you do. Lisa came home and went to take a shower, she fell out of the tub and hit her head on the sink. She is now unconscious, and we believe she may have been drugged and raped. Can you tell me the boy’s name of who she went out with tonight?”
“Ah, oh, my. I can’t believe this,” Patty said while starting to sniffle.
“She went out with Alex.”
“Do you know his last name?”
“Yes, it’s Lunney. Alex Lunney.”
“Thank you. Do you know where they went tonight?”
“She went to his party at his home.”
“She went to a party!?”
“Yes. He threw this big party because his parents were out of town. It was all over the school.”
Her mom was relaying the information to her dad, who just became more and more upset and bewildered.
Then he asked her to ask Patty about the extra clothes in her backpack.
“Those are probably mine. I loaned her a few pair of my short shorts and short shirts. She wore them to school one day, and that’s what may have gotten Alex’s attention.”
“Do you know her phone’s passcode?”
“It used to be 5525.”
“Thank you, Patty. May we call you back if we need to?”
“Sure. I’m so sorry this happened. I texted her earlier, and she said she was just hanging at the party, but Alex was mingling with the other guests. Then she told me she was home and would call me tomorrow.
Unfortunately, I received a text from our other friend, Jenna, that someone has posted nude photos of her on social media.”
“Nude pictures of her online!!?”
“Yes.”
“Who posted them?”
“It’s anonymous.”
Just then, the police came into her room and started talking with the dad. Then the other officer took the phone from mom and began talking with Patty and writing down the information.
Her mom left the room and went to a nearby bathroom. She locked the door and squatted down on the floor, put her head into her hands, and started balling.
The officer talking with Patty finished and then radioed in the information on Alex.
Within a few minutes, the dispatcher came back and said he just bonded out of jail for driving under the influence.
Lisa awoke several days later, remembering little of what happened. She learned of the nude pictures of her on social media that were eventually removed from the network but will remain permanently on peoples computers all over the world, labeled as “Drunk bitch gets what she deserves.”
Alex’s dad had hired a team of lawyers to fight every step of the way, eventually leading to the case being dropped. He never submitted to a DNA test, nor admitted how he wound up with Lisa’s underwear in his pocket.
Maybe he didn’t really know himself.
Lisa wound up withdrawing from Aria High and attending another school. But it didn’t take long before a few people recognized her from the web and word spread quickly around the school.
She would then withdraw and stay home to finish high school online, by herself.
Her friends Patty and Jenna would still visit her, but their friendship was no longer the same. Their “pity” visits became less and less frequent.
Three months after The Party, Lisa became so isolated and depressed, that she could hardly wake herself and get out of bed each day. She would tell her parents she was okay.
She tried counseling but didn’t have the right “fit” with the counselor, so Lisa would just tell the counselor what she wanted to hear.
Not a day went by she didn’t think about what happened that night. Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember everything. That’s what made it worse.
Alex only suffered a few months of embarrassment with the press and accusations. But once he was back on the field and court, all was forgiven and forgotten. It was chalked up to an old saying, “It was his word against hers” and “Another drunk girl cries rape.”
On a Tuesday morning, Lisa was tired of waking to the same old nightmare she experienced every day. She said goodbye to her parents as they went off to work and sat down to watch a little TV.
After, she sat in the backyard and listened to the birds sing and watched the squirrels run around chasing each other.
She went into her mom and dad’s medicine cabinet and took a bottle of pain pills her mom used for joint pain in her knees.
She wrote out a note, took a handful of pills, and laid down on her bed.
About five minutes later, her dad came into the house looking for his report that he forgot to take for an upcoming meeting. He found her note on the dining room table. It said:
“Dear Mom and Dad,
I’m sorry I disappointed you both. I wanted desperately to be known for somebody other than a geek. I wanted to have others interested in me. But I was so wrong.
I strayed from my typical, comfortable path, innocently at first, then within a few days, I was with a group of people that didn’t care about me as a person, only that I was ‘easy.’
You two have been everything to me! You have loved me and nourished me every day of my life.
But parents can’t control what happens with the power of puberty and the lust for being accepted.
Know I will always love you both and hope you two will someday be happy again.
You did not fail, I did. Always remember that.
Love always and forever,
Lisa.”
Her dad immediately rushed to her room and found her barely responsive. He called 911 and waited for what seemed like an eternity.
He kept trying to get her to wake up and was crying so uncontrollably that the operator could barely talk to him.
He called his wife and told her the news. She was panicking and yelling hysterically out of her office and out to her car.
Her dad kept pleading, “Why!? Why Lisa. We love you so much!! Please! Please! Don’t die. You are all we have!
The paramedics arrived, and her dad ran to the front door to let them in.
“She’s in her bedroom. I can’t wake her. Please, help her!!”
One of the medics grabbed the dad and said to him, “Sir. We’re going to take care of her. Please calm down.”
They wheeled her out to the ambulance, and her dad went inside with her. He called back his wife to tell her to meet them at the hospital.
On the way there, the heart monitoring machine made the defib sound. Her dad watched in horror as they charged the paddles to shock her. He watched his baby girl get shocked three times before her heart started beating again.
They arrived at the hospital, and her mom was waiting. They fell into each other arms, and both were scared and terrified.
Lisa was given medication to counter the meds, and a tube was put down her throat to pump her stomach.
Lisa awoke to her mom sobbing on one side of her bed and dad sitting and praying on the other.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Lisa said.
“Oh, my God! You’re okay! Please don’t ever do that again. We thought we lost you!” both her parents said.
Lisa made a full recovery and was overwhelmed by the support she received from her parents, family, and others at school. She was grateful to get another chance because she knew people really did love her and she realized that she would have eventually gotten through everything. All she needed was to talk to the right person or counselor and given it more time.
“Some wounds take longer to heal than others, and sometimes they never do fully heal. But you can live with a wound that’s not fully healed. You just learn to live with it,” she later wrote on a picture.”
Lisa has since received her high school diploma and now attends a university across the state. She has become an advocate to help other teens avoid the pitfalls of drugs and alcohol.
Lisa wanted to share this advice with any teen wishing to learn from her:
Be careful when it comes to drugs and alcohol. They will alter not only your mind and lower your inhibitions, but those around you as well.
Always protect your drink and never let it out of your sight.
Know your limits.
Don’t be stupid. Lustful sex is temporary. Love can last forever.
Make sure your parents know your friends’ names and phone numbers, and the boy or girl you go out with.
And be smart and watch out for yourself. One wrong decision can cost you everything!
E.