I didn't know where we were going. They never told me.
I was in the passenger seat, John was driving, and David had his face between us, his arms on the tops of our seats as he leaned forward from the backseat. He was begging for disaster if John were to slam on the brakes.
John was my boyfriend, but not for much longer if things didn't straighten themselves out between us, and soon. I was tired of telling him what I needed. Mostly, that was marriage. After all these years together, he should have figured that out by now.
David was his best bud. A guy I'd had a crush on our freshman through sophomore year of college. A guy who hadn't realized I'd existed at the time, and still didn't ten years later other than knowing I was his best friend's longterm girlfriend.
The music in the car was low, and the guys were rambling on about some game they had seen last night. I was staring out at the stars, going through all the things I needed to do at work come Monday.
I hadn't realized John had pulled over until David was pushing on the back of my seat. It was a futile attempt to get me to open the door so he could climb out of John's dilapidated two-door car. No way was I getting out until I had some answers.
"Where are we?"
"Get out, Mandy." John jerked his keys from the ignition and opened the driver's side door, the overhead light casting a dull yellow glow over the interior before the door closed again.
I groaned at David's insistent jerking on the headrest. He was like a bored child. "Stop it! "
"Come on!" I heard John yell from outside.
"Not until I know why we're here. "
David growled. He gave up on me and slid across to the other side of the car, fumbling for the door handle from the backseat. The interior light flickered on again. Then I was alone in the dark once more.
I heard the crunch of gravel under their feet as they walked away. I cursed under my breath then jerked the door open, racing after them. "You're both assholes, you know."
They ignored me, continuing their path past the several cars littering the parking area as they approached a house twenty feet away. The two stories loomed over us, and the building itself was laid out in an L-shape with a door in each section. I wasn't even sure if it was all one building or separate apartments with two entrances. A heavy, musical base made the doorframes rattle, and flashes of neon lights peeked out from behind blinds on the otherwise dark windows.
"Will you two stop and tell me what's going on?" I shoved my hands in the pockets of my hooded sweatshirt, shivering in the night breeze.
"I told you we shouldn't have brought her," John mumbled as he opened one of the white, screen doors.
"John?" I glanced at him and then David. "What do you mean? Where are you going?"
John ignored me, pushing the inner door open instead. The music volume increased exponentially, then suddenly it was muted again as the door closed behind him.
"Dammit, John!"
David disappeared through the other entrance.
I caught the outer door before it slammed shut, but I paused, wondering which guy I should follow. I groaned and stepped inside after David.
"Wait for me!" I stopped a few feet inside, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness.
Outside, the moon and stars provided enough light to see by. In here? The neon flashes only gave glimpses of other people. Some were dancing. Some were just standing, talking and drinking. Although, I didn't know how they could hear each other over the music.
"David!" I tried to follow his quickly retreating form. At least I thought it was him. The lights flashed, and suddenly no one was in front of me anymore.
I decided to stay where I was, just like when I was a kid and would get separated from my mom when we were at the mall. If I stayed put, she always found me. Eventually. I assumed that to be true of either John or David.
Someone brushed past me, and I stepped out of the way, right back into a wall. I let out a deep breath. As I looked around, I realized it was one big open space. Both the door John and David had entered led into the same room. By the red and blue pulsing lasers that alternated from lighting the ceiling then the floor from somewhere off in the distance, I could tell the furniture was sparse. A couple of couches randomly arranged against walls. But for the most part, it was just an empty space with a lot of people milling about in small groups.
