....

noise from the party spilled out through an open window, down to the street below. the small apartment was a mess of bodies and plastic cups, throbbing with bass from hidden speakers. people lay unconscious in various areas, only to be stepped over by those still sober enough to stand. a wide eyed girl dressed in dark tights and an over sized sweatshirt stumbled through the mess with a distraught look across her face.

"guys, it's getting late---do i smell pot?"

her voice rose at the word "pot," as if it was so unusual in a gathering like this. a group of hazy eyed guys snickered in response before rushing to the balcony. the overwhelming stinch of marijuana and alcohol rushed back inside. the upset girl continued to step through the mess, threatening to call the cops.

a body suddenly stirred from the corner of the couch. she looked around, obviously out of place. the entire scene seemed to give her a headache, as she closed her eyes against the music and voices. her dark eyes slowly opened again and she rose from the couch. wobbly at first, she managed to walk a few feet before stumbling to her knees. in her drunken state, she more closely resembled a fawn taking its first steps. a small laugh escaped her mouth as she tried to balance herself against a nearby wall. she couldn't tell if the floor was moving or if her mind had simply given up on her body.

this had definitely been a bad idea. she got a call earlier in the evening from a guy she had seen a few times around campus. his name was mike, and they had had a class together the previous semester. mike was an interesting character, pale with a dark beard. he talked with a faint southern accent and always wore Skynrd t-shirts. he told her about the huge party tonight, tons to drink. she had been worried about showing up at a random person's party, but he quickly assured her no one would mind. but she didn't have any friends to come along. no problem, mike said. she could ride with him and a few friends. besides, they probably wouldn't stay for long anyway. the last thing she remembered was taking shots with mike. a few hours later, they all were separated and she was shit faced. she didn't even know what time it was.

the girl reached into the pocket of her jacket, wrapping slender fingers around the familiar shape. the screen was too blurry for her to make anything out. her eyes slowly adjusted, resting on the time. it was 3:45.

"shit!"

she could barely hear her own voice over the noise. upon further inspection of the phone, she noticed mike had called several times, followed by her roommates, all probably wondering where the hell she was. the girl couldn't cringed at the thought of calling them for a ride at this hour. but sleeping in this place for the night was definitely out of the question. which one of them was more likely to be awake at this time? she blindly scrolled to one roomie's name before hitting the "send" button.