22. The Party (Part 2)
Standing in front of Todd with her eyes focused on her phone had given her strength that she didn't realize she had in her. Her usual option in moments like these was to flee and become even more introverted but she didn't want to be that person anymore â tonight she was going to pick the option she never had. Libra looked Todd straight in his eyes and put her hand out gesturing that she wanted her phone back.
"I want by phone back and I want it now, Todd. Otherwise you can kiss your tutoring goodbye." Todd needed his tutoring more than he realized and since he was risking failing a class that he simply took for extra credit was below pathetic.
The one thing Libra had going for her was her education, she knew that, and she needed to use that to her advantage more often. Todd groaned loudly before he placed her phone in her hand and then finished his drink. Now he looked frustrated and the smile that was once on his face was long gone.
"I just wanted to have some fun that's all, but you're no fun at all," he started to step away but changed his mind within seconds and turned to her, "I'll come find you after you finished two of those drinks â then we'll see what fun we can have." Then he disappeared.
Libra took a deep breath of relief before spotting Jack who had been watching her conversation with Todd and was now on his way over to her. She relaxed a little now that she knew that Jack was out of the bathroom and ready hang out with her. She squeezed past a few people until she met Jack in the middle of the room.
"I saw you over there but it looked like you were handling it." Jack announced as they pulled away from their hug.
"For the first time ever I actually handled myself pretty well. Normally I hate confrontations but this time I didn't shy away, I stayed to fight." She said, more to herself than to Jack. He smiled at her and pulled her close for another hug. She knew he was proud of her.
"Where is Dillon?" Jack looked around and Libra instantly felt the butterflies in her stomach wake up.
A slight worry etched itself in her stomach when she remembered how Dillon had showed up outside of her apartment and the way she had rejected him. Perhaps it had truly hurt him the way she had spoken to him and maybe she should feel guiltier about it.
"I haven't seen him here so I guess he's busy doing something else." She murmured and hoped that Jack wouldn't notice her change in mood. But the way he was looking at her now told her otherwise.
"There is something going on between the two of you, isn't there?" Jack's wide smile was glowing the way he was gushing about Libra and Dillon.
Libra realized then and there that she would have to clue Jack and Sophie in on what happened the other night when Dillon showed up, so she could get some good advice on how to handle this situation. It still took a lot of getting used to, to see Dillon act so differently and to truly appreciate the person he claimed to have become. Libra wanted to scream out 'no, there is nothing going on' but she knew that was a lie. Even if something hadn't happened between them there was something luring in the dark whenever they were together, something that would have to come to the light sooner or later. If Jack noticed it on her that obviously perhaps she had to talk to Dillon about what was going on, just to get some clarity. She felt her nerves grind their gears as she thought of being alone with Dillon again.
"Nothing is going on between us," Libra informed Jack who was smiling widely, "it's probably karma or destiny who wants our paths to cross and change the past somehow â but I don't see how college could change anything that happened in the past. What's done is done." She thought out loud when she said the latter part and oddly enough it saddened her to think like that.
"Tonight seems like the perfect night for you two to talk it out then," Jack said cheerfully, "you're being all kinds of brave tonight, so why not keep it going while you're still on top?"
Libra hesitated in her thoughts and wasn't sure what Jack was insinuating was remotely a good idea. She wasn't sure what Dillon was thinking regarding her, right now, and she didn't want another confrontation tonight. But the fact that she had hesitated meant something; she wanted to talk to Dillon and straighten out whatever had her so confused but the fear of what would happen if she did kept her from acting.
"I can see that you want to talk to him Libra but for whatever dumb reason you're not, so I'm here to force you to pick up your phone and get him to come over here." Jack said softly and put his hand on her shoulder.
Libra sighed, "What if he doesn't pick up the phone? He might not want to talk about this or perhaps he doesn't think there's anything to talk about."
"Let him be the judge of that, you can't decide what he thinks or doesn't think. Give him a call and ask him to come over here, all his friends are here anyways!"
Libra gave Jack one more look of insecurity before she reluctantly grabbed her phone and pressed Dillon's name amongst her contacts. Slowly the dial tone appeared and got louder with each ring that he didn't answer. He doesn't want to talk to me, she concluded when four dial tones had rung out only to disappear into thin ear.
Then suddenly someone answered but all Libra could hear was loud noises in the background. Seeing as she was at a party she first mistook it for her own background noise but soon gathered that Dillon must be at another party, which had to be the reason for his absence here.
"Dillon?" She asked with a loud voice and blocked out any other sound by shoving her finger in her ear.
A mumbling voice was heard at the other end of the phone and Libra felt her heartbeat rise gradually and her brain spun worries that made her dizzy. What if he was hurt and needed help of some kind? Libra had no idea where he was but she knew one person who might â her eyes shot in Todd's direction. He was talking to two girls that looked less than interested. If Dillon was in trouble Libra had to step in, any person would, and that could entail talking to Todd once more.
She tried his name one more time but got no response, but the sudden movement of the phone made her think that he had it in his pocket and was aiming to pick it up now. She braced herself for a voice and called out his name again, louder.
"No this isn't Dillon this is Keith." A voice said.
"Keith? Where is Dillon?" Libra asked and held her breath before he answered.
"He's wasted puking his brains out in the bathroom. He keeps mumbling that someone slipped him something but he's just drunk. Did you two have a booty call or something?" Keith chuckled at the latter part.
Libra wanted to scream at him to get his shit together. Drunk or not if his friend thought that he had been drugged Keith should take that seriously! She thought about the worst case scenario and imagined Dillon choking on his own puke in some dirty bathroom somewhere on campus, with no one there to help him. A stabbing feeling spread out inside her and replaced the butterflies that had once been there.
"Where are you guys now?" She asked.
"At Michael Nordstrom's party at The Arc. He lives on the sixth floor, bring some hot girls and more booze â we're running out." And then the phone call was broken.
Libra stood there in silence for a few seconds and then she looked at Jack who was scrolling aimlessly on his phone, but he stopped when he noticed Libra was off the phone. His eyes were soft and so were his smile but as soon as he saw how focused Libra was his look changed to serious.
"What's wrong?" He asked surprisingly.
"We need to go get Dillon, he thinks he's been drugged by someone. Can you help go get Sophia and meet me downstairs?"
Jack smiled and nodded silently. While he rushed off Libra headed for the exit and straight to the staircase. Dillon was in trouble and she didn't have much time to get there but she was on her way.
I don't have any idea why I'm doing this; I just know I have to help him.
And with steady steps she jogged down the stairs, more motivated than she ever had been.