Page 69

Abby

Grandma said yes. Today we’re signing the contract and paying the advance for the ballroom. I’m so excited. Connor loves the idea too.

“How many people will be there?”

“I’m not sure. Sixty? A couple classmates and people from school. Plus your friends, my other friends. We’ll see. I’ll start making a list and collect cash after we sign the contract. That’s when we’ll know for sure.”

The contract is signed. Grandma asks me to be responsible. A couple of times, to be precise. I would never disappoint her, so I’ll do what I can to keep my word.

Connor gets involved, too. He and Ted and the rest are supposed to get us a DJ, some food and drinks. All the girls are bringing something too. It should be awesome.

There are only a couple of weeks left until the party. Everything is done at school. I’m happy with myself after the last semester. It came and went super fast, but I did great. My GPA is four and a half.

We’re counting down the days to New Year’s Eve. Everyone has paid the price in full. There are a lot more than sixty people on the list. Christmas passes quickly and without incident, too. My parents have let go finally. They lost interest in me, you could say. They’re spending time in Daisy Valley. I’m all alone now.

When we return from the holidays, Connor and I get to work in earnest. It’s going to be the party of our lives.

“Abigail, I don’t know how you organized it all so well! You’re great at it, you know that?”

“What?”

“Organizing events and probably at everything else.”

“I think so. I like it.”

I like planning and organizing. Before each trip, I have everything planned out. Including what things to bring and so on. As a child, I could take care of every little detail when preparing a birthday party or New Year’s Eve. Decorating the room, balloons, lights, confetti, glitter, proper cups and napkins.

“It shows,” says Connor, looking around the room prepared for the evening.

I’m so proud of myself. The guys are bringing in the last of the equipment and alcohol. Grandma’s here too. She wants to check out what the hall looks like.

“Well, you’ve done nicely, Abby. Have fun and take care.”

“Of course, Grandma, thank you again.” I hug her tightly and follow her out with my eyes. Connor and I rush to get ready.

I’m done at four. I’m still getting the bedding and the room in order, because I think Nikki will be staying the night.

Connor looks insane. He’s bought himself a gorgeous blue jacket that accentuates the color of his eyes. I have a blouse tied at the sides so you can adjust both the shape and length. It has the deepest neckline ever. I added a denim mini and got my hair braided. I also went with stronger makeup.

“You’re beautiful.”

“You too, my Ve. Ready for the best New Year’s Eve in the history of this city?”

“Ha ha, yes!”

At six o’clock, most of the guests are already here. The party is incredible. A lot of people who weren’t signed up have also arrived. Standing at the entrance with me are Ve, Ted, and Myro. The people on the list are let in first, the others are told to wait. When I tick off the last person on my list, we start letting the rest in. Information about the event has spread to a dozen housing estates and schools. The queue to get in stretches like at an exclusive club. We let quite a few people in, although some only on the condition that they behave well. Intuition tells me that this could end badly.

Well before midnight, many people are already lying on or under the tables, blacked out. Instead of enjoying ourselves, Mandy and I are running around, brewing mint teas. It doesn’t help much. The state of some is so bad that I don’t know what could help. Every now and then, Ve throws someone out into the snow to sober them up. Despite all the commotion, I manage to dance for a while and spend a few moments chatting with a couple of people. After midnight and the fireworks, some people go home and others—as I expected—start looking for trouble. Some of them we have to throw out. We also close the windows and doors. It’s getting pretty ugly. Some parts of town don’t like each other, so when the company’s boozed up, the rowdiness starts. Let them beat each other black and blue, but outside the premises. I don’t need a police raid here. A dozen guys or so are trying forcibly to enter the hall.

“Fuck, we need to drive those idiots off.”

Ve takes some of his buddies and heads to the rear windows.

“Ve, don’t come out. Don’t leave me with this, please.”

“I’ll be right back, don’t worry.” He kisses me on the cheek and disappears.

Hour after hour passes, and there’s no sign of Connor. I have only people I trust around me now, but I’m still worried. I don’t know what “soon” means to him, but he’s been gone for hours, and I’m dying of fear. I’m going out of my mind.

Craig sits down next to me to keep me company while Ivy goes off somewhere with Lucas. They’re probably going to hump.

“I’m sure he’s fine. Maybe he’s asleep at home.” Craig tries comforting me.

It’s not helping at all. I need to find out what’s going on with him immediately. I’m not going to call him at home and wake everyone up. I send Craig away.

“Go on now, I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Shit, it’s nine in the morning. It’s just me, a couple of Connor’s friends, and Mandy with Ivy and Lucas.

“We need to clean up here,” one of them suggests, to which we all nod and get to work.

I assess the damage in the daylight and come to the conclusion that there is absolutely none to talk about. We’ve already cleaned up the hall, but there’s still no sign of Connor. I ask Myro to check on him. An hour later, Myro and Connor appear in the doorway.

“Can you fucking explain to me where you’ve been?!” I cry.

“I was asleep, Abby.”

“Fucking asleep?” I throw my hands up in the air, trying to get rid of the energy that has been overpowering me for hours. “You leave, say you’ll be right back, then there’s no contact with you. And now you’re telling me you were just at home and sleeping?”

“Yes. Myro woke me up.”

I look at Myro, and he just nods.

“Am I supposed to believe that? Would you believe me? What would you have done if I had been the one to leave the party after midnight and not come back until the morning? You left me here in the heat of events. Alone!”

“Not alone. I had to get those douchebags out of here. Otherwise they would have trashed the place. They ran after me and the boys, we got separated and lost them. I ran home on the way back. I had to wait because they could have ambushed me. And I fell asleep. That’s it.”

After a brief reflection, I come to the conclusion that this explanation sounds plausible. Ve comes up to me and embraces me.

“I’m sorry you were worried. I just wanted you to be safe.”