Piper’s POV
“I changed my mind and Lisa agrees with me. This is going to be fun, Piper. So, sit tight and enjoy the ride until we get to the party,” Max replied as he started the engine.
“Wh-what? Why didn’t you guys talk to me about this first?” I asked as I buckled my safety belt.
“We just wanted to show you a new place and hope you’d like it. Like taking you to a place that has a new atmosphere. You’re not mad, are you?” he asked with a scowl on his face like a child.
I exhaled softly while looking out the window just to enjoy the view of the highway at night, “Alright, show me that place you call special. As you know, I can’t get mad at you guys.”
“You’re such a good girl, hahaha,” he retorted with a big laugh.
“Focus on driving so we get there fast and one more thing. I can’t go home late at night.”
“Ok, leave everything to me,” he replied.
A few minutes later, the car Max was driving arrived in front of Lisa’s house. After Lisa got into the car, we rushed to the party place mentioned by Max, whose location and name I didn’t know.
I used to have a nickname as a party girl. I was always present at every party thrown by my friends until an event changed my partying habits. Right after my dad had a traffic accident and died, my life and my mother’s life changed one hundred and eighty degrees.
Grief immersed my mom and I. A sense of loneliness and loss seeped into our hearts, making us lose our spirit and hope. Until Max and Lisa made me realize I had to recover and become a helper for my mom because that was what my dad wanted.
He put his hope in me, and I was my mom’s only hope. Luckily, I realized that right away and could accept reality and recover from grief.
In only five years, two bitter events happened to me and my mom. And it changed my life one hundred and eighty degrees. Everything happened so fast and unpredictable. Since then, I’ve learned to be strong for the sake of my loved ones.
Moments later, we entered a luxury housing complex. I wondered what kind of party place Max was referring to. To be honest, I don’t really like parties, alcohol or DJs, and so on. But, out of respect for the effort Max and Lisa had put in, I went along and try to enjoy the party.
“Ok, we’re here. Do you want to wear masks?” Max asked as he showed me and Lisa two black masks.
“I’ll take one,” Lisa replied, who immediately grabbed the mask and put it on.
“Piper?” Max asked as he brought the mask closer to my face.
“Oh okay, I’m trying it on even though it’s my first time,” I replied as I took the mask and put it on.
“Is this party going to be okay?” I asked.
“What do you mean by ‘okay’?” Lisa asked.
“I mean, we won’t have to deal with anything negative, right?” I replied.
Suddenly, Max and Lisa burst out laughing, while I sat staring at them with a confused look, like a child who knew nothing.
“Ok, have you guys laughed enough?” I asked, feeling a bit in a bad mood.
“Sorry, we didn’t mean to laugh at you. It’s just that your question is ridiculous. You’re a grown woman and you’re afraid of something negative happening in a bar full of people. That sounds strange to us. Come on, you’re not a teenager anymore. You have nothing to be afraid of. We’ll both take care of you. But, if you meet a guy who suits your taste, we’ll stay away, hahaha,” Lisa replied.
“Ah come on. I don’t want to have a relationship with any men,” I replied as I opened the car door.
“Let’s make a bet,” Max said.
“Yes. If you fall in love with someone and get into a relationship with him, then you have to take us on a vacation to the resort in Greenmore. Deal?” Lisa asked.
“Are you kidding me? The resort there is expensive. Besides, I want to be alone and haven’t thought about being in a relationship with any man,” I replied.
“It’s just a bet. We haven’t made a bet in a long time. Ok, so if you stay single for one year and don’t fall in love with any guy, then we lose and we have to take you on a vacation to Greenmore with Jensen and your mom. Fair, right? Deal?” Lisa asked, inviting me to hook my little finger as a sign that I would bet with them.
Me, Lisa, and Max hooked our little fingers together. I would not lose anyway because I felt like all guys were the same. My love for Ethan was sincere. I could say he was my first love, but he still left me and never gave me a chance to explain everything. He walked away and broke off our engagement unilaterally. Yet for eight years, I stood by his side. Forgiving all his unfaithful behavior. I didn’t know how many women he cheated on, but I still forgave and accepted him back into my side.
So, why did he do the opposite to me? Even though I never cheated on him. I had always kept myself a virgin just for him, but a trap designed by Megan made me lose everything, including my virginity. That’s why I didn’t want to be in a relationship with any man because, to me, they were all the same. Unfaithful and selfish creatures.
“Yeah, it’s party time!” Max and Lisa exclaimed. So they walked to the entrance of the discotheque guarded by two burly men, while I walked behind them.
After passing the formal inspection, we walked down a not-so-long hallway with minimal lighting. From the moment I entered the building, I could hear the music, which was quite deafening.
When we entered the main room of the discotheque, the music sounded even louder. The discotheque was full of people either dancing or sitting and drinking alcoholic beverages. To be honest, this wasn’t my first time in here, it’s just that after a long time of not going inside a discotheque, it made my head a little dizzy, especially with the dim lighting.
We sat at the end of the room, where it wasn’t too crowded. Max ordered a lot of drinks and, for the umpteenth time, I complied with their request to drink several bottles of alcoholic beverages until my eyesight spun a little and I felt like my feet weren’t stepping on the floor properly. The worst part was that I had to pee and I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
Staggering, I made my way across the dance floor and into the restroom. Luckily, I could still find the location of the restroom and entered the ladies’ restroom correctly. After exiting the toilet cubicle and feeling relieved, I walked out of the restroom while leaning against the wall. The world around me was still spinning. I was indeed a poor drinker.
While walking towards the main room of the bar, I suddenly bumped into someone’s body. His body lost its balance, as did mine, and eventually, we both fell to the floor.