Code Silence (eBook)

Chapter 1

The Party

I called my mom on the landline to tell her that I was at my friend’s house. I hung up the phone not thinking much of my lie and got back to the party. Everything was going great. I was hanging out with my best friend Amelia and Joel and other juniors and seniors even though I was only a sophomore.

Then Bo came into the room and my heart started to race.

“Hey Joel,” I said as I ran my fingers through my friend’s brown curly hair.

“Stop it,” he said playfully. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and gave me a tight squeeze.

“What’s up with you? Why are you being so weird and quiet?” He asked with his big sweet smile. I grabbed a Bud Light, cracked the can open and took a long drink while I stared at Bo.

“Oooh, I see. Bo is here!”

“Don’t you dare say anything!” I said glaring at him.

“What are you gonna do about it?” he teased.

I rolled my eyes at him but I knew he wouldn’t say anything, at least not while I was around.

“Where is she going?” Joel elbowed me.

I looked up and saw Amelia headed to another room.

“I don’t know, but don’t leave me,” I joked.

I started chugging my beer; maybe some liquid courage would help calm my nerves. A bunch of people gathered around and started doing vodka shots. Joel grabbed my hand and pulled me next to him and Bo handed me a shot. I tried not to smile too big, just being near him was exciting.

“Cheers!” We hit each others glasses and took the shot.

I spilled some of my vodka down my face and quickly chased the burn of the liquor with my beer. I wiped my face on the sleeve of my sweater.

The music started up and everyone started dancing. I saw Joel go outside with Bo so I headed straight through the dance floor to them. I walked into the freezing air with my hacky sack hoping to hang with them. Joel pulled his little glass-blown pipe out his pocket, it was blue with yellow and green that swirled into a spiral where the bowl of the pipe was. Joel started packing some weed into it.

He looked up at me and smiled. “Want some?”

“Yes please.”

Bo was sitting on a lawn chair smoking a cigarette. He asked if I wanted a drag. My heart fluttered and I could feel my chest getting hot and red.

“Sure,” I replied and took the cigarette. He snatched the hack out of my hands and stood up and started kicking it. I took a drag of his cigarette and handed it back, just as he kicked it to me. We went back and forth for a few minutes until Joel asked who wanted to green the freshly backed bowl.

“Allie!” He looked at me and handed me the pipe. Joel was a sweet guy. I dated him once only for a month or so but we were better at being friends than boyfriend girlfriend.

I took the pipe and lighter, put the flame to the weed and inhaled. The smoke filled my lungs and as I blew out, I handed it to Bo. Seeing his smile light up his face was intoxicating.

Joel started making a snow ball and looking at me suspiciously.

“Joel, don’t you dare throw that at me,” I said and laughed as I pointed my frozen finger at him.

He threw it at me and I dodged it.

“You little shit,” I said laughing.

I hit the pipe one more time and asked the boys if they needed another drink. They both shook their beers. “Yeah.”

We went back in and Nirvana’s “Teen Spirit” played. Everyone started dancing and someone turned it up. It felt as though time was moving slower and slower. I could feel every beat, every note in the song, like I was really hearing it for the first time. I felt so calm and free.

Just as the song was ending, the doorbell rang. I knew something was wrong.

“Allie, where are you?” Was someone calling my name? Everyone started looking at me; I started walking towards the front door. I pushed my hands into my eyes trying to wake myself. This wasn’t happening . . . this wasn’t happening. I saw my best friend standing next to my parents with her head down.

My parents looked at me with disappointment and anger; I was screwed. Everyone at the party stared and froze—but for only a moment.

“The party is over and the cops have been called!” announced my dad.

Was this really happening to me? Everything moved in slow motion, my parents yelling at me, and everyone in a panic grabbing their stuff to get out. My mom and dad grabbed Amelia and me and pulled us out to the car. Amelia got in the back seat, my parents were taking her home. I looked at her and knew that I couldn’t get in the car. She glanced up at me and I mouthed to her “I’m sorry”.

Then I turned and ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction.

I think my parents yelled at me but I didn’t even look back or hear what they said. I just ran and ran and ran. I ran from Highland City heading east. I ran until I was out of breath. It was still daylight, but not for long, and it was November. It was cold in Utah, probably around thirty-five degrees with the sun out.

“What the hell am I going to do?” I said out loud. I couldn’t go to any of my close friends’ houses. Their parents would call my parents the second I showed up. So I kept heading east; I had a few older friends that lived five or six miles away in Cedar Hills. I ran so hard my lungs burned from breathing in icy air. I cut through a park that took me behind my high school. I walked across the fields where I played soccer. Everything was covered in snow and was sparkling from the setting sun. It was beautiful; I stopped and caught my breath. The top layer was perfect snowflake crystals. I glanced back to make sure I wasn’t being followed. The lights above the soccer field turned on and made me scream out loud. I needed to find friends fast. I kept running towards the mountains and closer to Cedar Hills.

The first two houses I stopped at, neither of my friend’s cars were there. I was scared to see my friends; my parents had just broken up a party. And now I was a run away. I felt so embarrassed and lost and I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was starting to get really cold. My hands and feet were frozen and my chest hurt from running so hard. I started to cry out of panic and worry. I didn’t know what I was doing.

“I’m such an embarrassment! Everyone is going to hate me now!” I yelled. I just had to find a pay phone and turn myself in. But then I found the last house I was looking for.

I saw a bunch of cars that I recognized from the party. I was terrified to knock, but I was getting cold so I had no other choice. I walked up to the door trying to look in the frosted window but I couldn’t see anyone. I could hear voices and music. I raised my frozen hand.
It hovered over the doorbell.

“Push it,” I told myself. “Push it.”

It took me a minute to find the courage. I immediately felt stupid for showing up and turned to walk away.

“Allie?!” they yelled.

“Hi… I can go,” I said, looking down at my fidgeting hands.

They immediately rushed me inside and asked what happened.

I told them that I ran away and that I couldn’t go home. Everyone was freaking out, yelling and cheering.

“How the hell did you find us? Are you okay? You look frozen! Get in here,” asked Krissy. I really didn’t know how I found them, but I was grateful. Krissy handed me a beer.

“Drink up, you crazy bitch!”

“Cheers.” Then the party kept on going like nothing had happened. Krissy walked me over to the fireplace. We sat down in front of it. The heat from the flames felt so good. I closed my eyes as the heat started to warm my body up. I set my beer down and put my feet and hands right in front of the fire. A soft warm blanket wrapped over my shoulders and around me. I opened my eyes thinking it was Krissy, but there was Joel. I gasped and started to laugh.

“I thought you were Krissy.”

“Are you feeling better?” he asked.

“So much better now,” I snuggled the blanket tighter around myself. He sat on the floor next to me with curious eyes.

“So what the hell happened? I thought your parents took you and Amelia from the party?”

I was trying so hard not to have the biggest grin on my face.

“Yeah, they almost took me. I was about to get into the car behind Amelia and I couldn’t do it. In a split second I was running away from them, I had to just go. I felt it in my entire body to run.”

I looked up at Joel and Krissy’s wide eyes.

“I feel terrible I bailed on Amelia, but I had to get out of there; I didn’t want to go home.” My eyes started to tear up. “I feel so dumb and embarrassed that my parents broke up the party. I’m so sorry, and I can’t believe you guys even let me in.”

Krissy grabbed my hand.

“Allie, it will be fine, and now you are hard core for running away from your parents.”

We all started to laugh.

Joel stood up. “Who needs another drink?”

We both shook our heads yes. Krissy was staring at Joel as he walked away with a big smile on her face.

“He has a cute butt,” I said and pushed on her leg.

“Yes, he does, and a hot face and lips.”

“Ooh have you kissed him?” I teased back.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” she looked at me and stuck her...