A Hidden Picture

Ten

~ Annalise

Jesse's house is two story, a little old looking, and all you can hear from outside is the music blasting from inside. People are scattered about, coming in and out the house and on the lawn.

"Yo can I have a hit?," Ro asks to the first guy he sees with a blunt in his hand.

The guy looks him up and down before shaking his head no, annoyed.

Ro rolls his eyes and Blake and I follow him as he walks away. I think I hear him mutter cunt under his breath. But maybe I'm just imagining things.

The place reeks like weed with a tinge of shitty alcohol. People are dancing drunkly to the sound of some rapper that I don't know the name of.

As I'm walking with Ro and Blake to go who knows where, some girl whose drunk with long braids falls right onto my side and I quickly shove her off out of reflex.

She turns to me immediately. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry," she slurs and almost tips over but quickly gains her balance.

I give her a nod and walk away. I rub the side of my arm. Her braids had hit me and damn do those things hurt.

"Where the fuck can a guy go to get some weed?!" Ro exasperates and throws his arms out dramatically.

"Ayo! Alcohol's in the kitchen!" Some guy calls out.

Ro's head immediately turns and he begins weaving through the crowd. Damn this guy is desperate.

Blake taps my shoulder and tries to hide her grin as she points over my shoulder.

I turn my head and my mouth drops open when I see a couple looking like they're on the verge of fucking against the wall.

I fake gag. Ew. Save that shit for at home.

Ro is already no where in sight when I turn back around. "Where the fuck did he go?" I ask Blake.

She shrugs and worriedly looks around. "I'm gonna go check in the kitchen!" She yells to me over the music.

I nod and I'm about to go follow her when some tall guy blocks me.

"You look familiar?" He stares down at me, a solo cup in hand and a cigarette in the other.

"No. You've never seen me in your life." That's a lie. He's been in at least one of my classes every year since third grade.

I try to move past him but there's a lot of people in the way. "No...you're...Anna? Wait no-"

My tongue pokes my cheek as I think of a way to get out of this conversation.

He's still thinking as he stares at me. "Dude you don't know me. I'm practically a figment of your imagination, you're imaging me here right now. I'm not real." I wave my hand in front of my face and he's look at me as if I'm crazy. "Now can you move-"

"There you are. I was looking for you." My body freezes when I feel someone's arm hang over my shoulder and the sound of the familiar voice.

I narrow my eyes up at Reed and he gives me a knowing small grin as he takes a sip of from his cup.

He smells a little like beer and a hint of soap. His hair is also slightly damp.

"We gotta go, bye man." Reed lifts his two fingers off the cup to say bye to the guy as he begins leading us away.

Once we're away I swat his arm off my body and look at him, my eyebrows scrunched. When it's gone I can still feel the weight of it.

"What was the point of that?" I look at him annoyed.