"Amelia is stunning."

I sigh.

"Can you even get a more perfect nose?"

I sigh.

"And her eyes... And her lips are amazing."

"Okay, Montana. I get it. You can stop now."

Montana puts her phone down after looking through Amelia's facebook profile for the last ten minutes. "Just saying, it's no wonder girls are so jealous of her. She's perfect and she has you."

"Had me."

Montana tilts her head. "Mmm, no, I think she still has you."

"You're as annoying as Val."

"Thanks. I get that a lot."

I look over at Val in the corner of the room making out with two girls at once, and another girl behind him with her hands at his waist. "My eyes need washed out with bleach."

"So do Valentino's because apparently he's blind."

I look at her and she looks down at her nails. "Huh?"

"He couldn't see somethin' even if it was written on my forehead."

"What can't he see?"

"Forget it."

"You crushing on him or something?"

"I wish it was that." She runs her hand through her hair.

There is a long silence after that, something I never thought i'd get from Montana. My mind travels back to Amelia. I wish she was here. Just so I could watch her and see that she's okay, and maybe watch her having a good time to make myself believe I didn't completely break her heart. But obviously she would never come to one of our parties. Why am I sitting here thinking about Amelia, drinking slowly from a beer when everyone else is completely wasted and having a great time? I need to get a life.

"Got anything?"

"As in?"

"Drugs."

"You're doing drugs again? Amelia has you that fucked up?"

"Do you or not?"

She goes into her jacket pocket and pulls out a little bag with white powder. "Coke. Want it?"

It's just a better and faster version of getting drunk. Why not? I nod and she passes it to me, then I make three lines on the back of my phone, snorting two. It numbs my nose, reminding me of old times. I hold it over to Montana as an offering, but she just looks at it for a moment before shaking her head, so I take the third line.

"Can't believe you're leaving me the only sober one."

"Why aren't you drinking, smoking, sniffing, or pole dancing anyway?" I laugh.

She shrugs. "Not feelin' it."

"Riiight."

"You make me out to be a druggy slut."

"You are though."

She scowls. "Shut up."

"What? I thought you owned that title."

"So i'm supposed to be proud of being called a druggy slut?"

"Fine, sorry," I say because I can't be fucked arguing anymore even though I have a lot more to say.

"That's like Val being okay with being called a cokehead, just 'cause that's what he is. And you liking being called a big ass jerk because that's what you are."

"Didn't I say sorry?"

"Well i'm not done, so you can say it again when I am."

Ray comes down the stairs and starts looking around the room like he's got a murder to take care of. He spots the person he's looking for and makes his way to them. "Dude, you want to say this shit to my face?"

The guys backs off, laughing nervously with his friend. "Don't wanna waste my time."

"Oh man, I hate people like you who can act like a fuckin' gangster over text but is a little bitch in person."

"Aren't you gonna run to the rescue?" Montana asks.

"Nah. I only care if it's in school."

The guy walks away from him and he follows, shouting shit that makes people laugh at the guy.

"Such a bully," Montana shakes her head.

"He probs deserves it." Probs? The fuck?

I can tell the drug is kicking in when my vision goes blurry and I start to get hot. I've not felt this way in so long. It makes me feel like I could do anything... Run a marathon in a minute, take over the country and make Trump's wife my baby momma... Put a bullet in Caligari's skull. Speaking of whom; I have something to say to that asshole.

"Nuh-uh-uh," Montana takes my phone out of my hands. "Bad idea to start texting people right now."

"Sniffing nose candy with my brother? I feel betrayed," Val says to Montana as he sits down beside her. Yasmin falls down beside me – almost on top of me.

"Just him."

"Why not you too?"

"Just don't want to." She looks the other way and Val drops it.

"How's you, Alex?" Yasmin asks then screws up her face. "You're all sweaty."

"You're all fuzzy."

She giggles. "That's funny. Actually not really but I laughed anyway."

"Yasmin kissed me over there," Val says, pointing a finger at her.

"It was only on the cheek, moron. I kiss all my friends when I'm drunk."

"Including Jace?" I stare into her brown eyes, fascinated by the colours.

"Not him."

"He's your friend though?"

"Yeah... But it's different."

"Lies lies lies lies lies," Val shakes his head in disapproval.

"Shut it, 'Tino."

"She done dirty shit with him two months ago!"

"What?" I look at Yasmin in disbelief, already thinking of the ways I can make Jace suffer. Who does he think he is? How dare he fucking go near my sister after everything he's done.

"Shut up, Val. You had sex with Montana!"

"What?"

Val's eyes widen, looking at Montana who just sighs. He suddenly jumps over to grab Yasmin's legs, his body stretched over Montana and I's laps. He pulls Yasmin's legs in the air then pushes her so she falls off the couch.

"Owe!" Montana screams. "Move," she pushes Val off of us and he falls on the floor too, then gets up and leaves. Val watches her leave, confused.

"You shouldn't have said that," he tells Yasmin as they get off of the floor.

"It's not my fault she obviously has issues with you. Maybe you didn't satisfy her enough."

They start to argue while I lie down on the couch, staring at the imaginary lines in the ceiling and listening to the beat of the music. Music sounds better than it ever has before. Somewhere in the lines in the ceiling I see a face; Amelia's face. I squeeze my eyes shut, and when I open them again, she's gone.

Yasmin sits down just beside my head when Val leaves. "That boy needs therapy."

"Hmm."

"Why did you take cocaine? It's bad enough that Val does."

"I want to go a walk."

"Are you really that sad over Amelia?"

"La extraño."

"Then why aren't you with her right now?"

"Soy peligroso."

"Because of the Cal dude? Then get a grip of your life and sort it out."

"I can't."

"Figure something out. It's not healthy for you to be without her."

I really miss her. It's been three weeks since we last spoke, and since we even made eye contact. I wish she was here, sitting in her baggy t-shirt and pretty blonde hair. She could just be sitting beside me doing nothing and this whole room would look so much brighter. God, i'm starting to sound like Jace. Maybe one phone call won't hurt, right? I just need to hear her voice at least.

Reaching into my pocket, I discover that it's empty. "Where's my pho- Shit. Montana took it."

Leaving Yasmin, I walk into the crowd of people, pushing past and looking for Montana. The whole room is blurry and I can't really tell where people are standing exactly, so I put my hands in front of me and touch everyone I pass. One girl touches my crotch then giggles with her friends like a little kid but I don't even care. I just need to get my phone and call Amelia.

"Where's she?" I say to Val when I get to him, grabbing onto his shoulders.

"Come again?" He laughs.

"Where... Is... Montana?"

"She left."

"No, no, no, crap. Shit. Fuck."

"What?"

"Why the fuck did you have to make her leave?"

"I didn't?"

"You were being a stupid oblivious idiot!"

"How?"

"Because she obviously likes you or something. Or something's up with her."

"You're squeezing my shoulders too tight,"

he shrinks down and I drop my hands.

"Hola, mis hermanos," Santiago says, putting his arms around us but I shrug him off.

"Go away."

"Geez, that's not very nice."

"Go away then."

Santiago looks at Val. "He's on coke," he explains.

"So? Your point?" I shove Val, then wonder why I just did that.

"So, you're being an aggressive little fuck."

"Whatever. I don't need this." I push past them and go out the door, walking to my car.

"What the hell are you doing, Alex?"

"Fuck off, Jace." I open my car door, but he just shuts it again.

"Get a grip, man."

"I'm trying, dipshit! I just need to get out of here."

"Don't take your fucking shit out on me. And you're not driving like this."

"You can't tell me what to do," I laugh, opening my door. When he shuts it again, I snap, turning around and hitting him in the face.

I get into my car while he's trying to pick himself up, clutching his face. I start the engine as fast as I can, even though it's hard to see, then I leave before he can stop me.

I want to go to Amelia's house, but I can't because we're not talking anymore, and if we did hang out as even just friends, her life would go to shit again. A car beeping it's horn pulls me out of my thoughts, and I swerve to the right just before it hits me.

As i'm passing Enrico's apartment block, I pull into the parking lot at the last second.

"How did you get here?" Enrico asks when I walk inside his apartment.

"Drove."

"You drove? Bro, you can't even walk in a straight line."

"I need your help."

"Okay... What's up?"

I restlessly pace around the room while Enrico sits on the couch, watching me. "I'm messed up with Dad's boss and I need out."

"Seriously? When did that happen?"

"Just after Dad got arrested."

"Shit... Why didn't you tell me sooner, Alex? This is serious."

"I just need out. I can't take it anymore."

"Fine. I'll help. Give me details."

So I tell him everything.

+++

ah geez, stupid alex.

teaser: alex and enrico make a plan to take down caligari

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