As D left the bathroom, he was shocked to see the line of people that had formed outside it. He stumbled out of the bathroom into the second-floor hallway and squeezed by them. He tried not to make eye contact through the hallway's dim, multi-colored lighting, while also scanning the group of people for Max or Izzy.
D cursed under his breath, "Goddammit, the dude's head scrapes the ceiling when he walks, how the fuck do you hide someone like that?"
He stepped into what looked to be an upstairs lounge. The room had a small bar, a pool table, a few small couches, and a flatscreen TV blasting music. The place was like a living room on the second floor. If it weren't for the giant manor of his father, his jaw would've surely been on the floor at the sheer size of this place. Around the lounge were a few different groups .
Four guys who looked like they were football all-stars were shooting pool, there were at least 6 people vying for the attention of the surely overly stressed bartender, and a couple getting overly touchy-feely on a sofa seat.
He supposed he could simply ask the people around him if they'd seen a blonde mountain man being dragged around by their party host. His spat with Flynn made him feel not quite up to socializing, but it seemed he had no other choice. He moved to a space by the bar, and between pouring drinks, the bartender gave him a sorry, smiley look that D figured meant 'Sorry, I'll be with you in one sec'.
D didn't care but gave him a small smile and nod anyway, out of habit. He sat down in the seat closest to the wall so he wouldn't have to be smashed between two people. He took inventory of the people at the bar whom he could ask. Around four of the patrons were already engaged in conversation, so they were out. Another, a somewhat overweight guy with orange-tipped black curls, looked to be passed out face-first on the bar.
This left the person sitting closest to D for him to choose from. The girl in the seat next to him had light blonde hair and a black leather jacket over a pink top. She was just staring at her glass longingly, like she was waiting for something, anything.
D figured that maybe he was that thing, so he swallowed his pride and tapped her on the shoulder. She jolted up from her daydreaming and looked at him. "Yes?" she asked, looking him over, his nervous energy filling her with unease.
"Hi, uh, do you uh know Izzy? Well, I guess if you're here, you probably know Izzy, but do you know where I can uh find her?"
She blinked at him, eyes wide, expecting some sort of punch line or pickup line. A long moment passed without either saying anything, the only sound between them the chorus of music and outside conversation.
"Uhh, no, don't know where she's at, but have you checked the roof?" She pointed up to the ceiling that hung above them, pulling D's eyes to it. Thinking this was some sort of prank or foul-hearted joke, D gave a thin-lipped smile and a slow nod and said,
"Right, so are they suspended up there with grappling hooks or what?"
"Um, no, there's a terrace up there, kind of like a makeshift third floor." D looked at her, unsure if she was just pulling his leg or actually telling the truth. He stood up from the barstool, eager to find out if this roof terrace was actually real.
"So look, I know you're really into staring longingly into your whisky, but could you show me where the terrace is really quick?" She sat unmoving in her seat, looked at him through her long golden hair, and let out a breath before saying. "Tell you what, you buy me another drink and I'll show you where the terrace is."
D's head jerked slightly in annoyance, "What makes you think I can't just go off and find it on my own? No drink buying necessary." She pushed a sheet of gold away from her face as she laughed and took a sip of her drink, as if she didn't care that he stood there awaiting her answer.
"Well, the way up is uhhhhhh, what's the word? Oh yeah, hidden." She stopped and took another large chug from her drink, finishing it and slightly slamming it back onto the counter before continuing. "Andddd it would be pretty fun, you do know how to have fun, don't you?"
D still stood behind his seat and tried to think of some sort of excuse as to why he couldn't buy her another round without sounding like a huge loser. He tried to tell himself that he didn't care what this girl thought of him, but that was a lie.
D let out a long groan, clenching his fists and throwing his head up at the ceiling as if his noises would signal Max down like some sort of dog. Finally, he relented and sat back down on the creaky wooden stool. He motioned her to come closer, like he was going to tell her the world's most dangerous secret. The blonde rolled her eyes and scooted a bit closer and said, "Yeah, what is it?" "I, uh, don't have any money, like at all." She leaned back to sit straight up again, her eyes never leaving his in what he felt was an unnecessary moment of prolonged eye contact.
Finally, she stood from the bar, took her jacket off, set it on the stool, waved to the bartender, and began walking to the other side of the bar. D, still unsure of what was going on, just sat there at the bar and watched her walk. When she got to the other end of the bar, she turned around and looked rather frustrated when she saw he wasn't following her. She glared daggers at him and waved for him to follow her.
He stumbled off the seat and went after her as she stepped through the doorway leading into another hallway away from the bar. Curious as to why she was suddenly helping him with nothing in return, he asked, "So no drink? And you're still going to help me?"
"Well, aside from you apparently being broke, let's just say you don't seem like the party-savvy type." She sharply righted down the hall into a small space with three doors, put her hands on her ample hips, and sighed. "Plus, this place can be really confusing, especially when drunk." She said whilst rubbing at her temples before walking to the door farthest down the hallway and opening it to reveal a closet with around a 10-foot ladder let down inside.
She turned around and raised a hand as she said, "Ta-da, one ladder to the roof". D mouth formed a silent whoa " motion, mostly in mock surprise. As if suddenly remembering the few manners his father taught him, he stretched out his hand to her as he said, "Thanks, really..." She, almost too quickly and a little sloppily, stretched out her hand and shook his.
"No problem, really. Names Amber, by the way, since you never asked." D felt his cheeks go slightly flushed at that call out. "Sorry, Amber, I'll make sure to remember it for next time." He stepped past her and placed his foot on the ladder, a deep pit in his stomach as he looked up the ladder and saw nothing but the night sky.
He took a deep breath and sighed, looking back for Amber and said, "I'll see ya around- " but as he looked, she had already vanished.
Refocusing on the task at hand, he began climbing the rusty and somewhat sticky rungs of the metal ladder. As he made his way up, he could hear the sounds of voices slowly overtaking the thrum of the music below.
Finally, he popped his head out of the ladder and scanned the expanse of the roof, expecting a modest terrace. He was instead met with a large circular terrace lit with fairy lights, with pillows and seats all around, with the roof opening sitting in the center. Where he now stood after climbing his way out. The people seated around the terrace might've looked at him for a moment too long, but then went back to their own conversations. All except one person who screeched out his name from behind him.
D looked only to see Izzy, who sat on Max's lap holding a drink whilst the latter was passed out drunk . D slowly stepped over to her, slightly wary about being so high up with minimal protection. "What the hell happened to him?"
Izzy went in to hug him as if she hadn't seen him in months. D reflexively ducked and stood over Max as he pointed at his friend. "Izzy, what did you give him?" Worry and guilt laced his voice as he began tapping Max on the shoulder, hoping he would wake.
"I didn't give him anything. It's a party, people are going to get drunk. Maxy just had a little bit too much, didn't he?" She looked to Max like he would respond. D put his hand to his face and groaned.
"Alright, Max, time to get up, big guy, we gotta go." At those words, Izzy grabbed his shoulder, almost shoving him away from Max. "Go where? He's just a little wasted, doesn't mean shit." D shrugged back out of her grasp and started to pull Max up by his arms. "You let him get wasted on the roof with no fucking railings? That doesn't seem a bit dangerous to you?"
"He can turn into metal. I think he'd be fine." She scoffed and threw up her hands. Max awoke from his alcoholic stupor with a deep grumble and a fluttering of his eyelids. Unsure as to what D and Izzy were arguing about in front of him, he immediately went into conflict resolution mode. He stood up and grabbed both of them in a sloppy bear hug as he said, "Shhh, shhh, it's...alright, guys." D immediately attempted to free himself from the embrace but could not pry himself from the hug.
"We're not arguing, Max, it's cool...you can LET. GO. NOW." As if he'd spoken some sort of ancient password, Max released the embrace and fell back into his seat. D sighed, sat next to him, and looked at Izzy.
"Can I talk to him for a bit? Y'know alone?"
She feigned looking at something important on her V-band as she walked a couple of paces away to give them some privacy. "Sure, I guess."
D whispered to Max, who was too busy counting the stars in his drunken haze to take him seriously. "Dude, we gotta fucking go, NOW." Max shifted to the side out of shock, almost toppling over. "What? Why man...we just got here like 5 minutes ago."
D felt like he was going to strangle the big lug. He almost hissed as his jaw tightened. "We've been here for almost an hour," He leaned in closer and lowered his tone, jaw still clenched. "I got into a fight with Izzy's brother, and you're drunk."
D stood and began pulling Max up off the chair. "We're leaving, man, c'mon."
Max, who still sat unmoved, finally relented with a sloppy throw back of his head and a groan to match. "F-fine, Roxanne's n-not going to be happy with us barging in!" He stood as he laughed at his own unfunny statement.
As D began slowly helping his slovenly walking friend to the ladder hatch, Izzy stopped pretending like she wasn't watching them from across the terrace and bounded forward, stepping in front of the hatch and right in front of Max, using her large frame to catch him as he almost fell forward. "Whoa, there, big guy, where are you off to?" Her question made Max feel as if he'd been slightly doused with cold water. His drunken haze slightly broke, and his light blue eyes shirked from her gaze as he looked to D for what to do.
D could almost feel both Max and Izzy's eyes of ire fall upon him, but he stood firm; he had to get out of here before a voice yelled up from the closet below. "IZZY YOU UP THERE?" At the sound of the voice, Izzy put up a finger, a way to make it known this conversation wasn't finished yet. She turned with a groan of annoyance and yelled back down, "YES, WHAT'S UP?"
At the sound of her response, Flynn flew up through the hatch by summoning a bright red vector arrow in his hand and using it to pull himself up. He dropped down in front of the group. His finger immediately pointed to D, brow furrowed and teeth peeking out from behind an open snarl. "You piece of shit! This piece of shit attacked me for no reason, Izzy, and then he fucking ran off like a punk."
Flynn stepped closer and opened his hand, beginning to form another arrow pointed straight at D's heart. D's fist clenched, and his stance widened in preparation for the attack, but Izzy stepped between the two. However, she wasn't facing Flynn, who appeared to be the aggressor, but D, who stood there in a battle stance with Max leaning on his shoulder, trying to catch up to what was going on.
"D, what is he talking about?" Izzy stepped closer to him, a little too close if he was being honest. At this distance, she really loomed over him, her long bushy white hair like the mane of a lion ready to pounce.
"He's fucking lying, that's what!" He nearly shouted directly into her face, making her take a step back. "Flynn's a lot of things, but he is NOT a liar." It felt as if the very air itself around the three was starting to rise in heat, as a bead of sweat formed on D's forehead. D noticed Izzy's eyes beginning to glow. Linking the rising heat to a rise in her power, he took a quick step back, nearly stumbling over Max's feet, which made the man's senses finally jolt back into place.
"L-look, Izzy, D's as well...a lot of things b-but he would no-t do that." He gripped D in a strong one-armed side hug, the same way a person might hold a small dog to show it's not dangerous. Izzy turned her attention to Max, and just as quickly, her expression switched from deadly to patronizing as she said,
"Maxie, you have known this boy for what? a day?" Max looked up as if recalling the amount of time that'd passed since the two of them met and nodded sloppily. Izzy continued, "You don't know anything about what he'd do, hun, now let's." She placed her pointer finger over her lips in a shushing motion.
While Izzy and Max were having their own mini-exchange, D's eyes never left Flynn's, who he could just barely see still standing behind Izzy. It was as if she were the leader and he was her underling waiting for the order to strike.
"You need to explain yourself now." D's eyes flicked back to the near beastial woman who stood in front of his only means of leaving with Max. He let out a sharp breath and clenched his jaw. "I already told you, he's lying." He unfurled his hand and pointed at Flynn without fully extending his arm. "He picked a fight with me and he lost, that's really all there is to it."
"So you fought with my brother, at my party, instead of, oh, I don't know, calling me or Max on your V-Band?" At her question, D looked down at his wrist, at the banded instrument around it. In all the commotion and stress, he'd forgotten he even had one. "You wanted to leave, right? Well, congrats, get the fuck out, and don't come back."
She turned around to Flynn, who'd been smirking at D from behind her for a few seconds too long for his tastes. "And you, what the fuck have I told you about this shit, Flynn!" In an instant, Flynn's arrow dissipated into the air, and his hands were up in a defensive posture, either to defend from the coming berating or beating.
As Izzy stepped out of the way of the hatch and towards Flynn, D began shuffling over with Max towards the ladder. Max had been slightly sobered up by the situation that had unfolded, as his motor skills were at the point where he could stand unassisted, while D went down the ladder to help him when he came down.
Before Max could begin his own descent, Izzy took his hand in hers and cooed. "You're welcome back anytime, though, Maxie, as long as you don't bring him along with you." Max blinked, gave a sloppy smile, and repeated "I-I'm allowed over as long...As I bring Tim with me, got it..." She sighed and laughed slightly at the naïve boy as she patted him on the back and helped him down the ladder.
Navigating the exit to the party was much easier with the host of the party trailing the two. This was to make damn sure they both, especially D, got out before starting anything else. When they walked past the kitchen, Izzy took a pit-stop and grabbed Max a bottle of water for the road, and before they knew it, they were stepping out the door into the cool air of the night.
Before they could fully leave, Izzy grabbed onto Max's hand again and pulled the drunken oaf in for a small peck of a kiss. Seemingly not caring that everyone, including D, could see them, he turned around in an attempt to give them some privacy and began stepping down the porch steps.
Before he knew it, Max was following behind him, their small tryst of a kiss done and complete. As they began walking, she called out to Max with a wave and said, "Bye, Maxie," and then looked to D and said nothing as she slammed the door behind them.