Andrea didn't expect it.
It was just another notification.
Another message she almost ignored.
But then she read it.
"Luna is 16+ again this weekend."
Andrea stared at her phone.
Her heart skipped.
Luna.
The place that used to silence everything.
The place where she didn't feel like herself.
For a moment, she just sat there.
Thinking.
Then she locked her phone.
"…Okay."
Friday Night
The music hit her the moment she stepped inside.
Loud.
Familiar.
Alive.
Flashing lights cut through the darkness, bodies moved together, laughter echoed through the space.
Luna hadn't changed.
But Andrea had.
Or maybe she hadn't.
Maybe this was always who she was when everything else got too loud.
Her sister grabbed her arm.
"Welcome back."
Andrea smiled.
"Yeah."
And then—
The first drink.
Then another.
Then another.
The noise in her head faded quickly.
The whispers.
The rumors.
Matthew.
Samuel.
Everything blurred.
And for a moment—
She felt free again.
The Pattern Returns
It didn't take long.
It never did.
A guy approached her near the bar.
Then another later on the dance floor.
Conversations.
Smiles.
Flirting.
The same cycle.
Andrea laughed more.
Spoke louder.
Moved closer.
The alcohol made everything easier.
Or at least—
It felt like it did.
But something was different this time.
She wasn't just escaping.
She was running.
From everything.
And it showed.
Her movements were sharper.
Her tone quicker.
Her patience thinner.
At one point, a girl brushed past her too hard.
"Watch it," Andrea snapped immediately.
The girl turned.
"Relax."
Andrea stepped closer.
"You relax."
Her sister pulled her back.
"Hey—hey, calm down."
Andrea scoffed and turned away.
"Whatever."
But her chest was already tight again.
Hours passed.
Or maybe minutes.
Andrea couldn't tell anymore.
The lights blurred.
The music felt louder.
Her head lighter.
Her thoughts—
Gone.
She leaned against the wall, laughing at something she didn't even understand.
Someone handed her another drink.
She took it.
Didn't think.
Didn't stop.
Didn't care.
Across the room, people were watching her.
Not in the quiet way from school.
This time—
It was different.
Curious.
Interested.
But also…
Judging.
Because the rumors had followed her here too.
They always did.
Andrea felt it.
Even through the alcohol.
She pushed herself off the wall and walked back into the crowd.
Faster.
Harder.
Like if she moved enough, she wouldn't feel anything at all.
"Hey, aren't you that girl from—"
Andrea turned instantly.
"What?"
The guy blinked.
"I just meant—"
"No, say it," she snapped.
"I—"
"Say it," Andrea repeated, her voice sharper.
The guy raised his hands.
"Chill, I wasn't trying to—"
Andrea stepped closer.
"Then don't talk."
Her tone cut through the noise.
People nearby turned to look.
The guy backed off slightly.
"Okay… damn."
Andrea scoffed and turned away again.
Her heart was racing.
Too fast.
Too aggressive.
Her sister grabbed her arm again.
"Andrea."
"What?"
"You need to slow down."
Andrea laughed.
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
Andrea pulled her arm away.
"I said I'm fine."
Her voice was louder now.
People were definitely watching.
But Andrea didn't care.
Or at least—
She pretended not to.
Later that night, Andrea stood outside Luna.
The cold air hit her face.
But it didn't calm her down.
Not this time.
Her hands were shaking slightly.
Her head still spinning.
Inside, the music kept going.
The party never stopped.
Just like everything else.
Andrea leaned against the wall and looked down.
For a moment—
Everything came rushing back.
The rumors.
The photo.
Matthew.
Samuel.
The lake.
The almost.
Her chest tightened.
And suddenly—
The noise in her head came back.
Louder than ever.
Andrea laughed quietly to herself.
A broken sound.
"This isn't helping," she whispered.
But even as she said it—
She knew.
She'd come back tomorrow.
Because Luna didn't fix anything.
It just made it easier to forget.
And right now—
Forgetting felt better than feeling.