Short Story.

It's three in the morning. A girl is in a garden. She is laying on the ground, her eyes closed, her too-long, scraggly blonde hair falling all around her. She takes a long drag from her rollie cigarette. A few moments later, she sighs.

She opens her eyes. She looks up; up, up and away, she stares at the dark starry night sky.

She opens her mouth, she looks as if she is about to speak. She closes her eyes again, but her mouth remains slightly ajar.  

She takes a drag.

"Hello."

Noone answers her for there is noone around her to answer. She didn't say it for anyone to hear, she doesn't expect anyone to. The party is at it's height and from where she is she can hear noise; music so loud that it blocks out all attempts that anyone may have at conversation. A scream claws it's ways through the sound every once in a while, but all other sound is drained out. 

She takes a drag.

The noise from inside becomes suddenly louder, clearer; she sits up, puts her hands behind her to support her and looks over. A boy stumbles out of the house and surveys the garden. He spots her and closes the door, the noise level goes back to normal.

He walks over to her and sits down.

He removes a packet of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. Marlboro red. He removes one, puts it in his mouth and offers one to her-she deftly removes one.

He lights her cigarette before lighting his own.

They sit for a few moments in comfortable silence, the only sound comes from their inhaling and the party.

"Dodge," he says with his hand outstretched. 

She looks at him a few moments before answering.

"Samantha."

She smiles, turns away, takes a drag.

He looks at his hand and slowly lowers it.

"You know Clare?"he asks.

"Clare?"

"Clare. She owns this place."

She looks over at him and takes a drag.

"Clare.....Clare...." she looks as if she is searching her brain, "Oh. Clare! Yeah, Clare's lovely."

"Yeah, she's alright"

A few more minutes in silence.

She stubs her cigarette. He looks down at his,

it's almost finished and he's barely gotten 

two drags out of it. He takes a drag before 

stubbing it.

He takes out his pack again and offers her one, she delicately puts it between her bright red lips and waits for him to take one out before he lights her cigarette. 

"How do you know her?" he asks.

She waits a few more moments before answering. "She's friends with Karl."

"Karl? Who's he"

"Oh... Karl? Karl's. Well, Karl's... just... Karl's just Karl.." she gets this sentence out with obvious difficulty.

Her head is turned away.

She takes several quick drags in succession.

"You and Clare don't have a lot in common do you?"

She takes another drag.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well," he sighs, "Clare talks a lot, she don't say much though. You don't talk a lot"

"I've nothing to say."

"But see, I don't think that's true. I think you've a lot to say."

"Thought you said I don't talk much."

"No. No, you don't talk much, you do say a lot though."

"Oh.. Okay," She turns away.

"So, who's Karl."

A few moments silence.

She doesn't turn back around.

"I told you," she pauses. "He's just Karl," another pause. "He went out with Sarah. He's... just... Karl."

"See, now that's what I means", she looks at him, "Now, who's this Karl guy."

He smiles at her. She doesn't return the favour. He gives her a playful nudge.

"He's just Karl, okay? I have to go now," She stands up to go inside, "Bye, Dodge."

"No. No, don't go. I didn't mean anything. Just stay,"she continues to walk away. 

He gets to his feet and runs to her. He puts his hand on her shoulder and she turns around. They're face to face.

She can smell the alcohol off his breath. 

"Just stay, Sam. Please stay."

She looks at him.

"I'm not Samantha. I'm Sarah."

She turns back around and walks inside.

He sighs and watches her walk back inside. He watches her open the door and go inside. He watches her close it and look at him before disappearing.

He continues to look at the closed door.

After a few minutes, he sighs again and lies flat on his back and closes his eyes.