"Parker, open up! Please!" Ella stood, freezing cold, outside of her friends house, pounding on the door. She was sure that his parents were going to be pissed - they didn't like her in the first place. However, she was exactly in a position to be sneaking around, especially after what being out at night had just gotten her. 

"Hey! You up? I know you are-"

She was answered when the dark green door opened rather slowly for her taste. 

"Wha-Ella, what are you doing?" Parker's sandy blond hair was disheveled and his voice was gravelly and groggy, and he wasn't wearing a shirt over his boxers. She had woken him up.

"I just..Can I come in?" The boy's face seemed to wake up a little more and he nodded, opening the door a little more so Ella could step inside. A pregnant pause lasted into the small living room, until Parker decided to say something.

"You know, I called you to see if you wanted me to pick you up, but you weren't answering. I got really freaked out when people were saying that a huge fight had broken out at the party, so I went over to your house. I got your phone. Some guy named Alex Middleton left you a message." His tone sounded a little cold towards the end. Ella couldn't blame him. The situation suggested so much. 

"Oh. Could I see that?" Ella motioned for her phone, and Parker brought it out of his pants, which, thankfully, had pockets. Without a word, he handed it to her, their hands touching in the process. Despite how warm it was in the house, Ella couldn't suppress a chill when she pressed the tab to open the voicemail.

[i]"Hello, Ella? This is Alex Middleton. We met at the party. I hope you haven't forgotten me. I had fun that night, and I hope we can meet up and do it again sometime. Maybe do some shots? Haha, just kidding. Anyways, you're probably curious about what I'm calling about. I was really concerned with that guy we saw before. I just hope you don't do anything to end up like that. Well, you're a smart girl, I know you'll do the right thing. See you around."[/i]

Ella stopped breathing as the message went silent. Her blood froze in her veins and for a moment, all she could think of was her immanent death. She had seen too much, she was going to be murdered on a street corner where no one could ever find her. Her face was going to be set on fire and become another unrecognizable street urchin. She was going to-

"El? Hello? What was that about?" Parker's warm hand pressed onto Ella's shoulder, breaking her from her trance. She fumbled for an answer that wouldn't get her throat slit.

"I..It's not what you think it is, I swear. He's just some asshole that I ran into while I was out and we had a couple of drinks around the pool. While were there, some guy got really drunk and got stun-gunned by the police. That's all." There was a long silence, and for a moment, Ella thought he was actually going to buy it.

Parker's hand, once just resting on her shoulder, was now pulling her into a tight hug.

"You and I...both know....that you can always come here, right?"

"Mhmm."

[i]Except when I'm dead. Or kidnapped, or something.[/i]