As he stepped in the door of the large house, he found that the party was already going strong. People had drinks, and clearly a few of them, and the music was blaring. In the middle of the room, one guy was surrounded by people, he was showing off his powers, clearly over light, and was making what looked like a stream of liquid light float around. It was impressive, especially because he was clearly drunk and still had this level of control. Cal heard him mention that he had gotten a sponsorship and then he needed to go get drunk himself. He walked over to the bar where one of the students was mixing drinks.

"What's the strongest thing you have? Any whiskey? Rum?" Cal asked.

"I have vodka." The man said.

"I'll take a cup." Cal said.

"What kind of mix?" The bartender asked explaining some of the good cocktails.

"I just want a cup full of vodka." Cal said.

The man raised his eyebrows. "I will fill it halfway. Take it easy."

Cal nodded. "Whatever." He took his cup and walked back over to a corner that he saw was mostly deserted. He knew that he should go and see Sarah and John, but he didn't want them to see him. He drank down the whole cup, enjoying the pain as it burned down his throat.

He just sat on the ground in the corner, his arms on his knees, his back to the wall. He rested his head and focused on his breathing and tried not to think about things.

"Hey! There you are Cal!" Sarah had found him.

He gave her what he hoped was a convincing smile. "Hey! I just ran out of my drink. Could you be a saint and just get me a cup filled with vodka?" He handed her the cup.

She looked at him uneasily.

"Please?" He said. She frowned and nodded.

He sat for a while longer and she came back with his cup and sat next to him.

"How come you aren't partying?" She asked.

"I'm here aren't I?" He responded.

"I don't think you are." She said. He took a long drink of his cup. "Take it easy with the vodka, Cal. Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Go hang out with Josh or whoever invited you here, I will be right here."

She just continued to look at him with that concerned expression. "Please talk to me." She said.

He drank the rest of his cup down and then got up to go get more. "I'm sorry. Go enjoy yourself."

He walked back up to the bartender for more, but he refused to give him any more. Finally, Cal gave up and went back to his corner with his empty cup. Sarah was gone. He looked up the chemical formula for whiskey on his phone and started to try to make it. His cup started to fill. It was pretty good, actually. It didn't taste very good, but it was alcohol and it burned, and that was all that Cal cared about.

He drank down the rest of that cup by the time that everyone was starting to leave. Sarah came back to him. He hated the look of pity on her face. "Leave me alone." He slurred. He got up to leave, but the world spun around him and the ground was somehow under his back now. She came up to him and put his arm around her, he could feel her starting to clear up his drunken state, so he pushed her away and then fell again.

"Dammit Cal, I'm trying to fucking help you!" She shouted and tried to pick him up again.

"I don't need help." He fought her.

He didn't remember what happened after that, but then suddenly he was falling into his bed and she was standing beside it.

"What the hell is up with you, Cal? You never act like this." She said.

Why did she have to remind him of the thing he was trying not to think about. Always trying not to think about it. It was harder for him to fight it now that he was drunk and she had to go and remind him.

Tears poured down his face. She was so good, his mother. She had been a politician, fighting about corporations and their involvement in the government. He could remember it so clearly. He had been walking home one day, a strange car in the driveway. Just as he put his hand on the door handle he could hear her screaming. It made his stomach roll. It was a terrible scream. Her voice cutting out in desperation, as she reached outside of her vocal range. It didn't stop for a long time, but it got quieter as he ran away. He hated himself for running away. He could have saved her. A police officer finally found him and took him home. A fire elemental, who was sent by a corporation, although no one would believe him about that, had broken in and burned her alive. The casket had to be closed at the funeral. She was just bone and melted flesh and ash. The corporation and the fire elemental went free, completely unpunished.

He didn't realize he had been saying all of this to Sarah until his voice wore out and he sobbed. She held him and cleared up his drunken state and then made him sleep.