Connor.

•Chapter 1•

I walk into my room and was instantly blinded from the sun reflecting of my wall of many trophies and medals I've accumulated through sports. Someday those are gonna sit in a box only to be found by my kids and for them to be fascinated by them. I throw my bags down, close the curtains, and glance over at my clock.

3:26.

I've estimated that it would take me about 2-3 hours to eat, take a shower and let my hair dry then get dressed. Sami said she'd be here around 6:30 to pick me up. I put on my old Aeropostale hoodie with some jeans and converse. My goal is to make myself as obscene and unattractive as possible so I don't even put on make up and throw my long black hair up in a messy bun. I look into the mirror one last time before Sami pulls up into my driveway and beeps her horn. I am definitely Tina White's daughter, anyone can tell easily because of the beauty my mother had given to me, but tonight my beauty may create a hassle in the struggle of keeping my virginity. Once again I don't anticipate on drinking any alcohol. My deep dark brown eyes staring back to me almost make me forget that Sami's waiting outside, I grab my keys, phone, and my emergency money mom always leaves for me and lock the door on my way out.

"Ready to get white girl wasted?, she shouts over the music playing over her radio.

I smile and pull the bottle of Mountain Dew out of my hoodie pocket.

She gags out a laugh and switches my pop for an empty beer bottle she had laying in the back seat. "You're gonna need that to get in". We take off towards the sunset. I never got to fully take a look at Sami's outfit in the car, but I'm guessing she's desperate from how much of her butt cheek hangs out from her shorts and how tall her heels are. I never got to see her shirt yet either. We walk up to an over grown field and as if she's rehearsed this many of times Sami walks in with her bottle raised and yells "MAMAS HOME BITCHES". Everyone raises their bottles and shouts in unison like a rebel yell "YEE YEE". I was hoping she'd be sucked in by the crowd so I could stay as far away as possible, my heart pounding as if it's gonna explode right out of my chest from my nerves. But just as soon as I inch my way backwards she takes my arm and pulls me towards my death. I look around, the whole shebang consists of a huge bonfire fueled by dry grass from the field and aluminum cans, drunk teens making out with hopeless adults in their 20s or 30s , and so much more. Nothing stands out because everyone is in their own little world. But one person does, possibly because he's staring straight at me, my stomach flutters by his intimidating stare and Sami yet again pulls me away. I look back after she drags me past a few people, but he's not there, and I suddenly get this strange sensation that I'm being followed. I quickly ignore it and join Sami and her fellow drunkees in a game of corn hole.

The nights getting later and everyone's sort of sitting around the slowly dying fire as a few share some stories, no one has ceased to disappoint as they all hold a bottle or can or flask in their hands. The feeling I had earlier about being followed never quite went away yet and it seems to have gotten stronger. I turn around stand face to face with the boy I saw when I first walked up to the rave and suddenly from lack of sleep I snap.

"Do you have something to say to me?"

I catch him by total surprise. "What? No. " the smell of alcohol and cigarettes on his breath is too strong that I'm forced to take a few steps back bumping into someone.

"Really? Cause you've been following me the whole night", I try to make myself as intimidating as his state was so he'll get the hint to walk away right then and there.

"I have not been following you.. Have I?"

Damn it.

"Look I think it'd be in your best interest to-", someone throws a few rake fulls of grass into the fire behind me, the fire blazes and illuminates his face. His blue eyes pierce through me as he looks down into mine with a little smile. I know I've seen that face before. I glance down to see his black hoodie with a neon green Monster Energy insignia on the front, I've also seen this hoodie before. "Wait you're-".

"Connor", we both say.

His raspy laugh rings through my ears. "I thought you looked familiar as well umm Karli?"

"Claire", I correct him.

"Right. Right", he leans back and forth on his heels as if he's nervous. "I guess I'll be seeing you around then. Sorry for the confusion". He turns his back towards me and starts to walk away, but I have to ask.

"Where do I know you from?"

He stops. Turns back around and says. "School". But that's all he says.

The rest of the night I try to think of where I could ever have come across some one like him, Sami was a family friend so she doesn't count. I remember a kid in my third grade class that everyone knew he would grow up to attend these, but I don't remember him looking anything like this Connor plus he moved far away and no ones heard of him since. Every once in a while his faces pops up in my mind. From what I could tell with the countless seconds that felt like hours when looking at his face I had, I pointed out some features like how tan he looked in the dim light, how his bright blue eyes reflected the flames, his perfectly straight his teeth were, and just how handsome he was in general. I completely forget about the fact that my parents would shoot him on the spot if they smelt his breath or the fact that I'm sitting by a Bon fire surrounded by wasted teens and a few straggling adults, and the fact that Brennan and I had been in a committed relationship for 2 and a half years.

Brennan.

I almost forget to text Brennan back "good night love" as he does to same to me. I check my phone only to find no messages and a pit in my stomach fill with disappointment. I put my phone away and fill my thoughts with nothing, but Connor.