Oh stars, shine brightly on me

I'm Here - Part 1

A/N: All my first statements are apologies these days. I'm sure you're tired of it, but I'm helping out right now with some so I can't write more often as I used to. Plus I'm still hangover with my writer's block.

Anyways, this is Part 1 of the long one-shot I was talking about that I was doing.

———

Back pressed to the hard wooden wall, a young woman, wearing a stylish but professional-looking barong top and black slacks, let out a tired sigh, all the while toying the wineglass in her hand to let the alcoholic beverage slosh inside the fragile container. The party around her is still kicking in and it isn't going to stop anytime sooner—it even looks as if the party has just started with the way the people around start to party hard—laughing, shouting, and swaying their bodies to the beat of the pounding music.

The looks of happiness, oblivious to the world around them could make any envious, including her.

She isn't supposed to be here, Jade knows that herself all too well.

She should be at home, back to 'Tanchingco Hell' as bluntly as her brother, Paul, calls their house now. But her bestfriend-forever-since-childhood, Sally, dragged her into this exclusive party that their friends organized in order to help her forget about her problems and sorrows—mainly her and Althea's temporary 'maybe' break-up.

Thankfully, her parents allowed her to leave, knowing that she's already back with them makes a big difference, and the fact that Sally was also there to ask permission to sweep Jade out of the mansion made it possible.

'Or maybe they're just being kind enough to me, knowing that I just got my heart crushed by my girlfriend...' Jade thought glumly, eyes lingering on the wineglass still full of martini. She really isn't in the mood to shoot this down her system, as much as the thought of it seems enticing and pleasing because she needs something to numb herself from the pain that still lingers from Althea's blatant betrayal and lie.

Still, the logical part of her took over. She isn't about to surrender and drink off her sorrows and pain—she didn't want to forget the pain through the use of alcohol to numb and fog her senses, only for when morning comes, she'll remember everything. It's unpleasant to wake up with a hangover and if she's going to add the pain of her heartbreak then that would double the misery that she'd feel.

'Maybe I should've just politely refused Sally's invitation earlier and stayed at home... The way I feel right now, I just won't be able to enjoy this party.' Jade sighed, still staring at her wineglass in obvious disinterest.

'I should leave. I'll just tell Sally that I need to go home early, then I'll take a cab back.'

Nodding to herself, Jade pushes herself off from leaning on the wall and she walks out of the wide living-room-turned-dance-room to look for her childhood bestfriend, putting down the wineglass on a nearby empty table along the way out.

Knowing Sally, her bestfriend might be preoccupied with helping out the party hosts, Luke and Trish, in the kitchen, just like her bestfriend told her when she left Jade by herself fifteen minutes ago. Although texting or calling Sally would've been a better and faster option, the feeling of disappointing and hurting her bestfriend's feeling again comes to the forefront of Jade's mind.

Sally took the time to go to her house and invite her personally, even asking permission to her mother and father just to take her out and make her forget her problems a bit by having fun, ditching her without at least telling her bestfriend personally that she has to leave would be run and ungrateful of her. The least she could do is thank and personally say goodbye to Sally.