**Dedicated to @RobertMichealTrent for being a really awesome friend! She's super cool and weird (in a good way), so if you're not already, you should really follow her!! :)**
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Isabel, Jai, and I spent a total of two hours getting ready for this party. After they both took showers and dressed themselves, they insisted they do my hair and makeup, because, according to them, I don't know how to make myself presentable. Once my hair was completed by Jai, and my makeup finished by Isabel, I slipped into my dress while they did their own hair and makeup. For shoes, I had on a pair of black pumps that were already broken in (courtesy of Jai), so they wouldn't give me blisters. Jai styled my hair in soft, loose curls that hung down my back, and Isabel had light makeup on my face to keep it natural.
"Are we ready?" I ask my friends as they put the finishing touches on their makeup.
"Yep, all done," Isabel says, looking amazing in her strapless black lace cocktail dress.
"Same here," Jai states as she ties the ribbon on her mini flowy white dress that came about three or four inches above her knees. The soft white contrasted perfectly with her tan skin.
"Cool. Andrew said he'd come up here when the coast was clear, so all we have to do now is wait."
"Or not," Jai said, looking over my shoulder at something behind me.
Turning, I see Andrew standing in the doorway in dark jeans that hang loosely on his hips, and a red polo shirt that defines his muscles perfectly. My eyes can't help but stay trained on his biceps that seem to be bulging out in the open. When I finally force myself to look up, his eyes are trained on me, expressionless. His eyes travel down my body in an intense gaze, licking his bottom lip in a slow, seductive motion.
Suddenly, his eyes snap back up to my face and he says, "Wow." One word. Just one. Yet, it means everything. Clearing his throat, he added, "I mean you all look nice." Even as he addressed all three of us, his eyes never left mine. He was sending a deeper message, only meant for me, with his eyes.
Message received.
"Thanks," I say. "So do you." Tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, I said, "I see you're finally adding some color."
He glanced down at his red shirt. "Yeah, sort of. Really, though, Jai told me you were wearing red, and therefore demanding that I do the same."
"Jai," I say in an accusatory tone while hitting her arm.
"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. "Sort of."
I roll my eyes, smiling. "So are we all set for departure?" I ask Andrew.
"Not yet. Your mom is helping Karen clean the kitchen."
"We could always go out the window," Isabel suggests.
"Not in this dress I'm not," I said, raising my eyebrows.
"You could always take it off," Andrew says, grinning.
Blushing profusely, I smack his arm. "Shut up."
"Wow Hailey," Jai smirks. "Your face matches your dress."
I cover my face with my hands, suddenly feeling a little timid. "Why does everyone enjoy making me blush?" My voice is muffled behind my hands.
Andrew chuckled, removing my hands from my face and giving me a small kiss. Right in front of my friends. It only lasts for a second, but still. It's embarrassing.
"Okay Lovebirds," Isabel smiles. "Let's keep the PDA to a minimum."
I stuck my tongue out at her as Andrew said, "I think we're in the clear to leave now."
My friends squealed and walked quickly out of the room, Andrew and I following slowly behind. As we walked down the stairs, Andrew linked his fingers with mine, so I caught him by surprise and kissed him. Isabel and Jai were ahead of us, so they'd only see if they looked back, which, by the deep conversation they were having, is not likely to happen. Deepening the kiss, I wrapped my arms around Andrew's neck as his hand went to my waist, pulling me closer to him. A newfound confidence building up inside me, I slipped my tongue in his mouth first, something I knew would take him by surprise. He grinned against my lips, pinning me against the railing of the stairs. My tongue is greeted with his and his hand slides from my waist and travels lower and lower and lower...
"The hell is going on here?"
I jump at the sound of my brother's voice, pulling away from Andrew and looking at the bottom of the stairs where John is standing in front of Jai and Isabel.
"John, language please!" My mom calls from the kitchen.
Ignoring our mother, John says, "Why the fuck do you have your tongue down his throat?" You'd think that he'd be on my side, yelling at Andrew for kissing me instead of vice versa. But no, he still thinks Andrew and I are at each other's throats, so he defends Andrew instead of me, his sister.
"Uh..." I just stand there like the idiot I am and stare at my brother with wide eyes.
"Come on Hailey, spit it out."
"Ummmm, I can't."
John raised his eyebrows. "You can't?"
"Nope, sorry. But, um, we have to go now, so..." I tread down the stairs carefully so I don't fall on my face in these heels, Andrew falling in step behind me, but when I get to the bottom John steps in front of me, blocking my path.
"You're not getting off that easy."
I groan loudly. "John, you're so mean."
Rolling his eyes, he queries, "Why were you kissing him? I thought you two hated each other."
"Well, we don't. Now will you please move? I'm pretty sure this qualifies as harassment." Once again, I tried going around him, but he grabbed my shoulders.
"Wait, why are you dressed like that?"
"John, I swear I will kick you where it counts if you don't let go of me this instant."
He glared at me. "You wouldn't."
"Try me." I glared back. For a few minutes there was an unspoken language within our menacing looks, and then I broke the silence. "I'll give you twenty bucks to keep your mouth shut."
"Thirty."
"Deal." We shook hands quickly, and then I opened the front door, smiling at my friends. "Who's ready to party?"
✽ ✽ ✽
The party was full-on when we attained our destination at Andrew's friend's house. Red Solo cups littered the front lawn as well as inside the house. His house wasn't anything profligate, just the average two-story brick house. The back yard is a whole different story. The impeccably cut green grass is covered by dancing, drinking teenagers, but you can still see its beauty even with the sweaty bodies disregarding it. Off to the side is a hammock tied between two oak trees. There's a stone walkway that leads to a flower garden off in the distance with a fountain in the midst of it. Strung in the trees were white lights that gave the yard a champagne-colored glow. Clearly, most of the party was outside.
"Where do we start?" I ask Andrew.
Shaking his head and smiling, he takes my hand and leads me to a cooler filled with beer. He reaches in and takes one out, offering it to me.
I shake my head, scrunching up my nose. "No thanks, I don't drink."
Shrugging, he opens it up for himself and takes a swig. "Well, the good stuff's in the kitchen, so I'll be back." He walks away in the direction of the house, leaving us-three inexperienced partiers-surrounded by intoxicated teenagers.
Isabel scowls as a guy that can't walk straight bumps into her on his way by. "Well, this is fun," she says sarcastically, her eyes trained on a couple grinding on each other so hard they're panting. "I've been to a few parties before, but never have I seen any like this."
"Let's just give it time," I respond while nervously raking my fingers through my curls.
"Should we go dance?" Jai advocates.
"We could do that," Isabel speaks, her eyes still staring ahead. "Or, we could go find Andrew and tell him to take us home."
"I second that," Jai raised her hand halfway.
Ready to veto my friends' ridiculous ideas, I see a guy throw up in a shrub. Let's just say he's probably disposed of his liver by now. Trying not to barf, I say, "Okay, let's go."
Luckily for us, we didn't have to go very far before seeing Andrew heading towards us with a red plastic cup in his hand.
"Is that beer?" I ask, confused. There was a whole cooler of beer in the yard, so why did he have to go to the kitchen?
Andrew grinned at me. "Far from it. This shit is brutal."
I raise an eyebrow at him. "You promised me you wouldn't do anything stupid."
"That was last weekend, sweetheart. This is a new day." Throwing back his head, he takes a big gulp of whatever mystery toxin is concealed by his cup.
I roll my eyes. "We want to go home. Now."
Confused, Andrew queries, "Why? We just got here."
"It's disgusting here. That guy over there just puked up his whole stomach in that poor shrub, and there's a couple dancing that is grinding so hard they can't breathe. Then there's the filthy stench of alcohol everywhere I go, which I hate, because alcohol is seriously just flavored poison. Oh, and, let's not forget the stupid couple having sex on the hammock." By the time I was done with my rant, Andrew had finished his drink and tossed the empty cup on the ground.
"Give it a chance, and enjoy yourself. You won't have fun if you just stand there and point out its flaws."
"What do you expect me to do in order to enjoy myself?"
"You could dance, or go socialize."
"Or," I drag out the word while taking his hand. "I could stay with you."
"That is also an option," he smiles down at me.
"Come on, Isabel," Jai says, grabbing Isabel by her elbow. "Let's go flirt with those guys over there. I think Andrew and Hailey want some alone time," Dragging Isabel behind her, Jai rushes off to a group of guys standing under a tree drinking beer.
"Andrew, you made it!" A voice cheers over the loud music. A tall, lean girl dressed in a tube top and shorts that to me looked more like a belt, came up towards us with hot pink painted lips turned up into a wide grin.
"Hi Lacey," Andrew slurred, and I realized that he was on the brink of being insanely drunk. Knowing him, he wouldn't stop drinking until the very last minute of the party.
The girl-Lacey?-threw her arms around Andrew's neck and squealed. "Oh my gosh, I haven't seen you in forever. How are you?"
Andrew stood there awkwardly as she hung on to his neck. I noticed he refused to meet my gaze. "I'm doing okay. And you?"
"I've never been better." After what seemed like an eternity, she finally released my boyfriend and planted a kiss on his cheek, marking his face with a bright pink lipstick stain.
I scowled with my eyes boring into Andrew's, though he still wasn't meeting my gaze. "I'm Hailey," I interpolated. If Andrew wasn't going to introduce me, I might as well take matters into my own hands. "Andrew's girlfriend."
Lacey turned to face me, her smile faltering slightly. "Oh. Hi." As her eyes scanned me from head to toe, I cursed myself for blushing. Suddenly, her wide grin returned and she pulled me into a tight hug, squealing.
My eyes went wide and met Andrew's equally shocked ones. Once the short unsettling seconds of her arms around me went by, she finally let go and I let out a small chuckle. "Um, I don't think that was necessary."
A loud, bellowing laugh escaped her, and she smacked my arm. "Of course it was necessary! I don't want you to think I'm some sort of crazy person!"
Too late for that.
"I did just kiss your boyfriend after all," Lacey continues, patting Andrew's shoulder. "And the fact that he's your boyfriend is absolutely shocking!"
Um, what did this bitch just say?
"E-excuse me?" I said, trying to contain the stream of curses that were sure to come out of my mouth if this Lacey chick didn't shut up.
For some reason, this made her laugh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I swear." Her lips quivered as she tried to hold back another fit of laughter.
"Yeah? Then how exactly did you mean it?"
"I just meant that Andrew's very... circumscribed, and it's been years since he's had a girlfriend. So, it just came as a surprise that he's dating again."
I looked at Andrew, searching his face for verification that this pristine information is true.
For a few moments he held my gaze, expression unbelievably incomprehensible, and then he took my hand. "Lacey, it was nice catching up with you, be we have to go now."
"What? You just got here." Lacey speaks.
"Yeah, well, I'm no longer in the mood to party." Andrew turns and, with his hand interlaced with mine, he leads me away.
"Was it something I said?" She called after us.
Andrew ignored her and led me to the tall oak tree under which Jai and Isabel were standing, flirting with three muscular boys. My two friends both had their own method of flirting.
Jai was twirling her hair around her finger and giggling at everything one of the guys said. She managed to flirt with the tallest, more muscular one, with gray eyes and messy dark brown hair. Honestly, he was pretty sexy. But Jai's petite figure made her seem like a twig standing next to his tall frame.
Isabel, on the other hand, was running her hands along a guy's chest, whispering in his ear as he gripped her hips possessively. The guy nearly passed out when Isabel lightly nibbled on his ear. This guy had deep-almost navy-blue eyes and black hair cut neatly. Slight stubble dotted his face. By the boyish twinkle in his eye and the way he kept pulling Isabel closer to him, I could tell Isabel was seducing him, and maybe even a few seconds away from going to bed with him. I can't say I blame her all that much.
The third guy was leaning against the trunk of the tree, sipping on his beer and staring at Isabel's butt.
Clearing my throat, I stepped up to them to obtain their attention. "Um, guys? Are, uh, are you ready to go?"
Quickly pulling away from their boy toys, my friends turned around to face me, smiles on their faces. "Just a few more minutes," Jai pleaded. "I haven't even gotten his number yet!"
"And Brad and I were about to play beer pong," Isabel adds. "Weren't we, Brad?"
Brad turned a deep shade of red and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, um... that's what we were about to do. Nothing like have sex or anything. That'd be, um, ridiculous."
"Right," Isabel says, smiling. "I'll meet you guys at the car in fifteen?"
"Sounds good to me," Jai says, turning away from us to flirt with her boy toy.
I laughed at my friends. "Fine, see you then." Never releasing Andrew's hand, I lead him towards the fountain, taking a seat on a stone bench a few feet from the sparkling water descending from the spout. Andrew sits down beside me. "Let's talk."
Surprised, Andrew raises his eyebrows and stares at me for a second before he decides to speak. "Talk?" A few more seconds pass of him staring at me, and then he turns away to look at the water. "About what?"
"About Lacey," I say, deciding it's best to get straight to the point.
Andrew chuckles. "And why exactly would we do that?"
"Because she's your ex-girlfriend and obviously an important part of your past. I mean, she said that she was your last girlfriend before you confined people you hang out with and stopped dating. So she must mean something to you."
"She means nothing to me. Not anymore. Don't take anything she says seriously, she just happened to be there in my state of vulnerability."
Examining his blank face, I slid closer to him. "You mean after the car accident?"
Andrew's head snapped to meet mine so quickly, I was sure he broke his neck. "What did you just say?"
"You know, how your parents died in a car accident. You told me at the beach."
"No, I didn't. I told you that my father killed my mother. I never said anything about a car accident."
Oh shiitake mushrooms.
I totally forgot it was Aunt Karen who told me that. Shit, shit, shit.
"Oh, um, right. You see, I didn't really know that, it was just a... lucky guess?"
He narrowed his eyes at me. "Who told you?"
"Told me what?" I asked, innocently batting my eyelashes.
"Don't play games with me, Hailey," he growled. "Who told you about my parents?"
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that you didn't tell me yourself." If he can get angry, then so can I. "Andrew, you lied to me at the hotel. You said that your dad killed your mom, not that they were in a wreck."
"He did kill her, not that it's any of your business."
"There you go lying to me again! Really, Andrew, when is this going to stop? Why can't you just tell me the truth?"
"Apparently you already know the truth. And why does it matter? Why are you so hung up on knowing how my parents died?"
"Is that what you think? That I care about how they died? Because that's not true. I care about you, okay?" This seemed to get his attention, because he was looking at me again, his eyes scanning my face. "Everyone keeps telling me how much you've changed and how secluded you are now after the accident. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but I don't care. All I want to do is help you in any way that I can. I want you to be happy."
"Sorry to burst your bubble, Hailey, but making me happy isn't your job. Only I can decide if I want to be happy, okay? Just me. I don't need you, Karen, or anybody else trying to dictate when I'm supposedly happy. And trust me, it'll take a lot more than just words to make me happy." He stood up, pulling car keys out of his back pocket. "I'll be in the car."
"Andrew-'' I called to him, but he was walking away before I could get another word out. I watched him weave his way through the crowd, stopping at the cooler to pick up a pack of beer, and then he vanished behind a group of dancing teenagers.
Our first fight as a couple....
Yeah, I'll definitely need a drink after this.
✽ ✽ ✽
Blurry.
That's how everything around me is.
A swirl of colors enveloping me and sending my mind into a dizzying spiral of images.
There were people dancing and laughing all around me, having the time of their lives. I couldn't make out one person from another. It was all a jumbled mess. Even if I could, I still don't see my friends nor Andrew anywhere in sight. The thought was unnerving, but I stayed calm, realizing they were probably still flirting with Brad and the other guys.
Wait, was his name Trevor?
Oh well, my head hurts too much to think. The pounding music rang in my ears and shook my whole body, making my head ache.
Suddenly, I became aware of something hard and sturdy pressed against my backside, a strong pair of arms wrapped around my waist. This person better be Andrew...
"Let's go somewhere private," a deep, unfamiliar, husky voice sounded in my ears, making me jump.
Okay, so there's a stranger with his arms wrapped around me, I don't know where my friends are, and I'm so drunk that I have a headache and my stomach burns. This isn't good.
I wrenched myself from the guy's grasp, whirling around to face him and stumbling in the process. He had brown hair and green eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. A smirk that was too much like Andrew's was on his face. "I have a boyfriend."
I think.
"And I have a girlfriend," the boy replies. "But that's not stopping me."
I blink. "I have to go. I need to find my friends." I turn on my heels, stumbling and having a hard time keeping myself upright. Before I can get far, a rough hand is gripping my elbow and I'm being jerked backwards.
"You're not going anywhere," the guy growls, roughly dragging me away from the crowd, and towards a narrow path that leads to the woods.
Panic hit me like a tornado. I struggled to remove myself from his grasp, but he was too strong. We were getting closer and closer to the line of the trees, my death coming nearer with each step I took.
I'm going to die.
I have to get out of here, I have to get help, I have to see my family again, I have to...
I screamed. I screamed like there was no tomorrow. Which, in my case, might be true. The sound was so loud and deafening that the crowd of teenagers went silent, and all of the attention was focused on the direction of the scream. All eyes were on me now, and my kidnapper froze in his spot, breathing hard and breaking into a cold sweat.
My throat was sore from the high pitch of the scream, my voice hoarse and dry. With my hijacker distracted and panicked, I used my energy to free myself from his grip and kick him in his crotch with my heel.
A girly scream escaped him as he clutched his penis, crumpling to the ground. "You little bitch," he said, out of breath and wincing.
While he was down, I took off my heels and ran as fast as I could. I was sure I was flying as I whizzed by the astounded crowd, careful to avoid any discarded or broken beer bottles. Once I reached Andrew's car, I was out of breath and trembling all over. The realization of what just happened hit me, and I was now bawling, wrapping my arms against myself. I just wanted to go home and feel Andrew's arms around me, letting me know that it was all going to be okay.
Needing his comfort, I looked into the car through my tears and realized that Andrew wasn't in there like he said he'd be. This made me cry even harder and soon I was on my knees on the rough concrete driveway, sobbing. This is all my fault for coming to this stupid party. I never should've listened to Andrew. I could've been killed.
"Hailey!" I heard two voices shout over my sobs and moments later two sets of arms were wrapped around me, holding me tight. I didn't have to open my eyes to know that it was Isabel and Jai. After years of strong friendship, I can automatically tell that it's them by the gentle squeeze in their hugs and the soft strands of Isabel's hair on my shoulder. It's the kind of love that you only get from your best friends.
After a few moments, I calmed down enough so that there were only silent tears streaming down my face. Still, I couldn't manage to say anything, just stare into space and try not to think of what just happened to me moments ago.
"You're okay," Jai whispers, wiping my tears and running makeup with her hand. "I promise you're okay."
Isabel rubs my back reassuringly, and then releases me, standing up. "I'll go find Andrew. He's in the house somewhere." She runs off in the direction of the house, her hair flying behind her.
"Do you want to wait in the car?" Jai asks me. "It's getting a little chilly."
I managed a nod, and she helped me up, sliding in the backseat with me. Leaning my head on her shoulder, I felt myself dozing off, sleep fighting to happen. But I can't sleep, not now. Not after what just happened to me.
"I think we should have a movie night tomorrow," Jai says. "We can have loads of candy and popcorn with Milk Duds in it--because I know that's how you like it--and ice cream sundaes. It'll be a blast. What do you think?"
I nodded against her shoulder, smiling at her attempt to change the subject.
"It can be like a going-away party for me and Isabel, since tomorrow is our last night here. But after that, you'll be home in a week and three days, and we can see each other all we want. Just like old times."
I cleared my throat to speak, my voice coming out slightly shaky. "You're a really good friend, you know that?"
She grinned. "I've been told quite a few times, yes."
I smiled, letting silence fill the car as fighting off sleep became harder and harder. The comfortable silence relaxed me and almost made me feel at peace. Almost. I won't be satisfied until I'm safe and sound at Aunt Karen's house, where I can cuddle up in my soft duvet and forget this night ever existed.
My eyelids became heavy as two figures came running towards the car. Isabel and Andrew. Andrew's running a little faster than Isabel, which is surprising because I can tell he's drunk by the way his face is flushed and sweaty. Once they reach the car, Andrew immediately opens the door to the back row and takes my hands. His mouth is moving, but I hear no words as sleep overtakes me.
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A/N: Howdy cupcakes!! Hehe... Geez, this chapter was intense, right? So Hailey finally went to a party....but you see how that turned out. And then she and Andrew got into an argument (no surprise there). Then there was a cute little bestie moment with Hailey and Jacey, or Jai if you prefer.
Wow, um, so Hailey nearly got raped and killed. SAY WHAT?!?! Yeah, I know that's crazy stuff. But it's definitely not something to laugh at, because that really happens to people. I don't know what kind of person would do something so awful, but that's just how some people are I guess.
Anyway, in this next chapter, Hailey isn't too happy with Andrew. Oh no!!! *sad face*
Okay, so moving on to my cast. I can't decide if Victoria Justice should be Isabel or Jacey, I need someone for John, and I'm changing Andrew's actor. Because, let's face it, Logan Lerman is super hot and all, but he's really not an Andrew if you know what I mean. So for John, I don't really care who he is as long as he looks 21-ish and cute. Yeah, that's about it as far as character's go. Inbox or comment your thoughts and opinions about the cast, or anything really. Be a sweet little cupcake and comment, vote, and follow!! Thanks!!
So 'til next time my lovely readers!
Love,
The One and Only Cupcake_Queen13
Haha, see what I did there?