Amber Breth's Story

Paige was the first to respond, making a light chuckle. A bitter sort of shame washed though Vi's psyche- come on, she knew she couldn't rely on anyone when it came to Super Hero Violet! Wasn't that more than obvious? If they knew, they'd reject her, wouldn't they? Both the girls, and the guys too. None of them were allowed to know that she was a fighter. Scowling as she narrowed her eyes into something of a squint, Vi ignored Paige to idly stare at the window; glazed eyes not really taking in the environment. Idiot, such an idiot to have brought it up.

After some time, the awkward silence ended- Paige, seemingly recognizing her mistake (or was it a mistake? Vi wasn't sure.... but maybe she just realized that the guitar girl wasn't making a joke at all.) and she broke the silence, with a different tone, shrugging. "Umm." She looked somewhat hesitant, but continued anyways, making Vi sharply turn her gaze over. "No. I would actually say she's awesome. Kinda like a superhero, maybe." Almost as if to match with Vi's eyes, Paige's glance met Violet's almost-glare. "Why?" Paige finished, but before Vi could gather her thoughts, she heard Lacey and some car of testosterone addled idiots up ahead, screaming stupid shit that didn't matter. Vi clenched her fist in annoyance- why did it have to be those idiots? Why the hell did the trash try to, well, get to know this little group -minus Cora, that artsy freaky person- while the one she wanted, Nate, utterly blocked each and every one of her advances. The irony was great, wasn't it? Finally, the horny bastards left, and Lacey turned to Vi after making another joke to the beauty of the group- that Amber, man, attracting boys everywhere- snugly seated in shotgun.

"Anyways!" Lacey said, making it a trio of girls looking at each other. "What were you saying, Vi, before you were so rudely interrupted?"

Vi shrugged noncommittally. If she was careful, she could still salvage this, and not have to deal with trying to hide the ugly side of her- only really wanting to show the energetic self that they loved... or, at least, claimed to love. But, of course, thinking wasn't really her thing, was it? Angry at herself and at the two assholes that had hurt Brit- damn Ryan and Vic, no way in hell will they get out in one piece - she just wanted to vent her frustrations by smashing their stupid smug faces and keep them from bullying the pathetic member of the team.

"Some.. some fucktards just deserve it, that's all." Vi muttered angrily. "Just was wonderin' how nice it'd be if someone beat the shit out of 'em and then tore them new assholes."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Screw that- just, dunno, break their spines or something." Her mouth twitched, threatening to grin. She now knew what she wanted to do to the bullies. Smashing their backs in with a metal pipe and leaving them to be cripples, isn't that a worthy punishment? So, she decided to change the topic, lest the other girls suddenly notice her thought. "So, Amber." She sneered dryly. "You got like, a magic potion that makes all the guys run to you?" Stretching her arms above her shoulders; "Man, it'd be nice if we all got one'a those."

---

After choosing their outfits; it was party time. Vi was, honestly a bit nervous, in her somewhat casual-yet-a little punk outfit of hers. Poking lightly at the cat ears sewn onto the pullover she was wearing, she sighed. What the hell was the use of a party, when there we- hmm. Well, she could always try to seduce Nate, right? And blame it on the drinks. Oh, and dance with him. Licking her lips a little, she wondered exactly, how to dance? She always thought that shit was for the more girly of girls- not for someone like her. So, there was that. But otherwise, whatever. This might be her chance to make Nathan notice at long last, that she's a girl.

The music was already loud and booming, and the faint smell of liquor was more than obvious. Following the other girls in- and silently thinking that they all looked prettier than she did, Vi almost walked in, until she felt a tap on her shoulder. One of the guys who was just hanging around outside- maybe waiting for a girl? Her eyes snapped to him- and he felt like a Jeff, for some reason.

"Don't remember your name on the invite list." Maybe-Jeff said, with a chuckle. Red boiled under Vi's skin, but with her friends still close, she had to restrain herself. So, she decided to chew on her lip- accidentally going too hard and breaking the skin there; a few blood droplets being seen. "Freak. We wanted a fun party, for the, y'know, cool people. Losers like you don't belong here."

Violet turned away, trembling with anger, when she was pulled back by maybe-Jeff again. And now she recognized him- she beat him down about a year ago, more or less. She didn't remember exactly what it was for, but she was sure he deserved it.

"Pissed 'bout losing to a girl?" Violet said venomously, faking a punch to the face- and sure enough, maybe-Jeff flinched back. Vi then shoved her face into his, grinning nastily. "Fuck off. You aren't the one I'm fighting, tonight."

Hearing maybe-Jeff mutter 'freak' behind her, Violet walked in, and forced her way through the crowd to get at the beer. Couldn't pretend to be drunk if she didn't have a few sips, right?

Violet glared at Paige making the dyed red head shrink down in her seat a little. Turning her eyes to the back of the drivers seat in front of her Paige let out a silent oops only mouthing the words instead of risking the chance of having to receive another death glare from the brunette beside her.

"Hey where are you fine ladies off to?" Paige looked up, clearing her eyes of the blank stare she had just had moments ago. The sound of a male voice making her forget about Violet for a moment. Cocking an eyebrow she tried not to laugh as the boy tried to flirt with Lacey, but to no avail as the ginger haired girl shut the window on him.

Typical dude with 'swag' and too much time on his hands Paige thought as their car rolled past them.

Paige really never got flirted with much. Most guys seeing her as just another one of the boys on their soccer team. That or she come off as a lesbian, or one of those people who weren't interested in anybody. Asexual. Was the term for it Paige thought idly biting her lip and letting her eyes lazily drift to the scenery outside. I guess they really never saw much beauty in me or something Paige decided. Shrugging slightly she tried to shake the self-esteem punching thoughts out of her mind.

"Some.. some fucktards just deserve it, that's all. Just was wonderin' how nice it'd be if someone beat the shit out of 'em and then tore them new assholes." Violet said making Paige stare at her, a puzzled look coming across her face before remembering the earlier topic.

Paige nodded knowingly only really nodding in attempt to try to regain a bit more peace with Violet.

Paige took out her phone after receiving a vibrating sensation from it. "Hmm a text from Cora." Paige muttered as she silently read the text.

Hey Paige! What's up? Can we hangout soon?

Hey C, hmmm what's up? At the moment the roof of Amber's car. No I'm jk. Nm. Sure, we're heading to Lacey's at the moment, I'm with Amber, Vi and Lacey, we're gonna raid Lacey's closet, then off to some party. I think you have time to meet us there, if you don't feel like witnessing the fashion show of the century, just meet us at the party. Oh an don't forget to bring that sketch book, you still haven't shown me what's in there :p

Paige quickly typed the reply, a smirk appearing on her face as she added the last part about Cora's book. Hitting send she shoved her phone in her pocket, just as they came to a stop in front of their destination.

---

"Whada' ya think?" Paige asked to anyone who was listening as she shoved her clothes in her backpack and stood up in Lacey's.

Pushing her bangs out of her eye and behind her ear where her hair sat a dark purple beanie accompanied it the color matching the words Hakuna Matata on the white tank top she wore. Throwing a black leather jacket on she smiled shoving her hands into the pockets of her own skinny jeans.

"Are we ready? "

---

Entering the party Paige let her head bounce slightly to the beat of the music as she weaved herself through sober and not so sober kids. Nodding at the few kids that noticed her she went to stand by a small group of people who she knew, who seemed to be talking about some new song that Paige hadn't really cared for. Emerging herself in the conversation she tried to keep an eye out for Sam.

---

Amber exited with the other girls in a delicate daze. Her hair fell softly around her shoulders, the long locks shifting slightly as she stepped. Her elegant steps were soft and graceful, and she breezed along with the other girls to the car. She was happy, though joyous may be a better word. Happiness described something full, and content with great pleasure. It comes with the sound of laughter, and warm friendly times, wild or docile. Joy was similar, but there was an emptiness in joy. Joy was a smile over a sadness. It was when someone felt a happiness that they knew wouldn't last, or at least was complete. Theres nothing more deceptive than a smile and no one knows this better than the people who hide behind them. Some flash their teeth as a polite warning to their enemies, some put on beaming faces to keep their tears from falling, others wear silly grins to mask their fear. But sometimes it is that rare smile that is actually genuine for whatever reason. Amber had her own way of smiling, one that said you don't really know me, and you never really will.

She sat dreamily in the driver's seat, going through the motions almost. The streets were all familiar, like she'd been on them millions of times before. The roads were old, but they'd been repaved multiple times. Most of the buildings around the town were classically styled, only being renovated when needed. She often had memories and pictures of places as they used to be, though she hadn't recalled even being alive to have known them. Phantasmagoric images always rushed into her mind if she really felt a connection.

As she was coasting towards the intersection, the light switched to yellow. She slowed, knowing she was too far to make it. They paused at the now red light, as another car pulled beside them. A boy looking only a few years older than them leaned over, with a coquettish look directly at Amber. His haughty attitude came off quickly, "Hey, where are you fine ladies off to?" he asked.
"Oh please." Lacey scoffed.
"Car full of red heads.. I like it. Say, you girls busy tonight?" He asked, trying to be coy. It still came off as arrogant and flirtatious, and Amber couldn't help but blush a bit. She stayed quiet, and looked forward again, glancing at the still red light.
"Actually, we are!" Lacey answered, and rolled up the car's window. Amber smiled at this, letting out a giggle as the boys pleaded, "Wait, don't be like that!" The light turned green, and she began to drive again.
Her best friend turned to her again, "Look at you, picking up guys before we even get to the party..." she joked, Amber laughed in response, "Oh stop," she gushed. She barely noticed the soft nudge Lacey had given her, and she turned onto Lacey's street.
Violet brushed off her previous topic, and moved on to something more of interest in the driver herself. "So, Amber. You got like, a magic potion that makes all the guys run to you?" She didn't seem very friendly about it, more blunt with a hint of annoyance. "Man, it'd be nice if we all got one'a those." She muttered frankly.
Amber kept her face forward, and only glanced in the rearview mirror to Violet once before answering. She played along, without revealing her true feelings- both she and Violet were interested in Nathan, and as far as Amber could tell he could care less about her. "It only attracts 'fucktards', so it's really of no use." she quoted. She glanced in the mirror again, sending an amused smirk as they pulled into Lacey's driveway.

---

Amber had easily found what she'd hoped to borrow from Lacey, a floral top they'd bought in the summer while shopping together. Lacey had only worn it a few times, and though Amber was usually more modest she decided she wanted to have a little more fun tonight. She asked Lacey to find shorts to go with it, along with some wedges to match. The outfit was classic, girly, and even a bit vintage. She felt good, and had practiced her charming smile once before in the mirror. She used her favorite perfume she kept in her purse usually, one that smelled of daisies, her favorite flower.
She'd already texted the waiter she'd met, and he said he'd actually already heard of the party, and was looking forward to seeing her. She felt that joy again, knowing she was reluctant to really give any boy a chance as long as Nathan continued to linger in her every thought.

The party was already lively as the girls arrived, and Amber strolled gently along with the others. She could feel the eyes of a few others, but tried to keep distance from any outside-possibly unwanted contact. They hadn't even entered a party when a boy had already been a jerk to Violet. She found it sick how random people treated the girl, so cruelly for no reason at all. She felt an instant disgust towards the boy, and an anger bubbled inside her. The poise she held stayed in tact, for Amber's idea of class was to always seem calm and collected. She took a breath, and began to follow them again into the house. But, again the boy muttered something under his breath about Violet. She turned, quietly, almost so the others might not notice.

"Excuse me? Did you say something?" she questioned the boy, giving him her coldest stare. It was stern and a small furry lit behind the eyes of the fiery redhead. Only briefly was this seen, and the boy was caught slightly off guard. It was true, Amber had a reputation for being incredibly sweet, popular, and well liked. He probably did know of her, though she didn't know his name.
"N-nothing." he said, probably scared of both Violet and Amber at this point.
"Good." she said bluntly, "let's keep it that way."
Amber smiled sweetly again, her signature little smile, and turned again to join her friends entering the house overflowing with people.

---

---

After ensuring that her closet was completely destroyed, and she wasdressed, Lacey was picked up by her friend John- who would be DJing with her that night- to head to the location early for set up. "I'll see you all there!" She left her friends rummaging through her things as she bounded out of the house and across the lawn. Hopping into John's car, she passed the tall blonde a Cheshire cat grin. "Nervous?" "Excited." "Good."

When they arrived at the location it was just the sound crew and a few early arrivals. She immediately set about trying to get all of her gear set up as butterflies fluttered around her stomach. Tonight was going to be amazing, but she couldn't help but feel like something terrible was going to happen. What if she messed up? What if she wasn't a god DJ after all? What if everyone had been lying to her just to get her up there just so that they could watch her fail? What if they were secretly planning to dump pig's blood on her in the middle of her DJing? The ginger haired girl slowly sat the headphones she was moving down, taking a deep breath. This is not a scene from Carrie, Lace. Chill the hell out. Picking up the headphones again, she continued on with her sound check, determined to not let her insecurities get the best of her tonight.

---

---

She was doing it. Her remix of We Can't Stop blared through the club as her ginger locks bounced in her pony tail back and forth rhythmically to the beat. Waves of people vibrated, fist pumped, and squirmed to the remix. Her heart pounded in her chest as she focused on scratching in the places she had practiced, her piano fingers turning nob after nob, flying across her equipment as one hand waved back and forth like a metronome over the crowd. The music swam through the room, hiccuping and screaming into the eardrums of everyone present.

Lacey's eyes glanced up from her work, scanning the crowd for her friends. Where were they? Panic gripped her momentarily. What if they had decided not to come? Dread licked up her spine, chilling her even though beads of sweat had started to form on the small of her back. Then she saw them- in the doorway. Relief flooded over her. It looked as if there were some sort of trouble happening. The girls looked pretty heated over something, but from her distance she couldn't tell what they were saying or what the problem was. She had heard that the new bouncers were assholes, but her friends were on the list so... what could the problem have been? Confused, Lacey glanced over to John and nodded to him- a silent plea for his help.

The tall blonde gave her a short nod and slipped out of the booth.Prowling his way though the crowd to stand over the bouncer, glancing between him and the pissed off looking redhead, John cleared his throat. "Let's keep it that way." The girls were coming in fine now, and John blushed slightly at having forced his way through the crowd to come to the rescue of a group of women who obviously could handle themselves. "Everything alright?" He asked in a call over the music so that Amber could hear him. "You guys are with Lace, right? She's in the booth!" His voice was nearly eaten by the music, but he hoped that they could hear him, or at least understand by his pointing toward Lacey. Lacey waved from the booth and grinned widely. They had made it, and everything was perfect.

---

After Lacey's set was over she came down from the booth and snaked her way through the crowd to find her friends. There were so many people there it was hard to keep her eyes on them from the booth. The skinny ginger forced her way through the crowd until she found Amber,the girls, and Sam- at which point she let out a squeal and threw her arms around her best friend. "What did you think!?" Her tone was shrill with excitement. "I've got sweat literally pouring off my back!" Lacey laughed and blushed instantly, adding, "That's disgusting, isn't it?" Waving her hand in the air to clear the conversation of sweaty backs she decided to change the subject. Leaning closer to Amber so that only the redhead could hear, she added, "Did Nate show up?" Lacey knew how much Amber wanted to see the boy, and after she asked she stood on her tip toes to look out over the crowd as best she could- searching for the boy's dark head. It was useless- there were far too many boys with dark hair in the dark room.

As she was looking, her own eyes scanned for someone she had been hoping to see. Oscar. He was her best guy friend of the group, and she had been so excited to see him. Maybe he had better things to do? It was her insecurities again. She ran her fingers through the end of her ponytail, trying to figure out why she had such a bad feeling in her gut. Pulling herself back to reality, she turned her attention back to Amber and her friends, forcing a smile to light up her face. "So, have you guys seen everyone else?" This was directed towards the group of girls. "I tried looking from the booth, but I lost you guys. There are so many people here!"

Cora Donovan

---

Briton found himself tilting, his head leaning towards one shoulder while he looked at Charlie, and quickly made an effort to straighten up once more. Something seemed off about him, like, he wasn't quite feeling himself, or just not acting right. Almost.... awkward... Which was hardly something Briton saw in this outgoing friend of his. Perhaps it was just that they were alone together. After all, it had been quite some time since they had ever done such a thing; such a long time, Briton wondered if they ever had just been the only two in a room. Not that Charlie really should have felt uncomfortable. They were friends, weren't they? Well...

"What do you want to do, I'm cool with anything." Charlie said, giving forth not a single contribution to finding something to kill time with. Briton's head fell back to it's tilted position, watching while Mr. Super-hot-playboy-who-could-have-any-girl-he-wanted-with-a-smile bit his lip sheepishly, pushed the hair out of his face as if he were shy.

Briton simply blinked a few times, his face completely blank, too distracted to try to meld that expression of his into any kind of emotion, and not even sure what emotion it should have been in the first place. Was he supposed to inquire about it? Was he supposed to ask if something was wrong because he was a friend? Surely, if it was the other way around in the situation, Briton wouldn't have wanted anyone to say anything if he were acting strange, but other people were different, weren't they? They liked attention and they didn't freeze up and feel their hearts beating too fast for comfort when they talked about themselves. They weren't scared of their enemies and friends alike, and they liked being thought of. It wasn't too hard, was it? He could just do it. Just ask Charlie if he felt okay. People asked that kind of thing all the time, it was practically small talk. Even two strangers could say it in passing if something seemed wrong, so why wouldn't any words come out of his mouth? He parted his lips; perhaps if he opened them up, the words would come out on their own, but rather he said something else.

"You're weird today."

Briton instantly regretted opening his mouth. He fidgeted, standing up from his bed for a moment only to take two steps away from it, kick one of the cans that were on the floor, and turn back towards the bed to crawl back onto it closer to where his TV remote and laptop were. He made careful to position himself so as not to smear any blood on the sheets, but at the same time, he reminded himself he had to change his sheets anyway, so it didn't matter. All his motions seemed too mechanical, too awkward, and here he was thinking Charlie was acting awkward. Took one to know one, wasn't that what people said all the time? Briton licked his lips, turning the TV on with his remote and lighting the dim room with a blue screen before opening up his laptop and waiting for it to start up and sync with the television.

"I um... uh..." He raked his hand through his hair to push it backwards from his face, continuing motions from the same hand a few more times while he swiftly tucked strands behind his ears. When there was no more to be done with his hair, his hand settled for picking at the hem of his jeans. "Uh.... That um.... came out wrong. Uh... Lets just watch a movie."

Briton quickly pulled up his video files, which was - contrary to his bedroom - was very neat and orderly, separated into different files for different series and different genres for movies. He took a glance over at Charlie a moment, hesitating while he tried to figure out what kind of movie would be the least irritating to the other boy, as if it would have been written across the guy's face or something. Biting his lip, he pulled open the SciFi folder and decided on the Fifth Element. That was a safe choice, right? Who didn't like the Fifth Element? Honestly. The duration of the movie was taken in silence, mostly; the occasional lean over to grab a new slice of pizza from the desk occurred, but Briton didn't really notice too much else. Sure, there was the occasional glance over to Charlie to see what his reactions were, or just to see what he was doing, and once or twice he might have caught Charlie glancing at him. He sort of wondered if that was a normal thing.

By the time the movie was winding down, and so was the time, and Bruce Willis was finally figuring out how to activate the stones, Briton stood from the bed. "I just gotta change my clothes, I almost forgot." He said, half to himself, but knowing full well that Charlie had heard him. He made the quick few steps to the dresser in the room and pulled out a pair of skinny jeans which had been cut off just above the knees after they'd ripped from falling once, and a grey tee shirt with a t-rex throwing up a rainbow across the front. He hesitated a moment, looking over at the back of Charlie's head before looking away again. It was okay, right? To get undressed behing your friend's back. People do that. Straight people do it. It doesn't matter, right? Totally not weird. He pulled his pants down first, tossing them away and pulling on the new pair, which openly displayed the tight, white bandaging on his knees. Luckily, he wasn't bleeding through the bandages just yet, and the stains on his pants hadn't left too many marks on the outside of the bandages either. He didn't really care too much about showing the wound anymore, after all. Really, it was only his friends he was hiding wounds from.

He hesitated with his hands on the hem of his shirt for a moment. What if Charlie looked behind him, even for a just a second, while Briton's shirt was off? Not that Briton was that uncomfortable with the idea of his body being seen as one would think. Sure, he was scrawny and small looking, delicate, and that was embarrassing, but so far, it seemed that Charlie only knew about the bullying from today. He wasn't yet aware of the bruising all over Briton's ribs from having been pushing into the metal bleaches outside yesterday. No one was, yet. And no one needed to be. He gritted his teeth. He would do it fast, he would just ignore it is Charlie said anything. He would hope Charlie would realize not to say anything this time if he saw anything.

Pulling off his shirt as quickly and gingerly as possible and tossing it in the same general direction of the pants he'd strewn, he snatched the new top and pulled it on. By the time the article of clothing was on his body, he couldn't be sure as to whether Charlie had looked at all or not. He really hoped it was "Or not," and moved on to change his socks, which had gotten blood on them earlier, out for some geeky-looking tube socks and shut his laptop as the credits began to roll. The TV would do automatic shut down later.

"Alright, come on," He finally spoke up, not bothering to look back at Charlie before prying open the creaking wooden door to his room and exiting into the much brighter rest of the apartment. He didn't look back until he was at the door and pulling on his shoes, grabbing his keys. Why did everything feel so awkward? Something just felt so odd, and he wasn't sure why. Shouldn't he feel comfortable with all his friends? Like he was with Oz? No, no. He was only comfortable with Oz because he had a stupid-ass fucking crush on the dude. But why couldn't he just relax for two seconds? Was it really that hard? He was sure it was just this day. It was so terrible, so horrible. He couldn't wait for it to be over, and yet here he was again, considering going inside that stupid party since Violet had wanted to talk to him. As if she couldn't just talk to him any other time, but he supposed it couldn't be helped. Once Violet was stuck on something, there really wasn't any changing her mind.

Briton pushed through the door and down the stairs, just about at the same speed he'd gone on the way up, not bothering with the door, seeing as it would lock the moment it was closed by Charlie after him, anyway. At least it made forgetting to lock up a lot easier, but it didn't help when forgetting the keys, certainly. He unlocked the car, slid into the driver's side, and as soon as Charlie had gotten in as well, back out of the driveway and headed to that stupid-ass party.

. . .

I don't want to go in, he thought, staring down the groups and crowds standing in the darkening front lawn and pushing through the front door. The music was loud, loud enough to hear from where he sat in the car, parked about a house down across the street. Fast paced, loud sounds, paired with a thick crowd of people he didn't like. Why was it that his friends thought this was such a good idea? He sunk down in his seat a moment, staring over at the flashing lights from the large house. It was a big party. The cops would be around any minute, right? All he had to do was go in, let Violet say whatever the heck she wanted to, maybe see about talking to Oz, and then it would be all over! There was no rule about leaving early, either, now was there?

Sighing, and much to his own displeasure, he popped open the door and slid out of the car moments after Charlie had gotten out. "I'm only going in for a few minutes!" Briton huffed, shutting the door and locking the car before turning and near-storming off towards the front door. "I'll probably leave early, too, so just text me if you need a ride home later," he continued, looking back at Charlie a moment before turning away and quickening his pace. The quicker he was in, the quicker he was out, he supposed.

His trail wandered a bit, before he started to notice a familiar face or two. Ducking under flailing arms and winding around meat-heads twice his size without being noticed at all, he finally got close enough to make out who from the group had finally arrived. He arrived just in time to hear an energetic "hey there!" came from Cora, who, having not been at milkshakes earlier, was a bit of a surprise to see, actually. There was Amber, Lacey.... Sam... It didn't look like Nate and Oz were there, though, but Briton tried to tell himself he wasn't going to really wait around just for another stupid chance to talk to Oz, as tempting as it was.

"Hey guys," Briton uttered, too quiet really for the words to be heard over the music, though he was sure when his friends saw him that they knew he'd greeted them, at the very least. When he spoke again, he tried to make his voice a bit louder, almost tried to yell, though yelling wasn't really something he did very often at all. "I showed up, against my better nature. But I promise I'm not staying."

He huffed. The music was loud, throbbing at his skull and making him want to claw at his ears until he could no longer hear it. His heart pounded swiftly, and the feeling seemed to be too high in his chest. It was hard to breath the air, filled with sweat and booze and everyone else's breath. Too many loomed above him, and he constantly found himself leaning closer to his friends at some point or another because of someone brushing by his back or coming too close. He tried his best to look nonchalant, hands in his pockets and shoulders slouched, but every muscle was tense. His eyes constantly darting from one passer-by to the next, nervous about whether their attentions would waver from what they were doing or not. He wasn't comfortable. He wasn't safe. He needed to get this over with.

"So where's-" He began, his eyes changing from drifting to searching, before he noticed Violet merging a little more towards the group with a beer in her hand. Stepping in between people and getting over to her finally, he elbowed her. "There you are. You said you wanted to talk to me about something, right?" He flinched while the tone to the music jumped suddenly, stepping closer to her and not caring if his eyes wandered around any more. He was too on-edge, he couldn't help it. He didn't want to be here, he had a bad feeling about it all.

And there we were. At the party I had said I wouldn't be going to not even 4 hours ago. Well, I guess it wasn't so bad. Save for the annoying music that could be heard from 2 blocks down the road. And the equally, if not-- more annoying people twisting and bumping around to the lame soundtrack blasting their senses away. Then there was the booze. Yup, plenty of that, I could see. Anyone who wasn't dancing in the middle of it all was off to the sides, drinking and hitting on their peers. Oz and I made our way through the first wave of people relatively easy, but what came next seemed impossible to navigate if you're looking for specific people. Our friends were nowhere to be seen at the moment, and not even Oz in all his tall glory was able to spot any of them. I always figured it was the poor lighting. God, what was this? A house party, or a nightclub...? Even with Lacey's talented DJ skills, I couldn't get over just how incredibly loud it all was. How were you supposed to talk to people without screaming your vocal cords dry?

Just as I managed to catch sight of a short brunette that looked an awful lot like Violet, Oz snatched my wrist and held me back, directing my attention to two very specific people hanging out with their friends in a nice little corner of the room. Vic and Ryan. It was almost too perfect. The couple of asshats weren't alone, meaning they had their reputations on the line should someone decide to mess with them. Unfortunately for them, that someone happened to be me. Well, and Oz, but I pretty much already knew how this was likely going to go down with him at my side. Fingers crossed!

"Oh-- oh, yeah! I seem em!" I said. "Good eye, Oz!" Patting him on the shoulder with a smile, I decided to head their way rather than in the direction the brunette was walking off to. Better to get this over with sooner rather than later. Although, I wasn't too sure I knew what it was that I would be doing at first... I suppose I figured on talking with them to start things off, since that's what Oz and I did. "H-Hey!" I yelled at them with a wave as we approached. "How's it going, guys?" It took the two of them a moment to figure out who we were-- well, more of who I was than Oz, but like I said; poor lighting. After seeming to remember my name after giving me a 'bro point' that came along with a "Heyyy!", Ryan slapped my hand in friendly greeting.

"Uhhh, Jake, right?" he said, giving me a smile as though he and I had been best friends since grade school.

"Uh, no! Actually, it's Nate!" I yelled back, now gesturing towards my tall friend. "And this is Oz! His name is Oscar, but we just call him Oz, cuz' he's a total wizard, yo!" Wow, where the hell did that come from...?

"Ah, bitchin'!" yelled Ryan, giving Oz the same friendly hand slap that Vic gave myself. "Killer party, right? Haha!" As if to emphasize his fascination with the event, Ryan looked around with a great deal of upper body language, to which I just nodded emphatically.

"So what brings you guys to this crazy zoo, huh?" said Vic after nodding along in agreement with everything Ryan was saying, taking a drink from his beer while he was at it. "Don't normally see you two coming to this kinda scene, or am I being stupid?" You're being stupid alright, but that's neither here nor there at the moment...

"Yeah, we know the DJ! Lacey Harvelle! You know her?" I shouted back, taking hold of one of the beers Ryan had offered me and Oz. To be honest, it was a total reflex. I was the last person at that party, save for maybe Briton, who was looking to get drunk... Trust me. I am not a happy drunk...

"Uh, hell yeah we know her!" said Vic after exchanging a rather suggestive look with his buddy Ryan. "Ain't no way we don't know about a fine piece of ass like that, haha!" These guys were getting on my nerves more and more every passing second I spent LOOKING at them, nevermind talking to. But I calmed my urge to walk away; I was hellbent on seeing this through. For Briton.

"Yyyhup! That's the one!" I yelled, exchanging a roll of the eyes with Oz as Vic and Ryan laughed and slapped me on the shoulder. At the same time, no less. "Anyway, who invited you two? The same?" The next thing I did was even dumber than accepting the damn thing in the first place; I took a drink. Resisting the urge to spit it back out at the two jerks in front of me, no matter how much they deserved it, I ended up forcing myself to swallow it. If I wasted anymore time dawdling about with Briton's bullies, I was afraid I might have taken a few more.

"Heh, why do you ask?" yelled Ryan, now giving me an inquisitive smile. "I mean, we're here, aren't we? What does it matter?" He threw Vic a humorous grin and turned back to me.

"Well," I yelled back, giving them a light shrug. "It's just that I happen to be really good friends with Lace, and I know for a fact that she wouldn't knowingly invite two of the people who regularly beat up on a friend of hers!" Aaaand another sip. It was strange, but with every word that came out of my mouth, I felt like I had less and less control of my own body. My mind was there, sure, but it seemed to have little to no control over my actions. It was starting to worry me at the point of realizing this.

"Heh..." scoffed Ryan. "I don't 'beat up' on people, for one. Okay? It's all in good fun; they know that." Another laugh. "And two, you're gonna have to be a little more specific about just who it is you're talkin' about. I joke around with a looot of people at school, y'know." Oh, yeah. Believe me, jackass, I know. We all know. You just happened to "joke around" with one too many this time... Taking another sip of my drink, much to what I assumed was Oscar's bewilderment, although I didn't see on account of not having eyes in the back of my head, I nodded in response before answering with the words that would send this little confrontation directly south in a matter of seconds.

"Briton. Hadings." I said clearly, making sure both parts of the name were each heard as they were intended. This made both Vic and Ryan's smiles instantly vanish. They now appeared to be in "serious mode", or so I figured they probably called it when they were alone together. Their reaction to the name made me instinctively snort with a small chuckle as I placed my free hand inside of my pocket, feeling the silver pocket watch within it.

"Lacey's friends with that...freak?" asked Ryan, still holding up his serious face. I merely kept smiling and moved my now slightly damp-with-sweat bangs from my eyes with a brush of my thumb.

"And so am I." I said back. "Oz too." I added with a nod up at my gangly friend. Giving up the fake smile, I shrugged. "Look, we just wanna ask you to lay off him from now on, okay? He's never done anything to you, so..." I paused, shrugging again. "Think you can pick on someone your own size for once? Just an idea!" Finishing up with a nod as if to say "Yup, that's all I got", I let Oz take a crack at it while we waited for their response, not that I needed it. I was already certain that this wouldn't end the Oz way... Even with the man himself standing right next to me with one foot in the door. And that's when it started getting a bit heated. There was a pause between the changing of the tracks just behind Oz and I, and it wasn't until the next song started playing that Ryan removed his rather transparent mask and spoke up.

"Heh... How about you and 'Briton' go fuck yourselves." he said, leaning in a bit closer so as to make sure only me and Oz heard. "If you want us to stop giving Briton what he deserves, then tell him to stop being such a PUSSY." Well, that wasn't a very nice way to accept my request, now was it? That remark made my shoulders drop, and a sigh escape my lips. Now obvious that Plan B was the only reliable method towards managing to walk away with a win after all, I furrowed my eyebrows slightly, and chose to try something new; provocation.

"Hm..." I hummed softly, my pause likely not having even been heard thanks to the loud bass vibrating the walls around us. "Are you sure Briton is the pussy here? Because, the way I see it, you two are the only ones who fit that description; picking on someone who refuses to fight back...? Isn't that something only the weak do? You might as well punch a tree and call yourselves the champions of the forest!" 'Sorry for that one, Briton...' I thought to myself, feeling guilty for sounding as though I were making fun of my friend for not defending himself against his bullies, even if he weren't there to hear it.

"Oh yeah?! I'll show you weak--!!" shouted Vic, taking a step at me, only to be held back by Ryan, who seemed to find what I said to be rather intriguing. It was too easy to lure these guys into a trap. I hadn't counted on Ryan holding back his substantially larger friend, but that was only a minor bump along the road to victory.

"Hold on, Vic." he said, cracking a smile as he studied me. "Earlier you mentioned that we should pick on someone our own size, but...all I see are you..." He paused, pointing from me, and now to Oz. "...and Ronald Weasley over here. I'm afraid you're too small, and he's, well...too big. Wouldn't that just be unfair all around?" Clearly this guy held himself in some kind of holier-than-thou light, because he seemed to truly believe that he was bigger than me. Truth was, we were about the same height and overall weight. "Now...WE aren't going to accept such an unfair challenge... Unless, of course...YOU want to step up to the plate, Nathan?" he finished, adding emphasis to his little punchline as he laughed alongside his ape of a friend. I waved off Oz's attempts at trying to get me to walk away from this before it was too late. I wasn't going to do that. Not when I was about to win this. Well, somewhat...

"Ummm, okay!" I said immediately, my eyes looking to the right as I held up a long shrug, acting as though I were either bluffing, or just really, really stupid. This made the two of them stop laughing faster than they started up. Vic quickly scowled angrily at me before slapping the drink out of my hand, much to my delight.

"You think this is a fucking GAME?!" he shouted, taking another step at me. This time, Ryan didn't hold him back. "You KNOW I'd knock you on your ass, punk!" Flexing his rather large arms with what appeared to be some sort of warm-up exercise, he gritted his teeth at me like some kind of hybrid between a dog and a gorilla. By now, our little spout had drawn the attention of a few people who were nearby chatting with their own friends.

"Won't know for sure unless you try!" I shouted back, waving off Oz once again; this time actually pushing him away to the side, for I knew what was coming next. In one swift motion, Vic Rockford's giant fist came hurdling towards me. Like most things that threatened my life this day and age, I saw it slow down to incredible speeds. Obviously time itself didn't slow down around us, and it sure wasn't Vic who decided to hold back a little, but my ability to perceive the incoming of my surroundings was almost to the level of supernatural at this point. Of course, my current body wasn't up to par with its eyes, although I was more than capable of either dodging, blocking or reversing this thug's blow without much trouble. But time was running short, and my window of opportunity was coming to a close. Now it was time for a choice; I could either A., totally own this asshole at his own game in front of all these people, announcing to the entire party that Briton was thereby under my protection and there was nothing anybody could do about it, or B., let this guy totally knock me flat so as not to come off to my friends as a super suspicious weirdo after somehow managing to fend off someone as large and terrifying as Vic Rockford.

Just as time was about to run out, I came to one hell of a conclusion with my inner self: Hey, why not do both?

"Argh!!" I exclaimed as the sound of Vic's fist colliding with my skull flooded my entire brain. I felt the grasping hands of my friend Oz as he tried to catch me but couldn't. Before I would smack into anything on my way down, my foot happened to snag onto the cord leading to the speakers that were connected to the system providing the music, causing a sudden and very dead silence to fill the room. Well, almost silent, anyway. The sound of my back meeting with the side of the DJ's stage was more than loud enough to turn a few heads in our direction. The stage having saved me from the fall being slightly dented in, I pushed myself off of it with a hand, only to be caught by Oz, who was once again likely saying something about quitting while we were ahead. Truth was, I couldn't make out anything but the ticking of my watch while my head was ringing so loudly, so I was a bit unsure of what might have been said around me. The ringing finally subsiding, I managed to make out the sounds of Vic and Ryan laughing their asses off, damn near out of breath, or so it seemed.

"That was priceless!! HAHAHAHA!! Your really stood your ground there, didn't you, bitch!" guffawed Ryan, patting Vic on the back. "Why don't you just go home, Tate-- or NATE, whatever the hell your name was!" Laughing again at my expense, Ryan managed to get a few other people laughing. That was fine-- no, it was perfect.

"Urghh..." I grunted, finally finding my footing once more as I gave my head a little shake. "Hey! I'm still standing, aren't I?!" I yelled back at him, still not used to the near silence within the room; the music still not kicking back in just yet. Giving Oz a friendly pat for trying to catch me, as well as a look that said "I'm fine, don't worry about it.", in case he was still worrying.

"Oh-ho! Ohhh, I'm afraid he's right, Vic! You said you were gonna knock him on his ass-- better see it through, don't you think?" said Ryan, humorously. Giving him a chuckle of his own, Vic stepped forward again.

"Hold it!" I shouted, the palm of my hand prominently displayed before me. "I have a proposition for you, Vic." Curving a smile of my own, I waited to hear what the giant would say to this.

"A propo-what...?" replied the big oaf.

"He means he wants to make you a deal, you dumb fuck!" said Ryan after slapping a hand over his eyes with a laugh in regards to his friend's ignorance, and then harder at the idea of me putting up a wager.

"Oh... Alright, what? If you're trying to get outta your beating, punk, then you can forget it." said Vic, flexing his arms once again. Huh, and here I was under the impression that the two of them "didn't beat up on people... So much for that statement.

"If I can pin your back to the ground within 3 seconds of your next blow, then you have to leave Briton alone from here on out." I said, holding up 3 fingers. You know, to show that I meant business. "What d'ya say? You up for the challenge?" Ryanmade a light chuckle at those words, still thinking that I was all talk, however found it strange that I would make such an outrageous bet in front of all these people. But before he could say anything to Vic, the man in question agreed in earnest.

"You're on!" he said, laughing at me.

"Great! Now no take-backs! Unless you wanna look like a total bitch in front of all these people for not holding up your end of the deal~" I sung at him, holding up a finger to add insult to injury. Of course, this just made him laugh.

"Tch, whatever! Let's just get on with it, shit-stain!" he yelled back, taking another step forward.

"Well wait, we gotta shake on it first." I said with a smile, holding out my left hand for him to accept. This was the moment when Ryan realized I was neither bluffing NOR stupid. But before he could tell Vic otherwise, it was already too late.

"Heheh, sure..." chuckled Vic, extending his right hand to grab hold of my left. And that was when the dumbass did exactly what I knew he would; he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him. Thanks to him pulling me into his range, there was no longer enough room for him to get the same amount of strength into his attack as before. On top of that, the momentum of the fight was against him. All I had to do was lean forward so that his left arm went over my right shoulder, plant my free hand against his chest, hook my already extended leg around his right, pull back with it and push forward with my hand. And just like that, Vic Rockford was pinned to the ground in only 2 very quick seconds. Of course, I acted as though it was nothing more than a total fluke; my yell of the word "Whoa" having planted that idea in most of the heads in the audience. And, just to make sure it sold, I stood up and clasped my hands to my head with wide eyes.

"Holy crap, I won...!" I yelled, breathing hard, then turning my upper body left and right to look at everyone else, as if to say CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT SHIT?! Needless to say, the whole crowd erupted in a large amount of drunken cheers and woos. I clasped hands with Oz, further trying to convey that it was pure accident that I managed to pin Vic down just as I had wagered I would. Jumping up and shouting his frustration at what I had accomplished, Vic shut the crowd up almost immediately. He stepped up to me again, only to stop short upon seeing Oz closer to me than before. Blinking, he looked back at me and started shouting again.

"That was a load of shit, and you know it! A total fluke!" he yelled. Jabbing his finger at me.

"Well of course it was!" I said. "But a win is still a win, dude! And fortunately for me -- unfortunate for you -- I won." I let out a nervous laugh, still acting shaken up over the whole spectacle. "And you know what the wager was~" At first ready to refute our earlier agreement, Ryan chose to cut him off, wearing a rather sour expression himself.

"He beat you fair and square, Vic." he said, now walking up to meet me by his side. "Own up to it, or else you're nothing more than a punk like him." He put great emphasis on the word, likely trying to convey that it wasn't over with just that. Conceding, albeit rather begrudgingly, Vic let out a huff of air and flung his arm up before turning away from me and Oz. The scene finally dying down and the music kicking back up thanks to someone reconnecting the cord I had pulled out by accident, all seemed well, until Ryan stepped up next to me and spoke in a low tone so that only I could hear.

"Live it up while you still can, Nathan." he began, his voice practically trembling with anger at my arrogance. "Just know that I'm not as dumb as Vic." The words that followed instantly left me stunned. "I'll say it again, only a little more clearly this time: you want me to stop messing with that little faggot Briton, then you're better off just telling him to stop being such a pussy. Because..." Pausing before his final sentence, I realized that I had made a terrible mistake that night at the party. One that I couldn't take back.. "... You didn't make that bet with me..."

I only managed to stop one of Briton's bullies... Or so it seemed. At the time, I didn't think even Vic Rockford would stoop so low as to bully someone through their personal life. I clearly underestimated the man's sense of humility... As well as his choice in targets. But more on that later...

Giving my shoulder a hard nudge with his own, Ryan waved to Vic, mumbling something along the lines of "This party turned to shit, let's get out of here.", and left with him. I was practically shaking with fear at what I might have just set in motion; my mind immediately beginning to think of every possible outcome that could be traced back to this very moment. I instantly hated myself again. Everything that had happened over the last few minutes felt like a total dream. Things weren't normal for me and my friends, they weren't fixed... And yet, somehow, I managed to fool myself into thinking that, even for just a fleeting moment at a loud party, life was simple again. I knew I would pay for my mistake later on, but worse than just that; so too would my friends...

And there was White Knight Amber, to the rescue. Vi heard her confronting Maybe-Jeff, stopping him cold in his tracks. For that, the Super Hero was thankful. She didn't want to have to deal with him. This was the perfect opportunity to get three goals under wraps. Three goals that'd, hopefully, help her deal with life in a more positive manner. If it all went well. She took a liberal sip of the beer, letting the alcohol awash over her small body, and instantly felt the need to pee. One of the guys in the 'drinking corner' so to speak started laughing over something incredibly stupid - what the heck, anyways? What's the damn point? Violet pushed him out of the way, taking another gulp of the strong, bitter concoction, and made her way to Amber. Vi finished that can of beer, crinkling it up and chucking it who knows were - grabbing another on the way to the redhead, and started sipping that one too. She also felt the strange feeling - some strange... not quite a headache, but something was floating around in her psyche.

Sam was there, kinda looking between her and someone else- presumably Paige. Did he want something? Well, whatever. He can come to her if he needs anything.

Three goals. Three objectives. Would it really be so hard? First, she'd have to stalk Vic and Ryan as they went home after this party. Make sure she finds out where they live. Commit it to memory. Then find out their schedule, when they're alone. Then... alone and vulnerable, Violet will sweep down upon them with her brother's baseball bat. The damn thing was going to finally come to good use. She'd beat them down; she'd break their spines. Smash them to bits. That'd be the end of that.

The second goal was to seduce Nate. Once and for all - he had to look at her the way she was: a woman. Despite the brash talking, the fighting, she was still a girl. And because of that... she wanted recognition. Anything, from the guy she loved or liked or whatever. She wasn't sure which one it is - but for sure there's something. And that something was what pushed her affection even more. He was the only one for her. The one closest to understanding her. No one else would do, not at all. Seduce him. Make him see her as something other than just 'one of the guys'.

Maybe even fuck him. There had to be an empty room somewhere upstairs, right? She'd ask Max later. vi had an odd face at that - and started feeling hints of a... buzzing feeling at the back of her head.

The final goal was to find Briton. Tell him that she's got his back, the little wimp. Because she does, from now on. And, cursing angrily, she knew that she should have had it the whole time. Super Hero Violet had no excuse for letting it reach the point of actually causing him physical pain. She'd have to pay them back i- don't get side tracked, the Super Hero part's back in objective one. She'd come clean to him too. Tell him about the fights. That she's a super hero. That he can count on her. Partly because, maybe by opening up, he'd open up more to everyone else, and partly because... she wanted recognition. To be seen as a hero.

Don't all heroes want that, deep down?

"Amber." Violet nodded her head at the redhead, pulling her aside. This had to be dealt with before it messed with anything else. Did Vi really have any option but to come clean to her? Seems like this night would be one of revelations, wouldn't it? "Hey, uh. Let's talk." Vi gestured to her hand, giving Amber a significant look in the eyes - hopefully she understood.

No one was listening in. It was now or never, really. And well, for getting Maybe-Jeff off her back, didn't Amber deserve the truth? She'd... she'd support her, right? A tiny doubt formed in Violet's mind. What if Amber secretly thought of her as an outsider, just like all the others? What if-

"So." She murmured awkwardly, scratching at her throat. "Uh. You're probably wondering why I'm... my hand. The blood. That stuff, right?"

It looked as if Amber nodded, but Violet couldn't really be sure; she wasn't even looking directly at her anymore, instead staring intently into the corner of the room where a spider lay. Damnit. The buzz was making it hard to really think. She felt her face, feeling the heat rising up.

"I'm... a vigilante. Like. I see bad shit, and I beat down on the assholes that started it. The asses that deserve it. Because who else will stop it? The cops -" Vi thought bitterly back on what Rope Guy did to her, and unconsciously started shaking. Fucking Rope Guy. The cops didn't even bother to look for her. And his taunts, 'they'll never believe you'... it was too true. They'd side with him, and spurn the outsider. Of course they would. More doubts swamped Violet; she didn't want to deal with Amber possibly rejecting her.

"Yeah, so." She finished quickly, almost hurriedly. "I'm a fighter. Just got back from one before we went for milkshakes. So don't worry about it anymore, okay?"

With that, Violet quickly left the redhead, only to run into Briton. Time for a second confession, wasn't it? She felt his elbow brush against her side. "There you are. You said you wanted to talk to me about something, right?" Briton seemed edgy. At unease. Almost as if searching for something. That sparked Vi to take cursory glances around her - where the hell were Vic and Ryan? Where they even at the party? She felt a restless need to get moving, to pinpoint where they were and beat them down. Maybe even tonight. Why not? Who cares if they were together? Max had to have some kind of weapon around here.

"Ryan Chaffon. Vic Rockwell." Vi said angrily, almost spitting. "Fuck. Just fuck. I'll wipe'em out, Briton. I'm a vigilante after all." It was easier to say it a second time. Vi didn't really care why. "I'm a fighter. A Super Hero. I kick shithead asses." She was saying this with gritty, fierce anger. Her need for violence was rising every second. Her face was almost manic; out of control. Was this because of the alcohol? "So I'm sorry, Briton. Really. Shoulda known that shit was bad for you. Someone like me should've kept you safe. Stopped it from happening at all."

She coughed then, face contorting. She was red, either from the beer, or from anger.

"Just lettin' you know, okay? I've got your back from now on." Her fist clenched harder - nails digging into flesh. "No. One. Will. Lay. Another. Fucking. Hand. On. You."

"This party turned to shit, let's get out of here."

That voice. Hot fire burned in Vi's eyes that she only partially kept down. She glanced around - finally seeing the large form of Vic, heading for the door. This was her chance. This was her goddamn chance, or else they'd be gone. Damn it all. She didn't have enough time to tend to Nate - she'd have to set that aside, then. He'd probably be relieved, too, wouldn't he? Didn't like her, anyways. So she had to do the only thing she was good at.

Violence. But not here; not at the party.

"Gotta go." Violet said with a dark scowl, before drunkenly stumbling towards the bullies, purposely tripping and wrapping one arm around each one's shoulders to support her falling form.

"Hey, wh-"

"Hey hey, so." Violet drawled. "Can I come with? This party is-" A goofy, unfocused grin. She hoped her act worked. It better work. "A drag. It's draggin's me down, right? Get it?" She let out an awkward laugh as both boys looked between each other.

"Hell, why not." Ryan said finally. "C'mon Vic, let's put her in the car. She's drunk, anyways."

"Might as well get somethin' good outta this party." Vic replied, and they more or less supported Violet as she made herself stumble and step forward badly, mumbling a 'sweet, thanks' in return.

It was on now. She'd wipe'em out tonight. This would end tonight. Vi'd make sure of that. At any cost.

"Hey. What's up, Red? I showed up, when can I leave?" Paige instantly turned around at the light brush of fingers across her arm. Coming face to face with the one she had been looking for since she had arrived at the party, a smile made its way across her face.

"What's up Sammi, oh come on the party just started. You didnt even ask me to dance." Paige teased back nudging him playfully.

Was she flirting? The though flittered across her mind as she stared at Sam waiting for his response. A slight almost unnoticeable blush made its way across her face as she realized she might have been.

"What time did you get here?" She asked hurriedly trying to change the subject and his train of thought, an attempt at distracting him from what she had just said.

"What did you think!?" Lacey's excited voice stole Paige's attention before she could catch Sam's response.

"It's great Lacey, I think everyone's enjoying it." Paige responded though doubted the girl caught her words as she continued to chatter on to Amber.

Rolling her eyes in a playful way Paige turned to Cora as she heard the familar hello, a smile graced her lips as she greeted her friends.

"Hey what's up Cora, we missed you at the diner." Giving the short haired brunette a quick hug, Paige smiled. "Bring that book of yours?" She asked smirking at the girl.

The sudden absence of music made Paige glance behind her, her eyes landing crowd of people who seemed to be surrounding something.

Probably a fight Paige thought not really giving it much mind. High schoolers never knew how to solve problems without using their fist.

"We'll I'm going to go get a drink anyone want to join me?" Paige asked just as the music turned on again getting rid of the kind of awkward silence.

Stealing a quick glance at Sam she headed off toward the kitchen trying to get rid of the slight embarrassment she still held from talking to Samuel. Stopping in the kitchen Paige poured herself a cup of hopefully not spiked punch.

---

Amber let the bitter taste of alcohol relax her, as she moved with the music. Lacey seemed to play songs Amber could dance to without getting too into it. She liked to feel the beat in her heart, the pounding sound in her head. At least for awhile. Sometimes it was nice to have an escape. Alice in Wonderland had always reminded her of this, the idea of a wonderland had always interested her. Though her favorite disney character would have to be Ariel, the little mermaid. For obvious reasons of hair color and just the type of person Ariel was.
Amber liked to think she was the strong, independant, yet lovely princess Ariel. She liked the idea of a prince charming, as well as living in two worlds. Though it seemed that she was not her prince's princess. She glanced around to see if Nate had even arrived, let alone if he'd actually decided to come at all. She barely got a chance to look when someone said her name and pulled her aside.
She smiled kindly, at her friend, and allowed herself to be taken from the louder area.

"Hey, uh. Let's talk." Violet said, with a look that Amber realized meant it was something more serious. She let her smile fade, and her signature concerned look came on.
"So. Uh. You're probably wondering why I'm... my hand. The blood. That stuff, right?" Violet started, as Amber watched her carefully.
She nodded, remembering what she'd seen before. Things like that always worried her, really anything did. It was almost an anxiety feeling she'd get, a protective side of her wanted to take everyone in open arms and hug them until the bad things went away. That wasn't exactly possible though.
"I'm... a vigilante," she continued, "Like. I see bad shit, and I beat down on the assholes that started it. The asses that deserve it. Because who else will stop it? The cops -" she paused. Amber had a fleeting worry of Violet being in trouble with the cops, but decided she'd let her finish her thought before she jumped to conclusions.
"Yeah, so. I'm a fighter. Just got back from one before we went for milkshakes. So don't worry about it anymore, okay?" She reassured, though it was rushed.
Amber couldn't really tell what Violet was thinking, or why she was hiding it in the first place. Like any protective motherly figure would be, Amber was still concerned for Violet. Part of her wanted her to stop fighting, and stop putting herself in dangerous positions. The other part, still a role of a good parent, was proud of Violet. She was impressed that the small girl seemed to take care of herself completely. Small or not she was tough, and Amber's babying probably belittled the effort Violet put into being independant.
So the two weren't so different after all. Both strong girls, looking out for others.
She smiled as Violet left, the brunette completely unaware of how lucky Amber felt to be friends with a girl like her.
In a sense, Amber was really the odd one out in the group. They were all "odd", or more of a wallflower type. Amber was your classic high school cheerleader, popular and well loved by the people in her school. Not to say her other friends weren't "popular", they were just more unique and had a different twist to their fame. Amber was a good girl for the most part, and like Ariel from the little mermaid, part of her wanted to rebel a little for once.

After a few more drinks, she was having a good time. She'd lost her friends already, but she danced along with the music. She loved to dance, and she was pretty good at moving. Fluid, fun, slightly seductively she seemed to even make a few friends, laughing and being goofy. She seemed to make friends wherever she went. Lacey came back from where she'd been, bringing Amber another drink. She'd already told Lacey how much she'd liked her DJing earlier, and the two were still on the lookout for Nate. Amber spotted him then, talking to two boys. She smiled then, happy to see he'd come. Though she was a little tipsy, it gave her a bit of confidence to go ask him to dance.

She weaved through the crowd, but once she got closer she could see from his face something wasn't right. Though it was loud, she could hear them talking a little. Well, she'd picked up enough at least.
"Yeah, she's my girlfriend. Now which way did they go?" Nate said to a random guy. Apparently Nate was looking for a girl, apparently a girlfriend.
Her heart sunk a little. How could she not have known he had a girlfriend? Feeling incredibly stupid for even hoping to talk to him that night, she turned and headed back to where Lacey and her had been dancing before. On her way over, she made eye contact with the waiter from the diner. He motioned her over with a bright smile.

Seeing him did lift her spirits slightly, but not enough to where she'd been before. On her way to go to him, she grabbed Lacey's hand and whispered, "The boy from the diner came! He has some cute friends.." she let out a giggle and the two went over to the counter.
"You made it just in time.." Colin said slyly, "we're about to drop tabs."
At first Amber just laughed lightly, and went along with it not exactly realizing what he meant at all. She'd never really had many experiences with drugs, only the few times she'd seen people smoking pot.
Colin's friend asked Lacey and Amber if they wanted a hit of acid, and Amber just smiled, still not really understanding fully. She was confused when she was handed a very small piece of paper. She let it sit on her hand, but then watched as the other four boys with them placed the paper on their tongues, letting it dissolve. She at first panicked, and looked to Lacey, to see if she'd taken one or not.
But then she wondered what would be bad if she went wild tonight, she was almost 18 anyway, right? It was only a matter of months. The idea of Alice in Wonderland came back in her mind, a small tab for "eat me" and a bubbly liquid for "drink me". It sounded like fun, but she wanted to see how her best friend would react.

"Hey Guys!" Lacey turned her head sharply to the source of the greeting, smiling widely as her eyes landed on Cora, who she hadn't seen all day and had been a bit disappointed to have not shown up for milkshakes earlier. Lacey threw on a wide smile, throwing a quick hug around the other girl. "Oh my god, Cora!!" She exclaimed, maintaining a steady shout over the pulsating music to be sure that she could be heard. "It's about time we saw you, I was beginning to think you were skipping out on us!" She let go of the other girl, stepping back a little before giving her a light nudge with her elbow as she gave a narrow glance at her with only the smallest hint of a smirk, as if to chastise her slightly for not coming to meet for milkshakes earlier with everyone else.

Lacey gave a quick glance over her shoulder, opening her mouth to bring Amber into the conversation, though she quickly shut it, noticing the small distance that had been constructed while her back was turned and Amber's attention was drawn in towards another figure a bit further down the room. Following the girl's gaze, her eyes widened. Nate had shown up, and hadn't even come over? Her eyes quickly darted back to Amber, furrowing her brows at the mere idea of what she was sure had probably made a significant pain in her chest. She clenched her jaw a moment, biting her lip and smudging a bit of her lipstick, before forcing the smile back on her face and turning back to Cora with a shrug. "Whatever, they'll realize you're here soon enough!"

Speaking of Briton, actually, Lacey could hardly believe what she was seeing when the short, scrawny boy, ducking slightly to remain underneath the range at which someone's flailing limb would have hit a person, came weaving through the crowd. Even if she had made careful to emphasize that she wanted everyone to attend, well... she hadn't really expected as much, now that she really thought about it. "Oh my god!" She uttered loudly, eyes running quickly up and down Briton's small form, with disbelief.

"Hey Guys," He greeted, and it was plain from his voice he was struggling to figure out how to make his voice loud enough to be heard against the atmosphere. "I showed up, against my better nature. But I promise I'm not staying."

Lacey offered up a pout at him, though she couldn't say it wasn't astonishing enough that the guy had shown up at all. Pretty soon, however, he was moving on as well, picking out Violet from the group and heading off to have his own conversation with her, which, as was the conversation with Amber that the girl had had just moments before, and that Lacey had just barely caught a glimpse of as she'd been making her way over to the group, was beginning to worry her a bit more. She tried her best to shake the thoughts from her head, giving a big smile to Amber as her attention jumped back from where it had been. Something about her expression had darkened, and Lacey found her own smile slimming a bit, her heart almost skipping a beat while she found herself worrying about what had happened, what Nate's conversation had been perhaps. Amber was a good girl, good enough for royalty if she wanted it. So why was Nathan such an idiot, then? But then again, how one-sided was it? Violet had feeling for him, too didn't she? And she deserved someone good just as much as the next girl. So why were these two great girls hung up over some angst-ridden boy who wasn't giving either of them the attention they deserved? Lacey clenched her fist, almost not noticing when Amber's mood seemed to lift only slightly as her eyes caught someone else's.

The girl came in close, reaching her hand for Lacey's and pulling her in for a whisper and - finally - a happy giggle. "The boy from the diner came! He has some cute friends..." Her whisper came in a sort of sing-song tone, and Lacey found her signature smile spreading once again across her face once again. Finally... Finally Amber could focus her attention on someone who'd actually payed her some due attention, who wasn't so engulfed in his own damn problems to show a girl a little interest. Amber deserved a little fun, and so did Violet, too, now that Lacey thought about it. But, giving a glance around... where had the girl gone, anyway?

With not much time to dwell on it further, Lacey was whisked away by the other girl, finding herself over with the boy, Collin was his name, and his little posse of friends. Surely, Amber had been correct to announce the other boys as being cute, though very little particularly brought her towards any sort of flirting mood at the moment. She was Amber's wing-man, right? That was all she really had to focus on for the moment.

"You made it just in time.." Colin uttered slyly, and Lacey found herself almost caught off guard. "we're about to drop tabs."She blinked a few times, still processing the statement while she stood there, watching the boy's friend passing out what looked like a simple little piece of paper, but was far from it in the least. Druggee, huh? She had to admit she was surprised. He hadn't seemed like he'd been into that kinda shit when they'd spotted him in the diner. He seemed like he would have been the typical preppy sort of boy, almost, a good guy who'd be a designated driver once in a while, but she supposed it wasn't like there weren't tons of people who conveyed a certain atmosphere to cover up what was going on when no one else was looking. Lacey, of course, was one of those sorts of people, albeit not in the same exact sense as Collin over here.

She stared down at the little sheet in her hand that the boy's friend had distributed to her, her smiling face gone while she pondered it. Acid, huh? Not a good idea. Hugs not drugs, and whatever, aside, she couldn't say she was really into the whole scene, so, she should have just dropped it and walked away, right? Take Amber with her and tell her to forget about the guy, right? Drinking was one thing, but who could have said what kind of trouble they were to get themselves into while they were tripping out? A good friend would have gotten her out of there, wouldn't she? And yet, here she was, still staring down at it, considering. Tonight was about fun, forgetting all the shit that was going on and trying to wash all the hell out of her system. Her mind wavered back to Stanford, to her family, to her siblings with halos around their heads. To every time she failed and every time she'd looked in the mirror and cried. To every time she asked someone if they were okay and no one knew that she wasn't. To every time she felt worthless and unloved and ugly. She was a friend and never a girlfriend, good but never perfect, pretty but never beautiful.

Without a moment more of hesitation, she popped the little sheet into her mouth, shutting her eyes while she felt it dissolve against her tongue. Tonight was about having fun, and she was tired of all this depressing bullshit. If finally getting over it all was as stake, even if it was only for a little while, then hell, she'd do whatever it takes. She could worry about regretting it later. For now, she spread her smile once again across her still mostly-painted lips, giving her gaze back to Amber with a light laugh. Amber seemed to be waiting for Lacey's reaction to decide what to do, and Lacey simply gave the girl a shrug, as if to say, 'hey, why not?'

Charlie slowed to a walk as he was able to clearly make out two figures standing only a few feet away from him. Nate and Sam.

Charlie was panting as his lungs gasped desperately for air and his legs burned from the surprise run, this have had better have been a big emergency for him to nearly die running.

"Hey...Nate..what's...the...big.....deal?" Charlie managed to get out between huge swallows of air. Coming to a stop next to his black haired friend, he finally saw the crumpled up body of Violet. She looked hurt, more than that she looked like she was in pain, excruciating pain.

"Vi..." Charlie's voice was hollow as he stared down at the girl who was now cradled in Nate's arms.

Wow how so much could change in a matter of hours. Just early he was joking around with Violet, laughing with her. Now she was lying on the sidewalk looking to be on her death bed.

Charlie's mind went blank, he needed to help her, but how. He wasn't a doctor, he didnt have any medical experience, but he needed to help.

"Charlie, help Sam up-- please." Charlie's eye locked with Nate's, a kind of relief flooding through him at something to do. Giving a swift nod he watched as Nate brushed past him and began to walk down the sidewalk with Violet in his arms, before he quickly scurried over to Sam.

"You okay man?" Charlie asked concerned at the site of the sick looking teen. Gently placing a hand on Sam's back he helped him up, hooking an arm around the boy's waist while he threw one of Sam's arms around his neck. He had no idea if Sam actually needed any help walking or he just needed help getting up, but the way the usually tanned skinned teen now held a kind of pale color gave Charlie the hint that he wasn't really in the right mood to talk.

As they finally arrived back at the party, Charlie let Sam go, instantly getting out his phone.

Violet needed an ambulance he was pretty sure of that, and he could do that. Charlie shakily dialed 911 knowing he wouldn't be the most popular guy for the next few weeks for crashing the party.

"911 what's your emergency?" The operator's voice came on making him feel kind of shaky.

"Uhh..hello. I need an ambulance for a friend. She's hurt, I don't know how, but I think it's bad."

"Okay where's your location?"

Charlie blushed feeling stupid for not adding his location, quickly telling the lady the address of the party he hung up and roughly shoved his battered phone back into his pocket.

"Okay I called an ambulance. Hang in there Vi." He didnt know if she could actually hear him, but he hoped the words would soothe her if she could.

"Oh I'll text everybody." Charlie added after a few second taking out his phone again before sending a mass text to everyone. Well almost everyone. His finger hovered over the button, that would either exclude Oz from the text or add him to the list.

Oscar is Violet's friend, it wouldnt be right for him not to know she's hurt Charlie reminded himself. The image of Oz rubbing Briton's back flashed through his mind, instantly making him send the text before adding Oz's name. Biting his lip guilty Charlie shoved his phone into his pocket.

---

Lacey looked up, or was it down? She couldn't seem to remember anymore. Her feet seemed to be above her, the floor the same. It was as if someone had turned the place upside down, but rather than fall with gravity, she was glued to her spot, just barely hanging on. The music pounded against her, hitting her on the sides of the head, punching her in the gut. She straightened out her neck, still unsure as to which direction it surely was that she was angling towards now. Everything in the room was amplified, twisted, and amplified again. She let her toes dangle off the edge of the tiled kitchen - now how she had gotten in there would have crossed her mind if other things did not take up priority at the moment - not daring to take the step forward and let herself free-fall off of what looked like a cliff. The churning, dark wood loomed thousands of feet further than her toes.

Her lips parted and she breathed in a heavy dose of low bass and dubstep, enough to fill her lungs and weight them down to the ceiling. She lifted her hands, pushing up against the skin on her cheeks, the sensation of them as if they were melting and sinking off. Everything felt so full and yet so empty. She felt empty. Bodies moved about her in a hurricane, and their words and thrashing and movements felt noisy. Their words felt tight and firm like an anaconda wrapping about her limbs. She had to escape them, she had to move, but her eyes wandered back down - or up - to the cliff, her feet shuffling from side to side on the icy white tile hesitantly. She was stuck, trapped in a cage of living flesh on three sides, and a fall to her death on the fourth. One step and she would fall, and drown in the churning oak.

Lacey took a deep breath of the toxic music, which she could feel swimming around her head in colorful clouds, leaking out her nose and her ears and the corners of her eyes. She had to do it, she had to, or she'd stay trapped forever. Amber, that was right. She had to get back to Amber. Where had the girl gone? Was she trapped somewhere else? Lacey swallowed down the salty taste of her fear, a reddish, grayish taste that clawed it's way down her throat, and readied herself just one more moment, before she pushed herself. In fact, she could feel her own hands on her back, physically throwing herself down off of the tile cliff. Soon, she was rolling through the deep brown, wooden sea, until she landed, her back flat to the sky and her body motionless and tingling like television static in a tangled nest of her own hair. The bodies had become tall, slim trees, swaying and dancing about her. The cage was gone, but she was unsure that she could even get up from her place, listening to the sound of swimming clouds and breathing in the pulsing colors and breathing out through her pores as if she was giving off toxins. She had to get up. She had to, didn't she? She was so ready to melt for a moment, drown and lay there, before she remembered a more pressing issue - Amber. Where was Amber? For a split second she forgot the pull of what tied her to the ground, escaping the bounds tied about her wrists by her own hair and jumping up in the midst of the crowd.

Something deep in the whispers prickling on her skin told her that Amber was floating, but Amber found herself grounded to the ceiling. There was no way she would be flying anywhere. She wound her way around the crowd, music beating and battering her in every direction for a while. She found herself losing track again for a while, body thrusting and combining with those on the dance floor, merging and becoming one beating entity of chaos and confusion. One of the boys from earlier was there, and she recognized him, feeling an awful sense prickling disgust as he tried to blend their skin together. The momentary lapse in the mood switched in an instant. She was trapped. She was being pulled away. She was drowning. Vanessa was drowning. Who was Vanessa? She'd remembered, but suddenly she'd forgotten again. Poor Vanessa, sitting at the bottom of a pool, choking on chlorine, who was she? It was her, wasn't it? No, no, this was Lacey. I'm Lacey, she assured, I'm drowning... Maybe we both are.

She put her hands to her throat gently, her body waving away from the other that moved so closely to hers that she was beginning to forget where hers ended and his started. She couldn't breath, she couldn't move, and she was beginning to feel that panic again. She was quick, when her mind suddenly traversed again, soaring away from her back over to Amber. Her body twisted quickly and her elbow knocked into the other body beside her, separating them and letting him fall to who knew where while she raced off, hurrying for a place she was sure she needed to go, though had no idea what it was.

She stood a moment facing the corner of the room, eyes shutting as her body felt an odd sensation run along her hip. It stung into her and she had to think while she reached for her pocket, beginning to realize just what it was. Her phone, it was a text, it had been on vibrate. Pulling it out and nearly forgetting how to unlock it, she quickly scanned over the message, before trying to read it over again more closely, seeing as the first scan of the words had left her high and dry, not understanding a word. Violet. Violet was... Hurt. A rush of panic rushed all around her, stabbing her and biting at her. It was happening, it was happening all over again.

What was happening?

All she could think clearly of was that she was scared. This was bad, and this was frightening. She was going to die. Amber was going to die. Violet was going to die. She felt as though she were falling downward though still she stood in place, dark enveloped her, attacking her physically. It reached into the pit of her gut and pulled at her, making her feel awful and sick.

"We need to find her. She's in trouble!" A voice suddenly called. When Lacey turned, it was Amber, and a little bit of the fear biting at her and pulling at her seemed to be scared off by the girl's presence. Lacey made what seemed like the biggest effort she'd ever made to try and focus, just to move and place her phone in her pocket, just in time for Amber grabbing her and flying off with her, soaring out of the building on the colorful wings of a warning from someone else. It was about Violet, wasn't it? They had to find her. That was far more important than the panic.

"We NEED to go to the hospital. NOW." Amber had blurted and Lacey's eyes finally began to process the confines of the car, her hand squeezing Amber's so tightly that she couldn't tell who's hand was whose. The car got tighter and tighter, and the roar of it all was taking place of that darkness she'd felt earlier, it's hand gripping tightly around her stomach and shaking it every so often. Her paranoia was yelling at her, calling her names that she didn't realize she was associated with. She quickly pressed herself against Amber, and felt just a little bit better, like her own self was getting smothered out while she payed more attention to Amber's being. Amber was such a beautiful bird. Lacey didn't want her to die.

---