"What game is this?" The person next to me asked, putting an arm above me on the headrest of the couch.

The heat radiating from him was comforting and his scent was so inviting as he leaned in a little closer to me.

Bringing my head back, I rested my head on his arm as I looked up to see who it was. Instead my eyes betrayed me as my vision was a bit blurry. I squinted to get a better look and finally saw Miles smiling down at me. I returned his smile.

His arm felt so comfortable, I felt as though I'd probably fall asleep within record time.

Part of me was puzzled by Miles' behaviour towards me. Was he always interested and I happened to not realise it until now?

I had a hard time believing that he really liked me. What's there to like? In my seventeen years of life, I hardly got any attention from guys, both romantic and friendship-wise. So what does he see in me that no one else sees?

"It's like spin the bottle but this time you have options." Derrick explained, making Miles break eye contact with me and look up at him. "So if you can't make out with the person that the bottle pointed to, it's either you strip or tell someone's deep dark secret." He then released a dark laugh, but it sounded weird – not like in the movies at all.

"Der, stop it. That was weird." Miles laughed beside me.

"Okay, yeah yeah."

Derrick spinned the bottle and it landed on Spencer as well as Bianca, some girl on the cheer team.

A tipsy Bianca cheered excitedly.

Tanya laughed, "You go girl! At least he's hot." She said to her friend.

Okay, it really seems like Shelby and I weren't the only drunk ones out of the girls. The guys seem a little tipsy, while Miles is the only one who is sober. At least I could feel some of the alcohol wearing off. I was slowly regaining my senses.

When Spencer didn't stand up, Bianca sat on his lap, straddling him before leaning in and kissing him. He looked like he was enjoying it because he put his arms around her and pulled her close.

I covered my scrunched-up face, making Miles laugh at me.

"I can't watch," I complained.

I was glad that when I finally removed my hands from my face, they had already pulled back. But Bianca stayed on Spencer's lap. Didn't this guy tell me he had a girlfriend? Anyway... it's not my place, Spencer has always been a player.

Oliver took it upon himself to spin the bottle for the next round. When on end pointed to me, my eyes widened slightly. I looked ahead to see where the other end was but my I quickly found the answer to my question as Oliver spoke up.

"It's me and Tyler."

Oh shit.

He sounded a little too enthusiastic for my liking.

Shelby giggled excitedly, "Ooh, Tyler and Oliver sitting in a tree..."

"No," I firmly cut her off. "I'll drink."

I was not having my first kiss with Oliver Hastings off all people. He's a ladies man and he knows it. I didn't want to be yet another girl on his checklist. Moreover, what would Miles think of me kissing one of his friends right in front of him?

In the next round, the bottle landed on Shelby and Derrick. In response, Derrick laughed while Shelby didn't say anything.

Surprisingly, Miles was quiet and didn't seem bothered at all.

"Well come on, babe." Derrick said with eagerness.

I wouldn't be surprised if Shelby agreed to kiss Derrick in front of everyone just to spite Miles for avoiding her the entire night. To my surprise, she decided otherwise...

"Ew, no. I'm not going to make out with you." She said. "Tyler's a virgin. Tyler, shared your deep dark secret... oops!" She said before laughing.

I froze while I felt Miles get stiff beside me. For a moment everything along with us froze, and everyone around us was extremely silent too.

"What?" Shelby asked mid-laughter. "Is it not funny?"

"No Shelby, it's not fucking funny." Miles spoke up beside me.

"Shelby I knew you were a nutcase, but now I'll be sure to add bitch on your list of personal adjectives." Spencer said.

"Yeah Shelby." Bianca spoke up quietly. "That wasn't very nice of you."

With everyone turning to eye me sympathetically, I could feel the tears start to well up in my eyes as I sat up. They're not my friends. They never have been. But why are they suddenly feeling bad for me?

I thought I was just an outcast to them.

Newsflash.

Apparently the popular kids, who believe so much in the social hierarchy system at Macedonia High, actually have feelings.

My so-called bestfriend just embarrassed me intentionally and they were the ones who seemed to care enough to feel bad.

Shelby didn't even look remorseful.

"I need some air." I told them as I walked off in the direction of the backyard.

"Look," Shelby said. "As embarrassing as it is, everybody already knows that she's a virgin. I don't think I did anything wrong."

"You're such a self-absorbed airhead." Miles didn't hide the disgust he felt for Shelby in his tone.

"What the fuck!" I heard Shelby curse, sounding like she was on the brink of tears. "Why the hell is everybody against me?!"

Why wouldn't she cry? Her boyfriend just insulted her in front of everyone, for a bestfriend that she always puts down so she can feel good about herself.

I got outside and turned a corner, wanting to be alone. I got to a small passage which was in the yard and decided that was the proper spot. I sat down on the soft grass and stretched my legs so my toes could touch the other side of the wall. I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes, letting out a breath.

Does Shelby really consider me as a friend? She doesn't really have much to benefit from me as a friend, so even if she had ulterior motives, I wouldn't have guessed it.

If anything, maybe I'm the only one who benefits from our friendship because she's the only friend I have. I am bad at making friends and she knows it. Without her, I'd be a loner.

But there isn't much of a difference whether she's there or not, I thought to myself.

We hang out with the popular kids at school and she was one of them. I was nothing like them, so I always felt left out. I sit at the table with all of them, yet still feel like I'm alone. They wouldn't hesitate to remind me that I'm only there because of Shelby.

So is there really a difference?

"You really shouldn't wander out alone, sweetheart." I heard a deep voice say with a sinister tone, as it broke me out of my thoughts.

I looked to the side and saw that guy who was looking at me while I was dancing earlier. Due to the lack of comfortability which I was feeling, I hurriedly stood up and faced him. He wasn't too old compared to me but that still didn't make me fear him any less.

Turning to leave, I tried to ignore him as I walked past but he held onto my arm.

"What do you want?" I asked, the fear in the pit of my stomach building up.

"You." He answered simply. His expression showing a look of lust as he took me in fully.

I hugged myself as a weak attempt to cover up, suddenly hating myself for agreeing to wear an outfit that exposed my body like this.

All I wanted to do was run away but my feet were somehow glued to the grass. He closed in on me and I felt a guy touch my waist for the second time tonight. But his touch was rough, and even though Miles tightened his hold on me too, his touch was gentle while this guy's touch was hurting me.

I gasped.

"Yeah, baby." He said with a chuckle. "When I finally get to deal with you, that's all I want to hear. You need to moan my name over and over again. All I want to hear is the name Kevin rolling off your beautiful tongue." He breathed against me.

He smelled like cheap beer and all I wanted was for him to get far away from me.

"Get away from me!" I tried pushing him away but he was too strong. He leaned in and placed wet kisses on my neck, my collar bone, and he started getting lower as he kissed my exposed chest. When he was about to go lower, I pushed him again. "No! Stop it!"

"Getting kinky?" He said with a lop-sided smile. "My favourite."

I was caught off-guard as he started grinding against me. The tears immediately started rolling down my cheeks in fear. When I tried screaming, he put his hand on my mouth and held me still against the wall. He groaned against me and I immediately knew that this sound would stay engraved in my mind.

I cried out, but it came out as a muffled sound because his hand was covering my mouth.

"Aww baby, are you crying?" He showed fake sympathy. "This was supposed to bring you more pleasure than pain. But I guess the pleasure was one-sided."

Just wanting this to be over, I continued crying while keeping my eyes shut. That didn't even help because his face kept on haunting me no matter how hard I tried to forget about the nightmare in front of me.

Suddenly, I could feel him being violently pulled away from me. "Get the fuck away from her!" My saviour shouted, his tone filled with anger.

When I gathered the courage to open my eyes, I saw Miles mercilessly throwing his fists at his face. Looking at our surroundings to see if anyone was around to help, I thought twice about it. If I call someone for help, everyone would know what just happened.

For some reason, I didn't want that.

Miles let his guard down and Kevin got a few punches, causing Miles to get a small cut on the lip as he flipped them over to gain dominance. 

"Stop!" I yelled, causing him to get distracted as he looked at me in irritation. That's when Miles gave him one last punch that knocked him out cold, roughly pushing him off so he could get up.

Miles rushed up to me with a look of concern on his face. "Tyler? Are you okay?" He looked all over my body for any cuts or bruises. "Did he hurt you?" He asked, his jaw clenching and his breath quickening in anger.

"No," I managed to whisper as a few tears escaped from my eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner," He apologised, still looking angry.

When the images came back to my mind about what happened and how he came at me, I broke down as the tears came out in large quantities.

"Shh shh... don't cry." Miles said as he hugged me close, stroking my hair in a comforting manner. "He won't get anywhere near you again."

"Miles." I cried, clutching his shirt.

"Yeah?"

"Take me away from here, please." I begged as I cried more. Being here right now made me feel worse. And I really needed to take a shower. I smelled like him, and all I wanted to do was forget that he or his breath ever touched my skin.

Had Miles not come here...

"Come on," He broke me out of my haunting thoughts as he gently led me to the front yard without going into the house.

"Isn't the exit through the house?" I asked him softly.

"No, there's another way out by the poolside. Luckily the gate wasn't locked last time I checked. I figured you wouldn't want anyone to know so that's why I'm taking you out this way." He explained.

I nodded and surprised the both of us when I grabbed his hand and held onto it tightly. He made me feel safe, and right now all I need is safety and comfort.