• • •

"No friendship is an
accident."

- O. Henry

• • •

Two teenagers stumbled on to a quiet balcony in the middle of the frosty night, giggles and longing glances exchanged between both of them. Atria St. James held on to Dawson Ledger's forearm as he guided her across the pristine white floor to the middle railing for them to lean against. It was no matter, though, since Atria seemed to enjoy leaning against the eldest Ledger boy and Dawson's heart was thumping too loudly in his chest to protest.

In Dawson's hand was a bottle of expensive wine his mother had served during the party. She was particularly proud of this one, going on and on about how it had been aged for an absurd amount of years in a cellar reserved for the rich inside the mountains of Italy so Dawson thought the wine would impress not only him but his partner on the balcony as well. He had to get this right, is what he kept thinking as the lady rested her head on his shoulder.

"I was surprised you approached me," She piped up, looking up at him and he couldn't help but think how pretty she looked even when her face was covered by a mask.

The theme his mother chose for her famous end of the year party was a masquerade ball, going off about how it would be 'dazzling' and 'spectacular', using those adjectives repeatedly when she was defending the theme to his father. Dawson only agreed to attend because he heard she'll be there thanks to his brother Marcus who was awfully close to her.

"I should be surprised you decided to give me the time of day," Dawson chuckled back, taking a swig of the wine in his hands.

Atria's brows knitted together in confused amusement at his words. "Who wouldn't give you the time of day? You're Dawson Ledger."

Dawson let out a quiet laugh at her words because she did not understand how nervous he had been before he had approached her. "I meant I expected you to blow me off for my brother or something."

"Marcus?"

"I have no other brothers." Dawson quickly took another sip of the wine, realizing his words may have come off as snappy to some people. But his racing heart calmed down after he heard Atria let out a quiet chuckle.

"Marcus is a friend," Atria responded, grabbing the wine from Dawson's hand and to his surprise, took a sip from it. "In case you're worried."

She felt bold, flirty even and she needed wine to keep it that way. Atria never found a courage quite like alcohol and she believed she needed it more than ever now that she had the boy she didn't think would ever like her under her palm.

"I'm not worried."

"And you shouldn't be." Atria finished for him with a small smile. She raised the wine glass to his lips and Dawson gladly took it, taking another sip and pretending his heart wasn't racing as he remembered her lips were on it moments earlier.

"Your mother is a genius." The girl suddenly voiced, her eyes now glancing up to the blinking night that was soon to welcome the new year.

"How so?"

"This theme of hers," She startee with a far away look. "It makes me feel pretty."

"That makes no sense," Dawson snorted. "A mask is hiding your face."

"Exactly," Atria answered immediately, curtly. "A mask hides my face."

Dawson looked at her with confused pity, not really understanding why she said the words she did. In his mind, all he could think was 'why did the most beautiful girl at this party think a mask would make up for what she had naturally?'

"It still makes no sense," Dawson repeated, looking at what features were peaking out of the mask that hid the girl he'd been crushing on for months. Atria turned her gaze to Dawson now and he couldn't help but compare her eyes to the stars above them.

Dawson's heart hummed at the attention that was now on him and his heart swelled further when she stepped even closer to him, hips touching hips, in a way to seek comfort from the cold. A dumb smile was now on his face because the girl of his dreams had sought him out for warmth.

"Cold?" He mused as he put an arm around Atria, pulling her closer to him. Atria giggled at his actions, trying to distract herself from the way her heart pounded in her chest at a rhythm that felt so sweet.

"Too cold, you might have to hold me tighter in case I die from frostbite" Atria teased, her cheeks flushed even redder from not only the alcohol but how bold she was acting.

"We wouldn't want that happening, would we?" Dawson hooted, hints of his laugh still present. He was enjoying her company more than he thought possible.

"You most certainly would not," Atria grinned back at him. "Imagine all the people who'd be on you for not protecting a woman like me from the cold—your mother, my mother, your father, my father, just too many people to disappoint."

"You're more trouble than you're worth, huh?" Dawson laughed, his eyes filled with mirth.

"Clean observation, Ledger," Atria replied, shrugging her shoulders with her eyes gazing up at him in contentment. She couldn't deny the stirring of her emotions, the way her heart hadn't once slowed down in it's pace, or the way Dawson was now leaning closer to her, eyes solely on her lips.

The countdown for the new year had began, a chorus of excitement and anticipation for what may come. But the two teenagers on the balcony couldn't hear those shouts of hoorah and squeals of merriment.

How could you when you were receiving a kiss that would absolutely take anyone's breath away?

Dawson Ledger had the girl his dreams in his arms and Atria St. James had just fallen in love as the boy pressed his lips softly onto hers.

The first firework shot up into the sky with a sharp whistle, yet even it's eventual loud blast of colors did not scare the two on the balcony.

Atria was pressed up against the railing, her hand's in Dawson's hair and his on her waist, holding her close to him as if to steal away all the breath she held. Dawson kissed her like his life would end right then and there if he didn't.

"Dawson," She moaned out as he began to kiss her neck.

Dawson's grip on her hips tightened. He had never heard his name muttered so sweetly before. I could get used to it, he thought as he bit into her neck, which illicited a cute squeal from her. He chuckled darkly, he didn't know someone could be so attractive without having to do anything but squeal.

"C-" Before Dawson could finish what he was about to say, a loud, familiar gasp broke them out of their lust-filled trance.

The pair on the balcony looked like deers caught in headlights as Mrs. Ledger stared at them in disbelief.

"Children!" She hissed, her eyebrows knitted together in frustration. "I set up an elaborate New Year's Eve party only for you to miss the best part—the fireworks! All to get some."

Dawson rolled his eyes and let out a slurred chuckle, running a hand through his hair to at least look presentable for his mother.

She immediately noticed her son's obvious swaying and tutted even more. Mrs. Ledger ushered her drunken son inside, muttering about locking the alcohol away while leaving poor Atria on the balcony, flustered and out of sorts as she fixed her clothes.

There were two different yet similar thoughts running through the minds of the teenagers. It is quite disheartening, however, to hear them. Afterall, mistakes do happen under the influence of alcohol and the darkness of the night.

In Atria's head, innocence and blossoming of a crush newly formed was all she could think of. 'Oh my god, I just kissed Dawson Ledger!'

While in the head of the teenage boy who sported a shit-eating grin as his mother scolded him relentlessly, was a thought that fueled what would come next in our story.

'Holy shit, I just kissed Cassidy Brown.'

~*~
• { Atria St. James } •

"I hate this," Cassidy groaned out, slamming her medical book on to the table and glaring at it with her perfectly winged liner. Her red lips were pressed in a thin line and Marcus Ledger, her boyfriend, couldn't help but press a quick kiss on her cheek.

"You'll get it," Marcus assured her before popping a complimentary fry into his mouth. "These fries are great."

Cass ignored her boyfriend and turned to me. "Tria, how's studying?"

I sighed and dropped my book as well. "I want to shift courses."

"That's the spirit," Marcus joked while shoving another fry into his mouth.

Cass jabbed his side with her shoulder, causing Marcus to glare at her, before she turned back to me. "I'm sure you'll push through, Tree."

"I'm failing most of my classes," I deadpanned, running a hand through my hair. "I'm not used to this kind of degradation, Cass."

"Gross." Was Marcus' contribution to the conversation.

"You're smart," She reassured me, placing a hand on top of mine and giving me a comforting smile. "Whatever happens, I'm here for you."

"Get a room," Marcus called out which once again earned a jab from Cass.

"When's Elenor gonna arrive?" She grumbled, still glaring at her boyfriend who only grinned back at her like an in-love idiot.

As if on cue, the door to the cafè opened with a ding to signal the arrival of the patiently awaited Elenor Sin Clair, always late, and always apologetic.

"Elenor," the three of us greeted simultaneously as she took a seat at our table, smiling ruefully as she put her books on the table.

"Sorry, class ended later than expected," Elenor apologized, fixing her glasses and hair.

"No worries, we haven't ordered ye-"

"I've ordered."

I rolled my eyes at Marcus. "It's not about you." He flipped the bird. "Anyways, we haven't ordered yet and none of us—excluding Marcus—are particularly hungry."

"Well if that's the case, very sorry Marcus," Elenor fussed, bowing her head and giving him a crooked smile.

Marcus waved her off and threw her one of those signature Ledger smiles that always had the girls swooning. This one specifically meant 'it's all good man.'

"Oh!" Elenor suddenly exclaimed. "I saw someone today!"

"Well we are on planet Earth, Ellie," Marcus commented which, in turn, earned a sharp jab at the side from Cass. She seemed to enjoy causing people pain.

Elenor turned her eyes to Marcus which had him quirking his eyebrow in curiosity. "You didn't tell us your brother was home."

Silence fell over the group.

Cass and I exchanged looks before we all turned to Marcus who looked shocked by Elenor's announcement. He stared at the three of us, regaining his composure, and then shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't see why I had to?" He answered, well more like questioned. "I just don't see how my brother being home is a topic worth mentioning."

"Maybe we like your brother," Elenor piped up, pushing her glasses back into position and then picking up a menu.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Marcus grumbled, taking a long sip from his shake.

"It's just the principle of it!" Cass finally bursted, looking beautifully annoyed by her simple-minded boyfriend.

"What?"

"Gossip is gossip," Elenor replied to Marcus's question, popping the menu close and waving her hand for the waiter. "It's nice to share bits of information with your friends, Marcus."

"I thought you were the nice one."

"She is nice," Cass came to her defense quickly. "But the principle is, before anyone else on campus can find out that a beloved Ledger boy has returned back home from abroad, we should be the ones to find out first! Is that not correct, Tria?"

I had been silent since Elenor's sudden announcement that Dawson Ledger had returned to Mercedes so suddenly. A look of confused disbelief was painted on my features as I contemplated the meaning of his arrival. It had been three years since our encounter on New Year's eve and yet my heart still thumped heatedly as I imagined what I would do when I'd meet his eyes again. Would he even still feel the same after all the years apart? He hadn't even spoken to me after the whole ordeal.

I assumed he'd send a text at the very least but from his side it was radio silence. I remember sulking for the rest of Christmas break, wondering what I had done wrong for him to ghost me so cruelly. What kind of man would kiss a girl like that and then fall off the face of the earth right after? It didn't help that no more than a month later it was revealed that the oldest Ledger boy would be attending university abroad, much to our confusion as well as Marcus's.

I was still deep in contemplation when suddenly-

"Ah!" I moaned in pain, a familiar sharp jab at the side causing me extreme discomfort.

"Cass!" I hissed, throwing her an annoyed glare. She shrugged and Elenor tried to mask a chuckle.

"Say I'm right."

"You're right." I decided it was better to go along with whatever Cassidy wanted, it would give me more needed time to think. I ignored the way Cassidy threw a smug look in Matthew's direction, preparing to fall back into my silence, when she turned to me again, this time face curious and judging.

"What's on your mind?" She asked the question I expected.

I shrugged my shoulders, finding it easier to avoid the truth. "Nothing much, just thinking why Dawson decided to come home early."

"Is it even early?" Cassidy asked, turning to look at Marcus this time, seeming satisfied with my answer.

"Christmas break is in three weeks here, but I guess theirs is scheduled earli–yes, food!" Marcus exclaimed as the servers approached the table.

"Glutton," I chuckled as I watched Marcus help the servers place the food on the table, not to be polite but to get things moving quicker.

He threw me a wink and popped one of his chicken tenders into his mouth after he had prepared his place. My stomach growled at the lack of attention I was giving it and I let out an unsatisfactory pout as I looked at Marcus' plate.

"You should have ordered earlier," He chimed, noticing how I eyed his plate. He wiggled a chicken tender at me tauntingly before popping it into his mouth. "Hunger over manners."

"You're disgusting," Cassidy deadpanned while also popping one of his chicken tenders into her mouth.

I was about to add my own comment on Marcus' teasing but my phone vibrating distracted me from it. I slid it open and let out a groan.

"I have to go," I said, standing up and hoisting my bag onto my shoulder. "The teacher wants to start early today."

"How come?" Elenor asked, looking up at me as I gathered my things. I simply shrugged my shoulders and waved goodbye, chuckling as Cassidy and Marcus protested my departure.

"You could just be absent!" Cass called out.

"And miss points for attendace?" I called back which illicited a groan from the blonde. I rushed to my next class, my eyes glued to my phone as I texted one of my classmates, a dear friend called Kayla.

Has the teacher arrived?
sent 12:53PM

Nah but probably soon
sent 12:56PM

You think I'll make it?
sent 12:56PM

Bitch he arrived
Sent 12:57PM

I hissed under my breath and shoved my phone into my pocket, hoisting my bag securely onto my shoulder. I started running. My stomach growled, making me remember that I had yet to finish eating but my mind was immediately pulled back to reality as I entered campus grounds, showing the guard my school ID and rushing in. I had to get to the business department, the class being one of my majors in accounting.

A panicked noise came out of my mouth as I opened my phone again and saw Kayla's recent texts.

Run he's taking attendance
Sent 1:01PM

I hurried up the stairs, cursing under my breath about how unfair it was that our classroom was on the second floor. It didn't help that the teacher was an old man who refused to accept any excuses. If I could slip in and-

Bam!

I let out a sharp hiss as I bumped into a wall of flesh but that noise became a gasp of surprise as I was pulled to the side, hidden in a corner from anyone's eyes. I looked up at who had disturbed me in my run of desperation.

My breath caught in my throat, and it wasn't due to the fact I had just ran up two flights of stairs.

"Tria," Dawson greeted with a boyish smile, looking down at me with those Ledger eyes that had something ancient, almost forgotten, stirring inside of me.

I gulped, swallowing hard.

"Dawson."

• • •

To whoever may be reading this, I'm only publishing the preview for tonight to see if anyone is interested in reading this book.

If you are, please leave a comment and I'll make sure to funnel out the full, edited chapter within the day! Thank you! ;)