"Take me somewhere new," I lean in and shout over the booming music.

We exchange an adventurous grin and she pulls my wrist.

"This way, m'lady," Sloane announces, squeezing us through the wild thrashing crowd.

We cross through another tightly packed hallway with red fluorescent lights. I cough, the smoke from a group's cigarettes dancing seductively through the air.

"Welcome to our parents' nightmares," she smirks, extending her arm like a showman.

The sea of gothic people part to reveal a blinding white light. I shield my face instinctively. Suddenly, the light starts cutting into bars and flashing violently to the beat of the music.

My eyes go wide and my jaw drops when my vision finally adjusts.

The dark silhouette of a man slowly lifting himself up a pole is lit up by a backlight. On the stage next to him is the silhouette of a woman with an Afro spinning around a pole with nothing but her long leg wrapped around it.

My heart starts beating fast. I can't tell if it's the drums, fear, excitement, or the product of all three.

"Holy shit," I barely utter, my jaw still unhinged.

"Come on, don't just stand there! Dance!" Sloane jabs my arm and starts swaying.

The scream of an electric guitar sends the lights fluttering again, causing her motions to look like a series of frames.

I begin swaying too, pumping my elbows in the air and thrashing my head. "This is so sick!"

"Haha I know right!" She yells back.

The clash of the drums and the strumming of the guitar speed up, as does the intensity of our slam dancing.

The lights reveal cage dancers, one of them sticking out their tongue and hanging their head upside down next to us.

Clubbers with increasingly risqué garments pass us by as we dance through the crowd, all of them moving seductively.

I can't keep track of how much time goes by. One minute I'm spinning and the next I'm sitting on a hill overlooking the sleeping city.

The crescent moon is shining ethereally, but with a comparatively pacifical brilliance than that of the harsh strobe lights underground.

Up here is tranquil and silent, and undoubtedly fresher. The only music playing is that of crickets hiding in bushes.

"It's a good thing I brought something to sit on," Sloane pats the towel underneath us proudly.

"You're always so prepared," I muse peacefully, reclining on my elbows.

"Cheeuh, guess who else came prepared?" Joel reaches into his jean pocket and shuffles something out.

I sit up and peek over Sloane.

"What's that?" I tilt my head.

"I rolled up some blunts for us while you guys were setting up the towel. Pretty schweet, eh? They're wrapped in tobacco leaves so they're gonna give us a wicked high." He dramatizes by putting two fingers to his lips and tracing them to the air.

"Oh my god, that's so sick," Sloane cackles. "I'll take one!"

"Right?" Joel's eyes flicker with the spirit of teenage rebellion as he passes Sloane a roll. "It'll hit stronger if we veg out in your limo with the doors closed. Rain, you want?"

"Yeah, no," I hold up my hands and block it. "I'm fine with you guys smoking it out here, but I swear I'll ralph if you do that shit in the limo."

"Pahah! Suit yourself," he laughs mercifully and begins lighting up the end of Sloane's before lighting his.

"Where'd you even get this stuff?" Sloane asks him.

"I'm pretty sure that 'stuff's' illegal too," I emphasize.

Joel waves a hand dismissively. "It's illegal only if you get caught. But yeah, I got it from this dealer at the nightclub."

"Wow, so you can find a dealer but I can't even find a goth girlfriend? This world is cruel," Sloane shakes her head and takes a drag to ease her sorrow.

"You're trippin, I'm pretty sure one of those cage dancers was batting her eyes at you," I remark while repositioning myself.

"No, don't give me hope, Rain," she leans over her knees and takes another strong drag.

"Cage dancers?! What cage dancers?" Joel exclaims, nearly knocking down his own blunt.

"Chill!" I laugh. "Sloane just took us to an age restricted area~"

"The whole club is an age restricted area, dude!" She cackles.

"Anyway, watchu thinking boy? You can't see any cage dancers. You have to stay loyal to your girlfriend."

"Ah yes, the magnificent Homecoming Queen Holly Jones," Sloane curls her straight hair around her wrist and stares dreamily and exaggeratedly at the sky.

Joel blushes and stares at us.

"My gosh, Joel," I crack up. "Your ears are as red as a tomato right now!"

Sloane slaps her knee and laughs loudly. "Holy crap, she's right!"

"Shut up! We're gonna get caught," He looks away and takes a drag to hide his embarrassment.

"Aww, he's embawassed!" I press my hands together and start making kissy faces. Soon enough, Sloane joins in on my mockery.

"Yeah whatever! Anyway, we're not even dating..."

"Yet," I hold up a finger and smile. "You'll see."

"We barely talk, just when she needs help in art class," he mutters. "I've only had a crush on her since, what, the beginning of high school? I don't know why a popular, insanely cute girl like her would turn my way in the first place."

He rips an innocent piece of grass from the ground and tosses it further away.

"You're also insanely cute," Sloane bumps him. "You ought to give yourself more credit, broski."

"Yuck," he chuckles. "Don't call me that, you dweeb."

"You guys would make a hella cute couple, I'm just saying," I add, leaning an elbow on my knee for comfort.

"You know who else would make a hella cute couple?" Sloane smiles.

"Who?" I wonder like a dumbass.

"You and Darren Banks, duh!" She punches my shoulder.

"Owe!" I rub my shoulder and feel my cheeks go hot. Merely hearing his name brings up memories of his splendid cheekbones. Solely picturing his handsome face smiling launches me into crazy fangirl mode. I hide my face in my knees and resist the urge to fangirl out loud. I mean, that guy is a literal Greek god if I ever did see one.

"What's that you say? A literal Greek god?" Sloane smirks.

"What— I didn't say that!"

"But you were thinking it!" Joel nods and flashes a big grin.

"Oh jeez," I roll my eyes. "What do you want now, my pity story? My situation is more impossible. We sit on opposite corners in English Literature, and that's practically the only class we share. Tell me how the most popular, irresistibly charming boy in Willowburg would fall for the biggest nerd in school?"

"It sounds like a chic flick," Joel says analytically. "By that logic, you need to wear this makeup, let your hair loose, and dress like, super bitchin'. So basically, what you're wearing right now."

"Girl, that man would be in love on the spot. No joke," Sloane agrees.

"Not even!" I laugh and roll my eyes. "I don't even know if he's into this sorta stuff."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Joel nods, his eyes flaming red. This guy is totally, and I mean super totally faded to the max. Looks like I'll be driving tonight.

"I have a proposition to make. We're graduating this year, right? Let's make the best of it. From now until the end of the year, we have to make a pact and promise to do whatever it takes to get our crushes to like us back."

Sloane and I raise our eyebrows.

"I.. I don't know about that one.." I look away nervously.

"Come on Rain, you just have to make a move!" Sloane shakes my shoulders.

"Yeah, you won't be alone. We have to promise to help each other," Joel smiles warmly.

"Oh alright," I smile back.

"Yes Rain!" Sloane cheers.

"Sick. Now if you really agree, this is the first challenge you gotta do. We have to yell our crush's names from the top of this hill. You have to be willing to shout their names from the rooftops if you really like them."

"Oh gosh.. ok. You go first, then!" I laugh. This is totally crazy. But it's true that it's our last year. I have nothing to lose, right?

"Alright," Joel stands up and walks to the edge of the cliff. Putting his hands on the corners of his mouth, he takes a deep breath and shouts, "MY NAME IS JOEL LARSON AND I'VE GOT A GIANT CRUSH ON HOLLY JONES!"

Sloane jumps up next to him and screams, "I'M SLOANE IVORY AND I'M IN LOVE WITH MARY JANE!"

"Mary Jane?! Don't you have a real crush?"

"Haha not yet. Go!"

I inhale deeply and holler to the universe. "MY NAME IS RAIN WILSON AND I'M IN LOVE WITH DARREN BANKS!"