(Daniel Sharman as the bad boy William Gold)

Edited

Chapter 2

To listen and to hear are two completely different things. One involves attention, while the other involves nodding blindly.

To listen is to actually care, but to hear is to get the information and just brush it aside. It takes a lot for someone to actually care, to offer help, to understand the words coming from another's mouth. Most don't listen, they simply just hear.

For me, I think people just hear me. My words going through one ear and out the other. No one really understands me, but I wish they would.

My words are turned to echoes, most just going unheard, while the things that matter are listened to.

It doesn't help that all I have to do is give them a bright smile, which isn't real, and instantly I have what I want.

They hear me when I give them that overly bright smile, which is never real, and I get what I want. They nod blindly, offering little to no real opinion, just hearing, not really caring.

"Of course Quinn darling you can go to the lake house with Cleo. I know how you two love having weekend getaways." My mother smiles lovingly at me, a bright supportive smile etched onto her perfect face that won her the election. It takes good work, and amazing looks to be a governor, but to be Selene Hemings, a woman in politics, with an overly wealthy family, and to be wife of Charles Hemings, the tech genius, it takes perfection.

Not to mention that having me as a daughter, it takes a whole lot of support to show the voters that she is not only committed to them but also me. She's a woman of all traits.

"Really mom?" I ask, trying to force her to read between the lines. This is the final string for the party to be canceled.

She just nods, continuing to look at her computer.

I try again, hoping she'll catch on. "And you don't mind that we have a few friends over?" I confirm, trying to hide the hope behind my words, fiddling with my fingers, a trait I've learned makes me look suspicious.

She looks up at me, and for a second relief floods through me, "What gender are these friends?"

"Boys and girls."

"Okay, not a problem. Just make sure that if you do the deed that you use protection, I'm still a little too young for grandkids. But the scandal would be great for my next campaign." She jokes, smiling at me happily, and instantly all hope for this party to get canceled gets ripped away from me.

I give her a tight smile, one that I know she'll think is real, and thank her, heading to my room to pack an overnight bag, and start heading to my lake house. Heaven forbid a parent actually pick up on hints of their teens parties.  I mean why couldn't she be like other mom, ones that don't want their teenage daughter to have sex.

~*~ 

"Quinn! Oh good, you're finally here!" Cleo squeals as she rushes to me, dragging me into the lake house, and I take in my once cozy first floor is now set up for a high school rager.

All of soft sofas are pushed back a little making room for a space to dance. The oak dining table is cleared of the center piece, and the first round of beer pong is set. The kitchen has cooler after cooler of what I can only imagine is alcohol. And the DJ is here setting up his equipment for tonight.

Good bye my once cozy home away from home. It was lovely to have been apart of the history of this house.

"So as you can see, set up is basically all done. I wish you would have come earlier to help, it would have been so much easier. But anyway, we need to get ready. Everyone will be getting here soon, so come on." And with that she drags up into the room that is oddly now considered mine since my parents said when I come here I could use the master bedroom for now on, after all it's my house.

Soon I was dressed in a black lacy crop top with high waisted black short shorts, paired with a pair of black heels. Topped off with a silver necklace that says love, and my hair in a purposeful messy ponytail that is tied with a ribbon bow. It's a classic party look for me these days, a mix of my fashion and Cleo's, enough in which I get boys drooling for me but not to where I look too slutting. It's a perfect medium.

Cleo on the other hand, is the definition of the stereotypical popular girl with her outfit. A skin tight black dress that has a red stripe emphasizing the sweetheart neckline, and how very short it was. He butt was almost hanging out of the dress. It screams out desperate for male attention, and glares from other girls. But that is the type of girl Cleo was at parties.

She became her stereotype. The popular girl that needs all the attention in the world, and will do anything and drink whatever she has to, to get the attention she wanted. So this dress is no surprise.

Touching up on my deep red, basically a dark shade of maroon lipstick, I look at her and her and see she is smiling at her phone screen, typing swiftly away. "So, do you have a particular target tonight?" I ask her, and she smirks at me.

Each party she always has a boy that she wants to sleep with, and by the end of the night she is in bed with him. "Yep." She says popping the 'p' and walking over the door, slipping on her shoes.

"And who might it be this time?"

Cleo looks at me and smiles wickedly at me, "William Gold."

I can't help but gasp, my face draining of all color. She couldn't possibly want to sleep with him, she hates him.

"You mean our schools residential bad boy?" I ask raising both my eye brows, trying to just seem shocked and not hurt. She knows how much this would hurt me.

"Why yes, sweet pea." She smiles broadly.

Why is she doing this? Why him? She know what happened between he and I. She knows that this wasn't nice. And she was nonchalant about it. But I know to keep quiet, I really don't want to start an argument, she will just sleep with him anyway. I can't stop her, so I just bite the inside of my lip and shake my head, clearing my thoughts.

"Be careful," I warn her, and she rolls her eyes before responding, "Quinn, you know I know to I know to wrap before I tap it." Causing my face to scrunch up in disgust, while she bursts out laughing.

The doorbell rings, meaning the first of the guest have arrived. There's no going back. This is it. Hormonal teens fill my house, and the party is in full swing.

It's disgusting that these are people that I know, people that I talk to on a regular basis, all basically having sex in my living room, drunk out of their minds, and as high as the moon. I shake my head annoyed, and sipping my beer, as I watch.

My house comes apart piece by piece, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

I know is shouldn't drink. That it will only mess with my head, but like every teenager I also know there is a time and a place, and right now, is the time, and the fact that the beer was probably bought with my credit card, this is most definitely the place.

Scanning the crowd I see Cleo dancing with a Kai, the boy I dated sophomore year, Cleo said that dating was essential part of being popular so she picked him out, and we dated for a little while. He was a great way to forget freshman year. It made me look good in the spot light with a cute athletic boy on my arm. That was until I looked like a victim, which helped me, I guess.

Kai looks like he is having the time of his life, with Cleo's back presses against him, but he neglects to accept the fact she is staring right at a certain bad boy. William Gold, who holds a particular amount of amusement in his eyes as he watches Kai and Cleo.

I pity Kai at this moment, he thinks he is going to get the girl, but in reality she is using him, like she always does. That's her game, use a boy to get the one she actually wants, and it always works.

Taking another sip of my drink, I start scanning the crowd again, watching as my classmate, and teammates all make fools of themselves, but let's face it no one but me will probably remember any of this by tomorrow. They will probably be too hung over to care, or embarrassed to bring it up.

"Now, what is my favorite used to be bad girl doing standing here all alone in the midst of her own party; sipping a beer, and watching people?" A husky voice playfully whispers in my ear, and I just ignore him and the fact he places his chin on my shoulder stares straight ahead as he whispers. His hands on my bare hip, rubbing soft circles that make my stomach twirl as watching the drunken teens in front of me grind.

We stay silent, neither of use willing to interrupt the familiar situation, one that only a few years ago would be second nature. I just let it be. He'll probably leave in a little bit to go get his next conquest, one I know for sure.

"Why aren't you dancing like all the other preps?" He asks after a while.

I look at him out of the corner of my eye, and see he is staring at the crowd, made of the most popular kids at our school. And he's right, I should be out there, dancing and having fun, after all I am one of them.

"Because I just don't feel in the mood." I say flatly, it is after all the truth. I was going to have fun in the beginning, but now, after what Cleo said, my slightly prep mood was extinguished.

"Hmmm."  He nods.

"Why did you come tonight?"

"I have my reasons." Is all he says.

I continue to look straight and tell him, "You are Cleo's next target." And for a moment he doesn't say a word.

"Finish your beer, now." He orders me, taking his chin off my shoulder and turning me to face him, and instantly I become confused. His jaw is clenched, and his eyes show anger.

I just stand there, his hands now gripping my waist, still utterly confused by his change in mood. Shouldn't he be happy? Cleo's one of the only girls he hasn't slept with..

"Now." He commands impatiently and I just give him a face and finish the drink. What is his problem?

His cold hands grip my waist more firmly, bringing me closer to him, and I smell his cologne the same one he's always worn. I look up at him confused when he brings us flush together.

William Gold looks down at me with his hazel almost golden eyes, as ironic as his name is, our face inches apart.

"I missed you," is all he says before he brings his lips crashing down onto mine, and for some crazy reason I kiss him back.

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