It was six thirty when we rolled up to the block where Preston lived. The house was huge, the front lawn was cluttered with teen bodies and trash, and the music was already blaring, the car vibrated from the loud bass even as we were driving up closer to the mansion where the party was. I gulped and forced myself to not tell Olicity that I wanted to go with Maky instead.

There were people I didn't recognize from school, they were running about shirtless, or smoking or drinking from red cups, or grinding salaciously on each other. The fountain out front was inked in a multitude of colorful dyes with six or so bikini clad girls dancing and being cheered on by drunken teens. This was sickening.

Olicity was jumping in her seat, eyes sparkling as we drove up to the massive mansion where all my worse nightmares festered and bloomed.

My eyes traveled to see Maky's eyes observing the unnatural ritualistic actions of our fellow youths with disgust. She sighed as she pulled up infront of the house and waited. Olicity was halfway outside the car when she yelled her thanks and rushed over to join two girls, who were waiting on her. The girl with the short bob-cut blonde hair was dressed in skin tight leather leggings and a fitted black crop top that left little the the imagination. The other girl who had a her curly red hair pulled back at the nape of her neck in a messy bun dawned gray high waist shorts and a red v-neck crop top. Olicity hugged them as they squealed and gushed over... something. I recognized them from my Bio and Spanish class; the blonde who wore the leather was Jenna Hill and the ginger in red was Terry Dunn.

I felt a tapping at my shoulder and jumped and turned to face Maky. "If at anytime you feel like you can't do this anymore and Lici is too far gone. I'm one phone call away, okay." I nodded, a surge of anxiety washing over me the instant I realized what she was saying. I don't think I wanna be here anymore.

Olicity waved for me to come but I turned back to Maky. "If I don't text you at 8pm the dot with a positive update, then you come for me. Don't even hesitate or second guess. Just come... and if I don't reply back, please come." She nodded and I inhaled deeply, getting myself ready for the circus. I opened the door, exhaling slowly as my entire world went in slow motion as I walked towards Olicity, Terry and Jenna.

"Hee...llooo... Alll... liccee." A nudge to the shoulder jolted me out of my slowly dying world and I shook my head, smiling clumsily as I waved at the girls, time quickening as I smiled at them. "H―hey."

Terry, combed a hand back through her thick red hair and smiled softly. Jenna didn't seem too interested by me, because she shrugged and looked anywhere else but at me. She was a year older, so I guess that meant I wasn't in her league, but that didn't faze me. I don't need to be liked by someone as cold as her.

Jenna swung her arm over Olicity's neck and tugged her towards the stairs. Terry smiled and shrugged when she saw me rolling my eyes at them. "She's not really nice, but she has her moments." Terry said in her defense.

I shrugged. "It's whatever, so are we going in?" She nodded, smiling timidly then started for the stairs. I looked back to see Maky waving me before driving off, and I watched her leave with sad eyes until her car disappeared up the road. "Y―you coming Alice?"

"Yeah." I turned back with a small smile on, faking it before joining Terry.

I inhaled deeply before entering every below average teenage dream... attending an outrageously notorious high school party. I guess I can check that off my list of things I never wanted to do while in high school.

Walking through the doors of the mansion, I see insanity at every turn, a girl running around in a tight pink bikini, jocks chanting 'chug chug chug' as they held up another Jock by his legs, upside-down as I drank from a large keg. A clique of popular girls typing away at their cells to one corner, and then I saw a gang of teens chain smoking at the table after the staircase. I gulped, wanting this to be all an illusion and for me to be daydreaming of what of a teenage nightmare would consist of.

Terry was amazed at my side, eyes running over everything as she stepped forward. A hand touched my shoulder and a brown eyed basketball player with a red cup in his hand and a stained school varsity jacket smiled at me. He reeked of alcohol and I turned my nose up in repulsion. "Hey, you look like you need a drink." before I could protest he shoved his cup at me. My eyes flared, the liquor in his cup was pungent, the scent nearly acidic as he tried handing it to me. I shook my head in refusal as he pressed me. He was reaching for my arm before I felt myself being pulled away quickly. I snapped back around to see Terry tugging me away from him. "Ignore them. Most of them are drunk and disorderly, it'll be best to stay away for all the boys here." Was she used to thi kind of party scene, or wa she just really helpful? She brought me to another hallway where some high hipsters stood talking.

"Thank you." I breathed, as she let me go and looked over her shoulder at the room we were in, a more social group of teens were gathered here as well, some dancing, drinking, others hollering and shoving at the other in a tough but playful manner.

Is this what teenagers did at parties? I don't think I'm missing out much. I sighed at the dilemma I managed to stick myself in and thought of where Olicity could be and if Jenna were still with her. "Where do you think they went off to?"

"Huh?" Terry turned back to me, a small red cup in hand as she examined me.

I guess she noticed me watching the cup and smiled. "It's water. I asked a friend for it. She's not a drinker either." I nodded, hoping that she wasn't a pathological liar. "I'm gonna look for Olicity, okay."

"Sure, just meet me here when you find her." I nodded and left her to her supposedly non-alcoholic drink. Thankfully, I didn't build up any good anticipation for this party, because it was currently and safety and health hazard.

I maneuvered my way through the crowd of teens when I heard lewd laughter. Olicity. I knew that boisterous cackle of forced joy anywhere. I walked towards the sound over the mumbling mess of music—could I even call that music? I squeezed pass a shouting shirtless guy as I headed for the glass doors that let out to a long wrapping porch, and thanked God I hadn't be tackled or grabbed. I looked over the edge to see a pool party going on below. There Olicity was giggling with... Devon. Ugh, great just what the doctor ordered, her getting her heart broken all again by her asshole ex. I huffed and started down the stairs, dodging everyone on the way down. I hurried towards her and before I could reach out to touch her I was stopped by Jenna. She inserted herself between me and my best friend and I snared in distaste. She was beginning to get on my nerves. I sighed. "I need to stop Lici from making a big mistake."

"Actually, you're not. You're gonna go back up there or wherever and leave her alone. She has a life outside of your stupid friendship circle." I clenched my jaw in irritation. She was unbelievable. Just who did she think she was? Lici and I had been friend since we were eight years old.

"My friend is going to get back with her cheating ex and you're being a piece of crap to *me*. Let me through before I..."

She arched a perfect brow at me. "Before you what? You're just a pathetic nobody." She shoved me back and I was itching to punch her. "Hey, hey Ali." Olicity giggled, she pushed past Jenna and came over to me. "What's up? You having fun?" she asked, twisting a curl away from my face as she tucked it behind my ear.

"Yeah, you better not be taking him back. He's a cheater, remember that."

"Oh come on. I... he's just talking to me. Besides he's already talking to some chick. And I know what I'm doing. I promise." She smiled to reassure me, but I didn't believe her one bit.

"Just don't do anything stupid and stay away from alcohol. This party's too crowded to be drunk off your ass." she nodded.

"Alice, you sound like Mak. I'll be fine, now go have some fun. There's so many cute guys here, go flirt, open up. Let go," she gripped my shoulders gently. "Have fun or I'll have it for the both of us." she giggled.

"You better not." I commanded. She pouted sadly.

"Oh, don't be like that."

I didn't want to leave her side, but with Jenna around I wasn't going to be able to stick close by. "I don't like Jenna, Lici." I kep my voice low enough so she'd  be able to hear me and she caught on and did the same.

"She's cool. Very chill, anyways I'll be okay. Go have fun with Terry." She turned me around and gave me a gentle shove towards the stairs.

I rolled my eyes. "Text me every five minutes okay."

She waved me off. "Okay okay, now go have fun."

I walked away, ignoring Jenna's snarky smirk as Olicity rejoins the she devil and the horny Jock that made her cry for two weeks. This is gonna be a long night.

~ ~ ~

A half hour into the night and I've found myself leaning against the wall in a corner by the only bookshelf in the house. I took up a random book, reading the cover. Proper techniques to a successful business, this sounded like a book a rich lawyer would have. I shoved it back in the shelf and sighed. "Hell-o cutie. Why you all alone?" a male voice asked. He was tall, with green eyes, who looked a lot older than a normal high school Jock. I swiftly ignored him, he had clearly been drinking plenty by the way he slurred his question to me. I didn't think I had enough tolerance to speak to anymore drunk people tonight. I've shockingly avoided several within the forty-five minutes that we've been here. "Come on, don't look 'way, tell me about yo'self." I didn't reply.

"She looks like she needs a boyfriend—she's so lonely." Another one chimed in, his dusty blond hair a mop on top his head, now he looked like the average high school teen, but then he was sporting his team jacket, and it was not our school at all. I gulped, this was becoming too much now.

"Yeah, wanna dance shorty?" a cute dark skinned boy asked. Brown eyes looking back at me. He looked actually sober but I don't dance and didn't want to. "Aww come on. Don't just brush us off."

"I don't dance, and no I don't need a boyfriend, I just wanna be alone."

"Oh, she talks." the blond one says. "Think she likes black boys Bryant." I rolled my eyes Bryant was cute but he saw my face and shrugged at his friend.

"Cute voice, cuter outfit." The blond goes to touch me but a hand swipes it away. I look up in time to see the same guy from earlier today, the one that rendered me speechless... more than usual. The one with soft hazel eyes. I didn't even know his name yet, but his face looked more familiar now that I was not internally freaking out. "Hey, why don't you three go check out the pool, plenty of cute girls in skimpy Bikini's. Bet they wanna dance." The boys had no protest as they rushed off towards the door leading outside.

I huffed, out thankful for his sudden appearance. "Thank you."

He shrugged. Don't mention I—." He hot cut off as the crowd of teens surged. They grew into a rowdy wave of sweat and half naked bodies controlled by drugs and music and I wished i could bury myself into the wall. The volume of voices was getting louder as they pushed and shoved and bucked and hollered. He dashed for me covering me with his arms as we were shoved about by the ocean of teenage bodies. He pushed away the incoming teens as he hurried to the entrance of the living room. We managed to squeeze inside before the crowd could topple over with us as it did once we were free. This reminded me of Train to Busan... and it was scary ti see it happen infront my eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked pulling away as he examined me for any bruises. I shook my head, and he smiled, eyes brightening. He bent to check his camera around his neck which I didn't even realize he had. He looked back up at me, smiling again, happy it was in one piece. He was going to open his mouth to speak, when a tall leggy girl showed up out of the blue and practically jumped him, arms around his neck, and her overexposed cleavage pressed to his chest. Her short skirt riding up as she lifted a leg—I spun away from that peep show, groaning at the unneeded show of affection and moved away from them without hesitation.

You must be wondering where Terry was, right? Well, she was clearly lying about staying where I left her, she had gone to God knows where and I didn't fuss to look for her. She seemed piteous of me and I didn't need any pity, I just needed salvation from this hellish gathering of overstimulated sexual tension, and unmannerly behavior and lewd practices.

I spotted another group of smokers... maybe even the same ones from earlier and moved towards them, I leaned against the wall besides them and slipped to the wooden floor, allowing myself to be slightly masked by the haze of thick smoke. I pulled out my cell to see a text from Olicity and Maky. I clicked Olicity's first.

'Alive and well Ali.'

'Good, stay that way.' I hit send and prayed she was really fine. I moved onto to Maky's text

'Wishing, I were home all by myself and not here where no one cares enough about my well-being.'

'Praying you're at least safe and sound.'

'Safe enough to survive, sound enough to not be heard.' she lol'd and I shoved back my cell in my pocket.

This night was a total disappointment. Not fully a minute into me sitting here and a random guy starts hollering and cackling like a madman. I tried to dispel the noise but I couldn't take it after he went on for another several minutes; so I think my time here has been great, but now I need to find somewhere else to hide out.

I crawled out from my corner and stood, bumping into yet again another guy who asked me if I wanted to hook up, he was yelling over the bad music making it impossible to make out whatever he was saying, so I shook my head and escaped into the crowd, that was until someone grabbed his shoulder, but I smacked the hand and fled.

What am I really doing here? Why did I even agree to this? When can I break out and be free again? I sighed, walking around to see where I could seat or stand for a second.

Excuse me if my mood towards this party seemed uninterested but I really don't mean to act like some anti-social pessimist, I just don't mess with anything like this and I'm sorry that I don't wanna mess with anyone, even though they don't all intend to bother me—because they're mostly drunk, but I rather be with like-minded people who I could chill with and listen to actual music with, compared to this garbage. I'd rather stand outside a junk yard and listen to cars being crushed.

This wasn't my scene at all—being with Maky and Joan, a fellow book reader was so much better compared to the gruesome scene in this party. I'd rather be discussing something that actually matters, which would be great, but all anyone here could really talk about was either drinking, sex and or sports, so pardon me but I think I'll try to get away from this surreality by the kitchen.

I approached a door that seemed to lead away from my current location and followed it until I got to the front where first I came in. It's dim passageway was amazingly empty.

When I exited I swam through the crowd in order to get to the kitchen, I got close enough to where I could overhear Macy Abraham chattering about her many friends to some older looking partygoers... they looked to be college students. I shook my head wondering if her friends deserved to be spoken about like that, but then, what do you expect from a blabbermouth and pathological liar?

I moved into the kitchen, hoping to find water and to my luck I saw a cart of bottled water. I bent to grab one, snapping the seal as I drank deeply from the bottle. I hadn't even noticed how dry my throat felt. I guess I was too busy hiding away from this craziness and not interacting with the supposed aliens to notice. I leaned against the counter just as a curly fro'ed freshman threw up on the table before me. I clenched the bottle to my chest when I saw it splatter onto some unhappy girls who began squealing as they saw the yellowish substance all over their clothes. I held back my deep disgust and pushed my way through the door on my left running from the smell that was beginning to envelope up the kitchen. I ran out onto a seemingly secluded porch and exhaled heavily. "Oh my God! Why am I here?!" I cried to myself. I dropped my face into my free hand. "What am I doing here?" I asked myself again. This is insanity.

"Why *are* you here?" I gasped, whipping around to find him... hazel eyes. "Aww, come on. Don't go silent on me again." I didn't speak, the light in his eyes dimming at my silence. "Maybe... Maybe, I should leave you alone..." he moved to the other door that I apparently disregarded and reached for the knob. For the first time tonight I didn't think, as I jumped forward and stopped his hand. He froze instantly.

"D... don't leave. I'm sorry. I... I don't do these."

"Parties or talking to boys?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I take it you're not a big speaker either, right?" I nod again. "That's okay, I'm not a big talker either—well kinda, I let my camera do all the talking." The edge of his mouth tipped up softly and my heart just about sank to my toes. There was this cute permanent tip to the left side of his lips that looked like he was always on the verge of smirking. It was cute. His eyes found my hand, still gripping his wrist and I quickly let it go. My face feeling like the temperature had risen a few levels too high. "S—sorry..."

He shrugged carelessly. "I don't mind." I was about to speak when my cell buzzed.

'Still safe and sound?'

'Sound... almost. Safe... questioning that one.'

'Explain before the CAPS LOCK comes on.' I giggled.

'I'm okay... found somewhere to hide but someone ruined it. Gonna find another.'

'Okay, make sure Lici is fine.'

'Will do.'

I put away my cell to find myself alone. What? Where did he go? I frowned, wondering if that's how he felt when I disappeared after that girl tackled him. I sighed and pushed back the door, wishing that Maky could be here so I could hide in her car until everything was over.

An hour later and I find myself in a quiet kitchenette next to a girl who isn't so quiet, she's running on, telling me about the people that are hating on her and how she couldn't care less while I just standing there while I internally shake my head, because she doesn't even have any haters. She's the most innocent girl in the school... beside me. She was just lying like everyone else in here, so I muted her out.

Looking around at the low lit room, wondering if I could hide here all night until Olicity texts me about leaving. I called her since she wasn't by the pool and she barely managed to tell me that she was hanging out in the first floor play room.

I saw red hair flash from the entrance and raced forward leaving that girl standing by the fridge as I pray it was Terry. I got close enough to touch her shoulder. She yelped and turned to face me. "Terry! Have you seen Olicity?"

"Huh," she turned and I immediately smelt the alcohol on her breathe, "oh, umm yeah. She was going upstairs with Jenna and two guys, I think one was named... David... Daren... Dev..."

"Devon?"

"That's it. They looked party intimate—anyways, I'm gonna go dance. You okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks." I didn't wait on her to say anything more. I rushed from the crowd, pushing away everyone that wasn't my best friend—knowing that I shouldn't have left her with that demon Jenna and that asshole Devon.

Oh, please let her be okay! I rushed up the stairs, a long hallway of doors greeting me. "Shit." I started from the left to right. Opening every door and seeing way too much explicit content that I will not recall due to its high level of cautionary material. I raced down the hallway calling out for my friend, praying she could hear me and answer. I didn't see it coming but I sure felt it. A door flew open and knocked me to the floor. The wind escaping my lungs as me and the floor finally became friends.

Thankfully my last minute beanie choice I pulled on before leaving home, softened the blow to my forehead. I rubbed the area the door hit and shut my eyes. I think I was dizzy. Emerging from the room was miss wicked witch of the west Jenna. The zipper on her top halfway undone and her hair was a bit of a mess, she looked half baked and oddly not satisfied. I stood up quickly, pushing away the headache as I got up from the floor. "Where's Olicity?!" I demanded.

She laughed me off. "Shut up miss nobody." I shoved her back against the door. My anger towards her skyrocketing. "Where is she? Tell me now or I'll punch you in the throat!" I threatened, my body was shaking from what could be happening to my best friend and I was not about to play around with her.

She eyes widened and eyes wavered. "Okay, okay." she held up her hands in defense. "She's in a room with that ex of hers. Seemed pretty drunk though. She was all over him." My heart sunk, oh no. I pushed her out of my way and she stumbled to grab the doorknob to keep herself upright. "At least she's having some fun, little miss nobody."

I paid her no mind as I continued looking through the rooms, I was becoming lost, giving up hope when one door wouldn't open. I jiggled the lock and it refused to give way. I pounded at the door. "Hey!!! Open up!!!" Before hearing a voice call back. "It's occupied." Goosebumps rose on my skin and the hairs rose on the nape of my neck. Devon. "Olicity are you there?!" I called.

"Ali!" No! My heart squeezed.

"Open the door! Lici!" I cried banging against it, praying it would break open but having no such luck.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?" that familiar voice floated to my ears, as arms wrapped around me, pulling me from the door.

"My... my friend's in there, her ex... she's drunk... please help me." My words were broken, my sobs cutting off my speech as I shut my eyes wishing away the burn of the tears that came to them.

I felt as he released me and looked up to see him picking at the lock. "W—what are you doing?"

"I learnt how to pick a lock from my sister. She was pretty handy with a simple lock pick. Hold on." With that the lock clicked and my soul rejoiced. He stood back and I wasted no time as I shoved open the door and rushed into the room two dark figures moving against the other in the darkness, one crying out weakly as the other shushed them. No name flicked the lights on and I saw Devon's taller frame above a fussy Olicity, the sleeve of her top torn, her shirt ridden up her thigh as he pinned her to the bed. Devon whipped around eyes flared as he glared at me. "What the fück Alice! Get out!" he pushed Olicity down on the bed when she tried to escape—with quicksilver reflexes, I saw Devon and no name crash onto the carpeted floor as no name grabbed him off the bed and off of Olicity, and they tumbled to the floor.

I rushed over to Olicity who was crying into the pillow, I grabbed her hand and helped her off the bed, she had scratch marks over her arm and love bites on her neck and chest. I bit the inside of my mouth, wanting to beat up that jerk. I pulled her away from the bed as I got her to the door, and hugged her to me.

Devon tried to overcome no name by hitting him in the gut, but he blocked it and received a punch to the jaw instead. Devon went unconscious the second the contact was made, clearly meaning he was intoxicated because he played sports and seend pretty strong. I was soothing my friend as I stood against the door frame watching no name get to his feet.

I heard as silence joined us, then no name stood up from the floor, and wiped at his chin, a line of blood running down his jaw. He walked over to us and held out a hand. "Let me help her." I nodded and he came forward and reached for her, she shied away but I reassured her that he wasn't going to harm her. She tiredly gave in as he picked her up bridal style and started for the door. I followed close behind as I walked beside them.

No name and I managed to get her outside as my eyes caught Maky's car rushing to a impatient halt before the mansion. Her eyes were wild as she jumped from the car with her little sisters baseball bat at the ready. She spotted us instantly. She lowered the bat and ran towards us and pulled me into her chest. Her arms tight around me before she pulled back. "What the hell is wrong with your phone!? I tried calling and texting and I was so worried. And I'm also positive that I'm going to receive several speeding tickets after tonight." She took a breath then saw no name holding a groggy Olicity and frowned at her. She let's her hands drop from my shoulders as she walked over to Olicity, she touched a hand to her forehead. "She's drunk..." I noted. "I think Devon got her drunk and persuaded her into hooking up with him. He had her in a room..." Maky looked back at me, eyes wide. I gestured with me chin towards Olicity's savior, "he saved her. Kick Devon's ass too." Maky exhaled heavy, her shoulders dropping and her face relaxing.

"Thank goodness. Thank you, thank you so much." She said with satisfied smile at no name.

"No problem. I couldn't just leave her there with that jerk." Maky and no name walked over to her car as we declared the night over. I didn't care to think about the demonic witch Jenna or the repeat offender in lying, called Terry. Nope, they were not my problem. I watched as no name set an exhausted Olicity in the backseat and shut the door. I watched as Maky shook his hand in thanks, then she got into the car.

No name looked back at me and started towards my direction. "So... how are you holding up?"

I shrugged. "Happy to be rejoining reality." He chuckled, that striking smile showing again.

"You know in all of this confusion I never did introduce myself." I blushed, realizing I didn't either. He stuck out his hand and I timidly took it. "Ashlin Jacks at your service." He grinned, it was warm and welcoming.

I bit my lip and avoided his eyes. "Alice Fray."

"Cute name. It matches your quiet personality... I like it." I opened my mouth to speak when the sounds of sirens could be heard over the loud music.

"I think that's our cue to leave while we can. I'll see you around Alice Fray." He shook my hand once more before dropping it and walked off towards the street leading away from mine. I wanted to watch him walk away but I didn't have time to mentally argue over the idea because Maky's horn jolted me back to my proper senses. I ran for the car. Getting into the front seat, and then sighed. "He's cute."

I ignored her playful tone, hiding my smile as I rested my head against the cool glass. "I'm tired."