The house was nearly empty to Victoria's surprise. Save a few streamers, confetti scrapings, bottles containing some kind of liquid--illegal or not--and Victoria thought she saw a few clothes lying around. She didn't dare go near those.

She adjusted her dress as she stepped further in and went to the front room, where Amelia's tall white front door stood in the back, and the regal, decorated staircase in front of it.

More of the party litter was all over the floor, but she still didn't see one person. She almost wanted to call Amelia and see if everything was okay. The worst she'd done was get a really bad hangover, nothing serious like waking up in Vegas. Maybe a hangover was all she had. Hopefully.

After walking up the staircase Victoria turned left to a hallway, and spotted the pink door that was Amelias. It was slightly ajar, and the hall had a faint smell of perfume, men and women's. Did she have someone else in there with her?

"Amelia?" She called out quietly.

No one answered. She dragged her fingertips along the wall and across the bathroom door on her right until she reached the pink door. Amelia must've went heavy on the strawberry lemonad-aritas.

Victoria called out again just before she tapped the door with 3 fingers, pushing forward enough to peek into the room. She expected to see Amelia spread out on her King sized bed laced with fluffy pillows and matching blankets, animals surrounding her. What she did see was the bed, as well as the room, totally disheveled and messy. One of the curtains from her window was even halfway torn off.

What struck Victoria the most was the sight of clothes. Probably the source of men's perfume. She hated to admit it, but Victoria felt a sense of familiarity with the specific scent. It was a sense she didn't want to be familiar with. The eyesore that was a dark, navy blue t shirt with a surfboard printed on it also rose her suspicions. That was Sterlings favorite shirt.

There was shuffling from behind Victoria, near the bathroom door just a few feet away,"Oh! Vicky! There you are! Morning darling,"

She turned to see Amelia, clad in soft, pink towels. One around her body, and one wrapped around her hair, keeping her flawless blonde hair in check.

"Hey..morning.."

"I was just about to go looking for you after my shower! I never saw where you went off to.."

What struck Victoria was that Amelia was just now showering at--she looked at the clock concise ely beside her--9 o clock in the morning. She skimmed her figure over, and saw red marks, dotted all around her neck.

Victoria's eyebrow arched.

"O-oh..yeah.." Amelia shyly giggled, brushing her delicate hand over he bruised skin.

"Amelia..?" She pressed, a smile on her lips.

"What? You're surprised I was with a guy last night hmm?" She giggled again, along with Victoria. "I'm sure you and Sterling got a little friendly last night!"

VIctoria's heart hurt a little bit. Not at the obvious fact, but that her friend was lying. But then again, this was Amelia. Maybe, just maybe..she was a little hurt. Sterling used to give her love bites too, they'd feel really nice, she remembered.

Victoria turned her head to the side for fear she'd be seen slipping a tear. While she rubbed her wet eyes, Amelia leaned in a little, holding the door,"Vicky? Honey you okay?"

"I'm fine.." Victoria deadpanned. Amelia was about to touch her shoulder but pulled away, and sliped her hand over a section of red skin, her plucked eyebrows furrowing. "I'll..I'll be downstairs. Cleaning up, don't want your parents seeing this mess." She faked a smile.

With Amelia, she knew all about those, be it her own fake smiles, knowing others, and knowing her best friends. She shook her head and confidentally touched Victoria's shoulder,"The housekeepers are getting on that..do you wanna lie down Vicky? DId you have too much Hard Mike's?" She perked up and set a hand on her towel covered waist, beaming at her.

Victoria smiled for real this time and laughed breathlessly,"I didn't drink much Amy..I'll go lie down though, you dry off okay?"

"Okay...you don't wanna help with my hair or anything?" Amelia peeped before shutting the door.

Victoria wasn't too keen on seeing what else he'd done to her best friend's body. Otherwise she would. She didn't want to end up spilling out her midnight prince too. It'd drive her mad.

"Yeah..I'm just gonna sleep."

"Alright..I'll be here.." She shut the door, and a few seconds later, a hair dryer on full blow turned on on the other side.

Victoria sighed, holding her head with one hand as she trudged through the hallway in her heels. Just now thinking about it, she slipped them off of her now sore feet. It was gonna feel so damn good falling flat on one fo Amelia's fluffy beds and falling asleep instantly. Sterling probably knew that feeling.

She wiped another tear before opening up a door at the end of the hall that was one of Amelia's many guest bedrooms. Victoria kinda claimed this one as her one subconsciously. Amelia even decorated it for her. She smiled thinking about the day they painted and put up the polka dot curtains. They ended up having her father help put them up. 'You two need to grow a few inches!' She remembered him saying to the young girls.

As soon as she fell onto the layered mattress, she curled up in a ball at the end of it and closed her eyes.

-----------------------------------------------------

A short, high pitched ring that had been droning on for a few hours forced Victoria to wake up from a dreamless, blissful sleep.

"Ugghhh..." She rolled over off of her bag she had fallen asleep on and ripped out her cell phone, the bright light almost blinding her sleep filled eyes.

1 New Message from Luke:

"Morning beautiful :)"

"Dick.." She hissed out and dropped her phone beside her.

----------------------------------------

"Awww come on baby, the night wasn't that bad was it? *pouts*"

"Fuck ooooffff!" She groaned sleepily. "Shit, what time is it?" Instinctively, she glanced over her shoulder at the small wall clock. "3 in the afternoon huh?" Victoria looked back at her phone that lay there blinking with an unanswered message. "Fuck it."

"It wasn't that bad..thanks for waking me up asshole."

It wasn't no time at all before she got a reply.

"My pleasure princess ;)"

Out of spite, and filled with sleep, she growled at her phone. "I can't deal with your bullshit right now Luke.."

"Why the fuck do you keep calling me that?"

"Ouch! Princess Grumpy in the morning huh? ;)"

"Victoriaaaaa!!! Where are you?! We have class in 10 minutes!!"

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Luke's POV:

"I've gotta go, ballet. I'll come kick your ass l8tr."

My thumbs quickly moved,"Looking forward to it sweetheart"

My last text, that made me feel a little sad. The image of Tori in that cute tutu made me a bit happier though.

As if on cue, the boys came home.

"Shut up Clifford! Jesus it was an accident!"

"An accident?! You fucking tossed my board at my fucking head!"

"Jesus indeed.." I sighed before clicking my phone off and rolling my eyes into the back of my head.

"Oi!! Hemmings! There you are bud! Where the hell were you?"

Ashton.

"Hello to you guys too.." I chuckled and turned around in the computer chaiir to see them coming through the foyer.

"He was up all night shaggin that red head cutei with the rockin booty!" Calum laughed and sent a wink my way, but I shrugged it off and prepared for the next set of onslaught questions. It made me think about her even more. Clifford, I knew, would be the most interested.

"Is she that hot Luke hmm? Screamer? Moaner?" He snickered.

Ashton and Michael both looked at Calum who made thrusting motions with his hips, then mocked a girls voice,"Ohhhh!! OOoOhhhhh god yes Luke!! OOoooooh!"

I had to laugh at that, and I did even more when Mikey joined in,"Ooooooh my god Michael you're so big!!"

"Oiii!!!" We all burst into laughs. I wasn't the least bit annoyed anymore, but I threw a pop can at Clifford anyway. He dodged it effortlessly.

"You got a picture of her?" Michael slipped off his shirt and started walking towards me while the other boys took of their shoes.

Calum, of course, was the first to speak,"I bet he has a lot, if you know what I mean.." He elbowed Ashton, who looked like he was sort of over it, but grinned anyway.

"I haven't even seen her naked yet! Jesus.."

At my outburst, Michael giggled,"Seriously though mate, can I see her?" He stood in front of me while I sighed and clicked my phone on again.

The only real picture I had was when I sneaked one of her sleeping in the car with my jacket. I'd surely get teased for that.

"Here.." I said softly, almost wincing when I found the picture and handed my phone to Michael.

His reaction was completely unexpected,"AWwwwwwwww, Luke she's a cutie!"

"Thanks Clifford.."

He handed my phone back to me and smirked,"You did bang her though right?"

A kick in the shin shut the dyed hair freak up and sent everyone spiralling into laughter.

----------------------------------

"CiCi I can't, Amelia's party made me exhausted.."

"What about you Vicky? You wanna come?"

Victoria looked up from her phone to the group of girls who were speaking to her. CiCi and Radley, also rich girls, almost cannily similar to Amelia, who was in front of her, bending down to grab seomthing from her sparkly, pink duffel bag.

"I..." She stopped when she read the text from the only person who ever seemed to text her.

"Hey, Can I call you later?"

She turned back to Radley,"Sorry guys..I can't Maddie wants me home tonight to set up a banquet."

"Can we come?" CiCi squealed as her bouncy blonde curls moved with her body. Radley's hand to her arm shut her up, making a few girls in the room laugh.

"Yes."

-----------------------------------

"Bye Vicky," Amelia hugged her best friend tight. Victoria sadly didn't hug back that much, the marks were now right in front of her face. At least she didn't smell like him anymore.

"Bye Amy, I'll talk to you later okay?"

"Okay, love you!" She kissed her cheek before beaming and running off to her car a few meter down the sidewalk.

"Love you too," She mumbled and beamed back, returning Amelia's air blown kiss.

"You didn't have too much fun at her party did you?" Aunt Maddie questioned when Victoria slipped into the leather front seat.

Her niece buckled up and answered after a content sigh and smile,"Not too much Aunt Maddie,"

The rest of the ride Victoria didn't focus much on her aunt's conversation. As much as she didn't want to, all she could think about was that lip-ringed punk.

When she got home, right on cue of her closing her bedroom door, her phone buzzed. Before swiping, she took a few breaths, almost nervous. She wasn't sure why. She waited last minute to answer.

"Hello?"

There was a small silence before a deep voice answered her back,"Hello doll face.."

Victoria grinned and laughed breathlessly. He sounded even sexier over the phone. While she leaned against the wall and crossed her arms Luke talked.

"How was stretching those sexy legs of yours?" He added a small chuckle after saying so, making Victoria's knees secretly wiggle.

"It was fine..we have a recital soon, so we stretched pretty hard." She replied.

She begged him in her head not to laugh, but he did.

"Damn, wish I could've been there."

"To see my pale as snow legs? Yeah, that's fun," She giggled.

Luke's voice suddenly deepened a bit more, but sounded softer,"Well, they're almost as pretty as your pale as snow face, and I got to see a lot of that last night."

Victoria's pale as snow face wasn't quite so pale anymore. It wasbright red in fact.

Luke laughed, knowing what he did to her,"Listen babe...I was wondering..well..uh..if we could hang out again? Soon?"

"Luke.." She started. Her mind raced.

Another voice rang in the backgroud,"Hey Hemmings! Come on we can't practice without ya!"

"Ummm.." Victoria stood there confused, but grinning like an idiot for some reason.

Luke chuckled, the sound making the phone vibrate,"Me and my mates found a few guitars, a drum set and a mike just laying there at a garage sale. The old geezer said we could have em for free, so Mikey thinks we shoulde practice."

"Oh my god you're in a band!" VIctoria's eyes lit up and her mouth opened for her to laugh.

Luke was sure her eyes crinkled like the did when she laughed. "What? Is that funny?"

She couldn't tell him why. She didn't know she would until the very end, until he'd figure out. It'd become obvious to him, and to her.

"N-no.." She giggled and shook her head,"It's just now you're a cute, tatooed punk in a band.."

"Are you flirting with me Tori?: Luke faked disbelief, and she could hear it in his playful voice she was slowly falling in love with.

"Maybe I am Luke,"

His chuckle made her shiver. She now sat on the bed,"I like this side of you.." He purred.

"Hemmings!! Come on!"

He sighed into the phone, it shockingly sounded like something else to Victoria,"Sorry..are you busy tomorrow?"

She fiddled with her leggings that clung to her toned legs, looking down as she mulled it over and bit her lip,"No," She answered.

"Cool. Wanna hang at the club?"

She didn't know why, it was probably her memories when they first met, but she smiled as bright as her hair,"Sure,"

AN:jafhkahfkjahkjghdgd,g uuuggggggghhhhhhhhhh