The crowd downstairs is raging to some EDM song. Darren would approve. It is much stuffier with all the sweaty bodies downstairs. The noisier conversations almost drown out the music entirely. I hear a commotion taking place by the front door, and it doesn't take long to figure out why.

Brittany, Amanda, and Olivia standing in the doorway. All three of them look like Barbie models and all three of them are clutching a glittery cup. Leave it to them to bring their own cups to a house party. Tonight, they're the Glitter Cup Girls.

"Dude, check them out." Some drunk frat bro ogles at the front door.

"Hell." His friend let's out a low, appreciative breath.

I want to hide in the sea of partygoers so Shawn can't find me again so easily. I can't explain this to him. I see Nikki and Chloe making out on the same couch I left them on. Lucy is talking to another girl in the kitchen. All I see is long black hair.

A group of guys are huddled around the keg. I turn the corner and see Jake leaning against the far wall. Some girl is all but throwing herself at him. His eyes dart to mine, but I instantly turn around again.

"Elle!" Jake's voice follows me into the next room.

I don't look back. I need air.

I storm past Tasha, who is too busy playing tonsil-hockey to even notice me, and step outside onto the back deck. String lights crisscross above the yard, shining like stars in the darkness. Heat lamps are lined along the side of the fence, and I'm surprised by how many people are outside. It is February after all. The heat lamps help a ton, but it's still bitter cold and I'm convinced you should never be able to see your own breath.

I walk to the furthest heat lamp stationed at the back of the lawn. I pass a few couples aggressively making out and another group of people smoking cigarettes. My booties are sinking in the soft earth; I'm annoyed at Nikki for telling me to wear three-inch heels. I'm more annoyed at myself for listening!

It's only when I reach the space heater that I realize I'm not alone.

"Elle?" A guy asks, his accent ringing like a melody to my ears.

"Harry!" I jump back from him.

"Yes, it's me. Am I that bad?" He laughs.

"No. Sorry. I just didn't realize someone was here. Wait. You're here!" I gasp, flipping a curl out of my face.

"I'm here," he laughs.

Harry emerges from the other side of the space heater lamp, in front of the bushes. He's wearing skinny black jeans and a black leather-looking jacket. I can see chains around his neck, disappearing behind his T-shirt.

"You're at a college party?" I can't keep my voice from sounding incredulous or skeptical. Both.

"Guilty."

"But what are you doing out here? Are you alone?" I ask, trying to smooth my curls.

"Hiding out at the moment. Trying to keep a low profile." Harry shrugs.

"Maybe a college party isn't the best place for that," I quip.

"As I am fast learning," Harry grins. "Dodging some girls inside with fancy cups. Harassment is alive and well."

Harry's smile is infectious and mischievous, and I can't stop looking at his face. Everything sounds better with his accent.

"Ah, those'll be the Glitter Girls." I nod, laughing.

"Appropriately dubbed." Harry laughs. "I sort of ran into them when I got here. Tried not to make a fuss, but it isn't exactly easy with them."

I realize we are standing very close. I see it now. The hysteria fueled by all the lusty teenage girls. Harry is a heartthrob. Capital H. Oh, fine. Capital whole word. There's no other word for him. And here he is talking to me, plain Jane Elle, when inside there are breathtaking supermodel girls shining brighter than the rose gold bracelets around their wrists.

"Sorry, I'll let you get back to hiding out." I try to turn away.

"It's okay. I was actually hoping I'd see you again," Harry says, putting a hand up to stop me.

"You were?" I sound like a love-struck teenager, I know, but the truth is I can't believe he even remembered my name. Now he says he was hoping to see me again? I bet he says it to all the girls.

"Positively," he says, shrugging. "It's not every day I meet a college gal who doesn't know my name."

"Oh my," I giggle, embarrassed. "I'm still so sorry about that! I do know your name. I mean, I've seen it on posters and heard it on the radio before." I look away, biting my lip to keep myself from continuing to word-vomit.

"Elle, it's perfectly right. Really, it's sort of refreshing. Not to be known and chased around," Harry laughs. "Zero glitter."

"Then you're welcome." I smirk.

"Have you thought anymore about the dance? I'd love to play knowing you're there listening. Even if you're not a true fan." Harry's voice is so velvety. His sea-foam eyes glint under the orange haze of the heat lamp.

"I'm not not a fan. I maybe listened to some of your songs last night." I blurt out this truth. I neglect to mention the half hour I spent researching him.

"Oh? Change in the stars?" Harry smirks.

"Something like that," I shrug, sheepish. I feel queasy. I'm not sure if it's the beer I drank or the fact that I'm standing alone in the semi-dark at a college party with Harry.

"Elle? Elle is that you?"

Jake's voice comes from behind me. Behind us. Harry's eyes dart above my head to the path that leads to the back deck. I turn and see Jake walking toward us. Everything looks odd under the color of the heat lamps. Jake without a coat again. Jake with a lit cigarette in between his lips again. Jake.

"What's going on?" Jake asks, looking between me and Harry. His eyes bulge slightly, which lets me know he recognizes Harry. He knows who he is, but he doesn't let on. He hardly acknowledges him.

"Nothing is going on," I say too quickly.

I hope he caught my inflection. Not that I would need to answer to Jake if anything were going on. If he only knew what Shawn and I were about to do upstairs... What I ran away from. Why did I stop Shawn?

"I was just about to leave, anyway. Think I see some fancy cups on the balcony. Better dodge. Elle, I'll see you this week, then?" Harry looks only at me, unfazed my Jake's scowl.

"Yes." I barely nod.

"See ya, mate," he says to Jake, walking right past him and around the edge of the house, Brittany's eyes following him the entire way.

"You two on a first name basis, then?" Jake asks, turning to look at me.

I shrug. I don't need Jake's cocky, bad boy attitude right now. Also don't need his crooked smile right now. Ugh!

"Shawn know where you snuck off to? He know who else you're seeing in secret?" He tilts his head. His words are venomous, but I detect something beneath that –something melancholy.

"If you want to ask me something, just do it." I fold my arms across my chest and try to harden my face. It's no use. I'm sure I look angelic –all rosy-cheeked and doe-eyed and wrapped in a sweater made of clouds!

"I don't want to ask you anything, Elle." Jake shrugs. He throws the cigarette down and sticks his hands in his pocket. I see something is still bulging in his back pocket. "Suppose it's a good thing I sent you the gram. Thought it would be the last thing you needed but judging from all the company you keep..." Jake's voice trails off as he smirks. It's a dark smirk exacerbated by his deep eyes.

"That was you?" I peep. Of course, it was. I feel more embarrassed now. The way his eyes look right through mine it's like he knows all of my secrets.

"It was me. Use it with Shawn. Use it with your international celebrity. Both." Jake leans in, his lips so close to mine. He is taunting me, and I can't resist. If I'm not careful, his angst will rub off on me.

"Th–that's not. I mean, it's not that." I fumble over my own words. This beer is killing my thought process right now.

"Don't worry, Elle. I'll keep your secret." Jake almost whispers to me.

"Jake, don't be like that." I reach for his arm. He jerks it away from me. I realize I've never really touched him before and I'm surprised at myself for being brazen enough to try.

"I get it. I can't compete with those two." Jake shrugs, stoic.

It hits me why he is acting this way, why he is giving me this attitude.

"I –I didn't know you wanted to compete." I look down, abashed. Jake pulls my chin up to look at me.

"I think you knew." Jake's dark eyes search mine. His perpetual brooding is unparalleled. I've never met someone so devilishly infuriating! Jake might think I'm out to get him, but I know he's out to get me.

With one last nod, he turns and walks back to the deck. I am left all alone by the heat lamp, under the string light stars.

I can't help but wonder how differently everything would have gone tonight if I hadn't had the beer –if I hadn't met Jake or Harry –if I had just let Shawn kiss me upstairs.

I find myself climbing the stairs onto the back porch and walking into the overcrowded, pot-filled house. I get it now. A solace can be found in the glittery cups and boozy drinks. Maybe I'm finally college.

Andre, Joe, and two other guys I recognize are standing on the dimly lit porch. I hope they don't recognize me and am instantly granted my wish. To be fair, I do look a lot different tonight than when I wore a turtleneck sweater, low bun, and my glasses. I look a lot different without Shawn beside me.

Brittany glowers at me as I swing the screen door open. No doubt she saw me talking to Harry and extra no doubt she's wondering how I even got an audience, let alone a clandestine starlit one. I circumvent Amanda before she can stop to harass me about it. I smell something fruity rising from her cup.

"No empty hands!"

Someone holds out a plastic cup, but I decline it. The smell of beer makes my stomach churn –makes me think of not kidding Shawn. Instead, I pour myself a small amount of whatever purply liquor is on the countertop. Remnants of glitter sprinkle down from the bottle, crop-dusting my sweater with pink and gold.

"Whoah, watch out, girl." The long dark-haired girl Lucy was chatting up eyes me from the fridge. Her metallic eyeshadow is almost the same shade as the deep purple liquor.

"I need –to catch –up," I pant between breaths. The taste of some kind of berry is still caught in my throat. Shots are never a good idea.

"Ahh! Do my eyes lie? Is Miss Elle taking a shot?" Lucy screams, joining me at the counter.

"No. Maybe." My grip tightens on the sticky, glittery bottle neck. "Beer is gross."

"It is." The girl nods.

"Oi, shit. Sorry," Lucy curses herself. "Elle, this is Nevaeh."

"Nev," the girl corrects her, cheers-ing me with her own plastic cup.

"Nice to meets you, Nev." I smile too broadly at Lucy, mouthing she's pretty. I may as well have given her a thumbs-up, I'm being so obvious.

"What is that stuff? Why's it so purple?" Lucy asks, grimacing at my face.

"I think what she means is props for drinking straight from the bottle," Nev jokes.

"It's –I don't know. Grape and berry or something –awful." I shake my head. "Have you seen Nikki? Need to show her I'm drinking."

Lucy laughs as I brandish the bottle in my hands, the liquor sloshing against the sides and leaking out the top. I spill some down the front of my sweater dress, but it's okay. It will serve as proof for Nikki.

"Yea. Back in there," Lucy says. "We just came in for a breather. Jake's got the whole place lit up. Beware the pot smell."

"I'm wared." I take one last large swig from the bottle and carry it out of the kitchen.

Lucy's pink hair blurs in and out of my vision as I strut past her, into the living room, and vanish into the cloud of smoke.