The smell of licker and heavy heat. The booming music and the hogging in the corners. The drunk kids and the lonely invites. The crying victims and the guilty cheats. Parties.

At school, everyone had a title, a division you couldn't pass nor leave. You belonged where you belonged and you could but only accept your fate. Yet here, in the midst of jumping in the air with a half empty bottle of beer and a guy you'd almost met ten minuets ago, you are but another person that comes for a break from the dress up and faking.

But you couldn't do so, if you were me. Such a high spot couldn't be left with no surveillance for a single minute to go get freaky. It was risky, even for me. High school parties had their own paparazzies. If I'd been caught doing something ridiculous, I'd be on the front of the school's newspaper.

I like parties. I just like my reputation more, I'd tell Connor as we'd walked in the party. Mel and Taylor followed behind.
Liam's house had been wider than I'd expected. Enough to handle almost all juniors. As the wide gates opened Mel had already tumbled towards her chosen one as she'd like to call it. I'd been left with Connor and Taylor who didn't seem particularly interested in the wreckage of this place, but more in joining it.

I'd gasped over my surroundings. People didn't even notice most of what went around. They were way too busy steaming away through hours of stress free life. It seemed yet tempting as I tapped my heels against the already vibrating floor. Today I'd dressed more decent than casual or deviant. I had to play the role of the supportive friend. I couldn't do flashy, so I'd stuck with the good friend look.

"I'll go get us some drinks" Connor kissed my temple and had left me with Taylor by the living room.
Before he'd returned I'd opened my purse to retrieve two Aderral pills. I popped both and ingested the fruit punch, that followed with Connor's return.
Alcohol was still a no-no during medication, I've learned it the hard way.

"I'm gonna go look for Seth!" Taylor had yelled over the loud music and I'd nodded before she'd fled the scene. I'd caught Connor looking at her a bit longer than I had. Puzzled by the look I had ignored it, finding much bigger tasks at hand urgent.

"Connor Aye!" Lloyd, a friend of Connor's from Varsity football had snuggled between us gripping his shoulders with all his power. Connor smiles back and lets out a little laugh grabbing his hands for a slight greet.

"A game of Two Truths and a Lie? The team's waiting for you" He encourages Connor to go play with the other boys, with fear that he might actually decide to go I give him the don't abandon me yet look.

Him having understood, sighed and pats Lloyd on the back. "Can't man, I'm on duty" he shrugs, and I furrow my eyebrows. Duty? I'm a duty?

As if.

"Don't be such a buzz kill! Sadie is fine wi-oh" Lloyd couldn't finish his statement as my face made it clear that I was indeed not fine with it. How could I just let him leave me stranded at a party? It wouldn't look good for my image, neither for him. It wasn't a matter of buzzkill or not, it was a matter of staying in the safe zone.

"Join me?" Connor whispered to my ears. He was still a gentleman, polite enough to still ask me to join him. What did I ever do to deserve him, I wonder? And when I thought about it a little more, I really do not. I don't deserve it. Yet there he stands, as if I did. As if I am is first priority. But I, as the Sadie I am, never appreciated that. Which of course I cannot simply do at normal circumstances, because affection plays its own cost. Though now, it seems like I have no option.

I shook my head. "Go along, without me. I'll be fine" I mouthed and he'd nodded as he'd left.
I normally didn't fantasize being alone at a party. Not looking good on my image wasn't even the slightest of my worries, but the possibilities of interaction are numbered. Don't get me wrong, I do like talking just not to people that didn't match my standards.

Mel was no where to be seen, so was Liam and Connor had rolled up with the jocks while Taylor was flirting with Seth. I managed to look as if I was enjoying with no company so it wouldn't drag people my way. A sip on my fruit punch and that was that.
"And then there was one" Someone laughed.

I was startled as I'd seen the boy facing my direction. He'd looked averagely tall. A stash of auburn brown hair and grey eyes. He was lean, but broad and stood in the crowd as if he didn't even belong. But I knew him. And this is the last place he needed to be.

"Hello, I'm Jaxon Mills" He smiled and brought his hand over to shake mine. I looked over and scowled in response as he quickly retrieved his hand in embarrassment.

I could have called him out right there, right now. Had he held the reds cups correctly? No. Was he at least wearing something that didn't scream out prude? No. I sighed. What on earth was he doing here?

But we'd been in public, at least I had to try to pretend that I was meeting him for the first time.

"Sadie. Sadie Princeton" I smiled mockingly.

"You're not lost are you?"  He said and his voice had stung in my head. I was annoyed and furious with his presence, but if we were to talk, it sure won't be here. I'd forgotten that we were located in the most hazardous part of the party.

"Bathroom. Now" I mouth keeping my distance from him. I move along, and so does he.

The bathroom was rather small. It was enough for us to fit, yet the space between us was somewhat not enough. At least for me.

"I must really applaud your skills of picking places to chat, the guest bathroom hadn't crossed my mind" He spoke, his voice dripping in sarcasm. I scoffed, not really provoked for his amusement.

"What are you doing here? Do you realize you are at a party? Liam's party?" I exclaim. He smiles a little sheepishly. "I know right! This is so cool!" He chants, sipping from his red cup.

I groaned. "If they find you-

"I was invited Sadie. By Connor" He rolls his eyes. Offended he decides to turn around for a second, but since the bathroom as I had mentioned earlier is not enough to move around and so when he did move, his elbow had hit my nose with a hard blow.

"Oww!" I yelp, holding my hands against my nose. "You idiot!" I mutter, still holding onto my nose, which is now dripping a wet warm substance. Great.

"What did I do now!?" He groans turning back around, to see that my nose was now, covered in blood. "Sadie, you're bleeding" he whispers in shock.

"Really? I didn't know" I mocked, before clearing up that it was sarcasm. He kept staring at me as if not comprehending the situation. "What are you ogling at? Get me tissue!" I demanded startling him from his idle position.

"Okay! Okay!" He says bending down, with all he has to reach for the tissue paper roll across the bathroom. "Here" he mutters. I'd grabbed it and stuffed a bunch of it into my left nose.

Feeling a bit more contented than I had five seconds ago, I sighed in relief, and washed my hands on the sink. Though in the midst of it, I had heard a chuckle. Irritated, I dried my hands and turned to face him. "What?" I questioned.

"Nothing it's just, not so perfect anymore huh?" He laughs, and it is then when I understood what he was talking about. I was in a bathroom of a high school party, with tissue stuck up my nose, dried blood against my chin and a mad facial expression on my face.

"Anyway, how is the plan, 'catching fame', going?" I question, ignoring his unnecessary comment of earlier.

"Well, for starters Willa is here, but she's with Nathan so today's plan is out the drain. Though I feel a bit better today, as I've come with an official invite from the varsity football team" He smiles proudly and I raise an eyebrow. "You actually made it in?" I question earning a nod. "I am purely shocked, but good for you I suppose" I shrug, trying to make it seem as if I am not at all jealous.

Who am I kidding? I totally am.

How did he seem to grab people's attention, so quickly?

"So how about you? Why aren't you hitting it off with the lover? I thought you were the party type" He asks about Connor, knowing he had left me for a game of Two Truth's and a Lie.

"I am. But I've come to support my friends courtship don't want to seem a bit off the edge you know. On other circumstances I could be" I replied decently and he laughed.
He laughed slightly a little more.

"Courtship?"

I coughed slightly. "Melisa, she just recently started investing a lot of time in Liam" I spoke casually and he'd given me the 'oh' face.

Yes Jaxon, this party is for Liam and my best friend. They are probably hitting it off in his bedroom right now.
"So it's just you now?" He questioned and I shook my head sipping on my fruit punch as I'd sat on the chairs by the counter.

"I've come with the company of my boyfriend and Taylor too" I smiled showing off Connor, my boyfriend. At least I had one.

"Right, but they aren't here so..." He eyes me before bursting out in laughter, I too let out a small glee. Small enough that he couldn't notice.

Jaxon was a beautiful human being, but some part of me had already figured out who he was. He didn't have layers of clothe that hid him where he stood. I didn't need to interpret what he said, because he wasn't lying. He was telling the truth. And he was real.

And I was not.

Yet he also understood, that being real would never get you anywhere, for he too is striving to be just like the ones that are not.

"Punch?" He questioned  passing over his cup. I hesitated. I couldn't possibly. But I was torn from the different fiascos I had witnessed the past few days. A few sips wouldn't hurt, would it?

But what does that say about me? I have a boyfriend, and I'm driving home.

"Sadie?" He questions. Startled I threw away my thoughts.

Don't.

"I suppose so"

I took his cup, and chugged it down without a break. Surprised he'd kept staring at me. I glared at him. "Not a word" I warned. Defeated he'd put his hands up, explaining he wouldn't do so.

Half way through the situation of being in a bathroom stall, we'd decided if we were going to sit here, we might as well get comfortable, because standing up was not ideal. I sat on the closed toilet seat and he'd chosen the floor.

"So tell me something. Do you always look like life gave you a huge slap on the face?" He laughs and I roll my eyes in amusement.

"I'm not sure if I gave you that impression, but I'm actually on the contrary" I smiled and he mocked a nod pretending to believe me.
"I hope so" he smiled passing a bottle of beer he'd sneaked in from the kitchen earlier.

I reached for it, and instantly shivered against the cold. I brought it up to my lips and took a sip.
"Don't worry. Your boyfriend isn't watching" He notes and I snicker. "I'm aware"

"How long have you guys been together again?" He asked resting his arm against his chin to listen.
I put down my drink and sighed estimating.
"Three years. Almost three solid years" I shrugged and his eyes grew wide.
"Wow...that's-

"A lot of commitment" I finished his sentence and took another sip. I was getting tipsy. This was so not me. I had felt so much out of place. I couldn't just drink during a party with someone that I barely know at least not like that. But I knew that no one was going to remember what happens tonight. Our faces were to be unrecognized, hopefully.

It suddenly had gotten silent. It had been over five years, that I had a fully-fledged conversation with Jaxon, and I wasn't happy with this intense socializing. He wasn't one of us. He is still a rebel, an outcast, a nobody.

Bing.

I'd received a message. I tumbled off the toilet seat, rummaging through my purse for my phone. I gasped; Connor had left me a text massage.

Games are over. Where are you?

"I must go to, Connor" I spoke my eyes not leaving the screen of my phone.

"Lover boy calling you?" He questions, not even surprised.

"Yes now, do not speak of this to anyone. I warn you Jaxon Mills." I glare at him before leaving the bathroom.

"Give him a kiss for me would you." He laughs and I roll my eyes closing the door right afterwards.

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I usually don't do authors note but I just want to say hello to my beautiful readers! Hope you like this chapter!
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