It only took ten minutes for Ruby's house to fill up with people from our school and the occasional unknown friends of those guests. Evelyn and I stayed outside since the house got crowded fast to the point that I wasn't going to go inside unless I needed to. There were some people by the pool too, enjoying their alcoholic beverages and laughing as the music played loudly from Ruby's stereo. When Keith came out to ask her to dance, she looked at me for permission. I gave her a reassuring smile before waving her off. 

I watched as Evelyn ran off with him while squealing. She'll probably tell me about her time with him tomorrow. It was good to see her happy with him tonight. I took a sip of my soda while looking at the blue light illuminating from the pool. Evelyn is the one that gave me the soda since she told me not to drink, it's 'not me'. It made me feel like a child being told what I should have and what I shouldn't. But I just complied and took it to make her happy. It would be a stupid thing to complain about. 

I didn't want to fight with Evelyn over something like about me drinking. It was probably better if I stay away from any alcohol tonight anyway because I feel like the others would be way too drunk to drop me off home and I'd rather not walk home drunk or tipsy. That would be an accident waiting to happen. My mother would probably have a panic attack for even walking home at night but I don't think I have a choice. I wasn't going to stay over at any of their houses, I wanted to be able to go home tonight.

"What's got you down babe?". My thoughts were interrupted by someone addressing me. I hoped that it was Daniel but when I looked over, it was disappointingly some random guy. He was smirking as he occupied the lawn chair beside me. I don't think I was in the mood to talk to him but I managed to muster up enough energy to fake a polite smile.

"Nothing, just enjoying being outside by the pool" I replied with a shrug.

"Well a beautiful girl like you shouldn't be out here mopping around alone, you should be in there enjoying yourself and drinking," he flirted while motioning his head towards the house. Inwardly, I cringed at his attempt. As much as the compliment was nice, it just didn't sit well coming from someone that smelt strongly like booze. It just felt like something someone would say to get into another person's pants though I couldn't judge what his true intentions were.

"No thanks, I'm good out here," I politely declined.

"How about a dance with me?" he suggested.

"Sorry, I don't want to dance, I'm tired at the moment" I lied to get him to hopefully leave me alone.

I hoped the conversation would end there but of course, that was just wishful thinking. The guy had stood up to extend his hand to me as I looked up at him with a raised brow. I already declined his offer, what makes him think I'm going to go inside with him now? I get that he was probably being nice but I still stood by what I said. The guy huffed and rolled his eyes before unexpectantly grabbing my wrist and yanking me out of my seat. I yelped as I stumbled. I tried to steady myself but the drink splashes over my hand, making it instantly feel sticky. I hated that. 

I was lucky that I didn't hurt my ankle after being yanked up as if I were a ragdoll. I opened my mouth to kindly tell him to leave me alone and that I didn't want to hang out with him nor dance with him either but he gave my wrist another yank forward towards the sliding doors that lead into Ruby's living room. The drink yet again splashes but this time on my dress. I'm pretty sure I just lost half of it. It was starting to get frustrating. I was trying to hold back my anger at this point so that I wouldn't snap at him.

"Is there a problem here?"

I sighed in relief at the familiar voice that eased my worries. I looked over my shoulder at Daniel staring the guy down with clenched fists and gritted teeth. He looked like he was about to knock him out. I don't doubt that he could with just one punch I'm guessing because Daniel is stronger than the guy holding onto my wrist just a little too tightly now. The guy immediately dropped my wrist and spun around to face Daniel. He had wide alert eyes as he took a step back. He then laughed nervously. I walked over to stand by Dillon's side and held his clench fist by his right side. I was hoping it would ease his anger and it did. He relaxed slightly but was still tense nonetheless.

"Hey I don't want any trouble man there's no need to start a fight over some slut," the guy said, raising his hands in surrender. That probably hurt more than I thought it would. He had some nerve to call me that when he's no better. Scumbag, piece of trash. This dude wasn't making his situation any better because Daniel looked about ready to lunge at him. As much as he probably deserved a slap for calling me that, I don't think Ruby would appreciate it if I fight broke out at her house. I also can't handle the attention after.

"What did you just call her?" Daniel sneered.

"Oh come on man, she's nothing special" he argued. I rolled my eyes.

Then why'd you pester me to dance with you after I said no? 

Daniel growled and took a step forward to probably hit him but stopped when I stepped in front of him. "Stop, don't do it, don't punch him please" I pleaded. He looked down at me with a frown. 

"Why shouldn't I hurt him?" he questioned.

"Because firstly this is Ruby's party, we don't want to ruin it for her by starting a full-on fight and secondly yes this guy is an idiot but he's not worth it" I explained.

"Hey! I am not an idiot!" the guy exclaimed.

"Ignore him" I waved him off.

Daniel huffed in annoyance before snaking his arm around my waist and led me inside. We walked through the cluster of people until we got outside. Daniel started pacing back and forth while running his fingers through his hair, messing it up. When he sat on the front steps of Ruby's porch, I sat next to him and rest my head on his shoulder before sighing. At this point, I wanted to go home but I don't want to disappoint Ruby by leaving after only staying for like an hour. I said I wouldn't leave because I was uncomfortable and I should probably stick by my word.

"Want to ditch this party and go back to mine where you can rest?" Daniel asked.

"I do but I barely stayed here that long, I'd feel bad for leaving early" I admitted.

"I'm not going to be mad at you for leaving early Harmony." I jumped. I turned my head to look over my shoulder at Ruby. I was not expecting her to follow us outside.

"Are you sure?" I asked with a frown.

"Yes I'm sure, it's your decision, I don't want you to feel forced to stay" Ruby replied with a shrug. "I mean Evelyn left with Keith already." That didn't seem to faze me. I don't care that she left without telling me. I just hope she'll stay safe though I know she can protect herself.

"Thanks" I smiled.

"All good" Ruby grinned. I stood up to hug her before she left to go back inside. Daniel guided me to his truck until I realised that I had left my phone inside. 

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked when I paused to look at the house.

"I forgot my phone by the pool, I'll go back inside and get it," I said. I turned to go back to where I was previously sitting but Daniel grabbed my hand to stop me. I looked back at him with a frown.

"I'll go get it so you don't have to go back inside, if you want you can wait out here for me" he offered. I tilted my head and smiled. That was sweet of him.

"That would be nice, thank you," I said. 

I leaned against his truck as I waited for him. I stared up at the stars as I began to lose focus of my surroundings. I was jolted out of my trance when I felt a slight pinch on my forehead from the impact of something. There was a crack sound. I winced before touching the area to see that it was egg yolk. Standing not far in front of me were three people dressed in all black but with the light-up mask from the purge. They were holding a carton of eggs. Before I even had the chance to run, they started pelting me with the eggs.

Bloody hell they hurt. It may be just some eggs but the impact it had on my exposed skin stung. It was bearable but not something enjoyable. I was already starting to feel sticky. Some of them managed to prick my skin and draw blood but they were only tiny cuts. It stopped for a moment when I hid behind his truck. It was the best I could do when they were blocking my path from going anywhere else. I thought that I was in clear. It was quiet, the only sound was the thumping of the music from inside. 

A sigh of relief escaped my lips but I guess I celebrated too soon because something was then poured over me that was green and sticky, even more than the eggs. I couldn't help but gag at the smell. It was worse than rotten meat. I have no idea what they did to it but I'm afraid to know. I had to hold down the bile coming up my throat. They threw their heads back and laughed as if it were the funniest thing in the world. I didn't move from my crouched position. I was shaking at the coldness and the shock that I was in.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" bellowed Daniel. That instantly made me shoot up to look over the trunk at him. He was standing at the other side of his truck. The other three stood beside me with an empty bucket in one of their hands, frozen as if paralysed. I was relieved that he was here. I felt like garbage. I just wanted a peaceful night but I guess I was asking for too much from a Halloween party. Some of them think they're comedians when this is not funny. "Answer me!" Daniel ordered. All three of them flinched back.

"We were only playing a prank on her dude, it's Halloween" one of them answered but it was muffled due to the mask. He said it as if it wasn't a big deal. It didn't feel like a joke though given I don't think it was supposed to make me laugh.

Daniel growled before running around the truck to get to them. My back hit the truck as they ran past to get away from him. I ran over to follow while calling out Daniel's name repeatedly for him to stop but my voice went through defeaned ears. He wasn't going to stop. He was at his boiling point and it was worrying. I paused on the sidewalk and watched as Daniel managed to grab one of them by the back of their hoodie. When they spun around, he swung his fist against's the person's jaw. I inwardly cringed at the sight. I could tell that must have hurt. That is bound to leave some type of impact. 

The person tackled Daniel to the ground but that was a mistake because he flipped him over with ease and pinned him down. One of them stayed behind to help their friend while the other ran off but I didn't care. I was more worried about whether Daniel would continue his attack on the person or not. But he didn't fortunately. He ripped off the persons mask. My eyes widened at the sight of Ace lying there, shivering in fear. If Daniel wasn't pissed before then he's definitely fuming now, no doubt about that.

"What the fuck Ace?!" Daniel seethed.

"It was a Halloween prank, I told you, dude! Don't overreact over this! Lukas you dumb fuck help me!" Ace shouted with a shaky tone. I looked over at Lukas standing not too far away.

"Fuck you Ace" he spat. Lukas took off his mask and glared at Ace but flinched away when Daniel directed his scowl towards him next.

"You are both dead"

Daniel got up and yanked Ace up by his collar. Ace winced as he was dragged to Lukas. Lukas was about to run but Daniel was quick to grab him as well. I was quick to run to them to stop him for the second time tonight. I knew he was going to do more than just punch them both if I don't interject. 

"Daniel I think they've had enough," I stated.

"Yeah, yeah, what she said" Lukas nodded rapidly. 

"Shut up, you don't get to talk" Daniel growled. Lukas gulped before biting his bottom lip.

"Listen, I think they understand the message, it was just a stupid Halloween prank, I'm fine, they're your friends, one punch was enough to get it through their heads that what they did was obviously wrong, right guys?" I tried to reason. I turned to look at Ace and Lukas. They nodded again with wide eyes.

"Yes, we're sorry for what we've done Harmony, we didn't mean no harm towards you" Ace apologised. 

"See, now put them down so we can leave" I advised with an encouraging smile. He looked hesitant to let go of the two. "Please" I pleaded. His gaze softened and he dropped the two on the grass before walking over to me. I tilted my head up to look at him as he cupped my right cheek and gave me a once over to probably check for any injuries. There was nothing too bad. Maybe a couple of cuts from the shells. But that wasn't the bad part, the bad part was how filthy I felt. He narrowed his eyes at the few spots of blood. "I'm fine, I promise" I reassured him. He looked into my eyes, trying to decipher if I was lying or not. He then sighed.

"Come on, I'll take you back to mine so you can shower and change," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I nodded and followed him to his truck.

"Thank you by the way Harmony!" Ace called out.

I nodded and gave them a polite smile before getting into the truck. I didn't really know how to reply. I wasn't angry at them but I wasn't exactly happy. It's not an ideal situation but I just need time to get over it. I know they didn't mean any malicious intent, at least, I hope they didn't. It was a quiet ride back to Daniel's. He was still tense over what happened. When we got back to his, he was quick to go find me a towel and some clothes to wear. Daniel's mother and Evelyn's father were at a Halloween party themselves and wouldn't be back until after midnight. Daniel reassured me that it was ok to stayover. I couldn't go home knowing what my mother's reaction would be. I made sure to message her on my way here, saying that I was staying over at Evelyn's house. It was the half-truth, only that Evelyn won't actually be sleeping here tonight.

"Here you can wear my shirt if you'd like," Daniel said, handing me the towel and shirt in his hand to me. I smiled and took them from him.

"Thank you, I'm sorry about this," I said.

"Don't apologise for something that wasn't your fault but those dumbasses fault" he grumbled.

I nodded before heading upstairs, into the bathroom that was next to Evelyn's room to take a nice hot shower. I made a quick pit stop at Evelyn's room to grabbing one of her shorts to wear underneath. She wouldn't mind considering she's taken and wore some of my clothes many times. It was a relief to finally wash off the slime that clung to my body and the eggshells. The slime had weirdly hardened against my skin. It was a struggle to get off but once it was, I could breathe again. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror before sliding on Daniel's Rolling Stones shirt over my head, letting it fall up to mid-thighs. 

I took a deep breath before using one of Evelyn's many hair ties to tie my hair into a ponytail. I exited the bathroom with my dirty clothes in a plastic bag. I put it by the front door so that I could take it to get it drycleaned tomorrow. Luckily I had enough to pay for it. I didn't want to ask my mother for the money to clean up the mess that was my fault. I'm hoping to get it back so she won't notice anything and ask questions about what happened tonight. I wanted to avoid making her worry any more than she does already. 

I walked into Daniel's room to see him lying across his bed with his hands behind his head on the pillow. His eyes travelled up and down my body. There was a look in them that I couldn't decipher because he immediately changed his demeanour after. "How are you feeling?" Daniel asked as I sat on his bed. 

"I'm fine, better than before" I replied.

"That's a relief, I'm sorry that tonight didn't go out the way that you planned" he apologised. 

"Don't apologise, it wasn't your fault, I'm not mad" I smiled with a shrug. I lied down next to him to stare at the ceiling. I was already over what happened. There's no point in staying mad over something like this. It was better to forgive and forget and move on with my life. I doubt they'll do it again considering they probably don't want to see Daniel pissed at them again.

"It's good to see you smiling again," he said. I turned my head to look at him. The corners of his lips were quirked up. 

"Well, it takes more than being pelted by eggs and covered in slime to break me" I grinned. He chuckled.

"Cute, you're positivity inspires me" he joked. I rolled my eyes and lightly hit his arm.

"Don't mock me, leave me alone" I whined playfully. He gave me a toothy grin before reaching over to tickle my waist. I flinched back instantly but got caught in his grip and started laughing. I tried to squirm away but I was stuck. I slapped his hand away though I know it didn't hurt him in the slightest. He stopped after, allowing me to take a deep breath before moving to lay my head on his chest. When I wrapped my arms around his torso, I noticed that he winced in my embrace but tried to hide it. I instantly let go of him and frowned. Did I hurt him? I don't think that I did. Now I was curious and worried, probably not a good combination for me.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" I asked. 

"No no! It's ok, I just fell out of bed this morning so my torso is still a bit bruised up" Daniel replied while sitting up. He was lying, there was no way. His posture and from the look in his eyes, it gave it away. I sat up and tilted my head to look at him. He was staring at his lap to avoid eye contact. I reached out to intertwine our hands.

"Listen I won't pry but please understand that I'm only worried, I just want you to be ok," I said softly. He sighed and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. 

"I'll tell you one day but for now I'm fine, you don't have to worry, nothing I can't handle" Daniel smugly stated. I rolled my eyes, ignoring his comment. I just hope that he won't hurt himself again. I'm not sure whether it was from the fight of not. "You know, I forgot to mention before but you look hot in my shirt" he smirked. My cheeks heated up.

"Daniel!" I whined.

He laughed while I tried to move away but he grabbed my waist and fell back against the bed with me in his arms. I turned in his arms to rest my head against his chest, making sure that it wasn't the spot that he was injured. Daniel rest his chin on top of my head while his arms were around my waist. My eyes fluttered closed on instinct. I was starting to drift off. Daniel was running his fingers through my hair. I could feel his eyes on me. I enjoyed being in his embrace, it gave me a sense of comfort and made me feel safe. 

Don't be stupid and overthink

My hopes are way too high and I know if I were to get rejected, that would tip me over the edge and definitely break my heart. I have never admitted my feelings for anyone and I'm not about to now. I'm too much of a coward to do it. Having a crush sucks when your nerves messes with your head and you get scared from speaking up. But I guess I'll take being friends with him now.