"COOPER CLAY! GET ON YOUR KNEES AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP!"

The shiny silver pistol shined in my eyes as I got on the ground.

The ground felt warm.

Soothing, almost.

I placed my cold hands above my shoulders.

I searched the ground for something.

Anything.

Then,

I found it.

I picked it up while they weren't looking.

Then,

with their guns up,

I threw the glass bowl at them.

90 miles an hour.

I watched it in slow motion fly at them.

They did always say I have a great arm.

And an excellent pitch.

That's what landed me my scholarship.

Not my brains,

but my arm.

My damn arm.

I watched all blood spilled from their heads.

Their guns fell to the ground.

Now,

I'm not a criminal.

I'm not a charity case.

I'm not a player.

I'm an athlete.

Simply an athlete.

I picked up one of their shiny silver pistols.

"I was never here. Got it?" I ask.

Well not really ask.

More like command.

They all look back up at me with their bloody foreheads and nod.

Then I ran.

Yet again.

I felt the cool spring breeze run through me.

As well as the anger.

Keely wasn't home.

And I felt bad.

But I'll call later.

Then I stopped to breathe.

My lungs felt tight.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't breathe.

It felt like all the air was sucked out of me.

Like an air mattress.

I fell to the ground.

Then everything went black.

                                                    4 HOURS LATER

The sounds of running awoke me.

My eyes struggled to open.

I heard a voice talking to me.

A female's voice, for that matter.

"Cooper?! COOPER?" They called out to me. "Oh my god, he's dead! Cooper is dead! I have to call Kris!"

I tried to laugh.

This girl thought I was dead.

How could I die from passing out?

Finally, I was able to get my eyes open.

"If I were dead, I wouldn't be breathing, now would I?" I asked.

Then I saw who it was.

"Summer?! How did you find me?" 

She laughs and helps me up.

"How do you think? You were blacked out on the street, my guards found you-"

I groaned.

Great.

Now everyone knows where I am.

"Anyways. I need a favor."

"Okay. What is it?" I ask in confusion.

"My father is having some stupid gala party about god know's what.  Come as my date."

What is she talking about?

"You realize you have Braxton, right?" 

"Of course. But he's out of town for business in Seattle. Come with me."

I can't.

I'm gay, and she knows that.

Kris wouldn't be too fond of it.

"Sorry, but I can't. You know I'm gay and I'm positive Braxton and Kris wouldn't like that."

"Brax said I can go with whoever. I'll call Kris right now if that makes it easier."

God.

This.

Can't.

Work.

Has she forgotten the most important detail?

"Summer, I knocked out 4 cops, beat them with a glass bowl and held them at gunpoint, and ran away to my ex girlfriend. I'm wanted."

"This gala is the most important event of my life, C. Please. This party is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It's the most elite party in the country. Please?!" She begged.

"I'd be risking my freedom, Summer. I will go to jail if I show my face in public."

"Good thing I have plenty of guards. Come on, you know you want to do this."

Damn it.

She's lucky I like her.

She gave me the puppy dog eyes.

I stood up.

Then I started to walk away.

As I walked away, I said,

"All I'm worth is a good arm, but sure, be my guest. I'll be there."

I continued to search around her enormous house for a room.

Her house was bigger than our high school.

It was almost as big as the campus of Cal State.

After a solid 15 minutes of losing my mind walking around her house,

and on the 5th floor to be exact,

I found a door.

And it had my name on it.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

"I knew you'd be back, that's why I did this." Summer says, behind me, looking at the door.

I turned around and looked back at her.

"Thanks." I answer. "I'm going to call Kris."

"No problem. I'll be downstairs in kitchen 1 for dinner at 8." She responds.

She starts to wall away.

"Wait, what do you mean kitchen 1?" I call out.

Her laughs echo through the halls.

"Figure it out." She calls back from a distance.

I walk into the room.

And,

of course,

it's bigger than my entire apartment.

Glass and expensive marble covers the room.

I find my way to the bed and sit down.

Then I call Kris.

"COOPER? WHY HAVEN'T YOU CALLED ME BACK?!" Kris yells.

"I'm sorry. I was just so lost and I had to-"

"Whatever. Stop with the excuses. Where are you?"

"Summer's house."

He sighs through the phone.

"Dear god, Cooper! Send me the address."

He hangs up before I can tell him about Summer's gala.

Great.

I really can't do with this right now.

Soon enough, he finds his way over.

He comes in and slams the door.

"Tell me everything. Top to bottom. No sugarcoating." He says, sitting down.

And I do.

I tell him everything.

From my altercation with the cops,

to me running to Keely,

to Nate finding me,

then today,

to Summer finding me.

"What the hell, Cooper? I haven't seen you in weeks, and you could've even called?"

"I know, I'm sorry. I just had to get away from everything."

"And skip the part where you tell me about Summer's gala. I already know."

"Wait, what? who told you?"

"Who other than Rex Scott himself?"

Oh no.

I need to get out of here.

"Rex is here?!" I exclaim.

"Yep. And don't even think about running, Cooper. After all, you are going to the Scott Enterprises Exhibition. The most elite party in America, even more than the Met gala."

I sighed.

What have I gotten myself into?

I needed to make up with Kris before I do anything.

"Stay with me, Kris, please. Just until the morning." 

He rolls his eyes.

"Fine, only because I love you." He answers.

                                                      THE NEXT DAY

Great.

It was already 7 pm and I haven't gotten out of bed all day.

And I know I needed to.

Kris left.

I stayed in bed and sighed.

Then I heard someone come in.

"Mr. Clay?" A woman asks.

I look up at her.

She's middle-aged, 

dressed in a suit.

Then two guys come in.

In tuxes.

"Yes, what's going on?" I ask.

"I have been sent by Ms. Scott to dress you for the gala, sir. Ms. Scott said you haven't left this room all day?"

Ugh.

Seriously,

Summer?

Why.

Help.

Me.

"Yeah, okay." I answer, getting out of bed.

After an hour or so,

(why it even took a damn hour I don't know)

I was ready.

Everyone had left.

I looked in the mirror.

I was wearing what had to have been a 100,000 dollar tux.

It was slick,

black with a simple red tie,

and just plain black dress shoes.

My blonde hair was slicked back with gel.

I looked very professional and fancy.

And I hated it.

This was not who I was.

And to think about it,

just three years ago,

I was just a simple teenage boy with a good arm on the baseball team.

I left to meet Summer.

I went down to the first floor.

Then I found her.

She looked very different.

There she was,

in a long,

strapless sparkling red gown to match my tie,

her light brunette hair in bubbly light curls,

with at least hundred bobby pins in,

and just down.

She wore bright red scarlet lipstick that make her glow,

and neutral makeup.

She looked amazing.

Surely everyone there was only going to have eyes on her.

And I think that's what she was going for.

We got in the limo.

"Nice red." I comment.

"It's Scott Enterprises' color. Plus, it's also my father's favorite."

That's probably why my tie is red too.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Cooper. It means so much to me." She responds.

"No problem. Besides, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity, is it not?"

She laughs and then nods.

"Indeed it is, Mr. Clay." She says, laughing.

As we pulled up to the event,

cameras were flashing everywhere.

There was a crowd of paparazzi and fans screaming.

Then I found the red carpet.

Summer stared out the window like she was going to throw up.

She's done this too many times.

The celebrity world is cruel.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Fine." she answers. 

She looks back at me.

"You ready?" She asks. "Keep your game face on, and follow my lead."

I looked where she's looking.

And it's right at her father.

I sigh.

"Got it. let's do this." I answer.

And so we did.

Four guards stepped out of the limo and held the door open for us.

We both stepped out as the crowd went wild.

Cameras flashed.

Fans screamed.

It was pure chaos.

Everyone had their eyes on us and the four guards stood around us in a square.

"Summer! Summer! Is that Cooper Clay with you? Is he your date?"

"Cooper, are you being charged for the arson of the club?"

"Summer, over here!" 

The press shouted.

Summer looked straight ahead and ignored them.

"Game face." She whispered to me.

I stood next to her and pulled my tuxedo jacket forward.

"Game face." I whispered back. "Let's do this."