On Monday, Alex was generous enough to pick me up for school, which I was grateful for as I didn’t like mum or dad dropping me off. It made me look like I was still twelve.

Why was my birthday so far? I needed that car. I couldn’t keep depending on Alex and taking the bus, I hated the bus. But my birthday was in December, and it was just September. Three more months to go.

We were extra early to school today, and the parking lot wasn’t filled yet, but I saw Ryan with his buddies already there.

They all were leaning on their cars and cracking jokes, but Ryan looked bored like always while raking his hand through his thick dark hair. He noticed me as I hopped down the car with Alex, but he ignored me like always, brushing me off like I didn’t exist.

And that was the guy I wanted to say 'thank you' to? Of course, he ignored me and acted like Saturday night never happen. Why was he so annoying?

Alex and I both met Jane at the school entrance, and together we walked to our locker. I had English now, but they both had Physics, so I was gonna be on my own.

“Later, Sam.” Jane waved as both she and Alex walked off while I sent a smile her way.

I proceeded to my class, smiling at some familiar faces as I walked down the hallway. I had made some friends other than Alex and Jane.

The hallway wasn’t packed yet, but there were still some kids moving about. I was scrolling through some old pictures on my phone when all of a sudden, a hand grabbed me out of nowhere and pulled me into the janitor’s closet.

I wanted to scream my lungs out, not knowing if I was being kidnapped or something like that, but a hand slammed over my mouth, and I was pushed up against the wall with an arm over my chest to keep me there.

“Hey, it’s just me, no need to panic.” My captor shushed me.

My eyes trailed up, and imagine my surprise when I saw blondie in front of me. I couldn’t, not panic. I screamed out loud behind his hand, making him cringe. Oh my God! Was he here to finish what he started?!

“Please, just shut up! I’m not going to hurt you, I just wanna talk. Will you be quiet if I remove my hand?” I calmed down a bit and nodded, but I was still on alert and ready to attack if he tried anything.

He removed his palm from my mouth slowly and then backed up a bit, creating space between us.

“What do you want, and why did you drag me into this closet?” I almost yelled at him, my breath coming out in pants as he tried to shush me again.

“Listen, I just want to apologize for what happened at the party. When I woke up yesterday and remembered what I did, I felt so guilty and wanted to punch myself. I acted like a jerk, and I’m sorry. I have never done anything like that before, and I never would. I guess I was so drunk I didn’t get myself.” He quickly explained while I kept staring at him, unsure whether to believe him or not.

“Look, I just wanted to say I was sorry, that’s all.” He did look sincere.

“It still doesn’t explain why you dragged me into this closet. You could’ve just told me outside, in the hallway, like any normal person.” I folded my arms across my chest and rested my back on the wall, trying to act tough and not wanting him to see I had been really scared.

“Yeah...well...I don’t think I could handle a beating from Ryan. I’m no match for him.” His cheeks reddened a little bit as he rubbed behind his neck. What did he mean by that? Was it because Ryan told him to back off when he asked me out?

“We cool, right?” He asked with hope-filled eyes. I wasn’t exactly cool with him, but I didn’t want to remain in this closet with him, so I nodded my head and forced a little smile out.

He released a sigh of relief, “Thanks. See you later, Sam.” I guess he actually did remember my name. He backed out the closet, and I followed suit. I stood by the door and stared as he walked down the hallway. By now, it was packed with students, but nobody was really paying attention to us, except for a particular person.

I spun around to go to my class when I saw Ryan standing a few feets from me. His eyes were fixed behind me, where blondie was retreating to before they came back to focus on me.

I stood still on my spot and didn’t dare move a muscle from his penetrating gaze. He had a scowl on his face, and I could see his sharp jaw clenching like he was gritting his molars.

He began walking towards me while I took slow steps back to put some distance between us. But he kept walking towards me, his gaze fixed on me, and to my surprise, passed by me. Huh? What was that? I thought he had been walking towards me.

Stupid me. Why would he care about me? I was just way over my head.

I looked back at his retreating back one last time before continuing my stroll to my class. I was still confused about what happened, but more hurt that he was ignoring me.

Now, I was just a past tense in his life, which he wanted nothing to do with. And maybe I should forget all about him too. What was the use of trying when he doesn’t even want to acknowledge me?

****************

After the first period, I met Alex leaning on my locker and typing away on her phone with a water bottle in her other hand, no sign of Jane. I think she has Chemistry now while Alex and I both had a free period.

She noticed me then and pocketed her phone.

“Can we use this time to go eat at the restaurant opposite the school? I’m hungry.” I rolled my eyes at her. She was always hungry.

“You ate both at your house and mine this morning. Do you have five stomachs or something?" I questioned.

“Actually...” But she didn’t get to say what she wanted to as we saw an angry Jenny with her two minions storming down the hallway while shoving or screaming at anyone who was in their way, till they turned at a corner.

“What’s her problem?” I asked as everyone started to whisper too.

“I heard Ryan dumped her ass at the party after we left.” Alex snickered, and for some reason, my heart flipped in joy in my chest. Maybe it’s because I hated her and would like to see her suffer.

“Why? Did they have a fight?”

“Don’t know, don’t care.” She shrugged before sipping from her water bottle.

****************

The week passed by real quick and before I knew it, it was Friday. Alex had successfully persuaded me to go with her to another party, but she couldn’t convince Jane.

I didn’t want to go as I could still remember what happened the last time, but then she bribed me with free rides to and back from school for the whole week. I couldn’t say no to that, I hated taking the bus. It’s always crowded in there, and it smelled of sweaty people.

Anyway, I lied again to my parents that I was spending the night at Alex’s. Her parents were always not around during the weekends, so it was going to be just us, again. Mum worried too much, and if I told her I was going to a party, she might make me promise to be home before nine, and that was when the real party started.

By eight, Alex picky me up, and we both said bye to my parents before driving off.

“Should I pack up the extra cookies for you, Alex?” Mum had asked even though Alex had already eaten a full bowl of cookies.

“Yes, please.” She had a huge grin on her face like a kid who had been Santa was coming to visit.

Some minutes after eight, we were set and ready to go. The drive to the party took only twenty minutes, and when we arrived, I was surprised at how large the house was.

Alex said it was some rich guy in our school celebrating his girlfriend’s birthday. She doesn’t go to our school though, but everyone above sixteen years was invited.

The party was already in full swing when we got in. There were kids everywhere dancing, talking, drinking, and some were even making out.

There was raised platform where the DJ was, and there were even hired servers going around, serving drinks, or taking empty plastic red cups away that weren’t used anymore, making everywhere neat and organized. Fancy. I thought

A server came up to Alex and me with a silver tray on one hand, and on it were four red cups filled with alcohol and a beer bottle. Alex grabbed two, and I thought she was about to hand one over to me, but she quickly took it out of my reach.

“Oh no, these are for me, you take yours.” I shook my head at her and went for another cup on the tray. After chugging down our drinks, we made way to the dancefloor.

A random guy walked up behind me, and we started to grind together while Alex winked at me before dancing off to God knows where. The beer, although little, was already helping boost my confidence. On a normal day, I don’t think I would grind on a total stranger.

I had still been grinding with the stranger when my eyes diverted upstairs and immediately collided with a pair of blazing brown eyes.

Ryan was up there with his friends, and he was staring down at me grinding with the random dude, with a scowl on that perfectly sculptured face of his. Suddenly, I didn’t feel like dancing with the dude at my back anymore, so I excused myself, took a bottle from a server holding a silver tray, and went to the kitchen.

No one was there, but the backdoor was left ajar, and it led to a beautiful garden with a water fountain in the middle. There were some kids there, but they weren’t much, and most of them were couples snuggling together. I wished then that I had someone to snuggle.

I went to sit on a bench near the fountain and admired the view. Street lamps illuminated the garden, and maybe because it was night, but it looked like something out of a fairy tale. Or maybe the beer was just really strong.

I drank from my bottle while I tried to clear my mind, and enjoy the peace and quiet since the music from the party wasn’t loud here.

I took another swing from the bottle when I felt someone sit beside me, but I didn’t care to look at who it was. I just wanted to be alone and keep drinking.

“If you keep on drinking like that, you might end up really drunk.” I froze with the beer bottle still at my lips as I recognized that voice.

I turned then to see Ryan sitting beside me, dressed in a blue top under a black leather jacket with dark pants on. He was staring intently at me with his cold eyes, and I just wanted to look at them forever.

Why the hell was he here, beside me, and talking to me?!

**************

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