Chapter 4

Mia walks through the front door and her resolve to try as much as possible to get through the night normally crumbles. Who am I kidding? She groans within herself. It's obvious I don't have what it takes to accommodate these people all night long.

Mia desperately wished in her heart of hearts after Dana left her house that time will just stop and everyone will get stuck on a day like Tuesday. To be honest, it's not that she loves school that much. In fact, she despises it as much as the next person. But at least in class, no one's trying to get her attention or cajoling her into something that's practically impossible for her to achieve.

Unfortunately, Mia's no time controller and so, Friday rolls in just like every other day.

"Don't look so gloom, Mia," says Dana as she comes to stand next to her a few seconds later, "you'll scare everyone away."  Dana's lateness is actually because she has been looking for a suitable parking space for the past thirty minutes; there are that many people at the party.

Now, Mia knows beforehand that many people are going to be attending the party- the football team has always been known for hosting the party with the largest attendance every school year- but even she can't have imagined that they're going to be that many. The house is literally crammed full.

As expected, Nathan Middleton, the football team captain and principal's son, is the one helping the team host the party. The principal, his father Bryce Middleton, allowed him to use the family's beach house for the party; majorly because it's far enough away from the main house that he can claim ignorance if things go wrong but also close to the main town enough that parents won't have a viable reason to refuse their children from coming. Pretty genius, even Mia agrees.

"Can we go look for somewhere quiet to seat already?" she mutters to Dana and the latter leads her to a love seat situated at the corner of the room.

Sitting down, Mia can't help but feel exposed with the outfit she's wearing. It's a deep purple gown that barely reaches her knees; and even though she has buffered it with a pair of long black pantyhoses, the feeling of being exposed just won't let her be.

Looking at Dana though, she immediately becomes thankful for her choice of clothes. The redhead's peach body-fitting gown bares covering anything at all, but she doesn't seem to mind it at all and so, Mia doesn't comment on it either.

Just then, a well-dressed waiter in black jacket and bowtie brings them drinks which Mia is fairly certain are alcohol so she declines, but Dana accepts and downs the whole thing in a blink of an eye.

"I don't know much about the law but I'm pretty sure sixteen isn't the legal age for alcohol drinking," Mia says to her after the waiter leaves.

"Look, Mia," she replies in that matter-of-fact tone she assumes whenever she thinks Mia is been overly naive about something, "parties have only one rule and it's to live. So, my friend, live."

But Mia only returns, "I'll go grab myself a soda," and leaves Dana to go to what looks like a mini self-service table.

Mia is looking for a soda can on the table when someone suddenly shoves her from the side. She turns angrily with a lot of words already at the tip of her tongue but stops when she sees the person. "Scott Simmons," she says, surprised.

Thing is, Scott is a blonde, slightly freckled, average height and no muscle boy who is a grade younger than Mia. He's never seemed to want to be in the same sphere as her before and it's only by sheer chance that she knows his name; he's the newest member of the football team so his picture and name is on the school wall alongside the other players.

"What do you want?" Mia asks, still unable to get over her surprise.

"I just want you to know that I can be very good for you too," he replies, smiling like he's Prince Charming. "I'm very gentle, if you understand what I mean, much gentler than Cameron can ever be."

It doesn't take long for Mia to grasp what he's driving at and the moment she does, her anger rises so high that it literally seems to be oozing off her in waves. Unable to let the insult stand, she makes to answer him with a good punch but someone else out of nowhere gets to him before she does and he goes howling to the ground in pain.

"One more comment like that Scott and I swear my next punch will make you unfit even for the reserve," Andrew says as he steps out of the shadows to glare at the now fallen figure that depicts Scott Simons. He's gently rubbing the hand he used to punch the latter.

"I just wanted a taste of what you're enjoying, Cameron," Scott argues. "I mean, I thought she was free for all."

Mia has never seen Andrew angry before but she can tell that he's absolutely livid in that moment as he grabs Scott before anyone can say Jack Robinson and sends him flying headfirst into the food table.

The crash and scream that follows stops everyone in their tracks and Mia realises that they're all watching Andrew, Scott, and her. Unwanted attention is definitely something she hoped won't happen and she covers her face in shame. It's definitely not my night, she cries within herself.

Andrew doesn't seem to mind the attention though as he walks over to Scott. "Leave before things get worse for you, Simmons," he says, eyeing the latter with eyes devoid of any kind of mercy.

Now, Scott knows that his reputation depends a lot on the way he responds to Andrew's challenge at that very moment. Will he be another wimp that cowers to the golden boy? Or will he be the jock that ends his reign?

Unfortunately, Scott's options aren't as clear cut as he's thinking it up to be. It doesn't take a psychic to know that he'll be in for a very humiliating defeat if he goes up against Andrew; and worse, the latter knows that too.

"This isn't over, Cameron," he finally says as he gets himself off the floor.

"Actually, it is," Andrew returns and stares his opponent down, "and you know that pretty well too."

Scott eventually leaves with what little remains of his dignity and the party continues as if the last few minutes didn't happen at all. Truth is, Scott is no one important really and his absence has no effect on the atmosphere.

Andrew is about to get back into the party mood too when an angry Mia suddenly pulls him back and dishes him a very good slap. "This is all your fault!" she shouts in his face.

"How exactly is any of this my fault?" he returns with as much venom as she holds.

"If you hadn't been so stupid as to make that ridiculous statement in school, all that nonsense with Scott wouldn't have happened," she says, poking him in the chest so hard and fast that it's hard to know when she isn't poking him.

"Oh, quit it already, Gates. I was just messing with you," he replies and catches her hand before she has the chance to poke him again. "I mean, why in the world do you think I would settle for a low-quality commodity?"

The statement enrages Mia so much and she almost explodes there and then. Andrew Cameron, the jerk of all jerks, dares to call her a low-quality commodity. Oh, I'm going to show you low quality, Andrew, she determines within herself.

Squeezing her hand into a fist, Mia makes to hit Andrew with the hardest punch she can muster, but he suddenly holds her fist and keys it by her side before she even gets the chance to swing it. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he whispers into her ears before sauntering off like the king of the world, leaving her fuming on the spot with her fist still balled to her side.

"I hate Andrew Cameron so much I wish he'd just die!" Mia shouts as she drops herself unceremoniously next to Dana, grabbing the drink the latter was reaching for and downing it before she can even say anything.

"Umm Mia, that was alcohol," says Dana, eyeing the usually reserved girl next to her with concern.

"I know," she replies, "and I need more."

Without thinking about it, Mia gets up from her seat and goes to grab any and every drink she can lay her hands on, gulping them down before their rightful owners can even get a word of protest out.

Soon, she starts to feel woozy after a couple of drinks but she doesn't care to stop. Truth is, she just wants to stop feeling anything and booze is good for that, at least that's what she's been told.

Out of nowhere, a sharp pain suddenly drills through Mia's skull. "No!" she gasps, realising what's about to happen. "Not here. Please not here."

But her brain doesn't cooperate and the cacophony she so very well knows suddenly erupts inside her head. She grabs her head and closes her eyes in the hopes that that will be enough to stop it, but as usual, it's a futile attempt.

Mia doesn't even know she has hit the floor until Dana suddenly appears crouching next to her with concern written all over her face. Mia looks around to see everyone stop and stare, unable to understand what's going on with her. Great, thinks Mia to herself, now they think I have a mental illness in addition to my weirdness factor.

The noise suddenly turns into a high-pitched screech and she screams out like a dog about to die. She has no doubt that her brain is going to melt anytime soon and run out her ears, but it must have decided at one point not to kill her as the noise suddenly stopped and she looks around one more time at the faces of the shocked teenagers around her before finally falling into the waiting, silent, blissful arms of darkness.