"Ashley Airwood."

I smile and stand to smooth the back of my skirt as I stand and make my way for the stage stairs. I keep a straight posture and walk towards my principal smiling at him, shaking his hand, and taking my award.

I look at the medium size gold trophy with the metal plate in the middle with the engraving saying, Ashley Airwood Student Of The Year Award 2015-16 and I know I should feel proud. I should feel excited.

But... I don't feel anything. Absolutely nothing.

I smile at the applauding crowd then make my way back down the podium stairs, sitting in my seat. My mother on my left smiling a proud smile and giving my hand a squeeze. My father giving me his famous nod of approval.

I guess I'm pretty happy too even though this is my second time winning. Then next summer I'll be graduating. Then North Western, my ultimate goal. Get amazing grades, take extra creds, and be at the top of my Pre-Med program. It makes me smile just thinking about it. That's definitely something I can look forward to. My perfect life. 

After the ceremony, I told my parents I was going out for a celebratory dinner with my best friend Ryan and they both went home kissing my cheek and wishing me a fun time.

I lean against my little blue beetle taking out my phone sending a quick text to Ryan wondering where she was. Suddenly a long blonde hair, blue-eyed girl with long tan legs walking in my direction was none other than Ryan Lockheart herself.

A lot of words could describe my best friend. Popular would definitely be one, gorgeous no doubt, flirty, fun, and her last name might as well be her business title. She steals the hearts of boys everywhere without even trying.

"Ryan!" I call and she smiles tip-toe walking towards me because of her high-heeled sandals.

Or as I'd like to call them, sadistic torture devices. 

"Hey, Ash!" She embraces me with a bone-crushing hug. "You looked so gorgeous up there! The highlights I did look stunning." She runs her fingers through my chestnut brown hair with honey highlights done by her. She insisted I looked my best when receiving my awards. Although I've done it so many times, sometimes I consider just going up in sweatpants. Then again knowing me if I did that, I'd have a complete heart attack.

I swat Ryan's hands away and laugh softly, "Thank you and it was your work that made me look good. Now, I'm starving, celebratory dinner?"

"Well, duh. It's only our tradition." She isn't wrong. I've always been the type of girl to do my best at everything. Making my parents proud, being responsible, and always going completely out of my way to always make sure that everything goes accurately the way I want it to. Some people say I'm uptight, but I don't think that living up to my own expectations of life isn't so bad no matter how high my expectations might be. 

Right?

We both pile back into my car and drive out of the parking lot onto the road. The perfectionist inside of me going to work while I drive onto the road making sure my every move was perfect. 

All of a sudden Ryan's phone made a noise notifying her she had a text. Suddenly she squeals with delight and smiles. "Okay, so you know Trip Livingston right?"

I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion, "Trip who?"

"The football player...?" She says slowly as if saying it like that would make me remember.

"Again, who?" I say and she sighs pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Trip Livingston, Senior Quarter Back for our Varsity football team? He won the award for MVP?" She says and I suddenly recall a tall, broad-shouldered, good-looking guy with raven black hair receiving the award then holding it up as the crowd of students went ballistic.

"Oh yeah, what about him?"

She grins turning towards me in her seat like it's gossip hour at the salon. "Well, I just received a text from Reyna, who got a forward from Trip, saying that he's having a party and that he wants to invite... Wait for it...," 

Stopping at a red light I raise my eyebrow at her as she holds her hands up as if pausing the world for dramatic effect. 

"And what Ryan, spit it out!" I say smiling and she rolls her eyes laughing.

"And Trip told Reyna to invite both of us!"She squeals again squeezing my arm and I scrunch my face again.

Me? Party? A jock party? No... that's not how things work.

"Um, are you sure he didn't mean to invite just you?"

Ryan rolls her eyes. She does that so much I swear they're going to fall right out of her head one day. "Of course I'm sure! Reyna is one, if not the main chain of connection from the popular people to the rest of the people in school. She's never wrong."

I snicker at that. Never wrong? Yeah, okay. I'm not always right either, even though I'd like to be, I'm not. "Okay, so Trip told this Reyna girl to pass on the message to us and what? We're just supposed to drop everything and go?"

"Ashley c' mon! I mean, we can still have our celebratory dinner as long as we finish in time to paaaartaay," she says and does a little dance as I pull up to my favorite restaurant Marty's. 

Once Ryan and I walk inside when the amazing scent of freshly made garlic bread and spaghetti Alfredo. Once Ryan and I are seated, Ryan looks over the menu and I chew my bottom lip nervously.

"Ryan.... about this party...." I began and she sighs closing her menu mumbling, "I knew you wouldn't go down without a fight."

"Ryan you know parties aren't my thing. Good things never happen at them. Not only that but tonight I have to watch Sam and get ahead on a paper. I have responsibilities and my parents are counting on me. "

Ryan shakes her head. "You're an 18-year-old high school student that has amazing grades, perfect attendance, and countless awards. You are always watching Sam! Which I personally think is kind of ridiculous because what thirteen-year-old needs a babysitter?" Ryan licks her glossed lips and looks at me intently as if trying to get me to understand. 

"Ash, I really think this party is a good thing for you. It will create some great last-minute High School memories before we graduate! And it will help you loosen up which, god knows you need a lot of."

I slump with the realization that, that kind of hurt. Ryan doesn't understand that good thing never happen at parties. I mean what if someone brought drugs? Alcohol? I spiked the punch and I'd drink it on accident! I wouldn't know what to do. Yes, maybe I'm overreacting, but can you blame me? I've never done this kind of thing before and I have no idea what to expect. Also, just because Sam is thirteen doesn't mean he should be left home alone. I mean who would make him dinner? He doesn't know how to cook and if he tried he'd most likely burn the house down, and my parents would kill us. Kill me.

Just thinking this over made me nervous, "Ryan I just can't. I have a lot to do and I just would feel out of place anyways and if something happened," I shake my head playing with the corner of my menu.

Ryan shakes her head and grabs her purse. "Ash I love you, you're my best friend. But sometimes being the perfect good girl isn't what's good for you," she stands up and puts her purse on her shoulder, "Tonight you may have won that trophy, but you're losing at life." She grabs her phone off the table, "Call me when you're ready to win." And with that, she turns and walks right out of Marty's front door.

What just happened?

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