After eating my celebratory dinner alone, I went home thinking about everything that happened with Ryan. I mean, was I so wrong? It's me. She knows how I am with these kinds of things I mean anything can happen at a high school party.

Unless Ryan's right? What if I graduate high school only having the memories of staying in on weekends doing homework and extra credit, award ceremonies, and working on my college essay, not to mention my chores at home?

I walk in my front door slipping off my shoes and putting my coat on the hook when suddenly I hear quick footsteps come down the stairs and my younger brother Sam came towards me.

At thirteen he's already almost four inches taller than me, and I'm five-foot-six. "Hey Ash, congrats on the award. Can I see?" He asks and smiles.

"Sure," I grab the award off the bench and give it to him. He turns it in his hand and smiles. "Not bad."

I shrug and smile, "Not bad at all."

I pat his shoulder and leave him with my award to play with going upstairs to my room. Once I got there, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to take a peek inside my closet.

Okay well, let's say I'd go to this party, what would I even wear? How would I do my makeup? Do I wear flats or heels? I don't even know. Usually, if I go to a special event I have Ryan to help me, but she's upset with me right now.

I slump against the footboard of my bed sitting on the floor. Maybe Ryan is right. Maybe this party is good for me. I mean, not everyone there would be bad people and I sort of know them. I mean I've gone to school with them for four years, we can't be total strangers.

I sigh. God this is going to be bad I know it, but I'll never live it down if I don't at least try. Before I could change my mind I crawl to my purse on my dresser and get my phone dialing Ryan.

"Hello?"

I can't believe I'm doing this. "It's me. What time is the party?"

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"Okay so you have amazing skin, white would make you look amazing, but maybe a red would give you that dark sexy look, you know?" Ryan rambles while she's ransacking through my closet and I slump back against the wall where she has me standing so she can hold clothes in front of me to see if it looks good.

After I had explained to Ryan that I was willing to go to the party she was over at my house in less than ten minutes with her makeup luggage and her clothes for the party in tow. Ryan gasps and pulls out something from the very back of my closet. She grins in excitement when she pulls out a simple short dark blue sleeveless dress I didn't even know I owned. It was incredibly short and very different from what I usually wear.

"No." I say shaking my head and Ryan nods grinning from ear to ear and says, "Yes!"

I sigh in defeat and she practically forces the dress on me tying the bow in the back. I've never felt so naked in my life.

She makes me keep my eyes closed for 'the surprise effect'. She takes out the curlers in my hair making me wince in pain from the velcro pulling on the hairs. Finally, she finishes my make up putting on some lip gloss giving me a satisfied sigh, and says, "Now open your eyes."

I do as I'm told and am genuinely shocked. I never had any negative opinions toward my physical appearance, but I never thought of myself as a beautiful girl. Looking now at my full body mirror I see legs. A lot of legs and skin, so much skin, but it looks elegant. Full pink glossed lips and my usually dull brown eyes are wide and vibrant with full-length eyelashes. My flat brown hair now with volume and waves.

It was hard to believe that the girl looking at me in that reflection was me. Ryan proud of her work smiles and puts her hands on her hips, "My work here is done. Now for some fun."

I have a bad feeling about this.

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Once Ryan transforms herself in an open-back casual lace-sleeved white summer dress and red lipstick we both head out to the party. I shake my hands out in nervousness and park my car on the side of the road where everyone else is. Ryan is practically hopping up and down in her seat with excitement and before I could even put the car in park she's already out and fixing her dress.

I take a breathe and let it out getting out of my car. I check my phone quickly checking for a text from Sam. Ryan had told my parents we were having a sleepover, that way we could stay at the party for as long as we wanted and I could stay at her house. She never told me lying to parents was going to be a part of the deal, but after my mini freak out she explained to me that a part of teenage life was when you're going to a party, you have to lie to someone.

She said specifically, "It's like a rule, Ash."

Yeah, okay.

Anyways, my parents left my brother alone at home to do some business work and I don't think that's ever happened so I told him if anything happened to text or call me. Sure he kept rolling his eyes and telling me he's got it, but come on he's thirteen surely he doesn't know how to take care of himself?

God listen to me I sound like an idiot.

Ryan pulls me out of my thoughts by snatching my phone out of my hands sliding it into her purse. Turning around she struts towards the big two-story house where the raging party is taking place."Hey!" I say walking after her.

She keeps walking. "If this phone is going to distract you the entire night from having fun, then I must confiscate it."

I roll my eyes as she takes my wrist walking faster towards the big house and the blasting music unbelievably gets louder. Ryan opens the door walking inside confidently. I stand there completely perplexed as to how we can just walk in. I mean don't we have to have proof of invite or something?

Suddenly Ryan pops back out, grabs my wrist pulling me inside the house closing the door behind us. The house is packed with bodies and there are lots of strobe lights everywhere. A tall dark jock approaches us with a smile and I recognize him as Trip Livingston. He talks loudly leaning towards us so we could hear him over the music, "Hey ladies, glad you could make it!"

Even with him shouting at the top of his lungs it was still hard to hear him. Ryan smiles and thanks to him for inviting us. He nods pointing at something in the opposite direction and takes Ryan's wrist taking her away with him. A sudden panic settled over me.

She can't be leaving me here alone!

Ryan looks back at me while being taken away, "Don't worry just walk around and have fun, meet new people it'll be okay!" She disappears into the big crowd of sweaty drunk teenagers. I put my hand on my arm awkwardly.

Okay, don't panic. Use your current knowledge of parties and you'll be okay.

I start looking for even the smallest walkway between the crowd so I can make it through to a corner or a couch or something. I figured If I could at least make it to a safe spot where I could spend the rest of my night then I wouldn't have to awkwardly stand here in the middle of this crowd.

After standing there for about five more minutes I find the crowd has made a small space to my right that leads into what I think is the dining room. Feeling relief I squeeze through saying a series of apologies. Nearing the end of the crowd I saw that I had made it to the dining room and I sigh in relief once again. Finding a stack of red cups and a pitcher of what looks like fruit punch I pour it into the cup and bring it to my nose. I sniff the drink and cough the strong smell invading my lungs.

"Definitely not juice." I pour it down the drain and look in the fridge, but find nothing but a plate of brownies, brown bags with large bottles, some beer, and bowls of cheese dip.

"I've got to get out of here." I close the fridge and make my way towards the exit back into the living room lowering my head. Although this time it was much harder considering there were suddenly a lot more people and I got knocked back by a group of people excitedly dancing causing me to fall into someone taking us both down and my elbow connecting with something hard.

"Ow," I grumble sitting up and I look to see it was, in fact, someone tall, blonde, and angry. He was wearing dark jeans and a rather cliche dark leather jacket. He touches his now red and slightly swollen cheekbone, where my elbow connected with his face. When he looks at me a hard glare becomes evident in his green eyes. His drink whatever it was, was splattered down his crisp white T-shirt now making him a complete mess. The people around us started staring now with mixed reactions of snickering and shock.

"Um, hi," I say shakily noticing the fire in his eyes.

Oh, he was furious.

I'm going to murder Ryan. That's if this guy doesn't kill me first.

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