Music thumped throughout the McClain mansion. The entire living room is packed tight with young, nimble bodies as they moved to the beat. UV and strobe lights provided the only source of lighting and fog machines lined the floors.

At the very top of the adjoining staircases a DJ booth stood proud. "Are you ready to get fucked up," a man in a basketball jersey and oversized head phones yelled into a microphone. The crowd roared and the music got even louder. I ran out of the double doors and into the peace and quiet that was the backyard. No one was out here. I doubt any of the cross-faded dumbasses would know how to make it out here, thank God. For the first time tonight, I was finally able to think straight.

I chose to lay out on a law chair and stare up at the sky. There were almost no stars out in Los Angeles, but it was still nice to gaze at the lack of light. The steady stream of the waterfall cascading into the Olympic sized pool calmed my nerves. I closed my eyes. Sleep had alluded me these past few nights. There too much going on. But here, here I could rest.

"So this is where you're hiding." Jared's voice sounded at the head of my chair. My eyes shot open. I fought back the urge to groan. Out of everyone in that house, he was the one I was trying to avoid the most.

"I was just..getting some air." I went to move out of the lawn chair but Jared was too quick. He was on top of me, either of my wrists in his tight grip.

"Are you not enjoying your six month anniversary?" He handcuffed both of my hands to both sides of the chair's metal bars.

"I was, until just now," I mumbled. What was it going to be this time? Jared had been especially evil this past week. I had to miss the last two days of school this week after he had slammed my face into his locker. With no one around, this was bound to be much worse.

"Why are you out here Jess? Is there something wrong?" Jared climbed off of me and sat in the pool chair adjacent me. He stared at me with what I actually thought was a hint of concern. That was a first.

"Don't act like you care." I spat. As soon as the words fell out of my mouth, the rest of me twitched. I anticipated a slap that never came. Concerned or not, he was still a dick.

"You're right. Normally, I could not care less about you and your pathetic human problems. But a little birdie told me that you are planning on dumping Tanner." Jared's stare intensified on me.

I froze. How had he found out? I hadn't told anyone. At least, I don't remember that I did. "If I was. Wouldn't you be happy about that? You'd never have to see or hear me again." It was the main reason I had been thinking about leaving. A world without Jared would save me a lot of tears, and cover up.

He stood up and began pacing in front of my chair. "See at first I thought that too, then I realized something. For whatever ridiculous reason, Tanner cares for you. If you leave, you will make him upset. I can't have you doing that to my best friend. So I'm going to change your mind for you."

I didn't have time to react. Jared sped back to the head of the chair. "You do realize that the moment you leave Tanner, your dead, right?" I felt the chair lurch forward toward the pool.

"N-no," I stuttered.

He inched the chair closer, "Use that tiny brain of yours. I hate you. I want to squeeze the life out of you until there's nothing left. But you know why I haven't killed you yet? Tanner. He is the only thing that stops me from pulling the trigger, from snapping your neck, from that last punch that will permanently end your useless existence." 

He paused and came to stand next to me, placing his face inches from mine. "You only live because of how Tanner feels about you."

My chair was at the edge of the pool deck now. Another push would send me into the deep end with the chair attached to me. He knew I couldn't swim... "I was never going to go through with it. We're just in a rough patch, all couples have them."

I glanced around the backyard. Someone had to be outside, right? Or looking out the window? Nope. Everyone else was inside having the time of their lives while Jared had mine in the palm of his hand.

"That may be true, but you still considered it. So now I'm going to show you what happens when Tanner isn't around to save you." Jared grabbed hold of the law chair and the same crooked smirk he always had when he was about to hurt me appeared.

"No! Don't! The chair will weigh me down even more! Jared, please! I'm sorry," I begged.

"I would never ruin the McClain's furniture. I'm not a monster, Jess." Jared threw his shirt off and onto the floor. He released my hands from the handcuffs and lifted me up. "Take a deep breath. It might be the last one you ever get to have."

"Let go of me! Help!" I screamed no the starless night.

Jared lept into the pool. Our combined weight made us sink so far down, that we touched the bottom of the ten-foot deep side. I kicked and clawed at the mass clutching me to him, but he didn't budge. We eventually floated to the surface, but Jared kept me below the water.

My lungs began to nag at me. Demanding I breathe in. I kicked and punched until Jared's grip loosened just enough for me to weasel my way to the top.

As I broke through the water I gasped. Before I could think to get away, he had shoved me back under. I found myself in the same position once again. I kicked and screamed out under water, but he held me still with ease. This was noting but a light workout to him.

I felt my eyes start to get heavy. Water had gotten in my lungs. Was I going to die tonight?

In a strange turn of events, Jared lifted me above the water. I coughed and sputtered. "P-please. Stop."

"I don't have to anymore. You're leaving him, right?" Jared's voice was calm for someone drowning another person, it chilled me more than the water. He pushed my head just below the surface of the water. I struggled in his grip.

He lifted back up, "Tanner!" I yelled between coughs.

"He can't save you this time, whore."

I felt him start to tug the fistful of my hair back down toward the water. If I went back under again I was going to die. I could feel it. "I won't ever leave, I swear! I learned my lesson. Please, Jared!"

He pulled me so I would face him. "This is the only time I will ever do anything nice for you. No more warnings."

Just when I thought it was over, he pushed me back down again.

I was too exhausted to fight anymore. I floated into unconsciousness. The only thing that repeated over and over in my mind was 'Never leave Tanner McClain.'