Madison takes one look at the house party, feels genuinely sick to her stomach, and turns back to her driver. "Louie," she says, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Keep the car running."

Adjusting her dress and fixing her hair, Audrey only lets out a laugh as she gets out of the car. "Come on, Madison. This is your first house party," she tells them. "Where's your sense of fun?"

"I have a sense of fun. It's called watching Ryan Gosling instead of..." Madison waves dismissively towards a couple, who are making out vigorously on the lawn. "That."

Maria is already tipsy, as she leans heavily against Elliot, who is casting an unimpressed look over the party. "Get a room," she tells the couple, rolling her eyes towards them, as Lula clutches the edges of Elliot's sleeve tightly, looking so horrified at the scene before her that Madison might just laugh.

The place is thriving with crowds of teenagers, most of whom are pouring around the house and dancing happily to the music, tipping their heads back to laugh drunkenly. They're everywhere, making out and dancing and singing drunkenly. Madison holds herself back from pulling another face. It's an utter shambles and when Kyle comes out to greet them, his smile is so wide Madison wants to reach out and rip it off.

"Hey, you made it!" he says happily as he pulls at Audrey.

Madison sees the faintest flicker of something cross Audrey's face before Kyle leans in and proceeds to suck the living daylights out of Audrey. Lula pulls a disgusted face, her eyes lit with horror, and Maria proceeds to pretend to retch behind them. Elliot looks faintly disgusted.

"God, they sound disgusting," he comments lazily towards Madison, who chuckles lowly. "When do you think they'll come up for air?"

"Five minutes," Maria says, disgruntled.

"I'll take that bet."

But Kyle and Audrey break away, Kyle's arm wrapped firmly around Audrey's waist, as he leads them in, through the doors. Madison clutches her purse tightly to her body, wrinkling her nose at the host of drunken teenager boys, who shout out lewd things. Lula holds her arm tightly but Maria screws up her nose and proceeds to shout a string of curses towards them, half in English and half in Spanish, mostly sounding impressive. Elliot has to disentangle her away as they continue to follow Kyle.

"That's the living room – oh, and this is the baseball bat that my Dad got from his Dad, years ago. He got it signed by Babe Ruth. It's practically an heirloom," Kyle is saying proudly, as he points towards the baseball bat.

But Madison is not interested in a baseball bat, her attention caught elsewhere within the party. She sees Nick's large figure, recognising him instantly, and she feels flushed, her cheeks warming, as they make eye contact. Something silent and crackling passes between them and they nod together, already mutually assenting to keep their dancing lessons a well-guarded secret. Beside him, Diana is attempting to engage him in conversation and though Nick looks quite drunk, laughing with the Alcott boy beside him, the sight makes Madison's jaw tauten.

"And this is the kitchen," Kyle tells them. "Let me get you a couple of drinks and then you can go dance with everyone."

Madison turns her head to exchange disbelieving looks with Elliot, who is looking amused, his eyes bright as his lips twitch. But Lula is leaning forwards, her eyes bright. "Is Theo here?"

Her question goes unanswered when Maria brings out the bottle of alcohol to stop Kyle offering them their cups. Madison had advised they bring their own bottles because none of them were going to get through this night sober and she didn't trust a single thing in Kyle's house. "No thanks," Maria says. "We brought out own."

"Oh, cool, is that vodka?" a boy says, his eyes lighting up when he sees the bottle and reaches for it.

Maria scowls at him and she pushes a cup, filled to the brim with questionable liquid, at him. It almost spills on his shirt but she clearly doesn't care. For her part, Madison blinks at the boy. She is sure she knows where she has seen him.

"Go away," Maria orders.

The boy begins to furrow his brows towards Maria, looking annoyed. "Hey," he says in the beginnings of a protest, his voice slurring slightly. "You don't need to be such a bitch about it."

Madison inhales sharply but Elliot is already stepping in. "Drop it, Lucas," he tells the boy smoothly and Madison knows, finally, where she recognises the boy from.

He is in Ash's group of friends, she realises. That means Ash is somewhere around here, too. Madison turns her head, as if she might be able to spot Ash, wondering vaguely what Kyle might have to say about inviting the idiot who tried to threaten his girlfriend.

But Lucas does not seem to have gotten the message because he turns to Audrey and grips her elbow. "You're the real bitch," he says to her, angrily. "It's because of you that everything's turned to utter –,"

"Get your hands off her!" Kyle is saying angrily, even as Audrey attempts to create calm between them.

But Lucas grips Audrey even tighter and Madison sees Audrey wince. Kyle's fingers clench together into fists but Madison only rolls her eyes towards him. They have no time for male testosterone, she thinks, because Audrey is getting hurt. Madison cuts smoothly through the crowd and roughly pushes Lucas away from Audrey, successfully getting his hands off of her. Audrey is looking pale, her gaze lingering on Kyle, as Lula whispers sweet comforts to her.

Both Elliot and Maria look as though they are ready to beat Lucas up, just waiting for Madison to give the order, but Madison knows that tonight is not the night to start a fight. Instead, she turns to Kyle and says rather pleasantly, brushing off her hands, "Where is the nearest empty room, Kyle?"

It's the first sentence she's ever strung together for him that hasn't been pushed by Audrey's insistence and Madison sees the way Kyle's eyes widen in surprise. He's so startled he doesn't seem to know how to respond and Madison is on the verge of simply packing up and going back to the car, when he swallows visibly. Kyle blinks, trying to look as casual as possible.

"Uh, upstairs," he blurts out heavily. "You can go upstairs to my parents' room. There should be nobody there." He turns to Audrey. "Meet me in my room, okay? I'll take care of Lucas."

Audrey is nodding, her eyes bright and watery, but Madison sees her fingers shake as Lula grasps Audrey's hand tightly. Madison moves first, cutting a smooth path through the living room, and she moves so fast that her friends have a difficult time weaving through the heavy crowd to keep up with her. But before Madison reaches the stairs, someone grabs at her arm.

It's so sudden and so heavy that Madison cannot react quickly enough to tear the arm off her and so she stops, startled. She lifts her head to stare at a drunken Ash. Madison parts her lips to let out an impatient huff.

Why is everyone so drunk here?

Why is she even here?

Her friends are still making their way towards her so Madison has to, like always, deal with this by herself. She lets out another huff of breath before she tilts her head towards Ash and throws him a disparaging look.

"And you – you're so mean!" Ash is telling her, his fingers like iron clamps over her arm.

Madison is growing angry. What is it with boys, who think they can grab at girls?

"Get your hands off me, you disease," she hisses out at Ash, furiously. "You made your grave, now lie in it. Why can't you get that through your thick skull?"

"But I didn't do anything!" Ash begins to protest as he lets go of her arm. His eyes are wide. "I'm sorry I tried to get money out of you, Madison – I am, I'm sorry – my family's company was in a lot of trouble and I was –,"

He's left a red mark against the paleness of her arm, Madison finds. It's not going to bruise but it still hurts so Madison proceeds to scowl at him.

"You still think your mistake was to try to blackmail me?" she bites at him before scoffing. "I don't care about that. Your mistake was taking those pictures and threatening to distribute them, without any care, thinking that you had a right to Audrey –,"

"I didn't take those pictures," Ash mumbles, his cheeks red. "...were given to me..."

Madison stops herself, startled. "What?"

When she lifts her head, she sees that her friends are pushing their way towards her but she sees Nick, too. He is close beside the staircase, so drunk he looks completely out of it, but he keeps looking towards her, with something like concern. There's something about the fervent heat of his gaze that makes something inexplicably warm within her chest. Madison shakes her head. She can't be thinking of Nick right now.

Ash is mumbling, "Didn't take them, wouldn't take them, I swear it, I swear –,"

"Okay, fine, you didn't take the pictures," Madison says impatiently. "Then who did? Who gave those pictures to you?"

"Just wanted money –,"

"Oh, for God's sake," Madison says and her voice is fraught with annoyance. "Who?"

Ash stares at her for the briefest of moments and he shakes his head. Her friends are there, before Madison can probe Ash any further and he melts into the crowd, before she can grab at him and shake him. Elliot is peering at her.

"Madison?" he is asking. "What's wrong?"

Madison shakes her head, turning her focus and attention back to her friends. "Nothing," she says, her voice a bare murmur. "Where's Lula?"

"She found the Alcott boy," Maria says and points to Lula, who is currently making out furiously with Theo. "God, this place is depressing. Why am I single?"

"Because you have standards," Madison reminds her.

Audrey is already moving up the stairs. "Come on, guys," she says bracingly. "I'll take you to his parents' bedroom – it should be empty – and I'll go talk to Kyle, okay?"

Elliot throws Madison a pleading look but she shakes her head. Madison realises that Audrey is grateful that they're still here, so they reluctantly allow themselves to be led to Kyle's parents' bedroom, which is thankfully empty, as Audrey promised. Audrey smiles at them quickly before flitting away, and Elliot lets out an annoyed growl.

"What are we even doing here?" he says. "I thought we were going to Dubai and pretending to revise for our exams."

"Someone wanted to support our basic bitch of a friend," Madison enunciates, turning her face to Maria, who has already sunken into the bed, tangling herself within her sheets. "God, Maria, get up. You don't know where that's been."

Maria rolls her eyes towards her before she speaks. Her voice is slurred. "Stop being such a control freak all the time, Madison," she says. "Why do you have to be so rude?"

Elliot's head turns sharply towards Madison, who has stilled.

"She's drunk off her ass, Madison," he says quickly. "You remember how she gets, when she's drunk. You know, in Cali, she started a fight with the bartender because she thought he was looking at her wrong."

"I don't know about Cali," Madison says and she's so hurt and angry that she doesn't even know what she's saying, "because I wasn't there!"

She hates that sometimes her friends talk about all the places they've seen because she's never seen it. Elliot's brows furrow together and she can practically see the thoughts churning within his mind. Madison knows that he's beginning to piece together the reasons why she's annoyed but she does not want to succumb to the strangely impossible way that both Elliot and Maria manage to stare at her. It makes it seem as though they see every thought that flickers through her mind and leaves unsettled.

Madison crosses the room and moves out, shutting the door behind her. She's so hurt she can barely breathe so she takes some moment to force herself to calm down, before making her way towards the bathroom. Scoffing and rolling her eyes towards the writhing couples, Madison huffs. She is actually hurt by what Maria said because she's not rude.

Well. Maybe she is.

But only a little.

And anyway, all she ever does is tell them the truth. All she does is protect her friends and help them, Madison thinks angrily. Now she has to hunt down that stupid Ash when he's sober, to discover what he'd been talking about, she thinks, with some annoyance. Her fingers reach out to push open the bathroom door but the light spilling on the floor makes her realise that it's not the bathroom.

The quiet hum of frenzied voices from within has Madison still very slightly. Her brows furrow together and she realises that this is Kyle's room. She's about to burst in, to tell Audrey that she's leaving, when Kyle's voice echoes.

"Damn it, Audrey!" Kyle is saying angrily. "Who is this Lucas guy? What did he mean?" There is a pause as Audrey mumbles something. "Give me your phone. Audrey, I said, give me your phone. You trust me, don't you? Look, I'm trying to protect you because I love you. You told me about Ash and I just don't want it to happen again. You never should have taken those pictures."

Madison furrows her brows in annoyance. Audrey sounds like she's been crying as she speaks, her voice tearful. "I'm sorry, Kyle," she says. "I'm so sorry, please. Please forgive me, Kyle. Please don't leave me. I love you."

"I love you, too, Audrey, but you have to stop playing like this," Kyle is saying. His voice has softened slightly but he sounds slimy and Madison frowns. "You make me lose all control, baby. You know that." There's a pause and some shuffles that let Madison know they're kissing before Kyle speaks again. "I have to get back to the party but you clean yourself up, okay?"

Audrey mumbles something in reply.

Madison only just manages to duck within the broom closet just in time, as Kyle's door open. The couple inside the broom closet gape at her as Madison groans. Before they can so much as protest, she throws them a furious glare and hisses out, "Shut up, if you know what's good for you."

When she listens again, she realises Kyle has already left and Audrey is shuffling around inside his room. She moves out of the broom closet quickly and, without a single moment's hesitation, enters Kyle's room, pushing open the door. Audrey's head snaps up immediately and her eyes widen when she sees Madison.

"Madison!" Audrey says, startled, her voice watery. Her fingers slip over her make up brushes and she looks remarkably like Eleanor Yates, Madison thinks. "What – what are you doing in here? Why aren't you enjoying the party?"

"I am," Madison says dryly, her gaze raking over Audrey carefully. "Was that Kyle? What did he have to say? Did he apologise for dragging you here, like we're a pack of mules?"

Audrey lets out a little laugh as she turns back to examining herself within the mirror. Madison takes that as a cue to move inside the room, closing the door behind her carefully. "You'll love Kyle," she tells Madison, though her voice shakes. "If you just gave him a chance, Madison –,"

"Then, what's he doing, making you cry?"

Audrey lifts her head from her mirror quickly, her eyes wide with surprise. She shakes her head towards Madison. "He's not – why would you – Madison, I'm not crying," she says.

Madison points at the foundation kit within Audrey's make up case. "I'm not stupid, Audrey. I taught Maria how to cover up puffy eyes, when my grandfather died."

She still remembers the routine even though she hasn't cried since Grandfather left her, when she was nine. Madison moves closer towards Audrey and reaches out for the lithe girl, even as Audrey is shaking her head. "I'm fine, Madison," she insists. "Kyle is fine and we're perfect, I swear it. I love him. He loves me."

"It didn't sound like it, Audrey," Madison says. "He said you make him lose control. If he loses control, that's on him. Why is he trying to blame you for something that he's at fault for? And what did he mean anyway, losing control, Audrey?"

Her voice is turning sharper and Audrey lets out a quiet hiss of pain, attempting to catch it between her teeth before she can stop it.

Madison thinks, at first, Audrey is exaggerating for though Audrey bruises like a peach, she's not hugging the girl that hard. But when the girl attempts to quickly straighten her shirt, her gaze flickering towards Madison almost guiltily, the wince that flits across her face is too pronounced to be mistaken.

Something within Madison's mind begins to spark.

No, she thinks, a rush of anger beginning to burn within her.

In the bright, fluorescent light of Kyle's bedroom, Madison cannot see well enough but what she does see shines through the thin, soft Gucci shirt. She stills, her thoughts flitting around within her mind, as she stares at Audrey's shirt.

Audrey bruises like a peach.

All those new Marc Jacobs dresses. Long sleeves, long jeans – even Lula had commented on it. They covered every inch of her body. Madison had seen it herself. And she had missed so many lessons. The teachers had been asking after her but Maria and Elliot had covered up for her. How many times had she bailed on their plans to go to Kyle?

All those times she had seen Audrey, she had seen her, and Madison had thought something was wrong. But she could have never thought it was this.

And yet, it all makes sense now.

Audrey bruises like a peach.

Audrey's fingers are beginning to shake. "Madison, I think you'd –,"

"Audrey, let me see that," Madison interrupts sharply, her voice fraught with horror and worry. She reaches for Audrey but the girl ducks away quickly. But Madison is faster and she seizes the edges of Audrey's shirt, pulling it up. "Oh my God."

Violet.

For a blinding moment, all Madison can see is violet. Bruises, blooming like soft petals against Audrey's bare skin, marring her in ugly patterns. Her body is covered with bruises, most of them purpling but a few look recent, a few look red, and Madison recognises Kyle's ugly handprint, red against her bare skin. She recoils, reeling back, horrified and feels like she's going to be sick.

Audrey looks horrified. "Madison –,"

"Was it Kyle?" Madison says, as she reaches for Audrey. "Did he do this to you?"

"Madison, stop it! Madison, please –,"

But even as she begins to protest, Audrey collapses against Madison's body, sobbing helplessly. Madison wraps her arms around Audrey tightly and hacks out a vicious promise, her heart thudding loudly, angrily.

"I'm going to take care of this, Audrey, I swear it," she tells Audrey. "I'll cut him, Audrey. He'll never touch –,"

But Audrey pulls away, looking horrified as she shakes her head. "Madison, please, you can't – please I'm begging you, Madison," she begs, shaking her head. "Madison, I love him, please – I'm so alone without him –,"

You break my heart, Audrey, she thinks, but Madison tightens her hold around Audrey carefully. "Audrey," she breathes. "I have you, alright? Calm down. It's okay, I'm here."

"Please don't do anything, please," Audrey says as she sobs helplessly against Madison's shoulder. "He says he won't touch me anymore. He promised, Madison, I swear it, I swear it, please."