I take a deep cleansing breath as I stand still, observing myself in the mirror.

Makeup, check. Amazing hair, check. Clothes to match, check.

Everything was in order for my costume. It still feels a little weird to me that Jason's birthday party is going to be a costume party, and it's almost July. It seems like the type of thing that should be done around Halloween, not the middle of the summer.

However, I don't really feel like questioning it. Jason gave me the address for the party, and it wasn't his house. He said Andrew is throwing it for him, since his house is more like a mansion, and that his parents are away for the weekend.

I have sort of distanced myself from the Padaleckis. I guess I didn't mean to at first, but now I am doing it on purpose, for their sake, not mine. I am probably just a burden around them anyway, so it's better that I'm gone as much as possible.

Now, I am about to leave for the party. Since I don't have a vehicle of my own, except my truck that isn't even here, Haley and Emily are going to pick me up. No one is telling anyone what or who they are dressing up as, and it is sort of frustrating me. I'm afraid that my costume will be totally out of place, that everyone else will look way different.

But when Haley pulls up in her shiny silver car with the hood down, I'm a little relieved to see her dressed as Harley Quinn. Next to her sits her fiancée, dressed as a very recognizable character from a Batman movie.

"Wow! You guys look great!" I exclaim, smiling brightly, acting as enthusiastic as I possibly can so I don't kill the happy mood. I now realize that Emily is dressed as Poison Ivy, her hair dyed a gorgeous red color and spread out all over the place in a cool way. Her makeup matches her hair, bright red, flowery, and a little sparkly.

They both grin. "You, too, Joker. You won't believe who Jason dressed up as." Haley's hair is dyed a dull white, tied into two high ponytails with pink and blue on the ends of each one. I easily recognize the costume, she looks exactly like the Harley Quinn that I have seen in the Suicide Squad movie trailer. I am very impressed with the quality of their costumes, and I can clearly see that a lot of time was put into making them just right.

Something is off, though. The smile that is plastered across Emily's face looks fake, almost forced. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that something is wrong. I think that maybe I should wait until Haley isn't around to ask her about it. Maybe they are having some sort of lovers' quarrel.

When we get to the party, it worsens. The tension between them gets thicker and the distance grows, Haley has what seems like an in-depth conversation with her little sister across the room, while Emily stays on this side, talking to a group of people by the food. I furrow my eyebrows, watching in confusion as her eyes lock on something across the room: Haley. I find where she is looking and see Emily's fiancée giving her charming smile to some stranger, a somewhat attractive guy who looks to be in his mid-twenties.

Upon seeing this interaction, Emily leaves, exiting through the front door where we came in about fifteen minutes ago. I hesitate a little and follow her, determined to find out what the problem is and help her out with it, if I can.

"Emily, wait up!" I call out, stepping out the door and checking to see if anyone else is out here, but to my surprise, it's just me and Emily. I freeze when I see her sitting on the front steps, holding her face in her hands and crying. This only makes me more tense. It's rare when I end up in situations like this, but when I am, I'm riddled with nervousness, afraid that whatever I say to try and make her feel better, will only make her feel worse.

Carefully and quietly, I step forward, sitting down next to Emily. "What's going on, Emily?" I question, deciding that cutting through the shit and getting right to it might be appropriate in this situation. She sniffles, wiping a hand across her face, and I know that she will feel bad later, when she realizes that some of her makeup is ruined.

"I think we're calling off the wedding," she murmurs, trying to blink the tears away. My eyes widen the slightest little bit, and I raise my eyebrows. How could they be calling off their wedding? They seem so in love, like they are always in their own little world, like some sort of fantasy. In a way, they were my proof that true love exists, until now.

"What? Why?" I ask, attempting to keep my voice low so as not to startle her or upset her even further. She shakes her head a little, and I spot another little tear roll down her cheek.

"I don't know," she cries. "I was upset because my parents didn't want to come, then Haley and I got into a huge fight, and she said it shouldn't matter, because it's about us. I got frustrated and she said if it's that big of a deal, maybe there shouldn't even be a wedding." We both sit in silence for a while as I try to digest everything she just told me.

"Haley's right," I finally reply, looking at my hands to avoid her gaze, which I can practically feel anyways. "You love her, right?" I ask, looking over at her as she smiles softly and nods. "And she loves you, too. That's all that matters, Emily. You shouldn't let other people's opinions affect the decisions you make, even your parents'." She furrows her eyebrows, seeming to be giving it some thought. "You guys are perfect for each other," I throw in to try and make her feel better. "Trust me, I know, I am a professional," I add, jokingly, as an attempt to lighten the mood. It works, too, judging by the look on her face.

"Professional dork," she comments, smiling a little and wiping the remnants of tears from her face as she stands up preparing to go back inside. Neither of us say nary a word as we step back into Andrew's house. Now that I'm not on edge about Haley and Emily, I finally get to take in what is happening and fully adjust to my surroundings.

There are tons of remarkable costumes here tonight, ones that look like they were all made by professional makeup artists. I saw cat woman, superman, Thor, another Poison Ivy, Deadpool, and almost all the characters from Guardians of the Galaxy. I am really amazed by the costumes, and the house, too.

On the outside, it is white, and on the inside, at the moment, it is filled with dancing party animals. I was surprised to find out that there is no alcohol here, because at the last party I went to, there was plenty of it.

It looks cool; there are people with those cans of that crazy string, and they are spraying it all over each other. I also noticed balloons and decorations when I first came in. It is going to be impossible to find Jason in this big, loud mess of sweaty people.

"Hello, gorgeous," a deep, unfamiliar male voice says from behind me. That's definitely not Jason. I turn and look at the source, only to find some weird guy dressed as Groot, causing me to burst out laughing. He looks so funny, with that tall tree costume on.

"Who are you?" I ask, curious as to what eighteen year old would dress up in a costume as ridiculous as this. It seems like something more suited for a little kid.

"Andrew Rogers," he says, throwing me a flirty smile, which I ignore. I quirk an eyebrow in suspicion. This is Andy? The reckless rebellious teenager I have heard so much about? "You must be the famous Charlie," he adds, extending a hand, which I also ignore. "And I'm really digging your costume. You're the hottest Joker I've ever seen." It's difficult for me to tell if he's joking or not. If I thought that he was serious, I would be a blushing mess, but I don't believe him, so I simply roll my eyes.

"I told you not to do that," I hear a voice from behind me say. A sense of relief washes over me as I recognize Jason's voice. I turn around and see him giving his immature friend a glare. Andrew raises his hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay," he mumbles. "I'll go flirt with those girls over by the punch bowl. At least I'm wanted over there," he says dramatically, rolling his eyes as he strolls away. I can't help but laugh a little.

"That was Andy?" I ask, wishing to get some more proof. Jason just nods, and then he eyes me up and down, taking in my costume. He gapes a little, his eyes even widening a little.

"You look amazing," he says, almost too quiet for me to hear him because of the loud blare of music. This time, the blush really does rise to my cheeks, and I hope my white makeup helps cover it a little.

"You don't look too bad yourself." Jason is dressed as Batman, and the costume quality is grade A. "But last I checked, Bruce Wayne wasn't British," I joke, causing a lopsided smile to light up on his face.

"Last I checked, the Joker wasn't female," he replies, even laughing a little.

"Ooh, he strikes back." We stand there a moment, unsure of what to say to each other. Suddenly, a slow country song starts to play over the loudspeakers, which I quickly recognize as Give In to Me. It's been one of my favorite songs for years, and I'm surprised that they are playing it at a birthday party.

"I'm sorry about that," Jason says. "I think Andy wants some sort of proof that you're my girlfriend," he explains, and I suddenly remember our conversation in Starbucks. So, I smile a little, almost flirtatiously, as I take his hand in mine, surprising the both of us.

"Well, let's give him some proof," I mumble, pulling him towards the middle of the floor to dance. Honestly, I have zero clues as to what I'm doing. In the first place, I don't even know how to dance. Plus, I don't want Jason to think I'm only doing this to make him look good in front of his friend. I'm pretty sure there's another reason why.

"I'm really glad you came, Charlie," he says, as he sets his hands on my hips, the sensation sending weird, unfamiliar vibes all through me. I hide my inner feelings with a smile as I wrap my arms around his neck.

"Me too." Every other second, I look down at the floor to make sure I'm not stepping all over his feet. Jason's laugh startles me, and I look up at him with my eyebrows furrowed, confused. "What?"

"You have no idea what you're doing, do you?" I scoff, as if to cover up my embarrassment, but it doesn't work that well. "Haven't you ever danced before?" He asks it as if it's the most obvious question in the world. I tense up a little, shaking my head and looking away from him in embarrassment. The thought crosses my mind that he could dance with any other girl in here. They are probably way better at this than me, so why isn't Jason dancing with them instead?

"It helps if you're relaxed," he comments, however, it does nothing to lessen the worrying.

"Well, then, why bother?" I ask, looking at my feet. I meant it to sound like a joke, but it comes out small and weak, making me sound pathetic. I cringe a little at hearing it myself.

"Charlie." I look up from my feet again, only to have Jason attach his lips to mine in a sweet, soft kiss. I suddenly realize that tonight is the first time he has ever seen me like this, weak and vulnerable and myself. I half expect him to bolt, to run away from me and never look back. But, instead, he just stands close to me, comforting me with his soothing kisses.

The effect that he has on me is terrifying and overwhelming in its intensity. He can make my head spin with the simplest smile or wink, and make me feel like I am drowning with his kisses.

I never saw this coming.

I am not ready for him to pull away, either, but he does, and it takes us both a few moments to regain our steady breathing. I open my eyes, looking into his dark brown ones. I haven't noticed that before, that dark shade of his pupils, that are just a tint lighter than the color of his hair.

"What was that for?" I ask absently, though I already know why; it was to show off to his buddy. Jason's grin surprises me.

"For fixing my sister's problems again." That was fast. He must have found out about the talk I had with Emily on the front steps a few minutes after she went back inside.

"Anytime," I respond, tracing the curve of his jawline, which he seems unfazed by. I glance over in the distance to a group of people chatting and flirting by the stairway, and in the crowd of people, I can see Haley and Emily standing next to each other, looking at me and grinning from ear to ear.