"You look like shit," Anna says to Becca when she finally makes her way back into the room nearly 45 minutes later.

And Anna is kind of right, Becca does look like shit. Her mascara is bleeding and she has huge bags under her eyes.

"I feel like shit," she says throwing her book over onto her bed. "I got to the after part in Looking For Alaska."

"I know h-how you f-feel," I say giving her a sympathetic look. I remember getting to the after part of that book. It was about a year ago and I was at the doctor's office, I remember my mother freaking out because I started crying, she thought I was in pain.

My parents have always thought there was something wrong with me besides my speech deficiency. They were always afraid I might just pass out or start screaming out of nowhere. They figured I wasn't normal because I didn't have as much of a social life as Anna did or because I preferred to stay inside and read as opposed to having a night out on the town.

"Great," Anna says walking towards Becca, "now we're going to be late fixing you up."

"I'm not as messed up physically as I am mentally," Becca says walking towards the bathroom, "and I've been in this predicament before. Give me five minutes."

And five minutes is what it took.

Finally we were off, and by finally I mean after Anna finished throwing a fit about how late she thought we were going to be. We all began walking off back towards the other side of campus.

"I have a question," Becca says to me after a couple minutes of just walking, "at first I thought you were just nervous, but I noticed you stuttering a lot-"

"It's a speech deficiency," Anna immediately snaps at Becca.

Becca doesn't bother asking any other questions as we continue walking and I would have done the same. Anna can sound really harsh at times, especially when someone starts asking questions about my stutter.

Anna hasn't appeared to have taken an immediate liking to Becca like she usually does with everyone else which is actually quite strange seeing as Anna knows how to get along with most everyone. But Becca is different, she's more like me than Anna. She'd rather read as opposed to worrying about what she's wearing to the next big party. She seems like the type of person who would fly solo though, she'd probably be perfectly happy if she didn't have a room mate.

Finally, after some time we can hear faint sounds of music as we draw near the party. My feet are already killing me due to this pair of high heels I was forced upon wearing. I'm not used to wearing any of these types of things and to be brutally honest I king of hate it. I mean even though I am short I could still do without the extra inches, in fact it would be preferable to not have the few extra inches.

Typically at most high school or college parties you'll find that there are the occasional drunks milling around outside of the actual party and I'd be lying if I said it were any different at this one. But I'd also be lying if I said they were all drunk. Although most people were holding a red solo cup, a lot of them are just talking and laughing, a couple have strayed away and are making out in various different areas of the party.

"Before we go in," Becca says stopping us, "you should know that these parties usually bore me so I'm usually gone in about half an hour. Don't be surprised if I disappear, I'll either be in a corner reading a book or on my way back to the dorm."

"You didn't even bring a book," Anna says furrowing her eyebrows.

"Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there," Becca says patting the satchel type thing she's been carrying around with her.

"I n-need one of those," I say already wondering why I hadn't thought to buy something like that when Anna had dragged me to all those parties back in high school.

"No you don't," Anna says pointedly, "no one should be caught dead carrying a satchel around at a party."

That's pretty much a giveaway that Anna wholeheartedly disapproves of Becca.

As we walk towards the party several people stop talking to turn and say hi to Becca and there are even a few cat calls. It kind of surprises me though because Becca doesn't seem like much of a people person. I mean here people actually know her, she seems popular. But it doesn't make sense for everyone to know her if this is only her first year.

"How does e-everyone know-"

"It's my second year," she says dramatically flipping her hair behind her, "you don't always have to be a bitch for everyone to know you. I can show you the ropes if you want me to. Plus it helps that I'm friends with Scott and Falon."

"Who's Falon?" I ask.

"Scott's older brother."

"Is he hot?" Anna asks stepping in between Becca and I.

"Depends on what hot looks like for you," Becca says shrugging.

To Anna that means no.

When we finally make it into the party things definitely aren't as subtle as they were outside. There are a couple guys holding someone upside down as they chug beer through a beer keg and now that we're inside the music is nearly deafening.

"The strippers are here!" A guy yells raising his cup towards Anna, Becca, and I.

I immediately blush, I knew I looked like a slut.

"Hey Kevin!" Becca shouts back, "shut the hell up."

"Becca!" I watch as Scott swaggers over holding a cup in his hand smiling, "you came to the party this year. And you brought company."

I look over at my sister to see her a little wide eyed as she drinks Scott in. I mean, I know he's a good looking guy and everything but I'm sure she's seen better. Plus she knows what he's done to me and she also knows he's a straight up asshole who isn't worth anyone's time.

"I don't think I've seen you 'round these parts before," Scott says wrapping an arm around my waist. He takes my wrist and sets my hand on his abdomen, "but I'd sure like to see you around these parts," he says before slowly sliding my hand dangerously close to his 'manhood.'

That was an absolute horrible pickup line.

"I'm s-sure there are other s-sluts around here w-who would much rather do t-that to you asshole," I say retrieving my hand back from his hold and taking a step back.

"Stutter girl?" Scott asks, his eyes widening and his smirk visibly vanishing, "I mean, I uh..."

Before I can hear what Scott is going to say I'm being dragged back outside by my fantastic older sister.

"Who was that?" She asks with both her hands on her hips.

"That was Scott," I say.

"Scott was hot."

"T-that rhymed," I mutter under my breath.

"I'm being serious about this Abby," Anna says combing through her hair with her fingers, "you could have at least told me he was hot! Oh my gosh...you're living with that...jesus fuck..."

As I figured would happen Scott's looks have completely blinded her to the fact that he's still nothing but an asshole. She must have also forgotten that he was the main reason that I had no social life back in high school.

"I never s-saw any reason to s-say anything," I say.

"I saw a lot of reason."

"D-did you literally not j-just hear him c-call me Stutter girl again?"

I watch as Anna considers this a moment and she quickly goes from obsessing over Scott's hotness to rushing back inside with me trailing behind her. Scott and Becca are standing where we last left them and surprisingly Scott still has a look of shock on his face, I watch in wonder as Anna walks over and slaps him.

"Hey jackass, her name is Abby not stutter girl," she says before quickly disappearing into the crowd of people dancing.

"Abby," Scott says staring off slightly dazed.

"That is indeed her name," Becca says, "now if you'll excuse us."

Becca grabs my arm and drags my over to the keg of beer that doesn't have anyone dangling above it anymore. Becca grabs a cup for her and myself even though I'm not going to drink any of it. I don't drink alcohol. I tried and immediately hated it.

"You know you scared the hell out of Scott," Becca says as we take a seat on one of the chairs. "I don't think he ever thought his little Stutter girl could ever look like this."

"I'm n-not his," I say slightly repulsed at the thought.

"Keep telling yourself that."

"W-whatever.." I say looking down at my cup.

"Well I wish you good luck in your endeavors," Becca says before digging through her satchel and waving her book in my face, "if you don't mind I'm going to go get drunk off of John Green now. If you need me within the next half an hour I'll be in a nearby corner."

Becca stands up to leave me before I have the chance to protest. Anna has done this to me before countless times, that's one of the reasons I never wanted to go to parties with her. And now here I am again in the same predicament. Anna is most likely off flirting with some guy, my sort of new friend has ditched me for Pudge and I'm here all alone praying that I don't look as lonely as I feel.

"Hey beautiful," a very tall blonde guy says walking up towards me. I fully understand that he's talking to me when he says it but I'm so shocked that it takes me a moment to compose myself. I stand up and awkwardly sway on my feet before regaining my composure.

"Hey mystery s-stranger I'm m-meeting at a party." Okay that was definitely cringe worthy. But to my surprise he just looks amused.

"Oakland," he says holding out his hand for me to shake.

"W-what about it?" I ask shaking his hand.

"That's my name," he says chuckling at my stupidity. Glad he's getting a kick out of this. "A lot of people just call me Oakey."

"Oh," I say before realizing that he's still holding my hand even though we aren't shaking anymore. "My n-name is Abby."

"The commonest of names," he says nodding.

"Hey! It's not t-that common."

"I just met you and you're already lying to me," he says shaking his head. I can't believe I'm standing in front of this really cute guy whom, mind you, is still holding my hand. It definitely surprises me that he's still here though, he could be hanging out with anyone as opposed to lil' ol awkward me.

"I'm n-not lying."

"Sweetheart!" I hear him before I see him, and he slips his hand around my waist pulling me to him and in the process making me let go of Oakland's hand just to turn and look at him.