Music pulsed through the speakers and I watched as girls and guys alike danced to the beat. The newly mixed drink in my hand sloshed around as Mitchell clapped me hard on the back and laughed hysterically over something someone had just said to him. I wobbled back and forth from the sudden force and playfully glared at him as I leaned against the kitchen counter to steady myself.

"Chug, chug, chug!!!" People chanted from the opposite side of the room as two lacrosse players raced to see who could shotgun a beer the quickest.

"I want to do that!" Mitchell started to make his way toward the group, but I reached out and pulled him back.

"You're not doing that." His happy face faltered but a second later returned as I slurred my next words. "At least not without me."

"Yes!" My friend pulled me along behind him and I made sure to gulp down the rest of the contents of my cup before we were both handed a beer.

"Ready?" Mitchell grinned at me as people already started to cheer.

"Hell yeah!" My smile matched his as we broke holes into the sides of the cans, ready for someone to start the countdown.

"3, 2, 1... Go!!!"

My body crashed against the wall as I stumbled through a tiny crowd of people. My drunken state made it almost impossible for me to locate a bathroom, but as I staggered further into the house less and less people were seen. After what felt like forever I found a toilet. I probably shouldn't have been back this far in the house, the music was so muffled it didn't even feel like I was at a party anymore.

I headed out of the bathroom and wiped my still damp hands on my jeans before I turned to walk back the way I came. I stopped mid step and even though the music could still be heard, there was a noise much closer that held my attention.

"Please, just stop!" The muffled sound of a girl's cries invaded my ears.

My heart began to pound in my chest as I pushed myself up against the closest door and listened for any other sounds. Maybe my hazy mind had just played a trick on me.

"Stop struggling you bitch!" A raspy male voice slurred from the other side of the door. "I know you want it."

My face contorted into pure rage as I twisted the handle of the locked door before I slammed my shoulder into the wooden surface to force it open.

With a quick inhale of air into my lungs my body thumped against the ground and I groaned loudly. I forced myself up into a sitting position unable to breath from the sudden impact with the hard floor. My eyes flickered between my hands as I stared down at them dumbly. My heart pounded in my ears as I fully realized what I had just dreamt about. Tears welled up in my eyes as I became more and more confused by the memory. I pulled my knees against my chest and covered my face with my hands. It all made perfect sense. That guy deserved to get the shit beaten out of him.

Anger radiated through me as I took a moment and composed myself. I stood from the ground before I checked my phone for the time. I was surprised that my mother hadn't tried to wake me up. My feet padded down the steps and I veered into the kitchen like I did every other morning.

My jaw clenched tightly as my father came into view. I scoffed at the ground as I remembered it was Sunday and my father didn't have work.

"Good morning, Cal!" My mother handed me a cup filled with freshly made coffee.

"Thanks," I mumbled. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"Because..." She smiled. "It's the weekend and when I went up to check on you it looked like you were having a nice sleep."

I scrunched my face in disapproval, if only she knew. I headed across the hall and into the living room not even taking a second glance at my silent father. Like I did every weekend, I switched on the tv and sat back against the couch. Maybe some cartoons would rid my mind of the horrible realization of what had really happened at the party that night.

"Calum, would you go to the store for me?" My mother asked around midday.

I stared up at her skeptically and prepared myself to make up an excuse as to why I shouldn't go, but the look on her face told me I didn't really have a choice.

"Great!" She grinned after I finally agreed and handed me a tiny slip of paper with the items she wanted written on it.

I took my time to get ready, but even with my slow pace it only took about 10 minutes for me to put on fresh clothes and brush my teeth. I hated going out in public and yet my mother always seemed to find a way to force me out into the open.

The wheels on the tiny buggy squeezed incessantly as I pushed the cart aimlessly around the store. I hadn't been here in so long I forgot where everything was placed, which just made it that much harder to get in and out of the store as fast as possible.

I recited the items on the list over again in my head, but looked down to read my mother's handwriting just in case I had forgotten something. My cart crashed into another unexpectedly and I cringed at the awful noise. I looked up quickly and was surprised to see Skyler standing on the other side of the two carts. She stared back at me with such fear and at first I didn't understand why. My eyes then scanned over her face, the fresh bruise under her chin now apparent to me.

"What the hell, Skyler?!" I didn't even try to hide my furious expression as flashes for the dream I had the previous night flowed through my brain.

I didn't mean to be so forceful as I stormed up to her and grabbed her arms tightly. She flinched at my quick action and I instantly retracted from her. I was just scared, but I knew in that moment she was even more terrified of me.

"Well hello to you too." The short blonde tilt her nose upward to glare at me and took a step away.

"What happened this time?" I spat back. "Did that same door start another fight?"

The memories from my dream continued to flood my mind and with every quiet moment that passed I became more and more tense. I wasn't mad at her, I was mad at myself for letting it happen. I should have known better.

"I-" Skyler clamped her mouth shut in deep thought. She had no idea what to tell me.

"It was him, wasn't it?" I demanded and luckily there wasn't anyone around at the moment to witness our argument.

"Who?" She looked up at me baffled by my accusation.

"Jacob!" I stepped toward her, my face scrunching up with distaste.

To my surprise she stepped up as well and pointed her finger at me with disgusts. "Don't you dare talk like you know anything about my life!"

"It's obvious!" I cried loudly, not believing that we were fighting in the middle of a grocery store. What I should have been doing was consoling her. "How could you allow him to do that to you?!"

"Just shut up, Calum!" She yelled back, stomping her foot against the ground and balling her fists.

It was odd to see Skyler on any other day besides Thursday, when we'd meet up at starbucks and go to our sessions. This was the first time I've ever seen her outside of that and I just had to let my quick temper get the best of me. I shouldn't be blaming her for his actions. She would have stopped him if she could, right?

I stared down at her as my heart raced and I tried to think of some way to fix the situation I had put us into.

"I'm-"

But she held her hand up to cut me off. "Save it. I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

"I didn't mean to blame you!" I called after her as she retreated back down the cereal aisle, her grocery cart long forgotten.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled to myself.

Unsure of what to do, I grabbed my cart and pushed it along the aisle like what had just happened didn't bother me at all. A mother eyed me skeptically as I passed by her kids and rounded the corner. This time I made sure to watch where I was going.

"I'm not wearing that." I stared blankly at the suit jacket my mother expected me to wear to my court date.

"You need to dress nicely, Calum," She talked loudly, but I just shook my head again.

"A button up and tie is fine." I gestured at the clothes already laid out on my bed.

There were only a few more weeks until the preliminary hearing and I could tell my mother was nervous, maybe even more than I was.

I picked up the shirt and tie and hung them up on a hanger before I put them back into my closet. She sighed heavily from behind me and I turned to see my mother almost on the verge of tears.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you, Calum." She shook her head.

"I did it though," I shrugged. "So..."

"But you didn't realize." My mother touched my arm, but I jerked back quickly.

"That doesn't change the facts." She looked up at me with a hurt expression before she left the room without a word, my suit jacket still clutched tightly in her arms. Great, yet another girl who was mad at me.

My mind reverted back to my fight with Skyler this passed weekend. I really shouldn't have yelled at her. I needed her to trust me and getting angry the way I did wasn't going to help. I've tried to call her and I've left her a few text messages, but I still have yet to get a response.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I drove toward the psychiatric hospital. I glanced over at the empty passenger seat and wondered if Skyler would even come to her session today. Or would she skip out on that too just because she knew she'd have to see me. Was she really that angry?

The words had just flowed so easily from my lips, I hadn't meant to belittle her into thinking that she was the problem. God knows Jacob probably already did that to her on a daily basis. I tried not to think of him as I parked my car, locked it and then headed toward the front entrance of the building.

Immediately, my eyes were drawn to the pretty girl in the seat she always seemed to take up when she came here. Skyler glanced up at me only briefly before she slouched further into her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, blowing her long bangs from her face with a puff of air. I smiled at the woman behind the front desk as I made my way over to the girl I so desperately wanted to like me.

"Hi," I said as I stared down at her.

Skyler pursed her lips, keeping her arms wrapped tightly around her torso, that same blue hoodie she liked to wear resting on her shoulders. She turned her head in the opposite direction of me and my jaw was tense as she continued to ignore me.

"Sky, please don't be mad at me." I leaned toward her after taking a seat in the chair beside her. "I'm sorry about what I said, I didn't mean to make it seem like you were at fault."

"Don't call me that." Her head snapped in my direction at the shortened use of her name.

Skyler's hard expression faltered as she took in the serious look on my face. "It is never your fault, okay?"

Her lower lip quivered and her eyes turned glassy within seconds, but she didn't say anything in return. Instead she turned away again. I sighed and slouched down in my own chair much like she had.

"Please call me if you need anything," I reminded her. "Ever."

Silence took over us as we waited for my name to be called first. It felt like hours had passed before a nurse finally came and got me.