Everyone had different lifestyles, different aims, and goals. As for me, I was known as the nice girl. Even my best friend, Maya, would always say that I looked too innocent and naive to be true, too good for anyone. Ever since dad died of lung cancer, I gave up on friendship. My two best friends betrayed me and then taunted me about my father's death. Since then, I worked very hard to have good grades in school in order to attain a scholarship after high school to relieve my mom. Those had been my utmost priority before this lame party came up. Here I stood dressed in a body-hugging knee-length dress. Large blue eyes, pale blonde hair because that's who I am. Who is Lara Voss? My eyes scanned my body and my pretty dress. If I was truthful enough, I would say I look hot. This had been Maya's choosing not mine. My brows drew together. "Is this dress not a little short?" I asked, blinking my eyelashes rapidly. Maya turned to look at me, her honey brown eyes widened. "Oh my God! You look really beautiful, *Lyra*," She exclaimed. Maya walked over to me and gripped my arm, pulling me to her full-length mirror. I let out a little gasp as I watched myself in the mirror. I was mesmerized by my beauty. If Maya had not been standing behind my back, I would have denied that I'm me. My deep blue eyes shone brightly, I never realized how pretty they were before. My hair was packed in a bun, as usual. Maya told me to let it down but I refused, I prefer packing my hair. Nevertheless, I still look pretty. I pressed my palms to my cheeks. "I look hot, Maya," I said gently. "Yes, you look hot," She agreed with me, grinning from ear to ear. "Are you ready?" I nodded my head in the affirmative. Physically yes. Mentally no! "I'm kinda nervous," I said, picking my words one after the other. It was the first time I would be attending a party other than my neighbor's birthday party. The corners of her mouth curled upwards. "You'll be okay, stop worrying too much." She assured me. I beamed a little smile at her. If not for Maya, I wouldn't be attending this party. Tyler would be there so she dragged me along with her. Maya's eyelids dropped. "If I don't get Tyler to notice me tonight, I don't think he ever will," she uttered. I drew in a long breath. "Here we go again!" I muttered under my breath. Tyler Brooks was the guy Maya had a sickening crush on. I did not know him that well but I had taken two classes with him this year. Within those times, I had seen nothing but rude behaviors from him. He was always with his gang of assholes. He was one of the bad boys in my school which makes me dislike him, and the fact that he was the best friend with Victor Vance, the school's wealthiest boy, the ruthless and rich jerk. He is dangerous. He is reckless. He is too bad for me. I am just a school dork, and he is everything I should stay away from. I patted my best friend gently on her shoulder. "He'll surely do, Maya. You only have to be positive," I told her. I tried my best to cheer Maya up instead of saying what my mind really wants to say. "Stop crushing on that asshole because he'll never look your way. Ordinary and good girls like you are not his type," I thought. Her mouth curved into a wide smile. That was typical of her, she would always smile even in the worst situations. By the time we arrived at the party, the party was already in its full swing. "I need to go find Tyler," Maya yelled over the loud blasting of music. I forced a smile. "Okay," I yelled back, watching her go off. With Maya gone, I somehow felt alone, lost. I noticed some faces from school but couldn't make out any of their names. Parties like this were not meant for people like me. Friday night, I would rather be in my room watching TV series. My eyes landed on *Victor Vance*, Evergreen High School's wealthiest boy amidst the crowd. Since Victor was here, definitely Tyler would be here. I silently wished Maya got to tell him that she has an undying crush on him. I wondered what his reaction would be. I tried my best not to think about it. I felt my throat dry as I waded through the crowd. I held my ears as I walked past one of the speakers, the bass pounding as loud as my heart. I turned around to check if I could see Maya. I felt left out being here on my own because this party is just not my thing. I should be in bed by now watching my favorite TV series and probably crushing popcorn or curled up in bed reading my favorite romance novel. I took a deep breath, wishing that I hadn't come here at all. The air here was suffocating. I needed air. I spun around and searched for the next available exit. I sighed as I made my way to the door. I pushed through the kitchen door and pulled open the sliding back door. The cold summer breeze welcomed me as I stepped out onto the patio. I shut my eyes, inhaling the deep fresh air. Some girl screamed, invading my beautiful moment. *Chloe* was a tall, beautiful cheerleader who spoke like a valley girl, but she wasn't as mean as she seemed. We've worked together a few times and I can tell she's nice. Actually, we were kind of friends. I could go talk to her. At least there is finally someone to communicate with. "Shit, sorry!" I heard a masculine voice. A second later, a cold liquid soaked the front of my dress. The guy stumbled and pulled himself up. "My bad, really," he mumbled and sat down. Could this party be any worse? My dress was filled with God knows what type of alcohol and I had nothing to change into. I took a second to look at the guy, he was wasted, and I could not blame him. I shook my head then walked inside to find a bathroom. I pushed my way through the crowded hall in search of the damn bathroom. Luckily for me, I found one. I tried to close the door behind me but it wouldn't lock. Soon I realized the lock was damaged, frustratedly I left it hanging. I only needed to clean myself then get out. I pulled out some wipes to clean my clothes but the stain only got worse. I folded my arms over my chest and leaned against the counter. I was about to go out but was met with some broad chest. I traced the chest to its owner; it was the other guy that spilled a drink on me earlier. He smelled of cigarettes like earlier. "I'm sorry," I mumbled as I tried to walk past him. Something in his eyes told me it was not going to be that easy. Before I could go, he dug his dirty fingernails into my sleeveless arm and squeezed. I regretted wearing this dress for the first time tonight. "You look hot, girl." His breath burned my skin, and I whimpered in fear. Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes. "Please," I begged him. "We're only going to have a little fun," he said, trailing his hands up my hips. I squeezed my eyes shut to block the thought of his hands on my body as if that would help. Before I could process what was happening, I heard slight grunting and opened my eyes to see a toned figure beating the guy who was touching me earlier. I heaved a sigh of relief; I was glad the drunk man's hands were off my body. I stood there, shocked. Whoever came to my rescue had not stopped, he was still beating the guy. It took all of me to muster the courage to speak. "Stop!" I screamed to the shadow still throwing punches. He didn't stop. He didn't act like he heard my tiny voice. "You're going to kill him, you need to stop now otherwise you'll get yourself in trouble," I screamed once again. What the hell was he thinking? The drunk guy would soon pass out. Still nothing. I used all my might to drag him off of the guy. That's the only thing I could think of. It worked. The idiot that tried to harass me ran out immediately. Finally, I was able to see my savior. My mouth fell open. What was this jerk doing here? How did he find us? Series of questions ran through my head as I stared at my savior, still dazed. The moment I snapped back to reality, I moved away from him. His forest green eyes bore into mine. "What the hell are you doing in a male bathroom?" He questioned me. I stood there, staring into his eyes, but nothing came out of my mouth. He waved his hand. "Hello dummy. Can you hear me?" He shook his head, his nose wrinkling in disgust. "Dumbass," he said and walked away. I blinked my long eyelashes rapidly. Shit! I just acted like a fool, like a dumbass just as he said. Why was I speechless when he was here? Of course, I was shocked that Victor freaking Vance just saved me!

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to forget what just happened, the way Victor Vance saved me and how I acted like a typical dummy. I did the only thing left for me to do. I ran outside to look for Maya. The minute I got outside, I spotted Maya among the crowd, dancing heartily with Tyler. It seemed like everything went well. I gripped her and pulled her outside, not minding the stares we were receiving from some people. Things moved very fast, Saturday gone, Sunday gone, and here was Monday. For the first time in my life, I was thinking of skipping school to avoid seeing Victor. Oh Victor! Even the thought of his name made my heart race. What would I tell him? Should I thank him? Many thoughts ran through my mind as I got dressed. He probably would not recognize me. I didn't think I had any class with him, all I had to do was avoid getting in his way. It was in English class that I finally realized my prayer didn't get answered anyway. You know that feeling you get when someone is boring holes into your back with their stares, and you have no idea who they are. Well, that was exactly how I was feeling right now. I only thought of someone. Victor Vance! I was too scared to turn around to confirm my suspicion. What if he was really here? "C'mon, he can't be here, you've never seen him attend this class," my inner mind chimed in. I lifted my shoulder in a half shrug, getting the thought out of my mind. I continued staring at Mr. Carter as he went on talking, without picking out anything from what he was babbling. A girl sneezed, causing the whole class to look in her direction. I quickly whipped my head around to confirm my theory. When I finally saw those eyes that were piercing through my back, I wasn't surprised who they belonged to. Victor Vance. His bright emerald eyes pierced into mine as if he could see through me. His gaze held a mixture of frustration, confusion, and anger. I couldn't decipher what it really was. I freaked out and turned to the front instantly. What was he doing here? I had never seen him in class. It later dawned on me that he had been skipping class. I tried not to think that he was here today because of me. When I tried to stare back to see if Victor was still looking at me, I was met with Mr. Carter's old ugly eyes instead. He looked keenly between Victor and me, demanding for an explanation, but neither of us talked. "Quit staring at each other, you horny teenagers, and focus on class, otherwise you'll both get detention," Mr. Carter's waggy voice vibrated through the class. Heat flushed in my cheeks as students turned to look between Victor and me, surprised by what just happened. Why would the hottest guy in school spare a nerd like me a glance? Did I just call Victor the hottest guy? I rolled my eyes. "He isn't really that hot," I muttered under my breath, lying to myself. I tried my best to shut him out of my mind and pretend like he's not in the same classroom as I was. I could not afford to break my perfect record of zero detentions. But, with him sitting two seats away from mine, it was hard to ignore the little jargons he was saying mostly about me. "Black sucks on you!" He said slowly, but I heard him. I was putting on a black oversized t-shirt and boyfriend jeans. I stared back and shot him a death glare. "Keep your eyes off me, cunt!" He spat. "I don't want any mischief today, and since you two can't handle yourselves, you can kindly walk yourselves to detention." Mr. Carter's voice resounded in my head. "I was... " I tried to explain. "No!" He interrupted me. "Mr. Carter, he - " I tried again. "I said no!" A line appeared between my brows. "I can - " "Now, get out of both of you or one more word I'll extend your detention," he raised his voice, already infuriated. "Yelling is not for old pricks like you, Mr. Carter," Victor had to open his mouth just to add more problems, and the whole class erupted in laughter. "Lunchtime and after-school detention tomorrow also, both of you," Mr. Carter rambled, clearly embarrassed by what that jerk said. "But sir, I - " I tried to explain that I was not part of this, Victor caused this alone and should get punished alone. "Lunchtime and after-school detention for the whole week, both of you," Mr. Carter interrupted me once again. He was clearly having a bad day, and I was the one he decided to take it out on. I realized soon, he would only worsen it the more I talked. Nonchalantly, Victor picked up his book and started heading for the door. I let out a couple of groans before walking behind him. The detention room was empty apart from the teacher who took our names down. As soon as we were done with that, I took the farthest seat I could find away from Victor. I actually plan on ignoring him for the rest of the detention. I took out my phone to tell Maya about my detention and tell her to eat lunch alone, but as she replied, my phone was seized. I couldn't even get to read her response. I groaned, trying really hard not to cry. This would be the first time I would ever be in detention. Is this what it felt like to get into trouble? Victor sat down peacefully, obviously he has gotten used to it. "I'm going out for lunch, you better not talk other than sit there," the teacher in charge of detention said. As soon as she walked out, the silence became more awkward, and the room suddenly became uncomfortable. Sitting down here with the school badass was what I wouldn't give a thought. This was all his fault; if he hadn't opened that damned mouth of his to talk trash about me, probably none of this would not have happened. "This is all your fault!" I couldn't help but tell him. Everything was all his damn fault. He didn't respond. "Can you hear me at all?" I demanded, getting pissed off. Still no word from him. "Hey!" I yelled again. "I'm talking to you!" I exclaimed angrily. With this, he looked up. "I heard you the first time, I just don't give a damn," he stated, staring intensely into my eyes. He continued. "If you will excuse me, I am trying to observe the detention rules." He glanced at me for the last time, then went back to picking his nails. What the heck? I know he was a rude jerk, but not to this extent. He was trying to observe a rule when he actually broke one and got both of us in trouble. I was too tired to argue with him any further, so I just went back to my seat. The rest of the day was just as bad. By the time we came back after school for another one-hour detention, I did my best to stay away from Victor because that's the only thing I could do. The week went by peacefully. Well, at least not peaceful enough, I had to spend my lunchtime and after school in a damned deserted room with Victor Vance. Not to think of the awkward silence we both had been sharing since the start of the detention. "Jerk!" I muttered, staring at him. "I heard that!" He hissed, not raising his head from his locker. I scoffed. He even had the audacity to talk back after all that he had put us through. "Well, it was for you to hear," I retorted angrily. "Bimbo," he mumbled, raising his head to look at me. "Little wonder you got ogled by the wrong guy." My eyes narrowed. What is he trying to pull here? Almost immediately, images of last Friday flushed in. The drunk guy in the bathroom and how Victor saved me. Somehow I wanted to thank him, but he did not deserve any, he was a jerk who does nothing other than bring trouble to people's lives. When I finally got out of the detention room, the usually crowded hallways were now deserted, and so was the parking lot. Maya, who has always been my ride, had gone home since I was in detention this week. I began to find my way towards the exit of the school, dreading my walk home. Shortly, a black car pulled up beside me, then the glass was wined down. When the driver came into view, I wasn't surprised who it was. Victor Vance. I fizzled, then started walking. "What are you doing?" He demanded, raising his voice so I could hear him. "What does it seem like I'm doing?" I retorted without reducing my walking pace. Why was he even speaking to me? Victor started driving at the same place I was walking. "Get in the car!" He commanded. "No!" I replied immediately. He had no power over me and couldn't tell me what to do. "Stop being stubborn and get in the car while I am still nice," he scoffed. Was he serious? I'd bet nothing good had ever come out of those mouths. "I said no!" I simply stated. "Suit yourself." He yelled back before driving past me. What was that? I had barely walked out of the school premises when I saw his car parked a few feet away from me. When I looked up, I saw him leaning against his car. What the heck did he want from me? Was he blind to see that I was trying to avoid trouble? I ignored him like he wasn't standing there and walked past him. "Just get in the car already and stop being stubborn." He called after me. "No! I'm not going with you." I insisted. I didn't even know why I was talking to him. I didn't hear his reply, so he gave up already. What a jerk he was! Why was I suddenly complaining about him giving up? "Just get into the damn car!" He yelled, behind me. Before I knew it, I was scooped into a pair of strong hands in a bridal style then carried towards the car. "Let me down!" I cried out, stomping my feet in the air and struggling to wriggle out of his hands. He tightened his grip on me, with a silly smirk plastered on his face. He opened the passenger door, then dropped me on the seat. He brought his face closer to mine, and I was uncomfortable with the sudden closeness between us. "Don't think of this as a favor, dummy. I " He paused, gazing at me to check my reaction. "I don't like getting a ' no ', and I only wanted to help you because it's bad for you to walk here, and now you're walking back." He concluded, then winked at me before rising up to shut the door. What was that all about? How did he know I walked to school? Maya only takes me back home every day. "I don't like getting a no." "Whatever," I let out a loud hiss.

The whole car ride was in complete silence. I glanced over at Victor, who was chewing his jaws so hard. His hands on the steering wheel were so tight that his knuckles were white. Why is he always angry? A couple of minutes later, we pulled up in front of my house. How did he know I live here? I looked over to him to ask but was interrupted. His brows drew together. "Stop staring at me and get out!" He practically raised his voice. What the hell? I haven't done anything, so why leach his anger out on me? "Don't raise your voice at me," I retorted, becoming angry myself. I got out of his car without saying thank you. He doesn't deserve one anyway. Since it was Friday night, I was in bed doing the usual. I was browsing the latest movies on Netflix when Maya rang me. "Hey Lyra, I wanted to text, but I knew you'd be awake, so I figured I could call instead." Maya's voice sounded rushed. Like how you would talk when trying to wear a really tight shoe. Either way, I've missed her voice. I was ripped away from my best friend's company all thanks to Victor. Even the thought of him made me frown. "What are you doing? You sound busy," I asked her. "Yeah." She hesitated then continued. "I'm getting ready for a party, Tyler invited me." It took some seconds before the words finally settled into my head. Another party. Tyler invited her.. Victor would be there... "After Maya told Tyler about her feelings, the two of them had been hanging out lately and she has been smiling a lot too. If he's really making her happy, then it's a good thing, and now he's already inviting her to a party." "I want you to come with me," Maya cooed on the other end of the call. I lifted an eyebrow; I already knew that this was coming. "Maya, you knew what happened the last time; he nearly had his way with me," I said, referring to the drunken guy and the toilet incident. Deep down in my heart, it's not really about what happened the last time; I just used that as an excuse. I was trying to avoid Victor. "I'm sorry about last time, but I really wish you could come. I swear we won't stay long this time. Watching a movie alone in that small room sounds miserable," she spat. I rolled my eyes, as if she could see me. She knows me too well. I don't miss watching my favorite TV series on Friday nights. She continued to beg me, promising that it will be more fun this time, like it was any fun before. "I know..." I started. "What the heck!" I yelled at my laptop screen that's now all black. "What's wrong, Lyra?" Maya questioned me. "My laptop screen went blackout," I cried. "Oops! I think it's a sign you should come." I'm sure that there would be a big grin on her face. "Fine," I grunted. "But we're leaving before midnight." "Okay!" She chimed in. We ended the call with her promising to pick me up in the next thirty minutes. I quickly changed out of my pajamas then put on a pair of jeans that's tighter than my usual. I'm only trying to appear casual; it's not like I was the one invited. I hurriedly dropped a note for mom, telling her I went to a party with Maya. The party was the same as last week's; tons of students, drunk people, and smoke of cigarettes everywhere. Why didn't I stay back and stare at my ceiling or try to do some laundry? As usual, Maya disappeared as soon as we got there, telling me she had to look for Tyler. Isn't he supposed to come down and pick her? I felt alone once again. I sat on the couch for at least one hour before Victor came by. I stayed silent as his eyes met mine. The corners of his mouth lifted and he teased me. "Look who's here." I rolled my eyes back at him. "I'm surprised to see you here," he told me. "Yeah. I'm also surprised that I ended up here again," I said before he walked away. For once, I was grateful that he let me be. A few minutes later, Maya and Tyler walked in, hands intertwined with Maya grinning from ear to ear. "That's her over there," I heard Maya's voice even though the music was loud. "Hi, I'm Tyler." Tyler said, stretching out a hand, and I collected his handshake with a tiny smile on my face, without saying anything. "Maya has told me a lot about you." He smiled softly. This is the first time I'm actually having a conversation with Tyler Brooks. I have gotten no reason to talk to him because he goes around with the likes of Victor. He doesn't sound rude like Victor, I wonder how the two of them ended up being friends. I realized that I haven't answered him yet. "I'm Lara Voss," I stuttered. A few hours later, almost everyone is drunk again, except me of course. "Let's play truth and dare," someone's drunken voice slurred in. After a little deliberation, they all agreed to play. Tyler, Maya, Vanessa, the school baddest girl, and two other boys whom I don't know their names and Victor, of course. "You should play Lyra," Vanessa grinned. I shook my head. "No, I'd rather not." I told her and looked away from her deadly gaze. Victor shot me a wink. "Truth or Dare is not for priss like her." He uttered. They all laughed except Maya. I'll admit, I am actually boring, but I'm no prissy. I've only been living in a modest way since dad passed away. I swallowed a gulp down my throat. "I'm in." I acknowledged, glaring at Victor then sat down cross-legged in their little circle. The first truth and dare were so kinky that I was bewildered. Ethan, one of the other two guys, was asked how long he lasted. Still fair, right? Vanessa was asked to do a strip tease, which she did. "Truth or Dare?" Liam, the other guy, asked, jolting me out of my train of thoughts. "Truth," I replied quickly, knowing that truth was safer. "Have you ever kissed?" He questioned me. I nibbled on my bottom lip. "No," I muttered slowly, and they all burst into laughter, except Maya. They were really not surprised with my answer, just intrigued. "Oh, okay," Liam mumbled and I nodded my head in the affirmative. "Maya's turn," I voiced out, so that they would stop talking about me. Maya was asked to do a lap dance with Tyler, which she did joyfully. If I'm being sincere, I think it was hot watching that. Soon, it was my turn again. "Truth," I said again. Victor chuckled softly. "Told you guys that she's a priss." I felt the urge to slap him hard in the face and then dashed out of this room. But I won't let him get to me. "Dare." I blurted out, changing my earlier decision. "Take a whole bottle of vodka," Ethan dared me. My jaw dropped. What? I have never had a drink before in my life. God! Why the hell did I choose 'dare' in order to prove that jerk wrong? "Wait, you have never had a drink before, right?" Ethan queried me. I nodded, thinking he would change the dare to at least something fairer than that. But no, he didn't change the dare. I gripped the bottle and took a shot; it burned me down my throat. "What does it feel like?" Ethan questioned me. "Bitter," I breathed, still feeling the burn. Finally, it was Victor's turn. "Dare," he muttered without waiting to be asked. "Kiss Lara Voss," Vanessa ordered, grinning from ear to ear. I stared at her in disbelief. Somehow my eyes flickered to Victor, the school's wealthiest boy who was supposed to be kissing me. His mouth curved into a wide smile. I could tell that he was enjoying every bit of this. "What's my penalty for not doing this?" I demanded. I can't let Victor have my first kiss. "You date me for a month," Victor replied, boring his eyes into mine. My mouth fell open. Are they serious? Why the hell would I lose my first kiss in a dare and the worst part to Victor freaking Vance? Fuck Vanessa! She knows it's my first kiss. My eyes found Victor then trailed down to his lips. His lips were so pink and so full, my head played an image of us kissing. What the hell? Why am I imagining kissing Victor? I looked up and my eyes met his forest green eyes, pupils dilated. There was a smirk spread across his face. He must be thinking I'm a priss after all. My head was spinning! God! I'm really not drinking again. My conscience loosened as I crashed my lips against his, catching him totally off guard. As my lip touched Victor's, I felt a sharp intake of breath. I have the full idea of what I'm doing, but I can't just stop. And for one moment, I forgot about everyone there. I have never felt like this before; it felt like my body had been ignited. He brought his hands to my face, cupping my flushed cheeks. He pulled back a little before taking my lips back in, taking full charge. "Get a room," Tyler teased. Tyler's voice made me break the kiss. A flush crept up to my cheeks. Victor had a smirk on his face. I'm embarrassed; I mean, I just had my first kiss in front of all these people and with Victor Vance. "That's not the dare," the evil blonde, Vanessa chirped in. My brows drew together. What's she getting at? She continued. "The dare is for Victor to kiss you and not the other way round. Why were you so impatient?" "Woah!" I heard some murmurs. My lips curled in disgust. Is she kidding me? I mean, I just lost my first kiss. I gazed at Victor, hoping that he would behave nice and support me. "She's right, Lyra. I'm sorry we'll have to do it again," Victor muttered, flashing me a smile that suggests that he was somewhat excited