"Next."

I had tried on six outfits and each one were turned down by miss fashion designer.

I look at the last outfit hanging in the bathroom. I could hear Sarah on the phone with someone but her voice was muffled by clothes passing my ear as I changed. Looking in the mirror, I liked this pick. Short leather skirt and a cold shoulder top with fridge edging. It was mature but not slutty.

"Okay, I can let you walk out of the house now." Sarah barged into the bathroom and started brushing her hair.

An hour later, we walked down the stairs to the living room area. Liam stood against the bar in blue jeans and a black tshirt that clung to his skin. You could see almost every muscle.

"Ow!"

Sarah punched my arm realizing I had been staring.

I mouthed "sorry" and Liam now acknowledged our presence, but Hannah was no where to be seen.

"Where is the dumb cheerleader?" Sarah was always blunt.

Liam looked around dramatically, "Oh, I don't know. I mean she doesn't live here. We have to pick some friends up. Now, let's go. I have been waiting over an hour."

Liam drove a lifted Jeep 4 door, solid black, chrome accents, and leather seats. He opened the back door on the driver side, "Hop in, Amelia."

I felt my eyebrows hug each other, "My name is Emilie."

He grinned, "Whatever you say...," he held the door open as I began to climb inside, he shut the door and whispered, "Amelia."

The drive from the White's household to the next was filled with hype music and rolled down windows. My hair that I had spent hours on was now ruined.

The Jeep came to a stop at the end of a paved driveway in a snooty neighborhood. We waited for a minute, but instead of Hannah- three guys came out and jumped into the Jeep.

They all sent fist bumps back and forth between the four of them as Sarah and I just stared in confusion.

Liam picked up on our confusion and attempted to fill us in, "Tyler, Brett, Denton... that's my sister and her friend. Names aren't important." He gave a dismissing wave as he put the Jeep into drive.

The guy sitting between me and Sarah placed his hand on my thigh, "Nice Legs."

I pushed his hand off of me, "Gross."

Liam slammed on the brakes, sending us all into the seat in front of us, "Hey, you touch them, and I break every damn finger inch by inch."

The guy in the middle seemed to take him seriously. He put his hands in the air and apologized, "Just having some fun man."

"Well save it for the party."

The rest of the drive was pretty quiet except for the guys cracking jokes every now and then. We eventually arrived at the lake house that belonged to Michaela Brown. I could hear the party before I ever saw it.

Liam put his arm around my shoulder, "Don't talk to me inside. I can't be seen with you or the other dweeb."

I swung his arm off of me and air quoted with my fingers, "Reputation. I am aware."

He and his friends wandered off ahead of Sarah and I, leaving us to our own conversation.

"Why did he bring us..and not Hannah?"

Sarah rolled her eyes, "He owed us, that's why."

Walking into the back gate of the party, the crowd was overwhelming. The music was so loud that is rattled my chest. This is the first party I have ever been to, and after tonight it will probably be the last.

"Hello, earth to Emilie.." Sarah waved her hand in my face and I snapped out of my daze, "Are you coming?"

I nod my head and we make our way to the lounge chairs beside the pool. I didn't dress for a pool party but no one else seemed to be either.

Over across the pool was a bar set up with colorful shots.

"I'm going to go get us some shots!" Sarah jumped up and took off out of my view behind a group of guys chugging cans.

"All alone?"

I felt a hand on my shoulder pushing my hair to the side.

"No," I turn and push the hand away, "I'm here with my friends."

Blonde hair, shoulder length. Blue eyes, piercing. JawLine, very straight cut and chiseled.

"I don't see any friends," He stepped closer wrapping my hand around his finger, "You look good, especially in the skirt. Nice legs."

I push him back, "I swear if I hear that one more time tonight-"

He grabbed my waist harshly, "I can say a lot more than that to you tonight."

"Get off of me!" I try to push him away but he is much more stronger than I am.

I close my eyes and struggle to push him away for a few more seconds, and then he let go- but not by choice. I open my eyes to Liam holding the guy by the throat, his other arm drawn back into a fist.

"I swear to God I will knock your teeth out fist by fist if you don't get out of here." Liam was inches from the guys face and he was fuming.

Sweat started to form in my palms and on the back of my neck. Everyone had stopped dancing and were now staring at Liam. He was breathing heavy, his face full of rage. After a minute of the guy trying to get away, he gave up. Liam pushes him away from us and yelled at him to leave. The guy walked through the gate and disappeared. Within seconds the music resumed playing and no one seemed to care anymore.

Liam turned to face me, "You good?"

I could feel my chest burning, and my mouth was starting to dry out, "I thought you couldn't be seen with me," I tried to joke but he wasn't in the mood, "but, thank you.."

He looked around observing everyone, "Come with me," he grabbed my arm and led me into the double doors on the side porch of the house.

It was quite, and we were the only ones inside.

He shut the door behind us and came close. He used his thumb to move my chin side to side, searching, "Are you okay?"

I nodded my head up and down, "I'm fine, it was just some stupid guy who couldn't take a hint... why do you care?"

"You shouldn't sit alone at a party, you act like you have never been to one before," he waits on me to deny, but I don't, "Oh my God, you are a party virgin."

"Of course you would say something like that."

He smirked, but then his face returned to anger, "Why were you alone? Where the hell is Sarah?"

Oh my God, Sarah.

Shit.