"Gavin!" I slurred as I launched myself on the unsuspecting boy. Gavin froze as I came into contact with him, before gently patting my back.

"What are you doing here?" Gavin asked as I released him. I stumbled back against the counter, falling into Austin.

"My friend Austin brought me." I pointed to Austin in reference.

"We're not friends." Austin corrected me quickly. He was looking between Gavin and I with an uninterested look on his face.

"Oh, right. Austin's my dru..." I was shut up by Austin's hand slapped around my mouth.

Gavin was looking at us like he was unsure what to say, or do. He was looking at me like I was a glitch in the simulation, like I wasn't supposed to be here.

When Austin seemed satisfied that I was going to stop talking, he slowly took his hand off my mouth.

"Austin's my drug dealer." I said quickly. Apparently I didn't get the memo that we were keeping secrets. Well, besides my secret. I wasn't worried about mistakenly telling that one.

Austin shot me another dirty look, only causing me to erupt in laughter at him, again.

"Yeah. Uh. Hold that thought." Gavin sputtered out, before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

It wasn't easy to hold that thought because I had no idea what thought I was holding. I shrugged and raised myself back onto the counter top.

"You know him?" Austin asked me, refilling our drinks and passing one to me.

"Obviously. How else would I know his name?" I told him.

My head started to move with the upbeat music that was filling the room. Not many things could make me feel better than I did at this moment. I could barely remember my own name, let alone everything else. No one knew me here. Well, barely anyone knew me, anyways. No one looked at me expectantly. Even the lingering stares from the random guys didn't bother me. None of them approached, which was probably due to Austin's proximity to me. I think he was scary. He wasn't scary to me.

"She's too fucked up, to fuck me. And I'm too fucked up to give a fuck." I sang along with the music playing, raising one of my hands over my head and moving it with the rhythm.

Maybe Zane was right. Maybe moving somewhere and starting new wouldn't be so bad.

"Seren, what are you doing here?" I turned to see O and Gavin entering the room, and I briefly registered that Gavin must have felt the need for back up. I didn't blame him.

"O! My friend Austin brought me." I repeated, waving at him.

"Yeah, let's not go through this whole thing again." Austin muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Does Zane know you're here?" Gavin asked me.

"Why would Zane know I'm here?" I asked him, raising my eyebrows. Zane might like to play babysitter with me, but that doesn't mean he actually is one.

Gavin and O were talking with their eyes again, like they didn't realize that I was right in front of them. I slid off the counter, intent on refilling my cup. Why was it always empty so quickly after filling it?

"You want anything with that?" I heard O say from over my shoulder, no doubt referencing the straight vodka I had just poured for myself.

"No." I said quickly. Why would I?

"Alright. Uh, listen..." O started, but I cut him off.

"Is Cassidy here?" I asked excitedly. Why was I always surrounded by boys? Boys, boys, boys. All the time. I hate boys. Boys are stupid.

"Yeah, she's in the living room." O pointed in the direction he was talking about.

"Come on, Austin. Let's go find Cassidy." I grabbed Austin's arm, pulling him with me.

"Is she hot?" Austin asked me, and I noticed a change of tone in his voice that I had never heard before.

"Yeah." I confirmed. She was, after all. "Oh, wait."

I turned to O, who was glaring at Austin.

"Are you guys going to fight now?" I giggled out. The tension between them was hilarious to me. Well, I should say the tension from O, was hilarious. Austin didn't look bothered at all.

"Cassidy is O's girlfriend." I explained to Austin, who was looking at me for an explanation.

"Why the fuck am I going then?" Austin shrugged his arm away from me.

"Fine." I pouted at him for moment, before I linked my arm through Gavin's instead. "To Cassidy!"

Cassidy wasn't hard to find. She was wearing a beautiful white dress that contrasted amazingly with her skin. She almost made me feel underdressed. She was dancing in the cleared out living room space, jumping around to the music and bobbing her head.

"Cass!" O called out, and she turned her head towards us.

Cassidy looked like Gavin and O had when they first laid eyes on me, but only for a second. Her mouth broke into a smile the second after that.

"Seren!" She called out, skipping over to us. "Girl! What are you doing here?"

"That Austin kid brought her." Gavin answered for me.

"Huh." Cassidy's eyebrows scrunched together. "I didn't think you two would be friends."

"I'm not sure if we are." I giggled out.

"Well, it doesn't matter. You're here now." She leaned in and gave me a quick hug, and I returned it. "Come!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the crowd of people dancing.

I didn't hesitate before moving my body, quickly getting lost in the feeling of freedom. Nothing mattered right now. No one mattered. The drunker that I got the freer I became. The more I moved the more I forgot. I was untouchable; invincible.

I felt a tug on my arms a few songs in. I spun around, expecting to shoo away another stranger, but found Gavin instead. He brought two fingers up to his face, bending them in motion, beckoning me closer.

"I called Zane. He's parking now." He spoke into my ear. When he pulled away, he was looking at me like I was a toddler he was expecting to throw a tantrum. I don't know why he was looking at me like that. It was the opposite of how I felt.

I felt the excitement at the mention of Zane shoot through my alcohol soaked veins. My mouth broke into a smile, just at the mention of his name. And not like the smiles I had been attempting the last week. A real smile. A smile that you feel in your cheeks.

"Speak of the devil." Gavin hummed out, pointing towards the door. Gavin was looking at me like he knew something I didn't, like he knew a secret. He was grinning at me, something that I couldn't name was twinkling in his eyes.

I looked towards the door, watching as Zane walked through it. How had I never realized that Zane looked like that? How is it possible I've ignored it for so long? I instantly felt my body gravitate towards him. Like I had magnets in my skin and he was made of steel. Was this what it felt like to miss someone?

I had only ever missed my mom, and let me tell you, missing a ghost felt vastly different than missing a hot guy.

I didn't care what I looked like as I ran towards him. Zane didn't notice me until I was within feet of him, and his concerned expression quickly melted away and was replaced with a new emotion. I wasn't sure what it was. I didn't care.

I have no metaphor to make what I did sound beautiful or graceful, because I'm sure it wasn't. I jumped on Zane and wrapped my arms around him without giving him a chance to even open his mouth in greeting. I nuzzled my face into his neck, met quickly by the comforting smell that he holds. I heard his body vibrate in laughter, no doubt at my strange behaviour. He tightened his arms around me, lifting my feet off the ground as he stood to his full height.

"Happy to see me?" Zane asked me.

And I was about to answer. My mouth was open. I was going to say, yes. I really am happy to see you.

But then I saw Jax walk in the door behind him.