" Thank you so much! " Lila and Nicole voiced simultaneously and I smiled at my grandma who was exiting my bedroom after dropping a tray of cookies in my bed. All of a sudden, Lila put an entire cookie in her mouth while Nicole took a little and small bite to savor its taste.

We were all in my house for our sleep over to clear our minds, we all needed a "girls night". I closed my eyes as my lips moved as Cry Baby by the Neighbourhood played from my Beats Pill.

" Girls... I have a request." Lila said in a whisper and my eyes popped open. Nicole dropped her second cookie and stared at Lila.

" I got an... invitation for this party and I was thinking maybe we could go?"

" Damn hell! The freak, no." I declined and arched an eyebrow at her. The last time we went to a party it I didn't go as well as we expected. I also didn't want to cross my path with Carter and his dumb friends.

" It's not a good idea!" Nicole added and lowered the volume of my Beats Pill.

" Please! It's at this guy's from the football team and I highly doubt the boys are gonna show up. I heard Sawyer talking about them all going to Boston tonight. So I'm sure they won't be there!" Lila begged and jumped out of my bed.

"And you think the football players from our school are better? They're all jerks. Period." I replied and crossed my arms to deepen my statement. Lila was cute thinking that they were any better because all boys were the same. No exceptions.

" Elle! Nicole!! Please. I promise if you want to leave the party we can leave straight away!!" She promised and I exhaled hard. Lila was stubborn so I knew nothing was going to change her mind. I looked at Nicole while chewing on my low lip.

"Do you wanna go?"

" I'm not used to parties, I really think we should stay her but if you want to go..." Nicole replied before adjusting her glasses. Lila begged a few more times and I finally agreed at the top of my lungs:

"Ok ok ! Huh! You won. But if someone wants to leave then we do and if I see one of the boys... we leave!" I really didn't want to breathe the same air as them, I really couldn't stand the sight of them anymore.

"Thank you girls! I love you!!" Lila screamed happily and hugged us one by one.

"I don't have anything to wear to the party." Nicole spoke up and pointed her finger at her outfit, Lila gave a her a smirk before winking at her.

"Don't worry girl, I got you! " She stated with a bright smile.

I headed for my wardrobe and my eyes went directly to a black skirt but I refused to wear a skirt to a party so I took my black ripped skinny jeans and my white crop top. Lila took out two beautiful dresses from her big bag and I laughed under my breath. It was already in her projects to go to this party. My eyes went to Nicole as she looked at the dress Liza had pulled out for her. It was a back tight dress with mesh strips going through it.

"Lila, I can't wear that...I've never worn anything like that in my life." Nicole communicated with embarrassment in her voice.

"Try it on, I already know you will look sexy as hell. " Lila beamed and she put on her purple skater style dress, who was too short for my liking.

Nicole walked in my bedroom about five minutes later and my jaw fell to the floor. She looked great, the dress fitted her curves perfectly, like it had been made for her. Her brown hair was down and it was wavy and shiny.

"Oh my gosh! You're breathtaking, Nicole!" Lila put into words my thoughts and Nicole looked down awkwardly and uncomfortably.

"You look so amazing Nicole! It suits you perfectly!" I finally found the words and she blushed hard before bowing her head.

"Oh thank you... I guess I will but I'm wearing my trainers with it! " Nicole revealed while giggling and chewing on her thumbnail.

"Ok that's fine! Come here so I can do your makeup! " Lila ordered with an excited look in her face.

___

Thirty minutes later I looked like a brand new person. My eyes were accentuated by the winged eyeliner, mascare and blush. To finalize my makeup I added gloss. Nicole had a light eye makeup on but she looked so different than hours ago.

" Let's get this shit on the road people!" Lila shouted as we entered her car, nan was quite easy to convince to allow me to go to this party.

As soon as we arrived I noticed plenty of expensive cars parked outside the big but smaller than Sawyer's house as we arrived. Lila couldn't stop thanking us for going to the party while Nicole was silently the entire the trajectory. Maybe it wasn't a good idea... maybe she only agreed because she feared to be rejected by us. As we stepped out of Lila's Porsche, I linked my arms with both of my friends and tried to look confident as I entered in the house.

I instantly recognized the song PRBLMS by 6lack as I looked for familiar faces. At least one hundred people were there. Joking, drinking and dancing. Lila took my hand and leaded us to the dance floor, but not before getting a drink. I didn't usually drink alcohol but I decided to let loose for once.

I moved my hips and closed my eyes before letting my hands travel all around my body. Lila was laughing with Nicole as their bodies were glued and moving in sync, everyone was watching us, especially Nicole. They didn't recognize her for sure. Suddenly my phone vibrated in my jeans back pocket and I decided to take it out but I regretted as soon as I opened the new text.

It was from a masked number. I looked at my surroundings and my eyes caught sight of Billie who was smirking at me. I took deep breaths. I really wanted to kill her! Her vicious and devilish smirk was the proof I needed :she was the one sending me those scary texts. It meant that Madden had been right since the beginning and that Carter was the masked man.

Suddenly an idea popped up on my head and with my phone still on my hands I called Madden. He answered at the third and said something I couldn't decipher. I couldn't hear him with the loud music so I decided to go upstairs. My friends looked at me with a worried look and I pointed at my phone to explain why I was leaving.

"Hello Madden! How are you? "

" Hi Elle are you ok? Do you need help? " I heard him and I could imagine him touching his jaw while biting his lip. It were two things that showed me that he was worried.

" I'm fine! Don't worry! I'm at this party and was wondering if you could meet me here! " I suggested.

"At Brody's? Yeah... I will be there in ten minutes! See you in a bit. " He replied and I hung up. I took a look at the walls covered by wonderful pictures and when I was about to go back downstairs, I heard something. The last door in the corridor was wide open some laughs and moans were coming from there, it was like my body took over because I didn't even notice the few steps I took forward until I could see who was in this room.

Damn.

Carter was rolling a dollar bill before sniffing a white powder on a table and Vaughn followed him without blinking. A blonde haired girl was dancing in her underwear and she couldn't stop laughing and smiling at them before sitting on Vaughn's lap who played roughly with her fake tits.

Bile welcomed my throat as I took a few steps back very quietly. I needed to get the hell out from this house as soon as possible.

"Are you lost?" I heard a chuckle from behind as my back met something hard, my eyes caught sight of Sawyer who was smoking a joint. I tried to bypass him but he grabbed my arm and the gesture made me whine.

"Hey guys! I found someone who seemed very interested by your doings! " He yelled and a few seconds later Carter appeared in my sight. His eyes were dilated and his breath smelled alcohol, his hair was complete mess.

" What are you doing here ?" Carter clenched his teeth before crossing his muscled arms. A lock of black hair fell on his eyes. I was about to tell him to mind his own business but he interrupted me before I could unglue my lips.

"Which part didn't you understand? I don't fucking want to see your face again! Get the fuck out of here. This isn't a place for little girls like you."

My eyes started to burn as I responded: "I didn't even want to be here in the first place and I hate you! You are a disgusting prick!"I heard some chuckles and howls as I ran downstairs. I wanted to grab Lila and Nicole and leave but he would win. This wasn't his house! He wasn't my dad so he couldn't just boss me around like a child. He was completely nothing and the last thing I was, was someone who backed off on when told to.

Fuck you deeply Carter.

When I reached the bar I took one of the many red cups and gulped it. I tried my best not to flinch due to the awful burn on my throat. The taste was really weird and almost salty. Lila and Nicole joined me and her eyes widened as their eyes took notice of what I was drinking. They knew damn well I didn't drink.

"Are you ok? " Nicole said with a frown in her beautiful face.

" Yuppp! Why wouldn't I ?" I replied and handed my cup to Nicole. She narrowed her eyes but took a little sip too.

" OH MY LORD! Here's my hot Knight!" I shouted as I saw Madden in the middle of the sweaty people, his eyes trying to find me. He smiled at me when he noticed me and I speed-walked toward him.

" You're hereeee!! I missed you so damn much!" I jumped on him and kissed his cheeks a few times, making him shiver and laugh at the same time. He put me down after what looked like an eternity and asked:

" Are you ok? You're hot! "

" Thank youuuu! " I replied and he touched my forehead.

"I mean you're hot in general but I'm not talking about it. I think you caught a fever. What did you drink? "I tried to answer but my eyes became blurry and my mouth was as dry as the Sahara.

"I-I'm not feeling well... Madden. " I stated before collapsing on his chest.

" Elle! Damn! You need to drink water! Did you drink a lot? " He took me in his arms in bridal style way and I decided to stop fighting my eyelids who begged to be closed.

" Fuck! What have you done, Elle?!" A worried Madden whispered and dropped me on a bed. We were in a big and dark room and he was trying to make me drink water when the bedroom's door opened violently.

"Don't fucking touch her! " Someone broke the silence as he entered.

" I wasn't going to hurt her ! I don't know what she drank but she collapsed into me." My best friend replied with fury in his tone.

I tried to open my eyes while trying my best to say something audible but couldn't. My body was paralyzed.

" Hey, hey babe! It's gonna be ok! Shit." Carter cursed after touching my burning forehead.

Suddenly my body fell less heavy and through my eyelids I noticed that I was in Carter's arms and he was carrying me away.

___