Savior

Two: Mia

                              Ten Years Ago

"Why did I let you talk me into this?"

"You were invited!" my best friend (and roommate) Jazz exclaimed. "Girl, it's about time you get your little bookworm ass out of our dorm room and have some fun. The pretty football boys invited you to party, so PARTY."

"I don't even know why they invited me," I sighed into my phone. I was sitting down the block in my Nissan debating what in the hell I was even doing. These boys were rarely even nice to me. The nicest was Wes and... he just seemed more indifferent to their taunting than anything else. He didn't join in, but he didn't tell them to stop either.

But when we were alone...

When we were alone, he was like a completely different person.

"What am I doing here?"

"You there to talk to Weston. To tell him you like him and for the first goddamn time in your... sheltered, nerdy life, YOU, my darling best friend, are going to kiss a boy."

"I think you're expecting too much from me..."

"I think you're expecting too LITTLE of yourself. Come on, I'll be there in like an hour, okay? If I can convince Jason to let me out early, even sooner. You'll be fine for an hour."

"Why couldn't I have just waited for you?"

"Because I know you. You would've been neck deep in that weird ass show you love, shoveling the Ben and Jerry's down your throat like someone's trying to take it away and I never would've gotten you out of your expensive, but incredibly boring sweatpants," Jazz retorted in a tone that gave away the smirk I knew was on her face. "I love you, my Mia Bo Bia, but you've gotta learn to take a chance or two. What's the use in going against mommy dearest's wishes if you're not having fun?"

I sighed. Hard to argue with that. "You're right."

"Of course, I am! Now get your ass out of your car and go up those stairs and tell Weston Price that you wanna bone him!"

"Okay, now you're pushing it."

"Ugh. A best friend can dream. Just go say hi, alright? What's the worst that could happen? We'll work on the rest once I get there."

"Okay. You're right. I can do this."

"Yes, you can!"

"I can go in there, to a jock party... and pretend I belong."

"Baby, you DO belong."

"Right."

"Get in there, Mia. I'll be there soon."

"Love you."

"I love you, too, dork face. Text you when I'm on the way."

I hung up my phone and shoved it into my Vera Wang clutch. What? My family had money. Might as well get some enjoyment out of it. I took a deep breath and gave myself a pep talk that... sounded a whole lot like everything Jazz had said, just, a bit less colorful. It was time to do this, because if I didn't at this exact moment, I'd start the car and head back to the dorms. It was go time.

Another deep breath and I stepped out of my car. I kept putting one foot in front of the other until I arrived in front of the enormous house that Channing Sampson called home. Or his parents called home. Whatever. Not like I had my own house, I couldn't judge.

I stood on the sidewalk, just outside of the open gates and straightened the glittery silver mini dress that Jazz had decided I needed to borrow for the night. It was way more revealing than anything in my wardrobe, but when in Rome, right? Maybe I should've pre-gamed at home...