Afraid•Niccolo Genoveder Rossi •

sixteen

|May 25th, 2018, "that night"|

|Serena|

The music blasted as the air was thick with smoke and alcohol. My jeans felt tighter. My shirt felt like it was suffocating me.  Is this what Claustrophobia felt like?

Was I Claustrophobic?

Half the school was at this party. Hundreds of warm bodies all clustered in Brando's mansion. Brando always threw end of the school year parties.

I'd never gone to any of them, but since I'm officially in my last year of high school, it's about time I go.

I had no friends.

I knew Camilla Rossi, but she's out and about the party with her friends and Niccolo. And Niccolo's best goon- Marco Amerigo.

Assholes.

Marco and Niccolo stuck together like glue. Wherever Niccolo went, Marco went. Like two mean girls strutting the halls.

They both were the popular jocks, had the entire school of girls wrapped around their fingers.

I sipped on my drink slowly, pretending to drink it.

I wasn't going to try this.

There's like fifteen different types of alcohol in there. It's a petri  dish.

I wanted to leave.

But I needed to experience it.

I stood in the corner for what seems like hours.

|Niccolo|

Marco and I jumped around, talking to the group. Marco's eyes gazes around the room, full of thick sweat. His eyes landed on somebody in the corner.

The quiet girl.

Awfully beautiful, but a social loser.

"Dude, why are you staring at Serena?" I say, nudging his shoulder. He snapped out of it. "Huh?" He says, trying to me. "Serena. Why were you staring at her?" I state again, a small fury in my chest.

"Oh. Nothing. She's just standing there... Doesn't she have some friends?" Marco says, a tinge of guilt in his voice.

I snort.

"She's an outcast. A weirdo." I say, crossing my arms. Marco's face softened. "She's gorgeous isn't she?" He says, glancing back over at her.

Why. Something in me said that she was off limits.

But she wasn't.

She's an outcast.

A weirdo.

She doesn't belong here.

Marco can't like her.

"Eyes off her, Amerigo". I spat bitterly, before taking a swig of my drink. "And why do you care? She's a loser according to you". Marco shot, crossing his arms.

"She's social suicide for you." I reason, this weird rage growing in my chest. I didn't want him talking to her.

Marco scoffed. "whatever." He spat, before walking off.

|Serena|

The party died down at around 11pm. I was getting ready to leave, when somebody tapped on my shoulder.

It was Brando.

"We need another girl for our little game over here. You've been elected". Brando says, taking my hand and pulling me to the room. "Sorry what?" I say, trying to pull me hand out of his grip.