Collateral Damage- A Justin Bieber Fanfiction

01. Reluctant Night Out

I groaned in annoyance as I heard my alarm go off for a third time. After listening to a few more buzzes, I reluctantly pushed the covers back and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I squinted at the blinking numbers on the clock while clumsily pressing the power button. Abandoning my cocoon, I hopped out of bed, my bare feet slapping the cool, wooden floor.

Why the hell did I agree to go out tonight? I yawned loudly and pulled my fingers through the tangled mess of brown hair that cascaded down my shoulders. I feel like most nineteen year olds should be excited for a night out with their friends, but classes have been taking a toll on my energy levels this semester.

I snatched my phone from the kitchen table before retreating back into my room. I flopped onto my mattress and scrolled through my notifications. I skipped through the crude texts from a couple of frat boys on campus and was shocked to see a message from my mother; I recovered from my unpleasant surprise and ignored it.

When I initially broke the news of my plans to move to California, she was less than supportive of my decision and from there, a tear had begun in our mother/daughter bond. The current status of our relationship was anything but good. She had tried to reach out to me a few times over the past year, but I was always too stubborn to reply; and I sure wasn't planning on it anytime soon. Hurtful words had been exchanged by the both of us and I knew she was sorry, but I just couldn't bring myself to forgive her.

I swung my legs off the side of the bed, continuing to look through my updates. There were five recent texts from my best friend Jess.

Kaia Jacobsen!

You better not be sleeping right now.

Kaia.

Wakey wakey!

Ugh text me when you're up.

I frowned in concentration as I read through Jess's jumble of texts before sending back a quick hey and a question about what she was wearing to the party tonight. She responded almost immediately and described her outfit of ripped blue jeans and a cropped top, but not before reprimanding me for my nap time. I sighed and put my phone down to search through my closet.

I was a lot more tired and irritated lately... Probably a good indication that I should drop one of my classes but I was so unsure about everything. Jess was convinced that I needed a boyfriend but the boys at the university were just looking for any half-assed hookup. I really didn't want to be a part of that. I'd yet to meet any eligible bachelors on or off campus; plus, I really didn't want to lose my v-card to some drunk frat boy.

I spent about five minutes contemplating my clothing choices and eventually decided to slip into some tight black jeans that were ripped on the knees and a casual white tee. I kicked on some adidas and grabbed my black leather jacket. I sat back down on my bed for a moment to grab my phone and send a few more messages back and forth to Jess. There were about twenty minutes before she was coming to pick me up.

Jess and I became friends about a year ago when I moved to Los Angeles but we just clicked. We both went to UCLA and took a lot of the same classes. We were even roommates last year before we grew more independent and decided to rent separate places. Jess was definitely the stereotypical blonde, party girl type, but she also had a sweet and intelligent side that was different from a lot of the people around here. While I hailed from Massachusetts and Jess moved here from Florida, we both understood what being alone in a big new city felt like and we really looked out for each other. I honestly don't know what I'd do without her.

I flipped on the light switch in the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror while I filled up a cup of water. My face seemed a little tired but I generally looked pretty good. I ran a brush through my chocolate tresses, careful not to disrupt their natural waves and curls, and spread some concealer over the darkness that marked the undersides of my stormy eyes. I smoothed a little color into my already thick brows and swiped on some bold mascara. While patting some rosy blush into my cheeks, I glanced down at my phone to check the time and was pleased to see that it was only nine o'clock. As much as I loved Jess, I couldn't wait for this night to be over so I could snuggle back under my warm comforter and surrender to the sweet relief of sleep.

I jumped as the sound of a honk met my ears. Shuffling through the kitchen, I pulled back the curtains to see Jess motioning to me from the drivers seat of her silver BMW. I smiled at her and shoved the window open, causing particles of dust to fly skyward. I waved them away, watching them dance through the dim orange beams cast by the streetlights.

"Coming!" I screeched.

I grabbed my keys from their rack and checked myself in the mirror one more time. I gazed intently at my reflection for a second before fluffing my hair and slathering some strawberry balm onto my pouty lips. Turning on my heels, I slammed the door shut and checked it twice to make sure it was locked. I thumped down the stairs and jogged over to the car. I slid into my seat as Jess threw her arms around me in greeting, sending a puff of sweet, citrusy perfume to my nostrils. She released her hold for me to buckle my seatbelt while her sparkling blue eyes looked my outfit up and down.

"You look hot," she grinned as she wiggled her eyebrows. "Are you ready for some fun?"

I took a big breath and thought about the long night before me. There was no point in moping about it; I might as well have some fun if I wasn't getting any sleep. I gave a wide smile and clapped my hands together in front of me.

"Let's go."

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I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! Please vote and let me know what you think. :)
-jennie