Something so little, changed us forever.

Pshhh... Parties...

"Get up lazy butt!" Avery jumped on top of me.

"What?" my voice cracked with dryness, a definite fact I had been snoring.

"Party tonight!" Avery pulled me up off my bed, "We already unpacked your bags and picked out your outfit." Avery’s smile was sly like a fox. A face she was well known for.

"Come on!" Bianca threw my clothes at my head.

"Could you get any more annoying?" I laughed; glad to have my best friends back.

They turned up my iPod and started goofing off as I changed.

Parties were a common thing around here. But they weren’t your normal parties, no beer, just loud music. Always outside somewhere, like a tailgate party. No one really gets shy out there. Were always loud, we always dance, sing. It was usually the only time that the academy kids and the Xavier kids mixed like this.

Soon enough I was decked out in a pair of jean shorts, a white low cut shirt and a dark brown pair of boots.

"Oh momma!" Bianca whistled as I winked at her and we all started laughing heading for the parking lot.

Avie (the oldest) drove us all out to the red clay field about thirty minutes out. Cars were already all loaded down with drinks and shirtless guys.

"Thank gosh for academy boys." Bianca laughed.

Avie pumped her fist and shouted as Bee and I followed her lead.

I swung my feet out of the jeep and quickly was swept up in the music and was in the middle of the dance mob.

This was my element. I was shy most of the time and most of my life, but these parties were the one time where no one judged you. There was no competition to be the best. It was normal and fun.

"Hey Kicks!" Cameron found his way to me and started moving to the beat with me.

"Hey!" I laughed, "What are you doing here? I thought you were a freshman." I was almost yelling so he could hear me.

"Nah, I’ve been here for three years!" He shouted back, throwing up an odd body jerk.

"Funny me too!" I grinned at him.

"Who was that girl you came with?" he asked, bobbing his head to the music.

"Who?"

"I’m not sure. Black hair-"

I cut him off, "Avery. She’s right there." I chuckled at him as he danced toward the direction I was pointing.

I’m an awesome match maker.

I put my hands up! Their playin’ my song! I know I’m gonna be okay! Yeah it’s a party in the USA!

I pushed through the crowd and grabbed a bottle of water from a cooler on the bed of a truck, chugging half of it before taking a breath.

"Tired?" Bianca slipped up beside me.

"A bit." I grinned, "Have you seen Avie?"

"Some guy named Cameron came up and started dancing with her." Bee stole my bottle and chugged the rest.

"I know! Come on! Come dance with me." I pouted at her.

"I don’t really like being in the middle of a bunch of jumping sweaty people."

"Please!" I tugged her hand and she gave in, grimacing as I pulled her inside of everybody.

California Girls were unforgettable. Daisy dukes bikinis on top. Sun kissed skin, so hot we’ll melt your Popsicle.

We kept dancing, smiling and laughing until I lost her in the crowd. I looked for her but gave up figuring she had sat down somewhere. I could feel people’s bodies getting closer and closer against each other, the sun starting to head down. I stepped backwards and fell on top of someone.

I slid off of them and stood up, dusting myself off before looking down.

"I’m so sorry! I-" My breathe caught in my throat and my cheeks grew even redder.

I shot my hand out, offering to help him up; he took it and shook it laughing.

I just smiled blank mindedly. He pulled himself up and smiled at me.

"I didn’t catch your name earlier, and since you knocked me over I think you might just owe it to me." He smiled… oh his smile, I didn’t say anything. "I’m Clay."

Number Nine.

"I’m Sophia… Sophie." I laughed nervously, looking at my boots. His foot reached out and nudged mine, I looked up.

"Let me guess. A guy named Cameron calls you Kicks. Right?" Oh the smile. I couldn’t take it.

"Yeah, you’re friends?" I started to move with the music again as Paramore blasted through the speakers.

"Kind of. He’s my cousin; he was talking about you earlier." His smile grew wider as I grew more and more embarrassed.

"Really? Good things I hope."

"Well he was more interested in that girl you were with." He had to crouch down some so I could hear him better,

"Yeah that’s my best friend! So is the other girl I was with!" I was practically screaming at the top of my lungs but he was still straining to hear me.

He grabbed my forearm and pulled me out of the crowd laughing.

"I’m sorry but I couldn’t hear you." He smiled, sitting back on the tailgate.

I pushed up and tried to sit down but it was too high, so Clay grabbed my upper arm and pulled up giving me enough height to sit.

"Thanks." I smiled at him, blushing, "I’m short…"

"Short people aren’t that bad." He nudged my arm and winked at me.

There is no way in heck I’m not in heaven right now.

Friday, Friday gettin’ down on Friday. Everybody’s looking forward to the weekend,

"Ugh. I hate this song." Cameron laughed as he and Avie walked up.

"Same here bro." Clay smashed fists with him, Avery jumped up on the truck next to me and started knocking her feet against mine, starting a chain reaction between the two of us.

"Have you seen Bee?" I asked her, suddenly remembering that Clay and I weren’t the only ones around.

"She was sitting with some guy last time I saw her. Some baseball player." She had a vacant look in her eye but never stopped smiling.

"So you like my friend Cameron I see?" I nudged her as I checked to make sure the boys were distracted talking.

"He’s sweet. He’s a bit… Spazzy." She giggled, "But look at your guy, I know you Soph, you’ve got him in sight."

"I do." I admitted throwing my head back.

"Do you guys want to head down to the lake?" Cameron asked, stretching his arms over his head.

"Yeah," Avie piped up, "But we have to find our friend first."

"Guys we don’t have swim suits or anything." I shot Avery a look.

"It’s cool. I’ve got some t-shirts in my truck if you want to use them. And no one said you have to swim Soph." Clay told me, running a hand through his dark brown hair, sending it backwards only to return to its original messy position.

I just smiled at him and shrugged.

"Alright then. Lake it is, we just need to find Bee." Said Avery.