The Haunting

"Theo...," Vanessa whispered as she stared into her boyfriends beautiful hazel eyes. Her heart was beating fast. She had to do this quickly before she passed out. "We can-"

He cut her off. "Vanessa, it was a mistake." He walked closer to her. Unable to look into his eyes any longer, she pulled away. Tears stung her eyes.

"Mistakes don't happen on purpose."

When she looked back at the eighteen year old, he looked pained. "Vanessa..."

"You hurt me, Theo. I thought we... We were in love."

"We still are. I love you. You love me... Right?"

Vanessa looked down. She did... "I don't know anymore."

"But-"

She stopped him mid-sentence. "Don't make this any harder, Theo. What we have-had," she corrected herself, "is over. You hurt me-badly. And now..." Her voice trailed off as she looked away. "I have to go."

He grabbed her hand. Her heart pounded in her chest when she saw his pained face. "A goodbye kiss?"

She shook her head vigorously. "Goodbye, Theo."

He let go of her and she ran, unable to look back.

He hurt her. This is what he deserved.

Right?

She ran all the way back to her sorority house. When she saw her friends, she feigned a smile. It felt more like a grimace.

"Hey, Vanessa!" Elizabeth cheered. "What's up?" The big, blue eyed blond took a look at the heart broken brunette

Unable to take it anymore and very overwhelmed, the seventeen year old fell onto the floor, breaking out into tears. She told her friends what had happened.

"Fuck him. Fuck. Him," Elizabeth said.

Vanessa smiled. Elizabeth always knew how to make her smile. Elizabeth was the one to go to when you needed cheering up. She knew exactly how to make a person smile, even when they were pissed.

"He's a jerk," she decided.

No one else really said much else. They told Vanessa that she could do better. That he was history. That she could find love.

"You're a romantic. They always find love. Even in the most hopeless places at the most horrible times," Kayla confirmed.

Vanessa smiled, knowing the dark haired teenager was true. Vanessa was the biggest romantic. Often, she fantasized about forbidden relationships.

Her friends, Vanessa remembered with a half-smile, deemed veiled relationships Vanessa's forte.

"You need a girls night out," Julia smiled. "A good time to get your mind off that two-timer."

"Wh-Wh-What d-d-do ya-ya-you hav-ve in ma-ma-mind-d-duh?" Vanessa managed through her tears.

"A rush."

Catching on, Analyse smirked. "A real man."

Meredith joined in. "A good time..."

"With no control," Amber finished.

Vanessa caught on soon enough. "Where we going?"

"Lucky Club." The eight girls had a smirk on each of their faces as they looked directly at Vanessa "You up for it?" Julia asked.

After a moment of hesitation, Vanessa nodded. "Yeah."

*****

Music pounded in their ears as the nine girls walked into the club without-thank you, Julia-any problems.