After (a rewrite)

Chapter Five

It’s only a day into college and I’ve agreed to go to a college party my mom told me not to go to with the exact sort of people my mom told me to stay away from. There’s a sick, anxious feeling in my stomach, and I remind myself that my mom isn’t here anymore. I’m not with her anymore. I’m the one in control.

I remember that time when I was a freshman in highschool, and I’d snuck out to go to a party, telling my mom I was going over to a friend’s place for homework. She’d come to “check” on me an hour later, and I was busted. She literally pulled me out there in front of everyone. But that wasn’t the worst.

When we reached home, she screamed at me. Not the typical “you snuck out to go to a party on a weekday” yelling moms usually give.

“I shouldn’t have expected any better from you. You’re just like your dad,” She had said, her face red. “A disappointment. You’re never going to go anywhere in your life. How can you?” She laughs deliriously. “It’s genetics. I won’t be surprised if you turn out to be a gambling drunk, just like your dad.”

At that moment, I’d thought, who called their fourteen year old daughter a future drunk? I wasn’t used to it, back then.

She then grabbed my shoulders and shook me hard. “Don’t you ever dare step a toe out of the line. Do you understand? Do you understand?”

The next morning, I saw her making french toast and acting as if nothing had happened.

“Tessa? Hey, Tessa? Are you even listening to me?” Steph snaps her fingers, and I’m pulled out of my thoughts.

“Sorry, uh, go on.”

“I said let’s get ready, it’s almost time,”

I sneak a glance at the clock. It was almost 8:00. I spent the entire day in my dorm, except for lunch, when Steph basically dragged me to the cafeteria.

Steph shuffles through the clothes in her closet.

“I can’t decide what to wear!” She moans. I sneak a glance into her closet. “Help me pick an outfit?”

There is a mess of leather jackets and black dresses and fishnets and god knows what else. Finally, she picks a strapless black dress. A little too short for my taste, but pretty.

I pull on a plaid shirt over my T-shirt. I guess the shorts is okay, because it can’t be that big of a party, right?

After Steph’s done changing, she does a little twirl. “How do I look?”

I almost have to keep my jaw from dropping. She looks gorgeous. The lack of sleeves allow her to display the tattoos running up her arms and shoulders. Her red hair is left loose in wild curls. Her lips are painted a deep red, and she has that dramatic eye shadow. Everything about her screams bold.

“Y-you look pretty,” I say, and cringe at the mumble. She grins, and then her eyes widen comically.

“Please don’t tell me you’re going in that!”

“I just wanted to go casually,” I say, self consciously. Steph insists on me changing into one of her dresses and then gives up.

Nate picks us up, and I see Hardin sitting in the front too. Unfortunate. The party was in a frat house, and it took about half an hour to get there. I nervously wonder how we’re gonna get back to the dorms if it’s late. Finally, Nate pulls over.

Even from far I can hear music blaring from the speakers, and the low murmur of people.

A/N: I know I'm taking this story rather slowly, but things will pick on in a chapter or so. Warning: there'll be a lot of major changes from now so if you like the original novel this isn't for you.