Ink.

Trouble.

The music slaps me round the face as I enter through the packed hallway. We're practically sandwiched together like sardines, squirming and wriggling to get around one another.

Just smile. Smile and act like a teenager.

I immediatly form a slight slouch. Perhaps to much?

Quickly, I return to my usual posture and shimmy my way round to the first room. A blanket of smoke chokes me and I have to splutter a few times in order to obtain my usual breathing. Slowly but briskly, I hurry out of the swarming area.

"Oh come on! It's not like I enjoyed it!" someone slurrs.

"Yeah, well you still had the will to go and do it though didn't you?!"

"We barely made any contact w-"

"Oh just f*ck off!" the girl barges past me, tearfully.

I watch her as she hurries out of the room, knocking into potential perverts on her way. A part of me feels sorry for her. She doesn't even know what life is even about yet. All she cares about is sex. Her loss.

"You got a right bitch there mate!" one of them call.

"Yeah well it's not my problem I got hooked up with someone else. She should expect that."

"No she shouldn't." I arugue.

The gang of 4 turn around, each with equally confused expressions on their faces.

"And who exactly are you? Bitch." a guy slurrs.

"I'm the kind of bitch who can give up a good fight when she needs to." I smile back.

"F*cking hell mate." he smirks to his friends before looking back at me. "How come I've never come across you before?"

"Because I'm not one to sell my body." Well that was a lie. Keeps them quiet though.

"Nice. How about we go upstairs a-"

"Oh I'm sorry but-" I smile knowingly at the 4 of them. "But I've got somewhere to be right now uhm so, tu-tar."

Now I feel better. It's nice to have a bit of energy pumping back through my veins epecially after such a long time. This night may turn out better that I'd once thought.

"Woah dude, hold up! I ca-"

This is the point where I die, literally.

Before the charging teen has time to even think about stopping, he plunges his way through the clumped crowd and hurtles forwards, plonking his solid butt right on top of me. All my senses are numbed as I lay crippled on the cashmere carpet.

"Sh*t mate," he curses violently, heaving himself up onto his feet.

I stare up at him and the rest of the crowd in horror as the pain from my left shoulder starts to demand attention.

The laughing starts.

The laughing continues and I'm still on the floor.

The laughing is still going.

People are beginning to get bored and are wandering off to find the next accident.

A couple more file in and snigger.

Snide comments escape the mouths of many.

I'm still on the floor.

"Nice to see kids these days have manners" I mutter, getting up.

People have seemed to have lost interest in me now and have begun to join in on some chant in the living room so I steal this quick moment to hurry off into the kitchen where I am greeted by a very unwelcoming Gray.

"Hi," I say nicely, walking over to the table to get myself a drink.

He has a brief look of terror on his face before he realises its me. "Uhm, hi Iasbelle."

"Well you're chirpy." I state sarcastically.

"Oh uhm, sorry."

"And stop flicking your hair over yours eyes, they're quite pretty to look at ya know." I tease, taking a bottle of vodka from the fridge.

"Y-you think I have nice eyes?" he stammers.

I look him in his face and smile. "Yeah, why wouldn't they be?"

"Oh it's just-" he pauses."I've never had anybody really compliment me before."

"Oh, well what about your parents? I'm sure your mother thinks you're beautiful."

Grey's expression sharpens as he recovers from flinching.

"Oh, uhm sorry." I say. "I didn't know they were-"

I decide to cut myself short before anything gets too hurtful.

The silence slowly drags on as neither of us have the urge to speak anymore.

"How about we go out to the garden?" I suggest, giving him a playful tug.

"Oh uhm I'm not too sure. Perhaps not."

"Awh come on!" I argue, batting my eyelashes. "I reckon you're gonna catch a girl's eye tonight."

He smiles, slowly but properly; a proper 'I'm happy' smile. I laugh at him before taking him by the hand and leading him to the garden.

A huge wad of pavement slabs swollow up the grass area homing various wooden tables and deck chairs. The willowy trees mope over the brightly lit summer house in the corner, delicate fairy lights flutter around the broadly-bricked outside structure as the musty mixed scent of alcahol and rose bushes floats through the thinned air.

I take a deep breath.

"Are you ok?" The voice on my left asks.

I look at Gray. "Oh yeah, sorry. The smell is just kind of strong."

"Well, I have some ciggs," he says, pulling away to rummage through his worn pockets. "Here we go. A new packet."

I resist the urge to scrunch up my nose in disgust. "Uhm, no it's fine thanks." I gulp.

A group of gangly teens begin to mill round a small fire in the corner so I decide to act upon it. "Look, lets join them!" I gesture, pulling Gray with me.

"Uhm, I don't think that's such a good-"

"Hello!" I chirp.

What seems like a hundred pair of eyes swivel to stare blankly at me.

"Mind if we join?" I ask, slipping into the circle.

More blank stares as I beckon for Gray to follow but am left with a cowardly shrug. What's his problem?

"No." A deep voice states.

I look up to find the owner of the masculine voice and my gaze falls across a tall figure.

"You may join but he may not." he says, forcefully pointing towards my new friend.

"And why is that?" I question, stepping closer in order to unmask the owner of the shadowy frame.

"Because I say so."

"And who said you're the boss?"

"I did. Now leave," he threatens.

My feet stay planted on the ground until Gray decides to tug me in the other direction.

"Lets just stay out of his way,"he mumbles to my left.

"And let him threaten us like that? No way!"

"I just don't want you to get into any unnecessary trouble."

I turn around to see him wearing a worried expression with his eyebrows laced together in a light frown.

"You have no idea," I chuckle. "But I do know how to deal with trouble."