Mia Evian has to piece together the mystery of Zack Maddox, the bad boy whose life she saved, while simultaneously keeping her own crumbling life together before Zack ends up in trouble again - or worse yet, dead.
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As I scan myself from head to toe in the long mirror opposite me, I smile. I rarely think I look good, but tonight is an exception. I've had a much needed haircut, and for once, my typical black ensemble looks intriguing, not depressing. Aiden's rambling on the bed behind me while Preston, or currently Zack, blasts some horrendous dubstep remix of an ABBA song through Robbie's stereo. I feel like the Preston trapped inside of him is trying to send out an ironic message.
Robbie is throwing another party, and Aiden is enthusiastic to say the least. He keeps mentioning how far we've come since the last party as if we've unveiled the meaning of life, when in reality, the only difference is that we've made some new friends. Minus a few other details, I suppose. Robbie has disappeared somewhere; he said he was going to grab us some drinks, but that was about fifteen minutes ago. Preston ensured to mock the fact I asked for water instead of alcohol, and when I reminded him that the last time I drank resulted in me driving a car into a bush and landing him in hospital, he just rolled his eyes.
Robbie eventually returns with a large bottle of vodka, some Diet Coke, and a bottle of water for me, which Preston again ridicules, and I again ignore. The boys pour their drinks while I join them on the double bed. People will begin arriving soon, and if this party's anything like the last one, I'm going to make the most of the calm before the storm. I don't know why, but I feel a little nervous, as if now that I've officially infiltrated 'Zack' and Robbie's friendship group, I have to be more interesting than I am. It's like I'm preparing to put on a show for everyone, and I can't help but wonder if this is how Preston feels every day. If it's how Robbie feels some days, how Aiden feels most days.
'I'm gonna be a bit stricter tonight than last time,' Robbie states before he takes a sip of his drink.
'Ah, c'mon, mate, don't be a buzzkill,' Preston responds with a groan.
'I don't want a repeat of last time, all right? That's all it is.'
'What was wrong with last time?' Preston asks.
'Oh, I don't know, maybe when you almost died in my garden.'
'Touché.'
I glance at Preston to catch a glimmer of uneasiness behind his smirk, which he erases by downing the drink in his hand. He still has no idea I know what actually happened that night, and I'd be lying if I said not drinking tonight had nothing to do with keeping an eye on him. The doorbell rings, and we take it as a sign to leave the certainty of Robbie's bedroom to face what the night has to offer.
For such a big house, it doesn't take long for it to become cramped. Strangers, acquaintances, and friends begin filling up empty spaces, and tonight soon mirrors the last time I was at a party in this house. Teenagers laugh and drink and dance, their faces blending into one, and even the people I know become indistinguishable at times. Robbie and Preston have disappeared somewhere deep into the land of Robbie Morrissey and Zack Maddox, while Samantha and I sit on one of the kitchen counters listening to Aiden blabbering about fifty things a minute.
