"Yeah, we all are." Katelyn replies in a matter- of-fact way. 

"Oh."

Claire is the most beautiful, kind, and down to earth person I've met. She's also really rich; her dad won the lottery— two times. Her elegant blonde hair and a smile laced with kindness— along with a lot more things— is what made her popular among us.

We're on talking terms, but not as close as we used to be back in middle school. 

She had had a huge crush on Aiden— I honestly don't know how, he was an asshole since the day we met him— and they dated through seventh and eigth grade. Claire never told me the reason of their breakup. It couldn't have been a bad reason, beacause even after their breakup, Claire is as good a friend to Aiden as she is to me. 

"And— when is it?" I ask, trying not to sound too curious. Because I'm not.

"Um, next Friday. I told you already."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." 

"You should come." Lyn proposes. 

I'm already behind on studies, and exams are near the horizon. Besides, parties were never my thing. I'm usually the Netflix and chill kinda gal. Still, I think about it for a minute. 

"Nah, I'm good." I finally say.

"Oh come on Ash, I know what you're thinking. Exams are months away, have some fun for once!" Its like she read my mind. 

"I'll... think about it." I lie. 

"Yea sure you will." Lyn grumbles. She can spot my lies like I'm pinocchio, its unsettling sometimes.

We lapse into silence until we reach my house, and Katelyn waves a goodbye to me as I walk towards the front door. I try not to think about Brandon as I fumble for my keys and open the door without a sound.

I find mom sitting on the couch in the living room, watching her favourite show on TV. 

Huh, weird. 

She almost never comes home early. Unless its...

I announce my presence by coughing lightly. Mom flinches, and turns to look at me. Her face softens when she sees me and not a murderer who's broken into her house or something.

"Oh hey honey, you gave me quite the scare."

"Sorry." I chide. "But... you're early." That wasn't a question.

"Yeah, took a leave. I'm still gonna work from home though."

My face falls a little. "Oh." 

The prospect of asking her to have a movie marathon together dissolves from my mind. I shake the thought away, and zero in on the important thing I have to tell her.

"Well, I— I wanted to tell you something." I say, hesitation thick in my voice. I have to tell her about Brandon. She's the only adult who can help me, and I never keep anything from my mom.

"Go ahead." 

"So, um... there's this guy— "

Her phone rings, inturrupting me. She gives me an apologetic glance, and walks away into her room, mouthing a "Talk to you later". 

I sigh.

Don't get me wrong— I love my mom to pieces, but she doesn't seem to have any time for me ever since her divorce with Michael a year ago. I don't blame her though, considering she herself has to bear the expenses of both of us now, in terms of finance. 

I just wish she had more time for me. 

I exhale a wistful sigh, and saunter to my room. I turn the idea of going to the party around in my head, as I collapse on my bed. It really has been a while since I've been to one, and I need a release from all the studies I've been doing, and a distraction from the fact that my 'dad' is no longer here— even though he was an asshole to both of us. 

And also to forget about the Brandon thing. 

I shiver at the thought that he'd been so close to me— close enough to do anything he wanted to me— and there was no one to spot us in the hallway, until Aiden.

After tossing and turning in my bed trying— and failing— to sleep, I decide to go to my favourite place to kill time. I arrive at the library down the street ten minutes later, and breath in its coziness. 

'The Reading Palette' is an old building with the smell of rusty books everywhere, along with ceiling length windows spilling light everywhere, making the haven even better.

I love this place. 

I get lost in the books for hours, until my mom has to come find me. I greet the librarian, before I comb through the bookshelves to find the book that I want to immerse in today.

I search for my favourite spot— a coushioned corner right next to the windows— but someone has already occupied it, economics book in hand.

And that someone is none other than my so called boyfriend.