Song for the chapter- Into You by Ariana Grande

I walk out to Leona's car and slide into the passenger seat. She's serving her detention on Tuesday, she had somehow convinced Mr. Isaac to let her slip out of it today. She has a way with convincing people.

I pop open the mirror and fix whatever makeup is left on my face, we all know makeup never lasts as long as it says on the package.

I jump when someone knocks on the window, making me poke my eye with the mascara.

I spin madly and see Cor waving at me to roll down the window.

I glare at him as he laughs, and begin to roll down my window, my eye burning like the sun. "Do you have the assignment instructions? I was sick the day we got them." He asks, chuckling.

As beautiful as Arius's eyes are, Cor's took the trophy. He had a glint to them no matter where the lighting was. They were dark brown and that might not sound interesting but like his personality, they drew you in.

They captured you with a mystery. They intrigued you with devilishness.

"Hello? Can you stop staring and answer?" He says, impatiently tapping his foot, his laughter completely died down and replaced with a need to leave. "I can't be late to work."

I shrug. "I'm not staring at you." I reply, staring at him.

Cor scoffs. "Are too, in the classroom it's like you can't look at anything else." Cor sighs. "Sorry, I just really can't be late to work. Do you have it or not?"

"Why would I want to stare at you, when I could look in the mirror and stare at something a lot more attractive." I push up the mirror which was conveniently still down and smile at him.

I don't think he enjoyed that comment, but he doesn't walk away. "Do. You. Have. The. Homework." He asked irritatedly.

I shake my head. "I wasn't exactly jotting down notes." I smile at him. "I was too busy staring at you."

I crack up at my own joke and the look on his bewildered face.

He rolls his eyes. "Your two-faced, you know that?" He asks, his mouth stuck between a straight line and a smile.

I nod once and bite my lower bottom lip. "So I have been told." I try to roll up the window but he puts his hand on the top of it and holds it down.

"C'mon. I know you wrote down the assignment. You pay attention and I saw you writing." He says, softening his face.

I sigh. "Now who's staring?" When I stay silent and he doesn't leave I sigh. "Yeah, I took the notes. Let me just get them out." I unzip my back pack and take out my binder.

I pop it open and hand him my notes.

"Thanks." He says. He smiles at me. "You have really nice hand writing."

I shake my head. "Are you kidding me? I hate my handwriting!"

"Well I like it." He takes a picture of both sides and hands the paper back to me. "See you around, Gem." And he runs to Cance's— his girlfriend— car.

The back door slams shut and I take a deep breath. "Why am I so jumpy today!?" I ask to no one in particular. I turn around and see Arius texting someone on his phone, his face stuck in concentration mode. His eyebrows were drawn together as he focused on the screen.

Aris jogs over to us and slides onto the front of Leona's car hood, sliding over it and hopping into the back seat next to Arius. "T'sup Gem?"

Leona jumps in the front seat and then gives me an odd look. "What did Cor want?" She asks.

"Just my notes," I say.

"Oh." Leona glances from Arius to me and mouths, "Has he asked you to prom yet?"

I shake my head and Leona frowns, glaring at Arius.

"You okay, Gem?" Arius asks, lacing his fingers with mine from behind me.

I nod once. "Yeah, totally."

I just wish you'd man up and ask me to prom. It's not like I'm your girlfriend and have been anticipating this all year or anything like that.

Leona starts up the car and begins backing out of the parking lot when someone stops us.

I roll down my window, smirking as Cor smiles at us. "Are you guys busy this weekend?"

"Nope." But why would he want to know? I thought he had work. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" I ask.

He gets a grim look. "Just got fired." He nods. "Apparently I had work yesterday but... wasn't told."

Aris shrugs, knocking off Cor's problem. "Probably watchin' Netflix. Why do you ask?"

"Having a party." Cor says, "You guys should come."

Leona looks at me and so does the rest group. "Someone got themselves invited to a party..." Leona says, laughing. "I knew he wasn't just asking you for homework.

Cor's lips stretch into a thin smile. "No. I did just ask her for homework. Sage actually wanted you guys to come. Last party of the year at his dorm apparently. But that's what he said last year."

Arius nods. "Yeah, well come. Have you asked Cance to prom yet?"

Cor shakes his head. "I don't even think I'm going to prom. Cance doesn't really want to go either. Well, I'll see you guys later, hopefully at the party?"

He leaves and Leona gives me a devious look. "You got invited to a party. Fix that, you got us invited to a party."

I roll my eyes. "Aris and Arius get invited to these parties all the time. It's nothing big." And yet, somewhere deep down, I knew that this party would change my life. "Plus, he really was just asking me for homework."

Leona chuckles. "I know. Just pulling your leg."

*****

I browse through my closet, not quite knowing what I'm going to wear. It's not that I have nothing to wear, I have a crap ton of clothes, it's that I can't decide.

I reach for my phone and send a quick text to Leona.

I wait for a couple of moments for a reply. She doesn't usually respond fast, but she did this time.

She told me that she couldn't come because she was already there and that I should call Aria.

I roll my eyes. Of course she left without me.

I scroll through my contacts anyways, looking for Aria's number.

I open up her contact and send her a quick text.

The dorm I live in is a twin size room. My roommate, Aquaria, is rarely ever home so I have a lot of free time.

The dorms are normal white, but I've practically painted every square inch in my room. Aquaria even let me paint her side.

My desk, painted a lime green, has a black laptop on it and a picture of my parents.

I don't really remember their voices, but having photos of them really helps sometimes.

It helps me remember that I do have parents. I just can't see them.

I have known my class for thirteen years, it amazes me why I wonder why we hate each other so often. Were like brothers and sist- oh god, not putting that awkward thought in my head.

My phone rings and I check it immediately.

Aria's already here.

I hear a knock at my door and I jump. How did she get here so quickly?

I open it and Aria stands looking quite mad with a black eye and a busted lip. She limps when she walks in and tackles me with a bear hug.

I pat her back. "What happened?" I ask, slightly pushing her off of me.

She pulls back and sighs. "Taria happened." She says. "I was so sick of her acting like she owned Leo... So I just punched her in the face!" She exclaims, smiling.

"Nobody saw but Leo, so I'm not in trouble, but lord knows he'll never forgive me." She says, popping her knuckles.

Aria is sporting a plain white v-neck under a black leather jacket. She has a pair of black skinny jeans on, that tuck neatly into a pair of black combat boots.

"Well, we could get him to forgive you if you come to the party." I say, and point to my closet. "Wanna help me pick out an outfit?" I ask, wiggling my eyebrows.

Aria scoffs. "Do I look like a fashion guru?" She slides to the floor, wincing. "Plus do you see what state I'm in?" She points to her black eye.

I chuckle to myself. "Oh come on, you're an Aries. Stiffen up and go get an ice-pack." I laugh and walk to my closet.

I check the time. It's only eleven... The night's still young.

"Bitch." Aria laughs, and walks to the mini fridge/freezer.

I laugh under my breath and pull out a white spaghetti strap. Okay, I know what I'm wearing.

*****

"I'm telling you Gem, you should have wore the white converse instead of the red ones." Aria says, shaking her head.

I pull into the driveway and I already want to leave. There may only be twenty four people, but it seems like a lot.

They all stare at my car, not because it's nice, but because they know who drives it. The Toyota supra 2016, is my car and nobody is allowed to drive it. Aria is lucky she's even allowed in my car. I nearly killed her when she put her shoes on my dashboard.  

But then again, I couldn't actually kill her without dying first myself. She probably knows hundreds of places to bury dead bodies.

I step out, dramatically swinging one leg over the other. "I thought you weren't a fashion guru."

Aria rolls her eyes. "No, but I know my shoes."

Leona stumbles out of the house, already tipsy. "Gem!" She runs to me, throwing her arms around me and using me as a walking stick. "We should take a picture." She grabs my phone from my back pocket and before I could grab it back she's ran off and given it to Pi, our classe's female Pisces.

We were smiling and had our arms wrapped around each other, it was going to be a cute picture, but as Pi goes to take the picture, Aria runs and jumps into us.

We tilted, trying to catch her, our arms flailing wildly and I see the flash go off.

Pi hands me my phone and I realize the picture was actually really nice. A personality pick, I guess.

I walked with Leona and Aria into the house, where loud music played and people drank.

I walked into the kitchen, seeing Cor and Aris talking about something.

"How many of these until I get drunk?" I ask them, holding up a red so cup filled with spiked punch.

Aris gives me a scared look while Cor just eyes me like I'm an idiot.

Cor swishes his cup around. "Gem, you shouldn't drink a lot... especially considering what happened last time."

I flick him a smile and lightly punch his shoulder. "You think I can't do it." I wink at him and grab a cup.
"Well—" I start to say but he puts his hand over my mouth.

I lick his hand and he pulls away. "Gross." He wipes it on his black shirt, giving me a disgusted look. "Just trying to help you out." Cor shakes his head and goes to stand next to Aris. They don't get drunk, they just watch us make fools of ourselves.

Now that I think about it; a lot of people don't actually get drunk at these parties.

But they certainly have some proof they were at the parties. They're always in the pictures I take. And trust me when I say, I take a lot of photos.