When we got to the club the music was blaring through the streets. Lights were flashing all around us. I shook my head trying to bury the pit in my stomach. Staton and I rode in the back of the truck once again, allowing the other girls to sit in the front with Breygan. I was shocked Julia hadn't opted to ride with us even though there was a seat up there.

Maybe it was due to all the time she had spent on her hair. I'd watched her carefully perfect every curl telling Staton and me that if she had to go out she might as well look good.

But this didn't seem like the place Julia should be at. I shot Staton a knowing glance before the truck pulled to a halt in the parking garage. Once Breygan had parked the vehicle the two of us in the back hopped out.

"Please keep things calm tonight," I whispered to myself as a little reminder. My eyes rolling towards the ceiling. The sooner we could get back to the hotel the better.

I checked my purse once more to make sure I had my ID. I was hoping the club wouldn't allow Julia in due to her age, giving us a reason to head back and hang out that the pool. Anywhere but here.

"Everyone ready for a night of fun?" Breygan shouts, a large smile forming on his face as he sticks his tongue out. Aria follows him, holding her hands up in the air slowly dancing to the music echoing from around the block. I made a mental note of what spot we were in hopes that Breygan wouldn't get too drunk.

My heart sank in my chest as the group took steps towards to street. Breygan and Aria cheering as they sway from side to side, bumping into each other and then laughing between themselves. Julia was quiet, holding her wallet close to her chest brushing her hands up and down on her biceps. She wore a strapless pink dress that was covered in sparkles and her hair was pulled back into a messy bun with loose curls spilling all around her face.

I watched carefully though, knowing Aria wasn't old enough to drink either. I had no clue why she was so excited about heading into the club, as she had a man she wanted to be and she wasn't old enough to drink.

"You keep an eye on Julia, I'll keep an eye on Aria," I whispered to Staton slowly entangling my arm in his. Our finger interlocked at the bottom and Staton leaned over to give me a quick kiss.

"We will make it through this," he whispers against my lips leaving a trail of fire where his once were. I nodded my head, it felt much better knowing someone else had the same feeling about this as me.

We jumped In line for the club, each one of us holding our cards carefully in our hands.

"Does anyone have the cash for the cover?" Aria laughs, throwing her hands in the air in a shrugging motion. She was used to getting everything purchased for her. She would love her dress a little or hike it up into the back and boom, things were purchased. She knew she had this talent, and she knew how to use it to her advantage.

"I do, I have enough for the two of us, but I wasn't able to get to cash before we left, and I had to use it at the last two gas stations," Breygans mutters, turning to Staton and me to inform us that we are on our own and we have to pay for Julia. I wanted to turn around and leave.

"That's exactly why we shouldn't be here!" I shouted above the music, as it was almost deafeningly loud now.

Aria shot through the group, wrapping her hand around my mouth before whispering in my ear.

"That's one way to make us look suspicious, knock it off." Her words were sharp and part of me wanted to call her out on it, but we were already here.

Finally, we were next in line and soon enough our IDs were being checked by the large man watching the door. I eyeballed him carefully, hoping he would turn Aria and Julia down. The snake tattoo that curled up his neck wrapping around his ear stares back at me as he nods his head, grabs an under 21 bracelet and quickly fastens it on their wrists.

"Must be out by midnight." He growled, keeping his words low and calm. I felt the shivers wash over my body as I handed him my very own ID. At least the girls had a curfew tonight. I checked my phone while he inspected my tag to see it was already half past ten.

We only had to survive an hour and a half.

The lights were even worse than the music once we were finally inside the club. They were blinding and distracting and made it difficult to move around without bumping into things or people. I grit my teeth hoping to relive some of the tension I was feeling in my chest. It was no use though. I turn to make sure the group is still behind me. Staton was sitting at the rear of the group, working together as if we were cattle herders.

"Let's go get some drinks," Breygan grabs Staton and I pushing us together as he shouts in our ears. I shake my head almost immediately, not wanting to fall into his trap. He seemed like he was the only one that wanted to drink tonight. He turned to Staton as soon as he realized how annoyed I was with the whole thing. "Come on man, don't let me drink alone tonight." He teased, holding the both of us closer. Staton rolled his eyes finally giving into the blonde headed child.

"Fine, I will have one drink and that is it." Breygan pulls away, throwing his hands in the air once more before shouting.

"Whoo! Party on me tonight." He coughs slightly before heading to the bar to gather the drinks.

"Why would you do that?" I turned to Staton shaking my head in disapproval. He was supposed to keep an eye on Julia, not make things harder on us tonight. He shrugged his shoulders leaning into me before pointing across the floor.

"They are just dancing right now, I will have a couple of sips and dump the damn thing in one of the bushes around the edge of the room. He won't even notice because by then he will be on his second drink." The more Staton speaks the more I realized he was playing Breygan like a fiddle. He was the outcast of the group but the easiest to please if you were willing to play along.

"Okay, but you better convince him to let you drive his truck home then because he is not driving us after having a few drinks." Staton nodded his head in agreement, before leaning against the wall behind us.

Breygan was back almost as quickly as he had left before handing Staton his drink. It was a large blue drink filled only slightly with ice cubes.

"What did you get me?" Staton questions holding the glass carefully to his lips before taking a small slow sip.

"I got you an AMF!" Breygan shouts over the music, holding his very own blue drink in the air before gulping down the liquid. He turned towards the ladies holding his drink high in the air still as he dances across the floor towards them.

"Do not drink any of that," I mutter under my breath, feeling the burn in the back of my throat at the memories of when I would drink.

"Trust me, I'm not. I spit the sip back into the glass as soon as he told me what it was." Staton awkwardly chuckles under his breath before setting the glass down on the table next to us. "This is not going to be good,"

I watched carefully as Breygan offers to share his drink with the girls, Julia slowly looks in our direction before she carefully grabs the glass, smelling it and handing it back to Breygan. I smiled to myself at her choosing not to drink the liquid. I technically couldn't stop her, but for some reason, I felt I needed to protect her. She was the youngest out of the five of us. Julia was only nineteen years old, fresh outta high school, with no real experience in the real world.

Her first major event was the shooting at the store. The event that would leave all of us traumatized for possibly the rest of our lives, and here we were trying to drown out all those emotions with what? Blue liquid that makes you forget literally everything? I scoffed at the thought, realizing I must have startled Staton. I leaned into him, pulling his body closer to mine as I tried to find comfort in his warmth.

I turned to look at him, watching those green eyes as they stare back at me. He slowly poured some of his drink in the plant, making it look like he had taken a few drinks by now.

"I want to go home and just curl up in bed and cry," I whisper. Hoping he could still hear me over the music. The song had slowed down slightly, bringing the people closer together, but none of that matter because all I wanted to focus on was Staton.

"Why do you want to cry, sweetheart?" His face contorts, his body is stiff at the sound of my mood. I shake my head before shaking him ever so slightly.

"I just need to cry to help work through the event that happened to us... you know, at the store." I wasn't sure if I was supposed to say it, or if it would be too much for both of us to hear. The words felt like acid on my tongue and they hadn't even left my lips.

"Oh Maple, I'm so sorry that this put you through that, and I'm so sorry you will have to live with that for the rest of your life. As much as I hated the whole thing, and as scared as I was for you, I'm glad I was with you. I hate the man that would do that. He caused so much damage in such a short amount of time that he will never be able to fix or make up for." Staton squeezed me, holding me so close to his body I felt like my eyes were going to pop out.

"That's what we really should be doing tonight, is sitting at the hotel and enjoying being with each other. We are lucky we are still here and breathing. None of us got hurt." I couldn't believe the other three wanted to go out so soon after something like that had happened to us.

The thought of all these people this room was stressing me out. Bringing me back to that very moment while we were standing in the checkout line trying to get out food. The snacks we were never able to purchase.

The only thing that was keeping me sane in this very moment was the man standing next to me, holding me close to his body. His cologne wafts through my nose reminding me of one of our first dates.

"I love you," I whisper, leaning to kiss him. Staton pulls me into the kiss, his hands cradling my face, his thumbs rubbing circles on my cheeks. After a few breaths, we pull away, staring into each other's eyes for just a moment.

"I love you too,"

My head was starting to hurt from the music, my eyes trying to readjust to all of the lights. I searched the dancefloor hoping for a sign of the others. Counting the people in my head.

"One...two...uhh?" I could feel my heart skip a moment in my chest.

"Staton!" I shout.