I'd hoped that Bruce would be strict about Summer's party. I'd hoped that maybe he'd stop us from going. Maybe tell us that we were too young to be out by ourselves, or whatever it was that normal parents said to their children.

I knew how to handle myself fine in the real world, particularly at night. I had spent many hours in Gotham City past dusk. It was not a pleasant time to be out, in all honesty. But if shit were to happen, I could easily protect myself.

But that was beside the point. I needed Bruce to be strict because I didn't want to go. I was too scared to go. Everyone would still be thinking about Friday's incident, where Flynn had exposed me to a least half of the 9th grade.

I'd forgotten, though, that while Bruce was a billionaire business-man by day, he was also a playboy star by night. The famous billionaire-playboy was my temporary carer. And that meant that he had little to no rules about partying because, frankly, he did a lot of it himself.

"I've never been to a high school party before," I told Dick, Jason, and Tim as we sat around the TV. I had just gotten out from my shower and was wearing one of my many silk bathrobes that made me feel like a celebrity.

Jason spoke through a mouth full of chips, "You'll be fine. Just have fun and don't overthink anything."

Dick interjected, "But don't drink the punch, though."

Jason looked shocked. "What? But that's the best part!"

"What's in the punch?" I wondered, highly confused all of a sudden. I didn't understand any of these terms. And what even was punch, really?

"Alcohol," said Tim with a frown. "Most people don't know that and get stupidly drunk. Then they nearly fall off a balcony or something."

Jason swallowed his chips and waved his hand in front of Tim, dismissing him. "Don't listen to them. The punch makes everything better. Just don't drink too much at once, unless your tolerance is high."

Then, with a frown, he added, "Wait, is your tolerance high?"

"Okay, stop it. She's fourteen," Dick scolded.

This was getting way to confusing for me to keep up with. "I'm going to find Damian," I announced. "Maybe he can help."

I kind of doubted that last part, but I proceeded to get off the couch and head up the main stairs. I weaved my way through the grand halls of Wayne Manor and found Damian's room at the other side of the building.

His door was closed, so I knocked quietly. When no reply came, I called out, "It's Sasha."

A few seconds later, the handle began to turn and there stood Damian in nothing but sweats. "What is it?"

His harsh tone didn't surprise me anymore, I had grown used to it. So instead of getting upset, or feeling hurt, I said, "I need you help."

I dragged him to my room, hoping he could help in some way. "How many parties have you been too?" I asked.

"I don't know, a few..." he replied, clearly quite confused with why I'd brought him here.

I pushed him into my walk-in closet. "Well, what am I meant to wear?"

He gave me a flat look. "How should I know?"

"Because you've seen other girls at parties," I responded with a hint of desperation in my voice.

He still looked doubtful, but let out a sigh as he headed over to the dress rack. He sorted though about four dresses until he pulled one down. He held it up high and examined it for a few seconds. Then he threw it at me to catch.

"Here. Happy now?"

It was a short white dress with thin straps and a loose fit. It was nice, but I was still cautious. This was my first ever high school party and I didn't want to mess it up, or even worse, look like an idiot. "Are you sure?"

He only shrugged, and scrunched his nose at my wardrobe. "Either that, or some other revealing attire."

I felt a little embarrassed. Why revealing? Was that what highschool girls wore to parties? I honestly had no clue.

I allowed Damian to leave, and pulled out my phone to get some kind of idea of what to wear. I looked though Summer's instagram and saw photos of her in dresses similar to the one I currently held.

Other photos displayed girls in mini skirts and tube tops. I didn't have an awful lot of those, so I made do with what I had.

I decided on wearing the white dress with a jacket over the top to keep me warm. Then I proceeded to google makeup tutorials on youtube, and discovered that mascara and concealer where the only things I really needed, considering I couldn't do any of that fancy eyeshadow stuff.

I left my hair as it was because it was neat enough. Before I left my room, I examined the paper invite from Summer, turning it over in my hand multiple times.

Then I had a mini breakdown. Yes, right then and there.

I couldn't do this. What was even the point of going? Everyone knew my darkest secret now. They all probably hated me. I was associated with Flynn, and no one liked Flynn. He was dangerous and mean. I didn't want to be thought of as dangerous and mean.

I wanted to fit in, I wanted to be like everyone else. Was that too much to ask? Did the universe really think I wasn't worthy of that?

Damian nudged my door open eventually, probably after he heard my pathetic sobs. I really was an idiot, wasn't I? An idiot and a coward, sitting here in my abundant wardrobe, in the dark, between the row of heels and the row of sneakers. Just sitting there pathetically and crying to myself like an absolute piece of shit.

"I can't do this," I managed to say, my voice trembling uncontrollably. God, why was I crying so much? Why was I such an emotional wreck? Damian must have thought I was going crazy. Normal people wouldn't have overreacted so much, would they? It was just me being stupid.

His dark figure said nothing in reply, only taking a seat across from me in the closet. He was mostly concealed by the shadows of the dark room, though i could slightly make out his face and body.

I sensed his arm moving toward the light switch on the wall, and before i could protest, he flicked it on.

I squinted from the harsh light. My eyes focused on the boy before me, his eyes staring intently into my own. Oh, God, he could see every detail of me; the smudges of mascara under my eyes, the tears on my face, the mess of hair on my head. I contemplated reaching for the switch and flicking it off again, just to spare him from looking at me.

"We don't have to go," Damian finally said.

Now this surprised me. There was something in the way he said that, that had me feeling strange. Had me feeling guilty, like I'd let him down. Like I'd let myself down.

I willed myself to look at Damian, and I was met with his piercing green irises and dark, luscious locks of hair. His skin was quite tan, and his jaw was sharp. All his features seemed to be perfect, much like his father. He was definitely Bruce's son, that was for sure. And he was truly a beautiful sight.

"They'll hate me," I whispered, both to myself and Damian, because it was true, everyone at the party would know who i was and they would loathe me for it. no one wanted to be among a killer.

But he shook his head slowly, never once breaking eye-contact with me.

"No, they won't. Not if they truly care about you."

He had a point. If Summer, or Rebecca, or even Natalie really cared about our friend ship, Friday's incident wouldn't matter. Maybe I was overthinking things again, anyway. Maybe no one would make a big deal out of it.

I forced myself to get off the floor. No, I wouldn't sit here and feel sorry for myself. I was Sasha wilson, and I had faced much worse then a bunch of judgy teenagers. I could do this. I could pull through.

I rubbed at my eyes and tried to fix my hair. "I'm not going to let Flynn get in the way of this life," I told Damian, officially confirming that statement to myself. No, Flynn wasn't going to get the better of me. Not this time. He had done too much damage already.

And so, half an hour later, we arrived at Summer's place. Or should I say mansion, because by god was it huge. Not as huge as Wayne Manor, but equally extravagant in its own way.

I didn't know what i expected a high school party to be like, but it sure as hell wasn't as amazing as this. Since i attended a private school full of the richest kids in Gotham, it was no surprise that Summer's house was like that if a celebrity's. A pool on the roof of the house, three separate hot tubs, her own fucking slushie machine.

It was crazy, especially with the amount of kids there. Atleast 100, by the looks of it, and probably more as the night went on.

"So, where are your parents?" I asked Summer as she lead Damian and I through the house. She gave a sly grin and replied, "Business trip, both of them."

Seeing how modern and edgy the house looked, I was grateful that Dick had dropped us off from one of Bruce's many sports cars. It made Damian and I look like we sort of belonged here, even if i felt like I was a complete and utter alien.

I half expected Summer to bring up Friday's incident as we neared the crowd of people in the main living room area and outside patio, but she didn't. Instead she went and fetched a red cup for both Damian and myself to drink from, and told us to help ourselves to the punch.

"Is this alcoholic?" I muttered to Damian as we both observed the peachy-colored liquid. He nodded in response. "Obviously."

But then I remembered Jason's words about how the punch was supposedly the "best part." This was my first proper high school party, so I felt as if I should take a sip. You know, for the experience.

Plus, I didn't want to draw even more attention to myself by being the only girl there without a drink. I needed to fit in, and I needed to look like I wasn't a total dork.

Damian watched me distastefully as I scooped a large amount of punch into my cup with the weird serving thing. But he didn't try to stop me, so I guessed he knew I was trying to let loose. And maybe I deserved it, considering the shit I'd dealt with the last day or two.

The music that blasted through Summer's wireless speakers was loud and crazy. It was mostly rap music, with a bit of pop every now and then, and it made me feel more hyped about being there. It calmed my nerves, in some way. Made me feel more free to do what I wanted.

Damian headed toward the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Coke for himself. "I'll be the responsible one, then," he mumbled as he poured himself a glass.

"Sorry," I giggled in response, feeling a giddy sensation growing in my bones. I'd barely taken two sips of my drink and yet I already felt relaxed. Maybe I didn't have a high tolerance, after all.

Damian roller his eyes, but I knew he was secretly enjoying himself. He'd already given six fist bumps to passing friends and a number of girls had sent him flirtatious looks. He was clearly very popular, and that was becoming more evident by the minute.

An idea struck me very suddenly as i watched the teens around me dancing to the music and cheering with each other. "Come on, let's dance," I said spontaneously.

I twirled my way to the centre of the room and glanced at Damian, who wasn't following me. "I don't dance," was all he said, crossing his arms and sporting a blank expression. I couldn't help rolling my eyes. I just wanted to have fun, what was his problem?

"Sasha!" Someone squealed. I snapped my head to the side and spotted an excited looking Rebecca running towards me. "Damn, you look hot!"

I laughed as she gave me an impossibly tight hug. I wasn't really the best with physical contact, but tonight i felt looser, so i didn't really mind it. "So do you."

She was wearing a white tube top with a black mini skirt and looked gorgeous with her red hair curled down her shoulders. "Aw, thanks!" She shouted over the music. "Care to dance?"

I nodded and she lead me further into the crowd of kids. I noticed a lot of them were already drunk, or maybe just really feeling themselves, because every one was acting crazy and dancing wildly. It was truly amazing to see everyone so happy like this, like they didn't have a care in the world. I aspired to be worry-free like that.

Rebecca and I jumped and swayed our hips to the sultry beats. I couldn't believe how fun this was. My mind was totally focused on the music, nothing else seemed to matter.

I took another swig of my cup, and although it wasn't the best taste, my trained body could deal with much worse, so I didn't throw it up or gag. I was very grateful for this, as I knew everyone would surely laugh if they saw me puking after only a couple sips. I'd be known as the girl with the weak stomach, and that wasn't okay. I was not that girl.

Summer found me in the crowd, wearing her tiny pink dress over a bathing suit. "How are you liking the party?" she yelled, and even then I barely heard her.

"It's perfect," i yelled back with a huge smile. Ifelt like the happiest girl in the world at that moment. This was what being a teenager was meant to feel like, wasn't it? This was what it was all about. Fun.

Summer grinned in reply. "You guys should join me and some guys in the hot tub. Oh, and bring Damian," she said, lowering her voice a little at that last part.

That reminded me of Damian, so I glanced toward the food table to check if he was still there. He was talking with a group of guys who I recognized to be some of the popular boys. One of them was a footballer, I think, and the other was an excellent skater. the fact that Damian was actually socializing like this was strange to me. He was usually so isolated and uninterested in people. But I guess being the son of a billionaire meant that all the rich kids wanted to get to know you. And Damian was a great person to talk with once they did.

I turned back to Summer. "I don't have a swimsuit, though."

Rebecca nodded in agreement, but Summer dismissed us both with a shake of her head. "You can borrow mine, I have so many. come with me."

She lead us away from the crowd and toward a hallway. I glanced back at Damian and his friends, noticing his eyes following me. I gave him a reassuring smile so that he knew I was okay. Bruce had warned us to stick together, particularly because I didn't know many people and I could easily get lost. But I was with summer, and this was her house, so i was in safe hands for now.

Rebecca, Summer and I made our way up two flights of stairs to Summer's room. It was a large, open space with french doors and a window the size of a wall. It overlooked the patio below, along with two of the hot tubs sitting beneath a pretty display of fairy lights and plants. It was an instagram-worthy view, really, and she was very lucky to have it.

Summer yanked open her closet doors and we followed her through the walk-in wardrobe. She had a lot of clothes, clearly, but i was surprised to see that I actually had more. Probably because of all the gala dresses Bruce had given me.

However, she had more swimwear then I did, mostly because I hadn't bought any yet as I hadn't experienced summer at Wayne Manor. She pulled open a drawer of bikini tops and let Rebecca and I take our pick. There were a lot of options, most being pretty scandalous and revealing, but at this point i decided i needed to have a little fun. I needed to enjoy myself, and sitting in a hot tub with cute boys and a sexy bikini was the definition of fun.

I ended up choosing a simple white one, as it matched my white dress and i thought, why not stick with a theme? The bottoms were super skimpy and showed most of my butt, but like I said, tonight was all about fun. The top was a triangle-cut, like most bras, except it also consisted of very little material and would've been even more revealing if i wasn't so flat-chested.

Rebecca's bikini was black in a tube-top design. Summers was yellow and included a lot of strings that wrapped around her body and waist. It looked very complicated but she pulled it off, somehow.

When we arrived back downstairs, we weaved through the teens quickly. It was hard because there were so many of them, and by now the clock was nearing 11 and most were drunk.

I followed summer to the hot tub, spotting atleast five other kids already in there. Some of them looked a little older, while the others i recognized from my grade. "Yo, Summer!" One of the dudes exclaimed, resting his arms on the edge of the tub. "Who's the hottie?"

It took me a moment to realize that everyone eyes were on me. Me. I wasn't hot, what the fuck was he talking about? I must have had too much to drink. There was no way he thought that.

But Summer smiled. "This is Sasha, guys, and this is Rebecca. Move over."

They made room for us to get in. Luckily the hot tub was huge in size and could probably fit a couple more people. It was at that moment that I wondered where Damian was and if he wanted to join. Then again, he probably wanted a break from baby sitting me. That was fair enough. He deserved to have fun, too.

I stripped off my dress, trying not to blush when some of the guys whistled at me. It's midnight all over again, I couldn't help but think. I quickly entered the water before I got too cold, as it was still only Autumn. The tub was steaming and the bubbles made me relax. Rebecca nudged me from the side and whispered, "This is awesome."

I nodded back. "I know."

"Anyone want a drink?" One of the guys yelled, passing around his own bottle of something colorful looking. When the bottle reached me I took a deep breath and decided to go all in. I was having fun, remember? And this was what teens did to have fun.

Everyone oohed as I took a long swig. They were probably surprised that someone like me could drink that much in one go -- I didn't exactly look like a cool kid. I was most definitely a loser in their eyes, but hopefully my little display of drinking had helped change that. I needed to fit in, remember? That was my ultimate goal tonight. Ex-assassin Sasha was not coming out.

"Wait, you're new, right?" Another boy said, giving me a perplexed look. He had brunet hair and dimples, and although the water covered most of his body, I could still see his toned chest.

My heart raced at his words. Why was an attractive guy even talking to me, anyway? This was crazy. I was nowhere near his league, that was for sure. But still, I replied with a meek nod. Hopefully he would give me time to recover now, as I didn't think I was ready to talk to another hot guy.

But it didn't stop there. Brunet boy took a sip of his own drink and said, "Wasn't that you who kicked Flynn's ass in the cafeteria, right?"

I felt my heart plummet. Oh god.

"Yeah," said another boy with dirty-blond hair. "I heard about that."

This was followed by a couple more nods. I was terrified of how to respond. What was I meant to say? Oh, yeah, that was me who took down an ex-assassin. Wanna know how? Because I'm also an ex-assassin.

But you probably already knew that, didn't you?

All eyes were on me now, expecting some kind of answer. An answer I could not give right now. My mouth had stopped working and I felt my anxiety building. Come on, Sasha, you've killed grown adults with years of combat training. You shouldn't be scared of the opinions of a couple kids, right?

But I was. I glanced to my left as Rebecca's eyes met mine, noting the worry they held. She knew, didn't she? Of course she did. Someone would've told her by now.

I looked at Summer, too, who held the same concern in her eyes. She had been there for the start of the fight, when Flynn had first started bullying me. She knew what had happened, too. But why hadn't she said anything to me? Was she not scared of my abilities?

"Uh, yeah, that was me," I responded nervously. What else was I supposed to say, anyway? I was stuck. There was no escape.

But brunet boy only smirked. "Yo, that's badass."

I felt my pulse steady at those words. What? He didn't think I was a freak? That I was weird? This was insane.

But the other people in the tub clearly agreed with him. They began complimenting me for "putting Flynn in his place" and "standing up" to him. It was truly strange that no one was fazed about my assassin skills. Maybe they hadn't been there for when Flynn exposed me?

As the party went on, I felt myself getting more and more drunk. The pounding music filled my head but I was barely aware of it anymore. I was in the best mood I'd ever been in, completely care-free and totally intoxicated by the laughter and chatter around me.

Everyone was having fun, everyone was dancing and drinking and playing stupid, childish games like truth-or-dare, never would I ever, and similar things. When I eventually found Damian, he was winning a round of beer pong, because according to the kids around me, he was the outlasting champion.

Damian had an extremely high tolerance, it seemed.

But I, on the other hand, was long gone.

At some point I started dancing on the table to 50 Cent's "Candy Shop" as everyone cheered and whistled below me. I was still in my swimsuit, which was probably giving everyone quite a show, but at the time I didn't care. I pulled Summer up onto the table with me, and we continued dancing as some guys handed us more drinks.

When I tried to get off, my fuzzy brain could barely move my legs properly, and I ended up slipping. I giggled as some random guys caught me.

"Sorryyyy," I sang, but they were just as drunk as I was and didn't care.

This is the most fun I've had in my life, I thought to myself. Midnight was nothing like this, obviously, as it was a training facility with the strictest rules ever. So partying like crazy with a bunch of rich kids was a massive difference. I was the luckiest girl alive.

I made eye contact with Damian as I stumbled toward the punch table and filled up my cup for the tenth time that night. He moved towards me, a slight look of anger in his eyes. "Slow down with those," he muttered to me, pulling my cup away.

I frowned. Why was he being so bossy? I just wanted to enjoy myself.

"Dami, you need to relax more," I slurred, placing a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. He removed my hand and said, "Don't call me Dami. And where's your dress? It's cold, you can't walk around like that."

I just laughed. "What do you mean? I'm fine."

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the hot tub I'd previously sat in. I spotted my white dress on the floor beside it. Damian picked it up and handed it to me. "Put this back on."

"Why?" I huffed. I was perfectly fine in Summer's bikini, thank you very much.

He gave me the scary face again. "Just do it."

I crossed my arms and tried to look stern, but my drunkenness wasn't exactly helping. "What if I don't want to?"

"Are you seriously doing this right now?" He replied, eyes narrowing. I knew he was mad, somewhere in my drunken mind. But I still didn't care. I wanted him to be mad. He was going to harsh on me and needed to lighten up. This was a party, after all.

"Stop ruining my fun," I pouted, yanking my wrist free. At that moment, someone called my name from inside the house. It was probably one of my new friends, as I'd made quite a few that night.

So I gave Damian one final, giddy smirk, and headed back inside.

this is way longer than i expected it to be lol! anyway im not finished, the party will continue in the next chapter. i just felt the need to split it up a bit more. i got a bit carried away haha.

anyway thanks for reading, i'll upload chapter 19 soon x