I swayed slowly to the beat of the pulsing song, my eyes closed. I didn't want to feel like I was in a room full of strangers watching me which is why I had them shut tightly, but I also didn't want to be alone, hence the reason I was at this party in the first place. The large room was filled to the brim with people and the noise level was at an all-time high. Still I felt like I was hearing everything from under a foot of water. That probably had something to do with the five cups of brown liquid I had drunk. I didn't even know what type of alcohol it was, just that after a while it helped me to feel better.

"Nora!" I heard someone shouting my name, the shouting was then accompanied by someone tugging on my arm. Sighing I opened my eyes to look at the person who had just ruined the perfect escapism moment I was having. "Ronny has some weed, you want to smoke?" My friend Jennie asked. Usually I would have taken anything to cloud my mind, and stop all the useless things running through it, but I couldn't stand Ronny. No amount of drugs could convince me to lock myself up somewhere and endure his presence. I shook my head. "No, you go ahead."

Jennie shrugged. "Whatever, we'll be upstairs if you change your mind." And then she sauntered off. No longer feeling the sense of disconnect I had from dancing in the crowded room, I pushed through the bodies flailing around. I made it to the kitchen, but only stopped long enough to grab another cup off the counter before I pushed through the back door. The outside garden was beautiful, they had a maze of hedges that was beckoning me. It was April and though it still got a little chilly at night the nice breeze soothed the wave of dizziness that came over me as I strolled the garden. Reaching out I let my hand graze the hedges as I passed, the slight stinging sensation doing nothing to deter me.

"How could you be so stupid Nora? I swear I don't know where you get all these idiot ideas from! You can't be my child, no child of mines would be so stupid."

I could hear my mother's shrill voice echoing in the night air all around me. "Shut up." I whispered. Even though my mother wasn't there I still didn't have the courage to stick up for myself, only daring to whisper.

"You're such a coward." I whispered into the night air around me, disgusted with my own cowardice.

Continuing to walk I came to a small clearing with tall hedges surrounding me on three sides. In the middle, there was a stone bench, and on that bench, lay a boy.

He had long legs encased in dark jeans and a pair of tan boots. His arms were crossed over his chest the sleeves of his long grey shirt covering his hands. Atop his chest lay an open book that rose up and down steadily with every breathe he took. The longer I studied him the more familiar he looked, but I wasn't exactly sure if I knew him or not. This party was filled with people I didn't know. Hell, I didn't even know the name of the kid whose party this was. Even though I had come out here to be alone, I was curious about him for some reason. I stepped forward until my knees touched the edge of the bench and I stood directly over the boy. His eyes were closed and a pair of earbuds were lodged firmly into his ears. Who came to a party and hid themselves away outside listening to music, with a open book, alone? I wondered. Wasn't the point of coming out to these things to socialize? I looked at him more closely, he did look familiar to me. I cocked my head to the side, my alcohol addled mind trying to recall were I knew him from. I leaned in closer getting a whiff of whatever cologne he was wearing, when suddenly he opened his eyes.

The two of us stared into each other's eyes, stunned into immobility, until suddenly the boy sat up abruptly not accounting for the small amount of distance that was between us. Our heads connected and I went flying backwards onto the cold stone ground.

"Ouch." I said a bit stunned. The short skirt I was wearing had ridden up during the fall and my cheeks were feeling the cold of the concrete ground, my thin no type of barrier. My arms and legs were spread wide and I blinked a few times at the night sky above me before looking at the boy who had caused this mishap.

"I am so sorry." He said kneeling down in front of me. "Are you okay?" He asked. When he got no answer from me I could see that he began to visibly panic. ", of course I'd be clumsy enough to accidentally knock someone out with my head." He placed his hand on my arm and gently shook me, while I still continued to gaze up at him in shock. I had a feeling that It was more due to the fact that I was well on my way to being completely drunk than the hit I'd received that kept me mute. When the boy began to around in his pocket and pulled out a cell phone I willed my fuzzy brain to do what I wanted. I reached out and stalled him from dialing anyone, the last thing I needed was for the cops to come. I shivered just imagining what my mom would have to say about that, what she would do.

"I'm fine, really." I was able to say. I slowly sat up but remained sitting on the floor, there was no point in standing. I didn't have anywhere that I wanted to go.

"Are you sure