Coincidental Heartbreak

Chapter 1

If tonight went as planned, I'd be snuggled up in my bed, watching a whole season of a show I've repeatedly seen on Netflix, and eating a pint of ice cream. Since things didn't go as planned, like they usually don't, I'm trapped at a party that my best friend, Bailey dragged me to. I'm always her alibi when she wants to spy on her not-boyfriend, Dalton. She purposely brings me to parties and social events that she knows he'll be attending. Neither of us actually comes to these things to enjoy ourselves. She walks around the party multiple times, pretending to look for me, when really she's just using me as an excuse to stalk Dalton for a couple of hours. I honestly don't get their not-relationship at all. They say that they're not together, but hook up all the time and then get totally pissed off if the other hooks up with another person. It makes absolutely no sense. Though, I'm the last person on the planet that should be handing out relationship advice.

Bailey may be a special case, but I'm ultimately the lame one who's aimlessly walking around this stupid party because I don't have anything better to do on a Friday night. I kind of thought this school year would be different. I'm in my last year of high school, stuck in the same off and on relationship, and still helping Bailey play her stupid hard-to-get games. I suppose it's my fault for expecting my life to change when I'm the exact same person, surrounded by the exact same people.

"Peyton!" I hear Bailey call out. 

I might as well give her something to look for, I think to myself as I dip into one of the thankfully empty bedrooms. As soon as I flip the lights on I see a guy sitting on the bed staring back at me, his green eyes look like they haven't slept in days.

"Sorry, I didn't know anybody was in here, I'll leave you alone."

"You can stay," he protests. "You're Bailey's friend, Peyton, right?" 

I internally roll my eyes, if I'm not known as Tristan Carmichael's pathetic girlfriend, I'm Bailey's loner best friend. "Do we know each other?" I question.

"I'm Marco, Dalton's friend," Marco pauses, waiting for me to suddenly realize who he is. Then when he becomes conscious of the fact that I still have no clue who he is, he says, "You've lived across the lake from me for seven years." He starts laughing. "You seriously don't remember me? I saw you at the Rec Center like two weeks ago."

I quickly remember back to a few weeks ago when I was third wheeling with Bailey and Dalton at the pool in the Rec Center, Marco works there. Great, I'm not even third wheeling tonight and I get lumped with one of Dalton's friends. "OH, Marco," I say. 

"Polo," he responds, his joke making me smile. 

"Sorry, I usually zone out when I'm forced to be around Bailey and Dalton, otherwise I'd lose what little sanity I have left." I walk towards the bed and sit beside him. "So why are you in here? Hasn't anyone told you that there's a 'legendary' party going on out there?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I'm hiding from Bailey while she stalks Dalton," I quickly answer. "Your turn, what are you hiding from?"

"Meredith," he answers. "She's cheating on me," he blurts.

I look down, realizing that Meredith must be his girlfriend. "Oh, I'm sorry." At least Marco is the only person who knows that his girlfriend is cheating on him. It could be worse; the entire school could know that she's cheating on him. "Does she know that you know?"

Marco shakes his head. "I haven't slept in like, two days, this party was supposed to cheer me up, but that didn't really work." He runs his hands through his dark hair, messing it up. "She's going to catch on that know if I keep avoiding her."