The Dangers Of The Damaged ✔︎

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"I'm on the other side, it's alright,
just hold me in the dark,
No one's got to know what we do,
hit me up when you're bored."
Better - Khalid

Two hours later, the party is still in full swing. And I haven't seen Hunter since the kiss.

I kissed Hunter Triton. And it felt fucking amazing. Three months ago, if someone told me I'd be kissing him and possibly falling for him, I would have laughed in their face.

My dress is almost entirely dry now, but Kye's hoodie is still wrapped around me. I'm sitting in the game room with the rest of my friends, watching them play some drinking game. I slip off Kye's jacket, my throat feeling parched. The alcohol and weed in my system gradually faded in the past few hours, but I still feel slightly tipsy.

"Gonna grab some water," I tell Nessa, who's sitting on Miles' lap, clutching a can of beer. She nods in acknowledgement, and I set off to the kitchen.

On my way, I feel eyes on me again, some lingering, some just quick glances. When Nessa gave me this dress, I instantly knew it would catch extra attention. Even the soccer boys, who are used to seeing me showing skin, looked at me for a little longer than usual. This kind of attention is something I used to get a kick out of. But now, after everything, it feels slightly uncomfortable.

I finally make it to the kitchen, going straight to the fridge and pulling out a cool bottle of water. Screwing the cap open, I take a few long sips, leaning against the kitchen island. I lick my lips when I'm done, and I'm about to go back to the game room when Maya walks in.

She scans the room, a slight sneer forming on her face when she spots me. Maya is wearing a skin tight scaly green dress, with a plunging v-neck. For a millisecond, I admire her confidence for being able to wear something like that. After what happened to me, I can't.

But I remember the way she's treated me, and push away my thoughts as I look back down to my water bottle. She turns to the side to fill up a cup with beer, and I glance back at her, suddenly noticing her smudged lipstick, messed up hair and scrunched dress.

My stomach sinks.

As Kye took me inside, he'd told Hunter that Maya was looking for him.

What if...

No. I shake my head, mentally scolding myself for even thinking that way. Hunter would never.

Suddenly feeling strangely upset, I push myself off the island and walk out of the kitchen, straight into the living room. I spot someone pouring shots by the pool table, and I immediately abandon my water bottle and go over to them, and the boy who's pouring them gestures for me to take one.

I thank him, and lift the small shot glass. He pours himself one, and for his girlfriend, I'm guessing, by the way his hands are wrapped around her waist. The three of us clink our glasses and down the shot together.

"Thanks." I grin at the two strangers, before setting down my glass and disappearing into the dance floor before they could reply. Feel So Close by Calvin Harris begins blasting from the speakers as I push my way through to the middle of the dance floor.

'I wear my heart upon my sleeve, like it's a big deal.'

I throw my hands up, letting my dance instincts take over as I loosened my body, allowing it to go with the flow. A mere few seconds after I started dancing alone, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Thinking it's one of my friends or Hunter, I swivel around, only to be met with an unfamiliar guy grinning down at me. He's quite tall, and skinny. Curly brown hair and an oddly shaped jaw. I've never seen him before, but he looks like he's a freshman.