"Tell me if I'm hurting you," Riley said with the curling iron in her hand. Her and Xander have become so close lately that she's always attached to his side. She's also started eating lunch with us instead of the table she used to sit at with her friends.

Riley, Xander, and I were all sitting up in my room, helping me get ready for Dean's party. My mom was out with Christopher Walker which I still didn't know how I felt about it.

Riley was curling my hair and would do my makeup after. I had refused to let her paint my nails. That would be going overboard. Just hair and makeup would do it for me.

She had brought over some of her own clothes for me to wear. Most of them I had to move aside because there was no way I would be able to fit my chest in her petite shirts. I settled for a tight, black halter top that showed off my bare stomach and a pair of black skinny jeans with knee-high boots. This was so out of my element.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Riley was really talented with hair. She had long ringlets running down my back and my hair actually looked pretty for once.

I had offered to do her hair and we all burst out laughing. She kindly declined and said she would do her hair after she was finished with me.

After she was done curling my hair, she started on my makeup. She made my gray eyes pop out with the smokey eye shadow and dark eyeliner. I had of admit, I looked pretty damn good.

I stood up and faced the two of them.

"Wow, Eve. You look-"

"Hot as hell," I finished for Xander, grinning.

"Yeah, that," him and Riley laughed.

I thanked Riley for making me actually look like a girl and then Xander and I went downstairs to let her get ready in my room. She met us in the kitchen when she was all set.

Xander froze with his soda to his mouth, speechless. Riley looked stunning. Her shoulder length auburn hair was straightened and her makeup made her hazel eyes bright. She smiled shyly, smoothing down her mini skirt.

"Riley..."

I saved Xander by saying, "Riley, you look amazing."

She blushed. Xander finally found his voice and said, "You look beautiful, Riley."

~*~*~*~

Xander drove us to Dean's house. Butterflies racked my stomach as I drummed my fingers nervously against my thigh. I didn't even know why I was nervous. As we pulled up the street towards his house, I could hear the loud bass of the music thumping throughout the house. Scratch that. Dean lived in a mansion, not a house.

We parked down the street from his house because of all the cars already parked here. Dean's mansion seemed to grow as we walked closer. A chandelier hung from inside the window and a huge wrap around porch was attached to the house that was three stories high. There was so much space between him and his neighbors.

The front door was already open, beckoning us inside. The three of us cautiously stepped through the threshold and were immediately ambushed with the smell of alcohol and sweat. It was so crowded that we could barely move. I felt the wandering eyes of other people scorching my body from head to toe. They were checking me out. I think.

We walked through the impressive, dimly lit entrance way and into the living room. All of the furniture had been pushed to the side to make room for a dance floor. Bodies were already moving to the music.

I saw the looks on Xander's and Riley's faces. They wanted to dance but they didn't want to be rude and ditch me.

I waved my hand at them, "Go on and dance. I'm gonna go get myself something to drink."

Xander looked about to protest for a moment, but I turned around before he could. I wandered aimlessly around the mansion until I found the kitchen.

"Oh shit. Is that Evangeline Cross?" A guy at the island said, stopping from pouring shots for a moment. I couldn't tell what he was pouring in the darkness.

I walked right up to the island, leaning across it.

"That would be me," I winked.

"Want something to drink, hottie?" He offered, raising an eyebrow.

"Surprise me."

That was when I realized who I was talking to. Rick Leonard. Also known as Tracey's crush. He handed me a shot glass of some unknown substance. I knocked it back and smiled triumphantly. It burned going the whole way down, but I didn't show it. The guys now crowding around the island all said, "Oooo."

"Hey, want to dance?" Rick asked.

I figured that I really shouldn't dance with Rick because that would seriously piss Tracey off.

And that's exactly what I wanted to do.

I laid my hand on the counter, looking up at Rick under my lashes. He wrapped his hand around mine and started to lead me through the crowd of people and to the living room. I continuously scanned the house for Tracey, hoping she would catch me with Rick.

We finally made it to the living room. I waved at Xander and Riley where they were dancing close to the huge speakers. Rick and I started dancing right in the middle of the room. He put his hands on my hips and we swayed to the music.

I caught a brief glimpse of Tracey's orange skin. I knew she had seen me.

I made a show of pretending to whisper something in Rick's ear. Then I tilted my lips up to his mouth. He stared at my lips and I smiled. I leaned up to kiss him right in front of Tracey.

A burning hand wrapped around my wrist and I was yanked against a solid chest.

"I thought I told you not to come here, Angel," he warned.

I squirmed out of Ryker's embrace. Rick looked uneasy. He laid his hand against his neck and shouted over the music, "Eve, I'll see you later." Then he was off.

I bet Tracey was happy about this interruption. I sure wasn't.

"You ruin everything!" I yelled. Thank god for the loud music or else I would be causing a huge scene.

I ran to the slider doors leading to the outside. I didn't stop running until I was breathing in the chilly night air.

The backyard was beautiful. A huge in-ground pool took up half the yard and the deck I was standing on took up the other half. I took one of the only open seats left under the awning of the house on the deck and sat in it. I laid my head back until the steam left me. Ryker made me so angry. He always jumped into my business even though I didn't want him to.

People all around me were holding red solo cups. They were dancing to the music booming from overhead speakers. I couldn't take it anymore so I got up and walked over to the pool. No one was down here.

I stood at the edge of the pool and removed my boots and socks. I dipped the tips of my toes in the water to cool off. My body was still on fire from my argument with Ryker. I took a deep breath and relaxed. I hoped Xander wouldn't try to come find me out here or else he would insist that we leave for me. He was having a great time with Riley and I didn't want to ruin it.

Without warning, I was thrown threw the air. I crashed into the pool and the cold shocked me to the core. I gasped in surprise and water surged in through my mouth, choking me. I was drowning.

Something splashed near me. I began to see black spots clouding my vision. This was it. I was going to die.

Strong arms wrapped around my body, pulling me up. Water was clogged in my lungs and I couldn't breath even when my head breached the surface of the water. I was placed against the outside edge of the pool. The chilly air rose goosebumps all over my body. I still couldn't breathe. I was going to pass out soon.

"Get out of my way," I heard someone growl.

A wet body laid on top of mine and a mouth collapsed over mine. A force pumped my chest when the mouth was lifted.

"Come on, come on."

Fresh air blew into my nostrils and filled my lungs. My eyes flew open as water came up my throat. I turned on my side, hacking it all out. Attractive, I know.

My soaking wet hair was lifted off my face as I puked up the rest of the water.

I laid flat on my back again, looking up into intense blue eyes. Ryker's midnight hair was plastered to his face and his clothes were sticking to him. The white tank top he wore was see-through from being completely soaked. He was kneeling next to me and I realized he must have been the body on top of mine.

I covered my mouth with my hand.

"Oh God. Did you just kiss me?!" I yelled.

He looked shocked for a moment before saying, "I just saved your freakin' life and that's what you say?"

Laughter sounded around us. I quickly sat up to see a large crowd standing around us. I saw Xander trying to fight his way through.

"What do you mean you saved...oh..." I said, remembering how I was pulled out of the pool after being pushed in the water.

I glanced up to meet Tracey's unseeing gaze. She looked shaken. Rick walked up to her with purpose. She whispered, "I didn't mean to-"

"Bullshit," Rick said, "You got jealous that I was dancing with Evangeline, and not you, so you pushed her in the pool."

She didn't say anything, just kept staring at nothing.

I was lifted off the ground right as Xander reached me.

"Eve! Holy shit! Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine," I told him. Then to Ryker, I said, "Put me down."

"No."

Xander looked from me to Ryker and back again.

"I'm taking her home," Ryker said.

"No, I'll take-"

Xander was cut off when Ryker plowed through the crowd with me still in his arms. I craned my neck to see behind Ryker. I gave Xander a helpless look but motioned that I would be okay. Which I highly doubted.

Ryker opened the passenger side door of his car with one hand while holding me in his other arm. Then he dropped me inside. I bounced on the plush, leather seats of the sports car. I had thought he only owned that stupid motorcycle. Guess I was wrong.

He went around to the driver's side and got in. We were both soaking wet, but I was the only one shivering. He cranked the heat and I was instantly warmed. I didn't trust myself to speak the entire way home.

When he pulled up my driveway, I got out of the car and started walking to the front door without thanking him. I mean yeah, he did just save my life and all, but I still hated him.

I unlocked the door and shut it. Except, a booted foot stopped me. I turned around to tell Ryker to go away when his lips crushed against mine. They pressed hard once, with his lip piercing digging into my lip. My eyes were wide open and I stood frozen in shock. He broke the kiss after a second.

Then he strode off down my driveway as if nothing had just happened.