Chapter 2 ARIANNA

The school bell rang and I quickly scooped my belongings into my bag. Racing down the school corridor to catch my best friend Kelly before the next class took some skill through the mass of teenagers messing around.

"Kells!" She turned sharply, books in hand, and smiled at me.

"Hey, hun! What class do you have next?" She asked as I fell in with her steps.

"English Lit. Can I get ready at your house tonight? I am just going to run home and grab my stuff and I can be at yours at 4?" My eyes pleaded with her and she could hear the desperation in my voice.

"Of course, Ari! You know you are always welcome! I don't know why you don't just move in with me. My family loves you! And it would get you away from that asshole."

"I can't leave my mum and you know it," I sighed. God, I wish I could move in with Kells. Her family was the perfect 2.4-loving family with all the trimmings. Her mum was sweet and kind and oh so motherly. Her dad was cheeky and funny with his giant mustache and quirky dress sense. Her brother was the same age as Henry but a bit of an introvert and geek. A lovely person. They all were.

"Well, you can sleep over mine tonight after the party. That's if you aren't going to sleep at Noah's?" she gave me a cheeky wink. I had already told her our plans to go all the way tonight and she was just as excited as me.

"Thanks, but Chelsea has let us have one of her spare rooms for the night. Noah's parents are having their little dinner party so we can't sleep there."

She looked surprised. "Well, that is nice of Barbie! Perhaps she does have feelings after all!"

I chuckled, "Chelsea isn't that bad once you get to know her. Yea, she is obsessed with looks and materialistic shit, but she was brought up like that. What do you expect?" Kelly rolled her eyes, not convinced.

Racing home after school, I ran up to my bedroom and started to grab everything I would need in my bag; my dress that I had saved up for weeks for, sexy matching lace underwear, my make-up, heels, toothbrush, straighteners. What else was I missing? Ah. I pulled open my bedside drawer and threw the unopened packet in my bag. Condoms.

Throwing the bag over my shoulder, I opened my door and listened. Quiet. He wasn't home yet; the coast was clear. I thundered down the stairs as fast as my little legs could take me and grabbed my phone and keys from the side table just as my mum walked out of the living room. I could tell from her puffy eyes that she had been crying.

"Are you okay mum?" I asked carefully.

"Oh yeah. Everything's fine," she lied with a wave of her hand. Her tired eyes and haggard skin told the truth. She used to be so full of life. So vibrant. Now she was a shell of her former self. "You sure? Because I can stay if you like?"

"No. No. You go to your party. Have fun darling," she smiled at me and I gave her a weak smile back.

"I am staying at Kelly's tonight," I lied. She didn't need to know what I was really up to.

"Okay, my love. I'll see you in the morning," she turned and walked back into the kitchen. I sighed. I didn't have time to dwell on this. I had to go.

The party was in full swing and I was having more fun than I had ever had before. Chelsea's house was a mansion.

She had a huge swimming pool in the back garden, and so many rooms that it felt like you were walking through a maze of different vibes throughout the whole party. There was something for everyone.

A beer pong room, a techno dance room with a DJ, a making out room, a chilling room, a room where everyone seemed to be hot boxing and smoking weed. And then the main room and an open-plan kitchen where people were dancing and drinking, having the time of their lives. The atmosphere was electric.

"Have I told you how incredible you look?" Nate whispered in my ear as his hand snaked around my waist from behind.

"Only a thousand times," I giggled before taking a sip of beer from my plastic, red cup.

"Well, it's true. This dress. It does things to me," he nibbled at my ear lobe, and I felt my stomach flutter. Turning in his arms, I stared into his beautiful eyes and ran my hand through his floppy brown hair. His eyes were full of admiration and want, not like when Henry looked at me.

"Well, how about we take my little dress upstairs?" I cocked my head to one side and smiled seductively. The alcohol was giving me some Dutch courage and I was determined to make this an experience I would remember forever.

He leaned down, holding my face in his hands, and kissed me passionately. Our tongues danced together as the intense need to have his hands explore my body and to feel what it was like to satisfy that ache between my legs grew.

Without saying a word, he took my hand in his and led me up the clear staircase to the top floor.

Chelsea had already shown us our room when we arrived, so it didn't take us too long to push past the couples who were eating each other's faces on the landing and the girls who were tripping over their feet, giggling as they made their way back downstairs.

Once Noah closed the door behind us, only the dull vibrations of the blaring music downstairs could be heard and the pounding of my heart in my ears. I stepped towards him and started to unbutton his shirt, my eyes flicking up at his now and again. He watched me intensely and once they were all undone, I pushed it away from his shoulders as it fell to the floor.

"You are so beautiful baby," he smiled down at me and I fluttered my eyelashes. He was so sweet, but I wanted to get on with it. I wanted to feel the passion. The 'I need you now' feeling that I read about in books. I grabbed the nape of his neck and pulled him down to my lips, placing his hand on one of my boobs. He squeezed it gingerly, and I moaned into the kiss, trying to encourage him to do more.

Luckily, it worked and his hand found its way down my body and between my legs. He started to rub me over my underwear and I gripped his shoulders tighter. We had tried everything else and I was eager to get to the main event. The anticipation was killing me and the alcohol was making me needy as hell.

"Get a condom. They are in my bag," I panted against his lips. He moved off me quickly and I removed my dress, leaving me only in my new lacy underwear set I bought especially for this occasion. He removed his trousers and boxers, kneeling on the bed between my legs. He was already standing to attention and slid the condom on easily.

I lifted my head to meet his lips and kissed him softly, showing him I was ready. He inched himself into me and the feeling felt so overwhelming. I felt so full, and it hurt. Hurt like hell! I winced into our kiss, and he pulled back to look at me with concern.

"It's okay! I'm okay, just go slowly to start with," I rushed, and he nodded. His face scrunched up in pleasure as he pushed himself a little further in and held himself there, letting me get used to the sensation.

I wasn't sure if he was fully in yet but I felt like I was going to snap in half if he went any further. But he did. And then he was completely inside me. I cried out at the pain, but as he slowly pulled out and pushed back in, it started to subside. Instead, it started to feel good. Sore but good.

"Oh my god baby," he breathed through his slow thrusts, and my chest swelled with pride. I wasn't even doing anything, but the pleasure on his face was amazing.

He started to quicken his pace a little and I gripped his shoulders and moaned as the feel of him moving in and out of me, started to make my body tense most deliciously. I closed my eyes and got lost in the feelings as I moaned and cried out like I'd seen them do in porn films. Suddenly, he stopped.

My eyes snapped open and my heart raced as I looked into his wide eyes that were laced with fear. His face was slowly turning red as if he couldn't breathe and that's when my world froze.

I glanced over his shoulder at the figure who loomed over us, his face almost unrecognizable as it twisted with evil intent. Henry.

I watched in horror as he pulled the knife out from Noah's back, only to ruthlessly stab him again. My eyes widened and I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I had lost all ability to do anything. All I could do was stare into Noah's haunted eyes as he was stabbed repeatedly by my stepbrother.

Nate's body fell on top of mine as he passed out and the blood started running down his back onto the bed. I looked up at the sweaty face of his killer and he locked eyes with me.

"Look what you made me do, Ari," he snarled, before turning and fleeing the room, the bloody knife in hand.

And that's when reality hit me. And I screamed.