Ok. This is a long story. It takes a long time to actually figure out the problem. And it's kinda mushy, once you get into it. Sorry. I was really a crazed fangirl.

Elizabeth wrapped up the present for the birthday party tonight, for her friend Claire. Claire was her best friend, though she hadn't been very nice recently. Why am I even going, Elizabeth wondered, If she hasn't talked to me in over a month? She tromped down the stairs, pouting. Her purse bounced on her shoulder.

"Elizabeth... Why don't you have your shoes on? We're almost ready to go," her mother nagged. "Claire's one of your best friends! Why aren't you more happy about the invite?" That was her mother, always getting into her business. On the inside, her mean self replied, Why am I not happy? Because this girl has been ignoring me and hanging out with the cliques for the past month. She bit her lip, swallowing the words that threatened to spill out past her lips.

"Coming, Mom, jeez. I'm walking, remember? It's still light out. Kind of." She talked quietly, almost impossible to hear, but her mother was tuned into this sort of talk. "I'll text you when I get there." She drudged out the front door, slamming it to relieve some of her frustration.

"Yeah, like I want you to drive me there. You'll probably make me talk to her too." Elizabeth said to herself. This was one thing she had been dreading.

Her mind wandered while she walked, her eyes flicking back and forth. Her tall figure was slim, but she didn't wear very tight clothes, because they made her nervous, like everyone was watching her. Same with her cinnamon-colored hair, it always cascaded from her shoulders, reaching her lower back.

I wonder who will be at this party. The clique girls and former friends like me? Elizabeth had never been popular, just a nerd in band. She didn't think she was nerdy, mostly other kids critiquing and stereotyping like they always did. She loved playing the flute, its delicate sounds like petals drifting in the breeze. Until someone messed up, or the conductor stopped the playing. Then the petals were crushed by a forklift.

Walking at a slow pace, hoping to be late, she reluctantly reached the front of Cadbury Drive. Unluckily for Elizabeth, her ex-best friend's house was right in front of her. There were party balloons strung across the front porch, silver crepe paper wrapped around trees like ugly candy canes. Then Claire burst out of the front door, wearing a black strapless dress, almost running over the tall red-haired girl. Elizabeth felt very plain next to her fancied-up friend.

"You're here! Thank god!" She gushed, looking happy, but her eyes betrayed her. There was guilt, and Elizabeth could tell it was guilt because of the way her smile faltered, then brightened again. Probably because you're not in there spending time with your new idiot friends.

"Yeah, great, I'm here. Right..." Elizabeth awkwardly held out the present. Claire looked confused, her eyes completely lost. Then she beamed.

"Silly! You weren't supposed to bring a present! The invite said nothing to give! Nothing!" Claire laughed, a high-pitched dolphin sound.

"Well... we're such good friends and all, I thought I should still get you something." Elizabeth muttered. It showed how much she had even looked at the invite, besides the date and place.

"Come in, come in," Her friend's voice drifted away like it was coming from underwater. "So... here's everyone! Ahh, you look uncomfortable. You wanna take a breather?" Claire's words spilled out in an avalanche of letters. Then, she quietly whispered, "Please, I need to talk to you. Please."

Elizabeth blindly followed the black-clad girl into the backyard. It wasn't a very big backyard, only room enough for a small bed of flowers and a stone angel holding a bowl full of water. This grassy square brought back memories. Two girls in swimsuits, playing the sprinkler, getting bored, then venturing over the the angel to fill up the bowl with clean water and painting tears on the angel's face.

The two girls stuck out in the dying backyard, not speaking. Then the silence was interrupted.

"Look, Elizabeth, I've been meaning to talk to you, but those idiots won't let me get away. What's the matter? I'm sorry I haven't been speaking to you. I know you must be really mad at me, so when you're ready to talk, I'll be in my room." Claire spoke in a small voice, then her pitter-patter footsteps stopped when she reached the door, silenced by the rug in the house.

Elizabeth went over to the angel, which she had named Tristian long ago, for the tears than ran down its cheeks. The statue was firmly planted in the ground, so she leaned up against its wings and slid down its stone back. When she hit the leaf-covered ground, she started sobbing. Why? Why did I ever come? I knew I was in for a guilt trip. Why, why, WHY was I so stupid? She wailed inside her mind. She reached out her hand to lift herself back off the ground, but the ground had vanished from under her. She tumbled into a dark, deep, indigo-colored hole. The sun had taken leave of the sky, leaving it a sweet periwinkle color.

"Hmm, well, this isn't a scary fall in the least. I wonder if this is how people thought if they fell down a well...?" She asked herself, then said, "I bet they were more frightened, because they knew where they were going. They were going into a hole filled with water and they would never get out. I-" She stopped herself. "Am... am I in a dream? Well, it certainly isn't a very scary dream. It's actually kind of nice." She went silent, thinking about what had happened. "Wait- this isn't a dream at all! I never fell asleep! I was crying! For obvious reasons, but still! I'm gonna DIE!" She screamed bloody murder on the last word.

Elizabeth hit the ground, hard. For a moment the world was a dizzying blend of colors, smells, and sounds. When she had the will to get up, she leaned against a tree. She didn't notice the bloody couple until they were right in front of her. When she did see them, she thought, Holy freaking crap, I'm gonna die by these people.