Chapter 1: A Loner, a Camera, and a Saturday Night Party

(Tara's POV)

"Tara? Tara, how are you?"

"I'm reasonable mom, how are you?"

"Just fine. Your brother has been quite the handful since you left, always pestering me about what we are going to do with your room."

"What are you going to do with my room?"

"Oh, nothing, most likely. Leave it as a spare bedroom for when you visit us from University. Speaking of which, how is everything? I know you've been going for years, but it's so different now that you are actually living there. Are the people being nice?"

"Everything is… reasonable."

I heard my mother's tired sigh, even though I knew she was trying to hide it, "Everything is always reasonable with you, Tara."

"I know," I chuckled, "I don't know why you bother asking me anymore."

"Because I worry about you and- what? No you may NOT! Put that lizard back outside, Trevor! Trevor! Tara, sweetie, I'm going to have call you back," My mother's voice was high with stress and I almost wished I was there to help her, "I'll call you tomorrow. I love you!"

She hung up before I could respond. I sighed heavily and threw my phone onto my bed, turning back towards the computer that had a half-finished report open. As much as I wanted to continue writing, I couldn't help but think about what my mom had just said. She was right, for years my answer for everything was "reasonable." Reasonable was safe, it didn't need a lot of thought, and it kept people from asking questions.

Not that I was hiding anything to be questioned.

I was a slightly under average 20 year old. Black hair, blue eyes, 5'2"; I suffered from acute depression as a young teenager, but who hadn't? After deciding to get my bachelors in photography at UCA Farnham, I'd spent my first two years of University as a stay at home student. Only this year had I decided to live on campus, surprising not only my mom and brother, but my friends who had sworn I was too attached to Ashford to ever leave.

I'd never been one for making friends. It's not that I was socially awkward, I just enjoyed being alone more than I did being with groups of people. Not to say that I didn't have any friends. I had two, Isabelle and Mark, both of which I had known before I'd moved on campus and were more than excited when they found out I was to be living on campus. I now shared a dorm with Isabelle, who was currently out with her boyfriend, and Mark often hung out with me on weekends because neither of us much enjoyed going out.

So at ten o' clock on a Saturday night, sitting in front of a now black screened computer, I wondered where Mark was and why he wasn't sitting on my bed throwing crisps at me as I tried to focus on the paper I had to finish.

As if on cue, someone began to bang on my front door. "Open up, Tara, we're going out," Mark's voice boomed from the other side of the door. "Out," I asked, as I opened the door, a look of confusion passing over my face. "Yeah, they're throwing a party down the street," he gushed, pushing past me, opening my dresser drawers, and searching through them, "And I am taking you with me." I laughed and sat down on the bed as he threw articles of clothing, "This must be some party. I've never seen you pick out my clothing for me." "Yes, well, I know if I don't you'll just throw on some old outfit you always wear, grab your camera, and claim that you're only going because you want to get some shots for some project we both know you don't have."

I blushed some and fingered the camera that had been sitting at the edge of my bed. "You know I don't mind going to parties, Mark," I mumbled, "I'll even wear whatever ridiculous outfit you pick out for me. But only if you allow me to bring my camera." Mark looked over his shoulder, a large grin on his face, "Deal."

A half hour later I'm walking with Mark down the street in a pair of leggings and an oversized, neon green tank top, a shirt I didn't even know I owned. My camera hung around my neck and my hair fell in curls around my face, curls that caused a ten minute argument between Mark and I because I wanted nothing more than to leave it pin straight.

We showed up at a house that was blaring music out of it, people spilling out onto the porch and front yard. The smell of alcohol, weed, and sweat clung to the air and I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. It'd been months since my last party and I had almost forgotten how much I loved it.

I raised the camera to my eye, focusing on a drunk couple who were straddling each other in the front yard and laughing. I'd just captured the picture when I felt Mark grab me by the wrist and rip the camera away from my face. "Come on, Tara, we aren't even inside yet!" He yelled, pulling me up the steps.

The house was even more insane, there were people everywhere holding plastic cups and glass bottles of beer. The air was even heavier here and I could barely hear anything over the sound of the music. After a few minutes Mark disappeared from my side and I was left alone, my camera my only companion.

I walked around for a while, snapping pictures here and there that I found interesting. A boy dancing with a clown statue on top of a pool table, a girl chocking after taking too large a hit, a close up on a senior's face, a boy I sat next to every once in a while during my English class, as he danced. Sometime during all of that I ended up with a cup in my hand, the sweet liquid making my face contort and my eyes water whenever I took a drink.

After two cups of the overly sweet liquor and a beer I was feeling pleasant and I knew my photos would start coming out blurry. I stumbled into a room where the music wasn't as loud and the air was cooler. In the center of the room a group of students were sitting and laughing as a boy, who's back was faced towards me, flapped like a chicken and made the strangest sound I've ever hear.

'I have to get a shot of this,' my brained chirped and I raised the camera to my eye, steadying it best I could. Just as the boy turned around and looked over at me, still making that noise and his eyes full of excitement, I snapped the picture.

Then I gasped, because I realized who I'd taken a picture of. The Youtube sensation who happened to also be attending UCA: PJ Liguori.

Well here it is guys, my first ever fanfiction (that I've posted on this site).

I'm actually fairly proud of it, which is something of an accomplishment for me because I tend to be my worst critic of all.

I'm to be graduating in about a month, so I am going to try to update every day, but I am going to apologize if I don't. Once I graduate, though, I will have nothign for three whole months (Wooo!) so I'll be updating a whole lot more!

I hope you enjoy my fanfiction! This is one of the few fics that I have found that is about PJ (my favorite youtuber), so I am hoping it is a least a little bit different than anything else you've read. Please read & review! Critiques are more than welcome!

Oh, and here's my disclamer on PJ because I don't want him having to relive everything I write(;

-Boots