Hello! I am back!

I did get a review last time telling me to speed things up a little. Well, the first three chapters were updated five days apart. And this one is four days from the last chapter. I'm still deciding if I want this to move even faster. But for now, I'm going to stick with the four days apart thing (not including the day it's updated). I'll let you guys know if the updating thing ever changes.

I don't have much to say, but I'm really glad you guys are liking the story so far. This chapter doesn't really have a purpose. Kind of. The next one may be more important than this one though.

I don't own anything but the plotline. Enjoy!

but this insomnia ain't goin' away

Austin sipped his soda from the solo cup self-consciously. He was at Kira's house with all his book buddies and they were at the corner of a quiet room, playing cards.

Austin placed down his cards face-up and grumbled when one of his friends, Chuck, took all the chips. Which were actually corn chips, since the party-goers were using the real poker chips.

"Hee hee!" Chuck guffawed. He swept his arm across the small coffee table, bringing the plain, multi-grain chips to his front. He took a bite out of one before chewing the whole thing. Austin placed his cards down as they reshuffled, starting a new game.

He realized that he was running out of soda in his red cup. Austin excused himself from the table and this round as he stood up and brushed the crumbs off his jeans. He quickly readjusted his collar before opening the door to the room. Even through the walls in the room they were confined in, he could hear the loud, heavy rock playing through the walls. It bled into his ears as he stepped out of 'Nerd territory.'

Austin shuffled around awkwardly into the kitchen. He was shoved around for a bit before he made it to the liquid refreshment table. He was about to pick up the bottle of soda, seeing as no one was even drinking soda, when someone crashed in behind him. The opened-cap soda flew out of his hand and landed sideways nearby on the floor. Austin groaned as he watched helplessly as the soda poured all over the floor.

He turned around to see who shoved him, and saw that it was Dallas. He looked wasted as fuck. He was swaying on his feet as he held up his cup and a bottle of whiskey, each in one hand, eyes almost closed. Austin decided that he was trying to pour it into his cup, but the lid wasn't even off. And besides that, the hand holding the bottle wasn't even near the hand holding his cup.

Austin quickly slipped away from the kitchen and looked for the other bottle of soda. Out of all the parties he attended in his life, he knew that there was at least two or three more bottles of pop laying around.

He quickly found one where the jocks were sitting in a circle, playing Never Have I Ever. He asked kindly for the soda in which they just laughed at him. One of the jocks hurled the full bottle at him, in which Austin caught without too much trouble.

The people just blinked and then continued with their game, laughing away their troubles as they downed liquor. Austin shuffled his feet across the floor.

Austin was about to head back to the confined room where he was ordered to stay when familiar faces rushed up to him. Austin gave them all a questioning glance.

"Sorry Aus. We've got tutoring," Sun Hee said in Korean. Austin translated it automatically, after years and years of hearing it. Of course they weren't the ones who needed tutoring. Austin just sighed his approval and let them go. He was alone at the party now, with his empty cup and full soda in hand.

Austin uncapped the soda and carefully poured it into his red cup. He watched amazed as the sparkling, bubbling liquid poured and filled his cup quickly. He was about to re-screw the cap on when someone hustled into the empty kitchen, almost knocking him over. Austin didn't say anything, and neither did she.

She.

Ally Dawson walked past with Dallas on her heels. Austin watched as Dallas has a lustful look in his eyes, not really looking Ally in the eyes but rather...

The couple hustled down the hall recklessly. Austin stared in horror as they slammed the door on the room he was shackled to. Austin stood there dumbfounded.

Now what?

Austin couldn't leave now. He was to drive home a little after eleven. That was his game plan. He needed to let his parents know that he was like any other teenage, going to parties and having fun. Austin surveyed his options for the night.

He came to the conclusion, that it was either play truth or dare with the athletic groupie, or go skinny dipping in Kira Starr's massive pool. He chose the latter, deciding it would be less humiliating on his part.

Austin nervously fiddled with a button on his shirt before walking up behind the group of jocks and cheerleaders all in a circle. It took everyone a few seconds before they realized someone was looming over them.

"Hey Austin!" Cassidy, one of the nicer cheerleaders, slurred. She held a small shot glass in one hand while sitting in the lap of her boyfriend. Austin gave a weak smile. How would he explain to them that he wanted to join their antics?

"Care to join us?" One of the track stars, Jace, laughed. Soon the whole group realized how dumb that question was and all started spluttering and laughing. Austin just waited until their laughter died down before sitting down awkwardly.

"Yes, actually." He grabbed a shot glass from the middle of the circle where it was in stacks. The group stopped laughing immediately, staring at Austin with wide eyes. Austin just shrugged and spoke.

"Let's start."

Everyone stared at each other and shrugged. Cassidy was the last who answered so she got to pick who to ask. Cassidy hummed a little and touched her lip with a finger lightly.

"Austin," she smiled sweetly. Austin perked up, clearly please he was actually included. Everyone in the group laughed at something he didn't get. Was going first not a good thing?

"Truth or dare?" Cassidy started. Austin thought about it, using his logic. Truth would mean they got to ask him personally, and he didn't want that. However, dare would mean he would have to do something crazy these drunkies told him to do.

"Dare," he spoke. The objective was to be the least drunk by the end of the game. If you chickened out of the extreme dare, you'd have to take a shot. And if the person he/she dared actually accomplished it, then he/she who dared must take a shot. Austin gulped as Cassidy scanned the room for something for him to do.

There was a moment of pure silence, and panic for him. He watched as Cassidy's eyes roamed everywhere and then landed on him. She broke into an evil smirk, tiling her head to the side like an innocent child.

"Take your shirt off," she spoke, giggling as the group exploded into laughter again. Austin raised an eyebrow at her. Was this how truth or dare was like? Something as stupid as that? Usually, Austin was modest as it gets, but hey, this was a senior party. Nothing to lose. And he was trying to let loose since his buddies weren't here anyways.

So Austin started unbuttoning his collared shirt as the group fell silent. He worked his way, staring from his very top button and worked his way down. He slipped the plaid shirt off both his shoulder as the group stared in awe. Austin suddenly felt really self-conscious as the girls and guys took him in. The breeze was making his skin form goose bumps.

"Goddamn..." He heard a swimmer, Brooke, say. No, Austin Moon was not a wimp with a body like a stick. He was actually fit. He wouldn't say he had 'abs' or 'pecks' or anything, whilst some girls who were staring at him thought otherwise. Austin spent years and years of lifting books and actually staying in shape by going for daily jogs. He gulped nervously as Brooke winked at him suddenly.

"Would you mind taking your glasses off too?" Brooke asked suddenly. Austin frowned at her. He wasn't completely blind, so he could manage. Austin took his glasses off in one quick motion, putting on his neatly folded shirt.

Out of his somewhat blurry vision, Austin saw Brooke bite her lip slightly. She shifted a little in her cross-legged seat. She scooted a little closer to him, since he was sitting between her and Cassidy. Well, Cassidy's boyfriend...

Cassidy grumbled a took a shot of vodka. He saw her wince as the liquid poured down her throat. She swallowed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, grinning a little. The liquor must be getting to her.

"Okay, my turn," he cleared his throat as the group nodded. Some of the guys were giving him smirks while the girls were currently turning red. He spotted someone who didn't speak up the entire time. "Trish," he spoke. "Truth or dare?"

Trish de La Rosa was Jace's girlfriend. Everyone feared her. But not in the way they feared Ally Dawson. They feared her because she was loud, explosive and a little mean. But they avoided her jokingly, always laughing and returning to the spunky Latino after she may or may not have offended them. She was a funny kid, and a good kid, at that.

"Dare!" She spoke with a clear voice. She was sitting beside Jace while her boyfriend ogled her. She blushed a little bit before returning her attention to Austin. Austin didn't really expect her to say dare. He didn't know what to do.

"Uhh... I- I dare you t-to..." Austin glanced around the room with his imperfect eyes to find something. He almost smiled when it dawned on him.

"I dare you to jump in the pool," he said. Everyone in the entire school knew how much Trish hated ruining her clothes. Trish gaped at him before standing up reluctantly and grumbling. The group stood up shakily as Trish stomped her way outside. Even though she didn't say anything, Austin could tell she was furious. Maybe a little water will cool her down.

Austin pushed to the front of the crowd as Trish bent her knees and prepared to jump. Just when she looked about ready, Jace came out of nowhere and pushed her into the pool. Austin watched as Trish toppled down sideways into the lit up blue water. She gasped for air and glared at Jace who just laughed.

"That's a shot for you, Baboon!" Trish called as she hauled herself out of the water, smiling a little bit. As the group made their way back inside, sitting in their formed circle again, Austin watched as Trent poured some sparkling liquid into his cup. Austin gulped as he watched the thing fill his cup slowly, almost bubbling over. He took the cup slowly and brought it to his lips. Austin downed it quickly, wincing at the stinging sensation it left in his throat.

Actually, scratch that.

Burning sensation.

Austin gagged a little bit before placing his cup back down. He liked the feel of it, however. The night continued so. It seemed that everyone ruled out 'truth' as one of their options. Everyone had secrets to hide. 'Dare' was the only thing be said the entire night.

"I'm getting bored of this crap!" Gavin hollered. He was by far the most wasted of the group. Austin scratched the back of his head. His hair had been messed up since he was forced into something by a dare of that kind. Gavin suddenly stood up and cranked the loud music louder.

"How's about we all dance?" He slurred. Everyone cheered and got up, moving their bodies against each other in the spacious living room. Austin felt self-conscious again, scooting off to the side where his shirt and glasses were forgotten. He watched through half-lidded eyes when suddenly a hand hauled him up.

"Live a little Moon!" It was Brooke. Austin was shocked. Everyone called him 'Baboon' since it rhymed with his actual last name. No one had called him 'Moon' in years. Maybe she was more drunk that she put out to be.

Brooke pulled him onto the dance floor and then she started moving. She shook her hips and stuck her tongue out at him. Austin watched as she moved, her hips shaking, her breast bouncing the life out of her tight shirt. He gulped when she pulled him closer to her, pressing her body against his bare one.

Austin didn't know what to do at first. He was in the danger zone in his mind. But as Brooke started swaying her hips on him, Austin felt like an actual teenager, doing actual teenager things. He started dancing to the beat, just a little. Just swaying on his feet a little bit.

The night went on with a lot of dancing and drinking. And then more dancing and then drinking. Austin was sitting on the couch, feeling dizzy and out of state. It was like he was there, but not there at the same time.

Austin watched as the people began to blur around, merging into a swab of moving colour. He didn't even remember where he had left his glasses, thinking that was the problem. Austin suddenly felt too tired to think anymore.

He slumped down on the couch, his head back against the soft cushions of the seat, hair falling into his face.

end part four

I wonder if things like these actually happen in wild parties. Haha. This chapter seems a little vague, but don't worry. Everything will explain itself in time. :) It does seem pretty short too. Hm. Whoops.

Oh yes. Just because Austin had a little fun doesn't mean it changes his personality. It was a one time thing... :)

And if you guys didn't get the updating thing I said earlier, don't worry about it. It was a little confusing to figure out myself. But I can tell you that I'm planning my next update on Tuesday. So the wait begins...

Please leave a review and tell me what you think!