Tick.

Anima pushed the pause button on her iPhone, halting her quiet night of studying. It had been a few hours since class ended for the week, and since Anima had nothing to do, she chose to mope and study. Dropping her pencil, Anima stood from her black swivel chair and looked around her room. It was nearly nine at night, and she could have sworn she heard a noise somewhere. Anima scoured her bedroom, looking under her daybed, in her small closet, and in the hope chest at the foot of her bed. There was nothing.

Tick.

Flinching, Anima noticed it came from her window. Curious, she walked to the frame and stared. It wasn't long before a pebble bounced off her window pane. Luckily, it didn't chip the glass. Who would tap her window with pebbles? Was Rajna back? She would be one to do that sort of thing. Opening her window, Anima peeked out and saw a familiar head of curly blonde hair.

"T-Tom?" she asked in horror and shock. How did he know where she lived? Did he come to beat her up? She was home alone. She could hear the news station now: Girl Murdered by Teen Heartthrob. What if he broke in?

"Oh good, you're up," he spoke loud enough for her to hear, but not loud enough to wake anyone in the neighborhood. "I was starting to run out of pebbles," he chuckled awkwardly.

"W-What are you doing here?" she asked just a bit louder.

"Shh, keep your voice down. You'll wake your parents," he hushed.

Anima seemed to be a glutton for punishment. "They're in Sunderland for the night, and my brother is with a girl. I'm home alone."

"Er…oh," he mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"What did you want?" Anima asked tensely, not wanting to talk to him. "And how did you know where I lived?"

"I found my mum's address book. Wanna go to a party with me? Everyone's gonna be there," he asked nervously.

"I can't, I, uh, have stuff to do. I have homework to finish," she said, panicking internally. Why was he being nice? He wasn't supposed to be nice to her. He was supposed to be mean. What was he playing at?

"Just one night. C'mon, it's Friday," Tom begged.

"I don't know."

"Please? I'll stay here until you say yes."

"W-What?"

"I'm staying."

Anima gripped the windowsill, both frustrated and embarrassed at his persistent behavior and attention. With a sigh, Anima finally gave in to him. She was dying anyway, so she might as well entertain whatever Tom had in store. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn't give in…not until she gave up anyway. She shut her window and put on a sweater and some jeans before rushing down stairs. She grabbed her phone too in case she needed to call 911. Grabbing her house keys, she opened the door to see Tom standing before her with a silly grin plastered on his face.

"I'm glad you're coming."

"I can only stay for a little while."

"Of course," he said as he offered his arm to her. Could Anima trust him? What if this was all a trick? She'd have to be careful.

They arrived at a house filled with teenagers both inside and outside on the lawn. It was a good-sized house with two stories. There were people shuffling drunkenly through the door, and as Tom led her in, she realized it reeked of alcohol and weed. This was a bad idea. The living room itself was hazy with smoke, and teens were passed out on the couches. Instinctively, Anima cringed closer to Tom since he was the only one she knew. Keep your enemies close, right?

"Tom! Glad you could make it," Ben said as he walked up. He had graduated last year as well. "And Anima? Hey, how've you been? You look better."

"I hope you don't mind that I brought her along."

"No problem. Anyway, there are drinks in the cooler, and they're doing shots in the kitchen. If you want to blaze, check by the pool," Ben explained as he patted Tom on the shoulder before looking down at her. "Just have fun, relax."

"What's happening upstairs?" Tom asked, seeing giggling couples stumbling up the stairs.

"What do you think?" Ben questioned, grinning lecherously, raising an eyebrow.

"Drag 'n shag?"

"Yup."

Anima blushed crimson at the crude term and gently gripped Tom's arm a little tighter. This scene was one she generally tried to avoid. Tom looked down at where Anima was holding onto him and seemed to smile in understanding, sensing her discomfort.

"Alright, thanks. We're off to the pool," he said as he led her to a circle of people passing a neon pink bong around. "Which one of you is my man?"

"I am," a man with black cap on his head said as he blew a stream of smoke.

Tom nodded when he motioned for them to join the group.

Anima followed Tom and sat cross-legged on the grass, keeping a cautious eye on the other people as well as him. She was on high alert. Anima blinked, realizing that most of the teens were from school. Their eyes were bloodshot red, but they were smiling like idiots. The man passed Tom the bong and a small lighter shaped like a penis. Tom flicked the lighter, burning the weed for a split second. She watched him inhale the smoke from the long end of the device, fascinated at how he could so easily draw it in. Then she observed him let out a long exhale of smoke.

"Good stuff," Tom complimented.

Anima looked at the other teenagers in the yard; she watched as they chatted in a relaxed manner. Couples were lying on the grass staring up at the clear night sky, whispering and sniggering. They all looked so comfortable without the stress of life. She wished she could be so relaxed. Then she was handed the bong. Well, maybe she could be relaxed.

Tom leaned down to the side of her head, his mouth close to her ear. "No pressure, Annie."

Anima took the bong with an intense blush covering her cheeks. She couldn't chicken out. Tom would ridicule her if she didn't do it too. With shaky hands, she clutched the bong and lighter, and then followed Tom's example. The burning sensation caused her to clench her eyes shut as she pulled the bong away. She couldn't hold back the rising cough though as the smoke left her mouth, her tongue suddenly becoming parched like cotton.

Tom just smiled as he patted her back. "You get used to it. I'll grab is some beer."

"Uhm, no thanks. This…i-it's enough"

"Suit yourself," he said as he walked off towards a cooler, leaving her alone.

Once again, Anima found herself holding the bong and inhaling the drug, enjoying the feeling of her muscles loosening and the thoughts of ridicule and anxiety fading. This was better than her prescription anxiety meds. After taking several hits, she leaned back in the grass. Then she heard someone sit next to her. It wasn't Tom though. It was Martin.

"What's a cow like you doing at the party?" he asked as he took a drag from his cigarette.

Anima looked away, not comfortable with Martin or what he was saying. Was this Tom's idea? Was this why he brought her? Maybe she was just hallucinating. Maybe none of this was real. That happened with weed, right?

"You here with someone?" he asked.

Anima nodded and started looking for Tom, hoping to find him, and she did. Except, it wasn't what she expected. Tom was leaning next to the cooler with a beer in hand with Merlyn laying her hands on his chest, flirtatiously blinking up at him. She whispered something in his ear as she studied his expression, which changed to a perverted grin. He was completely focused on her, his eyes dragging down her tanned neck to her small bust before shooting back up. Pain started to swell up in Anima's chest again. Wait, why did it hurt? Did expect anything different? She looked away hurriedly.

Inhaling another hit of weed, Anima steeled her expression as she noticed Martin follow her gaze to Tom. "Tom, eh? That's weird," he said while scooting closer.

Anima shrugged, she knew she wasn't good enough...not for him…not for anyone. He didn't want her even though their glows matched. That's why she was going to die...alone. She was ugly and unwanted; no wonder Martin was shocked. She was shocked too.

"He's a little too good for you, isn't he?" Martin asked as he casually laid his arm over her shoulder. "Does it hurt knowing he'll never want you like those others? That all you will ever be to him is the girl on the side with his glow?" he grinned, seeing the pained expression in Anima's eyes.

Anima blearily blinked her eyes, wanting desperately to disappear back into her room. She could feel the tears coming to her eyes. No, no she couldn't cry. Anima just wanted to be buried alive with her own misery.

"Hey!"

Anima switched her attention to the angry shout behind her. Tom was marching towards her. She tensed, noticing the stiff hostile posture he held with his fists clenched at his side. Oh no, this was it. He was going to hurt her, beat her. No, no, no. As Anima flinched, he grasped Martin by the shirt and yanked him up.

"Did you hurt her?"

"Aw, c'mon man. It was part of the game."

"Wrong answer, cunt," Tom scowled as he raised a clenched fist and swung it forcefully into Martin's cheek, sending him flying. "You see this! All of you," he yelled as he showed them the very bright glow under his shirt. "I am in love with Anima Ruperre! She is my glow! You screw with her, and I'll fuck you up!" he snarled. "Got it?! Good!"

Anima jumped up sometime during the unexpected attack. Swaying a bit, she stumbled back and fell on her behind, not quite used to the dizzying fog disorientating her controls. She felt a throb of something, and she looked down at her chest. There was barely anything visible in her chest that resembled a glow. Tom studied the crowd's uneasy expression, most of them avoiding his direct gaze while others shuffled back to their previous activity.

Tom took her hand in his with surprising gentleness and walked out the back gate with her in tow. Once home, Anima let Tom come inside. Well, he more or less let himself in. She could care less at the moment though. She could smell the heavy alcohol on him. "He shouldn't have done that to you," he mumbled with spite.

Anima sighed shakily and headed over to her fridge. She pulled out two waters and handed one to him, careful to stay out of his reach. They both stood there, staring at each other as they gulped down the cold liquid. "I-I should thank you...for stopping him a-and... defending me."

"Are you angry at me?" Tom asked.

"No, well yes...but..."

"But? What's the problem?"

"I'm trying to think…my brain is all fuzzy."

"I'm a complete ass," Tom huffed as he thrummed his fingers on the counter. "I...I just don't want those wankers hurting you. I got so…so mad."

"Oh," Anima said nervously.

"Will you...y'know, be my friend now? Maybe more?"

Anima took a step back. No. He couldn't be. Why couldn't he just go back to being mean and hating her?! This was so much worse than him being mean! Her heart was racing, and her breathing was getting faster. She was going to pass out. It would make her life so much easier if he would just be mean. He watched her, eyes taking in her flushed cheeks and scared look. She shook her head, and his look became worried.

"Anima? What's wrong?"

"Please, don't do this. Don't pretend like you like me."

"But I do like you. I-"

"No!" she screamed. "Hate me! Hate me so I can die! Don't torture me like this."

"I could never hate you, Annie. I know I was an ass, but I just-"

"Get out, Tom."

"Annie, I-"

"Now!"