Chapter 2

Let them say what their gonna say, but tonight I just don't really care. I've seen it all, I've got nothing to prove. We could just pretend. Come with me tonight, we could make it last forever. (The Veronicas)

Saturday night. A beautiful August night. Durham looked really peaceful for a Saturday night.

Or maybe you're just high on seeing things. Maybe you're rushing things just a little. Nothing is really what it looks like. Behind closed doors, mom and dad don't really get along, your boyfriend cheats on you every chance he gets, you don't look like a model just by eating your cereals every morning, the guy at the caffeteria doesn't enjoy serving you and your slutty girlfriends for free, the crowded cool party is the dullest thing ever, the gorgeous guy from the golf team has is really gay, the ... and so on.

Life in Durham seems perfect, now, she thought, for the ones watching. For the ones living it, not quite, she was sure. Some find it too late in order to make a change, others discover it just in time and some... some are running so scared that perfection is just the most difficult word in the spelling contest. Those were the lucky ones.

Because sometimes it doesn't hurt to see the scheletons from the closet, before the pretty nightgounds.

Haley knew that from the moment she steped into Duke's campus, a week ago. Everything seemed so big, full of history, full o past, everyone seemed so gracious while walking down those dark halls, nothing she hasn't seen before. She knew better than to fall for that again. Juilliard had taught her well. Maybe she would be wrong, but it didn't hurt to stay away from the madness of college life.

Remembering what she planned to do in the first place, she began looking through a pile of clothes that were laying on her bed, near the window. Looking outside the window she was amazed that she didn't saw it. It was already dark outside. The reason why she didn't switched the lights on was that the full moon over her window was already glaring through the room.

She turned to her clothes, grabbed a pair of of kaky cargo pants and a black halter top. Yeah, she was sure that those clothes were enough to make her look casual, yet still feminine.

If she was willing to go to this party, that was more then enough. She didn't need to put a show for it. She didn't knew exactly how the „casual dress-code" worked at Duke, but she figured that her pick for tonight worked just about everywhere.

A small trace of make-up – eye-liner and strawberry lip balm -, hair swept up in a high ponytail, casual clothes. Yes, she was ready. God, come on, it's not like your going to the prom. Just a party. A dull, boring, stupid party. You'll be back in no time, she thought to herself. Like she wanted to convince someone. Mostly herself.

Was she scared, she pondered, while looking for that damn piece of paper. Where did she put it? She needed directions, if she was going. On a second thought, she could just follow the sound of drunken teens mixed with loud hip-hop and screeching wheels. But that wasn't an assurance that she would arrive at the right party.

„Here you are. Now, Haley, let's go, we don't want to make everyone wait for us, superstar.", she joked out loud, trying to lighten up her mood. If no one was there to do it, she wouls become her own personal entertainer.

It was already nine p.m. and the dorms were all quiet and calm. The madness was far from the start, though. Maybe it wouldn't start at all, she still hopped. Now, through the calm of the night, just a sound could be heard through the hallway and down the street that lead out of the West Campus. That sound... that annoying, slippery sound that still made you think you were on your way to a beach party.

Yeah, that was Haley alright. The single soul that could walk down those halls in flowery slippers, the ones that you could fashionably wear only in the summer time, when the weather was hot. Kinda like tonight, actually.

She was walking calmly, fidgeting with the piece of paper that was giving her directions through the campus, to the party. Huh, first party of the year. It was suppose to be dark and depressing. At least that said in the flyer. And that was the reason that was driving her in the first place to this shinzy. The girl that gave her the flyer said that it was suppose to be a „welcome, lonely souls of yesterday, Duke's finest of tomorrow" kinda thing. What? You couldn't just have said „free food and drinks for the freshmen and a free show for the oldies that were hunting for fresh meat"?

Oh, god, that story was so old, it wasn't even funny anymore. Let's see just how right was she, anyway. That was the purpose, actually. To give this place a chance, right?

She arrived 10 minutes later at the place known as Rick's Crib.

„Jeez, watch too much MTV?" she mumbled while comparing The Crib with the ones she knew were purposely presented for show off on MTV. She knew that from experience. Hers. Others. And yeah, it was show off, all right. Everything was so perfect, so new, so shinny, so polished, so „just bought it today, don't know how to use it, though".

„I just hope you have enough courrage to call your cleaning lady tomorrow morning", she thought while zooming the place that was actually quite full. And loud. And full of freshmen.

What? Freshmen? Where did they came from? Everyone was already here, but she hasn't seen a soul in campus the whole week. Where did they hid, in this crib's basement? Oh, well, note to self: while on holiday, people really stayed far away from school and everything related.

She scanned the living room or at least she thought it was the living room. It was big, really big, full of couches and throw pillows, where everyone was just laying, if they weren't taking the bar by storm. Oh, they have a bar too, there, to the left, by those tinny colored lights. And a gigantic home cinema station to the right. Next to the fireplace. And a large terase/balcony right in front. And a swimming pool?

Waw. This was serios show off. Who was this Rick dude anyway?

Everyone seemed to have fun, but not too much. Like they were still waiting for the curfew or something. To her shock, the girls where still dressed, the guys where still awake, nothing was broken or scattered yet. Waw. Not falling for that one yet. The night was still young, she thought.

She walked to the bar. If she was giving it a chance, she needed a drink to make the decision more... permanent.

„A beer, please!" she said while the girl from behind the bar was serving some clearly underaged girls something colorful, but unidentified.

„Just a second!" the girl said. „Here you go. Enjoy the party?" she asked while cleaning the bar table.

„Yeah, I guess. Whose is it anyway?" Haley asked, still trying to figure out who would put their place through this serious suffering.

„Don't you know? Why, it's Rick's, doh!" she joked while eyeing the underaged girls that were still glued to the bar stools.

Haley shrugged while drinking her beer. She didn't know just how this joking thing was going here at Duke's. So it was best to play it safe.

„Freshman?" the girl asked obviously trying to socialize with everyone.

„No. Actually sophmore. Transfered." answered Haley with a little shyness in her voice. „I hope this party wasn't Freshmen Only." She smiled, still trying to sound polite and indifferent.

„Hey, no! That was only a teaser for people to actually show up. As you can see, the place is actually full of sophmores and seniors. I guess the freshmen aren't here yet or they're unpacking... or they're just scared." The girl joked again, this time adding a laugh for the effect.

Haley scanned the room more serious now. The girl was right. With the exception of the Kindergarden Club still hanging around the bar, the party was full of people that already knew each other. She smiled politely back at the girl. So she was wrong with this one.

„I'm Rick! Actually it's Ricky... it's my house." the girl said to Haley after she turned around to face her again.

„Wow! Ah... nice to meet you, Rick...y...ah, I'm sorry!" Haley managed to say, still in shock. She hadn't expected it, that's for sure. How was it possible? She thought this Rick was a guy, a „dude", a stupid jock, not someone like... Ricky. Friendly, decent, polite, not blonde, with glasses. Wow. And willing to put her own place through this.

„I know what you're thinking? Am I nuts? No, I'm not. Actually, I was the one that supported this idea since freshman year. As a matter of fact, it's my sister's tradition. She graduated last year, and now I'm the one that takes her place."

„I haven't seen you here before. I guess you're really new here..." Ricky continued, while she served everyone at the bar "see, this place is known as Party Central for several years, actually. And, as you can see, after all this time, it still stands. But, now, really, it's not like it appears to be. The hurricane only stroke twice, during the reign of my sister, actually. Since then, I guess everybody learned their lesson: as long as you get the place, the drinks, the social life and no cops, keep it clean... with all of it.", explained Ricky thinking that Haley was already making her own missjudgment and not wanting for her to get the wrong idea. Not during her first Rick party. I guess, that was just her, being nice.

„Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to appear scared or to missjudge this... Actually, I was kinda feeling relieved. I mean, that you're Ricky. Oh, where are my manners. I'm Haley. It's really nice to meet you.", said Haley stretching a very shacky hand to Ricky.

„Nice to meet you too, Haley. And welcome to Duke!"

„Thank you! And thank you for the drink... it's good. What is it?", asked Haley sipping the brownish drink that Ricky handed her. It was really good and alcohol free, actually.

„It's Chococherry, see?" asked Ricky while showing Haley how she made it. „My invention, actually. I figured you didn't want to start with the alcohol, not yet. You don't look like an alcohol girl, sorry, if I might add."

„You're right, no problem. I don't drink much... not anymore. I guess it's the old saying: been there, done that... next. Or not", laught Haley. „ Let's just say I'm allergic to it, now.", she said smiling, and really trying to sound at ease with the subject.

„I know what you mean. Just look at the Hilton Sisterhood..." pointed Ricky to the girls that were trying now – really hard – to get some guy's attention, unsuccessfully. „I just hope they'll learn their lesson soon."

„So, this party, really nice, actually and kinda low-key. I like the music. What is it? This song, I mean.", asked Haley, while on the backgroud, you could actually hear a decent „not so rap, not so rock" song.

„Oh, I love this song. It's Hands Down, by Dashboard Confessional!", said Ricky, trying to move with the beat, behind the bar.

Haley looked around, more confident now. It felt nice, really nice and not so scary anymore. The talk that she had with Ricky calmed her in a way she didn't expected it. And actually meeting someone so nice actually amazed her. Were her walls slowly coming down... so easilly?

The place felt really crowded now, and that wasn't because it was full of people, but because those people were actually dancing, talking, enjoying the party, not laying around or hiding in the rooms of the house. And it really looked like everyone loved this song. They were singing and dancing and for Haley this felt like fun. She realised she was begining to enjoy the night, as well.

---

„Wow, guys! Really... Couldn't stay away from it for too long, huh? We said variety this year. And, we just got here, this afternoon."

„Nathan, come on. You actually have a better idea for tonight? And since when do you buy all that we sell to you, huh?", Mouth asked, trying hard not to laugh at the way Nathan was trying to slow down the pace of the group. They would soon arrive, so there really was no need to fight it anymore.