It was Friday night. Ace was getting ready for Tia's party. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go. Last time Tia had a party, some one was selling more than ecstasy. At least they thought they were. Turns out they were just placebos. But Ace still didn't like the idea of all the drugs. Not since…

Whatever she would just have to watch her drink…

Tonight was a huge business night. Of course, that's was her faces jobs. But she just might play a few hands. The doorbell rang, and Kristen and Katie walked in.

"Hey guys! Cameron is bringing Justin and Jackie over." They two girls ran up stairs.

"So what did you think of George," Ace asked, referring to the twins father.

"He seemed nice. Kind of boring really," Kristen said. The doorbell rang again and Jackie and Justin came in.

"Ready to go guys," Mary, Ace's adoptive mom, asked.

"Yea."

THE PARTY

The group walked in, and instantly found there group of friends. Jackie obviously didn't fit in.

"Here, I'll introduce you to your kind of girls. Don't take any drugs, most kids make the crap themselves." They walked over to a bunch of girls wearing Abercrombie.

"Here plastics, another Barbie," Ace said. The girls looked at her.

"Why are you talking to us," they asked with sneering look.

"See, you all hate me. Now socialize." Ace left. The girls seemed to accept Jackie pretty quick. Ace walked back over to the others. They sat down at a table. Tia walked over.

"Yo, wat up peeps," she asked, with a big guffy smile on.

"Tia, what have you been smoking." The question was said totally seriously.

"This and that, you know? You know? Right?"

"Let's, uh, move," Katie said looking at the woozy girl.

"Oy, Ace," a voice called. She turned around in the crowd of people. Shots seemed to be going around fast. Finally she located the voice, and walked over to the DJ table.

"Wanna DJ for a bit?"

"Not really, come on Justin, let's go talk to him. Hell a lot more interesting than this crap." They walked over.

Jackie was having fun with the other girls. They found some guys to make out with. That would keep them occupied for a bit.

Ace and Justin walked around the house looking for the rest of the group. A twerp came up and tried to sell them drugs, but Ace punched him.

"Nice," Justin said.

"Thanks," she said. Her stomach fluttered. He was cute. 'That's it,' she thought, 'Who am I kidding, he is way hot.'

"Look, Justin, wanna skip the whole be friends first thing."

"And skip to the dating?"

"And this," she said, and kissed him.

"Gladly," he said, and kissed her. They started making out like all the other teens there, until someone screamed. Everyone looked. A guy was on the ground. Ace groaned, and walked over. He wasn't moving. Ace took his pulse. Nothing.

"Anyone know CPR?"

"Umm…" A girl raised her hand. Everyone looked kinda of stunned. Some one called 911.

"What did he take, and who sold it?"

The kid Ace punched raised his hand.

"He took some X." He threw her the container. She looked at the pills. They had cartoon characters on them.

"Okay, anyone else who bought from him, I suggest you sit." She said. A few kids sat down, and two more passed out. The ambulance came and took the three, and a forth who fainted when they got there. Everyone left, but the gang jumped on the ambulance.

"You can't be here."

"This going to PPTH?"

"Yea."

"I'm interning there. I have every right to be here. My friends can come too."

"You can make that call," the guy asked.

"Yes, now go." Tired of arguing, he did just that. They brought the first kid around, so they worked on the next.

The extra teens sat and watched.

"What's going on," the first kid asked.

"You bought X from Nathan."

"Oh," he said. They quickly arrived at the hospital. The gang got out of the way for the paramedics. Once they all went in the teens slowly walked in, Ace and Justin in the back.

"So," he whispered, "we dating?"

"Yea, I guess so. We were friends, for like a week, it works right?"

"Of course it does." He grinned. Jackie tripped.

"I think your sister needs a coffee," Kristen called.

"Jackie, did you drink any thing?"

"Just a little."

"Mom is gonna kill you."

"Who is gonna tell her," she asked.

"Um… your aunt, she is working late tonight."

She froze. "No," she said.

"Yes, don't worry, she makes a mean coffee."

The teens entered the hospital, and Cameron was standing there.

"Quick, Cameron, she needs coffee," Katie said walking in, following the drugged up party kids. She wanted to see this.

"No, you guys are coming with me," she said.

"Ruh-roh, some one is in trouble," House's voice rang.

"Not me," Ace said. "Some guys at the party." She tossed him the ecstasy.

"Oh, drugs! Why are you giving drugs to a drug addict?"

"Because the drug addict is a doctor who is going to find out what those are. They look like X, but X doesn't cause people to faint, or for some people's heart to stop beating. Well, it does. But Nath sold it. Plus, I'm not a doctor. The kids are coming around, but they don't know why."

"Why can't Cameron do it," he wined.

"Because she is better at making coffee than you, and Jackie needs coffee."

"Fine," he said and went to the lab.

"Why were you guys drinking," Cameron asked.

"Only Jackie was, do we look drunk?"

"No, but if Jackie was hanging out with you…"

"She wasn't."

"Where the hell was she," Cameron said, on the verge of yelling.

"Hanging out with some girls, why?"

"What if they gave her drugs?" They were in the elevator, and Cameron was examining Jackie's pupils.

"I told her kids in my school are nuts and not to take any drugs."

"But if the kids were sane it would be okay?"

"Well, yea, look what happened the other kids. Trust me; that was NOT X."

They were in the conference room and Cameron was making coffee.

"What was it then?"

"Any chemicals they could find."

"You are kidding? They have no idea what the reactions…"

"Yes they do! That's how they sell it," she said. Then she began to mock a voice. "'Hey, this is new X, it's real this time. It has a chemical added so you won't get the fever. Take just one kiddies.'," she went back to her normal voice, "and it doesn't work, it takes 30 minutes, so they take 3 or 4. Nathan is a genius, I swear, but he is a jerk too. All he cares about is money." She sat on the couch. When the coffee was done, she put one in a Styrofoam cup.

"Come on, Justin, we are taking this to House." He followed. Kristen and Katie's parents had just come. Ace was sleeping there over night with the other interns.

The two went down to the lab and gave House the coffee.

"Did you find anything?"

"Ton of stuff, sodium, chlorine, sulfur, and even a trace of uranium. But that was small so I think it was just in the water or something."

"I guessing that stuff doesn't mix," Ace asked.

"The body shouldn't ingest most of this stuff alone. The stuff is amazingly small dosages. I don't even see how it would make anyone high."

"What if you took five?"

"Umm… your heart may stop beating," House said.

"Wait, like you would die, or like a heart attack type thing."

"Well, at three your heart will skip every fifth beat."

"Five?"

"Your heart would only beat… a few times."

"I think that might be what happened."

"Taking five pills? No one is that stupid."

"A drunken teen may take ten pills!"

"They wouldn't have to, if the teen was legally drunk—"

"Oxymoron," Ace said.

"Hmm… good point. Back to what I was saying. If a kid about his build got drunk and took two of these pills, it would have the effect of a sober taking five."

"Nath claims he only sold one per person."

"I'd say he is lying, that or these ain't the right drugs."

"No, they are, he tried to give us some."

"I thought you said you don't take drugs. Wouldn't the kid know that?"

"He was drunk…"

"Oh duh." House smiled. Course he was drunk, stupid teens.

"Okay, well we are leaving, go tell the doctors 'bout your discovery."

"They will ask how I got the pills."

"Tell them from me, I got it covered."

"Okay…"

Ace and Justin left and turned towards the conference room. When House was out of sight, they stopped.

"Justin, we never finished our kiss from before." Of course, it had to quick because they were in a hall and anyone could walk down.

"Maybe we should tell everyone we're going out," Ace said before walking in the room. They looked in to see Cameron yelling at Jackie. They looked at each other and knew not just yet. They walked in.

"What did he say," Cameron asked when they walked in.

"Oh, there was all kinds of fun stuff," Justin said.

"It would make your heat skip a beat. Figuratively and literally," Ace added. Cameron looked at her, but she didn't want to explain.

"Cam, your done for the night. Go home, Chase misses you I'm sure.

"What?"

"Go hang out. Cam, can I ask you something privately before you go?"

"Sure," she said. She knew what it would be about. But she was excited, and wanted to tell someone without the whole world knowing. They walked into House's office.

"How did it go," Ace asked.

"I'm pregnant." Ace was happy to see a smile on her face.

"Don't give her up," she said, "or him."

"What do you mean?"

"My mom wasn't really young when she had me, she was your age. It was a one night kinda thing. She won't tell me—"

"Wait, you know your mother?"

"Yea, she visits every year in July. She wasn't exactly financially stable when she had me. She still isn't really. But yea, I see her. Whatever you do, don't give the kid up. It's my mom's biggest regret. You and Chase can get married. You love each other. You helped him get through something big. He'll help you."

"Wow. I thought my child hood—"

"No, no. Don't get me wrong. My life is wonderful. I just don't have a dad. My mom ditched him when she found out she was pregnant. She said he was a complete jerk off. Won't tell me what he did though. She just said she was a jerk."

"A jerk she loved."

"I don't think so."

Cameron frowned. They walked out of the office.

"Justin, Jackie, let's go."

"Can I stay here tonight," Justin asked. He had just found out, and he didn't think Ace knew yet. He wanted to be there for her, poor girl.

"Call your mom and ask her."

Tina, being half asleep, agreed.

The other two left. Justin turned to Ace.

"You okay?"

"Something is wrong," she said. She pulled out her phone and called her mom, but no one picked up.

"Julia," Justin said carefully. The girl's life was going to turn in like three seconds. "Just sit down." She obeyed. House had just walked in.

"Ace, I have some bad news," House said.

"What," she asked. She was not expecting the next sentence.

"Your mom was in a car accident," he said solemnly.

"What," she whispered. She began to cry. Justin put a hand on her shoulder.

"Can I see her," she asked.

"Yea, but she isn't in a good state."

"Oh my god," she whispered. 'This can not be happening,' she thought.

When they got to the ER, Ace's mother's chances weren't too good.

"What happened?"

"Drunk driver," House said.

"Is he hurt," the girl asked, angry.

"Broken leg and a few bruises."

"Can we kill him?"

Untitled by Simple Plan was playing on the radio.

I open my eyes,

I try and see

But I'm blinded by the white light

I can't remember how

I can't remember why

I'm lying here tonight

And I can't stand the pain

And I can't make it go away

No I can't stand the pain

How could this happen to me

I made my mistakes

Got no where to run

The night goes on

As I'm fading away

I'm sick of this life

I just want to scream

"How could this happen to me?"

Everybody's screaming

I try to make a sound

But no one hears me

I'm slipping off the edge

I'm hanging by a thread

I want to start this over again

So I try to hold

On to a time when

Nothing mattered

And can't explain what happened

And I can't erase the things that I've done

No I can't

How could this happen to me

I made my mistakes

Got no where to run

But the night goes on

As I'm fading away

I'm sick of this life

I just want to scream

"How could this happen to me?"

I made my mistakes

Got no where to run

But the night goes on

As I'm fading away

I'm sick of this life

I just want to scream

"How could this happen to me?"