I looked like an overdressed kook after she was done with me...

Zoe made me wear one of those dresses with the floral patterns

and high-heel shoes and a ton of makeup, curled my hair and gave me a big straw hat. I must admit, I did look pretty, but I didn't feel like myself.

"Let's go!" she squealed as she emerged from one of the changing rooms in Zara, wearing shorts and a nice blouse. She went to pay, because for some reason people could see her… but no one knew who she was. That must have hurt a lot.

The party was at nine on the beach of some town close by. People were drinking and singing along while dancing barefoot in the sand. I couldn't see through the crowd of bodies rubbing close together, I could only feel Zoe tug on my arm in a gesture that says: Come on! I found a hot boy or something and I don't wanna leave you here to be squished.

I followed her, trying not to bump into people, careful not to go through them and feel that awful cold... When Zoe finally came to a stop and when she did she was talking to someone, I couldn't hear a thing, but I could tell it was someone she knew: her muscles relaxed and she seemed to laugh every 10 seconds. Then she turned to me and pushed me to her side. I looked up at her, like literally looked up, throw-your-head-back-and-break-your-neck-while-doing-it looked up. She was so much taller than me and I was so small… I felt so powerless.

That's when I felt someone leaning in really close and a breath (smelling like booze, btw) blast into my face.

"Hey!" Hunter shouted, I could barely hear him, despite the raised volume of his voice.

"Hi, Hunter" I said, leaning away from him. His hair was a mess and he wasn't really wearing a shirt… No! No, Hazel, look away! He isn't that hot! I looked again. I felt heat rising to my cheeks.

"You look nice!" He tried to compliment me.

"Thanks, and you look…" I didn't know what to say… hot? half naked? messy? intoxicated? "Um…"

"I'm off to meet a friend" Thank Santa, Zoe cut in, but she was leaving and I didn't want to be left so alone, even though I was in a crowd I felt like I could've been in a desert and it wouldn't feel any different.

"Bye" Hunter grinned, drunk. Then he turned back to me. "Want a drink?" He offered one of his two red cups.

"I don't drink" I rejected the alcohol.

"Relax, it's just water."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, this one's the beer" he held up the cup in his right hand "and this one's the water." he handed me the drink in his left.

"Okay, thanks." I know what you're thinking. I'm not supposed to take stuff from drunks, but the crowd and heat was too much. I drank the whole thing, cuz I was thirsty and my head started to hurt. "Wha-" the hurt was getting hurtier. I looked up at Hunter and he had three heads.

"Oh… no wait I think I switched them up" he laughed. "Might have also added a bit of, uh, stuff to make me feel better…"

"It's not funny…" Everything was spinning and then it suddenly stopped. A warm feeling filled me up, coming straight from my gut. Hunter obviously noticed a weird smile creeping up my face, cause he said:

"See? Not bad, huh?"

I guess I wasn't really intoxicated, because half a liter of beer can't really get you drunk, but for a first time consuming alcohol and if I heard Hunt correctly he probably added some drugs, as well. I felt queasy. My hat fell to the ground. Then Hunter started dancing, wildly, just being so silly and then I felt like being silly. And he grabbed my hands and we spinned in circles as I felt the harsh drumbeat of this particular song beat against my chest.

Freshly disowned in some frozen devotion

No more alone or myself could I be

Hunter kept dancing and I kept spinning

With her sweetened breath and her tongue so mean

We kept dancing

With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean

She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene

He reminded me so much of Jack… so much...and why did he leave, anyway?

Then they started a new song… something along the lines: I fall in love a little bit, every day with someone new…

Or something like that, anyway. Then I stopped dancing and Hunter bumped into me.

"Hey" I heard him say, out of breath.

Well, I thought. He's about to get even more out of breath.

I kissed him hard on the lips, hot tears streaming down my cheeks. I knew it was wrong… but why did I do it? Maybe, it's because he seemed so like Jack. But there was a difference. His bare, sweaty chest pressed against me, his muscular arms wrapped around me… his hugs and kisses were so warm. So burning… you'd think he actually meant it.

Suddenly, in the middle of the burning heat of things, a cold, chilly breeze, freezing, frostbite. I heard him, I felt him.

Stay away, please, from now on.

The band went off the stage. People barely cheered, they wanted more. But no music came, not even a sad, depressed song… nothing. It was over.

The next chapter will be the last! Sorry ( for the thousandth time ) for not writing every week, but I've had some trouble with a broken laptop…

STAY TUNED FOR THE END!