I hear muffled voices fill my ears and my heavy eyes catch a glimpse of shadowy figures hover above me.

"Clair wake up!" Riley shouts in my ear while she violently shakes my shoulders.

"What happened," I groan.

My mind felt completely blank. Like that moment when the teacher hands you an exam sheet and you just sit there for 15 minutes completely clueless and barely remembering your own name.

I open my eyes as my vision slowly adjusts I instantly remember where I was. Riley's face was only a few inches away from mine yet I could still see her dagger glare clear as day.

"Ma'am, we found you unconscious on the floor," a guy appears behind Riley with a worried expression on his face. He wore a navy suit with a black tie that matched his dark hair that was smoothed back with a perfect amount of mousse, and his ocean blue eyes scan my face worriedly. "Do you remember what happened?" He lowers next to the couch I was slouched on to reach my eye level.

I try so hard to remember what had happened before I blacked out, but it felt like it was scooped out of my memory with no trace of its existence. I shake my head, disappointed in myself for not remembering and for causing a scene.

That's when it hit me. I instantly feel my anxiety rise and heat escalates its way under my skin.

"I-I need some air," I jump off the black sofa I was sitting on and search for the nearest exit.

Right before I could open the glass doors someone grabs my wrist and pulls me back. I turn around to face a really pissed off Riley.

"What the hell was that all about?" She hissed, pulling me to a corner.

I shrug. Trust me, I'm as oblivious as you are. I think to myself.

She stands there squinting her eyes at me. I know what that look meant and let me tell you, it's not a pleasant one. Whatever's swarming in her head, she should keep it there.

"Are you doing drugs?" She finally asks.

My jaw drops and I stand there staring gawking at her in shock. "Riley, I have a sick mother waiting for me at home, we barely have the money to pay for our apartment and food, let alone drugs. Why the hell would-"

"Okay, okay I'm sorry," she places her hands in front of her in a defensive gesture. "It's just.. this never happened to you," she murmurs,"I know all about your ADHD and your dyslexia, but-"

"How did you know that?" I frown. I thought I was doing good with the acting, I tried real hard not to get distracted whenever I was around Riley, but I guess I couldn't hide it that long anyway.

She raises her brows in a way that said "really, Clair?"

I sigh and rest the back of my head on the glass aquarium.
Though she wasn't making eye contact with me, I knew there was a pained expression in her eyes. I knew she was worried, Riley never knew how to express her feeling nor thoughts, that's the reason why people left her and she ends up lonely blaming herself for not trying harder.

I still remember that day when she offered to give me and my mother some money and a proper place to live, I wish she never did. I wanted her to know that I was the only one who stayed, not because of her money but because I knew who she really was.

The walk to her car was a bit odd, it didn't feel awkward but something wasn't right.

"So what happened with the interview?" I can't believe I forgot to ask her the first question I've been planing to ask the moment we arrived.

She didn't answer as she made her way to the driver's seat, opens the door, sits in her seat, closes the door, places her hands on the steering wheel, and just starts to stare blankly into the streets. I could see her jaw tensing and her knuckles turn a light shade of white.

They rejected her.

I quickly scoot to my seat and place my hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight but firm squeeze. "It's alright. There are plenty of jobs out there that would kill for a workaholic like you,"

She hit her back on the carmen leather seat slamming her hands to her thighs, and she turns her head so I couldn't see her face. She really did want this job, I can't imagine how awesome it would be to work at my dad's own company. And not any company, one of the biggest companies in New York.

If only I knew who or where he was.

"Riley?" I pull on her shoulder trying to make her face me.

"It's not about the damn job," she sobs. "Screw the fuckin' job!"

At this point, I really didn't know what was going on. Her shoulders shook slightly as her sniffling broke the silence in the car.

"What is it, then?" I finally ask a few moments later.

She turns to me with swollen red eyes, and tears were mixed with black mascara that was smudged all over her cheeks.

"He left me," she whispers.

I frown, not understanding her reply. She hasn't told me anything about her dating a guy, since we both swore an oath to each other when we were around thirteen years of age, to never be in a serious relationship with a guy as long as we're together. Kinda cheeky but it still was a rule we'd never break.

Which only meant one thing.

No way, that's impossible. The thought in my head but I refused to believe that's what she meant.

"I asked for an explanation but he kept saying he should've done it a long time ago, that I should've stayed with my mother, and that I was a useless spoiled bra-" She covers her face and sobs louder.

What kind of father would say such a thing to his only child and then abandons them?

I shift off my seat and wrap my arms around her as she sobs hysterically on my shoulder. I couldn't help but cry with her.
I remember when I was 12 mom used to tell me that dad wasn't going to come, I always convinced myself that he was working or traveling and that he would come back one day and we'd be a happy family. But then when I grew up and saw the world in all its cruel ways, I realized he would never come back.

I sat there in silence rubbing my hand on her back while still keeping a tight grip on her with the other.

"He's always been a jerk to my mom," she finally spoke. "I should've seen that coming"

"Riley your dad is an asshole for treating you and your mother like that," I return back to my seat. "You're an amazing person, don't let some rich jerk tell you otherwise"

She wipes her nose with the back of her hand and stares back at me with a caring smile. "I love you, Clair"

"Love you too, butt face" I return the smile with a chuckle.

And with those words she instantly goes back to the normal Riley. "Let's celebrate!" she jumps in her seat.

"For what?" I frowned.

"For being awesome badass 20 year old sexy motherfuckers!"

I laugh at her sudden enthusiasm, "That's a mouthful" 

Without wasting any time she starts the car and drives off. Definitely past the speed limit.

By the time we reached the new bar that opened just a few blocks away from Riley's beach house it was around 6 pm and the sun was just beginning to set.

I hear Riley sniff a few times in the car. "What died in here!" She looks at me scanning my clothes. "Are you on your period?" She asks with a terrified expression on her face.

"No!" I was taken aback from her comment.
I agree the car smelled like a rotten burger that stayed in the sun for too long, but why me?
We both sniff in the car like police guard dogs searching for the source of that scent.

I hop to the back seat with my legs dangling behind me searching for any leftover food, when suddenly I was pushed all the way to the back seat slamming my face on the rough leather seat.

"What was that for?" I rub my nose struggling to get back up.

"Your pants stink!" She says while she pinched her nose. "Hand me my bag" she pointed behind her seat.

I pull a hot pink sports bag from under her seat and hand it to her with an annoyed look on my face "no need to be rude about it"

I pull my right leg to my nose to prove Riley wrong but I was left with a sting that crawled up my nose to my forehead "I think I'm gonna be sick" I gag.

"Here" Riley hands me a knee length black floral lace dress in one hand with matching black stilettos in the other.

The dress looks too gorgeous to deny, though I was a little hurt by Riley's reaction but she had a point. The club we're about to enter is one of the most famous clubs around here so it won't hurt to gussy up a bit and look like a million bucks for the night.

After a fail attempt at trying to put on a tight dress in the backseat I finally succeeded, I let Riley do my hair and makeup while I did hers in return. We left the car and at that moment I feel an empowering feeling overwhelm me in this beautiful black lace dress, it hugged my body perfectly fitting every curve.

thanks to Riley's "charms" we were able to pass the two buff terrifying bouncers at the entrance without having to wait behind the line of endless people.

The club was huge, with a neon blue-green bar on both sides of the club and an eye popping dancing floor in the middle. The flood had hot pink neon lava lamp looking tules scattered here and there forming random paths. Everything was under black lights, even the drinks were neon which made them seem even more alluring. The music was vibrating under my feet making me feel anxious and excited at the same time.

"I'll get us some drinks" Riley yells under the loud booming music. I nod mouthing an "okay" to her.

I try to take a few deep breaths calming myself down. I've never went to a club before, let alone a club that looks like this. The lights were dim and neon objects flashed across my eyes making me blink a few times.

I don't know if I should dance before or after drinking. After sounds better, though.
I study my surroundings trying to look for a place to wait while Riley orders our drinks. There were circle shaped sofas that surrounded neon tables, it took me a while to find an empty table and when I finally spotted one something cold and wet splashed my back.
I gasp and freeze in my place, that did not just happen.

"Oh jeez! I'm so sorry," a guy walks in front of me holding an empty cup which I assumed what's in it is on my back right now.

He had tanned skin and messy brown hair that fit him in a way, he wore a white low buttoned blouse that had a few stains of his drink splattered here and there.

"I wasn't looking where I was heading, I'll make it up to you" His hands kept touching my back which made me a bit uncomfortable so I told him it was no big deal and rushed to the bathroom. I felt a bad for the guy, he looked so worried and startled like he didn't know what to do.

After a few minutes of attempting to find the bathroom I finally spot it near a hot pink couch with a couple almost eating each other's faces, I avoid them and quickly open the door and slam it behind me. I press my back against the cold door that was slightly vibrating against my back from the loud music.

Finally, no more booming music almost exploding my head, no more sweaty drunk bodies rubbing against me. as I collect my thoughts I close my eyes imagining myself at our apartment re-watching my favorite shows, and eating mom's leftover tacos.

I sighed and open my eyes and began to scan my surroundings. The bathroom matched the club perfectly with the stupid dim lights and purple/blue black lights that started to get really annoying once I got a major headache from the neon colors all over the place. I walk to the sink and give myself a quick look-over, besides a few damp strands of hair from the accident, everything else seemed decent.

I rinse the tips of my hair and carefully dab on the back of my dress, "Riley's gonna kill me" I say between gritted teeth.

I turn around and lean closer to the mirror to spot any smudged I liner, when suddenly muffled music starts playing in the bathroom. I dig my hand in my purse and pull out my phone,

"Where the hell are you?" Riley shouts from the other end.

"This dude spilled his drink on me and now I'm in the bathroom, and don't try to pull me back there" I warned.

She gasped, "is the dress okay? How much did that jerk spill exactly?" She sounded like she was about to cry. I hang up on her and continue fixing the mess that guy had made.