The Reason For Everything (Trigger Warning)

Amy paced the floor, wanting to find a way out of the wedding pictures. The ideas that the photographer had sent for the photoshoot made her sick to her stomach. But it wasn't that. It was that woman- Jacquline whose presence she had a problem with. Usually, AJ had always been a gentleman but she did not know why since the last year, he had started rubbing that woman's presence in her face. Or maybe, she had simply been too foolish not to recognize Jacquline's importance in his life in the past. She still remembered that fateful night when she had almost given in to his conditions and gone to sleep with him... only to see that woman walking out of his apartment- half naked.

It made her realise once again not to trust anyone but she had always trusted AJ... She had not known how not to trust him... after all he had saved her from a horrid fate. Amy sat down on the make-up chair, ready for the artist and closed her eyes, thinking back to the time when AJ had saved her from a horrible fate... the night when everything began...

"Cheers!"

The group of six friends all raised their glass as they downed another shot of their drinks! It was Amy's eighteenth birthday party and tonight she was going to get all out drunk! It was her first time drinking after all!

They turned in unison to Amy who was now coughing as she drank her third glass of wine and shook her head out of sheer dizziness! She tried to see through her eyes which were now burning and breathed slowly. She needed to get through tonight or else she would forever be teased.

But there was something bothering her. She did not know why but her best friend Tia and her boyfriend seemed to be planning something. And whenever Tia's boyfriend was involved, nothing good came of it. For example, it was supposed to be just her and Tia tonight. They had promised each other when they were fourteen that they would be together on their eighteenth birthday. The plan was to for her to get drunk and for Tia to remain sober. She had done the same last year for Tia's birthday.

But Tia had changed the rules tonight. Instead of just the two of them, Tia had brought along her boyfriend and their other friends. She did not understand why her friend had to do this. They were supposed to have protected each other from making a fool of themselves but instead Tia had invited spectators. Shaking her head, Amy felt herself go dizzy and excused herself. She tried to give Tia a look to follow her but the girl simply ignored her. And so she staggered towards the washrooms, intending to wash her face with cold water. Maybe that would help sober her up.

As Amy left the table, unsteady on her feet, Tia threw a troubled glance at her boyfriend. "Jackson? Are you sure this is the right thing to do? Even though Amy is a bit of a prude and I know she wants to lose her v card but this…"

Jackson shook his head and threw an arm around his girlfriend bringing her close. "T baby! You said so yourself that Amy is a prude. She must be the only eighteen-year-old who is still a virgin! Unless she wants to be a nun, she is going to be very happy about spending the night with the man you have chosen for her. And it's better to lose it to a friend than some stranger, isn't it?" Jackson raised his own bottle of beer and tipped it towards the baby faced man sitting on the opposite seat.

Tony, 'the chosen' one grinned and raised his own bottle hiding the grin that threatened to cover his face. Jackson really was a genius. He had been trying to get into Amy Brighton's knickers for months now and finally found a way. And not just for himself but for their entire gang! Yes! Tonight Amy Brighton was going lost her virginity, alright! And then once Jackson was done, him and all of his other seven friends were going to take turns. Of course, Tia did not know that and had quite agreeably spiked Amy's drink. How co-operative of her.

Amy washed her face with cold water but continued to feel dizzy. She did not understand how she could be so light weight when it came to drinking. Never again was she going to have more than a single drink in her life. As she straightened, she saw their waitress slip in hurriedly. She tried to smile at the waitress but the woman simply caught her and spoke in an urgent manner, "You need to call someone you trust and leave from here. Your drink was spiked."

Amy blinked in confusion. What did she mean her drink was spiked? But even as she wondered, she could feel the lethargy invading her body. The waitress shook her heavily and spoke, "Are you listening?"

Amy gulped and tried to speak, "My best friend is outside. Call her here and she will take me away… "Even as Amy said this, she worried that Tia's drink had also been spiked. What were they going to do?"

But the waitress shook her had and spoke, "If you mean the woman in the red top and jeans then she is the one who bought the drug and added it to your drink! Look, I can't be seen talking to you or my boss is going to fire me for harming his business. So, think of a safe place or just lock yourself in a bathroom here until the effects wear off."

Amy shook her head and watched the woman disappear out into the throng of people outside. She thought of locking herself in a stall but what if Tia came inside and took her. No, she had to find a way to escape. But how. The only exit out of this club was down and their table was placed in the way. She would have to pass their table to escape and she would not succeed.

Slowly, she peeped outside, once again the loud music making her wince. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes at the betrayal but she knew she had little time. As she searched for an escape route, her eyes fell on something that made her straighten.

The two men were sitting a little away from the table, partially covered from their view. She could not see the man who had his back to her but there was a scar a thin jagged scar on the back of his hand. She knew someone from long ago who had a similar scar on his hand. Overtaken by her trust for that boy in the past, she rushed to him and plopped down into his lap uncaring if it was appropriate or not. He would save her, she just knew it and so she asked him to save her. And as he stood up with her in his arms, she prayed that she was not wrong and this was really the man she thought he was.

***

As tears filled her eyes, Amy felt the make up artist gasp and hurriedly press tissues against the corner of her eye, "Lady Amelia, your eyes are watering up. Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"