TILL MY LAST BREATH

RAIN “Come on, Rain, you’ve got to loosen up a bit. You can’t stay introverted your whole life. One day you’ll be old and wrinkly, still sitting alone in your room, talking to your plants,” Sarah teased, her tone playful but laced with concern. I sighed, shutting my locker with a little more force than necessary. “Please, Sarah, not again. You don’t have to remind me every single day that I’m boring. And why are you so obsessed with me going to this party? You didn’t care about the last ones, and my life is perfectly fine being dull, thank you very much.” Sarah folded her arms dramatically. “Because this one’s different. I just know it. This party is going to change your perspective about life. Come on, Rain, live a little. Do this for me, just this once and I promise I’ll never bug you about attending another party again.” I gave her a long, skeptical look before letting out a sigh of defeat. “Fine. I’ll go. But don’t push me to do anything stupid or uncomfortable, okay?” Her face lit up instantly. She squealed and wrapped her arms around me in a suffocating hug. “You won’t regret this, Rain! I swear!” “Yeah, we’ll see about that,” I mumbled into her shoulder. Breaking free, I asked, “So where’s this life-changing party happening anyway?” “At this new guy’s house. I heard he’s, like, an actual Adonis,” she said with a mischievous grin. I blinked. “Wait. You don’t even know him?” She waved a hand dismissively. “Details, details. He announced it at lunch, and I thought, ‘Perfect! This is Rain’s big chance to meet people.’ Don’t look at me like that.” I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Just… enough talking. I need silence before I change my mind.” She giggled. “You got it, Miss Moody. But be at my place by eight so we can pick your outfit!” I just nodded and headed home. --- My parents died when I was nine. Since then, I’ve lived with my aunt Valen and her husband. They took me in, but I often wondered why. To them, I was just a burden, an extra mouth to feed. If not for the scholarship I attained to one of the best schools in town, they probably would’ve kicked me out already. As I reached the gate, the screech of car tires made me flinch. I turned to see my cousin Brittany stepping out of a sleek car, tossing her hair like she was in a music video. “Oh, look who it is. The leech,” she said as she approached with that fake smile I hated. I ignored her and tried to move past, but she stepped in front of me. “Don’t bother pretending you didn’t hear me,” she sneered. “You know it’s true.” I bit my tongue, refusing to give her the satisfaction. “Ugh, whatever. I’ve got a real party to attend,” she said, giving me a shove that sent me to the ground. Pain shot up my spine as my body hit the floor. “Now that’s more like it,” she said smugly before strutting off, flipping her hair. I got up slowly, brushing off the dirt and swallowing the tears threatening to fall. When I stepped inside, Aunt Valen was waiting with a look that made my stomach sink. “There you are. I was just wondering what’s keeping you, but my darling daughter already told me.” Her voice was dripping with mock sweetness. “So, you like sneaking around now? If you’re that desperate, why not sell yourself properly and make it worth something?” My throat tightened. “That’s not true,” I whispered. “Oh really? Then what is true? You’re just like your mother—a useless, filthy little wh—” “Stop,” I cut her off, but my voice cracked. She only laughed. “Pathetic. You’ll end up exactly like her. Mark my words.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I ran to my room, slammed the door, and slid down against it. The tears I’d been holding back broke free. No matter how many times she said those words, they still hurt like the first time. I cried until my body ached, and at some point, sleep finally pulled me under. --- A shrill ringtone woke me. My vision was blurry as I reached for the phone. “Hello?” I croaked. “Where are you?!” Sarah’s voice screeched through the line. I blinked at the screen and gasped when I saw the time. It was already half past eight. “Shoot! Sarah, I’m so sorry! I fell asleep. I’ll be there in five minutes.” I grabbed my jacket and slipped out quietly. Luckily, the house was silent. Brittany was gone, and my aunt was probably passed out in front of the TV. I exhaled in relief once I reached the front gate. “I feel like a thief,” I muttered, half laughing as I started running toward Sarah’s house. It was just two blocks away. Sarah was already outside, pacing. When she spotted me, she ran up and practically dragged me inside. “You scared me half to death!” she scolded. “Come on, we don’t have time to waste.” We rushed to her room where she was already surrounded by a mountain of clothes. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I asked, glancing down at my jeans and oversized T-shirt. She stared at me like I’d grown a second head. “Rain. You’re not wearing that to a party. We’re fixing this. No arguments.” I groaned. “Fine. Just don’t go overboard.” She grinned. “Trust me. You’ll look amazing.” Twenty minutes later, she turned me toward the mirror. I barely recognized the girl staring back. My hair framed my face softly, my eyes looked brighter, and my dress—simple but elegant—made me look… confident. “Is that really me?” I whispered. Sarah smiled knowingly. “It’s always been you. You are one drop dead gorgeous girl that every guy can't get enough of”. I smiled slightly, convinced she said that just to tease me. We left soon after, waving goodbye to her parents as excitement buzzed in the air. --- The mansion was breathtaking. Lights shimmered across the wide marble steps, and the sound of laughter echoed from inside. But the moment we stepped through the doors, the illusion shattered. The air reeked of alcohol and weed. Couples were tangled in corners, and the music was so loud it rattled in my chest. “Sarah…” I started, already regretting everything. She was too caught up in the energy to notice my discomfort. I took a step back, desperate for air, and turned toward the entrance only to crash straight into someone. I stumbled, bracing for impact, but a strong arm caught me just in time. For a second, everything stopped. Hazel eyes met mine, warm yet piercing, and the noise around us faded into silence. His touch was steady, grounding. My heart skipped a beat. Then reality snapped back. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice deep, effortless. I nodded quickly, stepping back, but the absence of his warmth felt oddly painful. Before I could apologize, he spoke again—cold this time. “You don’t have to pretend. I know your type. Always looking for attention.” My mouth fell open. “W..what? N...no, I—” But he was already walking away, leaving me frozen in place. Tears blurred my vision. “You didn’t even give me a chance to explain,” I whispered. Why did it hurt so much that a stranger thought so little of me? I turned toward the exit with a heavy heart, wondering why one encounter with this stranger could shake me this deeply.