The Bad Boy's Attraction

Save Me

"Am never getting used to walking in these." Natalie whines as she walks around her bedroom floor.

"Oh, don't be such a baby and do a few more rounds, will you?" Ava points to the space she created for her to walk around in her new pumps that she was forced to buy.

"Why can't I just go in something I'm already used to? It's just a party after all." Natalie says with a pout.

"That is where you are wrong babe." Ava walks up to her and pinches her cheeks, making her cry out in pain. Her entire face is covered in some face mask that Ava insisted on getting for them and her action earns her a painful sting.

"This is not just a party, but thee party Nat!" Ava exclaims while she walks around excited.

"And we had better be ready. So off you go." Your usual self just won't do. Besides, who knows maybe yours truly might be there." Ava winks at her.

"I thought you said he won't be there?" Natalie narrows her eyes at Ava.

"Yes, yes….relax yourself geez."Ava retorts before walking back to the bed where a heap of clothes is waiting for her.

Natalie laughs when her friend's face takes on a serious look while she picks different sets of clothes trying to get perfect matching outfits. She has been at it for almost an hour and Natalie wonders how she can keep up for so long.

And instead of practicing in her heels she decides to take a quick shower. And the moment she's done she finds Ava waiting with her attire already set.

"This is for you." Ava chirps but Natalie just frowns.

"You know I don't do skirts." She narrows her eyes at Ava.

"Trust me, after this you will wish you did all along." Ava grins at her and Natalie just groans.

She puts them on anyway because she knows arguing with Ava right now won't do them any good. And when she is done she rushes to her mirror but Ava stops her.

"Not quite yet missy."

She is made to sit down on a stool while Ava does her hair and make up.

"Is this really necessary?" She whines as Ava puts product after product on her face making her feel like she has applied the entire beauty store just on her face.

"Just a little more and there." Ava stands back while looks satisfied about her work.

"You can look now."

Natalie turns the stool and the moment she meets her new face her jaw drops. Firstly her hair is pinned up in a weirdly beautiful up do revealing a very beautiful face that she can barely recognise.

"My eyes are smoking...my eyes are freakin' smoking!" She exclaims as she gets up. She looks at Ava in excitement and when she turns back to the mirror another surprise awaits her.

"Damn!" She walks closer to her mirror while her eyes move up and down taking in her outfit.

"Is that supposed to be me?" She looks at Ava with wide eyes.

"You like?"

"You are right. I should have been doing this all along. Did you check out my legs?" She strikes what is supposed to be a sexy pose and Ava laughs.

"Don't get cocky."

"I'm just saying." She calls after Ava who disappears into her bathroom.

'Do you think I look ok though?" She looks nervously at Ava when she reappears.

"Hey what happened to miss confident that I saw just now?" Ava asks amused.

"You'll be fine." Ava adds when she doesn't answer.

"And it's time to go. So you can't change your mind." Ava gives her a pointed look.

"Yes mother." She replies in a mocking tone before grabbing her purse.

After shouting a good bye to her father they head out and the find their ride waiting.

"Whoa Ladies!" A guy Natalie recognizes as Nate whistles in delight making the two girls look at each other in approval. It also makes Natalie even more confident in her look and she mouths a thank you to Ava who just winks back.

"I'd so hate to be him right now." A familiar face gives Nate a knowing look before bursting out laughing. And the two girls just frown.

"Hey you." Nate leans in and gives Ava a quick peck.

"Hey Nate." Ava answers shyly while she tries to hide her flustered face.

"Hi, I'm Cooper." Natalie turns to the source of a very charming voice.

"Hi I'm Natalie."

"No need to introduce yourself your highness." Cooper gives her a slight bow and she chuckles.

"Please just call me Natalie." She smiles at him.

"Of course as you wish my lady." Cooper replies gracefully and she imagines him as some knight in some kingdom somewhere.

"Your steed awaits." Cooper points to a rather huge truck which Natalie finds herself liking.

"It is one magnificent steed." She openly admits. Not that she is a fan of cars but she just feels drawn to the huge beast glistening in the afternoon sun.

"Yes, finally a girl that appreciates my taste."Cooper beams before giving her his hand.

"I thought we'll be driving together." She nods in Ava and Nate's direction. The two are already seated in the white shiny convertible and seem to be deep in conversation. With their shades on they look like some Hollywood couple in some rich block buster movie.

"Oh no my lady, I have specific orders to take you to him safely."

"Wait, what, who?" She asks surprised.

"Oh, I only meant I'm here to get you to the party safely." Cooper pulls her towards his truck gently and she follows him while taking care not to trip and fall. She decides to relax seeing that Cooper is friendly.

"Don't worry, we'll meet up at the party." Cooper says once they are on the road and she just nods while she looks at the houses in her neighbourhood. She can feel the difference between that world outside and the one she has just entered into. She bets none of those houses could ever afford a luxurious interior like the one in the huge truck. And for a moment that stings her a little. Such things don't usually bother her but being in Cooper's truck reminds her of her lowly social status and for a moment she thinks of asking Cooper to take her back home. Even after Ava's pep talk she feels like she doesn't really belong in their circles.

"Why the long face?" Cooper's voice breaks her out of her thoughts.

"Oh..it's nothing. I'm fine." She lets out a nervous chuckle.

"Doesn't look like it to me, but if you say so I'll take your word for it."

"I'm fine really." Natalie tries to sound like her usual self.

"Okay. So what kind of music are you into? I've got everything here, just name it and you got it." Cooper chirps before a loud blast from the car's speakers make Natalie flinch.

"Ooh sorry about that, forgot to bring it down." Cooper looks at her apologetically.

"It's alright. And please you can put anything, I'm not choosy." She says nervously knowing that she is a bit clueless in that department. She is actually beginning to agree with Ava now about getting out and enjoying life. But who can blame her when her favourite thing to do has really got nothing to do with the popular trends with teens her age.

She finds Cooper eyeing her thoughtfully and she wonders if he can see right through her.

"I know just the song. I promise you'll love it." Cooper says and she hopes it's one that she has heard before.

And before she can blink Taylor Swift's fifteen comes on and she thanks the stars and Ava for her luck. Taylor Swift happens to be Ava's all time favourite and while she may not be a fan herself she has listened to enough Taylor Swift in Ava's car to know which song it is immediately.

"Nothing says Taylor Swift's fan about you?" Natalie grins at him.

"I am not. Well except in the shower." He winks at her.

"Oh my God, you sing in the shower?" Its sort of a shock to her and she can't help but smile.

"Oh damn it. Did I just tell you that? You can't tell anyone." He playfully narrows his eyes at her.

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed." She smiles at him and playfully zips her mouth too while noding her head.

"Good. It will be our little secret."

Natalie lets out a chuckle. Cooper feels a lot like a brother she never had. She smiles loving the sibling atmosphere in the truck.

"Come on babe back me up." Cooper says as he sings along to the song and Natalie laughs before joining.

"Cause when you're fifteen,

Somebody tells you they love you

You're gonna believe them

And when you're fifteen…."

This feels good, she feels good as she feels herself loosen up a bit. She thanks Ava for convincing her to go for the party. It's not her usual cup of tea but if it will get her to forget about some of the grim parts of her life then so be it.

"We are here!" Cooper announces over the music and Natalie turns to scan their destination.

"So many people!" She exclaims.

"Of course, but dont worry its just your usual folk from Blackwood high and a few from other places." Cooper grins at her.

Natalie gulps. "Usual folk." She retorts while she suddenly feels small and insignificant. There is nothing usual about the crowd she is seeing, not to mention the intimidating mansion standing tall in their background.

"Usual folk with a usual house." She scoffs while Cooper goes round to her door.

"It's only like a few hundred of my dad's house put together."

"Shall we?" Cooper brings her out of her thoughts.

"Sure." She steps out of the car and the moment her feet touch the ground her legs feel like jelly and she doubts she will be able to move. She scans her surroundings again and all the confidence she had earlier flies out of the window. There are just too many people in her opinion.

"And why did it have to be a pool party?" She inwardly groans when she sees so much skin. People littered everywhere dancing to the loud music.

Even though she is dressed just as good as the rest of them she can't help but feel out of place. And it gets worse when eyes slowly start turning her way. This is the type of thing she has avoided all her life.

She turns to Cooper wanting to ask him to take her back home again but he just holds on to her hand firmly as if he senses her discomfort.

"Don't worry I got you." Cooper gives her a reassuring smile.

She gives him an are you sure kind of look and he just smiles in response making her relax a bit.

"Shall we my lady?"

She lets out a chuckle and takes his hand. She decides not to focus on every judging and curious eye aimed at her and just puts one foot in front of the other as Cooper leads her towards the huge mansion. She hopes there will be less stares in there even though it's very unlikely.

A distance away from their destination she spots Ava and she asks Cooper if they could head over there.

She watches her social butterfly friend mingle so easily with the guys and she wishes she wasn't to socially awkward.

"I'll get us some drinks, think you'll be fine alone?" Cooper asks when they are just a few steps from where Ava is.

"Yeah sure. I think I can take it from here." She smiles confidently and in just a second he's gone and she's left alone. She decides not to linger on that fact and just takes a deep breath and starts walking Ava's way. And as if on cue Ava notices her and waves her over. She smiles and waves back while she notices the small group of boys with Ava turn towards her too. She just smiles at them as they turn but one particular face wipes the smile right off her face.

"He's here?" She swallows hard before stopping in her tracks. With her heart hammering in her chest, she struggles in deciding on whether to keep going or turn the way she came. But even when she struggles with all that she finds her feet unwilling to move even an inch. She is now pinned on her spot by very familiar hazel eyes and for the first time she sees him and probably drooling too. She didn't expect that he would look so….so dapper and dashing.

His smirk reminds her that she is supposed to be mad at him and she starts walking towards him with every intention to give him a piece of her mind.

"He's mine!"

She feels herself lose her balance and the next thing she knows, she is sinking. There is water surrounding her and she panics. She knows how to swim but she can't get her mind to work as she feels herself being pulled under.

"No.no.no.no!" her mind screams as she struggles to go back up to the surface but nothing seems to work. She tries to cry for help but her mouth just fills up with water making her panic even more. She has no idea what just happened but her mind clearly let's her know what will happen if she doesn't get help. And she can only think of one person.

"Save me Brendan."