Falling to Pieces

---- // August 2006

This party was absolutely nothing like what Stella was used to back in California. For her prom her and all her classmates parents’ paid ridiculous amounts of money for a personal bartender for the night, and they would get classy drunk off of mixed drinks.

There wasn’t a single martini in sight as Stella followed Emma into a house that was located just off campus. The sun had barely set and there were already drunk couples making out on the front porch surrounded by discarded beer cans.

But this was the typical welcome to a college in the middle of nowhere that Stella had expected, and she was not subtle in rolling her eyes as she stepped around a broken beer bottle by the front door.

Emma led her into the kitchen located at the back of the house and handed her a typical red plastic cup full of a dark liquid. Stella thanked her quietly before taking a small sip. She had to bite her lip to stop herself from coughing as the thick liquid burned her throat.

As Emma grabbed her own drink, she looked around the crowded kitchen, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “They should be here somewhere.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, the hockey team.”

“I take it their a big deal around here?”

“They pretty much run campus.”

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, a couple of guys wearing matching Fighting Sioux sweaters entered the kitchen to grab a couple more beers. Without even speaking a word, all eyes in the kitchen were on them. Stella immediately knew they must have been on the hockey team.

“What’s so great about them, though?”

Emma’s eyes almost bulged out of her head as her jaw dropped open. “Stella, they can hear you.” She hissed.

Stella rolled her eyes and took another drink from cup as one of the players came up to them, slipping an arm around Emma.

“Em, haven’t seen you in awhile.”

She smiled up at the tall brunette, “It’s good to see you.”

“Who’s your friend?” He asked, looking Stella over.

“I’m Stella.”

“She’s visiting the school to decide if she’s going to enroll. She’s from California.” Emma filled in.

“California? Yeah, you look the part.” He said, eyeing her natural bleach blonde wavy hair.

Stella rolled her eyes, setting her nowhere empty cup down on the counter behind her, ager to get rid of the toxic liquid.

“Anyways, I’ll see you two lovely ladies later.” He gave Emma a quick hug before grabbing another beer and disappearing from the kitchen.

“I still don’t see what’s so great about them.”

“That was Travis. He’s going to be a junior next year.” The smile that was plastered to Emma’s face was almost sickening to Stella.

“And does he know that you’re completely in love with him? Or do you just silently swoon over him?”

“We had a thing last year, but it’s been a long summer. Those hockey boys never stick to one girl for long.

“So they’re complete douche bags?”

“No. Well, sometimes. I can’t explain it, you just have to experience it.”

“I’d rather not, thanks.”

Emma noticed Stella’s empty hands, and grabbed her a beer from one of the coolers and poured it into another red cup to hand to her. “You’ll change your mind. Every girl at this school wants a piece of them. I think you’ll be a little more lucky if you turn on that California charm I know you have in you.”

“There is no California charm. We’re just classier than you all are out here.” Stella remarked as a tall brunette boy walked into the kitchen, two drunken girls hanging off his arms.

“There probably is, but I guess you were too busy perfecting the act of Daddy’s little rich ice princess to discover your charm.” Emma bitterly spat, clutching her drink to her chest and turning to leave the kitchen. Stella had no doubt she had left to chase after the Travis she had just met.

“But I don’t even go to this school.” Stella groaned, reluctantly taking a sip from her beer. One sip and she already could tell it was definitely cheap beer, but it still went down smoothly. Finishing off her beer, she dropped the cup on a random counter top as she ventured from the kitchen into the crowded living room.

At home Stella was the life of the party. Everyone wanted to be seen talking to her. Everyone wanted to drink with her, dance with her, and all attention was certainly on her as soon as she walked into a room.

But here, people were more concerned with the drunken red headed girl who was telling an animated story by the fireplace. The group around her seemed more amused by the dramatic hand actions she was using to illustrate her story than what she was actually saying.

She felt a pair of eyes staring at her from the group, but ignored the uneasy feeling as she slowly mingled her way through the living room, trying to find Emma once again.

She adjusted her Dolce and Gabbana bustier that she had thankfully been wearing under her sweater that day, making sure her blonde hair fell perfectly over her left shoulder.

“You definitely don’t look like you’re from around here.”

Stella spun around, but was greeted by only a chest due to her lack of height. Being only 5’4, she looked up from the torso, which was once again wearing a Fighting Sioux hockey sweatshirt. “Excuse me?”

The brown-eyed man smiled down at Stella, taking a sip from his own red plastic cup. “I said you don’t look like you’re from around here.”

“I’m not.” Stella replied, as she decided this brunette was cute enough for her to try out her California charm. “I’m actually from California.”

He didn’t seem as interested in the Golden State as Stella had hoped as he simply shrugged. “That seems a long way to come for just a party.”

“My dad’s making me look at the school, but I’ve pretty much already committed to Boston.”

He rolled his eyes as he looked Stella up and down. “Then shouldn’t you be partying in Boston?”

“I was invited to this party.” She spat. So much for her charm. He shook his head, and looked as though he was about to turn away from her, when Stella abruptly stuck her hand out. “I shouldn’t be rude, though. After all, I am a guest here. My name’s Stella.”

Stella could have sworn he snorted before firmly shaking her hand. “I’m Jonathan.”

She racked her brain for something else to say, but came up completely dry.

“So has anyone actually showed you around campus or introduced you to anyone yet?” Jonathan seemed to have lightened up, offering her a smile before turning his attention back towards his drink.

“Well I was with uhm… Emma. But she didn’t really show me much.”

Jonathan shook his head, grabbing Stella’s drink from her hands and setting it down on a nearby table. “Emma’s a joke. She doesn’t know shit about this school, except for Travis’ life story. I’ll give you a real tour.”

“This late?”

“That’s when the school gets its real charm. Who knows, it might even help you change your mind about Boston.”

“I highly doubt that, sorry North Dakota.”

“Whatever you say, California.” Jonathan chuckled, grabbing a hold of her hand and dragging her towards the hallway of the small house. “But we’ve got a busy night ahead of us, and we best get started. Come meet the team.”