To Be Happy Now

"Why are you taking me to a party?" Alaska asked, as Hayley dragged her up the stone steps into a house that was already raging with hundreds of people spilling out of every possible opening. Alaska stared in horror, all-knowing that she was going to get a headache from the party; they were going to die.

"Because it's about time you went to one," Hayley winked, taking her inside.

Alaska felt completely out of place. She stared around at all the drunk people and even sober people who looked crazy enough to be drunk and she really wished she knew magic so she could Disapparate out of there in a jiffy.

"Come on," Hayley jerked her head. "I met this guy at the library downtown and he said to say hi."

"You realize how sketchy that is, right, Hayls?" Alaska practically shouted, though Hayley couldn't even hear her.

They went into the kitchen, and luckily, Hayley found her guy.

"Well, if it isn't Hayley Lincoln, the library girl, and wait--" He cut himself off. Alaska didn't even realize that he was addressing her until Hayley nudged her and she snapped her head back around and saw who was talking to her.

"Alaska!" John O'Callaghan exclaimed.

"You know each other?" Hayley looked incredulous, especially to Alaska. She leaned her head in and whispered in her ear, "He's one of Austin's friends."

Hayley immediately understood and she was relieved.

"Hi, John," Alaska said, politely, even though she was suddenly fearing that Austin would be at the party as well.

"I did not take you as a party girl, no offense," he added with a grin. She shook her head and said, "None taken."

Hayley and John immersed themselves in a conversation. To be honest, Alaska never would have thought that Hayley and John would even cross paths, much less be into each other like that. But she didn't really have much to say about it.

"Alaska?"

She closed her eyes and inwardly groaned to herself. She turned slowly and her eyes met Austin's, whose body was attached to two girls. Not one girl, but two--and they both looked like oompa loompa's.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Austin asked, stumbling a little. Alaska rolled her eyes--he was drunk.

"Dragged here by a friend," she said, curtly. Though she really had no idea where the harshness was coming from, but Austin didn't seem to notice. One of the oompa loompa's kissed him on the cheek and squealed, "Austin, let's dance!"

He laughed and took them both back to the living room and started dancing to music that was blasting from behind them. Alaska sighed and she walked past her best friend and outside, where the atmosphere was much nicer. It was calm and cool. It was helping to relieve the headache that was coming on from the intensity of inside the house.

She probably stood outside for an hour, rubbing her temples, before she heard Hayley call out, "Alaska?!"

"I'm here," she answered, with her eyes closed. She hated how the chemotherapy brought on such intense headaches. She hadn't been for a day, but the effects were starting to kick in. She felt like vomiting.

"Aren't you gonna come inside?" Hayley asked.

Alaska sighed and she said, "Yeah, I'll be in in a second."

She didn't want to go inside. She hated parties--why did she even agree when Hayley slyly said they were going to 'stop by somewhere'. She should have known.

"Too much alcohol for you?"

Alaska turned her head. It was Trey, one of Austin's bandmates.

"If only," she grumbled. "I hate parties."

"Sorry. I didn't expect this many people to show up. It started out small, but then fucking Austin brought as many people as he could. Typical."

Alaska smiled at him. "You don't have anything to be sorry for."

"Thanks for coming though," Trey said, with a playful smile. "You're one of the normal people. I like normal people."

"LET THE RAIN FALL DOWN, AND WAKE MY DREAMS," Austin belted as he suddenly burst through the door, almost breaking it. "LET IT WASH AWAY, MY SANITY..."

"Yeah, normal people..." Trey nodded, glancing back to Alaska. "Hey buddy, you alright there?" He said to Austin.

Austin nodded. "Yeah, man, I feel great!"

"How many beers have you had, Austin?" Trey asked, crossing his arms. Alaska couldn't help but grimace at the the disheveled boy. He grinned and said, "Like nine."

"Okay, you're going home," Trey reached his hand out but Austin jumped away and shouted, "NO! I have to talk to 'Laska."

Trey looked at her and gave her an apologetic look.

"You don't have to..."

"It's okay," Alaska shrugged. "Whatever he says can't really do anything. He's drunk."

Trey grinned and left them be. Austin turned towards her and stumbled forwards, leaning against the railing for support. Alaska looked at him, raising an eyebrow, waiting for him to say what he had to say.

"You're beautiful," Austin slurred. "Have I ever told you that?"

"No," she shook her head. "But thank you, Austin."

"You--you kind of remind me of Kat. She was always so--so studious and yet, she had her secrets. You're very secretive. You're hiding something from me, Alaska."

She didn't say anything.

"I suck," Austin laughed. "You deserve someone awesome. I'm not awesome and here I am, fantasizing of what it would be like to be your boyfriend."

Alaska's blood ran cold. What did he just say?

"Austin, what--" she started but he pressed his index finger to her lips.

"I need to get this out," he said, trying not to slur any of words. "I like you, Alaska. Ricky might kill me but I don't care. You're the kind of girl that I would--I would go for. Actually, you're not. But I wanna fight for you, and--and I will."

Alaska was completely dumbfounded. She didn't know if she should have believed him. He still looked drunk, in fact, he wasn't even looking at her anymore--he was trying to hold himself up on the railing.

"Let me take you inside, Austin," she mumbled, trying to hold him up as she took him inside. Nobody even bothered to help her--though they hardly noticed. Everyone was too busy partying the night away.

The stairs were the hardest part. Austin fell a few times, and Alaska even fell on top of him once but they reached the upstairs and she opened the door to a surprisingly empty bedroom. She dumped him on the bed.

"You're the best, 'Laska," Austin mumbled, trying to sit up.

"Get some rest," she said, her voice pitching an octave higher than it usually was. She was nervous, though. A drunk Austin told her he liked her.

"Hey, 'Laska?" Austin called out, just before she was about to turn around and leave the room. She looked at him and he gave her a smile before he pulled her down by the arm and attached his lips to hers.

Alaska pushed him off just when everything was registering in her mind, her eyes as wide as saucers, and her fingers immediately touched her tingling lips. Thoughts running through her mind as she opened her mouth, attempting to say something, but she didn't know what. Austin didn't even say anything. He just smirked and laid down on the bed, pulling the comforter over his head and falling into deep slumber.