You

Matt's party was in full swing. People were scattered around between the front yard,inside the house and out in the back yard. Music pumped through Matt and Rachael's home theater setup. Some people were playing video games, while others made conversation with people.

Tony was in the background trying to avoid his cousin and cousin in law at all costs possible. So far he had managed to put in a good three hours of staying out from under their radar, though he sensed his time was slowly coming to an end. He figured for sure Joanna would show up for Matt alone like she had promised, but so far she was still a no show. He knew he should have kept his mouth shut just a little bit longer, but he was tired of staying silent and pretending to take an interest in her for the hell of it.

In all honesty, he missed the hell out of his former best friend. He missed her as soon as she disappeared from his life after that Halloween night that changed their lives forever. The only thing he'd change about that outcome, was the way she disappeared. He didnt regret sleeping with her; and that alone was his downfall.

As he brought the red plastic cup up to his lips to finish off his third beer, he felt eyes staring at him. With a light groan, his arm laid back against his side and his blue eyes looked to the left of him, seeing both Rachael and Becky glaring at him.

"Ladies," he greeted with a nod as they joined him in his small corner.

"What the fuck did you do!" Becky shouted.

"What-"

"Jo's nowhere in sight! What the hell did you say to her?! You're the last person who saw her before today," Rachael added, poking his chest hard enough she hoped it bruised later on.

"I told her I figured out her secret," he shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"You stupid, greedy selfish prick!" Rachael shouted loud enough, a good fifteen to twenty people stopped and looked over at the trio. "How fucking dare you use your selfishness against her like that!"

"She's my fucking friend too!" Tony shouted, stepping forward towards Rachael.

"Was," Becky corrected.

Tony rolled his eyes, "You two need to stay the hell out of my business."

"When it involves a pretty damn good friend of this group, it's everybody's business," Rachael corrected him this time.

"Get the fuck out of my face Rachael," Tony warned.

"Or what?" Now Matt had made his presence known.

"Put your bitch back in her place before I do man," Tony threatened, not looking away from Rachael.

"You threaten my wife one more time or even talk to her as if she was nothing, you'll never be able to sing or play guitar again."

"Empty threats," Tony chuckled. He pushed past the girls and Matt and headed into the kitchen for another beer.

"Nope, promises I intend to keep," Matt said, grabbing his cousin by the arm.

"Get the fuck over yourself already Matt, she chose me to fuck," Tony ripped his arm from Matt's grip, "Not you, that's why you wound up with Rachael. I won, you lost."

"That's not what this is about and you know it."

"Ok then, dear cousin, what is this about?"

"Its about you thinking she'll want anything to do with you after the shit you pulled on her back then. She didnt come back for any of us, she came back for her grandfather's funeral! She was supposed to be gone the next fucking day!"

"But?"

"I ran into her and practically begged for her to stay until today. She eventually caved and agreed but wanted nothing to do with you! She told me when you figure out who she is she's fucking gone and look what fucking happened! "

Tony went to speak but Matt's fist collided with his mouth instead.

"All you care about is yourself! She was our fucking friend too dude! You crossed that line and fucked it all up!"

Matt swung at Tony again but missed this time. In return, Tony landed a punch into Matt's gut. Smirking as his cousin doubled over clutching his stomach, Tony went back to getting a beer.

-

Joanna pulled up behind Matt's car, surprised she was even able to park close to it, and shut the engine off. She groaned out loud and contemplated bailing immediately.

"I can't do that to Matt," she reminded herself. She reached into the middle console and pulled out a joint. She needed about fifty to calm her nerves but she only had a couple left. She'd have to reup again with Nick before heading home.

About half way through the joint, she collected herself enough to get out of her car. She smoothed down her plain black off the shoulder top and slowly made her way through the clusterfuck of people. Once she hit the front door, she stuck out what was left of the joint and traded it for a cigarette.

"Here we go," she muttered through a cloud of smoke.

As she slowly pushed the dood open, Sell Your Soul by Hollywood Undead met her ears. Guests smiled and moved aside as she made her way inside. She didnt see any of the guys or girls at first which made her frown. She didnt exactly know half of the people at the party, but she smiled and nodded back as she made her way further inside.

I'm holding on so tightly now
My insides scream so loud
They keep watching, watching me drown
How did it come to this?

How did it come to this? How did I know it was you?
It was a bad dream asphyxiated, watch me bleed
The life support was cut, the knot was too tight
They push and pull me, but they know they'll never win

Throw it all away, throw it all away!

I keep on screaming, but there's really nothing left to say

So get away, just get away!

She heard shouting and that concerned her. As she got closer to the kitchen area, she froze. Tony and Matt were rolling around on the kitchen floor blood splattering everywhere.

Why can't they let me be? Why don't I know what I am?
I force this hate into my heart 'cause it's my only friend
My lips are sewn shut, I watch myself bleed
They push and pull me and it's killing me within

Throw it all away, throw it all away!

I keep on screaming, but there's really nothing left to say

Joanna watched the pair continue to throw punches back and forth before Nick and another guest around his size finally got through the surrounding group watching the fight, to pull the cousins apart. Tony was the first to notice Joanna's presence as the song came to an end.

Throw it all away, throw it all away!

I keep on screaming, but there's really nothing left to say

So get away, so let just get away!

I keep on fighting, but I can't keep going on this way

I keep on running,
I keep on running,
I keep on running, but I can't keep going on this way
I keep on running,
I keep on running
I keep on running, but I can't keep going on this way

Another Hollywood Undead song, Everywhere I Go, played right after Sell Your Soul. Joanna and Tony continued to stare each other down.

Let's get this party started
Let's keep them 40s popping (what?)
So just get buzzed and stay fucked up
We'll keep them panties dropping

Let's get this party started
Let's keep them 40s popping (what?)
So just get buzzed and stay fucked up
We'll keep them panties dropping

Finally Rachael followed Tony's gaze and gasped. She knew for sure Joanna was long gone by now. Nick noticed too and forced a bloody Matt to look up as well.

"Well look at that, the cause of all this finally stopped running away like a bitch, " Tony sneered, spitting blood onto the floor. His left hand wiped away excess blood from his lip and disappeared into the crowd.

Joanna frowned and stared at her feet.

"Fuck him, he's just mad he got called out on his bullshit, "Rachael reassured Joanna by pulling her into a tight hug.

"What happened?" Joanna asked quietly as the group of people left the five alone.

"We thought for sure he chased you away so we confronted him about it," Becky replied, pointing between herself and Rachael.

"Matt got involved when Tony started being a dick to me, " Rachael added.

"I'm so sorry," Joanna sighed.

"It's ok sweetheart, you're here with us now. That's all that matters," Matt smiled and pulled her into a hug himself.

"I almost did leave," Joanna admitted. "But I made you a promise and I'll be dammed if I gave Tony the satisfaction of winning."

"That's our girl!"Rachael beamed hugging her from behind while Becky and Nick got each side of her and Matt.

Joanna laughed and sniffled at the same time, "I'm just sorry I didn't come sooner. Your big night wouldn't have been ruined."

"You think that ruined my night?" Matt asked as he pulled her back to look at her, "It was bound to happen sooner or later anyways. He's been pushing his luck alot here lately."

"And we're nowhere near done yet," Rachael added, "We've still got dinner reservations to attend to and more partying later on."

"Shit I forgot about dinner, I'm not dressed right for it," Joanna sighed.

"Bitch yes you are!" Becky giggled showing Joanna her own ripped Jean's, practically every spot Joanna's were ripped in Becky's were too.

Joanna laughed and pulled her into a tight hug, "You guys are the best."

As the girls pulled away from each other, Jeremiah made his way over to the group. He grinned wide and pulled Jo into yet another hug, "I knew you didn't bail."

"Almost, but I had a promise to keep."

Jeremiah nodded.

Joanna partied with her friends for a while, never catching sight of Tony once. It wasn't until she stepped out into the backyard that she encountered him again. Hollywood Undead's Pimpin' could be heard loud and clear out back. She chalked it up to they had the entire Swan Songs album playing.

"Nice to see you're finally growing up, " Tony muttered.

Joanna scoffed but said nothing back. Instead she pulled out the rest of her joint and began smoking on it.

"Yeah run to the weed to help you out," he continued. "Everyone knows that's another thing you do best."

Joanna rolled her eyes, biting back a remark about his drug use.

"If not for the weed, you'd be a miserable pile of your former self. Too scared to face your friends ever again. Pathetic."

She finally had enough, "What like your coke, heroin and meth use? I don't rely on weed to get me through the day, it calms my nerves. You on the other hand have to rely on chemicals to make yourself even function on a daily basis!"

Tony went to say something but Joanna cut him off.

"Or how you can't seem to find that right girl right?" She glared at him. "Just imagine how many diseases you've got with being with so many bitches."

He went to speak again, but she wasn't done.

"Then again, I get it. Nobody in their right mind would put up with your shit long enough other than to fuck you. That's why Steve and Matt are the happy Lovatos of the family and you're the miserable one."

His arm swung up to smack her, but she caught his wrist before his hand made contact, "That's not gonna get you very far with the ladies either Lovato."

Flinging his arm away from her, she started to walk away from him.

"And you'll always be a miserable train wreck 'cause you gave it up to your best friend and he went onto the next piece of ass!" He shouted at her back. "I'm glad we wound up nothing more you stupid whore!"

Joanna stopped in her tracks. She had enough of his shit. She turned on her heel and faced him, glad he had moved closer to her. Her right foot collided with his crotch, sending him to his knees, smiling sweetly at his cries of pain. The last thing he saw before passing out was her knee colliding with his face.

"Fuck you Lovato. You're not worth the tears and heartbreak anymore. You won't control my mind anymore. I'm done running away."

She spit next to his unconscious body and made her way back inside just in time to see Rachael clearing guests out of the house.

"If you ain't comin' to dinner with the birthday boy, you ain't stayin' in the house while those of us who are are gone!" Rachael shouted over Eighteen Visions' Victim. "Thank you for making this party amazing!"

Matt looked over at Joanna silently asking if she was ok. Joanna grinned and nodded and Matt returned the grin.

"Alright bitches pile up into the cars and let's get our food on!" Rachael shouted as the last of the guests who weren't there to go to dinner left the house.

"She's drunk as fuck," Matt chuckled.

Joanna grinned, "I can tell. Good thing I'm sober huh?"

"Yessss ma'am," Rachael slurred happily.

With one last look towards the back door, Joanna smiled to herself quite pleased with herself and followed her true friends out to Rachael's SUV. After getting directions to the restaurant Rachael had reservations for, Joanna drove towards their destination.