We're the Same

"Come on Emma, you have to go!" Mia yelled for the 100th time.

"Mia I can't, my dad would kill me," I said. Why won't she just let it go? She knows my dad would lose it if I went to some random guy's cabin alone. Plus it's been awhile since I've gone to a party. I’m not sure I’m ready for it.

"I know what you're thinking. You won't be alone, I'll be there with Shara, and Olivia, and...well practically the whole school."

"Have you met my dad? Now he'll just say there are so many people no one will notice me getting kidnaped."

"Wow, your dad's paranoid," Mia said with no emotion.

"Tell me about it," I sighed.

Mia just wants to go because she has a huge crush on Jacob Grey. She practically fainted when he invited us to his cabin for the party. Her parent's will only let her go if I go with her.

"I got it," Mia yelled, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Got what?"

"How you'll go to the party!"

"What? How?"

"Just tell your dad that you're coming to my house for a sleepover. Say that we are going to binge the Twilight Saga and paint our nails."

"Isn't that a little cliche? We are 16 afterall."

"Oh stop it I know you love those movies, and so does your dad. It's a perfect story," Mia said proudly.

"Don't know Mia. I hate lying to my dad," I said quietly like he might hear me. He's not even home yet and we are up stairs in my room, no one can hear us.

"Come on Emma, please don't do this to me. This is the only way I'll get to see Jacob," Mia said grabbing my hand. "Please?"

"Ok fine," I said as Mia squealed. "But if we get caught it's your ass," I said firmly but was caught off by a hard hug.

"Yes! Yes, fine! I don't care!" Mia said hugging me.

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When My dad came home I told him about "THE SLEEPOVER" and he bought it. He actually bought it! To make the plan sound truthful I went to Mia's house to get ready.

"What time is it?" Mia asked as she put on her mascara. The tub said waterproof mascara.

"It's 7. Why are you putting on waterproof mascara? You're not planning on crying are you?" I asked with a laugh.

"7 ok we need to leave by 7:30 if we're going to be there by 8," she said finishing up her mascara. "And no I am definitely not planning on crying. You do know that we are going to a lake house right?"

"Yeah, what does that have to do with waterproof mascara?" I was confused.

"Hello? Lake house. Lake. We are going swimming silly," Mia said, showing me her bikini.

"No way, why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

"I thought you knew...Oh well, don't worry. You can borrow one of mine," Mia said going through her drawer.

"Thanks, but I think you're forgetting something," I said pointing at my chest, knowing very well that Mia only owns low cut bikinis.

"Oh...I thought your scar would be healed by now," Mia said looking at the bikini she picked out for me.

"It is," I started to say. "But it's still there," I said slowly.

"Then own it," Mia said, jumping up holding out the bikini.

"What?" I asked.

"Own it, your scar it’s a part of you," she said. "Plus you would look great in this bikini," she said holding out a neon blue and yellow bikini.

"Wow I love that bikini," I thought. I would look great in it too. Right? Right.

"Ok, if you say so," I said, taking the bikini from her.

"Great! Now go change so we can leave," Mia said walking behind her dressing wall with her bikini and cover up.

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"Wow, this place is packed," I said getting out of my truck. It took us 20 minutes to find a place to park. Mia wasn't kidding when she said the whole school would be here.

"Yeah," Mia agred. "This cabin is beautiful."

"It is," I said staring at it. It's also huge. At least three stories tall. It's a true log cabin, and it's amazing.

"Come on," Mia said, pulling my arm. "Party's this way." She led us around the cabin to the back where it opened up to a beautiful lake. There are tons of tables set up with drinks, pizza, chips, and something that I don't need to know about. Fairy lights are strung all around from tree to tree. People are swimming and dancing to the blasting music.

"This is so cool!" Mia screamed in my ear. "There's Jacob, I'm going to go say hi. Wanna come?" she asked, walking towards him.

"No that's ok, I'll get us a drink," I said and walked over to one of the tables.

"Thanks," I said as a girl handed me a drink. I turned around to see that Mia was already swimming with Jacob. She motioned for me to join her but I showed my drink and that I was content with it. "Good for her," I thought. She came here to get Jacob and she is. She-

"You like the punch?" someone asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned around to see a tall man. He was probably around my age. He was also very tan and muscular. I could see his muscles through the t-shirt. He also had deep aqua eyes.

"Yeah, it's good," I said, realizing that I didn't even try it. I brought it to my lips and tasted it. It was disgusting but I tried to hide it with a smile.

"No, don't drink it. I know it sucks," he said seeing my disgust. He took it from me and threw it away.

"I'm Noah," he said extending his hand

"Emma," I said, shaking his hand.

"So did you come here to swim?" he asked looking at the ground.

"Why? Are you asking me to go swimming?" I asked.

"No, I can't," he said looking away.

"You can't swim?" I asked, a little confused, this is a swimming party afterall.

"No, I can, I just haven't in a while," he said quietly.

"Oh, me too," I said realizing it's been long over two years since I last swam.

"Realy, why?" he asked.

 Before I could answer some other guys came running at him and put him in a headlock laughing. These were clearly his buddies. He was laughing with them as they rolled on the floor fighting each other. Until one of the guys got him down and took off his shirt revealing a long scar going down his chest stopping at his toned abs. Noah looked horrified. He scrambled to put his shirt back on.

"Why did you do that Josh?" he screamed.

"Sorry man, I was just messing around," Josh said.

Rather than losing it Noah left storming off into the forest. I scrambled to keep up with him.

"Noah wait, where are you going?" I asked running after him. Just as I thought he was going to full on run away he stopped dead in his tracks making me almost run into him.

"What do you want? Didn't you see me?" he asked, staring dead at me.

"See you what?" I asked extremely confused.

"There, with my shirt off. You saw my scar didn't you?" he asked, more like a statement.

"Yeah, and?" I asked still confused.

"And now you go away, disgusted just like every other girl," he said coldly, beginning to turn away. But I grabbed his arm to face me again.

"And why would I do that?" I asked bewildered.

"Because, it's a disgusting unattractive scar and now you want nothing to do with me" he said like it was obvious.

"What?" I asked, still not understanding.

"Stop, just go. You have no idea what happened to me," he said facing away from me.

"Yes, I do," I said quietly. He turned around confused staring into my eyes trying to see if I actually did. I took a step back and took off my cover up revealing my bikini and scar. This bikini was open all the way down my chest showing my whole scar that was identical to his.

He stared at me in shock, unable to say or do anything. I took a step towards him slowly, like I was afraid I might scare him. I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and ever so slowly lifted it up and over his head, dropping it to the ground. I softly lift my hand and put it on his scar, over his heart. He flinched but didn’t move my hand. He was staring at me still shocked as I grabbed his hand. I held it for a moment but then guided it to my scar. I placed his hand on my scar, over my heart. We stared into each other's eyes for a long time.

"We're the same," I said, pressing his hand closer to my heart.

"We're the same, " he said, taking his other hand to place it over mine on his chest.

"We're the same."