Black lights glowing, storm raging outside, silenced by the throbbing technoized beat, a pale redheaded girl throws back another shot and continues dancing. Her pale skin glows a deathly white tinged with purple. She stands out, like a moth in a flowered meadow. Everyone around her is clothed in bright colors and flashing lights, and there she is spinning and sparkling in head to toe black. Her skin is so pale against the solid black shirt that she looks like a black and white cut out. Then a flame colored lock of hair escapes a messy bun and throws color back into the picture. The green in her eyes jumps out and traces of purple body glitter sparkle on her frail, scarred arms, colored light dances across her skin, pulling the frail girl from her black and white cut out into the real world.

Her pale hand grips a darker one, holding tightly to the lifeline that is her gay best friend. He spins with her, perfectly on beat, dressed to match in all black. Best friends for life they swore tossing back shooter after shooter. Spinning beneath the lights an aura of happiness hides the sadness that lurks just beneath their laughing eyes. He can't stop thinking about the way his mother cried when he came out, and the way he was looked at by society. He couldn't help missing his boyfriend. She couldn't help feeling self conscious about the scars that lined her arms and couldn't help wondering why he left if he loved her.

His hand and the throbbing, pulsating beat were the only things that kept her grounded. She felt like she was about to fly off her hinges and do something stupid. She'd already lost herself, and could barely remember her own name. It was strange, the way love and pain came so inescapably entwined.

Grabbing another shot she banishes the philosophical thoughts that haunt the cobwebbed corners of her mind and throws her heart into the music, the sound, the feel of the rave. Reaching for the hand of the blonde to her left they formed a trio of dancing misfits.

In a desperate attempt to escape reality the Princess, the Outcast, and the Gay Guy hold tightly to one another and dance the pain away.

The Princess had dressed herself in black too; out of solidarity with the new friend she couldn't quite understand. She would do anything for Marco, they all would, but it was the Outcast, Ellie, the cutter who really intrigued her. So in solidarity she clothed herself in black and ran dark blue streaks through her golden hair. Thick black eyeliner replaced the carefully applied weekday eye shadow and body glitter was smeared over the tan she'd paid a good hundred bucks for. Her Princess façade was streaked with body glitter, smudged eyeliner, sweat, and tears. It was a strange friendship that had emerged from that day in the bathroom. But as a rape victim she could understand the need to hurt yourself, she just did it differently. She threw herself blindly into love and let the consequences scar her. Instead of scars lining her arms and legs they lined her heart.

Their mutual need for pain allowed for an unbreakable bond to form beneath the tension and hostility that came from two separate social classes. With Marco thrown into the mix it was a perfect friendship. He smoothed out the tension and washed away the anger and left them with nothing but an eternal friendship. Paige was still a Princess, Ellie was still the Outcast, and Marco was still Gay, but they had their own world outside of the structured halls of High School.

They had a world of laughter and diet soda and cheap gas station candies in Paige's light blue 1998 convertible while listening to Ani DiFranco and other angry girl rock that somehow they all loved. Ellie loved that chicks were finally breaking into a guy's world. Marco loved how the lyrics meant something and that it was rock music you could dance to. Paige loved that it was girly and tough at the same time.

They made Marco drive and bought him a chauffeur's hat. And somehow Marco managed to look totally hot in it. That truly sucked, both girls agreed, why did all the good guys have to be gay? While pondering such musings they sat in the backseat and drank diet vanilla cokes and threw skittles at each other. They leaned back and stretched out across the backseat, soaking up the rays, while the Canadian tied their hair in knots.

Paige wasn't as shallow as she seemed. And truth be told Ellie wasn't as serious and deep as she seemed. And Marco, well Marco was practically perfect. Neither girl could understand how people could be so mean to someone so nice. It pissed them off to no end. Comments would be made and Marco would shrug it off, but they would be ready for a fight.

They all brought something to the friendship. Ellie introduced them to Indian food and Paige introduced them to addictive teen magazines, but Marco made the best contribution. He introduced them to Raves. The Princess and The Outcast did not think they would like Raves, but one night of dancing, drinking, and body glitter changed all that. Raves were a release and a place where their friendship fit in, they weren't strange there, people didn't laugh at them or look down on them.

But recently things had gotten bad. Paige had a fling with a teacher and it left her broken hearted and empty. Marco was missing Dylan like crazy and still hadn't come out to his dad. And Ellie, who'd been truly, deeply in love, had had her heart ripped out and stamped on when Sean left her, not even bothering to call to see how she was. So that night they gathered at Paige's house and after raiding their respective closets put together the best damn mourning outfits they could. Marco's was, of course, temporary, as Dylan was still around, just not there. His was also the most Rave appropriate. His black emo boy shirt was streaked with fluorescent black light paint and his pants were covered in neon zippers. A hot pink Fedora sat tilted on his head, and his shoes were splatter painted to match the shirt. Paige and Ellie tattooed henna-like flowers entwined with barbed wire in gel pen on his arms. He was a guy that any girl or guy couldn't help but drool over.

Paige found an old black mini skirt of her mom's and paired it with a lacy camisole and platform tennis shoes that were splatter painted to match Marco's. They streaked her golden blonde hair with midnight blue and covered her in blue body glitter. They put dozens of glittering rhinestone necklaces and drew flowers on vines around her arms, legs, and exposed stomach. Marco pulled out a bag full of metallic bangles and placed them on her delicate wrists, where the metallic glittering contrasted gorgeously with her tanned skin. Ellie lined her light blue eyes with thick black liner and dusted her cheeks with a fine, sparkling glitter. Paige looked like some sort of crazy Rave goddess, wild and beautiful.

Ellie was always the most reluctant to dressing up. Marco and Paige put their feet down and refused to let Ellie out without a full Rave girl makeover. Paige unbraided her shoulder-length red hair and piled it in a messy bun on top of Ellie's head, leaving a few strands out to frame the pale girl's face. Marco tossed her a plain black wifebeater, that thanks to several washings would be quite form fitting. Paige pulled out an old black peasant skirt and modified it a bit. She cut a good deal off the bottom so that it fell to just below Ellie's knees; she then added a slit to her upper thigh. The two then put several fluorescent pink and yellow chain belts around Ellie's middle. Marco graciously allowed her to wear her favorite combat boots, but insisted on covering Ellie in purple glitter and swirling, starry gel pen tattoos across her arms.

Marco drove, but left the chauffeur's hat in the glove compartment, too attached to Ellie's pink fedora. Ellie and Paige sprawled out in the back of the convertible, whose top was safely up, protecting them from the rain. The two girls fought for leg room and finally settled for using each other as foot rests. Marco looked back at them, smiling at the peace the two friends had found in a very unlikely place. Ellie reached into her purse and pulled out a handful of skittles and threw them at Paige, who was staring out the window thoughtfully. With a shrill cry, Paige gathered up as many skittles as she could find and threw them at Ellie who calmly ate them, while throwing the purple ones at Marco in the front seat.

The skittles are soon devoured and both girls are left staring out the window. Paige pokes Ellie's leg and points out the window at a shooting star. Both girls cross their fingers and wish, praying for their broken hearts to mend.

Marco parks near the warehouse and the three sprint through the rain and duck into the building. The music is loud and the place is packed. Paige promptly buys a handful of glowsticks, which Ellie promptly steals. Working quickly she braids them together and places them on Paige's head like a crown. Paige clumsily curtsies and puts the leftover ones around Marco's neck, saving the only pink one for Ellie, who ties it around one of the chains on her waist. Moments later the three throw themselves into the fray, dancing and swaying to the beat. And even though the world flows on and on around them, they make a strangely beautiful site, filled with razorblades and broken hearts, dusted with a pale glittery mist.

Passing on the club drugs they drink shooter after shooter, getting smashed as they danced. It felt good to finally let go. It felt so good that Ellie forgot to feel self-conscious and Paige didn't notice the tears of relief that ran down her cheeks. Their problems lay forgotten and the three of them danced and danced, letting the techno beat flow through their hearts, holding tightly to one another, afraid of what would happen if one let go. Hours later around two or so the exhaustion hit. They'd been dancing for hours, stopping only to down a shooter or run to the rest room.

On their way back they stopped at an IHOP to wind down. Marco had black coffee, two aspirin, and a stack of pancakes. Ellie and Paige, who held their liquor much better than Marco, had Diet Cokes and shared a brownie sundae. During a very intense argument over who got the cherry Marco reached over and took it from them. With a shared incredulous glance, they reached over and took Marco's pancakes. Marco, being a typical boy offers to throw up the cherry in exchange for the pancakes. The two girls decline and settle for half a pancake each. Marco, looking slightly offended sniffs and finishes his coffee. Ellie and Paige can't help but fall for his puppy dog eyes and squash themselves into his side of the booth and wrap him up in a giant three man bear hug. Emotions are flowing rawly between the three. Tears flow down cheeks, landing on shoulders and hands, tying the knot that holds them together even tighter.

The waitress leaves the bill on the table, smiling to herself at the embracing teenagers. Things like this made her job worthwhile. When they'd come in she'd handed them their menus warily, but now, seeing them embracing, crying as they smiled, she felt a sense of peace that she hadn't felt in years.

They wiped their eyes and sniffled. Ellie pulled a few rumpled fives from her purse and leaves them with the check. Marco adds another five and the three stroll out of IHOP, arms linked shoulders touching. After driving the three or four blocks back to Paige's house Marco squeezes himself in between Ellie and Paige, encircling them both with his arms. The tears had smudged their gel pen tattoos and eyeliner. Arms wrapped around each other, they can't help but cry, not understanding how they can be so happy and so heartbroken at the same time. Marco reaches up and puts the top down. And in calm that comes after the storm the three stare at the sky, contemplating the love they share, wondering what will become of their highly unorthodox friendship. After an hour or so there desperate grips loosen and the eventually head inside.

They curl up on the couch in the game room and settle in for a night of cheesy 80's chick flicks. Paige sits down next to the armrest of the squashy old couch. Marco flops down next to her and puts a comforting arm around her shoulder. Ellie flips the lights off as the opening credits start. Pouting she looks at Paige and Marco, and sits cross legged on the other end of the couch. Paige tells her to come sit with them already and Marco looks sadly at her. Ellie lays across their laps, head on the armrest torso stretched across their laps. Paige leans her head on Marco's shoulder and he in turn rests his head on hers. Paige's free hands undo Ellie's bun and mindlessly braid her hair as Marco traces the scars on her arm. Halfway into 'Pretty in Pink' all three are sound asleep.

The sun dawns on a sweet scene. Marco and Paige are leaning on one another as they sleep and Paige's hand is entwined in Ellie's partially braided hair, and Marco's hand rests gently on Ellie's scared upper arm. And for once the sun is content with simply watching, reluctant to awake the sleeping teenagers, for fear of ruining this one perfectly peaceful moment.