The ride to Jason's house was more of a party than a trip. Lucas and I had control of the AUX, and we took that opportunity to play all the mumble rap we could. Addy, who hated mumble rap but was too busy driving to do anything about it, complained on and on, but that just fuelled me and Lucas. It was a rare time to assert your opinion over Addy's, and when you did it was something you should cherish.

We arrived at Jason's large mansion quickly. The house was impeccable, the lawns manicured and the windows gleaming and guards friendly. Seeing it like this, I would've never have guessed it would be so lonely inside. When we finally entered, I got the wierd feeling of being in an abandoned house. There was no sign of life, no lights open, no TV playing, nothing. Feeling awkward, I went back and rung the doorbell. We usually just entered, but today it felt like we had to announce ourselves.

A minute after I rung the bell, Jason came bounding down the stairs, his smile stretched wide across his face as he all but glowed pure happiness. His dark brown hair was messy like he'd just gotten out of bed, but his brilliant green eyes were sparkling.  He was still in his pyjamas, and they looked cozy like he'd just gotten out of bed. The moment he reached the bottom, Addy and I launched ourselves at him. He caught us easily, laughing at our excitement.

"How are my two favorite girls?"

And just like that, it was like we'd never been annoyed at him for cancelling on us. With just one second in his presence, I'd forgotten anything and everything I'd been angry about.

"We missed you, J," Addy said. She would only ever admit something like this to Jason. Addy was softer with him, the one person she didn't give her ice queen exterior. I'd always assumed it was because he was like a brother to her, but Lucas was her actual brother, and she never softened up around him.

"I think you guys might be suffocating him," Lucas laughed. "Poor Jason's turning a little blue."

Immediately, I dismounted, but Addy didn't. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he carried her tiny frame easily. At six foot one, their height discrepancy certainly didn't make it difficult for Jason to carry her.

We all went into the family room and ordered pizzas. We sat around for hours, talking about everything and anything. It was so comfortable with them, so easy. I couldn't imagine a life where I didn't have them, where I didn't have this completely effortless way of relaxing and just being myself.

"So you're all for sure going to Brad's party?" I asked later on in the night.

"Guys, I have a fun drinking game," Addy said. "Everytime Leila asks about Brad's party, take a shot. We'll be wasted in the span of ten minutes."

"Oh, fuck off Addy. I just want to make sure Jason's going."

"I'll probably go," Jason said. "Not sure yet."

"But we have to for the soccer team," Lucas said.

Jason shrugged. "Yeah, but what's Brad going to do if I don't go? Kick me out?"

"Dude, don't try Brad. He'll give you hell."

"Honestly, I don't really care about the soccer team anymore. I'm thinking of quitting anyway."

"What?" all three of us said in unison. This was completely out of character; soccer had been Jason's pride and joy for fifteen years. This was news to all of us.

"Yeah, I don't know. I was thinking about it and I'm just not that into it anymore."

"Jason, Brad was going to make you captain. Don't be stupid," Lucas frowned at him.

"Yeah, but now he's going to give it to you. Win-win scenario."

Lucas shook his head. "I don't want it like this."

"Who cares how you get it if you get it in the end?" Jason asked. "Look, I'm not even sure I'm quitting. I'm just saying I might."

"J, you love soccer," Addy said. "You've been playing since you were in diapers. You've never missed a practice, let alone a match. You're one of the star players on the varsity team. You're about to become captain. And now you want to quit?"

"Guys, it's my life. If I want to quit I'll quit. I just don't care about soccer anymore. It's not fun for me and it's just a waste of my time. Can we just leave this subject alone?"

We all reluctantly fell into a lapse of silence. It stretched on for minutes before Jason broke it.

"Who wants to go skinny dipping?" he grinned.

I let out a bark of laughter. "Nice attempt at getting us naked, J. But no thank you, I think I'll pass."

"Wow, is Leila too scared?" he asked challengingly.

"I'm not scared!" I insisted.

"Then prove it, Leils. No one will believe you if you just say it."

I looked around the room at Lucas and Addy. Lucas looked slightly uncomfortable and Addy was laughing. "Are you guys going to do it?" I asked them.

"I'm not skinny dipping in front of my brother, no thank you," Addy said.

"Leila, you don't have to if you don't want to," Lucas said quietly.

Something about the way he said it annoyed me. "I know that."

Jason laughed. "I'm just joking around, Luke. Leila would never do it anyway."

"Why don't you think I would do it?" I asked.

"Because you're the biggest prude of all time," Addy said jokingly. They were messing with me and I knew it, but I found myself getting up. I walked outside to the pool and they followed, the laughter bouncing around the spacey walls.

"I'm actually curious how far she's going to go before she chickens out," Addy said.

"Then get ready to be shocked," I said when I reached the pool. Quickly, I pulled my jeans and Lucas's shirt off and jumped in the pool.

When I resurfaced, I gave them all the finger and swam back to the edge. "Didn't think I'd do it?" I asked.

"That's not skinny dipping, Leila," Jason grinned. "You have to be completely naked."

"Fine," I said. I unclapsed my bra and threw it out of the pool, then reached down and took my underwear off, thanking God I had worn a cute thong instead of one of my granny panties today. Throwing that away too, I stuck my tongue out at them. "I'm not a prude!"

I was slightly discouraged when Lucas looked away, his face still in the uncomfortable grimace it had been in since I'd decided to go skinny dipping. But that discouragement disappeared the moment Jason and Addy started cheering.

I knew Lucas was annoyed that I let them influence me, but if I was being honest I loved being influenced by others. I was the type of person who was a complete and utter coward. If it were just me alone, I would probably just sit alone in my room all the time, never trying anything remotely new. I liked that Addy and Jason always helped me out of my comfort zone, I liked that they pushed me to try things I never would've, and I liked that they didn't let me get away with being a chicken.

"You guys better join me in here!" I shouted at them. Jason looked at Addy and Lucas, who both vehemently shook their heads, before shrugging and ripping off his own clothes and jumping in.

He swam over to me and I was thankful that the water distorted everything in it, so no one could really see my body. We'd all seen each other naked when we were younger and I guess it didn't have to be a big deal, but as we grew older the more cautious we all became.

The moment I was in Jason's arm's reach, he grabbed my waist and swung me around in the water, basically tossing me around. I laughed at his playful antics, responding by trying to do the same back, but he was so much bigger than me that I failed miserably.

And so we stayed in the pool for God knows how long, having childlike fun, completely forgetting about the other two friends standing outside the pool. It was only when Addy shouted at us to get a room did we look back at them, only to find that Lucas was no where to be seen.

We swam back to the edge of the pool where Addy was sitting. "Can you pass me my clothes or get me a towel?" I asked.

Addy smiled mischeviously, getting up. "Hmmm, no. I don't think so," she said, then ran into the house laughing like a maniac.

"Screw you, Addy!" I yelled and Jason laughed at us.

"Too scared to get out of the pool naked?" he teased me.

"You're not tricking me into this one, J. Nope, totally not falling for it."

"So here we are, just two naked, horny teenagers in a pool..."

"Speak for yourself, being horny. I'm just a naked teenager."

"But you know what the next logical step is for two people who are naked in a pool?"

"To get out and take a shower?"

"Together?"

"You wish!"

He chuckled, leaning back against the edge of the pool. Jason was a serial flirt, doing it at any and every chance he got. It was harmless and completely joking, but it always made me laugh. One of Jason's charms was how funny and playful he was, always putting smiles on the faces of anyone within earshot.

A moment later, Lucas walked back out, carrying two robes. He came over and handed Jason and I each one. "Get dressed, Leila," he said, turning away from me. "You'll catch a cold. Look away, Jason."

Jason obliged, and when I was sure no one was looking I hoisted myself out and quickly wrapped myself in the robe. Without the water, the courage it gave me was gone and I was standing there, shivering.

"You good, Leils?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, I'm decent," I said and Lucas turned back towards me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "It's pretty windy. You should go inside and dry off."

"I'm going to take a shower," I said. "Can I borrow some clothes?"

"Yeah, of course," Jason said, hoisting himself out of the pool. I looked away quickly. He put his robe on and Lucas and I followed him into the house, Lucas's arm still around my shoulders.

"Do you guys just want to sleepover?" Jason asked. "It's already pretty late, you may as well."

"I'll have to ask my parents, but yeah!" I said.

"Lucas? Are you and Addy down?"

"I'll ask Addy, but we already know the answer is yes."

Jason and I headed up to his room where he fished out some pyjamas while I sat and waited on his bed. His room was messy, with all the blinds drawn and all the windows shut. I looked around as I waited, realizing how long it had been since I'd last been in his room.

There was a mug on his nightstand and I reached for it, hoping it was water. Instead, it was a dark, thick, purplish liquid. I sniffed at it, but couldn't recognize what it was.

"Hey, J? What is this stuff? Are you drinking syrup?"

Jason looked over at me, his face blanching when he saw I was holding the mug. "Don't drink any of that!"

"Why not?"

"Just put it down, Leila. I'm serious."

I brought it up to my lips in challenge and he stalked over to me and grabbed it from my hands. "Seriously, Leila-"

"What is it?"

"It's nothing. Just don't touch my stuff," he said, uncharacteristically serious. He turned back to his closet and I sat there again, confused.

I looked over at his nightstand, where there was a small bottle. It was made of smoked glass, but I could vaguely tell that it held whatever drink was in the cup. I squinted at it, surprised when it turned out to be cough medicine. Codeine.

"Are you doing drugs?" I exclaimed.

"What- Leila, no! Why would you think that?"

"Who the fuck just drinks straight codeine from a mug?"

"What can I say, I enjoy the occasional glass of lean," he joked.

"Jason, this is serious."

"No it's not. I have a cough, okay?" he said, adding a very fake cough to emphasize his point.

"Don't lie to me. I'm not stupid."

He sighed. "Okay, fine. I drink some codeine sometimes to sleep. It's not a big deal, okay?"

"Did your doctor prescribe it?"

"Yeah, of course! You can't even buy this stuff off the counter. Don't worry about me."

"Really?"

"Yes, I promise. Don't tell Lucas or Addy about this though, okay? They're so weird about stuff like this. Please? This stays between us."

I nodded, feeling slightly flattered that I'd been let in on this secret, though I was still a bit worried. Doctor's orders or not, I doubted the doctor would tell him to sip on it like orange juice.

"Thank you," he said, taking my face in his hands and kissing my forehead softly. "I owe you one."

I wrapped my arms around his torso, leaning my head into the crook of his shoulder. "You know if you ever have problems sleeping, you can always call me. I'll stay up and talk to you until you fall asleep."

"How did I not think of that?" he said. "You bore me to death, of course I'd fall asleep!"

I jabbed my elbow into his waist. "Rude!"

He laughed at me, then got serious again. "Thanks, Leils."

"Of course, J. What are friends for?"