SYDNEY, GAVIN, BRONWYN, Candice, and I are literally running for our lives, even though I'm actually the only one whose life will really be ruined if the cops catch me this time. My lungs are burning, my legs are feeling heavier than they actually do, and my heart is hammering loudly against my ribs with every step. I feel the adrenaline as I push myself a little faster and almost start laughing. These moments of running away make me feel strangely free and carefree, even though I should probably be more scared to death.

Drunk Candice, of course, is the first who goes wobbly. "Dean, I think you have to carry me."

Absolutely not.

Gavin suddenly stops in the middle of the road. "I don't think it makes sense if we're all running in the same direction."

It hurts a little that he rushes to Candice and seriously tries to carry her, but I'm not starting a discussion with him here and now. I actually don't even look at my best friend. Sydney, Bronwyn, and I just keep running and I'm amazed at how long they both keep running.

After about ten minutes, though, Bronwyn breaks down, too. "I ... I can't ... oh God, this is exhausting."

"Just stay here and keep an eye around you," says Sydney, who is just a little out of breath. "If you see or hear any police cars, text me right then, okay?"

Bronwyn nods push her sweaty hair out of her forehead and give Sydney a quick, tight hug. I can't understand what she's saying, but it sounds concerned. When Bronwyn's gaze falls on me, she nods encouragingly, "Good luck to you."

I think that she likes me pretty well since the Xander thing. But really, you don't have to be Sherlock himself to see that I wouldn't hurt a mayfly.

Sydney and I keep running in the same direction for another twenty minutes or so, then I notice that she's starting to flag, too. As I look around, I notice that we are far enough from Candice's party, in fact, we are about five miles from it, as I can see from a street sign.

Sydney suddenly stops abruptly. "I ... I know where we could go."

I look at her questioningly.

"So ... my ... Brother lives here," she barely can speak and I don't get the feeling that her stuttering is related to her condition. "He's three years older than me, and he lives just two blocks from here with his fiancée."

"I'm definitely not going to hide with a complete stranger right now, Curly."

"You didn't know me either before you started banging on my door."

Okay, that's a point. "That's not going in the bag." With that, I jog away at a leisurely speed, only to hear Sydney's gasp behind me a few seconds later.

"Are you serious?" She can barely catch her breath. "Who says 'That's not going in the bag' these days?" Now she's angrily boxing the air with her little fists. "I've got side stitches, my head is throbbing, and if we don't stop running around the neighborhood now, I'm going to die right here in front of you."

I stop. "Satisfied?"

She nods as she rests her hands on her knees. "I'd be even more satisfied after a good shower."

"With me?" I can't believe that even in this situation I'm having not very juvenile thoughts from Sydney, who looked anything other than turned on after my question. I sigh. "The best thing you can do is call Bronwyn so you can meet and go home together. I'm sure Gavin will drive you. I'll find a place to stay, wait for things to settle down, and contact you then. Deal?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with you, Walker," she counters as she resolutely stands up and walks toward me. "We're going to my brother's house now for hot chocolate and a shower." Before I can open my mouth, she says, "No, Dean, we will not take a shower together."

"I wasn't going to say that." I was.

She doesn't believe me, of course. "Now come on. My brother really isn't that bad, it's just that we've lost a little bit of the... contact."

"Why?", I ask as we walk down the street.

"He met this girl when he was seventeen. Avery. He was really blown away by her from the first time he met her, I've never seen that before. The two of them came here to study after they graduated, although my parents don't think much of the university here. I don't know what exactly they have against New Haven, but I think they just wanted us both to study near them, you know?"

"Did you move here because it was exactly what your parents didn't want?", I want to know.

She nods. Then shakes her head. "I have no idea. I love my parents, but they can be very.... clingy. I felt like I wouldn't have my own freedom if I would have stayed home. And somehow I was also hoping to see Jeremy more often."

"You should still call your parents." I try not to let it show how sensitive the topic of 'parents' is for me. "You'll miss them being clingy someday, trust me."

"What about your parents, Dean?" She looks like the question slipped out by accident. "I mean, it's always obvious you don't want to talk about it, but I still wonder if they know about your innocence." Noticing herself how strange it is to talk about an 'innocence', she covers her reddened face with her hands. "I'll stop talking now."

Before I can stop myself, I put an arm around her shoulder and remove her small hands from her face with my free hand. She looks at me and turns even redder when she notices the position we're walking in side by side, but since she doesn't pull herself away from me and starts running away screaming, I count it as the sign that she doesn't mind.

"Will it take us very long?", I ask quietly. I can't and won't take my eyes off her beautiful and huge blue eyes that are only a few inches away from me.

She has to lean her head back to look at me. "We'll be right there. What time is it, anyway?"

"I'm afraid I don't have a watch or a phone, Curly. For safety reasons," I add.

"How does a wristwatch risk your safety?"

"Who knows, it could end up being bugged."

She wrinkles her nose in disbelief.

Cute.

Okay, stop. "Why did you ask for the time?"

"Because I hope we don't have to wake Jeremy up. It's getting pretty late," she adds. Then her expression brightens. "Wait, I brought my phone with me." Suddenly she reaches into her cleavage and pulls out a little silver thing.

I raise my eyebrows in amusement.

"Okay, that was hot."

"Oh, save the sarcasm," she counters with a smirk. "It's after one in the morning, and Bronwyn texts that apparently the police weren't at the party because of you. Looks like there were some underage people there who are not allowed to drink alcohol."

Sydney suddenly seems agitated, but I don't blame her. She and her brother ─ Jeremy, and I should remember that ─ haven't seen each other in three years, and even though she didn't give a valid reason, I'm sure there is one. I don't have any siblings, but it would take a lot for me to cut off contact with them.

"We're here." She's fidgeting even more now than she was a few minutes ago.

I'm a little nervous, too, but I deliberately don't show it. "Are you sure it's okay if I come with you?"

"I'm certainly not going to leave you alone on the street right now, Dean."

"It wouldn't be the first time," I mutter. "How about you and your brother talk alone first and I wait here until you ask him. Because I don't think he will ─"

"No." She interrupts me firmly. "You're definitely not leaving me alone now."

My eyes widen. Does she think I want to leave her alone? If she insists that I accompany her, then she definitely doesn't need to tell me twice. "I would never do that, Curly. I'll show my best manners in front of Jeremy, you'll see. He'll love me."

She raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure my brother has something against murder suspects on principle, but you're welcome to try."

"No one can resist my charms," I return confidently, though my knees are shaking a little. Hopefully, her brother is short, skinny, and less scary than I'm imagining him to be right now.

Suddenly, Sydney wraps her hands around my neck and grins at me. "You're scared. I can literally read it off your face, Dean."

Her hands are cold, giving me goosebumps that I hope she doesn't notice. "If then I'm afraid that he likes me too much if you know what I mean."

She screws up her face. "My brother's not gay, Dean. And he has a fiancée."

"He will probably like me anyway," I interject. "After all, you like me, and since you share the same DNA, it can only be the same for him."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." She buries her face in the crook of my neck, laughing. I can't resist stroking her tangled light blonde hair, whereupon her laughter quickly fades. It's good to know that she's not completely immune from my touch either. "I think your brother is watching us from the window."

She suddenly jumps away from me and looks around in a panic. When she realizes it was a joke, she just rolls her eyes with a grin. "You are truly incredible."

"And you are really pretty when you laugh."

"Are you flirting with me right now?" She wants with surprise.

I can barely suppress an eyeroll. "Sydney, I've been flirting with you since we met, but thank you for finally noticing."

"I ... I didn't know you were serious the whole time."

"Why wouldn't I be serious?"

Suddenly she shuts up and just shakes her head. "Doesn't matter."

I look after her, confused, as she walks away from me and towards the front door. A small light automatically turns on above her, making her light blonde hair look like spun gold. I blink, perplexed.

Doesn't matter?

It does matter, and I make a mental note to bring it up again with Sydney later that night.

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