It took Abel over an hour to get a girl to talk to him without dumping her drink over his head or splashing it in his eyes.

If I said that I wasn't amused by it, I would be lying. He screwed about half of the girls here in the food court over, so it was only appropriate that they reacted the way they did.

He finally made his way back over to me after giving the Ring Pop to some eighth grader that was watching after him as if he were a God.

"There." Abel said, approaching me.

"That took," I looked down at my phone, "Almost an hour and a half. I win." I threw my fist up into the air, feeling like Judd Nelson at the end of the Breakfast Club.

"Don't get too happy, this is only the first thing on the list." He smiled, cockily, "I'm beast at paint wars. Just ask Oliver." I snorted as I stood up, following him toward the door.

"When you were like ten. It's been eight years, Abe." I replied, holding the door open for a woman pushing a stroller. Abel waited for me outside, shaking his head.

In the bright sunlight, I could see just how much older he looked. My parents had always said that it was hard to see how much someone has changed when you spent a lot of time with them. This seemed to be the case now, as I really stared at my brothers best friend for the first time in years.

His blonde curls were longer, curling up and around his ears. His green eyes had dark circles under them. Stubble had started to appear along his jawline and chin, which was something entirely knew in itself. I could still remember a time when he had been afraid he wouldn't ever hit puberty after my brother did a little earlier then usual.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Abel broke into my thoughts, snapping me out of them like a rubber band. I shrugged, starting to walk again.

"I just realized something I hadn't before." I mumbled, scratching my arm nervously.

Had me checking him out really been that obvious?

"Oh, you finally realized how ridiculously hot I am? See, I told you it would happen." He started to poke at my side, earning a quiet growl in irritation out of me. He knew I hated it, he had for as long as I can remember.

"What's next on the list?" I questioned. Abel yawned, holding up a finger before he responded.

"Paint war, of course. Why else would we be talking about it? Anyway, we need more people. You think your hot friend with the nice ass could join us?" I laughed, resting my hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't know you swung that way, but sure, I can ask Adrian if he wants to join us." Abel didn't have a chance to respond as I ducked my head under his arm and walked back out toward his car with a smile slowly stretching across my face.

**

"Paint war? What, are you guys like eight?" Lena joked, looking back and forth between Abel and me with an amused look.

"No, we are adults," Adrian walked into the room with a water gun loaded with paint, smirking at Lena, "But I guess the weak minded wouldn't understand that." She grabbed her soda can and launched it across the room, it hit Adrian right in the forehead.

"What is it with you two and throwing things?" Abel grumbled, pointing at me, "You two are crazy." Lena and I both crossed our arms over our chests and glared at him.

"Oh yeah? This is coming from the guy that drank a whole keg of beer on a dare then threw himself off a cliff." Lena snapped. I high-fived her, nodding.

"Bro, maybe we shouldn't have let them be on the same team." Adrian said, staring worriedly at me, "There may be three of us, but these two are like small, unstoppable ninjas." Abel grabbed the water gun he had laid against the door frame and pointed it in my direction.

It was actually a little odd seeing him attempting to get along with Abel, it somehow didn't seem like it was really happening.

"I'm confused." Oliver finally spoke up from the couch. "Why are we doing this now if it doesn't even count until tomorrow?" Lena sat back on to the couch beside him, nodding in agreement.

"They are." I gestured toward the two boys, "Because they are scared that we're going to beat all three of you." I was surprised by my own confidence.

Abel smiled, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

"You're all bark and no bite." He said, rolling his eyes. It was my brother that spoke up before I could.

"Trust me, man. She can bark and bite, you just got to make sure it's not you that she attacks." And with those words still lingering in the air, Adrian and Abel walked out of the house, shutting the door gently behind them.

**

I sat on the last step of the porch, my arms wrapped tightly around my legs as I stared up at the starry night sky.

I had been waiting for my brother and Abel to come back for hours. I knew it was probably ridiculous on my part, that I actually though they were going to come home tonight, but I still had to hope that they wouldn't be stupid.

"You coming in?" Adrian's quiet voice dragged me out of my daze. I looked up at him as he started to sit down.

"No." I whispered, "I don't want too." I rested my chin back on my legs, trying to ignore the butterflies that had begun to flutter around in my stomach.

"If you're waiting for them to come back, don't. I'm not sure what Abel told you, but they aren't coming home tonight." He reached for my hand, but I found myself scooting further away from him.

"He didn't say anything. I. . . I'm just scared. They're going to get themselves hurt, Adrian. You remember what-"

"I remember everything that they've done, Liv. But we can't stop them from living their life. As long as they keep you out of their games then I'm not going to do anything about it." I frowned, hearing the subtle bitterness that had made it's way into his voice.

"Why?" I breathed out.

"Why what?" He replied.

"Why do you hate Abel so much? He never did anything to you, Adrian." I saw my best friend change in that second, he changed from his normal and caring self to someone I barely knew.

"He's a piece of shit, Liv. And I'm not going to let you be that poor little good girl that gets her heart ripped out because she thinks her life is a fucking novel and that the bad boy is going to fall in love and change for her." He stood up, his jaw clenched.

"I'm sorry. The only reason I'm allowing you to do this with him is because you want too. Everything that I say, that I fight with you about is because I care. I'm not going to let that little prick change that all right? He doesn't love you, he probably doesn't even care about you, Olivia. He may have been there for you in the beginning, but I'm the one that's going to be here with you until the end." Adrian's eyes were glistening in the dim lights of the porch, his chest heaving up and down as he tried to catch his breath.

I wanted to stand up, ignore all of the worry that had built up over the last few years, and kiss him. I wanted him to know that I wouldn't ever love Abel, not like I loved him.

But I did nothing other then sit on the step and stare up at him like a child, waiting for him to come back and comfort me.

"This is only the beginning, the first day of that list. You may like it now, but I know there will come a time this summer when you realize that all of this is part of some sick game in Abel's head, and neither of know what his prize is if he wins." Adrian turned his back to me and walked into my house without another word, shutting the door gently behind him.

I sighed and laid my head back on my lap, shutting my eyes. I felt my little brother slide under my arm sometime during my waiting, his bright blue eyes worried as he stared up at me.

"Don't worry, Liv. They'll be okay." He assured me, laying his head against my arm.

I nodded, whispering that I knew that under my breath. But it didn't matter how much Adrian or my little brother tried to assure me that Oliver and Abel were okay. I had been the one that helped them into the house after their all nighters, after their one night stands, when they could barley walk. I had been the one that nursed them back to health the next day when they had horrible hangovers. I had seen them both at their best and worst, but I knew sooner or later I may never see them come home just drunk. That I may never seen them come home again, and nobody could even come close to imagining how scared I was every time my brother walked out the front door.

*****AN***

Not edited

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~ChasingMadness24