"Alright, here are the rules—"

"Dad! Every time?"

"Shut your mouth," Dad pointed at me as he paced in the foyer with nothing but his boxer shorts on. In his defence, the weather was fucking hot. "You are under the legal drinking age, which means if you get caught. I get fined. So don't get caught—"

"Drayton—"

"Second," he interrupted Mom who was leaning on the staircase banister with an exasperated expression. "If you must consume, have a glass of water between each drink. And don't be dumb. Be responsible. If you come home with the wobbles or chunder on any inch of this house, I'll expose your embarrassing asses on social media—"

Abby gasped. "Dad!"

"If you get pregnant," he pointed at Abby. "You'll be eating nothing but cheeseburgers for an entire twelve months and the modelling gig will be done. And Lucas, if you knock anyone up, I'll knock you the fuck out."'

"You don't wanna be a gramps?"

"You don't wanna be a corpse?"

"Can we go now?!" Abby threw her arms up.

Her adidas shoe squelched on the floor as she twisted with boredom. I was a little surprised she had a pair of shorts on that billowed around her legs and a tank top tucked in which didn't expose her midriff. 

Mom wondered over just as I was noticing how much Abby looked like her. Their blond heads met side on as Mom pulled her into a hug and then I was next.

"Be safe tonight," she gave us both a pointed look. "Look after each other. I love you."

"Love you Mom," we answered in unison.

She stopped in front of Dad and he peered down at her with a curious expression. "Wrap it up."

His brows shot up. "Does that have a double meaning?"

"N—"

"I love you guys," he laced their fingers together and pointed at us. "Be safe. No drink driving. Seriously, you are both my world so make me proud and make good choices."

We stared as he dragged our mother across the foyer and up the staircase. With age, I've learned one thing. Marriage is meant to dwindle a sex life. We're programmed that way. We're programmed not to act like hormonal teenagers for the rest of our lives so that our fucking children don't end up scarred for life! But apparently Mr and Mrs Lahey didn't get the damn memo.

Animals.

Abby and I headed out to the Range Rover and slid in. It was sort of weird not having Max tag along. Especially since he drives us to and from. The stereo hummed the tune of some EDM song at a low volume and the solar lights that line the drive glowed against the hedges on either side of us.

"Abby," I leaned an elbow on the center console and smiled. She glanced up from her phone and raised a brow. "Drive home tonight?"

"What? No."

"Why not?"

"Because then I can't drink."

"You shouldn't drink anyway."

"Lucas, I swear to—"

"Ooh I love this song," I shut down the argument before it could flare.

I'd have to roll out of this car if I had to listen to her harping on about double standards. Which wasn't the reason I didn't want her to drink. I just didn't want her to be vulnerable. 

If she was vulnerable, I couldn't leave her alone, and that would piss her off just as much. It was almost a lose, lose situation. But whatever. I'd drive, and I'd watch out for her. I had no other choice.

I turned the radio volume up to the song 'Mama' by Jonas Blue. Headlights passed and illuminated Abby's puzzled expression, her gaze darted between me and the stereo. "You like this song?"

"Of course," I shouted over the volume, pressing it up a little more from the steering wheel before I started singing along. "Don't wanna wake up one day wishing that we'd done more
I wanna live fast and never look back, that's what we here for
Don't wanna wake up one day wondering "where'd it all go?"
'Cause we'll be home before we know, I wanna hear you sing it—"

I pointed at Abby and she laughed, covering her face with her hands, but it only took a few moments before she filled her lungs with a deep breath and picked up the duet.

"We'll be back in the morning when the sun starts to rise
So mama, don't stress your mind
So mama, don't stress your mind."

I rolled down the windows and let the cool summer air hit us. Abby complained about her hair being whipped around but it was half hearted and she dropped it, instead bursting into a fit of laughter when we stopped at a set of lights and earned some flabbergasted staring from people in the car beside us.

"Mama, mama, mama, hey
We coming home tonight," I waved at someone filming us on their phone. "Abby sing with me bitch!"

She did. "Mama, mama, mama, hey
We coming home tonight."

"Where should we run to?
We got a ticket that takes us wherever we like," Abby leaned out of her window and blew kisses to a car full of girls that were screaming and taking photos of her.

The traffic light switched green and I hit the gas, taking off in front of the other cars while we continued to shout our lungs out together.

"We got our problems
But just for the minute, let's push all our troubles aside—"

She picked up her phone and opened an Instagram live, filming both of us and our own version of carpool karaoke.

Don't wanna wake up one day wishing that we'd done more
I wanna live fast and never look back, that's what we here for
Don't wanna wake up one day wondering "where'd it all go?"
'Cause we'll be home before we know, I wanna hear you sing it
Hey mam—"

The volume cut off and all that could be heard was my horrific out of tune voice belting out the lyrics. I glanced over at Abby to see that she'd switched the station off and was answering a phone call. My attention rapidly switched between the road and my bitch sister, wondering where she got the nerve to expose me like that.

"Hello," she answered with her thumb between her teeth.

Doubtful that she was talking to Milly with that dumbass grin on her face.

"Yeah of course. I'm coming now."

Airhead giggling ensues.

"Yeah just meet me in the kitchen. . . yeah . . . Mhmm that sounds good. Okay. Bye."

She hung up and while the dark didn't allow a clear view of her face, I was almost certain she was a shade of red that was darker than my t-shirt. I wasn't surprised she'd be meeting Tanner at the party. But it still bothered me. I'd have to be extra vigilant. I didn't trust that freckled face cuck.

Not that I had a problem with freckles. Amalia has freckles. And she's perfect. Ugh. He didn't deserve to share a feature with that goddess.

"Elvey is popping out again," she poked me in the temple.

Elvey was the name of the vein in my temple that appeared when I was wound up. It became especially prominent when I was internalizing irrational rage. Abby had named him Elvey. Like L.V. Lucas' vein. Smart ass.

"Lucas, would you relax. You're behaving like I'm going to an organized orgy."

"I'm behaving like nothing at all."

"Ooh look, there's Elvey's little brother."

"You leave my fucking temple veins alone!"

"Is Amalia going to be there tonight?" She folded her arms but I took a sharp turn into a more suburban area and she flailed to grab the 'oh fuck' handle.

"Yeah, what about it?"

She slapped me in the arm. "So what's the difference?"

"Don't hit the driver," I tried to dead leg her but she shifted her legs and I hit the leather seat instead. "And the difference is, Amalia isn't going to take advantage of me. Or charm me into bed and then leave me all sad when she turns out to be a man whore that sticks her dick in half of the female population."

"She might! She might fuck around heaps! Besides, you'd do that to her. Like you have a million times before you hypocrite."

"I wouldn't do that to her!"

"Yeah but you have and that's my point!"

"Exactly," I shouted and hit the steering wheel as we pulled on to the long dead end road of enormous houses and plush lawns. "I know what we're like! I'm a fucking expert in spotting these cunts and he's a piece of shit. I don't even need to meet him to tell! I don't want you to go through that!"

"If you don't want me to be treated like shit, then you should start thinking about how you treat other girls. For fuck sakes Lucas. I know you were hurt once but it's time to grow the hell up."

"I know!" I pulled over to the curb behind a long line of cars. The party was a few houses down but I could see dozens of people walking the sidewalks and hear the music before I wound up our windows. "I know that I need to sort it out. I'm trying. I want to change alright!"

"Great," she snapped, undoing her seat belt and opening her car door. "Do that. But stop micromanaging my life and assuming that everyone with a penis, is as fucked up as you are."

She slammed the door and started off down the sidewalk. So I followed her. Catching up with ease. "You don't have to be so hostile about it. I'm trying to look out for you."

"You're being controlling in a place you have no right to be controlling in," she slipped her phone out of her shorts and tapped in a quick message before she slid it back. "You need to stop sabotaging my attempts to find someone."

We were about to hit the lawn where Ingrid lived so I grabbed her elbow and spun her around. "It's my job to look after you Abby. I love you and I don't want you giving yourself up to someone who doesn't respect you."

She took a deep breath but averted her gaze. "I don't need you to look out for me. Leave me alone."

I stood in place as she headed up the front lawn where there were more students and teenagers than I expected to see, gathered around, greeting each other, drinking, bopping around to the music that blasted through the front windows. She spun around when she was a few meters away and spread her arms.

"Next time you think about fucking some girl that's super in love with you, think about how it would feel if you knew the same thing was happening to me."

She turned around and disappeared inside the open doors on the front porch. Curious stares came from classmates and I could see photos being snapped which meant this wasn't exclusive to Avondale's- our school - it was open. I sighed and prepared to be faced with unwanted attention. 

There were dozens, dozens of greetings as I got further inside. People wanted pictures. Friends from school wanted to catch up. It was the same for Abby who was being polite but I knew her tells, she wasn't in the mood. Much like myself. All I wanted to do was search out Amalia. But Flynn was the first welcomed face I found.

"This is a different crowd," I commented as he reached in for a bro shake and slapped me on the back. He nodded in agreement.

"Ingrid's boyfriend goes to Westmond," he said as we moved through the living area and out on to the back patio. And by boyfriend, he meant the latest dude that she was screwing on a regular basis because we all knew that Ingrid didn't do commitment. "There's a whole bunch of their students here too."

"Ahh," I nodded.

The back lawn was large but simple. There were no immaculate gardens or lawn ornaments that gave it character. The pool was fenced and there were lounge chairs around the edge of it. As well as a few seats, picnic tables and an outdoor fire place beside a barbecue.

"What's the matter with Abby?" Flynn said as we sat down on the end of a picnic table at opposite sides with a group of our team mates. We exchanged a few greetings across the table and let them resume their conversation. "She seemed upset when she came inside?"

"Same old, same old," I murmured, staring at the kitchen window. Through the crowd of people, I could see her wrapped around Tanner, she wasted no time, his tongue was half way down her throat.

Flynn turned around and saw what I saw, his shoulders stiffening for a moment. "Oh," he turned back with a light laugh. "The usual then."

I watched him for a moment. He stared at the table top and fidgeted with his fingers. 

"If you like her, tell her," I said.

His head shot up with disbelief. "What?"

"I'd rather she was with you than him."

He averted his gaze and stammered. "It's um— I don't th—"

"Here he is," we were interrupted by Ingrid who had Amalia on her arm. Ingrid was half cut. Her tight dress was half way up her thighs. Full disclosure, I'd had those thighs around me before. But she was on the same page as me. She was one of the girls I hadn't left sad and longing.

Amalia was a welcomed distraction, I smiled at her gorgeous grin. She looked perfect in a pair of thigh high socks and black boots. Her green skirt had buttons up the middle and her cropped t shirt exposed her toned midriff. She rendered me a mess whenever I laid eyes on her.

"Hey," I wrapped an arm around her waist, snatching her from Ingrid and pulling her into my lap. She giggled with an hmph but her arm soon draped around my shoulder. "You look so damn cute."

She locked her gaze with mine. "gracias. te ves muy guapo."

"Uhhh," Ingrid loudly groaned as she fell into Flynn's lap, snatching his cup. "I wish I could talk like that. It sounds so hot."

"I know right," I agreed, resting my hand on Amalia's smooth exposed thigh. She must have felt the hard on in my pants under her bum because she recoiled with a gasp and stared at me. "What?" I laughed at her shock. "I'm sorry. It's not my fault. It's an unavoidable reaction to how good you sound."

She turned a warm pink and ducked her head as she nodded. "It must be hard. Girls can hide it when they're wet."

"You're making it worse."

"Get a fucking room," Ingrid laughed. She finished off the rest of Flynn's beer and wiped her mouth.

"Is that an offer?" I raised a brow, subtly sliding my hand a bit further up Amalia's thigh. "Because I'll make use of it."

Amalia clapped her thighs closed and cleared her throat so I redirected my hand and met her coy warning smile. 

"Na," I said. "I'm practicing abstinence right now."

Ingrid laughed so hard that she almost fell off Flynn's lap. He kept her upright and stared with uncertainty. The entire table seemed to be watching now, incredulous expressions coming from Tucker, Matt, Paul, Damo and whoever their accompanying girls were.

I exhaled a deep breath and waved them off. Ingrid was still in fits but the rest of them carried on hollering amongst each other, passing joints, chugging beer and talking shit. The amount of people had grown as well. Girls were in the pool in their bras and underwear, an impromptu game of drunk waiter was taking place on the lawn.

Shane spun in a circle for a solid sixty seconds before someone handed him a tray of cups and he took off towards the back fence. It was a golden moment when he ran head first into the pool fence instead.

Ingrid hopped up and offered to replace Flynn's drink for him. She'd make it inside and forget what she was doing though. She could hold her liquor but her attention span was nil. "Want a beer babe?" She questioned Amalia. "Vodka? Rum? Gin?"

"Gin?" I scoffed.

"Gin is lovely with the right mix," she defended. "It's best wit—"

"Lucas."

I turned around and saw Lola— a friend of Abby's — at the threshold to the living area. She was almost pushed out of the door by the people going in and out but she held on and seemed a little frantic.

"Abby might need a hand," she jabbed her thumb over her shoulder, her pin straight hair which was always immaculate and tied with a bow, was a mess. "She's about to finish a fight that Reece started."