Lola, a sweet little Asian who wore bright ribbons in her pin straight hair and winced at the sound of a curse word or sexual innuendo, was the epitome of innocence.

I'd once told her that she had a nice rack at a school swim sports and she cried, which made me feel like the biggest asshole on the planet. The point is, her idea of a cat fight is a little exaggerated.

Flynn, Amalia, Lola and I pushed through the crowd in the living area until we found the dispute. Music served to drown out Reece who was obviously screaming at my sister but no fists were being thrown.

Tanner and Milly flanked my little sister who made me laugh with her blatant boredom. If anything was going to piss Reece off more, it was being disregarded.

I stood beside Abby and looked at Reece. "What are you squawking about?"

"She's packing a tantrum because she started chatting up Tanner while I was fixing Lola's hair and I told her to jog on."

Reece took a step towards me and began to shout. The amount of alcohol on her breath could get me pissed from where I stood. "Your family fucks me off so much!" She jabbed her finger at me. I couldn't stand her lack of personal boundaries.

"Don't talk about my family like that," Abby went to step forward but I raised an arm and kept her where she was.

We didn't need to end up online in the middle of a brawl. As much as I did want to let her go for it, that was press we didn't need.

She didn't push me on it. She would've been thinking the same thing I was.

"We're going now," I told Reece and peered over to find Amalia still beside me.

She was watching the red head with disdain. I couldn't blame her. Reece was a headache in the form of a person. The entire time we'd stood here she had been slurring insults and stomping her foot.

"You should have a glass of water."

"You should get fucked," she retorted, swaying where she stood.

People nearest to us were watching, no doubt hoping that something would happen but I sighed and rolled my eyes while she went off the deep end. "You're a man whore and I dunno what the fuck miss Spanish girl over there sees in you. He's an asshole sweetheart. Don't bother with him. Whore sister. Piece of fucking shit, Lucas—"

She raised her hand and swung out. I fully expected her palm to connect with my face but the sound of skin slapping skin didn't accompany a harsh sting.

Instead it came from Amalia catching her wrist and holding it a few inches from my cheek.

Reece stumbled and scowled as she ripped her wrist from Amalia's grasp.

I watched the beautiful girl beside me and had the overwhelming urge to kiss the fuck out of her.

But I didn't even get the chance to thank her before I felt Abby pushing past me.

"You don't even— you don't do that!" She shouted and grabbed a fistful of Reece's hair. "I'm the only bitch that gets to hit him."

She raised her knee and pushed Reece's face down into her leg. A move Dad had shown her when she was seven and some girl stabbed her hand with a pencil at school.

Chaos broke the fuck out.

I felt the pressure of a crowd forming around us, pushing to get a view of Abby and Reece clawing at each other.

I ran forward, grabbing my sister around the waist and dragged her backwards. She gave Reece another closed fist smack around the face before I could pull her out of arms reach.

Who knows what the fuck Tanner was doing. I couldn't see him and as much as I didn't like him, I thought he might have been useful in subduing my volatile sister.

Even Flynn just stood tall in the background, watching with a scandalous expression.

Reece composed herself and ran at us. I turned around so she couldn't hit Abby and copped a fist in the back of my head.

It didn't hurt but I was yanked backwards and heard Abby cursing and grabbing her head because Reece had a fistful of my sister's hair. She pulled it over my shoulder and I stumbled backwards.

The tugging stopped and I turned around to see Reece being pummelled by Mills. Red hair and pale skin tumbled around on the ground.

"Mills," I shouted. "Come on, damn it."

I gave Abby a strong shove at Flynn and he caught her with alarm. "Don't let her go," I ordered.

Milly was straddling Reece when I turned around, her hair a mess and and her fists swinging.

"The girls have gone wild," I shouted, quoting Mean Girls as I grabbed her around the waist and hauled her backward.

Amalia stood on Reece's stomach with one foot to keep her on the ground.

"Where is she!?" Ingrid appeared between a bunch of students who were, of course, filming the scene in front of them. "Get the fuck out. Bitch. I'm gonna fuck your Dad."

What.

She marched over to where Reece was still struggling against Amalia and dragged her off the floor towards the front door.

The crowd dispersed and I watched a few of the phones with a twist in my gut.

Wasn't shit I could do about it now though.

Milly was still flush against my chest, so I let her go and laughed while she smoothed down her hair.

"You've got—" I reached out and wiped a smear of blood from under her nose and she slapped my hand.

"What?"

"I had that," she stuck out her tongue.

"Ugh you're welcome," I shove her in the shoulder and Amalia comes to stand beside me.

"Damn," I grabbed her arm and looked closer at the scratch marks. "What happened?"

"She scratched when I was helping Ingrid push her outside," she shrugs, "no big deal."

"What about you," I turned to Abby who was restlessly moving from foot to foot while she talked to Milly and Lola.

The three of them were wound up but Lola looked more petrified than pissed off. That was when I noticed Tanner coming through the living room with an ice pack.

"Abby," I said. "You alright?"

She looked at me and nodded. "Mhmm. Yeah bitch just ripped a handful of my hair out."

"Need this?" Tanner handed her the frozen pad of gel and smiled as though he had saved the situation. "Figured it might help."

"Help with what?" I stared at him and put an arm around Amalia's shoulder. She settled in and damn did she feel good beside me. "You were no fucking good by the way."

Abby back handed me across the chest.

"What was I supposed to do?" Tanner asked. "It seemed like you had it covered. More people just meant less space. It seeded pointless to get in the way."

Fucking logical cunt.

"I'm going to get another drink," Abby said. She pulled me into a quick hug. Which surprised me. Even more surprising was when she said, "love you Lukey."

When she stepped back, she laced her fingers with Tanner's and gave me a look that dared me to argue with her.

I wasn't going to though. I made her a promise and I didn't want to have the same argument twice in one night.

She gestured for her girls to follow and the lot of them disappeared with Tanner. The living room had returned to its usual thick crowd of dancing.

The plush sofas which would have had more zeroes on the price tag than my sister's Chanel backpack, were all pushed against the walls and the oak coffee table with a matte finish was being used as a makeshift platform for a couple of amateur strippers.

"All that concern about others," Amalia looked me over. "You took a few punches too."

"I did," I pretended to wince and rubbed my jaw. "Might need a nurse tonight."

"Ha," she grinned. "You handled that well. I'm glad you don't hit girls but that doesn't mean you should have to stand there like a punching bag."

Her expression turned dark and her jaw twitched.

"Come on," I said and tucked her into my side.

Flynn, Amalia and I moved through the crowd again. It was no surprise that Amalia had made a number of friends already. She greeted a couple of girls as we went.

She was too sweet and kind not to gravitate towards. I felt sort of triumphant knowing that I had her on my arm tonight.

We grabbed a couple of drinks from the kitchen as we passed through.

Tanner and Abby were in the middle of a large group from school. He was seated on the table and she stood between his legs, talking and drinking with ease as though she hadn't just been in the middle of a total bitch fight.

However, I did notice she was rubbing the back of her head.

The plan was to go straight out to the pool area again but I paused and figured I might as well swallow my pride and get to know this Tanner dude a little bit.

No one could claim I hadn't made an effort if I made conversation in front of almost our entire grade.

"Uh," Flynn cleared his throat and I turned around to find him backing away. "I'm just going to the bathroom. I'll um— I'll be back."

"Alright man."

He subtly glanced behind me before he slipped his hands in his pockets and spun around.

Damn, I hadn't realised before. But it was obvious now. He had it bad for my sister. And she was draped all over some new drip that was wearing fucking drop crotch pants and a plaid flannel with designer rips.

He'd never avoided her so much but I suppose she'd never been so out in the open with another dude before. It must have been hard for him.

I stood against the wall by the table and said hello to friends as I positioned Amalia in front of me, resting my chin on her head and wrapping around her shoulders.

She fit so well with me. Her perfect ass pushed against me and I inhaled the scent of her soft silk hair.

"Ugh she got you too huh?" Abby said from our right, pointing at Amalia's scratched arms.

"It's not that bad," Amalia said.

Ingrid wandered in with no shoes on and her thin ash blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail.

"I made it until ten!" She raised her cup with a slurred giggle as she tripped over Craig's shoe.
He caught her around the waist and she leaned against him with a flirtatious smile. "Ten and I've only just ditched my shoes."

"You have cute feet," Craig said, glancing down at the floor.

Ingrid turned around and stared up at him with a disapproving frown.

She slid out of his hold and stood beside Abby and Tanner who were laughing to themselves as Craig tried to defend what he'd just said. "I jus— not in a weir—"

"Craig, find someone else to fulfill your foot fetish. It ain't happening here."

The tall kid sighed and I felt kind of bad for him when he hung his head in shame.

Craig was among this group of friends because his cousin was our quarterback.

He got invited and tagged along wherever Leo went. He was nice and no one belittled him for caring more about reading and journalism than sports. His interests weren't an issue.

But he did come out with some weird shit sometimes. He sort of reminded me of a taller, older Troy Bolton with the hair and striped polo shirts he wore.

"Ingrid, I have to ask," I said staring at the girl who was mixing her drink with some concerning ratios. "Why did you threaten to fuck Reece's Dad?"

She snorted as she set the bottle of spirits down on the table behind her. "Well, apparently Reece had a little get together or some shit at her place and her Dad asked where I was because we used to hang out a bit. So then he said that I should have been there because I was her hottest friend."

We all stared at her as she poured lemonade into her cup and sniggered. I could feel Amalia's shoulders shaking with laughter.

"I'm thinking about doing it. He's not bad looking."

"Dude," I paled. "No. That's fucked up."

"Excuse me Lucas," she pointed at me. "You'll have a change of tune when she's being a miserable bitch and I marry her daddy and make her my daughter. We'll see how much of a pain in the ass she's being then."

"So we've gone from screwing her Dad to marrying him?" Leo questioned from beside Craig.

"Might as well, right," she laughed and tipped her drink back.

As unstable as she sounded, I knew it was a joke from the simple fact that Ingrid would rather chew her arm off, than be in a committed relationship.

She had those views before her parents public split. I figured that would have only cemented her opinion on monogamy.

She didn't have a great relationship with her Father from what I knew. This was his place and she was able to throw parties like this because he spent most of his time in Houston with his mistress.

Someone called Ingrid from the living room and she ran off before I could ask her what happened to the pool boy.

"Luc," Abby said. I glanced over at her and attempted not to scowl when I saw Tanner staring down her top from behind her. "I'm staying at Milly's tonight. So you don't have to wait up for me."

The favourable red head smiled and waved when I peered at her and Lola in a conversation of their own.

Milly was wearing a sheer white top over a black lace bra. I gave her a quick sweep and usually I comment on it, because she looked good. Really good. But I said nothing. New leaf. New me.

"I really don't believe you," I said, turning back to Abby after noticing an echo of surprise on Milly's face. "But whatever."

"You don't believe me?" She scoffed. "What else would I be doing?"

"Who is more the question," I glared at Tanner who wouldn't look at me. He wouldn't even defend her.

Sack.

She inhaled a deep breath and the group started to sparse out at the onslaught of awkward tension. "Lucas, you ca—"

"It's fine," I shrugged, not wanting to set her off after she had alcohol in her stomach. She had lungs on her as it was. She was a damn banshee when she was a few deep. "Just text Mom and Dad so that I don't get accused of abandoning you."

She furrowed her brows and gave me an uncertain nod.

"How about you," I murmured close to Amalia's ear. She turned her head and I could see the side of her lip biting grin. "Where are you going tonight?"

"I had no plans," she ran her hands across my arms that were wrapped around her front. "Just home I suppose. Dad dropped me here earlier so I'll need a ride."

"Girl, I can give you a ride alright," I whispered against her neck. She shuddered. Her modest little disapproving head shake made me smile. So I turned her around to get a better view of the perfection that I had in my hold.

"You can't be stopped can you?"

"No," I agreed, letting my hand glide across the exposed skin on her back. "But it's all talk. I'm behaving. I swear."

She gave a disbelieving grin. "Uh huh."

"Come to mine tonight," I said. "I'll prove it."

She pursed her lips as she thought about it. Her hands slipped under my t-shirt sleeves, her nails grazed my skins surface.

She didn't understand how insane she made me. Her touch. Her scent. Her smile and those lips.

But I meant it, one hundred percent. I wanted her for so much more than sex. I needed her to know that getting her home wasn't because I had the intention of charming her legs open. It was because I wanted more time beside her.

"Besides," I said, thinking of a good argument. "We have to go to my tattoo booking in the morning. Might as well just save a trip and spend the night."

She laughed and nodded her head. Those thick full lashes fluttered as she peered from left to right with a soft smile.. "Alright. Fine. I'll come and spend the night."

_____