"What was that?" Catalina pushed away from Jae, sliding his grip from her waist.

    He leaned forward so she'd hear him. "That guy was dancing behind you. I didn't think you'd like it."

    When he pulled away she rolled her eyes and looked back. She offered a smile to the man trying to dance with her and Jae could almost feel his blood simmer.

    The guy leaned into her ear and possibly asked for a dance; Jae clenched his jaw when she nodded and gave a giggle.

    Jae rolled his tongue against his cheek and looked away. He didn't need this type of negativity in his life. Not when Catalina was blatantly flirting with someone else right in front of him. Not when he could feel himself starting to get agitated.

    "You don't mind, right Jae?" She called over the music and he shrugged his shoulders.

    "I'm going outside."

    "I'll come looking for you if you're not back!" She had a bright smile on her face and if it weren't for the fact that she was going to dance with someone else, he would've stayed to appreciate it longer.

    Jae walked away, leaving her to her fun while he took a breath of fresh air. He was thankful when he reached the balcony that it didn't smell like liquor or weed, although a crowd of smokers huddled around the doorway, sending their clouds of tobacco-smoke into the air and into his lungs.

    He couldn't lie to himself, he was awfully tempted to ask for a cigarette but he tried to get away and deeper into the backyard, away from the party. So much for ridding his mind of Catalina. He couldn't even focus on anyone else. He didn't even question where Madeline and Daniel had run off to and he felt better just sitting in the yard, looking and observing the many people that tried to party as best they could.

    "Jae." He spotted Iris walking towards him. She swayed on her bare tiptoes, her step lazy and her legs swung forward in a drunken catwalk. "Come here often?" She winked.

    He stared at her, his face stony.

    Iris studied his face before settling down next to him. "What're you doing out here all by yourself?"

    "What does it look like?"

    "Sulking." She inclined her head. "What, did you girlfriend dump you?"

    He didn't say anything.

    "Oh, hell." Her plastic devil horns glinted in the porch light. "What happened, Jae?"

    Jae looked at her. He took a deep breath and his eyes searched her glittered ones. "I shouldn't even feel this way...I mean, she has the right to... We're not even dating." He laughed bitterly and cast his eyes up towards the stars.

    "About that," Iris hugged her knees, "what was that earlier?"

    "It's all an act. Just some stupid farce."

    "What do you mean?" She raised an eyebrow.

    He sighed. "We're fake dating, if that even makes sense. It's just to prove my parents wrong."

    "Oh..."

    "And I caught feelings. Like, how stupid could I get?" Jae groaned and rubbed his face. "And then her ex comes along and it's like, ugh."

    She rested her head against his shoulder. "You know what. I've been there, when you don't know what a friend wants. You could ponder over it and run around in circles thinking of what they want, or you could just ask them."

    "There's no way I'm telling her I like her. I'm not mentally ready to get rejected." He paused, hesitating. Getting it off his chest could be good. "I don't know...maybe I'll try one day." He shrugged.

    Iris gave a bark of a laugh. "Sounds fake, but okay."

———•———

    Catalina squeezed through the moving throngs of sweaty people. She needed fresh air. She was drowning in the living room, and she wanted to check up on Jae and possibly grab another drink or two on her way there. She managed to snag a cider and walked to the doorway. The wind cooled her face while she searched the yard. She spotted a pink-haired someone leaning against Jae's shoulder. Oh. She blinked. Oh.

    She turned on her heel and ran back into the refuge of the kitchen. Where the hell were Daniel and Madeline? Did they ditch her? She had to pass through the living room to get to the kitchen and amidst the crowd, she caught sight of Madeline's fairy wings.

    "Maddie!" She waved and caught Madeline's eyes. "Where've you been?"

    Daniel shrugged. "Exploring."

    "Let's drink!" Catalina grinned and pulled the other two towards the kitchen. "What do you guys suggest?"

    "How much have you had?" Daniel thought to ask, seeing how Catalina was smiling too much.

    "Four." She held up her fingers. "I'm still gucci."

    Madeline nodded, knowing Catalina could take more before she started feeling tipsy. "But not too much."

    "I know when to stop." Catalina grabbed another bottle from the fridge. "I'm a big girl."

    "Of course you are." Daniel rolled his eyes and leaned against the counter.

    "We should play a game, to make it fun! Drinking while sitting is too depressing." Catalina searched the cabinets for a bottle of any strong liquor. She strode over, stretched on her tippy toes, and reached for the top shelf, where a full bottle of vodka sat.

    "What about flip cup?" Madeline suggested, already grabbing the pile of cups on the counter, she was glad the kitchen wasn't a complete mess.

    "There's only three of us, though." Catalina stuck out her tongue.

    "I got a variation for this, sweetheart." Madeline began making two lines of five solo cups each. She took the bottle from Daniel's hands and started filling each cup about two shots worth. "You chug it and flip it. You can't pass to the next cup if you don't flip it upright. Whoever flips all the cups first wins and stands out for the next round! Loser has to take five shots." Since they'd gone through the whole bottle, they snatched another.

    Catalina clapped her hands. "Oh! Sounds fun!"

    "Danny against Cat for the first found!"

    Daniel and Catalina stood at their respective spots. Whoever clapped Madeline's hand would be considered the winner, after she made sure that their cups were properly flipped.

    "Bang!" Madeline grinned and the game began.

    Catalina was good about three cups in but she knew Daniel was ahead of her. Madeline's cheers mingled with the buzz of the music and the crowd. Catalina knocked the drinks back, her throat burning, but it was when she reached the fourth cup where her flipping skill failed her.

    "Wait! Wait!" She giggled.

    Luckily, Daniel struggled with his fifth cup, fumbling with it as it wobbled and tipped. She'd managed to chug her own last cup just as he slapped Madeline's hand.

    "Not fair!" Catalina pouted. "I was so close!" She groaned and clenched her fists.

    "Drink up, sweetie!" Daniel grabbed the vodka bottle and poured five shots into Catalina's cup. He was dancing to the music while pouring the drink and then took a swing from the bottle.

    Catalina took the drink in her hands and caught sight of Jae and Iris enter the kitchen. She chugged the drink in one go after seeing their arms intertwined. Who knew that would be motivation enough to drink five shots?

    "Jae! Wanna join us?" Daniel called out, practically yelling across the room.

    Jae shook his head but walked over with Iris. "Designated driver, remember?"

    "Testing you!" Daniel punched him on the arm lightly.

    "Mind if I join you?" Iris smiled, unhooking her arm from Jae.

    Catalina shrugged. "Sure."

    "Yeah! It would even us out!" Madeline smiled and reached over to pull Iris towards the cups. "You don't mind reusing the cups, right?"

    "I couldn't care less." Iris grinned and took the bottle, pouring the amount Madeline instructed. Daniel stood in the middle, his hands open and making sure both Iris and Madeline were at the ready. "Go!"

    Jae leaned against the island, arms crossed over his chest while Catalina moved to the music.

    Catalina leaned in. "So, how did things go with you two?"

    "What?" Jae raised an eyebrow.

    "You two!" She spoke louder. "You got together, right?" She pointed at Iris who had expertly flipped a cup.

    "...No." He scrunched his nose, not because he found Iris ugly—it's been established she was goddess-tier—but because that was far from the truth.

    "What'd ya mean?" Catalina slurred. Her cheeks flushed red and she had a hard time looking up at him. "Y'all were, uh, touchy 'n stuff."

    "How much did you drink?" He asked.

    Catalina held up four fingers. She stared at them blankly, her eyebrows furrowing. She hesitantly unfurled her thumb, making it five. Catalina smiled brilliantly. "Not much plus what they're drinking." She pawed the air frivolously. "I want more."

    "Do you wanna dance?" He asked, taking her hand. Dancing would burn some of that alcohol.

    "No! You should ask Iris! You guys look so cute together." She smiled.

    He rolled his eyes, dropping her hand. "You're drunk."

    "Not yet!"

    Someone brushed past Catalina, making her trip over herself and nearly fall to the ground, which seemed to move beneath her feet.

    Jae steadied her, catching her forearm with one hand and steadying her by her waist before she crashed against the marble counter.

    Catalina looked up at him.

    "You're drunk." A laugh escaped his lips.

    It had to be his cologne, or that he smiled, or the alcohol (most likely the alcohol) that made her notice how truly handsome he was. The fact that his skin looked nearly flawless or the fact that he looked damn good with his hair a mess did not slip past her. Did her heart just flutter? No, no. She just got scared because she nearly busted her lip, what?

    "Okay, love birds. It's Cat's turn again." Daniel interrupted her intense stare.

    Catalina pushed off Jae, miraculously managing to make her way over to Iris' pervious spot.

    "You're not gonna keep drinking, right?" Jae frowned.

    "Okay! I'm good." Catalina slapped her cheeks and turned to Jae. "They're just some cups."

    "Who would win?" Daniel asked. "Catalina, a highly educated young woman who is hard working and has great accuracy, or, some cuppy bois?"

    Catalina slapped Daniel's arm.

    "Some cuppy bois!" Iris giggled, leaning back on Jae.

    Catalina didn't even want to say a single thing before she faced the cups, ones that Madeline was pouring with a bottle of rum. "Let's get this over with!"

    "That's the spirit, baby doll!" Madeline gave her a high five and settled between the lines of cups. She'd lost to Iris but considered herself sober enough to judge the game.

    Catalina lost again but this time she could barely stand still. "Guess I'll die!" She swiped the solo cup and raised it to her lipstick-faded lips.

    Everyone lurched towards Catalina.

    The cup was plucked from her hands. "I think you've had enough," Iris purred, drinking as she strutted around the island. She tipped the cup skyward, drained the last drops of rum, and slammed the cup down into the granite counter.

    Iris shuddered. "So bitter," she groaned, and took a swing of a nearby cooler.

    Catalina dragged Madeline, Daniel to the dance floor while Jae and Iris stayed behind to talk. Catalina spotted them again crossing the living room to head outside but her thoughts of apprehension vanished as she danced away the night.

———•———

    "Jae! Jae! Jae!" Daniel called. He peered out from the porch. He finally found Jae and Iris sitting on the grass while Iris took a smoke. He strolled towards them. "Yo, Jae. Maddie and I are gonna head to the car since it's two now. Yeah? Can you get Cat?"

    Jae shoved his lighter back in his pocket as he groaned. "Where is she?" He already uncrossed his legs and began getting up from the floor.

    "Dancing with some guy. Maddie is puking right now, so I'm tending to her. Just collect the kid." It seemed Daniel was the least drunk, but he was still swaying every now and again.

    Jae helped Iris up from the ground.

    "I'll see you two off while I wait for my brother. So I'll wait by the door because there is no way I'm getting into that sweaty hell hole." Surprisingly, or not, Iris spoke fluently.

    Jae nodded and the three of them headed back to the house. The music was significantly lower compared to when they first came in. Softer rap played through the speakers, actually allowing people to hear each other. Jae sighed before he entered the crowd and pushed through, looking for Catalina. When he found her, she was in the corner of the room and, as Daniel described, she was dancing with someone. He gathered his courage and walked up to her.

    "Cat." He took her hand and pulled her towards him.

    "Jae!" She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hanging from him. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

    Jae ignored the glare that the guy gave him. He liked the her attention but knew it wasn't real. "It's time to go." He gently unwound her arms from his neck and took her hands in his.

    Catalina pouted. "What about Iris?"

    "What about her?"

    "Aren't you two going home together?"

    Jae didn't understand if it was because she was drunk or acting ridiculous but she kept bringing it up. "No. Let's go home."

    "But I don't want to." She tilted her head and swayed, fluttering her eyelashes.

    "We have to go. We were supposed to leave at twelve thirty, remember? Come on." He gave her a smile and began towing her towards the door.

    Catalina tore her hands from his grasp. "No! I wanna stay!"

    This outburst caught a few stares.

    "Cat..." he lulled, "Maddie and Daniel are waiting for us in the car."

    "So? You go home with Iris, I'll stay. You guys were having fun, why not?"

    "Cat, please." He reached for her.

    "No!" Everyone in the room looked at them as she stepped away. "You like Iris. Take her home instead."

    Was Catalina jealous?

    "Look, buddy," the guy that'd been dancing with her stepped forward, "the lady said no. It means no."

    Jae took a deep breath to calm himself before he spoke. "I'm glad you're standing up for her, but you don't understand. I'm the designated driver."

    "If she doesn't want to go with you, she doesn't want to go with you."

    "Cat," Jae turned to her. "There's no way I'm leaving you here alone."

    Catalina seemed to be spaced out.

    "You better go." The tall man threatened, taking a menacing step forwards.

    "I don't want trouble," Jae sighed, "if I don't leave with her then I watch her leave in an Uber or I'll call her mother to get her or whatever."

    "What's taking you so long?" Iris called from the threshold. She seemed oblivious to the atmosphere. People had stopped dancing to see if the situation would escalate to a fight. The air buzzed with tension, a held breath.

    "Cat doesn't want me to take her home." Jae bit back the the rest of his thoughts. He took a deep breath and clenched his jaw. He tensed, leaning forward. He hated that this guy and the crowd thought he was trying to take advantage of her.

    Iris wrapped an arm around Catalina's. "Let get an Uber together, yeah, Cat?"

    Catalina rubbed her face. "Why don't you go home with Jae?"

    Iris laughed. "Why would I? He's your boy."

    Catalina nodded and leaned against Iris. "Yeah... Jae-Jae, let's go home." She reached out to him. He walked to her and hooked her arm with his to help her out of the house properly. The crowd didn't let their gaze off them until they were out of the house.

    Jae had taken off his lab coat and draped it over her shoulders to shield her from the cold Autumn breeze. Iris helped him get her to the car, which was rather far from the house.

    "Do you need a ride?" He asked, glancing at her.

    Iris shook her head. "No, it's okay."

    "There's an open seat." Jae lifted Catalina princess-style and set her on the passenger's seat since Madeline and Daniel had taken the back seat. Daniel was passed out against the door and Madeline had her head rested on his lap while she was curled up on the rest of the seat.

    Iris scoffed. "Open seat? Where they're passed out? No thanks. My brother's coming, he's literally a minute away."

    Catalina mumbled incoherent sentences as Jae stretched over her to buckle up the seat belt. She kissed his cheek and began to giggle. He'd heard her say that he was so pretty and handsome.

    "You sure?" Jae turned to Iris, not trying to let Catalina's drunken flirtatiousness to get to his head.

    "Hundred percent."

    "I'll wait until he gets here, okay?"

    Iris slapped his arm. "You're too sweet, Jae-Jae."

    "You shouldn't call me that." He leaned against the car, crossing his arms over his chest.

    "Why?"

    Everyone was drunk; they'd most likely forget if he even said it. "Cat and my sister are the only ones who can call me that."

    As promised, Jae waited until Iris was picked up by her brother, who seemed much younger than her. Once he was sure she was in safe hands, he climbed in the car and turned it on, changing the radio station to something soothing.

    "You know, Jae-Jae, you smell so good. And, and—" Catalina hiccuped, "—you shouldn't get so close to Iris...I don't like it."

    Jae laughed, earning a pout from Catalina. "You don't need to worry about it, babygirl."