Charlie Waynor's Story

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“...this world is a masterpiece, a canvas sheet accountable for such losses. Shout out to the artist who took his heart in his soul and lost them both in the process… If it gets hold of me, please be the saint to save me--”. Her singing turned into humming as she rounded the island in her kitchen to make herself brunch. It was roughly 12:00 when the slender girl tumbled out of bed and down the stairs. Charlie was never a morning person, especially on the weekends or in the summer. However, the few times she had woken up before the sun had risen, she would sit in her backyard until it presented itself for another day. She was never fond of bright colors, but there was something so beautiful in a sunrise and sunset that she couldn’t help but notice. Too bad she had missed it today.

“Come on kiddo,” she turned her head to see her father coming towards her. “If you’re going to sing some of your songs, you have to stop living off the first album. Especially Demon Limbs; that’s all you sing nowadays. At least sing Smoke or White Noise.” The seventeen year old rolled her eyes as she walked the short distance to the fridge and grabbed the gallon of 1% milk off the door and then went to the cupboards. “Father, I don’t believe it’s in my best interest to be taking music advice from you. You were jamming out to Disney tunes last week.” Charlie smirked as she made herself peanut butter toast, topped it with banana slices, and sipped her glass of milk. Her father drew closer and pointed his finger at her warningly, “Listen here missy, Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boo is a classic.” He lowered his finger and crossed his arms over his chest matter-o-factly. “Anyways, don’t you have a party today?” At the mention of the word ‘party’ Charlie jerked her head up to look at the 40 year old man. “How did you know about that?” she asked slowly. The man shrugged nonchalantly and waved the question off with his hand. “There’s a party every year the before school starts up and I believe that party would fall on today. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I also believe you’re going?” “And I believe you’re mistaken.” Charlie finished eating and cleaned her plates before turning to her dad. “I haven’t gone to it freshman or sophomore year so I don’t see why I should start now. Besides, I don’t talk to anyone and they don’t talk to me. I’d like to keep it that way and I’m perfectly content with things being how they are.” She began to leave the kitchen until her father called after her softly. “I’m glad you’re happy, but you have to open up a little bit, bud. I think it would be beneficial to everyone if you made a friend or two at school. You have friends, but they’re not at school with you. You know it’s what your mom would want.” The mention of her mother made Charlie stop, and she sighed deeply as she closed her eyes, knowing what was said was true. Her mother had been gone for a while, but the thought of her still stung some days--some more so than others. “Did mom have anything red?”

After a half an hour of ripping her mother’s old closet apart, Charlie came out with nothing but a red bandana which she planned on wearing as a headband. There was multitude of yellow and green fabrics, but the female despised the colors. She rarely parted her lips to speak. The last thing she was going to do was spread her legs for anyone at her school. She wasn’t dazzled by anyone, especially not enough to sleep with them. Was she a virgin? No. Had she done it more than once? Yes, but with the same person. Did she plan on changing that? Absolutely not. Looking back on it, she regretted giving herself to someone so suddenly. She thought about him once in a while, but he was gone and forgotten; never to be seen again. It's amazing what people get put in jail for, she thought. As she walked to her room, she thought about how today might play out. She hated the majority of the people at her school, and the others she paid little attention to. The more she thought about it, the more she didn't want to go; but there was something nagging at her. Charlie couldn't figure out for the life of her what it was, but as she slipped on her outfit and did her hair in its usual fashion, the nagging went away and the humming continued as if it had never stopped.

Before she knew it, she was ready for the party. She checked the time and then the address of the party. If she drove, she would be there in easily 20-25 minutes. However, if she walked it would take a bit longer. The seventeen year old had never minded walking. In fact, she loved it. It was an ideal time to think and tune the world out. She was in no rush to get to this party, so she walked down the spiral staircase and out the front door. The weather was nice; perfect for a long walk.

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Charlie knew she had reached the party before she had reached the street it was being held on. Between the blaring music and the onslaught of teenagers, how could anyone miss it? Not to mention the colors red, green, and yellow acted as highway flaggers directing traffic. She may not have wanted to go, but after walking around for hours she was absolutely not going to back out. The walk might have been about an hour or two, depending on the speed of the individual. As she was on her travels, Charlie window shopped and stopped for a bite to eat. She knew never to drink having not eaten. She learned this the hard way, as well as from her band mates. That wasn't a pleasant night for her, and neither was the morning after.

As she made her way to the bar, Charlie squeezed past familiar and unfamiliar faces alike. The trip was a short one from the entrance, but with all the either horny or sweaty teenagers, it took her several minutes. As she glanced around, she wondered how long ago some of the students had arrived. For Charlie, she arrived just as a group of girls dispersed from a synchronized dance. The ending was good, she had to admit. She wasn't necessarily into the music playing, but it served its purpose and she wasn't about to complain. When she reached the bar, she leaned over the counter and waited for the bartender to come to her. As she waited she saw Florian and Sienna talking with an unknown male. He must be new, she thought to herself. Life as a Loner in school had its perks. Observation was her best friend where people were not. Charlie knew many faces, disputes, and secrets swirling around from sitting in the background. It was quite humorous how people in cliques acted towards each other despite their real feelings. "What will it be?" the bartender asked as his eyes locked on Charlie's. "Bullfrog cocktail, please." The name of the drink may not have been appealing, but the color and taste certainly were. The bartender nodded and before she knew it, her drink was done. The drink was refreshing and just what the girl needed. Charlie had never been a big fan of fruity drinks; beer had always hit the spot for her. It was a nice change of pace though, especially today.

The blue liquid slid down her throat smoothly as she practically chugged the beverage. She was never into leisurely drinking. If she drank, she chugged. That was just the way it was. As she neared the bottom of her glass, she overheard the conversation of the three nearby. Sienna had just ditched Florian and invited a foreigner to dance with her, despite his lame pick up attempts. Charlie didn't blame Sienna for ditching Florian. He had a tendency to be rude and overbearing, and she had experienced this from previous encounters the two had had, whether they be in school or not. She wouldn't call him a friend--not at all--but perhaps an acquaintance.

When Charlie completely polished off her drink, she ordered two shots and took them over to her classmate. She silently set them down in front of the individual and lifted her shot up slightly, motioning for Florian to pick up his as well and join her. She threw her head back as the glass touched her lips and quickly swallowed the clear liquid. She barely flinched and set the glass back down in front of her. She wasn't big on talking, and frankly she didn't know what to say to him. There was nothing she hated more than small talk, or even talking with teenagers for that matter. Where there was a loss of words, there seemed to be an abundance of alcohol. The other drink hadn't kicked in yet, and she knew if she were to keep this up it would hit her all at once. Whether she should welcome that, she didn't know. Might as well live in the moment. She leaned back over the counter and looked at Florian out of the corner of her eye. She had to start a conversation somehow, and as she ordered a second round of shots she finally spoke. "Everyone needs a drinking buddy."

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It didn't take long for Shai to show up. She grinned as the girl gave her a hug, and broke the awkward air that Naea could feel creeping up on her. She could smell the alcohol on her breath, but she didn't mind. Plus, it meant she didn't have to answer Chad's question. She decided to cover it up and smiled, before replying, "Yeah, I'm fine. I think the lights are making me look pale, though." She cringed, sighing heavily. She hoped he had bought it. She hugged the other girl quickly. She'd been with the cheerleaders, which reminded Linn that she hadn't actually seen them yet. She spotted them off in the distance, and guessed that they'd be there soon.

Linn predicted right, as soon enough she spotted Allie tapping Leah on the shoulder and heading over. Naea could see even from that far away that Allie had a mark on her neck. She hid a giggle behind her hand, making a mental note to ask who it was with later on. She then continued to tell her about the summer - the hours spent galloping through the fields with her sister, messing around in the pool, and, of course, the three week vacation to her summer house on the South coast of France.

The reunion of the group of friends was short lived, though, and as much as Linnaea enjoyed seeing all her friends, she didn't contribute to the conversation much. She just smiled and watched as people danced way too close in her opinion, and watched as random strangers slipped off for a bit of privacy. She silently thanked Fate that nothing had gone on there.

Shouts suddenly filled the room, and people started yelling. Perking up a little, Naea stood on tiptoes to see, before she heard a faint splash from outside. Cringing slightly, she threw Chad a look of 'I-bet-I-know-who-that-was' and raised her eyebrows slightly. She shook her blonde curls, sighing slightly, before following the crowd to see what the hell was going on.

Unfortunately for Chad, it looked like Naea was right. She didn't know if that qualified her to 'win the bet', strictly speaking, as it wasn't five minutes, but it was the person she'd predicted. She left it, though - Chad's best friend was getting in a fight, and the far away wail of sirens neared them with every second. Sighing, Naea followed Chad and soon found that the party was being broken up. 'Great.' She thought to herself. It wasn't her favourite plan, she was having fun, and hanging out with her friends. However, it was the first day of school the following day, so Naea was a little cautious of the time. She noticed Chad had slipped away, and she was a little disappointed by the sudden disappearance, as it meant that she couldn't say goodbye. Sighing slightly, she turned to her friends. "You guys are welcome to come to mine for the night - my sister will be asleep and we have guest rooms. " She suggested. She knew her father wouldn't care - he'd already be asleep at his desk in his office, and be gone by the time the girls got up. Alice's nanny, however... She shrugged again. She'd deal with it somehow.

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Florian smirked as he watched Sienna's signature eye-scan thing happen. He couldn't care less, although he had to hide his discomfort by the stare. At least she accepted the shot. He lifted his own glass to his lips and tipped the glass up, downing it in one. The stuff wasn't very strong, he'd definitely had stronger in the past - and it was obvious the others thought so, too. He sighed through his nose and put the glass down rather roughly.

He couldn't help but cough out a laugh when Sienna came out with her explanation for him. He covered his mouth as he laughed. She'd been the one that had thrown his skateboard. That was unforgivable in his opinion. "I'm just convinced you don't have a sense of humor." He grinned at her, before she continued on with; ""And trust me when I tell you, you wouldn't be ready for my kind of dirty. Don't think that board of yours was either." He raised one eyebrow at her, shaking his hair out of his eyes, before directing to the new boy; "If I'm not ready for it, how's newbie gonna?" His lips curved into a crooked half-smirk as he watched them leave, missing exactly when Sienna invited him to dance. He shook his head again, before finally noticing the very attractive Charlie Waynor sitting beside him. His stomach did a little flip - he'd always thought Charlie was cute. However, he was much more pleasantly surprised when she ordered two shots and came over to him, placing the glass in front of him and downing her own. He did the same, tipping it back, once again noting that he'd had stronger, and nicer.

She ordered a second round, and Florian took up the challenge without speaking. He had no idea what to say - his mind had gone blank. His gut twisted in awkwardness - for some reason he always felt tongue-tied when she was around. She finally spoke, saying, "Everyone needs a drinking buddy." Flustered, he nodded, downing his third shot. "Thanks." He stuttered as he finished. "I mean, for the shots. And the company." He turned to her, leaning on the bar slightly. His heart flipped a little when he noticed she was wearing red. It made him feel relieved - it meant she wasn't looking for a random hook-up. Plus it meant she wasn't going to be hit on. He internally cringed when he remembered he was wearing green - he didn't want to give the wrong impression now.

Trying to hide his conflicting thoughts, Florian turned to watch the dancers. He spotted the foreigner and Sienna dancing way, way too close. He turned back around, and did a mime of gagging at them. He kind of felt sorry for the foreigner. Knowing those kinds of people, it wouldn't be too long before he got tossed aside like a broken thing. He'd seen it happen before. He turned back to Charlie, and finally decided on what to say. "What do you think of their..." he paused a second, before making the quotation sign and finishing off with "dancing?" He knew she probably thought he was an asshole, too, like most people did, but then again, most people didn't offer him shots or come and explicitly sit down with him. He appreciated it more than he realized.

The fun and games didn't last long, though. Florian sat up just a tad straighter as the first shouts of "FIGHT!" reached his ears. He raised his eyebrows, sighing a little. "C'mon, we'd better get outta here. Someone'll call the cops and then we'll be in trouble." He muttered. "Not that I care, just... Being arrested before the first day of school isn't on my top priorities." He shrugged once more. "If you want, you can come back to my place for a bit. I have an X Box and a few video games." He suggested, hoping she'd say yes. Then again, it was his Mom's apartment, and although she was probably passed out, the place would probably stink.

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”What do you think of their…” Charlie glanced at Florian as he finished his statement. “dancing?” She craned her neck to look in that direction and turned around to lean against the bar. "I guess you’ve never danced like that?” She scanned the dance floor and wasn’t surprised to see how many people were dancing too close and sexually. After all, these people were high school students. It’s not like she was doing it so she couldn’t care less. "It’s expected. Most teens dance like that. Frankly I don’t mind it since it’s not affecting me.” Just as she was about to take her last shot there was mention of a fight. Charlie loved a fight as much as the next person, but with school being the next day and the hours passing by she wasn't about to stick around. She raised an eyebrow slightly when he invited her over. When she had left her house that afternoon, she didn't expect to be invited back to someone's house. Then again, she didn't expect the party to get raided. The day happened to be full of surprises.

She took her phone out and checked the time and her messages. Her dad had texted her almost an hour ago that he was waiting for her and she quickly typed back. How lame, she thought. He forces me to go to this party and tells me when to leave, and who to get picked up by. It was well past twelve and if she went over her classmate’s house she had a feeling she would end up crashing there. ”Thanks for the offer, but I’ll have to take a rain check.” She pocketed her phone and headed for the exist with Florian. ”My ride’s around the corner, so I’ll see you tomorrow. By the way, nice shorts.” The left corner of her mouth lifted as she eyed his green shorts and turned, heading towards the car. When she reached the car she barely answered her dad, playing the “too tired” card. She was far from tired. If anything she was more awake than she was before the party.

It didn’t take long for her to get home, and when she did she went right to the fridge. After grabbing two water bottles she went to her room. Charlie took her makeup off, tied her hair in a high bun, changed into a white beater and black soffe shorts, and made her way to the bathroom. She took care of her dental hygiene and went back to her room. She flopped onto her bed and put her phone on the charger as she set her alarm for the morning. Charlie unscrewed one of the bottles of water and chugged it quickly before she dozed off shortly after.

A few hours later, Charlie woke up thirty minutes before her alarm was set to go off. She groaned as she unraveled herself from her sheets and crawled to the bathroom to shower. Her shorts and top slid off as she stepped into the shower. The water was warm against her skin and felt nice, until it turned to ice ten minutes later. Annoyed and freezing, the girl wrapped her white towel tightly around her body and tied the top in a knot. She went back to her room and shuffled through her clothing until she found the outfit she wanted. The morning had just started and she already knew today wasn’t going to be enjoyable. Her mouth was dry and she wanted nothing more than to sleep. She didn’t want to go to school, and she didn’t want the summer to end. She may not have done much, but it was better than sitting in a classroom with other teens who didn’t care, didn’t know what they were doing, or didn’t shut up. She sighed as she started to get ready, beginning with her hair.

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After a hasty text to her sleeping father, Linn headed to Allie and Jasmine's home with the rest of the girls. The Ambrosia estate was huge, and although Naea's own estate was quite large itself, Naea's breath was always taken away when she visited. Regardless, Naea knew that she was in for a sleepless night - the insomnia wasn't going to let up tonight, especially since she'd been up half the night. She walked inside with the other girls, and listened to the chatter that they kicked up. Naea, however, had a sudden, overwhelming urge to wash her hands, so much so that she rubbed the backs of her hands unconsciously. Her fingers clenched and unclenched as she did so. She excused herself, knowing the others would be settling down to go to sleep, so she tried to be as quiet as she could. She locked the door behind her, and turned on the tap faucets so that the water sprayed onto her hands, and she washed her hands until the water turned pink. Trying not to notice, Naea finished her routine hand washing, before opening the bathroom door and heading back to her allocated guest room.

Set out on the bed was an old, cotton t-shirt - much too big for Naea, but comfortable looking all the same. She slipped off her clothes, folding them neatly and placing them at the foot of the bed, before slipping into the t-shirt. It was extremely comfortable, she was right, but Naea had a feeling she wouldn't really be sleeping in it. Instead, she pulled out her phone and texted Chad, before deciding against it. She had a hunch that he wouldn't reply, plus he was with Honey. He didn't need any more distractions. Naea's heart sank as she thought that. Could he see Honey's rather obvious affections for him? Naea realized she was jealous, and sighed, before flopping back on the pillow. It was going to be a long night.

A few hours later, Naea could hear the slight noises of people waking up. She opened her eyes, surprised how tired she felt, but knew she wasn't going to be sleeping. She slid out of the bed and headed to Allie's room, where she knocked lightly on the door, before letting herself in. "Morning, you two." She smiled, knowing full well she looked like crap. "Umm, do you have any clothes I can borrow? I mean, I'm not sure I really want to go to school in my party clothes..." She sounded sheepish and exhausted, even to herself. She smiled again, trying to cover up the fact. She did need some clothes at least. She combed her fingers through her hair, trying to rid it of tangles. Everything she did was sluggish and slow - no thanks to the insomnia. She wished she had some time to set out an outfit and plan something to cover up the awful purple bruise-like shadows under her eyes, but she'd have to trust her best friends. That's what friends do, right?

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Florian couldn't help but feel his stomach sink when she turned him down. But then again, he supposed it seemed a little strange to invite a girl on a whim to his home, especially when they'd been drinking and he was wearing green. He covered his disappointment by grinning and nodding his head, exiting with her.

"My ride’s around the corner, so I’ll see you tomorrow. By the way, nice shorts." Florian had to hide the pink in his cheeks with a quick, but cheeky grin. "That bandana is pretty cool too. Have a nice evening, I guess. I'll see you tomorrow!" His voice got gradually louder as he moved in the opposite direction from her, yelling the final sentence to her, before turning and getting on his skateboard, zooming along deserted streets in the middle of the night. It wasn't long before he was at his apartment complex, and was cringing at the sound of arguing coming from the couple down the hall. It was a sound he was all too familiar with. He sighed, unlocking his front door, knowing what he'd see when he walked in.

The room was a state, and his Mom was slouched over the arm of the sofa, completely pissed and passed out. He turned her on her side gently, before pulling a blanket over her sleeping body, and cleaning away the bottles of drink one by one. He put them in the trash, resolving that he'd clean the rest later in the day. Instead, he grabbed a glass and filled it with water, before chugging it, and walking into his room, flopping down on his bed, and falling asleep almost immediately.

Bzzt! Bzzt!

Florian's eyes opened slowly to his ceiling. Slowly sitting up, Florian shook his hair out of his eyes and looked at the time on his cell. Then he remembered what day it was. "OH SHIT!" He yelled, scrambling out of bed. "I'm gonna be late..." He moaned to himself. The soft snores of his mother could be heard emanating from the living room. He stripped of his party clothes from yesterday and instead putting on his outfit for school. It was much more his normal style - he'd burn the green items at a later date, unless someone wanted them. He packed his old, tatty black backpack full of his school books, homework, (which he'd actually done, to his own surprise as well as many other people's, probably) and stationery. Then he grabbed his skateboard, before heading out as quietly as possible. The drunken slurs from behind him reminded him he had failed. Hurriedly, he ran down the steps before his mother could yell at him. She wouldn't come too far after him.

Florian knew he was safe when he reached street level. Breathing a sigh of relief, Florian grabbed his phone and texted Ollie hurriedly.

TO: Ollie
Yo! Meet me @ skool, k?

He sent it and took his skateboard from under his arm, adjusting his backpack so it was secure, and setting off for school at a break-neck speed. Morning strollers almost had no warning as he zipped past them, and soon enough, Florian was at school, and prowling the lockers for his own. He soon found it and unlocked it, dumping his stuff in the locker. What was first again? Florian couldn't remember, or care. Maybe Ollie would know.

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”Charlie! You’re going to be late!” Charlie finished examining herself in her full body mirror as her dad called for her. It hadn’t taken the girl long to physically get ready, but as usual, she had gotten sidetracked playing on her phone, texting, and listening to music. She had put her hair in a bun and done her makeup lightly, where it looked as if she was wearing none. When doing her makeup, she mainly focused on her eyes. Concealer and foundation weren’t as important to her as mascara and eyeliner were. She checked her hair for any stray pieces or any sticking up. It had to be perfect. Charlie loved her hair. She loved washing it, brushing it, playing with it, anything. It always had to be presentable and cared for. She wouldn’t leave the house if it wasn’t cooperating with her. When her hair reached the desired look, Charlie grabbed her iPhone and her black backpack and headed downstairs.

”I’ll see you later! She called to her dad as she grabbed an apple and a bottle of water from her fridge. She left her house and started eating the honeycrisp apple in her right hand, water bottle in her left hand. During her morning routine she had polished off the spare bottle of water from last night. Fortunately headaches and nausea weren’t a hangover problem for her. They never were. Instead of purging, she usually binged. However, she wasn’t going to devote a set amount of time to indulging. She had school and she refused to be late. Charlie lived roughly ten minutes from school, and driving would be a waste of gas. Traffic was another problem, especially entering and leaving the school parking lot. It usually took more time to leave the lot after school than to walk home. Charlie couldn’t be bothered with either.

The walk was a short and enjoyable one. The silence put the female in a good mood and she was ready to start the school year, more or less. She looked forward to few classes on her roster and she would have to deal with the others. When she reached the doors of the school, she threw her empty water bottle out. As she passed through the quad she caught sight of Catalina, locking eyes with her briefly. She remained emotionless as always, but her stomach knotted and her mind was racing. Charlie bit the inside of her cheek lightly to keep her from scowling as she carried on. Charlie was never one to hold grudges, but this was one grudge she would hold until the relationship was mended, which would probably never happen. Her bitter feelings had remained, and no matter how hard she tried to erase them, nothing worked. If anything, she was more upset than angry with herself and Catalina. The two had bonded quickly and they were an odd pair. It was no surprise it all went downhill and fast. Out of the whole thing Charlie had learned one thing: don’t make friends. "Everyone gets replaced", she told herself quietly as she made a right on her way to her locker.

She found it and emptied her bag and supplies into it, taking only a copybook, a folder, and her worn out paperback copy of Of Mice and Men. She always carried one of her books around just in case, and although the book she was holding was almost unreadable and falling apart, she was hesitant to discard it. Some pages were torn, some were smeared, and some were wrinkled due to water damage. Yes, she could just buy a new copy, but she didn't want to. Why throw something out when it was still of use? She strummed her finger lightly against the metal door as she checked to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Charlie was very organized and she couldn't stand when her things were out of place. Her books were organized in the order of the classes she had and then in size. She checked her phone and found the time to be 7:20. Eight minutes until class starts, she thought, debating on whether to head to the classroom early or not.

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Linn grinned as Shai greeted her - very enthusiastically. She hugged the girl back, glad the alcohol had worn off a little. She was surprised she was so sober, and not hungover, but was glad. Maybe she wouldn't suffer too much at school like Naea was sure to. She offered her a sleepy smile once more, and a cheery wave to the rest of her friends, before she was practically dragged out by the girl that she often thought of as a more mature, much older sister, or even her mother. She listened to the girl's excited talk, grinning the entire time - Shai was very affectionate towards her, and Linn had to be appreciative of it. She loved the girl to bits - she meant a lot to Linn, especially since the passing of her mother, and Shai's almost natural stepping into that position in her life. She didn't treat her like a mother, though she loved her like one.

Linn couldn't help but laugh lightly at the comment Shai made, but once she brought out the outfit, Naea couldn't help but gasp. The skirt and necklace were a shade of aqua that brought out the turquoise in her eyes, and she immediately fell in love. "Shay! I love it!" She gave her a quick, but tight hug in appreciation, and carefully took the folded clothes from her. "I need to go wash, but I'll be back soon." She slipped out, and hardly heard Shai as she said she was going to grab some makeup and hair things. Naea usually left her hair down, but she didn't complain. She loved it when fiddled with her hair. It made shivers go up her spine - in a good way, of course.

Naea got into her routine of washing, and scrubbing her hands with soap. She hated feeling dirty - she had to make sure hand sanitizer was always in her school bag and she felt antiseptic. Thinking about her school bag, she sent a quick text to her dad, who texted back that Alice's nanny would drop it off when she got to school. She sighed with relief, and slipped into the gorgeous outfit. Shai had done a good job. The skirt fitted nicely, and it complimented her figure well. A brilliant outfit to go back to school in. She smiled to herself in the mirror, and returned to Shai.

When she wandered back in, she greeted the girl with a smile and a twirl. "I declare you to be the queen of fashion." She laughed slightly, before adding,"Although don't let Aaliyah hear me say that, she'd probably kill me." She smiled again before sitting down on the bed. "Also on the topic of Aaliyah, does it seem... strange? That she doesn't want to go to IHOP." She queried, unsure if it was just her that had noticed.

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Florian let out a huff of breath as a text pinged onto his cell. He pressed the button and noticed Ollie's name in bold. He grinned, but noticed he was at the IHOP across the street. Shrugging, he stuffed his things that he didn't need for his first lesson - which, he admitted to himself, was probably homeroom - and slung his backpack over his shoulder, and tucked the skateboard under his arm.

He noticed the figure of Charlie down the hallway, through the crowd of students that had gathered. He smiled over in her direction, deciding not to go over to her. He had a slight headache now, and he was waiting on Ollie. Another slam of a locker opening caught Flo's attention, and he turned to notice Ollie. Grinning, he headed over to his friend.

"Hey! How was your holiday?" He greeted his friend in the most casual way possible, trying to not act strange in any way. If he was honest, Florian would say he wouldn't really know how to deal with friends - he didn't have many, after all. He leaned against the locker beside Ollie's and waited for his reply. "How was IHOP?" He followed up with it. Florian hadn't actually been to a restaurant before - he didn't have the money for luxuries like that. It had taken him long enough to get the X Box and that wasn't easy on his bank account. He adjusted his backback slightly while waiting for the other boy's reply, before positioning himself to get another glimpse of Charlie. He didn't know how he felt - he just knew he liked seeing both her and Ollie.

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Naea followed Shai downstairs, smiling all the way. She looked gorgeous for the first day back at school, thanks to her. She ate breakfast with the rest of them, although she didn't say very much. The food was amazing, and she'd have to tell Allie and Jasmine later. She hadn't realized the time, though, and very soon the girls were running late and Naea still didn't have her school stuff. Her father wasn't going to be happy. She sighed and rolled her eyes, joining the girls for the trip to school, wondering what the year was going to have in store for them all.

They got there, and Naea realized the time. She sighed - her father was going to be so mad - she was supposed to be setting an example to her little sister, and she wasn't doing that by being late and partying all night. She hurried to her locker, deciding on picking up her school bag, which Alice's nanny had gotten dropped off outside of her locker, which was lucky for her. She shrugged the backpack over one shoulder, which hung loosely off her shoulder and sat in the curve of her back. She shifted it's weight slightly before heading back to class. She decided that she didn't want to miss any more of school than she already had - maybe she could catch up with something while she did her work. Her friends would understand, right? Sure, it was only junior year, but Naea wanted to crack down this year - do well while she still had the chance.

She headed to her third period and sat down, listening to music while she waited. They were turned up so loud, and she was so engrossed in the music she hardly noticed when her phone pinged, her text noise drowned out by the loud music. Only when class had already started had she the thought to read it. She'd thought it was only from her father, scolding her - turns out, it wasn't the case.

"Crap! Allie is going to kill me!" She hissed to herself. A scowl from the teacher indicated that she had spoken out loud, and she focused her angry gaze at the brand new book in front of her. She was seriously pissed off, mainly with herself. How could she have been so stupid? She should have checked her phone. Maybe after the lesson finished she could still join them - if they weren't all pissed off with her for having the ignorance to not check the text she had received. Allie normally forgave her, though, and she hoped to holy hell that she could let her off a second time. Her best friend hated waiting, Linn knew that too well, but she'd already made her late and then wait again for a simple 'yes' or 'no' to a text. She'd have to make it up to them somehow.

Half way through her third period, while she was scanning and identifying the notes in a piece of sheet music, a girl slipped next to her. It took her a little while to realize who it was, but then Naea had to hold in a squeal and then hugged her. A girl from her Prep group, and local rider, Stephie had slipped into the seat beside her and had hugged her. "There's a Neon Party tonight! You better come. Besides, what are you doing here? Everyone's down at Venice! I got held back by a teacher that caught me leaving. Urgh." She rolled her eyes, and Linn smiled, shaking her head. "I'll give you a lift down there, if you like! I thiiiiink everyone's still there." She drawled, and Naea shrugged before nodding her head. She'd go, she decided. She'd already ruined her first day anyway, her outfit was perfect, and she did have a bikini with her still from last night, a spare one, just in case. Why not? She might even have fun.

A few minutes later, Naea had arrived at Venice. Maybe she could find Chad, chat with him, let him know about the party - it was supposed to be exclusive, invite only. But her hopes weren't going to give her that. Everyone was already buzzing about it when she got there - and it looked like she was the only one that had only just found out, even though she was a prep herself. Oh, how terrible her first day had been! It was about to get worse, though.

She entered the basketball stadium, looking around for her friends, when she saw Chad off in the distance, although he was accompanied by Honey. Naea wasn't sure how she felt about that, but it wasn't good... A pang of something shot through her chest a little, and she couldn't help herself but creep a little closer. She could feel her heart flip and twist in a painful way as she heard Honey ask him her question, and she realized what it was. Jealousy. She was jealous of Honey. This was so not happening.

Sighing, Naea stormed off. She had known that she had feelings for Chad for a while now. She was beginning to think he might reciprocate those feelings, but she guessed wrong. She'd heard that Izzy and Angel had also gotten together, and she realized what Allie must be feeling right now. Was she jealous, too? Or hurt? Linn decided that was much too sensitive a question to ask her right now.

Stephie suddenly turned up again. "You're wanted!" She chirruped. "You HAVE to go to Abbot Kinney! Allie's really upset." Biting her lip, she ran out of the building with the other Prep, got in her car, and hurried back to the group, clearing her face of any emotions when she arrived - although she was completely out of breath. "Sorry I'm late, you guys. By the time I got your text, I was already at third period..." The girls were just buying a few things at the time.

They all headed around the store, although Linn didn't say or do much. However, when Jas suggested going to Caudadlie, Linn was up for it, and luckily, so was all the other girls. A facial and mani was just what she needed after a day like hers, and a party in the evening. It would feel a lot nicer. She nodded her head in agreement with the girls and decided to go where they went. After all, what else could go wrong?

---

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---

Florian raised his eyebrows and nudged his best friend after he'd spotted his gaze. "Hah! We both know I'm not the only one with good taste." He commented. After that, they parted ways, Ollie heading to music, guitar in hand, obviously not caring that he had social studies first. Heck, he'd probably play it in class.

It turns out that Florian actually slept through Social Studies - and he couldn't give another damn about it. He needed the sleep - he was hungover, tired, and bored. Plus he couldn't get Charlie and Ollie off his mind. They were even in his dreams, although he couldn't remember what they were about. When he woke up, everyone had cleared out, and Florian headed to guitar, sending Ollie and Charlie a quick text, saying;

"We are going to Venice after this lesson! To the beach!"

He sent it and shoved his phone back in his pocket, carrying the guitar with upmost care to his next lesson, slowly rolling along on his skateboard, weaving his way through crowds. He was picking up the word that almost all of senior and junior year was at Venice already, which was how he had known. Besides, it would be super cool to hang out with both Ollie and Charlie at the same time. It made his insides squirm a little.

Most of the rest of the lesson was spent jamming on his guitar. He could not have loved it more - Being able to pluck the strings in peace was a comfort to him, and Florian soon drifted off in his own riffs and beats on the instrument. All too soon, though, it was over, and Florian was sneaking out of the school, hoping to hell his friends were going to meet him there. It would be so... anti-climatic, if they decided not to come after all! He decided he would wait for 15 minutes before he headed to next lesson. If they were coming - good. If not... There was always another time.

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After the relaxing atmosphere of the spa, Naea decided to go and get ready for the party that evening and leave Allie and the rest to their own business. She needed to head home, anyway, to drop off her stuff, see her sister and her horse, maybe even exercise him. She called Alice's nanny rather hurriedly and within a few minutes of getting dressed from her massage, facial and manicure, she hopped into the expensive Volvo and was on the way home. It was an awkward drive home, as Alice's nanny never said a word to her, and Naea had never bothered to try and start a conversation. She wouldn't reply anyway.

Naea headed straight for the stables when she got home, after she got changed into something a little more appropriate. She didn't want to get the skirt she'd borrowed dirty. She didn't look as fashionable as she did usually, but it was comfortable and nobody was going to see her anyway. As she thudded down the stairs she was greeted by her little sister. "Hey, Alice!" She greeted the little girl, scooping her up in her arms before quickly putting her back down. "Comment ça va?" She switched to French rather abruptly, which she did a lot with family members. Her little sister chittered a quick, "Oui! Est-ce que nous pouvons visiter les chevaux?" Naea grinned, picking Alice up in a piggy back and heading out the door. "Come on then, let's go visit Silver and Luna. Then I have to get ready for the party." Alice sighed as she heard that. "Again?" Naea nodded and shifted Alice's weight on her back, heading through their mother's breathtaking gardens and out towards the gorgeous modern barn that was home to their pets.

A few minutes later, Naea was on the back of Silver as he dipped his head and drank from his water bowl. Her arms hung limply along his legs as she lay there, just breathing in the scent of the horse. She loved this creature to pieces, but even he couldn't help what she felt right now. On her phone the news of Honey and Chad in the restaurant had reached her at last. It stung her deeply, and she had no idea why. She didn't even like Chad like that, right? Of course. it was unfathomable to her that she could not, definitely never have liked him. Ever. She sighed, bringing the phone up in front of her face once again. The photo that the waitress girl had sent to her over text hurt a lot. She'd managed to catch the two kissing. Why Brittany had sent it to her, though, she had no idea. She deleted the message and was about to drop it in the hay, resolving to find it later, but then an idea flitted into her head. She just needed to talk to someone about the whole thing. She couldn't go to Shai... She wasn't sure how she'd take it if Naea told her - they were ex-boyfriend and girlfriend, after all. It was the Girl Code. Although... Wouldn't it be worse if she didn't tell her? She couldn't push it on Allie, either. She was busy dealing with her own problems - namely Isaiah and Angel. She would have told Chad immediately, if it didn't involve him. But it did. And now Naea was stuck.

Eventually, after lying there for a few moments, Naea got an idea. Who was the person that got into a fight because of Honey? Who had she seen flirting with her afterwards? Ricardo Slim-Helu. The problem was he would sleep with just about anyone and probably only liked her for her body. He wouldn't care what she felt, right? Maybe it was worth a try...

After a long while debating the subject between herself, she got up off the horse and headed inside, changing into her party outfit. It fit her nicely, and she had even managed to get the skull on the T-Shirt to be painted with fluorescent paint, so it glowed under black lights. On her left arm she painted two chevrons in glow in the dark paint around her bicep, and more on her legs and ankles. She finally painted a few patterns under her eyes and on her forehead in the paint. It looked invisible until after she went under black lights, which there would be plenty of at the party. She took a few pictures and posted a couple on Instagram, hoping to catch the attention of a few people at least. Then she decided to get ballsy, and send a text to Ric and Chad, on a whim. She didn't expect to get a reply from Ric, but she hoped to at least remind Chad that she existed.

TO: Ric
Hey! Can we talk? It's about Chad/Honey. Meet me at the party?

TO: Chad
Hi! You want to go to the party together tonight? I haven't talked to you since Izzy's party and wanted to make sure you're okay. :-) See you soon?

She didn't know how she felt anymore. She hadn't ever been in love before, or even had that many crushes. It was all new to her and Naea didn't know how to act or feel. The texts were a desperate cry for help, one to a person she didn't even know that well apart from rumours and gossip, all because she felt a normal emotion. She sighed heavily on her bed, laying back and staring at the ceiling. She just hoped for an answer. She noticed a warm, wet feeling on her cheeks, and pressing a finger to her cheek, she realized that there was tears on her cheek. She sighed, and let the tears spill down her cheeks.

LATER

Naea had gotten to the party early, despite the lounging around on her bed feeling confused. It was her group's party, after all, and she was supposed to be helping set up. That she had, setting up lights and food and alcohol (which included trying just a little of it) and making sure she was completely ready for the event. She'd decided that she wasn't going to care at all if they were together. It was just jealousy. Then again, deep down, Linnaea craved some sort of affection. Ever since her mother died, she hadn't really gotten much, apart from Alice. Naea had decided it was time for a change. This year was it, she could feel it. She finally felt ready to start looking for a relationship - someone to spend more time with. Her recent emotions had made this clear. She sent a quick text to Shai, saying:

TO: Shai
Hey! Need to talk. Can you meet up with me at the party sometime? Emotions and stuff.

She hoped that she would understand. She didn't want to bother Allie - she didn't know how she would react, and even though they were best friends, she could totally see her just trying to get Naea to hook up with someone. Maybe... hopefully, Shai would understand. Maybe even Ric. Okay, she doubted that last one - heck, she doubted he'd even talk to her. It was almost time for the party, now, and people were starting to arrive... Naea headed over to the bar and ordered a Snowball, sipping it once she received it. Now, all she had to do was wait.

---

Flo's week went slowly, especially after missing out at Venice. He would have enjoyed the beach, with his guitar and two really hot people. But he hadn't seen Ollie or Charlie at all since, and he was beginning to miss the pair immensely. It had been a pretty messed up week for him, too. He hadn't returned home for a few days and had been sleeping in a tree somewhere, only returning home for a change of clothes and a snack. He couldn't deal with his Mom right now. Or ever, to be completely honest. He was hanging out in the park, on his own, skateboard next to him and guitar on his lap as he strummed a simple tune on the instrument, when his phone buzzed, alerting him to a text. It was from Ollie, asking him to come hang out. It meant going back home to grab his green swimming trunks from the party, but it was Ollie. He shrugged and sent back a quick text.

TO: Ollie
Yeah, sure! I'll head over. Pick me up outside the school?

He didn't want him to pick him up outside his house, that was for sure. He could make it to his house and back before he swung by, right? He pretty much jumped on his skateboard and headed home at high speed, whizzing in front of cars and around pedestrians. He was home in under five minutes, but realized that he'd have to be quiet and careful. With his absense, the apartment would be a mess. And it was. Florian could smell the vomit from halfway down the corridor, and had to cover his mouth and nose with a hand to stop himself from gagging. He sneaked past his unconscious mother on the couch, a little bit of drool flecked at her mouth, and grabbed his trunks and a towel from his room. He sneaked back out before there was a huge crash from behind him, and he could hear his mother yelling at him from behind him. "Ahh, shit." He muttered, sprinting down the corridor and stairs, before hopping on his skateboard. He looked back only once, to see his mother, standing in a vomit stained nightie screaming at him from down the street.

A few minutes after the fiasco, Florian received another text. It was from Ollie again, asking him to ask Charlie to hang out. He shrugged to himself, as he was standing outside the school. "Ahh, what the hell." He hit Charlie's number, which began to ring immediately. Now it was just a waiting game. He hoped she would pick up - it would be cool to hang out together. Two hot people and him - now that was a good idea for a pool party.

---

The first day, as well as first week, back to school had gone smoothly. Friday after the bell rang and classes let out for the weekend, Charlie walked home and shut the front door quietly behind her. Just as she set her bag down, she heard her phone ring. She glanced at the caller ID, raising an eyebrow when she saw the name. Florian? She wondered what he wanted. What would he be calling her about? She reached for her phone after the third ring and answered, holding it up to her ear. “Hello?” She listened as he talked for a bit before asking her to hang out with Oliver. Charlie had never spoken to Oliver before, and she didn’t see why she should go over his house. However, she did find him slightly attractive. Maybe it would be a good time to find out what this kid was all about. Then again, there was nothing better to do. It was not like she was invited to the Neon party happening tonight, but even if she had been, chances are she wouldn’t have attended anyways. All her clothes were black, and after last weekend she would rather not be around that many people again.

She hesitated before agreeing to his invitation. “Uh, sure. Just text me the address.” She hung up after and set her phone down on the counter. She wasn’t in the mood to go out, but she had bailed on Florian with Venice and she had promised him that rain check a week ago. Whether it be alone or with company, the two would still be hanging out. She never backed out on her word, whether she meant it or not. She sighed and dragged herself to the freezer. She rummaged through the frozen goods until she found what she was looking for. She found the bottle of 1800 Tequila and pulled it out. Drunk night swimming never hurt.

She went to her room and stripped of her clothing, throwing on something to swim in. When it came to her body, Charlie was comfortable showing some skin. She may not have the biggest chest or rear end, but she didn’t care about that. The human body came in different shapes and sizes. Once she threw on her bikini, she threw on a long, oversized shirt as a cover up to complete her outfit. Black was her signature color, and she usually never had any colored clothing, but black bathing suits were usually identical, so Charlie borrowed something from her mother’s closet. The white also looked nice on her and highlighted her tattoo. It was a different look for her, but she didn’t know if it was something to keep. She didn’t spend much time on the thought.

She left her hair down like usual, grabbed her sunglasses she had worn to the party, and slipped on a pair of black Toms. She grabbed a bag and packed an extra pair of clothing, along with other necessities. If she was driving over and ended up drinking, there was no way she would be driving back.

She went back downstairs, grabbing the 100 proof alcohol and a swim towel. She wrapped the bottle in the towel and put it on top of everything else in her bag. Charlie grabbed her keys and went to her living room briefly, waiting to get sent the address.

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Ollie finished filling up his tank, and when he got back into his car, he finally received the text he was waiting for.



He quizzed why Flo wouldn't just text him his address, it would be much easier for Ollie to not have to return back into the direction of the school, since he had to pass his mum's house again. But he wasn't gonna be annoyed by that now, he just wanted someone to hang out with him. So Ollie drove past his house and pulled up in front of the school, and saw Flo standing with his skate board there. Rolling down his window, he shouted out to Florian, "You changed your mind, or something? Get in, stuff in the back." he says with a smile. Flo gets in the passenger seat and Ollie faces him, "So you like it? I call it nugget." he says about the car. "Oh, and is Charlie a Yes or No go?" he asks before shifting out the gear out of park and slowly driving away from the front of the school.

He would really like to meet this Charlie, and maybe he could finally see if this huge crush on her was not just for her beautiful face. He has though about talking to her, but never knew how to approach her, but now was the perfect time and the pool would be the perfect place. And if things didn't work out, Ollie knew that Flo wouldn't mind seeing if Charlie had a thing for him.

---

Linn felt better after dancing for a little while. She had noticed Shai being grabbed, and was about to intervene when Shai decided to dance with him anyway. Although a little envious, Linn danced on her own for a little while, watching her friend out of the corner of her eye, to make sure she was okay and safe. In fact, it wasn't too long before she had her own dance partner. She didn't recognize him, but he was cute, and the alcohol in her system was causing her to be overconfident, and throw all caution to the wind. She was going to have one heck of a hangover tomorrow.

All in all, Linn was having a good time. She'd forgotten about her emotions of jealousy, the tension between her and Catalina, and the confusion that she'd had. It might've been the alcohol. To be honest, Linn didn't care anymore. Anyone's first heartbreak hurts, but Linn was drowning all her emotion with dance, sweat, and drinks. She hadn't really noticed the closeness of her partner until he brushed past her, and she held her breath instinctively. A heartbeat later, Shai was asking if she wanted to head outside. Grateful to her friend, she nodded, taking her hand and following her outside.

She wished that California didn't have so much light pollution - it would have been a nice end to a messed up day. Naea really felt like she had lost part of herself, that day. She felt like she had lost two friends, and the most caring part of herself. The reserved part that she knew appealed to everyone. She sighed, looking up at the sky as she followed Shai out. Linn finally noticed how sweaty she was, after looking at the other girl. They were practically dripping with sweat. "Hey, Shai? Want to head back to my house for the rest of the night? I know Alice would love to see you, and we could go riding tomorrow, too." She suggested. She would have contacted Allie, but who knows where she was at this hour, and Shai was here. And she was helping a lot more than she knew Allie would have the patience to. Besides, her ex had just gotten into a relationship, too. They'd share the same feelings, but Linn knew she would end up doing something she would regret. Maybe tomorrow, she resolved.

---

Florian couldn't help but grin to himself when Charlie agreed to come. Slightly too happy, he spoke again, "Great! I'll text you the address and meet ya there. It'll be awesome." He told her, before she hung up. He stood there for a few seconds before celebrating by punching the air. "Yesss!" He hissed to himself.

A few seconds later, Ollie had driven up and had rolled down the window, shouting at him if he'd changed his mind, with a grin. Flo grinned back, flicking his hair out of his eyes, before walking over to the car and carefully placing the guitar and skateboard on the back seat, before hopping over the seat and into shotgun seat. "Houston, we are ready to rumble!" He cheered.

He listened to Ollie's little comment about his car, and Florian had to hide a little grin. "Dude, does it have chicken nuggets somewhere, or is it a little nugget of gold or something?" He was messing around with the guy, but he was sure that Ollie would guess that. "Yeah, it's cool. Better than any car I'd ever get." He laughed a little to himself. "Oh, yeah, Charlie's making her own way." He quickly texted Ollie's address to her, hoping that she was being serious. It would be really cool to hang out, all three of them. "I'm ready for some awesome pool party action!"

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Charlie saw her phone light up out of the corner of her eye and grabbed it off the side table. She opened the message from Florian and read it quietly to herself, “8570 Hedges Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90069.” She raised an eyebrow slightly and stood, brushing herself off. She walked towards the kitchen and put her car keys on the counter. The house was right around the block from her, so there was no need for her to be driving.

Charlie walked over the junk drawer next to her fridge. She pulled out a pen and small post it note, quickly writing a note to her father. Her dad was never big on texting, so she soon learned it was best if she left a note on the fridge, the first place he went after work. Humming to herself, she stuck the green note on the silver door and walked to the front door. She grabbed her bag and locked the door behind her, slipping on her sunglasses as she did so.

About five minutes later she arrived at the address given to her. She double checked the address on the house with that on her phone and walked up to the door, passed a silver car in the driveway. She knocked lightly on the door and waited for it to open. When the door opened, she came face to face with the boy she had never spoken a word to. She saw Florian as well, right near Oliver and she sighed quietly. She slid her sunglasses on top of her head so her hair was pushed back out of her face. “Uh, thanks for having me. We’ve never officially met, so I’m Charlie, but you must have known that to invite me.” Charlie hated introducing herself. She found it to be awkward, and it made her uneasy to be introducing herself to someone she didn’t know one thing about. However, she couldn’t just stand there and enter Oliver’s house without him officially meeting her. She had entered a stranger’s house the night of the party, but that was a different situation. This time there was less people and it was more personal. She grinned as Oliver told her she could come in. She passed through the door and entered in to the house, shutting the door behind her. As she looked around briefly, she wondered how tonight would go. She was the only girl and with two boys: one she was civil with, and the other she had just met. If things started to go downhill in any way, at least she could just walk home. On the other hand, that would be rude. Whatever the case, she hoped she wasn't wasting her time.

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"Dude, does it have chicken nuggets somewhere, or is it a little nugget of gold or something?" Flo asked, and Ollie snickered. "No, It just looks a bit funky, like a chicken nugget though." he answered, as they drove up to his father's house. Flo and he got into the house and, as they got out to the pool area Flo said "I'm ready for some awesome pool party action!" and Ollie agreed. Ollie walked around the pool and crouched down to test the water with his fingers, it was not too chilly perfect for a night swim. As he got up, he heard Edwin say "Oliver, There is someone at the door. Do I get it?" "Edwin, I've got it!" he shouted. And Flo and Ollie walked quickly to the front door, Ollie knew it was Charlie. He's never actually talked to her, so he was a bit anxious. What if she didn't like him, because he was too awkward or something.

He shook the thought out of his head, and opened the door, and there stood Charlie. He looked at her, she was beautiful in her outfit. He was almost afraid to break the silence, and he silently thanked her when she did herself. Uh, thanks for having me. We’ve never officially met, so I’m Charlie, but you must have known that to invite me.” she said. Ollie looked down before saying "Yeah, we haven't really met. I'm Oliver, this dude's best bro. I'm glad you came, I'm hoping we'll have some fun. Come on in."

As she entered he lead her and Flo out towards the back. "Well, out there is the pool, and here are the munchies, and booze is at the bar outside." Oliver said as he walked over to the table that snacks like fruits, and bite sized sandwiches were spread out on. "Help yourselves, I'll be back in a jiffy, need to get some swim trunks on." he said, and sprinted down the hall and up the stair and into his seldom used room. Digging through the closet he found a pair that seemed to fit alright. Slipping them on, and then finding a black tank to go with it he stalled at the mirror. He wanted to look good, on a night he planned to get piss drunk. He was pretty pissed at his mum, and right now he just wanted to get it off his mind, and drunk swimming seemed like the best option. Especially with two good looking people, and yeah now he does admit he kind of finds Flo attractive. Sometimes he even noticed himself staring at his friend. But right now he needed to get downstairs and get a bottle of vodka into his hands.