Greenwich - Danny's Friend's House

Evelyn skirted around drunk couples in the hallway, heading for anywhere remotely silent. She heard Alexis' voice call for her and sped up, praying the brunette would let it go. Evelyn new her mood right now and were she to talk ot anyone at that moment, it would be rudely. She'd say things she didn't mean and she didn't want to bitch at Alexis for being a good friend.

But Evelyn just wanted a second to compose herself. A second alone. She walked up the second stairway to the third floor and realized it was deserted. Excellent. She found a small bedroom and went in, closing the door a bit with her foot and then sinking down on the bed to rub carefully at her eyes.

She had to go back downstairs, she reminded herself. Alexis was surrounded by creeps. Hopefully she was smart enough to stay with Seth. Evelyn would go down in a second. She just needed to catch her breath and wipe all the horror she felt out of her system.

***

Seth was suddenly ditched in a crowd of half-drunk females. He blinked. And then smirked, deciding Alexis could handle Evelyn. The redhead wasn't his problem.

Seth turned around and whistled over the girls' heads toward where Jake stood, confused. "Over here, dimwit!"

***

Oriana gritted her teeth as she headed for the bar. Where the hell was her stupid date? James could be utterly confusing, she decided. She couldn't tell his mood at all. At times he was flirtatious and then he suddenly got so damned moody. What was with him running off like that? On such a nice song too.

She saw a flash of chocolate brown hair - a boy she faintly recognized as a sophomore. "Ashton? What on earth are you doing here? Last I checked, you oozed nerd!"

The brunet glanced up from his seat at the bar, elbows leaning on the counter. He was dressed in a grey button-down and jeans, sleeves rolled up, top few buttons undone and hair neatly in place. Oriana had known him through high school and had even briefly dated the guy's twin - back when she could date for fun, at least. She hadn't seen him in two years. Where was that sweet-hearted genius with the glasses? Contacts, maybe. Ashton now brushed six feet and had clearly taken up a gym membership.

Ashton flashed a half-smile, just one corner of his perfect mouth turning up before his disinterested brown eyes returned to his drink. "He got drunk one night. Major wake up call. How've you been, Ori?"

She stiffened a bit at that nickname. "Just eh." She sat down beside his seat and tapped her fingers on the counter, before blurting out, "What happened to you?"

He smiled briefly again and she wondered where his old full smiles went. "I went overseas for a bit. I had a gap after highschool because I graduated early, remember? I hit the Middle East."

Alexis turned on her heel, biting her bottom lip hard. So Evelyn didn't want to talk. And she was stuck looking like this- with no one sane to watch her. She stumbled a little with her heels, not so sure of herself anymore as she went over to the coat closet. She flinched at a wandering hand and stomped on the boy's foot with her heel, smirking faintly at his yelp. She rushed over to the closet and pulled out her jacket.

She glanced around as she slipped it on and then headed for the exit, wanting to get away from the crowd for a lil' while anyway.

Jake downed the shot of tequila, and slammed the empty shot glass on the table. Just because he was concussed, it didn't mean he couldn't at least get a nice buzz going. Besides he could handle a few shots.

He heard Seth call for him, and he pulled a face hoping no one had ratted him out.

Jake took a moment to compose himself, he turned sauntering over towards Seth.

He cracked a grin, and winked a brown eye at Seth in greeting, "Ay man! que pasa?"

He noticed his accent was starting to make an apperance, and he hoped Seth wouldn't catch on to his antics.

***

Antonio spotted his brother at the bar, chatting with some girl as he got closer he realized it was Oriana.

He hadn't seen her in a couple of years, she was no longer the blond he had dated, but she was still hot.

He approached them both his hazel eyes locked on her's, "What we go out for two weeks, and you don't call me anymore?" He said flashing his pearly whites at her.

Seth raised an eyebrow, wary. Jake sounded....a bit giddy. Then again, he had just whistled at his fake girlfriend. She'd laugh her face off at him later.

Seth smirked. "Let's head out back. Some people are playing games out there. I'm bored of this scene." He spotted Connor nearby and called out his name, gesturing him over.

***

Oriana flashed a faint smile up at Antonio. "Wasn't aware i was supposed to." She swiveled in her seat to cast an eye out for a tall brunet boy, but so many people had dark hair in here that it was almost impossible.

Ashton pulled out his phone, a sleek LG and fiddled with it. "Seth's here," he informed his fraternal twin. "That guy I mentioned. You should meet him. You'd get along. He's as ridiculous as you are."

Oriana stifled a smile. She glanced around again and then turned her attention back to the twins. "So what've you been up to, Tony?" she said absently, taking a Coke can from the bartender kid. "How's the lovelife?"

***

"Isn't that where it's at?" Carrie Schikovsky asked, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her pink jacket. Her light hair was pulled back into a simple knot and she glanced up at the taller blond boy walking beside her.

Luke checked his phone, uncertain. He sighed. "I don't think you'll find anyone paying homage to Calli in New York."

Carrie rolled her dark eyes at him. "Are you kidding? Half these kids here probably wish they had the West Coast."

Luke decided not to argue with her. She was Evelyn's equal in being a pigheaded mule. It was why they worked out so well.

They turned another corner, reaching a long lien of townhouses. Up ahead, Luke heard a bottle crash to the street. He glanced up, startled. Two drunk boys in hoodies and baggy jeans were shoving each other around on the front lawn of a house with blaring music leaking through its pores.

Luke put his phone away and exchanged a wary glance with Carrie as they crossed to the other side of the street.

One of the guys retreated, swinging about to stomp up into the house, probably. Instead, he paused by a girl who had just exited, barring her way. Luke frowned, wondering if he should intervene.

"That looks bad," Carrie muttered quietly, watching the guy and the girl. The girl looked annoyed and the guy was clearly drunk and hitting on her.

Luke wondered why the girl was wearing a mask. She was dressed in a jacket and an extremely short skirt. Too short for the streets of NY. His stomach lurched, remembering what exactly could happen to a girl on the streets if she were caught unawares.

He didn't want that happening to another girl. Alexis was probably not going to forget it. He started across the street, Carrie by his side.

***

Evelyn pulled her phone out of her clutch, leaning her head back on the somewhat dusty pillows of the room. She checked the time and realized she had a miscall. From Luke?

She rubbed her forehead where the buzz had died and now a dull thump echoed. After that whole Alexis thing, she didn't really give a shit about what Luke might have to say. He'd gone too far.

Steps sounded in the hallway outside and Evelyn tensed, holding her breath. Her room was unlit because she hadn't turned on the lights. The sound of a giggle and then a male voice reassured her. The couple passed and she lay back on her side again, one hand over the call button, and gnawed her lower lip. She felt glad James hadn't given chase. He was a lot harder to throw off than Alexis.

Alexis turned swiftly to the boy hitting on her and getting far to handsy to be comfortable. She drew her arm back, balling her hand into a fist, the one with the "VAIN" ring to be specific and slammed it into the boy's jaw. "Touch my ass again and I swear to god, I'll do worse then that, dickhead!"

He yelped, stumbling back and glaring at her and spat out something in spanish before turning and going back into the house, still grumbling about, but slurred. She let out a shaky breath and went down to the bottom step of the stairs leading to the door and sat down on the second one, crossing her legs to "keep herself covered" and reached up, messing with the mask. She glanced up and squinted at the familiar form ahead.

Luke.

She scowled slightly, feeling a little sick to her stomach and looked up towards the sky. Thank god for masks.

****

Connor looked away from his spot with some annoying cheery girl and gladly got up, going over to them. "Thanks for the save."

Luke slowed down and he heard Carrie stifle a giggle beside him when the girl swung her fist into the hopeful moron. He chuckled, amused despite the seriousness of this situation.

Carrie walked past him up the pathway and he followed, not sure if they needed ot hang around now that the show was over. "Hey," Carrie hailed the girl, a note of concern in her voice. "Are you all right?"

Alexis licked her lips, half wanting to tell her to fuck off. She shrugged, and messed with the zipper of her jacket. "Sure. Go back to Lu-"She stopped herself short. "Your date." She said to cover it up as she leaned back against the steps.

Carrie's eyebrows crinkled. "My who?" She wondered what this girl was talking about and then realized Luke was standing a few feet away on the sidewalk, evidently waiting impatiently for her to return so he could drop her home.

Oh, she thinks he's.... Carrie stifled a smile and straightened. Well, whatever. "All right."

She headed back to Luke, who was fiddling with his phone again, now frowning. "Ev's not answering," he said. "I've been trying to get her all day yesterday and today."

Carrie watched a funny expression dance across Luke's face, a mix of regret and irritation. She frowned, curious. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," he said, starting to walk on down the sidewalk. "I just...you know..." Luke scratched the back of his head absently.. "I kind of had a falling out with one of our mutual friends. Ev took her side, I guess."

"You had a falling out?" Carrie asked, disbelieving. Luke grimaced. "Well, Evelyn must have had a good reason. I mean, she doesn't assume things so fast."

Luke kicked a beer bottle shard away. "Yeah, I guess she had." He turned and glanced over at the girl Carrie had talked to. "What happened there?"

"She didn't need any saving," Carrie replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I love that ring of hers. I really want one..."

***

Luke tuned her out at that point. He frowned over at the girl over Carrie's shoulder. How many people had that realistic shade of black? Most, unless they were Ashlee or Alexis, had jet-black fake hair. Ashlee's hair was dark by nature, Alexis' was a shade lighter. He knew these facts like the back of his hand.

She's not either of them....she's dressed like a freaking hooker. Definitely asked for it. Why did girls dress like that and then not expect trouble?

After the shit that had happened to Alexis, Luke felt irritable with any dumb chick parading around alone in miniskirts or alcoholism. Why invite trouble?

Without really thinking, he walked back toward where the girl sat, annoyance seeping through him. He leaned his elbows against the stair railings, looking up at where she sat at the top, and said sharply, "You know, you called that kid's attention, dressed like that. Is this some sort of esteem boost? Because it's a very stupid one."

Alexis' gray eyes flickered to Luke sharply. Was he serious? She bit her inner lip hard, flickering back to her memories of when Luke was actually NICE. She gritted her teeth and pulled her skirt down a bit more. "It is, actually." She said with her heavy southern fake accent. "This is the only night I'm e'ver e'ver doin' anythin' like this anyway."

Is this girl nuts? Luke's eyebrows rose in disbelief. His anger reared its head like it had been doing for the past two days.

"You know there are better ways to give yourself a pep talk than showing up on the streets looking like - " he hesitated, his natural well-mannered self resisting just once more, and then blurted out, "a cheap, wannabe slut."

Carrie would probably give him hell for this later, but he didn't care.

"... I said it was a one night thing." Alexis said lowly, dropping the accent. "Because some people treat their friends like temporary puppets and other people use them as pleasurable meat suits...I needed a self esteem boast." Alexis hissed lowly, her hands tightening into fists.

Luke felt his stomach ice over. There was no way in hell he could misplace that voice.

No, definitely not her. I don't believe it. She wouldn't do that. Not until I see it with my own eyes.

He swallowed down the dread rising up his throat and pushed himself off the railing, rounding it and stalking up the steps, long legs eating up the distance in two seconds. He kneeled a few steps down and tilted his head, finding the grey eyes he'd been looking for behind the mask.

Horrified realization hit him with the speed of an impending freight train.

What had he just said to her? She was the reason he'd just walked up to what he thought was a stranger and let her have it.

Way to play up that dumb blond archetype, Lucas. He cleared his throat and said flatly, "Alexis?" It wasn't a question. Carrie drew closer, confusion in her eyes.

Alexis' heart thumped in her chest, upset. She felt anger and yet hurt raising up in her chest, spreading hotly. "Hi." She said flatly back, her eyes stinging a little. She wasn't sure if it was from angry tears or what.

Either way, she was done for the night.

Luke opened his mouth and then closed it, swallowed and then exploded, "What the fuck? Are you high right now?"

"Do I sound high, Lucas?" Alexis replied curtly, with narrowed eyes. She ground her teeth together, feeling herself tear up even more.

Luke surveyed her, seriously consideirng this possibility. What else but a bad joint would make her dress up like this?

"I don't know. Tell me," he said curtly. Her expression was hidden behind that mask and she sounded icily calm.

"I'm not fucking high, Lucas Farrel. If I was fucking high, I would have punched you already, I would hope." Alexis said, her tone very sharp and icy as she forced her fists to stay by her sides.

Luke gnawed his lip, trying to reign in his loosened temper. Usually, it wasn't a problem. As of late...

"Then what the hell are you doing sitting out here alone at night dressed like a hooker?" he asked, frustration leaking through his voice.

"I wanted too. Me and ..another friend both. Why do you care?" Alexis said back, rubbing at her arm a little.

He shook his head, dismayed more than anything. "After Sunday? Really, Alexis? I'd have thought you'd learn it wasn't just alcohol turning creeps on."

Carrie frowned. She wasn't sure what Luke was talking about but she was wondering if she should intervene. The girl clearly didn't want jack shit to do with Luke. And he was sounding more and more angrier.

"Don't you d-dare..." Alexis started, her voice wavering now as she narrowed her eyes at him, feeling wetness drip onto her cheeks, once more thankful for Evelyn's idea for a mask.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I'm being truthful about this," he snapped, ignore Carrie's warning "Lucas!"

Luke shook off her hand, straightening. He looked down at Alexis, disgust on his face. "Don't I dare what? Tell you you're just asking for it again? All you need is a bottle of Smirnoff and you'd be exactly where you were Sunday. Clearly, that's what you want."

Alexis' breathing quickened so it was heavy and she stood, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. She felt sick to her stomach and her hands shook a little while resting on her arms. She ... was?... asking for it. But she wasn't INTENTIONALLY wanting to be raped again. She wasn't asking to feel disgusting, violated, and horrible again. But here she was, feeling just like that.

And it was Luke's fault. Honestly, deep down she felt that maybe Luke would be the one to help her, to be there for her. Not as a date but as her friend. Was that her fault too? Had she somehow just pushed him away or was her being so judgmental and saying the things she did to Evelyn just, make him decide to not be her friend anymore?

Or was he just purposely making her feel more like shit? Dragging her back into the hole she didn't need to be in, because she had contemplated a lot of things in the matter of time which consisted in just one night that she regretted thinking about.

Her stomach churned as she stared at Luke, gray eyes masking over. It had been a long long time since she had masked over her emotions, or shielded them from being seen, without letting them, but sadly anyone who knew her well enough, knew that was only because she really was upset or angry beyond belief.

She licked her lips and cleared her throat. "You know what I want, Luke? I want you out of my face, before I MAKE you move it. I don't know who finally turned down your ass or gave you a taste of your own medicine that's making you such a dick right now, but I give my applause to them, gratefully." Alexis said, her old self slipping back through the cracks.

The one who wore her lip ring, who wore the combat boots, the plaid skirts, the ripped baggy jeans, the band tee's. Not this brand new one, with the heels, the fashion and glamor. The true bitch was back.

"Oh hey- I missing my friend, do you happen to know him? His name's Lucas Farrel. Better known as LuLu to me. He has a dimpled grin and a cheery attitude. He's kinda my really good friend, and my best buddy back before senior year." She paused and shot him a icy glare.

"He's dependable too- someone you'd expect to be there for you when you've been hurt, or you NEED someone... but I guess I was wrong because I don't even seen a clue of him. Except for ya know- his quick change in tastes." Alexis shrugged, before reaching up and removing her literal mask.

"But I guess that what they say is true, it's all fun and games till someone gets hurt."

He examined her icily, eyes flickering from the hideous outfit to the running eye make up. He felt sadness for a moment, but not in the way he might have once. "Funny you should say that," he said coldly, stepping backwards down the stairs. "I mean, considering you threw away your whole life junior year. What were you doing? Oh, right, you were happy with just one person - everyone else could go screw themselves."

His eyes were blazing his anger, he could feel them heating up. "I don't really think of you as a friend right now, to be honest. I don't know you. I just feel bad for you as a decent human being after what happened to you, and I just think you're making a mistake here. If you're expecting me to be nice to you because we're supposed to be friends, remember that we were. Back before you decided to change it. It was nice running into you in New York and all, but it doesn't make us friends, Alexis. For me, you were nothing more than a one-time date that didn't work out."

His insides were completely frozen in time, and he could feel his heart thumping in fury in his chest but he didn't waver once.

Alexis felt her inside twist and she bit back more tears, but her face kept blank. She chuckled, shaking her head and reached back, pulling a band off her wrist she had gotten in case she got hot from dancing and pulled her hair back. "You know- I wish you would have told me that sooner. So I didn't- no, so you didn't have to waste your time. I'm sorry for ever trying to fix my mistake, Farrel. And I apologize for thinking maybe I was "worthy" of being your friend or thinking maybe for once I wasn't like Tiffany, Ashlee, and all the others, and would get a second date at least." She said, keeping her voice blank as her heart thumped in her chest hard enough to make her light headed.

"And you know, last I remember, you grabbed my hand, you agreed to another date, and you were just as happy as I was."