I avoided the Birch house for as long as I could but unfortunately, I had promised Leah to go with her to that stupid wedding. My mother had dropped off the things she bought me to my father earlier in the week and the dress hung in my closet awaiting its debut.

I was sitting in my last class for the day thinking about the upcoming weekend. Leah and I had agreed to get ready at her place Saturday morning and we would drive separately from her parents. It was perfect. I could fulfill my promise to my friend and avoid her brother almost completely.

The thought of the eldest Birch child brought about a plethora of emotions and I found myself feeling hopeless. What was my problem? Given my intentions originally were hostile, that feeling melted away the moment he kissed me. I had never felt something that strong when it came to the opposite sex. I still couldn't believe it. I didn't know where we stood though. He'd blatantly ignored my attempts at flirting when I tried last time. What had changed?

Sadly, I wasn't able to ponder the thought any further because the bell rang, signaling the end of the school week. Rushing out to my Jeep, I threw my bag into the backseat thankful I'd taken the top down. The October sun was shining and there was a crisp bite to the breeze as I pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards home to bury myself in blankets and finish my Mystery Science Theatre 3000 marathon I'd been working on the last two days.

**

Saturday morning rolled around much faster than I liked. I was standing on the porch with my backpack slung over my shoulder and my dress carefully hung over my right arm at exactly ten AM. The air was warm and lazy and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

I contemplated faking an illness and flaking out but thought better of it.

You'd be better off. Nobody wants you here.

Biting the inside of my cheek and taking a breath, I rang the doorbell. There was already noise coming from the house before I even got to the door and Nick answered it while giving me a once over. He was dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a tee shirt.

"Good morning beautiful," his voice was horribly flirtatious. It was almost comical.

"Hi." I pushed past him and nearly ran into Diane who was rushing past dressed in nothing but a fuzzy blue bathrobe and looking almost deranged.

"Oh, thank God you're here! We're running late as you can see. Leah is upstairs dear; we're hoping to be in the car within the hour so please hurry!" She wasn't even looking at me as she practically ran upstairs.

Biting my lip to suppress a chuckle, I made my way after her towards Leah's room. Her door was wide open but by the warbling coming from the bathroom, it sounded like she was in the shower.

Knocking on the door and alerting her of my presence, I warned her I was going to get dressed while I waited for her. She shouted her confirmation and went back to singing as I rolled my eyes and chuckled, heading back into the mauve bedroom and closing the door behind me. Placing my bag on her bed I slipped out of my shoes and simultaneously slipped my tee shirt over my head. Just as I started to pull off my black leggings a noise overhead caught my attention.

A light scratching sound was coming from the old metal vent that ran the length of the room. I wondered if they had mice as I peered up at the ductwork before snorting. Not this perfect family. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but feel paranoid, almost as if I was being watched. As I turned away to continue undressing, the skin on my neck prickled.

Chalking up the feeling as nerves, I slowly peeled down my leggings, leaving me standing there in nothing but the strapless nude bra I'd donned for just the occasion and a lacy black thong that I'd chosen to avoid any embarrassing panty lines. The moment I dipped down to remove the fleece pants from around my ankles, a loud bang came from the vent above me, causing me to jump nearly out of my skin and gasp.

My head shot up to the source but again there was nothing but silence. Narrowing my eyes, I started toward the opening and was nearly there when Leah came strutting in, dressed in a fluffy grey towel and singing show tunes.

Embarrassed, I turned towards her, completely forgetting about my curiosity.

She looked me up and down and wolf whistled playfully.

"Is that all you're wearing today?" She smirked as she started towards her closet.

"Maybe if you play your cards right," I winked before grabbing my dress and slipping into it. "Mind giving me a hand?"

"Holy shit Devi, you weren't kidding! This is so pretty with your hair and skin," Leah complimented as she zipped me up carefully while I held my hair out of the way.

"It's not too much?"

"Um no girl you look fucking hot!"

I'd have to take her word for it.

The dress was just as soft and beautiful as it was the first time I wore it and I checked myself out as she got dressed. I'd have to do something better with my hair and throw on a little makeup, but I had to admit, it did fit me well and the dark navy brought out the pink undertones of my pale skin.

Leah was wearing a peach beige colored dress made from chiffon and some other soft material. It had an illusion neckline that had an embroidered floral print along the neckline and the skirt had a flowing effect and stopped just above her knees. The entire ensemble reminded me of something almost antique without being unfashionable. It fit her perfectly and accentuated her breasts without being provocative. It was very Leah.

"Can you help me curl my hair?" Her words momentarily distracted me from the dress.

"Oh um, I'm not the best at hair but I can try," I laughed nervously as I sat on the bed when she motioned to it.

"You can't be any worse than me. The first time I did it myself, I left it on my hair too long and burned off a couple strands. Girl I cried so hard."

She plugged her curling iron into an extension cord and sat on the ground with her back to me, completely trusting. Once the metal was hot enough, she handed it to me with a smile.

"Alright here goes nothing..." I started nervously before diving into the long blonde hair.

**

We were putting the finishing touches on our makeup when Leah's mother yelled everyone had five minutes to get downstairs and out the door. It was almost noon. I hated to admit it, but I was having fun playing dress up with Leah. I had done a pretty killer job on her hair and it hung in pretty beach waves around her face and she had gone with a relatively light makeup look; a touch of highlighter along her cheek bones, some nude eyeshadow, and a simple cat eye. It was light and airy and didn't take away from her natural beauty.

I on the other hand had just gone with a half up fish tail braid, pulling the ends to make it broader and leaving the rest of my silvery tresses to their naturally wavy selves. It was simple, yet elegant. Paired with a touch of blended grey and black eye shadow, I managed a pretty decent smoky eye to complete the whole look.

I felt beautiful and feminine in my graceful royal blue dress and heels as we gathered our things and started downstairs.

As we came down the landing, we were met with a handful of gasps. I looked up to see the rest of the Birch family standing by the door.

Elliot wore the same Yale blue suit and pink dress shirt he wore the first time I met him, and Nick and Judd were both wearing matching black slacks and ties, with contrasting white button-down shirts.

I nearly tripped trying not to stare at Leah's oldest brother. His sleeves were pulled up to his elbows, exposing the sinewy muscles of his forearms and his hair was uncharacteristically neat and combed back, save for a few spare strands that framed his scowling face that was turned in the opposite direction. He looked like something out of a male model catalog leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed and one foot hooked in front of the other and I had to hurriedly look away.

We emerged in front of her male family members and Elliot threw his arms around his daughter, exclaiming how beautiful we both looked just as Diane joined us. Not once did Judd look my way and despite how I felt, a sliver of repudiation stabbed through my chest.

I could feel a cerise blush rising up my face and hoped it played off as makeup as Diane quickly bustled us out the door and towards the cars, thankfully giving me a reason to focus on the mission ahead.

Climbing into my car and starting the engine, I mentally checked myself. He was just a boy. A boy I needed to avoid at all costs. Easy enough, right?

**

The wedding was hours away and was taking place on the family farm of the man Leah's cousin was marrying she had told me. We arrived shortly after three PM. The sun was beginning to wane, and the temperature was dropping steadily. The moment I stepped out of my Jeep, I regretted not bringing my faithful leather jacket with me.

When Leah said farm, I had pictured something like out of Old McDonald with singing livestock and a big red barn. This farm was easily worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Every building was clean and white and there was a huge modern style farmhouse nestled amongst some trees to our right. There were huge white tents set up all around a field that looked as though it had been cleared just for the reception and there was light music in the air coming from a piano that was near the makeshift altar. As we approached the congregation to find seats, I noticed we were not only dressed for the occasion, we might've been underdressed. There were women walking around in expensive looking gowns encrusted with sparkling jewels and some of the men wore fancy hats. Despite the location, this was far from the scenario I'd imagined.

The wedding itself was beautiful albeit lengthy. The ceremony was very traditional and by the time they were pronounced man and wife, the sun was setting behind the huge white barn that I was told contained an open bar and food. Two of my favorite things.

"Oh, thank God I'm starving," Leah murmured to me as the bride and groom dismissed everyone to the reception area. My own stomach growled in solidarity. It was almost past five PM.

The reception area was just as beautiful. Millions of tea lights had been strung up above us, creating dozens of little stars in the rising darkness.

"You kids go get in line for food, Diane and I will find our table," Elliot releases us, shooing the four of us young people towards the growing buffet line in the open barn. We didn't need to be told twice and we dispersed.

**

*Judd's POV*

I was making my way through the vents when I heard her muffled voice coming from the hall. The problematic, beautiful girl who kept me at arm's length while simultaneously worming her way into my very psyche. She'd left me feeling supercharged and yet burnt out when she left my room when I'd kissed her. I had laid there shamefully afterwards, her touch mingling on my skin as my head spun in confusion. What the fuck did she want from me? She'd openly flirted with me the night I drove her home and when I'd finally given in and decided to flirt back when I gave her phone back, she attacked me. The memory sent masochistic blood below my belt. This lovely creature was feral and incensed, and I wanted nothing more than to feel her passion again. To see her pinned beneath me snarling and combative.

Girls I'd encountered before were eagerly submissive and happy to take whatever I dished out but not Devi. I had to work for every skin tingling moan and whimper, and it was divine.

Glancing down, I caught a glimpse of her silvery hair piled high on her head as she settled into the room and began undressing. Curiosity got the best of me and I began crawling closer, my jeans making the smallest scratching sound as I continued forward until I was nearly touching the vent leading to my little sisters' room.

Devi had slipped out of her shoes, her shirt a crumpled pile of cloth beside her. The creamy pale skin of her back was completely exposed, her pert breasts hidden by a beige covering. Despite feeling like a peeping Tom, I was transfixed, unable to move or look away.

She stopped momentarily and glanced up, her cerulean eyes cutting right through the metal vent and into my soul and I stopped breathing. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.

Snorting at some invisible thought, she returned to her actions and before I could look away, her leggings were pooled around her thin ankles and she was bending over to pull them off her feet. I had to repress a groan at the sight.

From her tarsals, a pair of shapely well-toned calves melted into two soft thighs that begged to be grabbed before joining at her womanly hips. She was built like something out of one of my darkest wet dreams, something to hurt so good. I was practically salivating I was so aroused. A tiny slip of skintight black lace was the only thing separating her genitals from the elements and it clung desperately to her waist, leaving the globes of her ass candid and exposed for my sick viewing pleasure.

My mother's voice calling my name brought me back to reality, causing me to leap and bang the crown of my head against the top of the vent and I had to forfeit a gasp as it throbbed harshly. Devi turned towards my hiding place with her eyes narrowed. I was caught.

Heart pounding, I laid there frozen like a deer in headlights and at the last second, I was saved by Leah walking in. Devi turned, seemingly forgetting her mission and began speaking to Leah and for the first time in my life, I was thankful to have a younger sister. I took the chance and made a dash for the safety of my own bedroom. My mother was standing in the middle of the room the moment I dropped out of the ceiling, looking unsurprised.

"Judd dear, now is not the time to be playing 'People Under the Stairs' please get dressed we need to leave soon."

I wanted to make a sarcastic comment about her own state of dress but decided against it, instead mumbling an okay as she strode out of the room. I was just thankful she didn't notice the embarrassing hard on I was currently sporting.

A fresh wave of humiliation flowed through my body at my actions as I dressed. I had to get the image of those white thighs out of my fucking head.

Thankfully my mother returned moments later which while frustrating, completely killed my erection as she commanded, I join my family downstairs. Disgruntled by her authoritarian commands, I was back to my angry glowering self as I pushed my brother out of the way and leaned against the wall closest to the door to wait.

Breathing through my nose and sulking, I was so lost in my own anger I didn't hear the collective gasps from my brother and father. What brought me back to the moment was a flash of navy blue.

I had to force myself to maintain my composure and look away. I would not be degraded into some lovesick puppy. Thankfully my mother was hurrying us all out the door and I could get away from that girl and her skintight blue dress and long creamy legs.

Hours later I was sitting in the dark shadow of a tall grain silo, nursing a red solo cup filled with apple flavored moonshine content to be alone and watch others get more and more intoxicated. A bout of giggling broke my thoughts and I focused to my left where a large brown mule stood accepting vegetables from a girl who had obviously stolen them from the buffet.

Instantly I recognized the blue dress and silvery hair.

Curiously, I turned to watch her. My sister was nowhere in sight. Devi held out something and the mule happily took the treat, earning another child-like giggle from her. A pang of jealousy swept through me before I could compose myself, followed by annoyance. I was envious of a goddamn horse.

Devi rested a hand on the steel wire and yelped, pulling the limb away from the fence before bursting into another fit of giggles and placing the same hand back on the fence and repeating the same notion.

She was either too drunk or too stupid to realize she was electrocuting herself.

Sighing, I downed the rest of the cup and stood.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I demanded, placing my hands on her shoulders and backing her away from the fence, putting myself between her and the threat. I could smell the alcohol on her and her eyes were glazed over, a lazy smile plastered to her face to match. She was wasted.

"W-what's it look like?" She slurred and tried to walk around me.

"Electrocuting yourself."

"Is that what it is? I thought it felt weird!" She gave me a surprised look before falling into a fit of laughter.

Rolling my eyes and sighing, I attempted to guide her further away. She needed to sit down before she fell.

Devi was having none of it though and slipped underneath my arm and was back in front of the mule who stood there expectantly.

"Judd did you meet the mule?!" Devi turned to me suddenly and grabbed the front of my shirt and pointed to the animal. "I'm sorry buddy I'm all out of cucumbers."

"Yeah I met him." I didn't know what to do. This was a soft side of her I hadn't expected. She was so giddy and silly. It was adorable, although I'd never admit that to anyone. "Where's Leah?"

"She was dancing with some guy last I saw her. I don't dance. Did you see they've got an open bar?"

I was trying to pry my shirt out of her vice-like grip when she stepped into me suddenly, forcing me to steady her so she didn't eat shit and take me down with her.

"You look so good dressed up Judd," her voice was sanguine as the hand clutching me smoothed out and started towards my collar.

"I think you need to sit down," I insisted, clasping my hand on hers that was now wandering up my neck.

"I think I need something else," she winked and attempted to kiss me.

"Devi, you're drunk."

The masculine creature in me was roaring with rage and my heart was racing as I held her at arm's length. I wanted nothing more than to find a dark corner to take this little succubus to and take her up on her offer, but it wasn't right. The last time I'd seen her, she said she didn't want whatever this was going on between us and that was all I had to go off of. Despite her pleas and my own raging hormones, I didn't want her to do something she would regret later.

"And you're sexy. Come on, you wanted me the other day. You gonna pussy out now?" Her eyes flashed with annoyance. Despite her intoxication, she looked amazing. The darkness made the steel color of her eyes glow almost unnaturally, accentuated by her dark makeup.

I looked away uncomfortably.

"I'm just going off what you said. Also, I'm not a fucking creep who takes advantage of drunk girls."

"How chivalrous of you." She rolled her eyes hard and crossed her arms. Anger was building up in my core. How is that a bad thing?

"Look you little bitch, you're the one sending me mixed signals. You flirt with me, then you punch me. You kiss me, then you tell me it can't happen again. What the fuck do you want?" I snarled harshly, grabbing her arms and slightly shaking her.

Her eyes narrowed into slits and I thought for a moment she was going to hit me but then her expression softened dramatically, and she shook me off and started towards the reception.

"You don't want these problems Judd."