Cherry was of course hosting the party, because Matt didn't want to. Both had unconventionally big houses, unconventional because they were single college students and had absolutely no reason to have huge ass mansions, but did anyway.

But Matt's was because his family had rented the house out for years before he moved to New York, when he moved here they just let him live in the mansion instead of buying another apartment or something.

As for Cherry? Her reason for a mansion was still very unclear to me and possibly everyone else too, but we never questioned it.

It was around nine when Matt and I got to her house, Jake not wanting to come either which was unsurprising because he never came along to parties anyway.

For some reason, it made me think about Adrienne, because she too didn't want to come here and im sure for the same reasons as Jake,

They just didn't get want be around the people here, and I knew she'd be great friends with not only Summer but Jake too, they'd probably bond over their mutual dislike towards all athletes, except that Jake hated all athletes except Matt, but Adrienne probably hated all athletes including me.

We weren't so bad though, that is until you met some of the actual assholes that im sure would piss most people off but most of us were decent human beings.

Jake came to a party once, and he really disliked it, Summer didn't really care about the people she didn't like, she came anyway because she got along with almost anyone, literally, and not because she was fake, but because she was just that type of person, a peoples person, she was just a calming ball of energy and it was nice having her around.

We could hear the music as we walked closer to the house having parked his car a few houses down since this place was packed and mentally, I knew it was a good idea Jake and Addy didn't come.

They'd want to go back home immediately.

I dropped the cigarette i'd been smoking, squashed it beneath my shoe before picking it up and throwing it away in a trashcan nearby.

"I don't know how you smoke that shit."

Cigarettes? It is kinda shit, but nicotine is insanely calming, which i'd learnt months ago, but I barely smoked, it was just a bad habit.

I'd smoke two cigarettes a week, six, or five most, which was good compared to most people who used up packets within a week.

Except that if it wasn't cigarettes, my substitute was caffeine. Which was no help in a certain department.

I shrug as I take a pack of mint flavored gum out from my back pocket, "Carrying vapes around everywhere is tacky, I don't meed to smell like a doughnut shop either."

He snorts but nods in agreement, "True."

We push open the metal door beside the tall gates, bending down and getting inside the houses front yard and hundreds of people come to sight, and this was just outside.

I shove my hands in my jacket pockets and walk beside Matt, "Jake was gonna come." He blurts out of no where and I blink, looking over to him. "Huh?"

So why didn't he?

"He was gonna come with but I told him he wont like it."

I scoffed and walked through the house door, "I know you weren't lying but why the fuck did you do that?"

"He has been off." He starts as he scratches the back of his head, "I don't know how to explain man."

"Everyones nervous this year, we can't fuck around as much when we're done with this place."

Or maybe I was the only one worried about that months before it actually ended.

He shrugs, "We'll still be the same people so eh." Okay so it was just me. "I think I should go call him quickly."

I snort and nod just as he walks around to go somewhere quieter to make sure his relationship wasn't in shambles, just for me too be immediately hugged from the side and I look away to my side just to spot Cherry.

I blink, "Hey Cher."

"Helloooo, where's Matty?" She kinda yells because of the music, propping her chin on my shoulder and I point in the direction he went in as she pulls my arm out the jacket pocket, looping our arms together like she usually did.

"Oh cool he's here, do you wanna get drinks?"

I look around for Summer and Chance and don't see them. So I shrug and walk with her to the kitchen, a few people greeting and smiling and waving my way and I did the same till we got to the kitchen and she bends over to get the drinks.

I look away as she gets the bottles, that is till I feel a vibration in my pocket and take my phone out and see Adrienne's name on the screen.

I immediately check the text.

: I was bored and started with the moulds for the project, hope you don't mind.

I raise a brow till she sends another follow up text.

: I don't actually care if you do mind, just letting you know.

I smirk. Theres my girl.

The smirk almost falls and I blink at the thought.

My girl?

Huh?

Fucking slow down.

I look away from my phone when Cherry is back up thrusting a red solo cup to my chest and it almost spills onto the shirt I was wearing. "Vodka and Red bull."

I nod, I was gonna get a red bull anyway, even if it wouldn't have had alcohol but oh well.

"Thanks." I reply before I down half of the contents.

She hums, bringing her own cup to her lips but not drinking as she studies me, till- "Did you actually fuck Jeanette in the locker room or is that a rumor?"

I choke on my drink, coughing a little before I swallow it away and send her a look. "Excuse me?"

"She was talking to the whole cheer team about it."

I massage my forehead, of course she did, we didn't actually have sex in there, she wanted to give me a blowjob, and I was stressed as hell, so I let her, but of course sex was what she'd told the entire fucking world.

"Does it matter Cherry?" I ask,

"I'd like to know if we're not together anymore, like at all."

I blink at that, "We're not together." I told her that, and she told me it was fine, that she understood because cheating is a pretty big deal. But here she was asking me if we were together?

"So we're not ever gonna get back together?" She asks me almost accusingly, as if thats exactly what she expected and it makes me grow a little uncomfortable.

"No, no we're not." We literally already spoke about this.

My phone vibrates again in hand and she looks down to it, I look down too and see its a picture of the moulds from Addy and I have an urge to leave the party to drive to her house and help her with whatever work we're supposed to be doing together but she's doing alone on her Friday night.

Fuck.

"Is there someone else?"

I scoff softly, growing a little agitated as I look back to Cherry, "We haven't been together for over a year now, you knew that there was nothing else going on here with us, so why does it matter?"

"Yeah, yeah I know Kar, but I thought we were... I thought we were clicking again."

"I didn't think that, I actually thought we were just becoming friends again." I explain, "But im sorry if I ever made you feel like it was anymore than that, it's not Cher, we're friends and its better this way." Especially since the last time we dated it resulted in her cheating on me, relationships weren't her thing and it didn't matter, I didn't hold it against her, I was okay with being her friend.

She bites her cheek but she nods, looking everywhere but me for a few seconds till she leans a little closer, her right hand trailing up my arm, nails just grazing my skin, "But you're open to casual sex?"

I blink at that question, but for some reason, Im just... not willing to have sex with her, "Not at this second, no."

She rolls her eyes, "Well you have my number if you need anything."

Anything. Yeah, I know what that meant by that. I look around and still see no sign of Summer, Chance or even Matt.

"My bedroom is always open you know, obviously." She says, like thats supposed to convince me into doing something.

I look back to her but no words.

"Even if you don't want sex." She tugs at my belt in insinuation, the same thing Jeanette had done after she kissed me.

Im barely hard but fuck I could use some sort of distraction tonight.

She smiles enticingly and I blink, biting the inside of my cheek.

I don't reply to her, she just tugs at my hand all the way upstairs and when we're in her room she closes the door, locking it before she's on her knees tugging my pants down and my hands are in her hair and I forget how stressed I am just for a short moment.