"Why are we here rotting our teeth instead of partying?" Matt complained as he poured more skittles into his mouth. We swiped one of those "take one" pails from off of someone's doorstep.

"Because Halloween is on a weekday," Danny replies plainly before throwing a wrapper into the water and taking a cigarette from behind his ear.

"So?" Matt questioned.

"So...people either have school or work tomorrow, Matt. That's why the parties were last weekend," I explain. "Not that you'd remember..."

Matt got completely shitfaced and threw up all over Danny's van before blacking out. I had to become a human blockade to prevent Danny from killing him while he was unconscious.

The first time I got that drunk, I couldn't even think about alcohol for months.

"Fine," he huffed. "But we're out of candy now, I'm going home." Matt stands up, leaving the empty, plastic jack-o-lantern pail behind.

"Really? Oh, I'm sorry, are you too good to hang with us now?" Danny says with sarcasm and Matt turns around to give him the finger. "Fuck you too, man-"

"Hey-" I motion for him to stop talking and he gives me a puzzled expression. "Don't you see where we are?" He shrugs, still not understanding. "Matt lives miles from here. He's not going home...he's going to Sierra's."

Danny's eyes go wide. "...fat Sierra?"

Sierra Ramie had a crush on Matt in the sixth grade. She was always bringing him brownies in hopes of him liking her back. Little did she know, he'd come back to us and make fun of her while we ate the brownies.

I found out about them hooking up sometime last year. We walked into his room and there was a pink double D bra hanging off of his dresser. He tried to hide it and I joked about it being his, but a week later, Sierra walked by wearing the same bra visible through her white t-shirt. Matt still doesn't know that I know...

I chuckle, "she's not fat, she just has more to offer."

"Yeah, a discount at Benny's Pizza Palace."

"Well, I think she looks like Val," I tease.

Danny picks up the jack-o-lantern pail and tosses it at me, hitting me in the stomach. "You wanna walk home too, huh? Keep talking," he threatens but can't help but smile at my remark.

"I'm not walking, but we should start getting back...it's late." And Matt's got the right idea.

I don't have any interest in Sierra Ramie, but I wouldn't mind calling up a girl to take advantage of my mom's night shift.

"Oh, you are too charming. Where has she been hiding you?" Arleen Sinclair laughs fondly as she places her hand against my arm. "Isn't he just dashing, darling?"

"Undoubtedly, your reputation proceeds you, young Bailey," Dalton Sinclair says mockingly, and I raise my eyebrows at him.

You clearly do not like me as much as your wife does. Typical.

When Arleen calls me "charming," she means that she finds me pleasant, physically and socially attractive. Yet, when Dalton agrees that I am "charming—" he means that he knows he should have hidden his daughter. I've charmed women and girls all over the upper east side into sexual deviancies.

But he can't protest, oh no. He has no choice but to be intimidated by me.

Mr. Sinclair and I seem to have the same taste in bachelors' clubs, or at least we did before we locked eyes while he was balls-deep in a busboy's mouth.

It's none of my business, and I'm quite good at keeping secrets (for as long as they suit me, that is).

"Alison," I sigh in relief as the elevator doors part to reveal her.

"Trevor?" She furrows her eyebrows in surprise, "what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, obviously," I smile at her.

"Really?" Surprise doesn't leave her face.

"Of course, I was told that you have no intention of going to Addington's Annual Autumn Ball. Tell me that's not true."

"Well..." She trails off, "I was going with Ethan, but after everything, I decided not to go at all."

"Oh, but Alison, you must!" Her mom pleads.

Alison huffs in annoyance before grabbing my hand and pulling me away with her.

"Listen, Trevor, I know Audrey probably sent you over to convince me to go. But, I don't understand why considering that she is going with some guy she barely knows from Brownstone. It's not like she plans to hang out with me," she explains as we walk up the stairs.

"Brownstone?"

Audrey is bold and petty, and I love her for it. Brownstone is our school's biggest rival athletically. So for her to be sleeping with the enemy...she wants to get a rise out of someone...

Someone like Ethan Carey, one of our best Lacrosse attackers.

"Mhm, Landon Polster. Do you know him?"

"I can't say I do,"

"Well, Audrey introduced me to his lacrosse friends and said I should take one of them, but I don't really want to spend the whole night getting to know my date instead of dancing," Alison reaches to open the door to her bedroom, but I grabbed her hand before she could.

"Then how about you spend the night dancing...with me."

A small smile emerges on her face, "you're asking me?"

"Why is that such a surprise?"

"Because..." she says shyly, "you're Trevor."

"And you're beautiful," she smiles again, her face lighting up at my words. You're too sweet for your own good. Far too easy.

"Whatever," Alison avoided my gaze, and instead, started to play with my tie.

"Come on, Ali. I won't have any fun without you." Not entirely true.

"Okay, you've convinced me," she gives in. "But, now I wish I didn't return my dress. It was perfect."

"Perfect?" I raise my eyebrows in skepticism. "Describe it to me."

"It was gray and flared," she looks off as though she is picturing it, "it sounds boring, I know, but I looked great wearing it, especially with my new diamond earrings."

"Hm," I shake my head, unconvinced, "you'll have to show me."

"I can't, Trevor," she laughs. "I told you, I took it back."

"Did you?" I raise an eyebrow and reach pass her to open the door.

"...you didn't..." Alison says breathily, glancing at me for just a moment before racing over to where the dress laid on her bed. "When did you do this? How did you know?"

"A magician never reveals his secrets," I say smugly.

"So you're Prince Charming and a magician?" Alison says in a playful, almost seductive way. "What other tricks do you have up your sleeve, Bailey?" Her arms wrap around my neck.

"Mm," I hum in untapped satisfaction...or maybe it's pleasure. "Oh, Alison, don't tempt me to show you."

She giggles and kisses me gently.

I can see why it was so easy for Ethan to have his way with her. Alison makes herself so accessible. She comes onto guys to show gratification and that's dangerous.

She can get herself into trouble with me...but it doesn't feel right taking advantage. I know she can handle what I give her, it excites me to even think about it.

She's no angel...she just looks like one.

"Amanda..." I smirk at the familiar face.

"Long time no see, Leo," She crosses her arms and leans against the door frame.

"Why do you think I called..."

"I don't know," she pursed her lips, "but I know why I came..." Amanda brushed past me as she walked into the apartment.

"Ah— of course," I nod, "vodka, right?"

"Right!" I follow her voice to my bedroom where she's pulling a shoebox from under my bed. She sifted through the tissue paper until she found the bottle of Aristocrat. "This is cheap."

"So are you," I shrug with a smile.

"That's why you like me," Amanda winks.

She's not wrong.

Amanda and I have been friends since the third grade. We dated two years later, you know, as much as kids can "date." She was my first kiss but that was the only thing romantic about that relationship.

She was wild, she still is. Amanda went from pulling pranks and wearing makeup before it was "appropriate," to drinking like an Irishman and seducing sleazy old guys out of their wallets.

"So," Amanda lies on my bed, bottle in hand. "What comes first, you or the alcohol?"

I chuckle, "that depends on what you want in your mouth first."

"Yeah?" Amanda raises her eyebrows in amusement. "Well, I've got a better idea," I tilt my head, admiring the way she slides her jeans down her legs. "How about I drink, and you..." She spreads her legs and motions for me to come over to her.

I smile slyly as I approach her.

She brings me in as if to kiss me, but instead guides my head lower down her body. I don't hesitate to place the kisses meant for her lips, on her inner thighs. The sound of the top being twisted off the vodka sounded along with an eager whine as I teased her.

I wonder how she can drink that straight, it's like poison. Yet, the more my lips brush over her, the less she has time to swallow.

Before I could fully undress her, the sound of knocking interrupted us.

Amanda looks through my open bedroom door toward the locked front one.

"Ignore it," I say quickly as my fingers lace around the string of her thong. She nods but later groans in frustration when the knocking doesn't subside. Fucking hell! "I'll be back," I sigh and leave from my spot between her legs.

"You better," she sits up, taking another swig of the 5 dollar bottle of garbage.

The knocking only gets louder and more persistent, fueling my annoyance. "What the fuck do you wan-" I stop speaking when I see who is behind the interruption. "Oh, hello, Mr. Krakowski."

"Leonardo..." He waves his finger in disapproval, "your mother's wishes were clear."

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir," I lie.

"No lady friends when she's not home, Leonardo," Krakowski says in amusement. "You remind me so much of myself when I was young," he speaks through strained laughter.

"Look, Mr. Krakowski..." My voice trails off when I spot Heather at the bottom of the stairs. "You've gotta be kidding me," I say under my breath.

"Another one?" He says in surprise. "Oh, no, Leonardo. Your mother will not be pleased."

"Sir, you don't understand," I sigh. "This is Heather Blakely, she's from the upper east side."

"Ah," he says in intrigue, and that seems to be enough for him to realize I'm not fucking her, but I continue anyway.

"She's just my tutor," I motion toward her, "school appointed. She shouldn't be here right now, so I'm sorry."

"I should've called, but I just thought-"

"I'll get to you in a sec," I shush her before returning my attention back on the old man threatening to rat me out. "I promise there's nothing going on that my mom wouldn't approve of."

"Wonderful," he nods, "but I'll be checking in just in case."

I press my lips into a thin line, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

He nods goodbye to both of us with a wrinkly smile as he disappeared behind the door of his small apartment.

"I'm sorry if I got you into trouble, Leo," Heather speaks.

"You have got to find a new way to cure your boredom," I say in complete irritation with her.

"I'm not here because I'm bored," she glares at me. "There's a test coming up, and I'm...busy any other time, so."

"Busy?" I scoff in disbelief, "yeah, right."

"Yeah, right?" Heather repeats, "that's interesting coming from someone that never has anything productive to do with their time. I'm sure this is such an inconvenience. When will you ever get another chance to sit by your window and smoke cigarettes for an hour?" She spoke with venomous sarcasm.

"Watch your tone, butterfly." You're just mad that you're the charity case now. However, I don't remember signing up to be the chairman of Heather's Adopt a Friend Foundation. "I told you from the beginning not to get ahead of yourself. I told you that we weren't friends, and yet here you are."

She seems to tense up, embarrassment washing over her face. But, she holds a scowl like a barrier, as if that will fix the one I just broke to hurt her feelings. "Whatever, I'll go. Fend for yourself."

I sigh and grab her arm when she turns away, "you don't have to leave."

"I don't want to study with you anymore," she pulls away.

"That's fine with me," I shrug and she tries to walk away again, but I stop her.

"Leave me alone, Leo!" She huffs.

"No," I smirk and she narrows her eyes at me. I pull her closer until we're almost through the door, but block her from coming in. "Amanda!" I call out, "put your clothes back on!"

I hear shuffling and look back to see Heather more irritated than before.

"If you have company, I can just-"

"Stay."

"I don't want to," Heather cradles herself close and remains distant.

I sigh again and give her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, okay? I didn't really mean what I said."

"I don't care if you did," she walks past me and into my living room, taking a seat on the sofa.

I chuckle at her attitude, "you don't care if we're friends?"

"No," Heather shrugs, unconvincingly.

"Okay, then we're not," I shrug back, but with a smirk.

"Whatever you want," she looks away teasingly.

"...am I interrupting something?" Amanda walks out of my room, her hands shoved into her back pockets.

Heather turns her head to take a glance at her, her eyes soaking her in, and I can't tell if it's with disdain or amusement.

"Um— Amanda, this is Heather. We go to school together."

I don't want to mention that she's filthy rich, but it's obvious. She's wearing ten months worth of rent around her neck.

"Yeah?" Amanda raised her eyebrows and practically skipped over to Heather. "What's up, private school chick?" She extended her hand for her to shake. Heather almost accepted but pulled her hand back hesitantly as she looked to me.

"Oh-" I took notice to my shirtless-ness and how this must look to her...how it almost was. "We didn't do..." I wave my hands, "anything."

Heather laughs lightly to ease the tension, "in that case, I'm pleased to meet you, Amanda," she finally shakes her hand.

"What're you, the queen?" Amanda snickers at how proper she is.

"No?" Heather tilts her head in confusion causing Amanda to laugh even harder, me joining her, though I stifle it.

"She's funny," Amanda says to me before focusing in on Heather with a devious smile, "Wanna drink?"

"Sure," Heather responds, almost innocently.

"Mandy..." I groan as she leads her to the kitchen. She pretends she doesn't hear me and instead starts to pour the toxic liquid into a red solo cup for Heather. I shake my head disappointedly and reach in the fridge for some soda to mix it with.

"No, Leo!" Amanda snatches the soda away from me. "She can take it, can't you, Heath?" Amanda watches over her as Heather brings the cup to her lips.

"You don't have to-" I stop speaking when she took the shot, well, some of it.

"Badass," Mandy laughed as Heather coughed and cringed after the drink.

"Slow down on her, would you?" I huff and pour the soda in her cup to dilute the alcohol.

"You slow down. She's perfectly fine, aren't you, babe?"

"I'm fine," Heather said with a sweet smile.

"I'm sure you are, butterfly." I nod and twist the cap back on the soda bottle. "Just don't get wasted."

Amanda disagrees, "Don't let him stop you. He's lame," she whispers to Heather.

"No, he's right," Heather gets up from her seat. "I'm a lightweight, anyway."

"Figures," I slide the cup away from her.

She playfully rolls her eyes at me, "if you'll excuse me, I'm going to use your bathroom."

Amanda watches as she walks away, peering her head around the corner until she can't see her anymore.

"So...she's pretty," Amanda says quietly.

"Yeah," I shrug.

She shoots me an amused expression.

"You kinda like her, don't you?"