"You made it!" Matt says gleefully as I walk up to him at a table.

"Yeah, well, you pushed this band on me enough this week. Figured I had to check 'em out."

"They're good, I swear. They have the hottest chick drummer."

"And that's why they're good?" I say jokingly.

"Leo!" AJ comes up behind Matt, "where've you been?"

"Around, as always," I say casually.

"I heard you've been hunkered down with little miss deep pockets. Did she let you off your ball and chain tonight or do you have a curfew now?"

I roll my eyes, "considering this is the second time I've seen you in the past 3 days, I'd say I'm getting my time in. But if you're that interested, my girlfriend is doing some weird debutante ball practice or whatever."

"My sister watches that crap on TV every year," AJ shakes his head. "You're being dragged in it?"

"Me?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"She's supposed to go with a guy."

"Aren't those things for like— families to marry off their virgin girls to the highest bidders?" Matt laughs.

"That was back in the 1800s or something, I don't know," I respond. "And what do you mean she goes with a guy?"

AJ shrugs, "there's dancing and stuff, and they have to walk up with each other. Probably so she doesn't trip over her wedding dress."

"She hasn't asked me..."

"Good," Matt nods, "that would fucking suck."

"It's boring to watch. You wouldn't last 5 minutes without wanting to blow your head off."

Yeah, but, who is she going with?

And why didn't she at least let me know...

"The bands coming on!" Matt says excitedly.

"We have to do shots and then jump into the pit," AJ drums his hands against the tabletop.

"Nah, I'm driving," Matt shrugs.

"More for us then," AJ looks over at me. "We're doing 4...no 5...okay 4."

I inhale sharply, "I don't know...I haven't eaten in a while."

"You'll be fine," AJ said casually.

"You're both gonna puke in the pit," Matt shakes his head.

"Sid Vicious style," AJ nodded proudly.

"Fuck it, let's do it," I give in.

"You're really gonna force me to be the responsible one here?" Matt says in disappointment as I walk over to the bar with AJ.

He took his wallet out of the pocket of his jeans to grab cash and his I.D.

He has one of the best fakes I've ever seen.

Most of the information on it is true. He has the same birthday as Slash, so he kept everything and just added 10 years to the date. And, he used his real initials when coming up with a name. Alvin Hutton Jr. became Aiden Hudson Jr. so that calling him AJ wouldn't "incriminate" him.

It was a smart idea that came from being paranoid while high...paranoid to the point where he pulled an all-nighter and didn't shave in the morning so that he would look older in the picture.

"Down the hatch," he says once the shots are lined up.

I take one in my hand, and he watches me as if he's scared I'll toss it over my shoulder.

I down two with his supervision but hesitate at the third.

He puts his last glass down on the counter and then waits for me again.

"Down the hatch," I say to myself and drink the rest.

I blink hard when the buzz hits.

I feel it already.

For a minute, I thought it was my head that was drumming...

But when the fog of alcohol settled, I could clearly hear AJ shouting and pumping his fist up in the air as he ran into the raging crowd.

The band is about as deafening as the screams.

Matt howls and jumps in place a couple times before running in after AJ. The pit swallows him whole, and he's shoved immediately while everyone in the circle smashes into each other.

I smile and watch from the outskirts until I'm pushed in by someone behind me.

I hate being in mosh pits.

You jump around swinging your arms and running into people while trying not to end up on the ground. Plus, if I'm hit, I probably won't know who did it, and I'm not allowed to kick their ass because getting punched is supposed to be expected.

I laugh at how fuzzy everything is with everyone running in circles. Water is being thrown around the crowd, and my shirt is damp.

I really shouldn't be shaken up like this...

And I should have eaten something before I drank.

Sid Vicious style, right?

I try to stand still and take deep breaths. Being nauseous is the worst feeling in the world.

"Leo!" Matt calls out to me. "You okay?"

"Fine," I shake my head. "Band sucks, I'm gonna sit down."

He says something else, but I'm already trudging and pushing people away to break out of the crowd.

This club's not too big, and I managed to navigate my way through without having to keep my head up.

The smoke room has leather sofas and is closed off enough for the music to sound muffled. I can deal with the heavy smell of cigarettes and cigars, but if I stand up any longer, I'm going to be sick.

I laid down on my back, and the breeze of the ceiling fan swept the cold sweat right off my face.

What I wouldn't do for some water...

"Should I get a bucket?" Matt asks as he sits next to me.

"You went down easy, Rylin," AJ teases.

"Is the set over?"

"No," Matt chuckles, "but I had to make sure you didn't pass out on the floor."

"Me?" I ask in disbelief. "You're going to get knocked out back there."

AJ scoffs, "I think someone already did. Look, I have blood on my shirt," he points to the spot on his sleeve.

"A couple of punks are wearing steel-toes," Matt clenched his jaw in anger.

"Leo saved you then."

I proudly take credit, "it's because I love you, man."

Matt laughs, "I love you too, Leo."

"I even love you," I point to AJ, "even though we don't really hang, and you're fucking annoying. You're still one of us ."

"Fuck you," he laughs.

"We've gotta stick together," I continue.

"And we will," Matt replies. "That's why I'm driving you home tonight. You're fucking wasted."

"No, I'm not," I deny.

"Hammered," AJ adds and they laugh.

"You lost your tolerance. You don't party like you used to," Matt pats me on the head.

"It's not as fun anymore," I admit, "not since that night at that fucking hotel when that fucking central died. It ruined it for me."

"Yeah, we don't have to talk about that," Matt says.

"Centrals ruin everything," I shake my head.

"You're dating one," AJ snickers.

"And she's going to mess me up." They look at me with confused expressions. "She's going to break my heart, I can tell."

"Nah— not you," Matt says slyly, "that's your job."

"It's not," I shake my head, "that's why I never go steady with girls."

"You do now," AJ smirks.

"And this one," I sigh, "is gonna fucking ruin me."

"I hardly recognize this place," she sighs as she takes it all in.

"Hardly? The liquor shelf is the same. Isn't that your area of expertise," I snark and she glares at me. "Through this door, Elizabeth," I hold it open so that she can walk into the newly renovated area.

I had the empty space turned into a long hall full of doors that lead to nice places. Some open up into casino or poker rooms, but the blue door at the end of the hall will open up to reveal Elizabeth— and her more experienced counterparts.

She skeptically lets me lead her to it and almost seems nervous when we get there.

"Elizabeth, what are you wearing under that coat?" I furrow my eyebrows at the way she's gripping the long trench.

"What you told me to," she answers.

"You didn't think to put on clothes over the— uniform?"

Liz huffs, "you love bossing me around, you could have mentioned that I was allowed to do that."

I smirk at her, "well, aren't you a good girl. Following directions to a T, I see. My mistake, I'll be sure to be more thorough next time." She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms in contempt. "Why don't I go turn on the music," I laugh lightly at how pouty she looks.

The DJ booth is fully set up and has been semi-stocked by some of the dancers. I don't recognize any of the tracks, so I easily settle for the record already on the player.

"Are we the only ones here?" Elizabeth asks before I can hit play.

"For now," I nod. "There will be people coming by later to put the finishing touches on some of the rooms upstairs."

"Rooms? Are you turning this place into a sleazy apartment building?"

"It's none of your concern." I'd rather not hear your mouth protesting against my above bar brothel. "Besides, questions take up time, Elizabeth. Do you want a bigger audience? I imagine you would be quite embarrassed attempting to dance if someone else were watching you."

Elizabeth scowls at me, "attempting?"

"I'm not judging you," I laugh to myself, "I'm already impressed that you haven't fallen over in those heels. I was afraid that would be a problem for you."

"You do realize that I have worn heels before, right? And this won't be the first time I dance— I may be the most inexperienced stripper you've hired, but I'm not paraplegic. You can stop treating me like a lost cause now."

I snicker at her attitude, "I'm sorry that it's hard to find your sex appeal under that glare you love so much."

She flips me off and I raise an eyebrow at her before she walks up onto the stage.

"Unless you plan on paying me for overtime, I'd stop dragging this on."

"Good luck," I say smugly, and she turns away from me as the song starts.

I watch from afar as she undoes the belt of her jacket and lets it fall to her feet.

Not bad.

My eyes scan over her body, and her hand wraps around the pole, holding onto it as she slowly walks around until she's facing me again. She caught the gazes I was giving her shape, and smiled arrogantly, staring back at me as she swayed her hips in rhythm and lowered herself to the floor.

I smirk and nod in respect, moving away from the booth to go take my seat in front of the stage.

She sees me approaching, and I'm almost confused when she climbs off the stage. Elizabeth stands before me, and when I lean back in the chair, she gets on top of me.

You win, Elizabeth.

She's no professional— I wasn't wrong about that.

But, there's sex appeal, and she knows it.

She hovers over my waist and keeps both her hands on the top of the chair. I lose track of how she's moving, my mind focusing on keeping my hands to myself as she tauntingly flaunts herself in front of me. It amazes me that in just a few seconds, I forgot how bare she was, and this closeness— this show, is a reminder.

I tear my eyes from where they were stuck too long on her breasts, and instead, my eyes end up fixed on hers...and that makes her freeze.

She sinks down onto my waist with an unreadable expression on her face.

Her hands move from the chair...to my shoulders

"...And what are you planning to do now, Elizabeth?" I say breathily.

She begins to shake her head but decides to shrug, her eyes still intently pouring into mine, and her face still close all the same. "I don't know," she practically whispers.

"Erm...Mr. Carey," the voice startles both me and Liz, and she quickly jumps off of me.

"Uh— yes," I stand to my feet. "Kevin, what is it?"

"You have a message from Dominic Milligan. He says he will be in from California next week and would like to schedule a meeting with you and Anthony sometime between your school schedule."

"Okay, I'll give him a call back," I wave him off.

"I'll let him know," Kevin nods and begins to shut the door back.

"Knock next time," I shout out before it's closed all the way. "They always say it's hard to find good help...lawyers too, I guess."

"School?" Liz says in shock, "You're in high school?"

I turn to see her look of horror.

"Yes?"

"Oh, my god," she quickly grabs her jacket and covers herself with it.

"Relax, I'm 18."

"How are you doing all of this when you're just a kid?" She continues to unnecessarily freak out.

"Do not call me a kid," I reprimand. "You are barely three years older than me, Elizabeth, and I'm still your boss. What I lack in age, I make up for in power, got it?"

She glowers at the tone I used and responds reluctantly, "...yes."

I cross my arms and tilt my head slightly to the side, "yes what?"

Elizabeth sighs in frustration.

"Yes, sir."

"Will you be wearing your hair up?" The stylist asks.

"She will-" my mother answers before I can. "It's more elegant that way."

"And as for makeup-"

"A natural look," my mother interjects again, and I huff. "You're wearing white, darling," she says in response to my reaction.

"If you have any further questions, feel free to ask her. My opinion isn't important, I'm only the one who has to wear all of this," I say sarcastically.

"Oh, Heather, always so moody," my mother says in distaste. "You're dismissed," she tells the stylist.

The lady smiles in response before hastily repacking her things in a rush to escape the tension.

With the way my mother stood over her, she seemed to cower as she dragged her bag out of the door.

"Well," my mother interrupts the silence, "It was a pleasant surprise to know that you called Preston."

"I figured it would be," I roll my eyes.

"I'm only saying, Heather, I'm glad you're keeping your options open."

"My options?"

"I assumed Jace would be escorting you, but Leona made me aware of the altercation you had with him this week. You scratched his face when you hit him, Heather."

I scoff, "that's nothing compared to what he tried to do to me."

"When you're young, you make bad decisions at times. If we shut out every person in our life who made a mistake— we would be alone."

"Intentionally trying to hurt someone is not making a mistake, especially when you show no remorse."

"Why would Jace ever want to hurt you, darling?"

"He has some sort of vendetta against me."

"Don't be dramatic-"

"I don't care if he doesn't like Leo, but-"

"Is that what all the fuss is about?" My mother huffs. "I told you already, Heather. We discussed this. You can do your experimenting, fine, but keep it private."

"Experimenting?" I almost laugh. "This isn't questioning my sexuality, mother. This is my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" She mimicked my reaction. "Honestly, Heather, I think you're reaching your defiance phase a little late. Wouldn't you agree?"

I huff, "can I change out of this now?"

"We haven't even decided on jewelry yet." I glare at her, and she sighs, "fine, but you're not going anywhere tonight."

"Are you grounding me?"

"No...but maybe I should," she challenges.

"Because I'm dating Leo?"

"Stop saying that."

"You're such a dictator," my voice begins to rise. "You choose what I wear, how I look, who I speak to. Leo is something I get to decide by myself!"

"And that decision is why I make so many choices for you."

"You can't stop me from seeing him," I say sternly.

"I let you do whatever vile things were happening with him in my kitchen, but I will not allow you to throw away a chance at a good future for some rebellious fling."

I clench my fists and feel my nails digging into my palms. "Yeah?" I back away from her and toward my dresser, swiping my arm across so that all the jewelry and picture frames go flying onto the floor. "You think I care about any of this?"

"Heather!" She shouts at me.

"This is what you're threatening to take away if I keep seeing him, right?" I yell. "Should I start clearing out the closet next?"

"You immature brat! Is this your idea of getting me to listen to you? This is not how the daughter I know behaves."

"Well, fuck," I laugh hysterically, "pardon me, Camille."

"Heather!" My father appears in the doorway, out of breath from running up here. "Don't ever speak to your mother that way." I roll my eyes. "What in heaven's name is going on here?"

"Your daughter is going to send me into an early grave," she says theatrically.

"Oh, please, you'll live forever just so you don't have to be buried in something that'll go out of season."

"Quiet, Heather," he loudly shushes with a voice that makes me and my mother gasp.

I breathe out defeatedly, "am I grounded, or aren't I?"

"For what?" He says in confused exasperation.

"Dating Leo." He stares back at me with no emotion for seconds upon seconds. "I'm going to even if you say 'yes'."

"I know," he stated, "so, no...you're not grounded."

"William," my mother huffs.

"Go downstairs," he says to her.

She turns to me with a grimace.

"I hope you're proud of your pointless tantrum. It's your own room you've made a mess of."

"So, is this going to be a thing?" Aaron asks with a smirk, "you visiting me at work?"

"Why, was it a bad idea?" I ask worriedly.

"No, just unexpected. I don't mind though. I was bored anyway."

"Thanks for lunch," I give him a small smile.

Aaron smirks, "don't mention it."

"I'll buy the food next time. Maybe we can get dinner or something like that," I say mindlessly and then tense up when the nonchalance falls from his face. "Unless that's weird, in that case just forget it."

He chuckles, "if you wanna buy me dinner, then you can buy me dinner, Zach."

"Okay, cool," I sigh in relief. "I didn't mean for it to sound like I was asking you out on a date..."

"Date?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Well, uh-"

"...Zach?"

Out of everyone here, how did you spot me?

"Hey..." I say awkwardly.

Evan walks over to our table. "Hey," he says directly to me, his back turned to Aaron as if he's not even there.

"I guess you come here a lot, huh?" I ask...though it's just a coincidence that I've seen him here twice.

"Not really, no. But Riley has the top score in Space Invaders and checks in every week to make sure no ones stolen it."

"That's..." I trail off when he grabs my drink and takes a sip from the straw, "...nice."

"You really like grape soda," Evan says amusedly. I simply nod in response. "Well, I should get back to them," he motions toward his friends.

"Yeah, okay," I say lowly.

"See you, Zach," he says with a bright smile, quickly glancing down at Aaron before he left.

That wasn't uncomfortable at all...

Aaron seems completely fine, and I'm glad he doesn't know why that happened...but even without a mirror, I know I look like I've just seen a ghost.

"I know him from school," I blurt out stupidly.

Aaron laughs a bit, "and you've hooked up."

"What?" I breathe out.

"He's like...an ex, right?"

"Something like that...yes," I confess. "How'd you know?"

"That was a classic possessive move he just did," Aaron explains, "to let me know you're off the market."