So, three girls walk into a bar. One has dated both me and my friend, two hate me and my friend, and the third appears to be a neutral good...meaning it's only a matter of time before she's corrupted.

"Another round of shots for the table. Something tells me we are going to need to be very drunk to get through the rest of this night," I hand the waitress a $50 bill.

"I feel weird asking this, but where is Audrey? I assumed she'd come if only to torment me," Ethan says.

"She went to the Hamptons with Natalia," Alison replies.

"That stunning girl you were with on Valentine's Day?" I raise an eyebrow.

"That would be her."

"Audrey's in the lady pond now?" I say slyly to Ethan. "This is because of you."

He scoffs, "What are you talking about?"

"I know that girl, I know girls who know that girl, and she is strictly a girl's girl."

"English, Trevor."

"Audrey's new friend bats for the other team. Suddenly, Audrey is only interested in being around her...you did this."

"I didn't turn her."

"No, you sent her off to Tony like that does anyone any good."

"Tony is a great person," Alison says defensively. Since when do you care...

Heather shakes her head disapprovingly. "You two are disgusting...and incredibly ignorant to think that you possess the power to turn anything other than stomachs. If she's with Natalia, which she said she wasn't, it would be something she figured out on her own— not with a push from any guy, no matter how revolting."

"Big talk, Heather. If I got up there right now and started stripping you wouldn't be able to hide your attraction."

"Is that a challenge?"

Yes, actually.

I stand up on the table.

"Gather around, ladies, I am Rod Steelthrust." Cheers and whistles erupted from a few cocktail servers who pause to watch me. "Don't forget to tip your waitresses." I wink, smirking at them all but..."Heather, this is for you."

She throws her head back laughing as I start to dance. It's all in the hips, baby, give in to the fantasy.

Lisa and Ali laugh with her, but their eyes show that they're definitely getting something other than humor out of this. And why shouldn't they? It's a free show.

I slowly pull open my shirt to the beat of the music and get another round of cheers from the waitresses.

"Woo, put it back on," Heather hollers.

Alison joins her, "yeah, don't take it off!"

"Ingrates," I shake my head.

If this place were more targeted towards women, I would have cash raining down on me at this very moment.

I step down from the spotlight and take a seat next to Ethan again.

His eyes are locked on Elizabeth sitting at the bar laughing and flirtatiously petting another man.

Looks like she'll be assisting someone else tonight.

Ethan huffs and turns back to us. "What is wrong with women?"

"You keep bothering them," Lisa smirks.

"Lisa don't let these two influence you," Ethan grabs her hand. "Stay the way you are, okay?"

She seems entranced. The things a bit of charm can do...

"No, Lisa!" Heather protests.

"Lisa, yes," Ethan argues.

"This is too much pressure!" She retreats and holds herself close, ignoring the two of them.

"Look at what you do! This is what we mean," Heather contends.

I laugh, fondly watching the scene unfold. "Why did we think it was a good idea to date when we had a perfectly dysfunctional friend group?"

"Jace and I were always going to date, you two, however, did not have to pursue my friends," Heather states.

"Your friends pursued me," I say in defense.

Alison scoffs, "never."

"Look, Lisa would go home with me right now."

Lisa's jaw drops but comes back into a smile. "You arrogant jerk!"

"Hey, I'm into it," I wink.

"This is the better dynamic. I hate to admit it," Ethan says while looking at Heather.

I chuckle, "until we add in the worst of us. Exhibit Audrey and Jace."

"Where is he, anyway?" Heather asks.

"Home. You haven't been by to see him?"

"No..."

"Why not?" She shrugs sheepishly. "Oh, I get it. Leonardo says no."

"He didn't say anything. I'm saying no."

"With his input, I bet," Ethan laughs while nudging me.

I snicker, "When it's time for you to go, will he start reeling in your lead?"

"I shouldn't even dignify that with a response, but I will only to point out the fact that the loneliest sluts in New York are berating me about my relationship."

"Sluts?" Ethan says. "Lonely?" I say.

"I happen to be with someone at the moment. I am not a slut," Ethan argues.

"The girl you've been staring at? The one who's with someone else?"

"We're not exactly together..."

"Men," Alison rolls her eyes.

"Women," I roll mine.

"Why are we going to bed so early?" Natalia asks.

"Well, it's raining outside..."

"And?"

"And— my mother is definitely sleeping with the driver. I thought it would be best not to be down there for the seduction part and not to be awake after the seduction succeeds. It's in your best interest."

"I appreciate your concern," she laughs. "But I can't sleep."

"I can get you a pill."

"No...I don't want to go to sleep."

"Okay..."

"There is an extensive record collection downstairs. Someone clearly misses the 80s."

"You have no idea. She still works out in leg warmers."

"Come on." Natalia climbs out of bed and heads toward the door, opening it quietly to get a sense of where everyone is on the outside.

The vinyl shelf is in the first room you go through after entering the house. I follow behind her and we creep down the stairs as if we'd be in trouble if we were caught out of the room.

"Okay," I motion toward the selections, "Which ones do you want?"

"Whitney is a must," she puts the record under her arm.

"For a two-person dance party? Of course."

"Paula Abdul, Diana Ross, and-"

"Cyndi Lauper," I hand her the She's So Unusual album.

"...If you're partial to her."

"Natalia," I say in offense.

She laughs and runs off back to the stairs, leaving me to chase her.

How unexceptionally rude of her to race down these halls thinking Whitney, Diana, and Paula are the only acceptable ladies of the 80s.

Once we're back in the room, I shut the door and scoff at her. "You have to at least like Time After Time."

"It's...fine."

"Fine?"

"I don't hate it," she clarified.

"It's the best love ballad to come out of the 80s."

"Wow," Natalia shakes her head, "that's...a statement."

"Here, I'll play it."

"On one condition," she says sternly. "You have to sing it to me."

"...excuse me?"

"I will sit right here," she takes a seat on the bed, "and you will sing."

If you think this will get me to back out of playing it, you are wrong.

"Sounds great," I press my lips together.

"Serenade me."

"I plan to."

Natalia crossed her legs and waited patiently as I placed the tonearm over the vinyl.

I've sung this song on my own a million times before, it should be easy...

Yet, the music started, and I couldn't stand being watched— even if it's by her.

"It's awkward now,"' I huff and turn it off.

"No, come on," she gets up. "If you're lost you can look, and you will find me, time after time."

"That's the chorus— I have to get through the whole first verse just to get to the only part you know."

"...time after time..." she sings again.

I narrow my eyes in an attempt to show my disapproval, but I end up smiling instead, giving in because she's at least trying.

"If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting, time after time," I sing quietly...

Natalia treads happily to start the song again.

The music plays, and I nod along as I wait for my cue, turning the lamp off so it's too dim for me to embarrass myself.

I lay in bed like the song says and lip sync in the dramatic way they did in the 80s.

Natalia starts to laugh, so I continue with my performance to keep the smile on her face.

She climbs into the bed with me to help me sing— the chorus, of course, and I pull the blanket over our heads.

I'm merely a character in this song singing to her, the video vixen, the object of my affection.

Neither of us can fall behind if we're lying next to each other, giggling stupidly because we can't see and can only find each other by touch.

My eyes begin adjusting to the dark, enough for me to make out her face smiling back at me. This is the best love ballad to come out of the 80s— and I'm still in character...so, I climb on top of her.

The door creaks open and we quickly come from under the blanket.

The light flicks on to show the obnoxious driver. "Your mother said to keep it down."

He rakes over us with perverse eyes.

"Ew," I scowl, "get out."

"Truth or dare," Angela sets up a bowl of red peppers on the table.

"What are these for?" I ask.

"If you choose not to do something, you have to eat one."

"Sounds terrible...let's play."

Jordan chuckles, "I've got one. Truth or dare, Leo?"

"Truth."

"Who was the better lay? Cherry or Amanda?"

I stare dead at Jordan for having the nerve to ask that...and then I glance over at Mandy...then to Cherry...and find them both waiting for my response.

Yeah, no.

I grab a pepper out of the bowl and bite into it.

"Come on, you can tell us," Amanda smirks.

"Nope. Next person," I speak breathily, breathing in to cool down my mouth.

"Alright, Danny, truth or dare," Amanda asks.

"Dare."

"I dare you to call Kat and tell her you're in love with her," Jordan says, out of turn.

"Fuck you," he grabs a pepper.

"Pussies," Jordan snickers.

"I dare you to tell Angela about your hide your boner rule."

"What?" Angela turns to Jordan.

"I don't know what he's talking about."

"What rule?" She asks Danny.

Danny smirks and shakes his head, "I need a cigarette."

"I'll go get them." This is a dangerous game.

"Left pocket," he shouts.

"I know."

I'm surprised they let me out so easily— but it's probably because I never choose dare. The dares are always ridiculous, like ding dong ditch the neighbors while naked, ridiculous.

Before I make it to Jordan's room, a girl falls out of the hallway closet holding a bottle of vodka.

She laughs while staring up at the ceiling, "Ow."

"...Are you okay?"

"Whoa..." her eyes land on me.

"...what is it?"

"I think you dropped something," she says slyly. "My jaw."

I cringe and laugh to myself. "That was bad."

"Did they just take you out of the oven? Because you are hot."

"Thanks," I say in amusement.

"If I were a light switch— wait, no. If you were a light switch I would...I..."

"I think you're out of lines."

She nods with a smile. "Did they work?"

"Nah," I chuckle, "I have a girlfriend."

"Of course you do, you tall, blond, angel freak."

"Yeah, definitely out of lines."

"I drank too much to remember any more."

"They're wasted on me anyway, but, hi, I'm Leo," I reach down to shake her hand.

"Anya," she grins at me.

"Who did you come with?"

"My friends, but I don't know where they went."

"So, you hid in the closet?"

Anya shrugs, "I don't know anyone here."

"Well," I sit down next to her, "now you know me."

"Your girlfriend won't mind?"

"If I talk to you? I'm pretty sure she'd be okay."

"She's nice," she sighs like it's a bad thing.

"And pretty secure since I'm obsessed with her."

"She's lucky," Anya pokes me. "Boys like you are supposed to suck."

"Why?"

"You can get away with anything when you look like that."

I nod, taking it as a twisted compliment. "Flattered."

She sits up to get closer to me. "I wouldn't be talking to you if I wasn't so drunk."

"No?"

"You'd be too scary, you know...since you're so...." Anya smiles...

Very flirty, smiley, drunk girl.

Signs point to no, sweetheart.

"You should drink some water."

She ignores me. "Are you in college?"

"High school."

"Not Chester?"

"No, is that where you go?"

"Yeah."

"I've been by a few times," I shrug.

"I haven't seen you. I would remember seeing you." If this were a looney toons show, hearts would be floating around her head, and she'd be drooling like a Great Dane.

Danny slow claps as he walks up to me. "Wow. This looks like getting my cigarettes."

"Shit, I forgot."

"I see."

"Anya, Danny," I introduce. "Danny, Anya. She can't find her friends."

"Who are your friends?"

"Bonnie and Letha," she responds.

"The freshmen?"

"You're a freshman?" I say in horror. "What are you doing here?" Freshmen, fresh meat, beacons for cherry pickers.

"I'm almost a sophomore," Anya states confidently.

"Matt has one of them."

"Matt and a freshman?" And things get weirder.

"Eh," Danny shrugs, "I don't think so."

"Where is he?"

Danny points toward the bedroom.

No way.

I get up off of the ground, helping Anya up with me. We all walk toward the door together but just stand like a bunch of idiots once we get there. I don't wanna open it...who knows what might be happening.

I press my ear against the door and don't hear any sound on the other side

"Should I knock?"

Danny does it instead of responding.

"Yo," Matt replies from behind the door.

"Anya wants her friend back," I say.

"Who is Anya?" He opens the door and she waves. "Oh, right," Matt steps aside, "you can go in."

The smell of weed hits us like a ton of bricks, and I pull him away from the room, dragging him down the hall.

"Freshmen?"

"Freshmen money," he waves the cash in my face.

"Dirtball," Danny hits him upside the head.

"There's 14-year-old girls walking around the house wasted and hitting on the dudes here," I explain.

"They can do what they want. I'm not their dad."

"You better hope their dads don't find out where they were tonight," Danny chuckles.

"How are they getting home?" I ask.

"The way they got here. I don't know. You guys act like you didn't do shit like this when you were 14. The problem is they're girls, right? Double standard."

"Modern-day feminist Matt Jensen strikes again," I say sarcastically.

"Scamming freshmen girls out of money since 1997," Danny adds.

Matt scoffs, "She wanted to buy from me."

"She wanted something else."

"I only kissed her."

"Kissed her?" My eyes widen and Danny laughs hysterically, leaning against the wall to keep himself up.

"She asked me to! And then she got all embarrassed about asking— it was the nice thing to do. I'm a gentleman."

Danny sucks his teeth, "You still think burping the alphabet is a talent."

"It is."

We stop talking when we reach the living room. The atmosphere got really heavy all of a sudden...

"What happened in here?" I furrow my eyebrows at all the upset faces.

Mandy smiles. "Truth: AJ's had...dreams about Val. Truth: Jordan secretly wants to sleep with every girl he's talked to."

Angela huffs and gets up from the couch, pushing past us on her way to the bedroom.

Someone should tell her the freshmen are in there.

"Not every girl-" Jordan tries to stop her, "I didn't say that!"

"Sorry," Amanda corrects herself, "just the ones he's friends with or better yet the ones dating his friends."

Danny, Matt, and I all stare him down as if that last part called us out specifically.

"...I didn't say that either..."

"I love this game," Mandy grins. "Who's next?"

"Alright, Aaron's a cool guy, I still think you should just tell him the truth."

"Too cool for me to tell him the truth."

Evan sighs, "he's good-looking. You think you'd be his first virgin?"

"Good looking? You think Aaron's cute?"

"Yeah, he's...hot. He's got that-" Evan motions down his face, "jawline and the whole dark eyes, smolder kind of thing."

I laugh, "You brought me here so you could tell me you have a crush on my boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend," he scoffs. "The one you're not comfortable with. You're not ready, Zach."

"You don't know what I'm ready for."

"Maybe, I don't. So, what do you want out of all of it, huh?"

I shrug, "what everyone else wants."

"Wrong answer."

"I thought you were going to help me."

"You're scared you won't know what to do when the time comes, right?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"Run through it in your head."

"What?"

"Play the scenarios."

"How am I supposed to know what he would do?"

"You've been there already, the ones you get yourselves out of," he says judgmentally.

"We're making out, he takes his shirt off...I start panicking. End of story."

"Then he's going too fast. Tell him to slow down, problem solved."

"I can't play that scenario. I haven't been there."

He stares at me for a second as if he's contemplating something. Running it through his head.

"Okay, you can use me, then."

"Huh?"

Evan sits next to me and puts his hand on my thigh.

"What next?"

My eyes shift back and forth from his hand to his eyes before I decide to speak.

"Aaron...would move closer."

Evan slides over until there's no space between us. "Here?"

"Yeah."

"Then..."

"Then...he'd...probably kiss me."

The room falls silent— though there wasn't any noise before...it just feels like anything outside of us would be really loud right now.

Evan leans in cautiously, and I close my eyes when our lips are close enough...but he stops.

"Wouldn't this be cheating?"

"Not if it's not emotional..."

"You don't feel anything?"

I shake my head.

Evan moves in to press our lips together. I have muscle memory of the way he kisses...

He takes the lead, always...and I follow suit, breathing when he breathes, giving when he gives...and wanting more. His lips slide over mine softly before coming back hard, sealing the space between our bodies more before dipping his tongue into my mouth. I'm almost lightheaded, melting into the hand he's holding my face with as he deepens the kiss.

Ho-ly shit.

We pull away— he pulls away, our faces only inches apart, and he looks at me questioning whether my answer has changed.

"Nothing," I say...

And I wonder if he knows I'm lying.

Evan nods, unaffected by my response but eager to kiss me again. He crashes into me, urging me to lay back against the bed. We fall down together and stay together— chest to chest, mouth to mouth.