— s i x t e en —

what it said about him that less than a week after the disastrous events of their night out on Saturday, he took up Cora's invitation to a party.

There were any number of reasons that night had ended up being more of a disaster than anything. Namely, the intensely hot make out Oliver had shared with Reed in the bathroom, one that he wasn't allowed to bring up ever again even thought he was finding impossible to think of little else. It only made it so much more impossible when he had to see Reed everyday, had to share a backseat with him in Adam's car and change out in the same room for swim practice and had to pretend it didn't wreak havoc on him each time Reed so much as glanced in his direction. He took little comfort in the fact that Reed hadn't totally closed off from him following what happened and their friendship remained unaffected. It could only mean he wasn't as affected as Oliver, that there were no feelings to grapple with.

The second disaster had been waiting for them when they stumbled back to their hotel around 1AM, drunk off their faces, to find Me Jeffries waiting for them. And he was furious. In all the excitement of fake IDs and catching up with his old friends, Jeffries's strict lecture on their curfew of 10PM had totally slipped his mind. It was only when he checked his phone later he saw the countless texts and calls from Charlie and Kessy, warning that Jeffries was on the warpath and they better haul ass back to the hotel. Jeffries had given them a good twenty minute long dressing down in front of the entire team the next morning, made entirely more unpleasant by how hungover they both were, and after assigning them to two weeks of detention, he sent them to opposite ends of the minibus for the drive back.

"I hope it was worth it," Charlie said, peering between over his seat to look down Oliver from where he sat in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder as if to make sure Jeffries — or Reed, for that matter — weren't listening before continuing. "The scolding and detentions, I mean."

Oliver sighed, taking the bait. "Was what worth it?"

"Your night out in London, you and Reed, just the two of you..." He dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Everyone knows Reed and Bailey broke up, meaning he's single and ready to mingle...who knows what you could have gotten up to?"

"It wasn't just the two of us. We were with my friends."

"Oh?" Charlie eyes gleamed in a way that didn't bode well for anyone involved. "Was it one of them who gave him that hickey, then?"

He spoke the words so casually it took a moment for them to register with Oliver and when they did, he nearly choked. "What?" He instinctively glanced back down the minibus to Reed but he was out of sight, no doubt passed out to make for the lack of sleep both of them had gotten with their late night and early morning. In all the drama of last night, Oliver hadn't noticed anything but his face burned at the thought that all his friends must have seen it when they came out of the bathroom together, that Mr Jeffries had seen it. Not that his first thought would have been that Oliver had been the one to give it to him.

"I knew it," Charlie cackled, jabbing an unimpressed Kessy in the side. "Didn't I tell you, Kessy? I told you they were getting their shit on. You totally owe me five quid."

Oliver was appalled. "You bet on us?"

"For fucks sake. I was so sure Reed was too stuck up his own arse to do anything with a guy," Kessy muttered, rummaging around in her pockets before slapping a five pound note in a gleeful Charlie's hand. She pinned a glare on Oliver as if it was his fault she had lost her money. "I blame you, Sterling. He was such a straitlaced asshole before you came along."

"Ha," Charlie snickered. "Straight-laced. Get it?"

They both ignored him. "And what now?" Oliver asked, not sure why he was asking or if he even wanted to know the answer. "What is he now?"

"Oh, still an asshole, naturally. Some things never change," Kessy said. "But you turned him soft."

"You turned him gay," Charlie added, rather unhelpfully.

Oliver hadn't been in any mood to hear that, and certainly not after the conversation last night. With the way Reed had barely waited before his lips were off Oliver's to start spouting his denials, his insistence that it had been nothing more than a drunken mistake, he could only imagine the way Reed would lose his shit at the phrase turned him gay. He could only hope Charlie wasn't suicidal enough to try saying that one to Reed's face. Oliver spent the rest of the ride back, and the rest of the week, nursing his bruised feelings at the rejection from that night and trying to act like everything was normal, like he wasn't entirely stupidly in love with his best friend. A best friend he could never have, a best friend who was off-limits.

Oliver needed to get a grip on his pointless pining. It wasn't like this was the first time Reed had made clear he wanted nothing to do with him in that sense. In the bathroom of that London bar, outside Adam's house at the halloween party, on Oliver's rooftop...how many more times did Reed need to stand there and spell the words out to his face before he finally got it? Whether Reed was in denial or not, whether he'd eventually come to terms with his sexuality he was so adamant on ignoring and be ready for something, it was stupid of Oliver to wait around on that slim possibility. It would only lead to inevitable heartbreak and ruining the friendship both of them had only just gotten back.

Which was why, when Cora texted him on Friday night to come to her party, he agreed. The two of them had been texting sporadically since Halloween; nothing serious, short conversations consisting entirely of exchanged meaningless flirty remarks. Something so lighthearted and casual was a welcome relief from the intensity that were his feelings for Reed. A party where he didn't know anyone, where he wouldn't be spending every second distracted by Reed and avoiding Clair's uncomfortable comments, would be another welcome relief. Never mind that it would be a party full of Lexus kids in the year below. At least he couldn't bump into anyone he knew this way and he wasn't at risk of making any bad decisions when he inevitably got outrageously drunk.

Well, bad decisions about Reed, anyway. Bad decisions about anything else were still on the table.

"So this is what a Lexus party looks like," Oliver remarked, leaning back against the kitchen counter while Cora mixed drinks for them both. As far as distractions went, Cora was a good one; the glittery black dress she wore clung tight to her body like a second skin and left little to the imagination, silky black hair swept up into a high ponytail and upturned dark eyes gleaming with the promise of a good time.

"This is your first one?" She arched an eyebrow when he nodded. "What, too rich and prestigious to deign to party with us lowly Lexus peasants?"

"Hardly. I just don't have the good connections you do to get invited to parties outside my school," Oliver said, amused. "Besides, I haven't had much of a chance to attend many parties here."

"Meaning?"

"I only moved back a few months ago. There weren't many parties of this nature when I lived here before; it was more lasertag and bowling birthday parties back then."

"Of course, I forgot I'm talking to a southerner." She flicked the cap off a bottle of vodka someone had been stupid enough to leave unattended and held it up to the light to assess how much of the contents remained. Cora had taken it upon herself to "surprise" him with a drink of her making and even though he hated surprises, of pretty much any nature, he went along with it. He was here to forget his problems, and he knew for a fact Cora mixed drinks that were more alcohol than mixer. "What's the backstory there, then? The move to London and then back?"

Oliver had been willing to explain the situation to Reed and Adam, but he didn't particularly feel like delving into his sister's health problems at a party, so he just said, "It got boring down south. Guess I just wanted a change of scene."

"How mysterious," Cora drawled.

"What is it with people thinking there's anything mysterious about me? No, seriously," Oliver said, genuinely bewildered when she just smirked at him. "I've heard it far too often for it to make any sense. Enlighten me."

"Maybe it's the eyes," Cora said, coming closer with a considering look. She tipped her face up as if to inspect his eyes. "Mhm, yes, they're very alluring. Or maybe it's the tall, dark and handsome vibe you've got going for you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Cora was close enough to him that he could smell the faint whiff of her perfume, could see the faint smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She close enough that she could have kissed him, and Oliver was certain for a moment that she would, only for her to draw back with a wicked look. "Here," she said, pressing a cup of questionably murky liquid into his hand. "I'm sure this delightful alcoholic beverage will only make you all the more mysterious. Come on, let's go mingle. It's my duty to do so as the host of this party."

Oliver was swept into games of beer pong, drinking games with cards and cups. He recognised a few people from Adam's Halloween party but most were kids he'd never seen in his life before. He'd give it to Lexus students — they sure knew how to party. At Woodway parties, people mostly gathered in groups and pairs talking to pass the time, half the party-goers high on some kind of substance that mellowed them out. Here, everything was loud, everyone was dancing and singing, the music so loud Oliver could only imagine the neighbours would be filing noise complaints. Cora flitted between his side and her guests, the ever diligent host, and then later when they were both dancing together in the darkened living room, she leant up to kiss him.

Oliver's response was instantaneous. He slipped his arms around her waist, deepening the kiss, and Cora's lips parted beneath his. She tasted like vodka and cherry lipgloss. She was a good kisser, deft hands sliding along his shoulders to press him closer. It was clear she knew exactly what she was doing and the certainty with which she kissed him only made her so much more attractive.

Oliver had forgotten how different kissing girls felt from kissing guys. Girls were more delicate, all curves and soft edges, with the soft ends of Cora's hair tickling his face. Neither was preferable to the other, but Oliver felt like he could crush a girl if he squeezed too hard whereas he felt like the one who could be crushed with a guy. Girls didn't feel as hard or unyielding beneath his hands, or kiss with as much force or intensity as guys. But maybe that wasn't guys; maybe that was just Reed. Unwittingly, even as Oliver's arms slipped around Cora's waist to draw her closer, he thought of Reed, thought of the way his head had tipped back when Oliver kissed his throat and his pupils had been blown so wide the pale blue had been reduced to a thin band.

Oliver was kissing a girl, a hot girl, and he was still thinking about Reed. It seemed that was all he could think about. He drew back from her with a sigh.

"What is it?" Cora still had her arms looped around his neck as she gazed up at him with wide dark eyes. "Wanna go up to my room?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

At whatever she saw on his face, she slowly withdrew her arms and took a step back. Oliver was aware of Elsie and Kara (that was the girl who'd been a mermaid at Adam's Halloween party, he'd learnt her name tonight) watching them from across the room; when he glanced at them, they quickly looked away in the most unsubtle manner while giggling to each other. Oliver doubted Elsie would be laughing if she knew he couldn't even properly enjoy kissing her best friend because he couldn't stop thinking about her brother. Something about that felt fucked up.

"Okay, I'll be upfront because I don't want to waste either of our time," Cora said. She didn't looked upset or offended by his rejection; rather, her gaze appraising, as if trying to get a read on him. "I think you're attractive and I know you think I'm attractive or you wouldn't have kissed me back like that. So what's the issue?"

"I don't think it's fair on you to keep kissing you while I'm thinking about somebody else," Oliver said honestly, because she had been upfront with him, and he thought she'd appreciate the same frankness. "I'm sorry."

Cora accepted that with a nod. "Reed Bishop got you that messed up, huh?"

Oliver blinked in surprise. "How did you know it was Reed?"

"Besides the fact you just confirmed it for me? I was there for that game of never have I ever, Oliver," she said. "Anyone with eyes could see there was something going on between you and Reed. I could've shocked myself on the sexual tension between the two of you."

"Oh, right. Well," Oliver said, uncertain how to respond to someone with the level of blunt efficiency Cora possessed, "it would be accurate to say I am little messed up over him. I hoped coming to this party could distract me for a bit but I guess that didn't really work out."

Cora tipped her head. "Are you trying to say I'm not a good enough distraction for you?"

Alarmed, Oliver said, "No — "

"I'm just fucking with you," she snorted, much to his relief. Cora seemed like the last person who's bad side he would want to get onto. "You're not my boyfriend. Distraction, boredom, hormones — I could care less what your motive is for hooking up with me."

"A smart way to live your life," Oliver said, amused.

"I like to think so too. Look, I'm not in the mood to get involved with any drama at the moment, so I'm tapping out of this. But I still think you're cute," Cora said, with one last appreciate once-over. Her gaze was playful when it lifted to meet Oliver's again. "If you ever get over Reed, or you're just in the mood to be distracted again, you have my number."

Oliver watched as she sashayed out of the room without a backwards glance and smiled. He may not have been in the right headspace to take things any further with her but he definitely liked her. Seeing that Elsie and Kara were still whispering among themselves, and looked as if they might approach to grill him on what happened with Cora, Oliver made a beeline for the door. He was pretty much ready for his bed at this point but he figured he should probably sober up before he called an Uber home. The kitchen was littered with red solo cups and empty save for one figure. Oliver saw, with some surprise, that it was Brooks. He didn't notice Oliver at first; he was too busy frowning down at his phone.

It was only when Oliver stepped into the kitchen that Brooks looked up with a start. "Oh! Hey, Oliver," he said, lips curling up into a somewhat forced smile. "I didn't realise you'd come to this party."

"Received an invite from the hostess herself."

"Really?" Brooks looked confused. "How do you know Cora?"

"Met her at Adam's Halloween party, remember? That disastrous game of never have I ever," Oliver said, and Brooks pulled a face, looking as if he wished he could erase the entire thing from his memory. Oliver could agree on him on that account. He poured himself a glass of water and glanced at Brooks. He'd slipped his phone into his pocket but still looked miserable, eyes downcast. "Everything okay?"

"Hm? Yeah, fine. I'm fine," he said, in an entirely unconvincing tone. "Just tired."

"Why don't you head home?"

"Trust me, I'd love to," he said, "but I'm meant to be going back with Hale and he's decided he's not ready to leave yet. Not until he's played at least forty more rounds of Just Dance on the Wii."

There was a hint of bitterness to the words that Oliver didn't think had entirely to do with the fact Hale wanted to play on the Wii for longer. "Had an argument?" Oliver asked.

Brooks sighed. "That obvious?"

"Just had a lot of experiences seeing couples in the aftermath of a fight," Oliver said, thinking back to all the tedious English Lit lessons he'd had to sit through with Clair whining about whatever most recent petty thing her and Adam were squabbling over and before that, Marcie sprawled across his bed in London, lamenting about disagreements with her most recent man. He'd gotten good at reading between the lines for this kind of thing since he'd resigned himself to being the therapist for his friends. "Wanna talk about it?"

"It's stupid," Brooks said, looking a little embarrassed. "I'm sure you have better things to do with your life than listen to my relationship drama."

"Hardly. I have a considerable amount of water I need to down before I can go home." Oliver leant back against the kitchen counter and took a long sip of his water. "So if you want someone to spill your troubles to, I'm all ears."

He wasn't sure why he was offering himself up so readily when he spent most of English Lit trying to avoid conversations of this kind with Clair. Maybe because he actually liked Brooks. And maybe because in a way, indirectly, Oliver was the reason Reed had given him such a hard time over the past five years and this was the least he could do to make it up to him.

"Well..." Brooks twisted his fingers together, looking as if he was struggling to find the words for whatever predicament he was in. "I'm dating a guy, right? And I'm...out at school? But my parents don't know I'm gay." He paused and Oliver nodded to indicate he should keep going. "I don't know if you remember, it's probably been a while since you've spoken to them, but my parents are..."

Assholes. "Conservative," Oliver offered, which seemed like the more appropriate term.

"Sure. They're very conservative. And they, uh, wouldn't be okay with my being gay. They really wouldn't be okay with it," Brooks said nervously. "People might know I'm out at school but I'm always scared anything I do might get back to my parents somehow. I don't want to kiss or hold hands in public, don't want to do anything that could make us look like boyfriends in case someone my parents know see, and tell them. I'm too scared to even go on dates with him where...well, anyone can see us. Or in the daylight. I know that sounds stupid," he mumbled, staring resolutely at his hands. "But I didn't even want to come out at school. I really don't want to be forced out at home, too."

"It makes perfect sense to me," Oliver said, a pang going through him. Whatever the story was behind his coming out at school, he doubted it was a pleasant one. "Let me guess, Hale doesn't like this secretive form of dating?"

Brooks nodded. "He was really understanding about it at first. You know, willing to tone down any affection in public, only hang out at his place. But it's frustrating for him and I get that. I get that he doesn't want to have to hide his relationship from the world or pretend that I'm just his friend when we're in public," he said. "But he doesn't understand. His parents were totally supportive when he came out to them, which I couldn't be more happy for him about, but it means he thinks the solution to this problem is I come out to mine."