For Every Dark Night, There Is a Brighter Day

@ anchored lungs.
"Uh yeah, this is actually pretty fun," Robyn replied. She was feeling jittery, but excited. This was the baddest thing she'd ever done in her life and she couldn't deny that it was exhilarating. Maybe Jimmy wasn't so bad.

"So what are we going to do for eight whole hours?" Robyn asked, looking over at Jimmy. Cruising down the highway, wind in his hair and a grin on his face, he was actually pretty cute. And he was such a breath of fresh air compared to anyone that she'd ever met. She felt like if she actually got to know him - and got past his annoying exterior - she might actually like him.

Robyn looked out the window and saw the beach out ahead. "Oh, are we going to the beach?" she exclaimed excitedly. "I've never been to the beach before, but I've always wanted to go."

---

"Hey Cassie," Matt said, walking up behind where Cassie was sitting in the cafeteria. He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Sorry I wasn't in English, me and the guys skipped."

He would've told Cassie beforehand that he wouldn't be in fourth period, but he, Brian, and Zacky had gotten caught up talking and then he'd fallen asleep. "I'm gonna go get a tray, you want anything?"

Matt was standing in line when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. The girl looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place a name to her face. "So are you and Cassie Hendrix like, a thing now?" she asked. She made a face. "Because you could do a lot better."

"You'd better shut the fuck up about Cassie," Matt growled. Where did this girl get off saying something like that? "If anything, she's out of my league."

Jimmy glanced over at Robyn and smiled. "Well, today is your lucky day," he said. "And I'm honored to be your tour guide." He chuckled and turned the radio down a bit as he turned into the small parking lot. He parked the car and thought quickly, turning and reaching into the back of the van. He rummaged through a few things until he pulled a towel and a pair of trunks out from the bottom of the pile of shit.

"Here we go," he said. "I hope you're okay swimming in your underwear. I don't typically carry a bikini with me." He climbed out of the van after he cut the engine and walked around the back of the van. He climbed in and shut the doors, not really waiting for her to get out before he started changing. He had no issues changing in front of people, it was just that he didn't do it out in public anymore. Anymore.

He'd gotten arrested for indecent exposure last year when he went streaking with Zacky due to a dare from Jason Berry. He never wanted to see that boy's pale white ass ever again. He shook his head at the thought and finished changing, stepping out of the van and watching as Robyn got out. "Ready?"

---

Cassie smiled as she watched Matt walk to the lunch line, then at Brian as he sat next to her. She giggled when he started making jokes about Zacky's weight. She knew it didn't really bother the other boy, otherwise she wouldn't laugh. But she just found it funny that Brian took time out of his day just to pick on Zacky specifically. Out of all the guys, aside from Matt, she was probably closest with Brian.

Johnny was like a little brother to her, Jimmy was like an older brother, Matt was obviously more than a friend, Brian was like her second best friend, and Zacky was a really good friend too. These guys were like her second family, and she loved all of them. She'd actually gotten close with them pretty quickly. They were all very accepting of her into their circle and she was thankful for that.

She reached over and grabbed Brian's sandwich, taking a bite of it and handing him hers. His mom made the best sandwiches. She grinned when Matt came back over, her smile faltering when she saw the irritated look on his face. "What's wrong, Matt?" she asked.

@ anchored lungs.
Swim in her underwear? In public? There was no way. Robyn could feel her face heat up at the thought. She looked down at the outfit she was wearing - shorts and a t-shirt. "I think I'll just swim in this," she told Jimmy as she climbed out of the van. Because there's no way I'm letting you see me in my underwear, she thought.

She followed Jimmy down to the water and set her things down on her towel before wading out into the water. "Oh, the water is so cold!" she shouted. She should've been expecting that, since it was barely nine in the morning.

But maybe if she went further, she could get used to it and it wouldn't be so bad. Robyn made it up to her stomach before she decided she couldn't handle it. "I-I can't," she shouted, shivering. She swiveled around, looking for Jimmy, but didn't see him. "Hello? Where the hell did you go?"

---

"It's nothing," he told her. He didn't want her to know that people were saying bad things about her. If that hadn't been a girl saying it, Matt probably would've gotten violent. He'd always had a temper. "They uh, they just ran out of the cheese fries that I wanted."

"No they--ow!" Zacky began, crying out in pain when Matt slugged him in the arm. "That was mean."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Anyway, when did you want to go out on our date?" he asked, shooting Cassie a dimpled grin. There was no use dwelling on what had just happened. The only thing Matt could really do was show people that he was serious about his budding relationship with Cassie and that this wasn't just some passing fling. "Probably can't be tonight, 'cause I'm sure my parents will be pissed that I skipped. But whenever you wanna go, let me know, sweetheart."

Jimmy swam over to her, moving in circles around her legs before he grabbed her ankles and pulled her completely under. When you swam a lot at the beach in the mornings, you kind of got used to the cold water. Plus, Jimmy had to take a lot of cold showers, for obvious reasons.

He swam up to the surface and sucked in a big breath, reaching up and wiping his eyes. He began laughing when Robyn emerged with the most pissed off look on her face. He grinned at her. "See, it's not so bad!" he bellowed, swimming around her. "You just gotta get used to it. It'll start getting warmer soon."

He swam away from her, floating on his back. He loved swimming in the ocean, but he couldn't wait until he got famous and moved into a big ass house with an indoor pool. Oh yeah, that was gonna be the shit.

---

Cassie's brows furrowed when Matt punched Zacky in the arm. She looked between the two of them and then down at her lunch. She blushed deeply when he called her sweetheart and she giggled. She bit her lip and looked up at him. "Uh, how about Saturday night? Your hangover will wear off by then, right?" She shot him a smirk before she went back to eating, wondering where Jimmy and Robyn were.

Jimmy never missed lunch. As much as he hated to be in school, the boy loved to eat. Lunch was probably his best subject, really. She looked up when Johnny came rushing in, panting softly as he sat down next to Zacky. "The fucking football team chased me all the way here!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up.

Cassie snorted and quickly covered her mouth. "The whole football team?" she asked.

"Okay, a few of the jocks," Johnny corrected himself. "But they chased me here! They said they were gonna give me the wedgie of the century if I couldn't outrun them."

@ anchored lungs.
Robyn let out a shriek when she felt someone grab her ankles. Before she knew what was happening, she was submerged in the cold water. She came up quickly, gasping and coughing. "What the fuck was that for?" she shouted. Now she was cold and pissed.

"That wasn't funny," she whined. She hugged herself and sunk down up to her chin in the water. Jimmy said she would start getting warmer soon - and she knew this - but that didn't stop her from being ticked off. She stuck her tongue out at Jimmy. "I don't like you."

A few minutes passed and Robyn finally started to warm up. She wasn't that strong of a swimmer, so she had to be careful as she followed Jimmy further away from shore. "Why are you going so far out?" she called out. He was moving fast and her doggy-paddling couldn't keep up.

Suddenly Robyn felt a strong current pulling against her, nearly dragging her underwater. "Jimmy!" she called out, sputtering on water.

---

"Saturday night sounds good," Matt agreed, smiling. "I think that new horror movie opens that night, so we can go see that." He paused, smirking in Cassie's direction. "Don't worry, I'll hold you if you get scared."

Matt laughed as Johnny recounted his story. The youngest boy got picked on a lot, especially by the jocks. "Don't worry Johnny, we'll protect you if they give you shit," he promised. Matt and the other guys liked to pick on Johnny too, but they did it jokingly.

Matt scooted closer to Cassie, wrapping his arm around her waist and placing his hand on top of her thigh. "I was thinking about getting some alcohol for Friday today after school," he whispered to her. "Is there anything you want me to get for you?"

Jimmy whipped around, looking out for Robyn. He saw her struggling with the water and he quickly started to swim back to her. His eyes widened when he saw her go under and he swam as fast as he could to where she was. He dove under the water and grabbed her, pulling her up and reaching around her back, hitting it to make sure she didn't swallow any water.

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching up and pushing her hair back out of her face, looking into her eyes. "You scared the shit out of me." He began to wade back towards the shore, not so sure they should be staying out in the water much longer. He didn't feel so safe with her swimming anymore.

He didn't know she wasn't a big swimmer. She said she was dying to go to the beach, so he assumed that meant she wanted to swim in the ocean as well, but he guessed he was wrong.

---

Cassie looked up at Matt and raised an eyebrow. She knew absolutely nothing about alcohol. What was she supposed to even ask for? "Uh, I don't know," she mumbled. "I don't really know what's good or bad." She stood up and carried her trash over to the trashcan before she sat back down. She reached between them and took Matt's hand in hers, smiling slightly as she ran her fingertips over his knuckles.

She was so happy right now, to have Matt all to herself. She'd wanted to be with him for months now, but it had seemed like a freaking lifetime. "Get something light, I guess. Something that won't be so hard on a lightweight?" She let go of his hand and crossed her arms on the table, looking at the guys and blushing slightly when she saw they had been watching her and Matt.

She hoped their relationship thing didn't really bother them. She would hate for them to feel awkward because of her. She just wanted things to stay as they were. She didn't want change.

@ anchored lungs.
"I'm sorry I fucked up our trip to the beach," Robyn apologized, her voice soft. She looked down at her lap. She didn't think she'd ever been this embarrassed in her entire life. She knew she wasn't a stellar swimmer, but she didn't think she would almost fucking drown the first time she went in the ocean. Robyn just hoped Jimmy wasn't mad at her for cutting this part of their skip day short. He looked like he was really enjoying himself.

Robyn hadn't brought anything to change into, so she was forced to wear her cold, soaking wet clothes as Jimmy drove them to wherever he was going next. Jimmy seemed to be radiating heat - why did guys do that? - so Robyn slid across the front seat to sit directly next to Jimmy and pressed herself against him, trying to soak up some of his body heat.

"Don't be getting any ideas," she said. She had suddenly realized how this looked. "I'm just cold." Even though she said this, Robyn couldn't help but think about how nice it was to almost cuddle with Jimmy. She actually liked it. Robyn almost wanted to rest her head on his shoulder, but she thought that might be weird.

---

A soft smile graced Matt's face when Cassie reached for his hand. He really liked all of these small public displays of affection. "I'll get you some of those Smirnoff Ices, then," Matt replied. He smirked. "Johnny can drink them with no problem so they're good drinks for a lightweight."

"Hey, fuck you," Johnny shot back, and everyone laughed.

Suddenly Cassie dropped his hand and Matt frowned. He was actually almost pouting, but he would never admit that. Why did she let go? He studied her, noticing that she was blushing and kept glancing up at the guys. Suddenly it hit him. "You don't have to worry about them," he whispered to her. "I'm sure they've all been rooting for this to happen just as long as you have."

"Fuck yeah we have," Zacky put in. Of course he was eavesdropping. "And besides that, you two are cute as fuck. I wish you'd just make it official already."

Jimmy raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her, smirking. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, darling," he said, looking back at the road. He thought for a minute, wondering if he should bring her to his house and steal one of his sister's clothes to give to her. She was shivering and she was cold, so she definitely needed a change of clothes.

He drove to his house, figuring his parents were both gone since there were no cars in the driveway. He led Robyn inside and frowned when his mom stood there, her arms folded across her chest. "I just got a call from the school, James. Skipping twice in a row, on your first week of school? This is unacceptable! I can't deal with this anymore."

Jimmy frowned deeply. "Ma, calm down, it's okay. I-"

"It's not okay, Jimmy! What about your future? You're not taking anything seriously!" his mom exclaimed, shaking her head. "I want you out of here. I can't deal with this anymore, Jimmy. I love you, but I can't keep covering for you. You need to get a job, and find a place to live."

Jimmy stared at her, dumbfounded, as if she had three heads. "Wait, what? You can't do that. I'll get better, I promise. Ma, just give me another chance."

"You're out of chances, Jimmy. Your father and I have both decided on this."

Jimmy sighed heavily, turning away from her and walking to his room to get his things. It hadn't been the first time he'd been kicked out, but it had only been for a day or two, and he'd been able to stay at Brian's. But this sounded like a permanent thing, and that frightened him.

---

Cassie frowned at what Matt said. She didn't know why, but she took offense to what he said. It was just . . . why would he talk about her like that? It bothered her. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, not waiting for an answer as she got up and grabbed her book bag, walking out of the cafeteria.

She didn't know why that bothered her so much. Maybe it was just the way he said it, like she was some lovesick puppy that had been following him around just waiting for him to give her a chance, like that was all she was or something. She sighed as she stopped at her locker, looking at herself in the small mirror and shaking her head. She'd just fucked things up, hadn't she? Because she let one small comment get to her.

She reached up and rubbed her eyes, leaning her forehead against the locker door and closing her eyes. She hated how she always took everything to heart. She wished she could be laid-back and not give a shit like the guys, but she just couldn't. That wasn't who she was. And she hated it.

@ anchored lungs.
Robyn stood in the kitchen when Jimmy went upstairs. She felt overwhelmingly awkward standing here with Jimmy's mother, who didn't seem to be too happy that her son had brought a girl home in the middle of the day. "Uh hi," Robyn said. "I'm Robyn Meyers, I'm Jimmy's uh, lab partner."

Jimmy's mother just continued to stare at Robyn without saying anything, and after a few more seconds, she couldn't handle it anymore. Robyn hurried after Jimmy, darting into his room when she found it. He was tossing things into a bag and his carefree attitude from earlier seemed like it had completely disappated.

"So where are you gonna go?" Robyn asked after a few minutes. She felt so awkward just standing there, watching Jimmy pack his things. She wanted to help, but she had no idea what to do.

---

"What the fuck just happened?" Matt asked, watching Cassie walk away.

"What just happened was you put yourself in the doghouse, my friend," Brian replied, laughing. Matt frowned at his friend. This wasn't funny. Whatever he'd done, it had really pissed Cassie off and he had to fix it. "And you've been together what, not even a day? I think that's a new record."

"I'd better go see what's wrong with her," Matt sighed, getting to his feet. He grabbed his bag and walked out of the cafeteria, heading towards Cassie's locker. Luckily, she was still there, although it looked like she was about to head to her next class.

"Hey Cassie, wait up!" Matt hollered. He rushed down the hall after her. "I need to talk to you."

"I'll probably see if I can crash at Brian's for a few days," Jimmy said. "And then they'll get tired of me and I'll have to find somewhere else. Maybe I can actually find someplace that will hire me." He wasn't sure, though, that any place really wanted to hire him. He wasn't good at anything but playing the drums and that really wasn't a job type thing.

He turned and looked at Robyn. "I'm sorry you had to experience that. I shouldn't have skipped." He zipped his bag up, tossing it over his shoulder and sighed softly. "I'll drop you back off at school. Your, uh, aunt and uncle probably have gotten a call too. I don't want you to get into anymore trouble than you already are."

He led her out of his room and downstairs, out to his van. He waited for her to get in before he started driving back to the school. He really just wanted to go back to Brian's place and sleep for the rest of the day. He hated this.

---

Cassie sighed softly and turned to look at Matt. "Yeah, Matt?" she mumbled, looking down at her feet. It wasn't that she was pissed off at him, it was just that she was more upset than anything. It was just the way he'd talked about her back there made it seem like she had wanted him for as long as she could remember, but he didn't. Like he was just using her for now or something. Like he was hot shit and she was just one of the other girls in the school pining over him.

And she thought this whole thing was deeper than that. But maybe she was mistaken. She didn't want to think Matt was that kind of guy, she knew him better than that. And it hurt to think that she could be wrong about him. But maybe she was reading into this too much, and she just needed to slow her thoughts.

@ anchored lungs.
"Yeah, I guess," Robyn agreed. She didn't really want to go home and face her aunt and uncle, because she knew they'd be pissed that she skipped school. And besides that, she was actually having fun hanging out with Jimmy.

"I really had fun, though," Robyn told him. She climbed into the van and once again scooted over to sit in the middle, right next to Jimmy. She hadn't gotten to change clothes because they'd been intercepted by Jimmy's mom, so she was still cold and she could use that as an excuse if Jimmy decided to say something.

Robyn really did feel bad that Jimmy got kicked out of his house. There wasn't really any way she could help him out with the housing situation, but she could help him out another way. "I think my aunt is trying to get me a job where she works, maybe I could see if there's another opening for you, too?"

---

Matt leaned against the locker, trying to catch his breath. Running from the cafeteria probably wasn't such a good idea. "What was all that back there?" he asked, jerking his thumb behind him. "You just kinda ran out, that isn't like you."

Matt studied Cassie's face, trying to see if he could figure out what was bothering her. She didn't seem mad, but other than that, Matt couldn't tell. "Did I do something to upset you?" he asked. "Because if I did, you've gotta tell me. I'm not a mind reader. And if we're gonna make this work, we've gotta learn how to communicate and shit."

He hated to think that he made Cassie upset. Because even if this whole being more than friends thing didn't work out, Cassie was still one of Matt's best friends and he didn't want to fuck that up.

Jimmy looked at Robyn and smiled softly at her, shaking his head. "I appreciate the offer, I really do," he said, looking at the road. "But I think it's probably about time I stop using other people to get by. I need to do this on my own." He wasn't sure if it was the look his mom had given him or this being the fifth time in the past year and a half that he'd been kicked out, but he was suddenly overcome with the overwhelming feeling of needing to be responsible.

He needed to start taking care of himself, working on his life. Sure, it wouldn't happen overnight, but it wasn't too late to start improving himself. He pulled up at the school and parked next to her car. He put the car in park and turned to look at her. "Thank you for taking time with me today." He bit his lip gently before he leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

He sat back in his seat, reaching down and fiddling with the radio while he waited for her to get out of his car. He was expecting her to be completely disgusted by the kiss, and he couldn't help the small smirk on his face.

---

Cassie looked up at Matt, her brows furrowing as she thought. "I think I may have overreacted," she murmured, frowning slightly. She sighed softly and shook her head. She forced a small smile and leaned up, pressing her lips to his. "Please, don't worry about it. I overreacted."

She really didn't want this to be a thing that went on between them. She had overreacted and that was that. She hoped he could just forget about it and they could move on. She didn't want to think about them getting into an argument, ever. She couldn't imagine Matt ever being mad with her, just like she couldn't ever imagine herself being mad with Matt too long.

@ anchored lungs.
"Uh, I-I had a good time," Robyn stuttered. She hadn't been expecting Jimmy to kiss her - even if it was only on the cheek - and she was incredibly shocked. But she honestly likes it, since she wasn't used to men showing her affection.

"Maybe we could hang out this weekend," Robyn suggested, looking away from Jimmy. "If my aunt and uncle don't completely flip shit on me, that is." Robyn honestly didn't know what kind of reaction to expect from her aunt and uncle. They had been pretty lenient with her since she moved in, but she'd never done anything this serious.

Robyn reached into her bag and pulled out a pencil and a small piece of paper. She scribbled her phone number on it and handed it to Jimmy. "You should um, text me or something," she mumbled, climbing out of Jimmy's van. "I'll uh, see you tomorrow, i guess?"

---

"If you're sure," Matt replied. He smiled when Cassie kissed him. He could sense people staring at them, but he didn't care. He wanted to show everyone - especially the girls who were trash-talking Cassie - that this thing with Cassie wasn't a passing thing.

He gripped her chin gently in his hand and pulled her up on her tiptoes to kiss her again. "I guess I'll see you again last period, then," he said. "But hey, do you wanna come with me after school when I pick up the alcohol?" He wiggled his eyebrows. "It'll be fun."

Jimmy nodded his head. "Yeah, that would be great," he said. "If I'm not too busy, that is, you know, trying to find a job."

He watched her jot down her number and he looked down at it when she handed the piece of paper to him. He recited it in his head a few time and looked up at her, watching her get out of the car. He nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled at her and pulled his phone out when she walked away, putting her number in his phone and smiling to himself.

She was starting to crack. But it didn't seem to be too much about that anymore for him, because he actually was starting to really like her.

---

Cassie grinned when Matt kissed her again, looking up at him and biting her lip gently. She nodded her head at his question. "Yeah, definitely," she murmured, smiling brightly at him. "I mean, we won't get in trouble, right? Since we're underage and everything." She could only imagine the trouble she'd get in with her mom if the woman found out about her daughter buying alcohol, much less with a boy.

"My mom would kill me if she found out I was buying alcohol," she said, scratching her head. "You know, especially with you. You know she doesn't really think you guys are the best influences on me. I haven't even told her yet that we're dating. I don't know if I'll be ready to tell her for a while. Unless you were there with me."

She blushed and looked down. "I'll stop rambling now."

@ anchored lungs.
So what's the plans for tonight? Robyn sent a text to Jimmy before shoving her phone into her pocket. She'd managed to convince her aunt and uncle that she was staying at Cassie's house tonight, but that wasn't what she'd actually be doing. She knew the guys were having a party, but she hadn't officially been invited.

Robyn didn't find it weird that she hadn't, though. After all, she'd only known them for a few days and the only two she regularly talked to were Jimmy and Cassie. The other guys seemed nice and she was sure that if she got to know them they could be good friends.

"I'll be home tomorrow afternoon!" Robyn called out as she left her house.

---

Matt took Cassie in his car after school so that her mom wouldn't have to come and get her. He didn't know where Cassie had told her parents where she was going tonight, but he hoped it was a good excuse. He'd hate to have her dragged home in the middle of their party.

"So are you excited for the party tonight?" Matt asked, grinning at Cassie. Drinking with the guys wasn't anything special for him, but Cassie had never drank before. He was pretty curious to see how well she could handle her alcohol. "We'll probably play a few drinking games, you should play with us."

Jimmy looked over at Brian, who was flipping through a guitar magazine while he waited for Jimmy to finish getting ready. Jimmy had insisted on picking the best-looking outfit, which was basically a black tee and some black pants, but he was wearing a brightly-colored kimono over top of it; not to mention Jimmy's hair was sticking out in all different directions and he basically looked like a dandelion, according to Brian. Brian's father had offered Jimmy a place to stay for as long as he needed, which he was thankful for. Because he was so not ready to leave yet.

He looked down when his phone beeped and he picked it up, reading the text from Robyn and grinning. You're going to a party with yours truly. he sent back to her before he slipped his phone into his pocket and sat on the bed. He slid his shoes on and walked over, snatching Brian's magazine from him.

"Hey!" Brian exclaimed with a pout. "Give that back!"

Jimmy stuck his tongue out at him and tossed it on the bed. "Come on, lazy. We have females to pick up. Well, just one female. But you know. A female is a female." He wiggled his brows at Brian before he tugged him up and dragged him out to his van.

---

Cassie had told her mom that she'd be spending the night with her new friend, Robyn, who was "really amazing in school, and an amazing influence." She'd basically told her mom that Robyn's aunt and uncle didn't have a phone number yet since they'd just transferred, which was only half, well, maybe 2/3, of a lie, but it would save her trouble later.

She grinned over at Matt. "Yeah," she murmured, nodding her head. She really was excited. She'd never really actually been to a "party" like this before. She wasn't sure if it was just going to be the guys or if more people would be there too, so that actually made her kind of nervous. But she knew Matt would stay by her side the whole time, so she wasn't too worried.

Her brows furrowed and she tilted her head to the side. "Drinking games?" she questioned. "You mean like truth or dare or something? Beer pong? Spin the bottle? What other kind of drinking games are there?" She didn't really know what "Drinking games" meant. Maybe they would be playing truth or dare. That would be funny, to see people to stupid things just to prove their superiority--Brian and Jimmy, specifically. And maybe Zacky too. Hell, all the guys loved to prove their superiority.

@ anchored lungs.
I'll park my car at the park then. Robyn didn't even try and say that she was gonna drive her car to the party. Jimmy usually insisted on driving her in his van and besides that, Robyn planned on drinking tonight. If the guys would share their alcohol, that is.

Robyn smiled when she saw Jimmy's van pull up. She opened the passenger door and saw Brian sitting in the passenger seat. She shrugged and climbed over his lap to sit between him and Jimmy. "What the hell are you wearing?" she asked when she noticed Jimmy's outfit.

"I told him he looked like dandelion," Brian put in.

Robyn snickered. "I can see that."

---

"Well, beer pong definitely," Matt replied. He was really good at that game and was eager to show off his skills to Cassie. "We might do truth or dare, but that usually just ends up with somebody naked. I was actually thinking of Ring of Fire. Ever heard of that?"

When Matt pulled into Brian's driveway, he saw that Brian's car was there but Jimmy's van wasn't, which meant that neither one were here. "I bet Jimmy dragged Brian off to pick up Robyn," Matt mused. He killed the ignition and pocketed his keys.

"We can still go inside though, I know where his parents keep their spare key," Matt said, climbing out of the car. He fetched his alcohol from the back seat and headed to the front door.

Jimmy grinned as he looked at Robyn. He started the car back up and began driving back to Brian's. He glanced at Robyn, noticing how good she looked. It looked like she had been planning on coming the whole time. He chuckled and shook his head. He smiled when he saw that Matt and Cassie were already there. He parked on the curb and climbed out, watching as Brian and Robyn climbed out of his van.

He led them inside Brian's house and looked around. "Matt!" he called, walking into the living room and spotting Cassie on the couch. "Hey, Cas." She greeted him back and he walked into the kitchen to find Matt with the beer. He took one from the case and popped the cap off, taking a sip of it. "Mm, good shit."

---

Cassie watched Jimmy and Brian file in the house with Robyn behind them. She stood up and walked over, giving her new friend a hug. "Hey," she murmured. "You look good." She hugged Brian as well before following them into the kitchen with Matt and Jimmy. She walked over to Matt and linked her arm with his. She kind of felt the need to stay close to him, but she didn't want to be clingy either.

She eyed Jimmy as he drank the beer, wondering if she would be drinking that as well. She wondered if she would even be able to tolerate it? And how long would it take before she got drunk?

@ anchored lungs.
"Thanks," Robyn said to Cassie. She hadn't really put much effort into her appearance - she didn't really have anybody to impress - so she was glad that people thought she looked good. Robyn watched as Cassie went over to Matt and linked her arm through his. They were so cute together but it kinda made Robyn feel a little jealous.

"You guys gonna share your alcohol?" Robyn asked, walking over to the group. She looked over at Matt, since most of it appeared to be his. He nodded and passed her a beer, which she happily accepted. She hoped there would be some hard liquor to drink later in the night, since Robyn wanted to get drunk.

"So what do you guys usually do at your parties?" Robyn asked. She moved over to stand next to Jimmy, taking a drink of her beer. "Sit around and bullshit? Play drinking games?"

---

Matt smiled when Cassie took his arm. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Hey sweetheart," he whispered. He reached over into one of his brown bags and pulled out the six-pack of Smirnoffs he'd gotten for her. He pulled one out and offered it to her. "Here, start with one of these," he said. "If you want something stronger, I'll mix you a drink later."

After the other guys arrived, they all congregated in Brian's living room. Matt grabbed a deck of cards and a shot glass from his bag, along with a small bottle of strawberry-flavored vodka. "So what does everybody think?" he asked, walking into the living room. "Truth or Dare or Ring of Fire first?"

"I say we all take a shot to warm up first," Brian suggested. Matt noticed his eyes travel to Cassie, a teasing glint in them. "If everybody can handle it, that is."

Jimmy grinned as he watched Brian pour the shots. He raised a brow when Cassie reached for one before anyone else, shaking his head and eagerly grabbing one. He downed the shot and looked over at Robyn. "You up for it?" he questioned. "And yeah, you know, we just bullshit. Nothing too serious. Although, sometimes we do stupid shit that gets us in trouble. I just hope that I don't have to meet your uncle tonight, because that was not how I was hoping for it to happen."

He grinned sheepishly at her, following the guys into the living room and sitting on the floor. He smirked as he pulled Robyn down into his lap, sliding his arms around her waist even if she didn't want him touching her. He planned on sticking to her side like a leech. Well, he kind of already was, but you know.

---

Cassie looked at Brian and raised an eyebrow. She removed her arm from Matt's and crossed them over her chest. She watched Brian pour the shots and she immediately grabbed one up, swallowing it down and making a face. It took everything in her not to start coughing at the burning and itching sensation in her throat. She cleared her throat and licked over her lips.

Once she regained her composure, she looked at Brian and smirked. "Who can't handle a shot?" she questioned. She grabbed the Smirnoff and popped the cap open, taking a swig of it. "Let's play a game!" She walked into the living room, a bounce in her step.

She felt like she had to prove herself to Matt and the guys. She had to prove to them that she was strong and tough just like they were, and that she could handle the alcohol just like they could. She sat down on the couch, smiling at Matt when he sat next to her. She leaned into his side and glared at Brian when he walked in.