Northern Downpour

Haley walked in to the party with Jack and felt like a fish out of water. These were his friends, his turf, his friends house. She was gulping down beers like a fish gasping for air. He introduced her to people she hadn't met whose names she could forget later. No one was important, except maybe the blond that was glued to Kevin's side. How could she not notice, it was his house and he was the host.

Jack walked them both over, his hand on the small of her back, "Relax. You've been tense all night."

Haley shook her head with another gulp of her beer, "I can't relax. So, so many people." Haley tripped over her words a bit but she smiled as Kevin's attention turned to them.

Kevin immediately embraced Jack in a hug and turnd to Haley with a coy smile, "I see you've brought a new friend." Kevin said, giving Jack a fist bump.

Haley sneered at Jack, and then Kevin, "Rood." She muttered as she looked at the blond who was laughing. She had a great a smile and she looked friendly enough.

"Ignore them, they're men." She said, leaning forward towards Haley as she talked, "I'm Ellery, Kevin's girlfriend."

"I'm Haley, Marge's friend." She said wrinkling her nose, "Men are pigs."

Haley and Ellery laughed together as the boys stood there, Jack lifting his drink as he talked to Kevin. It was awkward, Haley was awkward with no other friends there but Marge, and well, she'd been MIA with Danny. Haley couldn't terribly blame her, who knew how long it had been since they'd seen each other.

Haley sheepishly leaned over, "Where's the bathroom?" She asked Ellery.

Ellery looked a bit surprised, "Oh! Um, so go out this set of french doors, take a left and go around the corner."

"They're outside?" Haley looked confused, although to be fair this was a barn.

Ellery laughed, "Oh honey, you're definitely not a Vermont girl." She said, "You'll be fine. I promise. If you pass a skate ramp you've gone too far."

Haley nodded and left, on a mission to find this outdoor bathroom. She bobbed and weaved through a sea of people to the french doors, which were already pushed open. It wasn't until the cool Vermont air hit her that she realized she was cold, which made her have to pee more. She hurried to the left and then realized the line was.. not that long but long enough.

She was tipsy, she was cold, and as her butt hit the seat, she felt like her ass had begun to suffer frostbite from the seat. Haley finished and headed back out in to the Vermont air. She stumbled along the side of the building until she bumped in to a body. "Sorry." She muttered, in her tipsy state.

An arm reached out and pulled on Haley's arm as she started to stumble around the group, "Woah woah woah." The voice said, "Where do you think you're running off to?" The voice was unmistakably Kevin's.

Haley looked, actually tilted her head and looked at the person, Kevin, who had a hold on her and saw two other bodies standing with them and they were standing in this weird circle and it was then that the smell hit her. "Oh, oh" Having grown up in Colorado, Haley was no stranger to the smell of weed.

"Do you want some?" A voice asked, passing the pipe in her direction.

Haley shook her head, "No, I'm ok." She said, knowing that for her, booze and pot didn't mix well together. She watched as Kevin took the pipe instead and lit it up, inhaling. It was a strange thing to watch this "professional" athlete smoke. Her mind drifted to Michael Phelps and she couldn't help as a giggle escaped her lips.

Kevin exhaled the smoke after his hit and passed the pipe, "Last hit.. anyone?" He asked, passing along the pipe which was lit up and then both figures were gone, leaving the two of them there, alone. "So you came with Jack?" He said, after a period of silence.

Haley nodded, "He.." She paused, "He invited me, since you- you never said anything." Haley motioned, pushing her finger in to Kevin's chest a little. "Jerk."

Kevin laughed and took Haley's arm, guiding her close to him. Haley thought maybe it was the alcohol and she was imagining things, "I didn't say anything because I didn't want to scare you off." Kevin said, "Besides, you look awful cozy with Jack." Kevin shot back at her.

Haley wrinkled her nose a bit, "Does it make you jealous?"

"Yeah." Kevin's hands moved to rest on Haley's waist. He couldn't help but be honest, it made him jealous that Jack was getting the girl, "I want you all to myself."

Haley rolled her eyes, "What about Ellery?" She looked up at Kevin as she moved her hand along his upper arm to his shoulder. She couldn't help it. He had those blue eyes, that right now in her drunken state and in the dark, were sucking her in. Jack had blue eyes but he was more like baby blue eyes, Kevin's were like a deep, ocean blue eye.

"What about Ellery?" Kevin asked, his voice a bit defensive to the question, "We're just friends." He retorted.

"Really? Because she thinks differently." Haley's finger reached up and pulled a small lock of Kevin's hair out and twirled it around her finger.

Kevin leaned in and pressed his lips against Haley's in a slow supple kiss, his hands giving Haley a small squeeze. He couldn't help himself when it came to Haley. She was beautiful, funny, she had a great smile, and she was doing her own thing. She didn't need anyone else. It was obvious to him that she was here because of Jack but she wasn't with Jack.

Haley was caught off-guard by the kiss but, as she draped her arms around Kevin's neck, she knew it was what she had been wanting since she had seen Kevin standing in the doorway at Marge's place. It felt right, even if she knew it was wrong, even if she knew they could get caught by any passerby that spotted them, spotted Kevin.

For the first time in a long time, she was throwing caution to the wind and it felt fucking awesome.