Chapter Three

Cecily's POV

I awoke to someone knocking on my door, rather loudly, and looked at my clock. Bolting upright and leaning so close to the digital face of the clock that my nose nearly touched it, I raked my fingers through my hair and sighed. The crack of noon-again. I was doing this way too often lately, and it was messing me up-especially since my body had become accustomed to getting up at 8am. Since meeting Jimmy and his friends, I'd started staying out later to hang out with them, and being so wired when I got home I'd stay up until nearly 4am. Though...now that I'd had a taste of it, it was really nice to be out and about rather than stuck in my house. It was a lot lonelier now that I had actual friends that wanted me with them.

I got up and dressed quickly, putting my contacts in just in case it was Craig and Clyde taking me back to play basketball with them. I ran a brush through my awful bedhead and threw it in my typical ponytail before brushing my teeth, grabbing my phone on the way out, and answering the door. Craig stood there boredly, a blue hat on his head. "Was wondering when you'd answer the door, blondie."

"I, um…"

"I woke you up," he said. "Didn't I?"

"Yeah…" I bit my lip and looked at the ground.

"You forgot that I was picking you up, didn't you," he said dryly.

My face turned a thousand shades of red, and I knew I wouldn't be able to look at him. "I..guess I kinda did…"

"Come on, Jimmy's waiting in the car," he said, ruffling my hair like a big brother, and walking off. I locked the door and walked to the car, noticing that Jimmy sat in the back seat, leaving the passenger's side clear. "Get in front. He said he didn't feel right letting you in back."

I blushed, nodding and getting in the car. I turned around, smiling at the brunette. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"I'm doing okay, I think," he said with a smile. "M-my new crutch finally came in."

"Oh, good! I'm glad," I said. "How hard did Clyde hit him?"

"Hard enough to bend the metal," Craig said with a snort. "I shouldn't mention that afterwards he came to my house shaking because of all the blood that was on him."

I looked at Craig, eyes wide, as he started driving. "Really? Poor guy," I said. "I'm glad you were able to help that girl, though."

"Y-yeah," Jimmy said.

"Turn around," Craig griped. "You're going to get me a ticket."

"Sorry, sorry," I said, fastening my seatbelt and putting my hands in my lap.

"You really are a good girl," he said, grinning at me. "You need to loosen up, blondie."

I looked at my hands. "Well...it's hard to...around you guys." I breathed a sigh of relief to myself. I'd almost let the cat out of the bag with that one-I'd nearly stopped at just "you", and I really didn't want him knowing I liked him. Kind of. Not really. With another inward sigh, I wrung my hands together. You're such a bad liar.

The rest of the drive to South Park mainly consisted of conversations between Jimmy and I, cute jokes that made me laugh (also by Jimmy), and a little light teasing from Craig. In the short time I'd known him, I'd come to understand (okay, and maybe Clyde and Jimmy told me that he didn't really mean to be a jerk, he was just messing with me...and he'd been like that for as long as they'd known him) that Craig's teasing was only that-teasing. I had the feeling that he enjoyed making me uncomfortable, since that made me flustered and apparently that was hilarious.

After we got to where we were going (first stop the basketball court), Jimmy took his spot on the bench, and gestured for me to sit with him. I did as I was asked until the others arrived (Tweek, Thomas, Clyde, Token), and informed me that I was expected to play with them, since they didn't have even teams again today. The teams were the same as the last time, and Clyde, Tweek and Thomas ended up winning this one. Just barely, though, according to Jimmy. I soon learned that the brunette was the designated scorekeeper, since he couldn't actually play the game.

When the first game ended, I sat down by Jimmy again as the other men began their round two (though I looked like I was in shape, I sadly was not, and needed a break). "They're fun." I smiled at him.

"Yeah. Much better than Cartman's gang," He said. "Craig's a little rough around the e-e-edges, but he's fun to be around, very much."

"I'm starting to like him," I said. "He's kind of hard to like, at first."

"Yeah, but you'll get used to him," Jimmy said.

I nodded, smiling. "I like all of you. You're all really nice to me…" I felt my face turn red and put my hands over my face, shaking my head. I looked back up at him. "I'm not really used to having friends...that want me to hang out with them."

"If we didn't like you, we wouldn't invite you to hang out w-w-w-with us," he replied with a smile. "You're cute."

I shook my head, laughing a little. "I'm beginning to think that's the only reason anyone wants me with them. Dahlia and Clover said the same thing when I first met them."

He laughed. "It's different seeing someone like you around a place like this."

"Oh, are people here not nice? Or…"

"No, in a small town, everybody knows everybody," he said. "Most of us are com-c-comf-comfortable around each other."

"Oh," I said quietly, looking at my hands in my lap. "So...I'm a breath of fresh air, huh…"

I wasn't sure how to feel about that, but he put a hand over mine. "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

"So. I know I'm really new here and all, but when the freshness wears off, I'll still be welcome, right?" I asked. As the question left my mouth, I knew how desperate I sounded and bit my lip. "Ah, sorry. I'm terrible in social situations."

He leaned forward, placing a kiss on my lips. I looked at him in total shock after he pulled back, my face beet red. He laughed at me, then. "It's okay. I think you're j-just fine."

I heard a whistle from the basketball court and saw Clyde wink at me, waving. "Way to go, Jimmy!"

I "eep"ed, covering my face with my hands. As much as I positively hated to admit it, I'd never kissed a man before, even something small like that, and to have attention drawn to me because of it...I kind of wanted to crawl in a hole.

"Come on, blondie, don't tell me you've never had a boyfriend before…"

I peeked through my fingers at Craig, who was grinning at me, and hesitantly shook my head. "Don't make fun of me." My voice was muffled by my hands, so I took them down, prepared to repeat myself if needed.

He merely shrugged. "You're a lucky man," he said to Jimmy, who was grinning and shaking his head. He snickered. "But you have to be careful around her. She'll fucking kill you."

"Oh, shut up," I said to him, narrowing my eyes. "I don't mean to trip."

"Exactly."

I sputtered for a second before letting out a huff and crossing my arms over my chest. "I'll do whatever I can to not trip."

Jimmy grinned. "I'll lend you my crutches," he teased.

"Not you, too!" I said, frowning. "Everybody's ganging up on me."

The brunette patted my shoulder with a laugh. "I'm joking," he said.

"Hey, blondie, you're up," Craig said.

"Aren't you guys in the middle of a game, or something…?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "Still a man short, and you're not wheezing now," he said, and I wanted to cringe. He really didn't have a way with words. I wasn't wheezing, I was...panting. Yeah, that's a good word. "And Jimmy's already made a move on you."

"Alright, alright," I said, getting up. As I passed him I looked up and grinned slightly. "Jealous?"

He snorted, but didn't say anything. Part of me was relieved-I totally expected him to make a comment about my clumsiness, but he didn't. "You're on my team," he said.

"Again? Aren't you afraid that I'll kill you?"

"Nah," he drawled with a grin. "At least when you're with me there's someone around to catch you."

I wasn't prepared for his answer (incorrectly assuming that he'd counter with something else to tease me), and my heart beat a little faster. "I, um…" I coughed. "I see."

"Your face is red again," he said with a grin. "You blush a lot, Blondie. Does it have anything to do with me?"

"You keep picking on me, you big jerk," I said with a frown. "And you enjoy embarrassing me. I don't always look like a lobster."

"Yeah, yeah," he said. "Keep it up, you're going to make your boyfriend jealous."

"He's not my boyfriend," I said, shaking my head. The game started shortly after that, cutting our conversation short. It was a long game, longer than usual, but it was fun. I enjoyed myself, and even though I knew I'd be sore the next day, was really glad he "talked" me into playing with them. I was getting a little better by watching them, and was actually able to make a few shots of my own in, instead of having to pass to Craig or Clyde.

After the game was over, we piled in the car to go to a nearby burger joint, instead of Raisins this time. The conversation was animated as we piled into a large booth with chairs on one side-that way Jimmy would have it a little easier getting up and down. He needed the crutches to walk long distances, but I noticed that he didn't use them if he was only going a few feet. That being said, he still preferred to sit on the outside, and patted the seat beside him for me to sit there. I did as I was asked (and because I liked him) and Clyde sat on the other side of me. The rest of the group sat on the other side. Craig sat at the end, followed by Token, Thomas, and Tweek.

"So, Cecily, what do you do?" Token asked after a moment or two of animated chatter amongst all of us as we waited for our food.

"Um, I do sewing commissions," I said. "Like, cosplays for conventions and stuff like that."

"Oh, that sounds interesting," he said, and I felt like he was being genuine. "Clyde mentioned that you liked to make clothes."

"He did, did he…" I said, shooting a look at Clyde.

He grinned at me, rubbing the back of his head. "I thought it was kind of cool."

"Thanks, I guess," I said, my face red once again. I smiled. "However, I do appreciate the compliment."

"Yeah, no problem," he said.

"So, Cecily...if I asked you to tailor something for me, would you be able to do that? For a price-I'll pay whatever you ask me to," Token proposed.

"Well, I suppose I could," I said. "It may take me a bit, since if I have to tailor something I do it by hand. But, if you don't mind, I'll be more than happy to do it for you."

"Great! After we leave here we can go by my house to pick it up. It's a suit I need done for an important interview next week. How much will you charge?" He asked.

"Um," I paused. "It'll be easier to tell you once I see what needs to be done."

He nodded. "Sounds fair."

The rest of our lunch was fun, talking amongst ourselves. Jimmy and I had our own little private conversation that ended in a date invite. I was surprised, and so I said yes-and my heart started beating a little faster. My first ever date, and with someone I liked. I looked over at Craig, who thankfully didn't seem to hear it, and berated myself. Why did I need his approval anyway? Who was he?

I supposed the reason was that I wanted him to be jealous. I kind of wanted him to be the one asking me on dates, but I knew that wasn't going to happen no matter how hard I wished for it, and I just needed to give up on that stupid idea right now. Besides, Jimmy was a really, really great guy. Sweet, cute, funny, and almost completely different from that jerk Craig, and he was the better choice for me. Of course, inner me was attracted to the "bad boy" asshole image, and Craig was just so damn good-looking.

I agreed to meet Jimmy whenever I was finished with Token's suit-I'd drive over instead of them wasting all that gas to come pick me up-and we'd go out. He told me to dress up, and I started racking my brain as to whether I'd have to make a dress or if I had one readily available. After a few moments of thinking, I decided to just see how much work I had to do to Token's suit and that would make my decision to make a dress or buy one. We left the restaurant, and since it was still early in the afternoon (well, and Craig didn't feel like driving me home yet), we went to the bowling alley for some entertainment.

Dahlia called as we stepped in the double doors to the alley, and I excused myself to go talk to her. "Whatcha doin', Ceci?" She asked me. "I haven't heard from you lately, and was wondering what you were up to."

"I'm in South Park now," I said. "Craig picked me up this morning and I've been with them all day. We're in the bowling alley getting ready for a game now."

"Okay," she said. "Tell Craig that when we get there, we're gonna whoop his ass. He's a terrible bowler."

"Ah, okay," I said hesitantly. "Um, you don't think he'll be upset, do you?"

"Why would he be upset? Cause we show up?" Dahlia said. "Nah, he'll be fine. It's not like you invited me, right?"

"Well…" I wasn't sure what to say.

"Don't worry about it," she said, and I heard the laugh in her voice. "I'll take the heat for it. In fact...don't even mention anything about us coming up there. I know I just told you to tell him, but this way he won't think you told us where you were. We won't bring the fatass either, if that's what you're worried about."

"Thanks," I blurted out without thinking. "Crap, I mean-I'm sorry-"

Her laugh cut me off. "I know, no one likes him. We don't like him half the time, so it's okay to say so." She took a deep breath. "I'm going to round up the rest of the gang and we'll meet you there in about 15 minutes. Have fun!"

"See ya," I said, hanging up the phone and going back inside to rejoin our group. They were all standing at the shoe counter, waiting on me.

"I p-p-paid for you, so go ahead and get your shoes," Jimmy told me.

"Oh...thank you," I said. "You didn't have to, you know."

"I wanted to," he said. "I don't mind."

I nodded, as we all got our shoes and went to our designated lane. Lucky for us, the board did allow seven players, and we all input our names before the game began. Naturally, Craig teased me about needing the bumpers (of course, I retorted that they'd be better for him than me), or something about helping if I needed it, not to mention the "Oh, be careful not to trip in the lane!" that came out of his mouth. I rolled my eyes hard at that one, hearing Tweek's soft, "Oh, God!". Poor guy...I felt for him, and instinctively wanted to hug him and protect him. Of course, I couldn't do that, but it tore at me that he was so anxious all the time. I hadn't heard an outburst from Thomas in a while, today, so I supposed it was a good day for him.

I went first, and the ball hit the pins for a strike as Dahlia and her group walked to the lane beside us. "Oh, hey."

"Goddammit, not you guys," Craig groaned.

"Nice to see you too, good-lookin'," Dahlia teased, winking at him. "Nice strike, Ceci."

"Thanks," I said with a smile.

"Why did you pick today of all days to come bowling?" Craig complained, but I could tell from his tone that he wasn't really upset-probably teasing her like he did me all the time.

"We like to get out of the house too, ya know," she said, frowning slightly.

"Precisely." Clover chimed in, creepily hanging her head to the side and widening her eyes. "I can't stay in the dark forever."

The guys just stood there, the most horrified look on their faces -even I was creeped out by it. Then Dahlia looked at Clover and the girls both roared in laughter. "Chill the fuck out guys."

"That's exactly the kind of shit that makes us not want you around." Craig shot back.

I finally giggled. "They're fun," I said to him as his turn came up. He rolled his eyes, grabbing a ball and walking to the lane. I watched him as he threw the ball, unintentionally, until Dahlia tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey," she said. "You've got a thing for him, don't you?"

"Eh?!" I asked, and I knew she knew that I did from the way I overreacted. "I...um…"

She winked at me. "If you want him, go get him. He's a pretty gorgeous guy so don't hesitate or he'll be snatched away by someone else." She gestured to Kenny, who was turned with his back toward the lane and throwing the ball between his legs. With a roll of her eyes, she laughed and looked back to me. "That's what that dumbass did with me, and I really wouldn't change it for the world." She got a thoughtful look in her eye and ran her fingers through her hair. "He may be stupid as hell but I love him."

I smiled to myself. "I'm afraid it wouldn't work that way with…" I didn't want to say his name, since he was getting ready to head back this way. "...well, you know. I don't really think he likes me that much."

"If he came to your house two hours away to drive you back here, he likes you more than he's letting on," Dahlia said before her turn rolled back around and she walked away.

Craig stepped up beside me, tugging on a lock of my hair. "You keep on looking at me, Blondie."

"I also keep looking at Dahlia," I pointed out, although I knew what he was getting at.

"Well, just wanted to let you know it's your turn," he said as Clyde finally noticed Dahlia and their group. I heard his voice as I stepped up to the lane to bowl, but not what he was saying. I felt Craig's eyes on me, and I can't say that it made me feel all that uncomfortable. What if Dahlia had been right? I didn't think so, didn't want to hope so, especially now that I had someone actually interested in me and showed it. I mean, all I'd promised Jimmy was one date, but I really, honestly liked him. I threw the ball, getting a 8 out of 10 split, and frowned. There was no way I'd be able to hit them both, but I threw the ball anyway-and it ended up going right between them. I shrugged, walking back to where Dahlia stood.

"Nice try," she said.

I grinned at her. "Thanks," I said. "Oh, I have something to tell you, that you may be interested to hear…"

"Yeah?"

"First thing is, I'll be in South Park again sometime this week if you want to hang out," I said. "Second is, I have a date."

"With Craig? Already? Jesus, you work fast," she said, laughing.

"No, no," I said, my face flaming red. "With Jimmy. Token has something he'd like me to tailor for him, and once I get that done, Jimmy's going to take me out."

"Way to go," she said. "Jimmy's a hell of a guy. I like him a lot." She looked at the raven-haired man thoughtfully. "But are you sure you wouldn't rather that one?"

I nodded. "I think I'd prefer someone who doesn't constantly tease me, thank you." I shrugged. "And...it sounds so stupidly cheesy, but if it's meant to be, it's meant to be."

She laughed. "You're right, that was cheesy," she said. "But I guess you've got a point." She smiled at me widely then. "When you've got time to spare, I'll tell you what went down between Kenny and me. It's a long, fuckin' complicated story, but it may be something you're interested in if you're into the 'if it's meant to be' thing."

"Sure," I said. "I'd love to hear it."

"She's right," Clover said. "Long story short, they're both stupid losers that don't know a good thing when they got it and had to make shit way more complicated than it needed to be. It took a month before they finally decided what they wanted."

I laughed to myself. "Somehow, I don't doubt it," I said.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent at the bowling alley with the two groups, ending with me promising to at least spend one night at the apartment Clover, Dahlia, Stan and Kenny all shared whenever I got Token's suit finished. I agreed-I'd have my car then anyway, so it wouldn't be a huge deal to worry about how I was getting home-and we split ways. Everyone in Craigs group split also-I rode with Craig and Jimmy to Token's house for the suit, but the others went home.

I was relieved to know that Token's suit only had to be taken in slightly, and with as minimal work as I had to do to it, I probably could've knocked it out in an hour or two, had I had my sewing kit with me. Lucky for me, Token's mother had some spare stick pins in an old pincushion and I was allowed to use those for Token's measurements. I promised to get it back to him in a few days, long enough for me to make sure I had enough money to put gas in my car and groceries in my fridge. He smiled and paid me $50 upfront (which was way over what I would have charged-it wasn't going to take me long at all and I wasn't at all worried about a tip, but he insisted), resulting in a huge hug from me (with a follow-up of embarrassment, of course).

We dropped Jimmy off at his house before Craig began the long drive back to Denver. I wasn't sure what to talk about with him, so stayed quiet for a long time. "You don't have to keep your mouth shut on my account, ya know," he said after some time.

"Oh, I...just don't really know what to talk about with you," I said. I bit my lip and toyed with the seatbelt.

"You really need to loosen up," he said to me. "I'm not gonna eat you."

"I'm not really...I'm not worried about that," I said. "I don't really talk to people."

"You talked to Jimmy enough for him to ask you out, didn't you?" he said to me and I looked at the dimly lit floor. I didn't know how to reply back to that, so didn't say anything. "Unless you're scared to talk to me because you like me or something." He snickered to himself for a moment.

"Of course not," I said snootily, then smiled to myself. "Look, you'll have to give me some time. It's taking some getting used to."

"Get used to it faster. You're too stiff." He shook his head. "Makes me uncomfortable."

I sighed, then laughed slightly as I agreed with him. The ride home was filled with a little small talk, just trying to get to know each other a little bit better. It was nice talking to Craig, albeit a little nerve-wracking since I did of course like the guy. As I bid him goodbye, walking into my house, I noticed I had a little bit of an issue keeping the smile off my face.


Three days later, I was on my way to South Park, Token's newly-tailored suit in my backseat, the radio cranked up and for the first time in a long time, dressed up and I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel pretty. I normally didn't give two shits about my appearance, and dressed to be comfortable since, well...no one was interested in me anyway. Now, however, since I was getting used to my contacts and I was on my way to meet my date-date!-at a nice restaurant, I'd been sure to purchase a beautiful dress and fix my hair just right. I wore wedges tonight-that's another thing I hadn't bothered to do in years-and surprisingly I walked in them better than I remembered.

I met Token at Jimmy's house, since Clyde had informed me that day at school they were going to play ball, and Token had Clyde relay to me that he'd just pick his suit up there. I nervously agreed-I was a little self-conscious, even knowing Jimmy was going to be as dressed up as I was. I supposed it was due to the fact I didn't really show a lot of skin around anyone, and this dress came up a little higher than I was used to (higher meaning instead of knee-length, this was more the mid-thigh type of thing, and I didn't feel like it left much to the imagination, but damn did I look good in it). Token had merely grinned at Jimmy as the latter walked out of his room, in a button-down shirt and black slacks, taking the suit from my hands and wishing his friend a "good luck". Jimmy chuckled, picking his crutches up and walking my way.

The place he took me to was beautiful, fancy, and at first, I felt so out of place. He calmed me quickly, making me laugh and releasing all the pent-up tension. I got to know him a little better then, learning a little about his childhood and the memories he shared with everyone else I'd met. I had a great time, and by the end of our dinner together I was feeling really comfortable with him, letting a little more of who I really was show. I wasn't as uptight as I normally was, and really owed it all to Jimmy. He drove me back to his house (he could drive, just not long distances and preferred not to drive too far outside of South Park. For instance...my house). I went in for only a moment, since Dahlia had called me twice already begging me to come to their apartment for drinks- "And bring Jimmy with ya!" she yelled really loudly at me over the phone, but he'd heard and politely declined, since he had his own set of classes tomorrow at school. He merely smiled, and with a chaste kiss, sent me on my way. "Have fun," he said. "Let me know how it goes, and next time I'll be sure to come."

"If you're sure, Jimmy," I said, looking at him in a little concern.

He waved it off, smiling at me. "I'm s-s-sure. Go have fun with them."

I gave him an impulsive hug and kiss on the cheek. "You're really sweet, Jimmy. I'm glad I went out with you tonight." He chuckled again, and waved as I made my way out the door. I called Dahlia once I got in my car, kicking my shoes off so I could drive. She gave me instructions to their apartment, and I was surprised just how easily I found it. Not that South Park is a huge town or anything, I am just terrible with directions. I slipped my shoes back on before grabbing the bag of spare clothes from my backseat (along with different shoes, thank God), and walking to their door to ring the doorbell. Dahlia answered the door, and looked me up and down with a low whistle.

"What the fuck was he thinking, letting you out of his sight dressed like that?" She shook her head. "Man's a goddamn saint, I swear to God."

I blushed wildly, and chewed my lip a little. That was a huge compliment to me, no matter how weirdly it was delivered. I thought about that a little as I walked in, and the room went silent. Like, you couldn't hear anything but the a/c kick on, silent and I didn't know what to do. I let out a little "Hi" and waved, backing up a little so I wasn't the center of attention.

Craig, who I only noticed when he spoke to me, was the first to speak. "You, um…" He cleared his throat a little, avoiding eye contact with me for a second before continuing. "You clean up really nice, Blondie."

"She does, doesn't she?" Dahlia said, walking toward me and putting an arm around my shoulders. She pulled me over to the couch, plopping down on Kenny's lap and pulling me down beside them (not that I had a lot of room…). Of course, I was squeezed in between them and Craig, and he looked less than comfortable with the situation. I put my hands in my lap, pulling down the skirt that had ridden up a lot higher than I would have preferred, then gave him a weak grin. Dahlia slapped a bottle of Smirnoff in my hand. "Drink it."

I twisted the top off, putting the top of the chilled bottle to my lips. It was grape-flavored, and I found myself really liking it. I looked around at who occupied the living room (Stan, Kenny, Clover, Dahlia, Craig and myself), and then back down at the bottle. Craig nudged my arm with his, gesturing to the bottle. "So you do drink."

"Yeah," I said with a slight blush. "It's about the only thing I do that could ever be considered...I don't know...naughty, I guess."

"It's a start," he said with a teasing grin at me, lifting a bottle of Kahlua to me. "Bottoms up."

I raised mine and we took a drink at the same time. I wasn't sure what to do, but him being pleasant was pretty nice right now. I toyed with the bottle in both hands, Dahlia leaning over my shoulder. "Hey."

"Yeah?" I asked softly, looking at her.

"Wanna do something fun?" She said, a devilish glint in her eye.

I looked at her in curiosity as she got up, grabbing a half-full bottle of tequila and pouring six shots-one for each of us. I bit my lip and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, unintentionally sinking back into the couch. I'd never done shots before…She smiled at me, beckoning me to her. I kicked my heels off (if we were doing shots, I had a feeling wearing my heels probably wasn't a good idea) and walked to her, taking the chance to smooth my dress down and tie my hair up. In hindsight, while the dress was cute, it probably wasn't the best idea for a modest girl like me. I was soon followed by everyone else, and we were all passed a shot. Dahlia quickly went over how to do the shots with me, correctly assuming that I was inexperienced, then we all downed the alcohol in front of us. I winced as it went down and Dahlia cheered, clapping Clover on the back and pointing at me. "Am I fucking good or what?"

Clover smiled at me and nodded. "You are," she said. "I didn't think she'd do it. You're more fun than we thought you'd be, Cecily."

"About fucking time," Craig piped in. He grinned at me again. "I think I like this part of you."

"I'm the same girl as I was before," I said with a slight shrug. "I mean…" I felt myself blush and looked at the floor. "I'm trying not to be a party pooper."

"You're really great," Dahlia said. "And if there's anything you don't want to do, let me know! Don't hesitate just cause you think it'll bring the vibe down. It totally won't."

I put my hands up quickly. "It's fine! I actually enjoy drinking, believe it or not." I let out a little chuckle. "I just don't do it a lot."

"Well, if you like to drink...Let's see how much you can handle." Dahlia got the most imp-like look on her face before pouring another round of shots. She looked at everyone after we took the second shot. I could feel my face getting warmer and felt a little childish-I was a lightweight, for sure. They were all acting fine, and my face was probably going to be lobster-red in a moment or two. "Guys, I have a proposition."

Stan grabbed a bottle of Jameson off the table and took a drink of that before resting his head atop Clover's and looking at Dahlia expectantly. "What is it?"

"I think Cecily deserves the worm this go-round, don't you?" She looked at everyone before meeting my eyes. "It's the best part of tequila, I swear to God."

"That's a good idea," piped up Clover.

One by one, everyone agreed, and I'm convinced that the alcohol is what made me say "okay" to anything concerning a worm and my drink. After a couple more rounds of shots (for them, not me-I chose to finish off my Smirnoff before having another shot), and about 30 minutes, the final round was poured, and mine contained a little worm that I was expected to eat. It grossed me out a little, but by this time the alcohol was starting to get to all of us, and I was getting really comfortable, so I went ahead and did it. They whooped and cheered, and I couldn't help but grin again at them. I was having a blast-I'd have to remember to thank them.

My head swam a bit and I sat down on the couch, half-heartedly pulling the bottom of my dress down so it didn't ride up on my thighs. I was handed another bottle of Smirnoff, along with a bottle of soda someone had thoughtfully decided to give me. I chose to open that one first-I didn't want to overdo it, of course-as Dahlia sat down beside me. Her face was red and she smiled widely at me. "You're like, the chillest person I've ever fucking met."

"Thanks," I laughed. "I like you guys too."

"I wanna kiss you," Dahlia said then, grabbing my face. Without another word, she pulled me to her, putting her lips to mine. I didn't move for a moment, registering the surprise. I wasn't sure what to do-I'd never kissed like this before. Jimmy's little innocent, chaste kisses were completely different from this-the way she was running her tongue along my bottom lip and nipping at it wasn't too unpleasant, if I was completely honest with myself. She tugged at my hair after a minute, biting my lip and giggling to herself against my mouth. "You're a fun kisser."

I grinned against her mouth, and let out a small chuckle of my own. I was just following her lead… I wasn't sure how long we sat there, but it was long enough for Craig to clear his throat behind me. I pulled back from Dahlia, leaning back against the armrest and smiling at him as I looked up at him. "You jealous?"

"You've lost your goddamn mind," he said, but leaned down to kiss me anyway.

I heard a loud whistle on the other side of the room and smiled against his lips. "It's nice kissing you. I want to keep doing it," I murmured. "And apparently other people want me to, too."

He didn't say anything, walking off instead. I heard the top to a beer or Smirnoff hit the floor and sat up to see him chugging whatever he had (brown bottle, so I guessed it was a beer). I looked at Dahlia, who was also watching him and she shrugged. "Dunno what his problem is…" She shrugged again and grinned. "Open up your booze and let's drink more!" She hopped up and walked back to the table, getting a Smirnoff for herself.

I laughed at her, and nodded, popping the top off the Smirnoff I'd been handed. "Cheers!"

I heard a couple snorts of laughter before Craig walked back over to the couch, sitting down where Dahlia had been. He didn't look at me, and I put my hand on his thigh, leaning over to look at him in concern. "Are you okay? I didn't disappoint you, did I?" I frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, I can try again…"

"Don't," he said stiffly, sitting rigidly. "I..Just don't worry about it. It's not you. You're fine."

I removed my hand and sat back, taking another drink. I started to feel a little queasy, so I set the bottle down to switch it to the soda. I knew now that I was drunk, but I also knew when to quit. I fiddled with the bottom of my dress, smoothing it out and playing with it since I didn't know what to do or say. I heard Dahlia, Clover, Stan and Kenny having a great time in the background, laughing and cutting up. They called me over and I politely declined, knowing that my face would be making quick friends with the floor if I tried to get up. They laughed again, and told me if I needed somewhere to pass out, they had a spare third bedroom I could use. I nodded and waited a moment to try to get there. I didn't want to fall in front of everyone.

Craig grabbed my arm and I looked at him. "I can help you if you need me to."

I smiled at him. "I would love that," I said. "If you don't I'm gonna fall down...It's not gonna be pretty getting back up." He helped me off the couch, an arm around my waist as I leaned into him. It felt nice, even if it was just because I was drunker than four hells and couldn't walk on my own. When we got into the room and Craig shut the door, I pushed him against it with a thud and kissed him hard, gripping his collar in my hands and pushing my body as close to his as I could.

"Fuck," he murmured against my lips, his hands on my ass and pulling me closer to him, if that was possible. In a quick movement, he flipped me back against the door and flicked the lock with a hand before wedging a knee between my thighs and putting his hands up on the door to help prop himself up. I leaned back against the door, releasing his shirt and looking up into his eyes, which were almost-black by this point. "You're playing with fucking fire, and you're gonna get burned." He pushed his body up against mine, nudging my chin up with his nose. He pressed his lips on the base of my neck where my shoulder started. "If you want to stop now would be the time to tell me." The feel of his breath made me shudder and I shook my head.

"Please, don't," I said before I realized what I was saying.

"Tell me you want it," he said, grinding his knee against me.

I whimpered, leaning my head back against the door. "Craig…"

"Goddammit, Blondie," He growled, hauling me up and dropping me rather ungracefully on the bed before climbing on top of me, knee making its way back between my legs and kissing the breath out of me. He braced himself up on one arm, the other one pushing my dress up around my hips. He hooked his finger in the side of the lacy underwear I wore and grinned against my mouth. "Oh, so you do wear this kind of thing…"

"You were wondering about what I wore underneath my clothes?" I teased gently, though he made it hard with the way he slowly tugged on the fabric to get it off. His fingers ghosted over my hip and I whined, arching my back and making him grin at me.

"Can't say it didn't cross my mind," he said, and nothing else was said after that.

He flipped the light off, I supposed out of respect for me, since I was feeling a tad uncomfortable once he got my dress off me and I was completely unclothed. After that, things heated rather quickly and I didn't remember a lot other than a lot of whines that couldn't have been coming from anyone but me. I'm sure I whimpered his name thousands of times, and vaguely recalled him whispering filthy things to me that should have turned me off but apparently drunk and horny me really liked what he was saying. I'm also fairly sure I saw fireworks more than once and when we finally finished he passed out beside me, not touching me at all. I knew he was way more sober than I was, and while it should have upset me, it didn't and I crashed after pulling my underwear back on so I wasn't completely naked.


The next day I woke up alone with a headache and a queasy stomach. I sat forward, putting my hands in my hair and rubbed my face. When I looked around I realized I hadn't taken my contacts out before bed and sighed. Not that it was really a huge deal that I slept in them but I still didn't like doing it. I got out of bed, grabbing my dress and pulling that on so I could sneak out to get my bag and change my clothes. Dahlia, who was still in her underwear, was already up and cooking breakfast (which, judging by the clock in the kitchen it was nearly 1pm so it wasn't really breakfast), and she smiled at me when I walked in. "Good morning..ish," she laughed to herself. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," I said, my face turning beet red at the memory of the night before. "I, um...slept really well."

"That's good," she said, flipping a pancake. "Hungry?"

"Not today," I said with a grimace, then looked at her wide-eyed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that."

She laughed, shaking her head. "No, I completely understand."

I ran a hand through my hair. "I have never drank that much in my life."

"Oh, darlin', you have to come hang out more. We'll get you to where we are." She giggled to herself. "So. You and Craig?"

"The answer is still no," I said. "We just...spent the night together. There's still nothing between us." I grabbed my bag, flipping it up over my shoulder. My head throbbed as I looked back at her. "I just don't know how to tell Jimmy, you know? Like...I don't know if we're actually a thing, or if it was just one date, or what, but I can't just lie to him."

"I understand," she said. "But hey, I know it sounds bad, but if the subject never comes up, then I wouldn't worry about it. Craig was a one-night stand, and if you and Jimmy aren't together yet, it's no big deal." She shrugged. "I mean, you can tell him if you want, but I personally don't recommend it yet, you know?" She looked at me thoughtfully. "However, being Jimmy, I'm not sure how much he'd care."

I sighed to myself. "I guess you're right." I smiled at her. "Thanks, Dahlia."

"Not a problem," she replied.

I went ahead to the room they let me use, changing quickly and after a quick thanks and goodbye, I began my long drive home.


Hope you guys are liking it! Thanks for reading :)