Chapter Three

The next morning Evan didn't so much as glance at me during the routine chaos known as breakfast. Although I was a little surprised, I was also relieved that I didn't have to deal with any of it especially before I'd had my morning coffee. Finn didn't look at me either, not that I had expected anything else it didn't exactly fit into his morning routine of chowing down on breakfast before locking himself in his shed. It had been so long since I'd been there, I couldn't help but wonder if he'd found a new muse or other topic for his artistic fixation.

The phone rang just then and Regina came in handing it to me mouthing it's for you. I grabbed the phone from her and jogged up the stairs, out of earshot of the boys.

"Hello?"

"Hey!" Aimee exclaimed in an upbeat tone which meant there was either a blow out at the mall or a party. "Guess who's parents are out of town?"

"Who's?" I said bemusedly.

"Arthur Reynolds! So I'm coming over in an hour and we're going to go to the mall, and spend the entire day getting ready!"

"Fine!" I murmured faking boredom.

"Meagan Meade I know you're just as excited as I am!" I rolled my eyes and said I'd see her in an hour. I quickly threw on my shorts and an oversized army t-shirt and figured I'd fit in a half hour run to clear my head before she came over.

My feet pounded the pavement in a familiar way, my legs feeling strong beneath me. Why had Evan kissed me? I knew the answer to that one, he loved to toy with people most of all me. Why couldn't everything just be simple?

I stared at my reflection in the mirror of the shared bathroom and was astonished. Despite Aimee being extremely talented with a makeup brush and a curling iron, I was astounded to see the girl before me. My hair looked glossy as it hung in loose waves past my shoulders, and my eyes had never been as green as they were now accented by a heavy smokey eye.

"Wow!" I exclaimed greatfully and Aimee smiled at me, clearly satisfied with her handywork.

"Now, go get dressed and we'll go." I frowned at the clock and was shocked to realize it was already nine. I shuffled to my room and changed into the black sequined dress that Aimee had practically forced me into buying at the mall. It was short and was as tight as a second skin, but I had to admit I didn't look half bad. I wedged my feet into a pair of borrowed black wedge heel sandals and gave myself a final once over before trouncing downstairs.

She was deep in conversation with Miller and I smiled to myself. I decided to leave them talking for a while as I sank down into one of the empty seats at the dining room table and sipped on a coke while I picked at the remanents of a bag of Jalapeno Cheddar Miss Vickie's chips.

"You look nice!" Regina cooed, clearly pleased I'd ditched my baggy boy jeans for a dress and had actually made use of the makeup she'd bought me.

"Thanks," I said as I blushed a little. Doug and Sean came in then and both kind of gawked at me, causing my blush to deepen.

"You look hot!" Doug exclaimed with a smirk. "I guess you really are a girl."

"You look really pretty Meagan." Sean said sweetly as he helped himself to a beer from the fridge.

"Thank-you Sean and Doug just because I can beat you at practically any sport doesn't make me any less of a girl!" He rolled his eyes before muttering something unintelligible.

After dragging Aimee away from Miller, we drove to Arthur Reynold's house where the party was already in full swing. Some girls were dancing in bikinis in the front yard, clearly off in their own little world while loud techno music blared from inside.

A couple beers and a few shots later I was drunk. Drunk enough to begin dancing in the middle of some of Evan's hockey friends while Aimee just looked at me bemusedly. I felt hands snake around my waist and saw Chris smiling down at me.

"Hey," He said and I murmured hey back. "You look really pretty tonight Meagan."

"Thanks." Before I knew what was happening I was kissing Chris of all people! We were dancing and kissing and doing shots, and during that time I'd lost sight of Aimee and after asking around had discovered she'd left.

"Need a ride?" Chris offered and I nodded greatfully.

When he pulled up to the McGowan house it was already twelve, but despite my better judgement I invited him in. The house was quiet when we got in and I kept shushing him as we tiptoed up the stairs to my room. Without having been caught we slipped into my room and I pulled him over to the bed where we resumed our makeout session from earlier.

I didn't know if it was the fact that I was drunk, sleep-deprived, trying to get over Finn, or a combination of the three but I found myself allowing Chris to take off my dress as I took off his shirt. He smiled down at me as he began kissing my neck gently while his hands roamed around my naked torso.

"Meagan?" I let out a shriek as I saw light flooding in from the hallway where Regina and John stood looking shocked and angry. I desperately tried to pull my dress back on as Chris sat up beside me, his back rigid as he pulled on his t-shirt.

"I'll just be-uh-going." Chris mumbled as he quickly exited my room leaving me alone to deal with Regina and John.

"Come downstairs after you're dressed, we need to talk." Regina said sternly as she and John walked down the hallway. I changed into a pair of comfy pyjamas before walking downstairs, trying to mentally will myself to be sober.

"Meagan, we realize we haven't exactly set ground rules when it comes to boys-"

"but having one in your bed at one in the morning isn't something we're okay with." Regina finished and I felt my cheeks begin to burn with embarassment. They'd seen me topless in bed with some guy only moments earlier, fiercely making out! "we can't exactly ground you considering we didn't have any definite rules but from now on if that happens again you will be punished." I nodded. "We'll have to discuss it but if you want to date someone you'll have to check with us first, and if you want a boy in your room it's door open. Is that understood?" I nodded.

"You can go to bed now, Meagan." John said and I shuffled back upstairs.

I had almost fallen asleep when I heard a noise outside and saw Finn heading out to his shed. I knew I had to go talk to him, before the tequila induced courage dissapeared.

"Hey," I said as I half knocked before entering the shed. He looked up at me startled.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Um-" I bit my bottom lip not knowing exactly what to say. "why didn't anything happen after I came back? Why didn't you ask me out or at least talk to me?" This question had caught him offguard and I was glad he couldn't put up anymore of his usual walls.

"Meagan-" He sighed and I wasn't going to have it. I wanted answers, I didn't want any of his vague bullshit.

"Finn no! Did I do something wrong?" He shook his head. "Then what? You've been acting weird pretty much since I got back, you haven't talked to me, you haven't kissed me! You've treated me like this-this stranger!" I felt myself began to loose it, so I shut my mouth quickly while I waited for his reply.

"I just didn't want to get you into trouble-"

"Really that's your excuse?" I demanded angrily.

"Meagan I dunno I just-" He struggled for words, and I knew this had been a bad idea. I got up from the chair and turned on my heels, leaving him there. "Meagan!" He called after me but I didn't turn back. I was forever more not speaking to him, if he didn't want me than I would just avoid him completely. I could focus my attention on Chris or Josh... Or Evan?