Thank you for your reviews! If you have any ideas you think I should include or anything you'd like happen in the story, let me know! By the way, in my story, I'm making Pepper more rebellious and more of a badass since I think it'll be a really awesome way to explore her character, and also because I'm bored of the other high school AUs always having Pepper as a straight A student who's scared to have some fun, so she's going to be different to what you might be expecting, but I hope you like it nevertheless. Anyway, if you don't like it or think I should do something else, let me know.


''I'm getting me another drink,'' Liv laughed to herself, stumbling forward.

''Whoa, you sure you're gonna make it over there on your own?'' Jennifer asked, looking at her drunk friend.

''Make it where?'' Liv asked curiously. ''Where are we going?''

Jennifer rolled her eyes. ''To get you a water,''

''Water? Ew no, don't do that to me, I want...I want some tequila!''

''Okay, sure let's get some...tequila,'' Jennifer shook her head.

Pepper laughed at her friends walking away, still sipping at her own drink. She couldn't believe how much fun she was having with a bunch of people she didn't even know. Her friends were quite close with the rest of the cheerleaders and a few of the football guys, so their group had expanded quite a lot in the past few hours they had been drinking. Pepper was now acquainted with many of the students at her school, and since she had been drinking quite a lot, they got to see the fun side of her and immediately accepted her. She wasn't the new girl to them anymore, she was Pepper, and she could tell that school wasn't going to be as boring anymore. However, she was still the new girl to a few people, and one of them happened to be one of the football players who just wouldn't leave her alone.

''I guess I could get out of this school whenever I want really, I've been offered a few football scholarships,'' Benjamin told her as he leaned onto the wall next to her, doing his best to get her attention. ''I mean, they could really use a player like me-''

''Would you excuse me...for a second,'' Pepper smiled, lifting up her empty cup. ''I have to get another drink,''

''Hey let me get that for you,'' he smirked at her.

It wasn't that Pepper didn't like this guy, she didn't even know him, but the way he was acting around her and how he was talking to her just convinced her not to trust him. She had been to parties before and unfortunately knew people that had trusted the wrong guy, and she wasn't that stupid, no matter how much she had to drink.

''Uh, no it's fine, I actually have to go to the bathroom,'' Pepper lied, smiling politely as she walked away.

She found the table with numerous bottles of alcohol, easily making herself up a concoction of mixtures. When she looked over to the group she was with, Benjamin was still standing there, probably waiting for her to come back and she wasn't in the mood to stand there and listen to his boasting anymore. Pepper didn't know where anything in this house was, but she wasn't going back to the group where Benjamin was while Jennifer and Liv were still gone, and so she continued walking down the corridor until she was out by the pool deck overlooking the ocean. It was beautiful outside and Pepper walked over to the railing, putting her legs over it to dangle down as she set comfortably sipping her drink. It was so peaceful outside considering how crazy it was inside.

Reaching into her pocket, Pepper pulled out a cigarette and a lighter and looked around behind her. She wasn't a heavy smoker, but it was relaxing and it was a hidden habit of hers. She knew how disgusting it was and the damage it would do to her in the long run if she continued, but she told herself she would forget about everything for the night, and she intended to keep that promise to herself.

A few moments later, Pepper could feel another presence beside her and when she turned, Tony Stark was standing beside her, leaning on the railing and looking out at the ocean. He had a drink in his hand that he was taking large gulps of as he stood there silently. Pepper looked at him for a while longer, wondering what he was doing before she looked back out to the ocean, bring the cigarette back to her lips.

''What, no line?'' she turned back to him.

Pepper was shocked at how freely she was speaking now after she had been drinking all night. Normally, she wouldn't have said anything to him, but the alcohol had gotten to her a long time ago. Tony chuckled and shook his head, looking out to the water.

''Would you like one?'' he asked with a smirk on his face, casually leaning on the railing with his elbow.

''If you'd like to waste your time, sure,'' she shrugged.

Tony grinned and leaned back against the railing more comfortably. His house was full of people who all wanted to hang out with him, but he just didn't want to go back inside. They were like a mob just crowding around him, and although he enjoyed it, there were times where he just wanted to get away from it all. Pepper rested her hand back down on the railing and Tony grabbed the cigarette from her hand, lifting it to his lips as he breathed in the smoke, placing the cigarette back in her was too busy trying to process what he had just done to say anything, but she didn't say anything, instead she continued on as normal, dangling her legs from the railing and looking down at the water.

''I prefer cigars,'' he breathed out the smoke.

''Of course you do,'' Pepper rolled her eyes.

''For someone who's new here, you sure have a solid opinion on me,''

''Don't take it personally,'' she shook her head, taking a sip of her drink again. ''I'm pretty sure everyone here as a solid opinion on me too, being the new girl,''

''I don't,''

Pepper chuckled at his words. ''Right,''

''So isn't this the part where you introduce yourself?'' Tony asked, looking up at her. ''Or are you going to play the whole mysterious card where you make me keep wondering and-''

''It's Pepper,'' she cut him off.

''Pepper?'' he asked, considering the name. ''That's...your name?''

''That's my name,'' she nodded. ''And don't even think about making a salt and pepper joke, I've heard them all,''

Tony grinned and looked back out to the water. They stayed out there together for a while longer in silence, just looking out at the crashing waves until Tony broke the silence after finishing his drink.

''So, you want a tour of the house?'' he asked her with a smirk.

Pepper looked over to him with amusement, shaking her head as she knew it wouldn't have been long before he tried to make a move. He was Tony Stark, the biggest playboy in the school and she wasn't surprised.

''Sure, you can show me the door,'' Pepper jumped down off the railing, stumbling slightly as she put her feet back on the ground.

''Why, you leaving?'' he asked, almost shocked that she was considering going home. ''What, your mommy give you a curfew?''

What Tony meant as a harmless joke was met with no laughter. Pepper looked over to him with a blank expression, her eyes looking straight into his with no emotion. Tony had a grin on his face, expecting Pepper to make a smart comeback, but instead she threw back the rest of her drink and tossed her cup to the side, walking back into the party.

''So that's a no on the tour?'' Tony called out, but she was already gone among the crowd.

Pepper walked through the sea of people, trying to find her way to the front door. She had a good night, but right now she just wanted to go home. She shouldn't have stayed outside and talked to Tony, she knew it was a bad idea but she had too much to drink, and although she was still quite intoxicated, she wanted to leave.

Pepper groaned when she continued walking and saw Benjamin looking over to her. He was obviously happy to see her again and walked over to her, two drinks in his hand, offering one to her with a smile.

''Hey, where'd you go?'' he asked, holding the cup to her.

''Uh, I got lost,'' Pepper shrugged. ''I think I'll pass on the drink thanks,''

''Aw come on Pepper, I made it especially for you,'' he continued holding the cup to her, trying to get her to take it.

''Well thanks, but no thanks,'' she tried her best to politely decline his offer.

''Come on Pepper,'' he insisted. ''One drink, that's all I'm asking,''

''I said no,''

''Pep-''

''Oh Benjamin, haven't you learnt to recognize rejection yet?''

Pepper turned to see Tony pushing the cup away from Pepper, smiling at Benjamin to soften his insult. He had followed Pepper back inside and happened to find her here with the footballer that he didn't exactly get along with. Pepper was relieved she didn't have to deal with Benjamin anymore, but that fact that it was Tony that helped her out of that situation only made her want to leave the party even more. She walked away from the two boys and continued looking for her friends, scanning the room.

''Geez, you're welcome,'' Tony's voice came from behind her as he followed.

''Go annoy someone else,'' she muttered, still walking away.

''What's your problem?'' he asked. ''One minute you're talking to me, the next you're running away from me,''

''Yep,'' Pepper replied, barely listening to him as she walked away, spotting Jennifer and Liv. ''Bye now,''

Pepper walked over to her friends to find Liv barely standing, her arms thrown around Jennifer's shoulders to hold her up. Emily walked over not long after with her bag and let them know she was ready to leave, and Pepper had never been so relieved. She had had a good night and completely let go of everything, but right now she wanted to go home for a number of reasons. At least she wasn't just the new girl anymore.


Pepper had spent her whole weekend doing school work and lounging around her empty house. Her dad was working late each night which basically left the house to her the entire weekend. To any other teenager, that could have meant a lot of things, but Pepper preferred to spend that time alone. She was alone most of the time, it wasn't as if it was anything new.

Back at school on Monday, everyone was talking about Tony Stark's party on Friday night. How wasted they got, how many people were there, the fact that the music in the house made them go deaf for the rest of the weekend, it was non-stop banter about the party everywhere Pepper walked. Pepper had already heard from Liv the next day and it was the worst hangover she ever had. Pepper wondered if that was how all of Tony's parties went considering that the whole school was talking about it. Pepper wasn't exactly hungover on Saturday, but she did have a few blurry memories of the night before that she wished she could have clarified.

''Hey Pepper,''

She turned around to see a few guys from the football team politely waving at her and she returned the greeting, moving on. She was no longer the new girl that no one knew about or didn't speak to anyone, she was now acquainted with almost everyone in her year group. She got more looks than she did on Friday, making her wonder how many people she actually spoke to and got to know, but now couldn't remember.

Tony sat over in his usual spot before the morning bell, lounging on the table comfortably looking around the school as he slipped on his shades. Everyone was talking about his party which made him pleased with how it all went. The only thing about that night that stood out to him though was when he met Pepper. All week he had been wondering about her and who she was, and so far all he had gotten was her name and the fact that he really didn't understand her at all. He looked over in the middle of the school where the stairs from the parking lot were and noticed Pepper, her hair glowing in the sun, being approached by the same guy he had managed to save her from.

''Pepper-''

''Benjamin, seriously,'' Pepper sighed, shaking her head.

She remembered what happened between them and the situation they had, and who happened to save her from it.

''Look I'm sorry about what happened the other night, I was hammered, I'm not usually like that,'' he told her with a sad expression. ''I'm just...I'm sorry, okay?''

Pepper nodded her head. ''It's fine, no harm no foul, right?''

Pepper continued walking into the school when she saw Tony looking over to her. He was obviously watching her encounter with Benjamin, and he began to stand up as Pepper got closer. When she noticed, she slowed down, pretending to look around before walking the other way, ignoring him. She knew he wanted to talk to her, but she really didn't want to deal with it. She was still regretting the fact she even spoke to him the other night and realized he was just how everyone said he was. Pepper didn't want to talk to him, she just wanted to forget they even met each other. It's not like they ran in the same circles anyway, it would be easy to stay away from him. Or at least she hoped so, but she had no idea how persistent Tony Stark was, and when he wanted something, he always got it.