"Hey, Callie," Leo greeted with a grin, panting and putting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. He sort of wished he took his time instead of sprinting towards his sort-of girlfriend without a second thought. The sweaty look was probably not doing him any favors. "I'm so glad you made it."

Callie gave a strained smile. "Oh! Yes, nice to see you too." She looked at his attire. "What are you wearing?"

Leo twirled in place until he was dizzy. He had to rest a sweaty palm on Callie's shoulder to catch his breath. "I'm an angel!" Leo declared. "It's a costume party, duh. What are you?"

Callie was just wearing a pair of baggy blue Adidas track pants and a yellow tank top. "You didn't tell me I was supposed to dress up," she frowned. Leo slapped his forehead.

"My bad..." Leo was saved from the awkward moment by Piper, Jason, and Nico - who probably made things more awkward since they were all dressed up. Even Nico was still wearing his little bat costume.

"Nice to meet you, Callie," Piper smiled, shaking her hand. "Now, let's go in. It's fucking cold out here." Everyone else voiced their agreements and walked in, Callie trailing behind everyone. The house was full of energy.

Loud music blasted through the house. Dancing couples were moving drunkenly to the music, brandishing red solo cups and revealing costumes of random characters. A table on the side held a massive trash can full of jungle juice. A little freshman came up to greet them, a tray of shot glasses in his hands. "Shot?"

Jason and Callie declined, but Leo, Piper, and Nico each took one. Nico downed his shot without even wincing. "Damn," Leo whistled. "Didn't know you could do that." He punched Nico's arm lightly.

"You're a bad puncher," Nico sniggered, putting the shot glass back on the freshman's tray.

Out of nowhere, Drew came barrelling up to them, knocking a few shot glasses over on the freshman's tray. "Go refill those," she glared. The freshman squeaked and ran off, and Leo wondered how much alcohol Drew bought. Drew plastered on a smile - one that faltered when she looked at Callie, Piper, Leo, and Nico.

Piper rolled her eyes. She should just start getting used to Drew forcing her way into everything she ever did. A mental image of Drew bursting in during her funeral played in her head, making her laugh out loud. Callie looked at her strangely.

"I'm glad you all could make it!" Drew was obviously directing her words towards Jason. She was dressed up as a sexualized version of Lydia from Beetlejuice, with a tight black corset over a lacy black dress, along with fishnets and high heels.

"For the record," Leo mumbled, tapping Nico on the shoulder. "You pull off fishnets way better." Callie raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Thanks for inviting us," Leo said politely.

Drew's tone changed quickly. "Um, I wasn't talking to you. Speaking of which," she said, turning to Callie and Nico. "Who the fuck are these losers? They weren't invited."

Callie flushed red, but Nico just stared at her. "They're just our friends," Jason shrugged. "Didn't think it was a big deal." Nico silently went off towards a cooler, searching for a red solo cup. Apparently, he was uninterested in the exchange and seemed more interested in getting shitfaced.

"I guess i'm the Well, it's fine now," she said, tone quickly becoming syrupy sweet. "I like your outfit. What are you?"

"Cloak," Jason said.

"Oh!" Drew's voice made it clear she was faking recognition. "I love him. That movie was great."

"I swear, does she just think we're horse shit?" Piper asked, turning to Leo and Callie to complain before realizing they too had gone off. Piper groaned, looking to Jason for help but getting nothing.

"So, what would you like to do, Jason?" Drew asked, running her hands against his sides and batting her spider-like lashes.

Jason scratched the back of his head absentmindedly. "Well, I was just gonna go dance with my friends or something -"

"Let's dance together!" Drew grabbed Jason's hand, planting it on her waist, and began to sway him towards the center of the room. Piper glared at the back of Drew's head and stormed off, snatching a beer out of some guy's hand on the way and downing it.

"So, Jason," Drew purred, grip tight on his hand. "Now that we're alone, let's see how well you can dance."

"O-okay," Jason said, turning his head to see where Piper was going. Drew grabbed his chin and directed it back towards her face with red-painted fingers.

"Forget about Piper! She doesn't give a shit about you," Drew scoffed, like the idea was ridiculous. Jason frowned, and for a second, he almost believed her. Drew's voice was strong and sounded nice, making her words feel credible. "Spend more time with people who care," she said, leaning into Jason with her lips slightly perked.

"You really aren't giving me a lot of choices," Jason admitted, looking down at Drew's vice grip. They danced a little to the music. Jason kept stepping on her toes, but Drew didn't say anything about his terrible dance skills. Man, I Feel Like a Woman blasted loudly, almost gratingly so. It wasn't a good song to dance to.

"Jason," Drew whispered, saying the name so sweetly Jason almost wanted to dance the night away with her. The mood was soured by the puking freshman behind her. Apparently, fourteen-year-olds couldn't handle their alcohol. "You're so hot-ow!"

She tripped over the leg of a couple making out on the ground. Jason barely caught her by the back. Drew attempted a flirty smile. "Oh my god, I'm like, so clumsy." She kicked the couple with her pointy heel and kept dragging along Jason to dance.

…

Nico felt a little bit alienated. Jason was busy with Drew- Nico really couldn't tell if he was being manhandled or if they were just dancing. Either way, he didn't feel like stepping in. Callie and Leo had gone off somewhere, which kinda sucked. Sure, Nico was happy for his friend, but he kinda wished he could have hung around with someone for the night.

It was weird thinking of Leo as a friend. Even the word felt foreign in his brain. A friend. That's what they were.

Nico took a sip of his jungle juice and winced. Whoever had made it fucked up the ratio, leaving him with too much soda and not enough vodka. He observed everyone else in the room. That's what he usually did at bigger events- he sat back and watched.

Couples danced together to shitty pop songs, grinding on each other and moving to the beat of the song. Others played drinking games. There looked to be a game of truth or dare being played in the corner. Off to the side, some fellow sophomores busied themselves playing on an N64. Sometimes, a freshman would approach him and offer him a shot or a refill.

"Why are you guys acting like servants?" He had the nerve to ask one of them. The freshman looked ecstatic as hell.

"Well, I wanted to come to the party!" she lilted. "Buuuut Drew said I could only come if I helped out."

"Why don't you just put the tray down and party anyway? You think she's watching you the whole time?" Nico was genuinely baffled. Were some people that desperate? The freshman shrieked.

"I could never! Drew would find out somehow. Then she'd ruin my life!" The freshman girl giggled as though utter humiliation was pure comedy. "Speaking of which, I can't be seen talking to the guests for fun. Toodle-ooh!"

Nico felt as though he had lost three brain cells in the span of one conversation. He sighed, bringing his solo cup over to the kitchen and dropping his ass in a barstool. He could stay there for the rest of the night unbothered.

Nico sipped his poorly made jungle juice and fidgeted with the stupid bat ears Leo made him wear. He almost wanted to ditch them, but he just didn't have the heart.

"This party is so fucking stupid, isn't it?" Piper complained, taking the seat next to Nico. She brandished her own red solo cup. From the way she swayed, this was not her first drink of the night. Nico suppressed an eye-roll. Of course, because nobody else was available, Nico was the one she had to talk with.

"Yeah, I guess." He sipped his empty cup just so he had something to do with his hands.

Piper tapped him and nodded over to Jason and Drew. "God, she's practically making a puddle over him. Desperate much?" Nico looked up at them.

Drew had Jason in a tight lock. They were still "dancing" (mostly, Drew was just trying to get as close as possible to Jason for as long as she could), like they had been for the past three songs. "Oh, she could stand to give him some personal space."

"Verbs are so dumb. They're just gonna be nobodies in a few years, why do people obsess over them?" Seeing as Piper was relentless with her talking, Nico decided to humor her. The alcohol was starting to make him feel a little lightheaded.

"Honestly, you're right," Nico said, adjusting his position in his seat. "I seriously don't even get the appeal of talking to girls like Drew."

"For real!" She threw her hands up, excited at the prospect of someone sharing her opinion. "She's a megabitch. What's appealing, her body? Her 'personality'? Please."

Nico gave a half-smile. "I just know Dawn is going to be one of those school nurses who would give a kid with a broken leg an ice pack. She just exudes that aura."

"Oh shit," Piper laughed. "She'll get bogged down with multiple mistakes-slash-kids and reminisce on her high school days without any warnings." Piper took a swig of her drink. "Okay, do Dash next."

Nico tapped his chin. "He'll be the guy wearing a highschool letterman jacket everywhere. Bonus points if he gets a tattoo of the final score of his last football game," he supplied.

They did the rounds, taking turns guessing the future of everyone at the party. "That stoner kid in the corner?" Nico pointed his chin over to Roger, who was busy trying to light his bong over the stovetop.

"He'll run a suspicious looking yet somehow very good hair cutting business," Piper decided after a beat. "Her?"

Nico observed the goth girl who was making out with some random soccer-playing jock. "Depressed in a dead-end office job at age thirty-eight." Piper whistled.

"Fuck, you're good. I'm guessing the soccer guy will be like a contestant on a reality show and everyone will hate him."

The little game they had made kept them occupied. Nico decided Piper was alright, even if she was still watching Jason and Drew, who were now squashed together on a couch. "Are you into Jason or something?" Nico wouldn't have the balls to say anything if he wasn't two drinks and one shot in.

"No!" she insisted quickly, eyes glued on Jason from across the room. Suddenly, their eyes met. "He's looking at us."

"Okay?" Nico knew she was bullshitting. Piper had a thing for Jason, and staring at him from across the room was not a good way to hide it. "What do you want me to do?"

Piper sighed. "I don't know. This was such a bad idea." Nico didn't know if she meant talking to him or coming to the party. "I'm gonna get some fresh air." She ran a hand through her hair and stumbled out of her barstool, knocking over her drink and sending a wave of reddish liquid over the counter. Nico winced in disgust and knocked back the last of his drink.

…

Jason's eyes fixated on Piper as she laughed, her eyes lighting up beautifully.

Piper's eyes were the most noticeable thing about her. They were a hauntingly dark shade of brown, intimidating and yet inviting at the same time. So many emotions could be read by just her eyes. They seemed to shift expressiveness as she did- going from sharp to soft to fierce in seconds. "Hello? Jaaaason!" Drew snapped her fingers. Jason's attention shot back to Drew.

"Yeah? Are we done now?" he asked. He was annoyed by the way Drew would cling onto his arm, drag herself along wherever he went.

Drew followed his eyes, scoffing when she saw they were on Piper. "Puh-lease! Don't tell me you're still on about Piper," she snarled, digging her sharp nails into Jason's arm.

"I really like her," Jason said simply. "What's the big deal? Why do you have a problem with it?"

"Fuck love, Jason." Drew liked to use his name in nearly every sentence she spoke to make her words appear more inviting. "Listen, love is finicky. Love is dangerous."

A pucker formed in between his brows. "...What are you on about?"

"Look, love sounds great, but it's dangerous. I don't think you need to project it onto fucking Piper. She's just going to stomp on your heart or kill you in the process. Get with the program and stop giving a shit." Drew scoffed. "True love is bullshit, Jason."

"Well, Drew," he said sharply. "I don't know how you would know that. You don't know me or Piper or-"

"So what?" she cut him off. "I know what love does to a person," she seethed, getting up into Jason's face. "My sister was so devoted to someone." Drew rolled her eyes.

"Wanna know where it got her? Her love was used against her. She was exploited, manipulated, all because of love. Silena got gaslit, abused, you name it. It fucking killed her, Jason, it killed her." Her voice broke at the end, and she settled down slightly.

Jason swallowed hoping she was done, but Drew took another swig and continued. "Love is stupid. But you know what isn't stupid? Power." Jason shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "You could have it all. Popularity. Fame. Money, even. We could rule this motherfucking world together and yet you choose to hang out with them. Leo and Piper."

"Leo, a weird-ass delinquent boy," Drew snorted as she spoke, as though Leo was less of a person to her. "And a girl who's just going to break your heart- I mean, she's the daughter of a fucking movie star! Piper's going to lead you on and break your heart and laugh about it." Drew laughed. "That's what those air-headed celebrities are trained to do. Cause drama. I'm sure her dad is telling her to do this." Drew's voice began to slur. She was drunk.

"Oh, Piper!" She moved one of her hands so it looked like they were 'talking'. "Start some drama for me, will you? It'll bring the ticket sales in for my next movie." Drew laughed, clapping her hands together maniacally. "Your love will get you nowhere, Jason."

Then, her voice shifted. It became more alluring, enticing. "You could just join me. You don't need to be dragged down by those two." She smirked devilishly. "And you aren't bad looking. We can carry on a loveless charade. What do you say?"

Jason blinked. "No." Drew's eyes shattered. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about your sister and I'm sorry that I'm just not interested." Jason ran a hand through his hair.

"I love Piper and Leo. They're my best friends, and they love me for who I am," Jason began. "They're not going to extort that. They're not going to control me. That's what you want to do, Drew." He sighed. "I'm gonna go find them."

…

Callie and Leo clung to each other as they 'danced'.

Well, it looked like Callie was trying to lead Leo into a complicated waltz, but he was stumbling and giggling. "I'm not good on my feet," Leo complained. Callie rolled her eyes and stopped him from falling.

"No, you are not. But I just want to have one good dance," Callie insisted, moving his hand to the correct spot. "This is my first party, come on," she complained, standing him up on his feet.

"Okay, okay, fine," Leo grumbled, swaying along with her. Callie gave a pleased smile- for a half-second, until Leo fell to the ground again.

"How are you this sloshed?" Callie rolled her eyes and sat on the ground next to him, shaking his shoulder. "Get up."

"It's comfy here," he giggled.

"I cannot believe you," Callie thundered. "I just want to have a good night and you're drunk off your ass after one shot." The smile-y Burger King girl vanished in an instant, and Leo realized he didn't even really know Calypso.

Leo twitched. "Stop making me sound like such a lightweight. I also had half of a beer." He moved his hands erratically.

"Still, not what I had in mind when you asked me out. Really, you are such a joke," she fumed, crossing her arms and throwing her braid over her shoulder. "Why did I even agree to this."

Leo sat up and glared at Callie. She was no longer smiling with her entire face- she was scowling with her entire body. "Well, I'm not having a good time either."

"Boohoo!" Callie said, getting to her feet. "Who's fault is that?"

"...Yours?" Leo tried. "I mean, you're just bitching. Bitch bitch bitch. I'm not Cappella or something. So what if I can't dance?"

Callie shook with anger. "I cannot believe you. Jerk."

"Well, you're just being uptight." He stood up, nearly tripping as he did. "I'm gonna find Nico. I bet he won't force me to dance and then complain when I can't."

Leo turned his back on Callie and began to stumble away from her. "Maybe you should have gone to the dance with him, then!" She yelled, inhaling sharply and blushing from the attention she had garnered. An audience had formed without her even realizing it.

Callie clenched a fist and stormed out of the house.

…

"Nicooo," Leo mumbled, hopping onto the chair surprisingly nimbly for a drunk guy. "Callie said she hated me."

Nico rolled his eyes. Apparently, he was a particularly good magnet for Drunk People that night. "Good for you." He almost took another sip of his drink absentmindedly, but he figured it was a good time to stop since his head was getting cloudy.

"No!" he said. "Not good! What do I do?"

Nico sighed, grabbing a bottle of water from a nearby cooler. He almost tossed it at Leo, but he figured Leo would get knocked over if it hit him. "Drink this and stay here so you don't do anything you regret."

"Yes sir." Leo downed the bottle and set it down. His tunic was ripped on the side, exposing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-patterned boxers. "See something you like?" Leo asked, nudging Nico.

"You're drunk. Also, really? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?" Nico said, judging him based off of his underwear choice.

"Oh, shut up." Leo made no act to cover up. Nico was content sitting there and listening to Leo complaining about Callie. The alcohol muddled his senses and it almost felt like he was underwater.

"Beer pong?" a random sophomore asked them. Leo nodded excitedly.

"Fuck yeah! C'mon, teammate." He slung an arm around Nico, who exhaled and went along with it. At least Leo seemed to be sobering up.

…

Piper sighed, leaning over the railing of the balcony. The loud music was dulled, muffled and barely audible. She flicked a bit of hair behind her ear and clicked chewed fingernails against the edge of the wood. A subtle breeze flowed through the air.

"Hey."

Jason.

Piper closed her eyes. She needed to be honest. "Are you and Drew a thing?"

Jason tilted his head. He had always shared the same mannerisms as a Golden Retriever. "No. She's okay, but no." He stood by her side, resting his arms on the railing and looking up at the stars. "So."

"So."

"You needed air too?" he asked, rolling back onto his heels.

Piper gave a weak smile. "Yeah, this night was a mess." Her costume was askew and one of her devil horns had fallen off sometime in the night.

"I wanted to ask you out," Jason blurted tactlessly, flushing at his confession. "I really like you, Piper. I was just too scared, because you're- you're so cool. And I also didn't want to ruin the friendship dynamic-thing we had."

Piper laughed, and Jason shattered. "I'm too cool? Please."

Piper looked up at Jason with her light brown eyes, every dark speckle visible in the moonlight. Jason liked it when the light hit Piper's eyes just right, it made her look radiant. Of course, he liked Piper's eyes all the time- sometimes it was hard for Jason to take his eyes off of them. They seemed to express emotions better than any other eyes could: shifting from happy to playful to sad as fast as Piper could. Her eyes softened.

"Jason, I really like you too. I just." She shook her head. "If anything, you're the cool one."

"What?"

"You are," she insisted, tugging on his hand. "I don't care what you think about yourself, Jason, because it's wrong and you're stupid for believing that."

"Oh," Jason said dumbly.

"Oh," Piper mocked. Her ears perked up. She could just make out the beginning lines of Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill. "Can I have this dance?" she asked suavely.

Jason smiled. "The music is barely audible and we're on a balcony. Sort of dangerous, if you ask me."

"Well," Piper said, grabbing Jason's hand and beginning to sway him into a complicated pattern. "I'm a dangerous girl."

...

The car ride home was silent. Jason had to carry Leo to the car after he knocked over the beer pong table, Piper had inexplicitly decided to steal one of Drew's houseplants, and Nico was swaddled in Jason's letterman jacket.

"We are never going to a party again," Jason announced.