Wow, I watched alot of anime particularly Ouran Highschool Host Club and Howl's Moving Castle while writing this chapter. It felt like a fever dream. Alot happens in this chapter so I hope you're all ready! Reviews are much appreciated, but your enjoyment is more important!

Thank you so much to the guests and Lola Vegas for your reviews on the last chapter!

Warnings of strong language and alchohol use in this chapter!

I don't own anything.

"Sometimes you have to be a high riding bitch to survive, sometimes, being a bitch is all a woman has to hang on to."

― Stephen King, Dolores Claiborne

The next school day, Connie met Penelope at their lockers, armed with a tin box. Before Penelope opened her mouth to speak, Connie beat her to it and shoved the tin box towards her.

"Look, I'm really sorry I told Billy about the stink bomb. Sorrier than I've been about anything in my life! Real honest, Penelope." Connie pouted, miserable.

Penelope frowned just as unhappy. "Maybe I was too harsh with what I said."

The black-haired beauty's eyes lit with hope. "Can you please not be mad at me anymore and accept my apology muffins?"

Penelope sighed as Connie laid the hurt puppy routine out real thick. "It depends. What kind of muffins?"

"Blueberry."

A delicate smile appeared on Penelope's lips. "You're lucky that blueberry makes a perfect apology muffin."

Connie squealed and threw her arms around her friend's neck, both laughing lightly before opening their lockers.

"I'm glad we're good now because I have some shit to tell you about Billy! I tried telling him to get his crew to lay off you, but he kept trying to feel me up!"

Staring into a mirror in her locker, the Palermo girl adjusted the large bow holding her ponytail while she relayed details concerning her recent fight with Billy last night.

"All he wants to do is fool around. Sometimes, it's like he doesn't even listen to what I'm saying." She frowned at Penelope's backside as her friend frantically rummaged through her locker.

"I see he isn't the only one not listening."

"Sorry, Connie." Penelope gestured to her locker. "Have you seen my textbooks?"

"Who actually uses their schoolbooks?" Connie huffed and checked her teeth for lipstick.

Penelope groaned. "My textbooks are gone! I left them here yesterday! I'm totally screwed."

"Hey, hey, it'll be ok. Maybe they were taken to the lost and found," Connie suggested.

The two girls journeyed to the school's office, the lion's den where teachers hid from their students and nurse their headaches from rowdy classes with subpar coffee. The school secretary, a broad woman with gray streaks in her black hair, hunched over her desk. Long wrinkled fingers with unusually sharp nails clutched a pencil as she pondered over a word puzzle.

Penelope timidly tapped on the desk. "Um, excuse me?"

The secretary ignored her. Penelope tried again. "Excuse me?"

The woman huffed and glared at them from under her cat-eye glasses. "Young lady, can't you see I'm working?"

"Oh, um, sorry," Penelope mumbled and turned to leave, but her friend grabbed a fistful of her backpack. With an exasperated eye roll, Connie shoved herself forward and slammed her hand on the desk.

"We wanna check the lost and found for some textbooks." She glanced at an imaginary watch on her wrist. "Like, now."

The secretary grimaced before pulling a cardboard box from under her desk and unceremoniously dropping it before the girls. "Knock yourselves out," she scoffed, sounding quite literal before snatching her word puzzle and stomping to the back of the office.

They rifled through a small stash of notebooks, hairbrushes, and a pair of sunglasses missing a lense, but unable to find the missing textbooks.

"Well, this was useless," Penelope angrily tossed in dirty gym shorts and a bag of bottle caps.

"Why would someone need this?" Connie held a rubber chicken.

Right then, Billy and Vince approached the girls, grinning like two predatory cats. Billy threw his arms around the two girls' shoulders as Vince rifled through the box like a child with a toy chest.

"Looking for something, Summers?" Billy snickered. Vince giggled like a clown as Penelope shook his arm off.

"What's it to you, snake?" she snapped, tensed.

"Hi, Billy," Connie smiled brightly. He didn't acknowledge her, instead his focus remained on Penelope.

"Don't be so snappy, girl. My boy Vince and I were taking a casual stroll around school." His tone was anything but innocent. "And we just heard a little rumor that there might been something on the roof of major importance to you."

Gasping, she shoved past them and ran outside, leaving Billy and Vince laughing and Connie scolding them behind her. Once outside, she peered up at the roof, shielding her eyes from the sun. What were those idiots talking about? The bell rang, and she groaned now late for class. But she was already outside and might as well see what the boys were talking about. She walked around the school, scanning the sides of the roof until she noticed something barely peeking over.

"Those damn Cobras," she growled. "How did they get into my locker?"

One angry janitor with a ladder later, Penelope clutched her covered in bird poop textbooks against her chest and stomped through the empty hall more than late for class. Her teacher accused her of ditching class thus resulting in Penelope punished with detention. Crushed with despair from her first detention, Penelope strode to her locker on the lookout for any venomous Cobras.

It was mystery meatloaf special in the cafeteria today. She was grateful her mother did not offer to pack lunch again and for the muffins Connie baked so Penelope could enjoy something not brown slush. However, when she opened her locker, her mouth and stomach dropped in horror. Penelope's bag of lunch and the muffin box had mysteriously disappeared from their place! After fifteen minutes of fruitlessly searching and hoping they would reappear, she resigned herself to standing in the outrageous line of apathetic, tired students who were also unfortunate in not having lunches from home.

Holding a tray of the disturbingly liquid and pungent smelling meatloaf, Penelope scanned the room for Connie, spotting her friend waving her down at a table with some of Connie's friends in the back. A strained, uneasy smile plastered itself on Penelope's mouth. Connie was a well-liked girl with multiple connections, and even though she was aware of Penelope's preference for isolation, Connie still occasional tried to widen Penelope's social circle. A kind gesture, but honestly it really annoyed Penelope. She began moving towards a table in the opposite direction when someone walked behind her, and Penelope felt herself being shoved. She fell forward on the ground, her food squishing all over her clothes.

Ace Merrill stood above her, deviously smirking as the students around them laughed at her unfortunate accident.

"Have a nice trip, Summers?" he casually stepped over her. "You need to be careful. You could get seriously hurt."

The girl cursed at his back as he sauntered away and disappeared into the crowd.

"Stupid Cobra," she growled as she journeyed to the girls' locker room. She couldn't leave school to change her ruined clothes, so she planned to wear her gym clothes. The dingy empty locker room echoed her footsteps as the dirty, gray walls seemed to taunt her for her predicament. She pulled out the wretched orange and gray t shirt and baggy shorts. She pulled on the atrocious colored clothes, grateful she at least had an alternative outfit. She spared a glance at the mirror. "Ah!" She shrieked in horror.

Someone had cut enormous, uneven holes in the chest area, exposing her bra to the whole world.

"Did they sneak in here?" she growled, teeth grinding in anger. The door opened and someone entered. Penelope yelped, crossing her arms over her chest. Connie came around the corner face and eyes red, but Penelope couldn't tell if it was due to anger or sadness.

"I've been looking for you everywhere- uh, what happened to your shirt?"

Penelope groaned, yanking the ruined shirt over her head and sliding into her stained blouse, shuddering as the mushy beef squished against her skin. "Cobras. Don't ask. What's wrong, Connie? You look really upset."

"I was looking for you after you left the lunchroom, and I went into the art room, and Billy was there! And he . . .h-he-." She took a deep breath before wailing with tears bursting from her eyes. "He was kissing Tina Howell!"

The anguished girl flung herself at her friend, despite the food covering her. Stunned, Penelope wrapped her arms around Connie, feeling sobs rack her heartbroken friend's body.

"Connie, I'm so sorry, I don't know how he could do that."

Connie shook her head against Penelope's neck, smothering tears against her skin. "I should have known. Everyone else said Cobras don't stick to one chick for long, and we've broken up before, but that was over stupid arguments. I never thought he would cheat on me!"

"You shouldn't have to think that! He should be faithful to you." Penelope insisted, rubbing her friend's back.

Connie pulled out of the embrace and rubbed her eyes vigorously, smudging her eye makeup. "I can't believe he kissed Tina Howell of all people. She once asked me if seahorses were cousins of real horses."

Penelope nodded sympathetically. "Are you going to break up with him?"

"Hell yes! But I want to do it where there's lots of people, and I want to damage his precious, tough guy Cobra persona so bad he cries."

"We could make that happen," Penelope agreed thoughtfully.

Now both girls shared vendetta against the Castle Rock gang, and each girl would wreak their vengeance on them some way or another. With a renewed energy, Connie faced the mirror and tried to fix her makeup, while Penelope continued to say encouraging words, but through the haze of her anger a single thought persisted. How could the Cobras be so cruel?

Finally, the school day ended, but Penelope had to fulfill her detention time. As a show of solidarity against tyrannical teachers, Connie walked with her, but they parted ways after Penelope stepped into the room. No one else was there besides a teacher with his feet propped on a test cluttered desk, and a boy rocking a letterman jacket. She had seen his face on the football and baseball field, but his skills were not flashy enough to grant him Dennis Lachance status.

He looked up from his drawing on the desk to sympathetically glance at her ruined clothes while she sat down. She didn't want his pity and coldly turned away to look at the front of the class. She could feel his blue eyes burn into her back as the clock ticking seemed as loud as a church bell in the silent room. Suddenly, the teacher stood and dropped the tests to the ground, startling both teens.

"What the hell do these kids do during class? Do they think I'm speaking Dutch?" He moaned in despair and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. "I can't take this. You two, I'm stepping out. Don't talk or do, I don't care."

Penelope silently watched him leave and slam the door behind him, leaving her with the stranger.

"He seemed kind of wound up," the boy laughed sounding friendly as a puppy. She continued to ignore him.

She could practically taste his confusion. Why didn't he understand she wanted to finish her detention in peace? Suddenly, she felt something hit her in the back of the head. She snatched the wad of paper up and threw it back at him.

"Can I help you?" she asked with an anxious edge to her voice, just wanting the conversation to end as quickly as it started. He quickly changed seats to the one directly behind her. Up close, she could see streaks of gold in his sandy brown hair, blue eyes that held good natured fun, and his easy smile brightened his handsome face.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before," he stated.

Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, she shrugged and looked away. "I've moved here a few months ago, and I'm a sophomore so . . ."

He nodded, his bangs swishing over his eyes. "Ah, ok, that's why. Well, I'm Fred Logan, but my friends call me Freddy."

She quirked a brow. "I've heard everyone calls you Freddy."

"I guess everyone's my friend," he smiled.

"That's not probable." The skepticism escaped her too easily. Freddy barked a short, surprised laugh.

"You're probably right." His friendliness surprised her. "What about you? What's your name?"

"Penelope."

"That's a pretty name. Do your friends call you anything?"

"I'm just Penelope," she immediately answered. He didn't need to know Connie was her only friend, and nicknames definitely did not encourage the distance she craved.

"What did you get detention for?"

She glanced at the clock, wondering when the teacher would return. "I missed most of English today."

He wiggled his fingers at her and spoke in a high-pitched goofy voice. "Oh, you ditched? Bad girl."

She rolled her eyes, but his infectious good-natured attitude brought a tiny smile to her lips. "What about you, smart guy?"

She chuckled at the faint blush painting his cheeks. "Oh, uh, some of the football guys were messing around, and I was bet one hundred bucks that I wouldn't, um . . ."

"You wouldn't what?"

He winced, observing her reaction through one squinted eye. "Streak across the field during the cheerleaders' practice."

The girl threw her head back and laughed. "You showed off your goods to the entire cheer squad? You sure are brave or just really stupid," she wheezed through giggles.

He rolled his eyes, faking annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, but I'm one hundred bucks richer, and everyone had a good laugh. So, it's a win-win situation."

He's not for real, she thought, incredulous. This boy could not possibly be so optimistic and happy. Dennis's kind smile flashed in her mind, sobering her mood. Freddy's sweet, cheery countenance endeared her, but he couldn't hold a candle to Dennis. No one could. She bitterly wished with all her heart detention would end soon. Unaware of her inner turmoil, Freddy asked a question, interrupting the girl's thoughts.

"Have you settled into Castle Rock completely?"

She nodded, and he rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I feel bad I didn't meet you sooner or I would've celebrated your arrival." He paused, before wondering aloud, "Have you heard of the party at Ace Merrill's house tonight?"

Any ease she felt immediately fled.

"You're friends with Ace?"

Not noticing the sharpness of her question, he scoffed and shook his head. "Definitely not, but he throws great parties. Have you ever been to his house?"

"Haven't had the pleasure," she answered dryly.

He didn't notice her tension. "You should come with me tonight! I can drive you there."

She instantly bristled. "No. I don't date."

Fuck detention.

Disregarding the shock in his blue eyes, she quickly gathered her things and rushed out the room, not caring if the teacher returned and gave her another detention. Freddy hurried after her and caught her shoulder.

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I meant come with me as a friend, so we could celebrate you moving to town. I wasn't asking you out," he explained gently.

Too relieved to feel embarrassed for her overreaction, Penelope apologetically smiled at him. "I'm sorry if I was rude. It's a kind offer, but I just don't party either-."

Right then the sight of Eyeball, Ace, and Billy sauntering through the halls to the exit with something in their hands halted her excuse. Red hot fury coursed through her body as she saw Billy cram a blueberry muffin, her blueberry muffin, in his big, cheating mouth.

"Actually, you know what, Freddy? I would love to come, but only if I can bring my friend, Connie, with me."

Her change of heart pleased him, a happy smile stretching across his face. "Connie Palermo? I've heard of her, she hangs around Tessio, right? Yeah, sure she can come!"

"Rad, but don't worry about driving us, she has a car," Penelope smiled. The boy quickly scratched the address down on paper, and after promising to say hello to him at the party, Penelope quickly left the school and ran to the nearest payphone to call Connie's house.

"Holy shit, this is Merrill's house?" Connie cursed, looking like sin personified in her white, hip hugging capris and black shirt that dipped low enough not to reveal everything, but the skin that showed teased anyone that would see her.

Connie needed no persuasion to accept Penelope's idea, but she did demand Penelope come over to her house to borrow an outfit. Penelope wanted to wear something simple from her closet much to the horror of Connie's inner fashion fanatic. So, Penelope squeezed into a pair of Connie's black pedal pushers that were slightly too tight around the ass. A crimson halter top that accentuated her curves in a way unusual for Penelope. When she gazed at herself in the mirror, the change shocked her. She felt pretty but different, like someone that people would notice, and that unnerved her.

Connie rubbed her thumb under Penelope's chin, rubbing away a rogue spot of the lipstick she forced Penelope to wear. "Oh stop, looking so scared, Penelope. We have our mission, break Billy's ego, and then we're going to get shitfaced."

Despite the confidence of the words, Connie's face did not match their certainty.

"I just never partied before and going into the Cobra den does not help my nerves," Penelope sighed, watching arriving partygoers flood into the large white mansion. Ace's doctor dad really went all out in choosing the house with its massive size, large windows clearly showing the rambunctious teenagers inside, and the perfectly trimmed greenery on the outside.

Connie fluffed her hair, before jumping out the car. "Just be by my side when I find Billy. We can leave early if we want to afterwards."

The girls quickly intermingled with the incoming flow of people into the house. The wild, loud atmosphere of the house overwhelmed Penelope's senses as the smell of alcohol, sweat, and smoke and the ear splittingly loud music hit her as soon as she stepped over the threshold. Connie's hand flew to her wrist, and the girl immediately hunted for the kitchen, dragging Penelope through the crowd.

"I need some liquid courage before I find him," Connie explained as they managed to fight their way to the kitchen. She grabbed cups filled to the brim with blue liquid, and the two girls jokingly clinked their plastic cups and threw the drinks back before continuing to indulge in more. Through a burning throat and a pleasant humming through her body, Penelope felt herself assimilating with the party atmosphere. The blasting music calmed into an enticing drum, and she swayed to the beat as if the music itself carried her in its vibrations.

"There he is," Connie gasped, hitting Penelope on the shoulder making the Summers girl spill some of her drink. She followed where Connie pointed. Billy stood by the patio door smoking and being surrounded by some juniors, Freddy being one of them. He caught Penelope's eye and waved at her. She offered a tiny smile and nodded in greeting, but Connie didn't notice.

"Time to kick ass," Connie declared, downing the drink in her hands, before grabbing a full drink and marching towards Billy with all the determination of a woman scorned. Billy's eyes widened at the sight of his girlfriend stalking up to him, and the boys around him stopped their talking and watched her stop directly in front of Billy.

"Connie? What are you doing here?"

In response, Connie flung the contents of the cup right in his face, causing the people around them to erupt drunken laughter. "You deserve a whole lot more than that, cheater! Why don't you go get Tina to lap this up?"

"Connie, I-." Billy started, but she threw the cup at him, nailing him square in the forehead.

"This sophomore is dumping your ass, bitch." Her words caused Billy's jaw to drop, and in his haste to follow after her, he ran into a petite drunk girl with her buff boyfriend.

"Hey, asshole, you just knocked over my girl!" The large musclehead shouted, roughly grabbing Billy by his shirt. Billy was in for an ass beating, but the Palermo girl paid no mind.

Rejoining Penelope at the drink table, Connie's eyes glazed with unshed tears, but she dodged Penny's attempt to draw her into a hug. "I don't want to be sad right now, let's just party."

Penelope nodded sympathetically. "If that's what you want."

Freddy walked up to them, clapping appreciatively. "That was the most entertaining thing to happen at this party." He then frowned at Connie. "Are you okay?"

Connie gave a noncommittal shrug, and Penelope surveyed Freddy's outfit of jeans and a blue t-shirt that clung to his form, highlighting the curves of his broad shoulders and sculpted arms from years of football. He looked so perfectly matched with the popular crowd, but he didn't share the same air of arrogance.

"I know the perfect thing to lighten the mood, you ladies stay here." Right as his back disappeared around the corner, Connie sniffled and turned to Penelope with confusion on her pained expression.

"Why the hell is Freddy Logan being nice to us?"

"Oh, I met him today in detention. He's the one who invited me here."

Not even a second after she finished her sentence, Connie's jaw dropped, and she threw her hands in the air. "Are you joking me? Penelope, one of the most popular boys in school asked you out to a party, and you brought a friend along?"

Penelope crossed her arms. "I didn't want it to be a date, and I was trying to give you an opportunity to dump Billy."

"Thanks, Penelope, really, but you need to focus on branching out and experiencing new things. I don't think you've ever even talked to a guy."

"I'm perfectly fine with how my life is right now." Penelope retorted defensively.

Freddy, unaware of the rising tension, arrived with hands full of drinks. Connie plucked one from his grasp and tilted it towards Penelope.

"Just let loose for once." The challenge was impossible to miss. With a sigh signifying her defeat, Penelope grabbed the drink and took a large gulp, the alcohol burning down her throat.

"Alright, ladies, let's party!" Freddy whooped as Penelope continued to lose herself in a constant stream of alcohol.

Three hours later, Penelope could be labeled as thoroughly trashed. Freddy eventually wandered off to chat up his football friends, while the girls found the dining room and laid on the dining table. As the loud music pulsed around them and shook the table, Connie ranted about the boy who caused her heartbreak.

"He's a shitty kisser anyway," Connie hiccupped.

Penelope nodded animatedly, swallowing the rest of her drink before grabbing another one from their impressive collection of cups on the table. "Preach it."

Connie stared at the ceiling with large, glassy eyes. "I should've known he would be awful. His gang don't give a fuck about girls."

Penelope shot up. "You're right, and you know what, they need a talking to!"

Connie rolled her eyes and waved her hand sloppily to discourage the notion, but the Summers girl made her mind up. She rolled off the table, landed unstably on her feet, before hunting for the boys who tormented her and her friend. When she finally saw them in the basement lounging on a lush black couch, a fire lit underneath her, and she stomped towards them with as much command and ferocity as she could muster. Ace saw her approaching first.

"Drink too much juice, Summers?" He snickered, looking like the devil himself as the drunken girl passed them. Eyeball had his arm around a sexy redhead's waist. He smirked as Penelope wobbled up to him.

"You better tell your Billy boy to stay far away from Connie," she demanded, cheeks red from the alcohol.

"I don't give a shit about Billy and the skirts he chases," he said matter-of-factly before turning back to the girl next to him. She had been dismissed. Normally, Penelope would have retreated, but the copious amounts of alcohol flowing through her system emboldened her.

"You Cobras," she hissed, waving wildly to the boys around them causing Eyeball to raise a brow. "are evil. You just fuck anything with legs, leave when you're done, and to hell with anyone's feelings."

She pointed to the redhead that glared at her. "He doesn't care about you."

The Cobras' taunting sneers faded, and the redhead gasped. "Excuse me?"

"You should run away right now. He's just a rat with bad hair gel."

The girl looked alarmed at Eyeball whose eyes narrowed at the raving drunk girl. "Big talk for a little girl, why don't you scurry back to your mommy?" He shooed Penelope away like a teacher to a bratty child.

Penelope shoved against his chest unsuccessfully moving him even an ich. He just looked annoyed with her attempt. The gang and the girls with them watched the showdown as if the most interesting TV drama played before them.

"Finished?" he sniped, taking a swig out of the beer bottle. "Look, babe, we're trying to party, and your bitchiness is really killing the mood."

"What's bitchy is that you and your boys have been fucking with me all day. I have half a mind to beat your ass."

"Please, try. I would love to see that," he snorted, derisively, while the Cobras cackled at her threat. When Penelope showed no signs of retreating, Eyeball turned to the redhead.

"Why don't you go get us some more drinks, doll?" The suggestion sounded more like a demand. With a giggle, she smashed her lips to his before strutting off to find the drink table. More anger bubbled within Penelope at the lipstick smeared on his mouth.

Charlie, one of the Cobras, inserted himself into the conversation. "Look, lady, if you got a problem with one of us, you got a problem with all of us. So why don't you leave before you got a bigger problem, ya dig me?"

His breath burned Penelope's nostrils.

"My problem is all of you, dumbass."

Charlie made to move closer towards her, but Eyeball shoved him away. "Look, Summers, before you ruin any chance of me getting lucky tonight, why don't you move on and cool off with a beer cause you're getting really fucking annoying."

She growled and turned on her heel, stomping away. Stupid, arrogant Cobra. Who did he think he was? As she clumsily weaved through the crowd, she finally found Connie on a chair, nursing a beer with a sad pout.

"Oh Connie," Penelope moaned, shakily kneeling before her friend. "Fuck these guys, come on, let's have fun!"

"I don't know, Penelope," Connie quietly sniffed, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I'm feeling really awful. My heart hurts."

Out of the corner of her eye, Penelope noticed a group of boys on the patio doing a keg stand. An excited smile lit up her face.

"Come on, let's try the keg stand! It'll be fun." She tugged on her friend's arm.

Connie pulled her arm away, shaking her head. "No, you go ahead. I just want to stay right here."

"Ok, if you say so, I'll be back," Penelope smiled. The rush of emotions from her argument with Eyeball and the alcohol pulsing through her sent her soaring on a high for life.

"Can I have a turn, boys?" she asked as they lowered the latest victim. She couldn't remember their faces or what they said, but suddenly she was being lifted and chugging like a seasoned barfly. Encouraging, wild shouts sounded in the background. An uncertain amount of time passed before the hands holding her lowered her on her feet only for her to fall immediately onto the ground. Maybe she went overboard. Someone helped her to feet, and she swayed forward until she was back in the house. The lights, music, and bodies melted together into one massive, thumping blur.

Where was Connie? Connie was sad. Penelope said she would come back. Right? Wandering aimlessly into the throng of drunk partygoers, Penelope felt a pair hands grab her arms.

"Hey, sweet thing, want to dance?" The voice whispered, uncomfortably hot against her ear.

She shook her head, sluggish and confused. "No thank you. I need to find my friend."

The hands tugged on hers. "Come on, babe, let loose. Let's dance."

Penelope weakly tried to turn away. Nausea waved over her. "I think I need some air."

The person persisted. "Later, let's dance now."

She shook her head but felt herself being pulled harshly where the majority of teenagers were dancing in a sweaty, upbeat cluster.

"Damn it, Summers, you're dead on your feet already?" A familiar voice asked from somewhere close to her.

"Hey, Chambers, buzz off, you already got yourself a chick."

"At least she knows what's she doing." A new hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away. "This one is clearly fucked up, so back the fuck up, or else I'll fuck you up."

The sleezy voice sounded angry but relented. "Fine, fine, Chambers, you win. I guess you just got to have every skirt in Castle Rock."

"Maybe if you weren't such a sleazy bitch boy, a girl would tolerate you for a few seconds," Eyeball threw back at him. Penelope vaguely heard laughter in the background, some people must have heard his insult. Gentle, stronger arms surrounded her, and she heard the soft, inquiring voice again.

"Summers, are you ok?" She could only moan in response. Eyeball sighed, exasperated. He turned to the redhead beside him. Everything about her demeanor screamed Leave her and come back to me!

"I gotta take off, thanks for the good time." The drunk girl could not make out the redhead's response, but she knew it was insulting. Eyeball did not react, and simply adjusted Penelope in his arms.

"You idiot, I seriously doubt you could get yourself home, and I'm not leaving you here." A hint of worry tinged his next words. "I'll have to take you back to my house."

Her tongue weighed one hundred pounds. "W-what . . . about . . . C-Connie?"

The boy snorted a laugh. "Billy's taking care of her. I guess he didn't get to hear your very articulate, heart touching threat."

"I . . . hate . . . you," she mumbled, falling into him even more.

"Yeah, yeah, save it for when I'm hammered," he teased. He led her across the room to where Ace sat on a windowsill locking lips with a slender, beautiful brunette. Eyeball shoved his shoulder. "Dude, can I borrow your car? I'll bring it back in the morning."

When Ace tore himself away from his intense make out session, he first looked mad, but at the sight of an incapacitated Penelope he laughed so loud he could be heard over the music.

"Hell yeah you can, pal. Just make sure you spill the details when you get back," Ace ordered, completely delighted at the scene before him, and threw his keys to Eyeball who caught them easily.

"Will do, boss man," Eyeball agreed deadpanned and not even a fraction as happy as Ace, before maneuvering her towards the door.

"P-please . . .don't . . . do anything," Penelope whimpered, earning a disbelieving look from the male.

"Of course, I fucking won't," he scoffed, offended as he moved them out the front door. One moment she was on the porch, and the next Eyeball delicately placed her in a passenger seat and secured a seatbelt against her. His fingers brushed her neck, before he climbed into the driver's seat. Soon the car rumbled to life, and Eyeball expertly pealed out the crowded yard and out onto the road. Eyes heavy with sleep, Penelope allowed the gentle cruising of the car to lull her into a state of consciousness that almost crossed the line to sleep. The car stopped, and then Eyeball was opening her door. He gathered the girl in his arms and walked up to his doorstep.

"Put me down," she grumbled, weakly wiggling to escape his secure grasp. He obliged, but right as her feet touched the ground, she became horizontal. Eyeball cursed and clumsily caught her before she impacted the ground. He fumbled for his house keys while trying to keep the Summers girl from falling again.

"Geez, Summers, don't become a dead fish on me," Eyeball huffed trying to maneuver the wobbly girl through his doorway. She giggled at his frustration. He cursed when she slipped out his grasp and toppled over the couch.

"Woohoo, what a trip," she snorted, laughing like a maniac sprawled on the carpet.

"Shut the fuck up, Summers," Eyeball hissed and pulled her up. "You're gonna wake my dad."

Refusing to trust her mobility again, Eyeball's arms circled her, and with a groan he guided her into his room. She sighed contentedly and snuggled closer to him, earning a raised brow from Chambers. He was so warm.

His room was a typical teenage boy's room. Posters of women, cars, and women on cars hung on the wall. Clothes littered the floor, and aside from a desk and bed there, the room lacked furniture. Eyeball released her to dig through his closet. She sighed at the loss of warmth and stared at his back through half lidded eyes.

"If you think," she burped. "I'm going to fornicate with you, you're-" Burp. "Wrong."

Though his back was to her, she knew he rolled his eyes. With clothes in hand, he gently pushed her shoulder causing her unstable self to fall back on the mattress. He kneeled before her, causing a blush to bloom on her cheeks.

"I'd rather rub my dick with a cheese grater," he snapped, wrestling her shoes off her feet.

"You're so mean," she pouted. "You and your snake gang are real ass-."

A t-shirt in her face interrupted the oncoming angry rant. "You're really bitchy when you're drunk," he snorted almost amused, a pair of boxers rolled in his hands. "Get changed, you smell like shit."

She looked at her shirt blankly before attempting to pull it over her head, but somehow getting stuck.

"Whoa, I meant when I left the room!" Eyeball avoided looking at her. He wasn't opposed to looking at a female. In fact, Eyeball was very much acquainted with the female body and appreciated it tremendously every available chance, but taking advantage of a drunk girl wasn't his scene.

"I need help," Penelope whined, trying to twist out of her shirt. Groaning, he turned and helped her change while trying to keep his eyes above her neck. Changing clothes took much longer than he cared to admit. Penelope kept laughing and trying to throw the clothes across the room.

Once she was dressed, Penelope flopped onto the bed and buried her head in the pillows. They smelled surprisingly clean with a hint of mint, just like him. She snuggled closer into the sheets.

She was quiet for a moment before her shoulders started to shake. Eyeball paid no mind, accustomed to girls becoming emotional when intoxicated. He walked to the doorway when her whispered words made him pause.

"Denny?" She sniffled. Her head rolled to the side as if it weighed too heavy on her shoulders. "Denny? Is that you?"

She attempted to reach for him, but her hand fell like a stack of bricks.

"Dennis," she pitifully called to the confused Chambers boy.

Lachance? Why was she calling him? Eyeball raised a curious brow.

"Sorry, doll, I'm not him."

His words made no difference.

"I miss you," her voice was a pitiful croak. With a hiccup, she rolled over and fell asleep. Eyeball left the room, shaking his head. He needed a drink. Or several.

Dink. Dink. Dink.

Dennis woke confused as a tiny pattering sounded from the window. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he groggily stumbled to his window to see his girlfriend standing below throwing pebbles at the glass. A sleep smile spread across his face as he instantly opened the window to allow her to climb up. Now an expert at scaling up the tree next to his window, she hurriedly ascended the branches. Denny's cheerful smile fell at the tears that waterfalled down her face and her terrified expression.

"Shit, Penny, what happened?" Dennis cursed as he pulled his girlfriend through his window.

She trembled uncontrollably and gasped for air. She ran the whole way to his house.

"I saw him do it. I saw him."

"Saw who, babe?"

She flung her arms around the boy and sobbed into his chest. "Denny, it was so awful! I was so scared! Why would he do that?"

He pulled back to look her in the eye. "Penny, I want to help really, but you need to calm down or you'll wake my parents, and then we'll have another set of problems to worry about."

She glanced at the clock. The numbers glared one am at her. She nodded, trying to steady her heart, but the reality petrified her. "I . . . I was walking again out by River Road. And I-I saw- I saw- "

"Saw who? Penelope, you're worrying me."

She gulped. "Ace Merrill. He was in front of the chapel. H-he set it on fire," she said, still shaking. "There could've been people in there, Dennis! He looked so happy doing it. There was no remorse. He's a monster."

Dennis gaped at her. "Oh, my god, Penny, we have to report him."

Her eyes went wild. "No! No, no, no. If he finds out it was me, he'll hurt me."

Her boyfriend cradled her against his chest in a bruising hug. "Like hell he will. I won't let him. He won't know it was you. I'll protect you."

"Dennis, I'm so scared. I can't do it. I can't."

"Yes, you can. You're stronger than you think," he encouraged. "I believe in you, Penny."

Dennis watched over her protectively when she finally cried herself to sleep in his arms. Early the next morning, Denny drove her to a payphone on the edge of town, and together they phoned the police.