Hey guys! I hope you've all been enjoying the story so far cause I'm having a blast writing it! This chapter stumped me a little cause my brain automatically wants to write fluff, but we are no where near that yet. I'm very happy with this chapter, and I hope you all will enjoy the spotlight we'll shine on our man Eyeball this chapter.

To all the guests: Thank you for reviewing! I wish I had names so I could thank you all individually.

To LolaVegas: Your little smiley faces make me smile too! Thank you for your reviews! I appreciate it!

To Izout: Thank you so much for your reviews! I appreciate and enjoy hearing your thoughts! Connie hasn't gone back to Billy yet even though he did take care of her after the party (we'll see more of that in another chapter). Yes, Penny does have some dirt on Ace, does she? XD I hope you'll enjoy the later chapters! Thanks again for your review!

To cheesybread: Thanks for your review! You're so sweet!

To WonderGirl001: I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Eyeball is such a rapscallion, he's so loveable! XD

To doodlebugrox: Your review really made my day! I'm so happy you like the story! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Enjoy and let me know your thoughts! Also, warnings of cursing and suggestive language in this chapter!

I don't own anything.

*Revised 08/02/2020*

"Life turns on a dime. Sometimes towards us, but more often it spins away, flirting and flashing as it goes: so long, honey, it was good while it lasted, wasn't it?"

― Stephen King, 11/22/63

Penelope woke the next morning with a splitting headache. Sunlight filtered through the blinds to illuminate an unfamiliar bedroom.

"Where the hell am I?" she grumbled, blinking wearily.

"My house."

Yelping in surprise, the girl tumbled out of bed with Chris grinning, amused, holding a bowl of cereal in one hand. From her place on the floor, she tried to sit up, but pain of her headache had her crumpling back down.

"No offense, but you look like shit."

She glared up at him. "Just because you say, 'no offense' doesn't make what you say less offensive."

The younger Chambers held the bowl of cereal towards her. "Sorry, it's not much but it's all we got."

She accepted the bowl, but immediately put it to the side. The thought of food nauseated her.

"Why am I here?" she mumbled, running a tired hand over her face, trying to ignore her pounding head.

The youngest Chambers shrugged. "I don't know. Eyeball just woke me up and told me to help you if you needed anything."

Eyeball? Another wave of nausea hit her. "Um, where's your bathroom?"

She barely waited for Chris to finish, before she ran out the room, hand over her mouth. She flung herself over the toilet and vomited out last night's contents. Groaning, she found some toothpaste and used her finger to clean her mouth, swearing off alcohol. Once she finally had a mirror, she noticed the clothes she wore. Were these Eyeball's?

Her cheeks were aflame in mortification. She probably acted like a complete moron. She would never be able to show her face again.

When she emerged into the living room, Chris sat crisscross on a green, dingy couch eating the bowl of cereal she left behind. When he saw her, he laughed, his laughter scarily like Eyeball's but more lighthearted.

"You look terrible!"

She snorted. "No offense, right?"

"Right," he chuckled. "Sorry, I'm eating your cereal. I can get you another bowl."

She waved him off and took a seat beside him. "No, you're fine. I don't think I can stomach anything right now."

"According to Eyeball, you're a real lightweight."

Slightly offended, Penelope grinded her teeth. "Don't listen to him, he doesn't know how much I drank."

"I bet I could drink you under a table," Chris challenged.

Laughing before wincing due to the pain in her head, Penelope nodded. "You probably could. We'll test that when you're older, scamp."

He rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the TV where a series of cartoons played. Penelope watched with him in contented silence before asking, "Where's your parents?"

"My dad is probably out boozing by the train tracks."

"What about your mom?"

"She's dead, she overdosed a while back," he answered still focused on the cartoons, shockingly casual.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said sympathetically. He shrugged, uncaring.

"Where's your brother?" She assumed Eyeball was the one who brought her back. Honestly, the idea of Eyeball caring for her in any capacity shocked her.

"I don't know, he always leaves super early on Saturdays."

"Do you want me to leave?"

Chris shook his head. "No, you can stay. Honestly, having a normal person around here is nice. Even if you do look like the dead."

The thought of returning home to a careless mother did not appeal to her, so Penelope settled into the couch and watched Saturday morning cartoons with Chris. The two sat in companionable silence, laughing whenever a joke landed. Penelope couldn't help but notice the disorganized, cluttered state of the living room so while Chris watched TV, she went around cleaning up the room.

"You don't have to do that," he had told her.

"If I'm going to be hanging out here, I want to be useful. I don't mind," she replied while collecting the empty beer cans. Chris continued to watch cartoons, but occasionally his eyes flickered to Penelope in suspicion. After two full garbage bags sat by the couch, she stood and appraised her work, pleased no more trash laid on the furniture, and the knick-knacks and pillows were in their purposed spots.

"Nice, you can clean my room next," Chris snorted. She almost threw a pillow at him, but she had just fluffed them. The front door swinging open interrupted their amicable atmosphere. Decked out in a denim vest and black t-shirt, Eyeball stood in the doorway, looking around the room bewildered.

"Why is it so clean in here?"

"I Love Lucy over here did it," Chris quipped, noticeably more withdrawn, pointing at the girl. His older brother just snorted and strode to the kitchen leaving the other two in awkward silence until he returned with an uncapped beer. As he took a swig of the drink, he appraised the girl standing awkwardly still in his clothes and tangled hair. His scrutiny made her skin itch, and when her discomfort amused him enough, he asked. "Do you feel okay?"

She stiffly nodded and walked back into the bedroom, leaving Chris to his cartoons, and Eyeball followed her. He watched her rifle through the bedsheets and the mess of clothes on the ground from the doorway.

"What are you doing?" he asked, waving his drink carelessly.

"I'm looking for my clothes," she explained, refusing to look away from her searching. "Where are they?"

He left the room and returned moments later with her clothes folded and smelling fresh as flowers. "I washed them for you, so you didn't smell as bad as you look right now."

She self-consciously tried to smooth down her hair, before snatching her clothes from him. "Only you could ruin a good deed with a shitty attitude." A thought occurred to her. "Did you change me?"

"I helped you change, yeah. You were too messed up to do it yourself." He noted her raging blush and rolled his eyes. "Nothing I haven't seen before."

She gasped. "Y-you brute!"

He frowned deeply at her, mocking her embarrassment. "Is that any way to thank someone that helped you when you were boozed out of your brain? I left the party early for you."

She crossed her arms and pondered his words. "You brought me back here and took care of me?"

He looked away seemingly annoyed. "Don't throw a parade or anything. You just needed a hand is all."

"Why would you care?"

He rolled his eyes. "Geez, Summers, I'm not a monster."

She looked at her clean clothes. "Yeah, I guess you're not. Thank you, Eyeball. I . . . appreciate it."

His brows shot to his forehead. "Miss Priss herself thanked me? Well, slap my ass and call me Surprised Sally."

The teen rolled her eyes and groaned which earned a small grin from the boy. Eyeball Chambers not smirking or looking mean for once felt completely foreign to her, yet not in an unwanted or negative way. Now it was her turn be uncomfortable.

"Where were you this morning?" she asked, glancing at the clock reading twelve in the afternoon.

"I went back to Ace's to help him clean up," he explained. He paused, seemingly mulling something over before pointing to her clothes. "Get changed. If you have nowhere to be, you and I are going to do something."

This boy would not stop surprising her. She quirked a brow, curious and amused. "And why would I do anything with you?"

"Because I want some company and spending more time with a hungover Ace is not ideal, smartass," he shot back before turning to leave. "Now get ready."

Shutting the door behind him, Penelope took a moment to assess the situation. If someone had told her yesterday that she would voluntarily be hanging out with Eyeball Chambers she would have laughed in their face and called them a doctor to check their head. But he did selflessly care for her last night, she seemed ok anyway. She could spend a little time with him as a thank you, and then never speak to him again thus restoring balance to the world. Besides, she didn't have any other plans today.

She quickly changed clothes and tried her best to comb through her hair with her fingers. Deciding she could do nothing more, she opened the door to Eyeball leaning against the hallway wall.

"Ready to go?" he asked. She nodded, and after she bid Chris farewell, the two left the house.

Loving the warm sun against her skin, Penelope couldn't help but skip after Eyeball who smirked his amusement at her bubbly excitement. They walked together in silence, hyper aware of each other's presence and the oddity of them spending time together. He led her to the bridge. She raised her brows expectantly as he stood with his hands on his hips observing the still, welcoming waters.

"Are we just going to stand here?"

"No, we're going to swim," he stated matter-of-factly and stripped off his shirt, running down the riverbank.

She hastily turned around, back rod straight. "Swim? No way! Put your clothes back on!"

She heard him fumbling with his belt. "Look, I've had a long stressful morning full of pissy hungover people, it's hot as hell, I just want to relax with a swim. You can do what you want."

She timidly glanced over her shoulder at the sound of water splashing. He emerged and brushed his dark, wet hair back looking like he was at a photo shoot. His bare skin glowed into a golden caramel in the sun. When he opened his eyes, Penelope flinched and looked away, afraid he saw her staring. If his smirk was any indication, he did.

"Are you really going to stand there in the heat with those clothes?"

She glanced down at her tight pants and red halter top. "What's wrong with them? I wore them to the party, and I was fine."

She could practically hear his eye roll. "Summers, I dig the change from your sheltered Mormon look, really I do, but you're going to burn up standing there. Come swim with me."

She debated throwing a rock at his head and walking away, but the clear water enticed her, and the sweat coating her back made her uncomfortable. She sighed, defeated. "Fine, fine, but turn around."

He quirked a brow that silently said, Really? She twirled her finger sternly, demanding he turn. He relented, and after waiting for a few moments to ensure he wouldn't try anything, she quickly shimmied out of her clothes down to her undergarments and stepped into the water. She immediately sighed in satisfaction, delighted with the cold water. Eyeball smiled pleased she relented and swam farther out with the girl following him. The two enjoyed swimming around, relaxing and letting the time pass without a care.

"Do you remember anything from last night?"

Penelope floated on her back, jogging through her memory. "I remember Connie crying cause she and Billy broke up." The righteous anger she felt then tickled her mind. She vaguely recalled shouting at Eyeball, and then deciding to try the keg stand.

Eyeball paddled beside her. "About that, Billy was cleaning up Ace's house too. He asked me to see if you could help him out and get Connie to forgive him."

She scoffed. "Why would I do that?"

"Because he does care about her."

She splashed him. "If he cared about her then he wouldn't be shoving his tongue down another girl's throat! If he wants Connie back, he has to stop treating her like dirt."

He spit water out of his mouth, looking unbothered by her annoyance. "Maybe Connie should compromise too. Whenever Billy talks about her, all he says is that she nags him all the time."

"Because she just wants to be loved by her boyfriend! He never brings her around you guys and all he wants to do is fool around!"

"Can you blame him?" he smirked roguishly. "She's got a banging bod."

Penelope grabbed him by the shoulders and with all her strength, dunked him under the water. When he emerged, he rewarded her with a taunting laugh and shook droplets in her face.

"Don't talk about my friend's body like that!"

"Oh, come on, Summers, you got to cut me a little slack, you already cockblocked me at the party last night."

"Is sex all you think you about?" she demanded. He smiled at her teasingly.

"Oh, don't look at me like that. It's a natural thing to care about," he wagged a finger in her face. "I'm sorry if I'm offending your virgin ears."

She held her middle finger up at him, ignoring his fake appalled gasp. "First of all, being a virgin is not something be ashamed of. Second, you don't know anything about me."

His brows raised, surprised interest flooding his face. "Wait, are you saying you popped your cherry already, Summers? Hot damn, who's the lucky guy?"

She shrieked in embarrassment, shoving as much water as she could manage into his face. "None of your business, snake!"

As he coughed out mouthfuls of water, she swam towards the land. "As if I would tell you anything about my personal life! I bet you would just squeal to your friends like you do when any unsuspecting girl does anything with you! I hear about your dirty little escapades. I feel sorry for any girl you get your meaty hands on."

"Please, you would love if I showed you what all the talk was about." She drew a sharp breath at his cocky words. "Maybe if you asked nicely I would give you a round two."

"I can't possibly imagine what the girls at school see in you," she mumbled, feeling panic rise within her. This conversation was leading to a place she did not want to go. Get out, Penelope, leave!

"You're mean, arrogant, and you think you can do whatever you want because you're tough, handsome-."

His voice was unbearably pleased. "You think I'm handsome?"

She faced him, hands on her hips, and tried not to focus on how broad his naked chest seemed or how the water droplets slid down his skin in glistening trails.

"Of course, that's all you heard, you boorish peacock. If words aren't feeding your ego then they're nothing but noise," she spat.

He moved closer to her, eyes fierce. "How awful it must be for your perfectness to be soiled by the presence of a Chambers reject."

"You should have someone calling you out on your bullshit! Maybe then you wouldn't be doing reckless things like knocking off people's mailboxes or bullying a girl who's just settling a score!" She shouted. "Or did you think I would forget about you and your crew hiding my books and cutting up my gym clothes?"

"Oh, just relax, it was harmless payback." He scoffed, throwing her words back at her. "You think I don't see you around school now? How you keep to yourself as if you're above everyone else? How you're constantly throwing me and my friends dirty looks like we're bugs for you to step on? That Palermo chick almost bends over backwards trying to be your friend, but you're constantly up your own ass to even notice. So, stop acting like you're God's favorite angel."

Any amusement had left his face. His raging eyes held as much heat as hers.

"You are such a brute!" She screamed, slamming her hands against her chest. As soon as she made contact, he snatched her wrists in a strong hold and yanked her against him, immobilizing her. She could feel every heavy breath he took as he glared down at her, a storm brewing in his brown eyes lined with lashes shining with water droplets. His heat radiated off in waves completely rendering the water's minor cold useless.

"I'm leaving," she whispered harshly. A muscle ticked in his tightly clenched jaw, but he didn't release her. Their rapid breaths brushed against each other's face. He analyzed her face, taking in the emotions registering on her face. His eyes flickered down briefly for a moment, before slowly letting go of her wrists.

"I . . . I didn't mean what I said about your clothes. Or anything else about you." He whispered, the closest he would come to a genuine apology. Penelope simply closed her eyes and turned away from his warmth. Her stomach released a guttural, monstrous growl cutting the tension and successfully mortifying the girl. She blushed as Eyeball glanced at her rumbling stomach with the corners of his lips curling up slightly.

"I haven't eaten anything today," she mumbled, shyly.

At her admission, his amusement quickly morphed into guilt. "Oh, I didn't know." He scratched his neck, awkwardly. "Do you want to grab a bite to eat?"

Her disbelieving look had him raising both hands up in mock offense. "Hey, this is a pure, innocent offer with no ulterior motive. Let me make this up to you."

As if a meal could erase his transgressions. Her stomach rumbled again.

"Well, I'm not going to turn down a free meal. But this is not a date, don't get funny ideas."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He crossed his heart solemnly. "As long as you can keep your hands to yourself."

Her jaw dropped. "Me?"

"Oh, I saw you checking me out, but I don't blame you, kid. I'm flattered."

With a huff she shoved him as hard she could. Now that she was sober and caught him off guard, she managed to successfully push him back into the water. She climbed out of the water, his obnoxious laughter taunting her from behind. Not bothering to wait for herself to dry, Penelope yanked her clothes on and waited for Eyeball to dress. His muscles flexed as he pulled his shirt on, but she turned away, determined not to give him any satisfaction of catching her looking again.

"Please hurry up, I want to sit down, Chambers, I'm soaking wet."

A shit eating grin appeared on his face. "I have that effect on women."

This time she didn't hesitate to throw a rock at him.

Back at the Blue Point Diner, the teens tucked themselves away in a booth in the corner, unintentionally hidden away from the rest of the restaurant. With his still damp curls slicked back, Eyeball lounged in the seat with his hands spread on the headrest of the booth seat. He appeared so confident and relaxed as he quietly surveyed the menu, unaware how handsome he looked.

No, he most definitely knows, Penelope thought annoyed that he could look as handsome as sin so effortlessly. The pair already earned some confused and shocked stares when they walked through town. Why was a Cobra walking with the strange, quiet new girl?

Thankfully, Eyeball did not notice or if he did, he didn't comment, sparing Penelope further discomfort.

A busty brunette waitress probably in her early twenties strolled to their table. "Hello, what can I get for you today?" her eyes softened as she demurely looked at the male. "Hey, Eyeball."

Eyeball's head shot up like a perky puppy, smiling cheerfully. "Hey, Doris, can I get my usual? And whatever the lady wants."

Penelope shrunk back in her seat at Doris's scrutinizing gaze. "Um, some chicken tenders and fries please?"

"Drink?" Doris asked, impatiently.

"A Coke. . . please."

Doris scribbled their orders down on her pad, before flashing Eyeball a pretty smile. "I'll put your orders in right away, hon, let me know if you need anything."

Eyeball shot her a wink, causing her to giggle delightedly. "Will do, doll, and may I just say you look beautiful today as always."

Doris scampered off, leaving the two alone again. Eyeball caught Penelope staring curiously at him.

"What?"

"May I just say you look beautiful today as always?" she repeated his honey covered words with sour spite.

He rolled his eyes. "Doris and I are friends. Friends compliment each other, maybe friendship is foreign to you, but that's how it works."

"You and she are friends?" Her lips quirked in a skeptical smile.

He was ready with a roguish reply. "Friendly."

"Of course," she dryly snorted. The boy did not reply, shrugging a response. His shirt stuck to his chest in wet patches, drawing her attention as he breathed in slow steady breathes. A memory of him clutching her close flashed in her mind.

"Summers, are you ok?"

"I'm not leaving you here."

Regret instantly hit her like a truck. Even if she did not want to be friends with the male, she did not want to constantly attack him.

"H-how . . . how was cleaning up after the party?" she attempted to start a normal conversation, voice soft and timid. Holy hell, why am I so bad at conversation?

Laughter gleamed in his eyes at her transparent attempt. Still leaning back, he gazed down at her, his dark lashes framing his eyes perfectly. "Really shitty. The cleaning wasn't terrible but trying to keep Billy and Vince from accidentally hurting themselves was like herding drunk toddlers." A breathy, low laughed escaped him. "It sounds amusing, but they only make more of a mess."

"It was a fun party though." She figured that was a harmless admission.

He raised a brow, a teasing smirk on his lips. "Because your girl dumped a drink on Billy or because you almost bit my head off?"

She wore a smirk that rivaled his. "Would it be mean if I said both?"

Shaking his head, he balled a napkin up and threw it at her. The napkin bounced off her forehead. "No, but I do have to admit, seeing you go off like that made the night much more interesting."

Penelope covered her red face with her hands. "Please, let's never talk about that again. I've never drank that much in public before."

"Are you not a party girl?" He joked, propping his chin on a hand and leaning towards her.

She waved her hands for emphasis. "I'm not saying there is something wrong with partying. I just prefer to spend my time doing something else."

His nose scrunched. "Like what?"

She rolled her eyes and threw the napkin back at him. "Like going on walks, especially at night and explore. Reading and baking are super fun!"

"You ever been fishing?"

His random question surprised her. "No, I've never fished."

He pointed a finger at her. "Fishing is fun. The best spots are the river we were just at and a little place Ace and I found last year some ways away from town. Grilled steelhead kicks ass."

His zeal had her smiling. "Who taught you how to fish?"

He paused, thinking for the answer. "Ace, when we were seven. His dad took us out to a lake and showed us all the tricks, but Ace honestly taught me more than his old man."

Her muscles tensed immediately at the mention of the blonde, but she quickly forced herself to relax. They were having a nice conversation; she did not want to ruin it. Eyeball laugh fortunately distracted her.

"I accidentally hooked my shirt, and when I tossed the reel I ended up falling into the water. That was the day I learned how to swim too."

His eyes sparkled with joviality as he reminisced, and Penelope found herself leaning forward as well, slowly becoming more comfortable in his presence. "Don't you just there in silence and wait? I can't imagine that's very entertaining."

He considered her a moment, and then he slowly inched closer to her, the seven freckles on his nose making an appearance. His heat radiated off him in waves like it had at the river. "You got it all wrong, sweetheart. The anticipation is the best part." His cool, minty breath fanned across her face. "Delayed gratification is quite thrilling."

Cheeks aflame, she flung herself back. "Damn it, Eyeball!" she cursed over his laughing.

Shoulders slightly shaking from laughing, he leaned his cheek into his palm, watching her with his autumn leaf gaze. His relaxed smile did little to calm the beating of her heart. "I'm just messing with you, Summers."

Penelope ducked her head when Doris arrived at their table, food in hand. Eyeball's usual consisted of a large cheeseburger with everything on it, chips, fries, and a large soda. How he could eat so much and still maintain his physique mystified her.

"You're the best, Doris," Eyeball smooth voice lowered to a deep timbre. They shared a smile, before the waitress sashayed away. Penelope noted how Eyeball's eyes followed the sway of her hips. At least he's nice to wait staff, she thought mirthfully.

Penelope reached for the ketchup right as the boy did. Their fingers brushed, and the warmth of his fingers sent electricity crackling up her arm. To her surprise, it was he who pulled back immediately, expression indecipherable. She distracted herself with squeezing ketchup on her plate but paused when Eyeball shoved all his chips into the burger before taking a hefty bite.

"I've never seen anyone do that before," she smiled. He glanced at her and hummed through a mouth full of food.

"Penelope, babe, you need to get out more."

A laugh – a real laugh since being in his company erupted for the girl.

He laughed along with her. "Seriously though, you're missing out on a boss food combo."

"I'll have to try it one day," she stated before biting into her chicken. They munched in companionable silence, a strangely enjoyable experience. While they were eating, Penelope took the opportunity to observe the rough, irregular skin above his eye. It must have been a nasty wound when he first got it. The scarred skin sagged a little over his eye, but that did not detract from his looks, instead it only added to his dangerous charm.

"How long have you had that scar?"

He paused. "A long time."

She swallowed some chicken then continued. "What happened?"

He looked at her unamused. "Use your imagination," he muttered. Yikes. A touchy subject, okay, fine.

"I assume that's why you're called Eyeball."

Wiping his mouth, he nodded looking proud at the nickname.

"Give the girl a medal. Ace was the one who thought of it," he explained. This time, Eyeball noticed the instinctive clenching of her hands and a teasing smirk curved along his mouth. "Aw, are you a scared of big bad Ace?"

"Of course not!" she denied. " It's kind of mean nickname, isn't it?"

"Not at all, the ladies love it." He shoved his empty plate away, and waved Doris down. "And if they don't, I let them call me whatever they want."

His suggestive comment had her eyes rolling as Doris placed the bill down on the table. A flirty note with a heart was scribbled on the paper, and the image of a pale, brunette boy with a kind smile who wouldn't be so female-crazed flickered in her mind. Suddenly being here with another boy was wrong - so very wrong.

"Thank you for you the food and your help last night, Eyeball," her words were a rush as the boy tucked money in the billfold. "I'll see you around."

"Is something wron-?" Before he could finish, she slid out the booth and towards the exit.

She was almost down the street when his rough hand clasped itself on her shoulder and turned her around to meet his puzzled impression.

"Where's the fire?" he joked, releasing her. She ripped herself out of his grasp. "What's your problem?"

She opened her mouth to speak when a familiar roaring engine interrupted her.

A black Coupe rolled next to them and screeched to a stop. From behind dark shades, Ace nodded his head in greeting. If he still had a hangover, he did a fine job of hiding it. From the back seat, Billy and Vince cracked jokes and watched women walk by. Billy glanced at Penelope, but the girl's glower instantly had him flinching away. He would not get off easy with his treatment of Connie.

Ace pulled his shades down, cool blue eyes trained on Eyeball, completely ignoring Penelope. "Eyeball, we've been looking for you."

"I'm impressed you could even walk to the car, lightweight," Eyeball snickered.

"Ha, ha, very funny, asshole," Ace grumbled. "Ditch the broad and hop in."

The tan brunette nodded dutifully and turned back to Penelope. "Thanks for the date."

She did not hesitate in correcting, "This wasn't a date."

"Whatever you say, doll." He winked at her before effortlessly hopping into the car seat.

The car zoomed away, the wind whipping the girl's hair back in her face. What an odd day. She had an almost nice time with Eyeball, but his unquestioning loyalty to the blonde Cobra reminded her why they could not be friends. As she came to that conclusion, before the car completely disappeared from sight, Eyeball turned in his seat and gave a single goodbye wave to her.

Against her better judgement, she waved back.