Charlie waited until well after dark to venture out of his room again. He carefully locked his room and his parent's room and placed the key in his pocket before creeping down the back stairs. He found a spot near the broom closet where he could observe undetected. No one saw him, and those that did didn't really care about the young boy crouched in the corner. They were too involved in their own lives. The lights were low and the music was loud. No one cared about him one way or the other.

Don was sitting on the couch making out with his new girlfriend, Rachel. Charlie liked her a lot better than Sandy, his cheerleader girlfriend from high school. Rachel didn't wear as much makeup, and she wore jeans instead of skirts. She was just, well, cooler than Sandy. And prettier too, in Charlie's estimation. He felt weird about watching his brother kiss someone, so he scanned the rest of the room.

Paul was in the corner, loudly talking to some other guys. His arm was casually laid around a pretty blonde with big boobs and a small top that showed them off. He didn't look at her or talk to her, except to send her for a fresh beer when his was empty.

He could see some people out by the koi pond, terrorizing the fish. A cheer went up from the crowd and Charlie realized with horror that one of Don's friends had actually caught a fish and was displaying it proudly, to the acclimation of all.

"Hey!" Charlie called out. He abandoned his perch and rushed through the living room and outside. "Don't do that! Put it back!" he commanded.

All of the people standing around the pond stopped and stared at him. Charlie suddenly felt very small and vulnerable.

The guy with the fish placed it back in the water. "Chill out, kid," he said. "I was just joking around."

Pain ripped through Charlie's neck. Paul had come from behind and yanked him back by the hood of his sweatshirt. Charlie was knocked off balance and toppled backwards, cracking his head audibly. He saw stars.

Paul and his buddies were standing over him, laughing. Charlie tried to get up, but Paul pushed him back down. He wrestled with Charlie for a moment, Charlie kicking and clawing, but it was no good. Paul was just too strong. He felt himself being lifted onto Paul's powerful shoulder and then dropped into the freezing water of the pond face down.

Fish smacked at him frantically as Charlie tried to find purchase on the slippery sides to right himself. He sat up, gasping for air as the muscular fish slapped him with their scaly bodies, wanting him out of their home. Charlie looked up. Everyone was laughing at him. Tears burned his eyes, but he fought them back.

"You like hanging out with the fishies?" Paul mocked.

Charlie looked at his big, dumb face. He longed to punch him, but it would only result in more humiliation. He looked Paul dead on. "It beats hanging out with a shaved ape," he snarled.

Paul lunged forward, but this time Don intervened. "Just leave him alone, man. What's wrong with you?" Don said. He offered Charlie a hand out of the pond, but Charlie refused it.

"Are you okay, Charlie?" asked Rachel, Don's girlfriend. Charlie ignored her. He climbed out of the pond and tore back upstairs. He was afraid for a minute that he had lost the key to his room in the water, but it was still in his pocket. It was just hard to get at with his jeans soaked.

He changed into dry clothes and once again sat on his bed. He opened the bag of chips Don had given him earlier and began to eat.

There was a knock at his door. "Charlie? Charlie, can I come in?" The voice was feminine. He was pretty sure it was Rachel.

"Go away," he said. He didn't really mean to be rude to her, but he wanted this night to be over.

"Come on, please?"

Charlie sighed and opened the door. "Paul's gone. Don threw him out," she offered. Charlie nodded. It actually made him feel pretty good to hear. "Do you want to come downstairs?"

Charlie shook his head. "Nah. I'm just going to..."

"Please?" she said, taking his arm and pulling him forward. "Come on. Please? I really want you to."

Charlie finally complied. Rachel always seemed pretty nice. He doubted she was trying to play a trick on him. She led him to the couch and offered him a bottle of root beer. He took it and sat down with her beside him.

The blonde with big boobs rushed over and sat on the other side. "Are you okay? He is such a bully," she exclaimed, stroking his hair.

Don plopped down in the chair across from him. "Hey, buddy," he said, sipping a beer. "How'd you end up on the couch with my girlfriend?" A smile broke over Don's face.

Charlie smiled back, not sure what to say.

"I liked your line about Paul being a shaved ape," Don continued. "I couldn't agree more. Sorry your first college party sucks."

Charlie contemplated for a moment. He was sitting on a couch between two very pretty and very warm girls. They were both preening and fussing over him which, when his mom did it, he usually hated but right now didn't mind. And his brother was sitting across from him, having an actual conversation with him.

"Actually, it isn't that bad," he said.