Thanks for all the feedback, I'm hoping people enjoy this chapter more!

It's hours before Alice finally turns up, puppy-dog boyfiend in toe looking both lost and shy at the same time. But he gets the routine and with an awkward acknowledgment from me to him, he clambers upstairs to join in with the boy-hood game like a child. She takes the initative and after a brief run down on why she hates the people she works with, we're in my room and I'm throwing clothes onto my person.

'We need to stop at the drugstore before we head out.' I say, hitching up the tights over my waist. I already regret them, I need to pee already. The shake of her head is an agreement that they were a bad idea, so I pull them off again.

'Why?' She asks, frowning with a delicately arched eyebrow.

'Why do you think?! I've running out.'

I still had a few Johnny's left but you never know how much fun you were going to end up having with someone… Though in my experience, it had never been as fun as I hoped.

'Already?!' She asks, amazed. It's would almost be rude if it wasn't Alice.

'Yes already. Now do I wear underwear with the dress or not?'

She sighs unsure. She's not her chirpy self; she's tired and wants to go hang with her boyfriend. It's offensive she doesn't take interest in my wardrobe at the moment.

'Earth to Alice?!'

She's blinks and shakes her head before changing her mind and speaking up. Within seconds she changes her choice again then just looks at me blankly.

'If you can't answer me I'm just going to go find someone else?'

She calls my bluff and decides she can't answer me and as it would be impolite to flash her boyfriend, I walk into Carlisle's room. He's still studying in the lamp light, sore eyes to the medical text book in front and almost jumps out of his skin when my cough alerts my entrance.

'Underwear or no underwear?' I demand, turning around to show of the curves of the little black dress. He's stunned and doesn't say anything for a few seconds except confused stutterings before the confused;

'What?'

'Underwear…?' I enuciate patronisingly, turning around again before reaching up my skirt and throwing them off and doing the same action.

'Or no underwear?' It's hard not to patronise the guy, his lack of libido makes it patronising.

If I thought he was stunned beforehand, I was clearly mistaken. He looks like he's going to fall off his chair. I turn my neck, looking at my ass to see with curiosity what has got him all in a tongue tie. There's no pantyline, just the faint outline of plump cheeks.

'Are you getting laid tonight?' The words sound funny coming from his mouth, like he can't bring himself to use the word sex. He knows me well, I think with a grin.

'Probably...' I say, nodding.

'Well then, underwear.' He decides for me, smiling and trying to hide the blush in his cheeks.

Either he's not seen a lot of women naked before or he's not used for someone undressing for his opinion. I've got a dress on, it's not like he's looking at anything rude? Bloody baby...

'Wouldn't it just be easier without it?' I contend, though not wearing underwear sounds like a disaster in itself.

'Well,' he hesitates. 'If you're getting naked and the guy sees you're not wearing anything …it might give off the wrong impression...' He says strategically, his voice quiet. He's right. As much as I plan to get laid, I don't need to tell people that. It'll end badly with me not getting laid or regretting the person I laid with.

'But it might also lead them to the sex in the first place?'

He closes his book up wih an audible snap, smiles awkwardly and stands to look at me properly, taking in the whole short dress….There's not a lot to take in…

'What you're wearing now will be enough…'

'You think so?' I look down at myself and smile. It's nerd-speak for you look sexy…

He nods quickly, scratching the back of his neck for something to do.

'You're right. ' I agree, holding my handout for my underwear by his foot. The asshole picks it up with the end of his pencil and offers it to me. I snatch them and the wood it's balancing on, thank him for his help and return to Alice.

She's nestled into Jasper's side, watching him play the same game with the boys in Edward's room. I tell them we've got half an hour before we leave. Emmett is the only one who seems enthusiastic about this.

So at about half 8 we arrive at the usual bar, looking like some weird mismatched band. I'm wearing a leather jacket and sturdy heels, Alice: a summer dress and leggings, Carlisle looks like he's going to a wedding and Jasper and Edward are wearing jeans with a simple t-shirt.

Emmett is the only one who gets me.

We greet the regulars, or at least I do because when I'm low on funds I do the occasional shift…which means I'm technically staff...which means staff discount… so I buy the first round.

'What are we ordering?'

Emmett and I have already decided shots. We're debating over which one, but I can read his mind; gagging alcohol, the best kind.

'I'll just have a water.'

I roll my eyes. 'Oh take a break, Cullen.'

He sighs and offers a smirk. 'Fine, I'll have an apple-juice instead.'

If he's going to be such a bore and have a baby's drink, he can have one. It's cheaper than alcohol anyway. Edward orders a vile beer and Jasper and Alice a cider though Alice's is fruit flavoured.

I clink glasses with Emmett before letting the liquid burn my throat. He's grinning at me, doing the same: smiling just as widely.

Jasper sits down at one of the rounded tables and we all make stunted conversation about classes while we wait for the buzz to hit.

'I worked my ass off and she only just passed me!'

Ahh, so this is what's got Alice in a twist. I affectionately rub her shoulder.

'It was only a practice though.' I remind her, though the look on her face says she doesn't need reminding.

She's in her second year of fashion design and last year when her grade didn't count she did fantastically…she has a new teacher now though. One of which doesn't quite understand Alice's line of vision. Though not many people did until the finished product...

'She said it was child-like. 'It didn't make any sense'.'

'So? Tell her it's for a child.' Edward says shrugging. Even though he chose a shit drink, he's already on his third meaning he's catching mine and Emmett's buzz pretty quickly.

'It's lingerie.' She mutters angrily. I see Carlisle shudder. Emmett and Jasper are giggling until they realise how pissed off she is about it.

'Besides, the module I chose is adult focused.'

This is what I'd hope for a lingere module... Nevertheless, I try to hide my entertainment. Why she wanted to put bears and bunnies on an adult bra is beyond me but usually her creations turn out to be pretty awesome.

'Oh Alice.' I sigh sympathetically. 'When it comes to adults; lacy and racy. Always lacy and racy.'

She smiles a little but quickly goes back to frowning. Carlisle is shaking his head now, laughing quietly to himself. He's probably thinking about the underwear I chucked at him earlier. They were lacy.

At least I stick to my word.

'Anyway, enough moping, you'll show her eventually.'

Her little eyes glare in my direction now. I shrug.

'Just because someone doesn't need to try.'

I poke my tongue out at her. 'I do try. I try really bloody hard, I just don't sit here and complain about it like the rest of you do.'

Carlisle raises his hand. 'Me either.'

Pfft, nice try Christopher Robin.

'Yeah but you try so hard you don't even know what fun is!' I retort, the boys murmuring their agreements with me.

He looks like he's going to say something, like we're actually going to have a bit of banter going on…. As ever, he relents, closing his mouth over the glass rim and drinking slowly as if testing my patience which I don't have a lot of. Fucking fight me.

Trust Cullen to abandon ship at the sign of something salacious.

After some brief conversation between them while I flirt with a regular, Jasper suggests we move to the next venue, which makes me happy because even if he has a face like cut stone it means he's getting involved. Carlisle decides to leave as promised, stuffing notes into Edward's hand on the promise of his safe return and goes back to his hours of meticulous studying. So the rest of us party on.

On about the 4th bar, Emmett and I are singing, Alice is wobbling because she's a lightweight and Edward holds up a continuous flow of incessant talking. The only difference in Jasper is that he looks a little more tired.

'Okay, okay. So I want you to meet someone.' Emmett says grinning at me. It's almost like I'm the one to please, or maybe because I'm the one who's not bladdered out my skull like the other losers.

He gestures to the two people shyly entering our circle of mayhem. I burst into laughter when I see them, Edward nearly drops his glass.

'Hey.'

I smile, recognising them immediately. Emmett pulls Blondie into his arms.

'This is Rosalie, my girl, and my friend Bella.'

I feel like we're at an AA meeting when everyone all mumble their hellos.

Blondie is dolled up to the nines (I say nine because I have never seen a perfect ten). Her long blonde hair is curled around her face and her make-up, fierce. Bella is trying, I have to give her that. Her hair is pulled away from her face until about the ears when it stands down in a line. She's shy still, wearing something particularly casual as opposed to her friend.

'Yep. Hi again.' I greet awkwardly, Alice busily chirping around behind me; she likes new people.

Emmett is all over the situation, excitedly demanding how we know each other. I think it's fair to say Bella's stance warms a little when I introduce the rest of the group properly. I have a feeling her and Blondie are sticking together for convenience rather than an actual bonding session.

Edward's smile has turned lopsided and because I'm both a great person and a horrible one, I put them together. They're awkward at first but after a while their stunted sentences flow into a nice rhythm.

'So how'd you meet?!' Emmett asks eagerly, nudging my side. I smile sarcastically but like usual he thinks I'm being nice. I wonder if Blondie is going to rat me out. Not that it bothered me but I liked Emmett, he and Alice made for good company.

And as a bonus, Alice's connections gave our lonely Flatmate a friend to talk to.

She does rat me out.

'Oh, well Esme kindly suggested that we were too fat for cake.' Her grin is too wide. I raise an eyebrow at her which she greets with a wicked smile. Wicked as in evil of course, there's nothing cool about her unless it's her personality…which is icy cool.

This bitch...?!

Emmett frowns at me, contemplating what he should feel. I see it in his eyes. He doesn't want to be pissed at me, especially not on a night out but if he sided with me and not his girl, he would be in the dog house indefinitely. I'm starting to wish Alice had a more prominent role in being my friend. Right now she was too wrapped up in her own affairs. Not that I could blame her.

'Now, now. That's not exactly the words I used….' I attempt to correct, I hate game players or at least I hate girl game players. Eurgh!

'No, go on. Tell everyone about how you bullied us into joining the class.' The words are playful. Her victim-expression is not.

'I wouldn't call buying you coffee; 'bullying'.' I retort simply, making quotation marks with my fingers. My glass is empty and though I'm having a cool time, or was until Barbie pissed on my parade, I'm thinking it's time for another drink. Or another thousand...

Emmett is looking frustrated. He always gets frustrated if he doesn't understand. I sigh.

'Bella and Rose graced my yoga class this morning…' I deliberately say Bella's name first because this is the sort of juvenile shit that I know will annoy her. Emmett is beaming at her.

'You went to yoga this morning?! Babe, you never told me that!'

The pride in his voice is evident. There was some hidden conversation there that I knew I wasn't going to be told this evening. She's distracted enough by his praise, listening to him tell her all the muscles she'll be toning by the different exercises she'll do. She giggles in delight, a complete turnaround from just a second ago.

I should be grateful to Emmett for his sportsman knowledge, instead I'm feeling a bit left out. Everyone is in a couple.

Well, I guess that's my cue.

I head to the bar, deliberately swinging my hips a little as I do so and order a double spirit without the mixer. The kid at the bar has turned his attention to me. I say kid. He's obviously a Freshman.

His smile is childish but everything else about him seems pretty nice. He's tanned with messy, shaggy hair that's not too long but long enough that it hangs straight across his shoulders.

'Hi,' he greets, his voice a little shaky. Not from puberty, he's drinking in a bar, he's obviously not that young.

At the very least, older than one third of us.

'Hey,' I say huskily.

Then we fall into the usual dance of 'are you hear alone?'/'come meet my friends!' blah, blah, blahh...

He's chatting awkwardly to Jasper when Alice grabs my hands and places something in them. I put it in my bag immediately.

'Thanks.' I say with a grin. She's always had my back…even when grumpy.

She rolls her eyes and mutters something about heading to the drugstore sooner rather than later. I'm drunk enough that I can ignore her without her getting offended.

'Man, I wish Carlisle came out more often. It takes so much longer for you to go into slut mode when he's here...'

Her words catch me off guard, mainly because I'm wondering if being three years older than the guy I'm going to be fucking tonight is skirting on the lines of paedophilia. He's hot, that'll do.

'Hey, I'm not a slut!' I slur delicately.

'Whore then.'

'Whores get paid.' I remind her. She rolls her eyes again. It's strange for her to bring up the Saint. As sweet as he is, he at times acts like a non-entity. At others, he feels like the voice of reason. He's so innocent that getting wasted in front of him before popping out for a quick shag is beyond inappropriate.

Particularly when he was obsessed with the Be Your Best Self concept.

I don't know why I just thought that? What was my point?

'Only because he's so shy! Honestly I wonder how it doesn't just irritate you sometimes!' I don't mean to be yelling but for some reason I am…

Well I suppose that's alcohol for ya!

It sure as hell irritates me. If he realised how unnaturally gorgeous he was and went out and got laid, maybe I wouldn't feel so guilty being more open with my body.

Maybe I'd be less inclined to steal his bed too...

Pushover.

'He's not that shy, Esme.' She says with a frown. I do a double take.

'On the contararary-' I slur, raising my hand upwards. 'I have lived with that guy long enough to know he can barely string more than a 2-word conversation before running back to 'study'.'

Alice surprises me by giggling. 'Maybe he's not studying…..' She raises her eyebrows at eyes her crotch to suggest something a little raunchier. I shudder.

'Ew, that's my flatmate you're talking about.' I chide with a look of disgust. He was just so Saint like, the very idea felt wrong.

Clearly looking at my face, she snorts and affectionately nudges my shoulders. 'Oh don't even act like that wouldn't turn you on.'

I surprise myself in laughing drunkenly and distractedly. 'Honestly, I'm not even sure he's aware he's got a dick let alone how to use it.'

Like Alice does, she rolls those large brown eyes like a little Pixie. I know Carlisle is studying. It's Saturday night, he's not working, he'll be perched over his desk long into the night trying to remember the Latin for every bone in the ear and the right medicine to administer for what kind of infection for it.

So I turn my attention back to my 'partner', making some kind of talk before Emmett suggests we go to a club. I tell him I'm drunk enough because I don't want to ruin his fun and dancing sounds as enjoyable drunk as it is sober.

Let me say this now. It ends up being the worst fucking idea in human history and only leads me into more dumb situations.

Edward who normally gets involved is so excited over his new found friend, they leave without telling anyone where they're going. Now I'm all for getting the boy laid but for fuck sake, safety first people. Let us know when you feel like leaving!

Though I can't see Bella being the type of girl to put out on the first night….

Alice and Jasper dance with me for a while before insisting they have to get back home, Jasper's got work in the morning and they're obviously desperate to bone. So in the weird drunken state that I am, I wave them off. My date for the night, although cute, is a shit flirter and I know if I don't get him home soon, I'll end up not wanting to go anyway near his junk.

Besides Emmett and Bitchy Barbie are dry humping on the dance floor and I don't want to be there to see them get kicked out.

It's only when I get back out into the air that I realise how drunk I am…and holy shit….

I have to blink several times before focusing on Thingy's face. I don't really remember his face, I'm sorry. Nonetheless, I enjoy a little flirt and a giggle in the back seat of the taxi.

From there it goes downhill...