The world spun. He could hear the music in the background and knew where he was. He wasn't dizzy. But there was an undeniable shift in his universe.

Ray looked down at Mariah's hand on his arm. Her delicate fingers with curved nails sat warm against his skin. It traveled up her arm to her face. Between her frown and drawn eyebrows, Ray knew she'd said something she didn't want to.

"How do you know that?"

Mariah's arm fell away, eyes dropping to the ground. "The day that Hilary missed school? She visited Tala and I guess she told him then. Tala told Julia, who told me."

None of that made sense to Ray. Why would she go to a complete stranger to talk about something so important? What was she trying to do?

"Why wouldn't she just tell me?"

"I don't know, Ray."

"She's been acting so weird lately,"

Mariah only watched him, waiting while he trying to get his thoughts in order.

"How could I miss this?"

Mariah leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, bring him closer. "It's okay. She just didn't know how to say it to you. But you know now."

Ray let himself hug her back for only a moment before he pulled away. He wasn't the one that needed comforting.

Standing behind Mariah, watching with eyes void of expression, was her friend Kai. He didn't know what had motivated him to help Hilary but he'd find a way to thank him another time.

"I have to find her," Ray said, offering Mariah his hand. He told himself it's so she doesn't get lost in the large gathering.

Kai trailed closely behind them as they wandered through. Ray had no idea where Hilary would have gone. He hadn't seen Tyson in a minute either.

A commotion came from the front of the house, in the living room and people started moving back, fleeing through the other exits of the house.

"Cops," Mariah groaned, looking to Kai.

He grunted, grabbing Mariah's other hand to pull her back. "We've got to go."

"I've got to find Ty and Hil." Ray pulled her to a stop.

Kai didn't waste any time arguing. "Tell Julia to drop them off at your place."

"Mariam drove me here," Mariah said while getting pushed and shoved.

"And Hilary drove us,"

Kai rolled his eyes, yanking Mariah. "They'll be fine,"

Mariah's eyes pleaded with him to give in. Ray felt torn. As much as he hated it, he had to trust her experience in these situations.

He allowed them to guide him out of the house and around the back. The flashing lights cast moving shadows in every situation as Kai led them to a small blue coup.

"Get in," Kai said as he folded the driver's seat forward. Ray got in behind Mariah, squishing together, as Kai started the car and drove off, dodging around people and cars.

Ray worried that he'd made a mistake in coming out. He just wanted to show Mariah that he was interested in her and her life but if his parents found out what he did, he might as well forget about Mariah entirely.

He was distracted from her thoughts when Mariah rested her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe we got out," she laughed. She sounded both exhilarated and yet tired, much to Ray's confusion. The only thing he could feel was the anxiety in the pit of his gut.

Mariah pulled out her phone, the screen lighting up the back seat. "Julia says they have Tyson and Hilary,"

Ray sighed; at least one thing to feel okay about.

"Tell them to meet at your house," Kai told her.

Mariah nodded, typing quickly and waiting for a response.

"She said okay but Tyson's drunk," she looked up at him, worried again, "and they left Hilary's car."

Ray cursed. Nothing was going as planned. Hilary and Ray had specifically told Tyson not to go crazy but then both of them left him on his own, each too wrapped up with their own problems.

By the time they arrived at Mariah's street, Tala was already there, parked farther from her house to not be seen. Kai pulled up alongside him, rolling down the window.

Ray could hear Tyson talking animatedly in the back seat and guessed that was the reason for Tala's annoyed expression as he looked in his rearview mirror.

"What's the plan?" Tala asked. His blue eyes, bright despite the shadows, cut to Mariah peeking around the passenger seat.

Mariah turned back to Ray. "What was your plan?"

"We were going to go back to Tyson's, but that's not an option with Tyson like that and Hilary's car not here."

"Can they stay at yours?" Mariah asked Tala.

Tala let out a string of words that basically let Ray know that wasn't an option.

"Mariah, just sneak them into the basement," Julia said from Tala's passenger seat.

"Are you kidding? My dad would kill me."

"How often do they really go down there?"

"This would be the time they choose to check on me,"

"Do you have another idea?"

"You know what we should do?" Ray heard Tyson ask. "Go for ice cream."

"Tyson, shut up. I swear I will kill you."

"My house it is," Mariah sighed. She pushed the seat in front of her forward and got out, leaving room for Ray. "Get your friends, and make sure Tyson keeps his mouth shut. I'm going to unlock the door."

Once Ray shut the passenger door, Kai drove off, speeding down the street, dim taillights disappearing around the corner.

Julia, Tyson, and Hilary get out of Tala's, Julia leaning into through the window. "Wait for me," she warned, pointing at him.

"Whatever," he responded but made no move to do anything other but sit there.

"Where are we going?" Tyson asked, his voice booming on the silent street. All three of them shush him.

Since Julia and Hilary look like they were absolutely done with him, Ray throws his arm around Tyson's shoulder to bring him close. "We got to be quiet, okay?"

"Oh, okay," Tyson whispered. And then cracked a smile and laughter.

Ray was at a loss. He knew Tyson was a loud, hyper drunk and it took a while for him to settle down. This was the worse situation for them to be in with a drunk Tyson.

"Hold him still," Ray heard Tala grumble as he got out of his car, leaving the door open. He grabbed Tyson from Ray, holding him by the shoulders to steady him.

Tyson's eyes went wide as he looked at Tala, his mouth falling open. "Man, you've got sexy eyes,"

Tala nodded. "Thanks, man." Then, pulling back his right hand, his closed fist swung past his jaw. Ray stood by in shock as Tyson's head flew to the side before he crumbled at the knees. He would have hit the ground had Ray not been there to catch him.

"What the hell," Ray said, staring at Tala.

"At least he's quiet now."

He looked to Hilary or Julia for back up, only to find neither of them all that surprised. Realizing he was alone in his feelings, Ray hefted Tyson into his arms and carried him through Mariah's yard, around the side of her house. All the lights were off, but Ray's nerves were still in overdrive.

Julia led them around to where the basement door was located at the bottom of the stairs. Mariah opened it slowly, peering around the side. Hilary went down first, with Ray right behind her.

"Thanks, Jules," Mariah whispered.

"I'll call you," he heard her reply before Mariah closed the door.

He and Hilary waited as Mariah locked up. When she turned around, she didn't seem to know what to do with them.

"What happened there?" She nodded to Tyson.

"Tala," Hilary replied.

"Ah."

Apparently, that was all the explanation that was needed and he wondered when the two and come to an understanding. Ray was starting to see that he was missing valuable information concerning the events that had transpired.

"I'll see what I can find for blankets and pillows," Mariah continued. She motioned to Ray, "He should probably be on the bed, in case he needs to throw up,"

She led him over, allowing Ray to set Tyson down on her bed. While she gathered things from upstairs, Ray made Tyson comfortable while Hilary spun around in Mariah's desk chair.

The silence between them was suffocating. Ray tried not to feel bitter about Hilary's resistance to him, but after realizing just how far she'd gone to avoid talking to him, preferring the company of her new friends, he couldn't deny that he was angry with her.

"So," he started, taking off Tyson's shoes so they didn't dirty Mariah's sheets, "fun night."

"Yeah, I had a blast." Her sarcasm was heavy.

"Are we going to talk about what happened?"

She titled her head. "What happened?"

He'd had enough dancing around the topic. "Can you be honest with me, because I can't tell? Are you acting out because you don't want to be friends anymore or because of your parents?"

Hilary's face immediately went slack, her eyes growing wide with dread.

"Why didn't you just tell me instead of making me guess?"

She looked away. "I'm not ready to talk about it."

"But you told Tala, who you've known for how long? For what?"

"You wouldn't understand,"

"Hilary, we've been friends since we were kids. How could I not understand you?"

She shrugged.

"I see. You have all the insight on me and Tyson but you're just such a mystery that we couldn't possibly get what you're going through. Or is it that you think we're too stupid to get it."

"I don't think you're stupid,"

"Then what is it, Hil? Because I'm trying to understand how you could think that we wouldn't want to be here for you."

With nothing else to distract him after removing Tyson's jacket, Ray faced Hilary. He watched as she spun back and forth in her chair, refusing to answer or even make eye contact. Her bottom lip trembled as she pinched them together and he felt bad for making her cry but even worse that she still couldn't say anything to him.

Mariah's steps thudded gently down the stairs. She hesitated at the bottom step, eyeing the both of them, her hands full of throws and couch pillows. "I'd give you some more time, but I really shouldn't be upstairs," she said quietly. "Are you two going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Hilary muttered.

Ray nodded. There was no use in disagreeing at the moment, and honestly, he was done with the fight. They helped Mariah spread out pillows and blankets, making little beds for themselves. After, Mariah dug out some pajamas for Hilary to change into.

"Unfortunately, all my brother's stuff is packed away so I don't have anything for you," she said while Hilary disappeared into her bathroom.

"I'll be fine," Ray smiled tiredly. "I don't know how to thank you. You're really saving us here."

"Yeah, just try to be quiet. I'll set my alarm so that we can get up early and go get Hilary's car."

Ray wasn't sure what her plan was, but as long as she had one, he knew it was all going to be fine.

Hilary came out of the bathroom and Mariah went in. Without saying a word, Hilary curled up on her makeshift bed, her back to him. She stayed on the far end of the room, a significant amount of space between them.

While Mariah was in the bathroom, Ray made himself comfortable. He knew he'd have to sleep in his pants but he didn't want to deal with his shirt. Besides that, having his hair pulled up so tightly was starting to bother him.

First, he unbuttoned and pulled off his shirt, folding it next to his pillow so he'd have it ready in the morning. Next, he pulled the band from his hair, letting the strands fall and relax, running a hand over his scalp to help with the stiff feeling. He sat on the ground, the blanket pulled up to his waist, massaging his head until he heard the door up.

Mariah stared at him, hand lingering over the light from the bathroom, the last light in the room. She'd dressed in light pink bottoms and a matching tank top, her bright hair loose around her shoulders.

It'd been down all night. And her shirt had been backless, exposing from her shoulders all the way to her black pants, with nothing but strings crisscrossing over her back to hold it in place.

Yet, somehow, this felt so much more intimate. Ray was more aware of his shirtless state than he was a moment ago, wondering if that was a good decision.

Mariah flicked the light off, casting them in complete darkness. "Night," she whispered.

"Night," he replied, his tongue feeling thick.

He heard her crawl next to him, between him and the bed. She was so close. He couldn't get the thought from his head as he laid there.

It felt like hours, nothing but the sound of breathing filling the room, as Ray laid on his back trying not to move in fear that he'd somehow bump into her, despite the three or four feet between them. Eventually, Tyson started snoring, the sound gradually getting louder. He was used to it, having heard it all his life whenever he spent the night with Tyson. He could also tell the Hilary had settled into a light doze based on her even breathing.

Mariah, however, he couldn't tell. He whispered her name to her back, seeing if she'd react.

She rolled slightly. "Yeah?"

Now that he had her attention, Ray wasn't sure what to do with it. He'd already thanked her for her help and didn't want to irritate her any further.

"Are you..." Ray began, trailing off.

"What?" She whispered. She rolled all the way over so that she could hear him. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the shadows, he could make out her face.

He rolled to face her. "Hi."

She smiled softly. "Hi,"

"I had a fun time, meeting your friends again,"

"They're all crazy,"

"I think my friends take the cake on that,"

She giggled. "Um, yeah. They definitely win that award tonight."

Ray silently rejoiced in making her laugh, even if it was only for a moment.

"It was nice to see Max again. What's going on between him and Mariam?"

"Your guess is as good as anyone's," Mariah rolled her eyes. "She likes to pretend she doesn't need anybody but she's very overprotective of him."

"Because he was bullied?"

"I'm not sure of the full story. I was busy being ignored by our year."

She said it playfully. Ray still felt a sharp regret course through him; all the time he let slip away not knowing this girl because he believed in some rumors of how lesser she was. But that was over with, now. At least, if she was still willing to be his friend after this. Then again, he knew he wanted more than that.

"Even more interesting is what's going on between Hilary and Kai?"

"Kai?"

"Yeah, did you see the way he was looking at her?"

Ray pictured the mostly silent man. He looked emotionless to Ray in all his memories; vacant.

"I thought her focus was on Tala," he said. "Isn't that who she visited?"

"Tala's no good for her. I barely tolerate him with Julia."

"I'm not trying to set Hilary up,"

"Neither am I. But sometimes you can't stop things from happening."

Ray has having a difficult time following her. Did she want Hilary with Kai or not?

"Can I ask," he said slowly, "if something is happening between you and your friend?"

He could see Mariah's eyes narrow, but he couldn't tell with which emotion. "Which friend?"

"The one at the party," he clarified. "Bryan?"

She looked away from him, a coy smile sliding up her lips. "Is it because of what Mariam said?"

"Bryan was Mariah's first kiss, you know, and he'd never turn down the chance to go further."

If asked, Ray wouldn't admit that the words had struck him. The same way he wouldn't admit that seeing Bryan's arm around Mariah's shoulders felt like a boulder sinking in his stomach.

"Just curious,"

Mariah huffed. "My brother drove away every guy that showed interest in me. And any guy that I showed interest in. Bryan was the only one Lee couldn't scare away. For whatever reason, Bryan likes pissing people off."

"He seemed to enjoy aggravating you tonight, pushing you to be alone with me."

"You caught that?" She breathed out. "Yeah, he likes doing things like that."

"So, you're first, huh?"

"Just my first kiss. Julia had already been with Tala and Mariam was starting to see guys casually at parties and stuff. Meanwhile, I was stuck at a school where no one talked to me and Lee had me on lockdown. I just didn't want to get left behind."

"Okay,"

"And sometimes we flirt a little,"

"Right,"

"Bry's ease. He doesn't expect anything."

"Right."

Mariah bit her lip. "I don't know why I'm explaining it to you,"

"You don't have to,"

"I know."

"But it's good to know,"

"Why?"

Ray shrugged. In the darkness, he hoped his feelings were concealed. He wouldn't disrespect Mariah by chasing after her once she made it clear she was focused on someone else. But she wasn't. Bryan was just a guy she knew.

Mariah sat up, supported by one arm while she leaned closer to him. Her right arm reached out, coming closer as he watched and waited. "You let your hair down,"

"You told me to,"

"But I wasn't expecting to see it tonight." Her hand paused for a moment, "Can I?"

"Sure,"

Ray was particular about his hair. While he was honest about the reason he kept it bound at school, part of it was that it kept others from touching all the time. He wasn't sure why, but before he started wrapping it, people were fascinated by it, reaching out and grasping it without asking. Sometimes they weren't even gentle about it but would rake their hands through like it wasn't attached to his head.

But Mariah had asked and her hand traveled slowly, grasping a section just over his shoulder and playing with it delicately, letting it wind around her fingers. She drew her hand back, taking the section with her, marveling at it. He wondered what she thought.

"It's soft," she whispered, staring. As she twisted and curled her fingers, letting each smaller section drop from her hand one by one, she looked at him. A new, tranquil expression had overtaken her face as he waited for her next move.

Slowly, she inched closer, moving to hover over him, eyes fixated on his. By this time, Ray had caught on to what she was doing and allowed her the freedom to move how she wanted. He was suspended in disbelief and yet keenly aware of how much he wanted her to get closer. Her hand settled next to him, just brushing by his ribs as it passed to support her.

His lips parted, taking a deep breath as she closed in.

"That's mine!"

Mariah jumped back, gasping in shock. For a moment, Ray feared it was her dad, ready to kill him but it was only Tyson.

"That's my sandwich," he mumbled.

Realizing that he was only talking in his sleep, they both looked at each other, trying to read the air in the dark. Mariah closed her eyes and laughed to herself, crawling back into her bed.

"We should get some sleep,"

"Yeah," Ray agreed. His heart was still racing in his chest.

They fell silent after that, but Ray couldn't get the memory of her out of his head. The way her hair shifted over her shoulder as she moved, the feeling of her small wrist pressed against his side, the look in her eyes. The images haunted Ray in the shadows of the room, whether his eyes were opened or closed.

He was sure he didn't get any sleep when Mariah's alarm went off. His eyes jumped open even though the alarm only rang out for a second before Mariah shut it off. He heard her sigh sharply and wondered if she'd been kept awake like him.

She got up and went into the bathroom with an armful of clothes. Ray sat up once the door was closed, quickly putting on his shirt and buttoning it up. He felt drained and yet charged.

He looked over at Hilary. She hadn't moved all night, but then she'd always been a pretty quiet sleeper. Ray crawled closer. "Hilary," he whispered so she didn't startle her.

"I'm up," she said immediately. For a moment, he wondered if he'd gotten it wrong and she'd been up the entire night instead of dozing. What if she had heard them?

"I'll get Tyson," he said instead of dwelling on it. His worry would only drive him crazier.

Tyson was drooling on Mariah's pillow and Ray could not have possibly felt worse. There were only two ways to wake Tyson up: food or vigorously shaking him.

And Ray was short on food.

"What, what, what?" Tyson asked smacking Ray's hands, annoyed at being awoken.

"Keep it down," Ray told him. He didn't know if he had it in him to knock Tyson out as Tala had. "We have to go."

"Go where?"

"To get the car,"

Tyson groaned, pulling Mariah's pillow closer.

"No! No going back to sleep, Tyson."

Hilary appeared at Ray's side. "Tyson, get up and we'll get pancakes."

He grunted, "Okay."

Hilary laughed humorlessly, glancing at Ray. It was at that moment, in their shared exasperation with their friend, that Ray knew they could salvage their friendship. He didn't have it in him to stay mad at her and only wanted to help her through whatever was causing her pain. He wouldn't let her push them away anymore; the choice wasn't hers.

"Bathroom's free," Mariah said. She reappeared in plain jeans and a tee-shirt with her hair pulled into a bun. "Do you want something other than your skirt?"

"If you have something,"

Mariah passed Hilary another pair of jeans and let her get changed. Tyson had started to sit up, rubbing his head.

"My head hurts," he said.

"You're hungover."

He felt around his jaw, which had developed a dark bruise. "Does my chin have a hangover?"

"You fell on the sidewalk," Ray told him.

"Oh, man,"

Mariah laughed. Hilary came out of the bathroom and thanked Mariah for her clothes, handing them back neatly folded.

"No problem. Okay, I'm going to let you guys out down here and just meet me at the corner."

Once Tyson was dressed, Mariah unlocked the basement door and let them around. They quietly tried to sneak around on to the sidewalk. The sun hadn't had a chance to warm the air yet, leaving everything cold and damp. Hilary shivered as they walked towards the corner, crossing her arms even though there was barely any fabric to the shirt she wore last night.

Without being asked, Tyson slipped his jacket off and passed it to her, further solidifying for Ray that their friendship wasn't done yet.

Moments later, Mariah drove up next to them, unlocking the doors of her mom's SUV.

"Do you think my car will still be there?" Hilary asked from the back seat.

"It should be fine," Mariah answered. The streets were still empty and they made it back to the neighborhood in minutes. In the morning light, it looked like a normal street. No one would believe there was a raging house party just a few hours earlier.

Hilary pointed out her car and they were all relieved to see it was still in perfect condition. Tyson and Hilary got out, leaving Ray with Mariah as he slowly unbuckled his belt.

Mariah's hands gripped the steering wheel, her eyes staring straight ahead. "Thanks again,"

"Yeah,"

He waited until she looked at him. "We'll talk later," he said. It wasn't a question. Now that she had indicated some interest, he had every intention of pursuing it.

"Yeah. Have a good morning,"

He smiled. "It's already better."

She looked away, the tall-tale sign of fighting a smile. "Goodbye, Ray,"

Chuckling, he got out of the car and into Hilary's. Mariah waited until the car was turned on before she drove away.

"Pancakes?" Tyson asked.

"Pancakes." Both Ray and Hilary responded.

Hilary drove them to a chain dinner – something quick and easy for the tried trio. The waitress smiled at them, commenting about three young kids being up early.

"Or out late," she laughed. "Oh, to be young,"

She took their orders, leaving them three coffees. Tyson wasted no time emptying five packets of sugar in his. Hilary looked on in disgust.

"So, about last night," Tyson said after his first sip. "What did I hear about Hilary being dragged into a bedroom and a guy named Kai saving her?"

Hilary and Ray shared a confused look. "That's what you remember?" She asked.

He tapped his temple and then winced. "There's not much that escapes this steel trap."

"Except everything," Hilary muttered.

"Not to take sides, but I would like to know as well," Ray said around his coffee, studying her steadily.

"I was just having a little fun like you were having fun with Mariah and Tyson was having fun with – well, everyone."

"Then why did you need saving?"

"I didn't, Tyson. Kai just interfered where he wasn't wanted."

"I'll be honest with you, Hil," Tyson said, turning towards her in their shared bench, "none of those guys seem like the type to interfere unnecessarily. So, the situation must have been serious enough for him to do something about it."

Ray was surprised by the maturity Tyson was showing. Having grown up with him, Ray knew that Tyson had his serious moments where he could apply logic, but it was always tempered with a childlike optimism that left Hilary and him baffled. What Ray was seeing now was similar but mellowed.

"And we can't pretend that you haven't been acting weird lately. Ray and I having been trying to let you come to us on your own, but I'm tired of it, Hil. We don't deserve your secrets or your sour attitude. It's a lot worse than you being a know-it-all, to be honest."

During his speech, Hilary had turned to look across the table at Ray, incredulity written on her face.

"What?" Tyson asked when they didn't say anything.

"Nothing," Hilary shook her head. "I just wasn't expecting to be put in my place this morning, by you of all people ."

"So, what's the deal?"

The waitress returned to deliver their plates - pancakes and eggs, for all of them – and refill their coffees.

Ray waited, hoping this was the moment Hilary finally talked to them about what was going on.

"My dad is leaving my mom for a younger woman at his office." She said slowly. Ray saw how she gripped her coffee mug, knuckles turning white. "My beautiful mom, who has literally done everything for him for the past twenty years. Made his meals and did his laundry and paid all the bills and made all my costumes and showed up to all my school events. Everything. And he has the gumption to walk away like he deserves better?"

Ray and Tyson looked at each other in shock. Even knowing that her parents were separating, he couldn't have prepared for what Hilary said.

Hilary carried on. "And I'm just like my mom, you know. We kind of look the same, we're both overachievers, both eager to please. All I could think, seeing my mom cry over the divorce papers was: that's me. If I don't do something to knock myself off this path, that's going to be me."

"No," Tyson scooted closer to her. "No guy would be dumb enough to try that with us around."

Hilary sniffed, laughing despite herself. "So, when I saw Mariah's friends, I... lost my mind, I guess. They have their problems but at least they're open about."

Ray had been so sure that whatever she was going through, he'd be able to help fix it, but there was nothing he could do about this. No matter what he told her, Hilary would believe what she wanted. She was convinced of her future and it was making her sad and desperate for a different reality. He could relate, having had his world rocked by Mariah himself.

"Well, there's one thing that will never change," Ray offered. Hilary lifted her gaze to meet his. "We'll never trade you in for a better option. You're stuck with us."

"Yeah. And we're going to chase off every guy that isn't good enough for you. So, you'll probably be single forever."

"Ty,"

"Nope. They'll have to pass a rigorous test. If they get even one answer wrong -" Tyson drew his thumb across his neck, "- they're done."

Hilary rolled her eyes. "And what exactly is on this test?"

"Ha! Wouldn't you like to know?"

"It is about me, isn't it?"

Tyson refused to give up his answers. It did the job of distracting her enough so that they could enjoy breakfast together. Now that there were no more secrets, things flowed easily between them. They stayed far too long in the booth until the dining room started filling with the breakfast crowd.

Hilary paid, an apology for the trouble she'd put them through. Then she drove them to Tyson's, parking on the street in front of his home.

"Now, we all of the story, right?" Hilary asked as she turned off the car.

"We came home late last night and went right to sleep," Tyson said.

"And woke up early to get breakfast."

"And we brought breakfast back for Grandpa Granger," Hilary said, pointing at the to-go back next to Tyson.

"He'll be so happy he won't notice any holes," Tyson agreed.

"Ready?" She looked at Ray. Her brown eyes shined with trust.

Ray nodded once. "Ready."

"I don't' know about you," Tyson said, "but that was one of the best nights of my life."

Ray smiled to himself. He couldn't have agreed more.

Early update for the fun of it. If you have any thoughts, good or bad, I'd love to hear them. Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoy at least the next five hours of your life - konix