"You're cousin is a complete and raving bitch," Reid stated as he lay back on his bed.

"So you've told me. If she's that bad though at least I don't have to worry about you trying to score with her," Tyler replied as he set his books out on his desk hoping to get some of their homework stared, always a feat to be proud of when Reid was in the room.

"I never said I wouldn't try to score with her, she's just a bitch and that makes the scoring aspect a tad bit more difficult."

Tyler groaned as he turned to look at his best friend, "Please don't Reid. If something happens and events follow that get her in trouble then she's off to that military camp. Do you really want to be responsible for that?"

"Hey she knows how to kept out of trouble. She just doesn't choose to."

"How do you know that?"

"We're alike, what can I say. Two peas in a pod."

"Firstly I don't think she'd like being referred to as a pea and second I really don't think she'd like being considered the same as you. Thirdly if you are right and you are the same that makes you a bitch."

"Huh, I see your point on the last one. Ok so maybe we're two peas in the same garden. Same thing with some differences."

"Ya. Right. Just please don't try anything with her."

"I told you baby boy I can't say no to an ass like that. If she comes looking for it then I'll be obliged to give in. You know me, I cave to the desires of others."

"You suck."

"No no dear brother, that's your cousin's specialty I'm sure, but I'll tell you if she's any good."

Tyler's face dropped into complete horror and he quickly exited the room to the sound of Reid's laughter.

"Hello sugar," Reid cooed from where he leaned against the corridor wall after class one afternoon.

Cynn smiled back as she stepped past him knowing full and well he'd been waiting for her. Almost an entire week of his avoiding her had passed. Almost an entire week before he got over her little joke.

"How's Kira?" Cynn chirped happily.

"As good as she always is. That girl has no morals I must say. No concern what so ever about cheating on her...Aaron."

"Whore."

"Who?"

"Both of you. Huh, I'd have thought that was fairly obvious."

"Well you passed sweets, there's plenty of other girls willing to take your place."

"Then why are you waiting for me?"

Reid hesitated.

"My point exactly," Cynn smiled as she leaned over and granted him a simple peck on the cheek.

Reid suddenly retaliated and managed to get her pinned between him and the wall, "Where did you come from? Planet Bitch?"

"As opposed to what? Planet 'I think I'm a player but can't get any play'?"

"Planet bitch it is."

"Aw poor Reid, can't get anyone worth while? Skeezy whores like Red as good as it gets?"

"Go to hell."

"I hear all the best lovers go there, lust being a sin and all such things. Guess I won't be seeing you there any time soon."

"How about we go settle this right now in my room, then we can go to hell together."

"Listen here oh great king of chotchdom, as enlightening as this conversation has been I fear I have to get on with my life before I die of boredom brought on by your oh so witty comebacks," she replied with a smile that spoke of complete sweet innocence before pushing him away almost gently.

"We're going to Nikky's tonight. I'll pick you up at nine." Reid called after her watching her wave dismissively at him in return.

He couldn't help the smile that crept over his features. He couldn't help that she intrigued him. And he certainly couldn't help that he was unable to back down from a challenge, and a challenge she most certainly was.

Hours later Reid found himself knocking on an unfamiliar door.

Despite what the rest of the school believed Reid had never actually been with Kira. The fact was she disgusted him beyond all measure. She just gave in. Granted, he was good looking, he'd be the first to admit it but she gave in to anyone and everyone, if they had something they could give her.

Reid could give her popularity, Aaron gives her the ability to say she has a boyfriend, the nerd down the hall gives her high grades. She was a true whore in every meaning of the word.

Of course she would be the one to answer the door.

"Reid?" She stammered obviously unprepared for the arrival of her one failed conquest.

Caught off guard he hesitated, "Ya um..."

"I didn't know you were coming over, you should have told me I would have been ready."

"Ready?"

"But of course you are unpredictable like that. Maybe that's why I have a thing for you."

"I'm looking for Cynn," Reid blurted out suddenly cutting her off before she could get a head start.

Her face fell from bubbly to blank in a matter of seconds, "Are you serious?"

"Ya, I told her I'd take her out with the boys tonight."

"You're here for that no fashion sense-"

"I think she has interesting fashion choices."

"She left."

"She what?"

"Left. Without you. Apparently she doesn't want what you want Reid, but some of us aren't so-"

"Sorry Red. No can do," Reid replied quickly caught between intrigue and anger. Firstly she left without him. Secondly she left without him. Anger definitely won out for the moment. He managed to settle himself down by the time he got back down to where Tyler waited in his Hummer truck.

Tyler tossed his best friend a confused look feeling quite adequately that he missed something important in the situation.

"She's probably already there," Reid said coldly as he slammed his door shut.

"Probably huh? Apparently I don't have to worry about her with you huh," Tyler replied with soft amusement.

"Shut up."

A quick scan of the crowd told Reid that she had indeed found her own way to the local hot spot of his home town and by the looks of her flattened hair, it was by bike. Of course.

"I like your hair like that," he commented absently as he spun a chair around to straddle it at his friends' usual table. Presently she sat alone tapping out the beat of the music, Caleb and Pogue were having some 'top secret' discussion by the foosball table while their women folk danced their little hearts out.

"I don't, it's boring," Cynn replied as she set down the drink she'd been slowly working at.

"I thought you were going to wait for me," Reid said as he seized her drink and helped himself, his first mouth full almost sent him sputtering. Rye and coke, how had she gotten herself rye and coke here? A double by the taste of it no less.

"Yes well," she retrieved her own drink from his grasp, "I don't believe that that particular was even agreed to."

Reid nodded slowly as he eyed her suspiciously wondering how she had gotten and fake ID good enough to fool Nikky, "Ok fine I'll give you that."

"I wasn't asking for it," she replied cool under his gaze.

"You're a bitch," Reid smirked sweetly at her as he leaned back in his chair.

"Said the man like every other," Cynn smiled gracefully as she continued to absently stir her drink with her straw.

Reid was slightly taken aback by the way she easily brushed off what he had found to be one of the most offensive insults he could give a girl. He tried again, "You're a slut."

"Oh well played."

Still nothing, her lack of reaction annoyed him, this was not how this game was to be played, "You'd fuck anything that walks."

Apparently her inability to take insults in the proper fashion was getting to him. Cynn raised her gaze a mischievous glint held within, "I'm sorry, apparently I forgot, when did you get inside my pants?"

"Fuck you."

"No love the whole reason of that comeback was to point out the fact that that has not happened," she replied returning to the constant stirring of her beverage.

"Not that you haven't dreamed about it."

"Ah well god forbid I enjoy my pleasure and use you as eye candy, the trick is to keep your mouth shut. Let's just say when I can't get it the way I want it, your fault in fact, well I do have needs and I can take care of them myself."

"Oh that's nice Cynn. I can picture it now. But you know I can give you a hand," Reid leaned forward to halt her incessant stirring with his hand.

"We tried that little game before remember sweets? You broke the rules by trying to make some. I will not be summoned at your leisure." She pulled her hand away to suck the coke out of the straw, giving him a look of pure seduction.

"You're just mad princess because you want me, and now you can't have me."

"Reid, how ever did you find me out? I thought that I hid it so well. I want you. I need you. Oh baby. Oh baby. Take me now in front of-"

"Fuck you."

"Again with the 'F' word tonight love. Say it with me, vocabulary."

"You sorry little-"

"No Reid, I don't think so. You're the one still chasing what you can't have."

"Bitch," Reid grinned thinking he'd had final say in the conversation with that little insult.

Cynn clearly didn't hear him her attention suddenly captured by something across the bar. Reid watched her with complete loathing as she stood and weaved her way through the crowd only to stop in front of some pretty boy from school.

'Fuck.'

"Where's Cynn?" Tyler asked as he sat next to his best friend a basket of fries in hand.

"Screwing around. You're cousins a whore Tyler."

"I don't think so Reid. She doesn't really strike me as the easy type."

"Trust me she's a whore."

"Who's a whore?" Sarah asked as she and Kate sat down and helped themselves to Tyler's food.

"Cynn." Reid replied coldly refusing to glance at the bar where she was flirting her way into another man's bed.

"No she's not a whore she just likes men, don't we all," Kate replied giving Sarah a suggestive look which caused the blond to laugh.

Reid glared at the two giggling maniacs for a moment before they continued.

"See Kira is a whore because she doesn't know what she wants, she goes for any guy any time thinking that eventually one of them will give her what she needs. I tell you that girl has daddy issues," Kate glanced at the bar where Kira was in fact flirting with a trio of freshmen.

Sarah agreed, "She has to have some confidence to look that different. I wonder who the hottie is though."

Both girls stared at the bar for a moment and Reid couldn't help but turn around to see Cynn following her new eye candy into the back alley.

"Oh yeah because doing someone in the alley isn't a whore move," Reid snarled.

"Come on," Tyler stood up quickly intent on following.

"Leave her alone man, I don't think that you want to walk in on you cousin doing the nasty," Reid reached over to pull his room mate back down.

"No Reid don't you realize who that guy was?" Kate said quickly obviously suddenly alarmed.

"Who?" Reid replied sarcastically not really in the mood to know the name of the guy who beat him out.

"That's the Pope," Kate hissed.

"The Pope?" Reid chuckled at the lame nickname.

"Yes you know the Pope as in the first. The first to bring drugs into here."

"Wait a drug dealer?" Tyler demanded standing up so fast his chair fell down.

"Ya a girl on our floor didn't pay him in time and he beat her up pretty bad." Sarah added seriously.

Reid stood up quickly too. Tyler was going out there with or without him, he'd rather it be with.

"Want us to get Pogue and Caleb?" Kate asked quickly in slight alarm.

"No we can take care of it you just stay here," Reid stayed his hand to keep them from moving anywhere.

The Pope, AKA Kyle Lebraun was just return as the brothers were departing.

"Cynn?" Tyler called out as the door flew open before him alarm filling his voice.

"Uh huh?" she grunted from the shadows as a spark of deep red lit up the blackness of it all.

"Are you ok? Did he hurt you?" Tyler demanded practically falling down the stairs.

"What? What the hell are you talking about?" She replied confusion edging her words.

"That guy," Tyler glanced back at the door as if the man in question would return to back him up.

"No he didn't hurt me, why the hell would he do that?"

"Because...well that's what he does."

"When you don't pay up. Don't worry baby cuz I have more then enough to pay up."

"You mean you bought..." Tyler trailed off as if he didn't really want to hear it.

The red embers flared up for a moment "Yes Tyler I bought some pot, don't look so horrified, it really isn't the end of the world you know. I'd offer to share but the two of you high with those powers, well you could be dangerous."

"Cynn that stuff-"

"Heroine in dangerous Tyler, cocaine or meth this is not. I don't need you trying to tell me what to do I get that enough as is."

"Cynn," Reid stepped forward hoping to try his hand.

"It's pot Reid. Stop being such a pussy," she stood up at that on, joint held between her lips as she brushed past them to head for the end of the alley.

"Cynn," Reid reached for her but she was too quick and stepped aside.

"I have a joint on the occasion boys. It's not that big of a deal. We can't all be perfect like you four," they could hear the venom in her words as she walked out of the alley.