Hey folks. So sorry for the forever update but I've been dealing with getting back into school, roommates moving in, surprise visitors, AND getting over this cold my mother gave me *shakes fist*. I'm slowly getting better but my writing mojo seems to be blah for the last couple of days. Been mostly only editing but I guess that's better than nothing right? Any-who, here's chapter 18.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot of my stories and the OC's, except Nat, that fine piece of work belongs to C2ndy2c1d.

Enjoy!


"Kev I'm so happy you could make it!" Casandra yelled from the kitchen. "Hold up I've got margaritas on the way."

Nat ushered his best friend and his guest into the cozy apartment, kicking the door shut as he went. He turned down the loud music on his huge seventy-two inch flat screen and tossed the remote onto the couch. "FINALLY we can get this party started!" His smile glinted as brightly as his piercing. He whipped around faster than anyone could blink, eying poor Edd who was still hiding half way behind Kevin. Now that just had to be the cutest thing Nat had ever seen.

"Time for long awaited introductions." He chuckled creepily, wiggling his fingers in a manner looking most unpleasant to Edd.

"Dude." Kevin said with a mild gruffness to his tone. He pulled Edd out from behind him and pushed the shy boy forward. "Don't worry about him. Nat doesn't bite, but if he does I'll punch him."

Nat smirked but held up his hands in defense just as Casandra came into the room. "Hey Kev I wasn't sure if you wanted salt with yours but- Oh, hello." The bubbly waitress smiled. "You must be Kev's date for the night. My name is Casandra." She looked down at her hands and chuckled. "Excuse me let me deposit these things first." She shoved the glasses at the other two males and held out her hand to Edd who shook it gently.

"Greetings. I am Eddward Vincent." Wow she certainly has a grip. "I express my deepest gratitude for extending an invitation to me for this night's excursion." He smiled shyly.

"Whoa he talks like that all the time?" The blond chuckled. "That's so rad. I wish I had a guy that like that. So primp and proper. Making me feel like a lady." She bounced a handful of curls in her palm.

"Is that all it takes to get your ankles behind your ears?" Nat snickered.

Casandra whipped around on her friend, flipping him the bird. "You're just jealous I've got these and you don't." She stuck her tongue out, grabbing her boobs and jiggling them.

"Girl please my tits are so much better than yours." He said pointing to his flatter than flat chest.

The red-head sighed, slipping his mirrored glasses into a nearby table. Eddward looked mortified. "If you're wondering, the answer is yes this is normal." Kevin quickly stepped to Casandra, latching onto her wrists and yanking them down before she could lift her shirt up. "Can we not do that here?!" He immediately lowered his voice just so they could hear him. "Take it easy you two. He's super sensitive so rein it in a little."

Casandra shrugged, her bubbly smile falling into a bemused frown. "Ok fine." She smiled at Edd and took him by the hand to the kitchen. "So what do you drink; margaritas? Daiquiris? How about beer?"

Eddward shook his head. "Oh no thank you. I don't drink."

"Well good for you. Drinking it a terrible habit." She hummed happily while slicing open a lime. The knife hit the cutting board with a deafening thud, slicing through the lime with ease. "But sometimes you just gotta let loose. Get stiff for too long and you end up staying that way."

"I agree!" Kevin called from the living room which was soon followed by a shout. "Get off me you dork!"

Edd turned his attention back to Casandra. He knew he had nothing to prove to these strangers and yet he felt the very opposite. He really didn't want to seem like a prude in front of these people. He would be the only one out of the potential fun and being so out of place in the city was already enough of a self-conscious weight. He also didn't want to make a fool out of Kevin for bringing a 'buzz kill' along. Maybe he wanted to prove something to himself, that he wasn't the same dependent nerd everyone back in Peach Creek knew. How comical, he thought. The more I want to separate myself from the past the more it comes back to haunt me.

"I don't know about alcohol but I wouldn't be put off by a drink without it." He offered.

Casandra beamed a smile. "That's more like it hun." She handed him a premade glass of something lemony with a colorful cocktail parasol in it. "Virgin Margarita just for you." She winked. "Wasn't sure if Kev's little date was a drinker or not."

Edd smiled kindly and thanked her for the drink.

"Nat I swear if you don't let go I am going to-"

"But Keeeeeviiiiiin!" Nat whined from the floor, his arms wrapped around one of the red-head's legs. "I wanna touch it!"

"In your dreams Goldberg." Kevin huffed, trying to shake the teal haired moron off but Nathan held fast. "Pleeeeeease?"

"I said no!" Kevin socked him on the head. "Holy shit what the heck if your head made of?" Kevin nursed his throbbing fist.

Casandra erupted into hearty laugh. "Yeah, and I'm the one scaring the new guy off." She turned to Edd and shrugged. "Boys will be boys. Except you. You're a gentleman. A real American sweetheart."

Eddward giggled from behind the rim of his glass. To his utter surprise, it wasn't all that bad; a bit tart but for his palate but not at all an unpleasant taste. He set it down on a nearby coaster and looked out into the living room. Kevin had completely given up on Nat letting go and simply dragged him along the carpet. The teal-head had his drink in one hand while the other was stubbornly wrapped around Kevin's calf. He was sipping at his drink with such suave that it became easy to forget the guy was belly down on the floor. Kevin dragged him towards the kitchen as Edd quickly excused himself.

"So when do you guys want to head out?" He asked, his eyes following Edd as he disappeared down the hall.

"Around nine." Casandra said with a flick of her hair.

Kevin nodded. "Alright. Well I've got to head out for work." Casandra pouted. "Think you two can keep an eye on him?" He nodded in Edd's direction.

She shrugged. "Sure."

"You can count on us." Nat beamed from the floor.

By the time Eddward came back from the restroom Kevin was already gone. He looked around for his ginger haired… whatever he was to him, but found no trace of him. Casandra explained. "Oh I had completely forgotten that he had work." Edd said picking up the mirrored glasses Kevin had left behind. "And he left these behind. Oh dear."

"He said he'd meet us at the club."

He stared at his warped reflection in the eye pieces, a part of him feeling drawn and yet repulsed by what he saw. Staring back was a scrawny white skinned boy playing grown up in the big ol' city. He could just hear the jeering and cackling from behind the closed door of his mother's bedroom, carrying on a conversation with him, behind his back. He'll never amount to anything out there. The sound of his mother's voice was like cough syrup, thick with sweetener to hide the horrible after taste that was sure to come. He's just a kid. He's smart but… well you know what I mean. My little Eddward wouldn't last a year on his own. Not without your help.

He concluded; looking at them didn't feel the same as seeing them on Kevin's face. There was no ignition of warmth or need as he peered at the glasses. He saw only a reflection of his face smeared by the presence of a thumb print. His insides started to crawl. Be gone with you terrible memories! I haven't any need of you. Before he could even register the movement, the glasses were swiped form his hand and his runaway thoughts came to a screeching halt.

"Don't worry I'll hold onto these for him." Casandra smiled. She tucked the glasses into the front of her shirt. "Until then- Nathan!"

The teal haired man backed away from Eddward's derriere, both hands up. "Oh come on. It's just sitting there taunting me."

Edd raised a brow. "What is?"

Nat grinned like the Cheshire cat. "If you give me permission to use my hands then I'll show you."

"NO absolutely not. Kevin left me in charge so you can keep your hands to yourself mister." Casandra then let her eyes fall back on Edd, her blond brows suddenly furrowing. "Hold up. I don't like what I'm seeing."

Edd felt both hers and Nat's eyes on him, feeling rather self-conscious. He looked down at himself but for the life of him could not find what was wrong with his attire.

"Hunny don't you fret. Nat and I are here to save you from your fashion melt down." Casandra said, peeling back the edge of Edd's coat with the tips of her fingers and looking just a little too disgusted. The sockhead stepped back feeling offended.

"Excuse me but while I agree with your distaste for these garments, Kevin had specifically chosen these and I would be remiss to allow you to talk so negatively of his choice without him present."

Nat whistled. "Got us a spit fire." He wiggled his teal brows. "I like 'em fiery."

Edd's eyes widened but that didn't stop the blush from coming. Lately it seems like he's been doing a lot of that.

"Come with me." Nat looped his arm into Edd's and dragged him down the hall to the king of butt's room. Or his lair as he would call it. In fact it was written on his bedroom door in big glittery letters. Casandra was about to follow but Nat held up his hand. "Girl I got this, you just chill in the other room while I get this cutie all dolled up." She merely rolled her eyes in response. "Ok I've got plenty of sexy outfits for you to wear. No offense to Kev, but he's too masculine to realize that you need something that shows off that cute little tushy of yours."

Edd's eyes widened. "My cute little what?"

Nat swooped head first into his closet, throwing shirt after shirt over his head, each looking flashier and skimpier than the last. Edd chanced to pick one up with the end of his finger, cringing when he saw the numerous holes in it. Never mind it was neon yellow, it looked like a colony of moths had a field day on this poor piece of cloth! Nat wiggled himself out from the belly of his enormous wardrobe and carried an arm full of clothes to the bed. Edd looked at the pile and immediately shook his head.

"My apologies Mr. Goldberg but I don't think-"

"Good, let me think for you." Nat tapped his finger to his chin in thought. His eyes scanned Edd from head to toe, dancing appreciatively. "Man, Kevin sure is a lucky guy."

"I wouldn't touch him if I were you." Casandra sang from down the hall.

Nat rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about her." He smiled but it didn't stop Eddward from wondering if he still had time to back out and just go home. "Ok go ahead and try these on." Nat said picking out a pair of jeans and handed them to Edd. Not one to be rude, the sockhead conceded. Arguing with Kevin on clothing was one thing. He could just tell denying Nat the chance to play dress up with him would be even more of a headache than it had been with the red-head, and he looked just as if not more stubborn.

He took the articles of clothing and went to the lavish en suite to change. Just like Nathan the room was outrageous. While the walls and claw footed tub were glistening white, his towels and the knick knacks scattered on the counter tops were a collection of neon color that really hurt to look at. A large vanity with a chair was tucked in the corner near the tub, the mirror sparkling clean. He might be a bit eccentric but Nat knew how to keep a bathroom clean. Edd quickly changed out of his jeans, depositing his coat on the counter as neatly as he could before slipping into the red skinny jeans. And skinny they were. Where on earth would a guy tuck his you-know-what in these? If anything his family jewels were being accentuated in these… Oh, perhaps that is the point. He sighed, handing them back.

"So little cutie, how did you and Kevin meet?" Nat handed him another pair of pants. These ones were black hip-huggers made to look like jeans but were far from it. The material was much softer but the waist band would go no higher than his hips, leaving his navel completely exposed. Edd paused to look in the mirror. The memory of his and Kevin's first meeting in the park flashed before his eyes and before he knew it he was a shaking mess. He cleared his throat, rubbing his collar bone timidly as he felt his cheeks heat up. He couldn't bring himself to look away from the mirror. "O-oh. Well we met in the park."

Nat nodded, leaning against the bathroom door's frame.

"These are suitable." Edd forced a smile, turning around in the mirror to admire the pants. Honestly they were a far cry from what he would actually deem appropriate but given the other wild numbers waiting on the bed he figured this would be the lesser evil. At least it wasn't neon. Or sequin for that matter.

"Dude you don't have to get all tight on me. You know, unless you wanna get tight on me." He smirked. Edd's cheeks burned brighter. "Kevin and I are best buds. We know everything about each other."

Eddward's smile faltered. "E-everything?"

"Everything." Nat left the bathroom momentarily and came back with a handful of shirts. Edd immediately handed back the brightly colored ones. "He never called me now that I think about it. That jerk. Oh well." Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he shut his bathroom door. The click of the lock echoed throughout the room. "Now about that bodacious booty of yours!"

On the other side of town Kevin was just making his way home to shower and change. He felt incredibly gross and the reason for that was because his dad was a jackass. Plain and simple. He knew Kevin had plans and purposely put him to work with the greenhorns. There was so much work to be done and both the newbies were making such rudimentary mistakes Kevin almost fired them without jurisdiction. The project was far from finished but he had enough and stood by the time clock for the last ten minutes of his shift, bouncing from leg to leg, hopping neither of the newbies asked him another dumb question. A ten minute lecture about work ethic, a few exchange of curse words, and a pinch to the cheek by his mother and he was finally set free.

After a good scrubbing and a quick dive into his unorganized closet he was back out the door. Casandra had left him a text for the place and time. He was rather surprised that she was able to get VIP bracelets to one of the more popular clubs in Manhattan. It was in the top five throughout New York and admittance was damn near impossible unless you knew someone. Hurray for connections!

Kevin parked nearby and wasn't at all shocked to see the number of people standing outside of the building. He met up with Casandra who was standing with her arms crossed over chest and shaking against the cold weather. She was dolled up as he expected; make up, killer heels and a matching cocktail dress that barely came down past her thighs. She handed him his bracelet and the two swooped in without a problem, laughing when they heard the angry shouts of the people outside. Oh well, sucks to be them.

The bartender, the bouncer, and anyone who worked there seem to know Casandra one way or another but Kevin was hardly paying them attention. He longed for a nice comfy couch to sit on before throwing himself out on the dance floor. It was one of those 'I'm too exhausted for work but not too tired to party' days. The building was made much like a mall where there were levels but the heart of the club was empty from floor to ceiling. The lower you went the darker it got. Red and blue spot lights flashed on the very first level were the dance floor was, once in a while lighting up the faces of the dancers below. On the upper levels were the standard and VIP lounges where private parties were often held away from the wild fray. Their assigned area was open to the public to freely pass by but a red velvet rope across the front was used to separate the non-VIP from them. Once in a while there was a security guard making the rounds and checking in on the lounges. Club VIPER was such a step up from the seedier clubs in the smaller neighborhoods. At least here he didn't feel like he had to worry about getting ripped off or stabbed by some loser with no class.

Casandra wasn't shy at all to take Kevin's hand and lead him up the stairs. Apparently she's been here before by the way she didn't have to constantly check her bracelet number for the correct lounge. A tall balding man looking like the terminator in the flesh stood by the clip of the red velvet rope and eyed the two as they approached, checking their bracelets before grunting and letting them through. Nat was already situated on the couch leaning into the thick white cushions and staring dreamily at some woman who sitting upright beside him with a martini glass of something pink in her drink. It looked like an LED light was sitting at the bottom of the glass and lighting up whatever liquid was in it. That drink did NOT look cheap which lead him to wonder who this woman was.

From a distance she looked pretty attractive and as he neared her appeal grew. Ebony hair cascaded over a swan like neck and framed a smiling face. She was dressed in skinny black pants with a mesh top that hugged her upper body like a second skin. The top was sheer, the thin material draped over her navel. Where the neck line dipped over her breasts was darker, hiding her goods and accentuating her shoulder lines. The hem of the neckline sparkled a light blue which matched the sparkly blue belt that hung loosely on her hips. The top hung from one shoulder while leaving the other completely exposed for all to see. Her skin was very fair and blemish free. The only exception in that category had to be the gap between her front teeth which looked vaguely familiar. The closer the red-head got the more she started to remind him of…

"Edd?"


P.S. Send chicken soup!