Vanessa

The end of March brought the beginning of Spring Break. Addison's parents were going away for a long weekend making the grave mistake of trusting their daughter alone with the house. She already had plans to throw a blowout party and had passed out invitations to all the cool kids in both the junior and senior classes.

"Addie, are you sure this is a good idea?" We were at her house getting ready for the evening and I was sifting through racks of her clothing to find the perfect outfit. While her killer wardrobe was a bit too glam and girly for my taste most of the time, I still occasionally borrowed an outfit whenever I wanted to kick my look up a notch.

Knowing my taste, she immediately pulled out a suede black mini dress and flung it at me. "Wear this," she instructed, looking stylish in black kitten heels and a red body con number that had a high slight in the thigh. I sighed. What I would give to possess her long legs.

She resumed her worn-in spot at the vanity, patting silver glitter onto her eyelid "Why would it be a bad idea," she asked.

Giggling, I shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Haven't you watched any teen movie like ever? Every time someone has a party it gets out of control, something valuable usually breaks, there's a mess left behind and the parents always come home early. "

She brushed out the curls she had styled not long before. "Well it's a good thing that I'm my parent's only child so they can't kill me when they find out."

I frowned as I tugged the mini dress over my head, struggling to get it past my hips. "Aren't you worried even just a tiny bit?"

"No." Addison swiveled around in her chair, eyes widening when she saw me. "Yowza! You look hot! Matt won't be able to take his eyes off of you."

I studied my reflection in the mirror, noting that the hem of the dress hit mid-thigh and the deep v-cut of the neckline displayed my...uh...assets. I blushed at how provocative the dress made me look but it also made me feel kind of sexy. As an extra touch, I gathered my hair into a messy ponytail before clipping on the silver hoop earrings Addison had loaned me.

When I was finished with that, I stepped into a pair of knee-high, black leather boots and swapped places at the vanity with my friend so she could help me perfect a smoky eye. "Damn, V," she exclaimed sitting back and admiring her handy work. "You look like a bad girl. If only we knew a guy that might appreciate that kind of style on you." She gave me a devilish grin. "Oh wait, we do."

"Addddie," I groaned. "I'm not trying to seduce Matt tonight."

She shrugged. "Maybe you should. I've got plenty of vodka waiting downstairs for you. In fact," she reached over and opened the bottom left side drawer of her vanity, pulling out a nip and tossing it over to me. "Why don't you start right now?"

Giggling, I uncapped the bottle and took as big a swig as I could, shuddering at the burning sensation sliding down my throat. "Yuck!"

Addison slapped me on the back. "You'll thank me later when you and Matt are rolling around on my mattress later tonight. I don't mind you borrowing my bed but can you please just change the sheets afterwards if you two end up doing it?"

I grinned at her. The thought was tempting but I was 99.99% sure we would not be engaging in any such activity tonight. Still, a girl could fantasize though, I thought shivering and my arms already prickling with goose bumps.

A half an hour later the doorbell rang in succession as guests started to trickle in. After another hour, when Matt arrived, the house was packed. "Wow," he said balancing the stack of pizzas in his hands that Addison had asked him to pick up and looking around the front hall. "This place got full in a hurry. Somebody's definitely getting grounded."

He laughed as he turned to face me and I rushed over to help him carry the food into the kitchen. My insides instantly exploded with warmth as he slid his gaze down the entire length of my body and back up again. When his sights reached my face, we made eye contact and he let out a soft chuckle, knowing he had been caught out. He cleared his throat. "You look...different."

Feeling much more than tipsy at this point, I grabbed a couple of boxes from his hand and surprised even myself by winking at him. "I was going for hot but I assume that's what you meant."

He widened his eyes and his mouth parted slightly as I turned on my heel and sashayed off into the kitchen, confident that his gaze was lingering on me as I walked away.

He followed me into the other room where Addison was frantically sweeping up several broken plates. She glanced up, her expression turning to one of gratitude when she caught sight of us with the food. "Thank goodness. " She gestured at the mess on the floor. "I think people are starting to get hangry. You two just missed a fight between Kevin Moore and Jason Lockwood."

Matt placed the pizza boxes on the table top and partygoers instantly swarmed around it, clawing their way into the food and inhaling the gooey cheese. He nodded a hello at Addison. "Well if it isn't the future, Mrs. Jones. Did you need help with anything?"

She whacked him on the back with the bristle end of the broom. "Stop calling me that. I'm not your love match."

He smirked at her as he hopped onto the counter. "I don't know, Addie. First, you rigged spin the bottle, then you crafted me that romantic note and now you manipulated the results of the matchmaking game. I'm beginning to think you want me."

"And I'm beginning to think I want you to just disappear," she muttered, tipping the dustpan into the trashcan.

I swayed slightly on my feet as I watched them quip back and forth with each other. Normally, I would just stand there helplessly as they flirted, a fake smile planted onto my face but tonight, my head was spinning and my thoughts needed to make their way out of my brain. I couldn't just sit back and do nothing while Matt got swept off his feet by Addison's jokes.

"Matt," I yelled a little too loudly. "That chain you wear on your jeans is ugly." He gave me a weird look but didn't respond so I took that as a sign to continue. "Yea, I think you should go to hell," I said beaming. I totally had this whole bantering thing down.

He slid his gaze over to Addison and she stared at him back as she chewed on her lip. She came over to me, clasping her hands on my shoulders. "Ok, V, I think that's enough," she whispered into my ear. "I'm not sure what you're trying to do here but perhaps insulting lover boy isn't the way to get into his pants tonight."

I shrugged her off. "I'm cool," I slurred. "Hey Matt, I hate you so much it would make me happy if you stopped speaking to me."

Addison slapped her forehead as Matt wrinkled his face in confusion. "V...what's going on with you tonight? You're not acting like yourself." He slid off of the counter and grabbed a hold of my arm to steady me as I staggered on my feet. When did Addison's parents invest in a rotating room?

"Are you really that wasted," she hissed at me.

I waved her off. "You two need to relax. I only had like," I held up my hand, wiggling my fingers as I counted. "I only had like three vodka sodas. Oh, plus that nip you gave me, Addie."

Matt placed his hand on my back. "Alright, why don't I take you outside and you can get some fresh air?"

I patted him on the cheek, "Good idea, axe murderer. I bet you're just dying to take me to a secluded spot so you can hack me into pieces." Addison winced but I thought it was a pretty clever comeback.

"Right, sure," Matt replied steering me through the kitchen and stopping abruptly as a guy with curly red hair bumped into me spilling his drink down the front of my dress.

"Hey, man you want to watch where you're going?" Matt called. The guy turned around to give him a dirty look but kept walking. "Here, let me help you clean that up." He grabbed a stack of napkins off the counter and made a move to wipe the sticky liquid from my chest but yanked his hand back at the last second, laughing softly. "Um...perhaps you better do that yourself."

Taking the napkin from his grasp, I blotted at my cleavage. "If this were Addison, you would be all over touching her boobies," I muttered.

His eyebrows shot up but he didn't say a word. Instead, he just placed his hands on my elbow, continuing to guide me out into the backyard.

The cool night breeze was a drastic change from the stifling air of the inside of the house and as my sights settled on the sparkling pool, the moonlight reflecting off the surface, I realized that a dip sounded quite refreshing right about now. I quickly kicked off my boots before taking a running jump into the water, the liquid splashing Matt as he watched me with his mouth agape.

I smiled at him suggestively, pushing my now wet hair back from my face. "Get in here, murderer. Or have you been too busy killing others to even know how to swim?"

He furrowed his eyebrows as he watched me tread water. Sighing, he emptied his pockets and took off his jacket and sweatshirt, the glow from the pool lights illuminating his silhouette. God, he was so handsome. He really was a killer because he was certainly taking my breath away with his good looks.

He undid the laces of his boots, tugging them off before following suit of joining me in the water and diving below the surface. "Yikes! That's freezing," he exclaimed when he re-emerged from the depths of the pool.

Swimming circles around him I replied, "It's not so bad once you get moving." I batted my hand across the top of the water, sending a flood of droplets into his face. "I hope you drown," I giggled.

"What the hell, V," he said rubbing at his eyes.

"What," I asked blinking innocently. "I'm just joking with you like Addison does. Isn't that what you like?"

He gave me a long look, squinting his eyes as he moved his arms back and forth to stay afloat. "What gave you that impression?"

I paddled over to him, hoisting myself up to wrap my arms around his neck. I thought of them doubled over in laughter at the Valentine's Day lunch as they tossed a bread roll back and forth at each other. "Isn't it obvious?"

He shrugged. "Yea, I suppose maybe I do enjoy her humor but I'm not sure if the things you are saying to me would classify as the same level of playful teasing." He looked away. "They're actually kind of hurtful."

"Oh," I said my body beginning to chill as my slick skin hit the cool night air.

He lifted my arms away from him and stroked over to the other side of the pool. Wiping the water from his face, he glanced over at me. "V, just because you don't have the same type of wit that Addie has doesn't mean you don't have your own traits that are desirable."

I gripped the edge of the pool as I stared at him, unsure of if he had just given me a compliment or an insult. That was a thought for another time though. Tonight was about freeing myself from everything that held me back from him. Moving to float on my back, I gazed up at the stars. "I-I-I love ttthis time of yyear," I said through chattering teeth. "The dippers are alllways so-soo bright."

Matt looked over at me as he leisurely swam back and forth. "You ok?"

"I...I...I'm ffine," I replied really beginning to shiver now.

He eyed me for a few seconds before exclaiming, "Vanessa! Your lips are turning blue. You are not fine. Let's get you out of here." He grabbed my hand, pulling me behind him as we exited the water. "Go change," he ordered, bending down to grab our stuff off the patio ground.

He marched me upstairs to Addison's bedroom and I rummaged around for something to wear while Matt dried off in the bathroom. I found an old pair of shorts and a beat-up t-shirt in her dresser but instead of peeling off my wet dress, I sat down on the bed clutching the garments in my fists.

No more than a few minutes had gone by before Matt emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He gave me a slow, sexy grin. "I didn't have any other options and I don't think Addison's silk nightie is quite my size."

Gulping, I tried not to gawk at the sight of him in front of me but it was proving to be a challenge. He kept in shape and had the muscles to prove it. He wore the towel slung low around his hips, hinting at what was underneath. Imagines of the things I wanted to do to him right now flooded my brain and I was afraid that if he didn't stop torturing me with his near-naked body, I would lose control and just might find myself acting on one of those fantasies.

He strode across the room to join me, pausing halfway between the bathroom entrance and the bed as his sights focused on me still in my damp clothes and shivering uncontrollably. "Why haven't you changed yet," he scolded a hint of annoyance in his voice.

I ignored him; instead letting my gaze travel over his toned body as I cocked my head. How easy it would have been to just reach out and tug at the corner of the towel, effortlessly stripping it away and exposing all of him to me. I flushed as I thought about pushing him down onto the mattress and climbing on top of him. I would plant sizzling kisses all over his skin and run my fingers through his hair as I had my way with him. I shivered again but this time it wasn't from the chill of my bones. Yes, how easy I thought. Only it wasn't because I was still me and would never have the courage to do such a thing. All I could do was daydream.

Unless...what if I did have the guts? I was still feeling pretty buzzed from all the alcohol I had consumed. What was really stopping me?

Matt looked at me expectantly for an answer and I made the split decision that if only for one night, I would be like Addison. I grabbed his hand, tugging him towards me as I stood up. "What are you doing," he asked. "Go change before you wind up with hypothermia."

"If you want me out of these clothes, then it would be my pleasure," I purred as I moved him so that his back was facing the bed and then with a quick shove of my palm against his chest, I pushed him back onto the mattress. He let out a surprised yelp as he hit the sheets and I immediately crawled on top of him, placing my knees on either side of his body.

He swallowed a few times before opening his mouth to speak. "Wwhhat's even happening right now," he stuttered out.

"I am so drunk," I whispered into his ear. Siting back, I smiled to myself as I leisurely stroked my hands down the front of his chest, relishing in the feeling of what it was like to finally be able to touch him how I wanted to. "You know," I teased, letting my fingers trail down to the edge of the towel, "I'm getting real tired of Addison being the only one who gets to have all of the fun with guys." I slowly slid my sights up his body until I was looking him dead in the eye. "Tonight, I'm going to find out what it's like to have someone at my mercy."

Matt gulped as a dark look flashed in his steely eyes, making them appear more grey than blue. He took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly. "V... listen, I'm not sure what's gotten into you tonight but I think perhaps you should get some rest and sleep off the alcohol. Let's not do anything you'll regret come morning."

Rolling my eyes, I slid off of him. Of course, he would reject me. Even when I put effort into my appearance, tried to banter with him, and obtained some of that Addison-level confidence and flirtatiousness, he still only thought of me as a buddy. I would never be desirable enough for him. I crossed my arms as I stared down at the beige carpet, letting the silence between us stretch on.

After a few minutes of awkward quiet, Matt placed a hand on my back. "I really think you should change."

Rage suddenly building up inside of me, I wildly tugged at the zipper on the back of the dress and pulled it all the way down. Standing up, I shimmied out of the garment, my sights never leaving Matt as I stripped down to my underwear. "Are you happy," I spat at him, stepping out of the damp clothing before tossing it at his face.

I pulled Addison's worn in white t-shirt over my head and yanked on the soft black shorts, huffing at him the entire time. "There. I'm changed."

He propped himself up on his elbows as he watched me cross the room to his pile of belongings balled up on the floor. "Uh, yea," he said his voice coming out as a squeak. "That's exactly what I wanted. Thank you."

Before joining him on the bed, I made the decision to slip into his sweatshirt. I was doing whatever the hell I wanted tonight. The hoodie was oversized on me which made it perfect to snuggle into. It smelled of his cedar wood scent, making me feel all warm and gooey inside. So this is what it would be like to be his girlfriend and wear his clothes. I smiled as I slipped beneath the covers.

Matt laid back, placing his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and a sense of desperation clawed at me. I couldn't let him fall asleep without something happening between us.

Clearing my throat, I shifted on my side to face him. "Your number two," I whispered. "Who was it?"

He cracked one eye open and turned his head towards me. "Excuse me?"

My heart began hammering against my ribcage. Maybe the only way to find out how he felt about me was to ask him myself. "From the matchmaking game. Who was your number two?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "I think you already know," he said slowly.

Reaching out, I stroked his cheek and he leaned into my touch. "It was me, wasn't it?"

He nodded. "Yea but are we really that surprised? We have a ton in common, Vanessa. We both like books, astronomy," he grinned, "terrible reality TV shows."

Moving my hand down to his arm, I looked him in the eye as I bit my lip. "So why was Addison your number one then?"

Sighing, he shifted his sights back towards the ceiling. "I've been wondering that myself. The conclusion I finally came to is that while common interests are beneficial in a relationship, what if it really boils down to sharing the same specific traits that we are looking for in a partner?"

I swallowed, scared to hear the answer but needing to ask the question. "What did you put down that you wanted?"

He chewed on his lip before answering. "Loyalty. Humor." He glanced over at me. "You?"

Tears welled in my eyes as I knew that there was nobody more loyal than Addison and nobody that made him laugh as hard as she did. I hesitated upon my own answer. "I wrote that I wanted somebody that was intellectually stimulating."

He nodded. "I see."

I placed my hand on his chest, needing him to understand that while intelligence in a partner was appealing to me, it wasn't everything. "You know, a sweet and loving personality are a very close second and third."

He gave me a sad smile as he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "Well, I hope you find your smart and loving guy one day. You deserve to be happy."

He continued to look into my eyes and I wanted nothing more than to confess that he made me happy and intelligence be damned if I could have him as my boyfriend right this very minute but feeling the effects from the alcohol wearing off as my brain returned to a more sober state, I stayed mute. Confident and bold Vanessa was quickly slipping through my fingers only to be replaced by her quiet and timid evil twin.

He grabbed my hand as he intertwined his fingers with mine. "Did I ever tell you that you're my best friend?"

"No." I swallowed the lump that had begun forming in my throat, deeply touched. Even if I could never have him as my lover, I would still be honored to forever be his best friend.

Matt chuckled softly. "I know that your best friend role is already filled by Addison so don't feel obligated to say that I'm yours but I'll settle for being your best guy friend or runner up if for any reason Addison should ever fail to fulfill her duties."

Letting go of his hand, I giggled. "The runner-up position is all yours." I closed my eyes as I settled against his shoulder. His skin was warm and smelled of a scent that was unique only to him. What would it be like to spend all our nights curled up with each other and whispering secrets as we lay in bed?

Even though I couldn't see him, I knew that he was grinning that dimpled smile of his. "You promise that you won't forget about me when you're off living the glamorous city life in Manhattan and I'm still stuck here in this rinky-dink small town?"

I felt my eyelids growing heavy and could scarcely stay awake for much longer. The last thing I remembered saying before drifting off into a peaceful slumber was, "I could never forget you, Matt. I'll always take you with me wherever I go."

A/N Next update Monday 02/21. We getting close to Junior Prom y'all. It might start to be in the next update if I can keep my rambling to a minimum.