She was wasted. Not can't stand, passed out drunk, but she was dancing on her dining room table drunk.

She'd call it a successful party since most of the football team showed up. Ryker was even talking to Jake here and there.

If he could get the quarterback to accept him, then that would go a long way towards the boys accepting him.

Theo caught her and lifted her down off the table so she could dance with him. Theo could get along with anyone.

"Piper is going to kill him for coming here when I just kicked her ass out."

"She's damn sure going to do a lot of bitching, but she knows not to push him too far. How about you and me slipping up to your room?" Theo offered her what he considered his charming smile.

"You'll have to find someone else. I just spotted Iris and I want to talk to her. Have fun."

He looked disappointed, but he was already scoping out the place for a backup.

Iris gave her a teary look when Quinn made it to her side. "Piper is going to kill me."

Quinn looped her arm in hers.

She guided the girl past all the dancers and drunk ass people, and she paused next to Jake so she could whisper in his ear. "I'll be outside if you need me to gut anyone. Did your brother show up?"

"He didn't want to, but I told him if he didn't, I'd have his ass."

"I've never seen her so friendly to someone before. How'd you manage that?"

Ryker asked as she moved away. Jake's comment that she was his bitch had her busting out laughing.

That was the Jake that she knew and loved.

"See it, the way I see it. What more could she do to you?" Quinn announced once they were outside. There were people out here too, but the music was only a soft roar.

"I'm not strong like you. You've always stood your ground with her, at least some. She's the reason I broke up with Steven. She just kept on and on until I did. You know how she kept telling me he was cheating on me all the time. It got to me, and now I feel like I've cheated on him. He wasn't just someone, Quinn, he was more than just someone."

"Have you talked to him?"

Iris burst into tears.

"I was with someone else. He'll never forgive me. I already hurt him. He said he thought we were going to be together forever."

"That's a lot of pressure to put on a relationship. To put on a person."

"He had our entire future planned. You know he doesn't have a lot of money, so he planned on getting his Lpn so that by the time I get out of school he'll only have a year of school left. He's doing school and working two jobs all so he can take care of me while I go to school. At least, that was the plan. I don't even what to be a doctor, my parents what me to be a doctor."

"So, Piper turned an already impossible time for you into unbearable. What do you want?"

Her tears stopped. "No one has ever asked me that before. My parents want me to be a doctor. Steven wants to prove to my parents that he won't get in my way. I still don't know what I want, but I know I hate this stupid game Piper is playing while she tries to destroy as many lives as she can. I know I didn't want to be with that guy, and I hate myself for letting her push me into doing it."

"From what I can see, you care about Steven. You haven't been yourself since he left."

"I didn't know I could miss him so much."

"Then talk to him. He may surprise you. I've learned that there are some pretty great guys in the world. Maybe you have one of them. What do you have to lose?"

"I definitely don't have any dignity left."

Quinn smiled. "I haven't thanked you for getting rid of those pictures."

"I did more than that. She doesn't know it yet, but I deleted all of it. I took down the website, all of it. Poor Mr. Rivera can't even walk down the hallway without being hassled. I feel horrible for him."

"He's tough. And smart. I'm proud of you, Iris. Want to stay and party?"

"You might not believe this, but parties aren't my scene." She dried her face. "Do I get to know you if I see you walking down the hallways at school?"

"Sure, you do. I've never considered us friends, but I also never realized I needed some until now."

"I like the change in you, Quinn. See you around."

"You too."

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Noah and Jensen. They were talking to some girls, all of them with a drink in their hands. True to Noah, he was barely touching his.

The girl with him was Jensen's cousin.

Pretty, petite girl with soft black hair that fell in waves. Her smile was dreamy as she stared up at N.

Quinn had to force herself to take a deep breath. If anyone deserved a sweet girl to stare dreaming at them, it was Noah.

When she saw him look in her direction, she held her drink up to him, then she drank it as fast as she could. She was going to need a lot of those tonight.