-Eric-

I'd just been looking for a distraction, really.

It was Thursday night, most likely, and there was definitely an upcoming exam that I was meant to be prioritizing. Hell, there were plenty of places where I was supposed to be instead of Devon's seedy frat house on a weeknight, languidly inching my way through the bustling crowd of wasted, partying university students; I glanced around the crowd of vaguely familiar faces, searching for my friends.

It was almost too crowded, even standing made difficult by the shifting of bodies all clamoring to go their own way. And still, I buoyantly swayed to the relentless pounding of the music as it poured out through the living room speakers, keeping my eyes closed while willingly getting lost in the disarray of shifting bodies crowding together; perhaps they didn't know it, but they were also desperately in search of a distraction. Or maybe something stronger.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be converging in such a shithole.

Not that I was any better, though.

Irresponsibility was not a frequent vice of mine, but there was something so enthralling about being able to switch my brain off for the night. To just exist, disregarding the trepidations of not accounting for every possible anomaly that may or may not wreck the foundation on which I'd built all my hopes and dreams. Because being conscientious was good, sure, but it was also utterly exhausting. In some morbid way, wariness was the unwilling accomplice of inevitability, and they always set a trap meant for death by a thousand cuts. One could only be so careful, or run so far.

So, I'd set all my alarms to skip and ignored the assortment of sticky note reminders I'd scribbled for myself regarding upcoming assignments, leaving all that shit back at the dorm where it belonged. I'd had the forethought to let my project's group chat know I wouldn't be available until tomorrow, but nobody had replied anyways.

Tomorrow, I'd likely spend most of the day losing my mind about how much I'd shamelessly procrastinated; still, that wasn't much of a determent at the moment, while surrounded by such chaos. Tonight, all I had to worry about was the buzz I was steadily encouraging, and the tedious fact that Ricky was being stingy with his weed again.

I chuckled as said friend rejoined me and pressed another can into my hand, thanking him with an eager nod of my head. I cracked it open, swung the beer back and took a long gulp, contentedly sighing up at the ceiling before noticing it; I frowned at the view, watching as the lights shifted across an expanse of white canvas, beautifully illuminating the wall in bright colors before fading away. They flickered to the thumping of the house, synchronizing with the blasting beat of a song that I didn't know, but I also didn't mind.

"Eric?" Ricky called out, impatiently nudging me. "You good?"

I lowered my head to frown at him, unconcernedly chuckling when he waved his free hand in front of my face.

"I'm... so good right now," I yelled at Ricky over the booming stereos, trying to step closer only to nearly bump into a girl that was shuffling by towards the door. I apologized before turning back to my friend, who was fervently cackling at my expense.

"Be careful!" Ricky advised while steadying me by the shoulders, wincing as someone else elbowed him while walking past us. He only let go once he'd dragged me towards a less populated corner, making sure I was aware and not at risk of falling over by playfully patting my cheeks. "You almost knocked her over, dude!"

"Another one?" I just asked while eyeing the blunt in his hand, flashing a sheepish smile when he caught me.

Ricky nudged me away in jest, snickering to himself before letting me take another hit of his blunt. "You already devoured all my edibles when you came over last weekend," he complained into my ear, but there was no bite.

I nodded again, grinning. "Get some more of the sour worms... s'good."

"Venmo me and I'll get you some of your own, you fucking freeloader," Ricky demanded in turn, having to scream over the loud hollering since a crowd favorite had just started playing.

I rolled my eyes while looking around for anyone else I recognized, waving at my best friend Mason when I caught sight of him near the stairs. He waved before trailing off upstairs after Bennett, which was both pleasantly surprising and entirely by my design. I'd spent the better half of the prior month putting in exceptional work as a wingman... work which was finally going to pay off tonight.

Well, hopefully.

"Fuck yeah! Tap that ass!" I hollered out encouragingly, yet Mason just stared back in utter mortification before hurrying up the stairs, nearly tripping on one of the steps.

I scoffed at that before turning back. "This is how they repay me, after all I've done for them?" I asked Ricky while seizing his blunt and taking another hit, bursting out laughing when he snatched that shit right back.

I just threw an arm over his shoulders, forcing him to sway with me. "Just relaaax, bro," I encouraged, fondly patting his chest. "We're meant to be having fun."

"Y-you're spilling your beer all over me," Ricky grumbled while snatching my can away, swigging it all down in a single gulp before heading off to toss it away. I tried to follow with nothing better to do, but I quickly gave up; there were way too many people to bother tagging along. Instead, I watched as he unhurriedly maneuvered through the crowd, almost certainly getting elbowed once or twice more.

I sighed dramatically once he was out of my sight, trying to focus on the beat of the music as I joined in on the dancing once more, chuckling to myself as I felt eager hands suddenly tugging me by the shirt. I looked down to find Melissa grinding up against me. I humored her for a bit, dancing along before playfully wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

"Meeel, nooo. Your boyfriend... he'll get too horny if he catches us like this," I whispered into her ear before gently kissing her cheek, snickering over at the unamused boyfriend in question.

"Is this... betrayal?" Ricky accused facetiously while rejoining us, theatrically feigning indignation. I got a single scoff out before he was jovially tousling my hair, unable to suppress his smile.

"I think your girl like likes me," I joked childishly, which Ricky chose to ignore.

Instead, he pouted while stretching out his arms for a hug from his precious girlfriend. And Mel, being the weak romantic she was, gently kissed my cheek before diving into Ricky's arms, leaving me on my own once more.

"You'll be back!" I yelled out melodramatically, wiping a single fake tear away. "I'm bigger than him!"

Ricky eagerly flipped me off while embracing Mel, stifling a laugh before following her deeper towards the back of the house, probably heading off to make out somewhere... like the gross little lovebirds they were.

I chuckled to myself, shaking my head before glancing around, trying to spot someone else I could hang out with. Or, more likely, trying to ignore my developing concerns about how long it'd been since I'd last had a girlfriend. Far too long, really, and the last one had wrecked me to shreds and left me to pick up the jagged pieces.

And so, I needed that goddamn distraction alread.

"Hey," I suddenly heard behind me, followed by a soft poke on my shoulder; slowly, I turned back to find a gorgeous girl standing there in a light blue sundress, nervously smiling up at me with bright, grey eyes.

"Oh, hello—" I started before getting abruptly yanked along by the blonde, letting her guide me towards the center of the room, where the chaos of people had found a new peak. I grinned while diligently following along, intrigued at the very least. "I'm Eric!"

She nodded before pulling me close, her actions somewhat bold despite her timid smile. "Wanna dance?"

I started to nod before noticing how youthful she appeared, from her skittish demeanor, to the way she kept worriedly biting her lip, as if worried I'd bite. And that was... a bit weird. "How old are you?" I asked curiously before searching amongst the countless faces present, wondering if her friends might be nearby.

"Huh?" she asked, tilting her head.

I chuckled softly at that, eyeing her carefully. She didn't seem drunk, at least. "Your age?" I asked a bit louder, trying not to get drowned out by the music.

"I'm... uhh—I just turned nineteen," she explained before taking out her phone, grumbling as she hastily replied to a text.

"Sophomore?"

She froze, furrowing her eyebrows at the screen before shaking her head. "Freshman," she corrected while peering up at me, flashing a weak smile before going back to her phone.

I nodded to myself, the pieces finally falling into place. Ah, yes. The incoming freshmen. Most of them did tend to shake with a particularly nervous energy until at least the second semester, scurrying around like forest wildlife that had wandered into the city for the very first time. "Nice!"

She just smiled before sighing, putting her phone away. "Sorry. My f—friend is just being... annoying."

"Don't worry about it!" I assured her before glancing back, smiling at an acquaintance as they passed by; they casually patted my back in greeting, shooting me a knowing smirk before heading off towards the kitchen.

I just rolled my eyes in response. The girl seemed nice and all, but I wasn't really all that interested in hooking up in one of the seedy rooms in Devon's frat house. As strict as they were about accepting members, God knew how long it'd been since someone had deep-cleaned in here.

Besides, there was no way Ricky wouldn't grill me if he found out I was messing around with a freshman; not to mention, it was only a matter of time until he caught Mason simping after Bennett and roasted him to hell and back for it.

But I wouldn't be caught slipping...

"So, who are you here with?" I inquired, debating whether I should just guide her back to her friends and go find Ricky and Mel. This place was getting a bit too loud, anyways. They'd probably agree to tag along to a nearby bar.

The pretty girl just frowned up at me once again, signaling to her ear. I sighed before leaning closer to her ear, catching a pleasant scent of vanilla. I gently whispering into her ear. "Are you here with your friends?"

She didn't reply right away, looking around before pointing towards a partying brunette across the room that was blithely dancing along to the music. She was stumbling a bit while clinging to another friend, clearly drunk out of her mind. "My cousin let me tag along!"

I just nodded my head, faintly recognizing her. Kathy, perhaps? I hadn't talked to her before, but we'd shared a literature gen ed class a few years back. She was quite nice, as far as I could recall.

"So, tell me your name," I continued nonchalantly, signaling her to follow me; I squeezed my way through the crowd, my eyes locked with the cousin in question as I prepared to deliver her relative back to her.

"My name's Meghan," she yelled out over the loud beat of the music, giggling behind me as she laced her hand with mine. "It's so loud in here!"

"Yeah, it—" I started, only to stop as I felt my phone vibrating. I frowned while taking it out of my pocket with my free hand, staring at the caller ID for a few tense moments before sighing under my breath. I could always send it to voicemail, yet...

I let go of Meghan's hand, lifting my finger up to signal to her that I needed a moment. "Sorry, I should go take this!" I yelled out to her before forcing my way through the crowd, trying to head outside and away from all the noise.

I was by the door, my hand tightly gripping my phone, when I felt that light poke on my shoulder once again. I sighed under my breath, realizing Meghan was giddily trailing after me.

-Shawn-

In hindsight, I should've known better.

I restlessly tapped my fingers on the steering wheel, glowering up at the red light as it illuminated the empty, dimly lit intersection.

My niece Cate had promised me quite earnestly that they'd stay in as I got ready to leave the house in the morning; she had brought up how there were a few movies they wanted to watch, and had even reminded me about sending her some money so they could order some pizza.

And so, that's exactly what I'd expected them to do. Meghan had floated around the idea of inviting a friend over as well, and even that had seemed plausible.

I was finally home from the bar, settling into a comfortable nap on the couch, when I received the frantic phone call from my niece. I was just trying to sober up a bit before I went to check in on them and then headed off to bed, but they seemed to need something.

"What's up, Cate?" I'd asked aloud, frowning when I got no reply.

Which, of course, was when I noticed the house was suspiciously quiet in the first place. Many of the living room lights had been left on, but I couldn't even hear the buzzing sound of a TV left on anywhere. It was around two in the morning, so I'd just been hoping they were already asleep.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

"Uncle!" She'd yelled into the phone when I answered, which I could barely make out due to the absolute anarchy of ear-piercing noise going on in the background. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!"

I'd shot up from the couch, not waiting for her to explain before grabbing my keys from the wall. "What happened now?" I had demanded through gritted teeth, rolling my eyes when she just spluttered out another apology.

I'd winced at the amount of noise pouring from the phone, making it quite clear they were very much out and about tonight. "You girls at a bar? A party? Someone's house?"

"I'm sorry! I know I said we'd stay in, but there was this party going on near my uni," Cate had explained, her words slurring despite their urgency. She bit back a sob then, clearly distressed by her own words. "I—I tried to tell Meghan that it was a bad idea, but she really—"

"Cate, what's wrong?" I'd pressed insistently while heading for the door, wishing she'd just get to the point. I had all the time in the world to be enraged at them after they were both home, safe and sound. "What's the address?"

"Uncle, there's this dude that's trying to take Meghan from the party and I—I don't know what to do! Can you please come pick us up?" Cate finally begged, blubbering the word "please" a couple more times for emphasis.

I'd glowered while slamming the front door shut behind me, my jaw clenching at the realization that Meghan was being reckless again. Why would they even go to some party without telling me? Fuck, why would Cate take my daughter with her, knowing very well she's just a kid? A capricious, irresponsible kid at that.

And Meghan... that child would be the death of me. There was no way she hadn't pressured her cousin into taking her along despite knowing damn well there was no way I'd be okay with it. Every time I gave Meghan any kind of freedom, she just disobeyed and broke my trust like it didn't matter. Like it was okay.

"Go get her! Are there other people you can ask for help? Scream if you have to," I'd ordered, rolling my eyes when she just cried on the other side of the line. "Cate... go get your cousin, alright? Please, do not let her out of your sight!"

"I—I will," she'd promised shakily, the clamor of voices becoming more prominent on the other side. I could barely hear her voice.

"I'm driving over, okay? Text me the address!" was the last thing I'd demanded while getting into the car. "And don't hang up!"

And of course, that's when she hung up.

My blood boiled as I rang her again... and got sent to voicemail again, but at least she bothered to send the address in a text message, followed by a spam of other messages pleading me not to tell her mom. And I just grumbled at that, trying to call back.

Damn it, Cate.

Luckily, the address was nearby. Ten minutes or so. Or five if I ignored a few lights. I might have forgotten to put on my seatbelt before pulling out of my driveway and accelerating to an illegal speed, but who gave a fuck?

-Eric-

I cursed under my breath while glaring down at the bright screen, waiting until it went to voicemail before unlocking. I didn't even want to press on it before then, somewhat wary it'd force me to accept the call.

"Eric?" Meghan asked for what felt like the millionth time. "Everything okay?"

I sighed under my breath, giving her a pleading look. "I told you to head back inside, right?" I asked, signaling towards the door. "I have to take this call."

"Then take it?" she just asked, shrugging.

I grumbled under my breath, growing more antsy as the minutes passed.

Which, yeah, I should probably just do it already. I wasn't intending to call back, but I'd likely sulk in the driveway until they tried dialing me again. And then I'd probably just head home, the party no longer seeming all that interesting.

I shivered a bit as a cold breeze blew past us, my hands a bit numb as I clenched them tighter around the phone. I glared up at tree on the front yard while leaning my back against it, watching the leaves trembling in the wind. I felt restless.

I'd just wanted a mindless night out... just a bit of fun.

"What's wrong?" The girl questioned a bit more insistently, frowning while reaching over to touch my shoulder gently. "An ex?"

I chuckled bitterly, shaking my head. If only it were that simple. "C-can you just head inside, please? Sorry, but I'm kind of busy here."

Meghan sighed, and I thought that was finally the end of it.

"You're into me," she declared rather abruptly, huffing under her breath. "Right? So, why are you blowing me off all of a sudden?"

My eyes widened at that, searching through her irritated expression. "I-I'm not. I'm just..." I grumbled while stepping forward, unsure of how to reply. "Come on, let's—"

There was a deep ache developing in my back of my skull as her soft hands grazed down, gentle fingers spreading across my chest as she pressed me back against the tree once more, the bark digging into my back from the pressure. And I let it happen, like the idiot I was. "Are you playing hard to get?"

I huffed, glaring up at the leaves as they quivered in agitation. "It's cold," I replied rather dumbly, signaling towards the house. "Let's go in, okay?"

My phone was burning a hole in my hand, but perhaps this was better. Because, really, why was I letting my night be ruined like this over a missed call? There was a hot woman vying for my attention and I was just too in my head... on the one night I told myself I'd shut my brain off.

"You're actually nineteen, right?" I asked point-blank, glaring down at her rather apprehensively.

"I am," she replied, no hesitation in her voice.

"Let me see your ID," I retorted, which earned me a glare from her.

"You're being such a buzzkill, dude. Of course, I'm nineteen. Who the hell lies about something like that?" was her brazen response, groaning out of frustration when I didn't reply. "Do you want to hook up or not?"

I just stared in disbelief, frowning as she leaned up to kiss me. I turned my head at the last second, grumbling as she softly kissed my cheek instead, leaning ever so close. "Stop being so cranky," she whispered against my ear. "You want to, huh?"

And sure, I did. I weakly nodded my head to that effect, warily staring down at her lips. A distraction would be nice.

"Where?" I whispered, caving in.

Meghan just beamed up at me, gripping onto my hand while guiding me towards a nearby car. She lifted up some keys, giggling to herself. "We can always make out in my cousin's car," she offered.

I shrugged noncommittedly.

Perhaps I was being a jackass for leaving my friends behind, but it wasn't as if they weren't busy doing their own thing. After all, some fun couldn't kill me, right?

"How's this semester treating you?" I asked quietly, trying to lessen the awkward tension that had settled between us. "It's kind of kicking my ass."

Meghan thought about it for a second, biting her bottom lip as she pulled me along. Her hands were still wrapped around my arm, which was surprisingly comfortable. Now that we were outside, I could also smell the sweetness of her perfume clearly, a bright mixture of strawberry and vanilla.

"I'm taking Algebra 4?" she tried, to which I raised an eyebrow.

There wasn't such a thing as Algebra 4, even if her smile made me want to ignore that fact. I thought back to her mention of Meghan coming along with her cousin and groaned in weary realization; of course, she had to tag along with her Kathy, or whatever her name was, since it was that very cousin who was attending our uni.

"Alright, look..." I started while slowly pulling my arm away.

She grumbled in annoyance before shaking her head, clearly realizing she'd been caught in a lie. Which, I was somewhat relieved about.

There was a sound of a car furiously passing by, but I ignored it in favor of curiously peering down at her. There was a surprisingly startled expression on her face.

"I—I can explain," she suddenly yelled out. And I opened my mouth to reply, only to frown as I heard the furious bang of a car door slamming shut, harsh footsteps approaching like a warning.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" a deep voice was suddenly demanding from the other side of the street, threateningly advancing towards us.

I stopped dead in my tracks, staring up at the suited man as bitter grey eyes pierced through me. The man seemed... murderous. All I could do was lift my hands up in surrender, nauseous at the implications of his rage.

"Dad," Meghan pleaded. "Wait!"

My mouth slacked as I stared at him in overwhelming disbelief, near hysterical as I thought about what to say in response. I glanced back at the house where the party was still raging on and found the cousin standing idly by, teary eyed and shaken.

For fuck's sake.

"W-wait, sir. T-this is all a misunderstanding," I started, panicking as soon as he gripped me by the collar of my shirt and roughly slammed me against one of the cars in the drive way, glowering at me with enough venom to kill a few dozen people.

I shuddered, unable to meet the man's infuriated glower. I could hear Meghan loudly screaming for him to let go, trying to yank him off me, but he was unmovable in that moment. I couldn't even find it in myself to shove him off me, feeling nauseous at the realization that my gut instinct had most definitely been right.

"You think it's funny to harass a minor?" he spat indignantly, tightening his grip on me before roughly and pulling me forwards before slamming me back against the car. I gasped out in pain, wincing up at defiant, stormy eyes.

I furiously shook my head in response, cowering as he leaned closer. "I—I wasn't going to do anything, I swear!"

"She's sixteen, you bastard!" he screamed into my face, tightening his grip on my collar as I tried to reply.

I just sighed out in irritation, unable to do anything but let him pin me there. I glared at Meghan as she slowly stepped back, allowing herself to be pulled away by her cousin. They both looked rattled by the whole ordeal.

"Get in the car!" the man yelled at them before turning his vicious scowl back towards me, yanking me off the car and pushing me back towards the frat house's front yard. Still, he didn't let go, even as I stumbled down to my knees on the wet grass, staring up at him with wide, fearful eyes. He just gripped me up by the front of my shirt, gazing down at me menacingly.

"You're going to stay away from my daughter or I swear to God I'll kill you, do you understand?" He muttered the threat out indignantly, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "I asked you a fucking question!"

"I—I will," I forced out, gulping down my desire to explain the situation. It was clear he wouldn't listen to reason, not that I could even blame him.

Suddenly, he turned to glance towards the car, releasing a distressed sigh. He seemed deeply disturbed, his hands shaking slightly as he held onto me. I wanted to apologize, say anything to alleviate the man's rage, but how could I possible fix this?

"I—I'm so sorry," I whispered under my breath, panting heavily. "I didn't know."

He shook his head, growling at me before punching me in the shoulder. I bit back a groan, flinching from the blooming ache.

"You disgust me," he spat down at me. "You're a pathetic, worthless piece of shit."

I shut my eyes, struggling to breathe as the panic started truly settling deep in my chest. There wasn't enough air in my lungs, the deep burn aching almost as much as his rough grip.

"Sir, please."

"You better pray I never see you again," he threatened, muttering it right against my ear.

Before I could say anything else, he punched me square in the jaw, finally letting go as I collapsed to the floor. The ground around me was spinning, a bitter, metallic taste filling my mouth. I released a shaky sigh, laying motionless on the grass as I heard retreating footsteps, followed by the sound of a car door opening and slamming shut once more.

Still, I didn't move, waiting until they had driven away before wearily sitting up, rubbing at my jaw with shaky hands. "Fuck," I whispered under my breath, still trying to process what had happened.

I glanced around sluggishly, surprised nobody from the party had heard the commotion outside. Then, I just sat there for a few minutes, utterly disoriented as the pain slowly shifted from a sharp ache to a dull throb. I spit out blood, tiredly wiping my mouth before glaring towards the empty, dimly lit street.

My eyes narrowed as I caught sight of something small on the side of the street, squinting before realizing it was a black leather wallet.

It wasn't mine, though. No, it was far too nice to be mine.

I stared at it for a few seconds before slowly reaching out and grabbing a hold of it, inspecting it. I flipped it open and glanced down at the driver's license, sighing when I realized it was that maniac's wallet. I stared back at tiny grey eyes, a serious expression peering back up at me. Somehow, it held just as much annoyance as the real deal.

"What the hell?"

I peered down at his name, grumbling it under my breath. Shawn Briggs. I huffed at this sick turn of events before slipping the wallet into my pocket. Perhaps this is what I got for not staying home and studying for my fucking exam.

---

A/N: Thank you for reading. Welcome to FRICTION, the second installment in The Rapture Series! This is a Stand-Alone novel (and spin-off), which means that they can be read separately. Although, I highly recommend reading RUSH as well! Please consider voting and commenting; I appreciate it immensely! Welcome (back) to The Rapture Series!

Updates every Saturday! xx