"I can't wait to see Gwen's room," Cody sighed dreamily. The fraternity guys were invited to a party hosted by Bridgette this time.

"Dude, you're not allowed to go upstairs. House rules," DJ chuckled, shaking his head.

"As if I pay attention to any of that crap," Duncan smirked.

"Because you and Courtney frick upstairs?" Harold teased.

Duncan smacked him upside the head. "Who the fuck uses the word frick?"

"I know, lame!" Geoff cackled. Alejandro came downstairs in a black suit with a red tie. Geoff stopped laughing and awkwardly cleared his throat. It irked Alejandro that he was getting along so well with the other men. Yes, he had made up with Geoff, but he still wasn't talking to him. And he knew Geoff had a right to be angry with them. But frankly, he didn't care. The last thing he wanted was for any of his peers to hate him. If any of them didn't like him and found out about José, they'd use it to their advantage.

"I am very excited about this party," Alejandro grinned. "Especially if this one is as fun as Geoff's was."

"Really? You thought my party was cool?"

"Absolutely. Anyone would be lucky to attend such an event."

"Hmm..." Geoff smiled a bit. "Thanks, bro."

"Of course."

"Woo! Let's go PARTAY!" Geoff threw his hands in the air. They guys headed across the street.

"Geoffy poo!" Bridgette grabbed Geoff and immediately started making out with him at the door.

"Um, hello? How are the rest of us supposed to get in?" Duncan asked. The couple moved aside, letting everyone in.

Alejandro smirked to himself as he entered the sorority. This is the perfect opportunity to get more than one girl. I must avoid LeShawna, Katie, Sadie, and Anne Maria. Mostly LeShawna. He shuddered.

He scanned the room for any women by themselves. Or a group of women. A threesome wasn't so bad. I could always do one again. He saw Beth and Lindsay standing and talking right beside the couches. Might as well get the easy ones over with.

"Hola, ladies. You two look breathtaking tonight."

"What does hola mean?" Lindsay asked.

"It means hello in Spanish!" Beth answered, a proud smile on her face. "I totally know your language," she blushed.

Ugh, maybe this was a mistake. "Thank you. I love a woman of culture."

"Well-ha, I have so much of that," she swooned.

"Ooo! Me too!" Lindsay raised her hand excitedly.

"That's wonderful. It was Lindsay and Beth, right?"

"Yes!" They both squealed.

"I love your names. Beth, meaning 'God is my oath.' And Lindsay, meaning 'Lincoln Islands'."

"Oh...I have no idea what that is, but it sounds beautiful!"

"Wow, I had no idea that's what my name meant! Well, Beth could always mean something new. Like, Alejandro's," she giggled.

"Mmm, I love the sound of that," he smirked seductively, his voice low.

"I wanna be Jalapeño's too!" Lindsay whined.

"You can both be mine."

Lindsay gasped when she saw Tyler. She pushed past Alejandro. "Taylor!! You're here!! Eee! You have to meet Alejandro! He's so handsome!"

Ah, shit, Alejandro had to think fast. "Lindsay, Tyler already knows who I am. We both live in the same house, remember?" He chuckled.

"Yeah, we already know each other, Linds," Tyler laughed, taking his girlfriend's hand. "Let's go dance!"

"Ok! Wooo!"

Well, there goes that one. He turned back to Beth. "So, it looks like it's just you and I now."

"Uh...yeah..." her face turned pale. She suddenly covered her mouth. "H-Hold that thought..." she ran into the bathroom.

Alejandro grimaced. And my second girl is out of the question for tonight. He moved to the other side of the room in case Beth came looking for him.

Meanwhile, Courtney was by the high table drinking water. "Are you not gonna get a real drink, princess?" Duncan teased as he downed his third shot of vodka.

"No. I don't feel like it."

"Come on, Courtney," Heather laughed, walking over to her with a cocktail in her hand. "At least get a little tipsy."

"I refuse! I can't afford to get in trouble again! I can't even imagine what my parents would say the second time!"

"You're an adult, you know," her boyfriend smirked. "You don't have to tell your parents shit."

"Duncan, did it ever occur to you that I actually respect my parents? And my parents respected theirs when they were still alive?"

He laughed. "I'm sure your parents don't care about what you're doing now."

"Um, have you not met Courtney's parents?" Heather asked. "They're freaks about following the rules. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Yes, I have met her parents. But they should understand that she's grown up now."

"Whatever, Duncan," Courtney rolled her eyes. "This is why I don't listen to you. As if I'd take life advice from an ex-criminal."

"And like I'm taking advice from a crazy person with a twenty-page list!"

"Oh, you do not want to go there!"

"I will go there!"

Heather sighed, drowning their voices out in her head. They seriously need to go to couples' therapy. She started walking away when her phone slipped out of her hand. "Shit." She bent down to pick it up when she heard something rip in the back of her dress. Her eyes went wide. She quickly stood back up, praying no one noticed.

Unfortunately, Gwen and LeShawna were nearby and saw. They both started laughing. "Looks like someone needs to lay off the junk food," Gwen snickered. "What did you say you were again, a size two?"

Her face went red with embarrassment. "This dress was fitting perfectly fine!"

"Was being the operative word," LeShawna snorted.

"Looks like you're a size four now. Before you know it, you'll be shopping in the plus-sized section."

"Yeah, and everyone knows only I can pull that off," LeShawna flipped her hair.

Heather frowned. How much weight am I even gaining?! She looked at her arms and legs, paranoid. "I'm far from plus-sized!!" She snapped. I am, right?

"Right now, yes. But if you keep eating all those foods at parties...that may change," Gwen mocked.

"The same goes for you; you pale-skinned freak!"

"I wouldn't be talkin'," LeShawna said. "Your skin isn't really any less pale than Gwen's," Heather growled under her breath.

Alejandro heard all the commotion. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Heather arguing with Gwen and LeShawna. I could try Gwen again. The only problem is that LeShawna and Heather are there. Hmm...he had an idea.

"May I know what all the fuss is about?" He walked over to them.

LeShawna shot him a glare. "This ain't none of your business!"

"I am simply trying to keep the peace, LeShawna." He looked her in the eyes. "I hate to see three respectable women in such an intricate situation."

"Well-I..." she tried to fight it.

"I think he's right," Gwen sighed dreamily. "Let him help out."

"Alright, fine. You wanna know what's goin' on?" He nodded with a charming smile. Heather crossed her arms, pouting. "Well, little miss, "I'm so much skinnier and prettier than everyone" over here can't even fit into her size two dress."

"Yeah, it ripped when she bent over," Gwen simpered.

"So?! It fit everywhere else!" Heather blushed, leaning against the wall so the rip wouldn't show.

"I noticed her three-ounce weight gain last year and just knew it wouldn't stop there," she snickered to LeShawna.

"How does one notice a three-ounce weight gain?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"If you've got it out for someone, it's easy to tell," LeShawna explained.

He looked at Heather and could read the embarrassment all over her face. Something about it didn't sit right with him. "Weight gain or not, she is still thinner than the both of you. And a wardrobe malfunction is not something to laugh about. It is rather embarrassing."

Gwen felt choked up. Then she shook her head. "You don't understand who you're talking about here. Heather's not innocent."

"I never said she was. However, in this case, you two are victimizing her."

LeShawna scoffed. "Ok then. Whatever. Come on, Gwen. We've got better ways to spend our time." They both walked away into the crowd.

"What the fuck was that?" Heather asked.

"They were gaining up on you. I thought I'd make it a fair fight."

"I never asked you to get involved, Mr. "I want everybody to like me."

"If it weren't for me, they would have embarrassed you further."

"Are you implying that I was embarrassed? Because I wasn't!"

"You looked very flustered. I would be, too, if the same thing happened to me. There is nothing to be ashamed of."

Heather had nothing to say back for once. She just pursed her lips in thought. "Those two seriously crease me."

"I can tell," he smirked. Alejandro noticed whenever she got mad, her eyes would narrow, and she'd pucker up her lips. He may or may not have thought it was adorable.

"And this dress fits perfectly fine! It was only when I bent down!" She clenched her teeth.

"Relax, chica. You look fine." He took his jacket off. "Here, use this."

"Ew, no."

"Do you want everyone at this party to see your undergarments?"

"Ugh!" She grabbed it from him and tied it around her waist. "...Thank you," she said flatly.

"Mhm," he smirked cockily. "I am going to start counting the times I've rescued you. I believe this is twice now?"

"I didn't even need your rescuing this time. I could've found another way to hide it."

"Whatever you say."

"Don't you have a bunch of girls to flirt with?"

"I was looking. But this situation caught my attention. As well as your beautiful dress."

"You think you're so smart. I know what you're doing. Sorry, Alejandro, but your pathetic attempt to flirt with me isn't going to work."

"I was not aware that a compliment was considered flirting," he played innocent.

"Just shut up, jerk." That should probably be my response to everything he says now.

"The way you tell me to shut up is very alluring." She rolled her eyes. Nothing works on this woman. But I'm not giving up. Even if he weren't in a competition with José, he'd still flirt with her, unlike the other girls. He found himself entertained by her reactions. She's so funny...

"Don't make me slap you, 'cause I promise I will!" Heather threatened.

"It is very admirable when women keep their promises-" she slapped his cheek. His eyes widened in surprise, and he rubbed his cheek. Then he smirked. "I guess I earned that."

"You're lucky it was just one slap!" She snapped, spinning around and walking away.

Alejandro, as if he didn't know what was good for him, followed her. "¿A dónde vas?"

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"Where are you going? Cause I'd love to join you, señorita."

"I'm going outside because this party sucks. All I've witnessed so far was Courtney and Duncan arguing."

"Oh yes, I do loathe their arguing," he sighed, following her outside.

"What makes you think I'm going to let you talk to me?" Heather crossed her arms the moment they weren't in the house anymore.

"Absolutely nothing. I have no expectations, Hermosa."

"Whatever."

"Is that your favorite word? You seem to use it a lot. But I don't mind. It is rather pretty coming from your mouth."

"Well-" she cut herself off, getting flustered. "I...it means I don't care!"

"And I salute you for not caring."

She clenched her jaw. "Ok, fine! Whatever!" She walked away and sat on the porch swing.

"Whatever, whatever. She loves to say that word," he sang, making up his own tune. "Whatever, whatever. That's her favorite word."

"First of all, that was lame. Secondly, that wasn't even a rhyme! It was just the same word, 'word'!"

"Want to fix it for me then?" He sat next to her.

"Whatever, whatever. I love to say that word. Whatever, whatever. Because if you don't say it...you care too much, and you're a nerd." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Alejandro burst out laughing. "That was way worse than mine."

"Hey! At least it rhymed," Heather pouted.

"But it was cute. I'll give you that."

"Would you stop with the constant compliments?!"

"I was being honest this time," he chuckled. "You were so desperate for a rhyme. You need to be a professional songwriter."

"Ok, now that was an insult!" Heather tried to look mad, but a small laugh slipped out.

Alejandro smirked. "Was that a cute laugh I just heard?"

"You're not allowed to call my laugh cute!"

"What must I call it then? I am only telling the truth."

"Just...don't compliment me, ok?"

"What if I mean it?"

"You don't mean it. You never mean it."

She's right. But...I do mean it this time. She's done something to me, and I don't know what it is. "Alright then, chica. No more compliments."

"Good." The thing was, Heather didn't really want him to stop giving her compliments, even though she believed they were fake.