A/N: I don't know why, but even though I edited this chapter, it still feels like a draft...

*****

Vallery's POV

"Vallery!"

The scream came all the way from the second floor.

"Well this ought to be interesting." I paused from switching the TV channels and turned to Raiden who raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember doing anything to warrant that reaction," I explained just as we heard hurried footsteps over the staircase. A moment later, Nat barged into the living room with a baby blue towel wrapped around his waist.

"Vallery, did you use up my strawberry shampoo?"

"Oh, that, yeah. Mine was over and dad's smells weird. I'll buy you more later today."
"But I need it now!" He protested. "I'm washing my hair now and Hunter's coming over tomorrow, and he loves my strawberry shampoo!"

"He only loves your strawberry shampoo because you are the one using it, bro."

"That's kind of cute," Raiden commented leaning back in the couch.

"But... He..." My brother sighed. "I'm being ridiculous, aren't I?"

"Pretty much," I agreed.

"Fine, I'll use dad's. It is smelly though." He frowned.

"I can bring you some of mine," Raiden offered.

"Really?" Nat perked up.

"Sure." Our friend got up and headed for the door. "I'll be right back."

"You should really stop panicking whenever Hunt comes over, bro."

"I know." He pushed the corner of the towel deeper to tighten it around his waist. "I just want things to be perfect with him."

"You want everything to be perfect. You take after..." I clamped my mouth before I said 'mom'. Bringing her up always put a damper on our mood.

"I know." He quietly repeated, guessing what I had been about to say and the two of us stood in silence until Raiden's out of puff voice - he'd probably been running - came from the hallway:

"Got it!" We heard him close the door. "Hope you like it." He handed the blue bottle to my brother as soon as he entered the room. "It's peppermint."

"Thanks." Nat murmured and left while Raiden sat back next to me on the couch.

"He is so insecure when it comes to Hunter." My friend noted and I nodded.

"I know, right? And it's not like Hunt's given him a reason. Whenever we talk about hot guys, he always compares them to Nat."

"Maybe that's the problem." Raiden reached for one of the glasses with apricot juice that was on our coffee table. "Talking about other hot guys in front of Nat, I mean."

"They are in a relationship." I brought my attentions back to the TV and started switching through the channels in hopes to find something good to waste my time on before the party. "That doesn't mean Hunt would suddenly go blind about everyone but Nat. There's no harm just in looking, right?"

He did not reply.

*****

"That's too short."
I rolled my eyes.

Typical Nat!

"It covers my belly button," I pointed to my pink top, matching the high heels I planned to wear tonight; the same ones I was breaking in during The Green Dinner.

Hmm... Wonder if Liam still feels that strongly for the color...

"I meant your shorts. And yes, I know that they are supposed to be short, but, Vallery, it's February. At least wear those jeans that reach below your knees," he pleaded.

"But they are low-cut and my belly button will show."

"Then wear another pair of black jeans; it's not like you don't have a dozen."

"Actually, my black ones are only three... No, four pairs... I think."

It was probably time to go through my stuff and maybe throw some away.

"And that's from all sizes," I added.

Plus, I want to look good tonight. Wonder what Andy would be wearing... She doesn't need to dress up to look good... Well, whatever she's wearing, I'm going with a pink halterneck and heals and...

I looked at my brother's concerned expression.

"Fine," I gave in. "I'll put long black jeans."

"Thanks." He smiled and I walked by him to my closet.

"Your hair smells good, by the way."

Nat smiled even wider.

*****

"Dum-ba-dadum-tam-tam," I started humming to the very contagious beat I could not recognize before we even went into the three-storey house. The dude who was hosting the event was either very popular or threw amazing parties - well, the latter usually led to the former - because the place was packed. I had to hold both my brother and Ray-Ray by the hand to make sure I didn't lose them in the crowd as the redhead led us to the kitchen where we got our drinks - beer for me and Raiden and soda for Nat.

"Who is that?" I asked, pulling on my neighbor's short-sleeved t-shirt.

"Who is who?" Raiden shot out, turning his back on the short brunette he'd been nervously staring at since we came in a few minutes ago.

"The girl that's killing that douche at beer pong," I clarified as she threw the tiny ball and it landed perfectly in yet another plastic cup. She then leaned casually against the kitchen/beer pong table as the people around her cheered.

"I don't know her."

"Really?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "Are you hooking up with her as well?"

"What? No! She's actually older than she looks..."

"Aha!" I screamed and pointed at him, startling both him and my brother with my sudden movement. Or was it the volume of my voice?

Whatever!

"Aha what?" Raiden asked.

"I thought you said you didn't know her. So how do you know she's older than she looks?" I smirked victoriously.

"Okay, maybe we've met. But I'm not sleeping with her. She goes out with a friend of mine."

"Then why are you so defensive about her?"

"I'm not..."

"Vallery! Nat!" Two very attractive and vaguely familiar boys in swim trunks made their way to us.

The taller one with a healthy light brown skin and dark curly hair led his sun-kissed pal towards us, high-fiving a couple of dudes as he walked.

"Jaedon? Chase?" It was only when Nat said their names that I recognized them as two of the kids my brother, Ray-Ray and I used to go to kindergarten with.

They definitely didn't have those six packs back then.

"Hey!" They gave each of us a bone-crushing hug.

"We've been wondering when we'll run into you," Chase said, running his fingers through his blond hair to make it stick up.

"How does it feel to be back?" Jaedon asked flashing a bright smile.

"Eh." I shrugged. "How come we haven't seen you in school?"

"Oh, we don't go to Norville High; we are in Norville Private," he replied.

"Okay..."

I remembered Chase being well-off so that wasn't a big surprise, but last time I checked, Jaedon's dad was unemployed and his mom was just starting out in a tiny law firm. Things really had changed for him, it would seem. The boy's next words made me gape:

"How do you like my house?"

"It's yours?" Nat was just as taken aback.

"Well, it's my parents'," he corrected himself.

"Since when?" I asked.

"Since mom's firm grew and she got a huge promotion. Have you seen the indoor pool yet?" He turned around and took a step, presumable into the direction of the pool, but then he halted and swirled around. "You got bathing suits, right?"

"I do," I replied, ready to take off my clothes and show off my black two-piece with a pink grinning Jolly Roger on the left of the top.

"Me too," Raiden confirmed.

"I don't." My brother was the last to answer.

"Don't worry; you can borrow one of mine," Jaedon offered.

"I think mine will fit better." Chase said, then added: "I spend a lot of time here so I got a bunch of clothes in one of their guestrooms."

"What about your boyfriend?" Jaedon looked at my brother. "Is he here?"

"How did you..." Nat gazed first at me - why, I didn't know since I obviously saw the boys for the first time in years - and then at Raiden.

"Well, Hunter and you are steady and he is moving to town so... I told them." The redhead looked apologetic.

"How did you two meet?" Chase asked and Nat was caught off guard by his friendly demeanor. Most of the people who he'd come out to in Norville High had given him some odd looks.

"I saw him kissing a guy in the street," he muttered, his eyes on his shoes. "Then I found out that we went to the same school and that we were also neighbors."

"And now he's moving into town for you?" Jaedon asked and got a silent nod in reply. "Wow. You sure work fats!" He laughed.

"And there she is, our favorite gal!" Chase was talking to someone behind us and moved past us to go and envelop her in the bear hug he'd given us.

I turned around and clenched my jaw.

"Hey, girl." Jaedon's grin was enormous. "I was starting to worry you wouldn't come." He embraced her as well.

"What? And miss all the hot guys?" Andy smiled at Raiden.

*****

A/N: Do you agree that it is okay to look at other boys/girls when you are in a relationship?

To those of you who've read Here We Go Again: yep, the girl playing beer pong was Alex.

Any thoughts on Jaedon and Chase? They are named after the winners of my last raffle.

And Andy's here... Yay?

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