Appropriate (closed)

[saysalice]

Dad's camerawork left much to be desired. The shiny blue Chevy Cavalier in the driveway wasn't even in focus, and he kept zooming in and out compulsively. Watching it would have made her nauseous - but it's not like she ever, ever watched it.

Daniel came blinking out into the early afternoon sunlight slowly, as if sleepwalking, and you could hear Mom's excited squeal even before you got the reaction spreading across his face. Dad chose this moment to pan shakily across the scene, catching a blurry glimpse of Lauren's sour face as she stood on the lawn.

Daniel's stunned, pleased chuckle was all but lost in her shrill exclamation: "You bought him a new car??"

The sun's glare was so bad that you could hardly tell the color as Daniel walked forward in that same annoying state of dream-like disbelief to run his hand appreciatively over the slick, virgin showroom finish. Dad jerked the camera back to shoot a close-up of Mom's flushed face. Lauren stood next to her with her head cocked at an indignant angle, lips pursed, arms folded across her chest.

"But when I wanted a car for my sixteenth birthday, you were all like, 'I don't fucking think so.' Huh. No favoritism in this family - no, not at all!"

Mom's hiss carried to the microphone. "Language...Lauren! Grandma's going to see this!"

Dad turned back to zoom in on Daniel's smile, seemingly oblivious as he sat behind the wheel. He was nodding, and his lips were easy to read: "I love it. Love it."

"Unbelievable," Lauren muttered angrily.

Dad's voice was abrupt and unexpectedly loud from directly behind the camera. "Sweetie, Daniel was at the top of his class. That's quite an achievement. Get your grades up, and maybe when you graduate college -"

"If you graduate..." Daniel put in witheringly as he stepped out of the car and closed the door gently.

Lauren exploded in a piercing shriek. "Asshole! No one's talking to you!"

Then, the waterworks. Mom had her hand on her shoulder and was saying, "If you ask him nicely, I'm sure your brother will drive you -"

"Oh just shut up, Mom! This is so unfair! You guys don't even give a shit about my life!" She stormed back into the house, with Mom following close behind.

Dad's sigh was audible. He couldn't resist fiddling with the zoom button once more to center Daniel, leaning on the hood of his car, perfectly in the frame. Daniel was still smiling, albeit somewhat resignedly, as Dad cleared his throat in the sudden silence to say what he'd been waiting to say.

"Congratulations, buddy. This is your day. We're all so proud of you."

*

After a month and a half, and the morning's blistering hot temperatures, her firey resentment had at least been reduced to a simmer. They sat on opposite ends of the couch, listless with the heat, heads down over their phones, ignoring each other. Every few seconds, Lauren delivered a sharp kick to his shin to punctuate her repeated, spiritless request.

"Take me to the beach."

Kick.

"Dan."

Kick.

"Take me to the beach."

Kick.

"Mom said you have to, remember? So pick up my friends and take us to the fucking beach."

Kick. Kick.

"Daniel. It's a hundred degrees!"

She sat up suddenly, a bright, sweet smile twitching on her lips.

"Of course, you don't have to... You could just give me the keys, and I'll get out of your hair for the whole afternoon! I'll even wash it and fill the tank - what do you say?"

When he continued to ignore her, she huffed and threw a pillow at his head before stomping out. She needed a car. She needed money. Now. Then she'd show him.

 

[fr33ks33k]

The new car had really been a surprise, but Daniel was a bit upset by the fact that it also meant Lauren would be hassling him incessantly to go here or there, to take her and her ditzy friends to the mall, or the movies, or the beach...

His mother had all but volunteered him to play chauffeur and if he backed out now, he would seem an ungrateful son. But he would be damned if he did things on his little sister's terms.

Daniel counted the kicks she gave to his leg as she pestered him about their beach outing. Each one was an extra minute he would wait before he got up and told her to get ready. His eyes never left the screen of his phone, even as the pillow careened off the crown of his head and onto the floor beside the couch.

Exactly five minutes later, he knocked on her bedroom door.

"Alright, Lauren. Get ready. If you're not set to go when I walk back past here, I'm going to leave without you."

He was mostly saying that to get her motivated. Part of him wished he could just leave her there, take the trip to the beach by himself. Maybe meet up with one of the girls he'd been seeing and make a date of it. Instead, he'd end up supervising minors and being generally miserable.

In his room, he changed into swim trunks, long enough that their hems were at mid-calf. With the sweltering temperatures outside, he opted for a muscle-shirt and a pair of sandals. A towel and change of clothes tucked into his duffel bag and he was all set. He walked back down the hall, rapping insistently on Lauren's door.

"Let's go, Squirt!"

He knew she hated that nickname. That was all the more reason to use it.

 

[saysalice]

In five minutes, she'd had ample opportunity to text her girlfriends to inform them that her brother was in fact being a tool, and their plans for an afternoon at the beach were off. With nothing else on her agenda, she was composing an additional and particularly unkind description of her brother's obstinate nature, when his knock startled her. He could have nothing to say that she wanted to hear, and she was sure he knew it, so she ignored the sound until he called to her to get ready.

She took another minute to delete the text, yelling absently, "Yup - okay!" as she sent a quick note to her friends to tell them to be ready in 15 minutes. So embarrassing. She rolled her eyes as she hopped off her bed and stripped out of her yoga pants and t-shirt to pull on a bikini. If he'd known all along that he was going to take her, why not just say so? He always had to do things the hard way.

Lauren paused to look at herself in the mirror, adjusting the bottom half of her swimsuit. It was brand new and super cute, and she was pleased with the fit on her slight frame. She especially liked the bow, and wiggled like a Playboy bunny at her own reflection. The girls were going to love it! She drew a pair of cut-off denim shorts up on her long legs, and pulled her blonde hair back into a high ponytail. Sunscreen, shades, towel, phone (of course!) - what else?

Daniel's knock came again, and she snapped back irritably, "Okay! Jeeze! Where's the fire?"

She opened her bedroom door and gave him a quick once-over - it was important to determine whether she could be seen with him before they left they house. She grudgingly admitted to herself that he looked presentable. She didn't like the muscle shirt - at least one of her friends had a fairly obvious crush going for Lauren's older brother, and this look was going to get him attention - but on such a hot day, she couldn't tell him to go change.

Squirt. She scowled at him, but wouldn't remark on the nickname. Growing up, she'd assumed it was a comment on her height - she'd always been a few inches shorter than Daniel - but in the past couple of years she'd begun to make unaccountably crude associations with the nickname. Squirt. That awful insult sprang to mind: the best part of you ran down your mother's leg. She was sure that wasn't what Daniel had ever intended - but knowing that made it worse. And having thought of it once, she couldn't help thinking it every time. She'd raged at him, but couldn't very well explain why she suddenly found the term so offensive. The only thing left to do was to try to ignore him and pretend it didn't affect her.

She stepped into a pair of flip flops on her way out of the house, and slid into the passenger side of his car, slamming the door. Sitting in his car still put her in a bad mood.

"God, it's like an oven in here!"

She began pushing buttons at random, trying to find the AC until he batted her hand away and turned it on himself. She huffed as she tapped out a text on her phone.

"We're picking up Megan and Brittany. Jess might come, too - she'll meet us there, but she'll need a ride home."

When she had informed her friends that they were en route, she turned away to look out the window. It occurred to her - briefly - that perhaps she ought to thank Daniel for his change of heart, but she dismissed the thought almost at once. As far as Lauren was concerned, he owed her this much. She only ever demanded what she knew she deserved, and her father, mother and even her brother always gave in, eventually.

 

[fr33ks33k]

After the car got going, the A/C worked like a charm. He turned on one of the local radio stations, knowing better than to try and play music from his mp3 player. His little sister definitely did not share his music tastes, and rather than listen to her complain or keep having to bat her hand away from the controls he opted for the almost-palatable mix 104.1 tended to play.

On their way to pick up the first of her friends, he shot a few glances Lauren's way. She was busy texting away or staring out the window. Not a single grateful word even half-mumbled his way. Daniel rolled his eyes as he pulled into her friend Megan's driveway. The girl nearly bounded to the car; she was definitely the bubbly one in that trio. Brittany didn't live far, thankfully, and the thirty minute drive to the beach could begin in earnest.

By the end of it, he had wanted to strangle everyone in the car. Gossip and clothes and all other manner of inane topics he had no interest in and couldn't drown out with the radio. Once they'd parked, he couldn't climb out of the driver's seat fast enough. As they were exiting the car, Lauren's friend Jess called out to them, waving and walking over.

Daniel was suddenly and mercifully distracted from his recent ordeal; Jess was closer to his age than Lauren's but she still hung out with some of the younger girls. Fair-skinned but not terribly pale, long dark bolt-straight hair, and a pair of big green eyes that had a mischievous sparkle to them. They'd flirted back and forth before, but nothing too serious. As much of a pain as Lauren was, he knew he'd never hear the end of it if she found out they'd done anything.

Jess's swimsuit was nearly the same color as her eyes, a two-piece affair that flaunted her curves and her toned midsection. She swore up and down that all she did was run a few miles and an hour of Pilates three times a week, no special dieting, no crazy sweatbox workouts...Daniel believed her, but not everyone did.

Once she'd reached the rest of the group she gave her hellos, though when she greeted him it was with an extra little smile. He knew that smile and knew then that the rest of the day would be good. He looked to Lauren, giving her the stern 'I know you're not going to listen to me but I'm going to say it anyway' look.

"Okay, so try not to get in trouble. Don't even think about sneaking off. I'll know if you do. If I so much as think you're up to something, we are gone. Mom gave me fifty to spend on food and things so here's your cut."

He handed her a twenty dollar bill and watched the four of them walk off. Jess gave one glance over her shoulder as they departed and Daniel grinned and winked at her. With his pesky sister out of his hair for a while he could finally focus on having some fun. He checked his phone and found several messages from his friends informing him of an impromptu beach volleyball game that was about to start...oh, five minutes ago. He sent a few replies and then made his way down to the sport-oriented end of the beach. There were people kicking footballs, tossing frisbees, the standard yoga crowd, then two nets set up for volleyball. His friends greeted him and he kicked off his sandals, setting his towel down beside them to go join in the game.

 

[saysalice]

Megan came bouncing out of her parents' house, screeching at the sight of the new car. Lauren had forgotten that this would be part of the deal, and suffered her friend's enthusiasm with bad grace.

Megan trilled, "Oh wow - is this your new car, Daniel?"

"Obviously." Lauren muttered, gesturing at her impatiently to get in.

Megan was not one to take a hint, or to miss an opportunity to flirt with Daniel, and she paused to pose on the hood of the car like some cheesy calendar girl. Lauren took some comfort in the knowledge that the metal must have been scalding hot through her friend's thin bikini bottoms. She couldn't even blame her brother for this. At least he seemed as unimpressed by Megan's antics as she was.

"How do I look?" Megan asked, flashing Daniel a wide grin.

"Desperate." Lauren snarled, punching the horn to make her jump. "Get in, already - we still have to pick up Britt."

Megan hurried to get into the back, sitting directly behind Lauren so that Daniel could see her if he chose to turn around. She continued to babble as they pulled out of the driveway: "Oh my God, I love the color - I seriously bought nail polish in this exact same blue, just last week! Can you believe it? If I'd known, I would have worn it!"

Lauren said nothing. Daniel had expressed his opinion of her friends on more than one occasion, and it was at times like this that she was forced to see his point. They weren't known for their deep, intellectual conversations. It was especially annoying when the topic didn't interest Lauren in the slightest.

Brittany was all about her new boyfriend these days, and so wasn't vying for Daniel's attention, and hardly noticed the new car. She chattered on and flaunted the ring he'd bought her after only dating a week - nothing crazy expensive, of course, but still a ring - and Lauren oohed and ahhed and then expertly eased the conversation into more interesting territory - namely, herself. Megan put in a word here and there, but spent most of her time crossing and uncrossing her gangly chicken legs at every red light, in the hopes that Daniel would glance back at her. He didn't.

Lauren was happy to see Jess, already waiting for them in the parking lot. She liked Jess; she secretly wanted very much to be like Jess. She was so gorgeous, and always seemed so cool and confident - never made an ass of herself, never said ridiculous things - and most importantly: had never once batted an eyelash at Daniel, or asked Lauren silly prying questions about him. The girl had better taste than that. Lauren ran to her, putting distance between herself and her other friends, threw her arms around her as if she hadn't seen her in weeks, and exclaimed over her swimsuit, hoping that Jess would return the compliment.

Jess just smiled as usual, taking it all in stride, making Lauren feel a bit foolish and immature. She turned to see her brother walking toward them, flanked by Brittany (texting) and Megan (sucking in her tummy), and her eyes narrowed. What did he want now?

He had to embarrass her in front of her friends - in front of Jess! Like she was some little kid, warning her not to get in trouble or run off. Lauren made a big show of rolling her eyes, and interrupted him multiple times to show how seriously she was not taking him.

"Yep...yep...got it...oh-KAY, Daniel!"

She swiped the bill from between his fingers, her lips twisting on a protest - half of fifty was twenty-five dollars...but she decided not to push her luck. Five bucks for gas was fair, she supposed.

"Okay - bye, now!" she growled, taking Jess by the hand and turning away. Britt followed without looking up from her phone, while Megan lingered on the excuse that her sandal needed re-buckling, and bent at the waist, directly in front of Daniel. Lauren walked quickly. If Meg got left behind, it would serve her right.

On a day like this, they had to walk for several minutes to find a nice spot, away from the families with their grubby kids running around and kicking up sand. They finally decided on a quiet stretch of sugar-fine sand high up on the beach, and spread their towels. Jess had brought a large, cherry-hued oil paper umbrella which she stuck in the sand so that they could sit under it. Megan refused, shaking out her towel and laying it in the direct sunlight, determined to get a tan.

"You're going to fry," Brittany warned her drily, having finally put her phone down. "Like you did last year, ginger - remember? Better use lots of sunscreen."

"I didn't bring sunscreen," Megan answered, shrugging. "Won't it keep me from tanning?"

Two of them threw their bottles at her, and Megan blinked, holding one in each hand. "This one's SPF 25, and this one's SPF 30 - so what's the difference?"

"Five. Five SPFs." Lauren snapped at her, out of patience. "For fuck's sake, just - use the one that smells like coconut!"

Megan gaped at her nasty tone and blurted, "What is your -"

"I'm going in to cool off." Jess smiled, standing abruptly and slapping the sand from her haunches. "Who wants to go with me?"

She was looking at Lauren, but the blonde girl just shook her head moodily. "Brand new bikini. No thanks."

"Oh yeah - it's cute..." Brittany murmured.

Megan had finished slicking sunscreen on her freckled shoulders and stood, too. "I'll go. I didn't come here to just sit around." She tossed the bottle back to Lauren carelessly, adding with a hard jaw, "See - it says 'waterproof'."

Lauren watched as they walked and then ran down to the water's edge. She rested her chin on her knees as their squeals reached her ears. Brittany was texting again. Lauren had to shake this foul mood.

"I'm going for a walk," she said quietly. Britt didn't even look up.

She took off in long strides, away from the crowds, with the hot sand spitting up across her bare toes. As she walked, the beach grew wilder - drifts of seaweed littered the sand, clumps of razor-sharp grasses on the rolling dunes waved with the breeze, and a scattering of tiny birds ran in and out of the surf. Lauren thought about turning back - it was deserted, this way.

No, not quite deserted. Out in the water, some movement caught her eye. Surfers waded in the waist-deep water, scrambling to get up on their boards and ride the waves to the shore. She stopped and watched a young man twist his lean torso this way and that to keep his balance on a wave that was sinking back into the sea. There were at least half a dozen of them, all very fit and browned by the sun.

She turned at once. They would think she'd come down this way just to watch them, and she couldn't have that. Her feet sank into the sand, thwarting her brisk retreat, and she finally kicked off her flip flops, bending to retrieve them. When she straightened up, she found herself face-to-face with one of the surfers: his shoulder-length hair stringy and wet, his board shorts clinging to him, and his smile spread very wide over gleaming white teeth.

For a moment, Lauren could only stare blankly, watching the water bead and run down his sculpted chest, directly in front of her face. When she glanced up, she realized he was looking her over, too, and she started confusedly, and tried to move past him. He stepped into her path, still smiling. "Where're you going, cutie?"

Lauren felt her cheeks flush - she hardly ever blushed! She stiffened and replied cooly, "I got a little lost. I was just heading back. Excuse me."

He spoke fast, maintaining that charming smile. "But you just got here! Hey, why don't you come in with us? Do you surf? I can teach you!"

Her gaze flickered up at him again, and only got as far as his chest. "I - I just got this new swimsuit. I don't want to get it wet."

If she'd been looking at his face, she would have seen the amusement flit across his expression, but he answered her seriously. "I was just going to say what a great suit it is - like you had that hot little body gift wrapped, just for me."

Lauren smiled uncertainly - he was about her brother's age, and she couldn't tell if he was teasing. In her silence, he continued, "Did you know that today's my birthday?"

She pushed forward deliberately, setting her jaw. Definitely a line. "Excuse me," she said again, sidling past him.

He kept up without any trouble, and she heard him chuckle disarmingly. "I'm serious! There's going to be a big party tonight - like, a hundred people - you should come! It's gonna be wild!"

"I have to get back to my friends," Lauren huffed, breathless with the effort of trudging through the sand.

"Invite them! The more the merrier, right?" Hey - " He took her arm gently and turned her to look at him. His eyes were the brilliant blue-green of tropical waters. She could feel her stiff expression wavering on her face as he slid his hand down her arm to curl his fingers between hers.

"Just think about it, okay? I promise, I'll show you a good time."

Her lips twisted on a smile and she cocked her head to look up at him. "Do you have a car?"

*

He had flattered her into a blush again by the time she rejoined her friends, and she still held his hand, swinging it lightly as they walked up to them. Jess stood next to the umbrella, rubbing a towel down the length of her dark tresses. Megan had twisted her coppery locks up into a bun and was reapplying sunscreen to her already pink nose. Brittany had stretched out and was dozing under the umbrella.

"Who's this?" Jess asked, eyeing Lauren's companion dubiously as his gaze roamed over their smooth legs and bare midriffs.

"This is Mark," she grinned at them. Brittany yawned and sat up. Megan gawked, the tip of her tongue peeking out of the corner of her mouth.

"Change of plans," Lauren announced. "Party tonight - it's gonna be hot. Mark can drive us. I just have to tell Daniel we're going."

Mark leaned into her, wrinkling his nose against her ear. "So who's Daniel, hmm? Boyfriend?"

Lauren made a face like she was going to be sick. "Ugh - no. Nobody. He's nobody."

 

[fr33ks33k]

It was easy to forget that he was there with his sister and her friends, especially surrounded by his own group of classmates and buddies. The volleyball game ended and they decided to swim, playing a few games of chicken with the more adventurous girls. By the time mid-afternoon came around, Daniel realized he hadn't checked in with Lauren. He knew she wasn't foolish enough to leave, but he didn't see her or her friends anywhere near this end of the beach. He grabbed his phone and shot her a quick text.

<Hey, where are you?>

To Jess he sent a different text.

<Hey. Nice swimsuit. Looks good on ya. If you get bored with the gossip girls, you're welcome to come hang with me.>

As he was putting his phone away his friends Charlie and Shawn ambled over, tossing a football between them.

"Did you hear about the party?" Charlie shouted, turning and sending the ball spiraling back to Shawn.

"No...what party?" Daniel got up and walked over to them, catching Shawn's pass with ease and sending the ball sailing back to him.

"Some rich kid from around here. He's having a birthday party at his parents' house. Supposed to be pretty awesome. BYOB though..." Charlie muttered the last part with a bit of insolence. He was a year shy of being able to buy alcohol.

"If I didn't have to lug around Lauren and her teeny bopper friends, I'd be all for it."

"Why don't you just bring them with you?" Shawn had given up passing the pigskin and strode down to join them in their conversation.

"One, they're all underage. Two, she's my little sister and it would be the epitome of lame to take her to a party. Three, did I mention how lame my little sister is?"

"Better you know she's there and can keep an eye on her instead of her sneaking out of the house to go anyway, right?"

Daniel thought about it. This type of gathering would definitely be something Lauren and her friends would try to attend. Even if she pretended not to like parties, he knew better. Mom would kill him if she ended up getting busted for drinking or anything. It would also save him from having to make a return drive.

He wasn't sure the aggravation would be worth it, and all the exercise had him starving.

"I'll think about it. Let's get some burgers or something."

Daniel scooped up his towel and phone, stepping into his sandals as the three of them headed to the concession stand. He gave a sidelong glance over the sand as they walked, hoping he would see Lauren and her friends and save himself the effort of going to look for them. No such luck. He shot Lauren another quick text as they stood in line.

<Seriously, where are you?>

 

[saysalice]

Mark was "gentleman" enough to shoulder the umbrella. As they walked back to the parking lot, Megan scrambled to keep up with Lauren, and hissed breathlessly at her:

"Shouldn't we go find Daniel? He's going to be waiting for us! Look - that's probably him right now!"

Lauren's phone chirped right in the middle of Mark's hilarious story about losing his swim trunks the first time he tried surfing. She laughed even louder to cover the sound, muted her phone, and wished she could shut Megan up as easily.

Mark stopped in front of a glossy black Infiniti convertible, and Lauren's smile spread even wider on her lips. He even opened the door for her, and she slid into the front seat without the slightest hesitation.

"Ladies?" he grinned, holding his door so that they could get into the back.

Megan held her ground stubbornly. "I'm not," she answered, and looked to Lauren pointedly, "I have a ride home and he'll be expecting me."

Lauren rolled her eyes. To her annoyance, Brittany backed out, too.

"Got a date tonight, but thanks. Call me later," she smirked at Lauren, then clapped Megan's sunburned shoulders and turned in the direction of the volleyball game.

Lauren looked at Jess - trying, without much success, to appear completely indifferent. "You coming, or going with them?"

Mark flashed Jess another blinding grin, dragging his gaze up from her chest as Megan and Britt waited.

"I'll - come with you," Jess replied haltingly, and climbed into the back seat, sliding across the hot leather behind Lauren to make room for the umbrella and their towels.

"Excellent!" Mark enthused, easily dismissing the other girls and pulling the door closed with a bang as he started the car. "You ladies won't be sorry - tonight's gonna be sick! We're talking DJ, hot tub, beer girls - and some very special party favors for a few of my very closest friends..."

The stereo roared to life as they tore out of the lot with a screech of tires. Megan stopped to take down her hair and shake it out as she watched them go, and sighed, "Daniel's going to be pissed."

*

Lauren turned in her seat to grin back at Jess. She was so cool; Lauren liked her even better for being the one who was ready to come party with her - even if Jess was ignoring the conversation to play on her phone. Lauren watched her for a few minutes, and when the older girl looked up, Lauren smiled brightly.

"So, are you excited?" she yelled over the music.

Jess just smiled back noncommittally, and hit Send.

<GGs are on their way back to you. Lauren's made a new friend. On the road, going to some party. I'll keep her out of trouble, but please come when you can. Will send the address when I know it.>

Mark was shouting amiably as he sped down the highway, "I've got to make a few stops on the way! Gotta stop in and see a friend, and then the liquor store for a few last-minute provisions - any special requests?"

Lauren felt very sophisticated, and floundered about for an answer, when Jess hollered from the back seat: "She's nineteen! You know that, right?"

In spite of herself, Lauren shot her a dirty look, but Mark just laughed.

"Oh well, more for me, I guess! Don't worry - " reaching across to pat her knee, "I'll make you a Shirley Temple!"

Lauren scowled, folding her arms across her chest, but thawed slightly when Mark leaned over to wink at her, squeezing her knee and sliding his hand up a little higher.

After driving for about twenty minutes, he pulled into a driveway in a neighborhood they didn't recognize, and disappeared into the house. While he was gone, Lauren turned down the stereo and swiveled in her seat to gush at Jess.

"Isn't he hot? And so nice, and this car...what do you think? Totally doable, right?"

Jess struggled with a frown, and managed an uncertain smile instead. "He's all right, but - what do you know about him, Lauren? You just met him. And you're going to his house?"

Lauren stiffened slightly, but her smile did not falter. "I'll get to know him at the party - that's the whole point, right? And you're going to his house, too, and you don't know him... Anyway - shh - it's all good!"

Mark returned, slowing his step as he saw them, raising an eyebrow at Lauren. "Uh oh! I see you whispering! Should my ears be burning?"

Lauren beamed at him reassuringly, and put a hand on his shoulder as he got back behind the wheel. She left it there as they made the short drive to the liquor store, and this time she left the car and went in with him. They returned carrying four bags of clinking bottles between them. Lauren helped him put them in the back, and when she leaned over the seat he slapped her ass playfully, making her squeal.

Jess weathered it all with an abundance of patience, and watched for street names. They were slowing as they drove up a gradual hill in a rather posh neighborhood, and she texted Daniel again:

<Almost there. Cowan Heights. Rangeview. House number to come.>

The thump of the bass reached her ears long before she saw the cars crowding the driveway, and beer girl in a cropped t-shirt and short-shorts ran out to meet them.

<Don't worry. Can't miss it.>

 

[fr33ks33k]

As Daniel and the guys were settling down with their burgers, his phone buzzed. It was Jess, not Lauren as he'd expected. His eyes narrowed reading the text, but he was thankful Jess was a responsible girl.

<Thanks for the heads-up.>

He set his phone aside and ate his food, the growing irritation at his little sister nearly causing him to lose his appetite. When his phone buzzed a second time, he read the contents quickly and looked to Shawn and Charlie.

"Where'd you say that party was going to be?"

"Cowan Heights I think." Shawn offered.

"The street's called Rangefinder or something like that," Charlie said with a mouthful of fries.

"Alright well I guess we're going. Lauren thought she was sneaking off. Dammit, I told her..."

Daniel was just finishing his fries as Brittany and Megan sauntered over to their table. Before they could open their mouths to blab he told them that he already knew and that if they needed him to wait until their rides came he would. Luckily they had already confirmed their ways home and declined.

"So we should totally make a beer run before we head up there. I've got cash..." Shawn said on their way back to Daniel's car.

"Yeah, I mean just because you're going to play babysitter doesn't mean me and Shawn should get stuck sober."

"Fine. We'll hit Benny's on the way." Daniel's mood was becoming increasingly sour the more he thought about how easily Lauren had ignored his warning. Some random guy...Jesus, she didn't even know him. If Jess wasn't with them she could probably be doing...No. He stopped himself from thinking about that. He knew his sister wasn't particularly innocent but it was definitely not something he wanted to think about nor be confronted with.

At Benny's, Daniel sent a text to Jess.

<On our way to the party. Picking up some drinks for my knucklehead friends. Want anything?>

After leaving Benny's, Daniel drove up into Cowan Heights. It was the more posh area of town; big-wigs and well-to-do families had their homes here. Gated communities and large houses with more space than was necessary sprawled over the neighborhood.

Jess had been right about finding the place. The party was already in full swing, the boom of loud music pumping out into the evening air. Shawn and Charlie both wolf-whistled at the girls scampering about in half-shirts and shorts, handing out beer to people.

"Thought it was BYOB?" Charlie said, punching Shawn in the arm.

"Yeah, what do I know? Maybe it's for his buddies..." Shawn returned the punch with as much force as he'd received.

"Either way, you two have plenty. Now I gotta find my damn sister..."

Daniel parted ways with them, typing a quick text to Jess. Hopefully she would still be with Lauren and he wouldn't have to look like a total jackass hunting down his little sister. He tucked his phone into his pocket as he wove his way through the throng of people in the house.

<Ok, we're here. Are you still with the brat?>

 

[saysalice]

Lauren was surprised to realize that she was feeling a little shy as they stopped in the driveway and Mark came around to open her door. This was a much bigger party than any of the little house parties she'd been to - and there were already so many people here: all of them older, all of them beautiful, all of them strangers. Mark rested his hand casually in the small of her back just above the waist of her shorts, and smiled at her reassuringly, guiding her toward the house. He nodded to a couple of guys shouting from the front steps as Jess paused to tie on a black sarong printed with sea turtles, and hurried to keep up with them.

At the door, the two guys leered at her over their beer cans, and as one opened his mouth to address her, Mark cut him off with deliberate geniality.

"Dave, Travis - I want to introduce you to Lauren. She's a real sweetheart - a little lady."

A look passed between the three young men, but Mark's smile did not waver as he steered her past them and into the house. "I've known these guys forever, so if they give you any trouble, you just let me know."

The one called Travis blocked Jess's path as she tried to follow them. Grinning. "And you are?"

"Not interested," Jess quipped lightly, brushing past with a tight smile.

The bass thumped in their bellies inside the frosty, air-conditioned house, and the girls met and promptly forgot the names of several other people as they made their way out to the back terrace, where a pool glimmered in the sun like an oasis. Mark led them to a couple of lounge chairs in the shade, and clapped his hands together goodnaturedly.

"So, can I get you ladies a couple of drinks?" He caught Jess's objecting glance and hastily added, "Virgin, of course. How about that Shirley Temple, Lauren?"

Lauren shook off her irritation with a toss of her ponytail, and stood up. "Sure. I'll come with you."

"What about you, Legs?" Directing this at Jess.

Jess shook her head, texting Daniel the same answer. When she looked up, Mark and Lauren were gone.

In the kitchen, Lauren watched over his shoulder as he made her drink, and murmured in wheedling tones, "You know, you could put in just one shot of vodka, and no one would ever have to know. It's not like Jess is gonna taste-test it...at least, I hope she won't."

Mark smirked back at her. "Nice try, but I think I'll pass on that headache. Anyway, booze isn't the only way to have fun, you know."

Lauren reached for the glass, but he stopped her.

"Wait!" Fishing with a spoon in a narrow jar. "Let me get your cherry."

She could feel her cheeks pinking again slightly at her own thoughts and she turned away, biting her lip on a coy smile.

He poured some ginger ale for himself, in deference to her abstinence and in spite of all the beer girls and bottles he'd picked up, which she thought was kind of him. They went back out onto the terrace to find Jess ignoring the tentative advances of another one of Mark's friends. In the pool, a couple of squealing girls were steadying themselves on the shoulders of two sturdy-looking guys standing waist deep.

Mark grinned at the sight of them, and gestured to Lauren. "Want to get in on the chicken fight, make it a three-way? I bet we can take them!"

Lauren brushed a wisp of hair from her cheek and demurred, "Chlorine eats through bathing suits."

He shrugged with another smirk, muttering into his glass of ginger ale: "You could always take it off..."

She gasped in mock outrage and punched him playfully. "Right! 'Cause that'll happen!"

With doubtful glance at Jess, who was texting again: "How about it then, Legs?"

"I have a name," Jess murmured with her head still bent over her phone.

<Out back. By the pool.>

"It's Jess," Lauren offered, stretching out on the lounge chair. Then, with incredulous, grinning exasperation: "Jess - is obsessed - with her phone today! Seriously, what's so important?"

When Jess lifted her eyes, Lauren saw something she didn't like - a calmly determined expression, green eyes meeting her hazel evenly as she replied quietly, "Daniel's here."

Lauren's glass slipped through her fingers and exploded when it hit the stone terrace. Her jaw dropped and immediately went hard as she stared back at the other girl with wild eyes.

"What." It was not a question. Her voice and her balled fists were trembling with fury as she rose from the chair. "Why is Daniel -"

"Hey!"

She didn't hear Mark's warning cry, and he swept her off her feet before she could put a foot down on the shards of broken glass.

"Hey," he said again, putting her down beside him. "Let me sweep that up, okay? Just - stay over here."

Lauren glared angrily at Jess for another moment, then turned and quickly followed Mark into the house.

As he rummaged in a closet to find a broom, she crept in behind him and put her hand on his shoulder, keeping her tone carefully casual when he turned in surprise.

"Let someone else get it," she whispered, smiling sweetly and pulling him away as she spoke in a breathless rush. "It's so nice and cool in here, let's stay inside. Why don't you show me around? It's such a beautiful house and everything - why don't you show me upstairs, what's upstairs?"

Mark shrugged. "Just bedrooms. Nothing exciting."

Lauren fluttered her eyelashes, feeling recklessly defiant. "Bedrooms can be exciting..."

 

[fr33ks33k]

Daniel found Jess by the pool, alone. She filled him in on what had transpired and where Lauren and the mystery douche had gone.

"You can almost see the steam coming out of your ears," Jess chided with a grin.

"I just wish she'd be responsible for once in her life..." Daniel's glower withered under the sight of Jess's smile. It was so genuine and disarming that he could almost forget Lauren and her foolishness.

"At least you're here. If she does anything really dumb, I'm sure we'll be made aware of it. Why don't we get a drink?"

Jess flashed another smile; Daniel couldn't disagree with that. They were in the same place. Then again, they'd been at the beach together and she'd managed to disobey him almost immediately. It nagged at him, but he wanted to try and salvage the night. Jess was a perfect way to do so.

The drinks were being served in various places, but most of the hard liquor was inside. Bottles and rows upon rows of shot glasses were scattered on the tables and counters. Jess snagged two of the clean-looking ones and a bottle of 100-proof cinnamon schnapps, something they could drink without getting too bad off. She poured both of them a shot and passed Daniel his glass.

"Cheers."

It was Daniel's turn to smile as he took the shot, downing it without so much as a shudder. Jess wasn't so unfazed; a shiver ran the length of her spine as the cold tingle of the liquor passed down her throat and settled in her stomach. He could swear he saw the goosebumps raise on her arms and shoulders. They stood in the kitchen, nearly abandoned by the rest of the party-goers, for a long moment. Daniel's eyes roved Jess's figure, his smile unknowingly growing wider.

"Like what you see there, Daniel?"

His eyes immediately snapped up to hers, a bit of a blush filling his cheeks though his smile never faltered.

"Absolutely."

The word was scarcely out before their lips met. In that instant, he forgot about everything but the crush of her body against his. It had been a while since they'd last done anything and the rush of it was dizzying. His hands went to her cheeks and cradled her face as they continued the hungry kiss, only pulling back once they both needed air.

One minute he was seeing Jess, the next his mind flashed to a disturbing thought: somewhere in this house, that guy might be doing the same thing to Lauren. His hands dropped away from Jess and his brow wrinkled as the thought burrowed its way into his head deeper.

"What's wrong?"

"I...I just can't shake this feeling that Lauren's doing something really stupid..."

"Ever the protective brother. I'll help you look for her if you want."

Jess's eyes didn't betray the bit of disappointment she felt, but she was understanding. It was part of why Daniel liked her so much. She understood him and didn't question his motivations.

"I think she might freak out even worse if we were both there. Especially if she's doing something she's not supposed to. I'll come find you after I find her."

"Okay," she said before leaning in close to whisper in his ear, "but we should definitely pick up where we left off. It's been too long..."

She let her lips brush his jawline as she moved away and smiled her winning smile again. She poured another shot for herself and shook bodily before walking back out to the pool.

"You'll find me by the pool," she called over her shoulder.

Daniel's head swam with a commingling of thoughts. The combination was somewhat rattling; visions of Jess in her bikini interposed with images of Lauren making out with some jerk. Maybe the booze was a lot stronger than he'd expected. It had to be part of the reason. He tried to focus on the important thing; finding Lauren.

He looked into one of the living rooms which was saturated with drunk couples dancing and a table where people were playing beer pong. No Lauren. The rest of this floor was full of the same and even a brief scan showed her absence. That only left outside and the upstairs. Unless they'd gone the long way around, whoever his sister was with would likely still be upstairs.

The steps were covered in a thick pile carpet, silencing his steps as he climbed them one at a time to the top. There were nearly as many rooms on this floor, but many of them had doors that were closed. A few had lights on, so he simply made his way to the closest one, listening for Lauren's voice.

 

[saysalice]

Lauren laced her fingers through Mark's and followed him up the stairs, where he proceeded to show her the first room: a nondescript guest bedroom, its decor very stylish and completely devoid of personality. Upon opening the next door, he exclaimed laughingly and shut it again at once, turning to her with a sheepish grin.

"Uhm - that one's occupied!"

Lauren's eyes widened, and she stared back at the closed door as he pulled her along. The next room was his parents', complete with en suite bathroom, which he also took her back to see, prattling on about the sandstone tiles and the modern fixtures his father had contracted, earlier that spring. Lauren was rapidly losing patience with the tour - could he really be so dense? She tugged back on his hand as they passed through the doorway into the hall again.

"Why don't - " She made herself stop and offer him a little smile. Slow down. Try not to seem so annoyed and so eager. "Mark... Why don't you show me your room?"

His face lit up, as if it was the first time the idea had even crossed his mind, and his sudden wide grin made Lauren giggle and shake her head.

He surprised her by knocking on the closed door, first. She frowned at him.

"It's your room, isn't it?"

Mark shrugged. "Oh, you just never know."

As she suspected, the sleek stylings of the rest of the house continued in the decor here, but she was surprised to note that the room was very neat and sparsely furnished. A king-sized bed dominated the room; a flat-screen TV took up the majority of one wall; a desk was tucked into one corner. On the back of his closet door hung a surfboard, custom painted to feature a kneeling girl, looking over her shoulder as she peeled her bikini bottoms off.

Lauren blinked, but tried to play it cool. "Oh! She - she's...pretty."

Following her gaze, Mark laughed. "That's Betty. As you can see, she doesn't get out much." Closing the bedroom door. "Hey, I'm sorry there aren't more places to sit," he offered, walking across the room to pull out the desk chair.

She smiled again and sat down on the bed. "This is fine."

She could feel herself growing shy again, all alone in his room with him, and she murmured, "I'm sorry, actually - I didn't mean to take you away from your party. I just..."

She thought of Daniel and felt a familiar tremor of rage threatening to consume her. She tamped it down with some difficulty. "Just - Jess. Was driving me crazy. I really hate it when people treat me like a kid!"

Mark sat down next to her and patted her knee, letting his hand rest there. She didn't mind.

"Well, I don't think you're a kid," he answered sincerely. "And I'm really glad you're here."

He leaned in, smiling at her, and Lauren thrilled at the thought that he was going to kiss her - but he pulled back abruptly, still smiling. "And I've got something for you. Definitely for adults only."

Her gaze flickered to his crotch before she could help herself, and she felt her cheeks flush again slightly as she realized he meant whatever he was digging in his pocket for. Luckily, he didn't seem to notice. As she watched, trying to compose herself, Mark pulled out a little plastic bag and shook its contents into his palm.

They looked like candies - Smarties - except that the little pastel tablets were stamped with symbols: a happy face, a peace sign, a star... Lauren met his eyes warily. "What are they?"

Mark smirked and winked at her. "Do you trust me? Pick one."

She reached for one, then paused. Another caught her eye - baby blue, and stamped with a crudely-drawn Playboy bunny. She laughed. "You should have this one!"

He smiled and plucked it up between the fingers of his other hand. He waited, and when she didn't choose one for herself, he picked out a pink tablet printed with a heart.

"This one's for you, then," he murmured, holding it out to her. It was sort of romantic. Still, Lauren hesitated.

"What's it going to do?" she asked nervously, taking it from him at last.

Mark's smile stretched across his whole face in that flirty way that she liked. "If I told you, it would ruin the surprise," he said. "Don't you like surprises? Surprises are my favorite thing about birthdays."

She watched as he put the blue pill on his tongue and drew it in. After a moment she did the same, and then stretched out on the bed to wait to feel its effects. He pocketed the rest of the pills and lay down next to her, draping his arm lightly across her bare waist.

Lauren quirked a dubious smile up at him. "Is it really your birthday?"

Mark's expression was more serious than it had been all afternoon. "It's really my birthday," he nodded, fanning out his fingers to follow the deep curve of her waist and stroking her gently.

"Hmm," she returned absently, staring lazily at the ceiling and tangling her fingers in his hair as he leaned in to nibble at the base of her neck. "You know what I like best about birthdays? Opening my presents..."

In another ten minutes, Mark had tugged at the striped bow of her bikini top so he could bury his face between her pretty little breasts. Lauren arched her back to offer them up to him and leaned back into the pillows with a deep sigh. His hands were busy, working at unfastening the button on her denim shorts, and she didn't mind. It felt good. She was happy. He was nice, and he was hot, and she liked feeling so desirable. Even when he jerked her shorts down below her knees, she only felt the briefest moment of uncertainty, and then he was kissing her lips and she sighed again and pushed her bare breasts up into his hands.

They were both badly startled when the door crashed open on them, and Lauren felt a pang of dismay, even before she looked up - knowing that it would be Daniel. He'd found her, and would be sure to ruin all her fun. But the look on his face struck her as so exaggerated and comical that her reaction was immediate - incontrollable - disastrous: she burst out laughing at him.

 

[fr33ks33k]

It was the last room he checked. Her voice filtered through the closed door into the hallway and Daniel knew he'd found her. Whatever expectation he'd had about her state when he did was shattered in an instant. Half naked and writhing around with who he could only presume was the owner of the house and purpose for the party. Her top was askew and the guy was burying his face between them like some hidden treasure was there. His hands were roving over her hips and thighs, laid even more bare by the fact that her shorts were around her knees.

Daniel couldn't see straight for a second. Everything was a blur. The guy formerly fondling Lauren was out cold and facedown in his bed. His sister was still laughing, giggling like some schoolgirl, still half nude and nonchalant. Daniel seethed with anger. She didn't even care.

"Put your fucking clothes on. We are leaving."

She just stared up at him, laughing and moving back and forth on the bed. She seemed unaware of the fact that Mark was now unconscious, his cheekbone already swelling. The thought flashed through his mind of the guy pressing charges, but he doubted he'd remember after he awoke. Too much booze, which was surely why Lauren was still lollygagging on the bed.

"I said get dressed."

Still no response; this was useless. He'd have to do it himself. Daniel fumbled at first with her shorts, lifting her legs and jerking the material up and over her hips. Peripherally he appreciated the toned softness of her legs, the thought swallowed up in the upset he felt at having to dress his sister and then lug her downstairs to the car. Everyone would see. Again, she seemed oblivious.

Her top was actually undone; it would have to be retied. Daniel shook his head and leaned over to move the fabric over Lauren's modest bust.

"Stop moving dammit. I'm fucking serious, Lauren."

The more she giggled, the more infuriated he became. The bow he tied in her top was jerked and tugged just a bit too tight, but so long as her tits weren't hanging out he didn't care.

Getting her out of the bed was even more of a hassle. She acted boneless, refusing to stand and refusing to even attempt to support her own weight. There were three options and all of them made him feel like some neanderthal carrying off his captured mate.

What the fuck?

Such an awkward analogy to draw. It must have been those shots coming around again, though he found it hard to believe he could even feel a buzz at this point. In the end he settled on slinging her over his shoulder and walking her unceremoniously downstairs. Before he could make his way to the pool, Jess appeared through one of the many doorways.

"Woah...is she passed out?"

"No, but damned close."

"I see. Guess the party's over, yeah?"

"Yeah. I don't know what I'm gonna do with her though...mom and dad will freak the fuck out if they see her like this."

"Well, you could text them from her phone and ask if she can spend the night at my house. You have to drop me off anyway."

Daniel hesitated. That alibi would work, but part of him wanted to be there when she came to and give her a piece of his mind. Make her understand how pissed off she'd made him.

"Thanks...but I think I'll just drive you and the guys home. Maybe by then she'll be coherent enough to talk to."

Jess gave him a smile and a kiss on the cheek. Unspoken understanding again. Even that didn't serve to raise his spirits, though he appreciated it.

Shawn and Charlie were easy enough to find, but both were also preoccupied with women they'd met. They both agreed to find rides home without giving Daniel too much shit about how his sister had behaved.

Lauren fit in the backseat laying down, leaving the passenger seat for Jess. On the way to her house they conversed about several things including their next possible hookup. Though they didn't touch, the thought of it was enough to get Daniel going. Jess left him with another kiss on the cheek and a promising smile. He watched her unlock and enter her front door before driving off.

In the rear-view mirror he could see Lauren fidgeting, finally working through the haze of whatever she'd had. Near their home, he parked the car and turned off the engine, unbuckling his safety belt and gripping the steering wheel with both hands. All the things he wanted to say were fighting for attention at the tip of his brain. So much of it was anger and disappointment, but there were brief flashes of something else. Something he couldn't put into words at the moment. He saw his knuckles going white and loosened his grip.

He saw his little sister sit up and rub at her eyes as though waking from a dream. He turned in his seat, staring icily at her.

"About time you woke up. Do you realize how much fucking trouble you could've gotten into back there?"

 

[saysalice]

First she was aware of the sounds: other cars darting past, the hum of the motor beneath her, and voices engaged in low conversation - but she heard these as if she was submerged underwater - she couldn't begin to make out the words, or determine who was speaking.

Lauren opened her eyes cautiously, her head spinning, but all she could see were the cold LED streetlights whipping by over her head - one after another, bright in her eyes so that the afterimages trailed blue wavering lines across her vision, one into the next. It made her nauseous. She squeezed her eyes shut again, and now she could feel her stomach lurching with the momentum of the car. She hugged her arms around herself and shivered in the backseat, curling up tight into a ball to wait it out.

After what seemed like hours, she gradually became aware that the world had paused in its frantic headlong rush and grown still again. She cracked one eyelid and was relieved to be met with only the dark, starry summer sky. She inhaled deeply and exhaled in a grateful sigh - then a car door crashed shut right next to her ear, making her wince. Where was she? Whose car?

She pushed up on her elbows and tried to lift her head, but then the car jerked backwards, throwing her down, and she groaned and turned to press her face against the seat.

When they stopped again, she could sense the tension in the air. It was like the sudden chill and the whiff of ozone before a thunderstorm - that foreboding threat of violence on an elemental scale. She knew at once, instinctively, that she was in Daniel's car. She struggled to sit up, and whined aloud as her head throbbed with the motion, as if her brains were sloshing around inside her skull.

Flashes of her evening flickered in her mind's eye like single frames from a movie: the warm giddiness she felt when Mark was on top of her, kissing her; the bright burst of confusion and Daniel's loud face in the doorway - and then Daniel on top of her, scowling as he tied her tightly, hurting her; the mingling of terror and relief as she went up over his shoulder and he carried her away; the bumping and jostling and the rush of blood to her head, her sickening topsy-turvy perspective as they went thumping down the stairs. She had closed her eyes and focused on the feel of his arms, firm around her. He wouldn't let her fall.

And there was something else - some disturbing half-forgotten image, nagging at her to be remembered...

Lauren pushed herself up with another groan. Her head ached - her whole body ached - and she felt her stomach churn warningly at this shift in position. She rubbed her eyes. Behind her closed lids they felt like cracked glass marbles, baking in the sun. When she took her hands away, Daniel had turned around to face her and she sighed at his stony expression, lifting one hand in limp protest as - predictably - he began to scold her.

It hurt to roll her eyes. His fierce glare set her to shivering again violently - her teeth chattered in her aching jaw and she sank back against the seat, holding herself.

If I've done wrong, I'm dying for it. Lauren looked away, frowning in annoyed confusion at such a random thought. Something - that boring book they were reading in her Victorian Lit class - why that line should come to mind just now, she didn't know. She couldn't say that, even if it totally felt like the truth.

"Daniel - " she began with another sigh, but then stopped. There was nothing she could say. She was in no position to remind him that she was an adult now, assure him that she could handle herself. Not after passing out, anyway.

"Like you've never done anything stupid in your life," she mumbled irritably. It was a lame retort - especially since she didn't have an example readily at hand. If Daniel had ever fucked up like this, he'd at least been more discreet about it.

Anyway, Mark hadn't seemed so bad. He just liked her - and what was wrong with that? She liked him, t -

Her stomach kicked painfully, but not before an image blinked into memory and tried to flit away. She grasped at it...Mark. Mark on the bed. Mark, facedown on the bed, on the bed next to her. Facedown. Because...

Lauren's head snapped up in sudden outrage to scowl at Daniel. "You - "

Her face went white, and her twisted expression of indignation fell loose and turned to something like horror as she scrabbled madly for the door handle, covering her mouth tightly with the other palm but unable to stifle the sudden hitching and retching noises behind it.

She lost the battle and threw up all over the backseat. Then, moaning and whimpering, she flung the door open and spilled out onto her knees on the pavement to throw up again.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Daniel watched the varied emotions playing over Lauren's face. Confusion and annoyance, recognition and then...

"Jesus Christ, are you fucking kidding me!?"

He didn't have time to be more exasperated as she spilled out of the car, retching her guts out. As much as he was outraged by the vomit on his backseat, he had to make sure she was okay. The driver's door opened and slammed shut as Daniel made his way around the car. He was careful not to step in any of the regurgitations Lauren was bringing up in heaves and coughs.

When she looked to be finished, he helped her to her feet, being just a bit less than gentle. The stare he gave her was only slightly less icy than before.

"Yeah, I've fucked up before. But never like this. I've been careless, but that just means I know better now. You have no idea what kind of bad shit you could have gotten into."

His eyes bored into her own. He could feel his pulse beating in his neck. The more he looked at her the more pissed off he got, the more his breathing deepened, the more he wanted to just...

"I can't even look at you! Jesus. Get in the car. We're going home. And tomorrow you're going to clean out my car."

Daniel turned on his heels and went back to the driver's side of the car. What he'd just thought was rattling. Best not to dwell on it. Better to just get home and put the entirety of this whole fucked up night to rest.

He slammed his door as he got into his car and waited for Lauren to comply.

 

[saysalice]

Dry heaves came next, violent enough to make her stomach cramp like after three sets of crunches. Her head ached, her throat burned, and the rough pavement bit into her bare knees. She tried to sit up. A car door opened and banged shut behind her, setting her shivering. She was finished, she tried to sit - no - falling back down onto her hands she heaved once more, coughing up a hot sour splash into the street and moaning weakly as she heard the slap of slow footsteps approaching. She didn't want Daniel to see her like this.

She waited, afraid to move. When she was sure her stomach had finally settled she looked back over her shoulder at him, tears shining on her cheeks in the glow of the streetlights. The smoldering look of impatient contempt on his face made her moan again and try to turn away, but he stretched his hand out to her, and his eyes were not entirely unkind as Lauren took it and let him pull her up.

She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand, snivelling as he berated her, trying to get herself under control. There was nothing she could say. She stood hugging herself and pressing her knees together against the chill of the evening, waiting for him to be finished and take her home.

Finally he snapped at her to get back in, storming around to his side of the car and slamming the door. Lauren reached for the passenger side door meekly, and her eyes filled again with tears when she saw the flicker of disgust that crossed his face, his lips parting to voice an objection.

"What am I supposed to do," she whined croakily, "sit in the back with - with that? I'll put my towel down, okay?"

It was in the front with her other beach things - she'd have to remember to thank Jess for collecting them - and she spread it carefully over the seat and sat down, pulling her legs in and shutting the door. She buckled up as he started the car, and cracked her window out of courtesy, wanting very badly to forget what had just happened.

They drove in silence for several minutes. She could sense his simmering irritation, and knew she shouldn't press her luck, but she was too used to speaking her mind.

"You didn't have to hit him," she muttered quietly, unsure if he could even hear her over the car's engine. "He's not a bad guy, and he didn't - he didn't do anything I didn't want him to do."

Except - the pill. Lauren turned away, afraid that Daniel would see the warring emotions in her face - he always seemed able to see right through her. Mark should have told her what the pill would do. That wasn't the kind of surprise she liked.

Of course, neither was the realization that her brother could coldcock a stranger when he was mad enough, without even thinking twice about it. When she made him mad enough. She stifled another shudder.

"I'm sorry I - I worried you," she all but whispered. It seemed wise to say.

She stiffened as they pulled into the driveway sooner than she expected, and she reached across to him on impulse, putting a hand on his knee and squeezing urgently.

"Don't tell Mom and Dad, okay?"

The lights were still on, it was still early - they would be pleasantly surprised to find that for once, Lauren hadn't called to haggle about her curfew, or slipped in just a few minutes late. She jumped out almost before the car had fully stopped, sprinting across the lawn with her towel in her arms, through the door and up the stairs before they could come out with any questions. Let Daniel handle them - he was better at it, anyway.

In her room, she stripped hastily out of her shorts and bikini, wincing and nearly tearing up again as she saw the mess she'd made of them. Throwing a robe on, she hurried down the hall to the bathroom and threw her skimpy clothes into the sink, filling it until they floated in cold water and leaving them to soak. She turned the water on in the shower as hot as she could stand, let the robe drop and pulled her hair out of its ponytail before stepping in. Though it had been tied back and she hadn't gotten any sick-up in it, she stood under the punishing spray and washed and conditioned her hair three times before she turned the water off.

She took her time towelling dry, then wrapped herself up again in her soft robe, rolling the sleeves to her elbows so that she could wring her clothes out in the sink. Listening for a firm knock at the door and her father's voice - weary, disappointed, but not surprised...but it didn't come. Daniel had kept quiet.

As she padded back to her room, she paused outside his bedroom door. No doubt he was still annoyed with her - maybe she should just leave it alone. Or...maybe she should impress upon him how much it meant to her, that he hadn't ratted her out. He might change his mind overnight, especially if he thought her ungrateful.

Pressing her lips together, she knocked lightly and then opened the door without waiting to be invited, stepping inside and closing it behind her. She tucked her stringy hair back behind her ears so that it wouldn't drip on his floor, and hesitated just a moment, then walked over and sat on the edge of his bed, smiling at him sheepishly.

"I just wanted to thank you...for not telling on me. You know they'd ground me for the rest of the summer, if they knew..." She trailed off, reluctant to describe her offenses, perceived or otherwise.

She fingered the satin edge of a blanket as an excuse not to look at him, remembering all the times she'd come knocking at his door in the middle of the night. He'd never turned her away, no matter how silly her little fears might have seemed to him.

She looked up at last and spoke quietly, and in earnest, "I'll set my alarm - for before the sun's even up, so it won't bake in and stink, and I'll wash the outside, too. It'll look brand new. If they ask, I'll just say it's to pay you back for all the times you've driven me places. Okay?"

She stood up and nodded, hoping it was enough. "It's the least I can do."

Pulling her robe a little more tightly closed at the throat, she walked back to the door and paused with her hand on the knob. "So - goodnight. And hey, I'm sorry - I'm sorry if I ruined your night. I really am."

But by the time she returned to her room, her conscience was relatively clear and untroubled. She slept like a baby, and when the alarm she'd set on her phone went off at 5:00 am she shut it off automatically, barely cracking an eyelid, and slept undisturbed until the sun was well up over the horizon. It was her summer vacation, after all.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Daniel drove silently, still seething. His eyes narrowed at her mention of punching Mark, which was apparently the creep's name. His thoughts remained unspoken as they pulled into the driveway. The smell of bile and whatever Lauren had eaten that day was already starting to permeate the car. He left it that way on purpose. Even more of a lesson for her in the morning. She practically sprinted into the house; Daniel took his time, trading his murderous gaze into a light-hearted grin as he greeted his mother and father in the den.

"No, it was a good time. No, nobody got in any trouble. Yeah, they had their own rides. "

Simple answers, succinct enough for Mom with her worrisome nature and truthful enough that Dad didn't question anything.

Daniel retreated to his room, glimpsing the blur that was his sister bolting to the bathroom. He sat at his desk and clenched his fists briefly before steepling them and resting his chin against them. The evening kept replaying in his head. The sight of that guy, running his hands all over Lauren's body, following the lithe curves and taut planes. The pang of...was it jealousy? No...it couldn't have been jealousy. But what else would have driven him to violence so quickly? He was a reasonable person, and removing his sister from the situation would have been enough. No, that Mark guy had it coming. Putting his hands on her like he owned her...that was his...

The thought was interrupted by the knock at and sudden opening of his door. Her hair was wet and her skin had the pink tinge that only scalding hot water could give. The look on her face was apologetic, her words even more so. She made promises of getting up before the sun to clean his car. He sat there, watching her fiddle with his bed sheet before making an awkward exit.

Many times before she'd come to him in the same manner, crying and mousy, seeking advice or consolation. The sadness was more than he could bear; she was his little sister after all, and he was there for her. Anymore, it seemed like she only saw him as a means to an end.

He remained at his desk for a long while, staring at the swollen knuckles of his left hand. Each jolt of pain resonated in his jaw, which he realized was clenched to the point of grinding his molars together.

When he finally fell asleep, his dreams were full of disturbing half-images of the night before. He saw himself with Jess, standing in the kitchen of Mark's house, taking shots and then kissing deeply. But when she pulled back, it was Lauren instead. He tossed and turned in his fitful rest, the next image even more twisted and confusing than the last. Lauren lay disoriented, half-naked...and he was somehow playing the role of Mark, inspecting and toying with the hem of her shorts, the tie to her top. He awoke in a cold sweat, breathing laboriously. He scarcely noticed as it dwindled, but the damp section at the front of his boxer briefs was evidence enough of the nature of his dreams.

As his eyes focused in the dark, he found the time on his clock and got out of bed. At this time of morning no one else was up, so he took the time to shower. On his way back to his bedroom, he noticed that Lauren's door seemed to still be closed. He redressed and checked the time. So much for before the sun. Well if she thought that she would get out of it, she was wrong. Dead wrong.

It was not a knock, more an insistent pounding that Daniel gave her door. The more he beat against it, the more angry he got. Finally he just twisted the doorknob and shoved the door open. She was still in bed. She hadn't even bothered to get up at all.

"The least you could do, eh? So you just don't care at all, do you?"

He moved over to her bed, searching for her shape under the blankets.

"Are you even listening to me?!"

His voice raised, his hand reaching out to tear away the blankets she'd cocooned herself into.

It wasn't even a question until after the fact; he snatched a handful of her hair and tugged her up into a sitting position, holding her sleep-filled eyes with his own. His voice was stern and low; Mom and Dad would be up soon.

"If you say you're going to do something, you do it. If you're going to be a liar, then I'll have to be the truthful one. I'm sure Mom would love to hear all about last night. Imagine what Dad would say. Your summer vacation would be over. So. You're going to get dressed and clean my car. Inside and out, just like you said you would. Understand?"