Brian woke as he often did, to the sound of his mother's voice shouting at him. It was a moment before he realised that things were not as the usually were. Sheer terror washed over him as he remembered what had happened the night before, through the haze of sleep and the beginnings of a horrible hangover. It had been wonderful, what he remembered of it, he had allowed her to take the reins so to speak, so that he didn't show himself up. When they were done, she had fallen asleep beside him, muttering something about the fact that he shouldn't take what had happened too seriously before snuggling up to him. His mother's footsteps on the stairs broke through the memory and he realised that he was still naked under the covers. He felt around for his pyjamas before remembering that they were still neatly folded at the end of the bed, or had been. He saw them strewn across the floor at the foot of his bed. He noted with equal parts disappointment and relief that she must have left before he woke. Footsteps clomped on the stairs and the door creaked open. He realised with some alarm that it must have been left open overnight. They could have walked in at any time to check on him. He pulled the covers over his head in an attempt to conceal the fact that he wasn't wearing anything under the covers.

"Come on, up. You have school in an hour. Your father is taking you today as I have to get your sister in early for a school trip. Now, up you get or I'll pull off your covers."

"All right, all right." He made a show of reaching for his watch. She opened the curtains and moved to leave. She looked down and kicked at his pyjamas.

"Brian, why are your pyjamas on the floor?"

"I think I kicked them off in the night." He tried not to blush furiously. "I was too hot."

"Are you coming down with something? I've not turned down the A.C."

"I'm fine." If he gave her any hint that he was unwell, she would sit on the bed and that was the last place he wanted her to be.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, I'll get up in a minute."

"Well, if you're sure." She left the door ajar and Brian waited as she corralled his sister down the stairs and out into the car.

"I thought she'd never leave." He heard a voice from under his bed as soon as the sound of car tyres and gravel fell away. He frowned and put his head upside down over the edge of the bed. Emily was under there clutching her clothes to her bare chest. She had only managed to put her knickers back on and Brian was trying very hard not to stare at her.

"I thought you had left." His head was beginning to feel strange, he sat up again. Emily followed him out, shifting so that she knelt on the floor beside him. She began putting on her bra, a process that Brian watched with interest.

"Nope, I was out for the count. Lucky I managed to wake up when I heard her take a shower otherwise you'd be in a lot of trouble right now." Brian was having trouble dealing with the fact that after being in such an intimate situation, she was carrying on like normal. She pulled on the rest of her clothes and reached for her boots.

"I feel like we should kiss goodbye or something." Her hand stilled for a moment.

"Brian, stuff like that always muddies the waters. We had a good time and I'm not saying it won't happen again but don't make it out to be something it wasn't."

"And what was it?"
"Some fun between casual acquaintances. I think you know that we're both too busy dealing with hurt feelings for other people for it to be anything else. I'm just saying that and you're too sweet for me anyway." She smiled as she walked over to the window. "Imagine how ridiculous that would be, you and me, together."

"Yeah." She leant over and opened the window. He stayed in bed until she was gone, not quite comfortable with the thought of her seeing him naked in daylight.

"See you." She moved out of sight. He waited a moment before going to shower. Under the water, he thought about what she had said. What did he feel, sad, elated, confused? He considered and found that he felt all three but they were dulled somehow as if he couldn't quite process them. He quietly got ready for school and when his dad called, head formulated a plan.

Allison knew that she was not in her own bed, nor was she alone. Another chest rose underneath her face. She opened her eyes to see it; a broad masculine one that she was relieved to see was indeed clothed. She drew back. In the early morning light that sneaked in through the gap in the curtains, she saw a face that was both beloved and dreaded. Andy was still asleep. She found that she enjoyed watching him like this. Because he was vulnerable, because she didn't need to be 'on' socially. Even with him, she couldn't completely be herself. It was a few moments before she began to recall all of what had happened through the drunken haze. She and Bender had crashed the party around eleven by which time the people who were meant to be there were too drunk to care about people who weren't invited showing up. She had lost Bender in the bustle of people and found him again just as he had found Claire coming down the stairs. She had been about to ask Claire if she had seen Andy but Claire had stopped dead then tried to run back up the stairs. Bender had cut off her retreat and caught hold of her arm.

"Claire, wait. I need to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk. You made your feelings pretty clear. I'm not worth going to some stupid dance." Both of them were drunk and emotional, this was not going to end well but all Allison could do was stand awkwardly to the side and wait till it was over or they went into a private room.

"You know that wasn't what I meant. Besides it doesn't matter. But you found someone to go with didn't you?" Clare immediately went a startling shade of pink.

"Who told you that? Was it Travis? Because I never said I would go."

"I heard you say so."

"Then why didn't you ask me yourself? If you were there."

"I didn't need to."

"There you go assuming things about me. It isn't fair. When he said maybe I'd see him there, I thought he meant it… I didn't think he was asking me. I would never, especially not with him. Thought you knew me better than that." She actually looked close to tears. She stopped for a moment to reign in her feelings before they got him. The best of her, being too prideful to let see her vulnerability. In some ways they were very similar, Allison reflected getting caught up in the drama despite herself. "Why must you always assume the worst about me?"

"Ok. I'm sorry." Allison was stunned at his admission. So was Claire who looked a little as if he had taken the wind out of her sails. When she actually spoke it was with a touch of anger. "And I fucking love you ok." Claire couldn't talk for a moment. When she did she looked furious.

"You know sometimes I hate you."

"What?" He looked taken aback.

"You always get me to forgive you, just when I'm ready to call it day. I'm just so tired of things being difficult. I love you too but I don't know, perhaps things aren't meant to work out." She suddenly looked defeated.

"Right." He released her arm. They both just stood there and it was clear that Claire wanted him to say something. The silence stretched out between them. Allison could feel something bubbling up inside her, the urge to meddle. She didn't do this, interfere in other people's lives but they were really beginning to annoy her. She had seen them break up and make up one too many times.

"Oh will you two stop it? Its misunderstanding after complication when everyone can see that you're crazy about each other. You just allow yourselves to get far too distracted by things that don't matter. At least I can blame my crippling emotional issues but you've moved past yours so stop complaining and be happy. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go tell someone I love them." She turned to Claire. "Where is Andy?" Claire pointed wordlessly up the stars.

"Allison, wait." Alison ignored her and continued up the stairs. She got to the first floor and opened the first door. She backed away when she saw the couple making out. The next two doors were a bathroom and another bedroom, both with occupants. The last door opened and a girl stormed out hastily dressing, she took one look at Allison and hastened down the stairs. Allison caught her breath and went inside. It was dark. She could only see the edges of things. The floor length window that led out to the balcony. She decided to look out there just in case. It was as she had expected, or feared. Andy was there, shirtless, drinking a beer. From the way that he was swaying slightly every time he moved, he had already had too much.

"Andy?"

"I thought you had left." He didn't turn around.

"It's me, Andy." His head snapped to look at her, guilt on his face. Then she knew. "You've done something, haven't you?" She felt the urge to run again but this time quelled it.

"At least I tried. I wanted to remove you from my head. But nothing works; did you come to shout at me? What did Claire say to you?"

"Nothing. She said nothing to me." She approached him the same way you would approach a feral cat. "I saw her leave."

"Ah, now that's just bad timing." He laughed bitterly. "Not that you care. You don't care two figs for me otherwise you wouldn't have run out on me. Isn't that so?"

"In all the time that we have spent together, do you really know me so little?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Only that I've been terrified for years of vulnerability and being hurt but it seems these days that I'm hurt whether I show how I feel or not. Andy, I came here to tell you that I love you. I don't think it will change anything but I had to say it. Because if Bender can bloody well say it then I should be able to." Andy had gone very still.

"But it's too late. We're both in pain and that's all there is to it."
"No, Andy there isn't because I don't care about what's in the past. All I care about is the future and I am going to fight for you. Because tis about time I began to fight for what I truly want.

"Allison, I…" She shut him up with a kiss. He didn't push her away. On the contrary, he pulled her toward him onto his lap. She smiled at the memory. They had spent the night there on that balcony wrapped in a duvet. The cold of the morning had woken her, a light breeze tousling her hair. She reached up ad stroked Andy's cheek. He shifted under her and woke slowly, his easy fixing on her. He smiled and ran a hand through his hair before kissing her.

"Hey Stranger."

Bender blinked as the morning light roused him from his doze in the back of somebody's car. He looked down to see that Claire's head was pillowed on his jacket over his lap. She was still asleep. He didn't particularly want to move her but nature was calling, loudly. He shifted as gently as he could, moving her so that her head and his jacket lay on the car seat. He snuck over to the bushes at the back of someone's house and relieved himself. When he got back, Claire was awake, with his jacket around her shoulders. She was tired, yawning and stretching from the uncomfortable position she had been sleeping in.

"Why did we sleep in the car when my bed is just a few blocks away?" She sat up and looked around. "Whose car is this any way?" Bender just shrugged. He noticed that Claire was shivering.

"You cold?"

"A bit, aren't you?" She indicated to the fact that he was only wearing a shirt. He shrugged.

"Nah." She shifted up the car seat until she was able to lower her feet onto the gravel. "You feel like going to school today?" Claire considered for a moment. Not want to skip, except for the odd shopping spree she hesitated. It was close to finals. And yet she just couldn't be bothered to care about them at that moment. She smiled and shook her head.

"What do you feel like doing?"

"I'm not picky. As long as it's someone with food, I don't think I've eaten in ages." As if to, back up his statement, his stomach shows that exact moment to assert itself.

"That sounds nice. I'm starving." She slipped her hand into his as she got out of the car. They began to walk the mile or so into town to find a diner that was open that early. He nudged her shoulder.

"I'm still not taking you to Prom."

"I know. And I'm still going."

"Who with?" He raised an eyebrow.

"We'll just have to see."