CHAPTER 17 | First

There is change of P.O.V. in this chapter, I hope you don't mind u.u

MARK'S P.O.V.

Sometimes I just can't help making a fool of myself for speaking before thinking. I say really stupid things which later make people uncomfortable or they get misunderstood. Why did I even say he was cute? That he looked like a puppy? I don't even like puppies. I just tried to explain that any person would find him cute because he has something that gives him that adorable look. But he's too dumb to understand that.

Anyway, I had to focus on the upcoming party that was going to start in a few minutes. Mom and dad had left already, not before telling us not to do anything stupid during their absence. Of course we obeyed, because a simple party wasn't something stupid.

I was trying to make the house look neat for the first invites who arrived. I didn't even know why I was doing this, if this place was going to end up like a dumpster the next morning. At least Wyatt will be in charge of cleaning the disaster.

He later came running down the stairs dressed in a white shirt under a vest, green cargo pants and a pair of black boots. He kinda looked like a soldier. He has always liked everything related to soldiers and militants. As a kid, he used to play with his soldier figures and he also acted as if he was one, jumping all over the beds and hiding behind furniture, using his hands as weapons.

"Mark!" He exclaimed. "What are you doing there standing like an idiot? Get ready, the invites are coming soon!"

I glared at him. "I'm already ready, you fool."

"Really? Huh, you look boring as always."

Please, I was wearing a completely different jacket this time, a grey one. If he can't make the difference then he must have vision problems.

I scoffed. "And you look like you're getting ready for a fucking world war."

He laughed. "I know right. Besides, this outfit makes me look hot, and I have to look hot for the gentlemen." He said as he fixed his hair.

I gave him a look of slight disgust, but then I was also starting to get worried. I needed to tell him something really important but I didn't know if he'd accept it.

"Hey, um... By the way, I just wanted to tell you..." I trailed.

"What?" He asked, looking at me expectantly.

I sighed. "Just don't... tell anyone that you're... you know." I looked at him, hoping he would get the message but he just kept looking back at me, and it seemed like he wasn't going to end the sentence. I sighed again and rolled my eyes. "Don't tell them that you're gay."

"Why not? Are you ashamed that your friends find out that you have a gay brother?"

Shit, not again.

He continued. "Would that ruin your so much loved reputation, and everyone will think that you're gay just because your brother is gay too?"

"It's not that, okay?" I lied. Actually, it was that. What would people think of me if they found out I have a brother who takes it up the ass? "I'm just... worried that they might insult you."

"Mark." He gave me a serious look. "I've dealt with many kinds of insults ever since I came out. From many kinds of people, including dad and even you." I looked down guiltily at the mention of that. "But I've learned to live with them, you know? I can handle any stupid insults these kids are willing to throw at me."

I sighed. I guess he was really going to do it then.

"Hey, quit that sad face!" He suddenly said patting my back a little too hard. "Don't worry, I won't say anything. But if any chicks want to fuck with me, I ain't doing any of that."

I sighed of relief. My reputation was saved.

"Alright, don't fuck them. But at least try to... kiss them, touch them, so people don't find it suspicious."

"That won't be easy. I'll try to, though." He said as he started pacing around the living room. "BUT, you'll have to help me clean this place tomorrow."

I looked at him in disbelief. "What?! That was not part of the deal!"

He raised his brow. "Uuhhh, we never made a deal, genius. I just said I would clean the place so you would accept throwing a party here. But now you'll have to help me too, or else I'll start acting super gay."

"Ok, ok. I'll help you." I said while glaring at his smirking face.

We waited a few more minutes until the sound of the bell ringing accompanied by some whispering filled the house. I immediately went to open the door and I was quite surprised to find that a large crowd had already formed outside.

"Hey, Mark, my fellow friend! What's up?" A guy greeted holding an icebox. "Look, we brought the drinks!" He motioned to other three guys who were holding iceboxes as well.

"Cool! Put those on the counter. Everybody come in!" I said and soon the house was filled with bodies who started chatting and walking around. The girls didn't take too long to notice Wyatt standing on the living room. They soon charged towards him like a magnet, hugging him and running their hands all over him.

I chuckled and shook my head at Wyatt's fake smile towards the girls.

ZACK'S P.O.V.

I was rummaging through my closet, looking for something to wear other than all the comfy clothes I liked wearing.

I finally opted for a pair of tight black jeans with chains. I hated very tight clothes, especially pants. They felt uncomfortable. Anyway, I couldn't go to a party wearing sweatpants, could I?

I looked through my shirts and I decided on a button one. When I was ready, I went down the stairs and waited nervously. I was nervous because I didn't know what I would do at a big party like that. What if my friends leave me alone? What if everybody rejects me because I don't drink or I don't dance? What if Mark sees I'm not a fun person and never talks to me again?

Ok, once again I'm over thinking. I always make lots of assumptions and thought about excessive amounts of What if's. That's why I've become so insecure about myself and I could never decide properly. Enough of that, I'm going to that party and I'll find a way to have fun, no matter what people think of me.

I had told my aunt I was going to a party today. She accepted immediately and asked me if I wanted her to take me. I told her not to bother because Amber was going to pick me up. That was quite odd, since I have never seen Amber's car. Heck, I have never even seen her driving. I just hope she doesn't get us into a car accident.

Anyway, my aunt told me to have fun and even to get drunk if I wanted. I guess she was serious when she told me to try new things.

I heard a car stopping outside, following the sound of a loud klaxon. Maybe that was Amber.
I went to open the door and my eyes widened when I saw a grey van parked in my driveway. From here I could hear some trap music coming from inside of it. The window went down slowly to reveal Amber sitting at the driver's seat, wearing a pair of sunglasses. It wasn't sunny right now, though.

"Hello, Zack! Ready to go?" She yelled.

I closed the door behind me and walked closer to admire the vehicle. "Is this your van?"

"Nah, it's my dad's. He lent it to me only for this day. I promised I wouldn't damage it. I hope to keep my promise." She replied and I gulped. "Anyway, what are you waiting for? Get in! We'll pick up the others."

I opened the front door and took a seat. She looked at me and lowered her sunglasses to her nose. "Zacky, you look goooood!"

I chuckled. "Thanks. You look very good too." She was wearing a black shoulderless top, shorts and a pair of converses.

"Thank you, I know. I always look fashionable." She said before pulling her sunglasses back up. "Oh, I suggest you fasten your seatbelt first, though."

I gulped again. "Why? Are you sure you know how to drive?" I asked nervously as I did what she told.

"Of course I know, it's just that my way of driving is a bit different..." She replied. "Ready?" She asked after I fastened my seatbelt.

"Uuhhh..."

"Let's go!" She shouted as she slammed the throttle and we went flying at full speed, making me hit my head against the back of the seat.

I tried not to scream in terror as I felt the air draining out from my lungs. I had a death grip on my seat while I kept my gaze locked in front of me, watching how the houses and trees went rapidly past us. Amber simply banged her head at the rhythm of the music as she drove, making the wheels let out a loud screech every time she turned a corner.

This girl is going to kill someone at this speed. Even worse, she's going to kill us.

After a while, she slowed down the pace when we got closer to Vincent's house. She stopped the van and started laughing as soon as she looked at me.

"Oh my God, you should have seen your face!"

I let out a breath and then looked at her. "How can't I be scared if you drive like some maniac?!"

"Oh come on, don't be so dramatic." She said before looking through the window to see Vincent going out from his house. "There he is."

She pressed the klaxon, the loud noise making Vincent jump and let out a yelp. Amber laughed and I couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Oh my God, Amber! I'm fed up of your scares!" Vincent complained.

"Shut up and get in." Amber commanded.

Vincent opened the back door and took a seat. "I saw you Zack, you laughed at me." He said pointing his finger.

I chuckled. "Sorry, it was funny."

"It was not." He said as he fastened his seatbelt.

Amber noticed this and she smiled evilly. Oh no. "Ok, guys, hold tight." She said as her right hand caressed the gear lever.

"Wait, what?" Vincent said.

She moved the lever from P to D, and afterwards her foot hit the throttle again.

"Holy shit!" Vincent shouted.

After a while of driving at full speed and listening to Amber's terrible singing, we stopped by Jaida's house. She was already standing on the sidewalk, dressed in a beautiful red dress and black heels that made her look taller, and even more pretty than she already was. From the rear-view mirror, I could see Vincent had dropped his jaw at the sight of her.

"Hey, sweetie. Do you need a ride?" Amber said in a flirtatious manner, resting her arm on the door and lowering her sunglasses to her nose; in a manly manner. I looked at her with an amused expression while Vincent looked confused. Jaida just laughed and so did Amber. "Guys, stop looking at me like that, I was just kidding!"

I chuckled while Jaida got in and sat beside Vincent. He constantly moved his eyes to look at her.

"Ok, everybody's in. Next stop: Mark's house." Amber said as she pulled her sunglasses back up and gripped the steering wheel, once again sending us flying at full speed. It wasn't that scary anymore, in fact it was kind of fun. Amber, Jaida and I wooed all the way to Mark's place, while Vincent kept his grip on his seat, still scared by the speed we were going at.

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The loud music banged through the house, it even made the windows vibrate inside the car. We walked out and towards Mark's big house. Not to brag but, even though it was big, I think mine was bigger.
We stood there for some seconds, just admiring the house and looking at the silhouettes of people dancing and drinking through the windows.

"Now what do we do?" I asked.

"Well, it's simple. You ring the bell and wait for someone to open, duh." Amber replied and we followed her as she made her way to the door.

She raised her arm to ring the bell, not once, but twice, then thrice, and so on. That's when I remembered how much Amber liked to play with the bells.

"Ok, ok, shut up!" A guy said opening the door and holding a can of beer on his hand. "And who the hell are you, uh?" From the tone of his voice and the slight wiggling he made, I could tell he was drunk.

Before we could reply, Mark appeared from beside the guy, looking handsome as always, even more with that haircut he got. His eyes widened a bit at the sight of us. "Oh, Elliot, these are some friends I invited, ok? Come on, go back with your friends." Mark said ushering him out of the way.

"Dude, those two girls look niiiice!" He said referring to Amber and Jaida.

"Um, yeah. I know." Mark replied before his friend went elsewhere. "He's really crazy when he's drunk."

"Aren't we all?" Amber said.

Mark chuckled. "Yeah. Anyway, come in." We entered into the crowded area full of sweaty bodies moving at the rhythm of the music, while others were either drinking, talking or making out on the sofa.

I noticed Mark had been staring at me for a bit too long, that's when I turned to look at him and he immediately averted his gaze, clearing his throat awkwardly. "So... do whatever you like. You can drink, dance, even fuck."

We chuckled at that. "Thanks, I guess. I think I'll start with a shot of whiskey." Amber said.

"Wow, right into it, I see." Vincent said.

"Of course, that's why I came to this party." She replied.

"Coming right up. And you guys, do you want anything?" Mark offered.

"Ok, I'll have a shot of vodka." Vincent said.

"wOw, rIgHt iNtO iT." Amber mimicked Vincent's voice and he just snorted crossing his arms.

"Alright. You, Jaida?" Mark asked. She shook her head with a No, thank you. Then he turned to me. "And you, Zack?"

"A glass of water is ok." I joked, making my friends laugh, including Mark. He showed a nice toothy smile as he did.

"Seriously, Zack?" Amber said as she calmed down. I just chuckled and shrugged.

"I'll be right back." Mark said still with a smile on his face as he walked to where I supposed was the kitchen.

"So, anyone knows who is this so-said Mark's brother?" Amber asked us.

"Maybe it's that buff guy with the black vest over there." Jaida said pointing towards that specific guy who was talking to other boys and girls. "I have never seen him around school, so..."

"Do you think that's him?" Amber asked.

"Probably."

"Why does he look like a soldier?" Vincent asked.

"I have no idea." Amber said then gasped. "Maybe he's a militant?!"

They kept making assumptions about who he could and who could not be, until Mark arrived with our drinks. And I say our drinks because he actually brought the glass of water.

"Here you go, guys." Mark handed us each our cups, well, mine was a glass. "Enjoy your water, Zack." He said as he chuckled and everyone started laughing again. I just smiled shyly, thinking about how ridiculous I looked drinking water at a party. I didn't even ask for it. I was joking.

"Mark, is that your brother over there?" Amber asked motioning her head towards that guy.

"Oh, yeah. That's Wyatt, my older brother. Only a year older, though."

So that was his brother. Oh my God, he was just as hot as Mark. I couldn't see him quite properly from here, but I could see he had some similarities with Mark's facial features.

I'm guessing this was his first party with Mark's friends, and he was already talking to some guys and even had some girls drooling behind him. He is one of those guys who immediately catches your attention, he's attractive, talkative and makes lots of friends easily. Just like Mark.

"No, he's not a soldier." Mark replied to another of Amber's questions. "He just likes that kind of stuff. He's not brave enough to be one."

He actually looked like a soldier with that combination of clothes. A very sexy soldier.

My train of thought was interrupted by a high pitched voice that even through the loud music it was very audible and irritating, even more than the music itself.

"Marky, my love, what are you doing here? Come with the cool guys, let's dance!" Scarlet shouted as she pulled at Mark's arm. "Come on, don't be with these nerds! I don't even know why you invited this bunch of friki losers."

We all sent glares to her direction, and Amber, being the sassy bitch she is, was the first one to speak.

"I don't see why he invited a slut like you. Oh, right, you're his girlfriend. Or should I say... fuck toy."

Scarlet let out a loud dramatic gasp, and if it wasn't for Mark who took hold of her arms, she would have beaten Amber up in that instant.

"Let me go, I will beat that bitch!" Scarlet struggled to escape from Mark's grip, while Amber very peacefully took a sip of her whiskey.

"Scarlet, don't make your scenes right now." Mark said between gritted teeth as he started walking away with Scarlet, taking her somewhere else where our eyes wouldn't meet the horrible sight of her presence.

"At least I have someone to fuck me! You don't have anyone to give you this pleasure!"

Amber laughed nonchalantly at Scarlet's stupid comeback, and so we did. "As if I cared." She muttered downing another big sip of her whiskey, leaving the cup empty. "Damn, this shit is good. I think I'll go for another one. Be right back!"

She pushed her way to the kitchen through the many people who were in the way. I stayed with Vincent and Jaida, and that's when I noticed we hadn't done anything else but stand in front of the door for the past minutes.

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A couple hours passed by and it was around 11 PM now. I was sitting at the counter, playing with the empty glass in my hand and growing more bored with every second that passed. I just wanted to go home in this instant. Amber never came back when she said she had gone for another shot of whiskey, I have no idea where she ended up afterwards. Vincent and Jaida had gone dancing; they had invited me but I didn't accept because of how bad I was at dancing. My moves are ridiculous and being around so many people would suffocate me. I don't know why I came to this party. I think I only did it so I didn't disappoint Mark.

"Hey."

An unfamiliar voice called beside me. I turned to my right to find that buff guy I'd been watching from afar, looking at me with a small smile, and a pair of greyish-blue eyes. He was no other than Mark's brother, Wyatt. Now that he was closer, I could see how much he resembled Mark at this point.

"Hey..." I replied quietly.

"What are you doing here all lonely?" He asked.

"Um, nothing, just..." I trailed.

"You don't like parties?" He responded for me.

I shook my head slightly. "Not really..."

"Oh... No offense, but... why did you come, then?" He asked chuckling a bit.

"Well, Mark invited me and my friends so... I didn't want to deny his invitation, that's all."

"Oh, ok." He nodded. "Do you drink?"

"Um... well, I've only tasted some beer, but... I don't drink a lot."

"Would you like to try some wine?" He said grabbing a nearby bottle. "This one is not too strong. I mean, if you want. I won't force you."

I debated in if I should try it or not. I had never had a full glass of any alcoholic drink in my life. But this was just wine. It shouldn't be that bad. After all, I said I'd try new things.

"Ok. Yes." I replied.

He smiled, opening the bottle and grabbing a clean cup to pour some of the dark red liquid. I made sure he didn't add some kind of substance to the drink. Sometimes people add strange things to the drinks and they either make you sleep, or get super drunk.

I guess I had seen a lot of movies lately.

He handed me the cup and I thanked him. The drink smelled like grapes and the characteristic smell of alcohol.

"Enjoy." He said with another smile. I returned it. He was