[Madison Fren POV]

As I go to open the passenger door, I'm hesitant. 

Whether it's because of nerves— or Violet's small, irritating red dress that grips my skin, I'm not sure. The only thing I am sure of, is that Austin's house is overflowing with guests. His font door is wide open, and people pool in and out of it like two lanes of traffic. 

The party has already spread to his lawn, along with red solo cups that litter the grass like a plague. It's a good thing he lives in a rather secluded area. Not even a single neighboring house can be spotted.

With a deep breath, I manage to push open the door. When I get out of the car, I keep the door open, holding on to it. 

The black heels that I wear aren't very tall, but to me it feels like I'm standing on stilts. For a quick moment, I wish I hadn't let Violet dictate the outfit I wear. I should've let her call go to voicemail. Everything I had on, was Violet's. 

A sudden shiver rolls down my spine as I feel a pair of eyes on me.

I look down at Grayson, our eyes locking.

"What are you looking at?" I mumble reluctantly. 

He holds my eyes for a moment, dropping his gaze to my feet. Slowly, he traces my body, until his emerald gems are back to my face. 

Out of anxious habit, I shift my weight from leg to leg. 

"I'm looking at a nervous wreck." He barely laughs.

My grip around the door tightens. "Sorry, we can't all be natural party-goers."

Grayson's gaze shifts to the front lawn of Austin's house. His voice is smooth, an ounce of playfulness lathered within it. "Do you need me to walk you to the door?"

For a quick second, I almost want to say yes. These heels feel foreign to my feet.

When I push the door shut, Grayson's attention snaps back towards me. We stare at each other through the open window.

"I'll manage." I grumble, glancing down at my bare toes. They're cold, unlike the rest of my feet that are covered by the black shoe.

I slowly step off the road and up the curb, landing myself on the sidewalk. As I continue forward, my ankle rolls underneath me, but I quickly catch my balance. 

"You know," Grayson calls to me through his open window, and without looking I can tell that he's suppressing a smile. "If you walk like a pigeon, you'll scare all the guys away." 

I don't give him the luxury of seeing my reaction.

Soon after, he calls my name.

"What?" I look over my shoulder.

"Be a pigeon for tonight." His voice is steady, serious, like he's asking me to do him a favor. And his eyes, they don't give me any hints as to what he may be thinking.

"That way I don't have to worry about repeating the past." I finish his thought with sarcasm lathering my words. "Right?"

He gives me a half smile before looking forward again. When his car pulls away from the curb, I watch it disappear into the distance. A heavy feeling falls over me— the sudden realization that I'm now stuck at the party. 

There's no going back.

I walk quickly and quietly through the font door, my eyes searching the masses for Violet's familiar head of hair. The primary reason I came tonight, was to make sure she wouldn't be alone with a bunch of guys and random people. 

My anxiousness quickly evaporates when I see her across the crowded living room. As I maneuver around people and couches, her eyes find mine. Her whole face lights up like a Christmas tree. 

"Madison!" She breaks away from the conversation she's having and starts swimming through the crowd towards me.

"Hey," I smile as we reach each other.

She looks me up and down, twice. "You look so good! That dress does you more justice than it does me! You should keep it."

I try to drain out the loud music that blares in the background.

"Nope. I'm putting it right back in your closet after tonight." I laugh nervously. "But thank you. You look great, too."

My eyes trace her outline. She wears a small, black dress and has her blonde hair up in a messy bun. I actually wore my hair up like that, too. When our eyes met earlier, I could tell that she was ecstatic that we thought similarly.

For a moment, I wonder where she got the black dress, but then I realize that it's probably Austin's sisters'. 

"Okay, so... promise not to be mad, but..." she gives me a crooked smile.

I instantly feel my eyebrows knot. "What? What did you do?"

"Do you see that hottie I was talking to back there?" She signals for me to look with her eyes.

Reluctantly, I snap my gaze beyond her shoulder. 

My eyebrows raise on their own as I find him leaning against a pillar. With a red solo cup pressed against his lips, my eyes drift up his sharp jawline. I can tell he isn't drinking anything, but rather nibbling on the rim of his cup. Whoever this boy is— he's tall... more so than Grayson, and Grayson's the tallest boy I know.

The dim lighting of the party forces me to squint in order to decipher his hair color. It seems to blonde. Although, what isn't hard to see, is how curly it is. The long loops fall over his forehead, sprouting in all directions. 

I watch as a flock of girls occupy the space where Violet use to be. The boy seems polite— talking to them and smiling kindly, but I can tell that he wants away from the conversation. His eyes seem to be constantly searching the sea of people, as if he is looking for a way out.

He looks like he just rolled out of bed, his slim figure lazy, but with a confident posture.

"What about him?" I look back at Violet.

"He recently transferred to our school," she says. "Austin befriended him."

I give him another glance.

He's definitely attractive, I'll give him that. I'd give it a few weeks and I'm sure he'll be devoured by the popular cliques. My mind automatically goes to Amelia and I almost feel bad for him. She'll definitely be one to hover around him.

I nod my head. "Okay. What does this have to do with me?"

Her lips pull into a straight line. "Well, I may have told him that I have a friend he should meet. One who's single, super beautiful, kind, and who won't kill me tonight..."

My eyes widen. "Violet! You did not."

"Madison, come on! I mean, look at him!" She muses. 

As she mentions it, my eyes find him again. "And? He's out of my league. Not only that, but I'm not interested in dating right now."

Violet gives me a curious look. She must notice how I'm not usually this reluctant to talk about boys. All of our previous years were clouded with hormones. Up until what happened with Grayson, we'd sit in bed and stalk the Instagram's of any and every stud muffin we could find.

"Wait... is there someone that you like, that I don't know about?"

I casually rub my arm, a few names roaming around in my skull. I definitely don't like Grayson— but I can't deny what's happened. I'm still trying to forget about waking up in his bed... but at the same time, trying to remember what lead us there in the first place. This alone is enough to distract me from being interested in any other male specimen. 

But then my mind flashes to the futon in his room, and to Justin's sweatshirt that lays there folded. I'd be lying if I denied feeling special in his eyes. I've never seen him as anything more than Grayson's kind, goofy bestfriend— but after he helped me this morning at school... it's a kindness I almost want more of.

When I don't answer, Violet's face expands into a grin. "Oh my god, there is!"

I'm very quick to respond, my hands waving side to side. "No, no, no. Not at all."

She pokes me in the stomach with her long finger. "I can tell when you're lying."

I press my fingers to the bridge of my nose. Violet will stop at nothing to figure out who it is... and what kind of best friend am I if I don't want her to know? It's just... so much more complicated than that. How can I let myself feel something, even remotely, for Justin, when I'm keeping this deadly secret with Grayson?

If she ever knew about what happened with Grayson...

I hate myself for it already, and I'm so scared about what could happen if she knew. She would never support me having any kind of feelings towards Grayson— except hate. 

"Okay, fine..." I calm her down. "I don't necessarily like anyone right now, but this morning, Justin gave me his football sweatshirt, after some coffee spilled on my shirt. After that, he told me it looked good on me."

Her face looks like a child who's just seen a candy shop.

"And the whole experience made me realize how... attractive his kindness really is."

Her mouth drops with disbelief. "No way! Justin— as in Grayson's best friend, Justin?! That's one way to piss Grayson off! How come you didn't tell me sooner! I live for this kind of juicy information!"

I muffle a laugh, her voice nearly louder than the music.

"Because, it's no big deal. It was just one incident. It's not like I'm head over heels for him." I explain. "He's also... very out of my league, too."

Violet rolls her eyes. "He offered you his sweat shirt! And said you were hot in it! Shut up with this whole, out of my league, bullshit! If he keeps doing kind things like that, he totally—"

I kick Violet in the shin to quiet her. Out of no where, the boy she mentioned earlier steps out from the crowd and approaches us. My eyes flicker back to the pillar he was leaning on, the flock of girls still watching him. It look's like he managed to escape.

"Hey, Violet." He greets her, his voice just as calm and collected as his face. He looks around the room, oblivious to my presence. "Do you know where Austin went?"

Violet's face scrunches as she rubs the pain out of her shin. 

"Uhh," she looks around the room as well, but the human blockades prevent her from seeing him. "I'm not sure— but! This is my friend I was talking about."

I give her the deadliest of looks, while remaining seemingly normal.

"Quintin," she says. "This is Madison. Madison, this is Quintin."

I peel my eyes away from Violet. The hairs on my arms stick up as Quintin's attention redirects to me. His gaze is intimidating, or maybe it's his height. With him this close, I notice he has a small round piercing that hangs from his nostril. 

He looks like someone who would fit right in with Grayson and his friends. That could be very dangerous for me, as it wouldn't feel right being attracted to all of them.

When he notices me, I watch his eyes fall to my feet, and then back up to my gaze.

He gives me a smile. "Violet wasn't kidding when she said that her friend was beautiful."

I deny myself to feel nervous, and instead ramble. 

"Well, I'm sure she left out the part where I'm also extremely clumsy and snore while I sleep." I snort, my irritation at Violet beyond comprehension. I'm going to embarrass myself talking to this guy.

This causes him to laugh. "She didn't mention that, but she was sure to tell me that you're great company."

Quintin doesn't break his gaze from me, and I almost wonder if he's entertained by my face full of freckles.

I bite my cheek. I'm certainly not use to such attention. First Justin, now this... But of course, this one was set up by Violet.

By the time I think of a response, I realize that Violet is gone. I really need to stop looking at my feet when I think. As I skim the party, I find her, scooped up in Austin's arms. Together, they sway and dip to the music.

"Looks like she found Austin." I laugh.

Quintin follows my line of vision, shrugging. "Oh, well."

At this point, I decide to accept Quintin and his company. With Violet having fun, all I can do is watch her grind on her boyfriend, or find something to do myself. I'd rather do the latter.

"You don't have to hang around me," I say honestly, giving him an out. "I'm sure there is someone else you might want to go find."

He raises his red solo cup and bites on it, the warm liquid creeping into his mouth. He stares at me beyond it's rim and I hate myself for feeling vulnerable... almost exclusive under his gaze. Like out of everyone he could be looking at, he chose me.

If I had to admit it... out of everyone Violet could have set me up with tonight, Quintin doesn't disappoint. 

"Your company is just as good as anyone else, if not better." He smiles, lowering the cup. "I don't know many people here yet. I just transferred a week ago." 

I purse my lips. "Well, don't worry. Someone like yourself will fit in just fine here."

His eyebrow raises, "someone like myself?"

I blink a few times. "Yeah, you know... you seem very nice and, you don't look all that bad."

What the hell am I saying? If Grayson were here, he'd be bathing in my embarrassment.

Despite being awkward as shit, he laughs. For a small moment, he watches me, almost as if he's trying to figure something out.

"I'm glad Violet introduced us." He tells me. "The music is kind of loud, do you want to go somewhere better to talk?"

Only for a fleeting second, did Grayson's parting words come to me. 

Be a pigeon for tonight. 

Did he say those five words to bother me, or out of genuine concern? When we woke up next to each other... did that cause his emotions to change towards me? Could the possibility of that scenario happening again with someone else, discomfort him? It certainly discomforts me.

Or was he just saying it to mock me? 

"Sure," I say over the base drop. Perhaps there's an empty couch in the other room, or a bench outside where talking would be more comfortable.

Making a new friend is always nice, it's just happens to be a massive plus that he's gorgeous. His hair reminds me of the Greeks, curly and wild and untamed.

Although, I'm sure none of our acquaintanceship will matter once Amelia sinks her claws into him. Or who knows... maybe she won't, seeing that she's been pretty interested in Grayson recently. 

He takes the initiative and starts maneuvering through the drunken bodies. I follow closely behind him, although even if I didn't, there's no way I'd be able to lose him. Even in such a large crowd, his presence would be easy to find. Tall, with a head of unruly curls, and a smile that causes wrinkles by his eyes.

Who would've thought my night would be occupied by the son of Zeus?

Maybe Violet... but certainly not me.

*****