Maggie

We got ready for Homecoming. Kat helped me with my hair and makeup. I let my excitement get the best of me, bouncing around in my seat.

"Will you stop moving? Your eye makeup will look like a cat."

I laughed.

"Maggie!"

"Okay, okay." I tried to stay still. Kat finished, and I looked in the mirror. She did a fantastic job. "Kat, you need to go to school for makeup."

"Yeah, I'm thinking about it." She put her makeup tools away.

I got up from my chair as Marcy and Macey were finishing. The boys were waiting downstairs for us. The girls had gone ahead while I checked my lipstick one last time.

"Wow, you look amazing." Nash was leaning against the doorframe.

I smiled at him. "God, I hope so. It took Kat over an hour to do my makeup." I walked toward him.

"You have a wonderful time tonight."

"I plan on it. I get to go to Homecoming with my dream guy. What else is better than that?" I beamed.

"Well, I hope that he treats you right, or he'll answer to me." He leaned towards me with his breath fanning my face.

I detected a hint of vanilla and became dazed but snapped out of it. "Um, I better get going."

"Yeah, you don't want to keep the tool waiting. I mean, Bryson."

I rolled my eyes. None of the boys liked Bryson if you couldn't tell. I didn't even understand why.

We walked downstairs, and I joined everyone else as we made our way to Homecoming. A surprise awaited us, going down in the history books about why the boys didn't like Bryson. I would soon find out.

*****

We pulled up in the limo, getting out. We walked inside, making our way to the dance floor. I searched for Bryson, finding him by the punch bowl.

"There you are."

"Here, I am."

"So, would you like to dance?"

"Yeah. Why don't we have a drink?" He smiled.

Everyone made their way to the dance floor.

"Punch?" He gestured at the punch bowl.

"Sure." I smiled.

Bryson poured me a cup of punch and handed it to me. I took a sip as a liquid poured over my head. Punch covered the floor around my feet.

People stopped to watch the altercation.

Tiffany walked around, holding an empty cup in her hand, and kissed Bryson.

Then he turned to me. "Why would I go out with someone as creepy and hideous as you?"

I stared at him in horror.

Then he started screaming at me. "God, you're pathetic! Oh, Bryson, you're dreamier than most guys. Oh, Bryson, why won't you look at me? Bryson, you and I would be better together than most couples. Sound familiar?"

Oh, God. He was reading a copy of my journal.

"Oh, wait. It gets better than what I've read. Bryson, I would do anything for you. To have your body against mine, to savor your lips."

I snatched the paper from his hands as people stared at me in stunned silence. My breathing increased as my cheeks burned.

"Are you serious? Did you think I would drop my hot girlfriend for someone as ugly as you? That is so funny. Don't you think that's funny, Tiff?"

"It's hilarious."

"I'm going to go."

"Yeah, you do that."

I turned and made a hasty retreat, leaving the Homecoming dance.

*****

Nixon

We saw Maggie leaving the dance humiliated while covered in punch.

"Okay. We did nothing like what that tool did," Nathan said.

"That tool signed his death warrant," Noah said.

"Why would he do that?" Nolan asked.

"Because he's a complete, utter Dickless, asshole," I said.

"So, are we going to stand here?" Nathan asked.

"Nope. We'll have some fun." I cracked my knuckles.

While we took care of Bryson, the girls took care of Tiffany. Yeah, it turned into one hell of a homecoming.

*****

Maggie

I walked home, sticky and feeling like absolute shit. I brushed tears away from my eyes. At one point, I took my shoes off. I had wasted four years on a boy. The boys were right. Bryson was a tool, and I needed to burn that damn journal when I got home.

I got back to the house, and Nash was sitting in the living room. I needed to sneak past him and not let him catch me. He would laugh because that's what the Gray brothers did. They enjoyed my misery.

I had gone through the back. When the coast was clear, I made my way upstairs until Nash stopped me. "Mags? Why are you home so early?"

I froze in my spot, hearing his deep voice. I didn't turn to face him. "Oh, I wasn't feeling good."

"Are you sick?"

"Something like that. I'm going to take a shower."

"Okay. I hope you feel better."

I hurried up the stairs. Thank God it was dark. He didn't see me covered in punch. I made my way into the bathroom, turning on the shower. I undressed and stepped in. The water cascaded over me as I washed the punch off me, then cried.

One guy ruined my senior Homecoming memories and humiliated me. FML.

*****

Nixon

"Ma and Dad will kill us for getting suspended," Nolan said.

"Yeah, but it was worth it," I said.

We sat in the principal's office and waited for their parents to show up.

*****

Nash

"Where are you going?" I asked his parents.

They walked towards the front door. "Well, your brothers got into a fight at the dance," Dad said.

"All of them?"

"All of them, including their dates," Ma said.

"Why?"

"We're not sure. Your brothers said something about a tool deserving it. I didn't realize the school had tools at Homecoming," Dad said.

My dad could be dense.

"Dad, a tool is what you call a guy when they're an asshole."

"Nash Nathaniel Gray! Language!" Ma said.

"Sorry, but it's true."

"Well, tool or no tool. We have to pick up your brothers," Dad said.

They both left the house.

I sighed, knowing what had happened. It was easy to figure out why Maggie was home early, and my brothers were in deep shit. I walked upstairs and came to Maggie's shut door. I knocked.

"Come in."

I opened the door to find Maggie shoving her shoes and dress into a garbage bag. "Mags?"

"Oh, hey, Nash. I was cleaning up. What's up?"

"What happened at the dance?"

"I told you. I wasn't feeling good. But I'm better now."

"Then explain why my brothers are sitting in the principal's office, and my parents have to get them."

"That happened after I left."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

A few minutes later, the front door opened with yelling coming from downstairs.

"I don't care whether the guy is a tool or not! It does not give you the right to beat the hell out of him!" Dad said.

"But he deserved it!" Nixon said.

"And you deserved to get suspended for three days!"

"But Dad! You didn't see what he did to Maggie!" Nathan said.

"I can gather a good guess. It still doesn't mean that you take matters into your own hands!"

"But Dad!" Noah said.

"Enough! Go to your rooms! We'll discuss your punishment later!"

My brothers stomped up the stairs.

"You try to do one good thing for someone, and you get the shit end of the stick," Nathan said.

"Yeah, but now he knows what it's like to mess with someone we care about," Nixon said.

My brothers agreed.

"Now, will you tell me what happened?"

Maggie sighed. She told me what had happened. To say I was beyond pissed didn't even describe half of it. I couldn't help but take his brothers' side on this one and go to bat for them with our parents. My parents were in the kitchen, sitting at the kitchen island, drinking coffee. I explained to them what had happened.

"That poor girl," Ma said.

"I understand you want to punish them. Nix and the others were only doing what they thought was best for Mags. Go easy on them this time."

My dad sighed. "Fine. But they're still getting punished. How is Maggie?"

"She's heartbroken. Dad, she hides so much. Her parents don't care, and the guy she liked turned out to be a douche."

"Nash."

"What?"

"Be careful, Nash. She's a sweet girl."

"Trust me, Dad. I get it." I walked away.

*****

Pat

"What?" Nate asked me.

"Did you forget you're older than me?"

"No, I haven't forgotten. You remind me every day." He sipped his coffee.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea if Nash and Maggie ended up together." I shrugged.

"Pat, I know what you're planning, and stay out of it

"Oh, Hunny. You know that I can't do that." I patted his shoulder.

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of." He drank his coffee.