A/N so I was practically asleep when I got home yesterday (I went to the Toledo Zoo and saw the baby Galapagos) so I decided to go to bed

but here is an update :)

also, what a coincidence! this is part 31 of TTBB and this chapter takes place on October 31. what are the chances?

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*Kaitlyn MacDonald*

So, apparently Drew's aunt's husband died before she had any kids, and she married a black man from France. They had Chelsea around the same time Drew was born, so they're in the same grade. However, Chelsea's dad had to go back to France for his job, and so Chelsea lived back and forth her whole life. She had spent her most recent years in France, explaining the cheek kissing and over-affection.

Drew explained this all to me, still pausing to laugh every once in a while. I merely rolled my eyes and crossed my arms in embarrassment, my face a tomato.

Even now, 7 days later, I'm still super embarrassed about it.

Beth is still teasing me relentlessly about it too.

"I still can't believe you were jealous over his cousin!" She laughs from inside my bathroom. "I mean, it's his cousin!"

"Shut up," I grumble, straightening my hair in front of the mirror on my desk. "What if some girl looked like she was flirting with Mack and you didn't find out they were related for like two weeks after?"

She sticks her head outside of the bathroom and glares at me. "Oh, shut up."

"You know I'm right," I call out, smiling to myself. "Now hurry up, Blake's party starts in less than half an hour, and you're not even dressed yet."

"It's Halloween," she whines. "I have to look good!"

"For who?" I tease. "Mack?"

Beth doesn't say anything in response, instead bouncing out of the bathroom five minutes later with her makeup and hair done to perfection. I've finished straightening my hair by then, and my minimal makeup is already on. Together, we stand in front of my closet, and the overflowing suitcase Beth brought over from her own house.

"Now," she says. "What to wear?"

<fifteen minutes later>

The contents of my closet and Beth's closet have been strewn about the room. Shoes lay mismatched all over the floor. Shirts and jackets are hung over the backs of chairs and the bed posts, and skirts and jackets lay crumbled up in heaps on the carpet.

Beth and I look at each other in satisfaction. She has on dark skinny jeans, a black tank top, and a dull green army-style jacket, her blonde hair in loose curls. I have on a maroon t-shirt dress that falls just above my knees and a gold statement necklace, paired with classic Sperry's.

"Are you ready, Kaitlyn?"

I nod. "Let's go."

<.>

We pull up to Beth's house, which is only a few houses down from Blake's. After Beth parks her car, she turns to me.

"Why didn't you come to my house? That would have saved a few car trips."

We glance at each other, serious looks on our faces, until we burst out into laughter.

"Honestly, Beth," I grin, "I couldn't tell you."

We get out of the car and link arms, laughing as we walk down the sidewalk. Beth's heels clicking on the sidewalk can barely be heard over the thumping music coming from Blake's house.

We walk past drunk kids making out on the front lawn and girls running around half naked in between more drunk kids who are chasing them.

Ugh. I hate parties.

Blake himself opens the door for us. "Welcome, Beth and Kaitlyn, to my humble abode!"

I snort. "I'm pretty sure Mr. Collins was humbler than this mansion of a house."

Beth stares at me blankly, but Blake grins. "A fellow Jane Austen lover, I see," he says, wrapping an arm around my waist and leading me in to the throngs of high school students partying like there's no school tomorrow.

Which there isn't.

What is it with people and throwing parties on Mondays, anyway?

I don't know.

"Come on, Kaitlyn," screams Beth to be heard over the music. "Let's dance!"

We start dancing, or at least Beth does. I'm kind of doing this little half-step thing.

I can't dance.

A hard body bumps into mine, sending me across the dance floor. Closing my eyes, I wait for the impact of the hardwood. But it doesn't come.

Instead, a warm arm wraps around my waist, the other catching my outstretched hands. I open my eyes to see the gorgeous face of Drew McCarthy, who pulls me up and into him.

"Let's dance, MacDonald." And we do.

About an hour later, Beth pulls me away from Drew, who has somehow stayed with me the whole time. "Come on, Kaitlyn," she slurs. "Let's have a drink." She latches onto my arm and all but drags me towards the kitchen, but not before turning around and undressing Drew with her eyes. "I'll be back for you later," she flirts.

What was that about?

I'm distracted by our arrival to the kitchen, and Beth shoving a beer in my face.

"Loosen up, Lyn," she giggles. I push her arm away, causing her to almost drop it.

"Careful there," she hiccups. "You almost spilled the beer."

"Better spilled than in your system," I reply. I'm not eager to get drunk again, especially not after what happened at Jean's party. No more blackouts for me, no thank you.

"Spoilsport," she grumps, before popping it open on the counter and draining half of its contents. "Let's go back and dance some more! WOOHOO!" she screams, shaking her hips back and forth to the rhythm of the music. I roll my eyes before following her back into the fray, to make sure she doesn't do any damage.

Beth dances on anyone and everyone, as long as they were a guy that she deemed attractive. Multiple times I tried calling out to her, to grab her, but she would just ignore me.

Where's Mack when you need him?

I quickly scan the crowded room in search of his tall figure and light hair, before spotting him in the corner talking with another dark-haired guy. Maneuvering my way over towards him, I tug on his sleeve, interrupting his conversation.

"Mack," I whisper. "Mack."

"What, Kaitlyn?" He says forcibly. I blink, taken aback, before carrying on with my mission.

"Beth's drunk off her rocker, and she's flirting with anything that has a Y chromosome. You probably want to come get her before she does anything too crazy."

He nods to me before turning back to the guy he was talking to, who is studying me with curiosity. I stare back at him, frowning. Why is he looking at me like that? As if he recognized me? I've certainly never seen him before.

"Kaitlyn," urges Mack. "Where's Beth?"

"Over this way," I say, turning away from the dark-haired guy in the shadows.

We get over to Beth, who by this time is grinding all over Drew. I clench my fists in anger; she knows I like him! How dare she.

Mack goes straight up and pulls her away, handing her off to me before pushing Drew to another corner of the room, where they visibly begin arguing. I drag Beth to an empty room, away from anybody she might want to grind on.

"Beth," I start, "you're drunk."

"Shh!" she whispers loudly, clumsily placing a finger over her lips. "Kaitlyn isn't here right now. She doesn't know I'm here. Don't tell her!"

What?

"Amanda thinks she's so special, being friends with Jean. I'll show her how to date-"

She's interrupted by two girl stumbling into the room, all over each other. One looks up and giggles. "Sorry, didn't realize we were interrupting something. Come on, Bella, let's find another room."

I grin at Bella and mouth "good luck" before they make their way out, supporting each other. "Come on, Lexie," I hear Bella say before they disappear down the hallway.

My mood sours as I recall Beth and what she said. "Beth, what were you about to-" The room is empty, save for myself. "Say," I finish. Whose name was she about to say? I think back over the night, and freeze.

Drew. She was about to say Drew.

I sigh, both in anger and frustration. "Beth, we are going to have a long talk about this when you're sober," I say out loud, before getting up and making my way back to the party. Better get her home.

I spot her cozying up to Mack across the dance floor, and I roll my eyes.

"She's just hopping from one guy to the next, isn't she?" a new voice cuts in. I spin around to see the dark-haired guy from before, that Mack was talking with.

"Who are you?" I ask curiously.

"Oh, Kaitlyn," he chuckles, his deep voice giving me shivers. "Do you really not remember?"

I peer closer at him. The dark hair, the light blue eyes, the pale skin.

His mouth opens in a smirk, revealing straight white teeth.

A kid flashes through my mind, a childhood memory.

"Asher?"

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A/N evil laughter

also

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(It's actually 10:48 where I am so I'm still stuck in 2016. I envy you Europeans and Asians and Africans and Australians)

-champagne except I don't like champagne