the after party at austin's house was in full swing. the warriors' victory had everyone in high spirits, and the celebration was loud and lively. briar, grace, evie, and kaya arrived together, the excitement of the game still fresh in their minds.

"this place is packed," evie said, looking around at the throngs of people filling the house and spilling out into the backyard.

"it's awesome," kaya added, grinning. "austin really knows how to throw a party."

austin, the team captain, was at the center of it all, laughing and talking with everyone. he was clearly the life of the party, surrounded by teammates and friends. briar noticed he seemed especially close with grace, evie, and kaya, often chatting and joking with them.

briar felt a bit out of place, still not as familiar with austin as her friends were. she stuck close to grace, hoping to blend in with the crowd.

as the night went on, the party only grew livelier. music blared, people danced, and the kitchen became a hub of laughter and conversation. briar found herself near the snack table, watching the festivities unfold.

austin approached the group, his usual confident smile in place. "you guys enjoying the party?" he asked, looking mostly at grace, evie, and kaya.

"definitely!" grace replied, raising her drink. "this is awesome, austin!"

austin's gaze shifted to briar, and he surprised everyone by asking, "hey briar, you doing okay?"

briar looked up, taken aback. "oh, yeah, i'm good. thanks." avoidin his eyes.

grace, evie, and kaya exchanged shocked looks, clearly surprised that austin had singled briar out for attention.

austin noticed their reactions and chuckled. "just making sure everyone's having a good time," he said, giving briar a reassuring nod before turning back to the rest of the group.

as austin walked away, grace nudged briar with a grin. "looks like someone's paying attention to you."

briar shrugged, trying to play it cool. "he's just being nice."

"sure, but it's still surprising," kaya said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "he usually sticks to the people he knows well."

the party continued, and briar gradually relaxed, enjoying the company of her friends and the celebratory atmosphere.

she caught sight of austin a few more times throughout the night, and each time, he gave her a friendly nod or smile and of course briar avoids it, which didn't go unnoticed by grace, evie, and kaya.

as the night wound down, the crowd began to thin out, and the energy mellowed. briar found herself feeling more at ease, the initial awkwardness of the evening fading away. the party had been a success, and she was glad to have been a part of it, especially with her friends by her side.

as they sat on the couch in austin's house, grace, evie, and kaya couldn't stop teasing briar about the unexpected attention from austin. "maybe you'll be the next one he's close with," evie suggested with a wink.

briar laughed, shaking her head. "we'll see. for now, i'm just happy we won the game and had an awesome night."

the friends shook their heads, their laughter echoing in the night air.

[...]

as the night continued, briar, grace, evie, and kaya decided to wander around austin's spacious backyard, eager to explore and find a quieter spot to chat. the backyard was beautifully lit with string lights, casting a warm glow over the garden and pool area.

"this place is incredible," evie said, her eyes wide as she took in the sight. "it's like something out of a movie."

"yeah, mr. and mrs. r, really went all out," kaya agreed, nodding appreciatively.

they strolled past groups of people laughing and talking, the noise from the main party gradually fading as they moved further away. the cool night air was refreshing, and the girls enjoyed the relative calm.

"let's find a spot to sit and chill for a bit," grace suggested. "i could use a break from all the noise."

they made their way towards a more secluded corner of the yard, where a cozy seating area was set up with comfortable chairs and a small fire pit. as they approached, they were startled by the sudden sound of movement and muffled voices.

"what was that?" briar whispered, stopping in her tracks.

"probably just some people hanging out," grace said, but her voice was uncertain.

they rounded the corner and froze. there, half-hidden in the shadows, were two people making out passionately. the couple, oblivious to their surroundings, didn't notice the girls at first.

"oh my god!" evie exclaimed, her voice louder than she intended.

the couple sprang apart, looking just as startled as the girls. the awkwardness hung thick in the air for a moment, and then grace broke the silence with a chuckle. "uh, sorry to interrupt," she said, trying to stifle her laughter.

the couple mumbled something incoherent and quickly disappeared into the darkness, leaving the girls standing there in shock.

"well, that was unexpected," kaya said, shaking her head.

"you think?" briar replied, still processing what they had just seen.

they found a place to sit near the fire pit, the initial shock giving way to giggles and whispered jokes. "i mean, couldn't they find a better spot?" evie said, rolling her eyes. "this yard is huge!"

"to each their own, i guess," grace said, shrugging. "but yeah, that was a bit much."

they settled into the chairs, the warmth of the fire making the night even more pleasant. as they talked, they couldn't help but return to the topic of the couple.

"i don't get it," kaya said. "how do people just...do that in the middle of a party? don't they worry about getting caught?"

"i think they were hoping to find a private spot," briar suggested. "but yeah, it's kind of bold."

grace looked thoughtful. "maybe they were just caught up in the moment. parties like this can have that effect on people."

"speaking of being caught up in the moment," evie said, smirking at briar, "how about austin asking if you were okay earlier? that was kind of sweet."

briar furrowed her brows, trying to downplay it. "he was just being nice, like i said."

"maybe," kaya said, a mischievous glint in her eye. "or maybe he's starting to notice you more."

"guys, seriously, it's not a big deal," briar insisted, though she couldn't help but feel a flutter of something at the memory.

"we're just teasing," grace said, patting her on the arm. "but it's nice to see you getting some attention. you deserve it."

they continued to chat and laugh, the earlier awkward encounter fading into just another funny story to share. the fire crackled softly, and the stars above twinkled brightly in the clear night sky.

[...]

as the party started winding down, briar noticed that her friends, jonathan and jax, were in no condition to drive. she exchanged a concerned glance with grace, who seemed relatively sober.

"hey, jon, jax, mind giving these two a ride home?" grace asked, gesturing towards Briar and herself.

"of course, no problem," jonathan replied, while jax nodded in agreement.

once briar and grace were safely on their way home, they found themselves lingering at the party for a bit longer. briar decided to head to the bar area to grab a drink while grace went to chat with some friends.

as briar waited for her drink, a guy approached her, his demeanor flirtatious. she politely declined his advances, but he persisted until she firmly told him to back off. with a shrug and an "alright, alright," he walked away.

a couple of minutes later, briar was feeling slightly tipsy as she sipped her drink. suddenly, austin appeared beside her, concern etched on his face.

"hey, briar, are you okay? you look like you might need to head home," he said, his voice laced with worry.

briar swayed slightly as she turned to face him, her words slurring a bit. "i'm okay," she insisted. "why are you suddenly being nice to me, anyway?"

austin froze for a moment, caught off guard by her question. briar struggled to maintain her balance, and austin instinctively reached out to steady her. she nudged his arm, trying to brush off his concern.

"i'm fine, really," she repeated, but her words lacked conviction.

seeing that briar was having trouble standing, austin gently placed a hand on her arm. "come on, let's get you home," he said softly, guiding her towards the exit.

briar leaned on him for support, grateful for his steadying presence. despite her protests, she knew deep down that she was in no condition to stay any longer. as they made their way out of the house, briar couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards austin for looking out for her, even when she was too stubborn to admit she needed help.

as austin guided briar towards the exit, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance towards him, despite his helpfulness. she stumbled slightly, her head spinning from the alcohol.

"why do you hate me, briar?" austin's question cut through the haze of her thoughts, his voice gentle but persistent.

briar scoffed, trying to brush off his inquiry. "i don't hate you," she muttered, her words slurred. "i just... i don't know."

austin didn't seem satisfied with her answer. "you've been avoiding me all night," he pointed out. "and now you're practically leaning on me to walk. something's not right."

briar rolled her eyes, feeling a surge of frustration. "i'm just... dizzy," she admitted reluctantly, her vision swimming.

austin's expression softened with concern. "let's get you home," he said, his tone gentle as he continued to support her.

despite her annoyance towards him, briar couldn't deny the comfort of his presence as they made their way out of the house. she leaned on him heavily, feeling grateful for his steadying arm even as she struggled to maintain her balance.

•••

as they walked towards briar's house, austin kept up a steady stream of conversation, despite briar's evident annoyance. "i know you're annoyed," he said softly, his voice carrying concern.

briar sighed, feeling a mixture of frustration and gratitude towards him. "just... leave it, okay?" she muttered, her words tinged with exhaustion.

they finally reached briar's front door, and austin rang the doorbell. briar's brothers, parker and oliver, opened the door, their expressions shifting from surprise to concern as they saw briar leaning heavily on austin.

"sheesh, what happened to her?" parker exclaimed, his eyes widening.

oliver stepped forward, offering a supportive hand to briar. "thanks, austin," he said gratefully, acknowledging the help.

austin nodded, his expression serious. "of course. take care of her, guys," he said, before turning to leave.

as briar's brothers helped her inside, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for her earlier annoyance towards austin. despite everything, she was grateful for his help, even if she wasn't quite ready to admit it yet.