. more than this

[colton abernathy]

COLTON

Almost on autopilot, Colton is leaving the beach to walk back to the house, leaving the roaring bonfire and the roaring guests behind him. An introvert, he had spent his social battery and needed a moment alone to recharge, and besides, it was cold. He didn't do well with cold. Pulling his hoodie closer around himself, he'd taken the opportunity to leave as soon as Jessica had told him she was just going to the bathroom. The lithe brunette had been attached to him otherwise, following him around like a shadow since the moment she got here, giggling too hard at his jokes and hiccuping as she swallowed one down too many White Claws, likely nervous from his cooling off. Or maybe she hadn't noticed. Maybe she had been intimidated by the presence of his friends, beautiful and suddenly so cosmopolitan from their stint in the city. Maybe that was projection. Approaching the house, he retreats to the far side of the pool, sitting on a deck chair and lighting up a cigarette. This whole thing had been stupid idea.

[mirren hewitt]

MIRREN

This whole thing had been a great idea. Mirren hadn't felt this light since the past summer, cruising down the coast with Matt and savoring her sacred weekends at Dunmere with her friends when she could. To be honest, the alcohol was probably helping - she glanced down at the cup of vodka and Crystal Light she'd been sipping on all night, surprised to see the cup empty yet again. Maybe that's why she felt so serene - a hazy numbness flooding her brain as the once pristine house buzzed around her. A wicked chill had descended upon the area, weather warnings ignored in favor of crushing closer together. But instead of looking for her boyfriend she catches the flick of a lighter outside and knows immediately who its owner is, shrugging her Superpuff back on and trudging out the back door. "Holy fuck", Mira breathes, watching the breath ghost out on a cloud. Her teeth chattered mindlessly, settling into the recliner next to him and requesting a cigarette in his silence. "Jessica's looking for you but I'll keep your secret if you shareee."

[ruby anderson]

RUBY

The blonde girl’s cheeks were warm from her increased alcohol in take. Both Mirren and Ruby were pleased to see the precious occupants had left good vodka. Her playlist sung of Doja Cat and she rolled her eyes when she heard Colt’s hook up girl singing the tune horribly. Ruby tried not to be slightly jealous at the amount of public affection the girl delivered to Colt. Knowing that she had no right feel said emotion, Ruby kept her distance just as she had promised. She feels her phone buzz with another text, dark brows furrow at the last few unread message from Professor Angelo. She mumbles a few ‘fucks’ under her breath. More warmth succumbs her and she’s realized that she needs air, as cold as it can get. She shrugs a jacket that’s been left on a hook towards the door and welcomes the bitterness of the weather. Ruby hasn’t been paying attention to the fact that her friends had already stepped out as well. Colt’s signature cigarette was between his lips and his right hand delivering Mira one as well. Ruby briefly smiles at the irony that they’ve managed to escape the party inside, their party. She chooses a seat across from them, careful not to make eye contact with Colt. “And then there were three.”

[colton abernathy]

COLTON

The glow of the cigarette has given him away, though to his relief it's Mirren, not Jess, who decides to cosy up beside him. "Hey Kitten," he murmurs, the nickname slipping easily as he passes her a tattered box of Marlboro Reds, the lighter nestled inside it. "She's driving me insane." Soon the trio is complete, Ruby emerging from the din and choosing to sit across from them. Smart choice. "Typical, I came out here for some alone time and here you both are." He says this with a smile, noticing Mira's teeth chattering and slinging an arm around her neck, alcohol making it easier for him to flirt with their old familiarity. The air is much colder than he expected and he's underprepared for it, glad for Mira's closeness for some shared body heat. "Do you think our moms would be happy to see this or pissed, if they could see us now?"

[mirren hewitt]

MIRREN

Mirren's lips slip into a dramatic pout, assuaged by the familiar nickname but at odds with Colt's cold attitude toward the pair of them lately. Even at the beginning of the party he'd kept his distance, always at the edge or entertaining Jessica until it, apparently, had become too much for him. "You can never escape us," she promises solemnly, hands warming under the flick of the lighter and alcohol steadily coursing through her veins, smoke now joining the mix. She half expects her exhale to freeze, leaning in to the crook of Colt's shoulder with enough force to tip them sideways, half slouched on top of him before she took another drag of her cigarette. "I think they'd be proud of us, it's a fire party," Mirren says, feeling the conviction in her words because it was true. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and were thankful for the night out. Underneath, they were probably even more curious about this hallowed house, something so familiar to them now so glamorous to others. "Let's be seriousss, they've definitely had a rager here. Multiple, if I must guess. We're honoring their legacies."

[ruby anderson]

RUBY

"And admit it Colty, you missed us," She finishes Mirren's thought about Colton being unable to escape them. Ruby sighs as she slumps further back into the lounge chair. The cold could be felt even with a layer of thick coat upon her back. Breaths were visible as they began to converse more. Ruby smirks at the closeness of Colt and Mirren, wishing she could mouth a few words to make Colt squirm. Instead she decides to let it go, focusing on the compliments Mirren was spewing about the party and what their respective mothers would say. "Mhmmm. They definitely partied hard, they would understand. We would be scolded first though." The smoke from their cigarettes filled the air and smelled somewhat of summer time. Ruby closes her eyes and reaches for where she swore she placed her beverage. "Aw, I left my drink inside," she pouts as she looks beside her for the vodka and sprite, that's been close by the entirety of the night. "I don't want to go back in yet. Jessica was singing and sorry Colt, I said I would be nice but her singing....atrocious." Ruby lets a small snort break away, followed by a set of giggles. Mirren was next to let out a giggle and it pulled at her heart strings. Sitting here, laughing with her oldest friends. "It was so bad!"

[colton abernathy]

COLTON

He won't admit it but the house takes on a different quality with the two of them there, particularly before the influx of guests. Like turning off an overhead strip light to light candles and lamps, the same space took on a transformative quality with the girls in it, cosier than it had felt in months. None of this is evident in his sullen attitude, though. "Stuck with you." And he's glad of it, though Ruby radiates with dangerous volatility, the slightest curve at the corner of her lips making him swallow thickly. Don't say anything, don't day anything, don't say anything. He concentrates hard, radiating the thought in the direction of the blonde, though he quickly stops after thinking that he might accidentally transmit it to Mira instead. "I'll get it," he says, not allowing himself to join in the mockery of his beau though it's incredibly tempting. Truth be told he was freezing. Before he can think better of it, he glances between them and then at the looming presence of the pool house behind. He sighs, reneging on a boundary he'd set earlier in the night, insisting it would be off limits. "We could just go to the pool house for a while? I've got beer and so long as we keep the lights off You Know Who shouldn't follow us. Just to warm up."

[mirren hewitt]

MIRREN

"I bet my mom smoked the most weed," Mirren offers absentmindedly, continuing her own conversation as her brain swirled with various variables that led them here. She hadn't felt as close to them in so long, rare moments like this - buzzed, alight with the presence of company but content with their own togetherness - far and few between as they all forged different directions. The frown on her delicate features deepens, toppling fully sideways once Colton shifted his way out from under her. Repositioning her body, Mirren stares up at the stars, arm waving toward the patio for a drink that wasn't there. "Can we play music though?" Mirren asks, slowly rolling over until her feet land haphazardly on the pavement below her. It had been forever since she'd been in the pool house, now Colt's unofficial home, curiosity flooding her system with such a rush she stumbled forward to the door, a finger pushed quickly to her lips as if they'd been the one making noise. "Shhh, we're hiding."

[ruby anderson]

RUBY

It feels like us again, Ruby's tipsy mind throws away any negative thoughts she had on the familiar term of 'us' - her bigger role in the potential downfall. A promise was made between the girls that this weekend could get them back on track. After all, this was their happy place. The cold air mixed with the darkness made for the stars to be extra bright. Ruby catches Mirren staring up at lit up sky and moves her own eyes to wander as well. Her teeth chatter without her even realizing and her fingers brush across her bottom lip to feel the intense movement, halting the chattering. Ruby nods her head vigorously at Colt's suggestion of the warming up in the pool house. "Prettyyyyyy please!" She whispers, afraid that anyone from inside the house could hear their secret plan. Ruby sees images of their Thursday night endeavor in the pool house as the three of them walk towards Colt's new home. She steals a glance at him that she'd been purposefully avoiding. It was quick enough that he may not have even noticed, she convinces herself. Ruby giggles at Mirren's 'sshing' and covers her mouth when she realizes how loud it could've been. The trio files into the pool house and the door quietly closes behind them. "Colt, do you have a speaker? I'll softly play music. Mirren, give me your request!"

[colton abernathy]

COLTON

Having lost the support of his frame, Mira keels over like a baby penguin and finally Colt barks out a laugh. The two girls are beaming up at him and he can't help but beam back, buzzed and happy, putting it down to space from Jess though that was obviously not the magic ingredient here. "C'mon." He leads them over, the three of them taking on a conspiratorial air, creeping in like they used to creep downstairs for snacks at midnight, carefully avoiding the floorboards they knew would creak. The space was transformed, visibly the lair of a boy not long out of his teens. A guitar and a surfboard lean against a wall adorned with posters of the Smashing Pumpkins and the Cure. He's somehow accumulated somewhere between 4-7 half drunk glasses of water, his bed unmade, the scent of his Gucci cologne hanging in the air. Most Colt of all, well worn books and notebooks cover every surface, everything from the classics to non-fiction to new releases. He's been avoiding Ruby's eye but as he turns on his portable speaker it decides to belt out a confession, "connected to Ruby's iPhone 15." A jolt of panic runs through him and his eyes snap to hers, though he quickly regains composure, hoping Mira is too incapacitated to connect the dots. "No Ariana or Doja, that'll get you kicked out."

[mirren hewitt]

MIRREN

If Mirren could put two and two together right now, she'd notice a lot of things. The seemingly untouched couch, lipstick on the water cup by his nightstand. Lingering sweet perfume and two sides of undone sheets in Colt's bedroom. The speaker's chosen connection. But she's delirious on camaraderie and the flickering hopefulness that their friendships were fine, tossing herself across the cushions and shoving a few stray notebooks away. "What about country?" Mira jokes, eyes widening as she awaited their horrified responses. The phone in her palm buzzes and her gaze slips to Matt's familiar photo next to an awaiting text, stomach unsettled as she clicks it off and stuffs it back into her coat pocket. Aimlessly she reaches out again, pointing toward the fridge she knew housed a Corona somewhere in its midst. "Colty, a drink please. Let's turn on Kaytranada and someone has to make a toast."

[ruby anderson]

RUBY

Finally, Colt and Ruby make eye contact. The speaker connecting and it stating her phone should be a dead giveaway something else was happening. And not to mention that Colt and Ruby have done everything in their power not to be around each other. The alcohol was flowing, people were laughing and every little clue was unnoticeable. Her heart drops to her stomach and she tries to wave off all the guilt that succumbs her. It's fine, Ruby mouths to Colton as Mirren drifts her body upon the couch that Colton was supposedly sleeping on. Mira suggests country music and Ruby pretends to gag. "No. Absolutely not, anything but that," the words leaving her mouth in true Ruby form - dramatic. "If he's going to be so picky about the music, he can choose once he brings us our beverage and after our toast." Ruby tucks her iPhone into Colt's warm hand before joining Mirren on the couch.  Her manicured hand taps on her friends thigh as she feels a genuine smile approach her lips, directed towards the two of them. "Let's take a guess. Does he have Mich Ultra or Miller Lite in the fridge?" Ruby questions, well aware of what is truly in the fridge.

[colton abernathy]

COLTON

"Kaytranada it is." Siding with Mirren came easily to Colton, an old habit that had stuck since childhood. Ruby was not generally someone most people found easy to disagree with, which is exactly why he took such delight in siding against her. He fishes out three Coronas from the mini fridge, one by one lining the rim of the bottle up with the edge of his desk, bringing the heel of his hand down to knock the cap just so. It comes off cleanly each time, each hitting the floor as he grins at his friends, passing the chilled bottles over. "Girls love that." He collapses onto his bed, the familiar scent of Ruby's perfume engulfing him with a wave of lust and panic. He keeps his face still. Or at least he thinks he does, it started getting harder to tell somewhere around his fourth beer. "Come on Mira, you can give a speech. You're the most... rousing."

[mirren hewitt]

MIRREN

"I bet it's a..." Mirren starts, words blurry at their edges as she slings an arm around her friend and drags her down to crush against her side. Though put together and polished in her every day life, a drunken Mirren required close proximity and endless conversation, never on display more than with her childhood best friends. "Corona!!" she finally squeals when the familiar clear bottle appears in her wake, rolling her eyes at his line before taking a big swig, the hint of lime fresh on her tongue and mind running with endless directions of where she could take their evening. "To our inevitable reunion," she begins, features momentarily dusted in confusion as she reads Colt's face before continuing on. A mere blip in her memory. "and our endless pact. May we all go down in infamy, the only ones to know our secrets and Dunmere our only witness." She lifts her bottle to the pool house as if the building is alive too, another slosh of the beer to her lips before swaying back and forth to the familiar beats of "10%" through the speaker. "Ruby your turn."

[ruby anderson]

RUBY

Ruby smiles even larger as a drunken Mirren pulls her even closer. Ruby was essentially in her lap, giggling right along side her friend. The alcohol warmed her entire body and she loved how loose and easy all motion felt at the moment. Ruby carefully checks out Colt as he heads to the fridge, coming back with three cold coronas. Which she knew were there, having helped herself to one the night before. Ruby watches as in sequence, both she and Mirren roll her eyes at his trick. Did she find it hot? Maybe, but instead she allows herself to appear unfazed. Ruby's signature red lips touch the cold bottle and take a long sip from the beer's bottle. She keeps drinking when Mirren brings up the pact, as if it would help her cope with the fact that she'd broken a sacred moment for them. After her long swig, she pulls back and lifts her glass to the ceiling just as Mirren did. When the brunette was finished, she takes another sip and refuses to look at Colton again. Mirren nominates her next and Ruby brushes off a few drops of liquid that missed her mouth. Another giggle escapes her and she begins to speak, "Still a little sad you didn't let us do a blood oath those many years ago, but cheers to us! May we forever tease Colt about his hair."