12:57 a.m.
At Katie's house, the party was in full swing after Mater Dei's victory and their advance to the semifinals.
It was the second time Katie, one of the main cheerleaders and a close friend of Madison, had organized something like this.
The first was after the win against Servite, a night many still remembered as legendary: the league title, the crowd, the DJ, and the professional lighting that made the house look like a nightclub.
This time, Katie outdid herself. The house was even better decorated, more people showed up, and the atmosphere felt much more festive. Even though last time they had celebrated a league championship, tonight's reason for celebration was even bigger: Mater Dei was in the semifinals, having a better season than the previous one and just one step away from the long-awaited final.
Andrew was now in Katie's room with Madison. Just like last time, they had ended up there after the initial excitement of his arrival. He'd shown up around midnight, greeted his teammates, received applause for his performance, and after that, Madison took him by the arm and slipped away with him up here.
Andrew didn't complain, he preferred this.
Madison was sitting on top of him, her legs crossed on either side, kissing him with intensity.
Her hands rested on Andrew's cheeks, a mix of desire and growing affection as she got to know him better.
"Wanna go to my place?" Madison whispered, reaching for her phone and glancing at the time on the screen.
Andrew nodded, his breathing slightly uneven. "Yeah. What time is it?"
"Almost one," Madison replied, putting her phone away.
"I've never spent this little time at a party," Andrew said with a strange expression.
Normally, if he decided to go, he'd stay for at least a couple of hours.
Madison smiled back, running her fingers through his hair. "Yeah… me neither. I kind of feel bad for stealing the star of the night from everyone."
"I don't think anyone's complaining…" Andrew murmured as he stood up with her. Most people were probably already in their own world, drunk or distracted.
"Right, we should probably meet outside separately," Andrew suggested as he walked toward the door.
"Separately?" Madison repeated, frowning. "You don't want people to see us leaving together?"
Andrew blinked, a little thrown off by her tone, but nodded. "That's right," he said without thinking too much about it, and as soon as he did, he caught a different spark in Madison's eyes.
Madison tilted her head, crossing her arms, her jaw slightly tense. "Why? Is there some girl you don't want seeing you with me?"
Andrew gave her a puzzled look. 'How did you even get to that conclusion?' he thought. But when he saw how serious she was, he realized it wasn't a joke.
"It's not that," Andrew sighed. "It's just that last time we left later, rumors started, and barely anyone even saw us."
Madison went silent. She knew exactly what he was talking about: the hallway whispers, the snickers, the gossip, that they were dating, that they slept together, that she was chasing him because of his fame.
The kind of rumors that, in high school, always hurt the girl more than the guy.
"It's not that I care about what people say, I'm saying it for you," Andrew said with a small shrug.
"Oh, I see, how chivalrous," Madison replied with a nervous little laugh, brushing a lock of hair from her face.
"Call it that if you want…" Andrew said, looking at her and raising an eyebrow. "But there's no need to get like that. We're not even dating for you to be jealous."
The comment hit Madison harder than she expected. They weren't a couple, she knew that. She was the one who'd said "no commitments." But even so, a part of her felt a sting to her pride.
Madison cleared her throat lightly, trying to regain composure. "It's not jealousy. It's just that when you meet someone you're interested in, you're not getting to know other people at the same time, right?"
Andrew nodded, agreeing with that point. When he'd met Pippa, for example, his attention had been entirely on her.
Even with Madison, it was the same now, he wasn't trying to get to know anyone else beyond her.
And although with Madison he had promised something more casual, he had also been sincere when he said he wanted to get to know her better to see if taking the next step made sense.
However, in the past few days, Andrew had started to notice things that made him doubt. Beyond the physical attraction, there wasn't much connection. Their conversations felt light, shallow, and boring.
Their date at the UCLA game had gone fine, just fine. And there were little things: small attitudes, impulsive reactions, a certain need for attention, all yellow flags in his mind.
Nothing serious, but enough for his interest to start cooling off.
Even so, Andrew didn't want to overthink it. "Alright, let's go. If you want to walk out hanging on my arm, I don't mind," he said with a neutral smile as he opened the door.
Madison smiled too, trying to keep the same casual tone. "No need. I'll meet you at the Camaro."
She didn't want to seem too insistent or give the impression of being jealous, so agreeing to his suggestion was the most graceful way to close the topic.
She left first, fixing her hair and adjusting her blouse a bit. Andrew closed the door behind him and followed a few steps later.
As they reached the stairs, Madison was a few meters ahead when a familiar figure appeared walking up the steps.
Haley.
Haley was coming up the stairs with a non-alcoholic drink in her hand and a serious expression, very unlike her usual party mood.
And especially not at a Mater Dei party, where she was always treated like a VIP, admired for being Andrew Pritchett-Tucker's cousin.
Haley's expression hardened even more when she saw Madison.
"Hey, Haley," Madison greeted, forcing a polite smile. They didn't exactly get along badly, but Madison knew Haley didn't think very highly of her. She didn't know why, or maybe she did, but preferred not to confirm it.
Haley looked at her and gave a barely perceptible nod. "Hey."
Madison immediately noticed the coldness in her tone, kept her smile, and walked past without saying another word. She went down the stairs quickly.
Andrew stood still for a moment, watching Madison disappear from view. Then his gaze shifted to Haley, who had stopped in front of him.
"What were you doing with her?" Haley asked, raising an eyebrow in a tone that mixed curiosity with a familiar kind of judgment.
"What do you think?" Andrew replied with a faint smile.
Haley scoffed. "Didn't know you were into casual flings now…" she said, trying to control her protective-cousin tone, though not entirely succeeding.
"It's not like that. And you know it," Andrew said calmly. He knew how to handle Haley, they were family.
Haley didn't argue, because it was true. If Andrew wanted to, he could have most girls he wanted: he was the most promising quarterback in the country, a celebrity with millions of YouTube subscribers, and the guy breaking records every Friday night.
But he wasn't like that.
To Haley, Andrew was more like an older brother than a cousin, even though they were the same age. They'd grown up together, knew each other inside out, and Haley admired him, even if she didn't always say it out loud.
She was used to Andrew not having many romantic ties. In fact, he'd only had one, Pippa. And while Haley hadn't liked her at first, over time she accepted and respected her.
She saw something different in Pippa: responsible, studious, grounded. She had clear goals and a good head on her shoulders. In Haley's mind, she was a girl worthy of Andrew.
That's why seeing Madison now, pretty, yes, but volatile, superficial, more emotion than substance, stirred that protective instinct Haley couldn't quite suppress.
"I'm just saying, be careful," Haley finally added, her voice softer but still firm. "Madison isn't Pippa."
She didn't want to sound too meddlesome. She knew she could be overprotective sometimes and didn't want to start an argument with Andrew.
"I know," Andrew said, then added with a crooked smile, "And don't worry, I'm not gonna get her pregnant. Howard gave me condoms, unbelievable, I know."
Haley's eyes went wide, genuinely shocked. "God, Andrew!" she exclaimed, half amused and half horrified. "I did not need that mental image!"
Andrew laughed out loud. "Oh, come on, don't act all innocent."
Haley shook her head but ended up laughing too. "You're impossible," she said finally, trying to sound serious, though her smile betrayed her. "Take care, okay? And after your little… post-game relaxation," she added with a sarcastic tone, "don't forget to pick up Leonard. I'm not playing taxi driver again. You know how strict my mom is with curfews, one minute late and I won't be allowed to go to any more parties for months."
"Promise, sergeant," Andrew said with a half-smile.
Haley rolled her eyes but leaned in to give him a quick hug. "Seriously, take care."
"Of course."
A few minutes later, Andrew pulled up in front of Madison's house.
The street was silent, lit only by the faint glow of the streetlights.
The residential neighborhood was asleep, no cars passing, no windows lit.
Andrew parked the Camaro and got out along with Madison.
"Your parents are always out on Friday nights?" Andrew asked, following her as she unlocked the front door.
He had seen Madison's parents a couple of times, and they didn't seem like the distant type. He'd seen them at games, cheering enthusiastically, greeting Madison, and she always spoke positively about them.
Still, he found it curious that they trusted her enough to leave her alone.
Then again, Madison did seem like the kind of daughter one could trust: good grades, good reputation at Mater Dei, cheer captain, responsible.
Plus, Andrew had never seen her drink or lose control at parties, unlike most teenagers who attended those.
It made sense her parents considered her mature.
"Not every Friday," Madison replied, closing the door behind them. "But yeah, most of them. They go out with some old family friends. Dinner, drinks, hotel… adult stuff, I guess."
She didn't add more.
'Rich adult stuff,' Andrew thought, without pressing further.
The house was completely dark and quiet. Without much preamble, Madison led Andrew straight to her room.
'This time we got here through normal means,' Andrew thought, remembering the last time when they'd had to do some parkour.
Madison pushed open the door and turned on the dim bedside lamp. Her room was spacious and tidy. Without saying a word, she took his hand, sat him down on the edge of the bed, and leaned in to kiss him.
Their lips met, soft at first, then with the same familiar intensity. The kiss lingered for a few seconds until Madison slowly pulled away, her hands resting on his chest.
"I need to change," she said with a teasing smile.
"Are you really going to?" Andrew asked.
Madison nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, that's why I bought the gothic outfit."
Andrew shook his head. "Didn't think you'd take it that literally."
Madison smiled and stood up, walking toward the dressing room with slow steps. "Wait a little. I need to change and do my makeup. Might take me a few minutes."
Andrew laughed, resting his hands on the mattress. "I can't believe the first time we're going to have sex, you're going to be dressed as a goth."
"Anything to make you happy," Madison said from the bathroom.
Andrew let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.
He didn't know whether to feel flattered, confused, or a little intimidated by Madison's level of commitment to everything she did.
Andrew waited patiently until Madison was finally ready. She had completely transformed her appearance: black clothing, heavier makeup, eyeliner, paler skin contrasting with the dark color, her hair loose and falling in waves.
"Wow..." was all Andrew could say, with a mixture of amazement and an incredulous smile.
Madison smiled smugly, crossing her arms, "Well? Did I meet your expectations?"
Andrew shook his head, smiling, "No, you exceeded them. Completely."
She smiled triumphantly and approached him slowly, enjoying the effect she was having on him. She stopped in front of Andrew, leaning in slightly. "So, what are you waiting for?" she whispered, playfully lifting her skirt a little.
An hour later…
The only light came from the bedside lamp. The atmosphere was calm and quiet, a stark contrast to just minutes ago.
Andrew and Madison lay side by side, the sheets pulled up to their shoulders. She rested her head on his chest.
"That was amazing," Madison said with a faint, tired smile.
Andrew nodded. "Yeah…"
There was a brief silence. Madison looked at him, as if waiting for him to say something more, but Andrew turned his head toward the nightstand and glanced at the time.
"I've got to go," he said, sitting up and quickly getting dressed. He couldn't risk falling asleep again, forgetting about Leonard, and ending up grounded.
Madison sat up slightly, frowning. "Already?"
"Yeah, I need to swing by the party to pick up my friend. And then head home, my parents are waiting."
Madison lowered her gaze, biting her lip. It wasn't anger exactly, more like a quiet sadness.
Andrew noticed. In this big, silent house, being alone probably didn't feel great. Maybe that's why she liked staying at parties until late, waiting for a friend to drive her home as late as possible.
"Here, you can keep this, to remember me and not sleep so alone…" Andrew said half-joking, half-serious, handing her his gray hoodie.
Madison looked at the hoodie and smiled as she took it. "Wow, that's cheesy… but thanks," she said, slipping it on right away, wrapping herself in the soft fabric and his scent.
Then she walked him to the door, opening it for him, the hoodie hanging down to her thighs.
Out in the cool early-morning air, Andrew got into the Camaro. A few minutes later, he stopped in front of Katie's house. He had barely parked when he saw Leonard waiting on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, looking half-asleep.
When he saw Andrew, Leonard lifted a hand in greeting.
Andrew opened the passenger door and smiled. "Guess the party wasn't that exciting," he said with irony.
Leonard dropped into the seat with a sigh. "Yeah, you and Howard ditched me with your girls, and Olivia left early. She wasn't in the best mood."
Olivia was Alison's best friend, Alison being Howard's girlfriend, the clingy "side friend" Leonard had to deal with. But somehow they'd ended up liking each other, getting to know one another more, though nothing serious yet, not as fast-paced as Howard and Alison.
"Let's just say it was a quiet night. Much quieter than yours, I imagine," Leonard concluded, giving Andrew a curious look.
Andrew smirked slightly. "Let's just say I had fun…"
"And what about Howard?" Andrew changed the subject. "Should we pick him up, or is he still having fun at his girlfriend's place?"
Howard hadn't bought his car yet, so in theory, he was supposed to ride back with them. But there was no sign of him anywhere.
"I don't know," Leonard replied. "He left with Alison than half an hour ago, I think."
Andrew nodded and said with a small smile, "Then he's probably… busy."
"Probably," Leonard said, half-smiling. "Although he doesn't really look like the kind of guy who lasts long in bed, so he should've been done a while ago," he added, and both burst out laughing.
Just then, they both heard their phones buzz at the same time. Each grabbed his phone, it was a message from Howard in their group chat.
Andrew swiped to unlock just as Leonard did the same. The message read:
[Howard: Houston, we have a problem.]
A second later, another message came in:
[Howard: I repeat, this is not a drill. Sending coordinates for rescue. Probability of being killed by my girlfriend's dad if caught: high.]
Right after that, his live location appeared, a house barely ten minutes away.
Andrew and Leonard looked up at each other in silence. Without saying a word, they fastened their seatbelts, and Andrew hit the gas, cutting corners and speeding through turns like it was a chase.
They arrived in record time.
Andrew parked in front of a two-story house with a white façade and lights glowing behind closed curtains. Something about the scene felt off.
Leonard rolled down the window to get a better look.
"Is this it?" Andrew asked.
Leonard checked the map on his phone. "Yeah. Right address."
Andrew was about to text Howard to say they were outside when both of them froze.
The second-floor window burst open.
There was Howard, clumsy and desperate, trying to climb out while clutching his clothes under one arm, wearing nothing but Chewbacca-print boxers.
"No way…" Leonard muttered.
Andrew was speechless, staring at the scene.
Inside the room, now clearly visible, a girl, likely Alison, stood in her underwear, arguing loudly with a large, bald man sporting a thick mustache and an expression so stern it was intimidating just to look at him: Alison's father.
Howard lost his balance, shouted something unintelligible, and fell from the second floor straight onto the lawn.
The impact sounded brutal.
"Ouch," Andrew and Leonard said in unison, wincing.
Howard staggered to his feet, grabbed his pants, and without looking back, bolted toward the Camaro.
But what happened next was even more unbelievable.
From the same window, the man, Alison's father, jumped down from the roof, landing on the lawn with shocking agility for someone his age, and started chasing Howard.
"Are my eyes seeing this for real?" Leonard muttered in disbelief.
Howard ran like his life depended on it. "START THE CAR! START THE FUCKING CAR!" he shouted, waving his arms wildly.
The Camaro roared to life as Andrew shifted into first gear. Howard dove headfirst through the open passenger window, crashing right onto Leonard.
"Hey! Get off me, you pervert!" Leonard yelled, disgusted at having half-naked Howard on top of him, and probably fresh from sleeping with Alison.
"Shut up and drive, Andrew! That guy's got Vietnam eyes!" Howard shouted, fumbling to pull up his pants as the Camaro sped down the street.
Andrew, barely able to contain his laughter, made a sharp turn, leaving the house behind. In the rearview mirror, he could see Alison's father standing on the lawn, shaking his fist and yelling something mercifully inaudible.
Once the escape was clearly successful, Howard let out a long sigh, his heart still pounding a thousand beats per minute.
Leonard, not even trying to hide his annoyance, said, "Back seat. Get dressed. I've had enough physical contact with a guy for one night."
Howard obeyed, sliding into the back seat and struggling into his wrinkled shirt.
Andrew grinned from the driver's seat, glancing at him through the mirror. "Great night, huh?"
Leonard turned around in his seat, staring at him incredulously. "What the hell happened back there? That guy trying to kill you, was that Alison's dad?"
Howard, disheveled, his shirt half-buttoned and bits of grass stuck to his skin, nodded. "The one and only. My future father-in-law. Think he likes me?"
Andrew burst out laughing. "Oh, definitely. Perfect way to start a relationship with your girlfriend's family."
"So what happened exactly? Is he actually ex-military?" Leonard asked, curious.
Howard sighed, leaning his head against the seat. "He is. The plan was simple, Alison and I alone, parents out, perfect setup. Everything was going great."
"The first round went flawlessly," he said, raising his eyebrows proudly.
Andrew and Leonard exchanged a look, trying not to laugh.
"And then," Howard continued, "just as we're about to start round two, we hear a car pulling up. Front door opens. Voices. Her parents came back early."
"God…" Leonard muttered, already anticipating the rest.
"Exactly," Howard said, throwing up his hands. "I panicked. Got up, tried to get dressed, sent the rescue message to the group, quick and efficient. But then she says, 'Doesn't matter, let's keep going, it's more exciting this way.'" he added, imitating Alison's high-pitched voice.
"No…" Andrew said, shaking his head.
"Yes! And like a complete idiot, I went along with it," Howard groaned, hitting the seat. "Thirty seconds later, her dad bursts through the door, looks at me, and yells, 'WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!' in a voice that probably used to give orders in Iraq."
Leonard burst out laughing. "I can't believe you actually tried anyway. Alison's bolder than she looks."
Howard smiled, still messy-haired, with the face of a man hopelessly smitten. "That's why I like her."
Andrew, keeping his eyes on the road, raised an eyebrow. "If he'd caught you… how do you think he would've killed you? Strangling? Beating?"
Leonard pretended to think. "Hmm, hard to tell. He's ex-military, probably a combination of both."
Howard glared at him. "Not funny, Leonard. I almost died wearing Chewbacca boxers. I don't want that to be my legacy."
The three of them laughed, and the ride home went on in good spirits.
Andrew dropped each of them off at their houses and made it back to his own right on schedule, calling it a night.
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