Victoria and Brandon have a moment, while Shawn commandeers the party

"And then I said, 'Hey man, I thought that was your chicken!'" Brandon exclaimed. Victoria was about to pitch forward laughing.

"And he bought it right?!" She giggled between melodious heaves.

"He even paid for it!"

She collapsed. Lord have mercy, this guy was way too funny.

"Shit, did I bust your gut, Victoria?"

"You... you could say that!" She slowly found her feet and wiped her eyes. "Brandon, I can't believe you, of all people, conned that guy to buy your lunch. Never would expect that."

"Well, hey." He took her by the hand, and delicately spun her on his axis. "You never know what you can do until you have to."

She warmed, but stayed solid. Despite what Ashley may think, she knew when she was being worked. Brandon tread the path where devils had been before, like sequestering her and opening her up with a few jokes and happy banter. She had been naive before, but now she knew better. Besides, she had Zack and Dustin to think about--

Zack and Dustin. She scrunched her brow.

Brandon saw her detach, and cocked his head. "So... how's your thinking going?"

"Wha?"

"When we first danced, you said it helps you think. Is it?"

"Oh." She shook her head. "Right... Well... okay."

Brandon paused and gave her space. She edged to the deck railing, spreading her arms in front of her and examining her nails with intense interest.

"Do you..." She began, then sighed. "Look, have you ever had the feeling that you know how something is supposed to work out but it never seems to go that way?"

Brandon flinched as sharpness scraped against his soul. "Yeah, yeah I do."

She flashed him concerned eyes that soon looked back at the cabin. He nodded gravely.

"Oh Bran, I'm sorry! When?! It couldn't have been earlier, you two looked okay, unless--"

"Hey, hey." Brandon rested a palm over her shoulder. "It's not official, but frankly, it might as well be over. Hannah tried explaining it to me, that Ashley 'just wants to be sure' I'm the right one. I don't know, because I thought that you just knew. That it felt right, and it does with her, so I don't know why it should be different with her."

Victoria glanced away, but then cradled his gaze. Selfish Ashley, what was wrong with her? Brandon had a point. When you found a good guy, you kept him, because that's what constituted a health relationship and nothing could ever get in the way with that. Love knew no boundaries.

Except... Dustin's ghost flashed through her mind. She winced.

"Thinking again?"

Brandon was there, focused directly on her. Like nothing else mattered, despite his shitty night. The heat in her cheeks must have been visible, confirmed by his gentle smile.

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. You must have a lot on your mind."

"Not anymore than what's on yours. I don't mean to be selfish."

"Maybe we can help each other. I've told you my sob story, what's yours?"

"Well... I wish I could say I had one, Bran."

He smiled. "Lemme guess, their names are Zack and Dustin right?"

"I didn't know you were a telepath."

"Told you, Vicky, you never know what you can do until you need it." Victoria giggled at him again. "When Hannah and I were out there, I saw you too get close again. Ashley had told me how broken up you were when both of you called it off. Seeing him again must've been--"

"Confusing." Victoria gulped. "And irritating. And pining for what could have-- no no, should have been." She shook her head. "I still miss him, Bran, but I can't just simply walk back into his life."

"What, does he have someone?"

"No, and... and he even offered."

"Well, why not?"

"My other... sob story. And I feel something there, and I want to know of it's right."

"Zack could be. I can tell you, he has a lot of the right stuff, but, well, I think... he strays too easily. Ask Lisa."

"Or Heather," she sneered, then regretted her tone.

Brandon hunched down beside Victoria on the railing. Silver Lake shone like its namesake in the moonlight, marked by its wavy trail down its center. Fireflies cast their fleeting glow against the backdrop, caught in minor air currents. The music may be blasting behind them, but the overpowering sound of serenity diffused it.

Brandon cleared his throat. "Vicky, I think both of us need to find out what feels right, and go with it."

"Yeah, yeah we do. I don't want to be played again, or let it get away again."

As he looked left, she looked right. Their eyes ensnared each other.

She pursed her lips. "Bran?"

"Yeah?"

"How does... this feel to you?"

Brandon set his jaw. "... It feels right."

She fluttered her eyes closed. Brandon took the invitation, and tasted her sweet water. Yes, this did feel right.

Shawn glowered in his chair, strewn much like a marionette with discarded strings. Kendra, the Bitch, had rejected him, again, for his beta brother, again. And judging by how they were dancing, Dustin was having way too much fun.

Everyone had been having way too much fun. Peter and that brunette bimbo (Heather? Who cares, she's all pussy and no brains obviously) were dry humping in the corner, and Shawn mused that maybe Peter was more alpha than he gave him credit for. Hannah's sister had that blonde douchebag from earlier around her finger, when he wasn't being molested by the other random chick who arrived. At least she had nice tits, and Douchebag's positioning gave him a few good shots at times. Get the bra off and over with already. Give us a show.

When Lisa disappointed him, which was fairly soon, he scanned for Hannah and Taylor, but to no avail. He wondered if they snuck off for some clandestine fun, but stuck-up Taylor would never succumb to Hannah's reckless temptations. Not that it didn't make for a good thought or two. Shawn's cock became steel as he envisioned Hannah drinking his cum from Taylor's freshly-fucked snatch as she begged for his dick inside of her.

Eh, that's unrealistic, even for me, Shawn admitted. Finding some energy, he strolled over to the punch bowl and poured a glass. The fruity drink swirled as he treated it like wine, giving a full-bodied snort before imbibing. Need to keep focus anyway. I do get distracted.

Unfortunately, Kendra wasn't cooperating. She was the linchpin to his plot, and with her spending more time away from him right now, it was all unraveling. Didn't she understand that we had to act soon before something else happened--

That's when he saw through the deck doors. Football had his shirt off and "Virgin" Vicky writhed against him like any of the best sluts he'd ever seen. About as virgin as Peter's bitch.

Everything was shot to hell. It all happened around him, but not with him. And he was damned if he was going to be apart of Hannah's orchestrations. He conducted the symphony, not anyone else in his life. He was in control, nobody else, and that would've been realized if the plan had worked.

He saw Kendra working Dustin's hands over her waist and grinning like a dipshit. Of course. It's her fault. If she kept Vicky to her side all night, then I could've made the move before anything else. She knew about it, there's no reason she shouldn't have done it by now.

He cast his hand over his front shirt pocket and palmed something small. With a flick of the wrist, there was a soft pop and a quiet splash behind him. Again, his hand slid across his shirt, and the trick was complete. He poured himself another glass and happily drank.

Genius, pure genius, Shawn thought. She'll be punished and I'll get what I deserve. When you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself.