Scarlet's Path

Beer pong is... Not a spectator sport. After Anya is thoroughly trounced Kara takes her place, leaving me to watch again while Anya and Elise go to make cocktails. We'd set the dining room table up for the game, but since all the chairs had been moved through to the living room, it leaves me standing while the game goes on. Still, glass of wine, can't complain there.

"I meant to say thanks, by the way, for inviting me and Gabe, I know I'm probably not your favourite person." Henry says to me as he aims the ball at Kara's cups.

"Honestly Henry, you didn't really do anything wrong, just nothing right... But then neither did anyone else, so I can't blame you." I reassure him. "Apart from Elise, anyway." I add with a smile.

"A bit out of the loop here, what happened?" Kara asks, intrigued, as Henry's shot goes wide.

I look at Henry, who gives me the floor. "His ex girlfriend used to bully me, until my girlfriend knocked her out, then my sister kind of manoeuvred her out of school, then her who family skipped town... It was dramatic." I explain bluntly. I could romanticise it, but to whose benefit really? "Oh, any my sister used to date his boyfriend. Did I miss anything?" I add, Henry shrugs with a humoured expression.

"Worked out in the end though!" Henry concludes cheerfully as Kara lands the ball in one of his cups, causing him to down the contents.

"I meant to ask, how did you know to ask Rouge that question in the game?" I ask him.

He laughs. "Well, Trish always had a kind of girl-crush on her, which I guess was an actual crush, so I figured if Trish lost her V then it'd be her." That's... Weirdly insightful. I mean, a lot of assumptions, but maybe there's a couple of brain cells in there. "Why'd you ask Rob about the music thing?" He directs to Kara, as he sinks a shot in one of her cups.

"Running joke." She clarifies, downing her drink. "I can't hold a tune for shit, but I've got a better ear than those two, by far, so I'm the one with taste, they're the one with talent, it's ironic, I guess? It's been so long it's just a thing at this point." I guess it's true what they say about explaining the joke, doesn't make it funny. Kara takes her turn for a question. "So, how long have you been out? I feel like I'd have noticed you were gay."

Was that... Flirting? Am I being hit on? I don't even know if Kara's gay, calm down brain. "A few days, but me and Elise have been a thing for a couple of weeks now." I explain.

"Wow, 'a thing', it's weird when someone else says it, I keep on doing that, not used to saying I have a boyfriend." Henry chuckles. Yeah, I guess it's hard to nail down when we actually got together... I end up just saying 'a thing' instead of the truth.

"Aww, you two are adorable. I hate it." Kara jokes, "What's the deal with your sister anyway?" She adds. Good question, guess I'll go with the party line.

"Straight, apparently, but her and Trish have chemistry, so they're... Close." I try to tip-toe around calling them fuck buddies, but it's pretty clear what I mean.

Kara sinks another shot. "Oh great, she's so irresistible to men she's started picking up women for a challenge?" She laughs as Henry downs a drink. Yeah... From what I saw she wasn't the one making the effort.

"Yeah, like you'd turn down Trish." Henry smirks, bouncing the ball straight into another cup. "She had guys begging for her attention back in the day, used to drive Amanda crazy." He thinks out loud as Kara drinks.

Wow, I know Trish said Amanda basically decided who she dated, just how vindictive was she? "Well, she's setting her sights high, I think now she's tried sex we've unleashed a monster." I admit. Hopefully a Rob-inclined monster for the sake of my bet.

"It's kinda cool, like she's in control of her whole life." Kara considers. I guess, Trish is the one person not really beholden to anybody, apart from her parents, maybe? Perhaps Kara has less control than she'd like... Definitely got ball control though. She sinks another cup. "I'm guessing Anya did your hair?" She changes the subject.

"Oh... Yeah, that's how we met. I wanted to change it for ages, I was just... waiting for the right time." I explain. "Me, Trish, and Rouge got it done together."

"Not Elise?" Henry asks, focusing on his aim.

No, she was having an existential crisis that led to both of our depressive spirals. "She was hungover from the night before. That was actually the first night we'd kissed." I reveal. And the first night I'd seen her topless. And the first night I'd kissed Trish. Wow, that was a big night.

"Aww, young love, aren't they sweet?" Kara jokes, as Henry's shot goes wide again.

"We're the same age though!" He points out. Kara's face says 'no duh.'

"It's fine, I know what you mean, it doesn't feel real, like I'm waiting for her to realise she's too good for me." I admit.

"I know I'm new, but that girl looks at you like she'd wilt away if you so much as frowned at her. I don't think you've got much to worry about." Kara reassures me, landing another perfect shot. I can definitely see the similarities between her and Anya, even if they're not blood, they're both all about raising people up.

"What about you?" I ask her.

Kara smirks as Henry misses again. "I don't know what I am, I figure I'm better off sticking to myself until I figure it out." She replies. Damn, that must suck, sometimes I think about how I always knew I liked girls, and how lucky I am in that sense. The confusion seems like it'd be the worst part. "And... I win." Kara announces, landing the final cup. "You want a game?" She asks me as Henry finishes his last drink.

"Thanks, but I think I'm gonna go find Elise." I answer, as Henry begins to demand a rematch. I move to exit the room when I hear a sound I wasn't expecting. One that send my mind into a series of questions. The biggest one being.

Who's knocking at the door?