Kevin Oneshots

Table of Contents

A New Neighbor

I had a friend named Trevor Allen. I’d always been aware of his presence because he lived across the street from me. It wasn't until 3rd grade when we started getting to know each other. My mom always wanted to maintain a good image, so she made it a habit to constantly talk and befriend our neighbors. Out of all our neighbors, my mom felt closest to Mrs. Allen. She would constantly go to their house and talk about “the kids”, “the husbands”, and “woman things”. She had always pushed me to befriend Trevor. He was a smart, small, blonde-headed boy who didn't have many friends. She made us go on a playdate in the beginning of the school year. Looking back, Trevor would have never fit my mom's standards. I suppose she wanted me to be friends with him just because he was Mrs. Allen’s kid. Or even worse, because she wanted me to get with Mrs. Allen’s younger daughter. Stephanie was a year younger than Allen and me. My mom loved Stephanie. She was a sweet girl who was active and did gymnastics. She had my mom’s typical standards of a future popular girl. I'm guessing my mom thought that being friends with her brother would make Stephanie like me. Whichever the case, I like to assume the reason was the first option.

Trevor and I both liked playing soccer in our physical education (PE) class. Having that shared interest is what made us such good friends. Other than playing soccer in PE and at recess, we shared the interest of watching Ben Ten, Marvel, and DC. As many young friendships go, we stayed friends for a while. Trevor liked to stick by my side since he was a quiet guy. During that time, I was more extroverted, so I would do my best to cautiously introduce him to my other friends. Being friends with Trevor was a good memory. We would watch TV for what felt like hours, play soccer, play with our Spiderman and Hulk figures, and just be outside climbing trees or walking to the neighborhood park. Our friendship started to dwindle once 7th grade came around. Trevor’s dad was in the military, so he hadn’t lived in Florida for his whole life. He moved to our neighborhood in 1st grade, from Wyoming, and lived in Hawaii before that. During the summer, he told me that his family would be moving away before the start of 7th grade. I was upset at first; one of my friends was going away and it was a hard feeling to deal with. To make matters worse, Trevor didn't have a phone of his own. Mrs. Allen never liked the idea of her kids being on electronics all the time. She never agreed with my mom giving Molly and me a phone in 4th grade either. However, him having a phone wasn't a short-term problem. When it came closer to summer ending, our moms told us we would be able to call each other through their phones. That plan worked out for a while, but it didn't stick around. As the year came to an end, we got busier. We would call less and we naturally drifted apart. Towards the end of 7th grade, we made our last phone call with each other. I haven't talked to him since, but I hope he's doing well and got out of his shell a bit. 

When Trevor first moved out of his house, I had developed a weird mentality. I was already installing pre-dislike to the new neighbors that would invade his home. The dread of seeing his empty house didn't last long though, his house didn't take long to sell. In the beginning of 7th grade, a new family had moved in. However, little did I know that the girls who moved into that house would change my life forever. 

______ 

When the new neighbors moved in, my mom was ecstatic to meet them and make her presence known. It took about three visits to bring food to their house before she gave up. Every time she rang the doorbell, no one would ever answer. My dad told her they were probably busy, but she chose to believe it was because they were weird insiders who stayed away from the public. Despite those tries to meet the new neighbors, they continued to remain a mystery. I never managed to catch a glimpse of the new people that lived inside. There was never a car in the driveway, and the blinds were always closed. However, three weeks into 7th grade, I finally caught a glimpse of one of them. It happened when my mom made me go outside to get the mail. When I stepped outside the house, I saw a car pull into their driveway. A part of me was excited to see evidence of the neighbors living in the house, the other part of me was forcing myself to just shrug and not care about it. Afterall, whoever was inside that car was the person who invaded Trevor’s home. However, once I had walked down our driveway with my face facing the mailbox, I heard a car door open. I couldn't help the curiosity and decided to turn around. That was when I first saw her. Our neighbor was a beautiful, short girl who looked about my age. She had black hair with magenta front pieces and pale skin. She had gotten out of the car and waved goodbye to someone. I watched as she walked into the house and then closed the door. By the time I walked back towards our door, the car in the driveway was starting to drive away. Before I entered my house, I knew that all those forced negative feelings toward the neighbors never even lasted a chance. 

After seeing my neighbor for the first time, I caught myself searching for her in the school halls the day after. I never saw her in school, but I did end up seeing her a lot within the neighborhood. I would occasionally see her when taking out the mail or when I hung out outside. She would always be dropped off by that same car I had seen when I first saw her. I got a reality check one day when I finally saw one of the people that would drop her off. She had gotten out of the car and a boy her age followed her out. He had dirty blonde hair and was taller than her. He walked her to her door before kissing her and walking back to his parent’s car. He left her with a smile on her face that day, and me with an involuntary frown. However, after a while of her being moved in, I dropped her from my mind. I had seen who one of the neighbors was, and I didn't care much after that. 

In 8th grade I learned that my neighbor's name was Megan Queen. She was part of the cheerleading team, and she was pretty damn good at it. At this point, I would casually see her around the school. I would be lying if I said I had no interest in her. Megan was beautiful and the way she dressed seemed to have a way that gravitated my eyes towards her. Her long, black hair blended in with her dark alternative clothes that made her a fulfilling image to look at. She did fascinate me, and a part of me wanted to know what my neighbor was like. In addition, during the time of her living in my neighborhood, I had never seen her family. She was like a beautiful mystery that I wanted to discover. However, I had to squash any interest I felt towards her because of my relationship with Jesscia. If it weren't for Jessica being a horrible and manipulative partner, I wouldn't have felt extremely guilty for being attracted to another girl. However, apart from my general physical attraction, I never tried to pursue Megan. She was in a relationship with the “car guy” and I was in a relationship with Jessica. She was just my neighbor and we were simply co-existing in the same world. I easily succeeded at maintaining that mentality for a while. Although, high school really tested the lines between wanting to pursue her or just simply being attracted to her. 

During the second semester of freshman year, my world finally collided with my neighbors. My friends, Aden and Josh, were part of a friend group with a lot of girls. Jessica, Aden, Josh, and I were all hanging out in the courtyard before school started. Jessica and I were kicking soccer balls in the goal for fun as Aden and Josh just messed around. A while later, Josh and Aden’s friend group had walked into the area. The four of us continued to talk until Josh and Aden eventually split from us. After a while, they came back telling me to meet their friends. When I looked over at their group, there was a mix of familiar and new faces. But the face that immediately caught my attention was the one that looked like it was sculpted by God himself. 

“You know Megan?” I had asked the Freeman brothers. 

“Yeah, she’s pretty chill. Sarah introduced her to us like a couple months ago or something.” Aden responded nonchalantly. “Why? You know her?” He added. 

“No, just intrigued by her” I responded blankly. 

Aden and Josh gave me a playful and knowing look. “Alrighhhtt.” Aden teased as he started walking towards their direction. 

Josh followed, and I said goodbye to a distracted Jessica as she kicked a soccer ball into a goal. 

“Wassup guys! This is Kevin!” Aden announced to the group as the three of us approached them. 

I glanced at Megan but then shifted my attention to everyone else.

“Hey!” I said with a friendly smile.

We had a general introduction and then everyone split into their own conversations. I had the chance to talk one-on-one with some people but never made my way to Megan. However, I did have the opportunity to talk to my other neighbor, Sarah. She was Megan’s twin sister that I had seen outside in the neighborhood and at school before. She had the same black hair with magenta streaks. Instead of having magenta hair pieces, however, Sarah’s magenta streaks were spread all throughout her hair. Sarah had bright, lavender eyes that absorbed me when I looked into them. Sarah also had the same pale skin as her sister and was bigger in weight. 

I didn't interact with Aden and Josh’s friends again until I got switched from one of my classes. My counselor had initially put me into a debate class, but I requested out of it as soon as I could. Most of my other options were full so my counselor told me she’d have to put me in another random elective. I was fine with anything, as long as it wasn’t debate with Mrs. Coogle. Luckily for me, switching out of Mrs. Coogle’s class ended up being a great decision. When I first walked into my new classroom, I was shocked to see majority of the Freeman’s friend group in there. Apple, Olivia, Jillian, Aden, Josh, Megan, Sarah, and Meshell were all in the class. How they managed to get a class altogether was lucky and very coincidental. My first day in the class the teacher said we were having a laid-back day. The assignment for the day was going to be a fun game of “Correct or Dare”. Essentially, the teacher asked us a question regarding acting. If we answered correctly, we were safe. If we were wrong, we were supposed to complete a dare. All the dares were written by her previous class periods and put inside a cup. The game ended up being more interesting than I originally thought.

I had no knowledge of acting since I had missed the first couple days of material. Therefore, I was at a vast disadvantage when it eventually became my turn to play the game.

“Kevin, what are the qualifications for a theater to be considered on Broadway?” The teacher asked me. 

I looked at her with a confused expression, “I have no idea.”.

“That's alright, let me give you an easier one since you’re new.” She responded. “How about this one! Does Broadway include musicals and straight plays?” she said with a friendly tone. 

“Uhh, no?” I faltered. 

The teacher shook her head as she told me that I got the question wrong. She pulled out the cup, shook it a little, then handed it to me. I picked a random slip of paper and was instructed to read it out loud. 

“It says, ‘I have to share a shirt with the person sitting two seats in front of me’.” I explained with concern. 

Despite my hesitance, the teacher looked ecstatic. “Oh, I've been looking forward to using this big ol’ thing!” She exclaimed as she headed towards the prop closet within the classroom. I raised my eyebrow as I saw her fade from my line of view. When she emerged from the closet, she was holding a t-shirt that was fucking huge. 

“Alright it looks like that will be you and… Megan!” The teacher announced happily. “Oh, Megan dear, can you please switch seats with Rosabella? You’ll need to be next to each other for this to work!” She quickly instructed.

Rosabella, the girl sitting next to me, gave me a quick lazy look. She rolled her eyes, grabbed her things, then stood up to switch seats with Megan. The teacher waved me and Megan over so we could get inside the shirt. As we both walked up to her, I gave Megan a “I don't know what we're doing, but I guess we're doing this” look. 

When we got to the front, the teacher’s smile diminished. “Are you both okay with this, I don't want either of you to be uncomfortable?” The teacher asked.

We looked over at each other at the same time. I scanned her face up and down. Megan turned away before I did, “It's fine.” She replied casually. 

“Alright great, how about you Kevin?” The teacher waited.

“Yeah, it's fine with me.” I answered.

“Okay perfect, then you two get inside. You’ll stay like this till there’s ten minutes left of class!” The teacher instructed with her relit spark. 

Although I was confident in myself, I couldn't help the involuntary nervousness as I evaluated how to get in the shirt with Megan with minimum awkwardness possible. I put the shirt on first, and then I opened the side so she could go under. She slipped inside and she put her arm through the hole. Putting the shirt on was a lot easier than I thought.

Once we had the shirt on, we went back to my seat. We scooted the chairs together so we would be comfortable. The game continued on and then our series of conversations happened.

“Well, I guess we have to be in this shirt now.” I stated, breaking the ice. I paused for a moment. “Is this a normal thing that happens in this class?” I added with a playful smile.

“Yeah, but the dares aren't usually like this.” She smiled back.

“Aw that’s unfortunate. I would’ve loved to share big pants with a person too.” I joked around sarcastically.

Megan gave a small chuckle before we both fell in silence. I looked around the room, confused on why I wasn't able to rack my brain for something to talk about. I had been yearning to meet her and now that I had the opportunity, I was fucking it up by drawing a blank. I sighed before I looked back at her and pulled myself together. When I spoke, I asked her if she did cheer. In reality, I already knew that she was a part of the cheer team, but I didn’t want to seem like a creep by straight-up asking her about it. When she responded, she opened up the gates for me to ask her more about being on the team. She told me about cheer and I told her that I played soccer. We started talking about our classes and how we actually have the same history teacher but in different periods. We were able to rant about how awful our history teacher was and I was finally feeling myself ease into the conversation. I asked her more about her twin and how she knew Aden and Josh. She explained that they were Sarah’s friends at first and that she forced her to tag along when they would hang out. Eventually, she started developing a friendship with them, mainly Josh and Aden. Now Sarah always makes Megan tag along to the hang outs, but Megan said she doesn't mind anymore. Before I could ask her anything else, the bell rang. Everyone grabbed their stuff and started heading out the classroom. Megan and I quickly took off the big shirt before we started packing up. I waved goodbye to her before I left the classroom. 

Over the course of a couple days, Megan and I quickly became friends. Every time I saw her outside our houses, I would make sure to call out to her. It was hard to run out of things to say when talking to her. She was the most interesting person I ever spoke to. She was so talented, and her life was so interesting. She always had some crazy story about what Sarah got up to. Although I will say, I did feel bad because Sarah seemed like a handful. But regardless, it was funny to hear about the pointless things they would bicker about. When I would listen to her talk about her sister problems, in return I’d tell her about my Jessica problems. It wasn’t hard to do so, because Jessica did lots to ruffle my feathers that year. 

By the end of freshman year, I knew my neighbor had hopelessly pulled at my heart. During the summer, she managed to capture more pieces. By the time sophomore year came around, I was doomed. She had me smitten over her before I knew it. Megan and Asher were still together though, so it wasn’t like anything was going to happen. However, I was okay with that, because I valued the friendship we had. Which is funny, considering I had a forced vendetta towards her because she “stole” Trevor’s house. But in the end, I lost a good friend in order to meet the person who would eventually capture my heart completely. 

The Devil's Party

(TW// Sexual Assault)

I immediately regretted my decision the moment I stepped foot into the all-too-familiar mansion. Despite the horrid memories that lingered from my past relationship, my friends' eagerness to enjoy an “awesome” party ultimately persuaded me to join them. As we walked down the hallway I tried to dismiss the fact that we were at Jessica’s house. Despite my efforts, I couldn't shake the knowledge that bad things always happened at her parties. Loud music blasted through the halls, and barrels of ice coolers filled with alcohol were scattered everywhere. Groups of people chattered near the walls of the house. I watched as my friends displayed emotions of excitement on their faces. They were clearly ecstatic to attend a party hosted by one of the richest girls in school. Honestly, I couldn't blame them; I would be excited too if I didn't know what I did. However, that wasn't the case. Unfortunately, I do see the kind of person Jessica O’heir is. Therefore, for the sake of my friends, I will stay on guard. 

______ 

“Kevin, you have to come with us!” Apple whined, pleading as she looked at everyone else for backup.

“Yeah dude, you can't be the only one who isn't coming. Plus you know your way around the house; you can get us exclusive access to the VIP rooms.” Aden said with a wink. 

“Wait, there are VIP rooms?” Apple commented with excitement.

“No, there isn't. He’s just exaggerating.” I responded with an eye roll. 

I was currently being cornered by my friends as the majority of them tried different methods to convince me. My ex, Jessica O’heir, was throwing an “end of the year party” tonight—an early celebration for our senior class. Although it was in honor of our graduation, she announced that everyone was welcome. An open invite was rare when it came to her parties; usually, only the popular people made the guest list. If not, it would be a select few upperclassmen and a majority of college students. As a result, it is only natural that my friends would jump at an opportunity to go to a party of a lifetime. After all, Jessica is insanely rich and owns a mansion. Even if the party wasn't taking place, the mansion had enough rooms to offer hours of entertainment. 

“Guys, Kevin doesn't have to come if he doesn't want to. It is Jessica’s party after all.” Jillian stated, breaking my train of thought. 

“But that’s literally the reason we need him there! The main reason we are going is so we can snoop around her house. We need him to show us around.” Apple argued back.

“I'm pretty confident we can manage on our own,” Josh remarked with annoyance. 

I watched back and forth as they continued to get lost in their claims and arguments. Eventually, my eyes settled on the only one who hadn't spoken much.

“Are you sure you want to go to her party?” I asked Megan.

She looked at me and sighed, “Not really, but everyone else is going.”.

Knowing that Megan was going regardless of whether I was there or not, made me reconsider my initial decision. The chances that everyone, including Megan, was going to run into Jessica were slim. After all, the house is huge and there is going to be a large crowd. However, just because the odds might be low doesn't make it impossible. Jessica hates Megan. I can guarantee she will make some nasty or snarky remark if she catches her on her property. And I’m aware Megan can defend herself, but I rather not be absent when I know I can somehow impact the situation. Because the true reason everyone wants me to go to the party is because of my slight influence. Despite being broken up and the anger that caused Jessica, I somehow still have a soft spot in her psychotic heart. If anything were to go down, I would offer a better chance for it not to go down in flames. Or more realistically, if I walk in with everyone, she might not immediately kick them out of the party. It would be selfish for me not to go. 

“Fine, I’ll go with you guys. It’ll be nice to have a tour guide to instantly show you the coolest rooms her house has to offer.” I said with a forced smirk. 

“That's what I'm talking about!” Aden said while fist-bumping my shoulder. 

“Thank you, Kevin,” Jillian exclaimed shyly. 

Everyone else chimed in with their gratitude as they started planning how the night was going to go. Meanwhile, I faked a smile, hoping the night wouldn't turn out to be a disaster. 

______ 

It had been 30 minutes since we first arrived at the O’heir residence. To be frank, It had not gone that bad. I hadn’t spotted the red-headed psychopath or her crazy fawn-haired accomplice. Instead, the crowd was so thick that I could barely see anyone. We were in the party room that contained a big dance floor, where tons of people were dancing and singing their hearts out to the songs blasting through the speakers. Apple, Stacy, and Olivia had long disappeared into the sea of dancers. Aden, Josh, and Megan were close within my proximity, while Darling and Jillian had gone downstairs to grab more drinks. Everyone was having fun, for now. It wasn't until 15 minutes later that everything started going downhill. Megan, Apple, and I were heading out of the dance room when we got engulfed by a big herd of people. I tried to grab hold of Megan as we pushed through the crowd, but before I knew it, my grip on her was gone. I heard her gasp and my attention immediately shifted upwards.

“Oh my gosh, they picked her up!” Apple shouted in shock. 

My eyes widened as I witnessed Megan being hoisted by a group of men. They were hollering and cat-calling, slowly crowd-surfing her down the hallway. Seeing their hands all over her made my blood boil with disgust and concern. 

“Put her down!” I shouted, pushing my way through the rush of people, desperate to reach her. 

Apple was close behind me as we both fought our way closer to Megan. Her face was twisted in discomfort as she was carried by these random people. The crude comments they were throwing at her only fueled my anger as I rushed to her side. Finally, I reached her and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards me. Megan struggled against their grip, and Apple joined in to help. With a few more seconds of effort, we managed to get Megan’s feet back onto the ground. 

“Oh come on pretty girl, get back up here. We weren’t done yet.” A random man said with slurred speech. 

Other men started to chip in and agree with the drunk fucker. They laughed with him as if it was all a sick joke. I could see as Megan grew angry. She opened her mouth to respond, but I gently tugged on her arm, urging her to keep moving. Being surrounded by a bunch of older, intoxicated guys was not a good environment for us to be in. We managed to push our way deeper down the hall until we were stopped by the hostess of the party. 

“Well, look who decided to show up. I’d be honored if I were you, Megan. I guess dressing like a desperate whore got you the attention you’re clearly begging for! You must have loved every second of attention those guys gave you! I bet you liked feeling their hands all over you, right?” Jessica sneered. 

Megan wasted no time as she immediately raised her hand to strike Jessica’s face. Before she could hit her, I quickly stopped Megan. I held Megan’s arm down as I turned to face a stunned Jessica. 

“Shut the fuck up, Jessica! Just because you’re desperate for male attention doesn’t mean Megan is. Fix your own fucked-up insecurities. And keep her name out of your pathetic mouth! I barked. 

Apple gasped, her eyes wide with shock. Jessica’s face was initially angry, but she composed her emotions. She grew a smirk on her face, clearly satisfied by my reaction. Meanwhile, Megan looked at me with slight annoyance. She pulled her arm away from me and walked off. I knew she wanted to handle the situation her own way, but if she hit Jessica, it only would have gotten worse. Jessica would have fought her back, or if she was bold, she would have pulled out a weapon. Apple looked at me, still amazed by the whole interaction. I walked away to go follow Megan, leaving Jessica and Apple behind. I heard Apple start walking to catch up with us. 

As we walked away, I could hear Jessica shouting to the crowd behind us, “Good job boys, keep it up! Let's find the next attention seeker to give the princess treatment!”.

______ 

“Are you okay?” I asked Megan, my voice full of concern.

“Yeah, that was literally terrifying,” Apple added. 

“I'm fine, let's just keep going,” Megan responded curtly. 

I followed Megan into a room with more open space as Apple continued to blabber.

“I can’t believe she just encouraged them to continue like that. And the audacity she has to call you a-” She started.

“Apple, change the topic.” I interrupted sternly. 

Apple quickly stopped talking and walked in silence with us.

______ 

Once the others rejoined us, the mood shifted to a lighter one. I knew Megan was still uncomfortable, but she was trying to push through. At this point, everyone wanted to explore the house more, so my job as a tour guide began. During my relationship with Jessica, I spent a lot of time in her mansion. We hung out during all our free time, and it was hard for me to separate myself from her. I didn't truly realize it then, but Jessica’s obsession with me was strong. I stayed over so often that she turned one of her spare rooms into one for me. The longer we dated, the more her mansion felt like a prison. When in reality, the secrets she keeps within her walls would get her put behind bars. But those dark secrets were not to be shared today; my friends wanted to discover the fun parts of the O’heir mansion. 

______ 

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell us there was a pool!” Apple groaned in disappointment.

A random girl ran past us and jumped into the pool wearing only her undergarments. 

“I didn’t think people would actually be in it,” I exclaimed with a raised brow, taking in the scene. 

“Chill, we can follow the crowd,” Aden responded, pointing to the clothes on the floor. 

Some of the others decided to join Aden on his plan as they stripped. My job as a tour guide paused as I lost over half the group to the appealing look of the water. While the others were swimming, Megan, Josh, Darling, and I decided to return to the main area on the first floor. The party was starting to get to our heads and we needed something less hectic. While the four of us were talking, my phone rang. I saw it was Aden and answered the call. 

When I picked up, Aden immediately blurted out, “Dude, do you have a condom on you?”.

“What the hell do you need a condom for?” I asked, both in confusion and concern.

Josh perked up an eyebrow as he looked at me crazy. I shrugged my shoulders as I listened for Aden to explain.

“Jillian is finally comfortable enough to do it. But I need to find a condom first.” Aden said urgently into the phone. 

“Seriously, right now? This is probably the worst place for you guys to do it. Weren’t you guys in the pool like 10 minutes ago?” I exclaimed with slight judgment. 

“Well, we're not anymore.” He smugly responded. 

I groaned in disgust, “You are gross, get her to change her mind.”.

“Ahh, whatever dude. I’ve got to go before she actually does change her mind. I'm in a hurry!” He quickly stated before hanging up the phone. 

Everyone gave me concerned glances.

“What the fuck was that?” Josh said with complete bewilderment.

“Your brother is trying to get la-” I started, before Megan interrupted me.

“Woahh!” She immediately exclaimed.

______ 

It wasn’t long after the phone call before the rest of the group joined us from the pool. The girls were giddy and happy for Jillian. Meanwhile, Megan, Josh, and I were trying to ignore that entire conversation. After the girls had settled down, our group broke up into smaller clusters. Josh had found Britney at the party and started making small talk with her. Meanwhile, Darling, Apple, Olivia, and Meshell decided to grab some snacks from the food bar. Megan and I were the only ones left near the stairs on the first floor. However, Megan left me to join Josh once Britney signaled her over. So, I decided it would be a good idea to join the rest of the girls at the food bar. 

When I made my way over there, I realized I walked into a hell hole. An argument had broken loose between two girls. From the sound of it, it seemed like one of them had caught the other cheating with their boyfriend. Things started to get more intense between the two girls. I noticed my friends making their way out of the food bar. 

“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you, those girls are about to fight each other,” Stacy warned me as she exited the room. 

I held the door open for them as they continued out the door. 

“I think it's already started,” Olivia added on her way out. 

“Where’s Apple?” I asked Darling.

“She stayed.” She responded with an eye roll. 

I looked over to see Apple munching on food, clearly enjoying the show. Before I turned around and shut the door, I caught sight of Jessica watching too. She wasn’t taking any action to stop the two girls; instead, she seemed to be enjoying it as well. Shaking my head in annoyance, I closed the door. 

______ 

Once I was back at the main entrance, I noticed Megan was still talking to Britney. However, Britney’s friend, Elemore, had joined the conversation. Josh had already left, leaving the three of them talking. I decided to go find Josh to entertain myself. I ended up locating him but my attention span was starting to die out. At this point, I was desperately over the party. It felt like we had been here for hours, and I'd been ready to go home since the incident happened to Megan. With her on my mind, I glanced over in her direction. I saw Britney and Elemore lead her into a room. For some reason, seeing them go into a random room raised a slight concern in me. I tried to push the unnecessary worry away and focus back on Josh. Maybe it was jealousy because I knew Britney was interested in Megan, but I couldn’t stop thinking about them being in that room. Plus, I remembered Megan had some flirtatious “gum moment” with Britney before. Despite my efforts, my attention kept drifting back to that closed door. It felt like it had been 10 minutes since they went into the room. No matter how hard I tried to refocus on Josh, I just kept failing. 

“Hey, sorry Josh. I'm going to go check on Megan real quick.” I apologized as I started to excuse myself. 

“No problem, I'm going to go find Aden. It's been a while.” He said with a groan.

We both went our separate ways. I walked down the stairs and past Aden, Apple, and Stacy. 

“Oh, hey Aden, Josh was looking for you!” I exclaimed in surprise. 

“He was? Alright, I'll call him.” He replied. 

I continued down the stairs and walked towards the door. As I got closer, a part of me felt like I should just walk away. I felt ridiculous that I had such a need to check on her. But alas, the feelings took over and I knocked on the door. 

Silence. 

I tried knocking again before I tried to turn the handle. The door was locked and immediately my concern rose.

“Megan?” I called out.

There was no answer from her. The only sound I heard was the muffled sounds of Britney’s voice.

I decided to stay silent for a moment to see if any other sound would come from the room. It remained quiet for a while and I almost convinced myself to leave. Maybe I was right, Megan could have been doing anything with Britney. However, common sense filled my head and I remembered Elemore was also in there. Whether or not Megan was that bold, I didn’t quite know. But my doubt that she would be doing things with both of them kept me still. 

It wasn’t long before I heard more muffles and then some laughter. However, this time the noises were louder. The muffles sounded distressed. The more I listened, the more certain I became that it was Megan. 

Then I heard Britney’s voice cut through the air with a vile comment, “Come on Megan, last a little longer. We’re almost done playing with you. Then we can let your blonde boyfriend have his turn.”.

“Open up the fucking door! I know you guys are in there!” I yelled, banging on the door. 

They went silent again, but the door never opened. I continued to bang on the door and call out to Megan. The longer the door stayed locked, the more frantic I became. My mind raced with unsettling thoughts and graphic images. Without wasting another second, I bolted away from the door and went to search for Jessica. I needed to get the key to the door and get Megan out of there. I was not going to stand by and hear her get assaulted by Britney and Elemore.

I sprinted up the stairs and passed Aden, Stacy, and Apple. 

“Woahhh, where are you going?” Aden asked in shock.

“Have you guys seen Jessica?” I said quickly, while walking back towards them. 

I could tell the tone of my voice delivered my urgency because their faces quickly filled with concern. 

“No we haven’t, what's going on?” Apple questioned. 

“Please call me if you see her!” I called out while running back up the stairs. 

I had no time to waste explaining why I was looking for her. All I needed to do was find Jessica so I could bust open that door. Her house was huge, I had no clue where she was. My only lead was to start my search at the last place I saw her. I bolted towards the food bar and tried to glance over the room for her. After scanning the room twice, I realized she was nowhere to be seen. Out of desperation, I grabbed my phone. I turned it on and went to my contacts as quickly as possible. I unblocked Jessica and immediately dialed her number. I continued to push my way through rooms as I heard the phone continue to dial. It went to voicemail and I hung up in frustration. I called her number again, hoping she would somehow answer this time. As it continuously rang, I started to lose hope.

“Hello?” Her grating voice pierced through the phone. 

She was confused, but I persisted on. I was relieved she had answered. 

“Jessica, where are you?” I asked frantically. 

“Why? Do you miss me?” She giggled, clearly faking it.

“I don’t have time for games Jessica, where the hell are you?” I yelled at her. 

“What makes you think I’ll keep talking to you when you answer me like that?” She snapped back.

I felt heat travel through my face, “I need to know where you are. I need a key to one of your rooms”. 

There was a pause before she spoke again. 

“Why?” she hummed. 

“Britney is in the room with Megan. I need to get her out of there!” I shouted, frustration boiling over. 

“I don’t see the problem with that.” She said slyly. “Let them have some fun. Plus, you can keep yourself occupied with me instead. I like it when you get angry.” She added. 

My ears started to ring and I snapped. 

“Do not fucking play with me, Jessica. Tell me where your damn key is!” I snarled. 

“Gosh, I don’t get the big deal, Kevin! You call me rudely on the phone after having me blocked for years. Then the first thing you do is demand I give you a key to unlock a room in my house. For what? Because you’re jealous my evil cousin is in a room with your precious Megan!” She rambled, clearly annoyed. 

“She’s hurting her, just fucking tell me where the key is! I explained.

I could almost hear her smirk when she responded, “Why should I care?”.

“Jessica, just answer my question! Please!” I started to beg. I was desperate. 

By the tone of her voice, I knew I had aroused her, “Beg again.”.

“No. Just tell me where it is.” I said, my anger bubbling over.

“Beg, Kevin, or I won’t say a word,” she demanded, her voice unyielding. 

“Fine.” I spat out, my pride taking a hit.

I felt sick, “Please.” I responded through gritted teeth. 

Silence hung in the air again. 

“Meet me at my office. But be quick before I change my mind.” She teased, her voice laced with a cunning edge.

I hung up the phone and raced to her office. When I finally approached my destination, I saw her leaning against the door frame. She was twisting the key between her fingers with a sinister smirk. 

“Come get it, babe.” She hissed. I lunged towards her, but just as I got close, she threw it behind me. 

“Stop wasting my time, goddamn it!” I yelled in frustration. 

I could hear her twisted laugh as I hurried to grab the key from the floor. As I scrambled to retrieve the key, it felt like time was moving in slow motion. I was completely enraged. I had wasted too much time trying to get this key from that idiot. 

______ 

“Excuse me!” I shouted, pushing my way through the crowd. 

People probably glared at me, but I didn’t care. My focus was only set on the direction I was running in. There was no stopping me. I spotted the staircase and sprinted past Stacy, Aden, and Apple. I didn’t waste any time turning my head to see their reactions. Once I reached the room Megan was held hostage in, I shoved the key inside the keyhole.

“You assholes better get away from her!” I barked.

I flung the door open, and my heart sank as I saw Megan tied to a chair. Britney and Elemore had rushed away from her. They looked at me and stumbled towards the door. 

“We just finished.” Britney expressed through slurred speech. 

She continued to stagger out of the room and Elemore slowly followed her. 

“I think she’s reached her limit. Try again later.” Elemore giggled.

“Get out!” I yelled, my body shaking with rage. 

I slammed the door shut and locked it immediately. I rushed to Megan and tried to rip apart the knots. 

“Megan, I'm so sorry!” I choked out, my voice cracking. 

Her face was flushed and her eyes were avoidant. She was fully clothed, yet I know she felt exposed. Her underwear was hanging below her knees from under her skirt, and smeared lipstick marked several parts of her revealed skin. 

“I'm here Megan, I promise I'm going to get you out of this,” I said softly. 

She wasn’t responding, still avoiding my gaze. I took off my jacket and draped it over her legs. I fumbled with the knots until they started to loosen. Once her hands were untied, Megan’s eyes got flooded with emotion. They were glossy and full of fear. 

“Kevin…” She started in a quiet voice. 

“They’re gone, it's over. I'm sorry.” I responded carefully. 

A tear started to form in her eye as she made her way off the chair. I turned my head, out of respect. I knew Megan never liked it when people saw her cry. When I looked back at her, my jacket was on the seat. She had fixed herself and plopped onto the floor. Her thighs were pressed against her chest and her head was buried within her legs. I grabbed my jacket and kneeled next to her, placing it over her shoulders to comfort her. She sat in silence for a while. 

“Is it okay if I hold you?” I asked with caution. 

Megan usually liked being comforted with touch, but this was a delicate situation. She nodded her head in response and moved her body closer to me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her. Having her in my arms filled me with so many emotions—anger, disgust, and sadness. When I looked over at her, I could tell she was struggling to mask her perturbation.

“It's okay Megan, let it out. It’s just us two. You are safe with me.” I consoled her. 

As if it were a trigger, Megan’s body started to shake. She was sniffling as her tears started to intensely fall. 

“I wanted to teleport away, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know what to do.” She hiccupped. 

“It’s okay, you didn’t do anything wrong. There was only so much you could do.” I explained while holding her tighter. She clung to me as she continued to cry. Hearing her small sobs made my heart break. 

“They didn’t stop.” she squawked out.

I caressed her, “You’re safe now, Megan. I’m not going to let anyone else hurt you, okay? I promise you. 

______ 

We were now sitting in peaceful silence, just the two of us. Her head was lying on my shoulder as she stared at the wall. No words were needed. She just needed time to process everything that happened. After some time, she sat up. 

“I need to leave, I can't stay here anymore.” She said faintly. 

I nodded and stood up as well. 

“Thank you, Kevin.” She added while handing me my jacket. 

“Of course,” I replied softly. “Call me if you need anything, Megan.”.

She smiled at me slightly, then stood a little straighter. “Can you tell them I had to leave?” She asked.

“Yeah, I can do that. I'm going to head home too.” I responded.

She thanked me again before she teleported away. 

______ 

When I walked out of the room It didn’t take long for me to find everyone. They were all huddled near the end of the staircase. As I approached the group, Apple had a guilty look on her face. 

“Are you okay? Where’s Megan?” She asked in a whisper. 

Aden and Stacy shifted their attention to me, trying to be discreet.

“She went home,” I answered flatly. 

The three of them exchanged glances. 

“Were you able to find Jessica?” Aden questioned. 

“Yeah, everything is sorted out,” I responded with forced cheerfulness. 

I looked at everyone and avoided the three of them. They were acting strange. 

“Hey, Kevin! Where's Megan?” Jillian asked, drawing everyone's attention to me.

“Oh hey man, weren't you going to look for her?” Josh added, finally noticing me.

I repeated myself, telling them she had gone home. “I'm actually going to head out too; it's been a long night” I sighed.

Everyone said their goodbyes to me. As I walked out of the mansion, I couldn't help but feel guilty. I was supposed to be on guard tonight. Just as I predicted, nothing good happened from walking into the Devil's den. Jessica may not be directly involved with what happens, but she sure doesn't try to de-escalate situations. She curates parties to have an environment that stirs disaster. And just like I feared, this party affected the one person who meant the most to me.