Party II

Thanks everyone for the comments on yesterday's question. I read them all and will keep them in mind.

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Spencer gave Andrew and Pippa a tour of the entire house, introducing Andrew to every group of teenagers they came across, all of whom were surprised to see him there.

Besides being his school's star quarterback—the one who led them to victory in the regional playoffs and secured their spot in the state championship—Andrew was also somewhat of an internet celebrity. His YouTube channel had gone viral, and his videos had amassed hundreds of thousands of views.

The house was littered with soda cans and red plastic cups. The hallways were packed with couples flirting and people searching for an open bathroom. In the kitchen, a group was playing beer pong with dangerously strong drinks.

The tour ended in the backyard.

"Look who's here!" Spencer exclaimed with a proud smile.

In the yard, the football team members were gathered in a circle, some sitting on the patio furniture, others leaning against the fence. At the sight of Andrew, more than a few of them froze.

"No way..." Archie muttered, letting the alcohol in his cup spill onto the grass.

"Andrew at a party?" Reggie added, blinking as if he were seeing a mirage.

"And to what do we owe the honor, Captain? I thought you were allergic to this," Steve said more casually.

Andrew noticed their reactions but said nothing. He knew many of them drank at parties, even though they pretended not to when he was around. Whatever they did in their free time wasn't his problem. It wasn't like he was their personal coach trying to get them into the NFL or something.

Before he could respond, a confident female voice cut through the moment.

"Well, well… look who's here."

Andrew and Pippa turned just in time to see Regina George approaching with her usual poised and self-assured stride. She wore the football team's jacket over a fitted top and tight jeans, and her perfectly styled blonde hair reflected the glow of the garden lights.

"Regina," Andrew greeted with a slight nod.

"What brought you here? Lost a bet?" Regina asked, crossing her arms with a smirk of superiority.

'You should act like that when I leave you in the dust during sprints…' Andrew thought but kept to himself.

"Keeping an eye on my cousin," he answered simply.

"Oh, how boring... Well, maybe you'll have some fun," Regina said with a different gleam in her eyes, stepping forward and closing the distance between them.

"He won't," Pippa cut in, crossing her arms and stepping in front of Andrew.

"Oh, of course… the girlfriend," Regina murmured to herself.

"So, what's it like dating a guy who'd rather stay home watching football games from thirty years ago?" she asked with a mocking half-smile.

"Way better than dating one who gets drunk and makes a fool of himself," Pippa shot back without hesitation.

The muffled laughter from the football team made Regina's eyes flash dangerously. However, instead of getting angry, she smiled.

"I like you," she finally said. "If you guys get tired of babysitting, feel free to join us."

"I'll keep that in mind," Andrew replied, though they both knew he wouldn't.

Regina shrugged and turned back to her group.

Andrew and Pippa exchanged a glance before heading back inside, determined to find Haley.

"I still can't believe it. Andrew at a party," Archie said, still processing it.

"What's next? Is he going to start drinking?" Reggie joked.

"You guys shouldn't be drinking. If your parents find out, you'll get your asses kicked—if you're lucky," Kevin said, shaking his head.

"Relax, Kevin. Don't be a control freak like Andrew. He does everything perfectly. Does he ever loosen up?" one of their football teammates chimed in.

"Shut up, Mark," Kevin snapped. Kevin is one of Andrew's most loyal friends.

Back inside, Andrew and Pippa split up to look for Haley. The house was big, and with so many people packed inside, moving around was difficult. On top of that, more people kept arriving.

'Damn it,' Andrew thought. If Haley did something "bad" by Claire's standards, he would be the one getting scolded, and he didn't want to lose his aunt's trust.

Haley was no longer on the living room couch with Dylan. Andrew tried asking some of the guys sitting there, but with the deafening music and their intoxicated state, they were useless.

'Tsch, useless,' Andrew thought, already in a bad mood—and he hadn't even been here for an hour.

It was rare to see him this irritated. The atmosphere of the house was becoming unbearable. The pounding music, the alcohol everywhere—empty cans, overflowing cups—and the unmistakable scent of weed creeping into his nostrils.

'If she's not here, she must be upstairs,' Andrew thought as he started climbing the stairs.

Supposedly, the second floor was off-limits since it had Spencer's parents' rooms, but he had already seen several couples heading up without a care for that rule.

Stopping at the first door, Andrew leaned in, pressing his ear against it to listen, but the blaring music downstairs made it impossible to hear anything.

'Whatever,' he thought, gripping the doorknob and pushing the door open.

He stepped into a dimly lit room, the only light coming from a bedside lamp. His gaze swept quickly toward the twin bed in the center of the room—where an incredibly awkward scene awaited him.

On the mattress, a shirtless guy was leaning over a girl, kissing her intensely. The girl had her arms wrapped around his neck, while the guy, propped up on his elbows, hovered over her with his bare torso.

Andrew recognized the guy instantly. Alan. One of the team's starting receivers.

Alan turned abruptly at the sound of the door opening, his body tensing as if he'd been caught red-handed. His face, which initially showed irritation at the interruption, shifted into a look of shock when his eyes recognized Andrew standing at the entrance.

"Andrew?" His voice sounded incredulous, mixed with confusion and a hint of alarm.

The girl beneath him jolted and immediately tried to cover herself with the sheets, turning her face away in embarrassment.

She let out a small gasp of surprise before scrambling to wrap the blanket around herself, avoiding his gaze. It wasn't Veronica. She had dumped Alan after he had "betrayed" her regarding Regina and the blackmail.

'Why are you saying my name like that?' Andrew thought with mild amusement. Alan looked like a kid caught in the middle of some mischief, and Andrew might as well have been his father.

Without a single reaction, Andrew simply stared at them, his expression unreadable. No raised eyebrow, no hint of surprise or discomfort.

In complete silence, without saying a word, he took a step back and closed the door as if nothing had happened.

He moved to the next door and opened it without giving it much thought.

What he saw was the same scene as in the previous room—a guy making out with a girl. Only this time, the girl was his cousin Haley, which made his expression darken.

Fortunately, Dylan wasn't shirtless—otherwise, Andrew might have beaten him up, and while Claire would probably support that decision, it wouldn't be the right thing to do.

Haley jumped at the sight of him in the doorway. Her reaction was even worse than Alan's. Her eyes widened, her face paled, and she immediately pushed Dylan's hands away.

Despite being a senior, Dylan also froze. He swallowed hard, completely tense, as if he had just seen a ghost.

Andrew wasn't the biggest or most physically intimidating guy at school. If he wore a hoodie or a jacket, he could pass as just a normal tall kid for his age.

But those who had seen him play knew the truth. On the football field, when he tackled opponents like they were rag dolls, it was clear that his physical strength was on another level. His near-maniacal discipline and intensity in every play made even older students think twice before facing him.

Andrew didn't say a word. He didn't need to.

With a furrowed brow, he stepped forward and grabbed Haley by the arm—but without hurting her. "We're leaving," he said.

"What the hell, Andrew?! You're not my dad!" Haley protested, yanking her arm in an attempt to break free.

"I'm not, but tonight I'm your babysitter… and your mom was very clear about what I'm supposed to do in situations like this," Andrew replied.

Haley frowned, offended.

"So, if my mom hadn't asked you to, you'd just let me do whatever I wanted tonight?" she snapped angrily, looking at him with a mix of indignation and defiance.

Andrew blinked, caught off guard by the sudden turn in the argument. Acting like an overprotective lunatic was supposed to be what made Haley mad—but now she was also mad if he didn't act like one?

"What? That's not—" Andrew started, but Haley cut him off.

"Great! So you're only watching over me because my mom told you to! Not even because you actually want to!" she huffed, shaking her arm more forcefully and breaking free from his grip. Then, with an offended air, she stormed out of the room.

'What the hell…?' Andrew thought as he watched her leave.

Now he was more confused than annoyed. Did she really expect him to act like some kind of controlling cousin? Wasn't that exactly what she always complained about with her mom?

"Wow… it's amazing how girls can pull that off," Dylan commented in his usual laid-back tone, scratching the back of his neck. "Like, you're the one who should be mad—she's the one who broke the rules. But somehow, now you're the villain, and she's the victim."

Andrew narrowed his eyes and glanced at him sideways, as if he had just remembered Dylan existed.

"Get lost. You're the one who helped her break the rules, and I don't want to see you alone in a room with her again tonight," Andrew said.

Dylan opened his mouth, but after seeing Andrew's expression and mood, he stayed silent. Then, with surprising speed for someone as relaxed as him, he straightened up like a soldier and nodded seriously.

"Yes, sir!" he said before quickly leaving the room without looking back.

Andrew sat on the edge of the bed, pulled his phone out of his pocket, and sighed when he saw the time. 'Not even an hour has passed,' he thought.

Two soft knocks echoed against the door. It was slightly ajar, allowing him to see the person on the other side.

"Is this room available?" a feminine voice asked.

Lifting his head, Andrew saw Pippa standing at the entrance, a playful smile on her lips.

"You can come in. I don't have the owner's permission, but no one seems to care," Andrew replied.

Pippa let out a small laugh and stepped inside, sitting next to him. She observed her boyfriend's face for a moment before commenting in an understanding tone, "Looks like Haley isn't making things easy for you."

"I think I understand my aunt a little better now," Andrew said.

"You're going to be a very responsible father," Pippa replied with an amused smile.

"Don't tease me," Andrew said, narrowing his eyes, though there was no real annoyance in his voice.

Pippa chuckled softly. "I'm just playing," she said as she intertwined her fingers with his and snuggled against him. "Besides, this is a much better spot than downstairs. Down there, you have to yell to talk, and it smells awful."

Andrew nodded, finally feeling like he could relax a little. But just as the moment of peace was settling in, a girl suddenly burst into the room.

Both of them recognized Lauren, whose face was pale and filled with panic.

"Finally, I found you! Leonard and Howard are in trouble in the backyard!" she gasped, out of breath.

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