"Shit, Ethan, please." Alma begged, rolling around on his bedroom floor. "Pleaseeeee."

"Alma, i'm not going to an all girls birthday party just because you feel out of place." Ethan shook his head down as her, stepping over her body as Alma latched onto his ankle. "Oh my god. Let it go."

"I'll bite it." she said sternly, holding his ankle tightly. "Please, do you want me to feel left out?"

"No, I don't think you should go at all." he sigh, crawling onto the ground to lay next to her. "You're only friends with this girl so she won't make your life hell anymore."

"I know, but, still." Alma pointed out, biting the inside of her mouth. "I know i'm suppose to hate her, but sometimes I really do love Maddy. You know, when I forget what all she's done."

"And you think that's healthy?" Ethan asked her, pushing up on his elbow. "Let's just stay here."

"I already promised i'd go." Alma gave her best pleading look. "Please?"

"Absolutely not." Ethan shook his head.

Maddy pulled the door open to stare at Alma and Ethan.

"Alma, you came!" Maddy gushed, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. "And you brought the sex god!"

Ethan laughed nervously. "What?"

"Come in. Did you bring your bathing suits?" Maddy encouraged them to walk in quickly as the pair did.

"And a gift." Alma held out the box with a bow on top. "I picked it out but Ethan paid for it."

"You guys are so sweet." Maddy hugged her tightly. "Kat is here too."

"Oh, really? Yeah, she mentioned it." Ethan nodded his head, Maddy hurrying toward the kitchen as the chatter of girls echoed through the house.

Alma smiled to Ethan, linking their arms together. "Thanks for coming with me."

"Well, you know. You letting me beat you at video games has its perks." Ethan hummed, the two loosing all physically contact as they walked around the corner.

"Ethan." Kat said in shock, holding the plate as she stared. "What are you doing at Maddys party?"

"Oh, I said Alma could bring a plus one." Maddy answered as Lexi turned off the lights while Cassie brought out the cake, Kat videoing it while Alma and Ethan were coward in the corner slightly. Her hand was grazing his in the dark room, moving it back, before they did it again. It was intentional the last time, Alma and Ethan both knew it.

Maddy blew out her candles and got to the gifts rather quickly. She gushed at the necklace Alma and Ethan got, saying she was obsessed with the M and hugged them both. Cassie had made her a scrapbook that made her cry, Cassie had been on the verge of tears the entire night and Alma was curious as to why. The table gushed as Maddy stood up and hugged her.

"Hey, I gotta go to the bathroom real quick." Alma whispered to Ethan, making sure to sneak off before causing too much of a fuss. She'd been to Cassie's house twice now, knowing where the bathroom had been. Alma sat on the side of the bathtub, pulling the little bag from her bathing suit top. She used the back of her hand to sprinkle the white powder onto it, rubbing her sore nose as she took a strong inhale, gagging after.

"Alma, what are you doing?" Ethan had followed her, and heard it. "Open the door."

"Oh my god, what? I'm peeing!" she yelled back to him. "Ethan, go!"

"Alma, are you snorting something? I heard you. Open this door." he tugged on the door knob. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought you were just smoking, Alma. Look, open the door."

Alma looked in a panic, knowing Ethan would go all good boy on her if he'd found out. She was quick to pull the bathroom door open, grasping Lexis nose spray as she opened the door. Ethan looked worried, looking around the bathroom as Alma waved the nose spray at him. "Happy? It's nose spray for allergies."

Ethan looked guilty slightly. "Oh. Oh, okay. Alma, i'm sorry."

She nodded. "Let's go back to the party."

"Uh, Nate's here." he said to her with a shake of his head. "I don't know, like, we should just go, honestly. All these people made your life hell six months ago."

Alma exhaled. "You can go if you want to. I have to stay."

"You don't have to do anything." Ethan shook his head, looking at her slightly worried at how out of it she seemed. "Is something else going on?"

"No." Alma laughed, shaking her head. "No. No. No. No, nothing."

Ethan frowned, his pinkie grabbed onto hers. "Okay, well, let's go get our swim on then."

Maddy and Kat were both acting weird toward Ethan, resulting in him staying close to Alma. It didn't help when she wanted to float around in the hot tub, her feet nearly hitting Cassie in the face when she stumbled in, nearly falling on Nate. Cassie smiled at Maddy, beyond drunk. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." Maddy gushed slightly. Alma sat up from her floating, pushing in next to Ethan.

"Yeah, happy birthday." Ethan agreed awkwardly.

"I'm so glad you guys are back together. Eowww." BB grinned slightly at the way Nate was in the hot tub with them.

"We're not back together." Maddy shook her head, looking at her nails.

"You're not?" Cassie blinked, looking over her boobs, that barley fit in her suit. Alma thought it looked good on her though, so who cares if it totally fit or not.

"No." Nate said nearly immediately, Alma and Ethan shared an immediate look.

"I mean, I was gonna say no, but why are you saying no?" Maddy cut in to get Nate's attention.

He stared at her. "Uh, because we're not."

"I know. But, why do you sound so definitive about it?" the Perez girl gave a look of disbelief.

"I wasn't being definitive." Nate shook his head.

"It sounded like it." Maddy snapped, turning her eyes toward Alma and Ethan. "Alma and Ethan heard it. They shared a look."

Nate looked their way, Ethan coward behind Alma slightly, laughing. "We just- we were just-"

"Agreeing about how much of a loser you are." Alma agreed, her eyes narrow at Nate. Truth was, and i'm talking, all cards on the table truth, Alma didn't actually realize she'd been saying out loud what her head was thinking.

"I mean, she just asked a question." Nate pointed out.

"That you didn't have to answer, but you did." Maddy said back in the same tone.

Nate huffed, and it was clear he was holding back anger because of the group. "I don't understand what we're arguing about."

"You and your tone." Maddy gave a harsh glare.

"But we're not back together." Nate pointed out again. Maddy simply stared at him, the rest of the hot tub silent. "Uh, yet."

"I mean why not just say we're working it out?" Maddy asked with a questionable look.

"You literally just said you were gonna say no." Nate argued, getting snappier.

"Right, but that's me." she pointed to herself.

"Meaning what?" the Jacobs boy rolled his eyes.

"Meaning when I say it it means something totally different when you say it." Maddy pointed to herself then back to him. Alma knew that point so well, Maddy had gotten in her face plenty of times and pointed at her like that. Then again, Alma didn't like to consider herself a good person, not anymore, but she also knew she was a lot better then a fucker like Nate Jacobs.

"Okay. It might seem that way in your head, Maddy." Nate looked down to avoid staring her way.

"Yeah, but it's also the speed with which you said no." Maddy sat up better.

"Aw, gimme a fucking break." Nate rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"It was quick." Maddy pointed out. "It was like a reflex. It was like his natural instinct, right?"

"It was hasty." Kat agreed. Ethan cleared his throat from next to Alma, because he knew she was about to lay it on thick and wasn't sure exactly what she was about to say.

"You see." Maddy pointed out.

"You really think she's gonna disagree with you?" Nate laughed in disbelief.

"If I disagree with her, then I would." Kat stared as him, her tone calm yet beyond intimidating. "What? You don't think I have a mind of my own?"

"No, i'm sure you do." Nate shook his head.

"He's such a cunt!" Maddy clapped her hands.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Kat shot his way.

"His problem is he's a fucking idiot that probably lost brain cells when Fex kicked his ass on New Years." Alma cut in quickly, holding her head up a bit higher.

"I'm sorry, what are you even doing here?" Nate waved a hand over toward Alma.

"What?" she shrugged.

"Oh, nothing, i'm just trying to get a clear picture of how pathetic and desperate you are for friends that you're okay with being here with all of us." Nate said her way with a nod.

"Woah." Ethan tried to talk cooley, forcing a smile. "You don't need to talk to her like that."

"And what are you gonna do about it?" Nate mocked his way.

"You see, this is why I don't believe you when you make all these promises and you're like, oh, let's get back together. You're the only person in the world I care about. You're a goddess and it's my fault for not treating you like one. I promise, Maddy, i'll change. I'll grow. I'll be better. I don't deserve you. But, I love you. Please, when I go to college, move with me. Marry me. Have my babies!"

"You are you definition of a sick mother fucker!" Alma rose her finger, like Maddy had, his way.

"Why are y-" Nate began, stopping as Alma lunged across the hot rub , latching onto his head and putting all her weight on his neck to hold him under the water.

Ethan laughed. "Oh, shit."

"Alma!" Maddys eyes went wide, not having the chance to do anything before Cassie puked. Alma being right where Nate was, had it all over her, letting out a scream as she let Nate go, having him come up from the water.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Ethan panicked, reaching across the hot tub to pull a traumatized Alma away, Cassie's puke all over her and all.

"I'm so sorry!" Cassie apologized as she cried, everyone gagging as they pulled themselves out of the pool. "I'm so sorry, Maddy!"

"It's fine!" she gagged.

"Ethan!" Alma cried as she shook. "Cassie puke is all over me."

"I kno-" he started, gagging.

"Hold yourself together!" she begged, shaking. "Get it off of me!"

"Alma, I don't-" he tried again, looking away as he started to gag again.

"You're my best friend and i'm sorry!" Cassie continued to sob as her mom ran out.

"Lexi! Ah!" Alma screamed. "Lexi! I'm I'm in puke! Lexi!"

"Le-" Ethan tried again, gagging as he had to back up. "Alma, Alma, i'm so sorry. I love you, but I can't be close to you-"

"Ethan!" Alma yelled, gagging herself.

"It would be different if it were your throw u-" he stumbled to the side, gagging again and grabbing the side of the trash can.

"I think it's all off, thank god." Alma spoke, stepping out of the shower as Maddy wrapped a towel around her. "Oh, my god. I'm sorry, Maddy."

"It's alright, you're all clean now." she said, rubbing the left over soap off her face some. She had to laugh. "I can't believe you tried to drown Nate."

Alma whipped the fogged mirror, adjusting the towel as she stared at herself in the reflection. "He was right."

"What?" Maddy looked oddly. "Nate?"

"I bet I look so fucking pathetic being here." Alma stared at herself, the mirror slowly getting foggy again as her reflection disappeared into morning once more. If she was even anything to begin with.. "Do you not remember any of it, Maddy?"

The Perez girl was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You say you love me. I'm your best friend. You trust me." Alma listed on, looking down at the sink. "Do you not remember what happened before you deciding I was gonna be your best friend?"

Maddy tilted her head. "I thought we were over that?"

"I just thought you forgot." Alma looked down, her saddened voice made Maddy feel guilty. "I use to want you to like me so bad, Maddy."

"I do like you." Maddy walked to stand by her side.

"Yeah, but you haven't always." Alma faced her, her eyes red from drugs and the hot shower. "You hated me. And you made sure I knew it. Every single fucking day. Until, suddenly, you wanted to love me."

Maddy sighed. "When you stood up for me at the police station."

"Are you hearing me?" Almas eyes watered as she stared at her, her voice rising but it cracked badly. "Do you have any clue what you did to me all these years?"

"I regret it." Maddy matched her tone with a crazy look in her eye. "I don't- I thought we had moved past this. Why haven't you said something if it bothers you so bad?"

Alma let out a sob, but she was laughing at the same time. She terrified Maddy, that was clear. "Because I was scared."

Maddy shook her head and her. "I'm sorry, Alma. For all I did to you. You're not as bad as I thought you were, and I wish I had just figured that out before. I trust you more then my friends i've had for years."

Alma nodded her head, looking down. Maddy was confused why her was crying, but whatever it was, she knew it had to be bad. "Why were you scared?"

"Because I don't know what I would have done to myself if I had to deal with school and with what's weighing on me right now." Alma cried, looking down. "You don't understand."

Maddy froward, stepping forward as she cupped her face. "You have to tell me what you're talking about."

"Something really bad happened, Maddy." Alma whined, sniffling as large tears rolled down her cheeks. Maddy stared at her watery eyes, and seeing Alma cry almost made her cry. She trusted Maddy in those moments. Because she apologized. And deep down, Alma really did love Maddy, she just needed to hear her admit she knew she was in the wrong for what she had done. "And i'm too scared to tell anyone."

Maddy shook her head, pulling her into a hug as Alma cried. "You can tell me anything."

•

kylie speaks

ethan🤝 maddy
alma protection
squad.