Stone smirked and rested back in his chair as he pointed out "You have already called me Ponyboy."

The unspoken rule of our game was we could only use an insult once. If one of us repeated a reference, then the other called it out. The names Medusa and Lurch were the only ones allowed to be used all the time. They were the constants.

"When did I call you that?" I asked, unsure if he was telling the truth or not.

He was no longer amused as he leaned closer and grumbled angrily "When I had to tuck you into bed because you drank too much."

It had been three weeks since the night of the party and he had never mentioned it once. I never asked him what had happened that night.

The whole event was a haze. I figured that it was probably selective amnesia and I had done something embarrassing the night of Chase's party.

"You could have just left me at the party if you didn't want to help me." I informed him.

His eyes widened slightly, and he almost appeared taken aback by words. He blinked once while his jaw ticked at a steady beat.

"There was no fucking way in hell that I was leaving you." He affirmed with a growl like it was some sort of law to himself.

I turned around in my chair and ignored the hammering of my heart against my rib cage.

Lana leaned sideways so she could quietly question "What is he talking about?"

"I don't know." I shrugged, "He is delusional."

The bell rang throughout the room, and everyone collected their things before rushing out of the classroom. The four of us also packed up our things before we joined the cramped space of the hallway.

Stone was the only person that stood out among the crowd because he was taller and broader than anyone else.

The appearance of him in the hall sparked conversation in people who passed by. Whispers filled the area along with clattering and footsteps. The many that were speaking lowly in their groups were eyeing the giant.

Despite everybody's interest in him, nobody approached Stone.

He was sort of like fire in a way. Sinisterly yet ethereally tempting. You admired from afar but you did not get too close and you did not touch.

Lana pulled me in front so she could speak to me without the company of the other two "What do you think everyone is gossiping about?"

"No idea." I replied before joking "I feel like some of them are close to asking one of them for some sort of autograph."

She laughed and then lowered her voice as the boys neared "Please come to the drive-in-cinema. It gets awkward with Brennan and I when he disappears suddenly."

"Does he ever explain where they both go at night?"

"Brennan said they were helping his grandmother install a new oven." Lana explained like it was a reasonable explanation.