Jake’s look travels from me, Aiden, Mason, and Noah beside him near the door, to his disheveled friend Marcus across the room, to a shirtless Charlotte, and finally to a pissed off Chase. The story clicks together in his head.

“I think it’s time for you to call a cab, Chase.” Jake gestures to the door with his head.

“Fine.” Chase storms past us and out the door, not sparing any of us a second glance. I think we’re all too shocked to say anything to him anyway.

Marcus walks up to Jake. “Dude, I know she’s your little sister and I’m sorry I just—”

Jake holds up a hand without looking at him. “Stop. Just don’t.”

Marcus sighs, then sends Charlotte a look that I’m assuming is a silent apology, and walks out of her room.

“Are you okay?” Jake asks his sister.

“Peachy,” she replies, picking up her shirt and slipping it on.

He gestures at the shattered pieces of her phone. “That was a little dramatic, don’t you think?”

She shrugs.

Jake picks up the bigger pieces of Charlotte’s phone and brushes his finger across the hardwood. “Oh shit, you scratched the floor. Dad’s gonna flip.”

She sighs, the fight from earlier leaving her as her shoulders slump. “I’ll deal with it later. Get a rug or something. Whatever.”

He places the pieces on her dresser and leaves her room to get back to his party. The five of us remain as an awkward silence settles over us, all unsure what to say.

“Well, that’s not fair,” Noah breaks the silence. “Chase punched me last time, and Marcus walks on out of here without a single hair out of place.”

All of us turn to look at Noah like Really?! and he holds up his hands in defense.

“What? Someone had to say it!”

18

When I show up at Charlotte’s house Sunday morning, I’m met with a disaster. Apparently, Jake went to sleep without even attempting to clean up the mess from the night before. We would’ve volunteered to help clean up, since we were all here, and even Julian came by after helping his dad with work, but she told us not to worry about it.

“Don’t mind the mess. Jake’s so lazy he said he hired some people to come clean later today,” she says, closing the door behind me.

We head upstairs, stepping over discarded Solo cups and dried up spills, and avoiding glass bottles. Charlotte closes the door to her room and we sit cross-legged on her bed.

“So.” I don’t even know how to start. “Do you remember anything from last night?”

“Oh, you mean the whole thing about my best friend since elementary school calling me a slut and trying to go through my phone and control my life? Yeah, I remember.”

“I’m sorry that happened, Char. It was a shitty thing for him to do. We probably should’ve intervened but I’m glad you stood your ground.”

“No, I’m glad no one stepped in. It was time for me to say something. He can’t turn violent every time I’m with a boy and try to make my decisions for me. Just because I don’t feel the same way as he does, it doesn’t give him the right to control me.”