Bourbon Street

[GGJ5]

Definitely one of the more shady areas of town, this most famous of the French Quarter Streets is famous for its drinking establishments. Most of the bars frequented by tourists. It is literally insane here during Mardi Gras, which is always in February or, rarely, very early March. But it does have some very famous restaurants, including one owned and run by the famous Emeril Lagasse and another by Paul Prudhomme. Hotels also line the street, some of these also dating back over 100 years.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

When Trent called her that afternoon about some band stuff, how he managed to pull out of her why she sounded so empty only God knew. But even then, she didn't spill everything to him. All she really let out was that Yukito had tried to mend things with her and that she wasn't sure what to do now... that part of her wanted to make it all okay again but at the same time she was still scared and didn't want to set herself up for anything again. That was really it, but he'd always been a whole lot more observant than she. He probably could hear the melancholy in her voice, the words forming differently after a fresh cry.

No one else made her cry so much. No one. Angry, yeah, sure; and depressed, eh, only for a while... but nothing like this. Yukito would never believe that she wasn't a crier. Because he made her cry when no one else did.

Of course, she told Trent none of this when he'd told her to forget any attempt to practice that afternoon, that that evening he'd take her for a night out because he was sick of her being so mopey. "You won't have to worry about him for a while, anyway," he'd persuaded, which was exactly what Erin wanted to do-- just not have to worry about it all, to just get out and forget for a little while. Sleep just didn't cut it.

So she got dressed up: a flattering black and red striped shirt and black and silver bangles, pulling one of her few denim skirts over a pair of black tights and pulling a black knit hat over her hair, which she'd left wavy. Shoving her feet into the black boots with a heel just enough to make her feel taller, Erin snuck out of her house and headed to the French Quarter with Trent.

----

"Omigod, I love that song!" Erin squealed, taking another sallow from the drinks that a couple of guys kept bringing over her. It wasn't like she was trying to buy them or anything, they were gifts... and it wasn't like it was her fault the place didn't check for IDs or care if underages came in. Business was business, and plus, Trent was right-- she wasn't even thinking about all that stuff with Yukito as she accepted the dances, the drinks, and the flirtations.

Trent laughed as he took the empty glass from her hand. "It doesn't take much with you, does it? You're such a lightweight."

'No I'm not!" she protested through a peal of giggles, not even knowing what that comment meant. Erin wrapped her old friend in a hug, stepping back a little unsteadily when Trent pulled her away, holding her by her shoulders and trying to keep her busy eyes focused on him for a second. "Hey. Hey! No more accepting gifts, huh, Chloe?" But he was chuckling as he said it, which made Erin laugh more, and she waved his comment away. "I got it, I got it!" She clung to the sleeve of his shirt and giggled. "I swear, I'm good. I won't run away or nothin'. I swear to God!"

He smiled at her, shaking his head a little. "You should eat something, Chloe. I'm gonna go get us food, alright?"

Erin held up a peace sign and grinned mischievously. "'Kay." When Trent left to get food and no one came up to Erin to chat or dance or anything, she looked around like she was bored until she found some sour gummy worms sitting out in a bowl for the taking. Erin plopped down contentedly next to them and took a handful, eating one or two at a time as she habitually browsed her phone address book. Her eyes landed on Yukito's name-- her screen looked a little blurry, she'd clean it later-- and she pressed the 'call' button.

Between the time it took to connect the cal and the time it took for him to answer, Erin grabbed another drink to get the candy-taste out of her mouth-- they didn't taste like normal gummy worms, but she liked them anyway. "Yuyukuuun!" Erin squealed, leaning forward onto her knees as she talked. "Guess whaaat?" She giggled as she answered for him, "I'm havin' fun, and you ain't invited!" The proclamation was punctuated with another laugh.

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

He had to stop thinking about Erin. It was always wondering about Erin, worrying about her. He hadn't worried about one person like this for years. When he'd gone to Tokyo that summer with his mother. Then, he'd found someone who always lit up the room when she entered, who knew exactly the right words to say, and when to say nothing at all. He'd found someone who showed him things he hadn't considered glancing twice at before. She'd taken him to his first concert, which his mother never cared about and his father never stuck around to take him to. He'd found a girl who had talent and beauty and a razor-sharp tongue, and who could stick up for herself. She would sit and draw pictures of him while he practiced the guitar in front of her, and she would start laughing as he complained of her staring at him. She told him he'd look cooler with his hair grown out, and falling into his eyes, and talked him into doing stupid things just for the fun of it.

And it was his fault she was gone. He couldn't even worry about her anymore, because there was nothing left of her.

Yukito slipped into the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked awful. He felt awful. And he kept telling himself not to go over and stand in front of the door and listen for a knock anymore. Everything was over, now. He'd accepted that he couldn't be more than a silent guardian over Erin. He wouldn't abandon her like he'd done before and leave her to her own devices. She needed him, even if he could hurt her by getting any closer than arm's length.

How do I hurt people? he asked himself again. I don't talk to them. I make them wonder why I won't be honest with them, because I lie to their faces, and I'm good at it. I do stupid things, like push boundaries and get in people's way, looking for a fight. I think that the best solution is to just avoid it. I think too much and say too little. I would rather sit in my room than face the world. I'm depressing, and almost always wrong. He sighed. And I want things I can't have anymore. And I don't stand up for my friends. And -

The phone rang. He glanced down at it solemnly, then stared. It was Erin. No way. He answered it.

"Hello?" he said, a note of caution in his voice.

"Yuyukuuun!" came Erin's voice, though it didn't sound like the Erin he knew. True, she sounded happier, like Erin's old self, and for a moment he started to think that her spirits had been somehow lifted by their talking things out a little more. But why would she be calling him, the source of her issues? Only if she was off her rocker. Or stoned. Oh my God. "Guess whaaat?"

"Erin? What's going on?" he asked, his voice calm for how fast his mind was going.

"I'm having fun, and you ain't invited!" Erin squealed with delight, her laughter ringing through the phone.

"You've been drinking." he stated, as if he'd said the same words a million times before. But never to Erin. I've never seen her drink a wine cooler. The concern started to show in his voice, "Where are you at, Erin?" he heard the thrum of a huge throng in the background, but had no ideas to where she could be. He could only keep imagining all the people around her, watching the pretty lightweight get drunk and wondering how they could take advantage of the fact that she had no idea what she was doing. "Erin, please. Just tell me where you're at."

[GGJ5]

OOC: Yeah, Poppy and I already talked about the second half of the post, which isn't plot-central, just for kicks, so it won't interrupt what we have planned, Mascii... no worries! : ) This way, there's time that passes between the phone call and the other stuff. Si? BIC:

Erin Spenser

Yukito picked up, the sound of his voice making Erin grin. God, how she missed hearing it. "Hello?"

"Yuyukuuun!" she squealed into the phone. "Guess whaaat?"

"Erin? What's going on?"

Erin giggled out her answer: "I'm having fun, and you ain't invited!"

"You've been drinking," Yukito said simply. Immediately Erin responded with an amused scoff. "No! What makes you think that?" She couldn't help it, she laughed at the question and admitted, "Okay, so maybe a little. But not a lot, I swear to God! Like-- like, only a couple-- a little, I swear."

"Where are you at, Erin?"

Ignoring the question, Erin cocked her head to the side, smiling contentedly with the phone pressed tight against her ear so she could hear him as close as possible. "God, I missed hearing your voice so much. Like, I know I heard it, but then you were always mad at me, 'cept now you're not, and--" Loosing her train of thought, Erin filled the thought with a laugh and added, "I totally dunno where I was goin' with that."

"Erin, please. Just tell me where you're at."

She rolled her eyes at him even though he couldn't see her, waving away his persistence, but answered him anyway. "I can't think of the name, but it's like, you know, that place on Bourbon Street where no one checks for your ID or age or nothin', but you cain't come, so there, and there's like," she interrupted herself with a stream of laughter as she added, "I'm thinkin' these guys are all, like, in college, huh? And they keep talkin' with me and stuff and I'm like, really? 'Cause, like, no one notices I'm, like, way younger?" She laughed again, flattered at having gotten attention from hot college guys. "And I'm totally okay with that." Pausing, Erin took another sip of her drink before adding, totally unrelated, "I miss you a lot, Yuyukun. Like... really really. I still--"

The booming speakers shifted to a popular song that had never really interested Erin before, but it sounded a lot better now, what with the accentuated bass and the lights and the people and everything, and here people would actually dance with her if she wanted to. She hopped to her feet eagerly, taking a couple of steps to steady herself, and hastily said into the phone, "Okay, gotta go, bye!" before clicking it shut and draining the rest of the drink in her hand. Hands free, Erin easily fell into step with the first guy to grab her attention.

--

It'd been only two or three songs but Erin decided to sit out a couple. She pouted a little when she checked her phone and Yukito hadn't called back to talk more. "Fine, I don't wanna talk to you, either," she muttered, testing out more of those gummy worms. Whatever had tasted different about them she didn't notice now. She pressed down the keypad until the phone connected to Cassie, Erin unaware of the late hour. "Cassie! Hiii! Wassup? I called Yukito but he was boring so and I didn't wanna talk to 'im, and then he didn't call me back, so what're you doin'?"

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

Having nothing else to do that night--Shelby was holed up in her room with her anime and music, her mother was out with her boyfriend, and none of her friends had picked up their phones--Cassie had gone to bed earlier than usual, choosing the solace of sleep over facing the real world. After a few hours of tossing and turning, she had finally drifted off around eleven, welcoming the dreams as they finally surrounded her, filling her mind as if drowning her.

In one, a recurring one she had already had a few times that week, although she couldn't figure out why, she was standing alone on a cliff of some sort, trapped and unable to help her friend below her in the water. She didn't know who the friend was or what was wrong, or what exactly she needed to do to save them, but the urgency in the dream was intense enough for her to take notice of it.

"Where are you?" she called in the dream. "What's wrong? Where are you?"

Instead of an answering cry, what met her ears was the crooning sound of Michael Buble's voice. She looked around in confusion, half expecting to see the singer standing on the cliff next to her. She listened for a few moments before she realized that the music was her cell phone ringtone.

With a groan, she opened her eyes groggily and reached for the cell phone on the bedside table. Flipping it open, she squinted first at the tiny clock display on the phone and then at the caller ID. Erin? What the heck...I guess I've bugged her enough at all hours of the morning, she has every right to wake me up, but...

"'Lo?" she said sleepily, rubbing the back of her hand across her burning eyes.

"Cassie!" Erin said loudly, sounding far too cheerful for that hour of the morning. Cassie's brows furrowed in confusion as she bit back a huge yawn. "Hey...what's up? Why're ya callin' so...so...laaaate?" The last few words were said through another yawn, one that almost split Cassie's head in two.

"Hiii!" Erin repeated. "Wassup? I called Yukito but he was boring so and I didn't wanna talk to 'im, and then he didn't call me back, so what're you doin'?"

Cassie sat there in silence for a second. "...Sleeping," she said dully, eager to end the conversation and go back to bed. She was about to hang up when she took notice not on what Erin was saying, but how she was saying it.

Erin, what's the matter with you? You sound all...weird and happy...way too happy, actually. And...you're slurring your words, and...Oh god, Erin!

"Erin, are you okay? You sound kinda...where are you? Do you need me to come get you or something? What's going on?"

Oh, god. She's gone and done something totally ridiculous and stupid, I know it. And I think I know why.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"'Lo?" came Cassie's sleepy voice.

"Cassie!" Erin said a bit too loudly, and she imagined a sleepy Cassie in her head and grinned at waking her up so playfully.

"Hey...what's up? Why're ya callin' so...so...laaaate?" Erin giggled at Cassie's massive yawn-- she was sleeping so heavily when Erin was actually out having fun.

"Hiii! Wassup? I called Yukito but he was boring so and I didn't wanna talk to 'im, and then he didn't call me back, so what're you doin'?"

Her smile grew wider at Cassie's slow reaction. You're so funny, Cassie!

"...Sleeping."

Erin scoffed at Cassie's dull response. "Pffft, sleepin's so overrated. God, you're so boring. What's with y'all, you 'n' Yukito bein' so boring? 'S'like y'all ain't never had fun before!" She laughed, dropping her head to rest on the back of the chair she'd found so that she was staring at the ceiling. The swirling fans up there made her feel a little dizzy.

"Erin, are you okay? You sound kinda...where are you? Do you need me to come get you or something? What's going on?"

Not having heard a thing past "Are you okay?", Erin lifted her head back up from its dizzying position and shook it as if Cassie could see it, laughing at her friend's weird questions. "I'm totally okay, Cassie! I'm like, friggen amazing, like you don't even know. Like, like, I'm not even playin', like, I haven't been this great in like, f'rever...!" A small chortle escaped her lips and she let out a slow breath. "Nah, I'm totally fine, for real, Cassie, I just wanted to talk a li'l! Like I did with Yukito but he was boring, but you said you were sleepy, so I bet you're gonna be boring, too, huh?" She pouted, even though Cassie couldn't see her. "No one wants to talk."

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

"Pffft, sleepin's so overrated. God, you're so boring. What's with y'all, you 'n' Yukito bein' so boring? 'S'like y'all ain't never had fun before!" Erin said, sounding more hyper than Cassie had ever heard her. With every word her worry grew. Erin, what have you gotten yourself into?!

"Erin, are you okay?" she asked, trying not to let the concern show in her voice. "You sound kinda...where are you? Do you need me to come get you or something? What's going on?"

Erin didn't seem to notice Cassie's concern, for she replied breezily, "I'm totally okay, Cassie! I'm like, friggen amazing, like you don't even know. Like, like, I'm not even playin', like, I haven't been this great in like, f'rever...!" She laughed a bit, her giggle sounding higher-pitched and more giddy than it usually did. Cassie's heart sank. Erin was definitely drunk.

Oh, Erin, why are you doing this?! Why couldn't you just...just talk to me or something! I know you're hurting--I am too! You don't have to do things like this!

"Nah, I'm totally fine, for real, Cassie, I just wanted to talk a li'l! Like I did with Yukito but he was boring, but you said you were sleepy, so I bet you're gonna be boring, too, huh? No one wants to talk."

Cassie set the phone on her bed and ran her fingers through her disheveled hair, thinking. When she picked up the phone again, she made her voice sound more confident than she really felt. "Erin, I'm not always boring...do you want me to meet you wherever you are right now? I don't want to be boring...I could get dressed and take my mom's car--I don't actually have my license yet, but who really cares--and meet you in, like, fifteen minutes, if you wanted. Or I could take you over to my house and we could have fun here. Would you like that?"

Please, say yes. Please, just let me help you.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Nah, I'm totally fine, for real, Cassie, I just wanted to talk a li'l! Like I did with Yukito but he was boring, but you said you were sleepy, so I bet you're gonna be boring, too, huh? No one wants to talk."

For a minute Cassie didn't say anything, and Erin quickly grew bored waiting for her. She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the phone and was just about to hang up when she heard a faint sound coming from her phone that made it through the noise of the party. "...ways boring...do you want me to meet you wherever you are right now? I don't want to be boring...I could get dressed and take my mom's car--I don't actually have my license yet, but who really cares--and meet you in, like, fifteen minutes, if you wanted. Or I could take you over to my house and we could have fun here. Would you like that?"

Erin wrinkled her nose. "Why'd you wanna do that? I don't wanna go." She pursed her lips, brow furrowed. What was Cassie's problem? "No. And anyway, I already told Yukito where I was, so there.. Just go back to--"

Her moody sentence was cut short by a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention away from Cassie. Trent's familiar face filled her vision, though it was kind of blurry for some reason even after she blinked a little. Forgetting that her phone was even opened, Erin dropped it next to her and playfully took Trent's drink with both hands and gulped, just to get a reaction from him.

It worked. With an amused shout of protest, Trent pried the drink from her hands. Erin doubled over in laughter when he chastised her, "Hey, now! That was almost half, Chloe! I didn't take you out to get you totally wasted, you know."

That only increased Erin's mirth, and she had to force herself to slow it down enough to protest, "I'm not gonna do that. It's not fair, I only had few, I swear! Omigod, that rhymed!" Another stream of laughter.

Her eyes widened gleefully when Trent pulled her face up toward his. "Remind me why we stopped dating?"

"'Cause we don't like each other like that," Erin replied with a smile, completely unaware.

"Hm... guess I forgot," he murmured, pulling her closer.

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

When Erin spoke again, she sounded whiny and disgusted, like a five-year-old who didn't want to eat her vegetables. "Why'd you wanna do that?" she asked, as if going over to Cassie's was a fate worse than death. I don't wanna go." Cassie sighed quietly as Erin continued. "No. And anyway, I already told Yukito where I was, so there.. Just go back to--"

No. No, Erin. I will not go back to sleep. Not when I'm worried about whatever you've gotten yourself into...God, why did this happen? How could you have been so stupid, Erin? You're somewhere all alone, drunk, and completely irrational...who knows what she could do when she's like this...and I don't know how to help! She won't tell me where she is, and I can't help her!

"Erin, seriously," she tried to say, hoping a more urgent tone of voice would make Erin get the message. "Where are you?"

A few muffled words were Cassie's only response before the line went dead and she could hear no more.

"Erin?" she whisper-called into the phone, not wanting to wake her sister or mom. "Erin?! Are you there? Erin!"

With a muttered curse, she tossed her phone onto the floor and sat up in bed, wrapping her arms around her bent knees as she tried to think. She had to do something to help Erin...but what? She had no idea just where Erin was--it could be some college party at UNO, or a bar somewhere, or...Cassie didn't even know. And even if I did...honestly, it's not as if I can really steal Mom's car, is it? But...god, what am I gonna do?

She sat there for a few moments, hugging her knees and taking deep breaths while she tried to figure out what to do. Finally, she slipped down from her bed and crawled over to where the phone lay on the floor, sitting on the floor and leaning back against the edge of the bed as she dialed the first number that came to mind.

"Yukito? It's Cassie. Erin just called me, and I know she called you too. She needs help, Yukitokun. She's in trouble, and you need to do something. I can't. You can." She took a shuddering breath and closed her eyes. "Please, Yukito." She hung up without another word.

She stared at the phone for a few minutes before opening it again and calling Kagayaki. "Aidousan?" she said breathlessly. "It's Cassie. Sorry to wake you up, but...Erin just called and she's drunk and in trouble and I don't know what to do to help and I can't do anything and...and..." Cassie couldn't stop the tears of worry from running down her cheeks, landing softly on the fabric of her pajama pants. Oh, Erin... Slowly, she let the phone slip out of her hand and land softly on the rug beside her as she cried quietly, hugging her knees to her chest and burying her head in her arms.

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

Yukito had already driven to most of the bars on Bourbon Street, his eyes scanning for any telltale signs - a group of people obviously underage, smiling nervously as they hoped to be let through - which they would be. He gripped the steering wheel more tightly, the dried bits of blood on his knuckles making his hands stiff. He'd narrowed down the possible hang outs Erin could have gotten into pretty fast, unfortunately knowing the best places to look. He stopped at several places, and searched every room with loud, blaring music of the sort he'd heard in the background when Erin called him. The awful, half bubblegum-pop, half wanna-be rock stuff that he avoided whenever possible.

Each place felt like it wasn't right. Erin wasn't there. He felt like he would know she was there, even if he couldn't see her at first. Was that really lame of him, thinking it would be easy to find her? He stared off down the street at the few options left, struck by his reflection in the glass. He'd been a mess the night before, when he'd come to talk to Erin. He'd looked awful after no sleep and nothing to eat since he couldn't remember when, and he looked worse now, sporting a thick fat lip on the right side of his face and an oval bruise now a lovely array of colors.

He went back in and double-checked the last place, the name of which he didn't bother to remember. The guy at the door let him past with a long look. When he got back to the car, he noticed his phone on the passenger seat was ringing.

"Hello?" he said, hoping Cassie had some information on Erin's whereabouts. He was hoping she'd say, 'April Fools! Erin's safe and she's here with me. We just thought we'd mess with you!' or something like that. His meager hopes were dashed by the concern note in Cassie's voice.

"Yukito? It's Cassie. Erin just called me, and I know she called you too. She needs help, Yukitokun. She's in trouble, and you need to do something. I can't. You can." he heard her take a shaky breath, "Please, Yukito."

"I'm out looking for her now, Cassiechan. I think I can find her. I'll call if anything changes. You just sit tight." he started the car again, and added, "Do me a favor and call Aidousan. Let him know what's going on for me." He'd meant to call but was hoping he would have found Erin before he'd had a chance to explain things. That was what he was hoping.

The next place had a promising looking group meandering around, trying to look like they belonged. Yukito looked right through them and slid inside, knowing he wouldn't be tagged. The music blared into his ears, and the sound of many voices laughing and falling over each other irritated him to no end, as his heart was thudding in his chest like war drums and his eyes scanned the room quickly, wondering if he would see her.

There. His eyes did a double-take at Erin, who from across the room was looking too wasted to know the difference between up and down, smiling as one of the guys from her band was wrapping his arms around her, a hopeful smile playing on his lips as well.

"Erin!" he bellowed across the room, unheard. He shoved his way through the crowd until he was close enough to lay a rough hand on the guy. Trent. "Get. Back." he demanded, then turned to Erin.

"Erin, let's go. You need to go home."

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

Out of nowhere she felt the separation from Trent, only afterward noticing that it was because someone else had pulled him away. "Get. Back," came the short, cold command, and, unaware that it wasn't directed to her, Erin muttered, "I didn't do nothin'..."

"Last time I checked, she wasn't your girlfriend anyway," she heard Trent protest, and glanced over curiously at him and the disgruntled face he was making. What did being anyone's girlfriend or not have anything to do with anything? "Maybe if you'd appreciated what you'd had, we all wouldn't be here right now," Trent said, tone low, before walking away to where Erin couldn't see.

"Erin," she heard, and she looked up at the sound of her name. Yukito! she realized, eyes lighting up in glee. "Let's go. You need to go home."

By way of response, Erin leapt up from where she had been sitting and, loosing her balance, more fell into Yukito than her intended hug. Still, her arms were around his neck and she was next to him, a genuine smile changing her face. "Yuyukun! You're here!" she exclaimed through excited laughter. "Omigod, I can't believe you're here!" For a second she stared at him intently, trying to focus on his face. "You look different," she slurred, then dropping her head to his shoulder. "I can't go home. 'Cause my parents'll kill me. 'N' I don't wanna go'ome, Yuyukun. I wanna stay here with you. I miss you. I love you." Erin paused, burying her face in Yukito's shoulder as she mumbled, "I feel a li'l woozy..."

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"Get. Back,"

"Last time I checked, she wasn't your girlfriend anyway," Trent responded with a look, "Maybe if you'd appreciated what you'd had, we all wouldn't be here right now,"

Before Yukito had time to stop himself, he found his fist making sharp contact with Trent's face, and dull crack resounding when his knuckles met the guy's nose. Yukito let out a hiss and cradled his hand, which wasn't responding to his demands through the white-hot rush of pain. "Shutup and stay away from her." he growled.

"Erin," he said, ignoring his hand and focusing on her instead. It felt better, then. "Let's go. You need to go home."

He was nearly thrown backwards when Erin jumped up and, her head too dizzy to help maintain her balance at the sudden change of altitude, she fell roughly into his chest, her arms around his neck, a huge smile on her face. "Yuyukun! You're here!" she exclaimed through excited laughter. "Omigod, I can't believe you're here!"

Yukito, stiff from the shock and the pain, relaxed enough to send her a little smile. "You look different," she stated simply, then dropping her head to his shoulder. He could breathe now that she was with him, and he wasn't worrying where she could be, or who she was with. Plus, he'd missed her, too. "I can't go home. 'Cause my parents'll kill me. 'N' I don't wanna go'ome, Yuyukun. I wanna stay here with you. I miss you. I love you." Yukito felt his chest clench. He wanted to say it back to her, but didn't know if it was just the drinks talking. If she really wanted him to keep saying he loved her, and missed her, and wanted her back more than anything. "I feel a li'l woozy..."

He thought about this problem for a second, sure that her dad, at least, wouldn't take very kindly to his daughter being out partying all night long doing who knows what, and would probably be all for locking her up in her room until the next ice age rolled by. "You can come over to my house, Erin. My mom won't be back until tomorrow morning anyways..." he frowned, "She's out with dad. You can tell your parents you stayed with Cassie or something. Come on." He nearly picked her up and carried her out to make sure she didn't trip on her own feet, but settled for having his arm around her, the other hand pushing their way outside to fresher air.

He didn't say much as they loaded up in the car, but he buckled her seatbelt for her - glad for an option to restrain her, unsure of what she would try and do while utterly intoxicated - and offered her a little ironic smile as he started the engine. "You sure know how to get yourself into messes, don't you?" was all he found himself able to say.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Maybe if you'd appreciated what you'd had, we all wouldn't be here right now."

Erin watched as if she'd turned on the TV and caught the middle of a show, not fazed when Yukito smashed his fist into Trent's face, the latter thrown back from his lack of readiness and the heavy force. "Shutup and stay away from her," ordered Yukito, and Trent gingerly touched where Yukito's fist had made contact. His nose now bleeding, Trent cast a glare over Yukito before adding, "The only reason I'm not fighting back is because I don't wanna get kicked out over some sorry, vengeful ex. I owe you."

Erin didn't notice where he went after that, but he left.

"Erin, let's go. You need to go home," Yukito said to her, and in a rush of delight at his presence, Erin tumbled into him. "Yuyukun! You're here! Omigod, I can't believe you're here!"

Erin lifted her eyes up to him and Yukito smiled softly. "You look different," she decided, then dropped her head to his shoulder, the familiar spot more comforting than she'd remembered. "I can't go home," she explained, recalling what he'd just told her. "'Cause my parents'll kill me. 'N' I don't wanna go'ome, Yuyukun. I wanna stay here with you. I miss you. I love you." Burying her face in his shirt, breathing in the familiar scent, she mumbled in addition, "I feel a li'l woozy..."

"You can come over to my house, Erin." She looked up at him at his suggestion, blinking a few times in rapid succession. "We can do that!" she said, tone awe-filled. "My mom won't be back until tomorrow morning anyways... She's out with dad. You can tell your parents you stayed with Cassie or something. Come on." Erin thought that actually sounded like a really, really good plan-- no downside for Cassie, right? And she'd get to be with Yukito. "Okay," she conceded breezily, clinging to him like a lifeline as Yukito pulled his arm around her and walked with her outside, Erin only vaguely aware of her own unsteady feet. "'M'all stumbly," she observed with a chortle. "It's not fair."

Reluctant to let go of him as Yukito left her in the passenger's seat, Erin's smile resurfaced as he fastened the seatbelt on her side, because he was so close. She sighed happily. I love you.

Now sitting beside her and behind the wheel, she felt her smile broaden under Yukito's eyes. "You sure know how to get yourself into messes, don't you?"

Erin looked at him curiously for a second. "Huh?" Then, "Oooh," and she trailed off the sound in giggles, leaning over as the seat belt would allow to rest her head on Yukito's shoulder. "You smell good," she muttered, then, after a short moment of silence, Erin recalled what had just happened inside. "You hurt my friend. That's not nice, Yuyukun," she chided jokingly, pointing an unstable finger in his direction. Already finished with that topic, Erin shifted her position so that her head lay against the passenger window. "Yuyukun? I love you. You said you still loved me, right? Do you still love me, too? I want you to..."

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

He was acutely aware of the huge smiles and happy sighs Erin was sending his way, and somehow felt embarrassed and flattered by it, as well as a little guilty. She's totally out of it. I just have to think of that. "You sure know how to get yourself into messes, don't you?"

She sent him a confused look, as if she had been distracted by something else and hadn't heard him."Huh?" She let out a "Oooh," with a giggle fade out effect. He didn't know how to react as she leaned over as far as the seat belt would allow so she could lay her head on his shoulder. "You smell good," she murmured. Yukito closed his eyes with a pained look. Before he could make himself silent - maybe it was the lack of sleep that was making him so impulsive - he found himself whispering, "You smell wonderful, Erin."

"You hurt my friend. That's not nice, Yuyukun," she pointed a finger at him accusingly, and he couldn't help but smile a little at that. But he couldn't find anything to reply with. Sorry? I'd do it again in a heartbeat because he was two seconds from totally taking advantage of you? She shifted on the seat as they took off, and Yukito had to carefully avoid the crowd of overtly-easy-going teens as they hung around the shimmering Volvo. "Yuyukun? I love you. You said you still loved me, right? Do you still love me, too? I want you to..."

A long period of silence. Yukito stared ahead at the road, pretending to be very focused on not hitting any of a crowd of party-goers crossing the street. I can't just not answer her. She won't remember this tomorrow anyways, right? Might as well practice being an honest jerk, instead of a dishonest jerk. Crap, my hand is sore.

"I'll always love you, Erin. I don't love easy, and I don't change easy. So you're pretty much stuck with me loving you." he said this with a solemn expression, glancing over at her and unable to keep the sad look from his eyes. "I love you more than anyone."

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Yuyukun?" voiced Erin, occupying herself with all the goings-on outside her window. The Quarter was like New York-- the city that never sleeps, or at least this part. Or maybe that was Seattle... sleepless, right? I think... "I love you. You said you still loved me, right? Do you still love me, too? I want you to..."

It seemed like forever before Yukito answered her back-- so long, she'd thought that maybe she'd only thought all that in her head, and hadn't said a word to Yukito. And then finally, "I'll always love you, Erin."

The frank explanation reached Erin clear as crystal, or at least she hoped she'd heard right, because what he'd said was just what she'd hoped and prayed and dreamed to hear so many times, all those times when she thought she'd screwed something up to make him hate her. When she thought that he'd started loosing interest in her after she told him why she hated school so much- why she was no good at it. When she cried over imagining the beautiful, smart girl that he really wanted finally in his arms. Those times and so many more, Erin had ached to hear that. And now, even though she still felt woozy and not really the most attentive listener, that affirmation struck an eager chord within her. Erin lifted her head off the window and sat up, leaning towards him earnestly to catch his next words. Each word would be precious, and there was no way she would miss them just because she'd had a couple of drinks on an empty stomach.

"I don't love easy, and I don't change easy. So you're pretty much stuck with me loving you." For a second, Erin sat there, watching him, dumbfounded as he glanced in her direction. As her mind processed the significance of his words, the elation spread from deep within to overflow onto her face, a genuine and delighted smile as she felt, as cheesy as the expression was and she would have mocked it any other time-- that her heart soared. "I love you more than anyone."

"Really?" she responded, profound admiration for the amazing, brilliant guy not six inches away from her painted across her face. "Even though I'm stupid and do stupid things 'n' disappoint you? Even though I'm not... I'm not smart like you, or rich... 'r'very good at anythin' much'r... anythin' like that....?" Unable to attack him with a fiercely joyful hug like every ounce of her wanted to do--stupid seat belt!-- Erin nudged her head on his shoulder, one arm wrapped around the top of his right arm, close to the joint. "I love you, too! I do, so much." And even though she couldn't stop smiling, tears welled in her eyes, and she didn't feel embarrassed or weakened by them. "'Cause, really, I kept thinkin' after you left, and this's why I was so confused, but now it's okay, 'cause you really love me... I was thinkin' how, like... if you love someone really, that you'll take 'em as they are, with all the stupid screw-ups and all that, but then you also love 'em so much that you wanna see 'em get better and better, and then maybe they'll stop some of that old stuff and be better 'cause of you, and then they do the same for you, and it all... works... like that.... you know?" She trailed off, having lost her train of thought, not finishing at all the way it had sounded in her head earlier in the day when she'd thought it for the eighteenth time.

Her hand dropped from around Yukito's arm and she sat back upright, though not entirely without swaying a little, and absently played with a loose strand of hair. "I want you to hold me again," she murmured. "I wanna hold your hand and kiss you in the rain and know I'm yours..." She looked over at Yukito, hoping he would again tell her what she so wanted to hear-- that he wanted that, too. And that everything would be okay, because they would be together just like they always should have been. "Yu... Yuyukun?"