Caleb rolled his eyes and took the playful shove with a smile. He hung back a bit, but made sure to also stay on her heels. He smiled genuinely at her as she locked eyes with him briefly. He stayed a few feet behind and next to her as she mingled with her friends, listening to her mental voice

Morgan spent a good half hour mingling with her friends, laughing, and chatting before the group began to break up. People started wandering off in different directions, pulled by whatever caught their attention in the moment. A few of them were already tipsy, and Morgan could feel the warm buzz of the vodka shots she’d had earlier. She wasn’t the type to overdo it—she knew her limits all too well after a few too many awkward nights spent in bushes. She enjoyed a drink here and there, just enough to let herself unwind, but never enough to lose control.

She found herself chatting with a random girl for a while, talking about nothing in particular. But even amidst the light chatter, her thoughts kept drifting back to Caleb. Her eyes searched the room for him, a little frantic, until she finally spotted him standing off to the side. He was still there, which meant he hadn’t disappeared into the crowd or gotten swept up in the chaos of the party. It made sense—he didn’t seem like the type to be the life of the party.

Morgan couldn’t help but find that endearing. He was a little different from everyone else, and that only made him more intriguing. He was quiet, a little reserved, but friendly enough, and undeniably attractive. She’d seen him around with friends before, though it didn’t seem like he was particularly close to any of them. He should have been more popular, by all accounts. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but maybe he was just too quiet to stand out. It was funny—she’d been at this school for months, and it was only in the past few days that she’d even spoken to him.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she turned back toward him, feeling a playful spark of mischief in the air. She strode over to Caleb, a little tipsy but confident, and lightly patted his chest. “Are you not going to...?” she trailed off, pretending to forget what she was saying. She pouted at him dramatically, her eyes sparkling with a touch of drunken fun. “Are you not going to have anything?” she asked with a small giggle, as if it were the most important question in the world.

Before Caleb could answer, her attention wandered again, and she found herself swept into a conversation with a group of guys she didn’t really know. They were funny, teasing her with jokes that made her laugh more than she probably should have. A couple of her friends were hanging around them too, so they couldn’t be that bad, right? Morgan loved how easily she could slip from one group to the next, a smile always ready and the ability to make anyone feel welcome. But even as she engaged with the new faces around her, her mind occasionally flickered back to Caleb, making sure he was in sight. If he wanted to get involved then he could. She could help with that too, she was sure of it.

Caleb hung back, the thoughts overwhelming him. He kept a straight face, but only barely. He couldn't stand how many people were thinking of their night's plans with one another. He rolled his eyes at a couple walking out and thinking dirty things. It was wierd how much insight he had, and sometimes a bit disturbing. He lept his eye on Morgan, though really just listening to the guys around her and making sure they weren't thinking of sweeping her away later. He stayed close, but kept his distance. He didn't want to hurt Morgan's reputation as the fun one, so he kept up his as the invisible one. He thought of her as a friend, but he wanted her as more. He had to admit, she was pretty, kind, and bright.

Morgan’s laughter grew louder as the night wore on, her cheeks flushed with a rosy glow. She was definitely getting tipsy now, her movements a little looser, her smile wider, and her words a bit more playful than usual. The group eventually wandered into the living room, where the noise from the crowd blended with the bass-heavy music that seemed to fill every inch of the room. It was one of those moments where everything was loud, chaotic, and intoxicatingly fun.

At some point, Morgan had grabbed Caleb by the arm and pulled him onto the couch next to her. Her grin grew even wider when she shifted to get comfortable. It was like he was hovering on the outside, not quite blending in, and she hated the thought of him just standing on the sidelines. After all, he had brought her here. The least she could do was make sure he enjoyed himself too.

With that thought in mind, she leaned into him a little, resting her legs up on the other guy sitting nearby—what was his name again? Thomas? Tom? She wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter much at that point. He didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he absentmindedly grabbed her thigh, though it seemed more like an automatic gesture than anything meaningful. She didn’t mind, though, too busy focusing on Caleb.

Morgan tilted her head back just enough to glance at him, her eyes softer now as she gave him a playful, gentle pat on the side. “You don’t have to stay, you know,” she murmured, her words a little slurred but still laced with that carefree charm of hers. The last thing she wanted was for Caleb to feel out of place.

She scanned the room with a cheeky grin spreading across her face before looking back at him. “I mean, I’m sure someone here would take me back,” she added, her voice teasing, prompting a chorus of playful nods and excited agreements from across the room. Morgan’s attention flickered back to Caleb, though, as a small, thoughtful frown crossed her face. He looks so uncomfortable, she thought, feeling a little tug of sympathy. She didn’t want him to feel like an outsider if he didn’t have to.

Caleb gave her a small shrug. "I'm fine here with you" He insisted, keeping tabs on the guy holding her thigh. Some people began to trickle out, either heading home or to a more private place to fool around. He grimaced at some of the thoughts and tried to block them out, just trying to focus on Morgan as her thoughts began to become more and more like soup

"Actually it's about time you get back home so your parents don't worry too much." He said to Morgan, glaring at the guy who'd offered. He sat her up and wrapped an arm around her waist protectively, walking her out to the car and placing her in the passenger seat. He closed her door and got into the driver's side, peeling out of the driveway and going to her house. He snuck into the unlocked door, avoiding making noise so he wouldn't wake the sleeping family. He placed Morgan in bed and laid a blanket over her, amking sure she was safe before leaving and getting into his car. He drove home, thinking about her the whole time. He arrived home and avoided his family, walking upstairs to his bed and flopping down. He checked his phone one more time before falling asleep.

Morgan groaned softly when Caleb said it was time to go, her mind still clouded by the drinks, but she slowly sat up, more out of necessity than desire. His arm was around her, a protective gesture that felt comforting, though her mind was too fuzzy to give it much thought. She was probably a little more drunk than she realized, but it didn’t bother her. Caleb seemed steady, his presence grounding her as they made their way out.

The walk back to her house felt like a blur, though she noticed they somehow managed to avoid her family, which was a small miracle in itself. Her siblings wouldn’t care much about her stumbling in with a guy, but her dad would definitely have something to say about it. A strange boy she barely knew, taking his inebriated daughter up to her room? Yeah, that wouldn’t fly. The thought of him probably pacing in the living room, ready to have words with her, almost made her laugh, but she quickly dismissed it.

As soon as they entered her room, Morgan plopped down on her bed with a dramatic sigh, the exhaustion from the night catching up to her all at once. She barely even noticed when Caleb tucked her in, her eyes already closed as sleep overtook her. He was a good guy, she thought faintly before slipping into unconsciousness.

The next morning, Morgan woke up with a start, groaning as the sunlight filtered through her curtains. It was Saturday, thankfully, giving her a bit of time to recover. Surprisingly, she wasn’t hit with the typical hangover she expected, but the events from last night came rushing back in flashes. Her cheeks flushed a little as she remembered the way she’d clung to Caleb, how she’d made a fool of herself with her drunken chatter.

Sighing, she grabbed her phone, already feeling a twinge of regret. She didn’t have Caleb on any social media, but after some quick thinking, she found a few mutual friends who knew him and managed to track him down on Snapchat. She sent him a quick message, her fingers typing faster than her thoughts.

"Hey Caleb, just wanted to say thanks for looking out for me last night and for helping with the work. I really appreciate it. Also, can I get your number? Just in case I need it sometime!"

She read over the message a few times before hitting send, her stomach fluttering slightly in embarrassment at the thought of reaching out to him. She quickly ran a hand over her face, feeling a mix of self-consciousness and curiosity. After all, it wasn’t every day that a guy like Caleb helped her out like that. She wasn’t sure what to expect from him, but he'd been good to her.

With a soft exhale, she shoved her phone aside and went to get changed and showered, hoping it would shake off the lingering sleepiness and make her feel a little more like herself.

Caleb woke the next morning and checked his phone. He smiled when he saw the snap from Morgan. Sure. He sent, sending the number afterwards. Why don't you come over? He offered, sending her his address. He was worried when she wasn't with him