"So," Mason clears his throat as he pulls the keys out of the ignition after parking the car in the driveway of my house.

"What so you wanna do now?" He looks at me with something in his eyes I can't place.

We had just seen the new Passengers movie together. It was amazing – well according to me. Mason thought it was loud and stupid. Too unrealistic for his tastes.

I love movies like that though. Movies where the impossible happens. Aren't they the only way we can escape reality and watch what another world could be like?

"Do you wanna come in?" I ask.

He bites the side of his mouth, "And do what?"

I shrug, "Watch Netflix?"

"Okay," he nods, "But first," he smirks and leans in closer to me, placing his lips on mine.

I kiss him back and put my hands on each side of his face. He pulls my body onto his lap, eager for more.

His hands run through my hair, messing it up. Just as one of his hands slip under my shirt, someone knocks on the window.

We instantly pull apart and I look out the window, and see my brothers smirking face.

"Joey!" I open the door and climb off of Mason, then wrap my arms around him. Ignoring the embarrassment I feel from what he just saw.

"Hey, little sis," he says into my hair.

"What are you doing here?" I pull away and look at him, a huge smile on my face.

"I've missed you and mother dearest."

I throw my arms around him again, "I missed you too."

Me and Joey have always been close siblings, give and take a couple of arguments. He's like my best friend. And he's always been popular at school, so he looked out for me. He was also the one who helped me through what happened with Nora, my ex-best friend and my ex-boyfriend.

"Oh," I let him go and turn around to Mason who's out of the car now, standing with his hands in his pockets, "This is Mason."

"Yeah, I remember you," Joey says as he looks at Mason curiously. "So, what, are you guys dating?"

"Yeah," Mason nods.

"Hmm," he raises an eyebrow at me, "I wasn't expecting you guys to end up together."

"Yeah, well she got pranked in front of the full school and what can I say, I fell in love," Mason laughs.

Love?

Oh God.

I can't say I love Mason. I mean, I really like him and I love having him in my life because he makes me happy and is probably the most positive thing in my life, but I'm not sure about love. I've never been in love to know what it feels like, so who knows. Maybe I am.

"Who pranked you?" Joey laughs.

Glad you find it funny.

"Zeke Blakely," Mason answers for me.

Joey laughs again, "Legend," he whispers.

That's what Zeke called himself the day it happened.

I shove Joey's shoulder, "Shut up. It was embarrassing."

"High school is just a journey of insecurity and embarrassment. Get over it," he teases. "Now, why are we standing in the driveway? Can we go inside?"

I nod and turn to Mason, "Do you still wanna come in?"

Joey chuckles but I ignore it.

"Nah, we can uh, watch netflix another time."

I nod, "Okay."

Joey laughs again.

I say goodbye to Mason and he gets in his car and drives off, then Joey and I walk inside. We sit in the living room for a while, catching up and playing Fifa like we used to.

Then the doorbell rings.

"Finally, that pizza dude is taking forever," Joey groans.

"Joey, it's been ten minutes," I laugh and get up, walking to the door.

When I open it, I frown. It's not the pizza guy. It's Zeke.

"You look delighted to see me," he leans against the doorframe with a smirk.

"I thought you were food."

"I am, princess," he winks and walks past me and into my house.

"What are you doing here?"

"You see, that," he points to me, "I cannot explain."

"Huh?" I raise my eyebrows. He is so confusing.

"I've been restless, feeling all shitty inside but I don't know why. Then I had to come here."

I look at him blankly, "What?"

"Where's Mason?"

"He dropped me off about an hour ago."

"What's taking so long-" Joey comes out of the living room, "Zeke."

"Jones," Zeke's face lights up and they do their handshake hug guy thing.

"How've you been, dude?"

"Shit," Zeke says with a smiley face, "How's college working out?"

Joey shrugs, "I'm failing everything, but the parties are good."

Zeke laughs, "Man I fucking miss you being at parties here."

Wow I didn't know my brother was friends with the asshole.

"There's one tonight. You need to come," Zeke insists.

"A high school party?" Joey screws up his face in disgust before breaking into a smile, "Hell fucking yeah."

I clear my throat so the boys will acknowledge my presence.

"Oh, you should come too, nerd. Since your not hanging out with Mason."

"She would have been doing more than hanging out with him if I wasn't here," Joey cuts in.

Zeke snaps his head round, "What?"

Joey laughs, "I caught her grinding on the dude in his car."

"I was not!"

Zeke stares at the ground for a moment with a a serious expression, before looking up and laughing. "I'm proud of you, nerd."

The doorbell rings, and this time when I open the door it is the delivery guy.

"Money," I shout to Joey.

He scowls and hands me some cash from his back pocket, which I happily take and hand to the guy, then take my pizza to the living room.

"Are you coming to this party, Barnie?" Joey sits beside me and takes a slice of pizza.

"Barnie?" Zeke chuckles and sits down too.

"It's what he's called me since we were really young. He legitimately thought my name was Barnie for about a year before he got older and realised it's Marnie," I explain, "And no, i'm not going."

"Aw, why not? Don't you wanna spend time with your favourite person?" Joey pouts.

"I do, but not at a party. They never end well for me. And i'm always left the babysitter."

"Well, that is your job," Zeke points out.

"But I'm not getting payed to take a drunk idiot home and put him to bed."

"I think sleeping beside me is payment enough."

"Wow, I really have missed a lot. My little sis got a life," Joey squeezes my cheeks and I slap his hands away with a scowl.

"When did you guys become friends?" He asks, "You're both so different."

"I babysit him."

Joey laughs, "You need a babysitter?"

"Damnit, nerd," Zeke groans.

"Why don't you just tell people the reason and it won't be embarrassing?" I take a bite of my pizza slice.

"Because I do not like going around telling everyone that I do drugs – did drugs," he corrects himself.

"You don't do drugs anymore?" Joey raises an eyebrow, "You're gonna be no fun tonight."

"Are you implying that you want to do drugs?" I question my brother.

"No. Zeke was just always funner at the end of the night when he was out his head than he was at the start."

"Gee, thanks dude," Zeke rolls his eyes, "Can we go?"

"Yeah. You sure you don't wanna come, Barnie?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay," Joey kisses my cheek, "Bye bye."

Zeke smirks at the sight as he stands up.

"Don't get drunk!" I shout to Joey as he walks out.

"I won't!"

He did.

After they left, I watched Teen Wolf while eating my almost full pizza since Joey only ate two slices then left, then I studied a little, then watched more TV, and just after Caroline and Klaus did it in the forest in the Vampire Diaries, two drunk idiots stumbled into the living room.

It's a good thing my mom is working the night shift tonight because she probably wouldn't want to come home and see Joey for the first time in months like this.

"That was amazing!" Joey shouts, "Barnie! Look at his face!"

Zeke points at his nose and laughs. There's a large purple bruise on it.

"It feels broken," he laughs and falls down on the couch next to me.

"What happened?" I pause the TV.

"This dude stood on Zeke's foot at the party, and Zeke was like watch it fatass," Joey does a deep voice for his impersonation of Zeke. "Then the guy was like the fuck did you just call me? And Zeke was like I called you a fatass. Then the guy punched him and Zeke beat the shit out him," Joey clutches his stomach as he laughs.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" I say suddenly to Zeke. I touch his nose and he winces and pushes my hand away.

"I'm fineee, baby."

Oh God.

My stomach explodes into butterflies. The feelings so strong I think I might puke. So we're back to this, heart?

"Don't call her that. Mason Conway will fight yo ass," Joey says as he holds up a fist.

"Mason can suck my dick."

"Nah, bro, he'd enjoy it too much."

"Shut up," I roll my eyes at them.

"What do you see in him?" Zeke asks, "He's a total pussy. He can't fight for shit so he acts like the bigger person whenever he gets into shit."

"Or maybe he is just the bigger person?"

"I don't like him," Joey states.

They're annoying me now, "You barely even know him. How can you not like him?"

"He just annoys me. Somethin' about him makes me wanna," Joey struggles for words, "Makes me wanna cut his damn hair."

Zeke laughs, "Same, dude."

I roll my eyes and stand up from the couch, "I'm leaving."

Zeke grabs my hand, "Where are you going?"

"To bed."

"May I join?"

"No."

"But i'm horny," he whines.

"Zeke!" Joey laughs and throws a pillow at him from the other couch. "Don't talk to my sissy like that."

I pull my hand from Zeke's and walk upstairs. I hate boys.

After I put my pajamas on, I lie down in bed, ready to sleep, when my phone rings.

"Hey Zoey," I say into the phone, "How's the party?"

"Um... Marnie," she says in a shaky voice.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" I start to panic.

"I don't know... I," I hear her take a shaky breath, "I saw Cole and... he was kissing another girl."

"Oh my god, Zoe, are you okay?"

"No, Marnie," I hear her sniffle, "It hurts."

"Do you want me to pick you up?"

"Yes please."

I'm not even at the party and I have this role.

Without changing into other clothes, I rush downstairs and into the living room. "Joey, I need to borrow your car."

"Why?"

"I'm going to pick Zoe up. Its an emergency."

He sighs, "You need to get your own car." He reaches into the pocket of his jeans and hands me the keys.

Zoey sends me directions and I drive off to where the party is and find Zoey standing outside waiting for me. She hops into the passenger seat and I notice straight away that there are tears streaming down her face. And Zoey never cries.

"Zoey," I hug her, holding her tight.

"You should have seen it, Marnie," she cries, "He had his hands all over her."

"He's such an idiot," I want to kill Cole for hurting Zoey like this. And the most annoying part is that he has no idea how much it's affected her.

"I don't wanna go home," she says into my shoulder, "My parents will ask me questions."

"That's okay. You can stay with me."

"Thank you. For everything."

"It's fine, you don't need to thank me."

She pulls away and I get a look at her face. It's crimson red with mascara smudged under her eyes.

"Come on, i'll get you some hot chocolate and we can watch teen wolf to cheer you up, okay?"

And she smiles, making me happy. I love making people smile.

When we walk into my house, there is music playing coming from the living room.

"Barnie?" Joey calls, "Is that you? Or is it a burglar?"

"It's me," we stand at the living room doorway.

"Joey? What are you doing here?" Zoey asks.

"Visiting. What's wrong?" He notices her emotional state.

Zoey wipes her eyes, "Boy problems." She sits beside Joey, and I stay at the door. I glance at Zeke and notice he's watching me, a small smile on his lips.

"Who's the guy?" Joey asks.

"Cole. Do you know him? He's such a dick."

"Hey," Zeke points at Zoey with his eyebrows raised, "I'm the only one who can call him a dick."

"What happened?" Joey asks.

"Nothing really... I just saw him with another girl. It's not like we're dating or anything, but..." she shakes her head, looking at her hands.

"Huh, that's weird," Zeke takes a drink from his beer. Him and Joey must have brought them here. "Dude likes you. Talks about you all the time."

"I doubt that."

"It's true. He's like, did you see Zoe's hair today? So sick, and I love how she's not afraid to say what she feels, and some sappy shit like that."

Zoey's lips part, "You're lying," she shakes it off.

"I don't lie."

He doesn't lie but he has a tendency to leave out a lot of stuff. Like when he told me about his dad, he didn't mention all the other stuff about them not liking each other. You gotta be careful around Zeke.

"Marnie? Are you not gonna come in?" Joey asks.

I realise i'm looking at Zeke, and he's looking at me, a smirk on his lips.

"Um," I blink a couple of times and look away, "I'm gonna go make hot chocolate."

Going into the kitchen, I make two cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream on top, then bring them back into the living room and hand one to Zoey.

I sit down beside Zeke. "Wanna know something funny, nerd?" He asks and moves closer to me.

"Sure,"

"Joey's name is Joey, and your mom's name is Joe. Isn't that weird?"

I fake gasp, "I had no idea."

"I used to hate it," Joey states, "But my momma is a strong independent woman and i'm proud to have a name like hers," he punches the air, making me laugh.

Zeke puts his arm around me, "I love your laugh."

I look at him. He looks so happy, his eyes twinkling, "I love your smile," I decide to tell him truthfully.

He does his adorable baby smile from hearing this, "I love-" he whispers and cuts himself off.

"What?"

He then leans into my ear and whispers, "The image of your naked body."

And there I was thinking he was gonna say something cute.

+++

what'd you think about Joey? And what about zeke and his bitch sesh about mason?

teaser: zeke is 'like, realizing stuff'

♔if you guys want to send me anything or you're just interested in seeing some tweets about BTBB, follow my twitter @ exxxyr

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