I heard the music before I saw the house, which is impressive considering how huge it is. When Longtail and I turned the corner we were greeted the sight of a mansion that seemed to glow under the moonlight, lights spilling out from every window. The closer we got the louder the music became and the more and more my nerves were replaced by excitement. I ran ahead of Longtail and thrust open the front door, only to be punched in the face by a blast of no-longer muffled beats. Any courage I'd been hoping to feign to impress Tigerclaw flew away, all I could do was stand in the doorway and stare in awe. There must've been hundreds of people in the main hall alone, so many of them I didn't even recognize. From time to time I'd get a glimpse of Mousefur or Runningwind (ugh) or some other classmate but for the most part everyone was not only a stranger but definitely Tigerclaw's age or older. Not like old old but like early 20s or something. If I showed any indication of hesitation, Longtail definitely didn't. He took one look around and shot off in some random direction. I laughed and cursed under my breath in response.

The house looked so much more different than the last time I was here. Then again, that had been a while ago, and the house hadn't been filled with this many people. But this was so much more fun! The voices of Fergie and Q-Tip flooded my ear drums and pretty soon I was dancing my fucking heart out, not caring who I bumped into or if I looked like an idiot of whose drink I spilled…

Drinks! Holy shit Tigerclaw had alcohol!

Oh shit, Tigerclaw was here.

Because this was his house.

I was in his house for a party he had thrown for me.

The initial novelty of the situation had briefly distracted me from that guy and where I was. As if on cue, I stopped dancing and looked up to see Tigerclaw staring down at the people below. While the room of the second floor remained hidden from everyone down here, an indoor open-air balcony formed a semicircle around the main hall, stopping only for the front walls and the grand staircase that led up to it. Despite more people being up there on Tigerclaw's level (although admittedly there were much less than there were down here) he was easy to find. Our eyes met and the left corner of his mouth curled up into a knowing smirk. My heart skipped a beat and I hastily made my way to the stairs, ducking below swinging arms and avoiding jostling bodies.

Tigerclaw was ready to meet me at the top of the stairs. Neither of us said anything for a few seconds, as if we were waiting for the sound of the music and the cheerful yelling to die down. Looking at him I suddenly felt waaay under dressed. Of course nobody else here was wearing anything special, and really neither was Tigerclaw, but his hair was combed and slightly gelled and sometimes that's all it takes. "Are you enjoying yourself?" He finally asked.

I nodded and laughed, feeling a wild mix of happiness, relief, and surprise. "I can't believe you did all this for me! Like… holy shit." Tigerclaw shrugged, his expression the same. "I mean…" I was still at a loss for words, "Who even are all these people? There's no way that many people from our school would show up for something for me…"

Tigerclaw's smirk turned into more of a knowing smile as he nodded, "Yeah, you're right." Seeing my slightly hurt expression, he put his hand on my arm comfortingly and said, "Not that you don't deserve this, Darkstripe, but I know that you don't…" he thought for a moment, "…have a lot of friends. And that's their fault, not yours. Who wouldn't want to be around you?" My smile broadened and I tilted my head down slightly so that he wouldn't see me blushing. When I looked up again, Tigerclaw still hadn't taken his eyes off me. "But the people here who know you are here for you and they know it. And I'm here for you."

"And Longtail's here too," I cut in before registering that last thing he said. "He just disappeared the second he got here," Tigerclaw took his hand away and nodded.

"Have fun, Darkstripe," he smiled at me again before turning away and heading back the direction he'd come from. I stood there for a second longer, a little disappointed that he hadn't stayed with me, but I brushed it off. This was my party at Tigerclaw's house!

Once I made it back downstairs I heard some muffled shouting and looked around to find the sound. From where I was standing I could just make out the sight of the pool through the back windows. I caught a glimpse of Longtail doubling over in laughter before falling into the pool. I was just about to join him when I heard someone call my name.

Runningwind was waving me over from where he was standing over a cooler full of beer cans. "Hey Darkstripe! Heads up!" I barely had time to react before a shiny silver can came flying at my head. I caught it, cracked it open, took a big gulp, and immediately spat it out.

"Holy shit!" I yelled in disgust as Runningwind laughed wildly and took another drink from his own beer. "It's bitter!" The other boy just kept laughing and pretty soon I was laughing too. The sheer atmosphere drove me to down the bitter liquid in a matter of minutes and I was reaching for another one when something caught my eye (it felt like a lot of things were catching my eye tonight, but how could that be avoided on a night like tonight?). It was Poppydawn. She was standing uncomfortably against a wall, trying to avoid eye contact with the monstrous guy looming over her. I mean, he wasn't all that tall compared to me, but he was sure as hell taller than 5' 1" Poppydawn and definitely twice as muscular as me (that wasn't saying much, but still).

I hated doing shit for other people, and I didn't really care about Poppydawn that much, but something about that guy reminded me of… someone… I couldn't put my finger on it. But I didn't like him.

I couldn't make out what either of them was saying over the music, but I got there just in time to see him reach for Poppydawn's arm, much like Tigerclaw had done with me. Poppydawn tried to shrug him off but he wasn't about to let go. "Hey," I said, making him turn around. I instantly regretted it; the guy was 19, maybe 20, but his hair was full on silver and his eyes were a dull gray; a faint scar cut across his cheek. Honestly I'd been expecting to see Blackfoot, or someone else who was a pain in the ass but who I'd beaten down before and could fight again. But this guy was different.

"Can I help you?" He asked, clearly annoyed. I couldn't care less about what Poppydawn thought of me, but there was no way I was going to be leaving Tigerclaw's house in disgrace.

"Yeah, I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch her like that. Or any way, really," I added hastily, seeing as her expression was still one of fear.

The guy turned his full attention to me now, letting go of Poppydawn's arm. I was sure he was going to tell me to fuck off, but whatever it was he was going to say he stopped himself as if he had suddenly thought better of it. Instead, he said, "Are you Darkstripe?"

"Yeah," I replied, not sure if I should keep up my try at intimidation or allow my confusion to show.

The guy smirked, shook his head, and walked away. I was even more confused than before.

"Thanks," Poppydawn looked at me gratefully. I nodded, not quite sure how to respond other than a mumbled "No problem." Before I could turn to go, she stepped forward and hugged me. I hugged her back awkwardly, oddly glad that I had intervened and that she was safe. After we had separated we stood together in silence until I finally nodded at her and headed back to the throng of people enjoying my party.

I had promised myself I wouldn't get tired, but hours passed, and pretty soon I was starting to feel it. I searched the crowd for Tigerclaw to tell him that I was going, but there was no sight of him. I was just about to head for the door when I caught a glimpse of him near the back of the room. He slipped around a corner just as I got close enough to call to him. I followed a fast walk and was gathering the breath to yell goodbye when what I saw made me freeze. He was there at the end of the hall, but he wasn't alone. With him was a girl about his height, her long blond hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, breasts nearly spilling out of her shirt. His left hand was on her thigh, his right hand caressing her cheek. She wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled at something he had whispered to her. There wasn't as much light in the corridor as there had been in the main hall, but I recognized her as another senior from our school, Goldenflower. I turned away, feeling numb, wanting to feel confused at what I just saw but knowing perfectly well there was no way I could trick myself into ignorance.

Without acknowledging anyone else or calling my goodbyes, I headed for the door. I thought for a second about getting Longtail, but I figured if he hadn't already left by now someone would give him a ride.

The night air was cool on my face and even though no one could see me I still did my best not to cry. Instead I began to walk to my house in fast, angry strides with my head down low. "Darkstripe!" A voice called out just as I got to the end of the drive way. I whipped around, expecting to see a frantic Longtail, but instead it was Tigerclaw. I froze, not sure if I should wait for him as he walked toward me, or start sprinting home. I waited.

"Darkstripe," Tigerclaw got to me and hugged me. I was trying to find the energy to hug him back, but that energy had been spent waiting for him. "You're going already? Did you have fun?" I nodded solemnly. I didn't look at him, knowing that if I did I'd no doubt start crying. I don't know how he knew, but Tigerclaw seemed to connect the dots. "Hey, Goldenflower was drunk," he said calmly, "She was flirting with me and I flirted back a little just to get her to go away. Nothing happened and nothing is going to happen. She's a whore anyway, my standards are higher than that." I wanted to believe him, but I couldn't, could I? I could, I decided once I looked him in the eyes. I did.

He kissed me and I kissed him back, all doubts and thoughts of Goldenflower gone. This time was even more exciting than the first under the stairs- now we were together under the stars. Tigerclaw ran his fingers through my hair and kissed me one more time before pulling away. He said nothing, only smiled and winked, before heading back to the house. New energy flooded through me and I was ready to follow him and continue the night, but I knew if I went back after making such a show of leaving I'd just be embarrassing myself.

When I was only a few streets away from my house, I saw a dark figure stumbling along the empty roads, illuminated only by a few flickering street lamps. I did my best to avoid him, but there was little cover among the scraggly bushes and cracked sidewalks. Keeping my head down, I shoved my hands in my pockets and picked up the pace as I neared him- but in the end, he saw me anyway. "Hey! Boy!" He yelled.

I walked over to where he stood swaying under a street lamp and instantly took a step back. The man smelled as if he hadn't showered and years, and he looked like it too. His hair was long, greasy, and matted, his clothes baggy and torn and brown. He clutched a near empty bottle in one hand that stank of booze. He was basically just a stereotypical drunken hobo and I couldn't say I was really surprised to see him. After all, my neighborhood was nothing to brag about. "'The hell do you want?" I asked, unafraid but still a little leery of the drunken idiot.

The man got up real close to my face, so close that I could see every chip in his yellowing teeth and every scar that far outdid those of Poppydawn's "admirer". "You- you ever-" the man stuttered and laughed at his own voice, "You ever killed a man before?" He didn't wait for an answer before shouting to the sky, "I killed twenty!" The man erupted into hysterical laughter that ended up in a sort of wheezing cough. It was clear to me that this asshole had nothing to say to me, other than his delusional rambling. I continued my walk back home, trying to ignore his shouts behind me. "'Ol' Brokenstar!' they said! 'Better watch out or he'll cut your eyes right out!'" He laughed and wheezed again, "Boy! Hey boy!" I turned around again out of sheer compulsion. "Come and… come meet me downtown at uhh… at uh 29th street! You'll find me! I can get you a gun! Maybe a knife!" He laughed yet again, as if he'd just told the funniest joke in the world. "Everyone's afraid of ol' Brokenstar!" The words were barely distinguishable through his wheezing. I ran the rest of the way home, more annoyed than scared, but wanting to remember this night just for its greatness rather than its craziness.

AN: Yes the chapter's ending's a little random and arguably a little weak, but it comes back later...