“Oh, man, remember the time when we spray painted your mom’s car?” Brian broke into yet another fit of laughter as he fell off her chair onto the floor. Kevin watched in amusement as his cousin turned red-faced from lack of oxygen.

“Man, you two were insane!” AJ laughed, trying to catch his breath.

“Were they always that bad?” Howie asked Kevin after he’d calmed down a little from laughing. Kevin nodded.

“Yep. The regular Bobsey Twins,” Kevin answered, yawning and stretching out on top of Kristin on Kassy’s black leather loveseat.

“Hey, c’mon!” Kassy protested, smiling. “We had our sane moments.”

“Yeah,” Brian said in their defense, still laughing, “give us some credit.” Wiping the tears out of his eyes, he turned to his friends, who were placed throughout Kassy’s living room. “Yes, Kassy and I did rein our share of terror, but usually, we were the regular schools kids. I was captain of the basketball team-“

“And I still whipped your *ss,” Kassy piped up, before collapsing into a fit of giggles. Smiling wryly, Brian tickled her a little, then put his hands on her shoulders in order to calm her down. Taking a deep breath, she laid down on the floor, putting her head on his outstretched legs.

“Kassy was in all of the plays,” he continued, stroking her hair away from her face. “Mostly the musicals. She had a wonderful voice.”

“Had is the keyword there,” she stated, closing her eyes. “Brian hit her lightly on the shoulder before continuing stroking her hair.

“She never believed that no matter how hard we tried to convince her, huh, Kevin?”

“Never,” Kevin agreed, smiling down at Kassy. Even with her eyes closed and her mouth relaxed, he could tell she was happy with her head on Brian’s thigh.

“Really? What plays were you in?” AJ asked, interested.

“Musical’s or drama?” Kassy asked, never opening her eyes. “There was one of each every year.”

“Both.”

“In tenth grade, I was Anita in West Side Story and just a minor role in the Crucible and in junior year, I was Rose in Meet Me In St. Louis and Anne in the Diary of Anne Frank. In senior year, I really went out with a bang.” Brian laughed.

“Why? What happened?” Nick asked, from his upside down position on the sofa.

“I first started out as Cosette in Les Miserables and then I played Portia in Merchant Of Venice. That was the most difficult play the high school ever did because the language was so hard to learn. It turned out great.”

“Spectacular,” Brian corrected. Her eyes still closed, Kassy’s hand flung out and hit him on the shoulder. “Well, it was!”

“It really was, Kas,” Kevin said. Kassy blushed.

“Thanks, guys, but it really did take a lot of hard work.” She grinned. “Also, remind me never to save Mickey’s *ss from a knife again. It would have been so much fun to watch him die.” Laughing, Kevin looked up at Kristin, who smiled down at him. Yawning, she looked at her watch and her eyes widened.

“Guys, it’s 3AM,” she informed them. “Don’t you have a picture shoot tomorrow?” All five of them groaned in unison.

“It’s too late to drive home,” Howie objected, sliding off the couch and onto the floor with a thud.

“SLUMBER PARY!!!!” AJ cheered, leaping off the floor and tackling Howie. Screaming in protest, Howie shoved him friend off, brushing his long hair back from his face when he’d finally broken free. Kassy yawned and turned on her side, her head still on Brian’s thigh. Smiling, Brian put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

“Guys,” Kristin warned, “you’d better ask Kas if you can stay over before she falls asleep.” Within five seconds, AJ had crawled across the floor on his hands and knees and stuck his face in Kassy’s.

“Can we stay, Kas?” he begged. “Please! Please please please please pl-“ One of her eyes opened, forming a slit, and she giggled sleepily.

“Yeah, you can stay,” she said. “Kev, you and Kris can have on of the guest rooms. Whoever wants to can share the other one. If two of you want to share my room, I’ll take the couch down here-“

“We’re not taking your room,” Kevin said, sternly.

“It’ll be perfectly fine down-“

“No.” This time, it was AJ who protested. Shrugging slightly, Kassy’s one eye closed again. “How about D and I share the guest room,” he suggested to the others. “It’s big enough for someone to sleep on the floor as well.”

“You take the floor with them, Nick,” Brian suggested. He looked down at Kassy, who had drifted off the sleep. “I’ll take Kassy upstairs and then find somewhere to sleep.”

“You sure, Bri?” Nick asked. Nodding, he motioned for them to head up the stairs. Sleepily, they all complied. Kevin and Kristin were the last to get up. When they reached the bottom of the steps. Kevin turned to her.

“Kris, go ‘head up,” he said, softly. “I’ll be up in a sec.” Nodding, she kissed his cheek.

“Night, Brian,” she said, before heading up the stairs. Kevin turned to his cousin, who had just started lifting the sleeping girl in his arms.

“You’re gonna stay with her.” It was more of a statement than a question. Brian nodded. “Please, cous, don’t start anything you’re not willing to finish. For her sake.”

“I’m not starting anything,” Brian said, defensively, cradling Kassy in his arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think you do.” Kevin’s words hung in the air as he made his way up the steps. Brian followed a few moments later and kicked the door to Kassy’s room open. Walking in, he gently laid her on the bed.

Looking around the room, he smiled. It resembled everything about Kassy. It had candles lining the room, and a lantern sitting on the cherry-wood dresser. There was a doorway was covered with wooden beads which led to her workroom, containing a computer, printer, scanner, etc, and all of her papers.

Once a net girl, always a net girl, Brian thought, though he knew it wasn’t entirely true. Though Kassy liked to spend much of her spare time on the internet, it was only spare time. She loved the outdoors. From all of the naturalistic items in her room-green walls, a tiny waterfall in one corner, a metal fountain in another, etc. – it was obvious that she loved nature.

“Brian?” Brian looked down to see Kassy looking up at him, only half awake. He smiled down at her and sat on the bed next to her, kissing her forehead. “What are you doing?”

“Putting you to bed, now, shh. You’re tired. Sleep.” She only looked at him. “Is it alright if I sleep next to you like we used to?” Kassy nodded and her eyes followed him as he walked around the bed and climbed in next to her. Taking her hand in his, he squeezed it tight before letting go. He watched her as she closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.