"--and then the captain like, gives this kickass line like 'Looks like you're red in the face' or something like that and throws the commie guy off the chopper! It's awesome man you need to play it."
"Oh yeah, totally, totally man. Listen, I gotta check in on things but good talking to you dude."
"Cool, cool, later Grant."
Things were just warming up at the Grant residence. His parents were out of state for some kind of reunion with his mom's squadmates from her serving days, and that had left Grant with more or less the run of the place. So, he'd done what any self respecting social butterfly would do, and immediately set up a house party. Blanket invites, at least to those that were worth consideration, but with an open 'bring a friend if you want' attached, so maybe a couple of the losers would wind up getting in. There was always the possibility of things getting overcrowded, but Grant had taken precautions and locked away most of the breakables. He was a vet at this; there was gonna be cleanup and he sure as hell didn't want that to involve the shattered pieces of a family heirloom or something.
The early birds were settled already, he'd put out some chips, some generic party food, a bunch of soda, a couple bowls of punch with a bit of extra kick. There was a bunch of alcohol in a cooler, but Grant wasn't exactly advertising that; Gerald had done him a solid and picked up the booze and he didn't want things to get too wild.
Some folks were hanging out in the lounge and a few had spilled outside already. Summertime meant that even as they were getting into evening, it was still warm and bright outdoors. Added touch, Grant had dragged out the big ol' inflatable pool from the basement, dusted and cleaned it off, and then filled it up. Took up a big chunk of the garden, but summer house party, you had to have a pool, right?
After extricating himself from the conversation about some video game he hadn't played and didn't intend to, Grant stepped out the front door. Quieter here, but a couple folks had taken up residence at the picnic table and were lounging around. They looked over and he raised the paper cup of soda he was toting at them.
Music playing, sun shining and the whole night ahead of them.
Yeah, it was gonna be a good one.
I'll Grant You That One
Open -- Mid 2025
Will was one of the nicer kids Matthew Davis knew - perhaps the only decent one of the group he found himself associating with. He probably extended the party invitation just to be nice, and Matt only accepted it just to humor him.
However, Will had neglected to tell him that it was a party at Grant Gault’s house, and that he’d be the only black kid there. Will brushed off his concerns, claiming that “Grant’s a nice guy” and that “the party will be big enough for you to avoid the assholes.” Matt took comfort in knowing Will wasn’t that close with Grant, so he thought he’d be fine sticking ny him the whole night.
But among the things Will neglected to tell him was to bring swimming trunks, and Matt sure as hell wasn’t going to awkwardly hover around the pool as his friend splashed around. He retreated to the most secluded area of the house, leaning against the railing and watched the sun just before it dipped below the horizon.
He tensed up when he noticed the party host wander onto the porch. He’d done well to avoid Grant Gault so far this evening. Matt kept his back to the other boy, silently praying Grant would overlook him.
But deep down, he knew he couldn’t avoid this.
However, Will had neglected to tell him that it was a party at Grant Gault’s house, and that he’d be the only black kid there. Will brushed off his concerns, claiming that “Grant’s a nice guy” and that “the party will be big enough for you to avoid the assholes.” Matt took comfort in knowing Will wasn’t that close with Grant, so he thought he’d be fine sticking ny him the whole night.
But among the things Will neglected to tell him was to bring swimming trunks, and Matt sure as hell wasn’t going to awkwardly hover around the pool as his friend splashed around. He retreated to the most secluded area of the house, leaning against the railing and watched the sun just before it dipped below the horizon.
He tensed up when he noticed the party host wander onto the porch. He’d done well to avoid Grant Gault so far this evening. Matt kept his back to the other boy, silently praying Grant would overlook him.
But deep down, he knew he couldn’t avoid this.
Grant surveyed the street past the front garden for a second, mentally doing some arithmetic. A couple of people had parked there, which was okay for now but was gonna turn into a problem if more people tried to pile in. The neighbourhood was spacious and the house did have its own driveway, but there wasn't exactly a parking lot out front. He'd have to keep an eye out for that, maybe get a couple of his more reliable friends to lend him a hand. Grant had no intention of spending his own party doing traffic control.
So one more look around and he'd head back inside and maybe worry about it laterrroh hi?
Grant didn't really know Matt Davis so well, and the guy hadn't ever really struck him as a party kind of dude. He didn't remember ever seeing him at any other parties, although he could easily have been around the place while Grant was rocking out with his own crew, on account Grant could hardly be blamed for concentrating on his friends and not other randos.
Matt was kind of just chilling on the front porch though, which was pretty random even for a rando, especially when he was just hanging out alone. Grant knew he hadn't invited Matt, which meant someone else must have brought him along, which was whatever. Just seemed weird to be someone's tagalong and then get ditched by the along. Eh. No skin off Grant's nose.
Strolling on up, Grant pushed his shades up onto his head and gave Matt a broad smile. "Hey man. How we doing? Haven't seen you at one of these before." A couple comments cycled through his head but he decided to leave those, since he didn't want to skeeve the guy out by coming on too strong.
That wasn't to say Grant didn't think about likening Matt's presence to popping a cherry though, cause he totally did.
So one more look around and he'd head back inside and maybe worry about it laterrroh hi?
Grant didn't really know Matt Davis so well, and the guy hadn't ever really struck him as a party kind of dude. He didn't remember ever seeing him at any other parties, although he could easily have been around the place while Grant was rocking out with his own crew, on account Grant could hardly be blamed for concentrating on his friends and not other randos.
Matt was kind of just chilling on the front porch though, which was pretty random even for a rando, especially when he was just hanging out alone. Grant knew he hadn't invited Matt, which meant someone else must have brought him along, which was whatever. Just seemed weird to be someone's tagalong and then get ditched by the along. Eh. No skin off Grant's nose.
Strolling on up, Grant pushed his shades up onto his head and gave Matt a broad smile. "Hey man. How we doing? Haven't seen you at one of these before." A couple comments cycled through his head but he decided to leave those, since he didn't want to skeeve the guy out by coming on too strong.
That wasn't to say Grant didn't think about likening Matt's presence to popping a cherry though, cause he totally did.
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Pippi
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So, hey, that punch with a kick? Aside from sounding like something from those MMA programs her brother watched sometimes? More like punch with a roundhouse and also a haymaker thrown in, if your name was Faye Xandora.
Faye took another sip from her red plastic cup and gave a lazy smile as the conversation buzzed around her on the picnic table. It had moved on to a topic she knew absolutely nothing about, but that was okay. She’d pick up on some key word or phrase and instantly bounce back into the topic like… uh… some… bouncy thing. Yeah. Just like she always did, and everyone would laugh at one of her jokes and it’d be great!
For now, though, she was just gonna wrap herself up in the soft fuzzy blanket of tipsiness, and feel the warm evening sun gently shine down on her. She thought she recognised the song playing from inside the house, and sang along under her breath for a couple of bars, quickly stopping when she realised that, no, she did not recognise it at all.
Faye was about to finish off her cup of punch when she caught sight of the man of the hour for the first time since she’d arrived. She gave him a quick wave when he raised his cup to them, then tried to extricate herself from the table to properly say hi. Which waaaaaaas a little more difficult than it sounded, considering she’d somehow managed to tangle her leg up in one of the beams. She was honestly impressed at herself for getting up without faceplanting, but by the time she had, Grant was talking with someone else. She bounded over, bouncing slightly as she waited for him to finish speaking.
“Hey Grant! Hey, uh…”
Shit shit shit, just pull a name that sounds like it fits that face outta your butt and cross your fingers.
“Matt! How you two doing?”
Faye gave her most cheerful beaming smile, which morphed into a mock look of admonishment as she turned to look at Grant again.
“Now, GG, like, no offense or anything, but your directions sucked. Like, I think my dad drove down the wrong street five times before we finally arrived here, and…”
Faye frowned, trailed off, pursed her lips, and pointed at Grant’s bare chest.
“Hey, uh, like… what happened to your shirt?”
Faye took another sip from her red plastic cup and gave a lazy smile as the conversation buzzed around her on the picnic table. It had moved on to a topic she knew absolutely nothing about, but that was okay. She’d pick up on some key word or phrase and instantly bounce back into the topic like… uh… some… bouncy thing. Yeah. Just like she always did, and everyone would laugh at one of her jokes and it’d be great!
For now, though, she was just gonna wrap herself up in the soft fuzzy blanket of tipsiness, and feel the warm evening sun gently shine down on her. She thought she recognised the song playing from inside the house, and sang along under her breath for a couple of bars, quickly stopping when she realised that, no, she did not recognise it at all.
Faye was about to finish off her cup of punch when she caught sight of the man of the hour for the first time since she’d arrived. She gave him a quick wave when he raised his cup to them, then tried to extricate herself from the table to properly say hi. Which waaaaaaas a little more difficult than it sounded, considering she’d somehow managed to tangle her leg up in one of the beams. She was honestly impressed at herself for getting up without faceplanting, but by the time she had, Grant was talking with someone else. She bounded over, bouncing slightly as she waited for him to finish speaking.
“Hey Grant! Hey, uh…”
Shit shit shit, just pull a name that sounds like it fits that face outta your butt and cross your fingers.
“Matt! How you two doing?”
Faye gave her most cheerful beaming smile, which morphed into a mock look of admonishment as she turned to look at Grant again.
“Now, GG, like, no offense or anything, but your directions sucked. Like, I think my dad drove down the wrong street five times before we finally arrived here, and…”
Faye frowned, trailed off, pursed her lips, and pointed at Grant’s bare chest.
“Hey, uh, like… what happened to your shirt?”
Matt had prepared for the worst, but Grant was being amicable so far. He suspected there was some inkling of insidious intent to what he said, but he wasn’t one to pass up an amicable conversation.
He turned and smiled, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. Before he could say anything, a girl stumbled over from the picnic table. Matt had seen the girl around school, but couldn’t recall a name; a seemingly mutual feeling, as it took a moment for the girl to identify him.
While he would normally be peeved at the interruption, he was happy that the girl - Faith? - had saved him a response for the time being. Instead, she posed her own question, one that had plagued Matt the moment he’d turned around as well. He looked over the boy’s lean frame, and the edges of his mouth briefly turned downwards.
If he wasn't a self-absorbed asshole, Matt still wouldn't be into him.
He turned and smiled, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. Before he could say anything, a girl stumbled over from the picnic table. Matt had seen the girl around school, but couldn’t recall a name; a seemingly mutual feeling, as it took a moment for the girl to identify him.
While he would normally be peeved at the interruption, he was happy that the girl - Faith? - had saved him a response for the time being. Instead, she posed her own question, one that had plagued Matt the moment he’d turned around as well. He looked over the boy’s lean frame, and the edges of his mouth briefly turned downwards.
If he wasn't a self-absorbed asshole, Matt still wouldn't be into him.
Matt seemed mostly all right, smiling at least, which was good. Didn't matter if someone wasn't part of the usual crowd that Grant invited along, he did actually care that they had fun if they came along. Last thing Grant wanted was to get a rep for lameass parties cause he gave someone the cold shoulder for no real reason.
But, speaking of the usual crowd...
In a surprise to literally nobody, Faye was already kind of buzzed. Grant had no idea how somebody could go to as many parties as she did and still have the alcohol tolerance of a six year old. Like, okay, sure, they all technically weren't old enough to drink, but everyone found a way around it. Just had to be smart about how you got hold of the drinks and how you actually partook of them. Ten years military was enough of a monkey on your back without adding how ever many extra months for something like underage drinking.
Faye was good people anyhow. Good for a laugh, good for a little flirty fun, just all around nice to be around, though again, couldn't hold her beer at all. She was someone Grant had specifically asked along.
"Good man, I'm good. Just checking in with Matt here."
He snorted and rolled his eyes theatrically a couple seconds later. "Hey don't front, you've been here enough times. Not my fault if you don't have that party-dar tuned in."
Grant then grinned again. "And the shirt? Man don't act like you don't like what you see." A wiggle of the eyebrows, and then a wink.
But, speaking of the usual crowd...
In a surprise to literally nobody, Faye was already kind of buzzed. Grant had no idea how somebody could go to as many parties as she did and still have the alcohol tolerance of a six year old. Like, okay, sure, they all technically weren't old enough to drink, but everyone found a way around it. Just had to be smart about how you got hold of the drinks and how you actually partook of them. Ten years military was enough of a monkey on your back without adding how ever many extra months for something like underage drinking.
Faye was good people anyhow. Good for a laugh, good for a little flirty fun, just all around nice to be around, though again, couldn't hold her beer at all. She was someone Grant had specifically asked along.
"Good man, I'm good. Just checking in with Matt here."
He snorted and rolled his eyes theatrically a couple seconds later. "Hey don't front, you've been here enough times. Not my fault if you don't have that party-dar tuned in."
Grant then grinned again. "And the shirt? Man don't act like you don't like what you see." A wiggle of the eyebrows, and then a wink.
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Pippi
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Faye beamed at Matt, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. She had felt confident about his name guess to begin with when he hadn’t looked like at Faye like she was some kind of moron, and then, moments later, Grant had confirmed her guess to be true! Whooo! Result! Tipsy (only a teeny tiny bit though!) but she could still rely on her status as a social butterfly!
She turned to look back at Grant, attempting to raise her eyebrow in a look of mock disdain, an attempt that completely fell apart thanks to the broad grin still on her face.
“Hey, okay, all right, okay, that’s, like… that’s fair. But my dad’s the one who drives me, and, like, I don’t think he’s got a party-dar installed. Least I hope not, I’ve seen him dancing…”
Faye giggled before finishing off her cup of punch, running her eyes over Grant’s bare chest as she did so, in what was to her an incredibly subtle gesture.
“I never said I didn’t appreciate it,” Faye said, with her own little wink and another alcohol-fuelled giggle. “Not gonna, like, look a horse in its gift mouth, am I? Just kinda took me by surprised and…”
Faye paused, and craned her neck around Grant to try and look inside the house. Sure, she wasn’t in the market for casual flings or anything other than a serious relationship right now, but. C’mon. A shirtless hot guy was a shirtless hot guy.
“Has… anyone else lost their shirt here?”
She turned to look back at Grant, attempting to raise her eyebrow in a look of mock disdain, an attempt that completely fell apart thanks to the broad grin still on her face.
“Hey, okay, all right, okay, that’s, like… that’s fair. But my dad’s the one who drives me, and, like, I don’t think he’s got a party-dar installed. Least I hope not, I’ve seen him dancing…”
Faye giggled before finishing off her cup of punch, running her eyes over Grant’s bare chest as she did so, in what was to her an incredibly subtle gesture.
“I never said I didn’t appreciate it,” Faye said, with her own little wink and another alcohol-fuelled giggle. “Not gonna, like, look a horse in its gift mouth, am I? Just kinda took me by surprised and…”
Faye paused, and craned her neck around Grant to try and look inside the house. Sure, she wasn’t in the market for casual flings or anything other than a serious relationship right now, but. C’mon. A shirtless hot guy was a shirtless hot guy.
“Has… anyone else lost their shirt here?”
Matt sighed as the girl blabbered on, downing the rest of her drink in the process. A part of him couldn’t help but follow the girl’s gaze, glancing around at the other partygoers. It seemed like everyone in the vicinity was wearing their clothes, and even if they weren’t, they didn’t seem like anything to write home about.
Grant’s attention was solely on the other girl, who seemed to be glossing Matt over completely. It looked like he was forcefully pushed out of the conversation for now. He was sure Grant would try to talk to him later, but Matt took this opportunity to turn back to the sunset, pulling out his phone and checking texts. To his surprise, he’d received a flurry of texts from Will, shouting something about forgetting to babysit his sister and that he needed to ‘get [his] ass down here stat’.
Matt turned to open his mouth, but decided that he didn’t need to announce his departure if they were distracted. Instead, he descended the porch, and headed towards Will’s car.
((Matthew Davis, fin))
Grant’s attention was solely on the other girl, who seemed to be glossing Matt over completely. It looked like he was forcefully pushed out of the conversation for now. He was sure Grant would try to talk to him later, but Matt took this opportunity to turn back to the sunset, pulling out his phone and checking texts. To his surprise, he’d received a flurry of texts from Will, shouting something about forgetting to babysit his sister and that he needed to ‘get [his] ass down here stat’.
Matt turned to open his mouth, but decided that he didn’t need to announce his departure if they were distracted. Instead, he descended the porch, and headed towards Will’s car.
((Matthew Davis, fin))