HANLEY HOME

"Just make sure all of the alcohol is cold," Vincent Moore said, speaking into a cell phone while standing in his backyard. "Nobody wants to be drinking warm Bacardi like a damn college student."

With Michael Hanley out of town on business, Vince was currently in the midst of throwing the party of the century. Or at least, the party of the summer. Michael had given Vince his blessing to throw a party in his absence, and now Vince was doing just that.

It was the first time he'd be able to rival parties thrown by the rich kids at school, like Matt Holden, Scott Hart, or even his former best friend, Alec Bale. Vince hung up his phone and shoved it into his pocket, while reaching for a clipboard being thrust in his direction.

"Is this what I have to sign for the catering?" Vince asked.

"Yes," the man holding the clipboard said.

"Thanks," Vince said, signing the clipboard. "In the future, have that man over there sign stuff."

Vince pointed toward Riley Schaefer, who was standing near the door that led into the Hanley mansion's backyard. Riley cast Vince and look and returned to the house. Smirking, Vince handed the clipboard back to the man and continued on his way.

As he walked, Vince neared the stage that had been constructed in the backyard over the weekend. It was where the evening's musical entertainment would be performing, since Vince used his new Hanley connections to arrange for the newest episode of Soul Train to be filmed at the mansion.

"Everything going okay?" Dorian Gregory, the host of the show, asked as he approached Vince.

"Peachy," Vince replied.

"Now, about this alcohol thing," Dorian said. "I don't think all of the people attending are over twenty-one —"

"The only thing on camera is the dance floor," Vince said. "That's what Michael Hanley is paying you for."

Dorian shrugged. "Fine by me."

Vince received another call on his cell phone, and when he answered it, found that it was the musical guest's agent. "When is Brandy going to be here?"

"Brandy?" Dorian asked. "You didn't tell me you booked Brandy."

"Yeah, I booked Brandy," Vince said, covering the phone's mouthpiece. "Tonight's going to be a night Marquette Cove won't be forgetting anytime soon."

Matt Holden approached his uncle's mansion, where there was already a party in full swing. Before he entered the front door, he paused to wonder if he really wanted to go. It would only fuel Vince's ego to see Matt attending a party that he was throwing in a mansion that belonged to Matt's uncle.

"This isn't fair," Matt groaned. "I get treated like the damn ugly stepbrother, and Vince gets everything. I should be living in that mansion."

"Stop complaining," Alec Bale said, approaching Matt with Akilah Moore behind him. "In case you've forgotten, you live in a mansion too."

Matt spun around and rolled his eyes at Alec. "In case you've forgotten, no one cares what you think. Especially not Vince, who hates you, so why are you here?"

"Vince hated you first," Alec retorted.

"Yes, but not as much as he hates you," Matt grinned. "Probably hates you even more after you sent him to jail last week. But then again, turnabout is fair play, isn't it?"

"What are you even talking about?" Alec demanded.

"Tell me, how are your parents?" Matt asked. "Still getting ready for a divorce?"

"Matt, stop it," Akilah said. "Don't take out your anger on Alec."

"Get over yourself, Akilah," Matt said. "This isn't even about you."

Matt turned and entered the house, leaving Alec and Akilah standing outside. She rubbed his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, and then they both entered the mansion.

"I'm glad you were able to come tonight," Blake Thomas said, handing a drink to his boyfriend, Chris Server. He also handed a drink to his best friend, Kelli Anderson, as the three were standing near the patio doors.

They could see their other classmates from Marquette Cove High School dancing as loud music played in the backyard. Blake turned back to Chris and smiled at him. Though they were now officially dating, neither had come out of the closet yet, so only Kelli knew they were dating.

Actually, that wasn't true. Vince and Matt also knew they were dating. As did Blake's brother, Michael Thomas. But none of those people were interested in telling anyone about their relationship. Which amazed Blake, because he knew Vince and Matt could never pass up a chance to blackmail someone. It was a good thing he and Vince were relatively friends now, and Matt had other things on his mind.

"Yeah, we never see you around anymore," Kelli said. "You're always busy, Chris."

"I know," Chris said. "But I've just been working."

"You have a job?"

"Working on my self," Chris said quickly. "Working out. I've been…working out."

"You already look great to me," Blake said.

Chris smirked. "I know. I have to…use the bathroom."

Chris set his drink on the table next to Blake and entered the house. On his way to the bathroom, he ran into Ricard Branch. Ric smiled at Chris, still able to have a conversation, even though he was mildly buzzed.

"What's up?" Ric asked.

"I have to make a call to —"

"Hey, there are my guys."

Ric and Chris turned to see Scott Hart approaching them, with a drink in hand. He stopped once he was close enough to them to whisper. "Hey Ric, you got that stuff I asked you for."

"It's in my car," Ric said. "I can get it for you later."

"Just make sure I get it," Scott said, patting Ric on the back. "I trust you."

Scott headed in the other direction, prompting Chris to sigh and pull Ric into the bathroom with him. Chris closed the door behind them.

"Look, I know why I'm working for Quentin again, but why are you?" Chris demanded.

"I have my reasons," Ric insisted. "It's nothing for you to be worried about."

"But I am," Chris said. "Whatever Quentin is blackmailing you with —"

"I'm not being blackmailed," Ric snapped.

"Oh," Chris said. "So then you know exactly what you're getting yourself into."

Ric started to leave, but Chris grabbed his arm.

"You're making a deal with the devil, Ric," Chris said. "I hope you'll be ready to pay the consequences when the time comes."

"Get off your damn high horse," Ric said. "It's getting old."

Ric exited the bathroom, heading for the backyard. Once he stepped onto the patio, he found Blake and Kelli talking to someone he didn't recognize. Ric stopped to ask them if they had seen Sara Reynolds.

"No, sorry," Blake said. "Haven't seen her."

"I might have," the guy with them said. "But I need you to answer a question of mine."

"Go ahead," Ric said.

"Have you seen Akilah Moore around?"

"She's with her boyfriend, Alec Bale," Ric said, holding back the urge to laugh. "And you are?"

" Timothy Black. I just moved here…my brother is the new English teacher at Marquette Cove High."

"That could come in handy," Ric said. "For me, I mean."

"I saw Sara around with some other girl," Tim said. "Sara works at the hospital with me on the weekend, doing volunteer work, so that's how I know her. I don't recognize the other girl."

"Did she have red hair?" Kelli asked.

"Yes," Tim answered.

"Erin," Ric muttered. "I have to go."

Ric left and soon after, Tim excused himself so he could answer a phone call.

"I can't believe Ric told Tim that Akilah and Alec are dating," Blake said.

"Why not?" Kelli asked, shrugging her shoulders. "Akilah thinks they are, and Alec won't tell her different. So they're pretty much going steady."

"How's the evening going?" Antonio asked, sitting on the edge of the stage where Vince was currently talking to Dorian.

"Go away," Vince said, concentrating with his mind to allow his words to form inside Antonio's head. One of the interesting side-effects of the night Vince's psychokinetic abilities went crazy was that he discovered he was also able to use telepathy, albeit sparingly, and only with others who had a supernatural inclination.

Vince didn't understand what the term "supernatural inclination" meant, mostly because he tended to drown out Antonio when he went into one of his boring, lengthy speeches. Also, Antonio had been acting odd lately. Odder than usual, like he was always spacing out or seeming extremely tired.

Vince figured it came with the job description, being a guardian angel and all.

"I'm extremely busy," Vince continued, speaking with Antonio. "So don't make me blow you up with my mind."

"Like you could," Antonio shot back. He continued to survey the teenagers in the backyard, dancing to loud music that made Antonio want to rip out his eardrums. He smiled as he watched Jessica Reyes, Vince's current sort-of-girlfriend, dancing with a guy Antonio didn't recognize while Alec and Akilah danced nearby.

Antonio always enjoyed watching Jessica…she was so easy to manipulate, and perfect at causing wreaking havoc in other people's lives, albeit unknowingly. "That's quite the girl."

"I guess she got over her night in jail with my brother quickly enough," Akilah muttered, glaring at Jessica.

"Don't worry about her," Alec said. "She's…she's in her own world."

"Tell me about it," Akilah said. "You know, I'll bet she hasn't even visited her psycho best friend in the slammer since she was arrested for kidnapping Mrs. Phillips's son."

"Yeah, poor Alexis," Alec said. "I didn't mind her."

"That's because she wasn't trying to kill you," Akilah pointed out.

Their conversation was interrupted when Ric approached them, cutting in between the two as they were dancing.

"What the hell do you want, Ric?" Alec demanded.

"I'm looking for your cousin," Ric said. "Have you seen Sara?"

Alec rolled his eyes. "No, I haven't. Not that I would tell you if I had."

"Man, why are you such a douchebag?"

"Why are you such an idiot?" Alec asked. "My cousin is not interested in a drug dealer who has to repeat his senior year."

"What's that?" Ric demanded. "Wanna go talk about this somewhere else?"

"No," Alec snapped. "I don't think I do."

"Ric, leave Alec alone," Akilah said. "Nobody is in the mood to deal with you right now."

As Akilah spoke, Sara Reynolds and her girlfriend, Erin Maddock, emerged from a crowd of dancers. Sara greeted her cousin with a brief hug and said hello to Akilah, mostly ignoring Ric. Erin excused herself to use the bathroom.

"This is so much fun!" Sara exclaimed. "I'm glad I came."

"Let's dance," Ric said, taking Sara's hand and leading her back into the group of dancers. Sara initially wanted to resist, but figured that she could stand one dance with Ric while Erin was in the bathroom. It's not as if a dance meant she was going to give into his advances and start dating him.

As Erin walked toward the bathroom, she realized that the house was now mostly empty. Everyone seemed to be outside, waiting for the surprise musical guest to perform. Hearing her cell phone ring, Erin paused in the hallway and began to rifle through her purse.

Before she had a chance to even open the purse, a hand grabbed Erin's arm while another wrapped around her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Erin dropped her purse onto the floor as her assailant dragged her toward the bathroom, where no one could see them.

Everyone in the backyard paused once Vince turned off the music to address everyone from the microphone. He took a few seconds to take in the moment, reveling in the fact that he was now throwing one of those amazing summer parties he had always wanted to attend, or had to be supportive while Alec threw them.

"Okay…it's the moment you've all been waiting for," Vince announced. "It's time for our special musical guest — Brandy!"

The partygoers began to cheer loudly as Brandy took the stage, smiling at her fans. She took the microphone from Vince and thanked him, as she began to perform one of the songs from her new album, Afrodisiac.

"Sitting home on a cold day
Underneath the covers like a cradled baby
I think I wanna hear some Coldplay
Especially that song where the man says…
'Did I drive you away?
I know what you'll say…"

Ric stopped dancing with Sara briefly to answer his cell phone when it began to vibrate in his jeans. Realizing that it was Quentin Blood, his employer, Ric quickly answered the phone. "Hello, sir."

"Ricard…I have good news for you," Quentin announced.

"News?"

"Your situation has been taken care of," Quentin said. "You're free to move on with the young Sara Reynolds."

"Wait…what?" Ric asked. "How did that happen?"

"Erin Maddock is no longer…an obstacle," Quentin finished. "I have pressing matters to attend to at the moment, but congratulations."

Quentin hung up the phone before Ric could respond, so Ric shoved his phone into his pocket and nervously attempted to find a reason to run inside and check on Erin. "I need…to get something to drink. Want something?"

"Sure," Sara said. "I can find Erin inside anyway."

"…I tried to be blind to your game
Deep down I knew you wouldn't stay around
I should have left your side in the first place
When I thought we'd be cool and you would wait around
I tried to be blind to your game
Deep down I knew you wouldn't stay around
I should have left your side in the first place
When I thought we'd be cool and you would wait around…"

Sara noticed Erin's purse lying on the floor when she entered the mansion once more, and wondered if her girlfriend was still in the bathroom. As Sara approached the bathroom, Ric began to wring his hands while sweating in fear. He had no idea what Quentin had done, but he knew it couldn't be good.

A few moments after Sara disappeared into the bathroom, Ric heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from that direction. He quickly rushed to where Sara was, and found what had caused her to scream. Erin was lying on the bathroom floor, covered in blood and stab wounds.

"Oh my God," Ric gasped, doubling over to vomit onto the carpet.

"…I tried to be blind to your game
Deep down I knew you wouldn't stay around
I should have left your side in the first place
When I thought we'd be cool and you would wait around…"