Conflict of Interest: A Naturals Fanfiction

Late Night

"You're not going to chastise me for not being in bed?"

Jude snorts. "If you think I'm paid enough to make sure you go to bed at the right time, you're not as good as I thought you were."

"And if you can't detect sarcasm after living in a house full of teenagers for years, you aren't as good as I thought you were." I raise my eyebrows in challenge.

"Touché." He walks into the kitchen, and I trail after him.

"Where are you going?" I ask, watching him put on his sneakers.

"Out." I watch him tie his shoes with the utmost precision.

"Can I come?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.

"Unless you are eighteen, own a fake ID, or are a phenomenal actor, I don't think so."

I open my mouth to answer, but he holds up his hand to cut me off. "I may not be a lie detector like Lia, but I do enough research to know none of those are true."

"Fine then," I huff. "Have fun doing suspicious things with zero backup while I'm stuck at home like a grounded teen. And for the record, I am a phenomenal actress."

I stalk back into the living room and hear the back door close.

"I didn't take you for one with anger issues," a voice drawls.

I flop down on the couch. "You're the emotions reader. You should know that by now."

Michael picks up my feet and sits on the cushion underneath. His new position has my feet in his lap, but I don't bother to move them.

I don't think Michael cares.

"Maybe I was trying to ignore your anger," he admits, pulling my thoughts back to the topic at hand. "I guess I hoped you wouldn't have that problem, because opposites are the ones who attract."

I go to remove my feet, but he grabs onto my ankles and instead pulls me toward him. "Actually, research has proven that opposites are less likely to attract," I blurt out, suddenly nervous.

"Is that right?" His mouth forms its trademark smirk.

"Well, they say the best research is your own," I breathe.

"Are you proposing we do an experiment?" He looks down at my lips. "Because I'm down for that."

"Why did you come down here Micheal?" I ask instead, looking away.

He sighs and sits back. It takes him a minute before he says, "Do you want to go to a party?"

"What?"

"Do you want to go to a party?" He asks, slower this time.

I smack his arm, relieved that the tension has seemed to melt.

"I heard you the first time. I just don't see how it's relevant."

"Something on the news earlier. You were still asleep. Speaking of which, how late did you stay up?" He looks at me expectantly.

I wave the question off. "It doesn't matter. Now I know someone else is coming to this party. Who are we inviting?"

"Lia."

***

"Thirty minutes!" Michael exclaims, driving on the highway. "It took you ladies thirty minutes to get ready for a party!"

"We work fast," Lia teases, propping her feet up on the dashboard.

"Don't act like you didn't need that whole time yourself," I add, popping my head between the two front seats. Cassie is sitting beside me, looking out the window. Probably wishing she was still asleep. Michael had decided to bring her along as extra backup, in case Lia and I failed to be "level-headed and serious."

Michael pulls over at a gas station, and with the change of scenery, Cassie looks up. "I thought you said we were going to a party?"

"We are," Lia says, opening her door. "I'll be back."

We all watch her leave. "Do you think Judd will find out?" Cassie worries. "We should have at least left a note in case he decides to check on us."

I snort. "Judd doesn't get paid enough for that," I say, remembering our earlier conversation. "Besides, he left the house 58 minutes ago."

Cassie stares at me. "I forgot you're good with numbers."

I grin. "I'm good with math and memorizing facts. I'm not a living clock."

"Then how did you..." she trails off as it clicks.

"What?" Michael asks.

I laugh. "It's called a clock." I lean forward between the front seats and tap the one up front. "This thing right here."

Michael gives a grudging smile. "I'm surprised you know what a clock is, seeing how you sleep 'til noon every day and still come down exhausted."

I shrug, not bothering to explain my sleeping habits. I turn on the radio and start scrolling through the stations.

By the time Lia gets back to the car, we're blasting music and screaming our lungs out. "I'm glad to see you guys getting into the party mood," Lia shouts over our impromptu concert, "But can we do it without drawing the attention of everyone in a five-mile radius?"

I grin as Michael turns the music down and reverses out of the parking spot. "You're one to talk Lia, seeing as how you turn every morning into your own private concert."

She snorts. "At least I sing on tune."

I raise an eyebrow but say nothing as she glares at me.

"What's in the bag?" Cassie asks, wide awake after our mini concert.

Lia pulls out some Gatorade. "We'll be in enough trouble if Jude catches us out late. I don't feel like adding intoxication to our record. And no one will talk if we don't fit in."

Sometimes I don't give Lia enough credit. I sit back against my seat, finally willing to ride in silence.

***

"This is it," Lia announces, looking down at Google Maps.

"What's our game plan?"

"Michael and I will ask around, you two keep an eye on us to make sure nothing goes wrong," Lia decides.

"And by keeping an eye out, you mean we also ask around, right?" I ask, accepting the cup of Gatorade Lia offers.

No one bothers to respond, which I'm guessing means I've made the right guess.

Lia tosses the empty Gatorade bottles in the car and walks toward the frat house in her five inch heels. "Let's go ladies!"

Michael gives me a wry smile and grabs my hand, pulling me after him.

I step into the house, ready to find the answers we're looking for, until I remember that I have no clue what we're doing to begin with.

Michael has somehow already left me, and I'm standing in the doorway like an idiot who's been blindsided.

I look around for Cassie or Lia, but neither of them are around, either.

They did this on purpose.

I step into the party and get whisked away by the crowd.