Brightly Grim

Damien: Power of Love

"Hey, bro." John nods at me, pulling up a chair next to him. Cassie sits on his other side, with Stephanie next to her, followed by Lora, my cousin, and his new girlfriend. Joey brings a chair next to mine.

"Joey, you're out late," Stephanie smirks.

"Damien's trying to get the party started in me," he replies.

"Nice that you came," Lora says.

"Nice that you came," my cousin pokes her shoulder with a grin.

"Hands off, you dirty maggot," I tense up in my chair.

"Wow, relax, man. Just being friendly."

"If I don't mind him touching, neither should you," his girlfriend says.

"You should, Lizzie. He's touching everything," I say, and she laughs.

"What's wrong with a relationship that's open to outside interactions? Sorry I'm not as boring as your parents."

"Funny that you think that, my father would probably be fucking you if he were here."

Cassie snorts with laughter. "Yeah, she's just his type," she says, and John laughs too.

"What type do you mean?"

"The type to have an open relationship," I say.

"You're just mad because Cassie slept with your girlfriend," my cousin says.

"Sure, I was mad. Like any person should be if the person they're with sleeps with someone else."

"Were mad? Looks like you're still mad."

"You're a lot like your girlfriend with these baseless assumptions," Stephanie says.

"Doesn't he look mad to you?" Seth continues.

"Just drunk," Stephanie shrugs.

"No, he's always drunk. Usually, he's much smoother, though. It's something else."

"It's the growing urge to punch you in the face, cousin," I reply.

"You wanna go, little cousin?" Seth takes off his leather jacket and stands up from his chair. He hops from foot to foot, glances over his shoulder at the girls, then winks at me. "Come on, winner gets Lora."

I jump from my seat and swing at his jaw. I feel the impact on my knuckles as his face is knocked sideways. Then he drops.

John and Cassie are cheering before he even hits the floor.

"Sorry," I look at Lora. "He's a jerk."

"It's about time someone did that. But more importantly, you've got the knockout power," Cassie grins from ear to ear as Lizzie tries to wake Seth up.

"He's our brother, of course he has knockout power," John says.

"So, is it like every night that somebody gets punched here?" Lora asks.

"It's a place of passion," Cassie smirks.

"Everything sounds like something out of a blue movie with you," Stephanie sighs.

"It's all in your head," Cassie replies.

"I hear it too," John says, and Cassie looks across at him.

"Well, that's your problem, brother," she says, and we all laugh.

Lora looks at me, and I take the open spot next to her.

"So, where did you go?" she asks.

"Just went to get Joey."

"Yeah? Were you thinking of Joey when you stormed out?"

I laugh. "No, I was thinking of you."

"Ugh, what happened..." My cousin groans and finally sits up.

"Damien knocked you out," John smirks at him.

"Damn, that's harsh. Even the little one is stronger than me now," Seth rubs his jaw, and Lizzie passes him a joint.

"You're a lover, not a fighter," she says, stroking his hair.

"You can be both or neither," Cassie comments.

"Jeez, kick a man while he's down..." Seth dusts off his jeans as he gets up.

"It's her hobby," John laughs. The conversation continues, but I lose track as Lora touches my shoulder.

She gestures for me to come closer, leaning in to whisper in my ear.