𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

thirty six.

─☼☼☼─

FIVE YEARS EARLIER 

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙂𝙄𝘽𝙎𝙊𝙉 𝙁𝘼𝙈𝙄𝙇𝙔'𝙎 end of summer party was basically a rite of passage over on the Figure Eight.

The tradition started with the eldest brother ten years prior, and since then, there had been a party every single year. Somehow, the four brothers were aged perfectly apart for there to never be a gap in the festivities. 

This year, it was the youngest's turn to invite every possible person he knew, filling up his parent's backyard with teenagers desperate to drink away the fact that they were to return to school in the upcoming weeks. 

Charlotte and her friends were ecstatic when they received the invitation from Beckett Gibson. He was only a year older than them, but it was the first year they were permitted to go. 

The group was entering high school in less than two weeks, meaning they were finally old enough to move away from the parent-supervised pool parties and toward the Gibson's summer finale and all the chaos it entailed. 

Currently, Charlotte Carrera was having the time of her life. 

She had lost the group of friends she had arrived with over twenty minute earlier, but she did not care. Instead, she found herself in the company of the party host himself. 

Beckett Gibson was the best looking of the four brothers, at least in Charlotte's opinion. Maybe that was because he was the only one who ever paid her any mind, but she wasn't too concerned about that right now. 

"You excited for high school?" He wondered, passing her another beer before taking a sip of his own. 

Charlotte nodded, an excited flutter in her chest as she accepted the drink from him. "Yeah." She answered. "Should be fun."

Beckett smiled, "My only piece of advice is; if you have Mrs. Crockett, run."

The laugh that fell from Charlotte's lips was forced and way to shrill for even her liking, but Beckett didn't seem to mind. 

Seeming satisfied with himself for making the young, pretty girl laugh, he nodded toward the house. "Wanna go somewhere more quiet? I can barely hear you out here."

Being young and naive, Charlotte nodded. When the older, attractive party host wanted to spend time with you, what else were you to say?

In hind sight, no would have been an appropriate answer, but Charlotte didn't really think of that at the time. 

Beckett reached out, slipping his hand into Charlotte's before leading her toward the house. Silently, she followed after him, looking more like a lost puppy than anything. 

By the time they reached the basement of the Gibson house, Charlotte couldn't tell if the butterflies in her stomach were from nerves or excitement. 

"That's better." Beckett breathed, flopping down on the couch. "Sorry, it gets crazy during these things."

"Right." Charlotte agreed, still awkwardly standing, clutching onto her now-warmed beer. "I've heard a lot about these parties. You and your brothers are quite the celebrities."