Chaos Theory

chapter four

They've just finished searching upstairs--where Del spent the entire time eyeing the locked doors along the hallway with a growing nausea in his stomach--when Cody leans closer so that he can be heard over the music when he asks, "Where did you last see her?"

His breath smells fruity, Del can't help but notice, and maybe it's all of the hormones in the air pulling him under but he's never wanted to kiss someone so much in his life.

"She and Robin went to play a game in the basement," Which is where they should have started, but Cody Salceda makes him stupid, apparently.

"Oh, Robin was with her?" He smiles--he does that a lot, Del is starting to pick up--and grips Del's forearm (oh, okay). "She should be fine then. Even drunk Robin can kick anyone's ass."

The announcement doesn't surprise Del as much as it should.

Cody tugs him down the staircase and into the living room, where the crowd is so thick they can't even see to the other side of the room, where Del assumes the door to the basement is, given his luck.

Cody points across the room and says something, but the music is even louder in the room so Del has to read his lips. Over there, it looks like, and Del pointedly does not look for any longer than that.

He nods, and before he can even psych himself up for pushing through more gyrating teenagers, Cody slots himself through the small space that's been created in the sea and pulls Del right along with him because hey, his hand is still warm on his arm.

Darcie is still in the basement when they manage their way down there, and if Del is flushed it's because of the temperature upstairs and not because of a stupid hand still touching him.

She grins when she sees him, and just from that he can tell she's drunk. Robin is right next to her on the couch, eyes unfocused and color high on her cheeks.

Of course, Darcie notices both the fact that Del and Cody came down at the same time and that they're touching all at once. She raises her eyebrows, and in a tone that sounds almost smug, greets, "Well, hey guys. What have you been up to?"

Del shoots her a warning look, and she just beams. "Just talking. Came to find you."

"Aw, were you worried about me?"

"For good reason, apparently."

She glares, but it doesn't hold through the smile. She throws her arm around Robin and pulls her close. She goes willingly, letting out a small giggle. "Me and Robin have been doing fine. Took a few shots and everything!"

Del glances at Cody, who's taking in the scene with an amusement Del wishes he could have. But alas, Darcie likes to talk in all her forms and he's not familiar with her filter when she's drunk quite yet.

"How many shots have you guys had?" Cody asks, like he's talking to a couple of five year olds. Del supposes it's pretty accurate.

Robin frowns, her eyes growing bigger. "Three. Wait, no, maybe it was four. Five?"

Now Cody looks concerned. "You've only been down here, what, twenty minutes?" He turns to Del for confirmation.

"Approximately," He confirms. Darcie and Robin have started whispering to each other behind their hands. They appear decently composed; they aren't slurring their words yet and Del's not knowledgeable in the field of alcohol, but five is a big number and it's only a matter of time before they get worse.

There's a touch to his shoulder. Cody is back in his space--something that Del will never get used to--and his face is still all pink. It brings out the color of his eyes. "I think I'll go get them some water,"