[centre][h1]Johnny and the Triplets[/h1][/centre]

Parties were not Johnny's scene, and certainly not Santiago Fernandez's parties. They were loud, long, and full of sex and drugs. But he had to, at the suggestion of his parents to accompany the Howard triplets to their first Crown Heights party. At least he'd have Dylan to hang around with. That is, unless Dylan decided to become popular, subsequently leaving him alone. He doubted Elijah would turn up. Decked out in a loose fitting white shirt, with the top two buttons undone, a pair of linen shorts and sandals, he climbed into his car, preening his hair in the rear view mirror. He got out his phone and texted Dylan:

[Colour=seagreen][i]I'll be at your place in five. Good luck surviving your first party.
- Johnny[/i][/colour]

[hr]

Dylan looked down at the ping of his phone, and read the text from Johnny, relieved that he wouldn't have to be on his own with his siblings for much longer. He looked up from where he was sitting on Kate's bed, phone in one hand, drink in the other, and saw Kate doing her makeup, and Paul having a drink. Of course, Paul's drink of chocie was a bottle of whiskey, as opposed to Dylan's more tame choice of a vodka and coke.

[colour=366501]"Johnny's going to be here in a few minutes, so make sure you're ready to go."[/colour] he told Paul and Kate.

[colour=0e33b8]"Hurry up, Kate, why are you taking so long with this, since when did you even have this makeup?"[/colour] Paul asked Kate.

[colour=854442]"Because, 'Mr. Perfect Body and Face', I want to impress people, and if there's ever a time to impress people and make friends, it's the first party of the school year."[/colour]

[colour=0e33b8]"Hey,"[/colour] Paul retorted, [colour=0e33b8]"I don't just get by on my good looks, Kate, I get on with my personality too."[/colour]

[colour=854442]"Ah, yes, that winning personality that you have. I know it [i]so[/i] well.[/colour]

[colour=0e33b8]"And what's that supposed to mean?"[/colour]

[colour=854442]"It doesn't matter,"[/colour] Kate told Paul, tunrning around to face him, [colour=854442]"I'm done anyway. I just have to go to the toilet."[/colour]

As Kate walked out to go to the bathroom, Paul turned around to Dylan, who had returned to browsing his phone.

[colour=0e33b8]"Are you just going to go on your phone all night?"[/colour] Paul asked Dylan.

[colour=366501]"Um, probably not, why?"[/colour]

[colour=0e33b8]"Can't have my brother being a longer, right at the beginning of school"[/colour]

Dylan let out a small chuckle, [colour=366501]"Because it would ruin your repuation?"[/colour]

[colour=0e33b8]"Well, that, and I want you to have a good time, loosen up, you're always too worried about everything"[/colour]

Before Dylan could reply, Kate walked back in, and they heard the honk of Johnny's car horn.

[colour=854442]"Come on then, let's go,"[/colour] Kate told her brothers, and the tree of them walked out of the house and into Johnny's car.

Johnny noticed the triplets leaving the house pushing open the door leading to the passenger seat, the music he was playing blaring out into the street. An album by his favourite band: Kinda Kinks by The Kinks. He didn't like to play loud music, but he needed to cleanse his soul before listening to whatever garbage Diablo would be playing at his hell-fest.

[colour=854442]"Thanks so much for giving us a lift,"[/colour] Kate said to Johnny, as she and Paul got into the back of the car and Dylan got into the front.

Johnny flashed a smile at Kate. He was always unsure how to talk with her. Well, her and Paul. Paul was too intimidating, and Kate was, well, female. As he had proven earlier that week, Johnny was not good at speaking to girls. Thankfully, he got along well enough with her to be able to remain civil. [b][colour=seagreen]"You're welcome. You look nice tonight. The girls at Diablo's place had better hold on to their boyfriends."[/colour][/b] He said, unaware if it sounded like he was flirting or not.

Dylan smiled at Johnny as he got into the car, and let out a small [colour=366501]"Hey."[/colour]

Johnny smiled back, nodding, responding with a [b][colour=seagreen]"Hey there."[/colour][/b] He decided not to verbally greet Paul, instead he raised a hand in his direction.

[b][colour=seagreen]"I hope you don't mind the music. I felt the need to listen to some of the classics before we listened to whatever's on at that party. I hope you guys remembered your swimming gear."[/colour][/b] Johnny pulled out of their drive, quietly singing along to the [url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hOSzGYKaJGE]song[/url] playing on his radio. He decided it would be best to make conversation, so he waited for an instrumental break before awkwardly saying [b][colour=seagreen]"So, how are you guys taking to King's Academy?"[/colour][/b]

[colour=366501]"School's alright. Same as the old school, just in a different place, I guess.[/colour] Dylan told Johnny

[colour=0e33b8]"Does wearing nothing count as swimwear?"[/colour], Paul said, with slight seriousness

Kate tutted, [colour=854442]"You wish it did, can't you take a day off of being so obnoxious?"[/colour]

[colour=0e33b8]"Obnoxious?"[/colour] Paul asked, furrowing his eyebrows and taking another swig of the whiskey bottle, [colour=0e33b8]"People don't think I'm obnoxious,"[/colour] he told Kate, before turning to Johnny, [colour=0e33b8]"I'm not obnoxious, am I, Johnny?"[/colour]

[b][colour=seagreen]"Yes, yes you are"[/colour][/b] Johnny answered, without a moment's hesitation. This, he knew, was not the way to make friends, but he didn't really care. Paul was not the sort he wanted to be friends with, and he was sure the triplets knew this. [b][colour=seagreen]"That said, I'm sure the devil won't mind a bit of skinny dipping."[/colour][/b]

Kate and Dylan both laughed at Johnny's response, whilst Paul just gave him an annoyed look, though Johnny probably couldn't see it from the front seat.;

[colour=366501]"That was a good answer,"[/colour] Dylan told Paul, before looking back at Paul, and chuckling a bit more at his mood.

Unfortuantely for Johnny, the sound of reggaeton music infiltrating his car meant that he'd arrived at his destination. He parked his car with the others, bracing himself for the hell the awaited him. [b][colour=seagreen]"Right-o, I'll be the one driving you guys home, so try not to pass out from alcohol poisoning,"[/colour][/b] were his final remarks before leaving the car.

Taking yet another swig of his bottle, Paul asks Johnny, "What, do you think I'm some alcohol?" before considering what Johnny's answer may be, and then added, [colour=0e33b8]"Actually, don't answer that."[/colour]

Entering the party, Johnny chose not to say anything to Santiago, or anyone, instead awkwardly standing in the corner alone, hoping a UFO would come down and abduct him.

The triplets all got out of the car, and went their separate ways. Dylan trying to follow Johnny, Kate going to find any girls she could make friends with, whilst Paul went to try and get popular by seeing if there were any guys who looked like people liked them.

[colour=366501]"So, uh, what are Crown Heights parties like, then?[/colour] Dylan asked Johnny.

Whilst Dylan went to speak to Johnny, Kate walked up to Victoire, the only person she had managed to remember from school, seeing as she was known to everyone, even the new girl, and started talking to her.

[colour=854442]"Hey,"[/colour] she said, trying not to be the awkward new kid, [colour=854442]"how's it going?"[/colour]