---

At the drink table, Molly bit her lip and looked at all the different drinks thoughtfully. Maybe she should go for the punch this time. It looked nice and pink, maybe it wouldn't be that bad. The only problem was Molly didn't know at all what it would taste like, let alone how much alcohol it had. Maybe it was too risky.
"Hey Molly."
Hearing a voice call her name, Molly twirled around. A beautiful girl with a bleach blonde hair that Molly vaguely recognised to be one of her school's students and also a guest at the beach house was approaching her. Wiping her confusion away with a bright smile, Molly greeted the girl back. What was her name again...
"Hi! Uh..." Molly trailed off, blushing at her own awkwardness when she realised she wasn't sure of the girl's name. It was some animal... A bird, maybe? Yeah, that's it, now Molly remembered: "Raven, right?" Raven Carter, that girl Molly had had the same geometry class with. They hadn't sat next to each other, but Molly did remember checking her out back then. Whoops.
In any case, Molly and Raven had barely interacted back in school or the past week so Molly excused her having to dig around her head to remember the girl's name. It didn't make her feel any less embarrassed, though. She didn't want to come off as vain or even worse, disinterested.
"You doin' okay?" Raven asked, apparently noticing something off in Molly's expression or body language. Taken aback by the question, Molly's eyebrows rose in surprise. Something was bothering her, indeed, but she hadn't noticed she was being so obvious about it. Or maybe Raven asked just to be nice and hadn't actually noticed anything.
"Sure! I was just... Trying to decide what to drink. So many options," Molly assured with a light laughter. Then Molly began to rethink her words. "Or well... actually, I've never been a fan of big parties like this. I have a hard time gettin' started," Molly added sheepishly, not sure why she was revealing this to a person who knew her on first name basis at best. "I mean sure, they can be fun, but not just with alcohol as your company, y'know?" Molly said, accompanied with an airy hand motion, already aware she was probably talking too much. She laughed it off with her cheeks flushing slightly.
"So anyway, what about you? Any plans for the night?" Molly bounced the question back, not wanting to end talking to Raven. Then she realised the question sounded very suggestive because of the way she worded it and what she had said before about company. Fuck. "I- I mean, I didn't mean like... Uh, sorry, blahhh..." Molly corrected before Raven could answer, her hands fidgeting randomly, "I meant it like... How are you??" If Molly wasn't red before, she was now. She still flashed a bright smile, though, hoping Raven would find her talkativeness more endearing than weird.
This was Molly's only chance at getting to know some people she had always wanted to get to know, and Raven was definitely one of the people that intrigued Molly. It was a shame she was mucking things up by being awkward... Someone might find her social yet word-wise clumsy personality adorable, but Molly certainly didn't see it that way. Living in the closet was hell... And Raven probably only knew her as that one popular girl from school that had had many boyfriends. Great. Fantastic.

---

Raven smiled sweetly at Molly, nodding enthusiastically. "That's me! Don't feel bad for having to think about it. We only had geometry together, but I hardly ever showed up to class." She responded with a snicker. She took a swig of her drink before bending over to pull another bottle of cider out of the cooler, and handing it out towards Molly. "Get one of these in ya. I always start the night with a cider. Nice and chill before moving on to the harder stuff." She suggested cheerfully. Raven couldn't help but giggle softly as Molly stumbled over her words, her face getting redder and redder as she did. Some people might find it annoying, but Raven found it adorable. She shook her head slightly with a bright smile on her face. "Yeah I know what ya mean. I got no plans. I can keep ya company tonight, if ya want? Show you how to really party." Raven gave the other blonde a wink with a cheeky grin. She'd only known Molly to have had boyfriends, but hey. It's the summer after graduation. If this wasn’t the time for experimentation, then when was? Besides, what would be the harm in some casual flirting? Raven's own sexual orientation was no secret, as she had always been quite open about it.

"We never really go to know each other during school, but I always thought you were pretty cool. And pretty too." Raven's smile was sweet, with a hint of cheekiness for good measure. Raven’s trademark smile. Although she was being obviously flirtatious, there was no doubt that her sentiment was genuine. She was on this trip to party mostly, but also to get to know the people that she never really got a chance to during school. Hanging out with them for one last summer before they all went their separate ways.

---

Raven didn't seem to mind Molly's airheadedness. Quite the opposite, actually. It made Molly feel more at ease, so she raised her eyes from her feet to the girl in question and smiled.
"Get one of these in ya. I always start the night with a cider. Nice and chill before moving on to the harder stuff," Raven offered, handing Molly a bottle of cider out of the cooler. Molly took the bottle gladly, letting her fingers brush against Raven's as she did so. The bottle was cold against Molly's warm hand; a welcome feeling in the warm summer evening. Listening to Raven giggle at what she thought must've been her awkward fumbling, Molly was surprised to find she didn't feel embarrassed for it.
To answer Molly's earlier question, Raven replied with a cheeky grin: "Yeah I know what ya mean. I got no plans. I can keep ya company tonight, if ya want? Show you how to really party." Wait, did she just wink?
All of Molly's confidence drained as she began second guessing herself: was she imagining things, or was Raven flirting with her? Gosh, she definitely had that cute accent, too... The Aussie and the Brit, how positively lovely. Molly opened her cider and took a big gulp before answering.
"Yes! Please," Molly nodded enthusiastically, then toning it down and adding the 'please' with a sheepish smile. "'M sure it would do me a world of good," Molly hummed warmly, tucking a curly strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear, something playful glimmering in her eyes.
Raven must've thought she was so weird, Molly thought, trying to damp down the feeling of mortification. She didn't know how to flirt with girls at all: it was always easy with boys because Molly had come to realise it meant nothing to her, but when it was supposed to be pretty girls... She found herself fumbling and stumbling over her words, her usual charisma being watered down by her oncoming nervousness.
Before Molly could cause a short circuit to her brain by over-thinking, Raven continued with a sentence that knocked the breath out of Molly's lungs.
"We never really go to know each other during school, but I always thought you were pretty cool. And pretty too."
Molly must've blushed, because she felt the temperature rise suddenly and she was pretty sure it wasn't just the alcohol warming her body. Okay, calm down your effing beating heart Molly, she definitely just called you pretty. And smiled like that. Get yourself together, girl. Molly smiled wide, not able to stop looking at the girl before her. Well, the compliment did make her feel a bit light-headed. Raven was incredibly pretty herself, after all.
"Thanks luv," Molly said with a soft smile, her accent thick. Then she stopped dead in her tracks. Had she just called Raven 'love'? She definitely hadn't meant to. Shit, fuck, bugger... Molly bit down on her lip, an action which was supposed to convey her nervousness, but came cross as nothing like it. Sure, she often called her friends stuff like 'honey', 'love' or 'dear', that was the bloody Brit in her, but she barely knew this girl... I mean, she wanted to know her, and Raven had just said the same... Wait, she was spiralling again. Stop overthinking everything, Molly. Quickly recovering, Molly's smile morphed into a comfortable look, genuine and warm.
"Definitely same. That's what I thought about you!" Molly exclaimed, remembering the days she'd see Raven in class. As the girl had said, those days had indeed been few and far between, but Molly would lie if she said she hadn't checked Raven out every time she did show up. And to Raven, Molly must've just been a vain, popular girl. She wanted to change that.
Looking over to the party happening around them, Molly noticed people were dancing along the music. It was indeed pretty good; the beat flowed through Molly like it was a part of her. Taking another sip of her drink, and looking back at Raven with all the confidence she didn't have, Molly smiled flirtatiously, that gleam back in her eyes. Fuck it, 'yolo', or whatever, Molly thought. This summer would only happen once, after all.
"Care to dance?" she asked with an extended hand.

---

Raven lips were pulled in a slight smirk as she kept her eyes focused on the adorable, awkward girl. She held her bottle out towards Molly for a ‘cheers’, taking a swig after the bottles clinked together.

"Yes! Please, M sure it would do me a world of good,"

“Awesome, consider me your party Jedi, from now on.” She replied with a soft snicker. Her smirk widened as she saw how Molly’s cheeks started to darken with deep blush. It took everything in her to keep back a giggle as she realised the effect she was having on the shyer girl.

"Thanks luv," Molly had said before she stopped speaking for a moment and bit down on her lip, which caused Raven’s heart to skip a beat. Damn, this girl is gorgeous… She focused fairly hard to keep it from showing on her face, but on the inside she was ‘squeeing’ over the cuteness of the other blond.

"Definitely same. That's what I thought about you!"

The compliment warmed Raven’s cheeks with an ever so slight blush, and she smiled sweetly. “Thanks… Not gonna lie, surprised you even noticed me.” Raven took another long pull from her bottle of cider, before looking back at Molly with a smirk. She felt the pulsing music around her drawing her towards the dancefloor, and was about to open her mouth before being beaten to it.

"Care to dance?" Molly asked with a flirtatious smile, which certainly caught Raven by surprise, although it was a happy surprise. She snickered softly, and nodded enthusiastically as she stretched her free hand out and took Molly’s. She took a few steps backward towards the dancefloor, yanking Molly gently back with her, pulling her closely into a dancing position. “I thought you’d never ask.” She replied with a playful giggle, before letting go of her hand and spinning backwards a few times. As she came to a stop where most people were dancing, Raven took a sip of her drink, before winking at Molly, and giving her a beckoning motion, waiting for her to approach before continuing to dance.

---

Raven was funny, Molly noticed as she listened the girl go on. The sparkly cider sizzled its way down her throat, waking up her nerves as she downed it for courage. A familiar warmth spread all over her as the mild alcohol took over - she hadn't really eaten anything for a while so the cider was going to hit her hard.
"Surprised I noticed you? Oh, you mean 'cause I was..." Molly trailed off, feeling it would be a tad narcissistic to actually admit that she had indeed been The Popular Girl back in school. Well, she had certainly had her fair share of friends, and hung around the other popular kids, but it didn't mean Molly didn't have quite the wandering eye. "Yeah no, I noticed you alright," Molly continued with a knowing smile, not sure where all of her courage was coming from all of a sudden. Maybe it was the alcohol helping her forget that she was openly flirting with a very attractive girl. A girl who was very much flirting back, Molly added mentally. At least she thought Raven was. What if she wasn't? There was that nagging fear at the back of Molly's mind that feared that she might be interpreting it all wrong and Raven was just being friendly: which would then lead to her being disgusted the moment she'd realise that Molly found her attractive like that, and oh god, then Raven would probably reveal to everyone she was gay and oh god--

The next thing Molly knew, the girl in question had already taken her free hand, pulling them both closer to the mob of people dancing to the rhythm. The gentle yet sudden yank made Molly yelp in surprise, though it was partially drowned by the laughter bubbling out of her lips. Her worries faded away instantly, like a waking from a bad spell.
Letting the bleach blonde girl lead the way, Molly's feet were moving on their own. Suddenly the party didn't feel so far away; it was all heat and music and people and sweat on her skin, she was no longer just watching from the side like a wilting flower. Molly gave herself the permission to just let go and not worry about anything for the moment. That's what she really needed, after all.
Molly felt herself being pulled flush to Raven's side, her hair falling partially on her face at the motion. Okay, definitely not interpreting that wrong.
“I thought you’d never ask," Raven giggled in response, blissfully oblivious to the swirling doubts that had plagued Molly's mind a moment ago. Molly was glad for that, though. The mentality of hiding her attraction to girls had been something she had kept up for the majority of her high school life; no wonder it was so hard to let go. What would be the worst thing that could happen if it got out, anyway? She wasn't going back to that school, probably never seeing most of these people ever again. She should just go for it... right?
Raven let go of Molly's hand and twirled backwards. Molly could only stare in silent awe as the girl did so, catching herself when Raven came to a halt, took a big swig of her drink, and then turned to look at her. She winked, Molly was sure of it this time. Okay, fuck it, she was going in.
Party Molly coming in, as she used to think. High school had been a time of many parties for Molly - being the popular kid really meant a busy nightlife. Though those parties had always been very... different, in ways. She had flirted lots, but it had meant nothing. Well, she hadn't known back then. But Molly was excellent at flirting. Just... not with girls, as she had come to notice. Maybe it was time to just trust what had worked before and go with her gut.
Face blooming into a slow smile, Molly downed the rest of her drink before following Raven's beckoning motion, letting her hips sway all the way, almost exaggerating it on purpose. Twirling once, twice, Molly was back facing Raven who was closer than before. Looking at the shorter girl with a flushed face - it was from the dancing and the alcohol in her system - Molly's bright smile softened to something more precious for a beat. Then she was back at the rhythm, letting her instincts take over. Dancing was like a flow, the music going through her in waves. She was definitely enjoying this.
The hem of her orange, flowy skirt danced around her feet, almost see-through in the setting beach sun. Sand got between Molly's toes, but she didn't mind. Looking back at her newlyfound company, Raven, Molly opened her mouth:
"So, I remember you promising you'd show me how to really party," she drew out, voice already having a quality of breathiness to it. "How do you usually party?" she asked with a slow, raised eyebrow, all the while a smile danced on her lips. She knew next to nothing about the blonde before her, so she might as well change that. Since Raven had promised she could hang out with Molly for the evening.

---

Hearing the “popular girl” of their high school talk about noticing her definitely brought a genuine smile to Raven’s face. And, if she wasn’t mistaken, Molly was reciprocating the flirting slightly, albeit obviously still a little shy. It was odd, she’d never seen Molly like that, always seeing her as the confident, bubbly popular girl, who always seemed comfortable in her own skin. Raven was now noticing that there was definitely more to the gorgeous Brittish girl than meets the eye, and that certainly intrigued and excited Raven. It was now her mission to get to know this girl, the real Molly Hartell, as well as she could.

As she pulled Molly into the dancefloor, she saw something change in her which caused her lips to curl in a smirk. She could tell that Molly was starting to let go a bit as the pair started to dance to the loud, driving dance music. Raven inched closer to her, keeping her eyes focused on her as she swayed her hips to the beat, running a hand through her own hair to brush her fringe out of her face, before downing the rest of her drink, and motioning for Molly to do the same. As the last drop of cider flowed down her throat, she exhaled heavily and moved to the trash can that had been placed nexts to the drinks table and dropped her bottle in it before quickly moving back to Molly, continuing to dance slightly the whole time. She took a step closer to the taller girl, their bodies barely an inch or two from each other at this point, and swayed her hips rhythmically, looking up at Molly with a flirtatious look in her eye. A soft snicker left her lips as Molly reminded her of her promise.
“That’s true… Hmm, I wonder if you can handle how I usually party.” She teased slightly, gently brushing a hand against Molly’s waist as they danced. “I’m happy to give you the full Raven Carter Experience, but I’m warning you now, it’s not for everyone.” She warned mysteriously, a mischievous smirk on her lips. “Although, I guess I can go easy on you this time, if you don’t think you can handle it yet.” She added with a teasing tone. She definitely had plans to show Molly the night of her life, if she was into it.

---

---

Finn sat perched on the big rock on the edge of the party that he claimed as his own, finding himself swaying slightly to the music as he watched the party intently. It was certainly interesting watching all the drunk young adults drink and dance around, having the time of their lives. He’d never understood why people partied before, but as he was feeling the slight buzz of the alcohol working his way through his system, he finally started to understand a little. He thought he may have still rathered to be in his room playing video games, but he did kinda get it. As this new, but certainly not unwelcome feeling starting to course through him, he found himself smiling as he moved to the music a little. He took another long sip of his cider, having finished about three quarters of it now. He’d have to get up and get a new one soon, which kinda worried him, but not as much as would have five minutes ago.

His eyes danced over the party, enjoying his people watching, and looking out for a few particular people. He attempted to keep track of Sunshine, to make sure she was okay and having fun, but it wasn’t easy, the social butterfly that Sunshine was. He wanted nothing more for her to be sitting there with him, maybe holding his hand- Finn quickly shook his head, trying not to let his thoughts wander too much. He had to not let himself get too attached. Sunshine would never go for a guy like Finn, would she? He sighed heavily, before shaking his head again. “Finn, stop… This is party time, not overthinking time…” He mumbled to himself, taking another sip of his drink. He went back to watching the party, trying to keep any thoughts that would cause him to spiral into overthought out of his mind for now.

---

Molly's breath hitched in her throat as she felt fingers brush against her waist. The black shirt she had knotted to fit the high-waisted, long skirt, had rode up ever so slightly as they had danced. The brief skin to skin contact felt almost electrifying, something Molly hadn't felt in a long time. It felt like waking up from a long slumber.
“That’s true… Hmm, I wonder if you can handle how I usually party,” Raven mused, and it took all Molly's concentration just to keep her attention on the words. Molly laughed at the words, a roguish sound, before she bit her lip again, this time in anticipation. “I’m happy to give you the full Raven Carter Experience, but I’m warning you now, it’s not for everyone," Raven continued with a playful smirk on her lips, sparking a curiosity inside Molly.
“Although, I guess I can go easy on you this time, if you don’t think you can handle it yet," Raven teased then. Molly made a mock offended face before grinning.
"Do your worst," Molly countered with an amused arch of an eyebrow, "I've been to all sorts of parties. I'm sure I can handle it." She wasn't sure if it was meant to sound impressive, but at least she hoped it would indicate that Molly wasn't a rookie when it came to partying. Well. In this situation, she might as well be one, but that made everything all the more exciting.
Bringing her hand to her ear, Molly untangled the dangling part of her one-sided cuff earring from her curly hair, licking her lips, suddenly feeling quite thirsty again. They had been dancing for a while now, and while Molly quite enjoyed it, she knew she would enjoy even more if she had the chance to talk with Raven, maybe with a drink or something. So, she reached for Raven's hand, acutely aware of her every movement as she did so. Entwining their fingers, heated from the dancing, Molly began backing off to the drink table with a smile on her lips.
"Drink?" she suggested, wrapping the word around her tongue, almost drawing it out. Perhaps to someone looking from outside, this was more like the Molly everyone remembered. Flirty, humorous, confident. That's not at all how Molly felt on the inside, but she felt a sort of comfort when falling back into the familiar facade, like an old role to fill. This was where she was good at. Not quite pretending, but faking the confidence she lacked until she would maybe, just maybe, she would finally really feel it, too.
If someone had told Molly back in high school that she would end up here, dancing with a pretty girl out in the open, flirting, she wouldn't have believed them. It felt like something Molly had only dreamed of doing, but now it was coming true. It made her incredibly happy, happy and light-headed. She felt like she could do anything, maybe even make up with Sam, after all this time. It was all going to work out.

---

Oof. The way she smiled. The way she bit her lip as Raven was speaking. Molly was gorgeous, and Raven was already struggling to keep her hands to herself. Her heart was starting to beat rather quickly, her breathing a little heavy while the pair danced, still barely inches away from each other. As she teased her, Molly responded with seeming confidence, daring her to do her worst. This brought a sly, scheming smirk to the shorter girl’s lips, raising her brow back at Molly. “Heh, if you’re sure… You’re in for one hell of night, babe.”

As they danced, Raven was caught slightly off guard as she felt fingers wrap around her own, looking down to see that Molly had grabbed her hand. She looked up at Molly with curious look, tilting her head slightly, smirking as Molly started to walk backwards towards the drinks table, pulling Raven with her. She happily followed along, a slight skip in her step. This was going well. She never thought that of all people, she would be spending the night with Molly freaking Hartell, let alone flirting and dancing, and having her flirt and dance back. She almost pinched herself to make sure this wasn’t a dream.

Raven’s smirk widened as she nodded her head enthusiastically at the question. “Definitely.” She took the lead now, still holding Molly’s hand, giving it a soft squeeze as the reached the drinks table. “Step 2 of the Raven Carter Experience…” She spoke with a smirk, reaching for the bottle of tequila with her free hand. “Tequila shot, and another cider.”
Raven reluctantly let go of Molly’s hand to grab two shot glasses, and filled each with the potent spirit. She picked them both up, holding one out to Molly. “Then, we can go find somewhere to sit while we drink, before some more dancing, if you want?” She asked with a flirty smirk. She loved dancing, but she wanted a chance to sit and talk with the cutie standing with her. Besides, Step 3 of The Raven Carter Experience was better when done discreetly. She didn’t want everyone at the party to know the contents of her backpack.

---

The next thing Molly knew, Raven had already resumed her lead position. The girl just blinked and let herself get swept away. As she observed Raven silently, she took a moment to contemplate it all. Had her high school friends been here, they would've probably rolled their eyes. Raven was by no means unpopular, but the two had always hung out in very different circles. Raven was much more... hardcore, that's the best way Molly could put it at that moment. The girl had lots of piercings and a fringe that reminded Molly of that hairstyle every emo had back in 2011 -- although her style was much more rich than that. Still, the petite girl had always quite intrigued her for some reason. She'd seemed chill and fun to hang around with, and as far as Molly could tell, this was true. Still. They were from two different worlds, and it felt almost surreal to be actually hanging out with the girl. In a good way, Molly added mentally. Definitely in a good way.
Nonetheless Molly was just so glad the people she hung around at school weren't here on this trip. Around them she had never felt like she could quite be herself, and... well, whatever would they say if they saw her here, hanging out with a girl like Raven? Most of them wouldn't think it twice, because girls who were friends often tended to be physically closer, but... Molly could almost hear the way her ex-boyfriend would react if he saw her like this.
'Oooo, girl-on-girl action... So sexy, can you guys kiss for me?' she imagined her ex saying in a degrading voice, one which made Molly shiver, just thinking about it. Her attraction to girls wouldn't be anyone's bloody wet dream, that's what she would make sure of.

Fortunately Raven was there to burst Molly's mental bubble before she could ruin her own mood.
“Step 2 of the Raven Carter Experience…” the silver haired girl drew out, taking shot glasses and pouring hard tequila into both of them, up to the very rim. Molly could only follow the movement with an amused look, taking the tequila shot as it was handed to her. “Tequila shot, and another cider,” the girl presented.
"Raw tequila without some lime and salt? I must say I'm impressed," Molly admitted as she looked at her drink, smile widening. "Dunno about you, but that's the only right way to drink tequila." Tequila was some really horrid tasting stuff, but Molly loved the way it burned its way down whenever she took shots. And she had always found the many steps with lime and salt involved very difficult. Yeah, that sounded like something she had to say right then and there, mainly because she was in a sharing mood.
"I mean, I never fancied the whole three steps of taking tequila shots. It's like... If you wanna drink, why take all the steps? I don't want to go through the trouble of licking salt, suckin' lime, and then drinkin' the alcohol when I could get roughly the same experience with just the one step," Molly explained as they moved to sit somewhere a bit further away from people, but not too far to stand out. "I hope that wasn't me rambling," Molly winced then, blushing at the thought.
"But... yeah. I'd like that," Molly genuinely answered Raven's suggestion on their way over, sitting down as they found a formation of rocks on the shore where the sand met the sea.
The mood somewhat calmed after that, but Molly found it wasn't unpleasant. As the waves gently hit the shore and the warm, mild breeze moved her hair and skirt, she found a new sense of tranquil. It was indeed super nice to sit down after dancing for a while.
However, she didn't know Raven well enough to not feel a bit awkward starting conversation with her again now that there weren't as many distractions, nor the spur of the moment to rely on. Molly ducked her head and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear: that one strand couldn't just stay there, could it? She took a moment to study Raven's face from under her brow when she thought the girl might've not notice. She had winged eyeliner, that much Molly noticed.
An awkward smile tucked her lips softly, the air shifting as the pressure to talk became unbearable.
"Cheers?" Molly suggested with the raise of her shot-holding hand. Waiting to clink the glasses before taking the shot, Molly relished on how the liquid burned her insides. Gosh, it really did taste horrible. But it left such a good feeling, refreshed and wavy at the same time. The wind was nice against her flushed skin, too.
"So, what made you wanna keep company to this hot mess?" Molly asked jokingly after that, gesturing at herself, one hand behind her to help her sit upright while leaning on it.

Tequila shots and bad boys oh my...

For Sable, the party had been great so far. She made her way through the crowds of people as she danced, smiled, and laughed. The young woman caught herself glancing over in Finns direction a few times, and momentarily panicking before her eyes could find him. He seemed to be doing alright.... Catching a peek of Raven and Molly, Sunshine smiled. The two of them seemed to be getting along fine.

Her favorite thing about parties was the feeling. Losing yourself in the music, getting high off the atmosphere. The fact that the location was by the ocean under the stars added to her feeling completely free.

After about an hour or so, the alcohol starting to really kick in, Sunshine walked around searching for a place to sit. Coming upon a familiar face, she sat down next to Finn, resting her head on his shoulder to keep everything from spinning. She was just a bit more than tipsy. "How's the party life treating you so far, Finny."

---

Raven’s lips were still pulled in a smile that hadn’t left her face ever since she started talking to the gorgeous girl beside her. The rambling that other people might have found annoying, Raven found quite endearing, and adorable. She liked it when people their thoughts, no matter how many of them they might have. She hung on every word that came out of the natural blonde’s mouth, watching intently as she spoke. Before leaving the table, Raven bent down to scoop up another two bottles of cider, before walking with Molly to a small outcropping of rock closer to the shore. “I agree completely.” She said in response, happy that Molly thought the same about Tequila. She never saw the point in all the steps and show. “Besides, I’m a little weird in that I actually love the taste. I could drink this stuff straight from the bottle.”

She smirked as she made her way onto the rock, sitting down across from Molly. As she sat, her leg brushed gently against Molly’s, and stayed there, the skin of their legs lightly touching. She was subtle enough that could be an accident, though the smile she gave Molly hinted that it wasn’t. “Don’t ever worry about rambling around me. I enjoy listening.” She responded to her insecurities with a sweet, reassuring smile. She took a moment to look out over the ocean, enjoying the view, and the gentle breeze that blew gently through her hair. She was definitely glad she had her sketchbook in her backpack with her.

Raven looked back at Molly with a grin, nodding enthusiastically as she clinked their shot glasses together. “Cheers!” She replied brightly and brought her own to her lips, down the harsh spirit with ease. She exhaled heavily after the shot with an exhilarated grin before putting the shot glass down beside her and opening both the bottles of cider, handing one to Molly, and taking a sip of the other. She giggled softly at Molly’s question, and shook her head. “Hot mess? Hot, sure, but you’re hardly a mess…” She answered, placing her free hand comfortingly on Molly’s knee for a moment. “But I dunno, something just drew me to you, I guess. I always wanted to hang out with you at school. But some of your friends didn’t exactly like me.” She said honestly with a shrug. “But that doesn’t matter now.”

After a few moments, Raven had a sudden look on her face like she’d remembered something. “Oh, Step 3!” She said in a sly, mischievous tone as she put her bottle down beside her and flipped her backpack into her lap. She went through it for a moment, and then pulled her hand out of it, clenched into a fist. “Now, Step 3 is optional tonight, okay? Please don’t feel like you have to if you don’t feel comfortable.” After giving her warning in a sweet, genuine voice, she held her hand out towards Molly, opening her hand with her palm facing up. In it, was a small capsule, containing a seemingly crystalline substance. She spoke again, preempting the inevitable ‘what is it?’ question she assumed she’d get. “It’s MDMA. Ecstacy, essentially. Don’t worry, i’ve tested it, and it’s pure, and 100% harmless. I don’t know if you’ve ever done this before, but, if you don’t want to, that’s cool. No pressure. We can have fun without it. But, it does make everything more fun. And I mean everything.” She said that last part with a flirtatious tone, adding a sly wink in there for good measure.

---

---

After Finn finished his cider, he was definitely starting to feel a little tipsy. He wasn’t exactly a large guy, and it was first time drinking. Of course he was going to be a lightweight. Things were a little wavy, but he didn’t mind it, a goofy smile on his face. He didn’t even hate the idea of going to get another drink. He slid of his rock, his head bouncing a little to the music, and walked back into the heart of the party, grabbing another cider. They were tasty, like alcoholic apple juice. He could see himself having many more of them.

He walked back to his perch, a slight bounce in his step, grooving along to the music as he walked. He hadn’t felt this relaxed in… Ever. He climbed back onto his rock, and attempted to open his bottle. Much like his first attempt, he was struggling, groaning in frustration at the bottle cap which was barring him from the deliciously sweet beverage. Just as he was about to get back up and look for Sable to help him open it, he looked up and saw the exact person he wanted to see. Sunshine was walking straight over to him. He couldn’t help but wear a big goofy smile on his face, not bothering to hide his happiness to see her. He still felt the all too familiar nervous feeling in his gut as she approached, preventing him from opening up completely, but he smiled at her sweetly.

“Hey.” Finn said softly, shifting over a little to make sure there was room for Sunshine on his rock. She sat down, and rested her head on his shoulder, which caused Finn’s heart to start racing. He sat there with his hands in his lap, wrapped around the still closed bottle of hard cider, nervously playing with the label of the bottle. He was trying to be cool, but even with the little bit of alcohol in his system, he couldn’t help but be a little nervous around her. “I… Umm… Pretty good. Cider is really tasty…” He said with an awkward smile, gesturing a little bit with the bottle in his hands. If she noticed it was still closed, she might realise his hand was pretty red from attempting to open it to. “Umm… How about you..? Are you h-having fun?”

---

Raven answered Molly's question with a giggle and a hand on Molly's knee. The touch made Molly's heart beat faster: definitely not platonic right there. A blush heated her cheeks as the warm evening sun kissed both their forms sitting on the rocks.
“But I dunno, something just drew me to you, I guess. I always wanted to hang out with you at school. But some of your friends didn’t exactly like me," Raven continued with a shrug. Molly averted her eyes, nodding silently. She couldn't deny it, Raven was right. But if it was any comfort to anyone, Molly didn't really consider the bunch she'd hung out with proper friends. She didn't have many real friends, actually. And that thought made her think of Sam again, a small feeling of sadness blanketing her. She shook it off, concentrating on the warm hand resting subtly on her knee. It was grounding, and... a little bit more than comforting. Molly felt a little nervous under Raven's care, but not in a bad way.
Then...
"Oh, Step 3!” Raven exclaimed, something lighting in her eyes. Molly chuckled at that, observing as the girl rummaged through her bag. She took a sip of her cider, loving the fruity, sparkly taste it had. Raven took something out of her bag, but Molly couldn't see what it was, because it was closed inside the shorter girl's fist. This sparked curiosity in her.
“Now, Step 3 is optional tonight, okay? Please don’t feel like you have to if you don’t feel comfortable,” Raven warned, but her voice was sweet and genuine. This only made Molly more curious, and she leaned closer to examine what Raven had in her hand. When Raven revealed a small capsule, Molly's smile froze. Now she was nervous for an entirely different reason.
Opening her mouth to ask what it was, Raven beat her to it:
“It’s MDMA. Ecstacy, essentially. Don’t worry, i’ve tested it, and it’s pure, and 100% harmless. I don’t know if you’ve ever done this before, but, if you don’t want to, that’s cool. No pressure. We can have fun without it. But, it does make everything more fun. And I mean everything.” Molly just stared the capsule in silence, trying to not look as nervous as she felt.
"I..." Molly managed, but she wasn't sure what to say. She had heard Raven: she didn't need to take anything she didn't want to, but still... Nervous, Molly leaned back a bit, looking over Raven's shoulder instinctively, as if to check out if anyone saw them. On the beach further away she could see the party people. She could even make out the forms of Sunshine and another boy that was staying in the house with them. She looked back at Raven, subtly avoiding her gaze, but not consciously.
"I- I don't... That's 'Molly', right? 'S what my friends called it," Molly stammered, ignoring the irony of a drug sharing her own name. Gosh, Raven must've thought she was such a wimp, even hesitating. She was totally killing the mood. Stupid Molly, stupid...
"I... I think that..." Molly licked her lips, which suddenly felt so dry. Raven had said it was safe. Did she trust her? And... What about the aftermath? She had planned on talking to Sam later this evening and she was already on her way to drunk-island, so how would he react if he saw her drunk and stoned as well? Molly's breath wavered without her permission, a nervous reaction she couldn't conceal. She wasn't afraid, was she? She was such a wimp... Even so, Molly was so curious to try it out... She thought about Raven's words, and the suggestive wink the girl had added... It could be fun, couldn't it? Her high school mates had often done drugs at parties. Molly had only smoked weed once herself, but she had always declined the more... unnatural drugs, as she put it. But her 'friends' had loved it. And they had been quite the bit fun while they were on the ride. Still... Molly found herself anxious and afraid of trying it out herself. She was always somewhat holding back on these sorts of things.
God, there she was, ruining her probably only chance at impressing the girl sitting with her. She had even blustered that she could take whatever Raven had planned for them, but... she hadn't quite... expected this.
'Well what did you expect, then? Alcohol in itself isn't all that hardcore, smartass...' Molly's inner voice snarked. Molly bit her lip, embarrassed and at loss of words.
"I dunno... I- I mean... I need to talk to someone after this all, so I dunno if it'd be a good idea for me to... I'm... Blimey, I'm sorry, I..." Molly stuttered, hiding her face with her hand to scrub over her eyes. Then she placed a nervous hand on Raven's arm, silently praying the girl wouldn't back off. "Raincheck? Maybe... And I mean... You can enjoy the ride, of course," Molly added, not wanting to ruin the girl's fun. Well. She had already done that, hadn't she? Plus she had killed the mood like, totally. Raven had even explicitly stated that Molly didn't have to say yes and that there was no shame in refusing. But she had gone and made it a bigger deal than it had to be. Why was she such an idiot? The mortification was starting to set in, flushing Molly's cheeks and her whole face for that matter. So much for looking cool...
'This is why no one likes you,' a dark voice inside Molly's alcohol-fuzzied brain whispered. Fuck in a bucket. Molly was so attracted to this girl and she just had to blow it...

---

Raven smirked a little, sighing with a slight chuckle as she realised the missed opportunity for a pun. How’d she forget that the common street name for her favourite drug shared its name with the girl before her? “Oh of course! Fuck, that would have been the best opportunity for a pun.” She joked with a soft giggle. Her demeanor softened a little when she noticed Molly’s reaction to the drug. She didn’t know what to expect when revealing Step 3, but she knew that hesitation was the likeliest possibility. The only reason she knew that Molly wouldn’t have run at the sight of it was that Raven had sold to one of her friends before, but any more than that was a mystery to her, much like most of the aspects of the blonde sitting across from her.

Raven studied the girl’s face, watching her, and listening intently to her response. She could tell that there was definitely something more going on than Molly was letting on, and that there was definitely some kind of internal conflict going on. Raven’s hand closed around the capsule once again, replacing it into the small baggy it came from, which she then placed back in her bag. She set her bag to the side then and scooted forward a tad, stretching her hand out and hooking a finger under her chin softly, lifting her face to look her in the eye. The look on Raven’s face was soft, sweet and genuinely caring. Her other hand went back to its spot on Molly’s knee, her fingers gently tracing soothingly over her skin.

“Molly…” She said softly, gazing into her eyes. “Relax. Really. I told you that you didn’t have to, didn’t I?” Her voice was soft and calming, keeping that sweet smile on her lips the whole time. “I’m all yours tonight, and whatever we do, we do together, alright?” Her hand shifted softly to caress Molly’s cheek, leaning forward a little bit more. “We have all summer. If and when you wanna give it a try, or anything, for that matter, I’ll be right there, ‘kay?” She spoke with her voice barely over a whisper, her caring eyes staring into the other girl’s. “And something else, never apologise for not wanting to do this kind of stuff. It’s your choice completely, and you should never let someone pressure you into it.” Raven definitely seemed like she knew what she was talking about, far more open and relaxed about the topic than most other people. “But, if you gotta have a d and m, there’s no better time for it than while pingin’, I reckon.” She added in a joking tone, a cheeky smirk pulling at her lips again, though keeping her hand gently on Molly’s cheek.

---

Molly felt a warm hand return on her knee and a finger curl under her chin, pulling her face up. Molly's unsure eyes met with Raven's soft, gentle ones. There was something incredibly caring about the way the bleach blonde gazed at Molly, something which Molly didn't think she was quite worthy of. Still, she could spend hours just looking at another girl's eyes like this, listening, taking it all in.
"Molly..." Raven began with a voice that was softer than she had anticipated. Maybe it was all in her head, after all. It always was. Her ex... well, he had called her crazy and delusional multiple times. He'd never quite understood how such words had hurt Molly. “Relax. Really. I told you that you didn’t have to, didn’t I?”
Molly pursed her lips together in silent embarrassment, nodding gently at the words. Raven was right, she had said so. It was just Molly who made it into a bigger deal than it was. It just... it wasn't that she wasn't curious to try it out -- she just didn't think she was quite ready for it. Yet. And depite it being dubbed 'the party drug', Molly did feel a bit apprehensive to try it out around people who. She was afraid of letting herself go around so many judgy faces.
“I’m all yours tonight, and whatever we do, we do together, alright?” Raven continued then, making Molly's breath catch in her throat: a subtle, almost invisible action. The girl's hand moved to stroke Molly's cheek. It was soft, everything felt simply soft at the moment. Without meaning to, Molly's eyes fell to Raven's lips. She didn't mean to, honestly. They just happened to be so close, and Raven's voice and touch were so soft and comforting, and...
Molly's eyes snapped back up to look at Raven, who had no doubt noticed her wandering eye. Blushing and feeling the urge to back away, Molly continued listening to the other girl talk in a hushed, calming voice.
It was honestly surreal. It was like she was not herself, yet she felt more like herself than ever before. With her past boyfriends, she'd always been the one in charge, more or less, the top, is she willed. But now... she just didn't feel like she was in control in the slightest, reduced to a stammering, sheepish mess, and Molly found she didn't mind all that much. Sure, she'd like to have her confidence back, but it felt refreshing to just let go. This meant infinitely more than those boys had ever meant to her, anyway. Excluding Sam, of course, but he had been her best friend, first and foremost.
Molly realised she must've spaced out at some point; too occupied by self-reflections and the warm touch of Raven's hand on her cheek and the other on her knee. Still, she could recall all Raven had said, nodding silently, eyes almost transfixed to Raven's.
"Yes," Molly answered with an oddly level voice, her eyes examining Raven's face curiously. Then her eyes did it again, those double-dealing, traitorous things: Molly's lashes fluttered as her gaze once again dropped to Raven's mouth. The girl was saying something, joking about something to lighten up the mood, but Molly could only hear her blood roaring in her ears. She noticed a piercing on Raven's tongue by accident, curiosity sparking in her all over again. Those lips looked so soft, too; she could just... lean in a little closer and...
"Oooooo, action's boutta happen~~" Startled by the stranger's voice, Molly jerked backwards. Quickly backing away from Raven to get some air between them, Molly's head snapped to look at the man who had somehow gotten oddly close to their location without either of them noticing. He was about their age, but even tipsy Molly could tell this wasn't anyone from their school. Mortified, the strawberry blonde scooted her legs closer to her body, as if she was shielding herself. 'Sod off' was the first thing that Molly could think of saying, but she was so caught off guard, so vulnerable, that all of her usual spunk attitude left her. The dude was clearly rather drunk, too. He had a bottle of vodka dangling from his hand, and he was swaying like a boat in a storm. Molly closed off in on herself, fixing her hair with a hand and looking down. This is exactly what she'd been afraid of. And of course, it had to happen right when she was getting comfortable.

---

Raven and Molly were sitting rather close to each other now, their faces on inches away from each other. The hand that was caressing Molly’s cheek moved carefully, gently running through her hand through her hair and tucking it behind her ear. She watched Molly’s face intently, noticing her wandering eyes. She knew that look, the familiar signals. That look, was what Raven had been subconsciously waiting for all night. A look she never thought she’d get from this girl. I think it was fair to assume that her interest was definitely reciprocated at this point. She smiled sweetly as she started to lean forward a little more, before they were rudely interrupted by a loud shout coming from towards the party.

Molly had recoiled back and retreated into herself, and Raven sat there for a moment, giving her a concerned look. That reaction… There was definitely more going on than was being let on in the sweet blonde’s mind. Seeing her so obviously embarrassed and distressed, made Raven’s blood boil. Her smile transformed quickly into a furious scowl, snapping her attention to the drunk teenager that so obnoxiously interrupted their moment. “Damn right there will be, dickhead.” She retaliated loudly, her Australian accent now more prominent than ever, adding emphasis to the insults, as Aussie accents often did. Her voice was obviously angry, but still oddly calm and steady. “But not the kind you want, mate. I can promise ya that.” She threatened, waving her hand in a dismissing gesture. Pigs who think the affection of others is something to gawk at mad Raven so mad, the guy was lucky she didn’t let her darkside come out to play. But she kept her cool somewhat for now, not wanting to scare Molly. Instead, she was strong and stern without going to far, letting her prominent confidence show.

---

What Molly wished had been her first reaction, was Raven's instead.
“Damn right there will be, dickhead," the girl cussed, her accent boosting the effectiveness of her words. The dude seemed only more amused, laughing with what sounded almost like a giggle. Fucking prick, Molly thought, still too embarrassed to say anything. She didn't know why she cared, really. She didn't know this guy, so it wasn't like she had anything to be embarrassed about. Just... her very much reminded Molly of the sort of people that were popular in high school. The people she partied with. Something in him made her incredibly uncomfortable.
“But not the kind you want, mate. I can promise ya that," Raven continued in a threatening voice that was somehow steady all at the same time. Like a thunderstorm waiting to happen. It was fascinating, but also the contents of what she was saying was funny enough for Molly's lips to twitch up for a second. She admired how calm Raven was being, even when she was so obviously pissed. She was so cool and confident, standing her ground like a rock. If that had been Molly, well... She'd have handled the situation with less gracefulness.
"Aww... no need to get spicy, babe," the boy answered with a degrading tone, a tone which made my blood boil and cheeks flush with embarrassment all at the same time. "I was just enjoying the show."
That was it for Molly. Those specific words, the bloke couldn't have picked his words more poorly. She had been quiet and withdrawn in submission moments before, but now Molly's anger flared up like a phoneix from the ashes. She felt the need to speak up, not to leave it all to Raven.
Something in her expression must've visibly shifted, because the guy's attention turned to Molly as she snapped:
"Fuck off before I'll show you action," Molly all but growled, face red with heat and voice wavering with carely controlled anger, all fuelled by her insecurieties and embarrassment. The cider bottle was half empty in Molly's hand, and her fingers clutched the neck of it so hard her knuckles turned white. The boy, on the other hand, didn't seem to find Molly all that threatening. It was almost as if he liked teasing the two, seeing them get annoyed.
"Aww come on, hottie. I bet you'd--"
The guy dodged, barely, as Molly threw the cider bottle at him. The glass broke on the rocks, spilling whatever was left inside. Mostly on the sand, but a part of it landed on the intruding guy in question, too. The smile was wiped away from the guy's face as he realised the bottle just barely missed.
"Don't make me throw another one," Molly said, but her sudden surge of anger was already going away, leaving her deflated and... to be frank, quite exhausted. She felt like crying, but not in front of Raven, not now. How had this gone like this? She was having such a good time, and then this guy just had to ruin it all.
Speaking of which... he just stared at them for a moment, his nut sized, drunk brain clearly trying to comprehend what had just happened, before he threw his hands up in resignation:
"Alright, alright, got it... No need to get like that, man," he scoffed, backing off a few steps before cautiously turning away, fixing both Raven and Molly one last glance. Molly quite literally held her breath until he did so, only deflating as he was further away, all the tension melting from her body. Well, almost all of it.
They were left quiet, sitting there as the waves gently lapped at the rock formation. The sound of music drummed further away where the party was only getting wilder. Molly found herself unable to say anything, or even to look at her companion. She could still hear her own voice playing back in her mind, and it didn't sound nearly as badass as she'd wanted. Just scared, angry, wobbly and frustrated.
What could she even say to Raven now? She felt like she had to explain something, like she owed Raven an explanation for why she was acting all weird. The truth was, even Molly didn't know. She was being all chill first, and then she'd get all fight-or-flight, and then she'd get all quiet. No wonder Raven must've not known how to handle Molly; she herself didn't know why she was being like this.
Well, she did know. But she should just get over it, really. She should let high school go. It was in the past, and she no longer wanted to be hung up on it.
"...So," Molly said, voice barely above a whisper. It was like an awkward ice breaker; not that the two needed one. But Molly did feel like Raven had already noticed something was up with her, so why hide it? She wasn't sure if she wanted to answer that question, if it came, though. Or maybe she did, maybe that was exactly what she was waiting for at the moment. She didn't know, really. But when did she ever?

---

Raven gave the random fuck-stain a “did you just fucking really” kind of look, coughing out a frustrated, angry laugh. Who did this little shitdick think that he was? Raven went to open his mouth to give him a full mouthful, when she was caught off guard by the seemingly more timid Molly went into full confrontation mode. She raised a brow at her, one side of her lips curling slightly in a smirk. She saw something in Molly that she hadn’t seen before. A fire that she instantly hoped would never be turned on her. Her attention turned back to the dickhead, and kept her mouth shut, giving the dude a shit-eating grin, just waiting to see how Molly reacted… But certainly didn’t expect a bottle to be thrown.

Raven couldn’t help but let out surprised burst of laughter, looking between Molly and the guy. “Yeah, fuckstain! She won’t miss next time!” She called out after him with a snicker, before giving Molly her full attention again. Her amused smirk turned a little somber when she saw how deflated Molly now looked. Obviously she wasn’t used to this, and again, that secret something that was obviously troubling her. Raven sat there for a few moments, placing her hand comfortingly on Molly’s thigh. She wanted to ask her what was wrong, but figured this wasn’t the place. She wasn’t going to open up if she wasn’t comfortable. And she she obviously wasn’t comfortable here, at least not anymore.

“So…” She said in response to Molly’s awkward ice breaker, smiling softly. After a few more moments of silent thought, Raven spoke again. “Do you wanna get out of here? Go back to the house and drink without any dickheads around?” She asked tentatively. She wish she knew what was bothering her, so that she could help her feel better. But she figured all she could do right now is just be there. If it were just her, she would have gotten up, loud and proud and strutted her stuff, showing that prick that she didn’t care what he thought, but he wasn’t sure if that was Molly’s style, and definitely didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable. Her plan now was to give Molly back the lead, and make her feel better however she could.

---

Molly raised her gaze at Raven's suggestion, initially surprised, but then smiling. To be frank, she did like the sound of that. Just her and Raven, far away from any people who might interrupt. Dicky people, at least.
Looking at the horizon thoughtfully, Molly gathered her mind. Then she smiled, feeling more at peace. How did this girl know just the right thing to say? It was almost weird how Molly felt herself being surprised pleasently every time the other opened her mouth.
"Sounds good," Molly began with a ruffle of her wind-messed hair, "the sunset is really pretty, tho. Plus, all the drinks are here. So... we could just go a bit further, walk along the shore a bit, if you want?" Molly suggested, feeling confident in her plan. "There are docks over there, and no one's there so..." Molly continued with a nod of her head and a pointing finger. The docks were further along the shore, where the party was far away for them to have some privacy. And they could see the beautiful sunset and walk along the waterfront on the way there. The way the waves lapped on the sand, the gentle push and pull motion... it made Molly feel at ease. She almost wanted to dip her starppy sandal clad feet in; or better yet, take them off completely.
Molly rose up slowly on the rock, looking for the best way to get down while maintaining even some level of dignity. Her being beyond tipsy wasn't helping, though. Fumbling a bit before taking Raven's hand in her own -- just for support purposes and to lead the way, she told herself -- Molly descended from the rock.
"Oh, be careful not to hurt ya feet. Didn't think that through when I threw the bottle," Molly noted with a sheepish laughter. She kept thinking about how stupid it was that she couldn't let go of her own old habits. She had no one to hide from, not anymore. She could be with whoever she wanted to, yet she kept coming back to the same thoughts about how she couldn't. And why not? There was no reason, really. That mental block was something alcohol better help lift, Molly thought, this time more determined than ever.
"So how 'bout we get some more drinks since I so rudely spilled mine and... Well, if... If you want, that is. We can go to the house, too, if you'd like," Molly backtracked, not wanting to go too much ahead without Raven's input. They were supposed to be hanging out, after all.
As they began walking for the drink table, Molly still holding Raven's hand (she was acutely aware that she hadn't let go, but she knew she probably would when they got closer to the party), the curly haired blonde fell silent, contemplating her actions all over again.
"...So yeah that's what I meant, by the way," she said as sand crunched under her feet. "When I said I was a mess, that is. Too much stuff going 'round here, too much thinkin'," Molly gestured at her head with her free hand.
"Most people see me as this gal who has her life together but really I'm a bleedin' mess," Molly laughed, a sound of many emotions, shaking her head.

---

Raven nodded slightly, turning her head to look at where Molly was pointing. There was indeed some docks a few minutes away from where they were. She looked back out over the sunset, thinking for a brief moment. Molly was right, it was gorgeous. Sunset and sunrise were Raven’s favourite times of day, always enjoying sitting and watching them, replicating them in her sketchbook. “There are plenty of drinks at the house too,” Raven reminded, turning her attention back to Molly. “But I like your idea better. We’ll sang some drinks and walk down to docks for a bit.” Raven smiled softly at Molly, her smile only brightening as their hands were once again locked together. Raven used her free hand to loop her backpack over her shoulder and pick up her bottle of cider, before getting up with Molly and climbing down from the rocks back onto the sand.

Raven smirked, letting out a soft snicker as Molly warned about the glass, making sure to walk around it as they started to walk back into the heart of the party. She held Molly’s hand with a firm, yet gentle grip, swaying their arms back and forth slightly as they walked. She smiled at her shook her hand a little. “Your plan is good. And besides, the night is still young, we have time for whatever we want to do.” She reassured her, giving her hand a light squeeze.

As they reached the drink table, Raven bent down and grabbed 4 more bottles of cider, standing and holding them out for Molly to take, before grabbing the now half empty bottle of Tequila. She then turned her attention back to Molly and tilted her head a little, giving her a genuine look of care and concern. “Hey… That doesn’t make you a mess, Molly. We all have our demons. Everyone at this party has something going on in their head driving them a little crazy. That’s what makes us human. It’s not something to be ashamed of.” A smile once pulled at her lips, before downing her open bottle of cider, tucking the bottle of tequila under one arm, and taking two of the other bottles back from Molly in one hand. Now that they both had a free hand again, she entwined her fingers with Molly’s once again, giving her hand another comforting squeeze. “Sometimes we just have to talk it out, so it can all make a little bit more sense. Now come on.” She gestured with her head towards the docks, and started walking with Molly, holding her hand tightly.

---

Molly nodded at Raven's reminder. She was right, the house had booze left, too. Still, she found herself smiling as Raven agreed to her idea. It was nice, they could spend some time outside watching the pretty evening sun.
As they arrived at the drink table, Raven was already scooping up plenty of drinks for them both. Molly just grinned and stood at the side; it looked like Raven knew what she was doing.
“Hey… That doesn’t make you a mess, Molly. We all have our demons. Everyone at this party has something going on in their head driving them a little crazy. That’s what makes us human. It’s not something to be ashamed of," Raven answered Molly with a look that she both hated and loved. Hated because of how it made her feel, all warm and fuzzy, and loved for the exact same reason. Unable to argue with the statement, Molly just nodded nonchalantly.
Feeling a tad famished, Molly grabbed a pack of cheese puffs from the side of the drinking table.
"For snacks," Molly explained, although it was pretty self-explanatory. Then they were making their way back, and Raven's hand brushed against Molly's before taking it with seeming confidence. Molly couldn't help blushing at the bold gesture even though she had been the one initiating it earlier. The blonde glanced around instinctively to see if anyone was looking, only to realise that it shouldn't matter. Recieving a grounding squeeze from the shorter girl's hand, Molly's attention was brought back to Raven, who was smiling at her in a way that made Molly's heart thump faster.
“Sometimes we just have to talk it out, so it can all make a little bit more sense. Now come on.”
Walking in rhythm with Raven, the two made their way over towards the docks. The party noises grew gradually more muffled out, the music fading thanks to the distance. Molly found the noise oddly relaxing. It was like hearing a nightclub from the outside; a noise she was accustomed to. Hearing the bass but not being in the middle of it all.
"I love beaches," Molly admitted after a while of comfortable silence, her gaze straying away to look at the horizon. The sunset was beautiful, golden, orange and pink hues painting the sky and reflecting from the gently moving sea. The glow of the sun kissed Raven's face beautifully. It made everything more saturated and glorious. Now Molly really felt like she knew why people called it the golden hour. "I always found peace in the scent of the sea, y'know? In a strange way it reminds me of home even though I never actually lived next to a beach. But my family travelled a lot when I was a younger so... I always did want to live by the sea," Molly talked, for no reason in particular. Just to talk, just to share. They had moved a lot when she'd been younger. Molly had never really had time to get attached to the places she lived in, or she'd learned not to get attached. Moving from England to the US had been a major changing point in Molly's life.
They were walking at the waterfront, the waves occasionally almost reaching their feet. The line where the wet sand met the dry was clear; one side smooth and dark, the other lighter and puffier. Molly found their hands were swinging a bit between them, a motion which made the girl smile a bit.
"Anyway, tell me about yourself? Everyone knew about my stuff back in school, but I know barely anythin' about you," Molly tried. She was curious about the kind of person Raven truly was. And as she'd said, nearly everyone had known about Molly in school. Her break-ups had been rather messy and, well, public, too. It was like all her dirty laundry was washed in front of hundreds of seeing eyes; hardly any part of her stayed a secret.
Actually many parts of her did, but her relationships weren't a part of them. Molly was -- despite everything -- rather a private person, so she was glad she had been able to perserve a part of herself that didn't get out to the gossips, somewhere she could no longer control them.