Can't Blame a Girl for Trying

[Addison Sloane]

The party seemed to be going rather swimmingly and Addie was glad. Everyone was enjoying themselves, music was blaring from every corner of the house, the pool was being violated as it should and drinks were still flowing, with some guests bringing their own cache of booze as well. It was a gross violation of the law if she had neighbours around. So far, there were no complaints.

It was a damn good party.

But she was still missing her guest of honour. He hadn't called or texted back, which led her to fall prey to her insecurities. He didn't want anything to do with her anymore. The stay at her house was a fleeting mistake and he had had enough of her. This. This was exactly why she wanted to leave first. It had hurt less. Now all she could do was drown her sorrows in the bottle of vodka currently resting snugly in between her thighs.

She could hear whoops of joy and clapping in the entertainment room and she turned to see someone dancing on the table. She grinned but ultimately went back to staring down at her half empty bottle. Sighing, she took another swing at it, only to see Drew Conner in the corner of her eyes. Huh...he actually came. She held a hand up at him in a wave.

"Thanks for coming," she yelled out over the music but didn't get up to greet him properly.

Drew Conner

[Drew Conner]

Why was Drew Conner, of all people, attending a house party hosted by Addison Sloane, someone he knew precious little about and only found marginally tolerable, and populated by a horde of other folks he liked even less? The short answer was simple, yet didn't tell the entire story. He had been invited and it was rude to turn down such an invitation. The long answer, however, was a much more complex affair in spite of being far closer to the truth. Though he would be damned if anyone were to know this true intent save for the one person he was here to see.

He'd wandered in through the open front door. There had been a flash of pink and red just in front of him, followed by what had to be an exasperated tail being drug along. No matter. Drew calmly closed the door behind him and made his way into the party.

Drew had to hand it to Addison. She certainly knew how to throw a party. He mingled for a bit, though found the company to be woefully out of touch with today's world. Thankfully, as the party wore on, he happened upon the host herself, sitting glumly off to the side. "I did." He confirmed with a nod as he moved closer so he could talk to her without shouting over the din. "Is this seat taken?" He asked, gesturing to the empty spot on the couch beside Addie.

[Addison Sloane]

She looked over to the couch she was on and waved him over. "I wish." She replied. This sucked. The party was actually picking up and she, the host, was being all sad and pouty on her couch.

Pulling one leg up, she tucked her knee under her chin and nodded at him.

"Flying solo tonight?" Addison asked. "Was looking forward to meeting your wife again."

[Drew Conner]

Drew, as distant and detached from his fellow students as he may be, still took no delight in seeing someone usually as chipper and upbeat as Addison look so bleak and gloomy. With a bit of a frown, Drew took up the empty spot and took a seat. He couldn't help but allow his power to graze along the surface of Addison's mind in the process.

"She's going to try and make it later on." Drew replied. "She sends her regards." He said, yet again sounding far older and more pompous than his youthful appearance would indicate. Though it quickly became apparent Drew wasn't here to discuss his wife.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, even as he was already putting the pieces together. This was a far more interesting and complicated puzzle than he'd originally thought.

[Addison Sloane]

Addison smiled, the corners not really touching her ears as it had just an hour ago when the party first started. "Regards received." She responded and held her bottle of vodka up in the air about as a salute.

When Drew asked her what's up, she turned to look at him sharply, wondering what made him ask. Frankly, Addison thought he didn't quite...gel with people his age. Part of her did, however, appreciate him asking.

She looked back down at her bottle and was quiet for a moment before tilting her head a little to the side to indicate she was talking to him. "Did you ever find out about Isaac Monroe?"

[Drew Conner]

The funny thing about Drew was that he rarely actually had to read someone's mind to know exactly what they were thinking. Addison had come to him, hat in hand, and asked for information that was incredibly immoral (and possibly illegal) for him to have access to, let alone share. And now, with the subject of her inquiry not among the guests Drew had seen at the house it didn't take a trained monkey with a Walt Disney imagination to put two and two together.

"More than I think you want to hear." Drew said soberly, his dark eyes catching Addison's and holding them without wavering. "There are reason some people keep secrets, Addison." But he doubted there would be any stopping her from pushing the subject. "Do you have someplace we can talk more privately?" He asked with a certain hint of resignation touching his words. "This really isn't the best place to do this."

[Addison Sloane]

Addison's breath caught in her throat when Drew finally responded. That never signaled anything good. She sighed lightly and nodded when asked if they could have some privacy.

Pulling her bottle to her chest and hugging, she slid off the couch and walked through the crowd of dancing people who thanked her for inviting them. She then proceeded to direct Drew to her room.

People were already in there and she shooed them. Thank God they were just making out and once they were gone, she ushered Drew in and closed the door, the din of outside a mere muffle.

She didn't sit down on her bed, instead choosing to lean against her dresser, her bottle still nestled snugly against her chest. "How bad is it?"

[Drew Conner]

Drew moved into the center of the room and paused for a moment before turning to face Addison. With the door closed behind them, it offered at least some semblance of privacy and relative quiet. Not the ideal situation in order to exchange highly sensitive information he in no way had legally accessed, but it would have to do.

"I looked up your friend." Drew started. "I take it by his dubious home of record, few dozen different listed addresses and huge gaps in his file he hasn't had the easiest of lives." It was amazing how much of a story one could piece together. Drew never would have suspected what he ended up finding. Hell, even now he didn't feel right about having looked it up and being prepared to divulge what he'd learned.

"I also found out you two shared an address for, what? About a year?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer. "Does that have anything to do with why you're so curious about him?"

[Addison Sloane]

Looking at the floor, Addison's grip on the bottle tightened as he started to speak. He was telling her something she didn't already know but it still hurt to know that Isaac did not get the charmed life she seemingly got after she arrived at Kalispell. Of course, she didn't know just how rough Isaac got it but it must have been ten times worst than what she had been exposed to. Foster kids seldom get the chance to live a normal life. Someone like Isaac probably had it worst.

When Drew mentioned the year they were together, Addison took a long sip from her bottle and nodded. No use hiding it now. Drew would probably find out eventually. That was what he did, wasn't it? "Same foster home. I got out earlier than him." She responded with a sigh.

"Did you find anything else?" She asked, finally plucking up the courage to look at Drew. She was choked up for some reason, she just hoped she wouldn't start crying in front of the guy. "Anything about his time here?"