CHAOS THEORY.
GIRL CODE.

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February 2014

     The Washington Lodge was a haven for Willow Su. No parents, no responsibilities other than making sure Matt didn't drink enough to fall flat on his face ─ and trust her, it had happened many times in the past when she hadn't been the one watching his intake of alcohol.

And given that it was Sunday now, since it was after midnight, the group of teens hadn't really planned on drinking all that much anymore. Most of them had gotten it out of their systems earlier in the night, not drinking too much in order to just have fun instead of getting shit-faced. Except for Chris and Josh, who had passed out on the kitchen counter hours ago.

Willow giggled as she leaned into Matt's side, tucked under his arm. To anyone outside of the group, it looked like the two were a couple and many people even thought so. Yet, they couldn't be more wrong. Matt and Willow were two peas in a pod, together in everything, but had never been romantic. Yeah, maybe they had been each other's first kiss when they were younger, but that kiss also had been what made Willow realize that guys just weren't for her.

Girls were. But then again, about a year or so prior, Willow faced another dilemma. She did seem to have more crushes on guys (even after that kiss with Matt that first made her question her sexuality) than girls, so honestly, Willow still wasn't sure which one she was attracted to, let alone if it was truly both.

So maybe it was just Matt that wasn't for her. He was too much like a brother to her.

Matt nudged Willow, indicating that he was going to get up off the couch ─ probably to go to the bathroom or something given how small his bladder could be at times. She shifted closer to Emily, who was ranting with Jess about something that Willow had tuned out up until that moment.

"You'd think she'd know better given how the hell this group is, you know?" Emily groaned, flopping backwards into the couch. "Don't you think, Will?"

Willow hummed, not knowing what exactly they were talking about.

Emily deadpanned, turning to face her as Jess giggled at the two of them ─ Emily, with her death stare at Willow, and Willow, who only looked bored with the conversation despite not knowing what was going on. "Were you not listening that entire time?"

"Nope." Willow popped the p, giving Emily a smile. "I was too busy laughing at the doofus you call a boyfriend."

She gestured to the other couch, where Mike sat with Sam and Jess, making odd faces at the former.

"Basically, she was just complaining about how Hannah is still trying to break girl code." Jess summed up, a devious look in her eyes. "Maybe we should teach her a lesson."

Willow groaned. She knew what that look meant and exactly what Jess had to be planning.

"Like what?"

Jess glanced over at Mike. By now, her words had caught the attention of the other two on the couch with her. Willow furrowed her brows, what was taking Matt so long to fucking piss?

"Just a small prank, since we all know how much the Washington's love those." Jess said. "Write a note, claiming to be from Mike to meet her in..."

She trailed off, thinking.

"Guest room down the hall." Matt said, popping back up behind Willow, leaning on the back of the couch. He leaned down, putting his head on top of hers. "I can film it, I brought my selfie stick."

Willow groaned. "If I see that damn stick, I will break it."

Matt flicked her ear as Jess pointed at him, nodding.

"That'll do it. Just to teach her a small lesson in the form a joke."

Sighing, Willow watching as Jess hopped to her feet to go grab some paper and a pen. There was nothing anyone could do to stop Jessica Riley once she put her mind to something, not even Sam if the look on the blonde's face was anything to go by. Not only was she against most pranks (mostly just ones that could cause harm, even if just mental), but Sam was Hannah's best friend.

Willow stifled her laugh as Sam followed after Jess. Emily and Mike shared a look, shrugging as they followed after them.

"I should probably go join them, shouldn't I?" Willow mumbled.

Matt hummed, standing up straight, "Only if you want to. I'm gonna go grab my selfie stick and see if Ashley wants in on the prank."

Willow rolled her eyes, climbing to her feet.

The two shared a high five as they walked past each other in opposite directions, Matt going off to find that stupid stick of his in his bag and Willow off to go join the others in the kitchen, where they seemed to have decided to start the prank.

By the time Willow actually joined the four in the kitchen, where Beth was looking out a window, Josh and Chris still laid passed out, without a Hannah in sight, Jess had already written up the note with a perfect imitation of Mike's handwriting. Willow found that odd, but didn't question it.

Jess leaned over the counter, placing it in a spot Hannah would see it.

"Oh my God!" Emily whispered, eyes wide as she giggled. "I can't believe you actually did this."

Jess shushed her, smiling.

"Don't you guys think this is a little bit cruel?" Sam asked, trying to find an ounce of sympathy from either of the girls before looking at Willow, who just shrugged.

"Oh come on, she deserves it."

Willow couldn't say that Jess was wrong about that, but she didn't think the girl was right about it either. Hannah was sweet, naïve and too hopeful ─ way too hopeful in Willow's opinion. And given how impulsive Hannah could be, which only worsened with her near-obsession with Mister Michael Munroe, Willow knew Hannah needed a reality check.

She just wasn't sure this was the right way to go about it.

But she couldn't stop it now.

"It's not her fault that she has a huge crush on Mike─"

Willow cut Sam off. "She took a compatibility test to see if they'd work out and then got that stupid butterfly tattoo in hopes of getting his attention because that's what the magazine said to do. At this point, babes, it's not a crush. It's an obsession and she obviously isn't listening to any of us when we tell her she's breaking girl code by trying to go after a taken guy. A guy, mind you, that is taken by one of her so-called friends."

"Yeah," Jess agreed with Willow, "Hannah's been making moves on him. I'm just looking out for my girl Em."

Willow shrugged, giving Sam a soft smile as she crossed her arms and followed Jess out of the kitchen. Rolling her eyes at the girl skipping in front of her and not bothering to look if the other three were following the two of them out back into the main area, Willow put her hand over her eyes after spotting Matt just outside.

"I swear, Matthew, if I─"

Matt laughed. "Relax, you can't see it right now, you can uncover your eyes and not have to break it."

Willow dropped her hand immediately.

"Just because he's class prez doesn't mean he belongs to everyone." Emily stated as she entered the main area. "Mike is my man."

"Hey Em, I'm not anybody's man." Mike called to her, smiling.

Emily sang, "Whatever you say, darling!"

Willow shivered at the tone. She had been forming a stupid crush on the girl lately, but no one aside from Matt knew about her questioning her sexuality and she wasn't about to go breaking apart a relationship for the simple hope that Emily might like girls too.

Besides, it was just a crush and was probably going to fade soon anyway.

As everyone filed into the guest room to get ready, Willow glanced around.

"Yeah," She dragged it out, "I'm opting out of this part. Have fun."

"Oh, come on." Mike called after her.

Willow waved at him over her shoulder as she opened the door back up and left back toward the main area. Plopping back onto the couch, Willow pulled out her phone to check the time. Exactly two in the morning.

And yet, she wasn't even tired.

Unlocking her phone to see if she magically had service suddenly ─ which she knew wouldn't be possible given the lack of cell towers on the mountain, but a girl could hope ─ Willow ignored the sound of someone coming down the stairs, not even bothering to look up as they walked into the kitchen and back out after barely ten seconds.

Locking her phone again, Willow groaned softly. Almost everyone was partaking in the prank, except for Beth and Sam, which Willow wasn't even sure where they had gone. Beth might still be in the kitchen, but Willow didn't feel like going and checking.

After all, the two of them weren't that close to begin with.

Willow wasn't really close with any of the Washington's, really. Yeah, being in the same friend group had them interacting ─ and technically Willow had been the one to take Hannah to go get that stupid tattoo, but only because it gave her an excuse to go to the shop and get the one tattoo she'd been wanting for a while anyway ─, but Willow wouldn't say she was besties with any of the three.

Another minute passed by and Willow shut her eyes.

She wasn't sure how long they had been shut when a stampede of footsteps passing by the couch shook her enough to disturb the peace she had managed to achieve in that brief moment of time.

Looking in that direction, Willow caught the backs of almost everyone rushing toward one of the doors now wide open and letting a breeze in.

Groaning, Willow climbed off her feet and started making her way over there at the same time Beth came rushing out of the kitchen. Giving her a shrug when Beth shot a questioning glance her way, Willow let the younger girl take the lead for a moment.

Beth pushed past Matt, who Willow reached out to grab to stabilize.

"What's going on?" Beth asked the question also on Willow's mind. "Where's my sister going?"

Okay, Willow would admit, she didn't know who they were running after, but it made sense.

Jess rolled her eyes, huffing. "It's fine. She just can't take a joke."

"It was just a prank, Han!" Emily called out.

Willow looked at Matt for confirmation that whatever happened in the room did, in fact, result in Hannah running off into a fucking snow storm. Matt nodded, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. She could already see the regret pooling in his eyes.

"What did you do?" Beth exclaimed.

"We were just messing around, Beth." Mike tried assuring her, "It wasn't serious."

Obviously, it was to Hannah. Willow didn't say her thought aloud.

"You jerks!" Beth yelled at them all before running off after Hannah, calling out for her sister.

Despite Hannah having been born first between the twins, at times Willow forgot that. It always felt like Beth was the older one with how protective she was of Hannah.

"So.. should we go after her?" Mike asked.

Willow rolled her eyes.

"You know, I kinda think you're the last person she wants to see right now, Mike." Sam retorted before pushing past Willow to get back inside.

Willow reached up on her tippy toes to smack the back of Mike's head.

"And you wonder why I say you're a doofus."