~ If Life's Like A Movie, Do All Things Stop?
After The Kiss, Does The Curtain Drop?
It All Feels So Perfect, What Happens Next? ~

~

"I stand here for one reason and one reason only." Chuck declared as he took one, last, determined step towards Teddy's locker. Teddy looked him over as he zipped up his backpack, his face twisting with confusion and disgust as the curly headed blonde stared up at him. "I want to call a truce."

Teddy's eyes narrowed in his twisted expression as he threw his backpack over his shoulder. His eyes never strayed from Chuck until he turned around to walk down the busy hallway. He had no interest in calling a truce with Chuck. He didn't care enough. He didn't even think about Chuck unless the dumbass put himself in his business, which he had done multiple times in their lives. Teddy really, really didn't care, though. Chuck, on the other hand, cared a lot.

"We're throwing a surprise Christmas party for Zoe before she leaves and, since you two seem so close, I feel like I should invite you." Chuck rambled as he followed Teddy through the hallway. "That's my truce. As much as I hate it that you're friends, it's not like I can stop it so-"

Teddy rolled his eyes, keeping his attention forward and his thumbs hooked in the straps of his backpack. "We're not close, Chuck, and I can't think of anything worse than going to a party full of all her dumbass friends."

Chuck scowled up at Teddy but tried not to snap on him. He was struggling more and more to figure out why Zoe would ever be friends with a loser like Teddy but, he couldn't think about that. He had to put all of that aside, like Zoe said. The new year brought new beginnings so, Chuck thought he might as well start now. He'd simmer his feud with Teddy, seduce Zoe into falling in love with him, and never live with another care in the world. The only problem was that Teddy, an unwilling victim in Chuck's game, was going to be the most difficult part.

"Come on, it's for Zoe." Chuck sighed. "She's going to be gone for a whole month, she's not even going to be able to celebrate Christmas because she'll be so busy, and we all want to see her and celebrate with her before she leaves. That party is at Jennie's and, since Howl never misses a party, I bet you could hitch a ride with him. Zoe would probably really appreciate it if you came too so... just think about it.."

And with that, Chuck swiftly turned to escaped. He didn't like saying all of that about Zoe appreciating Teddy but, he knew what he was saying wasn't wrong. Zoe appreciated everybody so, she'd definitely appreciate someone as insignificant as Teddy. Zoe was too kind for her own good. Her surprise Christmas party was likely going to be ruined if Teddy had any involvement in it, Chuck was sure of that much.

Teddy's initial reaction was to scoff and shake his head. But, as his train of thoughts started to accelerate in speed, he was quickly changing his mind. The party was the last time Zoe was going to be here for an entire month. It was the last time anyone was going to see her for an entire month so, why was it just her dumbass friends that got that opportunity? Zoe was more attached to him than her friends.

Teddy couldn't help but smirk as he wondered what her friends would do if Teddy showed up at Zoe's party and they could do nothing but watch her stick to his side. That would definitely come as a shock to most of them, surely. Teddy would be amused, not only knowing but also witnessing Zoe's neglect towards her friends with him around. He couldn't stop the grin on his face when he thought about it. They had no idea just how smitten Zoe was.

Maybe, if he went, he could show off their little relationship and freak them all out. Chuck, especially.

But, when the night came, Teddy could feel his heart race as his shoulders uncomfortably locked from his intense amount of nerves. He had never been to a high school party. Mostly, because he hated all the people he went to high school with. He couldn't imagine this going well. Teddy could only imagine all the people in the house in front of him that would try to push his buttons. He could only imagine all the dirty glares and lingering eyes as they all judged him for showing up. After all, everyone knew he didn't belong at one of their parties.

"This is so fucking stupid." Teddy grimaced as he climbed the snowy driveway with Howl.

"Their funner at parties than they are at school, Teddy. Don't worry." Howl nudged him.

"This is going to be the worse night of my life." Teddy let out a long, heavy sigh as he ran his hand over his head.

"Chill, Teddy." Howl laughed. "There's enough going on at these parties that could distract you, if you need. Alright? Just stick with me."

Teddy took one last breath before he stepped inside with Howl, instantly shocked at how many people were packed into Jennie's house. There were Christmas decorations everywhere, people screaming downstairs, and people dancing upstairs. Someone threw the garage door open and a noticeable cloud escaped with them. There was obviously weed in there. For now, though, Howl led Teddy upstairs to see what kind of drinks they had.

"I don't wanna drink.." Teddy frowned as he climbed the stairs with Howl, his hands deep in his front pockets.

"You don't have to, just have something in your hand. But, if you get too uncomfortable, it will help." Howl shrugged.

Teddy grimaced once more, her eyes darting around the living room as he made his way to the kitchen. Multiple eyes lingered on Teddy as he walked through the house. Nobody expected to see him here. None of his classmates had ever seen him party. Whispers and murmurs were already being passed about, successfully masked by the music. Their eyes weren't, though, and Teddy was growing more and more anxious as he noticed how many people were staring.

Howl led Teddy into the kitchen, having been at a party at Jennie's house before, and found something for them both to drink. Howl knew Teddy would drive him home if he got a little too tipsy but, he didn't care to be sloppy drunk like some people. So, Howl poured liquor into his drink as he handed Teddy a can of soda. Teddy already felt like a dud with nothing but a soda but, he didn't want to drink just to feel like he fit in. Neither of those things were really his forte.

"Where do people our age get liquor, anyways?" Teddy asked as he glowered at Howl's cup while it tilted back to meet his pierced lips.

"All of Jennie's siblings are older than her. You might recognize her older sister, Kim, even." Howl snickered manically to himself.

"Kim?" Teddy's eyes widened. "Not... Not the Kim, I almost..?"

"No, man. I'm fucking with you." Howl playfully slapped Teddy's chest. "I'd be surprised if you tricked an older girl into fucking you."

Teddy stared at Howl as the guy smirked, Teddy's shocked expression never faltering. "She was older than me, Howl.. By, like, two years.."

Howl froze, his smirk slowly falling as the twinkle in his eyes faded. He pointed a finger at Teddy as he stared right back at him. Reality was starting to hit them both. "You didn't... No. There's no way you fucked Jennie's sister, right?"

"I didn't fuck her!" Teddy anxiously pointed out, as if that would make the situation any better or give him some kind of defense.

Howl sighed as he began playing with his lip piercings with his tongue and teeth. He took a quick look around the party before his eyes landed on Teddy again. "What did she look like? I've seen Jennie's sister before."

Teddy took a deep breath as he raked his brain for the file that held all his known descriptive terms. "She has jet black hair, really, really tan skin, green eyes, sharp ass eyebrows."

Howl's face turned sour as he shook his head. "She looks Russian, doesn't she?"

Teddy's mouth hung open as he tried to deny the very clear picture in his head. But, eventually, Teddy defeated sighed and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, she does, actually..."

"Oh, Teddy!" Howl groaned as he violently facepalmed. He fell back against the kitchen counter as he hid his face in his hands.

"What? Jennie doesn't look Russian! It can't be her sister!" Teddy defended.

"Jennie IS Russian, you moron!" Howl exclaimed as he raised his head, his eye twitching with frustration. All emotion from his face drained, though, as his eyes shifted to something over Teddy's shoulder. Teddy was about to turn around before Howl grabbed his shoulder and kept him still. "Don't move. She just came upstairs."

"Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me.." Teddy groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "The one goddamn party I come to and this happens.."

"Hey, it's better that you came otherwise, who knows what you would've done. Last time, you wimped out but, who knows how far you would've gone with some random chick this time." Howl teased, his eyes glued to Jennie as she moved through the crowd.

"I didn't wimp out, asshole."

"Then, how did it happen? Did you get scared and run off with your pants around your ankles? Did she kick you out because you were bad at it? Did you accidentally call her a slut?"

"What? No! None of that happened!"

"Well, tell me what did happen!" Howl's eyes bored into Teddy's. He was being dead serious. "Because, if it was bad, we should run."

Teddy sighed as he defeatedly shook his head. He didn't like remembering that night. It was embarrassing. Not because he had embarrassed himself in front of Kim, he was just embarrassed that he tried to do something so hasty in the first place. It was such a dumb, impulsive mistake that was so insignificant, since nothing happened in the first place, that he wished he would erase it from his memory.

That night with Kim, it didn't end badly. They were both nearly naked when Teddy finally backed out, not explaining why at first as he tried to calm all of his wild nerves that were making his hands shake. Kim sat quietly beside Teddy for awhile, not saying a word until he apologized. Kim was a sweet girl, though, and chuckled lightly at Teddy before she reassured him that it was okay. She told him he didn't have to rush losing his virginity and, if he had someone he really, really liked, he should save it for her.

That made Teddy leave faster than anything else. He felt like his heart was going to climb out of his throat. His brain was plagued with the thought of Zoe, which was what made him panic that night. He tried to leave on a good note with Kim by thanking her for agreeing to meet up with him and complimenting how beautiful she looked. Kim was obviously amused, he could tell, but he was so nervous that he didn't care, he just wanted to leave.

"It ended okay.." Teddy begrudgingly muttered, feeling a bit bashful when he thought about it. "Kim is cool.."

"Okay.." Howl's hand reluctantly fell from Teddy's shoulder as he carefully studied him. "So... We don't have to run."

"Right about now, I would love to, but not because of Kim." Teddy joked.

"Howl! Teddy.." A third party blurted from across the bar that stuck out from the kitchen counters. Teddy and Howl flinched and turned to see Jennie staring back at them, both of their eyes widening as their postures straightened. "What made you finally join one of our parties, Teddy? Mine.. out of all of them...?" She stiffly grinned.

Teddy could swear he saw little tiny devil horns sticking out from Jennie's hair. The more he stared at her, the more he saw the hint of a Russian facial structure that Kim had. The long, black hair, sharp eyebrows, her skin a bit paper than Kim's, though. Her eyes weren't green either, and her chin was pointier than Kim's. Teddy slowly became more paranoid that Jennie had caught some of his conversation with Howl as he stared at her but, he convinced himself there was no way he had bad luck that severe.

"I was actually invited this time..." Teddy regretted the reply instantly. He didn't want to go to any of his classmates parties, even if he was invited but, he couldn't admit that he came here for Zoe.

"I didn't invite you." Jennie still held her faltering smile as her eyes bored into his.

"Chuck did." Teddy shrugged.

"Chuck? That's funny, because the last time I think you two spoke was when you vandalized his car." Jennie snapped back.

Teddy couldn't help but triumphantly smirk at the memory as he was temporarily distracted. He was still proud of that. Teddy simply shrugged, though. "Ask him yourself, Jennie."

"I sure will when he gets here." Jennie bitterly muttered, her eyes soon drifting to Howl. She flashed a semi-genuine smile this time. "Hello, Howl. Help yourself to whatever you'd like."

Howl raised his cup to Jennie with a polite nod of his head. Jennie smiled and whipped around, her black hair that was tied up in a ponytail swinging wildly as she turned. Teddy and Howl exchanged looks, both of them beginning to grin at the ridiculousness of this situation. Teddy never imagined he'd be doing so much dumb shit in this life. He was at a high school party, where he was silently hoping a girl he almost slept with didn't find him, and was only here to see the girl that this party was planned for.

This was not how Teddy ever imagined spending his days in high school. And, it was all because of Zoe.

"Teddy.." Another feminine voice jumped in shortly after Jennie disappeared.

Teddy and Howl turned to see Kim approaching, which they both knew was inevitable so they weren't completely caught off guard. Still, Teddy didn't really know how to approach this situation. Kim stole a glance at Howl, flashing him a smile that could best be described as civil as she silently asked in she could talk to Teddy alone. Howl's eyebrows slightly raised at Teddy as he stepped passed him, a reassuring hand slapping his shoulder as he passed. Teddy mentally prepared himself for whatever embarrassing things Kim was about to say to him.

"Hi, Kim.." Teddy awkwardly greeted.

Kim sweetly smiled and leant against the bar, Teddy taking that as his cue to sit against the opposite set of counters. "How are you, Teddy?"

"Fine.. and, yourself?"

"Great."

"Good."

Awkward silence.

Kim's sweet smile broadened as she chuckled. "Man, you really are a virgin, aren't you?"

Teddy was taken aback by that but, as he realized how pleased Kim was with her attempt to tease him, he lightened up a bit. Teddy shyly dropped his gaze and shook his head as he wallowed in his embarrassment.

"I said I was, didn't I?" Teddy blushed.

"I thought, maybe, that was just a line so I'd want you more. And then, when you stopped, I had a suspicion that you might've been cheating on your girlfriend and had a guilty conscience.." Kim admitted, wondering if Teddy would confess that her assumptions were accurate.

"No. It was nothing like that. I was just a virgin that jumped into it too quickly and panicked.."

"Was? Did the girl you like finally pop your cherry?" Kim teased with a cocky smirk.

Teddy blushed even more, not that Kim could notice it in his color but more in his eyes and his shy smile. "No.. There's no girl and the cherry is still ripe for the picking."

"Oh, don't tempt me, Teddy.." Kim winked with a humorous smile.

Teddy shyly dropped his gaze again. Kim was very beautiful and very sweet but, Teddy admittedly wasn't interested. He didn't have a full reason why. It was just complicated. He didn't know if he was saving himself because he had never really thought about it before. It wasn't like he had the time to find a girlfriend or even cared to make time for something like that. He had other things to focus on. The only girl that ever entered his mind like that was Zoe, which she did by force, not by his choosing.

Kim silently made herself a drink, Teddy stealing glances as he tried to imagine that night again, internally wondering if he would ever be able to go through with it. His train of thought was cut short when Jennie yelled for everyone to shut up in the living room, the music going silent as the chatting quieted. Everyone turned to Jennie as she stared at her phone.

"Chuck is a block away with Zoe! Everyone be completely silent! If anyone ruins the surprise, you're getting kicked out!" Jennie yelled.

Kim and Teddy exchanged amused glances as she quietly moved to lean against the same counter as him. "Is Jennie always... like that?" Teddy whispered to Kim.

"You mean, a huge, spoiled brat? Absolutely." Kim rolled her eyes before she tilted her drink to her lips.

The party remained silent, with a bit of murmuring as everyone patiently waited. When the front door swung open, the house was dead silent. Zoe could be heard giggling from the stairs as Chuck guided her carefully up them. Teddy pushed off the counter and tried to peer over the crowd to see Zoe as she approached. He could barely see her as she finally made it to the living room. It didn't help that she was shorter than everyone she ever met.

"What's going on, Chuck? It's not my birthday, you know.." Zoe laughed as she held her fingers to the blindfold around her eyes.

"I know but, since you're not going to be here for Christmas..." Chuck untied the blindfold and pulled it off, Zoe's eyes rapidly blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"Merry Christmas!" Everyone cheered as soon as Zoe's eyes focused.

Zoe dramatically gasped, her brown eyes huge and smile even bigger as she began excitedly jumping up and down. Teddy chuckled at Zoe's uncontrollable excitement and he watched as she greeted her friends and jumped around, her wondrous gaze looking around at all the Christmas decorations. Kim kept her eyes on Teddy as he stared so blatantly with such an obvious smile. The clues slowly fell into place, which made Kim knowingly smile as she shook her at Teddy.

As the cheering calmed, Kim turned her attention to Teddy again. "There is no girl, huh?" Teddy turned curiously to Kim, confused by the smirk on her face. "Did you guys break up? Is she just a crush? Maybe, she's dating that Chuck guy and you're jealous?"

Teddy's mouth fell agape as he tried to rebuke all her wild claims but, he was so shocked that he didn't know what to say. How did she get all of those questions in her head, all of a sudden? It wasn't like he was drooling or anything. Was he smiling? Had Kim caught him smiling at Zoe?

"There's nothing going on between Zoe and I. She's just.. a friend.. or something." Kim's knowingly smirked, cocked an eyebrow, and crossed her arms over her chest. She was even less convinced now. "I swear. It's nothing."

"Teddy?" Zoe yelled from the living room.

Teddy turned to see the crowd parting and, before he even spotted her, Zoe leaped at him like a monkey. Zoe's arms wrapped around his neck as she jumped at him, Teddy's instinctively going to her waist as he bent over from her weight coming at him so suddenly. Teddy was momentarily stunned as Zoe hugged him so tightly. He could smell her perfume, could feel her acrylic nails on his shoulders, had his fingers way too close to her skirt, which made his heart race even more than it already was.

Zoe pulled away, her nails sitting on his neck as she stared up at him with a huge smile and sparkles in her eyes. "You came to my surprise Christmas party? Really? For me?" She beamed.

Teddy stared down at the blonde, trying to find it somewhere within him to be cruel to her, like he always was. He couldn't find it, though. Zoe looked too happy, looked too pretty, felt too warm. The crowd of curious, suspicious eyes on them wasn't even apart of Teddy's concerns. He hadn't looked away from Zoe enough to notice them. Zoe didn't either, though, nor did she really care. She never thought she'd get Teddy to come to a party and she couldn't be happier that he surprised her at a party just for her.

All Teddy could do was fight a smile as he nodded. "Yeah.."

"Thank you.." Zoe whispered, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes.

Zoe was touched that Teddy would show up to something like this, for her. He was exactly the person she wanted to spend her last night in Ohio with before she had to leave for a month. Teddy simply nodded, his smile becoming harder and harder to fight. Unfortunately, Teddy and Zoe didn't get to stand and stare at each other forever.

"Zoe, right?" Kim butted in. Zoe turned to see a tall, dark haired, beautiful woman gesturing her hand out to greet her. "My name's Kim. I'm Jennie's older sister and a friend of Teddy's."

"A friend of Teddy's..?" Zoe's hands slipped from Teddy's neck as she took a cautious step away from him.

There was an painful swirl of anxiety in his gut as he felt and watched Zoe part from him with that look on her face. She averted her eyes from Kim and stared up at Teddy, an untrusting glint in her big, brown eyes that made the swirl in his gut even worse. She looked like she had just been betrayed. Teddy didn't have friends. And, if he did and Zoe didn't know about it, she didn't ever expect him to be friends with someone so close to her own circle.

Jennie's older sister? Really? How did they even meet? Did they hang out a lot? Did Kim mean friends innocently? Zoe could only hope. Kim was lucky if she got to hang out with Teddy but, it just made Zoe uncontrollably jealous. Did Teddy laugh with Kim? Did they hang out at each other's houses or go out together? Did they talk a lot? How come Teddy never mentioned her? Did they hang out or talk more than Zoe and Teddy hung out or talked? That definitely wouldn't do.

"She means friend very loosely." Teddy whispered, trying his best to play off the tense situation he found himself in.

Zoe eyed Teddy very carefully as she frowned so deeply at him. "You say the same thing about Howl and you're together all the time.."

"Zoe-" Teddy wanted to clear his name of this preposterous rumor that had suddenly developed but, he couldn't really say anything.

If he cleared the rumor by telling the truth, he couldn't imagine the look on Zoe's face when she realized who Kim actually was. Zoe was the one that had a crush on him, after all. It wasn't like Teddy had to save himself for her just because she had feeling for him, which he didn't reciprocate. For some reason, though, Teddy couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that tainted his nerves. There was nothing he could say. He tried one thing and Zoe already called him out on it.

"Do you drink, Zoe?" Kim asked, amused by the tension she had created between Teddy and Zoe. He claimed there was no girl but, here he was, desperately trying to deny any rumors that may harm their relationship together.

"No." Zoe's hard stare flickered towards Kim before she started to eye her like she eyed Teddy. She was too pretty for Zoe's liking.

"What a shame. I was going to suggest we play a round of beer bong. Teddy and I versus you and Chuck." Kim shrugged. Teddy turned to Kim now, slightly taken aback by her proposal. "Winners kiss under the mistletoe and the losers take shots."

Zoe's eyes suspiciously narrowed at Kim as her mind swirled with questions. Why would Kim suggest that kind of prize? Did she want to kiss Teddy if they won? What was she trying to do, rub it in Zoe's face that Teddy had someone else he was close to? Teddy was friends with girls like this? The kind that jumped on any opportunity to express, and show off, their sexuality? Was Teddy into that? Was Kim doing this on purpose or was this just her thing? Zoe was going mad with all these questions.

"What the hell kind of prize is that?" Teddy snapped.

"A fun one, it sounds like. Count me in." Chuck butted in from the sidelines of the conversation.

Teddy's shoulders instantly tensed at the sound of Chuck's voice. Of course, he was nearby. Of course, he heard. Of course, that asshole would jump on the chance to kiss Zoe. He was going to do whatever he could to win, just so he could kiss her, Teddy knew it. The guy would do anything to get that kind of opportunity. He didn't have the balls to kiss her himself, not that he should ever lay a finger on Zoe but, it disgusted Teddy that he would trick her into a kiss. The guy made Teddy's skin crawl with fire ants, or whatever the hell was making him so angry right now.

"Chuck's in, I'm in. Teddy? Zoe? No..?" Kim's eyebrows popped up in question. Both Teddy and Zoe just stared at her. "Or, you know, I can just drag Teddy under the mistletoe later tonight."

"I'll play." Zoe didn't let a beat pass before she spoke. If she could stop Kim from kissing Teddy later, by winning now, she'd do it.

"Zoe!" Teddy exclaimed in shock.

Zoe ignored Teddy as she slipped through the crowd to get to the dining room. Teddy was going to reach for her to stop her before Chuck slipped into her path and separated them. Kim was next to disappear into the crowd, flashing Teddy a smug smirk over her shoulder. Teddy groaned and dropped his face into his hands. He didn't want to play but now he had to play because he couldn't let someone take his place, lose, and make Zoe kiss Chuck. What other choice did he have?

"This should be fun..." Howl muttered as he threw his arm over Teddy's slumped shoulders.

Teddy groaned once more and elbowed Howl in the ribs, causing him to flinch and wince. "Why didn't you step in, asshole? You could've, at least, taken Chuck's spot. I don't care if you kiss her!"

Howl was taken aback for a minute as he tried to dissect Teddy's claim. "Does that mean.. you care.. if Chuck kisses Zoe?"

"Of course, I care!" Teddy shoved Howl's chest again, which made him smile. This is the confession Howl had been waiting for. "You know how much I hate that prick! And Zoe's too naive, she's not even going to realize how badly that dumbass wants to kiss her. He can't have his way that easily."

"Wait.. no! This is suppose to be about how much you like Zoe. You don't want him to kiss her because you want to kiss her." Howl pressed, making full eye contact with Teddy to make sure they were on the same page.

"Shut the fuck up about that already! I don't want to kiss her. I just don't want Chuck to kiss her." Teddy firmly corrected.

Howl was shocked. Teddy didn't even look like he was trying to lie. He looked like he genuinely believed that was true. What did Teddy want then? Did he care if Joseph kissed her? What about Daniel? They were her friends. Was he just trying to justify his anger by saying he didn't want Chuck to have his way? Did he even know why he was upset?

"Teddy, are you dumb or stupid? How do you not get this?" Howl threw his hands out from his head, expressing just how frustrated he was with his friends stubborn ignorance.

"Come on, Teddy! You're really making me pour all our cups?" Kim yelled from the dining room.

Teddy sighed one last time before he sauntered to the dining room. As he stood on Kim's side, his eyes glued to Zoe as she poured liquor into a cup in with a deep frown on her face. The Christmas music kicked on again while people gathered around to watch, obviously interested in Teddy's new friend and the potential kiss that might happen between either team. The four of them were silent though, as they filled their cups and arranged them accordingly on either side of the table.

"I'm going first." Teddy declared, hoping to get a cup out in his first shot to feel a little more secure in the fact that he might win.

Zoe barely pulled her hand away from the front cup before Teddy threw his ping pong ball. The ball bounced once against the table and nearly hit her hand before it landed in a cup. There was already some light murmuring, like a crowd watching a golf tournament with blaring Christmas music in the background. Zoe looked up from the cup with a dropped jaw, her eyes locking with Teddy's. She couldn't be more offended that Teddy was so anxious to win and kiss Kim.

"Then, I'll drink first." Chuck volunteered as he picked up the cup, pulled the ping pong ball from the cup, and gulped down the contents in the cup.

Teddy tried to avoid Zoe's stare but he could feel her burning a hole right between his eyes. He was too focused on Chuck as the guy put the cup down and carefully aimed to shoot. Teddy wanted to cheat and block his shot but, it didn't matter because, Chuck missed. Teddy smiled at that and picked the ping pong ball from the floor, dipped it in water, and handed it to Kim. She took her shot, missed, and Zoe hurried to catch it before it bounced away. Zoe took her shot, sunk the first cup, and happily smiled.

Teddy watched the ping pong ball spin within the rim of the cup before it fell into the liquor at the bottom. His eyes flickered up to Zoe and he was surprised to see her smile turn cocky as she innocently shrugged. He couldn't help but glare. She was going to try to win, he could tell. Chuck was excited, obviously, which made Teddy even more pissed off. Kim removed the ping pong ball, handed the cup to Teddy, and watched as he stared at the liquor inside. He absolutely despised liquor and it didn't help that he had to drink this while Chuck got closer and closer to winning.

Howl nervously played with his lip piercing using his tongue as he watched Teddy pour the liquor into his mouth, struggle to swallow it, and choke as he fought the poison that burned all the way to his stomach. Howl's eyes then shifted to Zoe, who simply crossed her arms and waited for Teddy to gather himself enough to shoot. When this game was proposed by Kim, Howl didn't imagine either of them would agree to play but, now that they were playing, he didn't imagine Teddy and Zoe to be so pissed at each other while they played. None of this was how he pictured it.

If this was the The Notebook inspired story that he wanted it to be, Teddy would've refused to play and confessed to Zoe that he didn't want her to kiss Chuck because he was the one that liked her. And then, Zoe would kiss him from being so touched by his confession or Teddy would kiss her so he didn't miss his chance. This, though... Howl didn't know what was going on with Kim, he knew Chuck was good at beer pong, and had a bad feeling about the tension between Teddy and Zoe.

Howl would jump in and stop the game if he could but, he couldn't figure out a good enough reason that would keep the wrong people from kissing each other. It was so much harder to devise a plan when Teddy and Zoe were on opposite teams. If they were in the same team, it would be a piece of cake to rig the game somehow.

It didn't take long for Teddy and Kim to end up with only four cups in front of them, while Chuck and Zoe had six. Chuck was growing cockier an cockier as the game went on, high-fiving his friends and shooting cocky smiles at Teddy. Zoe didn't seem to mind either way. Sometimes, she was cocky but, as soon as Teddy or Kim would score, her expression would flatten again. She didn't want them to win. Yet again, she had no desire to kiss Chuck. She wasn't against him. He was her friend and she trusted him but, if she was going to kiss anyone, she wished she was on Teddy's team.

"If I would've known you were straightedge, I wouldn't have suggested a game we were going to lose at." Kim grumbled as she dipped the ping pong ball in the water cup.

Teddy gagged and coughed, trying to ignore how disgusting the liquor felt sitting in his gut as he Kim handed him the ball. "I suddenly wish I wasn't straightedge, either."

Teddy missed his shot again and Chuck easily caught the ball before it went anywhere, not wasting a second before he threw it and sunk it into one of Teddy and Kim's cups. Teddy's head hung in frustration and disappointment as Kim grabbed the cup and easily downed the liquid. He wondered if there was a way that he could end this game before Chuck and Zoe won. How did he forfeit without making a fool of himself? Everyone was watching, everyone was and would judge him, and Chuck would probably claim he won and plant his lips on Zoe before Teddy got a word in edgewise.

"You might want to bail out now.." Howl whispers to Teddy as he stood nonchalantly beside him, his arms crossed and hand wiping his face to hide his mouth as he spoke.

"I can't.." Teddy growled lowly.

Kim took her shot after finishing her cup, made it into the cup, and grinned. Zoe took the wretched cup and downed it the best she could as she clenched the ball in her fist. She hated alcohol. She didn't understand how people drank stuff like this for fun.

"You're both going to be drunk and Chuck's going to kiss Zoe. This is a lose-lose situation, Teddy." Howl pressed.

"I know that!" Teddy could feel his mind start to give up like his body was as his elbows fell to the table and his face fell into his hand. "If I forfeit, they win and we lose anyways."

When Zoe readied to take her shot, her eyes lingered on Teddy and examined just his miserable he looked. She knew he didn't like liquor and kind of felt bad that he had to drink so much already. So, instead of aiming for the few cups they had left, she accidentally aimed at Teddy. He barely flinched at the feeling of the ball hitting him in the head but, it was enough to make him look up. His eyes met Zoe's and he felt a bit of the tension in his body dissipate as she flashed him a soft smile and shrugged. He could tell she wasn't trying to win anymore and that changed the game.

Teddy bounced the ball right back to Zoe, completely ignoring the cups with a knowing glint in his eyes. Zoe smiled and bashfully slid the ping pong ball towards Chuck. Kim and Chuck, as well as the rest of the crowd, was slightly confused but, Howl knew. They couldn't blame each other if one of them sunk the winning shot this way. It was up to Chuck and Kim and completely out of their hands if they didn't even try anymore. That didn't change Chuck and Kim's determination though.

Zoe didn't like that Teddy had to drink, even after she gave up the fight, but she couldn't say anything. There was too much social pressure in this sitution to simply declare that she didn't want to play anymore. She didn't want to put herself in a negative light as the party pooper, nor did Teddy. There was only one cup left, anyways, and Chuck was more determined to get it than any other cup before. Teddy and Zoe continued to lazily bounce the ball across the table for their turns as Kim and Chuck snatched the ball and quickly threw it like their lives depended on it.

Teddy stared at Zoe with a smirk on his face as he watched her watch the ball, her fingers running through her hair and her face a bit flushed from the liquor. He was happier this way. Of course, he was going to lose and Chuck was going to win but, he felt better knowing Zoe had no real desire to kiss Chuck. Zoe felt the same way. Teddy was no longer frustrated from losing because he wanted to kiss Kim so badly. He had relaxed now. It didn't matter either way.

Chuck just sunk their final cup, after all.

"Fuck, yeah!" Chuck loudly cheered, obnoxiously high-fiving his friends and cockily brushing off his shoulders. "Where's the mistletoe? Someone point us in the direction of the mistletoe."

Teddy was speechless as he realized the worse result had come true. In theory, as he was staring at Zoe, it didn't seem that bad but, now that I was about to happen, Teddy was panicking. Chuck was about to kiss Zoe. That thought instantly shot a pump of adrenaline through Teddy's body as he jumped away from the table to prevent Chuck from making his way to the mistletoe. The stupid thing was hanging from the doorway between the dining room and the living room so, it wasn't that far away.

As Teddy swiftly slid away, Kim grabbed the cup and downed it, not caring if it was hers to drink or Teddy's.

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on!" Teddy stumbled as he popped up in front of Chuck, his hands landing on Chuck's shoulders. Zoe stood in the toes of her heels to see Teddy over Chuck's shoulder. "Why is it the winners that get to kiss? The kiss should be the punishment. I'll kiss Kim. Or, better yet, you and I can stick together and get Kim and Zoe to kiss."

Chuck shoved Teddy's arms off of him as he glared up at him. He wanted to make a crude remark at Teddy for being such a pig but, he didn't want to make a scene in front of Zoe. Not now, when he was about to kiss Zoe and make her realize that what she needed was right in front of her the entire time. This was his perfect chance. He didn't care what Teddy had to say.

"I won, I get to kiss the girl." Chuck firmly reminded Teddy as he held his stare. Slowly, a devilish grin spread across his face. "Now move, Teddy."

"Chuck!" Teddy attempted once more but got shoved out of the way this time.

Zoe shyly followed Chuck to the mistletoe, her eyes on Teddy as she passed. She still wished she was kissing Teddy. He was so handsome and she liked him so much. But, since she didn't always get the things she wanted, Zoe settled for the fact that Teddy wasn't going to kiss Kim. Getting her first real kiss from Chuck wasn't such a bad price to pay for something like that. She was being selfish anyways and, not getting to kiss Teddy, would simply have to be her punishment for that selfishness.

"You don't really want to kiss that guy, do you?" Teddy asked over Zoe's shoulder as he followed her to the mistletoe that tauntingly hung a few inches ahead.

Zoe shrugged, too shy to look back at Teddy. "I guess, there's a different guy I'd rather be kissing.." Teddy frowned, his face twisting as he tried to think of who she could be talking about. He couldn't think of anybody before Zoe finished her thought in a whisper. "But, he was on the other team."

Teddy's feet instantly froze as his eyes widened. He knew about Zoe's crush, and obviously, she would want to kiss him if she had a crush on him. Still, he didn't ever expect to hear her say something like that. Why was Zoe doing this, then? Why was she walking towards the mistletoe still? Why didn't she just say no? She couldn't possibly be too nice to say no. If Zoe didn't want to kiss Chuck, she was allowed to say no. If Zoe wanted to kiss Teddy-

Well.. he didn't know what would happen then.

Chuck was convinced he had finally got the chance he had been waiting for. His friends were cheering him on, his confidence from winning was just high enough, and the most beautiful girl in school was stood right in front of him. Chuck thought he had finally won. This was his moment. This was the first day of the rest of his life. The first day of his life as Zoe's new boyfriend, that is.

Zoe stood patient and compliant under the mistletoe, feeling a bit anxious at how thick the crowd around them was. She felt even worse when she saw people pulling their phones out to take pictures. She hated that people always had their phones out, ready to take photos and videos of her, no matter what she was doing. Zoe just wanted I get this over with. It was just Chuck, nobody special. It was just a kiss, not a proposal. Why was everyone being so dramatic?

"Pucker up, Princess!" Someone hollered from the crowd, causing Zoe to uncomfortably squirm under their crude comment.

"Make it a good one!" Another yelled.

"Let us see some tongue!" It was a girl this time, who had made her friends laughing at her comment.

"Come on.." Chuck spoke much more gently than the others as his smile remained big and bright. He held his hands out towards her face, welcoming her forward just before he took a step forward.

Zoe looked up at the fake mistletoe plant taped lazily to the doorway, suddenly having a very, very strong desire not to do this. She didn't think it would be that bad, kissing one of her best friends, but the commentary of the crowd around them was making this a lot less fun. Zoe didn't favor large crowds, especially not ones waiting for something juicy to happen. It was like everyone expected this to go viral, like the last time they all had their phones out, and that made her exponentially more nervous. Everything about this was horrible.

Chuck didn't ask again as he took another step towards Zoe, one hand gently resting on her arm as the other reached for her face. His eyes were already falling shut as he leant in and Zoe could feel her air intake come to a halt as she braced herself. her heart raced as the crowd got louder with crude comments, her eyes squeezing shut and her body stiff. Teddy watched the scene in front of him, feeling every nerve in his body screaming at him to stop this before it was too late. He only had a few milliseconds left before Chuck's lips were on Zoe's.

At this point, all of Teddy's worries about possibly ruining the party, gaining more enemies, or being filmed and posted all over the internet again were completely gone. He wasn't thinking about anything at all, actually. He just moved.

With her eyes closed, Zoe didn't know what was happening as she was swiftly spun around and promptly kissed. Her eyes popped open and her chest nearly imploded as she spotted Teddy's face impossibly close to hers. Everything was silent, besides the obnoxious Christmas music. Zoe couldn't even hear that, though. Neither could Teddy, or Chuck, or anybody else watching. Nobody could believe what they were witnessing.

Teddy Morgan just kissed Zoe Yang.

Zoe couldn't even form thoughts over the sight of Teddy and the feeling of Teddy kissing her. His lips were bigger than hers. Plump, warm, soft. Even his hands resting on her jaw were huge and keeping her close as he opened his mouth, effectively parting Zoe's as she followed his lead. Zoe's eyes squeezed shut again when Teddy gently slid his tongue into Zoe's mouth, kissing her deeper, with a bit more determination. Zoe didn't know what to do but she also didn't want to stop.

Zoe wanted to enjoy the gentleness of Teddy's touch and the intimidate act they were participating in but, she could barely focus with how shy and nervous she was. She had never kissed anyone like this before so, she was extra anxious. Zoe could feel her hands trembling and heart racing, hyperaware that Teddy seemed to be just fine. If you had asked him, all the gears the ran in his head just stopped.

Kissing Zoe was like a drug that put him to sleep. Like a horse tranquilizer, just as heavy and intense as it was blissful and warm. Part of Teddy was bathing in comfort and safety, like he was floating in a sensory deprivation tank, while the other was slamming every big, red button in his body and setting off every alarm that made noise. The mixture of the two equaled out, though, so Teddy was left to move his lips over Zoe's with no reservation. All rational was gone. It was all physical now.

"Teddy!" Howl yelled when he noticed the redness in Chuck's face. The guy was about to explode.

Howl grabbed Teddy's arm and effectively pulled him off of the blonde when he failed to listen to him. Teddy stumbled back a step, his hand slipping away from Zoe's face as both of their eyes fluttered open. The sight of Zoe blushing so furiously with that lewd hint of drunken lust in her soft, brown eyes made a smile itch at the corner or Teddy's lips. It looked like the most innocent little angel in heaven was just tainted by the most fearless devil in hell, and frankly, Teddy loved it. He loved corrupting Zoe.

"Run, Teddy! It's time to go!" Howl pulled Teddy again, finally causing him to look at anything else that wasn't Zoe. His eyes raised to Chuck, spotting the intense anger written all over his face before they widened with realization. "Go, go, go, go, go!"

Teddy finally turned, agreeing to run away with Howl. Both of them pushed hurriedly through the thick crowd of bystanders as Chuck hollered for Teddy to stop. Zoe looked around for someone to confirm that what had just happened definitely did just happen. The amount of cameras and shocked expressions still pointed at her made her confident that it did actually happen. Teddy just kissed her. It was real.

Teddy just kissed her!

"Chuck! Wait a minute!" Zoe yelled as she followed the chaos of the fleeting crowd.

Zoe managed to squeeze through everyone and stumble down the stairs to get to the front door. Chuck was being held at the door by his friends clawing at his shirt and his jeans to keep him inside the house before he lost it. Zoe slipped under his wailing arms and into the cold winter air as she looked down the street. Teddy and Howl were halfway down the block already, still sprinting, Howl's car beeping as he unlocked it from a few feet away. The two boys slipped inside the car without hesitation and drive off as soon as they could.

Zoe stood in the cold as she watched Howl's car zip off into the night, her heart still racing as a smile slowly pulled at the corner of her lips. She was upset that Teddy had to leave so soon. She wanted to kiss him some more. She wanted to kiss him all night. The faint memory of his lips moving over hers was still prominent in her mind, which was giving her a very giddy high. She got to kiss Teddy. Teddy kissed her. And it was the best Christmas present she'd get this year.

"Who has a good picture of that?" Zoe turned to the front door of the house, her eyes bouncing between all the pairs of eyes peering out around Chuck. It took a second but someone finally raised their hand. Zoe excitedly skipped towards the door, slipping passed Chuck, as if he didn't even exist. "Let me see it! Send it to me!"

"Wait! Zoe!" Chuck desperately followed Zoe up the stairs as she looked at the person's phone. She gasped, her mouth hanging open as she examined the photo. "The mistletoe, Zoe! We still have to kiss under the mistletoe!"

"I have a video!" Someone yelled when Zoe was in the living room. Zoe rushed to their side and clung to them as she watched the recording on their phone.

"Zoe!"

"Shh!" Zoe harshly shushed Chuck, not bothering to look up so she didn't miss the kiss.

The scene was everything she ever wanted. She was stood in an awkward situation, visibly uncomfortable, with Teddy stood just out of frame. As Chuck leaned in, Teddy stepped forward and grabbed her much quicker than Chuck managed to. He didn't even hesitate to plant his lips on hers, his hands gently holding her face to his. Even in heels, he was taller, which meant her head was tilted up as he towered over her. It was cute in Zoe's eyes. She blushed at the sight of Teddy swiftly slipping his tongue into her mouth like he did, though.

Teddy looked a lot more confident than her in his kissing ability but, Zoe liked that. He looked tall, fearless, dominant. He wasn't scared, wasn't nervous, didn't hesitate. He just kissed her. Teddy kissed her. Zoe had so many questions now. Did he kiss her because he liked her? Did he kiss her because he didn't want Chuck to kiss her? Were there any feelings there, at all? Did he just want the attention from the crowd? That was Zoe's worse fear but, she convinced herself that Teddy wasn't like that. Something like that wasn't like him.

All that mattered was that he did it. Teddy kissed her. Zoe! Teddy kissed Zoe! Finally...

💗~💗

{ AND THUS... ends Phase One of Sorry, I Love You.

Phase one also means part one/volume one/book one but it's all the same shit so I'm still coming back to this book for Phase Two. And by coming back, I mean, I'm gonna take a short break to finish A Taste Of Something New. That might take a while so, if I start posting again before that book is finished, just know that I got impatient.

It's been a full year since I posted chapter one of this story and the first phase has finally ended like a week after the anniversary, which is sick, if you ask me. I'm super proud because I've been working on this story since 2015 and have dedicated so much time and effort into these characters. And fam.. hey fam.. the story isn't even halfway over. It just fucking started so BUCKLE IN!!!

Thanks for reading. Seriously. It means so much to me when people get excited when I post a new chapter. The support is unreal. It's a dream come true. Your comments, your votes, your support, it's all so amazing. If you've got any ideas or suggestions or theories for the story, please leave a comment! I really love the way you guys see my characters and I love to hear why you like or don't like them! You're all my favorite! 💗💗💗💗💗 }