Just a reminder -- Due to the language, Wattpad's given the story an R Rating. Some of you might have to follow me to keep reading if you're having trouble. If not, proceed as always. :)

-~*~-

Mark Twain once said, "Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured," so, when life gives you lemons...

"Stop!" I screamed. "Stop it!"

"David--the fuck, man?"

...Pick them up and throw them at fighting boys.

"Dude!"

"Wait, Dave--Marco...Fuckin' shit!"

Maybe one will hit each in the head and bring him back to his senses.

"Dude!" Nico exclaimed, poorly attempting to restrain David. "Dude, what the fuck? Stop!"

"Guys!" I yelled, because the closer I came to the scuffle, the closer I came to pointy elbows and an unnecessary black eye. "What are you doing?"

Marco staggered backwards, as David's fist connected with his face--again.

Blood splattered across Marco's sweater.

And he was laughing.

"Hah!" He exclaimed in his typically loud volume. "You still punch like a mother fucking girl."

"You think you're fucking funny?" David's face contorted into a scowl, and he charged Marco again. "What about this is a goddamn joke?"

But, Marco stood there like a wrestler, arms outstretched with his knees bent. "Bring it, Baby Kahue. "

And David charged him, swinging again, despite the good fifty pounds of muscle Marco had on him. I mean, David was built--all the guys were, but Marco was even bigger than Tuck, and that's saying a hell of a lot.

Marco was, by far, the biggest.

"Guys!" I cried, as Nico found himself caught in the middle of a street fight.

"Shit!" He cried, dodging David's fists. "Can't we all just get along?"

"Jesus, Nico! Be careful--" I whirled around in a circle. "Eliza!"

She was still standing on the porch.

With wide eyes and a partially open mouth, she looked like she hadn't moved a muscle since David left her side.

"Eliza!" I called again, and only her eyes flickered my way, as I backpedalled from the chokehold Marco had put on David.

I blinked and Nico fell, having been pushed into the grass.

"You know what--what's not funny?" Marco breathed, chest rising and falling heavily as he squeezed the crook of his arm tighter around David's neck. "Huh?" He questioned. "Huh, David? It's funny how my so-called fuckin' best friend didn't visit my ass in the hospital."

David gasped for air, and that only made Marco tighten his hold.

"Do you know what it's like being in a fucking ward with kids who've tried to die? Do you know what it fucking feels like when your mom's scared to let you go back to fucking school? You know what that's like D? What it's like to have people pity your ass because they think you're going to fuckin' kill yourself?"

But, David couldn't answer.

Instead, David made inarticulate noises, his fingers grabbing at Marco's ripped sweater.

"You can't do anything by yourself. You can barely take a shit without people watching you--watching you all the fucking time."

"Marc!" Nico cried, because David was turning blue. "You're going to fucking kill 'im!"

But Marco didn't hear.

"Do you know what it fucking feels like to be fucking sixteen with a dead friend and another one who doesn't give a fuck about whether you fucking live or not?"

I clapped my hands at Eliza, making wild, exaggerated motions towards the ugly-sweater wrestling match that had become the ugly sweater confessional on the front lawn.

"You know what it's like, David?" Marco gave another quick squeeze, and David's eyes rolled back in his head.

"Do something!"

"You know what that fucking feels like?"

She shook her head, and beneath the porch lights the moisture glistened in her eyes.

"Stop--" but at this point, there was no need for Eliza's input.

"What the frickety-frack-snick-snack is going on out here?" Jeff cried, nearly dropping the bag of ice slung over his shoulder.

I stuck my arm out, pointing to the boys. "They won't stop," I tattled, and throwing the bag on the ground, Jeff barreled to Nico's side, attempting to help him separate the boys.

"Marco!" He cried, "Let him go!"

"Yeah," Marco finished, finally releasing his hold on David.

I watched as he staggered away, coughing and hacking phlegm into the perfectly manicured grass.

Marco took a few wobbly steps backwards, shaking his head as he grimaced, teeth and beard stained crimson from the dripping gash along his lip.

"I didn't fucking think so."

"What the heck, guys?" Jeff panted. With his head upturned, he placed his fists on his hips, sipping air as if through a straw. "It's New Year's Eve." he paused for another drink of air. "Where--Phew!--Where is the love?"

David was still hunched over, hands on his knees.

"Fuck, man!" Nico exclaimed, slapping his shoulder with the back of his hand. "Now, my fuckin' sweater's all dirty. Goddammit," he muttered, staring down at the grass stains lining Santa's beard.

"Look," said Jeff, "I don't know what the helium balloons is going on out here, but you need to put a cap on this nonsense right now, understood?"

Both boys nodded, and Jeff threw up his hands.

"I mean, really. Who's bright idea was it to start this anyway?"

"Well," Nico began, with a pointed look towards David. "See here--"

"Mine," Eliza said, finally breaking from her statuesque position on the porch.

We all whirled around, shocked.

Eliza raised her hand slowly. "It was me."

Marco groaned. "Elizard..."

"Eliza," I said, "don't."

"Lizzle McGuire," Jeff began, crestfallen as he took slow steps toward her, arms outstretched. "What happened, Hun?"

"I," she shook her head, quickly wiping away a few betraying tears. "I'm sorry," she choked. "I was just--I mean, what was I thinking, right?" She looked between both Marco and David, backpedalling towards the door. "Sorry--Guys, I was only trying to help."

"Eliza," David breathed, still trying to catch his breath, "please don't--"

"I'm sorry," she repeated, shaking her head. Backed all the way up to the door, now, she fumbled for the knob. "I didn't--"

"Wait, Eliza, don't--"

And she opened the door just enough for her to slide behind, cutting off David's pleas as she disappeared into the house.

"Ah, shit," Marco groaned, and he jogged after her. "Liza!" He called, running inside. "Eliza!"

Naturally, Jeff followed. "Language, Marco!" He exclaimed. "Language! Eliza!"

That left me, Nico and David.

A deep purple bruise had begun to form around David's neck, and he pushed himself to a stand, breathing heavily from his mouth.

Nico sighed, patting his back. "You alright?"

David replied with a quick nod.

"Good," Nico said, shaking his head. "Now, c'mon," he said, hair dusting his eyelids as he motioned towards the party behind the door. "Let's go."

"I--" David doubled over, coughing again. "Nah," he said. "I can't."

"C'mon, man," Nico said, firmly now, and it was weird seeing him serious. "Let's go."

He shook his head again, spitting into the grass. "I can't, man. I already fucked up Eliza's party--I don't want to--"

"Yeah, but who's fault is that?" I interjected.

Nico turned to me. "Really?" he exclaimed. "Really, Thal?"

David coughed again. "Thanks."

"Oh!" I laughed, feigning shock. "Oh, you have no right to be mad at me," I said, sticking my finger in my chest. "I mean, really, David? Why?"

He spat again into the grass. "Why, what, Thalia?"

I threw my hands to the sky. "Where do I begin, David? I mean, how selfish are you?"

"What the fuck?" He spat. "Where the hell is that coming from?"

"Is that even a question?"

"You don't know the half of it, and you're going to fucking come at me like that?"

"Yeah," I hissed. "Yeah, I am."

"You didn't go to Westchester!" He yelled, voice raspy from Marco's chokehold. "Just because you know me now doesn't fuckin' mean you knew me then--"

"Friends help each other when they need it, David!" I exclaimed, tapping my forehead with my fingers. I was not going to let him intimidate me. "Don't you dare talk to me like I'm some stupid kid just because I didn't 'go to high school' with you," I spat. "I know what it means to be a friend, David; a concept seemingly lost on you."

David's glare turned deadly. "You know what, fuck you. Fuck you and whatever the fuck you think--"

"Why couldn't you have gone to see him?"

David's jaw tightened.

"Why?" I continued, angrily. "Why, David?"

"Fuck it," he turned away, coughing slightly. "I'm outta here. I don't need this shit."

"What?" I stared after him. "Are you--?"

He was really leaving.

Leaving.

Running away from his problems.

Just like, I realized, he'd been doing for the last five years.

And that pissed me off.

I was actually really angry, now.

And I, Thalia Rose, rarely got angry.

I was so sick of this--the back and forths. I was tired of sitting with the same group of people, talking and laughing one moment and hating each other the next. I'd had enough of my own fake relationships in high school, and I refused to see such a tight-knit group fall to shambles before my eyes.

I shot my hand out towards David, brow furrowed as I communicated silently with Nico, "Are you really going to let this happen? You're going to just let him leave?"

"Let him go," he said, offering the one response that made me even angrier. "C'mon, Thal."

So, I screamed.

I screamed and I swear, the sound must have shaken the lights still hanging on houses in the neighborhood.

"Shit, Thalia!" Nico exclaimed, hands over his ears. "Do you want these rich people to call the fucking police on your ass?"

But, it got David to stop and turn. "What the hell--"

And I walked right up to David and punched him with the flat of my balled fist, square in his chest.

He coughed, either out of surprise, or from the serious beating his lungs took in Marco's chokehold of death.

"What the fu--"

"You idiot," I exclaimed.

And I punched him again.

David's nostrils flared. "What the fuck, Thal?"

But, I didn't stop. "You're a goddamn idiot, David Kahue!" I yelled, banging on his broad chest.

I'd become so worked up I was close to crying, my voice shaking as I spoke and punched and cursed and punched David on any part of his chest that I could lay my fists upon.

"Why," thump, "is," thump, "it," thump "so," thump, thump, "hard," thump, "for you to stop being," thump, thump, thump, "so fucking," thump "angry?"

The tempo and force of my swings increased, despite David's attempts to grab my wrists.

"What the fuck? Thalia?"

I looked down as two caramel arms wrapped themselves around my waist. For some reason, it took a few moments to register that my feet were dangling in the air, I was swinging at nothing, and I was being physically removed from David's side.

"Thalia!" Nico exclaimed, shaking me slightly. "Thal, calm down, Thal!"

I threw my arm out towards David, staring at Nico through the curtain of hair that had fallen from my drooping bun. "Tell him to calm down, Nico! Tell him."

David looked like he seriously couldn't believe what was happening.

"Who are you really mad at, David?" I asked, turning to him before Nico could respond. "Huh?" I demanded. "Who is it? Because I know why Marco left," I continued through gritted teeth. "I know what happened, and if you were any type of friend, there's no way in hell that you'd have been able to be angry for the past five years."

David's eyes widened and narrowed. "What the fuck do you know, Thalia?"

I answered his question with one of my own.

"Why couldn't you have just gone to fucking see him?"

"'Cause I--I fucking couldn't, okay?" He fired. "Okay? Fuckin' happy, now? Can you get off my ass?"

Nico sighed, running his hands through his hair as I replied, "No. That's not a fuckin' answer."

"I dunno why," he exclaimed, hands rubbing across his face, "I--I just couldn't," he stared off into the distance. "But, but even if I went back in time right now I don't even know if I could have brought myself back to that hospital--"

"Back?"

Nico and David seemed to wince at the same time.

Of course.

"Peter?" I asked.

David just stared at me. "I can't shake that image, Thal," he said. "I can't."

"But--"

"Look, I know that makes me a shit friend; I know I should have gone. I know what I fucking should have done, but," his brow furrowed, "I kept thinkin' that Marco looked the same way as Pete--"

"When he died?" I asked.

David looked like he was close to throwing up each and every cookie he'd eaten that night.

"Can we just go the fuck back inside?" Nico exclaimed towards the air. "Please?"

"Say it, David," I coaxed, softer, now. "You guys have been bottling up your emotions for years, and look what happened?" I held out my arms, motioning about the yard. "Stop pretending like everything's okay when it's not--"

"Guys?"

I whirled around, as Roman and Robert walked up the drive, both clad in two of the worst sweater's I'd seen that night.

"D?"

"Nico?"

I found myself staring into two very concerned, very confused hazel eyes.

"Thalia?"

The sight of him made my shoulders relax.

"You're here," I sighed.

Roman shook his head, chuckling nervously as David and Marco silently greeted their friends.

"Yeah," he nodded, walking my way to place a quick kiss on my forehead. "I'm here."

He reached out, pushing the strands of hair sticking to my sweaty forehead.

"Why the hell does it look like you just ran wind sprints?"

"Look," David said, taking my moment of distraction to practically jog from the yard, "I gotta go. I can't do this sh-- Tell Eliza I'm sorry; I can't right now."

"What the fuck happened?" Robert asked, as I watched David hurry toward his car. "Is he leaving?"

Roman and Robert looked between me and Nico.

"What the hell'd we miss?"

"I'll leave the explanation to Thalia," Nico said.

"Nico!"

"Look," he said, silencing me with a quick wave of his hand, "I'm tired, my sweater's dirty, and I think I need a cookie."

~*~

Everyone was in the kitchen by the time we walked back into the house.

Xander's eyes met mine as at the same time I became overwhelmed by an onslaught of questions.

"Guys, where's David?"

"Is he alright?"

"Did you guys talk?"

"What'd he say?"

And all I could do was shake my head as my eyes met Eliza's. "Ask Nico," I said, pointing to him.

He looked up, crumbs lining his mouth. "Huh?"

"Nico," April exclaimed. "What happened out there?"

"Yeah," Jamie added, with a quick glance toward Eliza. "What'd you say to him?"

"We heard screaming."

"Thal! What'd I just say?"

And I just sighed, ignoring Nico and heading straight for Xander as he opened his arms to me.

I was seriously in need of a hug.

That's when Mischa caught sight of the twins. "Rob! Roman!" She squealed, "You made it!"

And as the greetings commenced I turned back around, as Xander's hands were being stuffed back into his jean pockets, eyes falling everywhere but me.

What the hell happened to my goddamn hug?

I frowned, veering in the opposite direction to take a seat now between Tucker and Marco, who was pouring ice from a plastic cup into a Ziploc bag.

He was failing miserably.

"Damn, dude," Tucker laughed as ice shattered across the marble floors. "Is the ice supposed to go in the bag or...?"

Marco chuckled to himself, shaking his head as I situated myself between them.

"Need some help with that?" I asked, grabbing the rim of the cup to keep more ice from hitting the floor. "Because it looks like you do."

Marco grunted, "Yeah, thanks."

Tuck snickered and Marco popped him lightly with a cold fist. "Shut up."

"Anytime," I chuckled, and as Marco grinned in response, I noticed the pale pink stains smeared from his nose to his chin. He'd cleaned up, despite the dried blood coagulating on the gash he'd received across his bottom lip.

"Where's Jeff?" I asked softly, fitting the ice into the bag.

"Living room," Eliza replied, as she took a weary seat besides Marco, "where we all should be," she announced, grabbing everyone's attention. "Guys! Mom needs everyone in the living room." Her eyeliner was blotchy and smeared from crying. "There's thirty minutes 'till twelve. She wants everybody together."

It had been nearly an hour, I realized, since I had heard from Aaron.

At that, everyone made movements toward the doors.

Roman stopped in the doorway, dimple flashing as he bit his lip, smiling as he spoke, "Coming, Thal?"

I grinned, nodding. "Just, give me a sec," I motioned with my head towards Marco. "I'll be right there."

"You too, Liz?" Jamie asked beside Jason.

She nodded. I realized that she, too, remained seated.

Roman winked at me, "Okay," and he turned to Tucker, who still sat beside me. "You're chillin' too?"

"Let's just say," Tuck nodded, raising a cupcake above his head, "that I've got unfinished business I need to take care of real quick."

Roman laughed aloud.

"Alright," he nodded, "cool," and followed behind his brother from the kitchen.

Marco grinned at me. "Hanging back with us, Thalia?"

I grabbed the ice from the counter, wrapping it in paper towels. "I guess I am," I said. "I don't want you three to be lonely."

"Who could be lonely when there are so many cupcakes?"

"Hey," Marco said softly, interrupting my laughter as I grabbed a few napkins and headed towards the sink. "Sorry about that..." he paused, looking between both me and Eliza. "Outside."

Eliza forced a small smile. "I mean, I don't know what I was thinking, right? It'd been five years..."

She turned away, and I shook my head.

"You were just trying to help, Liz," I said, running the napkins beneath a small stream of water. "And," I turned back to Marco, "I mean," I shrugged, "there's no need to apologize to me."

"Since apparently," added Tuck, "David was the one who nearly died."

Marco sighed, "Fuck, man."

"What?" Tuck grinned, licking frosting from his hand. "I mean, between Nico and Jeff, it's like I was outside with you; I've heard the whole story."

Marco shook his head, and Tucker chuckled louder.

"Remember, you almost choked me out when we met," I teased, squeezing excess water from the absorbent paper. "I've never had that tight a hug in my life."

"He's the strongest freaking person I know," Tuck exclaimed. "It's why his batting average was so damn high."

Marco shook his head. "I dunno..."

"C'mon, Hulk," Tuck said. "This was bound to happen someday, despite all of your new mediation and tranquil shit."

Eliza placed her head in her hands. "And your nicotine abuse," she muttered.

I shook my head, bringing the damp towel back around the island to where my friends sat.

"Liz?" I asked, tapping her on the shoulder.

She sat up. "Huh?"

I offered a small grin, holding up the napkin. "C'mere, girl," I said softly, tapping her chin with my finger. "You're eyeliner's in need of a touch-up."

Eliza chuckled sadly, running her hands over her face. "Oh god," she whined. "I look like shit, don't I?"

"Of course you don't," Marco interjected. "Fuck--Liza, I'm so sorry."

I brought the towel beneath her eye. "What he said," I nodded, as a small, shy smile tugged at the corner of her lip.

"You too, Thalia," Marco said. "I'm sorry, I mean."

"Hey," Tucker began, as he peeled the paper from his second cupcake, "this isn't new to Thalia. She knows how fucked up our friends are."

"You guys aren't fucked up," I laughed, turning to Marco, "You're just..." I paused my task of correcting Eliza's makeup, "You're like, nine baseball-playing time bombs."

"Umm," Tuck chuckled, "Pardon me?"

"It seems to me," I said, as Eliza nodded in agreement, "that you've been bottling up your feelings for a few years too long."

"What?" Marco scoffed. "Dudes don't have feelings."

Eliza and I sighed, both of us rolling our eyes.

"Right," she nodded.

Boys.

Tucker laughed. "I guess our session with Dr. Phil's past due."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "I guess we'll have to settle with Dr. Thalia for now."

I opened my mouth to respond when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Fumbling for my phone, I let out a loud sigh of relief as my brother's name flashed across the screen.

AR - Spending the night.

"Thank god."

And another text followed it for good measure.

AR - TYRB DOWN FOR WHST

I rolled my eyes at the typos that would have probably driven April crazy. "Idiot."

"What?" Eliza asked. "What's up, Thal?"

I rolled my eyes, again. "Aaron Rose is up," I replied. "My brother's been scaring me for the past hour because I thought I was about to force him into getting a ride home," I showed her the texts. "He's drunk."

Eliza nodded. "Your twin is not a good drunk, although he is very entertaining."

"Tell me about it."

"You're a twin, too, huh?"

"That," I sighed, turning to Marco, "I am," and I flashed him the phone, showing him Aaron's name and our stream of texts. "He finally texted me back."

Marco's eyebrows knit as he lifted the ice from his lip. "Aaron? Aaron Rose is your brother?"

"Shut up!" I exclaimed, lifting the towel once again from beneath Eliza's eye. "You know Aaron?"

He nodded, wincing as he brought he compress back to his face.

"Wow," Eliza said. "I didn't even know that."

"How?"

"He and your dad gave me a ride home once."

"Since when did my dad decide to be you guys' chauffeur?"

Marco chuckled, sucking at the dried blood on his lip. "You're funny, Thalia," he grinned. "Now, I see why Eliza keeps you around."

"Very funny," I replied, pushing his shoulder as Eliza and Tucker laughed aloud.

"Yeah," Marco grinned. "I am."

"There you all are!" Angelina exclaimed, as we whirled around to face her.

"Come, come!" she continued, motioning towards the direction of the living room. "We're almost there! The New Year's almost here!"

~*~

I squeezed Roman's hand tightly as each guest of the Artinian's party packed into the living room, circling New Year's Rockin' Eve as it played on the television, Times Square lit up by the gigantic crystal ball and we counted down the remaining seconds of 2013.

"Fifteen, fourteen..."

I looked around at my friends--at April, who flashed me a smile, as she sat between Collin and Nico on the couch.

At Mischa, who sat on Robert's lap in a nearby armchair, with Tucker, Eliza and Marco flanking her on either side.

"Ten, nine..."

I hadn't seen Nikita all night, and Xander was nowhere to be found, too.

Were they together?

I half expected Xander to pop out of nowhere and scare me with a, "Boo--Hah, Happy, New Year, Thal," but as I looked around and caught no sight of the youngest O'Hara, I couldn't help wonder, where were they?

And, I realized as the countdown commenced, I couldn't find Jason or Jamie, either.

"Five, four--"

I joined in, now.

"Three, two, one--Happy New Year!"

And all of a sudden kids were throwing confetti and shaking rattlers and tooting on Party City horns.

All of a sudden, I had forgotten about David and Nikita and hate and bottled feelings because Roman's arms were around my waist and his lips were on mine and I let myself melt into the warmth of his sweater and the heat that spread through my arms and legs and flooded my cheeks from the taste of his kiss.

All of a sudden we were smiling at each other like thirteen-year-olds as Angelina and Penelope walked around with trays of champagne with Jeff in tow as Morgan shot Roman a glare and pouted at me, and all I could do was laugh and smile over Rome's shoulder, before I walked to the little brother and place a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Happy New Year," I said and he grinned, smile spreading to those crystal eyes.

"Happy New Year."

And I looked around at my friends as April and Mischa placed kisses on either of Nico's cheeks and Marco held Eliza in a hug and she smiled a disappointed smile and told him 'Happy New Year,' as he placed what I assumed was a second kiss on her forehead when I'm pretty sure she'd expected it to be on her lips.

And then I was being hugged and kissed and teased by my friends and my phone buzzed in my pocket from the onslaught of texts that came beneath the cotton linings of my borrowed ugly sweater.

"Where's Jamie?" I gasped over Angelina's shoulder, as she offered me a flute of champagne and hugged me until I saw stars.

"I don't know," April replied, before a sly grin transformed her face. "Wanna go look for her?"

I nodded, wiggling my eyebrows as Angelina released me from her grasps.

"Let's go."

It took us all of .05 seconds to find her.

Jamie was in the kitchen, sitting on Jason's lap, balanced atop a stool at the counter, her back to us as they made out borderline ferociously beside the sink.

I met April's wide eyes with my own, clasping my hand over my mouth to keep from squealing as we stood in the shadows outside one of the many entrances to the kitchen.

"Score: 1 for Jamison."

"Jamison," April whispered, "for the ultimate win."

But, wait...

I grabbed April's sweater and whispered, "Where's Xander? Where's Nikita?"

"Wow--You, too?"

"Shit."

Jamie jumped from Jason's lap so fast you'd have thought her father had just caught her making out with an ex-con instead of just an ex.

"Nikita!" She exclaimed, wiping her mouth.

Found her.

"Its not--I mean, it's--"

"Y'know," Jason began lazily, "I've been wrong before, but I didn't think that making out with an ex-girlfriend was that taboo. I mean," he shrugged with a pointed look towards Nikita, "it is the New Year."

"I know what fucking day it is, Jaso--" Nikita's eyes bugged. "Wait, what? Excuse me?" She asked with a laugh. "In what dream was Jamie your girlfriend?"

"Oh, right," Jason laughed with a nod. "I forgot," he turned to his side. "She didn't tell you."

"Jason..."

"What the--?" Nikita exclaimed. "What the hell are you talking about, Jason?"

"Now, see here," Jason smiled, "as much as I'd love to say and prove you wrong, Nikita, I'll leave that to Jamie."

Nikita's eyes flickered to Jamie. "Since when is Jason your ex?"

"Umm--"

"12th Grade," Jason piped.

Nikita looked like she didn't believe him. "Jamie," he began, "is he serious?"

"He's--"

"Yup," Jason laughed, popping the 'p.'

"But, how?"

"See--"

"She liked me, I liked her, I asked her out," Jason shrugged. "A true Cinderella story, isn't it?"

Jamie glared at him. "Jason!"

"What?" He exclaimed. "You might as well tell her," he raised an eyebrow. "Right?"

Jamie let out an exasperated laugh. "Sure, if you'd let me."

"Fine," he said, rising from his chair. With one hand he motioned towards Nikita. "Then, tell her, Jay."

Nikita looked between them, raising her pointer finger slowly towards Jason. "What the hell's he talking about, Jamie?"

"Jason and I..." Jamie sighed, blowing a stray strand of hair from her eyes. "We dated in high school, Nikki."

Nikita rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I got that, but why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why..." Nikita frowned, motioning towards Jason with both hands, "Why Jason? Jamie, you could have had anyone and you chose Jason?"

"Okay," Jamie exclaimed, throwing up her hands. "This is why--"

"Why what?" Nikki interrupted. "Why you keep secrets from me? Why you act like we aren't even friends? Seriously, Jamie!" She spat. "12th Grade? Why? What kind of best friend doesn't share when she's got a boyfriend?"

"What the fuck?" Jason interjected, stepping protectively in front of Jamie. "Are you fucking kidding me? How can you just stand there and grill her like a judgmental--"

"Jason!" Jamie screamed, eyes wide as she whirled around to face him. "Jason," she glared, "don't."

"What?" He demanded, eyes wide with shock. "You're just going to let her talk to you--walk all over you like that?"

"Can you let me handle it, please?" She shot back. "You're barely letting me speak to her! I'm a big girl, Jason; I can handle this myself."

"Right," he snorted, glaring at Nikita above Jamie's head. "Right, because that's why you kept us a secret; because you can handle it."

Jamie's nostrils flared. "This is why I didn't tell her! Because you," she turned to Nikita, now, "neither of you, can be civil! Because since Peter died all you do is scream and fight and argue!"

I don't know about April, but I had been holding my breath for what seemed like ages.

Never, never, never ever had I seen Jamie this worked up; this angry.

Nikita glared back. "Not everything always has to do with Peter!"

"Save it, Nikita," Jamie laughed contemptuously. "Just save it."

Jason snorted. "Tell her."

"And you," Jamie said, poking him in the chest. "Don't act like you aren't guilty, either."

"Hey! What'd I do?"

"What don't you do when you're in the same room?" Jamie yelled. "Guess what, guys? Peter isn't coming back--but you're here and you've got mutual friends and we can never go back in time, so move on.

"Both of you," she shook her head, eyes narrowed to slits. "I'm over this shit--I'm done."

And she turned and fled from the kitchen.

"Jamie!" April called, hurrying after her. "Jamie!"

"Fuck--" Jason scowled at Nikita. "Fuck you."

And he left the kitchen, heading after Jamie, too.

Score: 0 for Jamison.

And I stayed in the darkness, wondering what I could, or would say to Nikita as she stood there, frozen in place beside the counter in the kitchen.

"Wow, just wow."

I looked up as Xander entered the kitchen, now.

Where had he been?

"You're really batting a thousand tonight, huh, Nikita?"

She met his grin with a glare. "Just when I think I'm happily alone..."

"So what? They like each other," he shrugged. "Shouldn't you be happy for them?"

"Oh right," Nikita sniffed. "Because now I'm taking relationship advice from The Playboy," she rolled her eyes. "How ironic."

"She's your friend, Nikita," Xander cocked his head in his signature style. "Don't friends want each other to be happy?"

"Right, because you're also the very model of friendship."

He grinned. "It's nice to be appreciated."

Nikita let out a loud, unladylike snort as she took a seat at the counter. "What are you even doing here, Xander?"

"What?" Xander smirked. "In case you've forgotten, I've known you for a long time, Nikita."

"And?"

"So, why couldn't Jamie date Jason? And," he added quickly, "before you say anything, remember that he's one of my best friends."

"Honestly," Nikita sighed, letting her head fall heavily on her shoulder. "I don't know about anything anymore."

"Hey," Xander said, taking a seat across from her, "your crushes were never a secret. I could always tell who you liked."

Nikita narrowed her eyes at him.

"Always."

"Right, well," Nikita cleared her throat, "your sexual exploits were never well-hidden, either."

"What can I say?" Xander asked, grabbing a cookie. "I'm a lover."

"I do believe that half of the cheerleading squad could attest to that."

Xander grinned. "I have certainly had some growing up to do."

"And despite all of that," Nikita tutted, "you're still a terrible liar and an open book."

"With a big heart."

Nikita rolled her eyes.

Xander grinned again, reaching for another cookie.

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

Nikita regarded him with a raised eyebrow. "What, did your love life just end right after high school?"

Xander grabbed two cookies. "Yes."

Nikita snorted. "Liar."

"That's a pretty big assumption," Xander ground out, "for someone who hasn't given a damn about me since the 10th Grade."

Nikita raised her chin defiantly and stared at him, her almond eyes flashing.

"I see how you look at her."

Xander froze, eyes locked on the cookie spread. "Who?"

"Come on, Xander," Nikita said as a sly smile tugged at the corner of her lip. "I've seen you in action tonight. You know who."

"Oh well," he shrugged with half of a cookie stuffed in his cheek.

"Oh, but I think it's more than just an, 'oh well,'" Nikita taunted. I could tell she was just loving her newfound upper hand. "You never looked at your, your exploits like that in high school," Nikita leaned forward, resting her head on her hand. "What would Peter say, now that our little Xander Wander has an actual crush; that he's fallen in lo--?"

"If I thought you cared," Xander's eyes roamed the countertop. "I'd ask you what I should do."

Nikita opened her mouth to respond.

"But, I know you don't," Xander said before she even had the chance. He looked at her with those big brown eyes. "So, you can save your breath. Let's just drop it."

Nikita sat back in her chair. "Fine," she snapped.

"Yeah," Xander replied calmly, though I could see his free hand was clenched at his side. "Yeah..."

Confused, I turned from the door, catching a glimpse of myself in the hall mirror.

What the heck was I doing?

What type of terrible friend was I?

Here I was, eavesdropping on two of my closest friends and their very private conversa--

"He'd be happy for me."

I turned quickly back to the doorway, resuming my position in the shadows.

Nikita snorted. "What are you talking about, Xander?"

He looked up at her. "Peter," he said simply. "You asked what he'd say about..." he shook his head. "I think he'd be happy for me," he chuckled once, softly to himself. "I'm, I'm growing up," he grinned. "Finally."

Nikita turned away. "I don't even want to hear what he'd say to me."

Xander gave her a pointed look. "I wonder why."

Nikita only shot him a glare, expression slowly softening as she laid her head in her arms, resting them atop the counter. "I miss my voice of reason."

"I never fixed the car."

The words came out of nowhere, and Nikita's head snapped up at the same time my own flickered to Xander.

"What?" she asked.

"I never fixed it," Xander repeated, staring at the cupcakes. "He didn't let me. He wanted to drive it--"

"But--" She sputtered. "He told me..."

"I know," Xander lifted his eyes slowly to meet Nikita's. "But, see, I've been trying to tell you the truth for the last five years."

"But," Nikita's hands flew to her face. She shook her head. "That's not what he said."

"Jamie, Jason, Mischa, Rob," Xander shook his head, "even," he sighed, "even Rome and Thal--"

"But--but, no--"

"It changes things," he said softly. "Doesn't it?"

"I don't--" Her words were muffled behind her hands. "I can't--"

And Xander, all he did was walk up to her and plant a small kiss on the top of her head.

"I know," he said, giving her shoulder a small squeeze.

"But--"

"Happy New Year, Nikki," he whispered.

And Xander walked from the island, leaving Nikita all alone in the kitchen, his uneaten cookie still resting where he'd left it on the counter.

-~*~-

WELL? What do you think??

I can't wait to hear your reactions from this chapter. Comment & Vote and whatnot lovely people. <3

Here comes Thalia's last week in L.A...