COLD WATER

nine.            midnight

▬"SO, WHO ARE YOU KISSING AT MIDNIGHT?" Lola asked as she, Cori, Rachel and Kim got ready for the New Year's party that Paul had decided to throw on the beach.

"Who says I'm kissing anyone?" Cori shrugged, her cheeks tinged with pink as she curled her hair.

"Oh, come on." The blonde huffed, leaning down so she was in the mirror next to the girl. "I know who you want to kiss." She teased, her voice a low whisper so the other two didn't hear her.

"I'm kissing Jared, Rach is kissing Paul. Lola claimed Noah and threatened me when I made a joke about me kissing him — which we will not be telling Jared about. Unless you wanna kiss a stranger, lay one on Carter." Kim stated and Cori's cheeks went red. Her blue eyes focused only on her reflection and getting her curls just right.

"Go for it. He's hot." Rachel added before pulling her shirt over her head, leaving her in her bra and jeans.

"And we know you two have kissed before." Kim added and all three girls chuckled a little as Cori froze in place, her blue eyes wide and her jaw falling open. "You realize that when two people are wearing brightly colored bodysuits it's easy to spot them in a crowd?"

"Bodysuits?" Lola mumbled, her brows pinched as she looked back at the two older girls.

"We were the Power Rangers for Halloween." Rachel told her as she pulled on a tight tank top.

Cori groaned and let her head fall forward, her forehead thumping against her desk. "So everyone knows?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Kim nodded. "So, what do we think?" She asked as she put her hands on her hips, she wore a tight pair of jeans, a cropped maroon long sleeve shirt and a black pair of booties.

"We've done well." Lola mused, glancing over at Rachel – they had been the ones to pick out Kim's outfit.

"This party is gonna be amazing." Rachel hummed happily.

"It'll definitely be something." Cori mumbled as she put the curling iron down, having finished her hair. She looked at her reflection for a moment, pushing her curls back away from her face.

"Ready?" Kim asked, spinning her keys around her finger as she started towards the door.

"Yeah." Cori hummed, unplugging the curling iron before she pushed herself up and followed the other three out of her room and down the stairs.

"You look dressed up." Charlie mused, his thick brows furrowed as the four girls made their way down the stairs.

"I told you, Paul's throwing a New Year's party on the beach." Cori told him. "We'll be back late."

He raised an eyebrow but the four girls just smiled at him. "Just be safe. And stay together."

"We'll take good care of her, Charlie." Lola grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

He looked over at Kim. "You're in charge."

"You got it." She saluted, her smile growing.

"Have fun."

"Bye, Daddy!" Cori waved as Lola pulled her out of the house and towards Kim's car.

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▬ MINUTES TIL MIDNIGHT Cori smiled as she looked around the beach. Kim and Jared were swaying to the music, their arms locked around in each other as they laughed. Paul and Rachel were sitting by the fire, the girl in his lap as they looked up at the stars. She was pointing out the constellations and he was simply mesmerized as he watched her explain every single one.

Lola and Noah were making out. His arms around her waist and her arms around his shoulders. Neither caring that it wasn't quite midnight. Cori thought they were cute, she just wished Lola had been able to stay in Forks.

The blue eyed girl raised her plastic cup to her lips as she scanned the rest of the partygoers, most were from the school on the reservation but there were a few pale faces amongst the crowd.

"Hey."

The girl jumped a little, turning to her left to see Carter, who couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.

"Don't sneak up on me." She slapped his bicep, but his smile stayed in place.

"Sorry." He bumped her with his elbow. "Just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Is it lame that I'm tired?" She mumbled, looking up at him with a slightly creased brow. "Like, I'm just so exhausted."

"No, it's not lame." He told her. "But only because you're you."

She gave him a smile before she looked over the crowd again. She couldn't get the conversation about everyone knowing about Halloween out of head. "So, apparently everyone knows we kissed on Halloween."

"Yeah." He sighed. "The guys have been giving me shit about it. Jared's the worst, he's like a dog with a bone." Cori couldn't help the giggle that left her lips, she found any dog pun to be hilarious, especially if Paul or Jared was on the receiving end. "Wait, is this your way of asking me to kiss you at midnight?" He smirked as he raised an eyebrow.

Her cheeks flushed. "No." She shook her head as she moved to stand in front of him. "This is. If I'm kissing anyone at midnight, I want it to be you. And if it's true that you spend the year with who you kiss, I want that to be you. You're my best friend."

"I would be honored." He told her and she grinned as she looked up at him. "I love you, Peanut."

"I love you, too."

"Thirty seconds til midnight!" Jared shouted and everyone cheered.

"Looks like someone started early." Paul joked, tossing the soccer ball at Lola and Noah, it hit the boy's leg. The only response he got was two rather annoying looks and three raised middle fingers, it would've been four but Noah wasn't ready to let go of Lola.

Cori chuckled as she looked up at Carter. "Our friends are weird."

"Normal's overrated."

"Ten! Nine! Eight!" Everyone counted, pulling their significant other close and those who didn't have one held tightly to their cups. "Seven! Six!"

"I'm impatient." Carter mumbled as he leaned down, his hand gently resting against Cori's cheek as the other rested on her hip pulling her closer to him. She was slightly surprised for just a second, but when his lips met hers she pressed up onto her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Everyone cheered before kissing or tipping their drinks back, someone threw streamers into the air and a few others blew air horns. But neither Cori nor Carter seemed to care much about what was going on around them, that is, until fireworks started going off and Cori jumped back, the sound startling her.

"Happy New Year, Cori." He gave her a smile, his arms still wrapped around her.

"Happy New Year, Carter." She hummed, wrapping her arms around his torso and resting her head on his chest as they watched the fireworks.

And she expected the buzz this time. He had texted on Thanksgiving, on Christmas Eve and the again Christmas morning. Each time was nothing more than him wishing her best of the holidays. But she wasn't expecting for a number she has never had seen before and a text that read...

Happy New Year, Shortcake

And the text that followed it...

I'll stop texting. I was just thinking about you and hoping you were thinking about me. I'll leave you alone. I just miss you, Cori. A lot.

Also Travis and Rose say hi

"You okay?" Carter asked, looking down at the girl as she stared at her phone.

"Yeah." She nodded, clicking it off and shoving it into her pocket. "I'm fine."

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▬ "YOU GOTTA LET GO." Lola chuckled, patting Cori's back. "I'm gonna miss my flight."

"I wish you could stay. I like having you around." Cori told her, still not loosen her grip on the girl.

"I like being around." She hummed. "And this isn't the last Forks has seen of me." She added and Cori pulled back to look up at her, her brows creased, which only made the blonde laugh.

"You're coming back?"

"Any chance I get." She nodded. "I like it here. The weather's better than Phoenix. And I like living with you and Charlie."

"And you like Noah." Cori added.

"Yeah." She hummed, an almost sad look in her eyes. "I do and I told him to call me, so maybe we'll stay in touch."

"He'll call." The blue eyed girl smiled. "I know he will."

Lola grinned, leaning down a little to press a kiss to Cori's hairline. "I'm gonna miss you, kid."

"You're only a couple months older than me."

"Whatever." She mumbled. "Well, I should go. TSA's gonna be a bitch."

"Call me when you land."

"I will." She squeezed the girl again before she pulled back and looked over at Charlie. "Bye, Charlie."

"You be careful and don't talk to strangers."

The blonde chuckled as she made her way over to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. "See? You do love me." She teased.

He sighed, patting her back as a small smile pulled at his lips. "Let us know when you get home, kiddo."

"Aye, Aye, Chief." She saluted and he chuckled as he shook his head.

"Alright, get going." He waved her off and she laughed as she stepped away from the two Swans, she grabbed her duffle back and waved before she turned and walked away.