Many years have gone by, but a group of young adults managed to stay friends trough it all. Having going through high school and with only one semester away from graduating collage made them mature and change them some what. They just learned some news that the smartest one of their group shared. They sat around a table in a Pizza Hut. The national chain bought out their favorite pizza shop six years ago. One of many changes that took place while growing up.

"Dude! That's soooo cool!" Yelled Lor. Drawing looks from random people.

"Lor, I think you just woke the dead." Joked Tino.

"You have to admit, this is awesome." Carver added. "We knew you were good Tish, but getting accepted to graduate school with a full scholarship. Just, wow!"

Tish blushed at the accolades of her friends. "Thank you Carver. I just can't believe it myself."

"We totally have to celebrate." Lor stated. Tish's eyes widened. Even since they reached legal drinking age, celebrating for Lor involved alcohol in copious amounts.

"Agreed." Caver added, "This weekend, we won't take no for an answer."

Tino noticed that Tish didn't look thrilled about this. "It won't be that bad. We won't have a repeat of last time…Will we Lor?"
Lor raised her hands up and waved them back in forth vigorously "That wasn't my fault! That dude had it coming!"

"It'll be OK Tish, a few drinks to celebrate the good news." Tino added, in part to comfort Tish, and in part to warn Lor.

A few days later Tish was sitting in a little bar, not that far from her house. Carver, Tino, and herself were in still in collage, and being dirt poor they couldn't afford cab fair so that had to walk to the bars. Tino and Caver shared an apartment a few blocks away, and she still lived with her parents. The only one of them with a real job was Lor. Lor settled for an Associate's degree, and now was working at the middle school as the assistant gym teacher and girl's basketball coach. Thankfully since it was Lor's idea, she would be buying tonight.

The bar was small and low key. She really liked coming here when she just wanted to unwind. Nobody knew the true name of the bar; they just called it "The martini bar" because of the neon martini glass on the out side advertising it. She wasn't sure if Caver and Lor would like it as it wasn't as lively as the bar Lor drag her to for her 21st birthday. She and Tino meet for a drink here a few times, and he seemed to like it. But Lor insisted that they were going to celebrate her good news, so Tish got to pick the place. The only down side was the pool table was not working. So the only thing to do, besides listen to the music or watch T.V., was play darts. That quickly turned into a drinking game for Lor, who forced Carver and Tino to play along.

"Another five-hundred and one points!" Lor stated. "You two need to do another shot!"

"Damn it, I'm getting drunk. I can barley see the thing anymore" Caver stated and he down a shot of Jack Daniels.

Tino on the other hand was having trouble. Reaching for his shot glass he spilled half of it on the bar and the remainder on himself. "I'm O.K." He said, his voice barely a whisper.

Lor just shook her head. "Dude, that only your third shot! You can't hold you're liquor!"

Tish smiled at herself despite this. They always have been like this, even now as adults. The only change was alcohol replaced Chug-a-freezes. Lor liked a vodka and Red Bull. Carver like a "Vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred." Because it he thought it was cool. Tino didn't have a preferred drink though he liked the craft beers the most. For her, she would only love the drink called `a midsummer's night dreamsicle` that only this bar had. Yes, only because of the Shakespeare reference.

"Somebody needs to take him home." Lor pointed to a drunk Tino who was stumbling over to the dartboard to retrieve the darts.

"Not it!" Caver decladed, "I'm in the zone tonight, you barely won that game!"

Tish sighed. She wasn't drunk but was pleasantly buzzed. "I'll take him, I need to get going anyway. I really appreciate tonight guys!" She smiled and walked over to her drunken friend. "Come on Tino, we need to go."

Tino just smiled, his eyes unfocused. "What ever you said Tishy."

The walk to the apartment Tino shared with Caver had taken at lot longer then normal. Mostly because Tino had keep sitting to "Stop the world from spinning off its axis and into the endless universe." He was going to have a hell of a hangover.

Finally reaching the apartment and getting him to his door on the second floor, Tish breathed a sigh of relief. "O.K., remember to take some aspirin and drink two full glasses of water. It'll help the hangover tomorrow."

Tino leaned against the door. "I can't find my keys."

"They're in your hand."

"I can't find my hand."

Tish sighed, sometimes being a good friend sucked. "Here, let me." Taking the keys from Tino she opened the door for him. "Good night Tino, I hope you don't get a really bad hangover tomorrow."

He turned to her. "Would you like to come in?" He asked while raising his eyebrow up and down a few times. He was flirting with her!

"Lord Tino, you're drunk. Take a cold shower first, then go to bed." She push him the room, and was about to close to door when he heard him sniffle.

"I'm sorry Tish." His voice was came out choked. "I don't deserve you as a friend."

She then knew her night wasn't over. Tino was always overly sensitive about things, more so when he got drunk. "Tino, stop. You're a great guy." She said entering the apartment and closed the door behind her.

"Then why can't I find a girl like…" He stopped, and sat on the couch, blushing and looking away.

"Like who Tino?"

He looked at her, and into her eyes behind her glasses. "You."

She was taken aback. "What?"

"A girl like you." He said his voice a decibel about a whisper. "A nice, smart, good looking girl who gets me for who I am. Like you do."

It was Tish's turn to blush. "You think I'm good looking?"

Tino smiled, "Yes. When you want to be, you can be down right sexy."

Her blush increased. No one called her sexy. Cute a few time, pretty once or twice, but never sexy. "I don't know what say Tino. Thank you. I know you'll meet the right woman someday."

"I don't know what do around women. I never even kissed."

She was shocked by his admission. "You've gone on dates."

He nodded, and then held his head when it felt like it was about to fall off his shoulders. "Remind me not to do that again. I've gone out with a few women, but it never lasted long enough for me to even hug them. Let along kiss them or….Other things." He then turned away, very embarrassed.

Tish was a little shocked but this revelation. But even more shocked that she answered it back with her own admission. "It's O.K. Tino." She reached out and placed her and on his shoulder. "I've never kissed a guy, or done….You know either. I guess we're just waiting for the right person, that's all."

His mouth fell open. "You're kidding me! You're beautiful! I've seen the way guys look at you!"

She blushed at his complement. "I know I get glances now and then, but I'm no supermodel."

He got up, and surprised her by placing both hands on his shoulders. "I'll prove to you that you're sexy! But you need to trust me." Despite how drink he was, his eyes were focused. She couldn't help but nod. "Go over to the mirror." He turned her around, to the full-length mirror that was on the back of the door. Carver used it make sure he looked good before going out. She walked over to it and looked at her reflection, and could see Tino behind her. "Now, undo the first two buttons of the your blouse."

"What?" She asked.

"Please Tish, you a said you trusted me." Nervously she complied. Her reflection now reviled to her that her blouse showed more cleavage then she was comfortable with. While she didn't have the bust that Lor had; Tish filled out very well. "Now, lift your skirt up to just past your knees."

"Tino?"

"You need to see this for yourself Tish, trust me." She did trust him. She had known him well enough that he was serious, and wasn't just trying to get a free peep show. Slowly, and nervously she pulled her skirt up using both hands. "Finally, take your shoes off, and stand on your toes, like you were wearing heals." She had gone this far, so she kicked off her shoes and stood on her toes. "What do you see?"

"I see me looking like an idiot."

"No, look closely." He said, as he got closer. "What do you really see?" She look at her self hard in the mirror. But didn't notice a difference. "What you should see, if you would let yourself to do so." He was so close now; she could smell the alcohol on his breath. "You have a great body, you have the legs of a dancer. Long, lean, graceful. You have nice hips, a flat stomach most women would sell their souls for. You also have very nice breasts, perfectly fitting your frame. Not too big or small, but just perfect."

Dropping her skirt she turned to him. "How do you know?"

"You wore a low cut blue dress that came up just past your knees. You also were wearing heels." She had to think back, when would she ever dress like that? Then she remembered. She was asked to go to the senior prom by someone. Carver suggested she ware that to knock him dead as he put it. It turned out though, he just asked her to make his on-and-off girlfriend jealous and had no real intentions to take her. She was so upset; she went to only person she could think of at that time. He just held her as she cried herself to sleep. That same person was now less then a foot in front of her. "That's when I noticed you as a woman." He said.

Something about the way he said that, and his boldness from the alcohol he consumed to night. She didn't know why, but at that moment she didn't she him as just a friend. She saw him as the handsome young man he slowly became. His eyes were slightly unfocused, but in them she could she desire and hope in them. It was her who took the initiative and closed the distance to give and receive their respective first kiss. They broke away after a moment. "Tino….I…don't want to be alone tonight." She kissed him again; he hungrily kissed back. It was now a race as they removed each other's clothes, moved into his room and fell into his bed. Soon, they would over come the tentative touching of virgins as they quickly learned what the other liked. Passion took over, as it was now a contest to see who could make the other feel the best. In the end, they both won.