I don't know what happened to all my readers/reviewers. They've evaporated, oh no! lol Oh well, I'll still keep writing (: I've had the most emotional week of my life, so, uh, yeah let's consider that my excuse for the wait, because other than that I've got nothing. XD
"Have you guys figured out how you're going to go back to UCSB?" Lilly's mom asked the couple in the latter hours of the extended dinner.
"What do you mean?" Lilly asked as her hand fidgeted around with Oliver's underneath the table.
"You guys came up here separately right?" Both Lilly's and Oliver's faces showed that they hadn't thought of this problem. Heather took note of this and went on, "What you could do is drive back in one car and then next time you come up--hopefully sooner than another century--you can take a train and then return in the other car."
Lilly twisted her face, "That sounds like a hassle."
"Or you could just each drive home in your own cars," Mary suggested already anticipating their answers.
The duo glanced at each other, already dreading a two-hour long drive without each other. "Pick us up at the train station in a month," Lilly finalized.
"Or a week..." Oliver added with concerned in his voice.
"We're going home with your car," Lilly said in a monotone voice.
"Okay then I don't care when we come back," Oliver joked. Lilly laughed at her car-obsessed soon-to-be partner for life.
--
"Lilly sometimes you truly make no sense," Oliver shook his head as they walked to his car. The two had decided to spend their last few hours at Malibu watching a movie at the Oken's, and now were on their way back home.
"It's not my fault you fell asleep. What, did you want me to wake you up?" Lilly leaned against the passenger door as they spoke.
"Uh, yeah! Why on earth would we leave at midnight when we've been sitting here all day doing nothing. You have such an odd thing for nightly outings," he smiled, reminiscing all the times in their friendship she would barge into his house without care for what time it was. He unlocked his car which he had ensured to keep as shiny as when he first got it the summer before their senior year.
"And you are such a whiner. Look, if you're too tired, let me drive. But there is absolutely no problem with leaving now because that means we'll arrive in the wee hours of Monday morning and won't have to deal with our roomies and friends for a few more hours into the day. I know Miley will pounce on me, and I'm still not sure what to tell her. Or at least how, to be specific."
Oliver shrugged, "I'm sure you'll figure out on the way. I don't care, I can travel with my eyes closed--not that I plan to--and I'm not really tired. If you keep talking, I'll be alert."
As they made their way through the town to the highway, Lilly chuckled, "Funny. I'm suddenly running out of things to talk about."
"Lilly! We haven't even started the main part of this trip--"
"Oh, I'm just kidding. Don't get your pants all up in a riot," Lilly grinned. "So that was an interesting idea sending Katie to the rescue."
Oliver shrugged, "I guess. It was funny that she called right at that time. How did that go by the way? Please tell me she's still alive."
"Hey! I'm not that brutal! Well I'm not gonna lie, it didn't start off too smoothly but actually we had a fairly.. informing conversation."
"Informing? About what?" Oliver glanced at her with an uneasy look on his face.
"Oh, stuff. And now that I think about it, she invited me to a beach party... yesterday. Woops."
"Way to go. So I guess you wouln't mind if I called her to thank her," said offhandedly. Lilly didn't even say anything as she eyed with him with her eyebrows raised. "What about to invite her to our wedding."
Wedding, wedding, Oliver and I are getting married! Wedding, wedding, I'm going to be his wi-ife!! Lilly quietly sang in her head before snapping back to the conversation, biting her lips to keep herself from madly giggling away. "Isn't that what invitations are for? And either way we don't even know when that's going to be."
"Well, I figured we'd wait till after we graduate," he glanced at her to meet her excited eyes and she smiled as she returned to her little wedding song in her head.
"That makes sense." She sighed contently, "It's going to be a brutally long year though." But she knew she enthusiastically looked forward to it.
--
With Oliver clinging to her waist and not yet willing to return to his own room, Lilly unlocked her dorm as quietly as possible trying not to giggle when Oliver would trigger a tricklish nerve. And although she should have, she didn't expect to be caught by "the caramel-haired demon" as Oliver liked to reffer to her.
"Well, well. Look who decided to roll in. You two are in so much trouble, you better explain yourselves!" Jada eyed Lilly yet her face only showed amusement au lieu of anger.
"Hey... fancy seeing you again," Lilly said uneasily. "Um, I planned on explaining all this to you guys, I just--"
"Do you never go to sleep?" Oliver interrupted with an annoyed comment.
Jada dramatically rolled her eyes towards him, "You try drinking three cups of coffee and a bottle of Coke and still go to sleep."
"Oh gee, um, maybe that's why I don't do that," he said mockingly.
"You know what--"
Lilly groaned, "Okay, okay. I'm glad you guys missed each other too. Can we just all go to sleep--whenever we can go to sleep--and continue this fascinating conversation tomorrow? I'm exhausted."
"I'm afraid you're not getting away with it that easily." Jada picked up one of her mini pillows and chucked it at Miley, "Stewart, wake up!"
"No, no, no! Shh, why would you do that?" Lilly tried to stop her knowing that if Miley woke up they'd all be up all night with explanations. "I actually anticipate going to bed before the time I need to wake up."
Jada ignored her and continued shaking Miley awake. As Miley slowly stirred out of her dreams, Oliver saw it as his time to start backing out of the room. "You know what, I think I'm just going to go. Tell me how this goes tomorrow! Love you, peace!" He patted Lilly on her shoulders and reached for the knob.
Lilly pulled him back forcefully. "If I'm going through this so are you," she hissed while pointing in his face.
"One word," Miley, sleepy yet fully aware of the company, sat up, "Explain." Everyone turned towards her as she shoved her dark curls out of her face to better glare at her friends.
Lilly sighed heavily and glanced at Oliver whose blank face showed she'd be doing most of the talking. Nonetheless he took hold of her hand and Lilly knew that like every other thing in their life from now on--mediocre or monumental--that's how they would get through it; together, strong, and supportive.
Well, with the strength mostly coming from Lilly and loving support from Oliver--some habits tend to make it through a lifetime.
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--
Lilly exhaled deeply as she routinely looked around the empty room making sure everything was back in place, and then securely locked it. In the process, her purse--heavied by necessities and things she was just too lazy to throw out--decided her shoulders were no longer equipped to carry it and repeatedly slid off until she frustratedly just slammed it against the checkered floor. Folders of important loose leafs she had forgotten she'd hurriedly stuffed inside exploded out of the out-of-shape purse. Lilly groaned at the foreseen event and leaned her pounding head against the pastel yellow door.
She'd had a long day, that was all. Even though today's instructions were identical to the ones she'd given out for the past week and thus barely spoken, and she'd unlocked and then locked the yellow entrance at basically the exact same times, something inside herself made this day much longer. Much, much longer and she really dispised it.
She exhaled once more and pulled herself to lift her head up and then glare at the contents of her purse spit out around the supposed container. Well, it wasn't doing its job of containing, she thought. She rolled her eyes at her attempt at a pun--yeah, something was definitely wrong with her today.
"Do you need help with that, Mrs. Oken?"
Lilly shook out of her misery to glance through the burgandy glasses replacing her itchy contacts at one of her students. She almost asked him why he was still here so late until her brain processed the football uniform. The curly-haired boy's eyes started to transition from concerned to impatient, making her wonder exactly how long it had taken her to process this. She smiled and wiped her hands against her dark jeans as she silently gave thanks for casual Fridays. "That'd be nice Tristen." She continued speaking as he efficiently turned the messy spill into a contained one. "You've been doing a really good job with your lines lately. I'm proud of you for taking on this part, especially with all the other things you're involved in. You're a good guy Jones, and if you ever need a letter of recommendation don't hesitate."
The boy laughed a typical teenage boy laugh that brought memories and a smile to Lilly's face. He handed her her worn down yet eccentric lime green purse. "I'll be sure to do that. Well, I've gotta run, my friends are meeting me at the beach. See you Monday, Mizz Oaks."
Just in time her cellphone announced a call with its moving Hawaiin-themed ringtone that would always get at least one of her students to start the hula. She shoved aside her paperwork to pick up. "Hello?" She wondered why she had caller-id if she constantly forgot to at least glance at it.
"Hey! Are you still coming over?"
Luckily Lilly didn't have to think too hard to recognize the voice. She didn't know many people in California with a slight Southern accent nor who were cheerful 24/7, making it an easy guess--and it did help that she knew her since junior high. "Oh, right. Uh, yeah, I guess I am."
"You forgot, didn't you," Miley accused quickly discerning her best friend's tone.
"Pfft, no. I only momentarily stopped remembering."
"Wow, Lils, that's in the range of something Oliver would say."
"Well, when you're around someone for as long as I've been you tend to pick up a thing or two. Either way, I'll be over asap, k?"
"Alright see ya."
"Bye--Oh, wait Miles?!" Lilly waited for Miley's reply hoping she hadn't hung up yet. When she was assured she hadn't she continued, "Do you have food?"
Miley giggled at the emergency, "Yeah, I'm cooking dinner right now."
"Great, I'm starving enough to eat a whale. Later."
Hoping this visit would refresh her day, she hastily made her way to her car. As she set her things aside, mostly chucking them, she fetched her phone back in hopes of making another phone call that would add even more jolt in her "long day". After a while of repetitive ringing she only received instructions from herself followed by a loud beep. She rolled her eyes and hung up knowing if Oliver was too lazy to pick up the phone he wouldn't bother check the voicemail any time before she got home. Her home; his home; their home. She chuckled as she wondered how many years it would take until she would stop doing that. But she didn't mind for she loved the heartwarming feeling she got each time.
--
"Lilly!" The tall brunnette exclaimed in her face before she could blink and realize the door had opened. Next she felt Miley's squishing hug and kept her focus on her own balance. "Geez, I haven't seen you in a while. Y'all've been avoiding me like the plague."
"Aw, I'm sorry. I've just been so--good Lord it smells fantastic in here!" Along with the smells, Lilly took in the sights of her best friends cozy apartment. Even if it had been a while, the place felt extremely familiar because as soon as Miley had the chance to, this was the first place she'd moved into. She was quick to settle and make it her home sweet home and then not alter a thing. Even now that her boyfriend of two years had moved in with her, it didn't seem to have any affect on the home feeling of Miley's small apartment. The only recent addition was a framed and autographed--just in case he got famous she said--photo of the sunset by Oliver, he'd taken for her birthday last year. It was one of the few things in common their apartments had--except theirs had about 50 times more hanging or just laying every which way.
"Thank you, thank you. I felt like some homemade pizza."
"Where's Blake?" Lilly said practically dragging herself to the kitchen stool. She seemed to get hungrier and more exhausted with every step she took.
"He just went out to get some groceries."
"What? You mean the food's not ready yet??" Lilly melodramatically collapsed on the counter.
Miley laughed, "Calm down, it's ready! He's just getting brownie batter, I thought desert would be nice."
"Do I have to wait for desert?"
"Not really."
"...Do I have to wait for him?"
"Lils!"
"I'm starving!"
"Okay, fine, one slice. Geez don't have a child?"
Lilly rolled her eyes, "Pfft, no. I just feel like eating an elephant and then subsequently throwing it up." She folded her arms on the counter and then rested her head on them as she childishly awaited her food.
"Well, are you tired?" Miley asked, teasingly putting on a doctor's tone.
"Miley please. I'm freakin' exhausted and just wanna eat. No jokes, just food," Lilly mumbled back, slowly spacing out.
"Feel.. bloated?"
"The previously mentioned elephant would be no comparison. I probably need to start a diet but who wants to do that? Maybe we'll go surfing some time."
"Lilly..." Miley slid the plate to her and watched her attack it. "I'm not going to ask you about your personal bedroom activities," she winked, "but please tell me you see where I'm getting at."
Gradually slowing down her chewing, Lilly blankely stared at her. Though it take a while for her brain to catch up, it finally dawned on her, "You're kidding."
Miley smiled and dragged her up as Lilly shoved as much pizza as possible in her mouth; "Let's go!"
--
Lilly jammed the key into the doorknob and practically thew herself through the door. She immediately took in the disordered but spacious are of the apartment and routinely glanced towards the living room at her favorite, enlarged picture of the beach Oliver had taken. She loved that unlike most of his work, he hadn't digitally altered it in any way. It was a simply well taken picture of the beach they both loved.
"Lilly?" Oliver called from their room located on a balcony-like upstairs shared with another spare room and a bathroom.
"Your one and only," she replied as she took off her jacket. He suddenly appeared sliding down their metal staircase. "You can still do that?" She enjoyed making fun of his youthful mind trapped inside his aging body.
He took a sarcastic bow, "I wasn't sure but luckily I made it in what piece. I have some amazing news for you!"
He gently kiss her hello. She smiled and wondered if he'd noticed she was home three hours later than usual, "Really? Because I have some pretty... amazing news too. But you go first."
"I just finished all our thank you notes!" he smiled proudly.
Lilly raised her eyebrows, "The ones you planned to do for our wedding? Three years ago?"
"Two and a half years. There were a lot of people! Either way, it's never too late to say thank you. I will send those cards and they will like it! I even made this crazy collage of us on there, I'll show it to you you'll love it."
Lilly giggled, "Fine, fine."
"So what's your news?" He took her hand and lead her upstairs as she spoke.
"Oh well, I was just going to tell you that I'm thinking we're going to need to clean this place up," Lilly said nonchalantly.
"Okay..." Oliver said not quite understanding how that was amazing news, if news at all.
"And you should mature up a bit." Oliver chuckled but she was quick to interrupt him, "No really! It's hard to teach your child to be mature if you're not."
"Oh I'm plenty matur--What child?" Oliver abruptly spun her direction as they stood in front of their bedroom door.
"You know... the ones I'm pregnant with," Lilly took in a deep breath awaiting his reaction.
Oliver froze for a second. "How? Never mind, don't answer that. But when did you--? And how did you--?" He stopped his rambling to collect his thoughts and looked her over. The Lilly he had grown up with--at a point in time he could have sworn she'd be too evil to carry another being inside of her. "We're having a kid!" he cried.
Lilly emitted a small smile. "Kids. As in plural," she said calmly.
Oliver eyed her. "Plural? As in how many?"
Lilly held up her index and middle finger. "Twins!" she couldn't help but laugh and show her excitement.
He inhaled sharply. "Tw--Twins... You're... Oh my... Holy--" Thud.
Lilly's hands flew to her mouth as she concernly stared at her husband laying on the floor. She couldn't say she hadn't seen this coming, as supporting as Oliver was, staying strong in moments of intense climax just wasn't his thing. Yet she still loved him for it. And he still loved her for many things.
After just two and half years of marriage, many wouldn't see their love as much of a big deal yet; but after nearly 25 years of knowing each other, only they understood everything it meant.
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--
The 10-year-old's dark strawberry blonde thick and loose waves flew as she bent over in laughter. Her brother sitting next to her merely emitted a small smirk as he shook the bangs of his shorter cut but matching hair. Their mom sat in front of them on a stool she'd pulled from the counter and joyfully watched as they each enjoyed her tale in their own way. "I can't believe he fainted!" The girl couldn't stop repeating.
"Shut up Liz," her brother, Liam O, nudged her.
"Whatever lil bro." Liam rolled his eyes at the term, considering they were only 12 minutes apart. "Dad, I'm so using that story during some dinner. You won't see it coming," she laughed.
"Daisy Liz Oken, listen to your brother," Oliver said as he lay on the couch next to them. He turned to his wife, "Why does that kid always have to be up to something mischievious?"
Lilly simply smiled, "Because she's your kid."
"I was not like that at ten. My evil genes didn't develop until high school. I was the nice one between us when we were young," he argued.
Lilly rolled her eyes, "Oliver, as far as you're conerned you were always the 'nice one'. No one could ever be nicer than you, bla bla bla."
"Okay, we're going to go outside," Liam spoke up quickly discerning another useless discussion between his parents. He hugged his mom before leaving, "That was a wonderful story mom and I think that deep down you always meant to be really nice because you knew you loved dad."
Lilly grinned proudly as she watched her twins leave, "Aw, my son's sucha mini poet."
"Of course. The calm one's your son, I get little miss always-out-to-get-you Liz."
Lilly picked up a pillow from the couch only to chuck it back at him, "Oh shut up you know you love them both and so do I. Their just as opposite as we can be, what do you expect?"
Oliver sat up and stared at her as he pulled her closer to him, "I don't hink I could have ever expected anything better than this." And kissed his wife of 12 years, but lifetime partner, deeply.
Gosh I need to learn how to end things XD Well I figured the first chapter was extra long so the last might as well be. There were so many things I needed to conclude like how they got home, how Miley & Jada found out, and their future. I didn't feel like making another chapter so it proabably came out a bit choppy :/ Anyways, thank you for reading; hope you enjoyed it. xoxCamy
PS. If you guys have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. I'll either PM you or if there are enough questions I'll just write a quick answer update thingie. (:
