Chapter 8

The speakers were playing very loud music. Everyone was dancing in mobs and Jude and Spied didn't even try to dance. Neither one of them had a drop to drink since they came, but everyone else was either drunk or on their way to being drunk.

"So then, I said…" Some drunken guy was saying to Jude. Jude wasn't even paying attention.

"Um, I'm sorry, but I have to go," Jude said hurriedly and walked away. She soon was by Spied's side.

"Hey Jude. How's the party?" Spied asked her.

"All of these drunken guys are hitting on me," Jude said.

"Do you want me to beat them up for you?" Spied asked jokingly. He flexed his muscles and put a tough look on his face.

Jude laughed. "No, it's alright. I like leading them on."

Spied laughed.

"I have a surprise for you," Spied said to Jude.

"Oh really? And what is that?" Jude asked.

"You'll find out in 1, 2, 3, 4…"

"What?" Jude asked confusingly. Until she could say anything else a guy that held the microphone asked Jude to come up and sing for them along with SME.

"Spied!" Jude said embarrassed. "You know I have stage fright."

"Right. Which is exactly why I sent you up there," Spied said. "You're going to have to face your fears sooner or later, so I figured sooner was better. Now come on Harrison. I don't want to have to carry you up there."

Jude wanted Spied to, but of course she didn't say anything so she just walked up with SME beside her and sang Skin to a big mob of complete strangers. Once she was done, everyone clapped and praised her.

"Dude, that was awesome," Kyle said.

Jude smiled at his remark. She had Spied to all thank her for this. She was about to thank him when she didn't see him anywhere.

"Do you know where Spied went?" Jude asked.

Kyle and Wally pointed outside. Jude walked outside and saw candles and rose petals all along Wally's deck. She saw a blanket and a picnic basket even though it was 2 am. She looked around and saw how beautiful Spied had made it. They were away from everyone and Jude wondered why Spied had done this.

"Spied, if this is just a lame attempt to sleep with me, it's not going to work," Jude said once she saw Spied.

"Jude, I'm not trying to get in your pants. Just sit down," Spied said while pointing at the blanket. Jude took a seat and Spied soon took the contents out of the picnic basket and spread it in front of them.

"I have your favorite. J shaped chocolate chip pancakes. Of course mine is shaped like an S. "

"Spied, how'd you know?" Jude asked in wonder.

"Remember that one time I came over to your house? Your mom made you J shaped pancakes."

"Oh yeah, and then Kyle and Wally came over and we all had a huge food fight which involved a lot of syrup," Jude said laughing.

"I remember trying for days trying to get all of the syrup out of my hair. Fun times, fun times."

They smiled at each other and then Jude took the stick of butter and spread some of it on her pancakes then poured some syrup over them. She then took her fork and soon finished eating them.

"Thank you for doing what you did back inside," Jude said.

"Oh, it was no problem."

"I couldn't have done it without you," Jude smiled.

There was a silence between them until Jude finally broke it.

"Spied, why'd you do all of this?" Jude asked.

Spied just sat there and stared into her eyes. He watched her chew on her pancakes for a minute then answered her question.

"Jude, I'm just going to come right out and say it. You're my moon, my stars, my everything. You're the air I breathe. Jude, I love you. I love you so much. I can only hope you feel the same way back," Spied confessed.

Jude just sat there in silence for a few moments.

"And you don't feel the same way," Spied said hurt. He started to walk away when Jude grabbed his hands and sat him down.

"Spied, I do love you. I love you so much. I'm glad I can finally say it."

"So am I," Spied said as he passionately kissed her on the lips. For the rest of the night they just sat there in each other arms and gazed at the stars and wondered what was to come on the long journey ahead of them. The journey of life.