Aly's POV

A few minutes ago, Beck had been yelling at us about how we were too young to have boyfriends and how we'd turn into hormone-fueled sex fiends. Once I pointed out that he lost his virginity when he was merely a year older than me, my simple statement made the high and mighty Beckett finally stop his preaching.

Chalk one up for Aly.

"That's... How did you know about that?" That was all he could manage to say? Looks like I've got him.

"Let's just say you're not exactly quiet..." I smirked and Gwen bit her lip to keep from LOLing.

Jade looked up from the construction paper she was chopping up and glared at Beck. "I told you the walls on that RV weren't as thick as they looked..."

Beck shook his head, running his hand through his hair. "Okay, we did, but... That's... Different."

"Oh, really?" I crossed my arms. "How so?"

Beck paused, crossing his arms once again. "Because... Jade and I knew each other for years, even before we started dating-"

I interrupted him by saying, "Just because you sorta kinda knew each other before you asked her out means losing your V-card at age sixteen is okay?"

"Let me finish, Allison," Beck said, holding up a hand. "When we did decide to... do that, we made sure we were ready. We waited a good amount of time, two years exactly."

"So if Sean and I are still dating after two years, we'll have your blessing to do the deed?"

"Of course not," Beck exclaimed, knowing good and well that he was losing this fight. That didn't mean he was giving up, though.

"You are such a hypocrite!" I cried. "It's okay for you to have sex because you're a guy, but it's not okay for me because I'm a girl?"

"That's no what I'm trying to say," Beckett said, trying to keep his cool. "I'm just saying that you need to pace yourself, keep yourself in check and make sure things don't get out of hand."

"If you buy her some condoms, then you wouldn't have to worry either way," Jade muttered, tossing the teeny, tiny scraps of construction paper she chopped up all over Gwen like it was confetti. Gwen was not amused.

"Not helpful, Jade," Beck hissed through his teeth. He was not amused either. I was, though.

Jade shrugged. "Since when have I ever been?"

I was tired of him lecturing me. I'd say just about anything to get him to leave. And that's what I was going to do. "Beck, Sean and I just started going out. Even if we do stay together as long as you and Jade have, I don't think we're going to have sex." That's a lie. If we ever get to that point, I'm totally going to go for it. "I don't want to get pregnant anytime soon, if that's okay with you." That wasn't a lie, but even if Sean and I finally do have sex, we'll be careful. We totally will.

That finally got Beck to smile. Not a huge smile, but it was still a smile. "Okay, good to hear." He turned back to Gwen, who was pulling purple pieces of construction paper out of her hair. "And as for you…" He crossed his arms again. "Ditto. Don't let David push you into anything you're not comfortable with."

"Beck, have you ever looked at the kid?" Jade asked, now chopping up an empty tissue box.

She had a point, but then again, Beck did too. Gwenny could be rather compliant about stuff, even if it would make her unhappy, when she thought it would make somebody else happy. And she was practically starving herself last week just so David could have a stick for a girlfriend, so who knows…

But Gwen wouldn't do that… I knew she wouldn't.

Gwen nodded at Beck. "Yeah, okay."

"You don't have to worry about Gwendolyn," I said, sitting down next to her on the bed. "She says she won't even let David slide into second base or-"

I was interrupted when my sister slapped me on the arm. "Allison! Don't talk about my boobs in front of Beck!"

As if things weren't awkward enough in here.

"Yeah… Let's avoid the B word around the older brother," Beck joked, in a better mood now that he knew the baby Oliver would probably stay innocent until she's forty nine. And a half.

Jade tossed Gwen's scissors on the carpet and stood up. "I'm hungry. Make me some food, Beck."

Beck chuckled as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "When did I become your personal chef?"

"When you realized that I can make you do whatever I want."

"Ah. I figured that would be the answer." He let a smile slip onto his lips as he slowly walked out the door, Jade close behind him.

"I like food!" Gwen called out, running after them.

"I also happen to enjoy food," I commented after getting onto my feet and following them.

Well, Beck was distracted and wouldn't bug me and Gwen about our love lives anymore…

Until he found out she was going to David's house on Monday.

Gwen's POV

Sunday went by super fast. I guess that was a good thing for once. I mean, we had school again on Monday and schoolwork is icky, even if Hollywood Arts is all kinds of epic, but Monday night was the night I was going to have dinner with David and his parents.

I mean, we had dinner with them a few weeks ago, but Mr. and Mrs. Shizuka spent the entire time talking to Mom and Daddy about work and old people stuff. I guess Austin was going to be there too. He mostly spent the last dinner talking to Beck, but he seemed okay, I guess. I didn't pay much attention to him, but he was related to David, so he had to be nice, right?

Speaking of me and David, our entire freshmen class was abuzz about our new relationship. People kept asking me how it happened and if it was super romantic or not, but I would just say, "A lady never kisses and tells," smirk at them, and walk off.

It made me feel totally BA.

"Hey there," David said, stopping by my locker right before our Drawing class. He looked around, then leaned down to kiss me on the cheek. He was probably looking for Beck. He'd better not be hiding in a trash can to spy on me or Aly or something.

Hmm. I wonder if Aly and Sean are getting as much attention as David and I are.

Probably. David's cute, but Sean's like a school heartthrob. Everybody in school must be talking about them.

"Hey, Dave," I greeted, smiling at him as I shut my locker. "Ready for our first class together as a couple?"

"You bet." He smiled and gently grabbed my book-free hand as we walked towards the classroom.

It felt good to have someone's hand to hold… Like, a boy's hand. A boyfriend's hand. It made the nosy classmates and the whispers talking about our new relationship totally and completely worth it.

I guess you can't escape high school dating gossip no matter what kind of school you go to.

/

After school, Aly helped me get ready… again. She knows how to make me look good, and I really want to make a good first impression.

Well, a good first impression as their youngest son's first girlfriend.

Aly picked out a light pink baby doll dress with a white cardigan to go over it, my silver necklace with the cool key charm on it, and she even did my hair and make-up for me… Again. I need to learn how to fancy up by myself.

"Ouch!" I cried, jerking away as she burned the back of my neck. "Aly! Would it kill you to be careful with that thing?"

"Would it kill you to sit still?" she shot back, unplugging the curling iron. "We're done, anyway."

I stood up and looked into the bathroom mirror, smiling as soon as I did. My make-up was perfect, my hair was perfect, my outfit was perfect, myself… Well, I was close enough to perfect.

"Don't let Beckett bug you on the way there," Aly told me as we headed down the steps. Mom and Dad were working late, so my only option for a ride to the Shizuka residence was Beck. He sort of bugged out at the idea of me being in his house at first, but he calmed down once I told him it was to meet his parents, who were going to be there the entire time.

Sometimes I think Beck doesn't trust Aly or me. And sometimes I think everybody's wrong when they say he's the sane one in our family and he's just a lot better at hiding it around other people.

The ride there was actually somewhat typical. We talked, but just about usual stuff, like how school was and who Jade verbally abused. Beck didn't even mention David until we pulled up in front of his house.

After I gave Beck a kiss on the cheek and opened the door, Beck told me, "Have fun." I stepped out and before I could shut the door, he added, "Not too much fun th-" I slammed the door and waved at him before he could finish.

Spinning around, I started down the walkway toward the Shizuka house. It was pretty nice. Mr. Shizuka works at the same place as my dad in a similar position to his, so I figured their family was as well-off as ours was. Still, I was thoroughly impressed.

I rung the doorbell twice, resisting the urge to rapidly push it like I usually do. Be a lady, Gwendolyn.

David was the one to open the door, and he was dressed in a green dress-up shirt and a black tie and everything. His parents were right behind him, looking rather fancy-pants themselves. Good thing Aly talked me into changing out of the halter top and ripped jeans I wore to school.

"Gwen, hey," David said with a smile, giving me a gentle hug as he led me in.

"Hi," I cheekily greeted back. I politely waved to his parents. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Shizuka. It's nice to see you again."

"Gwen, no need to be so formal. Call me Shin." David's dad gave me a warm smile and David's mom walked up and gave me a hug that was so not as gentle as his.

"And you can call me Kimiko, sweetheart," she said right before letting me go.

"Will do," I told them with a smile. "I love your home, Mr. and Mrs. Sh- Kimiko and Shin."

I did. They had very Japanese feel to their home, with all kinds of cool foreign décor around the house. By that and Shin and Kimiko's very noticeable accents, I was guessing that David's parents were born and raised in Japan.

And the yakisoba dinner also made me see that they were clearly a family that enjoyed and embraced their culture. I had always wondered what my culture was. I sure don't know, considering I don't know anything about my genetics and neither do my parents. I could be, like, Jewish for all I know…

Okay, I'm pretty sure I'm not Jewish. But still.

"Dinner is delicious, Kimiko," I said as I dabbed my mouth with a napkin.

She smiled at me. "Thank you, sweetie. I was worried you wouldn't like it."

"I've never had much Japanese food, but I love trying new things." I smiled back, taking another bite of my noodles and vegetables. "I've always thought Japanese culture was interesting. I'd love to know more about my background."

"Then why don't you?" Austin, who was seated across from me, asked.

David, seated to my left, glared at him. "Dude, you know why."

Austin blinked, then realized. "Oh yeah. You're adopted, aren't you?"

"Um, yes," I quietly said. I didn't really like to talk about that. I was an Oliver, it was simple as that.

"Why?"

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"Why'd your mom put you up for adoption?"

Kimiko raised an eyebrow. "Austin, that isn't-"

"Was she like some teenager who got knocked up or a crack whore or something?"

I audibly gasped, David was giving him a look that could kill and Kimiko almost choked on her water. "Austin Shizuka, you-"

"Or did she just not want you?"

Shin, who was now red in the face, stood up and grabbed Austin by the back of his shirt. He started screaming at him in Japanese as he dragged him out of the dining room and down the hall.

I could still hear him screaming at the seventeen year old, and David had his hand on my shoulder. "Gwen, don't listen to him. Austin's an idiot. He never thinks before he says anything. Please, please don't cry."

I hadn't even realized that silent tears had began streaming down my cheeks. Coming to that realization only made me want to sob and I covered my face in embarrassment. Crying like a baby isn't the best way to make a good impression.

"Sweetheart, I am so sorry for my son's behavior," Kimiko quietly said, standing up and walking over to give me a hug. She wiped my tears away and seriously said, "Austin is going to be severely punished for his rudeness. We do not tolerate that kind of behavior." She looked back at David. "Why don't you take Gwen upstairs? You aren't going to want to be anywhere near here when I get my hands on Austin…" She walked off and David took my hand before leading me up the steps. We were luckily almost done with dinner anyway.

David gently led me into his dark blue room and shut the door. It was pretty clean for a boy's room.

He sat down on his bed, patting the spot next to him. After I sat down, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "I'm going to kill Austin. I swear to God, I am."

"Don't. I don't like it when siblings fight," I murmured, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I don't usually let that kind of stuff get to me. I love my family and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world… But I would have liked to been able to answer him."

David looked down at me. "What do you mean?"

I sniffled and David offered me his tie. I let out a small laugh and dabbed my eyes with it. "I… I don't know about my birth parents. It wouldn't get to me as much if I knew about them and why they put me up for adoption, but my parents won't tell me anything. Beck and Aly won't say anything about it either. I know they know. Out of the two times I've asked, Aly always opens her mouth and Beck shuts her up…"

"Maybe they're just trying to protect you," David suggested, rubbing small circles in my back with his hand.

"It just makes me feel bad knowing that the one person in the world who was supposed to love me just gave me away like that…" I sniffled again. "I don't think about it much, since I already have a family… I just get curious sometimes, you know? Like, what my birth mother's story was and why she did what she did."

"I don't know how you feel," David quietly mentioned, still rubbing my back to stop my sparse sobs. "I don't know why your mother gave you up… But I know she missed out on a great girl." He kissed the top of my head, which made me feel a thousand times better. "And I think you were meant to be part of the Oliver family. Who else would punch skunk bags in the face whenever they diss your sister?"

That finally got a real smile on my face and we just sat there for a while, enjoying the peaceful moment.

Well, it would have been more peaceful if Shin and Kimiko weren't screaming at Austin and Austin wasn't crying, but that actually made me feel better too.