Author's Note: Two in a row, I'm good, review please!

Disclaimer: I disclaim

Chapter 21: Note Quite A Stereotype

Julie swallowed and looked up. She wasn't sure why, but she knew what was happening. She climbed to tree very carefully. Then she climbed through the open window.

"You came," Steve smiled from his bed. She nodded.

"Yeah," She whispered. He walked over and kissed her gently. "Steve," She mumbled. He kissed her again. She walked over to the bed, him still kissing her, sliding her zip on hoodie sweatshirt off, "Wait," She said sitting down, he didn't, straddling her gently and gently kissing her neck. "Steve, you have to know that this is just tonight." He nodded and moved down to her chest. "Steve," He stopped. "I need to know that you understand. On Sunday, I go back to school, back to Jimmy. I'm not going to be back here until Christmas."

"Cat," He said, "I understand, OK? I want you," He kissed her. She lay down under him. They kissed for a while. "Julie," He said softly.

"Don't talk, please," She whispered. "You'll ruin it." They kissed again. It felt odd, but good. Steve's body seemed to fit easier than Jimmy's, there was no adjustment so that her body wouldn't be overwhelmed by his, no shifting of his legs.

"Does he kiss you like this?" He whispered before kissing her again.

"That's it," She sat up and started pulling her sweatshirt back on.

"Baby," He looked at her.

"No," She shook her head. "What did I say?" He groaned and fell back. "What did I say Steven?"

"Not to talk," He sighed, "I'd ruin it."

"Guess what happened," She said.

"I talked," He said, she nodded. "And ruined it." She walked towards the window, "Cat, come on, I'm sorry."

"'Does he kiss you like this?'" She stared at him. "Where did you get that? The bad affairs cliché handbook?" He looked at her. "I was willing to cheat on my boyfriend with you. To risk the two most amazing years of my life, not to mention a lifelong friendship to sleep with you!"

"What changed?" He whispered walking over and kissing her.

"You made me think about it," She sighed, "I know I'm a broken record, Steve, but if this happens, with us, it can't be like this." He touched her face gently. "It can't be me sneaking through your window, scared that Jimmy's going to notice something when I get back to school."

"If you stay with him, this is how it has to be," He sighed.

"Can I have some time?" She sighed. "At Christmas, maybe things will have changed."

"I've been waiting two years for them to change," He said as she lowered her head to his chest. "Cat," He said. "I can't wait forever."

"I don't want you to," She said, "I want you to be happy!"

"I know," He sighed. "And that's why you're here." She nodded. "Because you want me to be happy."

"And because I love you," She said, "And you're terribly sexy Steve, so I just couldn't stay away."

"You're making fun of me now," He nodded. She laughed. "I just have this sinking feeling that you're going to come back at Christmas, broken up with Jimmy and you're going to hook up with Brett Atkins."

"Oh, yeah," She rolled her eyes, "That's been in my head all day. How will I possibly go on if I never do it with Brett?" He crossed his arms. "Steve, I'm just starting to wrap my head around seeing you as more than family, I wouldn't even know how to begin with the other guys." He kissed her. "I'll see you at the party tomorrow?"

"Ice Cream cake and babies," He nodded, "I am so there." She laughed and hugged him. "Please try not to throw yourself at me?"

"Please try to act like a human in front of Cal?" She retorted, "Also try not to um,"

"Tell him that you're sleeping with Jimmy?" He said. She nodded. "Because then he'd pull you out of school and send you to a convent in Ireland like he threatened to do that time we all thought it would be funny to steal your training bra."

"Clearly I was a sexually active eleven year old," She smiled.

"Cat," He said, "I'm not going to tell Cal that you're having sex with Jimmy, because I want to have sex with you, so the whole convent thing would not be helpful." She smiled. "Don't go to California."

"Steve," She sighed.

"Don't," He said, "Cry on the phone, beg her to come here, bring the idiot she's dating."

"Living with," Julie mumbled. He looked at her. "He moved in. They're living together, it's serious. You stopped talking to me for real before I could tell you."

"Come here," Steve said opening his arms.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm giving you a hug," He said. "Because your mother is living a guy who you can't stand and your best friend should being hugging you." She slid safely into his arms. There was nothing earnest, no desire in the hug. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"What?" She said.

"To California," He said, "To spend Thanksgiving with your mom and Josh. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No," She said, shaking her head. "No, um, Tammy might come, because things are weird for her right now, with her mom being engaged and all." He nodded. "Thanks though."

"Stay here," He said. She looked at him. "Just sleep. Like we used to, before you left." She nodded.

"OK," She whispered. "You'll set the alarm?" He nodded.

"Cal won't know you were gone," He smiled. She plopped on the bed and pulled the covers down. He climbed in and she curled up next to him.

"I love you Stevie." She whispered, her head resting on her chest.

"I love you too, Cat." He said.

"Well hello there," Olivia turned around at the voice.

"What Nick?" She said, "What could you possibly want? Shall I beat you up?"

"Aw, Liv," He laughed, "You know I'm not into that kind of thing."

"Hey baby," Luis walked over and kissed her. She smiled holding onto his neck and opening her mouth.

"That's disgusting," Nick nodded.

"Can I help you find something other than the door?" Luis snarled. "Julie Gaffney's in Maine so I can't show you a beating."

"I'm not the one who needs a girl to win championships for me," Nick smirked. "And I'm from Minnesota, I can stop on ice."

"I didn't just hear this foot fairy insult Julie's Goodwill Games stop, and your skating abilities in one breath did I?" Charlie walked over. "Why don't you get the hell out? No one wants you here."

"Well, I know that's not true," Nick laughed, "Right Liv?"

"Stay away from her," Luis stepped in between them.

"And get the hell out of my house," Tommy walked over. The crowds had gathered on both sides now.

"And who are you little man?" Nick smiled, "Oh wait, I remember you, you're one of Ellie's little pets." Tommy jumped.

"Tommy," Fulton pulled him back, "Look man," He stood over Nick, and even the other Blake guys stepped back. Most of them were area kids, everyone knew Fulton Reed, and that made everyone nervous, and Dean Portman's hulking presence next to him didn't go ignored. "I think you should get out, no one wants any trouble." Nick nodded, "And if you think that the bruises Julie gave you were bad, you don't wanna know what we're going to do to you, get it?" Nick swallowed and nodded, "She warned you, you touch Ellie, you bug Olivia, and you deal with us. Get it?"

"Sure," Nick said and started walking, he was followed.

"Parker," Olivia grabbed the sleeve of one of the guys.

"Liv, come on," Parker whispered.

"It's Nick!" She said, "You don't even like him." He looked at her. "Please?"

"Sure," He nodded, "But this party kind of sucks anyway," She laughed, "So I'm gonna head out. Your new friends are boring."

"I know, isn't it great," She smiled. He laughed. "They like you, Park, get them on your side."

"Yeah," He said, "I'll try. But you know, he's scary." He raised his eyebrows. She laughed. "See you at school."

"Sure," She nodded. Luis looked at her. "That's Parker, we sat next to each other in freshman bio. I taught him how to conjugate Spanish verbs so he owes me." He kissed her. "Luis, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault honey," He shrugged, "That guy is clearly unbalanced."

"Mm," Elena groaned kissing Brad, feeling him grope up her side.

"Let's get naked," He whispered.

"In Tommy's bed?" She said. "Um, no, that's too weird." She sat up. She ran her hands through her hair.

"Come on," He sat up and started kissing her neck, "He won't mind."

"I'm guessing he would," She laughed. "Can we like not have sex tonight?"

"But it's the weekend," Brad said. She looked at him. "We've had sex every weekend."

"And most week days," She nodded, "I want a relationship Brad. If I just wanted sex I would have gone to any senior football player." He sighed. "When we were friends what did we do?"

"Well," He said, "We hung with Tommy and I yelled at you about Portman a lot." She nodded. "We went to the movies, and got drunk on my boat."

"Hey," Angela walked in, "Um Tommy just almost took a swing at that kid who tried to rape you."

"Nick's here," Ellie groaned.

"Well, you know," Angela shrugged, "Julie's not here to scare him off and maybe he thinks everyone fights like Brad and Jimmy."

"Excuse me!" Brad cut them off, "We got him to the ground OK? And I was going easy on him."

"Of course you were baby," Ellie kissed him, "Angie, is Tommy OK?"

"Fulton's talking to him," Angela shrugged, "He asked me to wait up here. I'm assuming he didn't know this was happening."

"His two best friends having a conversation in his bedroom," Elena said, "Like they have a million times."

"Mm," Angela shrugged and plopped on the bed.

"I don't think she likes us Lenny," Brad smirked.

"I don't know you," Angela said, "But my initial impression is that you two fit the stereotypes really well."

"You hear that Brad," Ellie smiled, "This freshman thinks that we're stereotypical. Please elaborate."

"Well you," She pointed at Elena, "I mean, look at you, you're beautiful, and sassy, and you're a cheerleader," Elena frowned, "And this one," She pointed at Brad, "He's got smarmy rich boy all over him, with the khakis all the time and his need for an attitude adjustment and the boat."

"How'd she know about the boat?" Brad pointed at her. Tommy walked in. "How'd your girlfriend know about my boat?"

"Is it a secret boat?" Tommy said. "Hey Ange," He kissed her.

"She thinks we're a stereotype," Elena said.

"You are," Tommy said. "Not because you know you're pretty and popular and rich, but because you're best friends who fell in love with each other. You're Joey and Dawson only you know with money and less whining."

"It scares me that you know who Joey and Dawson are," Angela said.

"I have Tammy and this one," He pointed at Elena who waved.

"Right," Angela nodded. "Keep that excuse."

"She's spunky," Elena smiled, "I like her, so what are we now, like The Fantastic Four?"

"Yeah," Brad said, "You can be The Thing." She gave him a wet willie.

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