I quickly want to thank Luli Cullen, Angel of the Night Watchers, and Loverofgoodstories27 for their Reviews! Okay people, let's keep up the reviewing! I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to at least reach the amount of reviews I got on Four by Four, which is 154 reveiws =). After this chapter there will be one, maybe (but not likely) two more. Please, review! Enjoy this chapter!


Chapter 28

Plans and Boredom

It was the morning before New Year's Eve and Tristan sat in front of the fireplace with his legs crossed, checking off a list that was placed in front of him. Footsteps caught his attention and he quickly hid the single sheet of paper behind his back. Just as it was safely hidden, his mother walked into the room. She smiled down at her son who relaxed at the sight of her.

"How's the planning for your New Year's Bash coming along?" she asked, taking a seat on the couch across from him. Her short brown hair fell into her face and she pushed it behind her ear carelessly. As if she were a little girl, she started kicking her legs against the couch.

Tristan raised an eyebrow as he regarded his mother. "How did you know about that?"

Rylee leaned in closer and with a grin said, "I'm your mother, I know all."

"It's true," Tyler said, who had just walked into the room and was leaning against the door frame. "She does know all."

With a smile that nearly took up her face, Rylee got up from where she sat and joined her husband. He wrapped his arms around her and allowed her to lean into his embrace. She kissed his lips but pulled away when Tristan gave a obnoxious cough.

"Could you please not do that in front of me?" Tristan asked once he had their attention. "Parental PDA…"

Tyler let out a loud laugh. "I can't give your mother some affection in front of you? You kiss Kelsey in front of me."

"Yeah but we're young and in love," he answered with a smile. "You on the other hand…"

Now it was Rylee's turn to laugh as she crossed her arms over her chest and eyed her son. "What? Were you going to say 'old'?"

"Well-," he started but was cut off by the shrill ring of the doorbell. He jumped to his feet and rushed past his parents. "Saved by the bell."

Opening the door he found Cameron in the doorway. Rae was standing right behind him with her lips pursed together. Tristan glanced from his best friend to Rae then back again. "What's going on?" he asked suspiciously.

Cameron bit the inside of his cheek as he avoided Tristan's gaze. "She knows."

Tristan narrowed his eyes at the blonde then turned his glare on the dark haired boy. "Damn, Cameron! Now it's all ruined!" He looked back at Rae. "How'd you get it out of him?"

Rae crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a look of complete and utter satisfaction. "How do you think?"

"You little whore," he said, pointing his finger at her accusingly. "I hate woman and their power to manipulate men so easily with their bodies."

Rae let out a loud laugh, not at all offended by Tristan's insult as shook her blonde hair from her face. "Yeah, well it took a little persuasion but…" she ended with a smug shrug.

Shaking his head, Tristan stepped to the side, allowing the two in. As Cameron passed him, he punched his dark haired friend's shoulder and whispered, "Traitor."

When Tristan walked into the room, he didn't see his parents and was thankful that he no longer had to witness their PDA. He knew they were still in love after so many years of marriage but to watch them practically make out made him cringe.

"So," Rae said, making herself comfortable on the couch. "Is it formal attire or casual or a mix in between?"

The two boys shared a look that clearly told Rae she was talking to the wrong people. "Ugh, I need my girls here." She pulled out her cell phone, but only held it in her hands for less than a second before it was snatched from her. "Hey!" she said in protest, lunging after Tristan who dashed across the room. "Give that back!"

"No way," he said, holding her phone dangerously close to the flickering flames of the fire. "They don't find out until they arrive at the party. Do I make myself clear?"

"But, they need to know what to-," she let out a gasp as Tristan moved his hand closer to the hot flames that threatened to engulf her phone. "Okay! Okay! I won't tell them."

"Good." Tristan tossed the cell phone back to Rae who cradled it against her chest and glared at him. "So what do you know?"

Rae continued to scowl as she spoke. "That you two, Quinn and Rome are throwing us a party tomorrow night." She lifted her phone and looked pointedly at Cameron then Tristan. "I'm going to call Kelsey to come pick me up. You boys have planned it so far, so I won't stand in your way now."

Ten minutes after calling Kelsey, a honk sounded from outside the house so Rae stood and pulled her long hair into a messy ponytail. Before walking out of the room, she turned the boys. "I do have one small input," she said. "I want to dress up so the party has to be formal."

With that she left, and shortly after Cameron and Tristan could hear the car pull out of the driveway, it's tires rolling down the pavement. Cameron looked to Tristan to see him shaking his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you told her," he said.

Cameron smirked and shrugged his shoulders, not worried that his girlfriend now knew their secret. He laughed as he plopped down on the couch and kicked his legs up on to the coffee table. "She was very persuasive."


Bethany threw herself down onto Rome's bed and gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm so bored," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Is it sad to say that I wish we were back in school? At least then I'd have something to do."

"Bite your tongue, woman," Rome replied with a laugh. Then his eyes widened as a thought crossed his mind. He grinned as he reached for Bethany, offering her his hand. "Come on."

Bethany's eyebrows pulled together as she took his hand and allowed him to pull her up. "Where are we going?" she asked as he led her from the room and down the stairs.

Rome said nothing as he grabbed his car keys from the small table that sat next to the front door and stepped out into the Winter air. The sun was just beginning to fade in the sky, sending an orange glow onto the ever present snow that blanketed the ground. He reached for his phone once inside the car and quickly sent a text message as Bethany climbed into the passenger side.

"Where are we going?" she repeated. When he didn't reply, she exhaled noisily and looked out the window. She sat up straighter in her seat suddenly recognizing the path they were taking. "I know I said I wished we were back in school but I was just speaking figuratively."

Fifteen minutes later they were in the deserted parking lot of Spenser Academy. All was quiet aside from the strong wind blowing outside of the car. Just as Bethany opened the door, two other cars pulled up.

"Thought we'd have a little fun," Rome said, answering her questioning look. He stepped from the car and greeted Cameron and Tristan who walked to the door without waiting for the girls. Bethany raised an eyebrow as Kelsey, Peyton and Rae approached her.

"Such gentlemen," Kelsey said with a sigh. "Waiting for us girls before walking. Oh, wait, they didn't do that."

Rae snorted in laughter as they headed toward the school where the boys were fidgeting with the locks on the doors. "Speaking of gentlemen," Rae started, "where's your boy, P?"

"Working," Peyton replied, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. "He had to do a double-shift to make up for being off tomorrow."

"Aw, your first New Year's Eve together!" Bethany said, clapping her hands together gleefully. She stopped unexpectedly causing Kelsey, who was walking just behind her, to nearly run into her. "And it's my first New Year's Eve with Rome, too!" Her hand gripped Rae's arm painfully. "And yours and Cameron's!"

Bethany dashed away from them with a jump in her step. Kelsey shook her head as she watched her bouncing blonde friend leap into Rome's arms who had turned around just in time to catch her. "Are we breaking in?" she asked as she pulled her jacket tighter.

"Yes," the boys answered together as Tristan placed a hand over the lock, palm flat. He moved his body so it was blocked from view. Seconds later, there was a faint click and the door popped open. Tristan stood up with a satisfied look and strode into the building, not one bit worried about being caught.

"How did you do that?" Kelsey asked, jogging to catch up with him. Glancing back at Cameron, he reached into his pocket and lifted his hand to eye-level. In his hand he held a single hair pin.

"Child's play," he said, laughing. Turning left, he followed Rome down the long hallway where classroom doors stood closed, the rooms beyond them dark and silent. The groups footsteps echoed off the walls as Rae and Peyton took off at a run, giggling like mad as they raced away, Cameron close on their heels.

Bethany intertwined her fingers around Rome's as they fell to the back of the group. "I've never broke into school before," she said as the group rounded the corner up ahead. "I feel…"

"Like a delinquent?" Rome laughed. The thud of a door hitting a wall caused Bethany to jump; laughter and the sound of splashing reached them. "You'll get used it," he said as he took off at a jog, dragging his girlfriend along behind him. Half a minute later, they were inhaling the scent of chlorinated water.

Rome grinned as he let go of Bethany's hand and lifted his shirt over his head. "How's the water?" he asked Cameron who was already wading across the pool, his dark wet hair slicked back.

"Perfect," Cameron answered, just as Rae and Kelsey, both who were now in their bras and underwear, leapt into the water.

"Come on in!" Peyton called to Bethany who stood at the edge of the pool. All eyes were on her now as if waiting for her to strip down and jump in. She was hesitant though, she'd never been a trouble-maker or had broken the rules, and here she was, having just broken into school. Her lip was caught between her teeth as a small knot of anxiety of being caught settled in her stomach.

Rae swam to the edge and pulled herself halfway out of the water, leaning her elbows on the tiled floor. "We won't get caught, we've done this hundreds of times," she said with a confident smile. "Now get your ass in here before I come out there and pull you in myself."

Bethany laughed and felt her concern fade. In once swift moment, her shirt was at her feet and her jeans tossed to the side. As the others cheered, she jumped off the side and cut through the water.

When she emerged, she pushed her wet hair from her face and looked around. Peyton was hanging on the side of the pool with her eyes closed while the others swam away, giggling. Tristan motioned to her in a silent wave.

"Marco!" Peyont called, pushing off the wall, her eyes still closed.

"Polo!" Kelsey and Rae giggled together, their hands locked as they swam across the pool.

Being closest, Bethany dove underwater to avoid Peyton and swam under her feet. She grinned as her dark haired friend drifted above her and headed towards Cameron. Silently she floated up with a grin on her face.

"Marco!" Peyton called again, swimming blindly.

Bethany locked eyes with Rome as she answered, "Polo!" and raced toward her boyfriend who floated silently in the corner of the pool. "You're cheating," she whispered, now a foot from him.

Rome reached out and pulled her toward him with a smirk. "Am not," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm just being sneaky."

"Still cheating in my book," she answered against his lips. His hand snaked up around her neck and pulled her into a kiss which only lasted a few moments before they were interrupted.

"Get a room!" Rae called to them as she swam quickly by. She winked before diving underwater just as Peyton appeared out of no where and reached a hand out toward Bethany. Peyton opened her eyes and grinned.

"You're it," she said.

Bethany turned to Rome with an accusing gaze. "You distracted me," she said, pointing a finger in his face. As she closed her eyes a smile came to her lips. She could hear a splash as Rome dove under water.

"Marco!" she called.


The next afternoon, Rae stood in front of her closet, peering into the mess of clothes and shoes that scattered the floor. A rush of breath passed through her lips as she closed the door, ignoring the clutter for the time being and turned to face her room. Two outfits lay on her bed, a short light blue strapless dress and a long flowy halter gown the color of a pale pink.

"Planning on crashing Prom?"

Rae turned to see Peyton leaning against her door frame. She looked comfy with her dark hair up in a ponytail and thick fleece sweater, and as she strolled into her bare feet made no noise on the hard wood floor.

"Pretty," she said, running her fingers across the soft fabric of the two dresses.

"They're for tonight," Rae answered as she plopped down onto the bed. " Please tell me you've bought something to wear."

"Yes, of course." The promise ring on her hand glinted in the light as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you going to tell me what the plans are tonight? I don't like being kept in the dark, you know."

With a tightlipped smile, Rae ran her fingers across her lips as if locking them and tossed an imaginary key over her shoulder. She shook her head just as the sound of the front door slamming shut echoed up the stairs. Seconds later, Cameron walked into the room trailing behind Quinn.

"The prince charming awakens!" Peyton said as she skipped toward her boyfriend. "I thought you'd never wake up."

Quinn leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips. "Yeah, sorry for not answering your calls. Work was brutal last night so I needed a good sleep. Gotta be ready for tonight."

Peyton's eyes narrowed as she looked from Quinn to Cameron then to Rae. "Does everyone know what's going on tonight except me?"

"No. Kelsey and Bethany don't know either." Rae grinned as Peyton pursed her lips. "Well if you don't tell me what the plan is then you can't come to lunch with me and Quinn." She gave her a Ha-Ha sort of look as she grabbed Quinn's hand and went out the room, not bothering to say her goodbyes.

"Bye Quinn!" Rae called, a smile on her face. "Love you, P! See you later!" She looked at Cameron who had placed himself in the single plush chair that was wedged in the corner of the room. "Hi," she said, crawling onto his lap and curling to his chest. "I missed you."

"You missed me?" Cameron repeated with a laugh. "You just saw me last night."

"So I can't miss you? I love you, Cameron, of course I'm going to miss you even if I saw you last night." Rae jumped up and grinned. "Now, my boyfriend, you will help me pick a dress to wear tonight."

Cameron grimaced and glanced to the door as if debating on whether or not he had time to run for it. But as Rae lifted her shirt over her head, his gaze was drawn back to her where they stayed, glued. He watched as she unbuttoned her pants and slide them down her slim legs. She now stood in her black bra and matching cotton panties. "Which one should I try on first?" she asked, jutting out her hip, knowing full well the effect she was having on her boyfriend. "The blue one or the pink one?"

He was trying very hard to keep his composure but what he really wanted to do was leap up and….

Cameron shook his head, not wanting to cave first. Without taking his eyes off her, he said, "Pink."

Rae took the dress and slide into it, balancing on one foot as she did so. The dress fit her chest snuggly and cascaded down the rest of her body as if not wanting to touch her delicate form in fear of harming her. But she was far from delicate, Cameron reminded himself with a smirk. Rae spun in a circle and the fabric fanned out around her. He could tell she enjoyed being his personal model and he wasn't going to complain either.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"It's pretty," he said. "Need help out of it?"

"I can manage." She faced away from him as she stepped out of it. Cameron's gaze went directly to her butt, a feature that he admired very much. He was a little disheartened when it became hidden behind the bright fabric of the dress. But when she turned back to him, he straightened, unable to take his eyes from hers. "How's this one?"

Cameron looked her up and down, amazed at how the strapless dress was able to enhance all of the features of his beautiful girlfriend. The material hugged her tone body and stopped just at mid-thing, making her legs look long and lean. But what held his gaze most was how the color made her eyes pop.

"You look amazing," Cameron breathed, his voice coming out soft as he stood from the chair. Her bright blue gaze seemed to smile as the corner of her lips tilted up in satisfaction.

"So this is the dress then?" she asked.

His strong arms went around her and pulled her close. "Absolutely," he said as his hands found their way to the zipper on the back of the dress. "Now, are you sure you don't need any help out of this dress?"

Rae grinned as she captured his lips and quickly deepened the kiss. One of Cameron's hands slide down her side, reaching for the hem of the dress. His fingers ran teasingly over her skin. But as soon as the kiss started, she stepped away from him and grabbed her jeans and shirt she had tossed aside. "Actually as much as I'd like for this to continue, my parents are just down the hall…and besides, you have some preparing to do."

"You're a tease," he replied as he kissed her forehead. They gazed into each other's eye, blue versus brown. "I love you so much, Rae Patience Garwin, more than you'll ever know."

"I do know." She could see it in his eyes, those dark orbs that never failed to make her heart melt with just one look. "And I love you, Cameron Ryan Danvers." With her fingers she drew a heart in the air and goofily jumped into his arms. "You complete me!"

Laughing, Cameron tossed Rae onto her bed where she rolled, giggling. "You're so weird."

"One of the billion reasons you love me."