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December 31st: Tobias
I yank Tris in through my front door and press a kiss to her lips. At first, she kisses back eagerly, but after a few pecks she pulls away, batting my hands off of her. "Tobias." She says, a rather embarrassed look on her face.
I grin, "Happy New Years Eve."
She raises her eyebrows. "Is uh… Marcus here?"
"Nope. Him and Tiffany are spending New Years at some resort off the coast of Key West."
She blushes, "Did he uh… say anything new about the incident a couple of days ago?"
"Uh… not really, but we have to hand it to him. He was more understanding than a lot of parents would be. But he told me if your parents find out you've been spending the night here he's scared they're going to get upset with him."
"Well… plausible deniability?"
I sigh as I mull over the unfortunate string of events that happened on Tuesday.
Flashback: 2 nights ago
It's about 11 at night, and Tris is supposed to come over soon, as she usually does at this hour. Apparently sneaking out is a tedious process for her, but she's gotten the hang of using her side door that leads into her backyard and creeping very slowly towards her driveway without turning the motion sensor lights on.
I've given her a spare key to my backdoor, which is in the living room that no one ever sits in, so it should be fine. My phone buzzes with a text from Tris: 'made it outside, heading in now'
My heart starts thumping a little bit. Even though we've been through this process several times now, my dad could be doing something out of the ordinary and catch her here. I've never really engaged in "bad kid" behavior under his roof before, so I'm not sure what my punishment would be.
I tap my foot impatiently, wondering if I should go and help her, but that might actually wake my father up. So I wait. After about 90 seconds, though it feels like 90 minutes, my door creaks open quietly and there stands my Tris. She's dressed in a heavy winter coat with a few layers most likely underneath it, and I can't wait to rip them off of her.
"Hey," I say softly, standing up to greet her as she shuts the door gently. "Any problems?"
"Ummm, I think your dad might have been watching TV in his room. And his TV seems to be positioned straight into the hallway so that if someone was walking by it would cast a shadow." She winces.
I wave a hand. "If he didn't catch you on your way up, then he probably didn't see you. He's oblivious like that."
She nods, relief crossing over her face.
"C'mere," I say, grabbing her hands and pulling her close to me. "Let's get you out of all those clothes."
She giggles and presses her lips to mine. The kiss distracts me from the task at hand, which was unzipping her jacket and removing every other layer off of her. Once she slips her tongue into my mouth I pull back. "Let's just wait now," I murmur, slipping her coat off of her shoulders and then her turtleneck shirt.
She has a plain white undershirt underneath that, but I allow my eyes to skim over her chest. No bra. I swallow. "So many layers." I shake my head, pulling her over to my bed, on top of me.
"I think you could do without this one," she says, and tugs at my t-shirt, her hands slipping underneath it. They're a bit cold, which is stimulating to my warm skin. Her palms sprawl across my abdomen, stroking my muscles there, before starting a journey up to my chest.
I growl impatiently, and rip off my shirt, and in turn she presses herself closer to me. I'm just about to rip her own shirt off when my door swings open.
"Tobia-" My father stops, standing there. He takes in the scene, Tris straddling my waist while I'm shirtless. My hands sprawled across her back, underneath her shirt, ready to remove it. "Oh my." He murmurs.
Tris instantly rolls off of me and I grab my shirt off of the floor, tugging it back on over my head. We now sit on opposite sides of the bed, looking up at my dad meekly.
"Uhhh…" He glances down to Tris's discarded clothes. "I thought that I had heard someone, and then seen a shadow cross the wall. I've been searching the whole downstairs floor in what I thought was paranoia."
My eyes flick down to his hand, and I notice he's holding a baseball bat. Oh shit.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Eaton." Tris says guiltily.
"Uhh… it's alright, Beatrice." He tries to smile at her but it looks more like a grimace. "I'm just going to have a word downstairs with Tobias." He gestures to me, and then heads out of my room.
I look nervously to Tris who looks incredibly ashamed. "Hopefully I'll be in one piece the next time you see me." I tell her.
She falls back onto my bed, curled up in a ball. I sigh, and get up to probably head to my execution.
Downstairs, my father sits at the kitchen counter, his head rested in both of his palms. I sit across from him tentatively and he looks up at me. He looks worried.
"How long has this been going on, Tobias?"
"Tonight was the first night." I'm a horrible liar.
"Oh, please. Tell me the truth."
I sigh. "For about 3 weeks now."
"3 weeks?! You've been sneaking her in and doing god-knows-what under my roof for 3 weeks?! I leave you alone here when I go on business because I trust you Tobias. And even when I'm here my own rules are still being broken?"
"Dad, we're two teenagers who are… in love. It's unrealistic for you to not expect us to be… ya know?" I ask, my face flushed. "At least we're doing it safely and consensually."
"Look, Tobias, I understand that quite well. But the truth is that you haven't even told me about this, so how am I supposed to know if it's safe if I'm not aware of the situation? The Prior's don't know about this either, I presume?"
I shake my head.
"Tobias, you don't understand the position this puts me in. If I didn't tell them about this I'd be lying. And if they found out about it on their own they'd be furious that I was so oblivious to something going on under my own roof."
"Oh, God. Please don't tell them dad. You don't have to do this!"
"It's a safety issue as well, Tobias. What if something happened to Tris while she was on her way over here in the dead of night? Or when she leaves in the early morning?"
I press my lips together. "I would know where she was!"
"Well by then it might have been too late! I'm going to call the Prior's right now." He gets up to go to the phone.
"No!" I exclaim, jumping in front of him. "Come on, dad. You've gotta understand. Now that it's just us two in the house and we've been… getting closer and stuff, I thought you'd be cooler." I feel like kind of a dick, using the 'self absorbed, absent father' card to guilt trip him, but Tris's parents cannot know about this.
My father sighs, glancing toward the phone and then back to me. "Tobias, I am really glad we are rebuilding our relationship, and Beatrice is a lovely girl. I'm obviously not one of those parents who expects you to remain abstinent until marriage, because frankly it's unrealistic. But this is a question of parenting. I'm not just your friend, I'm your father. And as a father I have a responsibility to tell other parents things that I would want to know about my own child."
"It's just… we can come up with a compromise, right? I know that what I did was wrong, and I'm sorry. But Tris will get grounded for a long time, and you can't force her to go home tonight!" I nod my head back to the kitchen table and my dad sighs, giving in, before sitting back down.
"Okay, Tobias… here are my terms. If I find out you don't comply to any of these in the future then I will be contacting Tris's parents."
I nod, getting a bit nervous now.
"First things first, anytime before Beatrice comes over, I'm going to need you to notify me in advance. Even if I'm out of town."
I nod. I don't like the notion of my dad knowing that my girlfriend is coming over just to have sex with me, but it's better than her not getting to come over at all. "She'll take the front door now, and I'll be there to let her in and make sure she arrives safely. Same with when she leaves. If I'm not home then it's your responsibility to make sure she gets in okay."
I wince a little bit at the idea of my father greeting Tris every time she arrives in the dead of night. Still, I nod in agreement. This could be far, far worse.
"Second. When school restarts, you two cannot be doing this on school nights. Education is important."
That's fair. "That works," I tell him.
"And lastly, and this one is very important Tobias. You must always have condoms on you. I am not ready to be a grandfather just yet and it is imperative that you use protection."
I look back at him in amazement. That's it? Tris and I got off of that really easily, damn.
I make my way up to my bedroom in a chipper mood, and when I re-enter I see Tris laying face down on my bed. I smile. "Tris, it's okay. No punishment and you can stay the night still."
She peers up at me. "Really?"
"Yeah. I convinced him not to call your parents too! We just have some um… terms to comply with." I scratch my neck.
"What terms?"
"Well… let's just say you probably don't want to come over on the nights that my dad is at home. Unless you want him to escort you in."
She cringes. "Yeah, no… but that'd also mean that I'd get to see you less," she pouts.
I laugh at the expression on her face. "It's okay. He's leaving for New Years soon and then… we have the entire house to ourselves for a few days." I waggle my eyebrows.
"Mmm, yeah. I already told my parents that Christina and I are doing a huge sleepover weekend for New Years. I'm not sure if they bought it but they gave the okay."
"We also can't be doing this on school nights apparently." I say, sitting down next to her on the bed.
"I mean… I suppose that makes sense, but I really don't want break to end now."
"It's okay. We have tonight. And the few days left after New Year's." I lean down to kiss her.
After a couple seconds she pulls away. "I think the mood might've been killed by your dad walking in on us. I'm gonna go to bed now." She says, still embarrassed.
I sigh and kiss her temple. "I'm sorry, but at least he didn't notify your parents and send you home."
She nods, hopping up and making her way to my dresser to grab one of my shirts to sleep in. I grin and fall back onto the bed. The odds always seem to work out in our favor.
*Present day*
"Is that your overnight bag?" I ask, nodding to the blue backpack on her back.
"Yeah. I had to come prepared since we'll be here… together… for the next couple of days… alone." She raises her eyebrows suggestively and I pull her back in for another kiss.
My hands splay across the bottom of her back and then dip into the waistband of her jeans eagerly. She pulls back, grinning. "What time are the others arriving?"
I check my watch. "Not for a couple hours."
"Well, come on." She yanks my arm toward my room. We have no interruptions this time.
Tris is getting herself redressed by the time the doorbell rings. I decided to host a little gathering at my house for New Years. It's nothing like a Pedrad party, just a small event.
In fact, for some reason, Zeke told me he wasn't up to throwing a party this year. Odd. Usually it's not like me to host anything, but Tris told me I should be more sociable and less brooding. So I decided to start quite small with a New Years party for just me and some friends.
"I'll go get it." I tell Tris, kissing her forehead.
"Be welcoming!" She calls out after me, grinning.
I open the door, and Christina and Will stand in front of me. Will has a case of beers in his hand, and Christina has a stack of clothes and a bag of makeup. "Hello guys." I say. "Nice of you to come with… supplies?" I step out of the way so they can enter.
"Well, no matter how small a party is, we need to look our best. And I guarantee that Tris looks as awful as you do." Christina nods towards me. "Nice sex hair."
"Hey!" My hand shoots up to my hair in an attempt to flatten it. Will laughs.
"I just brought some beers because I wasn't sure which alcohol you would have or how much." He says.
"Thanks man, you can just set those down in the kitchen." I escort him in, and I hear Christina walking around. No doubt trying to find Tris.
"Hey, before you snoop around my house unsolicited, you should know that Tris is upstairs. First door on the left side." I call out to her.
"Just wanted to see what you might be hiding, Eaton," she tells me, and then I hear her footsteps pad up the stairs.
"So," I say, turning back to Will, "How has break been?"
"Pretty meh. Christina was up in Michigan visiting family for most of it… and my family doesn't do much travelling so I kinda just stayed home. Messed around. Watched TV." He shrugs.
"Hey man, if you ever wanna hang out just let me know. Trust me, I don't want my only social life to be Tris." I laugh a little bit, even though I'm perfectly content with the Prior's being my only form of human interaction. Will deserves a friend, though.
"Thanks dude," he nods at me and uncaps one of his beers. "Lacrosse season is coming up in a couple of months, you ready?"
This is the most athletically unprepared I've ever felt for lacrosse, given how infatuated I am with Tris and her world, but having her in my life also makes me feel like I'm ready to take on any challenges life may throw at me. "Yeah," I smile a bit, "I am."
"Helloooo," Uriah announces, stepping in the kitchen. "The door was unlocked so I figured I could just let myself in."
I glare at him. "That's called breaking an entering, Uriah."
"There was no breaking involved. So technically it was just entering."
Marlene peers out behind him and offers me one of her bright smiles. I remember Tris's reminder to be welcoming so I try out a returning smile. It feels forced and unnatural.
Uriah makes a disgusted noise. "Tobias, don't try to fake smile again. It's a bad look." I punch him in the arm a little too hard and he groans in pain.
The doorbell rings and I give a pointed look to Uriah. "That is how you arrive to someone's home when they've invited you as a guest."
He just shrugs and then makes his way over to the pantry. No doubt raiding it for food.
It's Lynn and Sofia who have arrived this time and I usher them inside and show them to the kitchen. I'm not too familiar with either of them, but Lynn is Shauna's sister and her and Sofia make a nice couple. While I stand in the kitchen with my friends who are my age, I muse over the fact that I'm much more comfortable sitting amongst the Prior's, even though everyone in that huge family varies in their lifetimes a lot. Maybe it's because they revere me, or maybe it's because I see them all as my family now. Tris's personality shines through all of her family members, and vice versa. When I think of them I think of home.
That doesn't mean that I shouldn't try to get along with others, though. I do like these people after all.
The group has started talking a bit more animatedly, more beers have been cracked open and the TV has been turned on. I feel relieved at not having to do too much hosting work. I'm glad everyone is getting comfortable and feels at ease.
"Does anyone know when Zeke and Shauna may be arriving?" I ask the group.
At this, Lynn and Uriah give each other a wary glance. They know something. I don't press because it must be familial, however, my curiosity can't help but be piqued.
"They might be running a bit late," Uriah says, "They've got some things to do."
Vague ass answer, but I nod anyways. God, where is Tris?
"I'm gonna go see what Tris and Christina are up to." I tell the group, who all nod at me before getting back to their discussion.
When I enter my room, Tris and Christina are on the floor in hysterics. I see makeup scattered everywhere, as well as the clothes that Christina was carrying.
"What," I say, stepping over a cosmetic pencil of sorts, "is going on here?"
They both look up at me, and Tris's face is bright red. I can't help but smile a little. I like seeing her this way.
"Nothing," Tris says through a heaving breath, "Chris was trying to give me a makeover but uh… I much prefer the outfit that I'm wearing." She nods down to my lacrosse sweatshirt and the pajama pants that she sports. I much prefer it as well.
"Great. Come on then, you two. We have company."
Tris and Christina attempt to get up, but Tris trips over Christina which ends up in them both giggling even more. What is up with them?
As Tris stumbles over to me I notice that her eyes are a bit red, as are Christina's. I sigh. "Tris… how high are you?"
She grabs my face in both of her hands and plants a kiss on my nose. "We only did a little bit… Christina brought her pen. The carts are really good."
I see Christina holding it out to me now, but I shake my head. "I'm good, thanks. Let's go."
Tris jumps straight onto my back then, wrapping her legs around my waist. "I need you to carry meeeee." She sings in my ear, then whispers lowly, "The more favors you do for me today, the more favors I do for you in the bedroo-"
I cut her off, blood rushing to more places than my face. "Tris. Not now." Judging by the way that Christina is cackling behind us, she definitely heard that.
As the three of us re-enter the kitchen area the whole group calls out hello to Tris and Christina. Tris hops off of my back and gives everyone welcoming hugs, laughing the whole time. I shake my head. She really is far friendlier than I am. I wonder what she sees in me.
Eventually Christina starts passing her pen onto other people, and soon enough it seems like everyone is hazy and red eyed except for me. I sit stoic on the couch, sipping a beer lightly, Tris in my lap. My mind mulls over the question of where Zeke and Shauna may be, and why Lynn and Uriah were acting so suspicious.
Tris looks back to me. "What's wrong?" She asks, pouting.
I wrap my arms tighter around her waist and kiss her cheek. "Nothing. Just thinking. Are you having fun?"
"Yeah, but I'd be having a lot more fun if it looked like you were having fun."
"This is how I have fun." I tell her.
"Then how come everyone is on the moon right now except for you?"
"I just don't think it's wise for both of us to be completely zooted at the same time. I need to watch over you."
She crosses her arms. "I'm not a little kid," she pouts.
I sigh. "I know. But especially since this is my house, I just can't let things get out of hand." I give her another kiss on the cheek. "You're cute like this though."
She tilts her head back on my shoulder and pokes my nose. "You're cute all the time."
I shrug, "What can I say?"
She smacks my arm. "You're supposed to say thank you and then insist that I'm cuter."
"Mmm… my bad."
She huffs and crosses her arms, but I see a small smile on her face.
Just then, the doorbell rings. "I'll get it." I say, standing up, ushering Tris off of my lap. She whines in protest, reaching out for my hand.
"I'll be right back." I say to her gently.
Finally, Zeke and Shauna have arrived. And both look less than eager to be here. As they shuffle into the home and take off their coats, I ask them, "Are you guys alright? What was the hold up?"
"Um, yeah, we're good." Zeke says, smiling thinly. "Thanks for having us over, man. We probably can't stay long."
I nod, worry rising in me. Shauna looks miserable. "Hey," I touch her shoulder, "Do you need to lie down or something?"
She shakes her head quickly. "No, no. I'm good. Let's just go in and see everyone."
Everyone greets Zeke and Shauna loudly as they enter, and Uriah and Lynn instantly get up from their spots and pull them into a corner. What the fuck?
I try to push it far from my mind and I walk back up to the couch where Tris now lays. "Hey, you." I scoop her up back into my lap, but then she shoots up to her feet.
"Let's dance!" She says, gesturing around us. Some soft music is playing. I sigh and glance at everyone else. Will and Christina are cuddled up in a beanbag chair, talking, and Marlene and Sofia are dancing themselves, swinging around the room. I glance back to the other four. They're still huddled together, whispering secretively.
Only for Tris would I make an ass out of myself and dance cheesily in my own living room. I get up and lace her fingers with mine, swinging her arms back and forth.
Soon a new song comes on and Tris and I both grin at each other instantly. We know it well. I played it in the car on our first date.
She begins singing softly, "How could I ignore you? Trust me I adore youuu, we're swimming through our dreams."
Her voice is pitchy, and off key, but it's also beautiful, because it is hers. I join in, "Kiss me in the showerrr, for a couple hours, though we're only sixteen."
We sing quietly for a while, and I almost forget that we're in a room full of several other people. Not until the soft sweet song instantly changes abruptly to a rap song. I look up, and see Uriah fiddling with the remote.
At me and Tris's glare he smiles sheepishly. "Sorry, you guys were cute, but the music was getting boring."
Zeke and Shauna are now in the corner, looking as sullen as I've ever seen them. Zeke's arm is wrapped around Shauna in an almost protective manner.
"Shauna, Zeke. Do you guys want a beer?" Will, who has gotten up to grab more drinks, asks them.
Shauna instantly shakes her head vigorously, "No."
Zeke presses his lips together and then says, "No thank you Will."
Will nods, looking as worried as I feel. Uriah and Lynn are giving each other that same look again, and now, even Tris, in her high state looks concerned as well.
"Okay, you two," I say loudly all of a sudden, "What is going on? This behavior is starting to scare us. You're acting as if you're being hunted down by a serial killer."
The music comes to a stop, and I see Uriah is still holding the remote. Now the energy in the room is really tense. And if it couldn't get any worse, Shauna bursts into tears.
Zeke glares at me, before he begins consoling her, and guilt starts churning in my stomach. They really shouldn't have arrived if they were going to be acting like this the whole time and not giving away what was wrong, though.
"Shauna," Lynn says gently, "I think that you should tell them."
"Yeah, I agree. I think it should be out in the open now."
"Tell us what?" Christina asks.
Shauna wipes some tears off of her face and takes a huge inhale. She looks to Zeke, asking a silent question, and he nods kindly. "That I'm pregnant," she announces, her voice quaking.
After we all settled down from the commotion and shock of Shauna's revelation, we decided to calm down and sit in a circle. Tris and I made some tea for everyone, and now we all sit on my living room floor.
Shauna sits between Zeke and Lynn who are both consoling her, and she begins to tell the story. "In like… late October, early November, I realized I was late. I kept trying to push it off, but then I confided in Lynn. She went to the store and bought 3 different tests with me. They all came back positive. Just to be sure… we went to planned parenthood and did an actual test. Positive. I didn't tell Zeke for a while. I carried it with me for about a month. Marlene's party happened, and everyone seemed surprised that I wasn't drinking. On the way back home from Marlene's cabin… I told Zeke. He was… happy. I was shocked. But then, as we started to discuss it more I realized that this was something that I actually wanted. Even if it's unconventional… the baby will be born after we're both 18. And, I don't know, we always knew that we're going to end up together one way or another. This pregnancy just seemed like something that solidified the notion that we should be together. Last week, we told our families. The Pedrad's were happy, which is a good thing, because we're really going to need their support with this kid. Zeke's mom is already turning their playroom into a nursery, though. My family took a bit of time to come around. They think that my behavior is going to be a bad influence on my brother, Hector. But after talking with the Pedrad's and realizing that this is something that I want, they're starting to be supportive too. I feel so grateful to know that both of our families are ready for this and happy for us, because we could have been dealt way worse cards. I was worried about telling all of you because I wasn't sure what you would think of me, or what anyone in school would think of me. But… you guys are really good friends. I hope that you can support me because it would mean a lot if you were all in my child's life." Shauna finishes her long speech, wiping a tear from her eye.
The emotion in the circle is heavy. I never thought that any of my friends would be on their way to having children so soon. Zeke and Shauna are in the grade above me, but still, it's so odd knowing that we really are growing up. And that Zeke of all people is going to be a father. Holy shit.
Marlene is the first person to talk next. "I'm really happy for you guys and your families. I would love to be a part of your baby's life." Uriah wraps an arm around her and Marlene leans into him.
"Look at that," Zeke says, "Uncle Uri and Aunt Mar."
"Your kid is so going to like me more than you," Uriah says to Zeke.
"We're gonna spoil the kid, by the way," Marlene adds.
Lynn scoffs, "That child is already spoiled enough. Having Zeke and Uri's parents for grandparents. A nursery in that big ass mansion."
"We really are quite lucky, aren't we?" Shauna says, grinning.
"Well, I've always loved kids. Tris's little siblings hate me, so hopefully I can make your kid like me." Christina says.
"They don't hate you!" Tris says. "They just… are confused by your energy."
I grin. Tris's siblings aren't confused by my energy.
"I'm happy for you both." Will says kindly. "Let me know if you need anything. I'll do whatever I can to help."
They both smile appreciatively.
"I just can't believe Lynn is going to be an Aunt," Sofia says next, shaking her head.
"That kid is not allowed to refer to me as 'Aunt' or 'Auntie'," Lynn says pointedly to Zeke and Shauna.
Shauna shakes her head. "That's a deal breaker Auntie Lynn. I already know you're going to be such a softie with this kid too, so don't even try to deny it."
Lynn scowls.
"This child is going to grow up in such a loving home," Tris pipes up, "I'm really happy for both of you and can't wait to see the journey that this sets you two upon."
Zeke and Shauna thank her, and then all eyes turn to me. I realize that I'm the only one who hasn't said anything yet.
"Um…" I say, I've never been good with words. "You two found the perfect way to third wheel me now. A whole fucking kid."
I'm wondering if it's the wrong thing to say, but then everyone starts laughing. "Yes, that was the plan all along." Shauna nods.
"No… seriously. I love you guys. This kid is going to grow up to be such a good human since they're gonna have you as parents." I smile sentimentally.
"Aww, I love you Tobias." Zeke says.
I sigh, rolling my eyes. "Love you too, Zeke." Now this earns a chorus of "aww"s from the entire group. I smile. Yes, we're unconventional. Especially now with a pregnancy taking place. But, I can't deny the fact that these people are starting to grow on me. I'm surrounded by lots of love, it seems.
**LINE BREAK**
About 5 minutes till midnight and the group has gotten rather tame. We thought it would be inappropriate to party now, but we still sip idly on beers, and Tris and Christina slipped off to definitely inhale some more from the pen. They came back a giggling mess.
We played some music, chatted, and laughed. Tris remained in my arms most of the time, and we shared a couple of beers. She's much more of a lightweight than I am, so while she became sluggish and hazy, my mind just started to buzz a bit.
A few minutes ago when the girls in the group were fussing over Shauna's pregnancy, Zeke announced that he needed a breath of fresh air and stepped out. Now I feel as if it's my duty to check up on him.
He's standing on the patio, looking up at the stars. I wrap my arms around myself and shiver. It was not a good idea to come out here in the freezing weather without a jacket. "Hey man," I say, and he turns around to face me.
"Hey," he responds faintly. He looks a bit out of touch.
"What's up?" I ask him.
He shakes his head. "I'm just… so fucking scared man. I'm fucking elated, but I'm fucking terrified. And seeing her in there, talking about all these pregnancy terms and how she knows everything. I just feel so fucking behind and like I'm not with anything. Like, before I found out, my biggest concern was basketball practice and how to keep passing my classes." He shakes his head.
"It's not necessarily about knowledge. It's about wanting this and wanting to be a dad and having love for your kid. As far as I can tell, you have that. And you have plenty of time to worry about the other shit, and I'm sure you and Shauna will figure it out together along the way. You don't need to feel inadequate. You're doing amazing. This is a really lucky baby, dude."
He smiles. "Thanks, Eaton. I'll probably always be terrified… but our support system is amazing. That includes you. It's just happening so fast… Shauna is dropping out of school soon since she technically has enough credits to graduate already. She's just going to get her diploma online."
"Are you staying at school?" I ask.
"Yeah, my parents are pretty much forcing me to. They really want to see me graduate. They're promising to take good care of Shauna while I'm away, though. And of course Shauna has her own family there for her too. It's not like she's completely alone. I'm probably gonna do online college, though."
"Well, this seems to be what you really want, right?"
"Yeah… to me all that other shit seems pretty insignificant. Especially because my parents will probably leave me enough money to where me or my child would never have to work at all, but still, I want to set a good example for my kid."
I clap a hand on his shoulder. "You will. You're gonna be a great dad," I all of a sudden hear faint counting coming from inside. Shit. It's almost midnight. "Come on, man. It's almost the new year! Let's go."
I haul him back inside, instantly relieved by the warmness of my home. The counting is much clearer now. They've made it to the 30s.
"What do you think is in store for 2020?" Zeke asks me.
"A lot of new shit. I'm ready for it, though. This is gonna be a year that we won't forget." I say, glancing at Tris who is cheerfully screaming the numbers.
We approach the group and I take my girlfriend in my arms, plopping a kiss on her cheek. "Hey," I murmur to her.
"Hey," she says back, "You're right on time."
We're so close now. "Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one… HAPPY NEW YEARS!" We all exclaim, and I capture Tris's mouth in a deep kiss.
I try to savor everything about this moment. Her hand weaving through my hair, my arms around her waist, her festive pine tree and apple scent. She pulls back and grins at me. "I'm so excited for this year with you. I love you so much."
I kiss her once more, deeper, more intense. "I love you too," I tell her once I pull back.
At about 2:30, Tris and I head to bed. Zeke and Shauna headed home for the night, as did Lynn and Sofia. Uriah and Marlene are crashing on the couch and I offered up the guest bedroom to Will and Christina.
Tris plops down on my bed, already in her sleeping attire, and I lie down next to her. We sit in silence, cuddling for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company until she speaks up.
"Hey, I gotta question," she mumbles, the effects of marijuana and alcohol still somewhat present in her voice.
"Yes?"
"Zeke and Shauna… their kid… do you think that'll be us? No, no, that's the wrong thing to say… hold on. Like, how they're so sure they want to be together and plan their futures together. Do you feel that about me? Like… I'm not asking about kids. I'm just asking if you're sure of us."
I don't have to think twice about it before I answer. "Yeah. I am." She laughs, relieved, and presses her face deeper into my neck.
Truthfully, I don't think I've been more sure of anything in my life.
EEEEEE! Fourtris feels! LMK what you think! Have a good one!
-Kiki