Author's Note: So Imma go ahead and post this next chapter since we're already half way through and at the pivotal point of the story. Plus Imma be busy this week, so the next update will be sometime next week.

pervertedlemon: Yeeeeeeeeeah sorry, bruh. Had to break 'em up. But, it'll all be worth it in the end. Trust. ;)

OAN: there're a lot of alcohol references in this chapter, hence the rating, and I almost wanted to change the rating to M, but let's be honest, it's not like we didn't know what alcohol was as teenagers, so, I decided to go with rated-T. I will say, to anyone younger than the legal drinking age wherever you're from, don't give into peer pressure and drink underage like our boy Coz here. As someone who has been of drinking age for years, believe me, it ain't all that it's hyped up to be.

Anywho, onwards and upwards.

Mindlessly flipping through channels on the box TV resting on the purple wooden TV stand, Cosmo sighed as he couldn't find a single interesting thing to watch. It was Saturday night: where were all the good shows?

Spike and Cosmo were well aware of Senior Night. They were also well aware that the same night happened to be Wanda's birthday. Spike wasn't interested in being surrounded by party-crazed maniacs, and Cosmo was in no mood to deal with large crowds; therefore, Spike thought it would be a good idea to seize the opportunity of spending the night at Cosmo's house since they would be the only occupants until Mama Cosma returned. A 'Boys Night' as he called it, which, Cosmo didn't care enough to refute.

Cosmo wore nothing but a sleek white 'Leprechaun Park' band T-shirt with hunter green gym shorts and fuzzy white socks. Since he wasn't going out, he figured he'd lounge about in his night ware in the comfort of his own home.

The doorbell grabbed his attention, setting the remote on the seafoam couch cushion as he hovered to the front door. Turning both the doorknob and bolt locks, Cosmo opened the door to see Spike in his fitted black 'Empire of the Crown' band T-shirt and navy-blue jogging pants, caring a blue sleeping bag and his skateboard in one arm with a backpack over his other shoulder.

"Wuddup." Spike greeted as Cosmo allowed him to enter.

"Nothin'." Cosmo shut the door, re-latching the locks. "Especially on TV."

"Well, it's Saturday Night." Spike commented, setting his skateboard and sleeping bag against the couch. "Stations like to think everybody has lives."

"Hmm." Cosmo shrugged, nonchalantly watching Spike unzip his backpack. "Whatcha got there?"

"Remember when I told you I had a surprise?" Spike laid his backpack onto the ground as he reached inside.

Cosmo flew closer to see what he was getting and saw Spike pull out a six pack of beer. "Um…" Cosmo began with a quizzical look, surprised he knew what alcohol looked like. "…don't you have to be eighteen to drink that stuff?"

"Yes, you do." Spike replied, standing up to face Cosmo with the beer in his hand. "And I'm eighteen. Remember?"

"Yeah, but…" Cosmo glanced at the beer as the wheels turned in his head. "…I'm not eighteen yet. At least, I don't think so..."

"No, you're not." Spike reminded coolly. "But we're the only one's here, and we can get rid of the evidence before your mom even realizes we had it."

Cosmo scrunched his face, thinking of the possible consequences if his mom found out that not only was there alcohol, but there was under-age drinking under her roof. He didn't want to imagine the amount of trouble he could get in.

"Dude, relax. It'll be fine." Spike coaxed, hovering over to the coffee table to set the pack down. He snatched two beers from the pack and flew closer to Cosmo, reaching out with beer in hand. "Plus, you need it more than I do."

Cosmo stared at Spike, then back to the beer, then back at Spike. He didn't know what Spike meant by 'need it more than he did,' but maybe he was right about it being okay. His mom wasn't home, and they could poof away the empty cans if they wanted to. With a cautious hand, Cosmo took the drink from Spike and observed as Spike snapped the tab off the can and pressed the can to his mouth, ingesting its contents. Cosmo eventually did the same, snapping off the tab before taking his own sip.

As quickly as he took the sip, the carbonated beverage sprayed from his lips.

"Yuck!" Cosmo whined as he wiped his mouth with his arm, Spike chuckling in the background. "How do you drink this stuff?! It tastes like dirt!"

"That, my friend, has a very simple answer." Spike teased, lifting the can for another drink. "It's an acquired taste."

Spike sipped his drink, and Cosmo blinked vacantly. "...it's a what?"

Wanda and Susie observed as there was a line of high school Seniors nearly a mile long around the entire club. Spotlights swayed back and forth up the red-carpet pathway leading to the large glass double doors framed with wide rainbow florescent lights. The entire building sported a structured cloak of two-way mirrors against silver brick walls, allowing guests to see outside the club, but visitors could not see inside, and the roof hinges were snaked with rainbow sequential lights dancing in a circular motion. Security was hard at work checking IDs and marking X's on the back of hands for those under eighteen, and the boom of base and kick drum echoed through the air.

"This is going to be the best night of our lives!" Susie exclaimed, taking in her surroundings before turning to Wanda, hovering closer to the entrance. "You think the boys are here yet?"

"We told them we'd meet them at nine." Wanda replied, looking down at her phone for the current time. "And it's nine-thirty."

Susie peered through the line, searching for their dates. "I don't see them in line. Do you?"

Wanda's eyes wandered through the sea of teenagers with no luck. "No, I don't see them."

"Looking for us?"

Hearing Alewandro's voice, the girls turned around to see both Magnifico brothers floating behind them, warm smiles on their faces. Alewandro sported a royal blue muscle fit button up with short sleeves, buttoned down enough to expose the tip of his ice blue tank underneath. His black eyelet decor belt held his tailored khaki pants around the slim of his waist, complimented with black loafers and a gold chain necklace. Juandissimo wore a similar white muscle fit button with a silver chain necklace resting on his slightly exposed pecs. His shirt was tucked into his tailored black blue slacks bound with a purple leather belt which was accompanied by black leather button-toe shoes.

"Oooooooh, look at youuuuuu!" Susie squealed, reaching for Alewandro's hand to pull him closer. He gently pressed his lips against Susie's, smooching her repeatedly which made her giggle. She pulled away from him once he was done, eyeing him from head to toe. "You really showed out, huh!"

"Mi bebé, we had to come with the sauce!" Alewandro boasted, hugging Susie's waist with his arm. "And you, mi hermosa nena, have blessed thine eyes with the presence of your sexiness."

Susie giggled again, smooching Alewandro on the cheek. "You're such a dork."

Wanda turned her gaze towards Juandissimo of who turned his gaze towards her. She couldn't help but admire how handsome he was, and he couldn't help but admire how stunning she looked. Making the first move, Juandissimo hovered over to Wanda who mustered a shy smile, and Juandissimo embraced Wanda in a friendly hug which she acceptingly returned. She noticed how potent his verbena cologne was as the scent graced her nose, something she didn't seem to mind. Juandissimo recognized her hibiscus perfume, more than likely Susie's doing, but noted the nice added touch.

Susie and Alewandro snickered among themselves as they observed the pair, noting how their hug seemed to last longer than usual. When they broke the embrace, Alewandro removed his arm from Susie's shoulder and laced his hand into hers.

"So, first off." Alewandro began, turning to face Wanda with a friendly grin. "Feliz cumpleaños, Wanda."

"Does…that mean Happy Birthday?" Wanda asked bashfully, turning to Juandissimo floating beside her.

"Si." Juandissimo replied as he rubbed Wanda's back, causing Wanda to blush.

"And it's about to be the best birthday!" Susie encouraged. "Cuz you have us to celebrate with!"

"Indeed." Alewandro agreed. "Secondly…" Alewandro and Juandissimo reached into their pockets to retrieve two small tickets, handing them to their respective dates. "We went ahead and covered your entrance fees, so all you two have to do is show your ID."

"Awww!" Susie gushed, cupping Alewandro's cheeks in her palms as she kissed his lips. "You guys are so sweet!"

"Really, though." Wanda agreed, looking towards her date. "Thank you!"

"De nada." Juandissimo smiled. ""Think of it as a birthday gift."

"Alrighty, señor y señoritas!" Alewandro motioned towards the club. "Let us begin our noche de fiesta!"

As Susie and Alewandro traveled hand in hand, Wanda folded her arms as Juandissimo floated beside her.

A sea of students on the dance floor greeted the quartet after using their IDs to enter. Diamond strobe black lights showered the 6,000 sq ft lot in iridescent lighting, and giant tubes of black lights lined vertically against the concrete walls tiled with two-way mirrors. To their left sat the DJ Booth center stage in a balcony just above the dance floor, showered in multicolored rainbow neon, and to their right exist the bar lounge area, complete with bar stools shaped as crowns, a black marble bar in front of a wall of alcohol, and a few circled booths for more comfortable seating. The booming base of Electronica blared through club speakers stacked on top of the other as DJ Magic Sparks transitioned into his second set of the night.

There were plenty of couples at the event, such as Blonda and Luther, Neptune and Sapphire, Bozo and Ruby, and Dyno and Amethyst. The girls all wore matching sequined strapless bustier mini dresses in pastel pink, moody-blue, scarlet, and lilac respectively, accessorizing with diamond necklaces and arched white pumps. The boys all wore white collared slim fit long sleeves with black tailored slacks, each sporting a leather pyramid stud belt and square toe ankle boots in the colors red, neon green, amber, and bronze respectively.

Seniors from all Fairy World High Schools gathered, such as Carl Poofy Pants Fairy High, Spellman High School, Von Strangle Academy, and Fairymendo High School. Some had already frequented the bar sharing a few drinks and some good laughs, others attempted to chat in the booths amidst the music bouncing off the walls, but for the most part, students partied their hearts out on the dance floor.

"Whoooooooooooa." Susie's eyes grew wide as she admired the scenery, squeezing Alewandro's hand. "This is soooooooo cooooool!"

"Everybody and their mothers are here!" Alewandro observed as students danced amongst each other like a pack of sardines.

Juandissimo noticed Wanda's slightly uneasy expression as she hugged herself tighter, almost as if she were shielding herself. "Are you alright?" Juandissimo asked, leaning closer to Wanda.

Wanda paused for a moment before replying with a nervous laugh. "Y-yeah, I'm fine…just…a lot of people."

"Alewandro?! Juandissimo?!" A distant voice called out, catching the quartets' attention. "¿Eres tu?"

"Jorge!?" Alewandro responded towards the familiar fairy floating towards them. "¿¡Que pasa, amigo?!"

A Hispanic fairy with olive brown skin and jade green eyes approached, a jade green mustache matching his wavy shoulder length hair. "¡Hola!" Jorge waved with a wide grin, hovering in front of the group. He took Juandissimo's hand first for a bro shake. "¡Es bueno verte otra vez!" [It's good to see you again]

"¡Usted también!" Juandissimo held Jorge's hand and pulled him in for a one-armed hug, soon breaking apart to end the shake with a fist bump.

Jorge switched to Alewandro, cupping his hand in the same motions. "¡Veo que ustedes dos tienen algunas chicas hermosas en sus brazos!" [I see you two have some beautiful girls on your arms]

"¡Si!" Alewandro bumped Jorge's fist after their one arm embrace. "¿Que pasa contigo? ¿Ninguna chica para presumir?" [What about you? No girl to show off?]

"¡No, no!" Jorge laughed. "¡Este año no!"

Susie and Wanda glanced towards each other, completely lost.

"Oh!, Where are mi manners!?" Jorge noticed the girls' baffled expressions, floating closer to them with a friendly smile. "I am Jorge Majesto, an old friend of Juan and Wandro from Fairymendo!"

"Hi!" Susie shook Jorge's hand. "I'm Susie, Alewandro's girlfriend."

"Ahhhhh, su novia, eh?" Jorge kissed Susie's hand as a greeting before motioning a thumb in Alewandro's direction. "You said 'yes' to that?!"

"Hey!" Alewandro chuckled, nudging Jorge's shoulder. "She happens to like 'that', mind you!"

"I kid, I kid!" Jorge laughed as he held his hands to his shoulders, Susie giggling in the background. "¡Cabeza hueca!"

Jorge then hovered to Wanda, extending his hand. "And you are, miss?"

Wanda smiled timidly as Jorge held her hand. "…I'm Wanda."

"Wanda?" Jorge kissed Wanda's hand, smiling warmly. "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

"Um…thank you?" Wanda blushed, taking her hand from Jorge.

Jorge turned to Juandissimo, elbowing him in the shoulder with a wink. "Oye, elegiste una bonita, ¿eh?" [Hey, you chose a pretty one, huh?]

"Si, seguro." Juandissimo replied with a nervous laugh, Jorge playfully patting him on the back.

"Well, I shall leave you guys to it!" Jorge spoke, gearing for an exit to return to the group he entered the club with. "Again, great seeing you guys again!"

"Try not to have too much fun, eh?" Alewandro humored, tucking his hand into Susie's.

"Oye, the night is young! I am just getting started!" Jorge boasted before floating over towards one of the booths where his friends socialized.

"He's animated." Susie joked, watching Jorge mix and mingle.

"You think that is animated?" Alewandro smirked. "You should have seen him junior year!"

"I do not know about any of you," Juandissimo began, motioning towards the open bar. "but I could use a drink right about now."

"Totes!" Susie agreed, turning to Wanda. "Ready for your first drink?!"

"Depends." Wanda tittered. "You gonna start me off easy or am I gonna hit the ground face first?"

"We could surprise you if you would like?" Alewandro teased, turning to Juandissimo with a cunning smile. "We know the perfect drink to introduce you to."

Wanda laughed lightly. "Why does that not sound comforting?"

"Only one way to find out!" Juandissimo took Wanda's hand into his and led her towards the bar with Susie and Alewandro following after.

When they reached the bar, the bartender waved hello, asking to see their entrance tickets. The quartet pulled their tickets out of their pockets and purses as the bartender checked to make sure there were no X's on the back of their hands, signaling that they were of age. "Okie doke, guys and gals!" The bartender spoke after seeing their tickets. "What can I start chu guys off wit?"

"Four Magic Bombs, por favor." Alewandro replied before pointing a thumb to Wanda. "And be sure to 'spice' up one for the birthday girl, eh?"

"Ahh, gotchu." The bartender winked, instantly making Wanda regret what she just got herself into.

While the bartender prepared the drinks, Wanda questioned "What's a Magic Bomb?"

"It is basically apple and orange juice mixed with a lot of different alcohol." Juandissimo explained. "And the alcohol mixed in is the bartender's choice."

"So, he could put anything in those drinks?" Susie arched her brow, matching Wanda's equally as quizzical expression. "Rum, vodka, whiskey, bourbon…the whole nine?"

"Si, anything he wants!" Alewandro verified. "It tastes like straight juice, but after a while, it can hit you like a bomb!"

"Oh, so I'm gonna die. Great…" Wanda commented sarcastically, preparing for the worst.

"It is not that bad." Juandissimo chuckled. "Wandro and I had them before at the party on the night of the last football game. Bozo and Dyno made them."

"Oh yeah?" Wanda grinned skeptically. "And how'd that go?"

"We had, like, three each…" Alewandro replied. "…and Juan and I do not remember a thing after that third one."

Susie and Wanda shot anxious glances towards each other.

"Alrighty, kids!" The bartender returned with a tray of four drinks of tangerine and apple red ombre in small wine glasses. He passed the first three to Alewandro, Susie, and Juandissimo which were all decorated with a slice of lime on the side of the glass, saving the fourth one for Wanda. "And this one's for you, birthday girl." He handed the fourth drink to Wanda before attending to other customers, her drink seemingly darker than the others.

"Uh…" Wanda stared at the drink quizzically, lifting to see what could possibly be at the bottom of the glass. Whatever he put in there, she could tell it wasn't light. "…the heck is in here?"

"Alcohol." Juandissimo teased, pointing out the obvious. "Duh."

Wanda shot him an aggravated glare, making him laugh.

"A toast!" Alewandro exclaimed, holding his glass in the air. "To a fantástico night!"

The quartet clinked their glasses down the row, Alewandro to Susie, Susie to Wanda, and Wanda to Juandissimo respectively. Susie to a long sip of her drink, scrunching her face as she set her drink back down on the coaster. Wanda barely took a sip before her face distorted from the taste of what could best be described as rubbing alcohol. As she placed her drink back onto the bar, the girls noticed as the two brothers ingested their drinks as if they were juice boxes, leaving a lot less in their glasses than the girls did in theirs.

"Yeah, you guys have clearly been down this road before." Susie humored as the brothers set their drinks down on their coasters.

Alewandro chuckled, crafting a joking reply. "We are total alcoholics."

Sapphire noticed Alewandro and Juandissimo with their respective dates from across the room on the dance floor, tugging Blonda's arm to get her attention. "What's your sister doing here?!" Sapphire questioned, motioning towards Wanda. "And dressed like that?!"

"I've seen Juandissimo talk to her a lot, lately." Ruby commented, putting her hand on her hip. "Does he have a crush on her!?"

"Even if he did," Blonda interjected, one arm circled around Luther's waist with his around hers. "she'd never give him the time of day! She's still butt hurt over that idiot that dumped her!"

"Totally!" Amethyst agreed, both arms laced into Dyno's. "He'd be wasting his time with someone like her!"

"Pssh, whatever floats his boat!" Luther mocked. "If he wants to date a vampire, then that's his prerogative!"

"Yeah." Neptune chimed in. "Especially since Alewandro's dating her freak of a friend!"

"Haha!" Bozo chuckled. "Spanish guys must like 'em a lil' weird!"

The group erupted in laughter before returning to their risqué dancing.

Three and a half hours and three beers later, Spike leaned against the back cushion of the sofa, taking a sip as cyborgs blasted lasers and rockets towards each other on the box TV screen. They somehow found themselves watching some lame Terminator movie since there was absolutely nothing else worth watching, though, Spike realized he was the only actually paying some kind of attention.

He looked over to see Cosmo's head bobbing as if his head was a pound of bricks, eyes glazed over in a haze with beer in hand. Spike shook his head at the sight, noting the bit of drool hanging from his mouth; he expected Cosmo to be a light weight, but he didn't expect this.

"Cosmo." Spike called out, attempting to shake his friend into cohesion. "Cosmo!"

"Wha?" Cosmo mumbled, lifting his head in a daze. "Wha…wha happened?"

"You were fallen asleep on me, dude!" Spike complained, setting his beer back onto the coffee table in front of him. "You good, over there?"

"Huuuuh?" Cosmo murmured, struggling to keep his eyelids from closing completely. "….I…I see lilddle bubbles…."

"Yeah, dude, you're tapped." Spike commented, taking Cosmo's third can of beer half empty and setting it on the coffee table next to his.

Cosmo swayed back and forth as his mouth hung open, occasionally giggling at nothing. "Wy…Wy do I…f-feel like I'm floating…."

Spike stared at his questioningly. Though Cosmo was in a sitting position, his butt hovered over the couch cushion. "…because…you are?"

Cosmo squinted as he stared towards the ceiling, and Spike continued to watch his drunken stupor. As sad and pathetic as it was, it was ridiculously more entertaining than the movie on the screen.

Then, out of nowhere, Cosmo hovered from the couch to the stairs, wobbling in his flight.

"Cosmo?" Spike called out, watching him trip on air as he grabbed the rails for support. Cosmo continued his journey, climbing up the stairs one knee and hand over one step at a time. "Cosmo, what are you doing?" Cosmo ignored him, unsteadily climbing to the top of the staircase. It was when Cosmo was no longer within his line of sight that Spike rose from his seat and floated after him, sighing in annoyance.

Note to self. Spike thought to himself as he hovered up the stairs. Never give this kid alcohol. Ever.

When he reached the top of the stairs, Cosmo managed to open the door to his bedroom and stumbled as he entered. Spike began to wonder if Cosmo surprisingly found the intuition to take himself to bed. After all, it was almost one in the morning, and he knew for a fact that Cosmo hardly ever stayed up past eleven. On top of that, Cosmo was as drunk as a skunk.

Rolling his eyes, Spike floated towards the opened bedroom door, pausing when he saw Cosmo hold something familiar in his hands.

"Cosmo…" Spike carefully approached as Cosmo sat on the floor against the side of his bed, holding a crumpled picture in his hands. "…how and why do you still have that?"

Cosmo's eyes began to swell with tears, a lone teardrop falling onto the film of Wanda's smile.

"Cosmo…" Spike spoke cautiously as he stopped in front of Cosmo, lowering to his level with his eyes remaining on him. "…give me the picture, dude…"

Cosmo lowered his head, shutting his eyes as a stream of tears formed as he tightened his clutch on the picture of him and Wanda. He cupped his hand with his mouth, muffling hitched sobs.

"Cosmo." Spike reached out to grab the picture in a stern expression. "Hand it over…before you make things worse for yourself."

"…I m-miss her…" Cosmo's lips trembled in his hand, preventing Spike from taking the picture. "…I…I-I miss…."

"Cosmo. Give me the picture. Now."

It wasn't long before Cosmo released the picture to Spike's grasp and held his face in his palms, his body shaking from the overwhelming rush of emotions. Spike crumpled the picture into a ball before he threw it into a nearby trash can, cursing himself for letting Cosmo get this wasted, not knowing the repercussions.

Cosmo doubled over in despair, crouching to the ground with his face in his palms as he cried. He hated himself for letting go of such a wonderful, caring, sweet-natured soul. He cursed himself for allowing his mother to have so much control over his heart, because he'll never feel a love like that again.

Spike, groaning to himself, gently rubbed Cosmo's back in an attempt to comfort him. Poor guy: he only brought the beer because he thought it would help Cosmo to feel better, but instead, it made the poor guy feel worse. Maybe it wouldn't be the case if he had stopped him after the first beer, but Cosmo got used to the taste eventually, so he let him keep drinking. Now look at him; a slobbering, crying mess over a girl out at some club, the thought of Cosmo probably in the back of her mind.

Spike continued to shake his head in guilt, and Cosmo continued to wallow in his misery.

Within the same vein of three and a half hours later, Wanda leaned with her right foot against the wall, holding her half empty glass of rum and coke as she observed the crowd of dancers jamming to the smooth rhythm of Reggaeton from the set of the second DJ of the night; DJ Wanda Woman.

Over the course of the night, alcohol seemed to ease her nerves around such a large crowd. Though she still felt a little anxious, she was relaxed enough not to mind standing on the sidelines as clubbers danced about. There were a few instances where Juandissimo and Alewandro would leave to dance with Blonda and the group, and Susie stayed with Wanda and encouraged her to dance despite not wanting to. Susie managed to get a few jumps and hip twists out of her, but that was about it.

There were other instances where Alewandro took Susie to the middle of the dancefloor amidst other couples while Juandissimo kept Wanda's company, also encouraging her to move her hips a little here and there. They stayed on the sidelines for the most part; Wanda wasn't quite comfortable moving to the dance floor. She almost cursed herself for being such a wimp in situations like this; she felt as though she was ruining everyone else's fun, especially Juandissimo's. Surprisingly, however, Juandissimo didn't mind.

The quartet took small breaks to order more drinks and some snacks throughout the night, but overall, dancing took up most of the night.

Wanda watched Susie as her boyfriend swayed his hips with hers, their eyes locked in each other's trance. Despite her relationship crumbling to dust, she was genuinely happy for Susie; she found someone that loved her, cherished her, and treated her like the queen that she was. She was head over heels for Alewandro, and he was head over heels for her. She knew how euphoric that type of love can feel, and she was glad Susie could experience that for herself.

She moved her attention towards Juandissimo as he danced alongside Blonda and Ruby, Blonda and Ruby taking turns as Juandissimo held their hand as they twirled in a circle. She noticed as the night went on how free Juandissimo became, as if all his trials and tribulations melted away. He was smiling, he was laughing, and he was living his best life. She'd never seen him so carefree before, and it was quite the refreshing sight. It gave her the tiniest slither of hope that it does, indeed, get better, and that your troubles don't last forever.

As the allegro moderato tempo transitioned smoothly into a more andantino rhythm, the crowd adjusted accordingly. Wanda took a sip of her rum and coke, bobbing her head with the downbeats. This type of music wasn't her normal speed, but she could appreciate a good bop when presented.

Out the corner of her eye, she saw Juandissimo smiling as he advanced towards her. "¡Remolina Rosa!" Juandissimo approached enthusiastically. "Why are you not dancing?!"

"Oh, you know…" Wanda shrugged as Juandissimo took Wanda's drink and finished it off, which, she was too tipsy to care. "…still taking a break." He set the empty glass on one of the trays of other discarded glasses nearby as she asked. "Why are you here and not out there dancing?"

"Because." Juandissimo replied, hovering to where he was eye to eye with his date. "I came for a dance partner!"

Wanda chuckled. "Are you blind?! You found way better dance partners than I could ever be."

"Perhaps." Juandissimo extended a hand with a sly smile. "Pero…I came for my dance partner."

Wanda stared at his hand, then back at him. Was he joking? Had to be; liquid courage has a way of throwing judgement and reason out the window. She really, really wanted to say no, but…how could she say no to such an adorably handsome face?

"Fine, you win!" Wanda surrendered, lacing her hand into his. "But only for a little bit."

"I will take what I can get!" Juandissimo smiled as he led Wanda through the crowd further out onto the dance floor.

Majority of students flocked closer towards the DJ booth, so Juandissimo took Wanda further away where there were less people. It was still a bit of a crowd, but it was a decent size crowd he knew Wanda could handle. Her hand still in his, Wanda nervously watched the other students around them. She saw a lot of bodies touching bodies, swaying to the music like uncoiled rope. She also saw countless amounts of twerking, which, she'd probably never do even if she were more intoxicated than she was. She just hoped everyone around them were too distracted by their own amusements to care how much of a fool she was about to make of herself.

"Do not worry about everyone else." Juandissimo encouraged, taking Wanda's other hand into his. "Focus on me."

Wanda nodded, feeling as if she were putting all of her trust in him. She half expected him to assume she'd 'pop, lock, and drop it' like majority of the females there. Instead, he held her hands as he encouraged mimic the rotation in his hips to the music. A little stiff at first, Wanda's switched between her feet and his eyes. She was totally embarrassing herself; she just knew it.

Sensing she was still a bit uncomfortable, he let go of her hands and danced in a circle around her, working his feet in a cha-cha motion as his hips grooved from side to side. If it wasn't his obscene dancing, his exaggerated facial expressions managed to get a few good laughs. While she was laughing, he took her hands to face him once more and stepped forwards and backwards to the beat. She seemed to loosen up, managing to get a nice little twirl out of her as she spun in a circle while holding his hand.

Wanda felt her jitters melt away slowly but surely, allowing the music to course through her body. She shimmied her shoulders and danced with her whole body, matching movements of peers dancing among their friends. It was a strange feeling to feel so free. She hated the feeling of not being in control, it drove her insane. She felt she always had to 'keep it together.' But, for once, this was a good type of out of control, something along the lines of a more gratifying recklessness.

The DJ transitioned into her next track, slowing down the vibes to a more adagio feel. Couples took the opportunity to minimize the space in between, most of the males cupping their partners waist while females folded their arms around their partners' necks. Wanda hesitated, wondering what she was supposed to do next. Friends can slow dance with each other…right?

Juandissimo, seizing the opportunity, extended his hand to take hers. She took his hand, and he drew her closer to him, close enough for her to wrap her arms on top of his shoulders, but far enough to where their pelvises weren't touching. He cinched her waist gently with his hands, surprised she didn't push him away. They stared into each other's eyes as they swayed side to side with the flow of piano and simplistic bass lines accompanied by two-four percussion of Soft Rock.

"I do not recall if I have told you this, pero…" Juandissimo began, lowering his voice to where only she could hear him. "…you look muy bonita tonight."

Her lips curved into a coy smile. "Thank you." Wanda replied, trying not to blush too much. "…you look pretty handsome yourself."

"Gracias." Juandissimo thanked with a small smile, admiring her beauty. "I try."

As they danced, their eyes were locked, as if exploring every inch of the fairy floating in front of them.

"May I ask a question?" Juandissimo inquired. "And will you give me an honest answer?"

"Depends." Wanda responded. "What's the question?"

"…What is your opinion of me? As a person?"

She averted her eyes to the floor beside her, forming an answer in her mind. She wasn't sure if she ever really thought in depth of the type of person she perceived him to be. It hadn't crossed her mind, but, based off the past few weeks, she assumed she had enough to form a judgement.

Meeting his gaze again, she replied in a gentle tone. "I think…you're a good guy."

"Hmmm." Juandissimo looked away, considering her response. He turned back to her and proceeded to ask. "May I say what I think about you?"

"Depends." Wanda smiled, anticipating his answer. "…what do you think about me?"

Juandissimo's eyes peered into hers with an amorous gaze. "…I think…that you have such a beautiful soul…and I cannot imagine how anyone would let that go."

Her smile slowly faded into a pout, unable to receive his compliment. "My soul is tainted…" Wanda looked away, defeat in her voice. "…I'm no good for anyone…"

He used a tender finger to lift her chin, forcing her to stare into his blue-violet orbs as Juandissimo spoke softly. "I wish…what I see in you, is what you could see in yourself."

She could feel her heart flutter, drawn into his trance. He was stunned by her beauty, unable to tear his eyes from her. Acting on instinct, he pulled her face to his where the tip of their noses met. The world around them disappeared, and her anticipation got the best of her. She closed her eyes as his lips brushed against hers, and the soft of her lips sent warm chills down his spine.

Wanda! What are you doing?! Her mind screamed, waking her from her daze. Snap out of it!

She pulled away from him, shocked at what she'd just done. He creased his brown in confusion, wondering if he did something wrong. Her mind went into full panic mode, but she couldn't show that to him. "Um…" Wanda leaned to his ear. "I-I'll be right back."

He nodded in understanding and watched as Wanda fled away into the crowd, scratching his head in slight embarrassment. Should he not have kissed her? Maybe that was moving too fast…

Susie held her arms around Alewandro, smiling in his warmth, when she felt a hurried tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Wanda seemingly bothered by whatever it was.

"Can I talk to you?" Wanda probed, grabbing Susie's arm. "Now?!"

"Wanda, wha-"

Susie was pulled away from her boyfriend, Wanda leading her off the dance floor and passed the bar. Confused, Alewandro skimmed the crowd to find Juandissimo flying towards him, staring towards the ground. Alewandro met him, asking him what happened, but Juandissimo folded his arms and couldn't meet his eyes.

Bursting through the bathroom doors, Wanda released Susie's arms and ducked under the stalls to ensure they were the only ones in the bathroom. Susie stared at her quizzically, taken aback by Wanda's panic, and questioned "Would you like to tell me why you dragged me into the bathroom?"

"I'm kind of freaking out." Wanda paced back and forth between Susie and one of the sinks. "I don't why it happened or how it happened or-"

"Wanda, slow down!" Susie interrupted, holding Wanda's shoulders to keep her still. "What's gotten into you?"

When Susie let her go, Wanda took a deep breath before she answered. "Juandissimo and I kissed!"

Susie paused, but then released an exaggerated sighed as if relieved. "Holy freaking mother of...it's about time, Wanda!"

Wanda blinked rapidly. "…so sorry?"

"C'mon, Wanda." Susie scoffed, folding her arms. "It is as certain as there is a fire where there's smoke; you guys have a crush on each other!"

Wanda hugged her arms, suddenly feeling guilty. "But…what if it's too soon?"

"Cosmo broke up with you, remember?!" Susie rebutted.

"Yeah but…" Wanda paused. "…I don't want Juandissimo to be…like…a rebound or something."

"He won't have to be a rebound if you don't let it." Susie retorted with a smile, softening her tone as she held Wanda by her shoulders. "And you deserve to be happy. Especially on your birthday."

Wanda lowered her gaze, pondering if Susie was right. Yeah, Cosmo broke up with her, and yeah, maybe she did like Juandissimo as more than a friend. But was she truly ready for another relationship? Could she give her heart to someone else?

"Try not to think too much, okay?" Susie encouraged, Wanda meeting her gaze. "Just enjoy the rest of this night. Can you do that?"

Wanda hesitated, trying to silence the doubts in her mind. Maybe Susie was right; Cosmo was done with her, so why stay hung up on someone who gave up on her? "…okay." Wanda finally agreed. "…I'll try."

"Good." Susie let her go, motioning towards the door. "We're gonna head back out there, and this conversation stays in here. Understand?"

Wanda nodded, and as they exited the bathroom, Wanda pushed her doubts to the side.

"I'd like to make a toast!" Luther announced, shot glass in one hand and Blonda in his other arm.

Luther gathered the squad at the last minute to congregate by the bar at the end of the slow song. The Gemstone Triplets stood in the arms of their dates with the Magnifico brothers on the far end, each with a double shot of brandy raised in their hands.

"I wanna make a toast," Luther continued, turning to his girlfriend. "to the hottest, sexiest, most amazing girlfriend ever! Happy Birthday, baby!"

The group clinked their glasses together and ingested their shots. Blonda finished her glass waited for Luther to finish his before she smashed her lips into his, exploring his mouth with her tongue. The girls cheered while their dates pumped their fists in the air in classic bro fashion. Alewandro and Juandissimo looked at each other shrugged before turning back to the couple of the hour.

Blonda gave Luther a final smooch before parting their lips, turning towards the group. "As the birthday girl," Blonda exclaimed, setting her shot glass down on the bar. "I say we go back out and party like the party don't stop!"

Susie and Wanda approached the bar as the squad cheered, each setting their glasses down and proceeding back onto the dancefloor. Alewandro and Juandissimo stayed behind when they realized their dates had returned, Susie kissing her boyfriend hello as soon as he turned to see her, which he happily returned.

"Wanna go dance?" Susie asked, taking Alewandro's hand.

"Sure!" Alewandro finished the rest of his shot before leading Susie back onto the dancefloor. Susie looked back momentarily, giving Wanda a wink with a smile as she disappeared into the crowd.

Wanda flew over to where she was face to face with Juandissimo, staring at him staring at her. "Soooooo…" Juandissimo scratched his head, turning away momentarily before facing his date. "I...I feel as if I should apologi-" He was silenced by a sudden finger on his lips, staring at Wanda as she smiled warmly.

"Don't apologize." Wanda assured, lowering her finger. "There's nothing to apologize for. In fact…" She took Juandissimo's glass from his hand and finished off what was left of his shot, which was quite a bit. Juandissimo arched a brow as she set the glass on the bar and continued. "I'd like to go dance with my dance partner. That is, if he's up for it."

Juandissimo stared with a perplexed expression; what the heck happened in between the time they kissed and now? This Wanda was completely different from the Wanda that ran away from him just a few minutes ago. He then decided that, since she seemed okay now, that whatever it was became water under the bridge. After all, the night was still young.

His lips curled into a smile as he laced his hand into hers, pulling her close. She took the opportunity cup his cheek in her other palm and pressed her lips onto his, catching him off guard at first. When their lips parted, her eyes stared into his, and she returned her own smile before leading him from the bar into the sea of dancers.

From that night on, their relationship would never be the same.

Annnnd so it begins; Juanda is born.

Thanks to everyone still with me on this crazy rollercoaster! As always, be safe, do good things, make good choices, and I'll see y'all next week :)