Making Out Like Criminals

Clover, North Carolina - Third day of spring break

"Jason's an idiot."

"No argument here."

"Good. Because otherwise, you'd be an idiot."

Sonny Corinthos sighed in acceptance, shifting his broad shoulders a bit as he lay flat on his back. The towel rasped against his skin and the sun decided it would be fun to hit that perfect angle to effectively blind him.

But it was all good - it was too nice of a day to begrudge the sun for temporarily robbing him of his vision. There was a soft breeze that fairly swept over the land, tickling the inhabitants as the bright sun cast its gentle glow down to warm them, or as Brenda believed, solely to turn their skin a darker color. And it wasn't doing a good enough job at that as it was. The endless expanse of ocean stretched out before them, a mass of blue topaz glittering in the sun. Somewhere up above, the seagulls squawked at each other in irritation, but their cries seemed far-off.

Next to him, Brenda was stretched out on her own towel. She had propped herself up on her elbow, allowing Sonny a better view of her shapely body and the poor black bikini that attempted to cover it and didn't do a very good job.

Normally, under such circumstances, the last thing that Sonny would have thought about was Jason.

But unfortunately, Jason was all he and Brenda had been thinking about for the last hour. Poor, stupid Jason, who was too big an oaf to get off his butt and make some moves on the object of his constant worship.

And right now, Jason was sitting next to Elizabeth, who was sprawled out on her back, and the two were engrossed in deep conversation.

Sonny found himself wondering just what was wrong with his best friend - the male one, of course. Jason was never like this. Jason would never know how to be this sweet and gentlemanly if his life depended on it.

No, the real Jason Morgan, though certainly not a womanizer, knew how to get his girls and keep them interested until he was done with them. Sure, his methodology was kind of crude, but it worked for Jason.

And so to see him, the resident Makeout King, tiptoeing along to a relationship while Sonny's own was progressing so nicely made the young man's skin almost break out in hives. Pretty soon the sky would start falling.

And he found himself hoping that some of Brenda's initiative and aggressiveness would rub off on his other best friend, the one that seemed only too content with their slower-than-a-snail pace.

But that was when he realized he was being cocky, something he rarely was. Just because he and Brenda had finally decided to explore the prospect of a relationship was no reason for him to think he suddenly knew the makings of the rich tapestry of human affection, and what's more, adolescent affection. Or at least, that was what his mother would say.

He glanced over at Brenda, who was busy keeping one eye on the ocean and one eye on Jason and Elizabeth. Her straight brown hair fell past her shoulders and rippled gently as the wind ruffled through it. Her pink lips pinched out a bit, and he could almost see the wheels in her head as they turned and cranked, looking at the Jason and Elizabeth situation from every possible angle.

And as he turned his head away and stretched out again on his soft towel, Sonny had to admit that he couldn't be more pleased over how his own relationship with his own fiery brunette was developing.

Thankfully, the awkward stage that his father referred to as the "courting dance" had passed, giving full way to the "mating ritual". Sonny couldn't believe that his dad actually used these terms, and in front of his friends, no less. His mother couldn't, either.

But regardless of his father's unique and at times, absurd terminology, the only thing that mattered was that he and Brenda were no longer dancing back and forth, repeating the same steps until they forgot how to do anything else.

No, that terrible tango had ended on the Friday afternoon before Spring Break. After separating from Jason and Elizabeth, the two of them had raced over to Brenda's house to finish formulating their plans at the kitchen table over a plate of lightly salted tortilla chips and warm apple cider.

The last details were ironed out, travelling arrangements were made - Brenda would be borrowing her dad's car for the long drive instead of driving her own car, and Sonny and Jason would fly down and rent a car at the airport for the rest of their stay.

During the last of this ironing, Sonny was willing to admit he had become rather cozy with the spunky brunette. He had long ago scooted his chair right next to hers, had admittedly leaned into Brenda, and brazenly let his hand brush hers as they scarfed down the chips. Jason would have been proud - before long, his seemingly innocuous actions had given way to low, quiet conversations about things far from the situation at hand.

And before he knew what he was doing, Sonny was leaning in and kissing her.

As soon as they pulled away, all of his smooth ways hastily departed, leaving Sonny a tightly-wound bundle of nerves and awkwardness. He remembered mumbling something incoherent as he grabbed his winter coat and all but fled from the Barrett estate.

But fortunately, Sonny had a conscience, and it made him feel like a dog. So that evening, he did the bravest thing he had ever done: he picked up the telephone and called her. It was that two-hour-and-thirteen-minute conversation that had his dad yelling that he had to make a business call and his mother wondering just what was wrong with her son that cemented Sonny's relationship with Brenda. It didn't take long to persuade the independent brunette to give their burgeoning relationship a whirl. She knew as well as he did that there was something between them, and agreed to explore it with him.

He suspected that as soon as he had gotten off the telephone with her, Brenda had called Elizabeth for some girl talk, judging by the fact that Elizabeth didn't even blink when she saw him kiss her when they arrived at the beach.

Brenda's agitated sigh broke through his thoughts and he peered at her from under his arm. From the look on her face, he knew she had been searching for some sort of solution for their slow friends and had come up empty-handed.

"At this rate, I vote that I start to hit on her until Jason gets his ass in gear."

Brenda tossed him a nasty glare. "I don't think so, Corinthos."

Sonny hid a smirk as he regarded her once more from under his arm. "Do you object, Miss Barrett?"

Her eyes narrowed at his teasing, and she leaned slightly closer. "Very much so."

"And why is that?"

She bit her lip at his joking question, determined not to smile. She leaned closer still, and when the breeze blew just so, her silky brown hair tickled his chest. "Because I like to think you're taken."

And with that, she leaned closer until she was almost on top of him, her hands now braced at either side of his shoulders. Her dark hair curtained his face when she leaned down and pressed her lips softly to his.

She could just hear her father's voice - "You don't need to be kissing anyone, Buttercup! If you and your lips have so much free time, why don't you learn how to play the bugle?" - but she ignored it. Sonny's hand was now at the back of her neck, gently stroking the hair at her nape and effectively pulling her closer at the same time. His warm lips parted immediately when she demanded entrance with her tongue, and she could almost feel the smile on his face.

And then, suddenly, his hands were on her lovehandles and he expertly flipped her over on her back, landing her on her own towel. Their tongues mated, bolder now, more daring and executing quick, darting flicks and thrusts. Her fingers curled through his soft ebony hair, gently fingering the thick natural curls that formed when he didn't use any gel. His hands smoothed down her sides, igniting her skin along the way.

He chuckled into her mouth when the kiss lessened in intensity, thinking about what she had just said about him being taken - specifically, by her. When Brenda pulled away, her arms still looped around his neck, there was no mistaking the mischievous glint in his coal eyes.

"Aw, honey," he growled, winking down at her confused grin. "You can take me anytime."

His words had their desired affect - Brenda laughed. But while she did so, she pressed her small hands against his chest and effectively pushed him away and on to his own towel.

"Stop being an ass-clown." She rolled her eyes at him, but Sonny could tell she was amused. Especially since he never said anything like that. And especially not to her.

"Yes, ma'am." He retired back onto his towel, stretching out in contentment once more. The North Carolina sun was still glaringly bright, requiring Sonny to once again drape an arm over his eyes.

He kept watch over Brenda as he did so, one eye open to peek out at her. She returned to glaring in Jason and Elizabeth's general direction. The two seemed to be curled up even closer now, still engrossed in deep conversation. Every now and then, Elizabeth would giggle and Jason would be grinning.

"Man," the brunette sighed, her gaze departing from them and scanning over the infinite ocean as it stretched out before them. "What I wouldn't give to be a fly on that...beach towel."

Sonny snorted, closing his eyes. "You make no sense sometimes, Barrett."

"Stifle, Don."

Another snort escaped Sonny as he opened his eyes and sat up next to her. "Oh," he huffed, his voice teasing and light. "So now you're using All in the Family lines on me?"

Brenda smirked in response, not answering.

"Good show," Sonny continued, surveying the water with a crooked grin. "My mom and I watch it all the time. But your impression was sorely lacking."

Brenda rolled her eyes. "I didn't know you took it so seriously," she teased back. "So tell me, how does a pro - or I guess the word would be connoiseur - do it?"

"Stifle, Edith."

Despite her teasing him, Brenda had to laugh. "That's pretty good," she remarked appreciatively. "I must admit, I'm a fan."

Sonny smiled, secretly pleased. "Of course it's good," he scoffed. "I'm a devoted viewer."

"I always liked the theme song," Brenda mused. "Something about it - it's just so catchy. Totally reminds me of the 'old America' my dad's always reminiscing about."

"Yeah," Sonny nodded. "I know what you mean - it has that wholesome aspect to it."

"Totally," Brenda agreed. "Those must have been the real good old days."

"Oh, definitely," Sonny agreed with conviction and a smirk. "Those were the golden days. And you knew what you were then-"

Brenda couldn't believe her ears when Sonny began singing, but that wasn't as surprising to her as when he leaned into her and insisted she sway along to the beat with him as he crooned away.

"Girls were girls and men were men-"

"Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover back then..."

Their joined voices - Sonny's deep baritone and Brenda's melodic alto drifted over to where Jason and Elizabeth were sitting. Elizabeth stared at them over her shoulder, not sure if she was seeing things or not. Sonny never sang - it just wasn't a Sonny thing to do. The fact that he started Bohemian in Calculus was a blue-moon moment alone, and now he had suddenly made Brenda his Cher? Unbelievable.

"A duet," she affirmed, shaking her head at the two as they bopped away on the sand. "Now I've seen everything."

Jason snickered. "Good show, though."

Elizabeth's smile returned. "You watch it? I thought me, Sonny, and Brenda were the only nerds that did."

"Oh, no," Jason replied with a grin and a modest shake of his head. "I'm definitely a Family nerd, too. I watch it with my grandfather whenever we both have time. Otherwise, if, like, I'm busy with work or track and he's busy with his business meetings, AJ will tape it for us. He's still too young to actually get the humor, but ever since he learned how to program the VCR, he's been taping it because he knows we love it. And whenever my older sister Emily comes home, all three of us watch it together."

"Where is your sister, again?" Elizabeth wanted to know. She'd heard a lot about Emily - Jason seemed to adore her.

"She lives in Chicago," Jason answered. His fingers traced a pattern in the sand. "She's been there for about three years now, ever since her firm relocated her."

"She's a lawyer, right?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah. She's into corporate law."

Elizabeth grinned, seeing the irony in his situation.

Jason noticed, because he grinned back. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking," he blushed, glancing down at the sand. He noticed his drawing - which looked too much like a heart for his liking - and quickly squiggled his fingers over it before continuing. "That's what everyone laughs about - my big sister is an up-and-coming corporate lawyer, and my grandfather is the original embodiment of corporate America."

Elizabeth giggled. "Well, you have to admit, it's quite a twist." She was rewarded with Jason's easy laughter. "I can only imagine that Thanksgiving must be mighty interesting."

"Without fail," he nodded with a twinge of embarrassment. "The Morgan's don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to holidays or parties - something always goes horribly awry."

"Really?" Elizabeth scooted closer, her eyes glittering with mirth. "Like what? Tell me - I really want to hear another one of your stories. You seem to have a lot, by the way," she added with a smirk. Jason just grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at her. "All of our parties are dreadfully boring - my sister and I usually end up falling asleep in our chairs."

Jason smirked at her casual use of words such as dreadful - seriously, who did that?

Elizabeth, that was who.

"Well," he began slowly, racking his brain for the funniest anecdote he could come up with on such short notice. "The last party we had was when ELM's stocks and profits went back after a real second-quarter slump. It was just family and close business associates of my grandfather, and it was supposed to be one of those super-stodgy dinner parties replete with champagne-clinking, caviar-eating, European-kissing capitalist monsters."

Elizabeth smiled at his description, beckoning for him to continue with her eyes.

"Yeah. Well, you can bet that wasn't how the evening turned out, much to my grandmother's delight and my grandfather's dismay," Jason chuckled. "See, my grandparents are the super prim and proper type - they are the most abominably English people you could ever hope not to meet. I mean, how could they not? My grandfather came here from England when he was about my age, and when he had enough money, he went back and married my grandmother and they both settled down here. And even as they grew older, they've totally retained all their fancy traditions and dusty manners. I mean, it's really weird sometimes."

"Oh, I can totally relate," Elizabeth sighed with a wave of her hand. "That describes my grandma to a tee. She's a total Julie Andrews - too bad for her that my grandfather is the opposite. He's the total free-spirited, outspoken, sloppy American. We like to say that he corrupted her, because she's slowly slipping to the dark side." Jason laughed, and it occurred to him that he suddenly wanted to meet this grandfather that she spoke of so often. "But please, continue. Don't mind my rambling - I do it a lot. Just ignore me."

He quirked her a brow, as if to say, Do you really think I'd ever ignore you? But after clearing his throat, he continued. "So, basically, my grandfather is the one for all these stuffy parties and routines. My grandmother pretends to be, for my grandfather's sake. But while my grandfather's idea of a party is just what I described, my grandmother's a fan of blasting Led Zeppelin and tearing apart the den. She'd join in physically, if she could, but she can't, so she just sings along to my vinyls at the top of her lung. And whenever grandfather barges in and asks who was just carrying on with that awful caterwauling, as he puts it, we pretend it's AJ. The single best kept secret in the family is that my Julie Andrews grandmother, as you put it, knows all the words to Custard Pie."

Elizabeth was giggling hysterically at the image of an elderly woman wailing out Led Zep. "You're kidding me!"

Jason just shook his head. "Nope. So this party was her worst nightmare, and my grandfather's dream come true. The caterers didn't mess up like they usually do, the family all managed to show up all nice and pressed without clothes stained by dirt or chocolate, and the temporary butler - he's the same guy my grandfather hires every time on my grandmother's orders - didn't offend anybody."

Elizabeth nodded, enjoying the story.

"But then, one of my grandfather's friend's sons decided it would be a great time to get smashed, so he did. And then all the other guys his age saw that he wasn't holding back, so they began guzzling, too. And before the hors' deurves were taken away, there were a bunch of college-age kids dancing on the coffee table - without pants."

Elizabeth collapsed back on her towel in a fit of laughter. "Oh, my god. No way."

"Way," Jason confirmed. "It was terrible. And my grandfather was so angry that you could literally see the giant vein in his forehead throbbing. My grandmother, however, was having a great time. She dared me to go get my Bon Jovi CDs, so I did, and we put them in the intercom system and just blasted them throughout the house." He laughed at the memory. "It's a good thing that all of our neighbors were at our party, and totally hammered, at that, or they would've sent the entire PCPD to our front door."

"And it would have made the front page the next day," Elizabeth added. "Splashed across the paper in giant letters-"

"Morgan Moshin'," Jason finished with a grimace. "And that's what it was, too - one giant mosh pit in my living room. Grandfather wouldn't set foot in that room until the carpet had been replaced and the walls repainted."

Elizabeth snickered. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse," Jason chuckled despite himself. "But my grandmother still had the time of her life that night."

Elizabeth laughed, her eyes dancing. "I can ima-"

Her words were cut off by a shrill, whooping yell, followed by several equally loud screams. Both couples snapped around to see what in the world was causing such an obscene raucus, and were greeted to the sight of a small group of what appeared to be local teenagers running toward the small boathouse where a buddy of their's already had a revved up speedboat going in the water.

The boys wore swim trunks and assorted t-shirts, and the girls wore skimpy bathing suits that left less than nothing to the imagination. They were carrying a picnic basket and a cooler while the boys toted a few six-packs. Elizabeth's lips twisted in disgust as the boys helped the girls into the boat. Well, maybe helped wasn't the right word. Groped was more like it. And she could only imagine what would ensue once they were all on the boat, especially with all that alcohol.

She barely glanced up as Sonny and Brenda joined them on the towels, her blue eyes trained on the white boat as it sped off against the waves. "Ugh," she groaned. "Why would people act like that? It's sickening."

"Bimbos," Brenda muttered under her breath. "I can't believe we have to share the beach with them."

"I know," Elizabeth agreed. "And did you see what they were doing yesterday?"

"Yeah," brenda exclaimed, the look of sheer disgust on her face mirroring Elizabeth's. "It was like a freaking orgy on the sand. Dear God, I'm glad we decided to move down a bit - I swear, I could smell the beer from where we were sitting."

"I don't understand why kids our age would do that to their bodies," Sonny broke in, shaking his head. "I mean, I must be stupid or something, but I just really don't get it."

"Me neither," Jason huffed. "All I know is that I don't plan on getting loaded any time soon." Even without all the anti-drug and anti-alcohol lectures Coach Preuss had subjected them to, Jason knew of the detrimental affects of intoxicants on the body thanks to his parents, and as long as he was running, he would never subject his body to that. A runner took care of his body - nourished it, nurtured it, kept it in tip-top condition at all times - and it would be too careless, not to mention stupid, of him to just throw it away by pumping his veins full of mind-numbing, judgement-fogging, liver-solidifying rotting barley water, or whatever the heck the stuff was made from.

"And those girls - they're an entirely different story," Elizabeth continued, shaking her head with dismay. She didn't intend to sound like a purist or entertain a holier-than-thou attitude, but she had her beliefs and she stuck with them. "I'm sorry, but some people make me embarrassed to be a girl."

"I know what you mean," Brenda sighed. "They give the rest of us a bad name." She squinted off at the boat full of the offending adolescents, which was now just a speck against the deep blue. "Those are the exact type of kids that my dad is so afraid of. I think he's, like, paranoid that if I interact with those sort of people, I'll become like one of them, which is so totally insulting."

"Don't worry," Elizabeth consoled her best friend. "I'm sure my parents feel the same way about me. I mean, it's not like kids our age have any sense of identity or personal integrity, or even more shocking, a mind of their own."

Jason smiled at the sarcasm dripping from her voice. He was certain that her parents would realize one day how lucky they were to have such a mature and strong daughter.

Brenda sighed in agreement. "Yeah. My dad would personally kill me if he thought I was hanging around kids like that. Heck, he doesn't even know that you two," she gestured to Sonny and Jason, "are here. He thinks it's just me and Beth, enjoying our favorite little town by the beach. He'd kill me if he knew we were spending our time running around with you two boys."

Jason smirked at Sonny, who had grown increasingly nervous. "Yeah," he cried, glaring jokingly at Sonny. "So stop man-handling her, Corinthos, otherwise Papa'll take away her little deuce coupe."

Sonny shot Jason a murderous glare, and was about to retort with, Well, at least one of us has the guts to man-handle someone, but decided it would be wrong to embarrass Elizabeth like that. And besides that, Brenda beat him to the punch.

"First, he's not man-handling me, you jerk-face, and second, Pat is not a 'little deuce coupe' - he's a sports car and a damn good one at that."

Jason looked at her, thoroughly confused. "Wait - Pat?"

Elizabeth nodded, splaying her fingers across the warm sand. "Yeah, that's his name - Pat Porsche." She looked at Brenda, who was still glaring at the blonde. "He's a great car, by the way. I can't believe you let me drive him - that was so incredible."

Brenda's face broke into an easy smile. "No problem," she replied warmly. "If you ever want to take him for a ride again, just let me know. And besides, you really surprised me - no way have you only driven stick twice before."

Normally, Jason would have made some off-color comment about the phrase driven stick, but he was too confused at the moment to do so.

Elizabeth nodded. "Seriously, I never drive manual, but my dad let me test-drive his Mustang when he went through his mid-life crisis, and he taught me the general gist of it."

"Still," Brenda trailed off. "I was impressed - you only had to restart once."

Elizabeth shook her head. "You know, it's always the starting from a stop light that gets me. For some reason, I just can't coordinate the clutch and gear and gas at that point. I mean, stop signs, I'm fine, but stop lights just-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Jason interrupted, putting an end to their conversation. "I'm still confused - Pat? That's what you call your car?"

Brenda looked at him as if he had suddenly sprouted three heads. "Yeah. So? What's your point?"

"You call your car that," Jason repeated.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Elizabeth laughed at the sheer perplexion in his voice. "Because that's the car's name."

"But why would you name a car?" Jason repeated, looking imploringly from Elizabeth to Brenda.

"Why not?" Brenda tossed back, leaning her hands behind her on the towel.

Jason stared at her for a moment, trying to formulate a response. "Because it's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"It is not!" Brenda exclaimed, bristling under this latest attack.

Next to her, Sonny nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "Well, Ric named his car. Calls her Penelope."

"What? Ric?" Jason could barely believe his ears. He knew Sonny's hippie older brother was a little different, but even he named his car?

"Lots of people do," Elizabeth offered. "Name their car, that is."

Jason glanced at her. "Do you?"

She bit her lip, pausing for a moment. "Well, no, but you just heard Sonny say that his brother does, and so does Brenda."

"And Penelope?" Jason repeated. "Why on earth would he name it Penelope?"

Sonny shrugged again. "Beats me. I'm just glad he doesn't kiss it goodbye anymore. I mean, I know it's an authentic Checker cab, but seriously - come on."

Brenda ignored Sonny's muttering as she answered Jason's question instead. "He named it Penelope because it has to be a girls' name."

"What?" Jason's head was spinning - this made no sense whatsoever.

"Yeah," Elizabeth nodded. Apparently, she was in on the insanity. "Guys have to give their cars a girl name, and girls have to give their car a guy name."

"Again, I ask, why?" Jason's voice was flat, letting them all know that he thought this was the most insipid custom ever.

"Just because, Jason," Elizabeth burst out. "People name their cars because they want to. As for the guy-girl thing, I don't know - that's just how it is."

"And it's just a name, after all," Brenda broke in. "It's not like we carry on active conversations with them or anything. And besides," her irritation was replaced with a mischievous smirk. "It's not like we sing to them or anything."

That ended the argument as far as Jason was concerned. Sonny couldn't help but chuckle himself as Jason shot the brunette a lethal glare.

"Sing?" Elizabeth echoed Brenda's words. "What's this about singing?"

Brenda crooked a mocking smile at her. "Jason here is in the habit of singing to his precious motorcycle."

Elizabeth's eyes flew open as wide as saucers. "Wait - you have a motorcycle?"

Still embarrassed by Brenda's disclosure of top-secret information, Jason could only nod. But Elizabeth didn't notice his reservations as she smacked him lightly on the arm with the back of his hand, and now it was Jason's turn to gape at her with saucer eyes.

"You have a bike? How come I never heard of this?" Elizabeth's words tumbled out rapidly, one after another, as they always did when she was excited. "And you sing to it?" Jason cringed at the incredulity in her voice. "What, may I ask, do you sing?"

Jason remained silent a moment before glancing away at the ocean and mumbling something under his breath.

"What was that, Jase?" Brenda asked sweetly, a Cheshire cat grin stretching across her face.

"Yeah," Sonny chimed in, knowing he was going to be receiving a bruise on the shoulder but not caring. "Care to repeat that?"

Jason shot daggers at both of them, again mumbling something under his breath.

"What?" Elizabeth strained to hear him, curious yet giggling despite herself at his insecurity.

"Little Deuce Coupe, all right?" Jason bellowed, throwing his arms in the air. "There! Are you freaking happy now?"

Brenda and Elizabeth collapsed in a fit of laughter at the mental image of Jason crooning the Beach Boys to his precious hog.

"Oh, man," Elizabeth exclaimed, trying to compose herself. "No wonder that phrase was so fresh in your mind," she teased.

That reminded Brenda of Jason's first affront against her. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against Sonny's side, glaring at Jason. "And Pat is not a little deuce coupe, for the record."

Jason rolled his eyes, not wanting his honor to suffer any more at the hands of the fiery brunette. "Whatever, Barrett."

Sonny's huff of annoyance attracted Elizabeth's attention, and when she followed his gaze she found it trained on the same speedboat as it now raced across the water in the opposite direction. The young people on board were still yelling and whooping, and Elizabeth wondered what the highest blood alcohol content on that boat was. When she caught Sonny's gaze again, he rolled his eyes at the ocean and was rewarded with Elizabeth's agreeing smirk.

"I'm hungry," Brenda announced, turning away from the boat. "Let's get some food."

"I could go for that," Jason agreed, stretching out and patting his rumbling stomach. "I haven't eaten anything since last night."

"Last night?" Elizabeth echoed. "Why? What happened to breakfast?"

Jason shrugged, jutting his chin out at Sonny. "We went running and just ended up staying out here until you guys showed up."

Concern pushed Brenda's eyebrows down as she shook her head at him. "You two should have said something," she scolded. "Beth and I ate breakfast and then came out - we had no idea you boys were going on nothing-"

Sonny interrupted her with a dismissive shake of his head. "It's okay, we're fine," he assured her. "We just grabbed some juice from the little store dowtown." That is, if it could even be called downtown - it was just a spread of little drugstores and homes and even a quaint little doctors' office. The entire layout and scenery of Clover, North Carolina, reminded him of something out of Anne of Green Gables - it was total old America.

He glanced up at Jason, frowning when his best friend discreetly shook his head at him, warning him not to say anything else of the morning's events. He knew that Jason didn't want to needlessly worry the girls, but that mere fact worried him in turn.

The morning had started out fine - both he and Jason rose with the sun and pulled on their swimming trunks and wifebeaters, digging their running sneakers out of their duffel bags. Coach always said that if they were on vacation, they should always take the opportunity to run on the beach; it strengthened the ankles and calves. So that was what he and Jason had finally done on their third day - second morning - in Clover, after being too tired the day before to get up until Brenda and Elizabeth were ramming down their door.

So they began their jog down the beach, chatting and joking as they always did. They had barely run half a mile before Jason was slowing down, biting back his groans as his feet hit the wet sand. Sonny stopped then, and made his best friend stop, too. Jason had plopped down on the sand, not minding the wetness as it clung to his blue trunks and began rubbing his calf muscles gently. When Sonny asked what was wrong, he replied that his legs were bothering him, and that it hurt to even run.

They stayed like that for about twenty minutes, Jason massaging his legs and Sonny trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong. Eventually, they decided it was probably fatigue and the lack of use - they hadn't been running since a week before Spring Break.

Finally, Jason stood up with Sonny's help, gingerly testing his legs. Sonny made him walk back and forth and Jason assured him that it didn't hurt at all. But when they started running again, the pain returned, and Sonny decided they should call it quits before Jason really hurt himself, despite Jason's protests that it was just because he was tired.

In the end, the boys ended up strolling in to town and buying some orange juice at Marleen's Groceries and Ice Cream Parlor. The shop was tidy and bright, with neat aisles of packaged goods down one side and a gleaming counter at the other, with polished silverware already laid out and glittering crystal ice cream glasses on display. There was a porch swing out front and pots of colorful flowers were spread out on the railing. All in all, it was a charming little shop and the boys had a very nice conversation with Marleen's son, George, and his two little boys, Emmitt and Brant.

When they left the little shop and walked past the beach, they noticed that Elizabeth and Brenda were already on their way down. That nixed any thought of breakfast in their minds and they hurriedly joined them, eager to spend another day out in the sun with the respective objects of their affection.

And although Jason had chased Elizabeth around on the sand for a while and joined in on a rousing game of net-less volleyball, Sonny was still worried. But the look on his best friend's face told him that Jason felt he was just fine, and for that Sonny was extremely glad, not to mention relieved.

"Anyway," Elizabeth's voice cut through his worries. "Let's have some lunch now - I don't care what you two say, I know you've got to be starving. Brenda and I found the greatest little grocery store last night, and they have an ice cream parlor and everything, plus they make the greatest sandwiches."

"Totally fresh, too," Brenda added with excitement. "They make 'em right in front of you, and even toast the bread right there. We would have tried it last night but it was kinda late and Beth has nightmares if she eats too close to bedtime. Isn't that right?" she asked, teasing Elizabeth, who just rolled her eyes in response.

"Nightmares?" Sonny repeated. "And how old are we, Beth - four?"

"Stuff it unless you want me to tell everyone the clown story."

"Yes, ma'am."

It didn't take long for the four of them to fold up their towels, grab their shoes and sun tan lotion and the volleyball and troop back to their hotel rooms. They dumped their junk in the girls' room and Brenda and Elizabeth disappeared to change into something decent as the boys ran up the stairs to their own room to grab some shorts that weren't permanently encased in sand.

Lunch was a simple affair - a soup-and-sandwich deal at Marleen's, washed down with a root beer float that each couple shared. A little bored with the beach, the foursome wandered around town for a bit, enjoying each other's company while scoping out some place of interest. They eventually wandered into a little arcade and spent an hour wacking moles and playing vintage Pac-man before meandering back into the sunlight.

Clover was an extremely clean town - almost no litter on the sidewalk or the streets. There were relatively few people in town, and those that were there had a purpose. They either strode to the post office to pick up a package or hurried to the grocer's to pick up a quart of cold milk. No one loitered, no one wasted time, no one wandered around aimlessly. No one except the four teens, of course. They took in the sights as if they were in Paris, Elizabeth and Brenda pointing out the cute little park and the tallest building in town, which turned out to be the Clover Bank. They introduced the boys to the best bowling alley in North America, in their own opinion, and the little lake that the town used as an ice rink in the winter and a paddle-boat-pond in the summer.

They passed a small, old-fashioned cookie shop along the way, and the boys bought their respective girls a chocolate-chip cookie the approximate size of their face. The girls showed them the open and airy dancing hall where a small group of people were learning how to tango. They walked them past the Clover Fairgrounds, a large meadow with neatly trimmed grass and about twenty or so large tents that stood folded up by the shed.

Eventually, they found themselves back at the sea shore, staring not out at the infinite Atlantic, but instead at a series of what appeared to be lagoons and lakes. A narrow strip of land led out to a sprawling gazebo situated right on the water, the largest the boys had ever seen, cream in color and ornately carved with flowers and gingerbread trim. They gawked at the little bookstores that seemed as if they belonged in some English town in decades past, taking in the fancy bookends and handsome leather-bound collections inside.

But the church was their favorite - a modest little chapel sitting on a lush green lawn with majestic trees, delicate flowers, and strategically arranged stones, with the endless azure Atlantic stretched out behind.

The sun had long ago begun its slow descent across the sky, and it was when darkness crept in on its heels that the foursome decided to return to their hotel rooms to change before going out to dinner together. The girls knew of the perfect old-fashioned restaurant, complete with a dance floor all its own, and the boys were only too happy to agree to those plans.

Jason and Sonny raced each other up the stairs and into the room, both heading straight for the shower. Jason beat Sonny by a nose and quickly washed up as Sonny scrounged around for his dress pants and a nice shirt. He found Jason's too, folded and tucked way down in his duffel bag and ironed both outfits.

Jason came out in his boxers, his head bent over as he dried his hair and Sonny glanced at his watch and hurried to shower and change. The blonde finally put down the towel and, seeing that Sonny had ironed both of their outfits, put himself to use by hunting down their dress shoes. He found them, and after mulling over whether or not they were clean enough, he whipped out the complimentary shoe polish the hotel provided and rubbed both pairs down.

He hurriedly dressed himself, pulling on his black pants and a blue button-down collared shirt. It was the most formal thing he brought, and the funniest part was that it wasn't even that formal. But that was all right - small town restaurants like this didn't require suits and ties. Pants and a shirt were just fine.

Sonny came out of the bathroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror, trying to decide whether or not to apply gel to the already wild curls. He opted not to and quickly stepped into his tan pants and buttoned up his black half-sleeved dress shirt.

Both boys stood in front of the mirror on their dresser, running a comb quickly through their damp hair. Jason parted his in the middle like he always did, and his blonde hair fell down to his eyes at the temples. Sonny tried to comb his black curls but soon gave up, allowing them to fluff up like an afro and realizing that he had probably screwed himself over by not putting in gel when he had the chance.

With that done, the boys stepped into their dress shoes and laced them up, their fingers flying. A look at the clock told them that it had taken them both a total time of twenty seven minutes to get ready. But they were willing to bet that the girls downstairs still hadn't even picked out what they were going to wear.

The boys would have lost that bet - just as they were tying their shoes, Brenda and Elizabeth were both standing fully dressed in front of the mirror and applying their makeup. Both knew that nothing fancy was required tonight - after all, the boys had seen them with absolutely no makeup on for the last three days. Still, each girl secretly wanted to look nice for her respective partner.

Both Brenda and Elizabeth had packed an abundance of flowery summer dresses, every young man's secret weakness. Brenda wore a black-and-white dress that came down to her knees and had fluttery little quarter-sleeves. The dress itself was white was black trim at the shoulders and neck, and dainty little polka dots sprinkled all over it. Elizabeth wore a powder blue, sleeveless dress with little black straps that sat primly atop her shoulders, and with large periwinkle and indigo flowers splashed all over. The dress went in at the waist and flared out until just above the knee. For the first time, her dress was shorter than Brenda's!

Brenda applied her mascara before passing the tube to Elizabeth, who grimaced at it and put it down. Mascara usually made her eyes water, and she wasn't going to experiment in order to figure out if Brenda's was hypoallergenic. They both applied a light layer of blush and smoothed on some gloss before abandoning their faces and turning to their hair. Brenda just brushed hers out and let it hang over her shoulders, and then helped Elizabeth pin some of hers back and let the other part cascade down just above her shoulders.

Done, the girls stepped into their strappy sandals, turned off all lights and appliances, and left the room. They joined Sonny and Jason in the parking lot, where the boys had been waiting for about five minutes, much to their own surprise. Sonny immediately complimented Brenda on her appearance, but poor, stricken Jason could do little but numbly echo his best friend's remarks. Though a little uncomfortable and a little put off, Elizabeth just brushed off what she felt was his forced attempt to compliment her because he had to, and the foursome got into the green sedan the boys had rented and drove to the restaurant, arriving in a little over three minutes. The girls had assured them it would be fine to walk, but Sonny stubbornly refused. But what Brenda and Elizabeth mistook as his refusal to let them walk more than a block in heels was actually Sonny's worrying about Jason and his leg cramps.

The restaurant was full tonight, and the waiters hurried back and forth from the kitchen to their tables carrying steaming trays of pasta and meat. A live band played in the back and a few of the older couples danced to their smooth, jazzy sound. Brenda and Elizabeth had long ago explained to the boys that Clover wasn't really a young man's town. All the younger people fled as soon as they graduated to high school and headed for the bustling cities to join the rat race they'd dreamed of all their lives, far from the wholesome, calm sanctity of their hometown. The only people that stayed there were the couples with very young children, the families with kids a bit younger than them, and the older couples whose grandchildren were being raised in the big cities. For that reason, Jason and Sonny weren't surprised that the restaurant was filled with adults - no teenagers in sight.

Elizabeth was admiring the painting that hung in the make-shift lobby by the door, and Sonny was only too glad to see Jason saunter over to join her. It didn't matter that he was more concerned with smelling her hair than noting the artist's brush strokes - all that mattered was that he wasn't within hearing distance as he and Brenda requested a table.

"Hi," the clerk smiled down at Sonny. He was a tall man with gray hair that he wore slicked back, and small black spectacles. He loved seeing young people in Clover, and he knew Brenda and Elizabeth pretty well from their visits alone and with their families over the years. "Brenda, love, good to see you."

"Hey, Uncle Bert," Brenda grinned, setting a hand on the counter. Sonny knew by now not to be surprised when the girls called some of the townsfolk "Uncle" or "Aunt" - it seemed to be a common term of address. Most people that knew the two responded with familiar terms of endearment or their own nicknames, and Jason had burst out laughing when a little boy riding his tricycle in the park had yelled out "Lizard! Bear!" as soon as he saw the two girls. "Where are the Ringling Brothers when you need 'em?" he asked jokingly as Brenda and Elizabeth chattered away with little Ronnie.

"How've you been, dear?"

Brenda twisted a lock of hair around her fingers as she replied. "Fine, thanks. How about you? How's Aunt Florence?"

"She's better," Bert nodded. "Arthritis still kicks in sometimes, but it's better ever since she went to that homeopathic doctor in Asheville."

Brenda nodded. "That's good. I remember when we were here last time - she was in terrible shape. I'm glad she's better. And how are Todd and Paul?" she asked, referring to Bert's sons.

"Todd is about to graduate from Miami of Ohio," Bert replied, "and Paul is about to begin his fourth year in the military."

"Good for them," Brenda glowed, and Sonny didn't doubt her sincerity for a minute. "I'm very glad they're doing so well."

Bert beamed at her kind words. "Well, what can I do for you two kids today?"

"We need a table for four-"

"Actually," Sonny cut in, biting his lip as he studied Bert. "We were wondering if you could do us a favor."

Bert regarded him with a slight trace of suspicion. "What sort of favor?"

Sonny motioned discreetly to Jason and Elizabeth. "They're with us," he explained, "and I was wondering if it was possible for you to say that you don't have any more tables for four - like, they're all reserved or something - and that you have to seat us in two tables for two. Preferably not next to each other, either."

A smile tugged at Bert's lips. Apparently, Brenda's new man, as he assumed the dark-haired boy in front of him was, thought just like she did. "A little ambush, huh?"

Sonny grinned, showing his dimples. "Of sorts."

Bert glanced at Jason and Elizabeth, sniffing. "I think that can be arranged," he replied finally, his eyes twinkling. Yes, he definitely loved it when youngsters stopped in. He knew the simple request wasn't as innocuous as it seemed, but he was only too happy to comply. "We have another band coming in, in about fifteen minutes or so," he supplied. "They play music more for your age, but they're all kids of some of my friends, so we book them here. Their faster songs are good, but their slow ones are better. Just keep that in mind."

Sonny grinned when Bert winked at him. "Thank you. Will do."

Jason and Elizabeth joined them at that moment, and Bert tipped his head politely at them, the very picture of innocence although Brenda could still see the mirth in his eyes. "Good evening, kids. Bethie, how are you doing, sweetheart?"

"Just fine, Uncle Bert," she responded, immediately grinning back.

"How's school?"

"Almost done, but going very well."

Bert smiled down at her. Under normal circumstances he would have complimented her on how lovely she looked, but he figured he had better leave that to the young man in her company. "Good. Now, if you four will wait for a few minutes, I'll see what we have in the way of seating arrangements."

Jason and Sonny nodded together as if on cue and Bert stepped away to speak to one of the hostesses. Within five minutes he was back, and Sonny swallowed his laughter at the mock look of regret and apology on the older man's face.

"I'm terribly sorry, children," he clucked. "But the only two remaining larger tables are reserved. We'll have to seat you in tables of two. I hope that is all right."

Jason sighed in slight irritation, but Sonny quickly spoke up. "It's fine," he pretended to assure a very apologetic Bert. "No problem."

Elizabeth and Brenda nodded in reassurance, and Sonny almost laughed at how Bert slowly perked up. "Ok, then," he smiled. "I'll show you to your tables."

Several adults looked up from their food as Bert walked by, four teenagers flanking him like ducklings. Some of them knew the girls and smiled in hello, and others were just amazed to see non-local children in Clover.

Bert seated Sonny and Brenda first, and then walked several paces away to seat Jason and Elizabeth that, although out of earshot, was still in direct view from Sonny and Brenda's seats.

Jason kept darting nervous glances at Sonny, and Brenda kept giggling over how scared he looked. Even Sonny couldn't help but laugh when Jason almost spilled his water all over himself because he jumped when Elizabeth leaned forward and whispered something to him.

After about ten minutes, a waiter came and took their orders, and then there was nothing left for them to do but wait for the food.

Even though he was on his first real date with Brenda, Sonny magnanimously conceded the entire evening to Jason. That is, he conceded his entire evening to Brenda's desire to watch Jason squirm. The two of them bent their heads toward each other and giggled at Jason's every move, careful to pretend to be engrossed in their own conversation when Jason looked to them for moral support.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, seemed perfectly calm. She smiled at Jason's jokes, performed in a combination of awkwardness and nerves, and placed her order with certainty, even helping Jason with his.

"What the heck is wrong with Jason?" Brenda whispered to Sonny, her eyes boring through the suddenly gawky blonde that sat across from her best friend.

In front of her, Sonny had absolutely no clue. "I have no idea," he muttered, staring at his friend with confusion. "He's never like this - look at him."

"I'm lookin', believe me," Brenda huffed. "And I don't like what I see. He's always so smooth around her - you saw him today when we were at the beach."

A new thought dawned on Sonny. "You know," he began, narrowing his eyes at the couple. "This is probably the first time that he's really been alone with her."

Brenda quirked a brow at him, unconvinced. "What about New York?"

Sonny looked at her. "What about it? We were all together the whole time. We drove together, ate together, hung out together."

"What about when we went to that club? And they danced?"

"So what?" Sonny scoffed. "You were there, you remember what happened. Sure, they slow-danced; we all did. But we were all still talking and laughing the whole way through it. It wasn't even a real slow-dance - we were all still in one giant group and acting the same way."

Brenda paused, understanding what he meant. "OK, but what about when they go to lunch together?"

"Now, I don't really think that counts," Sonny began, tapping his glass as he mulled it over. "Think about it - what does going to lunch entail? A mad dash to the parking lot. A mad drive to the restaurant. You just go in, order, sit there for literally seven minutes while scarfing down as much food as you can - no time for civilizied conversation there - and then run back out to the car and hightail it to school, then run inside to beat the bell." He shook his head, convinced. "No, this has got to be the first time that they're sitting down and eating together in an environment like this."

"So you think he's nervous." It was a statement, not a question, and Brenda waited for Sonny's response.

"Definitely," was all he said, his eyes not moving from Jason and Elizabeth.

"Huh."

"He's scared out of his mind," Sonny continued, sipping his water. "Look at him - he's trying to figure out what type of atmosphere to create - a friendly one or a romantic one. The friendly one is hard because of where they are and what she's wearing." Brenda smirked. "And romantic is hard because he's never been romantic with her before. I mean, sure, he's done his fair share of flirting, or so he says, because that's debatable, but he's never been romantic. So now he has no clue what to do, and he's coming across as really awkward and weird."

Brenda nodded. "And I'm sorry to say it, but Beth doesn't look like she's enjoying this too much."

Sonny bobbed his head in agreement. "Because she's used to the confident, funny Jason that's always the first to tell her a story and make her laugh. She hasn't seen the nervous Jason. And if she has, she didn't know it-"

"Because she was too busy being nervous herself," Brenda finished.

"Exactly."

"So, basically, what this all comes down to," Brenda mused, cocking her head to the side. "Is that those two are incurable idiots."

"Exactly."

Brenda slid him a sidelong glance, amusement kicking up the corners of her mouth. "And what about you, Don? Are you nervous?"

The question came totally unexpectedly and Sonny almost choked on his water. "Me?" he managed to sputter, looking at her with what he hoped was a look of incredulity.

"Yes, you," Brenda replied, regarding him with a bemused smirk. "Are you nervous?"

"Never," he replied, bringing out the dimples to reinforce his lie.

"Are you sure?" Brenda wheedled, leaning forward and smoothing a hand down his bare arm. "Because, you know, this is our first date."

"I-I'm aware."

Brenda hid her grin at his hitched voice. He was nervous, all right. "And you're not nervous that you'll say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing and I'll suddenly decide you're not the one for me?"

Her voice was light and teasing, but her question put an end to Sonny's brave facade. When she looked up and saw how seriously he was regarding her, the mocking smirk slipped off her face. Her hand stopped caressing his arm, and suddenly, the indomitable Brenda Barrett felt like a ridiculous, self-conscious ninny.

Sonny pulled his hand back enough to gently clasp her hand. "I'm always nervous that I'll say or do something to put you off," he admitted in a low voice. He refused to look her in the eye, choosing instead to eye her silver ring which he was fingering. "It just comes with the territory, I guess, as the phrase goes. Not to imply that you're my territory or anything," he assured her hastily. "But if I give in to those nerves, we'll never get anywhere. And I don't want that."

He looked up at her then, his eyes laced with resolution. "I want to be myself with you, Barrett. And I want the same from you. It's not worth it if we have to pretend around each other. That's not the sort of relationship I want with you."

Brenda's eyes softened and she stroked his knuckles with her thumb. "Me neither."

They sat in silence for a moment until a light appeared in Brenda's eyes. "Come on - let's dance until our food gets here."

Sonny grinned and allowed her to pull him out of his chair. Their hands still clasped, they made their way to Jason and Elizabeth's table.

"Hey, you two," Brenda beamed. "Come on, the band's playing. Let's dance."

"Uh," Jason looked at her, unsure. But then it occurred to him that it was either talking to Sonny and Brenda on the dance floor or staying here in the Land of Terribly Boring and Awkward Small Talk. "Would you like to?"

Elizabeth blinked at him. "Um, sure," she replied, a smile slowly blossoming on her lips.

He grabbed her hand lightly and led her out onto the wooden dance floor with Sonny and Brenda. The new band was playing, a group of mop-haired blonde kids probably their own age. Jason had to admit that they had a good sound - though loud, it was energetic and bright, and contained no profanity.

They'd just started a fast number and the dance floor was clear except for two other brave couples who, though not youngsters by any measure, moved well to the quick beat.

Sonny and Brenda found a spot and after looking at each other for a moment, just shrugged their shoulders and began dancing. Jason led Elizabeth next to them and they also began dancing to the lively song.

She plays guitar with her fingertips
She'll play your heart with her tender lips
She'll work it out until she makes the tips
And it's all right, yeah, it's all right

Elizabeth was laughing now, clearly enjoying the song and Sonny's wacky dance moves. Jason grinned at the sound and watching his best friend, he felt his own self-consciousness bleed away.

Holding her tight in late December
I look in the stars and I remember
She doesn't mind when you offend her
And it's all right, yeah, it's all right

The adults that were seated on the outskirts of the floor were laughing now at the four endearing teenagers that instantly took command of the floor. Elizabeth looked up and saw even the band grinning at them, their fingers flying over their instruments. It was like a race - their dancing and the band's music. And it was exhilarating.

Jason grinned down at her and she danced closer, spinning around him with his hand gently guiding her.

Just a girl like you, and maybe just a
Just a guy like me, maybe we
Could take a walk on the wild side
Take a look and take a look and go
Get up and go

They'd started a sensation. The adults were clapping now, energetically, in perfect rhythm with the beat. Even the waiters would glance at them and smile as they hurried back and forth from the kitchen like little ants. The clapping grew louder and soon other people were straining around to see what all the commotion was about.

What could I give when you've got all you need
And she looks at me like all I want's a little free
Every time I'm here with you, you make me see
That it's all right, yeah, it's all right

Jason's face was close to hers now. His nose touched hers lightly as they moved, his warm breath wandering over her cheeks and mingling with hers.

We'll get away
Be in love
We can make it better
All I need's a little time for us to get together
Happiness is just a step away
Well it's all right, yeah, it's all right

Bert was smiling wickedly now at the four kids on the floor. Bethie seemed to be having a great time, thanks to the coordinated gentleman at her side. He wasn't sure if her father would appreciate how close the boy's movements were to her body, but she didn't seem to mind at all.

Just a girl like you, and maybe just a
Just a guy like me, maybe we
Could take a walk on the wild side
Take a look and take a look and go
Get up and go
Get up and go
Ooh oh, ooh oh, won't you go?
Ooh oh, ooh oh, get up and go
Ooh oh, ooh oh, won't you go?

Now his arms were at her waist and her hands were on his wide shoulders. Her hair tickled his nose when he spun her. She was laughing freely now, her eyes dancing as their bodies moved to the vibrant sounds of the piano, drums, and guitar. The band began to sing louder, their enthusiasm regarding their four dancers evident in their voices. Brenda winked at Sonny, who returned a toothy grin. Things were going exactly as planned.

Take a look and, take a look and go
Seems like love has always found a way
But there's only so many hours in the day
All that I know is that you're here with me
And it's all right, yeah, it's all right

He spun her again, his hands boldly claiming her narrow waist as their own. Her fingers squeezed his biceps through his blue shirt for an all-too-brief instant before relaxing. Looking into her eyes, Jason's heart almost stopped at the sheer joy he saw reflected within. She was having a good time. With him.

And that was all he needed.

Elizabeth watched him look down at her as they danced, and unconsciously captured her bottom lip between her teeth. What was he so anxiously searching for in her eyes?

She knew. And she showed him what he was looking for - showed him that she was so unbelievably happy to be able to share this moment with him. And as he gradually comprehended the meaning in her eyes, she could feel the self-consciousness that settled over him like fog just evaporate.

Won't you tell me that you need me so bad
'Cause you are everything I've never had
Every time I look at you it hurts so bad
And it's all right, yeah, it's all right

Yeah, it was all right. All of it. Her. Him. This.

The music swirled around them, enveloping them. No room for conversation. No room for words or thoughts. There was just the music - the tinkling piano, loud and powerful, delicate and teasing. The drums, rich and sonorous. The guitar, soothing and tying everything together. Just this dance floor, just the flash of blue from his shirt as he spun her around, just her hair sticking in her gloss, just the lightest tickle of his thumb on her cheek as he brushed it back.

Just this.

Fast. Lively. Energetic. Bright.

Just them.

Just a girl like you, and maybe just a
Just a guy like me, maybe we
Could take a walk on the wild side
Take a look and take a look and go
Get up and go

The music faded away, despite the band's efforts to prolong it. They grinned out at their four most enthusiastic dancers, their eyes full of appreciation. It wasn't often that they got such an energetic welcome.

But the foursome didn't even notice. Brenda and Sonny were still exchanging secret glances and smiles, biting their lips and wiggling their eyebrows at their friends. Jason and Elizabeth were catching their breath as the adults applauded, and Sonny could see that the tension was no longer there.

"It worked," he mouthed to Brenda, who lightly clapped her hands together.

"Well, that was fun," Sonny spoke up, smiling at his friends. "The band's really good."

Elizabeth nodded in agreement, flushing when she heard her name being yelled from somewhere out in the audience. "Yeah, they are. And they're so young, too."

"Speaking of the band," Brenda announced, spinning on her heel and winking at Sonny before sauntering away. "I'm going to go hit on them."

Jason snickered and turned to Sonny, who was just rolling his eyes in response.

Brenda quickened her steps and was soon at the stage. The boys had been watching her walk up to them and smiled warmly.

Sonny watched out of the corner of his eye as Brenda engaged them in some friendly chit chat before discreetly pointing in their direction. The band stared over until she hissed at them not to make it look so obvious, and when they nodded enthusiastically, Sonny knew Brenda had won them over to supporting the cause.

She walked back quickly, a dazzling smile on her face, and linked arms with him. Bert pointed to the two waiters that were headed to each couples' table and the dancers followed them back to their seats, modestly accepting compliments from their viewers.

Dinner went by rather quickly. Sonny and Brenda watched Jason and Elizabeth make comfortable conversation and then relaxed into their own dinner, content to leave the other two alone and enjoy their own first date. Brenda kept teasing Sonny throughout dinner, and every once in a while, Elizabeth's tinkling laughter could be heard as Jason entertained her with one of his anecdotes.

Eventually, the waiters cleared away the dishes and brought out dessert. When that was done, Jason looked over at Sonny, who cocked his head in the direction of the dance floor again. Jason nodded back, looking hopefully at Elizabeth, who had watched the exchange and was only too happy to offer him her hand.

Sonny and Brenda were the first to reach the floor, and Elizabeth smiled when Brenda fixed Sonny's collar before stepping into his arms. The band was exchanging mischievous smiles as they played the opening notes, and Elizabeth wondered what in the world they found so funny.

Jason looked down at his flushed companion, one eyebrow raised in question. His lips curved slowly upward when she placed one hand in his and placed the other one at his nape, stepping into him and allowing his arm to wrap around her waist.

The song, while slower than the first, was still filled with energy and Brenda smiled at the band in gratitude as they began to sing.

Won't deny everything can't last
But it's closing in so fast

Jason cleared his throat softly when Elizabeth's fingers gently stroked the light hairs at his nape. His hand tightened around hers as he led her through the dance.

Thought that I'd figured it out at last
But you can't change the past
And it's closing in so fast

Jason's broad hand flattened against the base of her spine, sending warm tingles all through her body. The notes of the song rose in a graceful crescendo and Elizabeth closed her eyes, her temple touching Jason's chin.

Feels just like we're dancin' in the wind
Feeling just all right
When we're dancin' in the wind
We can dance all night

Jason felt her sigh, lightly, daintily. Her hand smoothed down his neck, coming to a rest on his broad shoulder. She fingered the cotton of his blue shirt and shifted slightly, resting her cheek against his chest as they swayed to the music.

Just don't walk away
When I've got you in my arms tonight
And I've got something to say
There are still rules to break
And this music is a place to hide
Isn't it just a game we play?

But the game was over. She was in his arms and he was holding her tight. There were no more games. There was only the music, floating airily about them.

Feels just like we're dancin' in the wind
Feeling just all right
When we're dancin' in the wind
We can dance all night
We can dance all night
We can dance all night

Her arms looped around his neck. His hands clasped gently at the small of her back and he pulled her closer. She didn't need much coaxing.

When we're dancin' in the wind
We can dance all night
Feels just like we're dancin' in the wind
Feeling just all right
When we're dancin' in the wind
We can dance all night
We can dance all night
We can dance all night
When we're dancin' in the wind
We can dance all night
We can dance all night
When we're dancin' in the wind
We can dance all night

He pulled away reluctantly, missing the warmth her small body provided almost immediately. The feeling he had just experienced had been incredible, and he was sad to see it end. Slow-dancing in New York - though memorable in its own right as their first official dance - had been nothing compared to this. For one thing, at least Kyle and Johnny hadn't been making weird noises the whole time.

Brenda decided she was tired and that it would be a good time to head on out, and so the group paid at the desk, said goodnight to "Uncle Bert" and drove back to the hotel. Upon arrival, all four of them headed into the girls' room.

Sonny waited before Elizabeth was in the bathroom and Jason was checking his messages safely out of earshot before leaning closer to Brenda and hissing, "What was that about? They were just getting somewhere."

She wiggled her eyebrows wic

kedly at him. "Don't worry - it's not over," she promised. "Just wait and see."

Elizabeth stepped out of the bathroom, having scrubbed off her makeup and taking out her hair pins, and stepped into her comfortable brown leather flip-flops, announcing that she felt like going for a walk. Jason was only too happy to comply and the two soon left the room, leaving behind an amazed Sonny and an openly smug Brenda.

The night was warm and the stars illuminated the landscape as Jason and Elizabeth stepped out in to the parking lot.

"Where to?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. The air - though warm - carried a hint of coolness and she found herself wondering if she should have brought a light sweater of some sort. Deciding against it, she matched her steps with Jason as they slowly left the parking lot.

"I've actually been wanting to check out that huge gazebo," he admitted, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Elizabeth smiled. "I love that place," she sighed. "And we're in luck - I know a shortcut to it."

She led them down a narrow dirt road that curved off into a meadow, and Jason found himself in awe over how utterly amazing the earth - the pure earth - looked under a blanket of starlight and darkness. It was so different from back home. Port Charles, though still a small town by most standards, was bustling and loud even at night.

But here, there were hardly any cars to be heard at the moment. The only music in the air was from the dancing hall, and that faded away as they walked. He spied the ocean in the distance and sighed.

"What?" Elizabeth smirked, looking up at him. He hadn't realized that she had been watching him the whole time.

He shrugged. "This is just so amazing, that's all. I've never been anywhere like it. I mean, just listen." He spun around once, arms outstretched. "Listen!"

"I'm listening," she laughed, enjoying the look of pure pleasure on his face.

"There's nothing to hear!" he burst out, his arms still outstretched. "No cars, no people, no nothing! Just the frogs and the crickets."

"Cicadas, actually," she smiled. "But you're right, it is really quiet and peaceful down here. I can't believe that none of the kids our age want to stay."

"Their loss," Jason huffed. "This place rocks my face off."

Elizabeth chuckled. "I'm with you on that one."

Their dirt road curved out from the meadow and Jason soon found himself staring at the gazebo. But it was even more breathtaking than he had remembered. Striking in the daytime, it was glorious in the nightime. White lights were strung all around the top and the railing, providing a wonderful contrast against the dark sky and even darker ocean. Lights at the base illuminated the entire structure, making the cream paint glow.

"Wow."

"Isn't it amazing?" Elizabeth beamed. "And check it out - there's this little thicket right over there - see it? I meant to show you earlier, but I forgot. And there are these hedges that if you pass under them, it'll take you right back to the gazebo!"

Jason followed her down the road to the overgrown patch of forest that she was referring to. He began to hear shrill laughter somewhere behind him, but he paid little attention to it as they neared their destination. Elizabeth grabbed his hand and pulled him under the foliage. After a minute of cursing the branches as they rasped against his shirt, Jason found himself in a little cave formed completely by small, lush trees and bushes.

"Woah - weird."

"Something right out of Bambi," Elizabeth supplied. "Last time we came, Brenda and I just spread a quilt out right here and lay down. We must have stayed here until three or four in the morning, just talking and looking at the stars."

Jason looked up where she had motioned, and his breath almost caught in his throat. "The stars are so close here," he muttered, letting out a low whistle. "I've never seen anything like it."

"The moon, too," Elizabeth added, pointing up at the giant glowing crescent. "The most important part."

Jason looked down at her as she spoke, taking in the way the moonlight cascaded over her delicate feminine features, illuminating her beautiful face. His eyes were on her, not the moon, when she continued.

" 'There is something haunting in the light of the moon; it has all the dispassionateness of a disembodied soul, and something of its inconceivable mystery'. Joseph Conrad said that, and sometimes, I almost understand what he meant." She looked at him then, surprised to see him looking back at her instead of at the sky. She blinked twice, but his gaze never wavered. "Jason?" Her voice was nervous now, and she licked her lips. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He stepped closer to her, slowly, like a cat, the vegetation making no sound under his Jesus sandals.

She bit her lip as he loomed above her, his eyes bright in the moonlight. But nothing prepared her for what he said next.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

The words, and the sandpaper voice he used to voice them, made her go weak at the knees. Surely, she was hallucinating. Jason Morgan didn't really just say that to her, did he?

She didn't have the time or the functioning brain cells to ask him to repeat his question because she was sure she misheard him - he didn't really just say that, did he? Because Jason just kept getting closer, his nose just by hers.

She looked into his eyes, swallowing. She knew what happened next - it was always like this in the movies.

Jason's large hand hovered in the air before he slowly raised it to her face, cupping her cheek. His fingers brushed the shell of her ear, fluttering over her hair, his touch feather-light. His breath, warm and smelling of the ginger-tea toothpicks he always kept handy, washed over her lips and mingled with her own suddenly rapid breaths.

The side of his nose touched hers then, and Elizabeth's large eyes fluttered closed on a sigh. That was all the opportunity Jason needed, because another hand soon found her waist, resting lightly on it as he pulled her closer and brushed his lips against hers.

She leaned into him, her hands half-raised in the air, her eyes still closed. His lips pressed against hers this time, firmer, more certain. They were warm and wet and caressed hers, and she instantly found herself responding, giving in to the urge that had subconsciously been eating away at her for months.

He grew bolder, flattening his hand at the small of her back and pulling her into him. The hand on her cheek retreated to her nape and he angled her head back, kissing her harder and biting back a moan when she responded. She gasped when she felt his tongue press against her lips, and Jason seized the moment, his tongue slithering in to mate with hers.

She didn't know what to do at first, but as he became more demanding, she found herself becoming more aggressive as well. Her hands, formerly resting lightly on his waistband, now traveled up his back. She speared her fingers through his silky blonde hair, letting it slip easily through them.

His tongue explored the recesses of her mouth while drinking her in, while his fingers played through her hair. Elizabeth pressed a hand to his cheek as he ravaged her mouth, urging him not to stop. What happened to the calm, demure, even prudent Elizabeth, she didn't know. And she didn't want to, because the Elizabeth that was in Jason Morgan's arms at the moment knew exactly what she wanted, and for once, wasn't too afraid to go after it. And what's more, she was getting it.

She heard some crashing noise in the background, but forgot about it as soon as she heard the primal growl that escaped Jason's lips. Her grandfather's voice ran through her head, and she fought with all her might to repress it. "Your lips get enough strain talking on the telephone and don't need to be subjected to the stress of having some boy's mouth pressed against them. Furthermore, kissing has unpredictable effects on the male brain and often sends random signals to his hands."

Jason pulled away slightly, long enough for both of them to gasp in some oxygen before swapping spit all over again.

Elizabeth was dimly aware of more noise in the background, but was unable to focus on it as Jason's tongue continued to duel with hers. But this time, the noise wasn't as far away as she had anticipated and hoped.

Elizabeth nearly jumped three feet in the air when the sanctity of their little thicket was broken by several flashlights and men in dark uniforms, one of whom was holding a megaphone.

"Freeze! Stop where you are and put your hands in the air!"