The soft snow fell to the ground and I kept my eyes on the white snowflakes from my spot in the hospital bed I was currently confined in until I was cleared to go home, I sighed slightly then snapped my head toward the door as it opened, I repressed a flinch as I saw Juniper and Zeke walk in.
Holding hands.
"Hey Serenity," Juniper cooed, sitting next to the bed, "how are you feeling?"
"Like I want to throw up," I mumbled, and it wasn't because of the drugs that were pumping round my system, Juniper grimaced and back away slightly.
"Right, I bought you something," she said sweetly, pulling something out of her bag, I looked over at Zeke who shrugged, thanks for the help, Juniper handed me a small box that was wrapped up and I slowly pulled off the wrappings, gulping as I saw a picture of us at last year's fair, we had just got off the roller coaster and looked slightly green despite our large grins, "to say sorry for how I acted before," she added softly.
Yeah, you're sorry, once you got what you wanted.
"Right, yeah, thanks, Juni," I whispered, putting the picture on the cabinet by my bed, "so, uh, how are things going back home? Ronan and Garret blown anything up lately? And who's that Lash guy?"
"No, your brothers haven't blown anything up, Lash is an old friend of your parents, he's really nice actually, though Layla acts really weird around him and he so obviously loves her, dunno why though," Juniper answered dismissively, "any cute doctors?"
"You do realise Zeke is right there?" I scowled, nodding to him, but he looked like he couldn't care less, only looking up at me as I mentioned his name, "anyway, when were you round mine?"
"Oh, Magenta sent me round there after I went to Zeke's to find him," Juniper shrugged, since when did she call my family friends by their first names?
"When did you start calling Magenta or Aunt Layla by their first names?" I frowned, "you usually call them Mr or Mrs whatever."
"I just decided to, I mean you do," Juniper replied uncaringly.
"I've known them my entire life," I said slowly, feeling angrier and angrier by the second, had she always been so flippant and rude? Was I only just realising it? Zeke caught my eye and made the gesture of hanging himself, making me giggle and Juniper swung round but he'd instantly gone back to a neutral position.
"I'm going to get a coffee, you guys want anything?" Juniper asked sweetly, standing and heading for the door as Zeke and I shook our heads, she just shrugged and left as Zeke took her seat beside me.
"I tried to stop her coming in," he said apologetically and I simply shook my head, "how you feeling today anyway?"
"Bit better, doctors say I can go home in a few days," I replied softly, feeling his large hand cover my smaller one, "still have about ten different drugs pumping round my body though."
"I'm glad you'll be home soon, Serenity," he whispered, "we all miss you, and school starts in a week, we have to play Save the Citizen remember?"
"Yeah," I nodded, "oh shit, I still haven't done my homework for Mr Limeburg, he is so going to kill me."
"I could bring it in for you? Then you could complete it here," Zeke suggested, I nodded with a grateful smile and the corners of his lips quirked into a small smile, "I'll bring it in tomorrow, I promise."
"Thanks," I smiled, leaning over and hugging him loosely, I felt him gently hug me back, winding his strong arms round my waist, I pulled back and we both paused as our faces were only a few inches from each others.
He kissed me, softly but firmly, his hands moving up to hold my face, he slowly pulled away and our eyes locked, our breaths mingling as we kept our lips only millimetres from one another's.
The door handle turning made us leap back from each other, red staining our cheeks as we avoided eye contact, Juniper skipped in unknowingly and sat on the other side of my bed.
We talked about random stuff for a few minutes before Zeke and Juniper left, leaving me alone with my guilt, I had just kissed my best friend's new boyfriend, okay, I didn't initiate it, he did, but I still kissed back.
"Was that Juniper and Zeke?" mom's happy voice asked as she came in the room with dad, then they spotted my face, "Serenity, what happened? Did that little witch say something?"
"No," I whispered, shaking my head, "I did something bad."
"What?" dad demanded, "did that damn Lumen kid lay a finger on you?"
"I hugged him, then we pulled back, then he kissed me, and I kissed back and then we stopped kissing, then Juniper walked in, then we talked, then they left," I fired off rapidly, "and now I feel really bad because they're together but I like Zeke and now I think he likes me but he's not allowed to like me because he's dating Juniper."
"This is why I am so glad I was never a teenaged girl," dad mumbled, still trying to piece together everything I'd said.
"Um, this is bad," was all mom said and she sighed as she sat in the seat Zeke had previously occupied, "so, the doctors say you can come home tomorrow if your vitals are good enough tomorrow."
"Great, I can face Zeke and everything will be awkward because he kissed me," I grumbled, scowling, "can't I get another injury and stay in here for a bit longer?"
"HE KISSED YOU?!!!" dad roared.
"Took you long enough," mom muttered under her breath.
I was currently biting my lip nervously as I climbed out of my father's car and headed into my home, using dad as support while Ronan walked on my other side and Garret behind me.
"Surprise!" rang through the house as I stepped through the front door and my jaw dropped as I saw my entire family and friends crowed into the building, including Zeke and Juniper, the former had an arm wrapped round the latter's slim waist and I forced down the burning jealousy that pooled in my stomach.
"Uh, hey," I said slowly, shooting my brothers accusing glares as to why the hell they didn't tell me this was planned, they just grinned at me as Josie, Layla, Magenta and Grace all hugged me, I was so loved, Magenta sent me an apologetic look, nodding to Zeke and Juniper discretely and I just shook my head with a small smile.
I was dragged into the sitting room and sat on the couch, I noticed dad glaring at Zeke who was determinedly looking the other way, plus avoiding my eye, he was ashamed of what had happened, guilty, just like me.
"Serenity! I'm happy you're home!" Taylor squealed excitedly, leaping into my lap and his fingertips sparked, my eyes widened slightly as fire suddenly circled the both of us, he looked terrified, "Serenity! Make it stop!"
"Sssh, it's okay," I said softly, pulling him close to me and quickly dousing the flames with a stream of water, "see, it's all gone, no more fire sweetheart, not like it would hurt you."
"Taylor got his powers!" mom sang happily, scooping the child in her arms and kissing him on the nose, "my baby got his powers!"
"And it's fire," dad smirked, he was just waiting for the day one of us would have his pyro powers, just his pyro powers, "keep it just fire, okay Taylor?"
"Does this mean I'm like daddy?" Taylor asked happily and we all nodded, he grinned and clapped his hands, "I'm like daddy!"
Every female in the room cooed at the display of cuteness and dad looked rather proud of his youngest son while Ronan and Garret had flopped beside me on the couch and looked sulky, their arms folded over their chests.
"Aw, are my little brothers worried daddy won't love them anymore?" I laughed teasingly, slinging my arms round their shoulders, they glared at me and I just grinned.
"So, is Zeke a good kisser?" Ronan smirked, looking at me as blush flooded my face, "yeah, he told us, feels bad about cheating on Juniper but, he likes you so he's kind of confused."
"I'm not to going to answer that," I mumbled, staring into my lap and playing with my fingers, tears of shame building up in my eyes, I took in a deep breath and stood, "I'm feeling kind of tired, I'm going to go have a sleep okay? Tell mom and dad for me."
"Sure thing big sis," Garret said gently, standing and hugging me, "and don't feel bad, you didn't do anything wrong."
Forcing on a watery smile, I nodded before going up to my room, my guilty tears escaping once I was out of sight, I leaned back against my bedroom door once I'd closed it and was inside my room, I slowly sank to the floor, clamping a hand over my mouth to muffle the sound of ashamed sobs.
After a few minutes I managed to compose myself and stood shakily, going to my desk where my holiday homework was set out, I sighed as I sat down and slowly began answering the questions, pausing every few seconds to wipe away any stray tears that managed to escape my eyes.
"Serenity, you okay honey?" Layla's always gentle and comforting voice asked from behind me and I laughed chokingly, turning my eyes to my ceiling.
"Define okay Aunt Layla, I'm okay physically I guess, just a few cuts and bruises now, but inside, I don't know anymore, I did something so bad and I can't help feeling it was right even though I know it was the wrong thing to do," I whispered, "I betrayed someone I care about and that's the worst betrayal you can ever do, right?"
"I did something majorly bad once," a new voice cut in and I turned my head slowly to see the guy my mom was talking to on Christmas, "betrayed people who cared about me, trusted me, because I was scared about accepting their words, I even nearly hurt you because of that fear, despite knowing it was wrong, people do wrong things for different reasons, sometimes because their scared, because they feel it's right, or, mostly, because their assholes."
I giggled tearfully and he smiled slightly, Layla looked uncomfortable and she shot me a small smile before going downstairs, leaving me alone with a guy who was basically a stranger.
"I'm Lash," he said, "I knew your mom and dad at school, your mom and I were best friends, then I lost my memory in a fight with a Villain organisation on my graduation day," he looked so sad as he spoke, his eyes full of past regret, "at first your mom and everyone tried to help but I didn't want to know, I was too scared, but I know your not a coward like me Serenity, because you can admit the wrong you've done despite your young age, when I was your age I was too scared to do that, then your mom helped me change, for the better trust me, I was a little shit, you're stronger than I ever was, you're mom and dad's kid, you're tougher than you think."
"Did you ever kiss your best friend's partner?" I whispered keeping my blue eyes on his dark ones as he made a sympathetic sound.
"Nope and that is bad, what do you see in that Lumen kid anyway?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, "your mom, Pietro, Will, Zach and Ethan filled me in, the women, apart from your mom of course, aren't really talking to me what with me once dating Layla, losing my memory, trying to get her join the dark side, etc."
"You love Aunt Layla, huh?" I said softly and he nodded, "she's married to Uncle Pietro though, and she'd never cheat on him, she loves him, sorry," I said quickly as he flinched, "but she does, I was bridesmaid at their wedding, I was five and Ronan, Garret and Zeke were four, it was so much fun, then we all had this giant food fight and got into so much trouble with our parents, except my mom, she was trying to act really angry but she couldn't stop laughing."
"Sounds like Amaya," Lash laughed, running a hand through his hair, "everyone's worried about you downstairs, shall I tell them you're on your way or shall I send Warren up here, 'cause he looks ready to drag you down by your hair?"
"You're going first," I grinned, standing up from my desk and following him from the room, smiling slightly as I skipped down the stairs after him, determinedly ignoring Zeke and Juniper so I wouldn't feel like puking all over everyone, I'm not sure, but I don't think that'll go down well.
"Hey! Serenity!" Juniper called as I left the detention room after a setting fire to someone who'd insulted my father, I turned to Juniper's voice and suppressed a flinch as I saw her with Zeke but was actually kind of happy to see my brothers pretending to retch behind their backs.
"Hey," I smiled as I reached them, then noticed Juniper's excitement, "oh god, please don't tell me there's a sale on at the mall, because I refuse to use my powers to get you there Juni, remember the last time? We had detention for over a month for skipping school, not to mention my mom grounded me."
"No silly!" she laughed, slapping my arm gently, "there's a talent contest, you should enter! You would win easily and the winner gets to take a friend to Paris for an entire weekend, with adult supervision of course, but your mom is so cool I bet she'd let us go anywhere we wanted!"
"One, who said I was going to enter?" I frowned, heading down the corridor between my little brothers, "and two, if I did enter and miraculously win, who says I wouldn't take Jocelyn? She is my cousin after all."
"But I'm your best friend," Juniper whined.
"Family first," I sang lightly, repressing the urge to just turn and slap her clear across the face for thinking I would automatically pick her if I entered and won the talent contest.
"Friends since freshmen year," Juniper growled, grabbing my forearm and swinging me round, her green eyes narrowed in a glare, "best friends, you wouldn't really throw all that away, would you?"
"You're the one that's acting pathetic," I snapped, shooting a sharp burst of fire through my arm and she let me go with a startled yelp, "I've known Jocelyn way longer than I've known you, she's family, if I win that contest, I'm taking her to Paris, not you."
Juniper looked furious and I felt satisfied that I'd managed to piss her off so badly over something so little, I mean, she was loaded, she could get to Paris whenever the hell she felt like it with one wave of her magic credit card or with a phone call to her daddy dearest, but she would never pass up the opportunity to get herself something free.
"If you want to go that badly, enter the contest and try and beat me," I smirked arrogantly, I am a Peace, we ooze arrogant, just ask my dad, "I dare you."
"You're going down Peace!" Juniper spat, her fists clenching.
"I'd like to see it," I grinned, stepping directly in front of her and towering over her, I was pretty tall and she was kind of short, I love my genes, I truly do, mental note, thank mom and dad for giving me such amazing gene pools.
"You will!" Juniper practically screamed.
"Uh huh."
"Yeah!"
"That's nice."
"Just watch me!"
"Wow."
"Bitch!"
"Now, that's just mean," I whimpered, putting on a fake sad expression and pouting, holding a hand over my heart, then grinned deviously, "oh, and you're hardly one to talk, are you Juni?"
She let out a scream of frustration and stomped away, leaving me smirking with y darling brothers as Zeke looked between us awkwardly, wondering weather to stay or go, he opted to stay and I did a victory dance in my mind.
"Serenity, I am so proud that you finally put that bitch in her place," Ronan sniffed, hugging me tightly while the rest of us just rolled our eyes and I gently pushed him off me.
"Grow up," I scoffed, heading for the buses, "I don't suppose I can ride your bus, I really can't be bothered to put up with Juniper right now, please my darling brothers and Zeke?"
"Fine," Garret sighed and I grinned, slinging one arm round in a hug as we walked, "why are you Juniper sniping at each so much nowadays anyway?"
"Because she's been acting like a bitch," I scowled, releasing him and glaring ahead of me, "besides, what song shall I sing for the talent contest oh lovely brothers and Zeke?"
"What about that song I read in your notebook the other day, oh, shit was what is it Garret?" Ronan frowned as I glared at him.
"That notebook's private!" I yelled and they both flinched while Zeke just kept his eyes on me, which I steadily ignored.
"Misery Business!" Garret exclaimed, "that one's really good, and we could be your band, then we could all go to Paris!"
"No, I always play alone," I said instantly, following them on the bus, "you guys know that, what I play I play alone, I don't sing with anyone nor do I let anyone play my music, it's mine, just mine."
"Selfish," Ronan coughed.
"Who wrote it?" I sighed, sitting behind my brothers then stiffened slightly as Zeke sat beside me, his hand just resting beside me, our skin barely brushing.
"You," Ronan and Garret answered.
"Therefore, what I say goes, besides, if I win, I'm taking Jocelyn to Paris," I shrugged, "girls weekend, you know?"
They nodded reluctantly and I smiled slightly before looking out the window as they began talking to each other, I went to pull my hand into my lap but, Zeke held it where it was, interlocking our fingers and I gulped inaudibly as I turned my head to face him, he leaned toward me and I instantly pulled back, wrenching my hand free from his grip.
Ten minutes later I was bolting through my front door, Zeke on my heels, along with Ronan and Garret who looked incredibly confused, I ran up to my room but, an arm wrapped round my waist and I was pulled against someone's chest, my breath hitched as I realised it was Zeke, he gently turned me round so I was facing him.
"Can we just talk?" he muttered, "about what happened at the hospital?"
"What's there to talk about?" I gulped, feeling my cheeks get redder and redder, "you're dating Juniper, you made a mistake by kissing me, conversation done and dusted, now le-let me go."
"The only mistake I've made is dating that bitch," Zeke whispered, his dark eyes boring into mine, "I love you Serenity, I always have, I want to be with you."
I pressed my lips to his, wrapping my arms round his neck and pulling him even closer to me, he instantly responded and a sudden gasp made us break apart, we saw Jocelyn gaping at us with Ronan and Garret either side of her.
"Uh, do you guys mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?" I smiled weakly and Zeke yanked me into the sitting room, kicking the door shut behind him, he placed his lips over mine and I couldn't help but giggle slightly as I heard cheers and wolf whistles ring from outside the room.
"I guess they're happy," Zeke smirked, brushing a lock of my black hair from my face gently, "so, we together now or what?"
"You honestly think I'm going to let you go?" I laughed, "wait," I frowned as he went to kiss me again, I wriggled out of his grasp, "you're still with Juniper, I'm not going to help you cheat on another girl, no matter how much I currently despise her."
"Fine, I'll call her and end it," he shrugged simply, pulling out his phone and dialling a number while my jaw dropped.
"You'd do that? For me?" I managed once he'd got off the phone after stating two very simple words, 'we're through', I heard an angry screech before he'd ended the call though and guessed when Juniper found out I was with her ex-boyfriend, I was going to be dead meat.
"Yeah, I love you Serenity," he smiled, brushing his lips over mine, "okay?"
I nodded with a happy smile and hugged him tightly, resting my head on his chest, he wound his arms round my waist and started playing with the ends of my black hair, then door burst open and I saw my father glaring.
"Lumen, I may have known you since you were born but-ow! Amaya!" he basically whined as he turned to face my mom who was looking exasperated with a lightning bolt in one hand and Taylor clutching her other.
"Warren, leave them alone before I seriously hurt you," she sighed, extinguishing the lightning and bolt and yanking him out the room, "and congratulations you two, I'm glad you're finally together."
Yay!! They finally got together and what's going to happen with Juniper?
Thanks for all reviews, please review this chapter and I hope you liked it!!!