Happy New Year, lovelies! Did any of you stay up until midnight? I almost made it, but unfortunately I fell asleep at around 11:20 or so and woke up at 12:01. I've never felt more betrayed by my body in my life. Do any of you have new year's resolutions? Mine is to finish a story (preferably this one since I kind of have a sequel planned, but like, any one really) and to listen to more musicals because I am actually trash. Expect more subtle musical references this upcoming year. I hope you lovely people enjoy this chapter, which is a small segue between the calm and the storm. (Fair warning, things get kinda lewd because, like, flirty teenagers, but nothing really happens) ~Shaymie

Alex's POV

"Al, do you have any plans for your birthday?" Lo asked, downing her medicine with a long sip of water. Her towel started to slip slightly, falling a bit lower onto her chest. Maybe she should focus on getting dressed. She had just gotten back from working out with Darcy and Laurens. They had her on a strict workout plan. They went jogging before the sun was out. After that, they would stop by the gym for a few hours. Then they jogged their way back home. This plan would obviously have to change once we went back to school in a few days, but for now it seemed to be working… Except for the fact that Lo was always exhausted.

"Earth to Alexander! Can you hear me?" I blinked as Lo was suddenly in front of me, clapping her hands. I must have zoned out. She rolled her eyes as she walked to her bed, where her clothes were laid out. I couldn't help but stare at her when she dropped the towel, revealing more of her freckled skin. I didn't understand why she was so obsessed with losing weight. She wasn't fat by any means. Sure, she wasn't extremely fit and skinny like Darcy, but she was just… Lo. And I loved her the way she was. I wasn't going to stop her from doing what she wanted, though.

"I, uh… I don't really want to do anything," I said once I realized that I had to answer her question. I had trouble focusing on much of anything when she was standing naked in front of me. I noticed that there were hickeys on her neck and frowned. She told me that I had gotten drunk on New Year's and kissed her a bit more aggressively than I normally would. She pulled on a pair of underwear and raised an eyebrow at me as she put on a sports bra, which deliciously pushed her breasts together. I swallowed nervously. God, this girl was beautiful.

"Alex, you're going to be eighteen. Are you sure there's nothing you'd want to do? Anything you'd want me to do?" Her voice dropped in tone, growing more seductive as she looked at me. A grin came across her face as she pulled her hair back in a bun and climbed into my lap. She curled a bit of hair around her finger and put her mouth near my ear. "Eighteen long licks to start, and then whatever you want afterwards. Just say the word."

"Fuck Lo, do you even know what you do to me when you say things like that?" I asked as she nipped my earlobe.

"I can see it." She glanced at my growing crotch and winked as she left my lap. I huffed a bit as she went back to her clothes, putting on her shirt from the school choir. She could have at least given me some form of relief before doing that. Now I was left in an… uncomfortable position. She stretched as she pulled on a hoodie, wincing slightly. She had been complaining about being sore recently. I hope she wasn't pushing herself too far. Her expression turned hesitant as she looked at me. "Do… Do I really have that much of an effect on you?"

"I don't mean to be crude, Lo, but you're pretty fucking sexy." Her face was bright red as she pulled on a pair of leggings. I smirked at her and turned back to my coffee. She always got embarrassed easily. It was adorable. Part of it was her personality-she was a pretty shy girl, after all- but I also knew that she just wasn't used to getting complimented. I hated to hear the terrible things she would say about herself. None of them were true in the slightest.

"I should talk dirty more often if it gets that kind of reaction out of you." Her voice was soft as she turned to look at me, a shy smile on her face. She walked over to me again and sat on my lap, running a fingernail over my bare leg. I shuddered. She looked up at me curiously. "Is this too much, Al?"

I shook my head. If anything, it wasn't enough. She had no idea how much I just wanted to throw her on the bed and take her right here and now. I settled on giving her a kiss, one of my hands on her waist and the other on the back of her head. She closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss, letting out a surprised gasp when my tongue slipped into her mouth. My hand slid underneath her hoodie and shirt. She moaned when I squeezed her breast, and I took that as a sign to pull her bra down. I cupped her warm flesh and grinned when she started whimpering, begging for more. How quickly the tables have turned.

I was prepared to get her undressed all over again when Darcy barged in. She was the only person who didn't knock. Lo squeaked and scrambled from my lap, quickly adjusting her bra. Darcy's eyes were narrowed at me. I cleared my throat and turned my chair around so she couldn't see the situation in my pants. She huffed and walked over to me, slamming her hand on the desk. Some of my coffee spilled out, but thankfully it didn't land on anything but the desk.

"Why is it every time I walk in here, you two are seconds away from fucking? Keep it in your pants, Hamilton. I'm not going to deal with tiny little yous running around here," she growled, her eyes narrowed in a glare. Lo rolled her eyes and sat on the bed as she fixed her hair, which I may have tugged out of its bun.

"We always use protection, Dar. We're not idiots."

"Condoms aren't always enough, Lori. My dad used a condom and… here I am. I'm just telling you to be careful. And there could be times where you get a bit too excited to think about a condom so you do it without one and…" she trailed off, her eyes softening as she looked at Lo. "Just be careful, alright sweetie?"

"Darcy, are you pregnant?" Lo jumped up from the bed and went over to her sister, putting her hands on her stomach. She had let it slip that her sister and Laurens started dating after they had drunken sex the night before the play. I honestly didn't think Laurens had it in him. Lo swore me to secrecy and threatened to kill me if I told anyone. Darcy laughed and shook her head, a small grin on her face as she pulled Lo into a hug.

"No… At least I don't think so. It would suck if I was, considering all the drinking I did on New Year's. I just wanted to give you some sisterly advice. I… I feel like I haven't done enough of that." Darcy kissed Lo on the forehead and left the room after giving me a final glare. Lo watched her leave and turned back to me with a grin. She climbed back into my lap and started kissing me again, her hand slowly drifting lower.

"Now about your birthday…"