Glancing out the windshield of the truck, Oz quickly looked away as soon as she saw the snowflakes attacking the glass. Normally docile and harmless things, they seemed as though they suddenly had a mind of their own, hurling themselves towards the passengers of the vehicle but being stopped so suddenly by the windshield. She turned up her music player's volume and closed her eyes, leaning back in the seat and relaxing to her latest addiction, the saxophone.
It was a few days after Christmas and New Year's Eve was steadily approaching, faster than she could cross the days off her calendar. This was the first time she had ever celebrated holidays of any kind, and this was due to the fact that her parents were strict Jehovah's Witnesses. They always said something about how they weren't allowed to celebrate them but never gave explicit detail. She opened one eye to glance at Kaena for a fleeting moment. He made everything good happen to her and she was so thankful to have him in her life.
"I love you, K." She murmured.
"Love you too, Oz." She smiled and closed her eyes as she felt his fingers curl around hers appreciatively. The music softly played in her ears and she closed her eyes for real this time, Kaena's grip barely keeping her attached to reality. She dreamed fitfully.
Snowflakes fell upon her tongue as she tilted her head to the sky. I must be dreaming, she thought, amused. She hated the snow and being outside in the winter. She shrugged and let the sweet morsels touch her tongue again and again. She licked her lips and smiled, tasting sweet cherries with a hint of milk chocolate. It wasn't even cold out, not even a little, and the grass shone in the early morning sunlight. Not a single snowflake whitened its color, seeming not to melt, but vanish before it hit the ground. She spun happily in a little circle, hearing a guitar's strings singing somewhere very close from the corner of her ear.
Oz opened her eyes and saw a little person sitting on a rock in front of her. She tilted her head in slight confusion, swearing silently that this person hadn't been there a moment ago. She sat down and listened to the music and let it pull at her heart and dance all over her soul. She was very aware of every plucked string as little white fingers waltzed up and down the fret board carelessly. A question slid into her mind, just out of reach, and she heard a thin "pop" above her head. Looking up, there was a white conversation bubble there in the sky, inches from the top of her head. She grabbed it and read aloud. "Who are you and why are you in my dream?" The little person in front of her bowed its head and smiled an impossible grin, reaching from ear to pointed ear.
"I am a fairy, and as for your wonder concerning my gender, I am male. Why I'm in your dream is for you to find out in another manner." He said promptly, then disappeared right before her eyes. She shook her head and blinked hard, confused again. She shrugged it off and stood, brushing off the back of her jeans and walking towards a house. She closed her eyes for just a second, and when she opened them again, she was tottering off the edge of the roof. A mere centimeter from falling, every hair on her body stood at complete attention. A light breeze pushed her from the roof completely. By instinct, she spread her arms. Not actually falling, she floated on the air easily, as if she were a natural butterfly. She laughed, relieved, flying to a cloud, sitting on the heavenly softness. Something touched her lips and she opened her eyes, staring into the most beautiful face she had ever seen. The only thing she recognized were the deep blue eyes. Those were Kaena's. "Oz...." They spoke urgently.
"Oz!" Kaena pulled her out of her slumber. "We're here.." He shook her again. The truck had stopped and bright lights shone outside in the snow. She cleared her throat and sat up, fixing her hair and smoothing out her dress. He took her hand and chuckled. The door was already open and she stepped out onto the ground. Reaching the dance hall, she stopped him and gave him a big kiss. "I had a dream about you. You're my angel." He smiled and kissed her back, opening the door for her.
The sounds of the dance hall washed over them immediately and the nearest candles fluttered in the breeze from the door. Two ushers with holly pinned to their lapels materialized and took their coats for them, bowing slightly in obvious respect. They stood back a little, almost waiting for something, and she asked them what was wrong. Before they could say a word, Kaena tilted her back into his arm and kissed her deeply. She glanced up and saw mistletoe, and the sheepish ushers looking a little upside down. He turned let her stand again as she smiled, straightening out her dress. Oz's heels clicked on the ornate marble floor and she peered at the rainbow colors swirling into the hard surface. Kaena held out her chair for her and she sat, a waiter instantly handing them menus, asking for appetizer and drink pre-orders. "The sweetest wine you have, please, and your favorite appetizer, if you don't mind." Kaena said simply, and Oz watched him whirl away to the newest arrivals, listening to the Christmas music playing softly.
Jack and Marie were already seated at their table, smiling in their finery. Jack's tuxedo matched Marie's dress in a fiery red that flamed around his chest and brightened his normally dark face. Marie laid her hand on Oz's, showing off a huge rock that was her engagement ring. Her eyes almost popped out of her skull. "OH MY GOSH!" She gushed. Marie's cheeks turned tickle-me-pink and she grinned wider. Jack just breathed on his hand and pretended to wipe off his shoulder, nodding proudly. "The best Christmas gift anyone could want." He announced. They all laughed at him, and the waiter was there with wine and some top notch looking chocolate covered cherries. He winked at Oz and matched his grin to hers. "I'll give you five more to get orders together." He said, understanding, then vanished again.
Marie reached over and stuck one in her mouth, leaning back in her chair. Pleasure was written all over her face from the first bite. Looking confused, Oz shook her head and quickly picked out a steak with some yummy looking ravioli and chicken salad on the side. The waiter was back, in his blue tuxedo and snappy looking 50's hat, patiently waiting to scribble down four orders. Marie seemed out of sorts, squirming in her seat and fixing her dress unnecessarily. She gave up, unable to speak loud enough to order and whispered to Jack, who looked absolutely tickled. Oz narrowed her eyes at the both of them, then the waiter. He was trying to keep a straight face and avoided her gaze while he jotted down their orders and took off again. "Ten minutes!" He called behind him, referring to how long the food would take.
Marie cleared her throat, and through gritted teeth, suggested to Oz that they go to the ladies room. The girls both stood up and Marie nearly flew to the room, standing against the door when it closed. "I suddenly feel like I could just jump on Jack and it would be fine in this fancy place!" She said in a hoarse voice edged with panic. Oz laughed fit to kill and understood immediately.
"Maybe the cherries are a type of desert, or even a take home treat." Marie nodded furiously.
"I'm afraid to have any of the wine- What if it gets worse!?" She slid down the door, resting her rear on the tiles. Her hair was a little messy and her cheeks a little more colorful than Oz remembered. She grinned wide and pulled a wide-eyed Marie into the biggest stall.
Both girls came strolling happily out of the bathroom, whistling, and Oz winked at Marie just before they sat down. Upon seeing Marie's cooler demeanor, Jack looked a bit disappointed. "So, you two were in there quite a while.." Kaena said suspiciously. Oz shrugged at him offhandedly, seeing the waiter returning once again with four plates and another bottle of wine. When he set them down, another bowl of cherries appeared on the table as well. He grinned, almost able to pull off the innocent look, but Oz knew better. He took off to wherever he had come from, yet again. Everyone dug in and ate their fill, taking to the dance floor when they finished.
"Let's see if you learned the tango well, mon ami." Oz tangled a little French into her statement. Kaena stiffened in customary tango pose, almost arrogantly.
"I do believe I've had quite the teacher to show me the ropes." He bowed a little, just before the music started. Marie and Oz winked at each other and before their men knew what was going on, they both had forcefully consumed a cherry apiece. Gulping simultaneously, a flush crept over their cheeks and the music started, as if on cue.
The only two couples brave enough for the first dance, they wowed everyone else in the place, which pretty much consisted of about nine more couples. Red and green spotlights captured their moves perfectly, as well as the suffering of the two men caught in the tango. Everyone knows that the tango is a very sensual dance, so the girls enjoyed it to its fullest, watching the boys carefully so they didn't make fools of themselves. The effect the cherries had on them created a sense of urgency and they danced impeccably. Marie caught something out of the corner of her eye and pointed in such a way that only Oz saw the finger. She glanced and saw their waiter laughing senselessly. Apparently he had told his waiter friends, because they were laughing too, trying in vain to hold each other up.
Back in the truck, Kaena still hadn't come to his senses just yet and Oz took the keys. "It's my truck anyway." She pointed out. He rolled his eyes and gave in almost immediately, stiffly trying to get into the passenger side. Marie breezed by, trying to keep Jack off of her. She laughed and waved, giggling.
On the drive home, Kaena finally fell asleep when Oz got a text message from Marie. "HAHAHA!!" It said. "Jack finally passed out! Guess the cherries were 2 much!" Oz laughed out loud and texted her back, "So did K, out like a light, 15 mins after we left!" She wondered if giving him another cherry would wake him up, ready for some fun. She shrugged to herself and pulled into their driveway, parking next to Marie's fire engine red Mustang. She thanked herself for working out, just before lifting Kaena out of the truck and carrying him into the house and depositing him on their big bed. She pulled his shoes and jacket off, tucking him carefully into bed.
Downstairs in the pool room, Marie was walking around her pool table barefoot, trying to get the balls in the pockets. She moaned loudly every time she missed, and swigged from the wine bottle on the floor before trying again. Oz giggled from the doorway at her friend. Marie looked up, vaguely interested, then dropped her stick on the floor and walked over. "There's another bottle of this on the counter." She slurred, pointing. Sure enough, there was one, but there were also three more next to it, one already empty. Oz could hear the last few swallows sloshing around in the bottom of the bottle Marie held. She took Marie's hand and led her downstairs into the movie theater and put in a random movie. She heard her friend reclining in her chair as she ran back to the pool room, tossing Jack into his bed as well and grabbing the rest of the wine and some of the cherries. The boys had to wake up sometime, she reasoned.
Halfway into the movie, which so happened to be The Notebook, Marie and Oz were bawling all over each other hysterically, soaking the recliners and their clothes with elephant tears. The movie died suddenly, and the screen went black. A different movie altogether flicked across the screen and they both sat straight up, unaware that neither of them had switched the movie. Souped up cars flew across their line of vision and engines loudly revved up for a race. A vampire bit into someone's neck and both girls were suddenly shaking, continuing to drink deeply from their last bottle of wine. Oz got up reluctantly to go to the bathroom, stumbling over the other chairs and her own feet.
The sound of a flushing toilet just behind her, she finished off the wine and dumped it in the garbage can in the kitchen. There was an odd light making the big bowl of cherries they had brought home shine in the darkness. They just looked so delicious. Forgetting all that had happened in her compromised state, she made her way to them, tripping over a stool in the process. She reached out and grabbed one awkwardly, sliding it into her mouth and pulling out the stem. The first bite made the little morsel explode all over her tongue in a tasty surprise. Perfectly sweet and complimented by the amazing chocolate, she swallowed it and ate a few more, taking the bowl with her, still not feeling the effects yet.
Sitting down in the movie theater with Marie again, she set the bowl down between them. Blindly, Marie grabbed a handful and ate them, stems and all. She looked at Oz and laughed. "Oops, I ate the stems too!" She was fully aware that they were cherries, just not which cherries. A little later, Oz was feeling a little warmer than usual and looked around on the floor. There had to be more wine down there. After a careful inspection, she finally concluded that it was all gone. She whined a little bit and grabbed some more, running into Kaena in the pool room. The cherry she had put in her mouth fell onto the floor as her jaw dropped. Desire swept over her and she had no time to attempt to keep her balance. She fell and nearly blacked out. The last thing she remembered before she couldn't see anymore was Kaena carrying her into their bedroom and locking the door, only wearing his boxers and covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
The smell of bacon and coffee jolted Oz awake and her eyes flew open. She was lying spread eagle on the big bed, sheets no where to be found. She got up, then realized her clothes had also evaporated. She was as bare as the bed was. Digging in the closet, she put on her fuzzy pajamas and pulled her hair into a tie, swaying down the stairs into the kitchen. Marie was coming down the other set of stairs in nearly identical pajamas. They both laughed. Those were their I-woke-up-naked-and-needed-SOMETHING pajamas.
Kaena was whistling at the stove, flipping Jack some pancakes fresh from the griddle, adding to his omlette and hashbrowns with coffee and apple juice. The girls sat down at the bar, drooling and pleading with their eyes. Kaena grinned and pulled out two ready-made plates for them, adding juice and coffee. They grabbed their forks and sat up happily.
Kaena must be in a good mood because something fun happened last night, Oz thought, coming to a solid conclusion. Kaena hated to cook. He was great at it, he just didn't care to do it very often. Jack gave Marie a little kiss on the cheek and continued eating greedily. Jack and Marie must have had fun too, she thought, amused. Kaena sat down next to Oz and gave her a big kiss, pushing a familiar bowl out of his way. It was piled high with cherry stems. The guys must have eaten the other bowl of cherries between them and came looking for us last night, Oz resolved in her mind. Maybe they blacked out too, she thought. She laughed and gave Kaena a good-morning-and-thank-you-very-much-for-breakfast-because-I-was-starving-kiss. He smiled and ate everything on his plate in a flash.
"Ready for tonight?" Jack said a little too casually in everyone else's direction. The girls froze. "Why..?" Marie said cautiously.
"Oh, it's New Year's Eve tonight." Kaena cut in, grinning. The girls looked at each other, mixed emotions crossing between them.
It was a few days after Christmas and New Year's Eve was steadily approaching, faster than she could cross the days off her calendar. This was the first time she had ever celebrated holidays of any kind, and this was due to the fact that her parents were strict Jehovah's Witnesses. They always said something about how they weren't allowed to celebrate them but never gave explicit detail. She opened one eye to glance at Kaena for a fleeting moment. He made everything good happen to her and she was so thankful to have him in her life.
"I love you, K." She murmured.
"Love you too, Oz." She smiled and closed her eyes as she felt his fingers curl around hers appreciatively. The music softly played in her ears and she closed her eyes for real this time, Kaena's grip barely keeping her attached to reality. She dreamed fitfully.
Snowflakes fell upon her tongue as she tilted her head to the sky. I must be dreaming, she thought, amused. She hated the snow and being outside in the winter. She shrugged and let the sweet morsels touch her tongue again and again. She licked her lips and smiled, tasting sweet cherries with a hint of milk chocolate. It wasn't even cold out, not even a little, and the grass shone in the early morning sunlight. Not a single snowflake whitened its color, seeming not to melt, but vanish before it hit the ground. She spun happily in a little circle, hearing a guitar's strings singing somewhere very close from the corner of her ear.
Oz opened her eyes and saw a little person sitting on a rock in front of her. She tilted her head in slight confusion, swearing silently that this person hadn't been there a moment ago. She sat down and listened to the music and let it pull at her heart and dance all over her soul. She was very aware of every plucked string as little white fingers waltzed up and down the fret board carelessly. A question slid into her mind, just out of reach, and she heard a thin "pop" above her head. Looking up, there was a white conversation bubble there in the sky, inches from the top of her head. She grabbed it and read aloud. "Who are you and why are you in my dream?" The little person in front of her bowed its head and smiled an impossible grin, reaching from ear to pointed ear.
"I am a fairy, and as for your wonder concerning my gender, I am male. Why I'm in your dream is for you to find out in another manner." He said promptly, then disappeared right before her eyes. She shook her head and blinked hard, confused again. She shrugged it off and stood, brushing off the back of her jeans and walking towards a house. She closed her eyes for just a second, and when she opened them again, she was tottering off the edge of the roof. A mere centimeter from falling, every hair on her body stood at complete attention. A light breeze pushed her from the roof completely. By instinct, she spread her arms. Not actually falling, she floated on the air easily, as if she were a natural butterfly. She laughed, relieved, flying to a cloud, sitting on the heavenly softness. Something touched her lips and she opened her eyes, staring into the most beautiful face she had ever seen. The only thing she recognized were the deep blue eyes. Those were Kaena's. "Oz...." They spoke urgently.
"Oz!" Kaena pulled her out of her slumber. "We're here.." He shook her again. The truck had stopped and bright lights shone outside in the snow. She cleared her throat and sat up, fixing her hair and smoothing out her dress. He took her hand and chuckled. The door was already open and she stepped out onto the ground. Reaching the dance hall, she stopped him and gave him a big kiss. "I had a dream about you. You're my angel." He smiled and kissed her back, opening the door for her.
The sounds of the dance hall washed over them immediately and the nearest candles fluttered in the breeze from the door. Two ushers with holly pinned to their lapels materialized and took their coats for them, bowing slightly in obvious respect. They stood back a little, almost waiting for something, and she asked them what was wrong. Before they could say a word, Kaena tilted her back into his arm and kissed her deeply. She glanced up and saw mistletoe, and the sheepish ushers looking a little upside down. He turned let her stand again as she smiled, straightening out her dress. Oz's heels clicked on the ornate marble floor and she peered at the rainbow colors swirling into the hard surface. Kaena held out her chair for her and she sat, a waiter instantly handing them menus, asking for appetizer and drink pre-orders. "The sweetest wine you have, please, and your favorite appetizer, if you don't mind." Kaena said simply, and Oz watched him whirl away to the newest arrivals, listening to the Christmas music playing softly.
Jack and Marie were already seated at their table, smiling in their finery. Jack's tuxedo matched Marie's dress in a fiery red that flamed around his chest and brightened his normally dark face. Marie laid her hand on Oz's, showing off a huge rock that was her engagement ring. Her eyes almost popped out of her skull. "OH MY GOSH!" She gushed. Marie's cheeks turned tickle-me-pink and she grinned wider. Jack just breathed on his hand and pretended to wipe off his shoulder, nodding proudly. "The best Christmas gift anyone could want." He announced. They all laughed at him, and the waiter was there with wine and some top notch looking chocolate covered cherries. He winked at Oz and matched his grin to hers. "I'll give you five more to get orders together." He said, understanding, then vanished again.
Marie reached over and stuck one in her mouth, leaning back in her chair. Pleasure was written all over her face from the first bite. Looking confused, Oz shook her head and quickly picked out a steak with some yummy looking ravioli and chicken salad on the side. The waiter was back, in his blue tuxedo and snappy looking 50's hat, patiently waiting to scribble down four orders. Marie seemed out of sorts, squirming in her seat and fixing her dress unnecessarily. She gave up, unable to speak loud enough to order and whispered to Jack, who looked absolutely tickled. Oz narrowed her eyes at the both of them, then the waiter. He was trying to keep a straight face and avoided her gaze while he jotted down their orders and took off again. "Ten minutes!" He called behind him, referring to how long the food would take.
Marie cleared her throat, and through gritted teeth, suggested to Oz that they go to the ladies room. The girls both stood up and Marie nearly flew to the room, standing against the door when it closed. "I suddenly feel like I could just jump on Jack and it would be fine in this fancy place!" She said in a hoarse voice edged with panic. Oz laughed fit to kill and understood immediately.
"Maybe the cherries are a type of desert, or even a take home treat." Marie nodded furiously.
"I'm afraid to have any of the wine- What if it gets worse!?" She slid down the door, resting her rear on the tiles. Her hair was a little messy and her cheeks a little more colorful than Oz remembered. She grinned wide and pulled a wide-eyed Marie into the biggest stall.
Both girls came strolling happily out of the bathroom, whistling, and Oz winked at Marie just before they sat down. Upon seeing Marie's cooler demeanor, Jack looked a bit disappointed. "So, you two were in there quite a while.." Kaena said suspiciously. Oz shrugged at him offhandedly, seeing the waiter returning once again with four plates and another bottle of wine. When he set them down, another bowl of cherries appeared on the table as well. He grinned, almost able to pull off the innocent look, but Oz knew better. He took off to wherever he had come from, yet again. Everyone dug in and ate their fill, taking to the dance floor when they finished.
"Let's see if you learned the tango well, mon ami." Oz tangled a little French into her statement. Kaena stiffened in customary tango pose, almost arrogantly.
"I do believe I've had quite the teacher to show me the ropes." He bowed a little, just before the music started. Marie and Oz winked at each other and before their men knew what was going on, they both had forcefully consumed a cherry apiece. Gulping simultaneously, a flush crept over their cheeks and the music started, as if on cue.
The only two couples brave enough for the first dance, they wowed everyone else in the place, which pretty much consisted of about nine more couples. Red and green spotlights captured their moves perfectly, as well as the suffering of the two men caught in the tango. Everyone knows that the tango is a very sensual dance, so the girls enjoyed it to its fullest, watching the boys carefully so they didn't make fools of themselves. The effect the cherries had on them created a sense of urgency and they danced impeccably. Marie caught something out of the corner of her eye and pointed in such a way that only Oz saw the finger. She glanced and saw their waiter laughing senselessly. Apparently he had told his waiter friends, because they were laughing too, trying in vain to hold each other up.
Back in the truck, Kaena still hadn't come to his senses just yet and Oz took the keys. "It's my truck anyway." She pointed out. He rolled his eyes and gave in almost immediately, stiffly trying to get into the passenger side. Marie breezed by, trying to keep Jack off of her. She laughed and waved, giggling.
On the drive home, Kaena finally fell asleep when Oz got a text message from Marie. "HAHAHA!!" It said. "Jack finally passed out! Guess the cherries were 2 much!" Oz laughed out loud and texted her back, "So did K, out like a light, 15 mins after we left!" She wondered if giving him another cherry would wake him up, ready for some fun. She shrugged to herself and pulled into their driveway, parking next to Marie's fire engine red Mustang. She thanked herself for working out, just before lifting Kaena out of the truck and carrying him into the house and depositing him on their big bed. She pulled his shoes and jacket off, tucking him carefully into bed.
Downstairs in the pool room, Marie was walking around her pool table barefoot, trying to get the balls in the pockets. She moaned loudly every time she missed, and swigged from the wine bottle on the floor before trying again. Oz giggled from the doorway at her friend. Marie looked up, vaguely interested, then dropped her stick on the floor and walked over. "There's another bottle of this on the counter." She slurred, pointing. Sure enough, there was one, but there were also three more next to it, one already empty. Oz could hear the last few swallows sloshing around in the bottom of the bottle Marie held. She took Marie's hand and led her downstairs into the movie theater and put in a random movie. She heard her friend reclining in her chair as she ran back to the pool room, tossing Jack into his bed as well and grabbing the rest of the wine and some of the cherries. The boys had to wake up sometime, she reasoned.
Halfway into the movie, which so happened to be The Notebook, Marie and Oz were bawling all over each other hysterically, soaking the recliners and their clothes with elephant tears. The movie died suddenly, and the screen went black. A different movie altogether flicked across the screen and they both sat straight up, unaware that neither of them had switched the movie. Souped up cars flew across their line of vision and engines loudly revved up for a race. A vampire bit into someone's neck and both girls were suddenly shaking, continuing to drink deeply from their last bottle of wine. Oz got up reluctantly to go to the bathroom, stumbling over the other chairs and her own feet.
The sound of a flushing toilet just behind her, she finished off the wine and dumped it in the garbage can in the kitchen. There was an odd light making the big bowl of cherries they had brought home shine in the darkness. They just looked so delicious. Forgetting all that had happened in her compromised state, she made her way to them, tripping over a stool in the process. She reached out and grabbed one awkwardly, sliding it into her mouth and pulling out the stem. The first bite made the little morsel explode all over her tongue in a tasty surprise. Perfectly sweet and complimented by the amazing chocolate, she swallowed it and ate a few more, taking the bowl with her, still not feeling the effects yet.
Sitting down in the movie theater with Marie again, she set the bowl down between them. Blindly, Marie grabbed a handful and ate them, stems and all. She looked at Oz and laughed. "Oops, I ate the stems too!" She was fully aware that they were cherries, just not which cherries. A little later, Oz was feeling a little warmer than usual and looked around on the floor. There had to be more wine down there. After a careful inspection, she finally concluded that it was all gone. She whined a little bit and grabbed some more, running into Kaena in the pool room. The cherry she had put in her mouth fell onto the floor as her jaw dropped. Desire swept over her and she had no time to attempt to keep her balance. She fell and nearly blacked out. The last thing she remembered before she couldn't see anymore was Kaena carrying her into their bedroom and locking the door, only wearing his boxers and covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
The smell of bacon and coffee jolted Oz awake and her eyes flew open. She was lying spread eagle on the big bed, sheets no where to be found. She got up, then realized her clothes had also evaporated. She was as bare as the bed was. Digging in the closet, she put on her fuzzy pajamas and pulled her hair into a tie, swaying down the stairs into the kitchen. Marie was coming down the other set of stairs in nearly identical pajamas. They both laughed. Those were their I-woke-up-naked-and-needed-SOMETHING pajamas.
Kaena was whistling at the stove, flipping Jack some pancakes fresh from the griddle, adding to his omlette and hashbrowns with coffee and apple juice. The girls sat down at the bar, drooling and pleading with their eyes. Kaena grinned and pulled out two ready-made plates for them, adding juice and coffee. They grabbed their forks and sat up happily.
Kaena must be in a good mood because something fun happened last night, Oz thought, coming to a solid conclusion. Kaena hated to cook. He was great at it, he just didn't care to do it very often. Jack gave Marie a little kiss on the cheek and continued eating greedily. Jack and Marie must have had fun too, she thought, amused. Kaena sat down next to Oz and gave her a big kiss, pushing a familiar bowl out of his way. It was piled high with cherry stems. The guys must have eaten the other bowl of cherries between them and came looking for us last night, Oz resolved in her mind. Maybe they blacked out too, she thought. She laughed and gave Kaena a good-morning-and-thank-you-very-much-for-breakfast-because-I-was-starving-kiss. He smiled and ate everything on his plate in a flash.
"Ready for tonight?" Jack said a little too casually in everyone else's direction. The girls froze. "Why..?" Marie said cautiously.
"Oh, it's New Year's Eve tonight." Kaena cut in, grinning. The girls looked at each other, mixed emotions crossing between them.
