“Are you ready YET?” Ally called upstairs.

She rolled her eyes again. “Just a second Al!”

“You’ve been saying that for the past, oh I dunno…hour?!”

Jessica smoothed her hair again, and clipped it. “There. NOW we can go.”

“Finally,” Ally said, rolling her eyes. She looked at Jessica’s outfit. It consisted of a long, tight, black velvet dress. The sleeves had a point at the end, fitting over the back of her hands, and the dress was a v-neck. Simple yet elegant. Then she looked down at her own outfit. It was a long green skirt and a short, red, long-sleeved shirt- also a v-neck. Her brown locks were pulled back into a simple ponytail, her curls creating an elegant effect.

“I wish I had your hair,” Jessica sighed, looking at her friend’s gorgeous locks. “Mine’s just plain.”

“It’s fine Jess, now let’s go!”

“Yeah Lance must be waiting.”

“I can’t believe you haven’t kissed him yet.”

“Neither can I,” Jessica sighed. “Every time he’s thisclose…then he goes for my cheek.”

“Damn.”

*-*-*

The house was lit with both excitement and lights as Ally and Jessica drove down the street to Lance’s house. He was having a huge Christmas party for everyone since his parents were out of town on business. After huge amounts of begging and apologizing and compromising, Jessica and Ally got to go.

“Damn look at that house!” Ally whistled. “Why didn’t you tell me it was so big?”

“I didn’t think you’d need to know.”

“C’mon! Everyone must be MISERABLE without us,” Ally laughed.

“You mean JC is miserable without YOU,” Jessica corrected jokingly.

“Ah same difference,” Ally smiled, slamming the door of her Volvo shut.

“Let’s go party!”

“Whoo!”

Jessica went up to the door and opened it.

“When were you guys planning on showing?” a voice called over the thumping music.

“Shut up Ju,” they muttered, but they couldn’t help smiling and joining the festivities.

*-*-*

“You know what Jessie told me?” Ally whispered to Jada.

“What?”

“She said that she’s never kissed Lance,” Ally informed her.

Silence.

“J? Come on it’s not THAT hard to believe,” Ally giggled, swatting her friend’s face.

“Serious? Are you shittin me?”

Ally shook her head.

“What are we sitting here for? Come on A-” she started before being pulled back down on the chair.

“Jada, that is a stupid thing to do,” Ally rolled her eyes. “You have to make it inconspicuous.”

“Ideas?” Jada grinned.

“Plenty.”

*-*-*

“Oh gosh I had to return my outfits 3 times before I found the right one,” Jessica was saying as she pointed to her chosen attire.

“Well it looks good,” Lance smiled.

“Thanks.”

“Jessie! Lance! Over here!” Ally called, waving her arms over her head from the living room.

They glanced at each other, wondering about their friend’s strange behavior. Jessica shrugged and stood, followed by Lance. She started towards her friend, Lance not far behind, yelling, “WHAAAT?”

She just motioned for them to keep coming, and they rolled their eyes, coming forward into the doorway.

“STOP! STOP! STOP RIGHT THERE!”

Jessica leaned back in surprise. “What? Then why’d you call me over here?”

Ally grinned and pointed up.

Lance and Jessie looked up to see some mistletoe hanging above them.

“Fuck you Al,” Jessica smiled, glaring playfully at her friend.

“Go on,” Ally urged still.

When they didn’t move, Ally threw her arms up. “Fine! I’ll leave you alone! Jeez.”

Lance chuckled as he watched her walk away muttering. But after she was out of his sight, he realized what was about to unfold and glanced down at his girlfriend, who was shifting nervously.

“Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, if you don’t want to-”

“NO,” Jessica jumped. “No…I want this.”

The mood awkward, Lance slowly bent over, nearing her face.

‘God…’ Jessica thought nervously, closing her eyes and leaning forward.

Feeling her hot breath on his lips, he took a breath and covered her mouth with his. From the second their lips touched, he felt as if he was going to collapse. He pulled her face closer with his hand, while he snaked his arm around her waist.

‘This better not be a dream,’ Jessica thought to herself. If it was, it was the most realistic dream she had ever had.

At last they pulled away, oblivious to anything surrounding them. All they could see was each other.

The silence between them was blaring. Jessica chose to speak.

“Lance?”

“Yeah?”

“Why haven’t you kissed me before?” she asked uncertainly.

“I was scared,” he said.

Before she could ask why, he interrupted.

“I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to stop,” he whispered in her ear.

*-*-*And so the party raged on. It was especially fun, even with some friends outside the ‘group’. Everyone was enjoying themselves in the spacious house, and the music was pumping.

Ally and JC plus a few others were dancing to Richard Marx outside in the backyard; Jada and Joey were outside on the porch talking (lets hope); Justin, Chris, Claire, and Kate were playing 2 on 2 basketball; and Jessica and Lance were talking avidly, as if they had rediscovered each other.

“You cheated!” Chris accused.

Kate glared at him. “Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Not!”

“Shut up you guys,” Claire said, rolling her eyes. “It won’t do you any good.”

“But she cheated!”

“Shove it Chris,” Justin said, dribbling the basketball between his legs.

“You want a piece of me? C’mon tough guy bring it on!”

Justin arched his eyebrow. “No, Chris, I don’t want a piece of you, and if you say she cheated one more time your head will be in that garbage can ya hear?”

His face scrunched in accusation, he glared at Kate and muttered, “Cheater.”

“What was that Christopher?”

“Nothing FATHER,” he mumbled.

“Hey guys, someone brought beer,” JC called out to the basketball players.

They looked up and saw the partygoers holding bottles or cans.

“I’m thirsty,” Chris said, standing up.

“Beer is bad for you,” Justin called after him, but he didn’t hear.

“Damn after all those lessons on drugs, he STILL goes and does it,” Jada rolled her eyes.

“Yeah well, make sure he’s got a bed upstairs,” Kate said, walking into the warm house.

“Good idea,” Justin agreed.

“We don’t need a drunk senior on the road,” Claire added, following after him into the house.

*-*-*

“Whoo! I’m a little teapot short and sthout…here is my handle…here isth my sthpout…when I get all seemed up…then I sthout…tip me over and…pour…me…out.” With a thud, a drunk Chris Kirkpatrick plopped face first into the bed in Lance’s guestroom.

“I never knew a drunk person could weigh so much,” Ally groaned, rubbing her shoulder.

“Let’s lock him in,” Jada added, closing the door.

“Eh…it’s for his own good,” Ally agreed, walking out and down the hall. “I don’t wanna be the one carrying him back up again.”

*-*-*

“Hey wanna have some fun?” a guy whispered.
“Whatcha thinkin?” his friend replied.

“This.”

“Spike the punch? That it?”

“Eh…you don’t think we can do anything else?” he shot back.

“Jeez. Fine.”

The drunk men poured the concoction into the large punchbowl and made their way away from the ‘scene of the crime’.

*-*-*

“Joey!” Jessica groaned. “No beer. PLEASE no beer! We had to carry Chris up there for god sakes! We don’t need to carry you too!”
“But I like it!” Joey retaliated.

Jessica rolled her eyes, turned around and poured the red punch into the plastic cup. “Drink this instead.” She held out the full cup.

Joey backed away. “No.”

“Joey!”

Slowly, Joey backed up so far he was in the crowd.

“Dammit,” Jessica muttered, taking a sip of the punch. “I’m not gonna- blech. What the hell is in this shit?” She shook her head and blinked. She shook her head again. “Hey this stuff’s pretty good.”

“Havin a good time?” Lance whispered in her ear.

Jessica giggled. “Yeah. The punch is awesome! Try it!”

Lance looked at her, eyebrows cocked. “Ook…sure.”

His nose scrunched in distaste.

“What?”

“It tastes…bitter. Where is the sugar?” he asked, heading towards the kitchen.

“Just wait for a little bit. It tastes mm mm good after that,” Jessica giggled.

Lance’s eyebrows furrowed at her. “Ook.” He took another sip, which was a lot sweeter, better tasting than the last. “Hey you’re right.”

But she wasn’t there. Lance turned around and saw her refilling her cup.

*-*-*

“How much punch have you had?” Kate asked her tipsy friend.

The only response she got was a stupid smile and a shrug.

“Y’all thinkin what I’m thinkin?” Justin asked, looking at his companions.

“If you’re thinking that someone spiked the punch, yeah,” JC said, holding a very disoriented Lance Bass up on his feet.

“No I thought they went and did speed, DUH someone spiked the punch,” Justin said sarcastically.

JC rolled his azure eyes. “Whatever.”

“Ok. Four drunks, 2 rooms,” Claire relayed. “What do we do?”

“Put Jessie and Lance in one room,” Kate said. “I think Jessie would be freaked if she was with Chris or Joey.”

“Yeah,” Jada agreed. “He might…do something.”

Her unsuspecting head was met with a slap and she cringed.

“I was just joking!”

“Don’t.”

“C’mon Jess,” Kate coaxed. “It’s time for bed.”

“Have you seen Al?” Claire asked JC, looking around in the crowd.

“Bathroom.”

“Oh ok.”

“I got Lance,” Justin called, directing the blonde to the stairs.

“I think I’ll help,” JC said, getting off the couch. “Justin might drop him or something.”

Claire laughed and followed behind.

*-*-*

“Ok are all small sharp objects out of the room?” JC asked the sober half of the group.

“Check,” Justin said. “All the stuff is in the closet…I think.”

Rolling his eyes, JC went on and inspected the room. “Get rid of this. They might eat it or something.”

“Oh ye of little faith,” Kate laughed. “You don’t expect them to eat a plastic banana do you?”

JC looked back at her.

“It’s gone.”

“Whatcha guys doin?” Jessica slurred, giggling as she watched JC look all over the room.

“Making sure you won’t hurt yourselves,” he replied.

“Okey dokey smokey,” Jessica laughed, sending Lance giggling along with her.

“Ok we’re all set. I think we should stop the party now,” Ally said concernedly. “It’s getting late.”

“Just for a little while longer.” Justin raked his long fingers through his curls. “We deserve a break.”

“I agree,” Jada said, plopping down on the floor. “I hate playing babysitter.”

“C’mon.”

With a click of the lock, Jessica and Lance were left alone.

“Hey where’d they go?”

Lance giggled. “Out.”

“Wooo,” Jessie laughed, falling onto Lance.

“Oof! Hey that hurt.”

“Sorry. Lemme kiss it to make it feel better,” she smiled, kissing him.

Very fast and very soon they were in a heated lip lock, hands everywhere.

Nothing could have prepared anyone for what happened that night.

*-*-*

“Ugn……” came a groan. It was now around 10 in the morning on Christmas Day. The sun was shining merrily into the inconveniently open window, basking the couple in the bed with its golden rays- one of which, was thoroughly irritated with the brightness of the morning sun.

“Ugh turn it off,” she mumbled, her head pounding because of the brilliance of the rays. “Go away…”

Jessica turned over to her other side and peeked through her tired eyelids. She awoke instantly when she saw Lance’s face. As if a shock had been put through her body she sat up straight in the messy bed.

“OH MY GOD!” she nearly shrieked, clawing at the white bed sheets and pulling them to her naked body.

“Oh my fuckin god,” Jessica cried, covering up her body and backing away from the bed.

She looked down at the floor and grabbed her clothes. Looking up once again she saw Lance’s bare backside.

She felt achy and she groaned, “Dammit what have we done?”