(juinor year)

"Can't believe you guys are still together."

"Wouldn't expect you to believe anything," I replied, putting on my leather jacket as I came down the stairs.

"Touche," nodded Alfie, his eyes never leaving the screen.

They were hanging out here in the basement at my place. The usual. They liked it here because there were no house rules, no parents to tell us what to do, no cleaning up after the messes we made (my folks had someone to come clean the house every weekend). It was the ultimate teenage dream.

It was a big ass house, almost like a mansion - and I had it all to myself. My friends liked to call it 'the white house.' Fuckin' A, right?

No. Not really. Not at all.

I hated this house.

The basement is the only place I feel really at home because this is where we almost always chilled at. It has its own bar, billiard, foosball, huge flat screen TV, xbox, wii - you name it, we own it.

"Gotta bounce," I said. Nodding to Kurt who was lounging by the bar drinking a soda, I called, "Keys, man."

We decided to switch our rides for tonight. I got his truck, while he got my sports car. I needed his truck for some special shit I planned to do for Snow tonight.

"Handle it with care," reminded Kurt, throwing the keys to me. "And y'all better make sure to take a detour to the car wash afterward, ya hear?"

I laughed. "No problem. Here's mine."

He nodded, catching my car keys.

"Say hi to Snow for me," added Connie casually, coming from the fridge on the corner of the room and carrying a can of Coke with her. She slumped on the armchair and watched Frisco try to beat Alfie at Madden NFL 15.

Frisco was a new addition to my inner circle of trusted friends. He was a good kid, only a year younger than us. A bit like Scout on the goody two shoes side but Frisco was a little more reserved.

We're trying to corrupt him with our ways so he can see the good in the bad. We don't share the secret with just anyone so he's lucky to have us.

"Sure thing," I told Connie. "Hey, Frisco. When I get back, you better have stepped up your game. I won't have anyone on my team suck at Madden."

"Already acting captain, are we?" chuckled Kurt.

"I am your captain," I smirked.

"Aye, aye!" exclaimed Alfie, raising a fist for a second before returning to the game.

I grabbed a throw pillow and swung it at my best friend. It hit him hard on the face, almost making him fall off the couch.

"Boom!" I threw my arms in the air. "Headshot!"

Laughter filled the room.

"Dude!" he yelped, frantically grabbing the console from the floor. "Not cool! I'm on my fourth down!"

"Thanks, Oz," laughed Frisco, nodding to me.

I only grinned. "Later, then. You know the drill."

They've been hanging out here long enough to make sure to lock up after they leave the basement. It wasn't really necessary because robbery in this neighborhood was as rare as Leonardo Di Carpio winning an Oscar, which had never happened. Tight security and all.

Fifteen minutes later, I was in front of the Crimson residence to pick up Snow for our date. Before her, I didn't usually do dates. There was never a need for it. But then I learned the difference between a bang bunny and a keeper.

Snow's definitely the keeper type.

"Hey, babe," smiled Snow, giving me a smack when she neared me. She was wearing a casual white fitted shirt and denim short shorts with white Chuck's, while leaving her long flaming red hair around her shoulders. She looked hot as hell.

Damn, that's my girl.

I flashed her a crooked smile.

"I got you a big mac and some fries in the truck."

Her face lightened up at the mention of burgers.

"Woohoo!" she whooped, jumping a little and grinning like mad. "Take-out! Yum!"

"C'mon, you hobbit," I laughed, putting an arm around her then kissing her head.

"Who're you calling hobbit?"

I grinned as I opened the truck door.

"You."

"I'm not that small," she scoffed, climbing in.

I took a moment to admire her ass, before replying, "But you got hairy feet."

She gasped, making me laugh out loud. Her jaw was dropped open, her eyes wide as she stared at me in disbelief.

"Priceless."

"I do not!" she denied indignantly.

"Do, too."

"Do not!"

"Do, too."

I closed the door before she could reply.

"Do not!" she said instantly, as soon as I opened the driver's side of the door.

"Do, too." I hopped in and looked at her flushed face. "It's okay. I still love you," I added, leaning over to kiss her full on the lips.

She giggled into my mouth. "I love you, too," she murmured, when I pulled away with a wide smile on my face.

If possible, my grin broadened at the sound of that as I revved the truck.

I took her to the carnival because what better way to spend the last day of summer than have a date at the carnival like some old school chick flick couple?

As expected, I had fun with Snow. She was easy to be around with. We've been going out for almost a year now. That had gotta be a record when it came to high school relationships. We knew each other so well now that sometimes, I didn't have to speak for her to know what kind of shit was going on in my mind. And vice versa.

I find in her the kind of love that I didn't feel I got from my folks. Sure, my friends are there for me. But it's different, you know? It's just so damn comforting to have someone like her in my life.

Because after all the shit I've done and went through? She was someone I didn't expect to ever have.

I love her. I really fucking do.

And I didn't even know what I did to deserve her but I was thankful as fucking hell that she felt the same way about me.

"Going to the ladies room for a minute," she told me.

"A'ight."

I watched her walk away, then looked around for somewhere to sit while I waited for her. My eyes landed on a boy all alone on the bench. I decided to sit beside him.

"You lost, kid?"

He looked about eight or nine years old. His head was bowed so low it almost reached his tummy. As a kid, that was usually a bad sign.

"No," he shook his head, but he still didn't look at me. "My mom's with my little sister at the cotton candy booth. And my dad's with Jack playing guns."

"Why aren't you with them?"

He sighed sadly. "I don't think they want me around."

Oh, shit. This hits too close to home.

"Why do you think that?"

He shrugged, looking down on his feet.

"I don't wanna talk about it," I heard him mumble.

I stayed quiet for a minute, my eyes wandering around our surroundings. Most of the people here came as families or group of friends. Some looked excited to try all the rides. And some looked tired, but it was the happy kind. We looked the odd couple out for being quiet and expressionless in a place like this.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the kid's head turn up and tilted as he stared off to a distance. He looked lost. It reminded me of someone I knew so well.

"I've been there," I admitted, letting out a sigh. "It's hard. And it hurts sometimes. But it's up to you how you handle it. Either you man up and continue living your life or you sulk and wish for someone to notice you."

He didn't answer, letting the words sink in. His brows furrowed thoughtfully.

"You got any friends?"

He nodded, smiling a little. "My best friend Thad invites me to his house and his mom cooks us mac and cheese while we play at his tree house his dad had built. They treat me like family. I love it there."

"That's awesome," I commented truthfully. That kind of friendship would come a long way. I knew firsthand because his Thad was my Alfie. With that in mind, I added, "He's gonna be your life line. Hang on to him, okay?"

He looked unsure, but said anyways, "Okay."

"Do you play ball?"

"Soccer. I'm a striker, Thad's a goalie."

"Good. Why don't you focus on that? But remember to be good at something for yourself, not for anyone else. You and your team. Okay, buddy?"

He had a grin now. "You're cool, mister."

"Am I?"

"Yeah, you're not a pooper."

I burst out laughing. "Nobody wants to be a pooper." My eye caught something from a distance, making me stand up - the smile on my lips was gone. "Hey, I gotta go to my girl. You gonna be all right?" I looked at him to make sure he knew what I meant by that.

He nodded.

"Great talking to ya, bud." I reached out my fist to him, and he grinned as he pulled out his fist to mine. I ruffled his hair, making him laugh. "Take care."

Then, I left and hurried to where I saw Snow. She was by the bench beside the balloon stand. Her back was turned to me so I wasn't sure what she was trying to do - until I saw the guys she was pointing her fingers at like she was scolding them.

"What the actual fuck?" I muttered, going over to Snow who was telling off three guys in front of a fat woman who was tearing up.

"Tell me something," began Snow with a hard tone, "does her weight affect your life? Does it? No? So what right do you have to tell her such mean things? Mind your own business and leave her alone."

"Mind your own fucking business," said by one of the pricks.

I stopped a few feet behind my girlfriend and checked out the other dudes. Preppy. Proud. Possibly stoned. Fucking perv, I actually caught one of them scan Snow's body from head to toe. If it wasn't so disgusting, I would've pulled his eyes out by now.

I was an asshole, but I didn't want any blood in my hands. Literally.

"No," refused Snow firmly. "I won't let you harass this beautiful lady just because she doesn't fit your idea of a perfect body."

"Obesity is unhealthy, though," said by the proudest of the three idiots. He sounded like any know-it-all would sound like. And not at all cute like Hermione Granger.

"What she does with her body is her business, not yours. It's her life. It's her decision."

"Why are you even defending her? That's exactly why they never do something about it, because people like you defend them all the fucking time."

"Putting other people down and making them feel like scum? That's not right," she said, shaking her head like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "If you think you're helping her by saying cruel things like that, you're dead wrong. So just shut up and leave."

I stepped up until I was right behind her, deciding it was time to end this with that note. Their eyes switched to me. I cocked my head and patiently waited for them to make a move, silently mocking them in the process.

One by one, they looked away and cleared their throats.

"We're done here. Let's go."

That's what I thought.

When they were gone, Snow immediately walked over to the woman she defended. "Are you okay?" she asked the woman who looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Yes," she sobbed. "Thank you so much, dear."

"My pleasure. Don't mind what they said. You're beautiful."

She nodded, and held Snow's hands. "Thank you."

I watched in some sort of daze as the girl I was in love with comfort a stranger like the woman was a relative of hers. A smile was on my lips as I realized how proud I was of her.

When Snow and I were on our way to Kurt's pickup truck in the parking lot, I gave her a piece of my mind about what happened back there.

"That was brave," I remarked, lightly squeezing her hand. "Dangerous, but brave."

"I could handle those jerks," she said confidently.

I snorted. "Right."

"I deal with you everyday. I have practice," she added with a sweet smile.

"That so?" I smirked.

She stuck her tongue out in response, making me chuckle.

"Get your pretty ass on the truck," I told her, reluctantly letting go of her hand.

"Where are we going next?"

"You'll see."

I took her to a spot up on the nearby mountains, overlooking the town. I didn't even know a place like this existed in Mount Valley. I just asked around and a couple of stoners told me about this.

Then, I saw an idea online and thought Snow might like this romantic shit. This was why I borrowed Kurt's truck in the first place - to put pillow and blankets on the back of it.

Cheesy as fuck, but I'm doing this for my girl.

"Oz," gasped Snow, looking up at me with twinkly eyes after I removed the cover at the back to reveal the blankets. She was looking at me like I was the best thing on earth.

So worth the trouble.

"Like it?" I grinned.

"I love it!" She laughed and hugged me tight, kissing me on both cheeks. "It's incredibly amazing whenever you show your romantic side. So cute!"

She knew I fucking hate it when she called me cute.

"Whatever you say, hobbit," I shrugged, and gestured for her to get on.

"Fine," she sighed as I helped her climb on the back of the truck. "It's very sexy."

"Your pants is on fire," I said sarcastically, easily jumping on after her. "Did you lie?"

She laughed. "Maybe."

I shook my head as I positioned myself at the very back so I could lean on the panel, but I was smiling nonetheless.

"C'mere," I called, patting the space between my legs. She didn't hesitate to come to me, which did something pleasant inside me. I wrapped my arms around her waist as we looked over the night lights all over town.

I bet my ass we looked so fucking cheesy right now. But you know what? I don't give a shit. I'm holding my girl in my arms. It doesn't get any better than this.

For the first time in my life, I felt fulfilled.

At peace.

And I didn't want this feeling to go away any time soon.

"Do you think my brother will ever get over me dating you?"

Of course, there was that.

"He still hasn't, huh?" I asked, leaning back my head on the window. My eyes gazed up at the stars, and I faintly wondered what the aliens were up to.

"Nope," she sighed.

"What about your parents?"

"You know they're cool with it. They wouldn't have invited you over last Christmas if they weren't."

I looked back down to her and picked up her right hand with mine, taking my time with intertwining our fingers.

"That the best Christmas dinner I've ever had," I admitted quietly, as I watched our hands become one.

"Even if Scout was watching you like a hawk that night?" she asked dubiously.

The shithead was waiting for me to screw up all night long. Sucked for him because I damn well behaved that night.

"Yup," I assured her.

"Well . . ."

"What?"

"Your friends . . ."

"What about them?"

As far as I knew, there weren't any issue with my friends - or my team, for that matter. They didn't mind Snow hanging out with us, whether it be eating at Den's Diner or simply chilling in my basement.

"I love the fact that they're protective for you," started Snow thoughtfully, absentmindedly playing with our hands. I could tell she was using her words carefully. "It's really sweet. But sometimes, I get the feeling that they don't approve of me for you." She paused, biting her lip like she regretted admitting that last part. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overthink. It's just the vibes I get sometimes. Like, there are so many inside jokes that I just can't get. It's like I don't belong."

"I know someone who also feels that way," I whispered seriously.

"Oh, who?"

"Frisco," I grinned.

She snorted. "Oz."

I chuckled. "Alright, alright." I composed myself, and added, "I'm sorry you feel that way. It's just that our inside jokes are usually made up from our mischiefs. And we all know you're too good for that."

"Why is it, that whenever you say the word 'good', it comes off as a bad thing?" she wondered aloud, sounding genuinely curious.

I burst out laughing. "Maybe in my eyes, it is."

She leaned sideways so she could look me in the eyes.

"Oz, seriously."

Staring at her up close like this, I swear to God those beautiful green eyes will be the death of me.

So what did I do? I stopped fooling around and caved.

"They like you, okay?" I leaned over to kiss her nose. "Connie hangs out with you. You even shop together. She doesn't do that with just anyone. She's probably pumped that she finally has someone to do her girly shit with. Kurt doesn't mind you either. The big guy doesn't care much for anything, to be honest. So long as you're not being uptight, you're good. Alfie . . ." I paused to think about how to explain in coherent words how my best friend's mind worked. "He just doesn't like the fact that his best wingman isn't on the prowl with him anymore."

Snow was quiet.

I wanted to tell her not to care what my friends thought because I didn't a damn what hers thought of me, but then I realized that she was a girl. They cared too much for that kind of shit. So I kept my mouth shut.

"How did we get here?" she mumbled, closing her eyes and leaning her head on my shoulder. "Surreal, isn't it?"

"Lots of patience, that's for sure," I smirked. We fought so many times that I lost count. Still, we made it work. That was how crazy we were about each other. "Plus, giving out zero fucks to any asshat who thinks they have a say."

"Always so vulgar."

My smirk widened. "That's one of the things you love about me."

Her lips stretched into a smile. "Cocky, too."

"You bet it, babe," I murmured to her ear with a low voice. "If that word's not an invitation, I don't know what is." My fingers lightly played with the hem of her shirt, brushing her skin. My lips slowly traveled along her jaw to her neck.

Her breath hitched. "Everything to you is an invitation," she breathed out, squirming in my arms for more.

"Is that a no?" I whispered against her skin between kisses, my hand sneaking inside her shirt and moving upwards.

A loud moan escaped her lips. In a matter of seconds, she sat up and turned to straddle me. Without warning, she pressed herself on me and kissed me hard while her hands flew to my head. My man down there sprang to life when she gripped my hair, causing for me to squeeze her ass in sweet pleasure. And when she opened her mouth to moan again, I plunged in my tongue and fought for control.

"What does that say?" she asked breathlessly, when she pulled away.

"Hell yeah?" I panted huskily, my voice deeply coated with lust already.

She smiled and nodded. "Hell yeah."

My lips stretched out into a huge grin before pressing it against hers.

Damn.

It doesn't get any fucking better than this.

_____________

Snoz shippers, rejoice! Haha!

Haloz, where ya at? XD #CruelMe

I honestly feel their love. First love. It's bittersweet. Heartbreaking. But still, the innocence was there. The purity of their love for each other. It's </3.

Btw, the title of the chapter and the song is a tribute for all the directioners out there. It fits the chapter, Snoz, and my emotions for 1D. March has been a hard month on us. This is to closing an old book and opening a new one. Let's support the 4/4 lads who stayed with us, but knowing that it'll forever be 5/5 in our hearts. That is all.