A/N HAPPY BELATED EASTER EVERYONE! Even if you don't celebrate, I am still wishing you happiness. How many of you are in school right now?

I'm on break. #Catholicschoolperks

Also, this chapter sets another record for longest chapter. It's about 4150 words, give or take.

I don't like how the ending turned out, but whatever. I'll let you judge for yourself.

without further ado, your feature presentation

<.><.><.><.><.><.><.><.>

*Kaitlyn MacDonald*

Wow, my life is just going from one party to the next. I'm currently standing in my room alone, again, getting ready for another party at Blake's house. How does he even have the energy to host this many parties? It's exhausting enough to just figure out what to wear.

I look down at what I'm wearing. It's a new outfit; even the shoes are new.

How did I get the money for a completely new outfit, you might ask?

I didn't.

Drew showed up at my house two days after the Christmas party at 10 am to take me shopping. I didn't go willingly.

<flashback>

I'm rudely awakened by someone shaking my shoulder roughly.

"Kaitlyn," the person whispers. "Kaitlyn, get up. We have things to do today."

I groan, but force my eyes open just a tiny bit to see who has disturbed my slumber. It's Drew.

My eyes close again, but then the implication that Drew's in my room while I look like a naked mole rat hits me hard, and I shoot up, effectively knocking my forehead against his.

"Ow!" He exclaims, rubbing the angry spot on his face. "What was that for?"

"What was that for?" I repeat, rubbing the offending spot on my own face. "Why are you even here? It's," I check my clock, squinting to make out the blurry numbers, "10 am. Peanut butter and jelly, why am I awake?"

He shrugs, sitting on the bed next to me. "Well, you don't have any clothes suitable for a party that you haven't worn already for one. Believe me, I checked." Drew stands up and walks over to my window, throwing open the curtains. I hiss in protest, ducking my head back down underneath the covers. "By the way," he calls over his shoulder. "Nice Hello Kitty bra."

"You perv!" I scream, throwing a pillow at him. Of course, I instantly regret it, because now I only have two pillows to hide under instead of three. "I don't even wear it anymore. It's from, like, seventh grade."

So I haven't cleaned out my closet in 5 years. Sue me.

"TMI, doll. But I'm sure there are worse things you could have told me about your underwear." Drew sends me a smirk more blinding than the intruding sunlight. "Now, get up. I'm making you breakfast, and I want you showered and dressed to go out in half an hour."

"Bitch," I mutter. "Do you know how long it takes to shower when you're a girl?"

"No, I wouldn't. Tell me, does the showering part come before or after the ten-minute jam session in front of the mirror?"

I grimace. "I don't even want to know how you know I do that."

"Let's just say, the walls in this house are pretty thin, and Jordan's room is right next to your bathroom. You ever wonder why he's moved his bed all the way against Sam's wall instead of yours?" He heads over to my door, which is slightly ajar from his earlier entrance. "Now, get ready. We have lots to do today."

Drew walks down the hall, shutting the door behind him, leaving me alone in my too-bright room. I wrap myself in my blanket and consider my options.

One, I can get up, shower, and get ready like he wants me to. Pros, I don't have to worry about making my own breakfast. Cons, I have to submit myself to whatever tortures Drew has planned for the day.

Two, I can go back to bed and hopefully continue my dream from before. I was working at an ice cream factory, but there was a surplus of sea salt caramel, so they were going to pay anyone who wanted to help eat it all extra for working overtime. Pros, I get to sleep more. Cons, I don't get any actual real food. I also haven't showered since before Blake's Christmas party.

Groaning, I roll out of bed and get ready to go out with Drew.

Showering takes fifteen minutes, including shaving my legs, which are starting to resemble the Amazon forest.

Kaitlyn, why go through the effort of shaving your legs when you're just going to wear pants?

I don't know.

Picking out an outfit acceptable for public takes ten more minutes. I finally decide on my lucky penguin socks, black leggings, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and Drew's hoodie, which I may or may not give back. I'm still deciding.

As I sit on my bed to put on my socks, the soft pillows tempt me and I resist the urge to dive under the blankets and go back to sleep. Maybe I'll just lie down for a moment or two.

A moment turns into a minute, which turns into five, until I'm out like a light.

*Drew McCarthy*

Cooking the last of the bacon I found in the MacDonalds' fridge, I turn the stove off before sliding the contents of the pan onto a serving plate, next to the chocolate chip pancakes I made. I sit down at the table after setting a place for Kaitlyn and myself, sipping on a glass of orange juice while waiting for her to come down.

As I wait, I start to get nervous. Why hasn't she come down yet? I woke her up, heard her turn the shower on and off, so hopefully she's gotten dressed by now. But where is she?

Is this even her house? Am I just making this all up in my head?

I'm reassured when I hear clomping footsteps down the stairs, and yet I still sigh. How typical of Kaitlyn to express her discontent by stomping down the stairs.

Kaitlyn steps into the kitchen, but it's not Kaitlyn.

"Drew?" come Jordan's questioning voice. He adjusts his crutches under his arms as he leans against the fridge. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm taking Kaitlyn shopping today. She needs new clothes for Blake's party."

"How did you get in, if you don't mind me asking?" He hobbles over to the table and sits down, reaching for a piece of bacon with his hand.

"Sam let me in. He was awake for some reason, and I guess he treated it as compensation for me not telling Kaitlyn about what he was doing at my house after Blake's Halloween party. I think he's back in his room, though."

Jordan stops crunching his bacon. "Wait, Sam was at your house? Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"I've said too much," I gasp dramatically, covering my mouth with my hand. "Maybe you and Kaitlyn should corner him about some other time. Preferably when I'm not on the premises."

"I think that's going to happen," Jordan grumbles, shoving the rest of the bacon into his mouth.

We sit in silence, eating bacon, until Jordan breaks the silence.

"Does Kaitlyn know you're here?"

"Yeah, I woke her up almost 40 minutes ago. I don't know what she's doing right now, though."

Jordan sniggers. "If I know my sister, she's probably asleep. I don't think she's going to get up by herself anytime soon. You should probably go wake her up again if you want to get out of here before noon."

"Noted." I stand up and head for the stairs, but not before shoving a pancake in my mouth. Dang, I'm a good cook.

I pass Sam's room, which I can tell is his because of the muted video game sounds coming from behind the closed door, as well as Jordan's, which I know from experience. I see Kaitlyn's room at the end of the hall, the door closed like I left it and no sounds coming out.

What is she doing?

I knock gently on the door. "Kaitlyn? Are you in there?"

Silence greets me.

Taking a chance, I open the door slowly, so as not to squeak it, only to be met with an empty room. Where is she?

Wait. I spot a suspicious looking lump on the bed, hidden by Kaitlyn's quilt. Moving it, I am greeted by the sight of Kaitlyn, fully dressed and yet fast asleep.

F*ck. She looks so cute sleeping. I have to turn around and take a few deep breaths before facing her again.

What do I do now? We need to get going now if we're going to get everything done today, and yet I can't wake her up when she looks like this. She's obviously tired, too. Think, Drew, think!

Let's see. The mall I want to go to is about a 45-minute drive from here. It's the only one that has the stores I want to go to.

Solution? Carry Kaitlyn to my car and let her sleep while I drive. Then, when we arrive, I wake her up and we shop. Perfect.

Putting my plan in action, I fully remove the blanket. Kaitlyn squirms a little in her sleep, curling up her legs closer to her upper body.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

I sit on the end of the bed by her sock-clad feet. Noticing her shoes on the floor, I decide to put them on her before taking her anywhere.

It takes me a good ten minutes to put her Converse on.

"How do girls wear these things every single day when it's so hard to put them on? Ow!" I exclaim softly, waving the finger that got stuck in between Kaitlyn's heel and the end of the shoe. Who knew canvas hurt so much?

After I get them on her, I strategize as to what the best way is to get her down to my car. Probably bridal style, right? I mean, that's what Veronica tells me all the boys do in the books she reads.

You can do this Drew. I flex my muscles for inspiration and slide my arms underneath her, one under her back and one under her thighs. I bring her up against my chest quickly, checking to make sure she's still asleep. Glancing at the clock, I surprise myself.

How is it already 11:30? More importantly, what time did my little nerd to go bed that she's still asleep?

As I make my way down the stairs with Kaitlyn in my arms, I clutch her tighter to prevent her from slipping. Passing Jordan in the kitchen, I give him a nod, which he acknowledges with an 'I-told-you-so' smirk.

"Laugh all you want, pretty boy," I tease as Jordan hands me my keys. "You wish you could carry Peyton like this. But I think your knee has other plans."

"I'm hurt, Drew," he clutches his heart. "I'm hurt. Have her back here in one piece, please. Text me if something comes up. I'll be here. Like always."

"Thanks, bro." I nod before taking Kaitlyn out to my car.

Somehow I manage to open and close the front door. Somehow I manage to unlock my car. As I move to open the passenger side door, Kaitlyn shifts in my arms and I almost lose my grip on her.

F*ck. That could have been a one-way ticket to the emergency room. I hug her tightly to me as my heart stops pounding. When did I get so whipped?

I open the door carefully this time, gently lowering Kaitlyn onto the seat before pulling the buckle around her body. Safety first. Shutting the car door carefully, I jog around to the driver's side and slide in, double checking that Kaitlyn is secure before starting the engine.

Music blasts from the speakers, so loud that I'm surprised the birds didn't fly out of the trees.

Oh, wait. It's winter. All the birds are in Florida or something. Where there's no snow. Granted, there's no snow here either yet, but I'll be grateful for what I have.

I rapidly turn down the music until it's little more than a muted whisper. Kaitlyn shifts in her sleep, groaning a little bit as her head slips down and she's leaning on the console. Brushing away the hair that fell in her eyes, I softly stroke her hair to lull her back to sleep.

It's actually rather pleasant without her screaming in my ear for once, and I'd like to enjoy it as much as possible.

I drive off to the mall, with only the soft puffs of Kaitlyn's sleep breathing keeping me company. And that's okay.

<present time>

*Kaitlyn MacDonald*

So, yeah. I was pretty ticked off at Drew for basically kidnapping me from my house and forcing me to shop until I dropped. Which I literally did. After about five stores and 10 shopping bags, I nearly collapsed onto a bench in the middle of the mall and demanded for food. What? I didn't get any breakfast, because my no-good jerk brother and no-good jerk... boyfriend-ish...thing ate all of the bacon and didn't even save me some.

Drew bought me some disgusting dairy-free cinnamon pretzel bites from Auntie Anne's (I swear, that's like the only food store malls consistently have), which I aggressively ate while he took the bags back out to his car. I refused to get up and walk with him, instead making him come back to pick me up and carry me out.

I'm fairly certain I saw at least two girls smack their boyfriends and say, "Why won't you do that for me? He bought her food and he's carrying her."

Glad to be an example for you all.

Now, I'm standing in front of the mirror, wondering why I ever agreed to let Drew buy this for me. I'm literally stuffed into a slightly scandalous bodycon dress. My back is totally bare, save for two diagonal straps crossing from my shoulders to the opposite hip. The dress falls to my mid-thigh, accentuates my curves on the way up, and is finished by a lacy detail around the V-neck. I'm only showing some moderate cleavage, but it's definitely more than I've ever shown before.

On my feet are a pair of strappy nude heels, complimenting the olive color of the dress. I managed to curl my hair without burning myself, and my makeup seems artfully applied for someone who never wears it. Doublechecking my appearance in my mirror, I'm stunned at how mature I look.

That's a shocker. I decide to snap a few selfies just to be able to look back on this night and remember it.

Checking the time, I internally freak out a little bit. The party starts in negative 15 minutes; I'm late.

I rush around, grabbing my phone, wallet, keys, pepper spray from last time, and a fresh pack of gum. I'm not planning on drinking anything tonight, so I'll keep a stick of gum in my mouth at all times to remind myself.

Heading out of my bedroom, I smack into Sam in the hallway.

"Watch where you're going, pea brain," I tease, failing to hide a smile. I shoulder my bag and step around him. Then I walk backwards so I can see him again. "What are you all dressed up for?"

"I could ask you the same question," he shoots back defensively, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

"I'm going to Blake's New Year's party," we say at the same time. I raise a questioning eyebrow.

"Oh, really? And how did one such as yourself procure an invitation to said party? Last I checked, it was upperclassmen only. Blake doesn't want to be responsible for youngsters such as yourself getting drunk and ruining their lives."

"I have an invitation." He unlocks his phone and shows me a message from somebody named Veronica. "See? Drew's younger sister told me that she was invited, and that Blake told her she could bring a plus one." His face turns red. "Oops."

"Hmm. And, pray tell, why do you have Veronica McCarthy's phone number? Saved with a heart by her name?" Oh, Sam, you are so busted.

"No reason." Then, "Oh, look at the time! Gotta get going, or I'm going to miss my ride!" He scampers off down the hallway, me following as best I can.

What? There's only so fast a girl can go in heels on a plush carpet.

"Sam! Who's giving you a ride? Who would consent to such a deed?" Then I see him leaning against the doorway. "I should have known."

Drew smirks and whistles, eyeing me up and down. "Nice dress there, doll."

"Drew." I groan, plopping myself onto the bench by the front door. "Why are you here?"

"I'm giving Sam a ride, duh. Or did him telling you that go in one ear and out the other?" He sits down next to me, his leg brushing against mine.

"Whatever. Hey, can I get a ride to the party with you? I'm suddenly not in the mood for driving. Might just run a certain someone over," I say, glaring at that certain someone, who's obliviously tying the laces on his shoes.

"I thought you'd never ask." He stands up and offers me a hand, which I graciously take. "Now let's get going. We were supposed to be there 30 minutes ago."

The car ride is awkward and silent. Drew drives, while I sit in the passenger seat looking out the window. Sam is in the backseat, along with Drew's younger sister, Veronica. I can tell the two of them would like to talk to each other, but the first time Sam attempted to strike up a conversation I whipped around and glared at him until he stopped.

Call me harsh, fine. I'm just a little upset that he wouldn't even tell me there was something going on between the two of them. I'm also upset that he was at her house without me even knowing, and Drew was the one to find them there. I guess I'm mad at Drew, too, for not telling me either. Invasion of privacy, I guess, but still. From my experience, Drew has no problem invading someone's privacy, namely, mine.

We arrive at Blake's house, driving past the cars lined up and down the street. Drew pulls his car up the driveway to a spot marked in chalk and a 'reserved' sign. Being best friends with the party host has its perks, I guess.

Sam, instead of bolting out of the car as usual, actually takes the time to rush around to the other side and open the door for Veronica. My mouth hangs open and I glare at Drew. When he glares right back at me, I sigh and get out of the car myself.

This is going to be a long night.

After dodging drunk teenagers and couples engaged in what could easily turn into scandalous activities, we make it to the front door, which slams open just before we reach it, letting two guys throwing punches at each other tumble onto the grass by the front of the house. A girl, frantically screaming, her makeup ruined, runs out after them, begging for the two of them to stop.

Glad that's not my drama. I have enough of my own.

Drew whistles. "That could be us some day, doll. Except the fight would already be over. I would be the winner, obviously." I just snort and push past him.

"Keep dreaming, jerk."

Finding Blake to say hi isn't that hard. He's over by Ashton, who's DJ-ing yet another party, talking animatedly with a tall girl wearing even taller heels.

"Hey!" I have to shout to be heard over the music. "Blake!"

He turns and his face lights up when he sees me. Either that, or it's the alcohol talking. "Hey, Kaitlyn! This is my older sister, Kelly. She's back in town for the holidays. Kelly, this is Kaitlyn."

Kelly sips her drink before placing it on a nearby table. Noticing my look, she grins. "I'll get a new one after this. Can't trust anybody at parties this day." She faces me head-on and looks me up and down. "So you're the one Blake's been telling me all about. Interesting." Her eyes then travel over to Drew, whose arm has somehow migrated around my waist.

"Oh?" Drew raises an eyebrow. "And what has Blake been saying about her?"

Blake interrupts before Kelly can spill. "Kelly, I think there's something I had to show you, but I forgot to do it when you got here. Let's go!" He grabs his sister by the arm and drags her away.

"Okay," I breathe, watching them argue as they walk away. "That was a little weird, don't you think?"

"Indeed."

The party is average, at best. Or maybe I'm just all partied out. Drew goes off at some point to talk with his basketball friends, leaving me to sit on a couch in the corner, sipping a bottled water I found in Blake's fridge. About fifteen minutes later, someone plops on the couch beside me and