When Santiago’s Lambo started to move, something that Stella immediately noticed was how smooth it drove. She had never been in one before. Despite growing up pretty well off, her parents weren’t that wealthy and they personally weren’t the types to buy one. The closest to one she had been was seeing the person driving her to the country club show it off around school.

She chose to remain quiet for the most part during the drive. It wasn’t that Stella couldn’t talk about what had literally just happened. She could talk Santiago’s ear off, use him as a quality venting space, and maybe get some advice if that’s what she was in the mood for (it wasn’t). She didn’t do that because she didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to focus on the negative that was Chrissie or how her cousin was becoming a bigger pain in her rear than — hell, than Santiago was, which even then he never made her cry so much in her life.

Oops, guess she let that one slip.

Yeah, Stella was a wreck, but she didn’t want to think about any of that, especially with how terrible she’s been handling the Chrissie drama. She wanted to block it all out for tonight. Nothing brought her greater joy than knowing she and Santiago were in a good place and that she might even be able to have some fun with Carter (if she was lucky).

“Hey, listen.” Stella saw they were approaching the Country Club (the lights stuck out in the post-sunset evening like a sore thumb. “I’m sorry I’ve been so quiet,” Stella said, somewhat frowning at Santiago. “And I’m sorry you had to hear all of that back at the house. There was a lot going on. Chrissie got on my last nerve and--” She stopped herself. She felt the knot in her stomach start to tighten, signalling her she was near the point of doing exactly what she told herself she wouldn’t. “--And, I just didn’t want to lay that on you or give my cousin the benefit of ruining what I hope is an amazing evening with my new friend!” As they came to a stop at a red light, she gave Santiago a warm smile, hoping he knew that she meant every single word.

Santiago tore his eyes from the road ahead and turned towards Stella with a soft smile. “Hey, don’t worry about it, Stella,” he reassured her in a surprisingly gentle tone. “Families fight all the time. Sorry I was quiet all the way here, though. I figured you wanted some space. I didn’t want to make you feel any worse by saying the wrong thing.”

Stella shook her head at his last comment. “Oh no. you could never. I mean, not anymore.” Oh there she went, foot in mouth again. “What I mean is now, you’re the only person right now who is making me smile,” she clarified. “In this god awful time of my life, the time spent with you has brought me more joy than, well a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips. And I love sour cream and onion potato chips!”

The young man couldn’t help but chuckle at her words. It was nice to know that she was on her way to being her usual cheerful self. The silence that had reigned between them along the way had been a tad unsettling. “As good as it feels to hear that I make you so happy, I’m glad you don’t smell like the chips. Lils used to love them too, but ever since she got pregnant even the tiniest whiff of ‘em makes her throw up. Funny how that happens, huh? How women get pregnant and suddenly something they used to love eating makes them stupid sick all of a sudden…” he rambled, his eyes now back on the road.

There was something comforting about how Santiago talked about April. Always she saw him as the kind of guy that was macho and obnoxious, but she truly was starting to see him in a different light and it always seemed to happen when he talked about April. And that was something Stella found truly endearing about him. How sweet he was, how down to earth he was. Everything that had been thought about him wasn’t accurate. The more time Stella spent with him, the more she was starting to see that.

After a few moments of silence and the country club practically within sight, Stella’s voice cracked as though it sounded off before anything coherent formed, causing her to cough. “I meant to say it before,” her voice was raspy and she coughed a few more times. “Do you happen to have anything to drink?” She asked him, coughing every other word.

Diablo smacked his head against the steering wheel. “Shit, yeah. Sorry about that, I meant to ask you earlier. Go ahead: open up the glove compartment and pick your poison. I’ve got water, ginger ale, juices, sparkling water... No alcohol, though. Reformed man with a kid on the way and all that,” he joked with a grin.

Stella half-coughed, half-laughed and grabbed the small, 8oz bottle of apple juice. She twisted off the cap and drank about a third of it before coming up for air. “That’s much better!” She could talk again! “Now, where was I?” She thought for a moment. “Oh right! With all the family drama that happened, I wasn’t able to tell you, but I bought you and April some gifts for the baby!” Stella told him with a gleaming smile on her face.

That brought a genuine, thankful grin to the young man’s face. “Oh yeah?” he asked, playfully raising his eyebrow before letting out a small laugh. “Damn, Stella: that’s really sweet of you. Lils is gonna love to hear that. We really do appreciate it.”

“I just hope you guys will like it,” Stella said, slightly nervous. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling at Santiago. “I can give it to you guys tomorrow or tonight even if there’s still time when we get back to my house.” She looked ahead for a brief moment, noticing the cars in front of them starting to move and that’s when she saw the green light.

“Fine by me,” Santiago answered, turning his attention back on the road. He let some silence fall between them as they finally reached the parking lot of the country club before he eventually blurted out, “I’m going to propose to her, you know? Not tonight, obviously, but definitely before summer ends.”

The brunette remained silent, trying to register exactly what she just heard; even as she did, it still didn’t click with her brain until it was about twenty seconds later. “You’re going to do what now?” She asked, turning her entire body as much as she could to face Santiago. “It sounded like you said you said you were going to propose to April…” Stella had a bad history of hearing things that weren’t actually said and thinking they were true, so hopefully Santiago would forgive her if she needed him to repeat himself.

The young man couldn’t help but chuckle loudly at his date’s disbelieving expression. “That’s exactly what I said. What, you have that little faith in me?” he teased, not waiting for her answer before adding, “I mean, I wouldn’t blame you. But I’m dead serious, Stell: I want to propose to April.”

She laughed, though felt guilty for jumping to the wrong conclusion. “No, it’s just--” She stopped herself. She was focusing on the wrong details. Stella took a breath, studying Santiago’s face and seeing a familiar expression of nervousness, one she often saw on her own but there was also a conviction she rarely saw on her own (though it existed somewhere). That gave her all of the proof she needed. He was as serious as she had to imagine he had been about anything else. “So you’re really--that’s amazing! Does anyone else know?” She inquired.

Santiago shook his head. “Nah. Haven’t wanted to freak anyone out with the news,” he confessed, turning over to look at her with what was probably the most open, honest expression he had ever given someone outside April, Max or his family. “And I feel as if I start saying it to people, everyone will be trying to tell me what to do, or pull me in all sorts of different directions. I don’t want that. I wanna be able to do things on my own terms and at my own time, you feel me?”

“I totally understand.” The scary part was she knew exactly what it felt like to want to tell someone something without another someone doing that for her. She knew the feeling all too well that it twisted her stomach whenever she thought about how Chrissie robbed her of telling Carter what she wanted to tell him. “You want to make sure when she hears it, it’s from you first and not planted in her head by someone who might twist things.” She took a moment to pause, shaking off the rising, almost boiling current of anger threatening to come to the surface. “Don’t worry, Santi! Your secret is safe with me!” And when she said that, unlike a certain drama queen who was faker than American cheese, she meant what she said.

Diablo gave Stella a bright smile. “Thanks, girl… For the gifts for Mila, the company-- everything. Sorry I just went ahead and dumped all of this on ya like that, but I really appreciate you listening to my ramblings,” he chuckled, scratching the back of his neck like he always did when he was nervous or embarrassed.

Stella gave Santiago a smile as she grabbed her clutch. “Of course! You made me forget all about that awful fight I had, so I needed it just as much as you seemed to have.” She offered him a smile. “So should we go in now? I think any more time spent sitting and my butt will get too numb for me to walk,” she laughed.

“Yeah, sure!” he responded, finally killing the engine of the Lambo. He exited the car and quickly made his way over to the passenger seat to help Stella gracefully step out, and once the doors were closed and safely locked behind them, the two made their way past the country club’s doors and into the already bustling ballroom.

Although her face was as impassive as ever as she excused herself with Jasper and followed Max outside, a nervous Ariana was secretly going down the list of reasons as to why the lacrosse captain would want to privately speak to her. Had he figured out what was actually happening between her and Jasper? They had made out quite publicly that first time when she’d asked him to be her date, after all. King’s Academy was a small school, so it was common for juicy news about hookups to travel around fast. And with how odd it would’ve been to spot the cheer captain tongue wrestling with the quiet, shy music prodigy of their class, she wouldn’t be surprised if any rumors had reached her darling Maxie’s ears. That was a possibility.

Or… There was another worse case scenario she was starting to entertain… Had Max realized what was the true nature of her relationship with Jace? Not that there was a relationship there nowadays, but it’s not like they had been subtle about their pettiness towards each other in the last few weeks. The glaring, the ignoring, the snide remarks, the way she jumped onto Max whenever Jace showed around, or the way Jace stared daggers at them whenever together... She’d often dismissed Max as being too dumb to notice the questionable things that happened around them, but had she underestimated him? Had the oblivious Max Wallenberg actually put the pieces of the puzzle together and figured out she’d been hooking up with their math teacher? Because that would be a Disaster with a capital D.


She was freaking overreacting! It was probably something stupid and mundane anyway, right? Like maybe he just wanted to tell her how hot she looked. Yeah, that was probably it. Or maybe he just wanted to tell her all the dirty things he would do to her, but didn’t want Jasper around to hear because it would be awkward as hell? Huh, maybe. Or, heck, maybe he just wanted to whisk her away like a thief in the night for, I don’t know, a normal, PG conversation about their day? Another plausible scenario!

Oh well… Time to find out.

“Hey baby,” the girl cooed, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him in for a brief kiss. Better to butter him up just in case things went south-- seduction was always a powerful weapon. “Everything okay?”

Originally, this felt like a good idea. In the heat of the moment, and with how enticing Marisol was dressed, Ryland found himself unable to resist their shared ploy to cause Sonny (and maybe, Julie too...) to get jealous. The fact that Sonny kept looking their way, there was no doubt in Rye’s mind that they DID get under his skin, still…

There was a small glimmer of hope that if he did something this petty, like have his best friend in his arms right in front of her boyfriend, who was also his best friend, maybe, it could result in Miss Macmillan noticing him. He knew the redhead thought nothing of him. He knew first impressions lasted forever.

She would hold that against him, from now until they no longer crossed paths. His immature outburst and disrespect toward women. His improper manners and his unreasonable anger. While part of him had hoped there was something there, he knew this was a complete lost cause.

He really fucked up.

Coming to a halt, he delicately released his friend and muttered, “What are we doing?” This night was supposed to be fun, but he knew he most definitely caused a rift between two people he loved and most likely looked ten times worse in his crush’s eyes. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t angry. Moreso at himself than anyone else. He wanted to be there for Sol. He wanted to make her happy, instead of focusing on her boyfriend and his date. He wanted to forget for one fucking second that there was a girl that absolutely disdained him and would never even want a friendship with him.

Lost as she’d been in between the carefree, sensual dancing with Ryland and making sure her boyfriend was watching them closely, it wasn’t until her friend released her that Marisol noticed something was wrong. Frowning, she turned around to face Ry, who was suddenly looking as if someone had punched him in the stomach and randomly asked what they were doing.

“Um, what we said we would do? Make Sonny jealous?” the girl responded without hesitation as if explaining something to a child, rolling her eyes. It had been his idea after all. But when she noticed how distraught he looked, she raised a questioning eyebrow at him. “Is there a problem with that or something?”

Shaking his head, clearly upset, he apologized, “I shouldn’t have come. I’m sorry, Sol. This is overstepping some clear boundaries and now you and Sonny… I don’t know, man. I should go…” Unnerved, which only happens when Rye was about to go off somewhere to hurt himself, like punch a wall or slam his head against something he clearly shouldn’t be slamming his head on, he continued to ramble, “I’m a fucking crap friend and a dissappointment to my father.”

“What the- ?” Marisol blurted out loudly, staring at Ryland as if he’d grown an extra head. His abrupt change in demeanor was definitely freaking her out. They had now garnered the attention of a few of the classmates in their immediate vicinity, so the brunette decided that it was best to take this conversation somewhere else. “Come on,” she told him, and without waiting for his answer, she took his hand and almost dragged him to the entrance of the country club.

Once they were away from the prying eyes and ears of the rest of the King’s crowd, Mari turned to her best friend with a worried expression. He’d seemed so determined to make a statement before, and now that they were achieving it, he was suddenly backing out? Ry wasn’t the type to back out of anything, which made his behavior all the more concerning. “What the fuck is going on, Ryland? Where is all of this ‘I’m a piece of shit’ mood coming from?”

This semester seemed to have a theme of Marisol comforting him and assuring him that things would get better. Relieved they were outside, where he could breathe and calm his nerves, he released her hand and ran all his fingers through his long hair.

Not answering right away, he decided to unbutton his jacket and take it off, throwing it on a nearby bed of grass. “Do you know how unlucky I am, Marisol?” He paced back and forth, clenching his fists. “Whenever I like someone, it never ends up working and when I see Julie, it just dawns on me that I will never be her type. She will never want me.” Before she could say anything, he rapidly continued, “I’ve called Ariel stupid in front of her face and now she probably sees me as some homewrecker. Do you see why I’m a piece of shit? Because I don’t consider anyone else’s feelings.”

“That is not true,” Mari quickly interjected, crossing her arms in front of her chest. What was it with school dances bringing out the worst in her and her friends? It was as if they were cursed or some shit. “You’re not a homewrecker, you’re not a piece of shit, and you have no way of knowing what Julie’s type is to even think she wouldn’t want you. Hell, I don’t think I know what Julie’s type is, and I’ve gone to school with her for over twelve years now!” she passionately stated, scoffing and shaking her head. Impressing Julie Macmillan long enough for her to give you more than five minutes of her time was a feat that very few men had achieved, but who was to say Ry couldn’t do it? “But if she can be best friends with Sonny of all people -who we both know is probably the fucking opposite of everything she represents-, then what makes you think you don’t have a shot, hmm? You’re not going all pussy on me now, are you? Because we both know Ryland Aspen is a fucking bull with balls of steel, not a fucking coward.”

Damn. Why’d she have to go so hard, so quick? Verbally and metaphorically, his best friend slapped him in the face. It didn’t even hurt. It was more like. Wow. She was absolutely right. He had no idea what Julie’s type was, so why the hell was he assuming? He hadn’t even jumped yet to be scared and he wasn’t someone that pussied out because he MIGHT get turned down. He broke more bones than the average teenage boy because of how foolishly fearless he was. This funk that he was in, whatever this funk was, was unlike him. And yeah! Julie somehow became close with Sonny which was basically his brother from another mother. They had a lot of similarities. Not enough to go gay for one another, but that’s not the point. They were BROTHERS-IN-ARMS, waging this war called: highschool. “I am a fucking bull! You’re so goddamn right. Like, what would I do without you? You’re so money, you don’t even know it, Sol.” At this point, his hands were on her shoulders and he was completely pumped. Fire in his eyes.

Fuelled by pure hype and excitement, the beaming Marisol jumped into Ryland’s arms, wrapping both her arms and her legs around his tall frame. She giggled and held onto him tightly as he spun her around, only letting go of her when they were both dizzy. As she was placed back down on the ground, the short girl couldn’t help but think about the irony of the situation. The start of the night had consisted of her feeling down and Rye cheering her up, and now here she was returning the favor. Say what you would about Mari, but she had a real talent for gassing up her friends even when she was the worst at being kind to herself. It was easier to find the virtues of those you loved, anyway.

Grinning, Marisol roughly grabbed Ryland’s face with one hand. “I love you, you piece of shit,” she declared, planted a big kiss on his cheek only to follow up the affectionate gesture with two small slaps to the same area. “You’re a real money machine, Ryland James! Remember that. Now stop being a bitch and go get your girl. You’ve got this in the bag.”

For a second, he thought she’d kiss him in the lips, since this was panning out to feel like a scene right out of a rom com, but he shook that thought out of his head when she encouraged him to confess. “I love you too, you firecracker.” He teased back, even going the extra mile to poke her belly.

Having a new sense of determination, he turned to the door, then turned back to his friend. While he was pumped, he still wanted her to go back inside, with him. “I’m about to put on a show, sooooooooooo if there’s anyone I want there to watch, it’s definitely you. Whaddaya say?

Mari didn’t have to be told twice. Nearly skipping, she climbed onto Ryland’s back like she’d done since they were kids. She made sure that her grip was strong and that she wasn’t showing off her ass to the world before crying out, “Let’s go get ‘em, tiger!”

Leaving his jacket behind, he strode to the door and threw it open. The moment it slammed against the walls, he charged, deciding it was now or never, and hoping they didn’t leave Sonny to his thoughts for too long. As they ran, he playfully swerved like a plane, while Marisol giggled, made the comical little sound effects and had her arms wide open.

Finally reaching the ballroom, he stopped in front of the door to catch his breath, “I’m going to do this. There’s no turning back now.” Kicking the door open, knowing that would probably draw some attention, he entered, still with Marisol on his back. Releasing her, making sure she landed on her feet, he turned and gave her one more bear hug for encouragement.

The girl simply beamed at him, her green eyes sparkling with pride and excitement. “Fucking go for it, man.”

With her final boost, he strode through the dancefloor and straight to the DJ, not letting anyone, not even his friends stop him in his tracks. He made sure when he passed Sonny and Julie he locked eyes first with his friend, and then with his heart’s desire. Reaching the DJ, he shouted, “Yo dude! I got an announcement to make. It’s gonna be good.”

The second Santiago and Stella made their entrance to the country club ballroom, the boy’s gray eyes quickly scanned the area and fell upon a few familiar faces scattered around. Normally, his modus operandi in school dances would be to locate his brother from another mother, scour the area together for the best targets, charm their way to their panties and take the lucky ladies back to their place. However, the cocky, womanizing boy from before was far different from the loyal, faithful man standing in the ballroom today. Tonight, Diablo paid absolutely no mind to the many beautiful girls sauntering and enjoying themselves around the room. He had eyes for one girl, and one girl only. And when his eyes fell on that very pregnant love of his life, the young man couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.

“Oh my God, look at you!” he cried out happily as he approached them alongside Stella, helping April get up to slowly twirl her around in front of him. He took a few seconds to admire April in all her glowing, radiant beauty before helping the girl take her seat once again. “You look beautiful, Lils. Really”

And hot damn, she did! The burgundy color certainly brought out the browns of her hair and eyes as well as her glowing light skin, and the dress itself did a fantastic job of flattering her slim frame and gently fitting her growing stomach. He’d known how difficult it had been for April to find a dress she felt comfortable in, so he was both relieved and happy that she’d found the perfect one. Hopefully the same boutique or designer could come through for the baby shower dress she’d be needing in the next few weeks.

After he’d affectionately kissed her on the lips and forehead, he turned to his girlfriend’s date with a smile. “Hey, man,” he greeted Archer with two stiff pats to the back. “How’s it going so far? Stell and I just got here, actually. Did anything important happen yet?”