We walked up the restaurant stairs which creaked after each rusty step. I've never been in this building before. The staircase has no lights whatsoever so I have to grab onto Jake's coat so I know where I'm going. After another flight of stairs, we reach a door, and the faintly illuminated night sky lights up our faces. We walk through the door and we're on the roof! How the heck did this dude get us on the roof?!

I looked around the rooftop then slowly walked toward the edge of the building looking down onto the performance stage feet below. "Ah, this is the best view in the world," I say.

"Yeah, it is."

"How do you even know about this place? Do you come up here all the time or something?"

"Actually, my grandpa used to own his restaurant in this building and he used to show me the 'secret' passageway to the roof. Ever since then, if I happen to walk past this restaurant, I sneak up to the roof to think about things," Jake reveals.

"Things like what?" I stick my cold hands into my coat pockets and look at him.

"Like family situations, or school..." He walks up beside me and whispers, "...or girls."

"Hmm... interesting. Is there a special girl you have in mind?" I ask with a flirty tone.

"Yeah. She's on the basketball team and I've known her for quite some time. She has a big mouth, big personality, and... you know, her head is actually shaped like a basketball," he jokes.

"Really?" I hit his chest at his teasing remark, then put my hand back into my pocket.

He smiles before letting out a huge sigh and looking up at the sky. I gaze over the New Year's Eve crowd below. I move side to side to the music band currently playing and look up at the stars. I always liked watching the stars when I was little. Sometimes my mom would drive her car to the park and we'd get out and lay a blanket on a patch of grass. My mom would only do this on weekends because we'd stay up until midnight just watching the stars, and as soon as I fell asleep, she'd gather up the blanket in one arm, me in the other, put us both in the car, and drive back home...

Jake found a spot on the rooftop's ground to sit down, moving snow out of the way with his shoe and creating a dry space. Stretching out his legs and leaning back on his hands, he continues to look up at the night sky. I look down at him with a disgusted look on my face.

"You're gonna sit down on this dirty roof with all this snow?"

"Yeah. You can join me, too."

"I'm not getting my clothes dirty," I decline.

"You can sit on my lap." He smirks and waits for my response.

I glare at him and cross my arms, weighing my options. 

"And if I don't?"

"It will be your loss." He shrugs and averts his attention to the stars again.

"Hmm..." I stand in front of his feet and kick them. I give him a grin which he returns and he spreads his legs apart so I can sit in between them. When I get comfy, I lay back against his body and rest my head back against his shoulder.

"I said you can sit on my lap so you didn't have to sit on the ground." His voice vibrates through my back, causing me to feel butterflies in my stomach.

"Same difference. Don't act like you don't enjoy me between your legs." Pause. That sounded wrong. Jake laughed and I smacked my lips. "You know what I mean. Stop being nasty!"

"You said it," he accuses, still laughing.

"Whatever."

Silence fell between us. Nothing but the cheers from the happy and possibly drunk crowd below filled the atmosphere. Although the New Year's Eve festivities gave us a sense of reality, it felt like we were in our own little world, away from problems and responsibilities. But this feeling of being on top of the world soon faded when the horror of senior year came racing back into my mind.

"I'm scared for the future..." I bluntly reveal. I felt Jake's eyes on me.

"Why do you say that?"

In between biting my fingernails, I respond, "I'm scared of what college is gonna be like. I've never been on the West Coast before; it's a whole 'nother scene out there. Probably gonna be even more drama with all the rich kids that have lived there their whole life, and more pressure with basketball." After a brief pause, I say, "I don't know if I can do it, Jake."

"You're not reconsidering UCLA are you?"

I don't respond.

"Sam, you're the most talented female basketball player I know. UCLA needs you. I don't know why you're worried about people over there, because I've seen the way you handle yourself and you know damn well you won't let anyone walk over you. You're a fighter. It's in your blood! You can handle this... not everyone is meant for college, but I have faith in you," he says.

I sit up and turn my body around to face him, hugging my knees to my chest. "I just don't wanna go there without you. We had this whole plan, all of us - me, you, Khalil, even Diggy. It won't be the same without you..."

"I know... but life happens and my family is important to me, Sam. I made my decision because it's the right thing for me. Don't jeopardize your future because of me. Go for your dreams!"

I shake my head and pout. "Maybe after graduation, I should stay with my mom and help with the house--"

"She'll have Antonio to keep her company, remember?"

"I barely even know the guy! I mean, how can I trust that while I'm away at school he won't treat her wrong or use her for some scam or something bad?!" 

"Because you have to trust something! Someone... for at least once in your life, Sam. Not everyone's a bad guy. Everyone's not out to get you..." He says the last line in a quieter, more soothing voice.

"Tell that to my runaway dad, or them girls at school, or Diggy. Someone's always out to get me," I complain.

"It's not always about you..."

Okay, that kinda hurt. I know what Jake is saying is for the best, but I don't wanna hear it right now. I'm just clearing off my chest. He ain't always gotta have an answer for everything!

"Why does everyone always say that?" I sigh with a roll of my eyes.

"I'm not trying to badger you. You have nothing to worry about at UCLA; you can handle it. That's all I'm saying."

I'm not saying anything else either. But the stress of college and the last semester of senior year is running through my mind. My resolution is that there will be no more drama at school or at home... and that Jake gets to go to UCLA.

***

DIGGY's POV

We made it to Times Square just in time. My parents agreed that me and Russy could check out the scene. It's gonna be his first time watching the ball drop and my second time. The crowd of people got the streets blocked at least seven blocks down, so I had to park my car in a parking deck and we walked the rest of the way. It took us fifteen minutes to walk and it's cold out here! There's about ten minutes until the ball drops, so we decide to squeeze through the crowd to get as close to the stage as possible. Russy takes pictures from his phone. I can see the excitement in his eyes. I smile and tap his arm.

"How you like it so far?"

"It's really noisy. I can't even hear myself think," he shouts over the crowd, "but I like it!" He replies with a smile.

"I knew you would," I smile back at him.

My phone goes off in my pocket and I check it out. A text message from Julie. I haven't gotten any messages from her since Christmas... wonder what she wants. I open the message and read:

JULIE: Just want to wish you an early Happy New Year! Hopefully this new year will have some new beginnings and I hope somehow you forgive me. See u next term!

'hope somehow you forgive me' ...how can I forgive someone that took my virginity then falsely claimed that I was their baby's father? Man, chicks these days. They'll do you wrong then pretend nothing ever happened, and then they wanna try to get with you again. Well, I'm not playing that this year. I want nothing to do with Julie. Matter of fact, why does she still have my number? Why do I still have her number? Psh. I start typing on the keyboard of my cell phone screen:

DIGGY: Sorry wrong #. Delete this please.

At least I said please. I'm not trying to deal with any more girls this year. They're nothing but drama.

SAM's POV

Five minutes until the countdown is what the big clock on the Times Square tower says. I feel excited! 2013 is almost over! I get up from the ground of the rooftop and wipe my butt off. Jake gets up after me, stretching his arms above his head. I glance at him as his eyes go to my waist.

"You missed a spot." He thinks he's slick by pretending to wipe some dirt off my butt just to feel my booty. I slap his hand away and all I can do is giggle.

"Stop it, perv!"

"That's the second time you've called me a perv in one night."

"Because you ARE!" I push him playfully.

"Girl, you ain't seen nothing yet. If you rock with me, I'll show you how much of a perv I can be all night." He winks at me and bites his lips.

"Ewwww. Whatever, Jake," I reply while walking toward the rooftop entrance and exit door. But Jake grabs my arm with a strong grip and pulls me back, looking from my eyes to my lips. My eyes are glued to his.

"I want to start my year off right and I think you can help me do that," he says.

My voice barely lets out a peep. "Okay..."

"Sam Goode, will you be my girlfriend?"

My heart stopped and my jaw dropped. Did he just ask me... to be his girlfriend? My stomach was doing flip-flops. I felt like I would fall out right there. I still can't believe the feelings this dude has me feeling. Can I get some holy water for my impure thoughts, please?

"...huh?" Is all I manage to say.

"I want you to be my girlfriend. And you have to say yes," he bites his lip and pulls me closer to him by my waist. The butterflies return. Gulp.

"...yes. I'll be your girlfriend." 

"Good. Let's go down and watch the ball drop." 

He pulls me towards the doorway and I follow.

DIGGY's POV

"60... 59... 58... 57... 56..." The crowd began to count down the seconds before New Years. Russy was counting down with them and recording the whole experience. I decided to take a few pictures myself and a picture with me and my brother. After I posted them on Instagram, I geared my attention toward the glass ball that was slowly making its way down the pole several feet ahead. 

A few feet ahead towards the row of restaurants and businesses on my left, I see a guy and a girl walking out of some building and joining their friends in the crowd. Wait, is that Khalil they're talking to? I had to squint to make out his features when he turned his head sideways, but yeah, that is him! I see him with Becca and... did Sam and Jake just walk out of that building? That must have been them. The whole crew is here. Now I'm thinking why they didn't invite me to come watch the ball drop with them? We're cool, so why didn't they call me to say they were hitting up Times Square too? Well, whatever. I'll just approach them and say what's up. 

I tell Russy that I see my friends and we both wiggle through the crowd again to meet up with them.

"20... 19... 18... 17... 16..."

We were about ten feet away from them and Russy taps me on the shoulder.

"It's almost New Year!" He cheers.

I stop in my tracks and watch as the ball is pretty much at the bottom of the pole.

"5... 4... 3... 2... 1. HAPPY NEW YEAR!" 

Fireworks lit up the sky as Katy Perry's song began to blast over the loudspeakers. Streamers came raining down on us and Russy was jumping up and down. I smile at his behavior and do our secret brother handshake, telling him 'Happy New Year'. He continues screaming and catching some confetti in his hands. 

I look forward in the crowd to where the squad is and notice Khalil and Becca sharing a kiss. I never thought that they'd be together, but all of their bickering and acting like they hate each other was only proof that they liked each other. I shook my head and grinned to myself. Then I noticed another couple beside them sharing a rather intimate smooch. There were a few couples around me doing the same thing, but that couple was much younger and they never seemed to come up for air. The girl had on a white beanie. I actually recognized that beanie... 

I spot Khalil and Becca smiling at the couple and taking a picture before they finally came up for air and revealed their faces.

It was Sam and Jake that were kissing... 

I would have never guessed it... 

And I don't know why, but a knot is starting to form in my stomach and I'm  becoming queasy...

 "Hey! Isn't that Sam? And your friend Jake?" Russy asks a few seconds after I had came to the same conclusion.

"Yeah..."

"You wanna go say what's up?"

"Nah, Nah. I'm cool. Come on, let's start heading back--" I turn around and start walking back through the crowd, the way we came from.

"Whoa! But we literally just got here!" 

"I know, but if you want to get home at a decent time, we have to start walking now to beat the crowd," I explain, without looking back.

"Let me get a few more pictures." He snaps some more pictures and catches up with me.

The last thing I expected to see was my former best friend and Jake sucking each other's faces off. If they're a thing... man, whatever. Jake's a cool dude and I know he wouldn't hurt Sam, but I don't like her getting too cozy with dudes so quickly. She just got out of a relationship, if you would even call it that, with Chris! 

See, the funny thing is that she complained the last two weeks about me and Julie, but it's okay for her to bounce from guy to guy like the easy girls she complains about. Ha... so hypocritical.

Happy New Year...

______________________________________________________________________

End of the first half... hope you guys are enjoying this story and if not, tell me how I can improve it! I'm looking forward to writing more and creating more drama in the next half of this story! Now, I am currently working on two new stories so I might take a break on this one to work on the others.

 Comment! Vote! Read! Cheers! Message me if you have any ideas, whatever, it doesn't matter... thank you for the support of this story so far! :)