Assurance

I don't know who Milo Kensington was, but he must have been a very good looking guy.

Because the man standing in front of me made my breath hitch for a moment. His freshly shaven face was frame by a head full of blonde hair and the most stunning blue eyes. Jonah wasn't exactly as scrawny as Oliver, but still had a bulky frame. He wore a black tux and I laughed to myself that he even went to the extent of having a single stud earring in his left ear.

"Hello, I'm Jonah." he said confidently, taking my left hand in his as we stood in the foyer.

"Kristiny, but you can call me Kris." I nearly whispered, a little taken back as he leaned down and pressed his lips to my fingers. I cringed , his lips were slightly wet, coating my fingers with his residue.

"I must say Kristiny, your mother didn't tell me how beautiful you were. That dress looks ravishing on you." he said smiling, showing his perfectly white teeth.

You're not allowed to like this dress, it's Oliver's., I wanted to say so badly. This guy was making it hard to hate him like I wanted to. I had really dressed up for the evening, trading my flats for heels, my wavy hair cascaded down my shoulders and I even went to the extent for adding a slight touch of make-up. I tried to push the thought of Oliver out of my mind. I had tried to tell him about Jonah, but I didn't get through to him these past few days.

"Thank you, but please call me Kris." I said quietly.

"Shall, we go in?" he said ushering me towards the door, with his hand on the small of my back, I might add. I nodded slowly, scared shitless to go into the party. Jonah hooked and arm around my own and we entered the small banquet hall. I couldn't even focus on the grandeur of the room, but quickly scanned the room for Oliver. There were a lot of people, but I still couldn't distinguish him from the crowd. "Looking for someone?" said Jonah and I snapped out of my search.

"Yeah, my friend Oliver." I said giving him a small smile. I scanned the room once more, peering through tiny crowds, looking for him.

"Kris!" chirped the one voice I loved to hear. I turned and saw Charlotte, on the arm of a very handsome guy I might add. Her and her guest came over to Jonah and I and she enveloped me in a hug. "He's not here." she whispered quietly into my hair as she pulled away. "This is my friend Jesse, Jesse this is my niece slash sister Kris and...." she waited, alluding to Jonah.

"This is Jonah." I said simply. "It's a pleasure to meet you Jesse."

"Nice to meet, the both of you. Would anyone like a drink?" said Jonah, in the true gentleman fashion. Jesse and Jonah both went to get drinks and Charlotte and I got our much needed alone time.

"He's pretty cute." she observed, "What's he like?"

"Yeah, he's cute. He's alright from what I can tell from these past two minutes, but it's almost like he's too polite." I said looking around once more. As much as I didn't want Oliver to be here right now, I did want him to be here.

"He's not here, I looked around for him too, but no dice."

"What about Jesse? He seems pretty fit to me, where'd you find him?"

"At this little club place in Rotheram. I went with a friend of mine last week and I invited him. He's the funniest guy I've met in a while."

"Weren't talking about me were you?" said Jesse coming behind me, Jonah right behind him, giving me my drink.

"Would you like to go sit down and maybe talk?" he said biting his lip. I just nodded as he led me to a small bench on the edge of the major festivities. We sat and I just sat there, not knowing what to say. "So, how old are you?"

"Seventeen, how about you?" I said trying to be friendly.

"Eighteen, where do you go to school?"

"In my last year at the school not to far from here. I'm assuming you go there too?"

"Nah, I graduated last year. I'm just hanging around for now." he said proudly. Since when was 'hanging around' something to be proud of? "Take a drink, I thought you might like it." he said motioning to my drink. I had forgotten about it and looked at it cautiously in distaste. It was in a tall glass and the most vibrant pink. I sipped it slowly and noticed it tasted just like, well juice.

"What is this?" I asked.

"It's a Pink Diamond, not much alcohol. I figured a girl like yourself was into drinking much. Do you like it?" I sat there trying to decipher what he meant by that. I put money on it I could kill him in a shot contest.

"Uh, yeah. It's fine." I lied, finding myself completely engrossed in the entrance, waiting for Oliver.

"So, um, what do you like to do for fun?"

"I just hang around the house most of the time if I'm not out with a friend."

In this moment, I realized that Oliver was more amazing than I gave him credit for. Talking to Jonah was forced, unenjoyable and bland. We were forcing each other to know each other because we felt we had no other choice. With Oliver, we learned about each other rather the latter. Everyday I learned something new about Oliver while just simply enjoying his company.

"Ah, you seem to be the type to have lots of friends. I spend a lot of time doing sports, I'm a swimmer, a weightlifter, a..." he continued and I tried to drown his voice out. At this point I could seriously see myself telling him this wasn't going to work. I was perfectly fine with finding my private corner and my bottle of Jag. "Would you?" the Beefcake beside me said. I had a forced blush of embarrassment for zoning out on him.

"Do what?" I said stupidly and he looked slightly grim.

"Would you like to dance with me?" said Jonah, motioning to the dance floor. I nodded and let him lead me to the floor. "May I?" he whispered with a slight blush, gesturing if he could put his hands on my waist.

I wanted to roll my eyes so badly, but kept it to myself. I couldn't stop my tongue unfortunately for him. "Unless you know somewhere else to put your hands during a dance." I said sarcastically and he laughed.

"Oh believe me, I know other places to put my hands." he choked out between his laughter, setting his chin on my head. I must say it kinda hurt, I mean his head didn't exactly weigh two ounces. We stayed like that for a minute, swaying side to side in the same spot and I was kinda relieved. He wasn't talking and I had a good view of the entrance. Three minutes into the dance my heart lit up, Oliver's younger brother Tom entered with his mother. If they were here, for sure Oliver would be here too. I started watching the door intently as Jonah started walking me in a different direction to my surprise.

My breath to a hitch as Oliver walked through the entrance looking as great as ever. His hair left in it's wavy state as I liked it, his suit was slightly open at the top exposing his tattoos and I smiled at his torn Vans shoes rather than dressy kind. He scanned the room, intensely and I hoped he was looking for me. To my dismay, he looked right over me.

"I'm really enjoying this dance with you." said Beefcake but I hardly heard him. "You're a really interesting girl, seeing you again is a must. We're almost to the mistletoe" he gloated, still walking us backwards, nearly to the archway. I watched Oliver cross the room and say something to Charlotte of all people. I watched as they conversed, even throwing in a laugh. They scanned they looked around until Charlotte and I locked eyes and she pointed to me. Oliver's face was unreadable as he gazed at me from the edge of the makeshift dance floor. We held eye contact for a seconds before he broke it.

Before walking away.

Maybe, cause beefcake is still attached to you.

"Oliv-!" I started to shout but I was cut off by Beefcake.

No, more like Beefcake's lips pressing hardly against mine. He moved his hands a little lower than comfort as he moved his mouth against mine. Since I was in the middle of speaking my mouth was slightly open. I guess he took that as a sign to go ahead and try to force his tongue inside my lips. The harsh taste of Vodka hit me and I propelled myself forward against him. Pushing him harshly away from me.

"Don't ever touch me again!" I screeched and everyone turned towards us, the room automatically going quiet. Jonah looked up at me wide eyed and turned red.

"Kristiny, what is wrong with you? Apologize to the poor boy, he didn't do anything to you!" she preached to me as people continued to stare.

"Apologize to him?! He practically raped me with his tongue!" I yelled back. I didn't wait for her reply, and I stormed outside the doors. My feet carried me outside into the cool Sheffield night. I looked around and there was no one outside, so I leaned back and released myself. The tears started to cascade down my cheeks, as my body shook from the tears and the cold.

I mean, how could she do that to me? As much as I knew my mother was delusional half of the time, everything she said to me hit me hard. I couldn't even get my head around her thinking. And Jonah, give or take I wasn't paying attention to a word her was saying, how could he just kiss me like that? I had hardly known hi twenty minutes, of that! And Oliver, I couldn't get the look on his face as he looked at me out of my mind. I heard the door to the banquet hall open and I tried to gain my composure. I wiped my eyes quickly and I straightened out my dress.

The person turned the corner, and the next thing I knew I was standing face to face with Oliver. His facial expression was unreadable to me and he stared back at me intently. No words were exchanged, we just stood there examining each other for a moment. I could only imagine how pathetic I looked in front of him, or what was even going through his mind as he held my eye contact. I stood still as he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his thin body. I let myself sink into him as he rubbed his hands across my back. I just stood in his arms, a little taller with the heels on so I just about reached his neck. I smiled as I felt the beginning of a letter on my back. There was an M, then what was either an E or F, an A, then a T. "Meat?" I whispered and he laughed, slightly shaking my body as well.

"Patience, love. I thought we talked about that last time." he said continuing. He started an H, then an E, another A and by now I was beaming as he finished with a D. I looked up at him and he flashed me another one of his wonderful smiles.

"I prefer to call him Beefcake, but Meathead works too."

"Pretty low guy if you ask me. Your mother's proper crazy though." he said into my hair, still holding his arms around me. I have a simple nod and sighed, also letting out a shiver as well. I was content that Oliver wasn't upset with me as I expected, but actually understood the situation. "As much as I'd love to see you in that dress all night, I'm going to have to give you my jacket." he said letting go of me temporarily to take his suit jacket off. "Can't have you dying on me." he said wrapping it around me. The jacket hardly nearly reached my knees due to his height and I was thankful.

"Thank you, I have something for you though." I said nervously and he smiled, stuffing his hands into his pocket and rocking his heels. I noticed this was a habit of his now.

"What is it?"

"Close your eyes and stay right here, I'll be right back." He obeyed me and I walked to my tiny car as fast as my heels would let me. I cursed the snow as my feet sloshed through it. I grabbed the wrapped package from my trunk and returned to Oliver, who was no rocking back and forth rapidly.

"Hold out your hands." I commanded and he obeyed as I placed it in his hands. He opened his eyes and looked down at the gift, and looking at me dumbstruck. "Just open it." I said anxiously. "I don't know if you'll like it. I saw you looking at it in the mall the other day." I prattled as he pulled the paper from the box. It was a Chucky doll, from the American horror movie Child's Play. He looked down at it, and smiled back at me.

"I really don't know what to say. You didn't have to do this, it's great. I really did want this." said Oliver wrapped me in a sideways hug, and I blushed slightly. "Now I have something for you, your turn to close your eyes." he said before walking off, leaving me there in awe. I closed my eyes anyway though. I really hadn't intended to get him a Christmas gift until I saw him intrigued by the Doll. The fact that he had something for me shocked me to say the least. "Hold out your arms now." I obeyed and he set a slightly heavy package in my arms. It was soft and from my seventeen years of Christmas experience I would say it was clothing. I let out a laugh as I noted the poor quality of wrapping done to it. "I ain't gonna pretend I know how to wrap. Go ahead and open it."

I started to peel away the paper and held two t-shirts in my hand. I examined them closely and noticed the intricate designs of them. More edgy from my random t-shirts, but loved them none the less. I noted that both had the words 'Drop Dead' incorporated into them, like his fingers. "They're from my clothing line I've got going. It's called Drop Dead." he said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. I couldn't help myself, but propelled myself against him and wrapped my hand around his neck in a tight hug.

"It's wonderful Oliver, it really is." I said into his ear.

"Glad you think so." I loved these moments with Oliver. No words, just feelings into each other. After a moment, I separated from him, slightly pink. "Now let's get going. I hear they leave the lights on at the lake at night." he said hooking his arm around mine.