What the Past Never Told Us

As the next few days passed, word spread about Alex and I finally being official. No one was truly surprised; they were just surprised that it had taken us this long to admit it. Most everyone had already thought we were dating when they first met us so they were happily gloating that they were right. We didn't feel the need to correct them.

Christmas break was quickly approaching and with it, Alex's birthday. Jack was talking about throwing Alex a surprise party but I was hesitant about it because the memories of the last party Alex and I attended together was still fresh in my mind. Jack, as well as Kara, assured me that now that we were official Alex would do nothing to jeopardize that. He knew now to especially not dance with another girl, owing her a dance or not.

So finally, three days before his birthday, I agreed that we could throw him some sort of party. I had rules though, many of them.

"How about we make a list of the things Iz wants this party to be like?" Kara asked as her, Jack, and I sat in my bedroom, planning the party.

"Does it have to be a party?" I questioned, sitting in my desk chair while Kara paced back and forth across the room, Jack lounged across my bed. "Can we just have like a get together of a few friends? I mean... it's going to be here at my house and I would really like it if it wasn't destroyed by people I don't know." I offered. Jack groaned and buried his face in my pillow.

"Oh come on, Izzy." Kara groaned, running her hand through my hair.

"Look, we can still have alcohol, we can still have loud music and dancing, but instead.... just like ten-fifteen people max." I told her. Since my house was the only place we could have any sort of get together, since Jack's mother refused to allow such thing, Kara still hated being at home. Alex's place was the greatest 'party zone' as people called it but of course it was close to impossible to organize and throw a surprise party in the surprisee's own house. My house was the only option. My parents were going to New York that night anyway.

"Fine. Only because it is your house and you are the girlfriend." Kara gave in, making me grin. Jack simply groaned from the bed. "This just means that you will have to partake in any drinking games we start." Kara clarified, making me roll my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." I accepted. Jack sat up and smiled.

"So who are we inviting?" He questioned. Kara came over to me and took one of my notebooks from ontop of my desk and flipped to a clean page.

"Well.. you said 10-15 people, yes?" She asked me, making me nod. "Alright, so. There is Alex, you, me, Jack.. there's four. Who else?"

"Rian." I spoke instantly.

"Do you really think it's such a good idea to have the guy Alex almost lost you to at his birthday party?" Kara questioned, making me roll my eyes.

"They get along. Trust me, it's fine. Rian is invited or no party." I insisted. I wanted Rian there so badly because I really wanted to set him and Kara up. They seemed like such a perfect couple and I just needed my two best friends together already. It was going to happen one day, I assure you.

"Alright, Rian..." Kara wrote his name down in the notebook under ours. "Who else?" Jack then began naming off a few of Alex's other friends that I hadn't truly spent a lot of time with but was okay with them coming anyway. "What about Lisa?"

"Are you crazy, Kara? Why on earth would I allow her in my house?" I questioned, staring at my best friend as if she had grown another head.

"Oh come on, Iz. She's over Alex, and besides... she's my friend. Pleeeeaase?" She begged, sticking out her bottom lip.

"Fine, but if she so much as looks at Alex for too long I'm decking her in the face and throwing her out the door, literally." I warned making them both laugh.

"How will we get alcohol?" Kara then questioned after she wrote Lisa's name at the bottom of the guest list.

"My brother can score us some." Jack spoke, making Kara nod and write that down.

"Iz, you and I will go get decorations Friday night, as well as go dress shopping. Jack, tomorrow at school I need you to go to these people and let them know of the party and what time to arrive, which will be around 6. Make sure they keep it a secret and to not invite anyone else, it's a very small get together, because Alex's girlfriend is a prude." Kara instructed, earning a smack on the arm from me.

"Got it." Jack said, standing up from my bed and stretching. "I'm going to head out of here. See you, ladies." With that he left the room, leaving Kara and I alone. We soon heard my front door shut.

"So... how are we going to get Alex over her? And how are we supposed to keep it from him that all of his friends are mysteriously showing up at my house?" I then questioned. Kara bit her lip and sat on the edge of my bed.

"Hmm... how about... you take him out.. for like a birthday afternoon or something. I don't know what you do, I'll let that be up to you guys, but just get here by 7. Hopefully everyone will have shown up by then and we'll be ready." She told me, making me nod.

"So... do we really have to go dress shopping? Can I not wear something that I already have?" I questioned, earning an eye roll.

"No, you cannot. It's the first birthday with your boo, you have to look sexy."

"Ummm... Kara. I hate to break this to you... but this is actually the 16th birthday I've spent with Alex..." I told her, trying not to laugh as she once again rolled her eyes at me.

"Yes, but this is the first that you are spending as his girlfriend." She clarified, making me laugh and nod.

"Oh, right." I said, shaking my head. "I have plenty of dresses, I know I could find something 'sexy' enough." I told her but she shook her head vigorously.

"No. Nothing you have in your closet will be good enough." She told me as she stood up, placing my notebook back on my desk.

"Fine..." I gave in with a groan. I was doing this for Alex, I had to remember that..

_______

"So... what are we doing for my birthday?" Alex asked me as we laid on my bed, his arms wrapped around me and his head resting on my chest while my fingers played with his long brown hair. It was now Friday right after school. Kara was coming to get me at 6 to go dress shopping as well as picking up decorations for Alex's birthday tomorrow. His birthday wasn't actually until Sunday.

"Well... I don't know. I think our parents want to get together for dinner that day, that's about all I know." I lied, shrugging a little.

"There's a party at some kid's house who goes to Towson tomorrow night. Maybe we could stop by?" He asked hesitantly.

"I don't know, Alex." I told him, sighing. "I kind of actually want to take you somewhere tomorrow. Just get away together, spend the day just me and you."

"That sounds much nicer." He said, a smile evident in his voice, making me smile as well. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." I actually had no idea yet. "Pick me up at 4 though, alright?" I told him. I would figure it out by then.

"Sounds good." He lifted his head up to give me a soft kiss before resting his head back on my chest. "I love laying like this with you. I've never done this before. Normally its just quick and done then I lay there alone. I never knew how nice it was to just... lay with someone." He confessed, tightening his hold around me.

"See, it doesn't always have to be about sex, Alex." I told him, laughing. He lifted his head to stare into my eyes, his face serious.

"I know, that's why I love being with you. It's not about the sex, or even about the kissing, its just about being together. I've never felt so relaxed and happy in my life." I smiled and leaned forward to kiss him softly.

"Do you miss that stuff though? The sex?" It was a thought that had been creeping in my thoughts the last couple of days. I had heard numerous people mumbling about how blue balled Alex must be by now, having to give up all the 'ass' he had been getting for someone who wouldn't put out. I worried that Alex would get bored because I wasn't ready for that yet.

"Well yeah... but it's okay that we haven't done that yet." He told me honestly. "I'm willing to wait, Izzybelle, don't ever feel like you have to do something like that with me because you feel like you have to. I am perfectly alright with waiting until you are ready, I prefer it that way. I can't give something like your virginity back after I've taken it from you, I want to take it only if you want me to and when you want me to. There is no pressure for that, Izzy." He assured me, making me smile softly.

"Thank you Alex.." I whispered. "I was worried that you wouldn't want to be with me because I'm not ready yet." I confessed. He quickly shook his head.

"No... no no no. Izzy, didn't you just hear what I said? I've never been happier in my life. I feel much more satisfied right now than I ever had having sex with all those chicks. You make me happy, and not having sex isn't going to change that." He told me, making me nod.

"Alright, good. Thank you." He smiled and pecked my lips before resting his head back on my chest.

"Can we just cuddle until Kara gets here?" He mumbled, making me giggle.

"That's what we've been doing anyway, Alex." I told him making him chuckle and nod. We then fell into a very comfortable silence. I stared up at the ceiling, my fingers continuing to run through Alex's soft locks. Soon enough, I felt my eyelids droop. What seemed to be the next second I was being woken by a loud bang on the door.

"Wha-? What is that?" I heard Alex mumble as I opened my eyes. It was semi dark in my room and my alarm clock said it was 6:13. Oh, the banging on my door was Kara.

"Kara, come in!" I called. Seconds later the door burst open and in walked my best friend who flipped on the light, blinding both Alex and I. We groaned and folded into each other, hiding our eyes in the others necks, making Kara laugh.

"Sorry to wake the sleeping beauties." She stated. "Iz and I have plans though. I need a girls night, let's go."

"I'm coming, calm down." I told her, detaching myself from Alex who groaned. "I'll see you later, Lex." I told him, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"You should come over when you finish girls night." He told me, sitting up tiredly.

"Sorry, Alex. I claim her for the entire evening and morning. Girls night always continues to girls morning, duh." Kara said, putting her hand on her hip making me laugh.

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow at 4 then, babe." He told me, making me no. "Kara, turn away so I can give my girlfriend a proper kiss since you are kidnapping her." Kara rolled her eyes and turned her back to us right as Alex captured my lips with his. I giggled and kissed back for a few seconds before pulling back.

"Bye, Lex." I said, pecking his lips once more before standing up, Alex doing the same. "Alright, Kara. Let's go." I said, grabbing my purse and jacket from my desk. My mom found out about the small get together for Alex's birthday and gave me a shit ton of money to buy stuff for it, including a new outfit. Normally, parents would be freaking out about their 15 year old daughter throwing a high school party in their house while they were away but I had rad ass parents who didn't give a shit as long as the cops weren't called and no one ended up dead.

"Bye, babe! Bye Kara!" Alex exclaimed as Kara pulled me from my bedroom.

"Bye!" She called as we rushed down the stairs. A minute later we were getting into the front seat of her mothers car. Technically, Kara only had her permit and wasn't legally supposed to be driving but apparently Kara's mother didn't know she stole the car. Here's to hoping we don't get pulled over.

After a short car ride we arrived at the mall and rushed inside. For some reason, I was extremely excited about this. Which was weird; I was never excited about shopping. Something about it being for Alex though made it a little more exciting. I wanted to look good for him.

Kara and I spent the next two hours going from store to store until we both found decent enough dresses and shoes, as well as jewelry. We also stopped and got some food in the food court of the mall. After that we ventured to a party supply store a few blocks away and stocked up on balloons and streamers. I had ordered a cake a few days previously so we went and picked that up before going back to my house. We decided to hold off on decorating until the next morning.

We instead made a large bed of blankets on my living room floor and put in The Notebook while we painted each others toenails. Kara talked none stop about how she was going to style my hair and makeup the next day.

I only half listened. I instead planned out what I was going to do with Alex the next day for the few hours I had him. I grinned as I thought of the perfect plan. Alex was going to have the greatest birthday yet, I was going to make sure of that.