Dirty Little Secret

I hadn't spent any time or really even talked to Aliyah and Sophia since the whole Halloween situation. They probably thought that I hated them and blamed everything that happened that night on them, which I didn't. I wanted to be able to clear the air and make sure not only that I was on good terms with them, but Tate was as well. I didn't want Aliyah and Sophia to resent me for thinking I wasn't allowing Tate to talk to them because of everything that happened.

"I'm happy that you called. You don't know how many times I wanted to but was too afraid that you'd be mad at us. I didn't even know that guy, we both didn't," Aliyah said once I called her to ask if she and Sophia wanted to go shopping.

"Everything is fine, I'm not mad. It was my fault and I have come to terms with it and it's all in the past. I'll meet you guys at noon, okay?"

Aliyah and I said our goodbyes and I started to get ready. I needed to go shopping for a dress to wear to the seventh annual Christmas Charity Ball that the Daniels hosted every year. In order to get money they raffle off prizes and they also raffle off the first dance of eligible ladies, since I wasn't married Liz asked me if I would like to be one. With Tate's approval, I accepted since all the money was going to Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Tate walks into the room just as I was finishing straightening my hair. "Where you going?"

"Shopping with Aliyah and Sophia then I'' probably treat them to lunch as a sorry for being so distant for an entire month."

"So all of you are friends?" He asks oddly.

"Yeah, is that a probably, would you prefer it if I hated them?" I ask while putting the backs to my earrings on.

"No, it's just that you're trying to steal my best friends away from me."

"Tate, you're ridiculous. I am not stealing your best friends away from you. It's just nice being able to talk freely about you without getting judged or having to hide."

"You're trying to steal my best friends because you're jealous," Tate smiles.

"Yes, I am jealous of the relationship you have with two lesbians. If anything, you should be the one being jealous."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to be trying on a lot of clothes and I may just need help zipping up, if you know what I mean," I wink flirtatiously at him before I saunter out the door.

**

"So what theme is it this year?" Sophia asks as we skim the racks for dresses.

"Black and White but the girls that are going to raffled off are going to be in color so I have to find a colored dress."

"Raffled off for what?" Aliyah asks, her mind had gone to the gutters.

"The first dance. But no need to worry, Tate won't let me go to some stranger. He said he was going to have deep pockets that night."

"How romantic. Handsome boy bids big money for beautiful girl just to share the first dance together," Sophia laughed.

"I think it is," I smile fondly.

The girls smile back at me. "So how is your guy’s relationship, I mean since everything that has happened?" Sophia asked.

"It's really good. I think that whole fight was good for us, it showed us how much we really loved each other."

"That's good. We love seeing how happy you make him."

"I like making him happy," the butterflies flutter freely in my stomach as I think of how happy I am.

**

I offered to buy Aliyah and Sophia a early dinner after I found the perfect dress. It was absolutely stunning. I couldn't wait for Tate to see me in it.

As they talked, my mind wandered to the conversation we had earlier. Tate was happy and so was I. I couldn't think of a time that I ever felt like this. I thought popularity and being captain of the cheerleading team would bring me joy but that seemed like nothing compared to how elated I felt now.

"Can I ask you guys something?"

"Sure," Aliyah and Sophia say together.

"How do I tell Tate that I'm ready to have sex with him?"

"I can't believe you guys haven't done it yet. Even I get turned on when he gives the look and I know he's given you the look," Aliyah laughs in amazement.

"Tate has been really patient and I think I'm ready to take this next step."

"I would just tell him," Sophia says simply.

"Really?"

"Yeah, just be sure you start taking some sort of birth control. Have you heard about the family curse?" Aliyah giggles.

I roll my eyes, "Yeah, I've heard."

**

After dinner, Tate and I normally finish homework together in his room but I offered to help Liz clean up since Steve was still at the office. Really I just wanted to talk to her, girl to girl.

"Liz, I want to talk to you about something," I start slowly.

"Shoot," she says as she cleans off the plates to put in the dishwasher.

"Well I think I'm ready to take the next step in my relationship with Tate," I say awkwardly.

"Marriage?" Liz looks up at me.

"No, no. I mean have sex," I say even more awkwardly.

"Oh," Liz is surprised.

"And I was wondering how I would get birth control because I want to be responsible."

"Well since this would be your first time, you can go to your doctor and have him prescribe something for you. Or I can set up an appointment with my OBGYN and he can go through all of the other birth controls that are offered."

"The pill is fine," I say quickly.

"Okay, good. I'm glad that you came to me to talk about this and that you want to be responsible too."

"Me too," I smile.

I always thought I was going to save myself for the one I was going to marry or at least until I was older and more mature but with Tate everything seemed perfect.