a/n-ok, i know this took sooo entirely long, and i'm very sorry for that. this is the last chapter, and i'm not happy with it at all, but i didn't want to keep you guys waiting at all. i'm sorry this chapters sucks so bad, but i am terrible at endings. i always have been. so just for future reference, in any of my stories, the ending will always suck horribly.
but, at least the story's finally done, meaning i can start working on my next story! ill put an authors note up when i know what i'm doing, just so u guys will know.
last but not least, i'd like to thank .every.single.one. of my reviewers. i have to go to sleep, and i honestly don't feel like going back to every page and naming all my reviewers like i usually do on the last chapter of my stories (im sorry, i just don't have the energy). But i loooove all of you, your reviews make me smile soo big. Everyone who read, and even if u didnt review, thank u all sooo much. love u all! - 3-Erin
(ok, here's what uve been waiting 4. sorry again 4 taking so long):
Chapter 18: Ballroom Dancing: Take 3
I looked at her in disbelief. "Did…did you just say what I think you just said?" I asked, shocked.
"Maybe," Lilly replied flirtatiously.
"What! Since when have you liked me?" I asked, not bothering to tell her that she was still lying on top of me.
"I don't know…I've always kind of had a thing for you. And then Jake came along and I decided since I didn't have a shot with you, I might as well give up. And then I started liking Jake…but of course he liked Miley, not me. Plus, I saw how much of a jerk he could actually be, which really turned me off. And then I kissed you, which was amazing by the way, but I thought you didn't like me. I thought I had just made a huge mistake and ruined our friendship. So I lied to you about it. But really, I've wanted to kiss you since third grade."
"You're kidding!" I answered, still in shock.
"I'm completely serious."
"So, I've always liked you and you've always liked me? That's 15 years that we could have been going out down the drain! Why didn't you tell me?"
"The same reason you didn't tell me." she shrugged. Good point.
"Oh…" I said, taking all this information in.
"Yeah…"
"So…" I tried to strike up a conversation.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Lilly realized our position and tried to get up, but I stopped her. I gently pulled her face to mine and we shared a kiss. Not a make-out session, not even a simple French kiss. It was just a sweet, gentle lip-lock, and it felt like it lasted forever.
I pulled away, smirking a little, as I sat up. Lilly had on the same smirk and also sat up. "What was that for?"
I shrugged. "It's just something I've been meaning to do for a while. Sorry if I caught you off guard."
"You don't have to be sorry," Lilly smiled, showing all her pearly whites.
"You know, you could have any guy out there. Why do you want me?"
"'Cause I don't like just any guy out there. I like you. Not Jake, not Johnny, not Josh, or any of Miley's guys that start with a 'J'. And I especially don't like Chad. I like you, Oliver."
"Hey, Lil?"
"Yeah?"
"What happens if we go out, and then we break up and ruin our friendship?"
"I don't know. I would never want that to happen."
"Me neither," I agreed. "But would you ever wanna try going out, or just be friends with benefits?"
"Well, that depends." Lilly said, half-smiling.
"On what?" I asked, and she grabbed my hand.
"Well, are you actually asking me out or are you just asking what I think of the idea?"
I smiled and shrugged. "I don't know." She laughed, and we sat in silence until I spoke up again. "Hey, Lil?" I asked again, making it seem like I was going to ask her out.
"Yes, Oliver?"
"…You have something on your lip." I lied, making her all self-conscious.
"Where?" she asked, touching her fingers to her lips.
"Here," I said, leaning in for a kiss. She kissed back, and this kiss was much deeper and more meaningful than the first one.
"You're hilarious," Lilly laughed, pulling away.
"Hel, Lil?" I asked once again.
"What, Oliver?" she laughed, pretending to get mad.
"Will…will you be my girlfriend?"
She let out a relieved sigh. "You don't know how long I've been wanted you to ask me that." she smiled and pulled me in for another kiss. We began making out, and we lay back down on the ground. She ran her fingers through my hair, and my hands slowly traveled to her butt. We did this, completely forgetting our location. We were on some random person's lawn, with innocent bystanders staring at us disgustedly. We weren't aware of this, of course, until we heard someone clear their throat.
At first, I thought nothing of it, and continued kissing my girlfriend. Holy crap, that felt so weird to say. But anyway, the person cleared their throat again, only louder this time. I opened my eyes to see Mr. Stewart.
As soon as I realized this, I pulled apart from Lilly and she quickly did the same. "Hey there, Mr. S." Lilly laughed nervously.
"How's the weather up there?" I tried to make it less awkward.
"Apparently not as good as it is down there. Now come on you two, there are kids around." he explained and we got up.
"But we weren't doing anything," Lilly tried to deny what Mr. Stewart had just seen. It's kind of hard to cover that up though.
"Yeah, she just had something on her lip…"
"Yeah, and it was too gross to get it off with our hands…" Lilly added.
"Yeah, I see, but it wasn't too gross to use your lips?" Mr. S. laughed at us. "No go home, you two. And no more making out in the open."
"Yes sir." we saluted him as he walked in the opposite direction as us. Man, was that awkward. I picked up the skateboard and Lilly picked up my helmet, handing it to me.
"So, can you say awkward?" I asked.
"Yeah, I definitely can. Try one of the most awkward things of my life."
I chuckled. "Definitely."
"So how 'bout you show me some of that mad skateboarding skillage you have?"
"Nah, not now. I'm in a lot of pain." I smirked.
"Just to make things clear, you really didn't have to learn how to skateboard to try to impress me."
"How else would I impress you? It's not like anything else ever got your attention." I said in a kind of bitter tone.
"That's not true, Oliver! I loved your dancing! In the club and ballroom dancing! I mean, I didn't like Zack just because he skateboarded!"
She just had to bring him up again. "Oh yeah, I forgot. You still like him and he still likes you. So it's kind of weird for us to go out until you get over him, isn't it?"
She was silent for a moment. "But, Oliver…I want to be your girlfriend. Not Zack's."
"Well don't you like Zack?"
"Yeah…and I'm really sorry. I just can't help it. But the thing is…Well you see…"
"Spit it out, Lil," I said impatiently.
"Oliver, I think…well I think I might…maybe…be in lo-like you a lot."
"That's not what you were gonna say," I told her knowingly.
"I know…but I couldn't make myself say it."
"Why not? Do you love me or don't you?" I asked her curiously.
"I love you in every way possible, Oliver…but I have no idea if I'm in love with you."
I nodded, understanding. "Well, what do you think love is?"
She shrugged. "What do you think it is?"
I shrugged too. "All I know is that I love you. I'm not saying I'm in love with you, but I know I love you." I replied, causing Lilly to blush and look down. "Did I embarrass you?"
"Nah," she smiled. "I'm just…flattered. No one's ever told me that they loved me before, besides my parents."
"I guess right now's a good time to start then, huh?"
She smiled. "I like hearing it."
"Do I get to hear anything in return?"
"I already told you I loved you in every way possible, what more do you want?"
I shrugged and gave her a quick peck on the lips. We held hands and I walked her to her doorstep. I gave her one last meaningful kiss before I left.
"Wow," she said, causing me to smile. "Hey, Oliver?" she asked as I began to walk away.
"Maybe I am in love with you." Lilly smiled, but was very embarrassed saying it.
I looked down, and then looked back up at her, grinning from ear to ear. "Good, I was kinda hoping you were. 'Cause I might just be in love with you too."
"How do we know for sure?" Lilly asked, a little worry in her voice. I walked up to her, feeling romantic, and took her hands in mine.
"I don't know." I told her honestly. "But I think when we are, we'll know, you know?"
"Right," Lilly smiled.
"Hey, you wanna dance?" I asked her.
"There's no music." she said matter-of-factly.
"Who cares," I smiled, and we began ballroom dancing, with the sun setting over the horizon.