"Morning, Dad." Isaac greeted, coming down the stairs into the living room.

Walker, who was sitting on the couch, looked up from his newspaper.

"Good morning." he answered, "Do you guys have any plans for tonight? Any crazy New Years Eve parties?"

"Hell yeah!" Ike responded, enthusiastically, "I'm going up into New York City."

Walker whistled.

"That's a hell of a commute."

"Yeah, well...not as far as it would have been if we were in Oklahoma."

"This is true." he shrugged, "Do you know what Tay and Zac are doing?"

Isaac shrugged.

"Taylor's probably gonna sit at home with Nat and Ezra and be a family man." he rolled his eyes, "And Zac's probably gonna trail Via where ever she goes, like every other day." he laughed, "I'm the only sane one left! I'll be partying without the love-struck fools tonight."

Walker laughed too.

"Who are you going with?"

"You know," he shrugged, "That group I've been hanging with. Janet, Brian, James, Angela and, uh, Mickey."

"Is Mickey a boy or a girl?"

"Girl." he answered, casually.

"Ah." came Walker's knowing response, "Well enjoy it. It might be your last un-love-struck year."

~~~~~~~

"Wake up, wake up!" Vienna shook Zac, urgently.

"What?..What?" he questioned, snapping awake in a panic.

"Oh.." she exhaled and dropped her head back onto the pillow, "Oh, I thought you were dead."

"What?" Zac asked, bewildered, "Do people often die in your bed?"

"Oh yeah." she sighed, "Everytime."

"All the more reason to abstain."

She giggled.

"So what are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing."

She smiled.

"Want to come meet some friends of mine? It'll be good if you know some people before you start school."

"Where?" he asked.

"My best friend Patrick always has this big dressy party. It's a lot of fun.."

"Will Cameron Green be there?"

She looked at him quizically.

"Maybe.."

"Can I judo chop him?"

"Can you what?"

~~~~~~~

Zac trotted down the stairs into the living room, humming some unidentifiable song and stopped to talk to his brother and his wife, who were sitting on the sofa talking, with little Jordan Ezra between them.

"Hey." he greeted.

"Hi, Zac." Natalie laughed, turning away from Taylor, who was telling some stupid story about when he tricked Zac into thinking an onion was an apple. "Don't you look dapper!" she commented, looking at his ensemble. He was wearing nice khakis and a long sleeved black button-up collar shirt. "Where are you headed?"

"I'm going with Via to a party at her friend's house."

"Ah, is this getting serious?" she teased.

He sighed and leaned on the back of the couch to talk to her.

"I don't know. Sometimes I think she's only tolerating me."

Natalie shook her head.

"I don't know. I've never met her, but from what I hear, I think she likes you. She spent a few days here when I was with the baby, visiting my mother, right?"

"Yeah." Taylor put in, "But if she could have walked away, she would have."

"Oh hush." Natalie swatted his arm before turning back to Zac, "If you like her, Zac, go for it."

"Yeah, stalk her."

"Ignore your brother. " Natalie smiled, "Have fun."

"Thanks Nat. Enjoy your...sitting.
"It's a lot more fun than you make it sound!" Taylor called after him, as he walked out the door.

The air was a lot warmer, Zac noticed, than it should be on a night in late December.

He walked over to Vienna's door and rang the bell.

When she opened it, it took his breath away.

Vienna was dressed in a long black dress, toped by a lace bodice and lace sleeves that flared at her wrists.

Her golden hair fell around her shoulders and curled at the bottom.

She smiled.

"You look great, Zac!" she exclaimed, voice ringing in soft accent.

Zac shook his head.

"Wow, you're...you look amazing."

She smiled.

"Thank you." she joined Zac on the step, closing the door behind her.

"Oh it's nice out here." she looked up at the sky, "I'm glad, it's so much nicer to walk."

He smiled, extending his hand. She took it and they started walking down the road, lit by the streetlights.

"Hello, everyone!" Vienna called, opening the door on the New Year's Eve party.

"Hey, baby!"

A pretty girl with black shoulder legnth hair, in a red dress walked up to them with out-stretched arms.

"Mary! This is Zac." Vienna said, returning the hug.

"Hey, Zac." Mary smiled.

"Hi." Zac answered, quietly.

Vienna smiled up at him.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. It's just overwhelming to walk into a room full of people you don't know."

Vienna grinned.

"And a rockstar like you isn't used to it?"

"Quiet, you." Zac squeezed her side.

Vienna jumped and squealed.

"Hey, why is the tickle party lingering in the doorway?" asked a boy who looked a lot like Mary, walking up to them, "Get in here, would you?" he grabbed Vienna's wrist and pulled her forward. She, in turn, grabbed Zac's arms and took him with her

"Zac, this is Patrick, Mary's twin brother." Vienna said, as they moved through the crowd of people.

Patrick turned, walking backwards, so he could shake Zac's hand.

"Zac, how's it going?"

"Great, nice to meet you."

"Come on!" Patrick motioned them into the den, where people were sitting around on couches and armchairs, talking.

"Everyone, Via's here!" he announced.

They all called out there hello's. She waved at them.

"Hey, guys, this is-"

"Oh my God, I know who that is!" a red-haired girl said from one of the couches. She jumped up and ran over to them.

"Lara's a big fan." Vienna whispered as the girl approached.

"Hi!" Lara greeted, when she got there, "I'm Lara!"

Zac greeted her and she burst into story, describing all of the Hanson concerts she'd attended. Zac smiled and nodded along, politely.

Vienna patted his arm and whispered, "I"m gonna go talk to Patrick."

He shot her a fleeting look as she walked away.

"So, Vienna," said Patrick, as she sat down beside him on one of the sofas, "What's with you and Zac?"

"Well," Vienna sighed, "He moved into that house next to mine," she shrugged.

"Yeah." Patrick gave her a look, "And you're more than just friends?"

"Yes.." she said slowly.

Patrick shook his head and threw his arm around her shoulders.

"And without my approval too." he sighed in mock-disappointment.

Zac excused himself from Lara and sat down on Vienna's other side. She smiled at him and covered his hand with hers, where it layed in his lap.

"Hey." said Patrick, leaning over Via to talk to Zac, "You better take care of my girl. I don't wanna have to hurt you, boy."

Zac looked from Patrick to Vienna and she laughed at his expression of confusion.

"O..kay..."

"Okay, lets play the question game!" called a girl Zac didn't know. Everyone groaned but she ignored them, "I'll start. Patrick, who in this room do you find most attractive?"

Patrick looked at Zac and batted his eyes.

Zac laughed.

"Meet me in the bathroom in five minutes?"

"Oh hell yes, baby."

The room laughed.

"My turn!" Patrick said, cheerfully. "Mike, tell the truth, do you have a secret crush on me?"

A curly haired boy, laying on the floor, answered by wiggling his eyebrows up and down, "If I say yes, will you two make room for me in the bathroom."

"The more the merrier."

"Well, in that case, I should be quick about this...Via...my question is..." he started to laugh, "Will you join us in the bathroom?"

Vienna launched a piece of popcorn at him from the bowl on the table.

"That's sick!" she yelled, showering him in more popcorn.

"Oh, but the three of us having gay sex in the bathroom isn't?" he laughed, sheilding himself with his hands.

"Not as much." Another handfull of popcorn, "But three guys and a girl?...What is that?"

"Besides really hot?" he used a pillow to block the downpour this time.

"Ew, come on..Not three guys and a girl, three girls and a guy." Patrick said, disgusted, as he joined Vienna in throwing popcorn at Mike.

"You guys are making a mess!" Mary screamed, pitching a handfull of Doritos at her brother.

"Hey now...." Zac reasoned, "Take it easy.."

"Oh, shut up." Vienna flung some popcorn at him.

"Oh that's it, kid, we're gonna fight!?" he yelled, jumping off the couch and grabbing the second popcorn bowl. He upturned it and dumped the load over Vienna's head. She screamed and lunged at him but he ran around the back of the couch. She chased him in circles around the group until he dashed into the kitchen and sprayed her with water from the sink.

She screeched and grabbed a soda bottle off of the drink table and shook it.

Aiming it at him, she opened it, showering them both in soda fizz.

When the shower ended, they looked at each other for a second, then he lunged at her and she took off running at the same time.

She led him back into the den where everyone was watching and laughing themselves to tears. Zac chased her around the group once before Patrick jumped up and grabbed Vienna.

"Here, Zac!" he said, tossing her at him. Zac caught her around the middle and tickled her to the ground, Vienna squealing and begging him to stop.

"I win." he breathed when they calmed down. After a minute, they reclaimed their places on the sofa.

Looking around, Zac noticed that people from the other rooms had come in and were standing around, staring at the two of them.

"Well.." Mary giggled, "That was certainly a good ice breaker."

Zac found himself feeling comfortable around these people as the hours past. He was starting to really get along with Patrick and could deffinately understand why Vienna loved him so much.

Ten minutes before midnight everyone began to come into the den to watch the ball drop on tv, so Zac went to find Vienna.

It was easy to tell when he walked into the living room that she wasen't there because most people had moved into the other room and there were only a few left, scattered around in small groups.

He looked in the kitchen. Mike was in there, alone, pouring a glass of soda.

"Hey, you seen Via?" Zac asked.

Mike looked up and shrugged.

"No, she's been gone for like twenty minutes, no one knows where she is."

Zac found out how true this was after checking a few back rooms and asking everyone.

He walked back into the living room to find everyone had gone into the den. He was about to join them when he heard voices coming from outside.

"You know what, this has to stop."

He recognized Vienna's voice and opened the front door.

Vienna was standing on the front step, leaning against the railing, with her arms crossed. Zac recognized Cameron from the cafe, standing in front of her and leaning in way too close, with his hands on the railing on either side of her.

They both turned to look at Zac when he opened the door.

"Do you mind?" asked Cameron after a moment.

"Yes." Zac answered.

"Zac." Via shoved Cameron away so she could come over to him and grab his hand, "Come on, there are only two minutes left." she walked back inside and he followed, looking back at Cameron.

Zac and Vienna stood at the back of the packed den, away from everyone else.

"Vienna, I've been thinking." Zac began.

The countdown started at twenty and she grinned up at him.

"Are you trying to break up with me?"

"Eighteen!" the room yelled.

He smiled.

"Okay, bad sentence to start with. I just think that your doctor should know about all this."

"Sixteen!"

"All what?"

"Fifteen!"

"Cameron and you uncle and everything."

"Fourteen!"

"I don't think you understand, Zac."

"Thirteen!"

"No, I understand your reasoning."

"Twelve!"

"Then what are you on about?"

"Eleven!"

"It's just that you're so damn problematic."

"Ten!"

"Zac."

"Nine!"

"Maybe they could help.."

"Eight!"

"I can handle myself."

"Seven!"

"I'm not so sure."

"Six!"

"Zac.."

"Five!"

"I want for you to be alright."

"Four!"

"I'm alright."

"Three!"

"Really though?"

"Two!"

"Zac."

One!"

"It's jus-"

She reached up, took his face in her hands, and cut him off with her lips.

"Happy New Year!" everyone screamed.

She drew back slowly and looked him in the eyes.

"I'm okay."

He smiled. "Promise?"

She nodded, smiling up at him.

"Now relax. Be cool."

"Be cool." he confirmed.

"Right." she nodded, "Lets go into the living room now and either get completely plastered or dangerously sugar high and laugh at things that won't seem at all funny tomorrow." she grabbed his hand and led him into the living room.

"How do you feel about alcohol?" she asked, boosting herself up to sit on a refreshment table.

"I feel pretty good about it."

"Good." she handed him a glass of champagne, "You'll need that in this town."

Vienna held up her glass.

"I'm toasting you. To Zac!" she threw her head back and drained the glass.

"Woah..." he said, taking a drink, "Slow down, that's gonna go right to your head."

She refilled the glass, laughing, "It's alright, I was just playing." she assured him.

"Okay." Zac said, "Well, I get to toast you now." he raised his glass, "To the only girl I ever want to be with again for the rest of my life."

"Awww!" moaned a few girls, who were standing nearby.

"Who?" Vienna asked, ignoring them. Zac grinned.

"You guys are so cute!" one of the girls squealed, hugging Vienna.

Vienna laughed as the girl walked away again.

"Megan Green." she told Zac, "Cameron's little sister, sweetest person in the world."

She raised her glass again, laughing, "To Megan!" and she emptied it once more.

Zac took a drink, still on his first glass, watching her refill from another bottle.

"What are you drinking now?" he asked.

"I dunno." she downed it, "Vodka."

"Oh great." he sighed, draining the remains of his glass. He sat down next to her on the table, "So, hi, how are you?" he asked, lamely.

Vienna snorted into her glass.

"I said 'be cool'. Was that cool?" the glass went up again, "To being cool." and once again she drained it in one gulp before declaring how much she loved this song and hopping up to dance.

Mike walked up to Zac and threw his arm around his shoulders, "Your girl's drunk, man." he stated. He got up again and danced around Vienna for a second before walking away again.

Zac got up and went over to her.

"Via, you're gonna fall over in a minute. Sit down." he tried to lead her over to the sofa but she brushed him off and went back to sit on the table.

He went with her, leaning against the edge nervously, ready to catch if she fell over or whatever else was coming.

"Have some more." she said, grabbing a bottle and over filling his glass so that champagne fell all over her. She laughed and took a swig directly from the bottle

"Alright, enough." Zac stopped her, "You're going over the top." he tried to take the bottle from her, but she got defensive, clinging to it.

"Nooo" she whigned.

He fought the bottle away from her, put it down and grabbed her hands.

"Maybe it's time to go home." he suggested.

"No, no." she told him, pulling her hands away, "Relax, Zac. Zzzzzacc..Relaxxxxxx." she waved her hand at him and got up, walking off. He decided not to follow her, but watched from where he was.

The girl who had hugged Vienna sat down next to him, following his gaze.

"I worry about her." she said.

Zac kept his eyes on Vienna.

"Why?" he asked.

"It seems she's always trying to forget."

He nodded and smiled at her.

"Megan, right?"

She nodded.

"And you're Zac. I'm a big fan."

"Oh." for some reason, he was surprised, "Well, thankyou."

"You know.." Megan said, thoughtfully, "Via's always around guys who are no good for her. They all treated her bad and made her hate herself." she looked at him, "Unfortunately, I'm related to one of them."

He smiled, sympathetically.

"What I mean is that I'm glad she found you." she went on, "I think everything's gonna get a lot better for her."

"Oh, I like you." he said, fondly. She laughed with him.

Zac looked back into the crowd, searching for Vienna. When he spotted her, she was headed for the door with Cameron.

He jumped up, hurrying over to them.

"Vienna." he said, testingly.

"Oh hey." she said, seeing him, "I'll be back in a few minutes, we're just going for a ride."

Zac looked at Cameron.

"Don't worry, man, I'm not drunk." Cameron told him.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Zac hissed, "You're trying to take advantage of her because she's sloshed, are you that much of a jerk?!"

Patrick and Megan walked up to them together.

"Cameron, what's your problem?" Megan asked.

Patrick sighed.

"Why do I continue to invite you?"

"Would you all chill out?!" Vienna yelled, stumbling backward into a wall.

Patrick reached for her but she swatted his hand away

"Vienna." he demanded, through her fussing, "Vienna!" he grabbed her at the elbow and half dragged her to an arm chair then knelt down in front of her, holding onto her shoulders and pressing his forehead against hers. "Calm down." he whispered, "You're drunk, baby...you know better than that. You didn't take your medication today, did you?"

She shook her head, tearily.

"No." he confirmed, "Why?"

"My uncle forgot to pick up the refill."

Patrick sighed and she dropped her head onto his shoulder, crying.

He wrapped his arms around her and slid her off the chair onto his waist, her legs hanging at his sides.

He walked over to where Megan, Zac, and Cameron stood, watching.

"Cameron.." he said in a dangerous calm, "Get the hell out of my house..and if you ever come near this girl again..Zac and I will team up and hunt you the fuck down."

Cameron scoffed and left, slamming the door behind him.

"Meg." Patrick stopped her as she made to follow her brother, "Don't worry about it, I'll give you a ride home when you're ready." he turned to Zac, "Don't be mad at her." he said, gently passing Vienna to him. "It's not her fault."

"I know." Zac muttered, taking Vienna into his arms, "Thanks...you know, it's a good thing she's got friends like you."

"heh." Patrick laughed, "And you. Take care of her, man." he slapped him on the back in parting and opened the door for him.

Zac stepped out of the house, Vienna passed out in his arms and turned around on the front step.

"Thanks..um, for the..evening."

"Oh yeah." Patrick laughed, "Hell of a time, right? Guess I'll se you in school."

Zac nodded and went on his way. His and Vienna's houses were three blocks from the party, and while Vienna wasen't heavy, Zac got tired after about a block and a half and it became quite a difficult trip.

Knowing that her uncle wouldn't be home, when they got to Vienna's house, Zac opened the door without hesitation and kicked it shut behind him, heading towards the stairs.

He made it to the top as quickly as he could, through the strain of having carried her three blocks.

Inside her room, he put her down on the bed then collapsed at the foot, perpendicular to her, for a minute. When he was rested he stood up again and looked down at her.

"Kid..." he sighed.

"Zac?" she asked, half awake.

"Right here." he answered. She reached up towards him and he grabbed her hand.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"We're in your room, kid." he let go of her hand and attempted to unbuckle her strappy heeled shoes.

"How do you work these things?" he asked, "Girl shoes are so complicated!"

"So are monkeys." she muttered.

He laughed, in spite of himself. "You're gonna hate yourself in the morning." he muttered, "Aha!! Victory!" he raised the removed shoe over his head, victoriously, then dropped it on the floor and moved onto the next one.

"That tickles!" she giggled.

He stopped, looking up at her.

"Via has ticklish FEET!" he attacked her on the last word, tickling her feet, mercilously.

She laughed like mad until she nearly fell off the bed.

He got her other shoe off and threw it on the floor with the first.

"I'm taking off your dress." he informed her.

"Take off your own dress." she muttered as he unzipped the dress and took it off, leaving her in a black slip.

"Sexy, Via." he commented, taking in the site of her, "Forget the dress, you should just wear that."

She said something incoherant.

"You're right, I am gawking at you while you're not in a state to do anything about it."

He threw her blanket over her.

"Well, happy New Year." he sighed, sitting down at her hip, "You know, I never thought I'd be able to stand taking care of someone else."

"Do you ever think about the word 'paper'?" she asked, eyes half open, "Paaaaappperrrrr....paaaaaaaaperrrrrrr! Hah! Who invented that..word?"

"I did." he told her, flatly.

"huh.." she laughed, "I just love paper."

"You love paper..."

"I love you. Will you...marry me?"

"Not today."

She made a noise.

"Are we asleep now?" Zac whispered. He put his face right next to hers, "Via?"

She didn't respond. He kissed her cheek, standing up.

"Goodnight, Via." he said, before leaving through the window, back to his house.

Once inside, he shut the window again and left the room, heading downstairs.

Taylor and Natalie were still lounging on the couch.

Taylor looked up at his in utter shock.

"Holy hell, boy, where'd you come from?" he asked.

"Window."

"Oh."

"Did you have a good time?" Natalie asked.

"I had a very interesting time" Zac answered.

"Did you get smashed?" Taylor asked.

"Does he look smashed?" Natalie questioned her husband. Taylor stuck his tongue out at her.

"Vienna got smashed." Zac said, leaning on the back of the couch, "I just put her to sleep."

Taylor laughed.

"So is she an infant..or your sick pet dog?"

'He got smashed too' Natalie mouthed to Zac.

Zac smiled and looked at his watch. It was almost four am.

"I'm gonna go to sleep, guys." he told them.

"Okay, happy New Year." Natalie answered.

"Happy New Year!" Taylor echoed, standing up, "Gimme a hug, man!" he wrapped Zac in a huge bear hug, causing Zac to groan and roll his eyes.

"Yeah, 'night, guys." he said once Taylor let go of him, shooting Natalie a look, then leaving up the stairs.