Secret Fantasy Preview: Chapter One

Winter 1999

New Year’s Eve was a night when romance was supposed to be king. When the clock strikes twelve, you kiss the one you want to spend the next year with. That was all Connie O’Leary could think about as she sat next to her best friend Alec in his parent’s basement. She’d come over here because her twin sister Britney had once again ruined the original plan. Then again Britney probably hadn’t planned on getting the flu in time to miss whatever insanity would come with the whole Y2K disaster. A disaster that had yet to even happen.© Kat Halstead
Connie needed a break; sometimes she wondered how they could be sisters, even when she would recall the twins from Sweet Valley High. At least those twins looked alike. She and her sister were very different. Not just in looks but also personality and dreams. If they didn’t share the same birthday, she really could at times wonder how they were related, let alone twins.© Kat Halstead
Alec had MTV on; Connie was already bored with whatever Carson Daly had been saying. She was over him. He’d been cool a year ago, but now she was ready for something new. I mean VJs would come and go; MTV would always be the same, right? © Kat Halstead
This was her chance, her moment to snuggle up to Alec, they were alone. His parents off at a party down the street, none of their other friends had shown up yet. Jason seemed to be sulking since Britney was sick. This left just the two of them alone, perhaps for the last time until prom. This could be her last chance to get Alec to see her as a girl, rather than just a friend. “Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you and I, you know?”© Kat Halstead
Alec turned to her, he wasn’t sure if he’d heard her correctly, “Con, are you asking what I think you’re asking?”© Kat Halstead
“We could give it a try, right? Why not? We’re best friends, wouldn’t it be better if we did this with someone we trusted.” She could feel her stomach fill with nervous energy, “I mean why do this with someone random on prom night, when we could do this, right here, right now, with each other.”© Kat Halstead
“You sure about this?” Alec tried looking back at the television.© Kat Halstead
Connie stood up in front of him, “What, are you not ready to lose your virginity?”© Kat Halstead
Alec gulped, feeling his heart beat against his chest. This couldn’t be real. This was some sick joke that Connie was pulling on him. If he tried to kiss her, she would duck and laugh. He looked at her, standing in front of him, what if she wasn’t joking? What if this was serious and she was ready and willing to lose her virginity to him?© Kat Halstead
“Well?” She felt frustrated; she hadn’t expected him to take this long to respond. She figured he would either laugh at her, or jump at the chance. © Kat Halstead
Then it happened, before Connie could rationalize what was happening, Alec was kissing her. She gave in, kissing him back. Enjoying the feel of his lips on hers as the fell onto the couch. Her body pressing into his, about to experience something she really hoped she was ready for.© Kat Halstead
* * *© Kat Halstead
It was almost midnight as Britney lay in bed, watching the countdown. She wasn’t really focused, mostly exhausted from feeling sick all day long. Also a bit sad at having to spend the night in bed with the flu. This would only ever happen to her, never to her sister. Her sister was so lucky to never get sick on holidays. © Kat Halstead
She flipped between Carson Daly and Dick Clark, when she heard her window open, and then saw the dark hair of her best friend Jason Evans, even though she’d told him to stay home. She didn’t want him catching whatever she’d had. Earlier in the day she’d passed out on the kitchen floor.© Kat Halstead
“You need to keep this window closed better if you don’t want to keep getting sick.” He closed it behind him, wondering how her parents never seemed to notice him sneaking in and out.
Britney shivered from the fresh, cold air in the room. “What are you doing here?” A cough took over her.© Kat Halstead
Jason shrugged, “Well, I didn’t feel like being around Alec and Connie. Your sister has been acting weird lately. Besides, I refuse to let you get sucked into watching Carson Daly as time ticks down to a new year.”
“I was going between MTV and ABC.” She smiled a little bit before gesturing to the nearby chair.© Kat Halstead
Jason sat, watching the way her weak body moved, how tired she appeared to be. “So, resolutions for the new year?”© Kat Halstead
“Make the best of senior year?” She sighed, “I guess try and make my dreams come true. What about you?”© Kat Halstead
“Same.” He tried to keep his focus on the television, “Wouldn’t it suck if Carson ended up replacing Dick Clark?”© Kat Halstead
Britney rolled onto her side a little bit, “Yeah, but who else is waiting in the wings to take over? No one.”© Kat Halstead
“True.” He looked over at her, “So, tell me, what dream do you want to come true?”© Kat Halstead
“Oh you know, perfect prom, beautiful graduation night, to land an acting job as soon as I get to New York. I am aware that the last ones a bit ridiculous, actually they all are, but a girl has to dream right?”
“Yeah, so you plan to go to New York? Are you just trying to follow me to NYU or what?” He teased.© Kat Halstead
She laughed, “Oh please Jason, you’re my best friend. We’re just lucky we have the same fantasy destination for our future.”
“I guess so” He focused back on the TV as the countdown of the last ten seconds began.© Kat Halstead
* * *© Kat Halstead
“… Five… four… three… two… one!” The voice over the TV declared as Connie pulled away from Alec.© Kat Halstead
Alec lay back on the carpet, staring up at the ceiling. His heart pounding, his mind dizzy. “Are you okay?”© Kat Halstead
Connie nodded as she zipped her jeans back up, “Fine.” She ran her hands through her hair as the reality of the situation began to hit her. “I should get going.”© Kat Halstead
“You don’t have to” Alec stood, his pants still around his ankles.
Connie giggled, “I’ll see you tomorrow. We still on for skiing at Purg?”
“Of course.” Alec pulled his jeans up, watching as she went up the stairs. Had he just lost his best friend? No, he couldn’t have. Connie had always been more than just his best friend anyway. Maybe they had done this too soon; he knew that it hadn’t been a mistake. He could feel that in his gut, maybe though the timing had been off. Maybe they should have waited.
“Hey Alec?” Connie was on her way back down the stairs again.
“Yeah?” He was surprised she’d come back.
She licked her lips when she saw him, “When are you expecting your parents to come home?”
“No idea, they’re probably pretty drunk right now.”
“Yeah, my parents are probably fast asleep, wouldn’t notice when I came home.” Her fingers nervously drummed on the banister.
Alec wasn’t sure her mind was where he was until he asked, “Want to go hang out in my room?”
She tilted her head to the side as she smiled, “Yeah, let’s go hang out.”
Alec raced up the stairs, feeling like a fool for being so eager. They’d just done it for the first time, just because they would be hanging out in his room, didn’t mean he would get to do it again.
Connie closed the door behind him, “Mind if I lock this?”
“Um, go for it” His stomach was nervous, amazed this could be happening at all, let alone for the second time this evening.
“I know I freaked out a moment ago.” She sat next to him on the bed, pushing the covers away. “I’ve been thinking about that, for a while now.”© Kat Halstead
“You have?” Alec watched her.© Kat Halstead
Connie leaned forward, “Yeah, I have. I have always planned for you being the one I lost my V-card to, and now I have.”
He didn’t know what else to say, so he kissed her again. Slowly this time, wanting to make whatever was happening last this time.
* * *© Kat Halstead
Britney pushed her window down as tightly as she could before pulling up under her comforter to fall asleep. A new year was here, a new decade. She was going to make the most of it that she could. She just had to figure out what she needed to do over the next few months to make sure that she could get to New York and get things going, started for her acting career.
Jason heard her window close tightly as he stepped across the crunchy snow under his feet carefully when he got to the sidewalk to watch out for ice. He looked up at the window, he could see the glow from her television still on, but he knew she was falling asleep.© Kat Halstead
Walking home in the cold air he thought about the future, wondering if he would ever have the guts to ask Britney out. They wouldn’t have to worry about parting ways for college if they both were really planning on going to New York. Though as much as he wished it would turn out to be true, he had to admit that the chances were slim she would end up in New York. She would always dream big, but never seemed to be able to follow through.