Yeah... about that.

"Um... do you think we could just head straight to your place?" you ask as you climb back into the passenger seat of Allison's car. She gives you a surprised look "It's just that... I don't really want to go home right now. Mom and dad will be there by now, Gwen too, and I don't think I can handle explaining all of this to them. I don't even know if they'd believe me. So..." Part of you can't believe you're being this shy right now... but then again, you definitely have ulterior motives behind your request to stay with Allison tonight.

"Of course, Sarah. Besides," she adds as she starts the engine, "I'm not going to let you go that easily. I'm not done with you yet." Her tone for that last part makes you shudder in happy anticipation. Now that you know for sure that something is going to happen with Allison tonight... it feels like your first time with her all over again.

Allison has her own apartment in town. You both stuck around to attend the local university, but Allison's parents moved away just after she graduated high school and set her up in a small apartment. Apparently, once she graduated their duties as parents were completed, and they were free to retire to beachfront property... on opposite ends of the country. Allison never really resented her parents, but it didn't surprise her when they split. She once told you that she never wanted to be like them, sticking it out in an empty relationship just because that's what they were supposed to do. You have to wonder if she knew then that it wouldn't work out between her and you... between her and John. Not for the first time, you find yourself strangely grateful for this "curse".

As Allison parks the car at her apartment building, she turns to you "of course, I'll have to call your parents to let them at least know where you are. We wouldn't want them to file a missing person report or whatever." As you get out of the car, you see Allison reach back and recover something from the back seat. It's in a gift bag. "What?" she says, responding to your quizzical expression "Where did you think I had gone when you were in that bathroom? I had to go and buy something they don't sell at shopping malls." You reach for the bag so you can check what's inside, but she playfully pulls it away. "Uh-uh, no peeking until we're inside and I've made that phone call." With that she takes off, running up the stairs as you chase after her, laughing.