We were all sitting watching a movie in the living room when Valeria burst through the door. "Guesswhatguesswhatguesswhat!" She screamed, waving her hands around wildly.

     "Whatwhatwhat?" I asked, copying her tone and bouncing up and down beside Bishop, shaking his arm with me.

     "Clara's in rehab!" She shrieked, jumping up and down. When no one reacted, she did another jump and repeated herself in a whisper-scream.

     "Who's Clara?" Zane asked.

     "And why are we so happy that she's in rehab?"

     "Clara! Well, her name is not actually Clara, it's Suzanne, but she's our Clara!" She widened her eyes at us, waiting for us to put the pieces together.

     "Can I step in now?" Finn asked, looking at her amusedly.

     "Dios mío, please do!" She said, collapsing onto the couch next to him like that was exhausting.

     "Valeria is an understudy for Clara in the Nutcracker."

     The pieces clicked together for me. My mouth dropped open, and I shook Bishop's arm even harder, digging my fingernails in. "And Clara is in rehab?"

     "And Clara is in rehab!" Valeria echoed, getting excited with me all over again.

     "So, you're going to visit her in rehab?" Zane asked, scrunching up his face in confusion. "That doesn't sound fun."

     Bishop rolled his eyes and smacked him upside the head. "No, now, she's Clara. Congratulations, Valeria!"

     We all chimed in to congratulate her too. I lept across the couch to tackle her in a hug, and Finn pressed his lips to her cheek.

     "Thanks, guys!" She said, a huge smile gracing her face. "This is my first lead role on Broadway! Anddddd, I got all of you tickets for tomorrow night!"

     "Do we have to?" Zane asked, his head falling back against the couch to stare at the ceiling.

     "Zane!" I yelled, smacking his chest. "Valeria has been to all of our gigs, and she got us free tickets. We're all going, no excuses."

     Zane opened his mouth to protest again, but Finn barked, "We're going," and stared him down. Zane's eyes widened, and he shut his mouth again, instead rapidly nodding.

     "So, are you excited?" I asked, turning back to Valeria. She was always so supportive of me, and I was ready to be there for her, even through my lack of ballet knowledge.

     "Excited. And nervous. And exhausted. And sore. Since the show opens this tomorrow, and I just found out today that I'm the lead, I had to bust my ass. But I'll do anything for this role." She kicked her feet onto Finn's lap, shooting him an appreciative smile. He rolled his eyes but began rubbing them obediently.

     "Well, I'm sure you're gonna kill it!" I said.

     "Let's all just thank god that Suzanne can not stay away from blow!" She said darkly.

     We finished the movie before we all headed to bed. It was just Bishop and I left in the hallway, and I pecked his lips before starting to head back to my room. Before I got very far, he grabbed my hand and stopped me. "What?" I asked, turning to look at him in confusion.

     He pulled my hand and dragged me close to him. I stumbled, my chest falling against his torso. "I don't want to say goodnight," he whispered against my ear, and I felt his hot breath on my skin. Goosebumps prickled all over me.

     "Me neither," I said, looking up at him and biting my lower lip.

     He brushed a strand of hair out of my face before picking me up and carrying me into his room. "You're coming with me," he called, talking like a cop taking a criminal downtown. I giggled as he slammed the door behind us and tossed me onto his bed. He pulled off his shirt, and I climbed under his blankets, holding them open for him to get in with me. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me hard. I couldn't get enough of him, pulling him closer and closer. Soon enough, I was very glad I called the number on that ad for the apartment.

     When I woke up the next morning, it was late morning, and I was alone. Rain poured drearily outside. I knew Bishop had an 8 am final, but he left me a note to remind me. I rolled over and sighed as the movement made the faint smell of his cologne rise up from the sheets. "God, this boy is gonna break my heart," I groaned, sitting up in his bed. I was just about to reluctantly climb out of the warmth of the covers when Bishop burst through the door, soaking wet.

     The gray t-shirt under his jacket was so wet it was practically see-through, and it clung to his muscles in all the right places. He shook his head like a dog, and his brown hair cast water droplets all over the floor, and I swear, there is nothing sexier than Bishop Lance with wet hair. He shot me a grin as he stripped off his wet clothes. "I was hoping I'd find you still in here. I rushed home just for you." When he spoke, I realized he was a little out of breath.

     "Did you run?" I asked incredulously.

     "Maybe," he admitted before tackling me back onto his bed. He laid on top of me, and I complained that he was crushing me and that he was cold while I ran my hands through his dripping hair. "But I'm officially done with the semester," he mumbled into my chest.

     He rolled off of me, and I looked up at him. "I have to tell you something," I whispered as he turned his TV on.

     "And what would that be?" He asked, laying a wet kiss on my nose.

     I cupped my hands and whispered into his ear, "You look very sexy."

     He cupped his hands and whispered back to me, "Why, thank you." I kissed his lips before laying my head back on his chest.

Hours later, we all got dressed up to head to Valeria's ballet. I wore a short black dress and put an oversized blazer over it. I walked into Bishop's room and found him looking at himself in the mirror, wearing navy pants and a matching jacket, with a white button up underneath. I stood in the doorway and admired him, until he noticed. He smiled at me in the mirror, before turning around and grabbing my hand. He spun me in a slow circle, remarking, "beautiful."

     I blushed, before leading him out of the room. "Come on, we can't be late." I banged on Zane's door. "You better be dressed in there!" I yelled.

     "Almost!" He called back.

     Finn was waiting on the couch, and he rolled his eyes. "Now, Zane!" He yelled.

     Zane burst through his door, still buttoning his shirt. "Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a twist." He smirked.

     "Let's fucking go," Finn commanded, heading for the door. We all followed.

      "Oh, I'm so excited to see Valeria dance! I've never been to a ballet," I said, as we climbed the stairs out of the subway. A light snow was falling, and I shivered in the cold wind.

     "Can we go to Finnegan's after this?" Zane whined.

     "Ooo, yeah, that's a good idea," Bishop said, and I heard them high five behind my back.

     I rolled my eyes, as Finn opened the door to the theater. A lot of people were milling around in the lobby, waiting for the opening night show to start. "Do you think we can sneak backstage and see Valeria?" I asked.

     "Worth a shot," Zane said, before picking a side hallway and heading down it.

     "Do you even know where you're going?" I asked, hurrying after him.

"Not a clue," he said, pushing through a side door. I looked both ways, before following him through, the other two boys reluctantly following. I could hear voices, as we descended a flight of stairs. We reached the bottom, and Zane pushed through a red velvet curtain.

"I'm a dancer! I swear!" I heard him yell in panic, before I pushed the curtain aside. A roomful of dancers' eyes were on us. Towards the back, Valeria hopped up and jogged in our direction, her eyes wide.

She grabbed Zane's arm and pulled him back past the curtain, swishing it back into place behind us. "What are you guys doing back here?" She asked, glaring at all of us. Before we could answer, her eyes softened, and she threw her arms around Zane. "Whatever, doesn't matter. I'm happy to see you guys." She turned and wrapped her arms around Bishop and I, before moving on to Finn.

"How you holding up? Nervous?" I asked.

"Nervous. And excited, I think. I don't know, I just want it to start already." Finn tried to kiss her, but she pushed his face away. "Don't mess up my makeup!" She shrieked.

"Well, break a leg, kid," Finn said, clapping her on the back awkwardly. She rolled her eyes and shooed us away, instructing us to go find our seats.

Valeria performed beautifully, and we all hooted and hollered for her when it was over. We definitely got some weird stares for being so obnoxious, but we stood up out of our seats and yelled her name all the same.

She met us in the lobby afterwards and gave us all sweaty hugs. "Change out of your costume, and let's go to Finnegan's," Finn said, his arm around her shoulders.

"I can't," she groaned, her face twisting up. "There's this little opening night party with a bunch of important casting directors and choreographers and all that opportunistic bullshit."

"Sounds lame, come drink instead," Zane argued, crossing his arms like a child.

"No, you should definitely go to that party. Shmooze it up, bitch, go charm your way into more leads," I encouraged, rubbing her arm.

"Wish me luck," she said, before waving goodbye and dashing off backstage.

"Bishster!" Zane called, as we walked back towards the subway.

"What's up?" Bishop asked, turning back over our entwined fingers to look at him.

"Let's climb Mt Everest tonight."

"No, dude, are you serious?" Bishop asked, hanging his head back and looking up at the falling snow.

"Come on, man, we've never done it before, even though we've always wanted. It's the Friday night before winter break. Let's celebrate the end of the semester by climbing goddamn Mt Everest!" He thrust his fist into the sky in triumph. "Who's with me?"

"Not me," Finn deadpanned.

"Bish?" Zane asked, raising his eyebrows. We descended into the subway.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not actually talking about Mt Everest?" I asked, looking up at Bishop.

"It's when you drink one of every cocktail listed on the menu. Whoever gets through all of them wins," Bishop explained. He scrunched his nose up in thought.

"Bishooooop?" Zane asked again, coming up behind him and clapping him on the back. He was bouncing with excitement.

We got into the subway car, and he clapped his hand onto the pole and looked up at Zane. "You know what, Zane?" He asked quietly, a small smile growing.

"What's that, Bishop?" Zane excitedly grinned back at him.

"Fuck it, we ball," he said, and we all exploded in cheers. We got off the subway and marched into Finnegan's.

     "Aye, it's Jim!" Zane yelled, pointing cheerfully at the bartender. We all took seats at the bar, and Jim shook the guys hands.

     "Hey, crew, it's been a while! And who's this?" The bartender asked. Jim was a redhead with a big fluffy beard and a wide smile.

      "This is Vienna, my girlfriend and also our roommate," Bishop explained, wrapping his arm around me.

     "Hmm, seems weird," he said, wrinkling his eyebrows at us. "Not my circus, not my monkeys though. So, what are we drinking?"

     "Well, fine sir, we do intend to take a bit of a climb tonight," Zane said, pointing between him and Bishop.

     "Oh lord, just don't puke in here, do it in the alley, like a man." I ordered a vodka soda and Finn got whiskey on the rocks. Jim made ours first, before sliding a menu in front of Bishop and Zane. He tapped the first drink on the menu, an aperol spritz, and began to make two of them. He slid the drinks over to the boys, and we all clinked our drinks together, yelling "cheers!"

     After the spritz, Zane and Bishop had to drink a cosmo Long Island iced tea, a dirty martini, an espresso martini, a Manhattan, a mojito, and so many more that I couldn't keep track. Three hours later, I was working on my third drink, while Bishop was working on his fifteenth cocktail, the last explicitly listed on the menu. Zane had gotten through twelve, before he ran outside and lost the game, coating the alley in a very strange reddish color. Finn had one glass of whiskey, before switching to coke, knowing that we would have to drag the other two home. Bishop was extremely focused, slurring his words horribly every time he tried to talk and focusing all of his efforts on staying upright and keeping the drink from falling out of his hand.

     "How many more do I have?" He slurred, resting his head on my shoulder. I traced my fingers up and down his back soothingly.

     "This is the last one, baby," I said.

     He lifted his head up to look at me. "You're so pretty," he drawled, before letting out a burp and letting his head collapse back on to my shoulder. "How many more sips?" He asked, taking a deep breath.

     I lifted up his old fashioned and surveyed it. "Um, about four more big ones," I said, putting the glass back down.

     "Or two more really big ones?" He questioned, looking up at me with big, innocent eyes. My heart wanted to burst just looking at him, and I gently kissed his forehead.

     "Yeah, you could do it in two really big sips. You're so close."

     He nodded and pushed himself off of me, bracing his elbows on the bar. He lifted up the glass and chugged the rest of it in two swallows. He groaned and put his head down on the bar. "You might have to take care of me," he warned, turning his head sideways to look at me.

     I rubbed his back. "It's okay, but, hey, you won!" I said.

     "Nice job, bud," Jim said, coming over and clapping him on the back. "Cost me ten bucks though." He handed Finn money across the bar.

     "Aye, that's my fucking boy!" Finn cheered, standing up and going over to Bishop's other side. Bishop stuck his hand out and fist bumped his friend, without looking up.

     "Ready to go home?" I asked, as Finn pulled out his wallet. Zane wandered back in from outside and pulled his out too.

     "Eh, I won't charge you guys for Bishop's drinks. I'm impressed, didn't think he had this in him," Jim said, handing Finn the check.

     "Sweet, thanks, bro," Bishop muttered into the counter. We paid our tab and basically carried the boys out of there, Finn holding Zane up and me struggling to keep Bishop vertical.

     "If I get us a cab, are you gonna throw up in it?" Finn asked, after he realized that it was gonna be a long ride home in the subway with the two of them.

     "No, sir," Bishop said, saluting him.

     "Promise?" I asked.

     "Mhm," he said, his eyes flickering shut.

     "Good enough for me," Zane said, pushing off of Finn to whistle for a taxi. One pulled over, and Finn got in the front, leaving Bishop, Zane, and I to pile in the back, with me squished in the middle. Bishop leaned heavily on me, and I'm pretty sure he slept the whole ride home. When the taxi pulled up outside of our building, it took both Finn and I to pull him out of it. We dragged him into the apartment and into his room, where he promptly collapsed on to his bed fully clothed in his suit still. Finn directed Zane through the apartment and pushed him into Bishop's room.

     "They're your responsibility now, make sure no one dies," Finn said, before shutting the door.

     I rolled my eyes and pulled off Bishop's shoes and pants, coercing him under the covers. Zane curled up in a ball at the foot of the bed and immediately fell asleep, so I left him as he was. I went to the kitchen and got a couple of bottles of water and the bathroom trash can. I forced Bishop to drink about half of a bottle, before he refused to pick his head up off of my lap anymore. I put Friends on his TV and slumped against his bed frame, playing with Bishop's hair in my lap.

     "Thank you, Vi," he said, his eyes shutting. Then, he snapped them open again and sat up a little.

     "Room spinning?" I asked.

     He nodded. His eyes went wide, and I slipped the trash can under him just in time to catch the spew of dark liquid projecting out of his mouth. "Ew, really dude? Even I made it into the alley," Zane complained, without looking over at us.

     "I-" Bishop started to say, before gagging again. He swallowed hard and continued, "finished the menu, Mr. Alley, sir."

     I handed Bishop the water, and he threw up a little more, before swishing the water around in his mouth and spitting it out. I threw out the bag in the trash can and replaced it, before getting back into bed with them.

     "Are you all out of throw up?" I asked, as he put his head back in my lap.

     "I wanna be with you forever," he murmured softly, instead of answering. My eyes went wide and my breath caught in my throat. I stared straight ahead at the TV and waited for him to say something else, but his breathing evened out, and I knew he was asleep.

      "Well, I wish I wasn't here for that," Zane muttered, and I kicked his curled up form. He laughed, before kicking his shoes off and falling right back asleep. I covered him with a blanket and slumped back against the bed frame, prepared for a long night of making sure two idiots didn't unknowingly choke on their own vomit.