With Christmas over and done with, Gloria and her friends wanted to celebrate New Years with something unique and memorable, especially since it would be their first New Year's party with Duke and Caleb. Gloria's aunt Ann had called her up and said she had rented out a beach house for Gloria and her friends on one condition.
"Why can't you tell us what's going to be so special about this whole celebration?" Caleb asked Gloria as he parked outside the large beach house that Ann had rented out.
"Because if I told you what it was, then it wouldn't be surprise, duh." Gloria answered as she saw Duke and Sasha at Sasha's motorcycle looking like they had also been having a similar conversation.
"That's exactly what I've been telling this one." Sasha said nodding towards Duke.
"I'm just a little excited, I can't help it. It'll actually be my first....real New Year's celebration in...quite a while." Duke said making the situation feel a little uncomfortable.
"Don't worry, Duke, I'll make it...memorable." Sasha said whispering in his ear making him chuckle and blush.
Diane and Naomi were also waiting by the door for their friends to come in with them.
The six of them knocked on the door and were greeted by Gloria's Aunt Ann and Jackie in their adult forms, but Caleb and Duke were a little bit confused at first.
"Hiya gang ready for a fun night. By the way, Caleb, Duke, I'm Gloria's aunt Ann, we met at Halloween and this is Jackie as you already know or might have guessed." Ann introduced.
"So do you go between being an adult and teen often then?" Duke asked.
"Yep!" Ann and Jackie both answered at the same time and laughed about it.
"Come on in everyone." Jackie said as they led their friends inside.
"So, do you want to give the speech Angel?" Jackie asked.
"Maybe you should darling." Ann suggested as she caressed her finger down Jackie's neck.
"Angel, there are children present." Jackie said as Ann and she blushed while the rest of Gloria and her friends rolled their eyes. The girls besides Duke and Caleb were used to Ann and Jackie being so flirtatious by now.
"Anyway, I know we all have had quite a hard year dealing with so much. But whenever a new year comes around for us, the point is to celebrate the good things that are to come and the good things that we've received this year. Gloria for instance found herself a new boyfriend, and thanks to her, he's gotten to be less of a pain in the ass." Jackie joked as the others laughed and Caleb rubbed his neck a little bit nodding in agreement.
"But we had an even greater thing happen to one of our friends, Sasha. For the longest time we thought she'd be the one who wouldn't really give dating a second thought and romance seemed certainly out of her jurisdiction, that was until she met Duke." Jackie said as Sasha wrapped one arm around Duke and leaned her head on his arm.
"None of us knew what to make of Duke, some of us even thought of attacking first and asking questions later," Jackie said referring to Caleb again who cleared his throat. "Duke may have turned out to be related to vampires, but he is probably the kindest vampire or dhampir we've ever come across. He opened his heart to Sasha and Sasha opened her heart to something she never expected: true love." Jackie finished as everyone nodded in agreement.
"That was beautiful darling." Ann said as she kissed Jackie on the cheek.
"Now, we have wine and champagne for all us to drink and celebrate the new year." Ann said directing to a table.
"Champagne?" Duke asked.
"Wine? Aren't we a little young for those?" Caleb asked.
"Good point, which is why Gloria and I came up with this!" Ann said as Jackie used her ring on the rest of them, and they all aged physically into adults but retained their teen minds. Jackie then used her ring again and gave Duke and Caleb black and gold glitter tuxedo jackets while the girls were given black and gold dresses ranging from short to long.
Duke and Caleb looked in a nearby mirror at themselves surprised at how they both looked at adults. Caleb looked a little more like his dad, while Duke's hair had grown out a little.
"Okay, I'll be the first to say it, Ann, Jackie: this was a fucking great idea!" Naomi said as she and Diane went over to the drink table and poured themselves some glasses.
Duke and Caleb now both looked at Gloria and Sasha both seemed overcome with how beautiful their dates had become.
"Well?" Gloria and Sasha both asked.
"You look....like the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Duke complimented Sasha as she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the lips.
"I'll give you a bigger kiss than that at midnight." Sasha said fluttering her eyes.
"So...you didn't say anything yet?" Gloria asked Caleb.
"How about we go out on the deck on talk?" Caleb asked as he and Gloria went to the deck of the beach house and looked out at the sunset.
"It has been one wild year, I don't know what the future holds or how long we'll be together Gloria, but I want to tell you here and now: I do love you more than you know." Caleb said as Gloria wrapped her arms around Caleb and the two kissed just as the sun reached its golden hour.
"Hey you two, no big kisses until midnight." Jackie said talking to the two of them.
"Jackie, your lipstick smudged?" Gloria noticed.
"What? Oh no, that must be Ann's lipstick on my mouth." Jackie said as she went back inside.
"So their practically married by this point, right?" Caleb asked.
"Well not yet, but when Jackie graduates, then there will definitely be wedding bells." Gloria replied as she turned to watch the rest of the sunset.
"Happy New Year, Gloria." Caleb said as they watched the rest of the sunset and the party continued into midnight.