But is this how you Wanted it?

Chapter 14: New Year's.

Christmas was amazing for Emma, Jose, and their friends. They got their first kiss and were surprised the room didn't fill with fireworks. Time went by and it soon became Jose's eighteenth birthday. He was born on New Year's Eve in 8808. It was the last day of the year, it would joy him to spend his first official day into adulthood with his one true love, Emma. They had to work on a chemistry assignment either way. They'd also be watching the ball drop stream from New York City. The time differences postponed them from watching it live. Jose and Emma would spend all night in homework hell, birthday celebrations, and in New Year ringing.

Since Emma and Jose had decided to do homework and hang out on New Year's eve, Emma had told him she wanted to cook dinner for him. Roxy had always praised Emma for her cooking, swore Emma was a better chef than her mother. Jose agreed to Emma's dinner, though he did not know what Emma would be making. It was almost 5:00 P.M. on December 31, 8836. Emma began her preparation for dinner, she'd be making one of her favorites, Razoo Spegetto. Razoo Spegetto was a homely dish and the 89th century version of lasagna. Jose wouldn't arrive to Emma'a house until about 5:35 P.M.

As Emma was preparing her Razoo Spegetto, she seen that she let time pass and that dinner wouldn't be ready when Jose got there. She shrugged that off and decided she wanted to shower before Jose got there. So she covered up the ingredients, knowing it would be more fun to cook Jose's dinner with him. She took a quick shower and put her pastel plaid dress on.

She looked at the time, it was 5:32. She ran to the front door to open it, so Jose wouldn't have to knock. Emma started to uncover her Razoo Spegetto ingredients and began to lay her Spegetto noodles. She did this and took her time.

Jose was right on time, 5:36. He opened the door to see Emma preparing dinner. He smiled. Emma hadn't noticed his entrance yet. Her back was turned. Jose quietly walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She jumped, turning around, still in his hold, she exclaimed, "Jose! You scared me!"

He smiled even bigger, "damn right I did." He let her go, "How's dinner coming Em?"

"Well, how bout you help me."

"Alright. What do you want me to do?"

"Go get my speaker, so we can listen to music. Obviously I'll let you pick the music."

"Yes ma'am," Jose said as he headed to her room for her speaker. He connected his phone to it. He wanted  fun and bubbly, yet romantic, music. He played some modern classical music from a decade ago. The beat was soft and warm. It felt gentle. With random bass, it also had rich taste. Lively and slow, the speaker played. Jose return to the kitchen with the music playing.

Emma was waiting for him to come back, "took you long enough. Now set it down and let's finish dinner."

They began to layer the Razoo Spegetto together. Emma already laid down the beginning layer of noodles, so the first thing was ready. On top of the noodles would go, razoo chicken with groud beef, followed by cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, and sprinkles of parsley and garlic. They did a couple layers.

Emma's little dachshund pup, Hope, was running the kitchen. Emma picked her up, "Jose, look, she's like our daughter. Hope knows her mother and father. She wants to play."

Jose walked over to Emma and Hope. They looked like a happy family. After thirty seconds, Jose said, "Em know how you mentioned that we should change the laws. And fight for the law to be changed. What if we do. Plan it out, and do it when we go back to school. Let that be my birthday present from you because I can't wait to have a family with you one day, and for Hope to have a baby human sister or brother."

Emma was rubbing Hope's head as Jose spoke. She stopped and and set her Hope down. Walking back over to dinner, she started on the last layer. "Yes, we will change it. And by the end, Real'N and Sweetener will allow us to be more public. Then we can start that family you wanted, I want it too. If we show determination, then others will follow the movement. But let's finish dinner."

She threw a small bit of cheese at him playfully. Of course, Hope ate the cheese of the floor. "Well, well, Emma Jones, I didn't know you had that in you," said Jose.

Smiling, she did it again then turned back round to finish the layer. She heard the refrigerator open. She turned to Jose to see him with a can of whip cream. He shook it and Emma grabbed more cheese. Walking slowly towards her, he sprayed her, covering half her hair in whip cream.

He put the spray can on the counter and started tickling her mercilessly. Laughing out loud, she could barely get out the words, "haha- Jose at- haha- least let me fin- hahaha- finish din-din- haha- dinner."

He stopped because he was hungry. So they finished the final layer and placed it in the oven. Emma went to get her computer so they could plan out their ideas for how to change the law of different grades dating.

Emma walked into the living room, she seen Hope was sleeping. "Jose turn on the laptop while I feed Hope. It's close to her dinner time." Leaving him with the laptop, she feed Hope a cup of dry dog food and threw a couple of her puppy treats in the bowl too. Emma called Hope for dinner.

Returning to the living room, Emma sat right beside Jose on the couch to plan. She opened her NoteCard app on her laptop. They figured April Fool's would be the perfect time as were it would look like a prank if they came out with their relationship. But between now and then, they'd organize protests and walkouts. They'd find loyal members to join the solution to fight for a better world and to get back some of what the world used to have.

After the got the basic ideas down, dinner was ready. Emma took the Razoo Spegetto and served Jose and herself some. They ate and planned out a little more and decided to start a small club at school. This club would help their cause and help others with theirs. It would be open by interview for people wanting to change any pieces of law like they will. When school starts back up, they'd go to the principal and pitch the idea to light up this generation for better their future ones.

Whilst, Hope had crawled up on the couch next to her human mother and father. Emma cleaned up dinner and they were about the start their chemistry homework. As they did so, the radio was playing some random music, centuries old to weeks old or different genres.

It came close to time where the New Year's Ball would drop. They timed everything perfectly. Jose and Emma finished their homework assignment right as the New Year's show started. Jose's bithday was a few minutes shy of midnight and wasn't technically till 11:48.

It was about ten o'clock. The show started as Emma and Jose sat on the couch together. He wrapped his arm around Emma as Hope cuddled closer. They watched the clock and the show. Emma bought cupcakes yesterday for this birthday occasion.

As the 17-year-old's 18th birthday came closer, Emma got up to place a candle upon the cupcakes. She brought them into the living room right before it was 11:48. It was perfect, the show cut to commercial just in time at 11:47. She lit the candles and muted the television.

It was time, "make a wish Jose," exclaimed Emma.

He blew out the candles wishing for what he had in that moment, to be his forever.

"What did you wish for?" asked Emma.

"Well if I tell you, babe, it'll never come true," Jose said with a smirk.

"Happy birthday, love," Emma said before kissing him on the cheek.

The show came back on. They watched at it but they were more in awe of him being 18 and a legal adult now.

It got closer to midnight, and the new year. The tradition held for thousands of decades; the tradition of New Year's kiss. Emma and Jose would become apart of that tradition for the rest of their lives.

The countdown started.... "10... 9... 8... 7... 6...," Emma and Jose turned to kiss while the still counted. "5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Happy New Year!!" They deal the deal of their next year together with a sweet kiss. They couldn't wait to try and change the law for nights like this to never end.