Disclaimer: Don't any of the characters (except Brooke), just the words

The Bet

Chapter 1: How it all began

Macy Misa was a fierce competitor. There was no denying that. It was clear to anyone who had ever seen her on a field, court, track, or any other sports venue. She was fearless and she was fierce and she was out to win. And often, that got her in trouble.

When she was first introduced to the newest member of three of the many sports teams she was on, Macy was as friendly and open as she was with anyone else. She was, after all, a team player, and more than willing to work with anyone who was trying to score points against the opposing team. This welcome had lasted almost two entire weeks.

It wasn't that the girl was named co-captain of the softball team. It wasn't that Stella was impressed by the girl's style. It wasn't even that her three favourite guys in the whole world had commented on the new girl's skill before congratulating Macy on her own at the last soccer game they had attended. It wasn't any of these things that clicked that switch in Macy's brain that simply insisted on her winning.

It was the words that came out of Brooke Caldwell's mouth.

"On the field you're a star, Macy," the girl had told her, and at this point, unsuspecting Macy had gladly returned the compliment, happy that she'd found another girl who understood her love of sports. "Off the field, though," Brooke had continued, "maybe not so much, huh?"

"What?" Macy had asked, feeling the smile fall from her face.

"Well, I mean, you're a great girl and everything, but you kind of only shine when it comes to the sports, don't you?"

Once upon a time, Macy could have told Brooke that that was completely incorrect. That she, in fact, was good at many other things, such as singing. Stella had always applauded her signing, though never quite encouraged it. But Macy had recently learned, thanks to her friends, that she was not a good singer. And to be completely honest, the realisation had done nothing but spread doubt in her. There was a chance, no matter how slim it was, that she really wasn't good at anything but sports, and that her friends were simply being nice when they didn't tell her to stop all non-athletic activities.

"Right?" Brooke insisted.

"Well, I…"

"Yes?" Brooke asked.

"I can…"

"You can?" Brooke goaded.

Macy shrugged in the end when she couldn't think of anything fantastic to say. "I'm good at other things."

"Like?"

"Like things that I don't have to discuss right now."

Brooke smiled. "Well, there would be one way to settle this."

"There would?" Macy asked.

"Yes, there would. We could have a contest."

"A contest?"

"With a winner."

"A winner," Macy agreed. If there was one thing she understood in life, it was being a winner.

"Right. You could prove to me that you are good at something other than sports. It could be like a bet."

"A bet?" Macy asked cautiously. She may not have been good at a lot of things, but she could apparently see when she was about to get tangled into a web that might prove venomous. "What kind of bet?"

"A friendly bet," Brooke said with a wide smile.

"And what would the stakes of this friendly bet be?"

"Well, it would really depend on how one of us would win the bet."

"So how would one of us win the bet?" Macy asked, suddenly aware that they were the last two people in the gym. How, she wondered, had that happened? Hadn't the entire volleyball team been there practising only a few short minutes ago?

"Well, let's think about it. Sports are obviously out of the question. Grades are too easy. Looks are too subjective. Clothes are just about whatever you can spend. Wits, well, let's face it, don't really matter in the long run. Friends aren't fair because I'm new here. But... hey, here's an idea."

Macy's eyes narrowed at the glee she heard in Brooke's voice. "Yeah?"

"Boys."

"Boys?"

"Boys."

"What about them?" Macy asked, feeling almost confident. She knew boys. She kind of understood boys. Most of the time, people thought she was one of the boys. Boys, she might be able to win at with few problems.

"Well, which one of us can get one to fall head over heels with her fastest."

"Any boy?" Macy drawled, dreading the answer.

"Not any boy. Like I said, I'm new, so you have an advantage. You've got ground work laid and you know which ones would be easiest to seduce. No. We're going to have to go after a specific boy."

"A specific boy."

"One who won't be too easy to catch."

Macy felt her stomach drop, anticipating the next words that would be coming from Brooke's mouth.

"A Lucas boy."

"A Lucas boy?"

"Yeah, one from Jonas. They're celebrities. I mean, I know you're kind of friends with them or whatever, but they can't be that easy to snag, even for you."

"But I mean, even if we did do that, which one would it be?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it does. Because Stella would kill me if I went after Joe. And Nick is way too sensitive. I mean, if we both went after Nick and it worked, he would be crushed and it would take forever for him to get over this. He falls way too hard way too—"

"Fine. It'll be Kevin if you insist."

"But I don't."

"Well, you just eliminated both Joe and Nick, so I guess that leaves us with Kevin, doesn't it?"

Macy actually took a second to think about it, then realised what she was thinking about. "No. No. They're my friends. I can't do that to them."

"They're Stella's friends," Brooke corrected. "You're just... there. So are you in or are you out?"

"Definitely out," Macy said, gathering her towel and sweater and heading toward the locker room.

"Obviously."

Macy froze.

"What?"

"Well," Brooke shook her head, making her long brown hair swing around her, and shrugged, "I didn't actually think that you'd go through with it anyway."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you know you're going to lose, so you don't want to play. That's perfectly normal. You shouldn't be ashamed," Brooke said as she walked by Macy, patting her on the back.

"Lose?"

"Yeah; as in, not win."

"Are you kidding me? I could win this competition with one hand tied behind my back and only half of the Jonas knowledge I carry in my head."

"Sure you could. I truly believe you."

"Oh, yeah? You know what?"

"What?" Brooke asked with a smile that could have given any frequent flosser a cavity.

"You're on."

"Great. Whoever gets Kevin Lucas to fall for her first wins."

It was only once Brooke had sauntered away and Macy was left alone in the gym that she realised what she'd done.

"Uh," she yelled out to the empty room, nothing but her own echo to sympathise with her.