Friends and Lovers
By Misha

Author's Notes- Okay, the setup for this is kind of weird, let me explain. Chloe was never given up for adoption and was raised by the Wesley's, and she is Craig's daughter, who moved to Salem when she was really little. Belle, however, wasn't raised in Salem. John and Marlena got together soon after she was born and moved to California with her, Brady, Sami, and Eric. Shawn and Chloe grew up as best friends and are really close. They've also known Phillip all their lives. Chloe isn't unpopular or considered a freak, but she's not mega-popular. She's really into music and, while she wears fashionable clothing most of it's in black. So she's still Chloe. Belle will appear later on in the story, but don't worry she's not going to be like Chloe was when she first moved to Salem. She's still Belle. It's just that the situations are a little different.

Rating PG-13

Prologue

Monday, September 11th 2000

Shawn Brady waited by his locker impatiently, wondering where she was.

For as long as he could remember he had been best friends with Chloe Wesley, but now that they were Juniors in High School his feelings were beginning to change...

That's why we had asked her to meet him before class. So he could ask her out.

A minute later he smiled as he saw her running towards him.

"Shawn!" Chloe called out as she reached his locker. "You'll never guess what happened last night!"

"What?" Shawn asked with a smile.

Chloe's light blue eyes lit up. "Phillip asked me out!"

"Phillip?" Shawn repeated in dismay. "As in Phillip Stuck-Up is my middle name Kiriakis?"

Chloe rolled his eyes. "You know he's not that bad."

"Who's not that bad?" A voice behind Chloe asked.

Both Shawn and Chloe turned to see Phillip standing there holding one hand behind his back.

"Never mind." Chloe said, giving Shawn a warning look, before turning her attention to Phillip. "What do you have back there?"

"What? This." Phillip produced a single red rose and handed it to Chloe with a sweeping bow. "For you Mademoiselle."

Shawn gritted his teeth as he watched Chloe's eyes light up.

"Phillip! That's so sweet." She gushed, smelling the rose.

Shawn watched with Phillip with distrust.

He knew Kiriakis' reputation with girls, he romanced them and then discarded them without a thought. He didn't want that to happen to Chloe.

However, she was completely clueless and leaned over and gave Phillip a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

Phillip smiled and took her hand. "You're welcome. Can I walk you to class?"

"Of course!" Chloe answered, then she looked over at Shawn. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay." Shawn answered glumly, wondering why Chloe was so blind. Kiriakis was scum.

"Why can't she see how good we'd be together?" He whispered. "Is it because I don't lay the charm on extra-thick like Kiriakis?"

He sighed. He should have seen this coming.

He had known that Chloe had a small crush on Phillip, after all he had caught her watching him across the cafeteria few times.

He had also seen Phillip checking her out a couple times when Shawn and Chloe had been hanging out at Dot.Com.

Still, he had never thought that Kiriakis would actually ask her out. After all, she wasn't the type that he usually pursued. And even if that had happened, he would have thought that Chloe had more sense.

Everything was so mixed up. He never would have seen any of this coming, but he should have. He should have asked Chloe sooner.

Just then the bell rang, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Damn!" Shawn exclaimed, slamming his locker shut and walking towards his class, wondering what he was going to do about Chloe.
* * * * *

At the same time Isabella "Belle" Black was staring at her mother in horror.

"We're moving to Salem?" She asked in shock.

Marlena Black looked at her daughter with sympathy. "Yes honey, we are. Your brother and sister are there after all..."

"So?!" Belle exclaimed. "They want to be! But I don't!"

"I know." Marlena said with a sigh. "But can you give it a chance?"

"I'll try." Belle said, making a face. "But this means I'll have to start over in a new school."

"It'll be fine Belle, you'll fit in perfectly."

"I hope so." Belle said, though she didn't really believe it.
* * * * *