A/N: Hello readers and welcome to the third part of my Crossover series. I just want to let you know before you read this you should read:

Crossover: Another World

Crossover II: Evalius

Prologue

Without a single cloud in the sapphire sky, and the sun's rays beaming down on a warm summer day, Aria could not think of a better day to be at the pool. This was perfect since their eighth grade back to school party just happened to be on this day. Aria followed her two best friends to the lounge chairs just beside the pool in the sun. All three of the girls' mothers prepared to head to the tables under the green umbrellas.

Mrs. Cooper turned to her daughter, pulling out a bottle from her bag. "Vanessa, make sure you put on plenty of sun block. You don't want to get burned."

"Yeah, okay Mom," Vanessa mumbled, taking the sun block.

"Oh, that reminds me, Kendal," Mrs. Lewis said suddenly turning back and handing her daughter several dark brown bottles. "Here, sweetie, so you can work on your back to school tan."

"Thanks Mom," Kendal muttered, as she dug around in her own bag.

As the mothers started to walk away, Aria called out to her own, "Mom, should I put on any sunscreen?"

Elizabeth shrugged and handed her a small bottle. "If you feel its necessary."

As the mothers walked over to their tables, Aria just tossed the bottle of sunscreen under her lounge chair. She figured if her mother was not going to harass her about putting on sun block, she would not bother. Instead, she turned over to her friend with straight shoulder length blonde hair, who currently sprayed her flesh with tanning oil.

"Hey Kendal," Aria asked, covering her forehead with her hand, "can I try some of that when you are done?"

"Yeah, sure," Kendal replied as she finished patting some on her legs. "First, can you help me rub it on my back?"

Kendal sat down on the front of Aria's lounge chair, handing her the bottle. As Aria sprayed the oil on her friend's back, Vanessa turned in her own chair and asked, "Does that have any sun protection because if it does I think I would rather use it than the crap my mom gave me."

Kendal looked up as she thought. "I think so. Its some sort of special brand my mom bought while she was in California this summer." She stopped for a moment to chuckle. "I should let her know next time she goes she will need to buy enough tanning oil for three people."

Vanessa laughed along and added, "Well, your mom seems to be the only one concerned with helping you get a tan."

"Yeah, my mom doesn't seem concerned about my skin at all," Aria mumbled.

"That's just because my mom used to be a model back in the day," Kendal explained, casually, and muttered, "Personally, I think she cares a bit too much about my appearance." She then turned her body back to face her other friend. "Also, Aria, I don't remember you ever getting sunburned and you never wear sunblock."

"She could at least help me find good tanning lotions like your mom does," Aria said as she rubbed the oil on her skin. "Does this stuff really work?"

"It's been working for me. I've been using it all summer."

Aria observed her friend's perfectly bronzed skin. Ever since they became friends, she had secretly wished she could be as pretty as Kendal and maybe have just a fraction of her confidence.

Vanessa lowered her sunglasses and looked over to the side of the pool and grinned. "Hey Kendal, I saw Ian looking at you again."

Kendal barely tilted her head in that direction and sighed. "There are plenty of other girls he could have been looking at."

"He was definitely looking at you," Vanessa insisted and then turned her head and asked, "Come on, he's cute and he likes you. I think you should go talk to him."

Kendal just remained seated and huffed. "I don't know if he is really my type."

Vanessa raised her eyebrow. "Seriously, he's good looking, athletic, and nice. How is that not your type? Besides, you need someone nice."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Kendal demanded giving her friend a sharp look.

"Just that you can sometimes be, uh…" Vanessa turned to her other best friend, "Aria, what's the nice word for it?"

"Um…" Aria thought quickly. "Authoritative?"

"Eh… Close enough." Vanessa turned back to Kendal. "You can be authoritative."

For a moment Kendal looked as though she were about to snap but then just shrugged. "So you are saying I need someone nice who will actually listen to me."

"Exactly," Vanessa confirmed.

Kendal laughed. "Well, I guess if you put it that way, but I could not do that to Aria."

"What do you mean?" Aria looked over, puzzled, as she finished applying the tan oil. "I don't have a problem with Ian… just Derek."

"Right, speaking of Derek…" Kendal turned in her lounge chair to look at Aria directly. "We are not going through another year of this. You need to learn to stand up to him. This year, you will go right up to him and give him a piece of your mind."

"Wait, I… uh, have to?" Aria shot Vanessa a brief baffled glance.

Kendal pounded her fist into her hand. "Yes, you have to."

"Aria, I think you might be confused," Vanessa interjected. "I know it sounds like she is telling you what to do, but I think she's just trying to give you advice."

Kendal rolled her eyes and pointed out, "You know you two would be a lot happier if you just did what I said."

"You mean you would be happier." Vanessa tilted her head as she considered, "Though in this case I do agree you. Aria would be happier if she listened to you."

Kendal smiled, satisfied, and turned to Aria. "So, are you going to do it?"

"You know that's a lot harder for me," Aria let out a breath and then smiled. "I might try though if you go talk to Ian."

"That is completely different. I am not afraid to talk to Ian," Kendal said in exasperation, as she leaned forward to pick something off the ground. "I just don't want to lead him on unless I am sure I like him."

"Kendal, don't pick that up!" Vanessa warned, sitting up straighter. "That's penny is tails up. It's bad luck."

Once again, Kendal rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, Vanessa, picking up a penny is not going to give me bad luck. You have seriously got to let go of these superstitions."

Vanessa shrugged and leaned back in her chair. "Okay, but I'll warn you, last time I accidently picked one up I couldn't find my History homework."

"You lose your homework all the time," Kendal reminded her, as she dropped the penny in her coin pouch and stood up. "Whatever, I'm going to get a snow cone."

"Can you get me one too?" Vanessa asked, barely turning her head.

Kendal stopped and turned around. "Sure, what flavor do you want?"

Vanessa halfheartedly shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. What do they have?"

"Why don't you come with me and see for yourself?" Kendal replied her tone growing impatient.

"Nah," Vanessa leaned back more in her chair, "I'm too comfortable. Just surprise me."

"You are so lazy," Kendal muttered and then added with more volume, "Fine, but you better be happy with whatever flavor I get for you. Aria, do you want anything?"

Aria shook her head. "No thanks. I'm fine."

As Kendal walked off, Vanessa turned her head to her other friend and asked, "Are you sure you don't want something cold? It's pretty hot."

"I'm okay," Aria replied, lifting up her hands. "Besides, I think my hands are too oily to hold anything now. Do I look any tanner yet?"

Vanessa lifted her sunglasses, her eyes scanning Aria's body. "Honestly, you don't look any different."

"I thought Kendal said that stuff was supposed to…" Aria began to complain until her eyes caught sight of something more interesting. "Hey, look! I think Ian going to go to talk to Kendal."

Vanessa sat up straighter in her chair, excitedly. Aria moved over to that same lounge chair and the two girls watched Ian Harris, in his forest green swim suit, and gradually walk over towards Kendal's path.

"Oh, my god, he's almost to her," Vanessa squealed. "I wonder if he will immediately ask her out."

"I don't know," Aria commented, more on the edge of the seat. "I think he's about to say something!"

Whatever Ian's intentions may have been, the girls never found out for at the last minute, he seemed to lose his backbone. Instead, he quickly grabbed a float from the pool in pretense that was the reason he went over there. Meanwhile, Kendal brushed passed him taking no notice of his nearby presence.

"Aw," Aria sighed, as she returned to her own lounge chair. "He was so close."

"I know." Vanessa let out a huff and leaned back in her chair. "I bet if she hadn't picked up that penny he would have talked to her."

Aria laughed. "Yeah, maybe." She then leaned back in her chair on her side and let out a heavy breath. "This is going to be her year, isn't it? I mean, whether or not Ian ends up asking her out, Kendal will probably have a boyfriend sometime in eighth grade."

"Probably." Vanessa shrugged more indifferent on the matter. "It's not like Ian is the only guy who has ever acted interested in her."

Aria turned over on her back and stared out on to the pool water. "Do you think either of us will have a boyfriend by the end of this school year?"

Vanessa leaned back, resting her head on her arm and sighed. "Honestly, there is not a single guy in our school I would even consider dating." She then looked over to her friend, curiously. "Is there someone you like here?"

"I don't know," Aria replied, vaguely. "I doubt there is anyone in the school that likes me."

"What about that boy in Band you told me about last year?" Vanessa suggested. "The one that sometimes helped you with your homework or whatever."

"Oh, Walter?" Aria recalled, tilting her head over to look at her friend. "We're just friends. I don't think he is really interested in me in that way."

"He might be. You never know." Vanessa replied as she sat up straighter and looked her best friend firmly. "You really just need to act more confidant, Aria. That's what really gets guys' attention. I mean, look at Kendal." She pointed over in Kendal's direction but then her jaw dropped and she huffed. "Why is she talking to Dean Jackson of all people?"

Aria looked over, curiously, to Kendal laughing with the tall lanky boy. "What's wrong with Dean?"

"He's a complete arrogant jerk," Vanessa muttered, darkly. "Everyone knows he strictly goes by looks when it comes to girls. Also, he's a Leo. Most of them are arrogant."

Aria sighed. "You are probably going to have to give Kendal some better evidence than the month he was born in."

Vanessa groaned, leaning back in her chair. "Or she could just take my advice for a change instead of assuming she is always right."

Aria gazed back over to Kendal and Dean, who still appeared to be enjoying blithe chitchat. She could not tell whether Kendal was interested in perusing a relationship with him or not. After all, her blonde haired confident friend chatted with several guys on a daily basis.

"I'm going to go get a frozen yogurt," Vanessa announced, rising up the moment her eyes spotted the frozen yogurt booth to the right of the pool. "Be right back."

"Okay," Aria replied, briefly wondering if Vanessa changed her mind about the snow cone or simply forgot about it.

Now alone, Aria took a moment to examine her arms and let out a frustrated huff, seeing that they did not appear any tanner. She leaned over the side of her chair and picked up the tanning lotion that had rolled out of Kendal's bag to examine it. She moved her eyes from the bottle to her friend, who still remained across the pool chatting with Dean. Kendal claimed this lotion was the only thing she had used all summer. Aria could clearly tell that it worked quite well on her, seeing that she had gone at least four shades darker. She almost swore she saw a difference in Kendal's skin tone just from this afternoon. Aria wondered why it did not have the same effect on her own complexion.

Aria then decided to give up on her summer tan and spend the rest of the day relaxing. Just as she leaned back in her chair, making herself more comfortable, she sensed someone approaching behind her. A strange tingle shivered in her spine.

"Hey Aria, look!" a male voice came from her right side.

She turned her head to see Derek with his hand out. In it, he held a slimy, black worm swaddling in the center. Aria shrieked as he dropped it on her chair. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash and realized one of Derek's buddies had taken a photo of her reaction.

"Derek, you jerk!" Aria shouted after him, flinging the worm in his direction. The little rodent did not land anywhere near him.

"What happened?" Vanessa asked, walking back, licking her cone filled with frozen yogurt.

Aria leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed, glaring in the boys' direction. "Derek is what happened."

Vanessa sighed, falling back in her chair. "What did he do this time?"

Aria pointed at the worm, now rolling on the ground beside the pool. "He put that on my chair."

"Gross," Vanessa commented, and then turned her head to Aria. "Now, will you consider taking Kendal's advice?"

Aria let out a haughty breath as she turned to glare in the boys' direction. Derek and Harry, the boy with the camera, were currently laughing at the surprise photo they had taken of her. Aria did notice when Derek showed the photo to Ian, he barely offered a smile, not nearly as amused.

"Do you think if Ian and Kendal did start dating, Derek would have to be nicer to me?" Aria asked, leaning back in her chair to get more comfortable.

Vanessa shrugged. "I suppose he would have to or it might ruin his friendship with Ian. Too bad we can't get Kendal interested in him."

"Well, if she is not, you said a lot of nice things about Ian earlier," Aria reminded her. "Maybe you should ask him out."

"I can't really picture the two of us as a couple. Besides, what if Kendal realizes she does like him, as I predict she will. Can you imagine the hell that would break out if Kendal and I liked the same guy?"

Aria shuddered. "I don't even want to think about that possibility."

"What is that?" a shrill tone demanded from behind Vanessa.

Both Vanessa and Aria looked up in the direction of the sun to see a fairly annoyed Kendal hovering above, with two snow cones in her hand.

"What is what?" Vanessa asked, holding her hand above her head to block the sun.

With the snow cone still in her hand, Kendal gave a harsh point towards the frozen yogurt in Vanessa's hand. "That! Did you forget I was bringing you a snow cone? What am I supposed to do with it now?"

Vanessa glanced at the snow cone and then shamefully down at her own cone of frozen yogurt. "Oh…oops."

"I'll take it," Aria suggested, reaching her hand into her bag. "I was starting to want something cold anyway. How much do I owe you?"

"Don't worry about it," Kendal replied and then shot Vanessa another annoyed look. "Aria actually offered to pay for her cone. See how much more considerate she is of others?"

Vanessa just rolled her eyes. "Oh, for God's sakes Kendal, I'm sorry! Besides, it wasn't all my fault anyway. You spent nearly half an hour talking to Dean Jerkson, I thought you forgot."

"His name is Dean Jackson, Vanessa!" Kendal snapped back. "And, he was just asking me if I planned to be on the cheerleading squad this year."

Vanessa snorted. "I bet when you told him yes, he suddenly got that much more interested in you."

"You really shouldn't be so quick to judge people, Vanessa. Besides, it doesn't matter beside I am not interested in Dean in that way." She sighed and then turned her head to Vanessa. "Look, can we just talk about something else, something we actually agree on?"

Vanessa turned her head to consider. "What would that be?"

Kendal opened her mouth but no words escaped. Instead, she started giggling and within moments her friends joined her.

Thank God, Aria thought privately, as she had been praying their fight would not break out into anything serious.

Once Kendal stopped laughing she turned her head back to Vanessa and said, "Hey, speaking of cheerleading I was thinking maybe you would want join the squad this year. After all, there are no try-outs in eighth grade so anyone can join."

Vanessa made a face, not particularly sharing her enthusiasm. "Me, cheerleading? Yeah, I can't really see myself doing that."

"Why not?" Kendal persisted, sitting on the side of her chair facing Vanessa. "You're athletic. You would be good at it. Besides, I don't know anyone else on the squad."

Vanessa chuckled. "Since when are you, of all people, shy?"

"It's not that I'm shy," Kendal pointed out. "It's just that I think it would be nice to have someone I know join the squad with me."

"Don't worry, Kendal. I'm sure within five minutes you will get comfortable enough around those girls to start telling them what to do," Vanessa said, unable to hide her grin. "Also, why are you only going after me? Why can't you ask Aria to join?"

"Uh, because I sometimes stumble over just when walking around," Aria answered for her. "Can you imagine me trying to do some of those moves cheerleaders do?

"Also, she's in Band so she wouldn't be able to cheer at any of the games anyway," Kendal added, as her eyes lit up, more firm on her idea. "This will be great if you join! That way, all three of us can participate in the games somehow!" She then looked at her friend even more pleadingly. "Come on, Vanessa, please! I promise it will be a lot of fun. Just give it a chance."

Vanessa paused for a moment to think and then let out a lengthy sigh. "Oh fine. I'll try it, but if I hate it, there is no way you are making me try out in high school, okay?" As Kendal nodded, Vanessa asked, reluctantly, "So how do I sign up?"

Kendal smiled, gratefully as she leaned back in her chair to relax. "Oh, don't worry about that. I already signed you up."

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the prologue. Just so you know, this prologue was just a flashback. The rest of the story will pick up where part II left off and any future flashbacks will appear in italics.