Just Playmates

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I. Play Date

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It was Valentine's Day, and like every other Valentine's day, I had the splendid opportunity to spend it all alone.

Mark my sarcasm.

It's not like I've never had a boyfriend though. I've had my fair share of boyfriends. It's just…well…they all happen to break up with me before we even had the chance to celebrate the most romantic day of the year. I mean, I've been told that I have a poor taste in gentlemen. (But in my defense, the only gentlemen existing out there are already married or old.) They always are either jerks who don't know what a relationship is or are fakers who end up cheating on me.

Yeah -- I have terrible taste in boyfriends.

Oh, Valentine's Day. I hate you, did you know that? I also hate the fool who created this degrading day that makes single people around the world feel like they're nothing but worthless loners who don't know how to get one guy to stay committed.

…Or maybe that's just me.

Whatever. I still hate you, Valentine's.

I sighed dejectedly as I stared at the bundles of roses Tawni received from her current boyfriend, Derek. (Even if her relationships last even shorter than mine, at least this one was long enough to reach February 14th.) She was smiling giddily at them as she took the time to read each sweet card he wrote her. She nearly exploded with happiness when she finally found the ticket to Greece he hid in the middle.

"Isn't he just amazing, Sonny?" Tawni squealed in pure joy, hugging the ticket. "Derek is actually taking me to Greece for the weekend! How amazing is that?"

"Oh yeah. He's absolutely perfect." I forced myself to reply with a faux smile.

Tawni saw right through my façade unfortunately and gave me a stern look. "Okay, if you're not genuinely happy for me, then you just totally kill my mood, Sonny. What's wrong?" She asked reluctantly. The real Tawni Hart would ignore my transparent hate for Valentine's Day, but this one decided to care about my feelings for today. (That present must have expanded her heart.)

"It's just…I've never--"

"--Had a boyfriend?" Tawni smirked.

I glared at her. "No, I've had a few boyfriends before." I spat. "It's just…I never had the chance to spend Valentine's Day with anyone. All of my boyfriends are sweethearts at first, but then they turn into complete jerks who tend to dump me right before this day of all the other days in the year, like February 13th is also known as Dump Sonny Monroe Day." I whined.

"Ooh, that sucks." Tawni said, her rare sympathy pushing through her exterior. "You know what you should do? You should stuff yourself with chocolate and ice cream while watching soap operas -- that doesn't have to do with Chad Dylan Cooper, of course -- until you fall asleep. That's what the lonely girls do, right?"

I didn't have the guts to tell Tawni that that's what I already did. In the February of 2008, I even had every line of MacKenzie Falls memorized as harmful to my pride it was.

Pathetic, Sonny.

This was sad.

Before I even had the chance to say something else, Tawni burst out with fits of giggles. "Oh my God. You already do stuff your face with carbs and watch the stupid soap operas, don't you?" Tawni mocked me, trying to contain the rest of her laughter as best as she could.

"You make it sound like it's something to be ashamed of." I snapped, not caring how she even figured that out. Am I that easy to read?

"No, sweetie, it's not something to be ashamed of. That's way too much of a strong word. I'd go with embarrassed." Tawni laughed.

"Way to make me feel better." I muttered sarcastically.

Tawni subsided her laughter and took a deep breath, trying to regain her normal breathing rate. She sat down next to me and gave me an attempt of an apologetic look. "Sorry. It's just…well…I'm sort of surprised, I guess. Like, you're not ugly or anything. I don't understand why you don't have a boyfriend…and I find it pretty hilarious to be honest -- but you're feeling sad, so I won't laugh at you right now."

I sighed.

Well at least she's trying to be nice, right?

"And now, it's like every guy I come across with are either idiots that you do not want to date--" I started.

"G, where is the horse?! I thought you said you had the horse!" Tawni and I heard Nico yell frantically.

"I lost it, okay? I'm sorry! It just started galloping away! It's not like I could have caught up to it!" Grady replied with repeating apologies following after.

"--or they're just plain jerks." I finished.

"What was this horrendous animal doing in my set?!"

I rolled my eyes to hear Chad Dylan Cooper yelling heatedly at Nico and Grady, followed by a frustrated neigh from a poor horse.

"Speaking of jerks," I shook my head.

"And don't forget idiots." Tawni chirped. "I mean, who brings a horse to the studio?" She scoffed.

"C'mon, let's go help them out before Chad finds a way to cancel our show." I suggested, heading towards the door.

I stepped out into the hallway to see the three boys arguing as I expected. Oh and there was a dark brown horse that was subtly making its way down another hall -- not that I bothered to ask about it, anyway. Nico and Grady brought one to work. Enough said. I didn't have the time to warn my friends, though, before Chad spotted me in the corner of his eye.

"Monroe, tell your friends to stop messing around at my set." Chad seethed, clearly not pleased with what just happened.

I stared at his attire and began to laugh uncontrollably. "Oh my God, is that--"

"Yes, that freak of nature thought I was some sort of bathroom. No need to rub it in." Chad glared at me as he tried to wipe away the, erm, brown stains on his blazer with multiple napkins.

"What do you know? That horse was smarter than we thought." Grady chuckled.

"I wouldn't be laughing since I can totally tell Mr. Condor what you guys have been up to and have you fired, or even better, have your show completely removed." Chad threatened.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. There's no need to raise your temper, Chip." Nico attempted to soothe the furious blonde. "It was an accident. Having us fired is absolutely unnecessary." He tried to change Chad's mind.

"Yeah, well let's ask Mr. Condor about that." Chad sneered. "I am pissed. First, my cast showed up late for rehearsals, then my assistant brought me the wrong set of combs, my ex-girlfriend was trying to make me feel guilty by bawling her eyes out in front of me today because I broke up with her last night -- which annoyed me instead of made me feel bad, and to make this day even worse, a freaking horse crapped on me, a horse that happens to be owned by you two idiots."

I didn't allow Nico and Grady to further apologize when something in me just snapped. I felt enraged as Chad's words fully registered in my head. Was it the feeling of a shattered dream or were my eyes just opened?

I don't know, but I'm sure that right now I am absolutely angry with Chad Dylan Cooper.

"You broke up with your girlfriend the night before Valentine's Day?!" I exclaimed, immediately smacking Chad's arm with my hand.

"Jeez, Monroe, there's no need to hit me." He said, rubbing his arm tenderly. "And why do you care?"

"You're not supposed to break up with your girlfriend on February 13th! It's, like, against the law! That's just as bad as breaking up with her today!" I stomped my foot.

Chad gave me a bizarre look, as if he thought I should be placed in some sort of mental institution.

Maybe he is right, and I shouldn't care about his love life.

But really, the only reason why I do care is because guys like him are the reason I hate Valentine's Day so much.

The bane of my existence.

The douche who ruins a perfectly nice holiday.

Prick.

"What law?" Chad asked sarcastically with an eye roll.

"You -- you -- ah!" I left the hallway, steam following my path.

--

"Sonny!" I looked up to see Nico and Grady running towards me in a hurry. They looked out of breath, exhausted, and downright worried. "We need your help." They pleaded simultaneously.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Well…" Grady started. He gave Nico an unsure look while Nico returned it with a desperate one.

"We need you to distract Chad." Nico finished, knowing that his best friend couldn't find it himself to continue on. Heck, Nico didn't even want to admit it either.

"And why would I need to distract Chad?" I asked, cringing as I said his name.

"Because…well…he wasn't joking when he said that he was going to try and fire us." Nico replied weakly. "And he won't forgive us even after we forced ourselves to apologize. And…you're the only one we know who could get Chad's mind off of anything. He's, like, addicted to you or something."

"Chad? Addicted? To me?! HAHA!" I laughed uncontrollably, ignoring Nico and Grady's knowing looks.

"Whatever." Nico rolled his eyes. "Addicted, irritated, in love -- we just need you to get him out, so Grady and I could return the horse, and Chaddy-boy will end up forgetting about this whole day. Then Grady and I are safe and will not get fired or get So Random! canceled."

"Back up. Did you say in love?" I asked incredulously.

"Sonny, don't dwell on your denial because no offense, but we could care less about your girly issues with Chad. Just make sure that you distract him long enough by taking him out on some sort of Valentine's date." Grady smiled warmly.

"What?!" I almost screamed.

"Go along now. Chad is waiting." The two boys pushed me out of my dressing room.

It was all like a blur.

But somehow, I ended up walking towards Chad's set and knocking on his dressing room door.

And asking him out on a date.

Why, why, why, WHY?!

"Um…hi, Chad." I greeted him shyly, something that I was most definitely not used to. The bursts of energy and optimism were kept deep within me as my knees buckled and the palm of my hands sweated. I was close to shaking entirely. I, Sonny Monroe, was actually nervous about this.

I shall repeat: PA-THE-TIC.

"Sonny," Chad nodded his head in acknowledgement, leaning against the doorframe of his dressing room. He looked down at me as he folded his arms against his chest, waiting for the reason of my arrival.

"Well, I was just around the, erm, building, ya know, and I was wondering if we could, err, hang out today?" I stuttered questioningly.

Well, it wasn't necessarily asking him out…

…But Chad managed to hear the true meaning behind the words.

(Blondes aren't as stupid as people categorize them to be.)

"Oh, so you want to go out with me on a date?" He asked, his facial expression brightening.

"Chad, the word date is just too much of a strong word, isn't it? Dating are for girlfriends and boyfriends. And we're just…friends who argue on a day-to-day basis. I think hanging out, or even play date, is more appropriate!" I smiled. I immediately began to flush red as Chad bit his lip in order to refrain his laughter, causing me to realize the words that just left my mouth.

Play date? Did I just say play date?

Oh, Nico and Grady owe me big time. Nothing is worth this humiliation.

"Uh-huh." Chad's eyes continued to shine with nothing but amusement. He gave me an unbelievable look as his smirk widened. "Okay, I'll pick you up at your set in about thirty minutes, playmate." He winked.

And Chad surprised me by kissing my cheek before closing his dressing room door behind himself.

As my face continued to redden and redden by the moment, all my thoughts were concentrated on how to guilt trip Nico and Grady into being my slaves for the rest of their lives (because after what just happened, they practically owe me their lives) -- and ignoring the flapping butterflies and warmth in the pit of my stomach.

--

"He KISSED you?!" Tawni gasped, her eyes widening in shock. "Oh my God!" She squealed, clapping her hands. "I knew you guys were going to get together! Sure, you can do better since it's Chad of all people -- but still! That's so adorable!"

"Adorable?! He kissed my cheek! His lips touched my skin! Explain to me how that's adorable!" I demanded.

"Well the fact that you guys like each other--"

I didn't get the chance to interrupt Tawni (and yell at her for accusing Chad and me of liking each other) when a knock on our door did the job for me. The person behind the door did not bother to wait for Tawni and me, for it opened itself to reveal the conceited, blonde heartthrob that I had to distract for the day.

"Hey there, Sonny." Chad smiled, walking in with his famous smirk and -- you'll never believe it -- a bouquet of flowers. "For my lady." He grinned, handing them to me.

For the third time today, Chad Dylan Cooper made me blush.

I accepted the flowers. "Thank you." I smiled gratefully.

"Ugh, I'm, like, torn between being grossed out and being happy for you, Sonny." Tawni huffed, folding her arms. "It's sooo not fair! Why did you have to pick Chad out of all the other guys in the world?"

Chad rolled his eyes at Tawni's bluntness. "Thank you for your opinion, Tawni. Not that anybody cared about it though."

Tawni glared at him. "You know, I was really close to calling you guys cute instead of yucky, but now you can just forget it!" She flipped her hair overdramatically before making her way out of the dressing room, her heels clacking for a better affect.

I gave Chad an awkward look as his eyes traveled back onto me so that we were straight into each other's pupils. I felt my knees growing weak again, feeling like I'm really melting, while I admired his gorgeous blue eyes. Whoa, did you know Chad's eyes are a deeper shade of blue under this lighting? It's so pretty… Ah, snap out of it, Sonny!

"Let's go." Chad offered me his arm like the gentleman he was proving to be.

Proving at least. He can act like one, I could give him that, but is he actually one? I doubt it.

But then again, Chad never fails to surprise me. Some days he's a jerk who deserves to die in a hole (and I speak on behalf of the people whose lives he made miserable that day), and then other days when his eyes sparkle, glimmer, shine and whatnot…

I seriously need to stop thinking about him in a lighter view. I think I'm going to take a very long bath then an even longer nap after this date to clear my mind.

Chad Dylan Cooper: three words that could complicate a girl's mind more than math. Curse you, Chad.

Nevertheless, I accepted Chad's arm and allowed him to lead me out of the studio. With each step I took with his arm linked alongside mine, I felt my dignity being left behind me and my heart being stolen.

Oh no.

A/N: Hey there, peoples :) Here's a new Chad/Sonny fic for all of you lovers in the world. And it's in honor of Valentine's Day (clearly). It's not a long multi-chapter story though. More like a two -- three -- four being the most -- shot. As you can see, (well...maybe you can't) my laptop got screwed up, and my normal Microsoft Word got deleted. So now I have a crappy replacement that doesn't even have spelling/grammar check. Yay me. But life goes on (especially since I'm getting the MacBook Pro for my grad present! I'm excited!) This is rated T for language. Nothing bad, children :P