(Notes: Starts in the last week before final exams and the Last Blast 2002. I'm going to deal with current storylines, and future spoilers. However, Chloe is no longer sick, since I don't want this to be too depressing. Jan's lies to Shawn, and Shawn's lies to everyone have been revealed two days before this story begins. Brady has moved into his loft. Chloe has not spoken to or seen Phillip since the video incident. And, I think that's all you need to know.)
Chapter One
(The Wesley House... Evening)
Belle returned from the bathroom and found Chloe exactly where she had left her. In the middle of her bed, surrounded by notes and text books.
Chloe looked up from her notes with a smile. "Hey..."
Belle smiled back and joined her on the edge of the bed. "Hey... So, do you think we're ready for the impending doom of final exams?"
Chloe nodded confidently and smiled. "Absolutely... Piece of cake, really. It's what comes after that worries me."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah... Think about it. We've been waiting our entire lives to graduate high school, and in a very short time, that day will be here. We've got our exams, then the Last Blast, then graduation... And it's all over."
Belle paused thoughtfully then shook her head. "No, it's just beginning."
Chloe raised one eyebrow curiously. "Just beginning?"
"Well, yeah. In a few short months, you and I will be taking the Big Apple by storm. Your dream of going to Juilliard is finally coming true, and I'll be at Columbia, right across town. We'll be away from Salem, away from all the problems we've had this year, and you and I can finally make a fresh start for ourselves."
Chloe smiled and nodded in agreement. "I see what you mean... I'll be so glad to get away from all of this."
Belle looked downward sadly. "I know... I mean, getting an A on all of my exams wasn't my only motivation for coming over here tonight."
"You wanted to keep your mind off of what happened with Jan and Shawn?"
Belle nodded and looked back at Chloe. "Yeah, but it's not exactly working, because here I am bringing it all up again."
Chloe scooted closer to her and threw an arm around her best friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Belle. What Jan did... It's totally inexcusable. I guess it's just a lucky break that she's not always smart enough to get away with her little schemes. She always gets caught eventually."
Belle shrugged slightly and frowned. "But, what does it matter? The damage is done."
Chloe's eyes widened in confusion. "The damage is done? It doesn't matter? You know the truth now, everyone does, that would matter to me."
"It does... A little. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the truth is finally out and Jan is out of Shawn's life for good. That's the most important thing. But, it's not going to magically fix things either."
"Hey... I'm not looking for a miracle... I know that he hurt you, but..."
Belle nodded and interrupted Chloe. "Yes, he did. He also lied to me and he didn't trust me when I tried to tell him the truth about my little fight with Jan. I don't think I can look past that. I can't forgive him, not now... maybe never."
Chloe bit her lip and looked at Belle sadly. "Belle, you're the most forgiving person I have ever known."
Belle shook her head and sighed. "I know... But, maybe I shouldn't be in this case. I don't know if he deserves my forgiveness after the way that he made me feel. I can't trust that he's not going to break my heart again."
Chloe sighed and put her arm around BElle's shoulder. "I understand... I really do. I tried so hard to forgive Phillip after what happened at the dance, the things he said to me... And, just when I thought things could get back on track... He went and fooled around with Cynthia. Part of me wishes I had never given him a second chance, because then maybe this would all hurt a lot less."
Belle fought back her tears and smiled at Chloe. "That's why I can't forgive him right now. Maybe someday... But, I'm just not prepared to be hurt again. Not by Shawn. But, I will always love him. As much as I try to stop, I never will be able to."
"It's kind of sad, isn't it? I finally know someone who can completely sympathize with my situation, and it has to be with you. I'm so sorry that you had to be hurt like this, but I totally understand what you're going through. Part of me still loves Phillip, but the rest of me never wants to speak to him again. I've got to move on, because there's no chance for us to repair what we had... I know that. I just hope he does too..."
Belle shrugged slightly. "I think he does... He knows that you two have come to the end of the road. Some relationships, no matter how hard you try to fix them, just aren't meant to be. Phillip screwed up big time, and I think he realizes that."
Chloe dropped the arm around Belle's shoulder and wrinkled her eyebrows. "Has he... Has he told you that?"
"Well, not exactly... Not in those words... But, he did say that he knows that the two of you have no future together. I think he knows it's time that both of you move on with your lives."
Chloe stood from the bed and went to her dresser. She kept her back turned away from Belle and sighed deeply. "That's good... I'm glad to hear that."
"Chloe... It doesn't bother you that I'm friends with Phillip, does it?"
Chloe turned to face Belle and shook her head. "No... No, it doesn't."
Belle smiled thankfully at her. "Okay... I just... I didn't even want to talk to Phillip again after I saw that video. But he's been my friend for a long time, and he really needed me. I just wanted to help him, because I know that deep down Phillip is a good person... He just does stupid things. And he does them ALL the time."
"I know, Belle... And I'm glad that you're hanging out with him. He's not my favorite person in the world right now, but I want him to be happy, and I want him to get better. I want him to be the kind of man that I know he could be. He needs a friend right now... And, I'm really glad it's you. If anyone can keep him from acting like an idiot, it's probably you."
Belle grinned widely. "Well, thank you, Chloe... I'll take that as a vote of confidence in my abilities as a friend."
Chloe smiled back at her and winked. "Hey... I have first hand experience with those abilities, I should know."
Belle stopped grinning and sighed again. "Can you believe how much our lives have changed in just one year? Almost one year exactly..."
Chloe nodded and sat back down on her bed. "A year ago, Phillip and I were in love and happy together."
"Shawn and I were just getting ready to go on our first date..."
"Then we all became roadkill on the Jan Spears highway of life..."
Belle chuckled softly. "I guess so... It's amazing how one person can hurt so many people, on purpose. She almost contributed to me losing a lifelong friendship with Mimi."
"She destroyed me and Phillip... We always bounced back when bad things happened before, but after that website and those pictures... It was never the same again."
Belle nodded slowly. "And after she destroyed you two, she moved on so she could ruin Shawn's life, and mine."
Chloe grinned at Belle. "True... But as far as I know, she is not moving to New York City, so we will no longer have to worry about Jan screwing our lives up."
Belle laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, we'll only have to worry about us screwing our own lives up."
"No, we won't. We're going to have wonderful lives from here on out. We have each other, and that's all we need. Right?"
Belle smiled and gave Chloe a quick hug. "Right... I'm so glad that I have you as a friend, Chloe. Without you and Mimi, I probably would have lost my mind by now."
Chloe smiled back at her and agreed. "Same here... You and Brady are the only two people who keep me sane at this point..."
Belle grinned wickedly at her. "It must be something in the Black family DNA, I guess..."
"Well, it means a lot to me... More than I can even begin to tell you."
"You don't have to, I already know." Belle paused and then shifted subjects. "So, you're not planning on going to the dance, are you?"
Chloe's eyes widened and she shook her head vehemently. "Oh, no way. I've had bad luck with that dance, and I'm not going to tempt fate a third time. What about you?"
Belle wrinkled up her nose in disgust. "Definitely not. I might go if there was some other single person without a date to go with me, but not by myself. Mimi's got Kevin, and you're not going... So, it's way too depressing for me to go alone."
"I'm sorry, Belle... I'd go, but I just don't want to face whatever horrors another Last Blast might have in store with me."
"I totally understand, it's no big deal... I'd probably have a terrible time anyway." Belle sighed softly and glanced at the clock on Chloe's nightstand. "Oh geez... I better go... Time really flies when you're muddling through study guides."
Belle stood and began quickly gathering her things into her backpack. Chloe stood as well and went to the door. "Come on, I'll walk you to the car."
Belle smiled and threw her backpack over her shoulder and followed Chloe down the stairs. She went to the front door first and threw it wide open, where Phillip was standing on the other side with a look of surprise on his face.
Belle's eyes widened in shock. "Phillip... What are you doing here?"
"I uhhh... I came to talk to Chloe."
Belle paused and looked back at Chloe who was standing on the bottom step, completely dumbfounded. She turned back to Phillip and shook her head. "Phillip... I thought we talked about this. I told you that trying to see Chloe would not be a good idea."
Phillip nodded and sighed. "I know, Belle... But, I didn't come here to try my usual crap with her. I'm not going to try and win her back or convince her that I'm not as bad as she thinks I am. I just want to talk. That's all. No fighting, or yelling, or anything. I promise."
Belle turned back to get Chloe's reaction. Chloe closed her eyes for a moment, and when she reopened them she nodded ever so slightly. "You can come in, Phillip."
Belle sighed and raised her eyebrows at Chloe. "Chloe... Call me later."
"I will... I promise."
Belle turned back to Phillip and gently, but firmly, squeezed his arm. "Behave yourself."
Phillip smiled reassuringly at her. "I will."
Belle let herself out and headed towards her car, leaving Phillip and Chloe alone. She kept her fingers crossed until she pulled her mother's car out of the driveway, hoping that Phillip and Chloe's conversation wouldn't end the way the usually do.
***
Chapter One
(The Wesley House... Evening)
Belle returned from the bathroom and found Chloe exactly where she had left her. In the middle of her bed, surrounded by notes and text books.
Chloe looked up from her notes with a smile. "Hey..."
Belle smiled back and joined her on the edge of the bed. "Hey... So, do you think we're ready for the impending doom of final exams?"
Chloe nodded confidently and smiled. "Absolutely... Piece of cake, really. It's what comes after that worries me."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah... Think about it. We've been waiting our entire lives to graduate high school, and in a very short time, that day will be here. We've got our exams, then the Last Blast, then graduation... And it's all over."
Belle paused thoughtfully then shook her head. "No, it's just beginning."
Chloe raised one eyebrow curiously. "Just beginning?"
"Well, yeah. In a few short months, you and I will be taking the Big Apple by storm. Your dream of going to Juilliard is finally coming true, and I'll be at Columbia, right across town. We'll be away from Salem, away from all the problems we've had this year, and you and I can finally make a fresh start for ourselves."
Chloe smiled and nodded in agreement. "I see what you mean... I'll be so glad to get away from all of this."
Belle looked downward sadly. "I know... I mean, getting an A on all of my exams wasn't my only motivation for coming over here tonight."
"You wanted to keep your mind off of what happened with Jan and Shawn?"
Belle nodded and looked back at Chloe. "Yeah, but it's not exactly working, because here I am bringing it all up again."
Chloe scooted closer to her and threw an arm around her best friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Belle. What Jan did... It's totally inexcusable. I guess it's just a lucky break that she's not always smart enough to get away with her little schemes. She always gets caught eventually."
Belle shrugged slightly and frowned. "But, what does it matter? The damage is done."
Chloe's eyes widened in confusion. "The damage is done? It doesn't matter? You know the truth now, everyone does, that would matter to me."
"It does... A little. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the truth is finally out and Jan is out of Shawn's life for good. That's the most important thing. But, it's not going to magically fix things either."
"Hey... I'm not looking for a miracle... I know that he hurt you, but..."
Belle nodded and interrupted Chloe. "Yes, he did. He also lied to me and he didn't trust me when I tried to tell him the truth about my little fight with Jan. I don't think I can look past that. I can't forgive him, not now... maybe never."
Chloe bit her lip and looked at Belle sadly. "Belle, you're the most forgiving person I have ever known."
Belle shook her head and sighed. "I know... But, maybe I shouldn't be in this case. I don't know if he deserves my forgiveness after the way that he made me feel. I can't trust that he's not going to break my heart again."
Chloe sighed and put her arm around BElle's shoulder. "I understand... I really do. I tried so hard to forgive Phillip after what happened at the dance, the things he said to me... And, just when I thought things could get back on track... He went and fooled around with Cynthia. Part of me wishes I had never given him a second chance, because then maybe this would all hurt a lot less."
Belle fought back her tears and smiled at Chloe. "That's why I can't forgive him right now. Maybe someday... But, I'm just not prepared to be hurt again. Not by Shawn. But, I will always love him. As much as I try to stop, I never will be able to."
"It's kind of sad, isn't it? I finally know someone who can completely sympathize with my situation, and it has to be with you. I'm so sorry that you had to be hurt like this, but I totally understand what you're going through. Part of me still loves Phillip, but the rest of me never wants to speak to him again. I've got to move on, because there's no chance for us to repair what we had... I know that. I just hope he does too..."
Belle shrugged slightly. "I think he does... He knows that you two have come to the end of the road. Some relationships, no matter how hard you try to fix them, just aren't meant to be. Phillip screwed up big time, and I think he realizes that."
Chloe dropped the arm around Belle's shoulder and wrinkled her eyebrows. "Has he... Has he told you that?"
"Well, not exactly... Not in those words... But, he did say that he knows that the two of you have no future together. I think he knows it's time that both of you move on with your lives."
Chloe stood from the bed and went to her dresser. She kept her back turned away from Belle and sighed deeply. "That's good... I'm glad to hear that."
"Chloe... It doesn't bother you that I'm friends with Phillip, does it?"
Chloe turned to face Belle and shook her head. "No... No, it doesn't."
Belle smiled thankfully at her. "Okay... I just... I didn't even want to talk to Phillip again after I saw that video. But he's been my friend for a long time, and he really needed me. I just wanted to help him, because I know that deep down Phillip is a good person... He just does stupid things. And he does them ALL the time."
"I know, Belle... And I'm glad that you're hanging out with him. He's not my favorite person in the world right now, but I want him to be happy, and I want him to get better. I want him to be the kind of man that I know he could be. He needs a friend right now... And, I'm really glad it's you. If anyone can keep him from acting like an idiot, it's probably you."
Belle grinned widely. "Well, thank you, Chloe... I'll take that as a vote of confidence in my abilities as a friend."
Chloe smiled back at her and winked. "Hey... I have first hand experience with those abilities, I should know."
Belle stopped grinning and sighed again. "Can you believe how much our lives have changed in just one year? Almost one year exactly..."
Chloe nodded and sat back down on her bed. "A year ago, Phillip and I were in love and happy together."
"Shawn and I were just getting ready to go on our first date..."
"Then we all became roadkill on the Jan Spears highway of life..."
Belle chuckled softly. "I guess so... It's amazing how one person can hurt so many people, on purpose. She almost contributed to me losing a lifelong friendship with Mimi."
"She destroyed me and Phillip... We always bounced back when bad things happened before, but after that website and those pictures... It was never the same again."
Belle nodded slowly. "And after she destroyed you two, she moved on so she could ruin Shawn's life, and mine."
Chloe grinned at Belle. "True... But as far as I know, she is not moving to New York City, so we will no longer have to worry about Jan screwing our lives up."
Belle laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, we'll only have to worry about us screwing our own lives up."
"No, we won't. We're going to have wonderful lives from here on out. We have each other, and that's all we need. Right?"
Belle smiled and gave Chloe a quick hug. "Right... I'm so glad that I have you as a friend, Chloe. Without you and Mimi, I probably would have lost my mind by now."
Chloe smiled back at her and agreed. "Same here... You and Brady are the only two people who keep me sane at this point..."
Belle grinned wickedly at her. "It must be something in the Black family DNA, I guess..."
"Well, it means a lot to me... More than I can even begin to tell you."
"You don't have to, I already know." Belle paused and then shifted subjects. "So, you're not planning on going to the dance, are you?"
Chloe's eyes widened and she shook her head vehemently. "Oh, no way. I've had bad luck with that dance, and I'm not going to tempt fate a third time. What about you?"
Belle wrinkled up her nose in disgust. "Definitely not. I might go if there was some other single person without a date to go with me, but not by myself. Mimi's got Kevin, and you're not going... So, it's way too depressing for me to go alone."
"I'm sorry, Belle... I'd go, but I just don't want to face whatever horrors another Last Blast might have in store with me."
"I totally understand, it's no big deal... I'd probably have a terrible time anyway." Belle sighed softly and glanced at the clock on Chloe's nightstand. "Oh geez... I better go... Time really flies when you're muddling through study guides."
Belle stood and began quickly gathering her things into her backpack. Chloe stood as well and went to the door. "Come on, I'll walk you to the car."
Belle smiled and threw her backpack over her shoulder and followed Chloe down the stairs. She went to the front door first and threw it wide open, where Phillip was standing on the other side with a look of surprise on his face.
Belle's eyes widened in shock. "Phillip... What are you doing here?"
"I uhhh... I came to talk to Chloe."
Belle paused and looked back at Chloe who was standing on the bottom step, completely dumbfounded. She turned back to Phillip and shook her head. "Phillip... I thought we talked about this. I told you that trying to see Chloe would not be a good idea."
Phillip nodded and sighed. "I know, Belle... But, I didn't come here to try my usual crap with her. I'm not going to try and win her back or convince her that I'm not as bad as she thinks I am. I just want to talk. That's all. No fighting, or yelling, or anything. I promise."
Belle turned back to get Chloe's reaction. Chloe closed her eyes for a moment, and when she reopened them she nodded ever so slightly. "You can come in, Phillip."
Belle sighed and raised her eyebrows at Chloe. "Chloe... Call me later."
"I will... I promise."
Belle turned back to Phillip and gently, but firmly, squeezed his arm. "Behave yourself."
Phillip smiled reassuringly at her. "I will."
Belle let herself out and headed towards her car, leaving Phillip and Chloe alone. She kept her fingers crossed until she pulled her mother's car out of the driveway, hoping that Phillip and Chloe's conversation wouldn't end the way the usually do.
***