Disclaimer: I do not own She's the Man or anything that is affiliated with it.

Summary: AU ending. Takes place before the debutante ball. After a talk with Sebastian, Duke goes to Viola's home only to find her hugging another guy.

Chapter One: Sebastian's Advice

Duke sat on his bed, throwing the soccer ball in the air. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been. He'd shared his dorm with a girl and he hadn't even had the slightest idea. He should have known, he kept telling himself. The tampons had been a huge give away. Who really used them to stop nose bleeds anyway? He just didn't want to believe, he told himself. He wanted to believe that everything was as it appeared. Suddenly he was interrupted from his thoughts by when his room mate entered to room; the real Sebastian.

"Hi Duke." Sebastian said nervously. He really wasn't quite sure where he stood with his room mate after the whole thing with his sister.

"Hey." Was Duke's only answer before he started throwing the ball again.

Sighing, Sebastian sat down. It seemed that both Duke was just as miserable as Viola.

"Viola's really sorry, ya know." He began as Duke snapped his head in Sebastian direction at the mention of Viola.

"I don't want to talk about it." Duke said, turning again back to hi soccer ball.

"Whether you want to or not, it's something you're going to do. Your both hurting and I'm worried about Viola."

"Well I'm not the one that lied." Duke yelled at Sebastian, angry that he was being forced to talk about a situation he would rather not deal with at the moment.

"You're right. You didn't lie, but Viola never meant to hurt you or anyone else. Soccer means everything to her. She just wanted to prove to everyone that she was just as good as a guy." Sebastian replied calmly, as if Duke's outburst hadn't affected him at all.

"I get why she impersonated you to begin with, but why did she have to keep it a secret? She made the team on her own, showing that she was good enough to play with us. Then with my help she made first string. Why couldn't she have told me her secret then? I wouldn't have cared. No one really would have cared. We wouldn't have judged her by her gender, she is a great soccer player whether she is a boy or a girl. She was just as good as the other guys. She could have said something, Sebastian? Or didn't she trust me and the guys?" Duke asked not ready to let go of his anger so easily.

"I don't know, Duke. Maybe she should have told you. I can't justify why Viola kept it a secret, but I think she was scared. She was scared of being rejected. She knew you thought she was good as a guy, but she thought you might have changed your opinion on her when you found out she was really a girl."

"That's just stupid! You're good if you're good. Gender doesn't define greatness." Duke interrupted.

"Maybe it was, but because of a previous experience with her tool of an ex boyfriend Viola probably figured it was the best thing to do at the time. She didn't mean to fall in love with you, Duke. Please just give her a chance. She really is sorry." Sebastian said, for once trying to convince a guy to call his sister instead of threatening them for doing.

"She still should have told me."

"Maybe she should have, but it's too late for that now. Just talk to her, Duke. You will both feel better about it later." Sebastian said. When Duke didn't say anything else, Sebastian scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Duke.

"That's my home address and number, just in case you change your mind." Sebastian said as he left the room, hoping Duke would give his sister a call.

- x -

Viola sat on her bed in her mom's house, hugging a soccer ball to her chest. She didn't know what to do. She really liked Duke. He was one of the first guys that she actually really liked, but she had screwed that up and she would be lucky if he ever talked to her again. Slowly tears formed in her eyes as she thought of what she could have had with Duke and what she would never have now.

When there was a knock on her bedroom door, Viola quickly tried to wipe away the tears, not wanting anyone to know that she had been crying. When she opened the door she saw Sebastian in her doorway.

"What are you doing here? You're suppose to be at school." Viola asked him.

"I came to see how you were. Judging by your eyes, you've been crying." Sebastian said as he hugged his sister.

"I screwed it all up, Sebastian. I screwed it up." Viola cried as she laid her head on her brother's shoulder.

"You didn't screw it up, Vi. I talked to Duke today. He's just mad that you didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth. He'll come around." Sebastian said, hoping that Duke really would come around. Before either of them could say anything else the doorbell rang.

"That must be Paul. He said that he was going to stop by and check on me sometime today." Viola told her brother as she wiped her eyes again.

"Well I'll leave you two to talk. Everything will work out in the end. Love you." Sebastian said as Viola made her way to the door to greet Paul.

- x -

Back at Illyria, Duke decided to follow Sebastian's advice. He'd talk to Viola tonight and see if they could get everything straightened out. With that decided, Duke left the school and made his way to Viola's home.

A/n: Well that's the first chapter. Originally this was going to be a oneshot, but instead I decided to make it into two or three chapters. Please review and let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading.

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