Summary: What if the message wasn't really unread? Oneshot.

A/N: Heya peeps! Well, I wrote a oneshot (another one). I'm having some writer's block for Accepting The Present which sucks but I was watching Spring Break-up on TiVo last night and had a burst of inspiration. Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Zoey 101. Never have, most likely never will.

The Truth

A Oneshot by MusicIsLyfe101

I can't believe Logan can live in a house like this without spending every second in it. I mean, seriously, this place is amazing! Me and Nicole's room is the size of, like, six lounges at PCA! There's a candy machine, a soda machine, designer carpeting, plasma screen TV with TiVo, on demand, all the works, and…is that bedside table made of diamond?

"Don't you just love this room?" Nicole comments, walking out of our bathroom wearing a pink robe, her hair twisted up in a matching pink towel. "I love this room! If it was boy, I would so marry it!"

"It's a cool room!" I agree. "But…um, I wouldn't marry it. Is that even legal?" She shrugs, grabbing her hairbrush off the marble vanity and begins brushing out her long brown hair, her back turned to the shiny mirror. "I am so excited for this Gender Defender thing!"

"Totally!" she squeals. "We'd better win. All my outfits were made to be on camera!"

"So you've said twelve billion times," I sigh with a laugh.

I'm sitting on my bed reading the latest Seventeen. I had gotten up much earlier and had gotten ready for the day. I'm wearing a denim skirt, a black T-shirt with this cool 'star-ish ball-ish design,' as Nicole put it yesterday, purple converse low-tops and, as always, my key necklace.

"Which do you think, Zoe?" Nicole holds up three shirts.

"Oh, definitely the purple and yellow one," I tell her. "It matches the skirt perfectly!"

"OMG, you're right!" she says, astonished. "Wow, how did I not see that?"

"You got me," I comment, turning the page on my magazine. "Hmm…it appears periwinkle is in…"

"Wow, for real?" Nicole asks. "I could've sworn the J-14 said sky blue…oh, well."

"Ya never know with these magazines," I shrug. Nicole's eyes go wide.

"OMG, we need to check with Natasha at PCA!" Nicole demands. "I can't believe I can't remember which color's in! Please call her?" I roll my eyes and sigh.

Is there really a big difference between periwinkle and sky blue, anyways? Why don't they just say blue to sum it all up?

"Okay, fine." I mumble, and grab my Tekmate from the diamond table. The screen read: NEW TXT MSG. "Just wait a sec, I have a text."

"Oh, who from?" she asks curiously.

"Dunno," I answer before opening it. "It was sent last night…"

I lightly click to OPEN button and stare blankly at the screen.

To: ZoeyB-Girl

From: PCAChase

Message:

For the billionth time, no! If I tell Zoey I love her it will wreck our friendship!

I drop the Tekmate and gasp.

Um…

WHAT?

"What's wrong?" Nicole inquires. I try to shake out of my trance.

"Um…" I mumble. "Uh, nothin'." I can tell she doesn't believe me but she shrugs.

"'Kay, I'm gonna go get ready," she tells me, though I'm hardly listening. There's silence in the room except for the faint sound of a hairdryer coming from the bathroom.

I stare at that stupid message again.

What can it mean?

Maybe it's just a joke… I tell myself. Maybe Logan or Michael or someone sent this to me on Chase's phone just to play some immature trick on me…

But then…

Why does it look like it wasn't supposed to be sent to me?

So maybe…it's sent to me by accident? By Chase?

CHASE MATTHEWS IS IN LOVE WITH ME?

That doesn't make any sense…does it? He's my best friend. He can't possibly love me. It's ridiculous. It's weird. It's preposterous. It's insanity. Even if it is true, he would definitely tell me! Yeah. Exactly. So it can't be true 'cause…he…didn't tell me. So yeah.

Yet…there are signs everywhere now that I think about it. Like lots of them. Way too many. How have I not seen it before?

It's like Nicole with that outfit. It was obvious to me that the two articles of clothing were perfect together but not to Nicole until I told her.

Is this how other people saw Chase's feelings for me?

Am I the only one who had no clue?

I can just hear them all saying that stupid cliché line: "you know, for a smart girl you can be pretty stupid sometimes." You hear it everywhere; movies, TV, etc. It's also what I'm saying to myself right now.

I wonder who else knows about this. Probably Michael. Someone has to know. After all, that message that was sent to me was obviously meant for someone else.

But the real question is…

Do I like him back?

I have never really thought about it before. I mean, yeah, he's my best friend; he's cute, always there for me, funny, witty, clumsy, sweet, but…

WAIT A SEC.

Did I just call Chase Matthews cute and sweet?

Well, I guess liking him would explain the butterflies I get numerous times in my stomach when he's around. And why I was so…jealous…I finally see…when Lola was dating him. I was jealous…

I'm in love with Chase, too.

Wow.

At least I think so.

But…I don't think I'm ready to tell him that. I don't think I'm ready to open up my feelings to the truth.

I sigh and stare at the message for a while. It has to be done… I slowly press the blue button that reads:

KEEP AS NEW.

There, now it's almost like I didn't read it. He'll never know I did.

Nicole walks out of the bathroom, ready to go.

"Wanna go get some breakfast?" she offers, grabbing her purse from her bed. I smile.

"'Kay, sure," I agree, and I follow her out the door.

Now I know the truth, and maybe one day, he will too…

A/N: Did you guys like it? If so, REVIEW! BTW, hopefully I'll update Accepting The Present this weekend…Written From The Heart if I can't shake my writer's block. Now, I gotta go. Byeas!

MusicIsLyfe101