Well, I'm shocked to say the least. Two whole reviews, that's more than I'm used to per chapter. Anyway, let's get on with this. Also, I think I might've said that they were in high school last chapter, so I'm changing it to eight grade. They're still teenagers, but not quite teenagers yet (if that even makes sense).

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"For the last time, Red. I'm not doing it," insisted Diamond as the two girls sipped their smoothies at the Bulldog. In the last two months since Diamond had transferred to Canton Middle School, she and Ash had become close friends. She also got along pretty well with the rest of the group, something that the redhead was grateful for. "Besides, I don't have a date." She glared at the redhead with her vibrant violet eyes.

"Please, Di?" begged Ash. "I'll be all alone with five clueless boys and I don't have a date either.

Diamond rolled her violet eyes. "I am not wearing a dress," she said adamantly. "And if you want a date so bad, why don't you ask Ricky or Jackson? You and I both know they want to ask you."

Ash blushed profusely. She had told Diamond that she had a huge crush on Ricky (something that she would never admit to anyone else), but also thought that Jackson was a big sweetheart. "Why don't you ask Ish? He obviously wants to ask you." she retorted. She continued before her friend could answer. "And who said we have to wear dresses? Please? I promise we'll have fun." Ash gave her a pleading look.

Diamond stubbornly looked away. "Don't look at me like that, Red," she snapped. "You know I can't resist the puppy dog eyes." She groaned. "Ugh, fine! I'll go to the stupid dance."

Ash beamed. "Thank you," she said relieved. But inside, she was smirking. Phase one of get Diamond and Ish together is complete, she thought evilly.

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"Dude, you should ask Diamond to the dance," suggested Marty randomly. He, Ish, and Ricky had just finished playing catch and were taking a small break. Ash had asked him and Ricky to help her get their friend and the new girl together. Marty was all for it because he thought that Ish and Diamond would look cute together and Ricky would do just about anything that Ash asked him to. He's whipped, the blond thought, grinning.

Ish looked at him quizzically. "Why?" he asked. "I barely know the girl."

"You know that you think her butt is cute," Ricky added. "Dude, just give it a shot. The worst she can do is say no."

"Or kick my ass to next week," said Ish, blushing. "I don't know guys..."

"If you ask Diamond, Ricky will ask Ash," promised Marty.

"Wait, what?" Ricky demanded. "Marty, I did not sign up for this."

"Deal," agreed Ish.

"Great, you can both do it right now," Marty said. "They're at the Bulldog." Ricky and Ish each nodded and began to walk towards the Bull dog. "Wait, you guys can't go like that!"

"Like what?" asked Ricky.

"Empty handed!" cried Marty. "You have to buy them flowers, chocolate, write them a message in the sky! Do something to make it special! Girls like that sort of thing. It lets them know that you care."

Ish and Ricky looked at Marty in shock. "How do you know that?" the former questioned.

Marty waved away his question. "It doesn't matter," he insisted. "What matters is that you two get your asses over to Stop & Shop and at least get them small bouquets."

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"Marty wait!" pleaded Ish as Marty pushed him and Ricky to the Bulldog. "I'm not ready!"

"Don't be such a wimp," mocked Marty. "Ricky's not whining."

"That's not fair!" exclaimed Ish. "He's known Ash almost as long as we have! I just met Diamond a month ago!"

"Just get in there!" Marty ordered the two, pushing them through the door. As soon as he was alone, her grinned evilly. "Heh, killing two birds with one stone. By this time next year, I might be an uncle." He smiled goofily as he walked away to meet up with Tua and Troy soemwhere.

Ricky shrugged. "It's either now or never, dude," he said as the two made their way over to where the two beautiful girls were sitting.

Diamond noticed them first. "Hey, Taylor, Cervantes," she greeted. "What brings you here?"

Ash beamed. "Hi guys!" she said, happy to see her best friend and her crush.

Ricky decided to go first. "Ash, can I, er, talk to you?" he asked. "Alone?"

Ash raises an eyebrow suspiciously, but nods. "Sure," she says, following him to he other side of the Bulldog. "So, what's up?"

Ricky sighed. It was now or never. "Ash, will you go to the dance with me?" he asks, handing her a bouquet of lilies. He had picked lilies to give her because they reminded him of her; beautiful and innocent.

Ash blushes and smiles. "I would love to go with you!" she exclaims, practically attacking him with a hug. He embraces her back just as tightly and the two stay like that for about a minute (which is a very long time for a hug). They pull away, a silly smile on Ash's face and a goofy grin on Ricky. "I assume the 'mission' went well?"

Ricky's grin stayed on his face. "Yup," he stated proudly. "He's asking her right now."

Ash bit her lip. "I hope she says yes," she says worriedly, more to herself than to Ricky. "Diamond can be so stubborn sometimes."

Ricky chuckled. "Then her and Ish are a match made in heaven." The pretty redhead next to him laughs lightly, making him smile widely as well.

Diamond raises an eyebrow questioningly. "Are you gonna say something, Taylor?" she asks. He had been staring at her for the last minute or so and it was starting to creep her out.

Ish seemed to snap out of his trance as he blushed. "I, um, would you like to go to the dance with me?" he asks hopefully, handing her the bouquet of violets he picked out for her. He choose violets because they matched her eyes and were vibrant and fierce, just like her.

For the first time since they met, Ish sees a visible blush on beautiful Diamond's face as the usually calm and collected girl turns into a stuttering mess. "I would, er, like to, um, go with you Taylor," she says. Suddenly, her eyes meet his. "But are you sure you want to go with me?"

This confuse Ish thoroughly. "What do you mean?" he inquires. "Of course I do."

Diamond sighs. Her face is serious as she speaks. "Ish, there are things about me you don't know," she reveals. "Bad things. Let's just say, I'm not a ray of sunshine. I'm surprised Red still hangs out with me. I'm surprised any of you still hang out with me." She averted her eyes from his. "Do you know why I transferred, Taylor? Do you know why I'm here?"

"No. I just assumed you moved or something."

"I got kicked out," Diamond confessed. "I got into a fight with some guy. I broke his leg in three places and dislocated his shoulder. If the teachers hadn't pulled me off of him, I would have done worse. Much worse. You don't want to go to the dance with me, Taylor. Trust me." If she was being honest with herself, she didn't know why she was telling him this. If she was talking to Red, maybe. But why Taylor?

"I think you should let me decide for myself if I want to take the risk," said Ish, his eyes swimming with determination. "Please, give it a chance. I really want to go with you."

Diamond sighed again. "Fine," she agreed. "but you don't know what you're getting yourself into, Taylor."

Ish boldly took her small hand in his larger one. "I'll be the judge of that," he insisted, looking right into her eyes.

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So, what did you think? I'm sorry if Ash was too OOC, but in my defense, I haven't watched NFL Rush Zone in a long time. Anyway, please review (reviews are love) and I hope you're still interested enough to read the next chapter.