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Chapter 2

Nick and Joe were sitting in the gym watching Kevin at pep squad practice.

"Nick, I haven't seen Stella today! Do you know where she is?" Joe asked, concerned.

"Joe, relax, I'm sure she's here somewhere," Nick assured him.

Joe sighed. "Fine, I just want to ask her so badly!"

"Then ask her when you see her!"

"But what if the time doesn't feel right!"

"Ugh! Then make it feel right!"

"How?!"

"Dude, can we talk about this later?!"

"Fine."

Kevin walked up. "You guys have got to try the pep squad, it's awesome!

"No thanks man," Joe replied.

"What's up with you man? Seriously, if you're so stressed then why can't you just hurry up and ask Stella?!"

"Ask me what?" Stella asked walking up behind them. They all froze. "Well, what did you want to ask me Joe?"

"Um....I was wondering....."

"Yeah?"

"Um.....well....."

"Come on Joe! Just spit it out!" Stella was becoming impatient.

Once again, Nick came in for the save. "He just wanted to ask if....you......had any shoes for us to wear with our tuxedos."

"Oh, sure, of course I do. I can show you them after school!"

"Great, thanks," Joe replied, relieved as Stella walked off. He turned to his little brother. "Nick, you saved me again. How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Think up a good enough excuse like that so fast!"

"I don't know, I just do."

"Wow, I guess all of the songwriting you've done has really paid off for two things."

Nick looked at his straight-haired brother with a confused look. "Two things?"

"Yeah, hit songs and for getting out of an embarrassing situation."

"Hm, I guess you're right."

"Still, thanks a lot. I don't even want to start thinking about what would have happened if you hadn't said anything."

Nick smiled proudly. "You're welcome." Then he glared at Joe teasingly. "So, you got any ideas on how you're going to ask her?"

Joe grinned mischievously. "Oh, I think I've got some tricks up my sleeve."

Nick looked a little surprised. "Really? Already?"

Joe's expression changed again. "Alright fine, I don't have a plan!"

"Then why did you just say— ugh, never mind! You'll think of something!"

After school at Stella's locker:

Stella was pulling some new clothing designs out of her locker when Macy ran up to her.

"Stella!" she shouted.

"Hey Macy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, but I hear some boy at this school is planning on asking you to prom!"

"Ooh, who is it?"

"I don't know, but that's what everyone is saying!"

"Hm, who do you think it is?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"I don't know! I have no idea who it is; I thought you might have an idea!"

"Well, I think I have a pretty good idea..."

"Who?"

"But I'm not telling you! You'll just have to wait and see!" Macy answered, then ran off.

"Ugh, fine!" This was torturing Stella quite a bit. Who would want to ask her to the prom anyway? It couldn't be one of the three brothers; they all had dates! Except, Joe didn't have a date. He couldn't be the one to ask her, could he? Of course, they had talked about their relationship and in the end they decided dating was a bad idea and too risky for their friendship and the band, wasn't it?

"Hey Stella!" Stella almost jumped at the sound of a familiar voice. She turned around to where the voice had come from.

"Oh, hey Joe."

"So, I heard that someone's planning on asking you to prom."

"Yeah, do you know who it is?"

Joe froze nervously. "Um, I don't think anyone knows." He didn't want to lie to Stella, but he also didn't want to tell her yet.

"Hm, well I'm going to find out sooner or later, I hope."

"Yeah, I don't want you ending up like me!"

"Oh, don't worry Joe; I'm sure someone will ask you!"

"You really want to bet on that one?"

"Yes, I do! There has to be at least one girl in this school that would love to go with you!"

"Well, we'll find out if that's true or not by the end of the week."

"So, you don't know who's planning on asking me to prom?"

"Like I said, I don't think anyone knows!" He began to leave.

"Wait, Joe! You wanted me to show you your shoes!" But he was already gone, leaving Stella confused. Joe couldn't be the guy that was planning on asking her, could he? No, their friendship was too valuable for that! But what about that night of the school play? That had to mean something! This was too much confusion for Stella!

Back at the Lucas' house

The trio was busy practicing their new song in their studio.

You and I said we just couldn't let it happen,

But this road we refuse to take,

Is turning our lives the other direction,

And who knows what choices we'll make.

I know you want me too, but this feeling is not worth the risk.

We've been so close for so long, and yet this is getting worse.

"Wow! That was awesome guys!" Stella walked in carrying three pairs of black leather shoes.

"What's with the shoes?" Nick asked curiously.

Stella held them up. "These are the shoes to go with your tuxedos for prom. You know, the ones that Joe wanted to see after school?" She slightly glared at Joe.

Joe looked confused. "What?" Then it hit him. "Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run off like that! I mean, I forgot! Sorry..." Great, now he was jumbling his words!

Stella sighed frustratedly. "It's OK Joe. So, what do you guys think?"

The boys all looked at the shoes for a moment. "Which pair is which?" Kevin asked confusedly.

"Oh! These are Joe's..." She threw a pair at Joe. "And Nick. And Kevin"

"Wow, I can't wait to wear 'em." Joe spoke slightly excitedly.

"Well, I'm glad you like them, because they're the only pairs I'll be able to give you guys."

"Don't worry, we love them Stella." Nick chimed in with a smile.

"Aw, thanks." Stella smiled her smile she always got when the boys told her how much they loved her designs. "So, are you guys excited about prom.

"Yeah!" Nick replied.

"Duh!" Kevin added.

"Nope," Joe commented. They all looked at him.

"Joe, come on," said Stella. "I know you hate being dateless, but you still gotta go to prom!"

"Yeah man, we're a trio, not a duo, and it won't be fun without you!" Kevin complained.

"OK, I'll go, but I'm only doing it for the band!"

"Good. I don't want to waste a tuxedo and a pair of shoes for nothing!" Stella pointed out, then walked out.

Nick and Kevin turned to their middle brother. "Why didn't you try asking her?!" Nick almost shouted.

"Hey, it didn't feel like the right time!" Joe argued with his little brother. "I said I'd ask her when the time feels right!"

"Well, that better be soon! Prom is in four days! When would you ask her?"

Joe's face brightened up. "I have an idea!"

"Oh, really? What could it be this time?" Nick groaned.

"Hey, this plan has to work! You can call me crazy if it doesn't!"

Nick smiled mischeiviously. "I can handle that."

"OK, here's the plan."

Two days later after school

A note fell out as Stella was opening her locker. She picked it up and opened it. "This has to be from whoever that guy is who's planning on asking me to prom," she thought.

The note read: "If you're dying to know who wants to ask you to prom, go to the locker with the highest number in the whole school."

"Hm, the locker with the highest number in the whole school," She repeated to herself. "Locker 538!"

She headed down the hallways to where Locker 538 was and found a note stuck to it.

It read: "You apparently know where you're going, don't you? Next, go to the one place you will always find your best friend."

"My best friend? I have multiple best friends! Well, let's see...what about Macy? The place I'd always find her is in the gym." She walked into the gym and found another note on the bleachers.

"You're doing great so far, but to find your next clue, you have to go where no boy or man would ever go."

"Where no boy or man would ever go..." She repeated to herself again. "The girls bathroom?" She suggested to herself. She went inside the girls bathroom and found another note.

"I know what you're thinking; if the person who wanted to ask you was a guy, how would there be a note in here. Basically, one of our friends who is a girl did us the favor of putting it in here. Now, for your last clue, go to the one spot where you had a special role; you know, the one with the long and funny name."

She had played a part in "The Three Musketeers" with a name so weird and long she couldn't even remember it now. "The auditorium!" She said to herself excitedly.

She walked up to the stage to find one last note.

"At last, you have reached your destination. Prepare to meet a familiar face."

"A familiar face? Who could that be?" She wondered.

"It could be me!" A familiar voice said. Suddenly, someone swung onto the stage by a rope. Stella looked; it was Joe!

"Joe?!" She almost shouted.

"Hey Stella." Joe spoke innocently.

"Wait, you are the guy that's been planning on asking me to prom?!"

Joe grinned shyly. "Yeah, it was me."

"But, Joe..."

"But what?"

Stella sighed. "Why didn't you just ask me earlier?"

Joe's smiled widened. "You mean, you'll go with me?!"

"Well, you haven't actually asked me yet."

"Oh, right." He got down on one knee.

"OK, Joe, that's just being cheesy!"

Joe jumped back up and laughed. "I know, I was just trying to get you to laugh."

Stella smiled. "Well, it was funny."

"Stella, since neither of us are going to prom with anybody, I was wondering, if maybe you would like to go with me."

Stella shuffled her foot around on the floor. "I'd love to go with you Joseph!"

Joe grinned even wider now. "Great; so, when do you want me to pick you up?"

"I say any time is fine as long we aren't late for prom and we aren't too early either."

"OK, sounds good."

"But, I still need to pick out my dress to wear. And since I already know what you're wearing, I think I'll do just find solving that problem."

"Alright, so, I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah, see ya."

They both walked off their separate ways and smiled to themselves.

Back at the Lucas' house

Joe ran into the kitchen to find his brothers sitting at the dining table. "Guys, you are never going to believe what happened!"

His two curly-haired brothers stood up. "Did you ask her?" Nick asked right away.

"Yeah, but guess what else!"

Kevin frowned. "She said no?"

Joe grinned with pride and success. "She said yes!"

Nick and Kevin's mouths opened, but no words came out.

Joe stood there waiting for them to say something. "Guys?"

Finally, Nick unfroze. "She said yes?!"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

"So, you two are going to prom together now?"

"That's what it seems like."

"Wow, I never thought I'd say this, but you must be a genius."

"Really? Why do you say that?"

"Because I remember how you and Stella settled your relationship."

The flashbacks came back to Joe, but he tried to shut them out of his mind; that didn't work.

Flashback

"We can't go down this road, can we?" Stella asked.

Joe just shook his head sadly.

"Thanks for talking this through with me Joe."

Joe reached out his hand and Stella shook it. Then she did something that Joe wasn't expecting at all. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. She pulled away and smiled at him.

End of flashback

Then Joe remebered the play where he had returned Stella's kiss.

Flashback

"Dare I ask, may I have a kiss?" Joe asked as his character.

"Yes." Stella replied, but then quickly realized it. "I mean, dare, dare, my beloved; a thousand times dare."

They both began to lean in. They looked out at the audience and Joe knew what Stella was thinking. If they were to kiss, they didn't want it to be in front of everyone. So instead, Joe leaned over and kissed her cheek, then smiled at her. The audience cheered.

End of flashback

"You don't think Stella regrets saying yes, do you?" Joe asked nervously.

"Why would you think that?" Nick asked, a bit concerned for his older brother.

Joe shrugged. "It's just....I don't know! I just wonder....what if she does?"

"Don't worry man. If she didn't want to go to prom with you, then she' wouldn't have said yes!" Nick assured him.

Joe sighed nervously. "OK, you're right."

"Aren't I always?" Nick grinned jokingly.

Joe laughed. "Yeah, most of the time."

"Oh, whatever." Nick playfully punched his older brother in the shoulder.


Ta daaa! Chapter 2! I'm so sorry this took a while, but with school starting back up, it isn't easy! Plus, I have guitar lessons, show rehearsals, everything! Writing a story isn't easy for me right now! Especially when I'm working on my other two stories too.