~~~o0o~~~
Lizzie's POV
I smile as big as I can and head towards Eva, David, Gigi, and Aiden.
I was hoping this morning that maybe the second week of school would be better than the first but no such luck.
Megan and Phoebe and Renee bugged me all morning, and on top of that, Hope was home sick today.
She has a very bad whooping cough.
As I am nearing the table, Eva calls out to me. "Hey Lizzie! Come sit with us!" I grin at her, the first grin of the day, and slide into the last empty seat next to Aiden.
Even though he is in the grade above us, he is super nice and chooses to sit with his little sister.
Today, a guy I don't know is sitting on his other side.
He must see me staring at him because he smiles and says, "Hey, I'm Nick. Aiden and I are on the baseball team together."
I nod and introduce myself.
Just as I dig into my sandwich, I see Renee approaching through the corner of my eye. "Hey Aiden," she coos. "I saw you at the baseball game last Saturday. You played sooo well!"
He nods. "Uh, thanks Renee."
She turns to David, "OMG David. I saw you skating around the rink last Tuesday. You were awesome! I also like how you were hitting that round thing."
Before he has a chance to answer, I butt in.
"It's called a puck, Renee. David was hitting around a puck."
"Oooh!" Nick crows. "Renee just got dissed by Lizzie!"
I shrug, as Renee's face turns pink from blushing.
"Yeah, Lizzie," she retorts, "Well, you shouldn't be talking. Or else I'll tell everyone that you still sleep with a baby bwanket. Oh wait. I just did!"
She turns on her heel and walks away.
I feel my face start to flame and rush out of the cafeteria as I hear people snicker all around me.
I race to the bathroom and lock myself in a stall.
I've just begun to shed some tears when Eva and Gigi come rushing in.
"Lizzie, are you in here?" Asks Eva. I let out a little whimper and the two rush over to my stall.
"Lizzie," says Gigi softly. "Renee doesn't really mean to be so terrible to you. It's just become a bad habit."
I gape at the stall door. Renee does mean it, and I know it. She does everything on purpose, I just don't know why.
The rest of my day is a total failure and by the time school ends I am ready to sob into my pillow.
~~~o0o~~~
Megan's P.O.V.
I look at my homework. It stares back at me, the questions taunting me. I cannot do math! That's more Hope's thing not mine.
My mom calls me and I jump out of my chair. "Megan, honey! We're going to be late! Please hurry up!"
I roll my eyes and turn to my closet.
Tonight we are going to a Mother Daughter Book Club Celebration to get to know one another better. Our families are all invited.
Personally, I think it sounds stupid, but, I am hoping Aiden and David will be there.
Since that is a possibility, I rifle through my closet, looking for the perfect outfit.
After fifteen minutes of searching, I decide on a cream cropped sweater, dark leggings, and cream coloured ankle boots. I quickly add a necklace and twist my hair into a loose high bun.
My mom hollers up the stairs again, and as I finish applying my mascara, I grab my phone and run down the stairs.
"Geez, Megs! Couldn't you have been a little faster?" my mom says.
I shrug, but smile as I see her eyeing my outfit with a nod of approval.
My mom has always been my fashion idol. Her and Mrs. Wong-Berkeley, that is.
We get into the car and head out to "Koi Gardens and Karaoke," the place we are meeting up at.
As we pull up, I spot the Chadwick's white BMW pull up. I smile. Phoebe will be here too!
My smile falters as I see her sister step out. Unlike Phoebe, Lizzie is majorly uncool and it will ruin my rep if I am seen with her.
We get out of our punch buggy and my mom starts chattering away with Phoebe's mom.
I grab her arm and pull her into the restaurant, leaving Lizzie standing there like a stray dog.
Inside, I spot Gigi and my heart leaps. Maybe Aiden is here too!
Sure enough, I spot him a little farther away, checking out the koi with David.
OMG David is here too! I drag Phoebe over and I say hi. "Hi Aiden!" I say. "Uh, hey!" he says. I give him one of my best smiles and walk away.
I turn to look at him shyly a second later but am disappointed to find him looking at Lizzie!
Lizzie!? I explode inside. She is the most uncool cousin ever! Phoebe is way better than her, so why is Aiden staring at her!
I turn to express my disgust to Phoebe and for the rest of dinner we whisper and glare at Lizzie, who looks puzzled and hurt.
Afterwards, when it is time for karaoke, I partner up with Phoebe. I look to see who Aiden has partnered with, and it turns out to be Lizzie!
My mouth drops open: I can't help myself! That brat!
I glare at her as she and Aiden rifle through the songs.
Phoebe watches me, a sympathetic look on her face.
I sneer. "I don't need sympathy, Phoebe. I need to get even." Her look falters and she smiles at me.
I nod and turn back towards Aiden and Lizzie. They are smiling at each other and holding a CD. I flounce away in anger.
~~~o0o~~~
Hope's P.O.V.
I look over to where Lizzie and Aiden are. Personally, I think they are very cute together.
Right now, I see them smiling at each other and holding a CD.
My gaze shifts for a second, and I see Megan glaring at Lizzie.
A second later, she flounces away, looking really mad. I walk over to where the two are standing and start talking.
"Wow, Megan looks really mad," I say. Aiden looks at me. "Really, I never noticed," he says, looking a bit pink in the face.
Lizzie trembles a little bit. "Oh no! Why do you think she was mad?"
I hesitate. If I say the truth, will I embarrass Lizzie?
The silence is killing me. I tug on Lizzie's arm. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" She nods.
Aiden nods too. "Uh, sorry, Aiden, but I really need to talk to Lizzie for a little bit. She'll be back in no time so you guys can sing."
He nods, and looks down at the ground.
I pull Lizzie into the little bamboo grove.
"I think I know why Megan is mad," I say, staring into Lizzie's brown eyes. Her eyes flicker in recognition.
"B-b-b-ut," she stutters. "It's not, I'm not, he's not, we're not."
I stop her with a wave of my hand. "I know, I know, but it sure looked like something to Megan. Are you sure nothing is up with you and Aiden?"
She looks down, her cheeks turning pink.
I try and smother a grin. "Ok, whatever you say," I smile.
Turning away from her, I walk out of the bamboo grove and back into the restaurant. She follows me.
I scan the crowd for Aiden, and spot him not too far away, sitting at a decorated table, sipping a drink.
He notices Lizzie and I and gets up from his seat.
He walks over. "Are you two done chatting?" he asks.
"Yeah," I say. Lizzie nods.
He turns to look at her. "I think they've started karaoke, want to go join everyone?"
She smiles and nods, and doesn't look back at me as she walks away with Aiden.
I frown. Lizzie never forgets about me! Suddenly feeling really lonely, I sit down at one of the decorated tables and nibble on a sushi roll.
I listen to the crowd chattering for a bit, then decide to go and find my friends.
Getting up from the table, I walk into the karaoke room.
Inside, I find my friends and family.
On the small stage are Lizzie and Aiden.
"Hi everyone!" Aiden says. "Today, Lizzie and I will be singing I Really Like You."
I try to force a smile, but it just wont come. Lizzie isn't even looking at me.
As the music swells, I sit down next to Gigi and try to shove away a little tear that is forming in my eye.
~~~o0o~~~
Eva's P.O.V
I look around the crowded karaoke room until my eye lands on Hope. She looks miserable!
I see her looking at Lizzie wistfully. Have they had a fight?
I turn to David, who is sitting next to me. "I'll be back, ok. Im just going to go see if Hope is okay."
He looks at me quizzically. "Why? Is something wrong with her?"
I shrug. "I don't know, but I guess I'll find out."
He nods and turns to look back at Aiden and Lizzie.
My gaze shifts briefly towards them. They do make a kind of cute couple I guess.
Is that what Hope is all upset about?
I don't honestly know. Boy-girl stuff is really confusing for me.
As I walk up to Hope, Aiden and Lizzie finish their song.
The crowd goes wild. Everyone stands up and starts clapping. Hope sees me standing a little bit away from her table and starts to wave.
I wave back. She seems really nice. I walk over to her table. "Hey."
She smiles at me. I smile back. "What's up with Lizzie," I ask, probably seeming rather nosy.
Hope looks at me. "To be honest. I don't really know! It all happened so fast! I mean, look at Aiden and look at her. I'm kind of forgotten right now, I guess."
Hope shrugs and looks at me sheepishly. I smile at her in encouragement and finally she spills.
"Well, Im trying to be supportive and everything but I mean, its just not working. On the outside Im cool and collected but on the inside im feeling very left out."
I pat her back. "I know how you feel. Do you want to hang out with David and I for a while to maybe clear your mind for a bit?"
She smiles, and I tug her along until we reach David. He is now with our cousins, Gigi and Aiden.
I put a smile on my face and urge Hope to do the same. She does, and I begin to talk.
"Hey guys! What's up? Great singing Aiden, where's Lizzie?" He blushes when I say this, and I know I've hit a sweet spot. "Uh, she's around here somewhere, I guess," he mumbles.
I smile. "We were thinking of playing a game of Truth or Dare, wannna play?" David asks.
I nod, and look at Hope expectantly. She smiles and nods as well.
We go scout out a couple of tables and sit down.
"Ok. Who wants to go first?" David grins at us, waiting for one brave soul to speak up.
"No volunteers come on guys!" I finally speak up.
"Ok. David. Truth or Dare?" His eyes pop open. "Awww, I didn't mean me you dummy."
I grin. "Truth or dare?" He gives in and sighs.
"Truth." I look around the table for any suggestions on a great question.
Finally I come up with one. "If you could choose to date either Hope or Megan, who would you choose?"
He starts blushing madly.
Hope shoots daggers at me with her eyes.
"Uh, well, Hope, I guess." He mumbles just under his breath. Hope didn't even hear him.
"Say it louder David," I say, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
"HOPE," he practically shouts, getting fed up with me.
Hope hears this time, and turns a bright shade of red. "Uh, thanks," she murmurs.
I smile. "Ok, who wants to go next?"
David regains his composure and says, "I'll choose. After all, it is my turn now to ask someone."
I nod, and let him talk. "Ok," he says.
"Aiden. Truth or Dare?" Aiden looks a little taken aback, but then grins and says, "dare."
David thinks for a second, but quickly starts to say," ok, then. I dare you to go and tell Lizzie's mom that you are in love with her daughter."
Aiden pales, looks at the floor, bites his lip, and looks up.
His brown eyes look cold. He glares at David, who is smiling like I was a few minutes ago.
Just as I'm starting to think Aiden won't go through with the dare, he gets up and walks towards Emma Chadwick, Lizzie's mom.
I sneak forward and hide behind the bamboo grove trying to listen to the conversation exchange.
"Um, hi Mrs. Chadwick." I hear Aiden say quietly.
"Listen, I really like your daughter, Lizzie." I peek between two stalks, and catch a look at Mrs. Chadwick's face. It twists into a smile, and she begins to laugh. Aiden blushes and looks at the floor. "Why, honey!" She exclaims. "Why don't you go tell that to Lizzie, not me! I'm just her mother. Don't worry about asking me first. You go ahead and date her. You have my permission." Aiden looks confused, but mumbles a thank-you and walks away to where the rest of the group is sitting. I dart back, but he's too quick for me. "EVA WERE YOU SPYING ON ME?" he exclaims. I nod, and slip into my seat. "Just for that," he says, "I'm going to ask you next. Truth or Dare?" I roll my eyes. "Dare." His face screws up into an evil smile. "Are you sure you don't want truth?" someone asks from across the table, obviously noting his facial expression. I shake my head. Aiden won't do anything too mean, will he? I wait and wait until finally he looks at me and sets his hands down on the table. "I dare you to go and steal a koi from the fish pond." My eyes pop open. "Please no! Please no!" I beg, clasping my hands together. "A dare is a dare," David notes, and grins at Aiden. I groan but anxiously creep up to the pond. People are standing all around it and I silently hope that they won't notice one fish missing. I lean forward, as though I am examining the fish and sneakily push my hand underneath the surface of the water. I glance around and don't meet the eyes of anybody. Looking back down, I wait until a koi brushes up against my palm and then grasp it. It wriggles around for a second and I am afraid that it is going to swim away. Clutching it tighter, I pull it out from the pond and run back to the table. "Sick!" Aiden cries. "Wow, Eva," someone says. "That was pretty skilled." I look around and notice that Jace Norton has joined the table. "Oh, uh, hey," I say, slightly taken aback. Why is he here? "My parents, my friend, and I, were eating here and I noticed you guys. I thought I'd come and say hi," Jace says casually. I nod and drop the koi fish on the table. Suddenly a guy with blond hair sidles up to the table. I can't believe it! It's the guy who bumped into me that day when I was late to class. I close my eyes for a second and then open them again. "Hey. Who are you?" I ask, hoping my tone wasn't rude. The mystery guy looks around the table and points to Jace. "I'm Alex, Jace's friend." The group nods approvingly. I am still looking at him until David begins to talk. "So, are we continuing with Truth or Dare?" Jace grins. "We're in."
~~~o0o~~~
Gigi's P.O.V
I sneak a glance over at Eva. Her face is slightly blushed and she looks taken aback. Maybe it's because of Jace: after all, he is the hottest guy in sixth grade. Or maybe it's his friend: Alex. Both have creamy blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Come to think of it, they could almost be brothers. I am jolted out of my observations when Eva waves her hand in front of my face. "Earth to Gigi," she says. I blink and she laughs. "I said…. It's your turn for truth or dare!" I smile at her. "Bring it on." She looks around the table. "Who want's to do truth or dare for Gigi?" I bite my lip nervously. I really don't want a dare like Aiden's or a truth like Eva's. Finally, Jace finally speaks. "I'll do one." He grins in my direction. "Gigi, truth or dare?" I flash him a coy smile and say, "dare." He nods and pauses to think. I cross my fingers, hoping that it won't be something too bad. "Ok. I'm going to choose a guy and you have to kiss him." I gape at him. "Excuse me?" He laughs and the rest of the table starts laughing too. I roll my eyes and say, "ok, so who do you pick?" His smile grows wider. "Me." I feel almost faint as my lips brush his cheek. I blush and draw away. He looks at the ground. There is an awkward silence. Then, every boy at the table, including my own brother, starts to laugh. "Guess they're boyfriend and girlfriend now, " singsongs Aiden. I glare at him and kick him under the table. He winces and tries to kick me back. I don't feel anything but then notice that David is frowning. "Who kicked me?" He asks, his face stony. Aiden looks sheepish. I laugh and quickly turn everyone's attentions back to Truth or Dare. "Ok, since I did my dare, does it mean that I get to do it to someone else?" Eva nods. I look around the table until my eyes rests on Alex. I ask and he chooses truth. "Alex. Which girl do you think is the prettiest in sixth grade?" He frowns, as though he is thinking but quickly produces an answer. "Eva," he replies, blushing as red as a tomato. The boys start to tease him and I groan. They are so immature! Eva looks sort of annoyed but flattered. Alex recovers quickly and glances at Eva.
"Well, is it my turn to ask someone now?" I nod quickly and gesture for him to do it fast before the boys start to roll off their chairs. "Jace, truth or dare?" Jace pauses from laughing and replies, "dare." Alex starts to smile an evil smile and whispers something in Jace's ear. Jace pales and mimics throwing up. I tap Jace's shoulder. "What did he just say to you?" Jace grimaces. "He wants me to go to Megan and ask her if she wants to dance with me." I almost burst out laughing but instead only let out a giggle. Megan will literally die and think she's gone to heaven if Jace did that! He shoots daggers at me with his stare and I finally crack. I burst out laughing, and in doing so, get the whole table curious. Alex finally tells everyone and they start laughing. Jace looks absolutely disgusted. "No way, dude," he tells Alex. "Megan is friends with Renee, and I draw the line at that. Renee is awful, and Megan is as clueless as she is." Alex mouths something at the rest of the table and I see what he is silently saying. He holds up two fingers, one at a time, and as he raises the third, we all shout, "A dares a dare!" Jace scowls. "Fine. I'll do it. But if anybody takes my picture or posts something on instagram, I swear that I will get back at you." He slowly pushes out his chair and huffs off. I watch the cutest guy in sixth grade walk away into the crowd, and lean back into my chair.
