Summary: You never realize how much you love someone until they're gone. Kevin Lucas never fully understood what it meant until a new school year at Horace Mantis. Kevin/Macy, maybe Joe/Stella.
Thank you Lilly, steffv, Tna-Alysse, and kitcool.
Thanks especially to steffv, your review was my favorite from the chapter two reviews!
(Whenever a review makes me smile and feel happier than they usually do I especially thank them!)
It had been a couple weeks since school started and Macy was becoming more and more distant from Joe, Stella, Nick, and Kevin. She had gotten so wrapped up in her relationship with Alex she failed to see Nick having trouble with his new song, she failed to see the problem between Joe and Stella, and she failed to see Kevin's heart breaking.
Macy walked through the hallway on a Friday alone; Alex had gotten the flu yesterday and wasn't going to be in school for the next week or so. Even though it bummed her out that she couldn't be with Alex, she was a bit happy to be able to just hang out with Stella, Nick, Joe, and Kevin again without Alex around acting all possessive and jealous.
Don't get her wrong, Alex was great, amazing even, but sometimes when she hung out with Joe, Nick, or Kevin, he got a bit jealous.
Macy spotted Stella and Nick at Stella's locker. She seemed to be getting Nick a new jacket.
"Hey guys, what are you doing?" Macy asked when she approached.
"Nick stained his jacket this morning so I'm getting him a different one." Stella said, obviously annoyed.
"How did that happen Nick? You're usually very neat." Macy said.
"This morning I bumped into Mrs. Snark and her coffee spilt on me. Then she freaked out and tried to clean it, but only made it worse and now Stella is in crisis mode." Nick said, Stella gave him a *don't you dare mess with me mister* look and in turn Nick rolled his eyes.
"So where's Alex? You guys are usually glued at the hip." Stella said, closing her locker. Nick slipped on the new jacket.
"He's got the flu, so he'll be gone for the next week or so." Macy said, the three were now walking down the hallway, Nick was in the middle with his arms around Stella and Macy, without Alex around to get jealous Macy felt like her relationship with the brothers could go back to normal, at least for a little while.
"Oh, so I guess that means you're free for awhile." Nick said.
"Yeah, my mom's even going out of town for the weekend and trusts me to stay on my own!" Macy said excitedly.
"Oh, so are you planning anything for the weekend?" Stella asks.
"Well, before Alex got sick we were going to hang out, but now I guess I'll just stay home or something." Macy said, a bit disappointed that her plans were ruined because of the stupid flu.
'Stupid Flu.' She thinks.
"Hey since you're not doing anything why don't you and Stella hang with us for the weekend? It's been months since the last time all five of us hung out." Nick said Macy smiled.
"That'd be great Nick, I'd love to!" Macy said.
"Uh, so Joe would be there?" Stella asked.
"Yeah, that's why I said the FIVE of us." Nick said, Stella laughed embarrassed.
"Obviously, uh, I should go, I need to talk to Joe." Stella said, leaving Nick and Macy.
"What was that about?" Macy asks.
"Don't worry, you get used to it." Nick said smirking, Macy laughed and the two walked off together.
Meanwhile Stella was in search for Joe.
'Enough is enough!' Stella thought when she saw him at his locker with Kevin.
"Hey guys." She said.
"Hey Stella what's up?" Kevin asked Joe only waved at her awkwardly in greeting her.
"I need to talk to Joe." Stella said, hinting for Kevin to leave. But he just stood there oblivious.
"Well, there he is." Kevin said pointing to Joe as if Stella had no idea that he was standing right in front of her.
"Yeah, I need to talk to him privately, Kevin." Stella said, hoping Kevin understood what she meant this time.
"Well, there's not that many people around, and no one is close enough to hear, so this is pretty private if you ask me." Kevin said, Stella and Joe groaned.
'How can anyone be this oblivious?' They thought. Then a thought occurred to Stella.
"Kevin, did you know Alex is home sick, so Macy is free to hang with us today." Stella said, an evil smirk on her face.
"Really!? Where is she?" Kevin asked excited to see Macy WITHOUT Alex at her side.
"Last I saw her she was in the hallway with my locker talking to Nick." Stella said Kevin immediately took off to where Macy was.
"Later guys!" He said over his shoulder. Stella let out a sigh of relief.
"You really are an evil genius." Joe said, trying to break the tension between them.
"Yeah…" Stella said, laughing just as awkwardly as she felt.
"Listen Joe… I think we should talk about what happened." Stella said, wanting to get to the bottom of their problem.
"I don't know Stell-" Joe began but was cut off by Stella.
"You told me loved me." She said, desperately trying to fix things between them.
"I know… and you don't feel the same way…so… there it is." Joe said, looking down at his shoes and leaning against his now closed locker.
"How do you know how I feel?" Stella asked, she moved her hand closer to his, as if to hold it, but she hesitated and just brushed her hand lightly and gently against his. There was a long pause between them before Joe finally looked up and met her gaze.
"Because you just stood there and you didn't say anything." Joe said, brushing his hand against hers as well.
"I was shocked, ok? And by the time I recovered from my shock you left before I could respond." Stella said, she stopped brushing her hand against his and started to fiddle with the ring on her other hand.
"So… how do you feel?" Joe asked hopefully.
"Well, I've had a long time to think about it…" Stella said, they both laughed quietly.
"I love you too." Stella said, smiling, Joe smiled too, and he took her hand in his.
"But, can we… can we be together?" Stella asked Joe didn't know what to say so Stella continued.
"I mean, we've talked about dating before, but we always decided to stay just friends, so we wouldn't ruin our friendship." Joe looked down for a second before regaining eye contact.
"But this is different!" He said.
"How?" Stella asked, doubtfully.
"Because this time we love each other." The stood there in silence, holding each others hands in a basically empty hallway.
"Stella, I don't want to be Kevin. I don't want to be just friends and watch the girl I love, love another guy." Joe said, his once loose grasp on her hand was now firm. (He's not hurting her or anything.)
"But is having a relationship worth the risk?" Stella asked, her eyes watering up, and gripping his hand firmly as well.
"Stella you are always worth the risk, and I know our friendship will change, but sometimes change is good and if our friendship and feelings for each other are strong enough, we'll survive anything, even a break up." Joe said the tears Stella was holding back flowed freely; suddenly she didn't care about ruining her makeup. Joe pulled her into him.
"Stella please, I can't just sit and watch you go out and be with other guys knowing I love you and you love me too. I can't, and I know you can't either." Joe said, Stella pulled from him slightly to meet his gaze.
"Ok." She said smiling.
"Ok? Ok what?" Joe asked confused.
"Ok, let's try this." Stella said, she leaned in to kiss his cheek, but Joe beat her to it and placing his lips on hers. The moment was absolutely perfect until…
"Ms. Malone, Mr. Lucas I will have no PDA in my hallways, separate this instant!" Mr. Crast, the vice principal said, Joe and Stella laughed embarrassed and separated from each other, except for their hands which were still laced together perfectly.
Well another chapter.
So what do you think will happen while Alex is gone? What do you think will happen when Macy is over at the fire house? What do you think will happen between Joe and Stella now that they're dating? What do you think will happen in the whole story? And what did you think of the chapter in general? Review!!
Remember, reviews make me smile, and smiles make me happy, and when I'm happy I update!