"Dana, are you in here? I have to ask you…"

Zoey walked into room 101 to discover that it was empty. Sighing, she dumped her bag on the floor and collapsed on her bed. Oh well, I'll just have to ask her about the Pants in the shopping bag later. Rolling over on to her stomach, Zoey closed her eyes. She felt exhausted and completely wiped out. She wasn't sure why, but soon she felt a heavy sleep covering her like a blanket. She wasn't sure how long she slept, but when she awoke, the room was dark and Dana was asleep in her bed.

Looks like I slept all day and I'll be awake all night. I hope I don't turn nocturnal. Zoey stood up and stretched her arms and legs. She glanced at her watch. It was nearing 9:30. She couldn't go back to sleep now. Not when she was so full of energy. Glancing out the window, Zoey caught sight of the beach. It looked so relaxing with the waves gently hitting the shore like a butterfly landing delicately on a flower. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She felt like being a rebel and going out past curfew. Giggling silently to herself, she grabbed her coat and tiptoed out the room.

Sneaking out of the school was easy, but it still made Zoey's stomach flip whenever she heard small noises. Once she was outside, the cool wind whipped at her face and blew her hair back. She loved the feeling of the wind. She started to run towards the beach, her feet pounding against the ground. She stopped running when she reached the sandy parts. She took her shoes and socks off and held them in her hands as she walked along the shore. The waves washed over her feet with every step she took. Then she saw it. Actually, she saw him. Chase was walking along the shore and he was heading right toward her.

Something in her mind was telling her to run. But she couldn't. Her feet were rooted to the spot and Chase, who had seen her, was making his way ever so slowly towards her. Then she realized what he was doing. He was giving her time to turn away from him. That's what she should have done, but she didn't. She continued walking towards him and he continued walking towards her. When they met he said a single word that broke the heavy silence between them.

"Hey."

Zoey was shaking all over, but she managed to put on a confident smile. "Hey," she said. Her voice came out gentle yet strong and then suddenly, she felt him take her hand. She looked at him, confusing written on her face. He looked at her too, but not with confidence. His smile was uncertain and he looked a bit frightened of what was going to happen.

"Zoey," he said. "I'm sorry." He loosened his grip on her hand so if she wanted to leave, she could. Without thinking, Zoey held on to Chase's hand tightly, her fingers clutching his. He looked surprised and relieved at the same time. Zoey looked at him and felt her heart pounding in her ears. She desperately hoped her hands weren't as sweaty as she thought they were.

"I'll forgive you if you forgive me."

Chase looked at her, frowning. "Why should I forgive you," he said. "When you didn't do anything wrong?" He was starting to feel a little nervous now. Zoey's hand in his was making him feel a little dizzy.

"For avoiding you for so long," Zoey answered quietly.

The words that slipped out of their mouth that night were carried out into the ocean. After walking along the shore for awhile longer they put their socks and shoes on and headed back toward the school. They didn't talk a lot, but they didn't let go of each others hands. They tiptoed back into the school and headed for their dorm rooms. Before leaving, they both looked at each other with a new spark in their eyes. They felt as if they had been reborn into something greater and stronger.

"Thanks Zoey."

"Thanks Chase."

They both reluctantly let go of each others hands and headed for their rooms. Zoey felt as if she had just lived a scene out of a movie. It didn't seem really. She quickly pinched herself in the arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming. No, she wasn't. By the time she reached room 101 she was shaking all over. She felt so light and happy and… well, good. She opened the door with her key and quietly closed it behind her. Then she fell on to her bed and smiled at the ceiling. A single thought rushed through her head. Wow.


Dear Diary,

I like Josh.

Josh is nice.

I like Josh a lot.

I like Josh more than a lot.

Josh is hot.

Josh is cute.

Josh has nice teeth.

I love Josh.

I LOVE JOSH!

Oh my gosh, diary, I think I have a crush on Josh! What do you think? That would be like way too weird though, wouldn't it? I feel so guilty because I can't fall in love with a boy when my mom is sick! I mean I can't just like forget about her. Unless I fall in love, but I DON'T forget about her! How can I work this out? Wait! I have a brilliant idea. I'll get a job at the store so then I can be near Josh and still make money for my mom. Gosh Nicole, you're like SUCH a genius! Thank you, Nicole, I appreciate it. No problem, Nicole, you deserve it! Tomorrow, I'm going to work with Josh!


"Where did you find this?"

Dana was standing in front of her full length mirror, wearing a black t-shirt and the Pants. Quinn had just brought them over to her and explained the entire story, hoping to get more detail. But all Dana could say was 'where did you find this?' and then Quinn would have to explain the story all over again.

"Wow, so the person whole stole my bag just left it on the sidewalk?" Dana mused. She sighed with relief. "That's good. I thought the Pants were gone for good."

"Why were the Pants inside the shopping bag anyways?" Quinn asked.

Dana sighed and collapsed on her bed. Since Nicole had left, their bunk bed had been sent to another room and Dana had gotten a single bed. It was comfortable, but it just wasn't the same. "I went shopping wearing the Pants. Then I bought a new pair of jeans and I changed into those and put the Pants in the shopping bag. Then someone stole it and I thought I lost it for good, but then Tammy-" She stopped and sat up so fast that Quinn yelped in surprise.

"What?"

"How did Tammy get the shopping bag again?"

Realizing what Dana was trying to say, Quinn said slowly, "She found it on the sidewalk…"

Dana rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah right. How many days do you go along and find a shopping bag on the sidewalk?"

Quinn frowned. "Maybe…"

"Come on," Dana said, scrambling to her feet. "We're going to go investigate."