I've decided not to prolong the wait any longer. I'm updating, so you should smile :).

The Reaction

Outside Lá Rosso Pomodoro

7:47 PM

"What do you mean it's locked?" Massie hissed through clenched teeth.

"I mean, the door locks for the inside. When the door shut, we got locked out." Kristen glared at Cam and Claire. "So if Cam and Claire hadn't been arguing, this wouldn't have happened."

Everyone turned to the formally feuding couple. "Why the heck are you arguing anyway? Massie asked. "I thought you were still dating?"

"We are?" said Claire. "We're just having technical difficulties right now."

"Like that's new." Alicia mumbled. "What's wrong this time?"

"Ok," Derrick interrupted before Cam or Claire could respond. "As much as I would love for us to play Dr. Phil, I think we have bigger problems right now."

"Uh, yeah, Derrick's right." Kristen agreed. "So if this is something that can be resolved within the next thirty seconds please feel free to do so."

"Cam," Massie said, her voice dripping with sweetness. "Is there something you want to tell Claire?"

"Actually there is." Massie smiled. "Claire, I think we should break up… again."

"Really?" Claire grinned. "I was thinking the same thing."

Massie, Kristen, and Alicia looked at each other, surprised at the lack of tears. Only Derrick looked unfazed

"Tell them why you can't date Claire anymore." urged Derrick.

"I like someone else."

"And that would be?"

"I like-" Cam was cut off by the sound of the back door cracking open.

"Hey," called a voice from the crack in the door. "Donny told me he saw some kids sneakin out the back door, but I didn't believe him." The voice soon had a face when a man stepped into the alley leaving his foot in the doorway. He was at least 40 with a pastry hat and jacket on.

"Oh, thanks for rescuing us." Massie filed to the guy. "Now excuse us." Everyone started towards the door, but he didn't budge.

"What were all of ya doin out here?" Pastry man questioned the teens.

"We were on our way to the bathroom and we got lost." Alicia lied.

"All of you?" He pointed to everyone skeptically. "Together?"

"Yeah," said Derrick quickly. "We don't believe in going alone."

Pastry man studied them before saying, "Ok, do you really think I believe you? How old do you think I am?"

"Do you really wanna know?" Derrick mumbled causing Cam, Kristen, and Alicia to snicker. Massie "accidentally" stomped on his foot with her Marc Jacob mules. "What the-"

"Ok we'll tell you the truth." Everyone turned to Claire sending her are-you-crazy looks. She returned them a do-you-have-any-better-ideas look.

"Two of our friends hate each other, so we set them up on a blind date. We're supposed to be monitoring them, but to get in, without being seen, we had Derrick and Cam come out here and open the door for us. But my smart ex here," Claire glared at Cam. "Let the door-"

"Wait," Pastry man interrupted. "Are you Claire Lyons?"

"Um, yeah. Why do you ask?"

"My daughter absolutely loves Dial L for Loser." A round of quiet moans escaped the teens. "Could I have your autograph? For my daughter of course."

"Sure." Claire answered, and then smiled. "But only if you let us in."

He pretended to think about it before saying, "Deal." Claire smiled when Alicia and Kristen clapped. She signed his pastry and he let them in one by one.

When he got to Cam he stopped him. "Ms. Lyons, do you want this guy to come with?"

"Please, call me Claire. As for him, should I really let him come with?"

"Oh come on Claire." exclaimed Cam. He rolled his eyes at her.

She glared back. "In that case-"

"Kuh-laire, we do NOT have time for this." Massie hissed. She was already mad about the whole stardom thing, and the only person who could go diva and get away with it was her.

Claire sighed. "Fine, let him in."

-0-o-0-

Lá Rosso Pomodoro

7:42 PM

"I'm here on a date." Josh lowered his voice a little. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here on a date too." Dylan said still yelling.

"Hey you two." called out a bald guy with a spaghetti stained napkin tied around his neck.

"What?!" Both teens yelled back at once.

"Could you take your little discussion elsewhere? Some of us are trying to eat here."

Dylan scoffed. "I'll tell you where you can not put your food you-"

Before she could finish, Josh grabbed Dylan's wrist and lead her to a nicely decorated hallway in the back of the restaurant.

"Oh, let go of me." Dylan yanked her hand from Josh's grip.

"Ok, would you shut up for a minute?" he hissed at her. "Exactly what did Massie tell you about you date?"

"And why should I tell you?" She leaned against the wall, crossing her over her chest. He just glared at her. "Fine. Mass told me Derrick said he'd met a guy who he said would be perfect for me. Then they set me up on a blind date."

"Huh, that's what Derrick told me too."

Dylan looked surprised. She stood straight and squinted at Josh. "Derrick met some guy he thought would be perfect for you?" Her eyes widened in realization. "No wonder you and Alicia broke up."

"No!" Josh shouted at her. He took a step forward before continuing. "Dylan, I am NOT gay. Derrick told me Massie knew a girl she wanted to hook me up with."

"Oh," Dylan sighed, "Well that's a relief." She turned around to inspect her makeup in the hallway mirror.

"What was that?"

"Oh, Um, I-I," Dylan stuttered and turned around to face Josh. "I was just making sure, ya know, with that whole polo obsession of yours…" She trailed off when she saw Josh's doe brown eyes darken.

"Oh, I'm sorry Burper-ella, but what kinda guy did you think Derrick was gonna set you up with?" His voice came out hard as he took a step forward.

"Someone with a lot more style than you. Who'd you think Massie was gonna set you up with, another Alicia?" Dylan's emerald green eyes set to a dangerous glare when she stepped forward.

"No, just someone with these things called manners." He took another step forward.

"Wait," Dylan said as if she just got some kind of revelation. "This isn't Massie or Derrick's fault."

Josh nodded. "I actually agree with you for once."

They're eyes narrowed after they both said "This all your fault!"

"My fault?" They said again.

"God, Dylan you are annoying." Josh threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Huh," Dylan took the pins out of her hair, letting it fall to her shoulders. "I'm annoying am I?"

"Yeah, you are, and people notice." he said angrily.

"Notice what?" she snapped.

"A lot of stuff. Like how, how, how your eyes sparkle when you're excited." They both looked taken back.

"Uh," Dylan's mind must have been on a siesta, because the only word she could think of was "uh".

There was a long awkward pause while they both tried to find words to undo some of the damage already done.

"W-well, I hate the Yankees." were the first words to pop in Dylan's mind.

"Take it back." Josh whispered calmly.

Dylan smiled a little. "No."

"I said take it back." Josh repeated through clenched teeth.

"And I said no." Dylan looked up at Josh, since he was four inches taller, and stared him dead in the eyes.

They looked in each others eyes, having a stare-down, for about 30 seconds. Without thinking, they leaned in an-

"Whoa, what's going on here?" a voice called out from down the hall.

Startled, Dylan jumped back a few inches while Josh just pivoted toward the voice.

At the end of the hall stood Derrick, Massie, Alicia, Cam, Kristen, and Claire. The all had the same looks on their faces: What the-?

Wow, that took a while to type (thanks to my short attention span). I think the story is approaching it's end –tears-.

Ya know purple is one of my favorite colors –hint hint-