a/n: okay, so i'm in health at the moment. bleh. and i finished my work thirty minutes before the bell . so i thought i should type another chapter :) thanks again for reading. i really appreciate it.

so here we go:

"Why didn't you follow after us?" Cam asked as they piled into the van and headed back. Massie looked up at him, Cam knew her very well. So all Massie had to do was meet his eyes and Cam nodded slowly. He understood she didn't want to talk. So Cam, like any good friend would do, changed the subject and started talking about dinner later that night.

Everyone suddenly started talking about dinner as well and left the fact that Massie didn't join in on that day's festivity. Derrick, who was in the front seat, looked back at her for a moment then looked forward.

Kemp was texting on his phone, to whom, Massie didn't know because she didn't know what was going on in his life anymore. He completely shut her out and vice versa.

Massie closed her eyes for a moment, and then the next thing she knew she was being woken up by Claire. "Massie!" her voice was soft hearted. Claire's hand touched Massie's shoulder gently and shook it. Massie's eyes slowly opened. She let out a small yawn and looked out the window. The sky was now a shade of dark blue hinted with streaks of soft orange from the sunset.

Massie sat up and looked around, the van was empty. It was only Claire and Massie left, Massie could see from the rear view mirror that Josh was out waiting for Claire by the hotel's curb.

Massie pulled her loose hair into a loose pony tail and grabbed her tote, "Um, what time is it?"

Claire looked at her watch, "Almost seven."

Massie nodded, "I fell asleep?"

Claire nodded, "yeah, now come on, i'm starving." she rubbed circles around her flat stomach. She pushed open the van door and hopped out. Massie followed a little more slowly and less enegertic. Claire quickly reunited with Josh by linking her fingers through his. Josh smiled at her lovinlgy then looked back at Massie, who nodded and signalled that they should go ahead.

-:-

Massie quickly got cleaned up. She slipped on a fresh white dress and a pair of slip-ons. She took her hair out of it's hold and let it fall down past her shoulders. She applied a subtle shade of lip gloss, dicthed the eyeliner, and then ran down to the restaurant.

Massie had a dream, a short, straight to the point dream. She was broken, completely destroyed. Derrick didn't want her and Kemp only bullied her. It was horrible, because Massie was just falling into nothing and feeling thick pains through her chest. It was horrid. And for some reason, that motivitated Massie, to become better, stronger. To never, ever fall so hard without warning. She was never going through another day with this feeling. She just wanted things to become normal again, for her head to be stable. She hated this feeling of being unstable, of not knowing where her feet should be planted. It was just too much.

She entered the restaurant and held her head up high. She strided through the carpeted room and walked over to her friends' table. Where Kemp was sitting with his arm around some blonde girl.

Massie said in a soft voice, "hey."

Cam looked up first, "Hey, sit." He patted the white cushioned seat next to him. Massie sat down, the white cushion deep, that she could feel her butt sinking in it's mold.

"Um, Mass," Alicia said, "this is Kemp's erm, friend."

"Girlfriend," Kemp interjected, his smile on the mysterious girl. Massie was across from there and her jaw nearly dropped. Then suddenly, a funny feeling occured in her stomach. Massie wasn't quite sure what it was, but she felt it. It felt like tingles of some sort.

The girl giggled, "of course." She nuzzled her ski-slope nose into Kemp's neck.

The whole table's noise level dropped down suddenly. Because Kemp was with someone else! Everyone at that table understood that Massie and Kemp were no longer together. That at the table, Massie would no longer be sitting next to Kemp. That Kemp would no longer be having his arm around Massie. They just weren't together anymore. The whole group accepted that. That their cafeteria table would no longer be theirs nd that Massie and Kemp would no longer be lovey dovey. Because that was... just high school. No matter how much they didn't want to believe it, graduation kind of made it official.

And now that graduation was over, here they all were, at a table. With Kemp's arm around someone new. Someone who wasn't Massie.

It was all just a little too much to take in.

Massie just stared at Kemp, not sure what she looked like to everyone else. Because she didn't even know what she was feeling herself. Then Kemp introduced, "Guys, this is my Olivia. Olivia Ryan."

"Olivia" smiled at everyone, her unbelievably blue eyes shining under the dim light of the room.

Everyone nodded politely, but Massie didn't know what to think of this. Because she was just out of it. It was ironic really, how fate worked. Massie -not only ten minutes ago- decided to be stronger, to become better. And here they were, with another task, another test. It was absolutely hilarious how this kind of bull shit worked.

"How'd you guys meet?" Dylan asked after a total of three minutes of silence.

Olivia smiled, "at the Harvard freshman orientation." She ran a hand through her blonde hair. "We were in the same group tour and i guess, it kind of started from there."

Massie picked up her fork.

Cam put his hand on her arm gently, giving the "don't kill her" look. Massie ignored it and tapped the fork against the white clothed table. She remembered Kemp's freshman orientation. It was the weekend he blew off one of their dates. Their movie date to be exact. The date that left Massie hanging and Derrick had to save the day.

Massie remembered that day perfectly.

Kemp smiled at Olivia like they've been together forever, when in all reality. Massie and Kemp only broke up not only a month ago. Which meant Olivia and Kemp could only have been together for a total of a month or three weeks. But Kemp was sure classy, bringing her to their friends' vacation trip.

Olivia looked over to Massie, "so, i've met everyone already but not you. You must be Massie."

Massie nodded and dropped the silver fork on the table. No noise was caused because of the short drop, so Massie had no way to avoid Olivia. So she matched her eyes to hers, amber to blue.

"Yeah, I am." Massie responded.

Olivia smiled, "great meeting you! I was really excited to meet all Kemp's friends."

Massie opened her mouth to say something -something obviously impolite and unappropriate for dinner conversation-, so Cam interrupted. "So, where are you from Olivia?"

"Utah," Olivia answered, "And i'll be going to Harvard in the fall with Kemp."

Dylan nodded, "wow, cool." She was obviously uninterested but made the effort to pretned to be. Kemp squeezed Olivia's side and she let out an obnoxious high-pitched giggle.

Chris rolled his eyes.

Claire and Josh both exchanged looks and then went back to getting lost into eachother's eyes. Alicia kept giving Kemp this hard stare. It wasn't a glare nor an evil eye. It was just this look of 'what the fuck?'

Kemp smiled and just hugged Olivia closer.

-:-

After dinner, the group quickly ditched Kemp and Olivia to be alone. Massie walked off to the hotel's pool, while everyone else went back to their rooms. Massie took off her shoes and sat by the edge of the pool. She gently dipped one leg into the pool, the cold water suddenly making her warm leg chilled. After a few seconds, she slowly placed her other foot in. She splashed around the water, kicking it into the air.

"Hey," a voice creeped behind her.

The hair on Massie's neck suddenly stood up. She turned, her foot still in mid-kick, to see Derrick. Massie raised an eyebrow, "yes?"

Derrick stuffed his hands in his pockets, looked out to the moon then cleared his throat, "mind if i join you?"

Massie looked at him for a moment, then shrugged. "Sure," she patted the empty space next to her.

Derrick sat down, his legs crossed. He looked into the distance then back at Massie. Massie met his eyes, and for once, she wasn't scared. Massie could just stare into his eyes forever. It was like a never ending abyss of caramel brown that showed Derrick's whole personality. The talent, the humor, the intelligence, the mischief, the responsibility, the happiness, and even the sorrow. It was all there in his eyes, almost like Massie could read into his soul and she liked what she saw.

Suddenly, Massie's chest was tightening and she was feeling those butterflies that every teenage girl felt in those stupid teen novels. It wasn't a myth. It did happen in real life, but it just didn't happen with anyone. It had to be someone special and Massie could tell Derrick was special. Because no matter how much she tried to avoid him, she just couldn't. Fate was just there. Playing, mocking, and probably teasing with any two souls that were made for each other. And those silly victims had no choice but top live through it.

A moment of silence grew between the two. But it wasn't awkward, it wasn't uncomfortable, it was just right.

And then suddenly, Derrick spoke, "Are you jealous?" He asked simply.

Massie looked at him, confused. "Of what? What do you mean?"

"Of Olivia and Kemp," Derrick answered, his voice a bit low, almost shy.

"Why would I be?" Massie asked and continued kicking water into the air. Derrick looked at her, unsure and uncertain.

Massie continued kicking as she watched the water droplets fly into the sky and then fall back into the surface. It was very entertaining.

"Because you loved him," Derrick answered simply, his voice at it's usual level.

Massie shrugged, "I loved him, I do not love him." Her voice sounding confident, not the least bit sorry.

Derrick nodded after a moment.

"Why?" Massie asked as she swayed her slender legs into the cool water. "Why do you ask?"

Derrick shrugged looking at the stars, "Hey, look." He extended his muscular arm and pointed at something in mid-air. Massie turned her head and saw a shooting star glide across the sky.

"'Make a wish," Derrick whispered.

Massie quickly shut her eyes and made a secret wish that she would never, ever reveal to anyone living or dead. Her eyes quickly opened after a second, and then suddenly the star was falling into oblivion (or wherever shooting stars go).

Derrick looked at her, "did you make your wish?"

Massie smiled, "yeah, I did."

"What'd you wish for?" Derrick asked her.

Massie still smiling, chuckled a little. "If I tell you what my wish was, then it'd never come true."

Derrick laughed a little, "Of course... or... you just don't want to tell me because you don't trust me." He raised an eyebrow at her, "that's cool, I guess. Whatever." He faked a frown and wiped away a non-existent tear.

Massie laughed and settled her hands down on the edge of the pool. "I trust you, I just desperately need to make this wish come true."

Derrick looked at her funny, "Why?"

Massie shrugged. "I just need things... I need the world, finally on my side." She smiled a little then bit her lip where she could feel her lip-gloss almost dried.

"Oh, okay, I guess, I understand." Derrick replied. "I mean, I wouldn't want you to know what my wish was."

Massie raised a thin eyebrow his direction, "You made a wish?"

Derrick nodded, "Yes, of course, what do you think? I'd let you have the only shooting star wish? Gosh, Massie don't be so selfish." He smirked playfully.

Massie's mouth dropped, suprised at his playful mood.

Derrick quickly jumped to his feet, grabbed Massie's sandals and held them in the air. "Tell me your wish, Block."

"Hey! Give me my shoes back!" Massie said with a large smile she felt growing on her face. She quickly got her feet out of the pool and then stood up. "Derrick!" She reached out for them, but Derrick just held them higher in the air.

"Derrick!"

"Massie!" Derrick laughed, tauntingly.

"Derrick! You butt-head! Give me my shoes!" Massie said, standing on her toes which, along with her feet, were still soaking wet.

"Butt-head?" Derrick looked down at her, "Oh, really? This is how you wanna play?" He smiled teasingly.

Massie laughed standing now on her whole feet. "Just give me my shoes." Her eyes danced with joy.

Derrick smiled and then moved his arm with Massie's sandals over the pool.

"No!" Massie shrieked. "No!" She wasn't really mad, because she was laughing to hard. Derrick was laughing too. He wrapped a strong arm around the small of back and he held close to her and they just laughed. They just laughed like nothing was wrong. Like everything was beautiful again. In a way, it was. Under the moonlight, the world seemed a little brighter. It seemed a lot more beautiful with no complaints and no arguements.

Then suddenly, the two were falling, followed by a large splash.

a/n: review?