Chloe walked out to see Derek and Brady. Tori must've finished with him and taken Liz already. Chloe smiled at Derek, who stood and walked past her and Midge and into the room. She followed, closing the door softly, and stayed there for a moment- she realized just how not ready to be alone with him she was. She inhaled and exhaled for a moment… Then she turned and jumped, letting out a girlish yelp- Derek was leaning over her, an arm on either side of the door.
"What-" She started, but Derek leaned down and kissed her hard. Immediately she felt herself grow wet, and soon his hands were all over her. She reveled in the feeling of his touch, his sloppy kiss and heated hands, and knew if she didn't stop him she might very well come from this alone.
She shoved him back with all the strength she could gather and he instantly looked away, blinking hard. He swallowed, scowling at the corner, obviously very unhappy with himself.
"I-" he started, but Chloe shook her head quickly.
"No." She said quickly, quietly. His jaw set.
"Just- practice your lines." Chloe licked her lips, tasting him briefly again. She slowly moved to the wall and sank onto her butt. He said them, voice twisting in his needed emotions, though he still scowled at the wall. She marveled at the fact he had already memorized all of his lines. She was so in awe that he'd finished them by the time she could hardly speak.
"Now… u-uh... use y-your face and body l-language." After a moment, Derek nodded, and looked directly at her with those piercing green eyes. She shuddered. He acted out all of his scenes, barely pausing in between lines. It was lunch by the time he finished, with Chloe offering advice. Derek practiced his last lines before he died, right after Leslie kissed-

A realization was born inside Chloe, then. Leslie and Mikey kissed.
Which meant Liz and Derek would have to kiss.
Chloe felt deeply unhappy with that thought, and her face twisted.
"What?" Derek asked gruffly, defensively.
"Huh?" She asked. Derek narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at her.
"Nevermind. Isn't it time for my lunch break yet?"

-
Rae lay in bed, in only a bra and panties, blankets half on her, laying on her stomach, arms pulled in, one knee bent.. She was asleep. Carter walked in silently and straddled her back. He leaned forward and suckled sloppily on her neck, moving his hands under her to cup her soft breasts. She moaned gently and shifted. He continued to suck and fondle until she woke up only a few moments later, blushed, and continued to lie still for him. He pressed his hard member against her butt, and she moaned then, before shoving him off.
"That's enough, pervert." She pulled her blankets tight around her as Carter laughed. He lay behind her, spooning her, as she blushed and glared.

"Was that okay?" He asked quietly into her hair. There was a long pause.

"... Yeah."
"Goodnight, beautiful," He said as he buried his face against her for another quick nap before lunch.

-
Simon sat in the driver's seat, Chloe beside him, and Tori in the back, as they drove to the studio. It was time to shoot the last part of Brady's scenes: his death scene. They'd stayed late, just Chloe, Brady, Midge, and the camera crew, late into the night. Simon still felt- and looked, Chloe admitted to herself- disgusting, but he was decent enough for work. She hoped he wasn't contagious...
When they got there, only Derek sat outside, face in his hands. Chloe checked the clock; 7:34 a.m. Derek was early.
She walked up and smiled, her boyfriend and his sister in tow.
"Good morning, Derek." She said brightly. He grunted in response, although Chloe had officially gotten used to it. She unlocked the door and led all three of them in.

-
"No. You're doing it wrong," Simon's voice called out it exasperation for the millionth time today, looking straight at a glowering Derek. Chloe had thought it had been fine, and really did not want to watch Liz and Derek going in for the kiss even once more.
"It's fine," Chloe replied, gripping her hair.
"It's not passionate enough. Derek, close your eyes before you kiss. Let her kiss you, gently, then you deepen it, and knit your brows together and groan. Look confused, but pleasant. Put your hand on her che-" Simon directed as Derek glared incredulously.
"Simon, just show him," Chloe said.
"Well, Liz could use some work, too," Tori decided. "Simon, kiss Liz like Mikey, and Chloe, kiss Derek like Leslie."
"I don't want Chloe kissing someone else. You kiss Derek." Simon said, and Tori promptly glared at him.
"If you're kissing Liz, it'll help with Chloe's insecure jealousy." Chloe's head whipped towards Tori.
"I don't have insecure jealousy." Chloe said. Tori raised a doubtful brow.
"Just do it." Tori snapped. Chloe set her jaw and walked up to Derek, before turning to Simon and putting her hands on her hips.
"Get up here, Simon. Act like an adult, for once." Simon looked at her, surprised and offended. Their eyes met, and Chloe rued what she had said- they would be arguing tonight. Simon walked up.
"We'll go first," Simon said unhappily. Liz looked down at him from her raised perch, and smiled nervously before dropping into character. Simon looked up at the platform, which was too high for him- Derek was probably half a foot taller than him. He jumped up to really dangle of the edge.
"Mikey... I'm here to save you. I need you-"
"Leslie- please. Go save Noelle... I'm begging you." Simon said, barely feigning to be in character. Liz's performance came strongly still.
"What? No. I need you. You're my everything!"
"Please..."
Liz's face scrunched up in pain, and a tear dropped, realization dawning in her eyes-
Realization that Mikey would drop off the cliff before letting her choose him over Noelle.
"Mikey..." She whispered in the softest manner, her hand smoothing over his cheek.
"Hurry," Simon croaked. Liz- Leslie- leaned up and gave him their first kiss; Mikey and Leslie's; Simon and Liz's; soft and ever so gentle. Simon deepened it, mouth frantic, brows coming forward, mouth opening to enclose Liz's. His hand travelled to hold her face, wiping her fast-falling tears-
And that was when Mikey would lose his grip and fall to his death.
The scene had had been designed to melt her heart, but now, Chloe felt nothing. She swallowed and looked at Derekas Liz climbed down, and then she climbed up. Derek moved into position and clutched the edge before falling easily into character. Chloe let herself lose herself and become Leslie. She felt her face become soft, brows slightly up only in the middle, a hopeful yet sad smile on her lips. He looked up at her, broken, angry, and pained.
"Mikey. I'm here to save you, and I need-"
"Leslie, please- go save Noelle. You have to- I'm begging you." Derek's jaw tightened, setting his own fate. His green eyes were dark. Chloe knitted her brows in confusion.
"What? No, I-I-I-I need you. You're my everything."
"Please." Derek's face was screwed up, and he looked near tears- she formed realization in her widening eyes.
"Mikey…!" She gripped his shirt. It hadn't been in the script, but improv was important, and it felt right.
"Hurry," Derek begged shortly. Chloe felt her head tilt, brow twitching. She leaned forward, pausing for a millisecond, then kissed softly, pouring feeling into it-
And, she realized with her eyes closed as Derek deepened the kiss, the feeling was real- her and Derek, not Leslie and Mikey.
His hand touched her face... And then, he moved away. Chloe recollected herself and got off the perch.
The look on Simon's face was almost despondent. Liz was crying, smiling, and Tori had a weird look on her face, a bit of an awkward smile. Brady was on one knee, playing table football with a folded paper, flicking it through Liz and Tori's coffees.
"Oh, my god! That was so beautiful." Liz clapped. Chloe awkwardly looked away.
"You're a good actor." Tori said to Chloe. Simon seemed to snap out of his phase. He smiled.
Chloe grinned cheekily at him. "Thanks."

-
Simon suggested, on their way out of the studio that evening, they go out, just them, on an ice cream date.
"I can take Tori home," Liz offered, walking with them. Brady trailed lazily behind them, whereas Derek was already in his crappy truck. Chloe still liked it, though- a black, dirty Ford F-250. She looked at Simon.
"Alright," she agreed brightly.

-
It was sunset by the time they got their ice cream. They sat on a bench outside, Chloe with a large swirl, Simon with a small brownie fudge blizzard-knockoff.
They laughed and goofed and giggled, like how it used to be before Chloe got all big with her movies, before Simon had lost his mom- as if they were kids again. It was so nice… But...
For Chloe, the spark was gone. It felt like she were hanging out with a friend. It unsettled her mind even more.
When they finished, they walked along a deserted road beside the forest. Chloe felt all the dead animals, her heart heavy. Simon stopped them, then, and stood in front of her.
His face lowered toward hers, and she knew what was coming... But when his lips touched hers, for the first time in a long time, she still jumped.
"S-sorry, I—I—"
"Skittish as a kitten," he teased gently. His hand slid to the back of her neck and he tilted her face to his. This time, Chloe didn't jump, didn't flinch, didn't gasp. For some reason, she didn't do anything. Simon kissed her, and she just stood there, unable- or unwilling- to kiss back.
Finally, the connection caught and she did kiss him, but awkwardly, as if some part of her had suddenly begun holding back, like all of a sudden kissing was something terribly wrong, a huge mistake.
Simon stopped. For a moment, he hovered there, until Chloe had to look away.
"Wrong guy, huh?" he said, his voice so soft.
"Wh-what?" Her gaze shot to his.
He eased back, and his eyes got that despondent gaze from when-
When she had kissed Derek.
"D-Derek? Y-you think—"
She couldn't finish. She wanted to die from this thundering in her ears. She felt sick.
"Derek and I aren't—"
"No, not yet. I know."
"I—I don't—"
Just say it, her subconscious thought. Say, 'I don't like Derek.'
But she didn't. Couldn't.
Simon jammed his hands into his pockets and they stood there in an awful silence.
"It isn't like that." She whispered after the sun had set.
"It is. It always has been, since casting." He went quiet, then looked over at me. "I'm right, aren't I?"
There was a note of pleading in his voice. 'Tell me I'm wrong, Chloe. Please.' And everything in her wanted to say it. This was Simon. Everything she'd ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, and here he was, hers for the taking... If only she could say the words. She tried. But all that was managed was another weak.
"It's not like that."
"Yeah, it is."
He started to walk away, back in the direction they had come. Then he stopped and, without turning, he reached into his jacket and held out a black ring box.
"This is for you." Chloe took it, and he continued walking.
Fingers shaking, She opened the small box. It was an engagement ring, a large diamond on top of a silver band. It was intricate and beautiful, small diamonds all around it.
The image in her brain blurred as her eyes filled with painful, burning tears.
"Simon..." Chloe whispered, as the tears leaked out. She fell to her knees and cried there, on the side of the road, alone.