Herro! So, Saturday is going to be a crazy day! I am helping at my church for a conference (I'll be working the church cafe), it is my parents 27th anniversary, AND I have a babysitting job! (MONEY!) So, I might, repeat, MIGHT be able to update saturday when the youngsters are asleep but if not, I will be updating a lot during that week! So YAHOO!

Anyhoo, here is the next chapter! :) Have a great day, night, morning, whatever haahaa.

Chapter 8

Anthony POV

Anthony, for the first time in a while, was happy. Right now, he was hanging out at a cafe, waiting for Nico and Grover. School let out about an hour ago and he was sipping his coffee, reading a news paper about the new Civic Center in town.

But, he wasn't entirely focused on the paper; no, his thoughts were on Penny. After her phone call with her dad, they have gotten really close. He would text her every night for hours on end, talking about nothing to important. When he told her about his mom, he was surprised. But, he figured that if he was honest about his mom, she would be honest about her dad. And as far as he could tell, she told him everything. But something in her eyes told him she left out something. He tried to figure it out by reading her movements and her attitude but she was hard to read, and he didn't particularly like it.

He thought about the hug he given her. He smiled; holding her in his arms just felt...right. At first, it was just suppose to last a couple of seconds, but holding her felt so good. She smelt of her moms cookies and the ocean, he just didn't want to let go. He felt his stomach go crazy, and when ever his phone buzzed, his heart would jump, wanting it to be her.

He shook his head. Him and her just can't happen. He treated her like crap when he barely knew her. And, she could also be infuriating. Especially when she doesn't see that all the guys she talks to are looking at her like a piece of meet. Anthony doesn't think he can handle that. There was that and RED.

Anthony shifted positions, resting his head in his hands. Ray did not feel right. He supposedly been going to the school for two years, and everyone but Anthony agrees. But Anthony KNOWS he never seen him before now. Right around the time Penny came. It also was obvious he had a thing for Penny and that made Anthonys blood boil. Though he couldn't blame him. Penny was funny, sarcastic, kind, loyal to her friends, beautiful, has a great personality, and was just beautiful. But he didn't trust that Ray person.

Anthony was brought out of his thoughts by Nico coming into the cafe, Grover behind him.

"Geez, man! I was pulling your leg! I don't really burn paper for fun. I'm not a tree killer." Nico exclaimed, sitting across from Anthony. Grover sat next to Anthony.

"Don't joke like that! We don't have enough trees, joking like that isn't funny!" Grover glared at Nico, who just smirked and looked at Anthony like 'Can he take a joke?' Anthony shook his head.

"Nico, it's not nice picking on environmentalist." Anthony said, sounding like a scolding father.

"Thank you!" Grover praised.

"But, burning paper with gasoline is much better than just matches." Nico grinned and Grover groaned, laying his head on the table.

"I'm surrounded by barbarians." He grumbled. They two other boys laughed.

"Hey, you guys heard the dance on Saturday?" Grover asked.

"Thalia wants to go, so most likely." Nico relied. "You?"

Grover shrugged. "I'm asking Juniper tomorrow. What about you, Anthony?"

Anthony snorted. "School dances are so childish unless it's prom."

"You're not going?" Nico crossed his arms.

"Nope."

"Grover, remind me to pay Jason ten bucks. Apparently RED will ask Penny, since Anthony isn't going."

"Wait, what?" Anthony inquired.

"You see, I thought you were going to ask Penny to the dance. Jason said RED would first. Jason wins, since you're not going."

"Why would you think I would ask Penny, even if I decided to go?"

Grover rolled his eyes. "You two are totally into each other, but you're too chicken and Penny is to much of a Seaweed Brain to know her own feelings." He rested his head in his hand, elbows resting on the table. "But Ray is also head-over-heals with her so he will most likely ask, leaving you in the dust."

Anthony scrunched up his nose. "I don't like her."

"D-e-n-i-a-l..." Nico said in a sing-song voice.

"I'm not in denial." He insisted.

Grover started humming 'Her Comes The Bride'. Anthony groaned.

"Guys, come on! I mean, she is infuriating, annoying, oblivious, sarcastic, funny, kind, loyal, beautiful-" Anthony stopped himself while Nico and Grover grinned like idiots.

"Anthony and Penny, sitting in a tree..." Nico sang.

"Okay, whatever, I like her! But I'm still not going to the stupid dance."

"To bad..." Nico sighed and looked at Grover. "Seems like RED will be getting the kisses that night." Anthony thought back to the kiss at the party. How his whole body felt alive and he wanted more. He didn't want to share her with Mr. Red-head...he didn't want him to have those kisses.

Anthony growled. "I hate you guys."

Nico and Grover high-fived each other under the table.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

Penny Pov

Penny felt happy. Her and Anthony were as close and her and Ray and she found out that Anthony wasn't a bad guy. After the phone call with her dad, they had a new understanding, it was great.

Buy Ray, he was acting strange. In art class today, he was just staring at the canvas, his hand twiddling with the brush. He didn't even make a blob on the canvas. The bags under his eyes say he hasn't been getting any sleep and he has been jumpy. He didn't even try to pick a fight with Anthony for two days. THAT was weird. She asked him on many occasions if he was okay, which he obviously was not, bu he just shrugged it off or smiled and say she was silly. Anthony had tried to tell her once that he has never seen Ray before, that he has not been to the school until Penny started coming but everyone she asked said he has been there for two years. She just told him that he never paid attention.

Right now, she was at the mall with Thalia, look for a dress for her to go to the dance in.

"Are you going?" Thalia asked, looking through the rack of dresses.

"If someone asks me, sure but if not, probably not." Penny relied. Thalia held up a green dress to her.

"Yay, or nay?"

"Nay." Penny said instantly. Thalia out it back.

"So, you're just waiting for Anthony to ask you then." Penny almost tripped over her self when she heard that.

"Excuse me?"

Thalia smirked. "You know what I mean. You have it hard for him. Since day one."

"No!" Penny protested. "When i first met him, I wanted to strangle him for being an ass. Now, since he decided to be nice to me, were just good friends."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You have it bad for him and he is falling hard for you. Get your head of the ground, kiss him, and BOOM. Instant couple." Penny thought of the kiss they shared at the party. Yeah, that kiss led to angry girlfriend, not instant couple.

"No, he has a girlfriend anyways." Thalia looked at her.

"Who?"

"Uh...Lucy?" Thalia snorted.

"No, that was infatuation to the worst."

"Huh?"

"Lucy, Anthony, and I used to be really good friends. Anthony had the biggest crush on her since fifth grade. Finally freshman year, he kissed her. They made out, then she told him she didn't like him. Poor kid was heart broken. Lucy stopped hangin' with us and went around with the wrong crowd. Drugs, alcohol, and sex. She turned into a bit of a whore. Anthony stopped trusting girls altogether. I was his only girl friend, then started dating Nico. Jason hung out with us, Piper too but no other girls. And when you came along, he wanted it to stay anti-girl, though that didn't work, obviously."

"Oh.." Penny said quietly. Anthony did say she was an old crush. Maybe Lucy was jealous...she was drunk, for sure. "Well, I don't think he'll ask me. And sure, I like him-"

Thalia fist pumped.

"But I'm not going to do anything unless he asks. I might ask Ray though, as a friend. He has been off lately." Thalia shrugged.

"Maybe having a rough time at home. Do what you want, just make sure it's what you want."

Penny sighed and ran a hand through her long hair. What she wanted was to stop hiding and be free to go back to New York, but then again, you can't always get things you want.

Anonymous POV

"Give me a report, Sargent."

"It seems that the subjects are getting closer like we wanted."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Yes, my witness says that there will be a dance this week end."

"Perfect. Make sure they go together and keep a close eye on them.

"Yes sir." The man was about to hang up when the boss spoke up.

"Sargent?"

"Yes, Boss?"

"I'm not the best because I make mistakes. Understood?" The man gulped and nodded, then realized he was on the phone.

"Yes sir. No mistakes." With that, the line went dead.

Things are going to be picking up! Excited! Hope you guys liked it. Please tell me what you think. The more reviews I get, the more updates I will make. OH and I updated my Bio, so if you want to know more about me, read it on my profile! R&R! :)