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"You should have seen Charlie's face yesterday when he realized you found Aaron. I think he was afraid you were about to kill them both," Sonny laughed as Chad's convertible raced down the freeway. The top was down, letting the crisp morning air chill them both. Chad knew by the time they reached the studio, the hot sun would be up, but for now, they were to deal with the cold.
"I should have killed them both. I still can't believe there are people out there who would do something that low," Chad seethed. "They did go running with their tails between their legs, though. Why were you going to kiss him anyway? You didn't even know him. It's not like you."
"I was hoping," Sonny sighed, "that kissing the person I loved would trigger my memories. I know, it's crazy."
"It's not that crazy. That would actually make a really good episode of Mackenzie Falls one day. I'll have to suggest it to the writers. I'll meet you right here later, okay?" Chad pulled up to Studio Three. Sonny nodded and waved goodbye as Chad found a parking space.
***
"Just for a couple days," Portlyn begged Chad offstage. "My parents are only going to be gone for a couple of days. Can I please just crash at your place? You're letting Little Miss Sunshine stay."
"Okay, first of all, it was my parents who said she could. Besides, you're perfectly capable of staying home alone," Chad attempted to convince her to stay away.
"Isn't she?"
"No. Sonny is too much at risk of fainting or blacking out, or bleeding through her wound. She needs twenty-four seven supervision." Chad tried to turn away, acting like he was looking over the food at the catering table.
"Well, that's funny, because I do too!" Portlyn skipped around to his other side.
"What are you talking about, Portlyn?"
"Do you remember that really great party I threw last time my parents left town?" Chad nodded. "Well, apparently, my little brother can't keep a secret. So now my parents are taking him to some, I don't know, I think the National Boy Scouts Association is awarding him, or something. Anyway, I'm not allowed to be home alone. So it's either I stay with you, or have Nana Davis come babysit. I won't suffer through another bite of her Potluck Surprise, Chad Dylan Cooper," Portlyn grabbed Chad's tie before putting her hands on her head and whimpering. "I can't do it!"
"Okay, you can stay at my place," Chad finally relented.
"Thank you, Chad!" Portlyn's mood instantly brightened as she wrapped her arms around Chad.
"Hey, we Mackenzie Falls actors have to look after each other."
***
Sonny smiled when she noticed Chad's convertible come around the corner. "Hey, Chad. Oh hey…" Sonny looked at Portlyn and tried to focus.
"It's Portlyn," the actress sitting in the backseat fumed on the inside.
"Portlyn's going to be staying with us. Her parents are out of town too," Chad explained as Sonny climbed into the passenger's seat.
"Cool, it will be like one big slumber party!" Sonny smiled. "So what's on the agenda for tonight?"
"Well," Chad hesitated. "Portlyn and I were actually going to run some lines. We're struggling with the one scene. Not that I ever struggle with scenes, but the director keeps changing the lines and he practically re-wrote the entire part right before he left. We need to have the lines rememorized by tomorrow morning. But I'm sure you could help my mom cook or something if you wanted to."
***
"So have you gotten anything from her?" Portlyn asked eagerly once she and Chad were alone in his room.
"I haven't been wearing the pen. Sorry, P. I'm just not used to wearing it at home. But there hasn't been anything useful anyway."
"Chad Dylan Cooper, what am I going to do with you?" Portlyn shook her head. "I just can't believe how clingy she is. Doesn't she drive you crazy?"
"Not really," Chad shrugged. "She's just scared."
"Which is good, because clingy, scared girls like to spill their most inner thoughts." Portlyn shoved the pen at Chad. "Just make sure you have it on when it counts."
***
"Sonny, these muffins look and smell amazing! The ladies at the country club are going to love them. Thank you for helping me," Mrs. Cooper thanked. "I am so used to cooking alone. It was so nice having you in here with me tonight."
"No thank you, Mrs. Cooper. It was a gift getting to see your culinary skills in action. Hopefully we can do it again before I go back home," Sonny wished.
"I hope so, Sonny. You should probably go run off to bed now. It's late."
"You're right, good night, Mrs. Cooper. And thanks again for letting me stay here." Sonny ran up the stairs and to the guest room she had been assigned to. When she passed Chad's room, she could not hear any talking, so she assumed Chad had already gone to bed. Looking down to the end of the long hallway, she saw Portlyn putting curlers into her hair. Sonny pulled off her clothing gently and slipped into her silk, blue pajamas. She grabbed her bathroom bag and tip-toed into the bathroom.
After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Sonny pulled out the bottle of antibiotic liquid and quietly poured it onto the washcloth her mother had designated. Sonny jammed her eyes shut as she pressed the washcloth to the top of her head. Sonny had hoped by this time, the medicine should not hurt as badly as it had when she began using it – but it did. The darn staples would not stay in her head and often the wound reopened before anyone realized she was bleeding. Marshall was taking her to Dr. Chris' office for new staples almost twice a week.
Gathering her things, Sonny left the bathroom. She stared intently at the ground, wishing the pain away, when she bumped into a memorable body. "Sorry, Chad," she gasped.
"It's cool, Monroe," Chad smiled. "Are you okay? Were you crying?" He pushed a single tear from her cheek.
"Yes, but I'm okay, really. I just had to apply my medication. You remember."
"Oh, yeah – that liquid stuff. That stinks, I'm sorry, Sonny." Chad looked down at the girl in her pajamas. She was especially cute in a less formal setting. "Goodnight, Monroe." Chad let Sonny pass him. She returned to her room and fell asleep in the middle of her nightly prayer for the return of her memory.
Chad, on the other hand, walked around his house for a while, trying to find an outlet from his thoughts. He hopped down the steps to the basement where there was a full basketball court laid out. He found the right ball in the storage room and began to throw it at the hoop, making it every time.
"Trouble sleeping?" Mr. Cooper came through the doorway and caught the basketball as it fell through the net. "Too much estrogen up there?" he joked.
"Dad, how do you know if you like someone?" Chad asked, ignoring his father's humor.
Mr. Cooper looked at Chad suspiciously, "The real question is, how do you not know? Why? Who do you think you like?"
"Dad, I didn't say I actually liked someone. It's just a question. How did you know you were in love with mom?"
"Every time I saw her smile, my innards felt like they were tying themselves in a knot, and every time I saw her cry, I felt guilty just for allowing her to get that way. I never had to explain myself to her. She understands me so well; she knows what I'm thinking without ever having to say something. Trust me, Chad, when you like a girl, you'll know."
Chad shot the ball a few more times, thinking about what his father had said.
"You really do need to get to bed, though," Mr. Cooper insisted. "You're no good when you are sleep deprived."
Chad laughed and agreed. The two left the basement together and parted ways for the evening.
***
"Good morning, Mrs. Cooper," Sonny floated into the kitchen. "This smells amazing, once again." Mrs. Cooper smiled at Sonny's enthusiasm and sincerity. She set down a plate in front of Sonny as Chad and Portlyn entered the kitchen simultaneously. Chad grabbed for his box of Lucky Charm and Portlyn grabbed a mere apple from the counter.
"Portlyn, what would you like," Mrs. Cooper displayed the many breakfast choices.
Portlyn eyed over the food selections, and even though she was dying for real food, she replied, "No thank you, Mrs. Cooper. I'm kind of on this diet right now, and there's no way I could fit that into my daily intake allowance." Mrs. Cooper nodded in understanding – it was not the first time Chad was friends with a girl who barely at enough. "My dietitian said he wanted me to lose at least another inch before awards season. That way, I'll be able to look my best on the red carpet."
"Portlyn, darling, there isn't an inch on you to lose," Mrs. Cooper claimed.
"Aw, thank you! But really, I just can't digest that much."
Sonny poked at the food on her plate. She had never thought of how much food she was eating at the Coopers. It seemed as if at that moment, all eyes were on Sonny and the amount of food she had on her plate.
Chad instantly noticed Sonny's sudden discomfort, poured the cereal back into the box, and grabbed a plate, "Load me up mom!" Chad watched as his mom, with an exuberant grin, scoop eggs, bacon, pancakes, and hash browns onto his plate.
"This is new," she giggled. Chad watched intently to ensure he had more on his plate than Sonny did. "Thank you," Mrs. Cooper whispered in her son's ear. Chad was not the only one to notice Sonny become self-conscious. Chad nodded and sat down between the two girls.
***
When Tawni entered their dressing room that morning, she noticed Sonny standing in front of the mirror. Sonny was twisting herself in different directions with her hands set on her stomach.
"Don't even start with that," Tawni ordered, immediately recognizing the signs of self-awareness. "You're not fat, Sonny. Who's making you think otherwise?"
"Well," Sonny contemplated whether or not to explain. "Mrs. Cooper makes these amazing breakfasts and I wasn't thinking about how much I was eating until this morning when Portlyn started talking about her dietitian, and…"
"Of course it was Portlyn," Tawni stopped her. "Sonny, listen. Girls like Portlyn like to talk about all the diets they go on during the year, but when they get home, all they do is binge. She just likes to make herself feel better by making everyone else self-conscious. So step away from the mirror before I make you."
***
"This is for you," Portlyn tossed a plain, white bikini at Sonny when she entered the car that afternoon.
"What's this for? Are we going swimming?" Sonny looked at the two of them confused.
"Yeah, there's a pool in my basement. Portlyn and I were thinking we'd have a pool party between the three of us. I hope that's your size," Chad replied.
"It's perfect," Sonny quickly replied quickly.
"Are you okay?" Chad looked at Sonny quickly before returning his attention to the road. "You're kind of pale."
"I think it was just a long day. I'm fine," Sonny insisted, putting her hand to her head.
"Are you sure?" Chad snuck another look. Sonny nodded and smiled back at him. The ride back to Chad's mansion was done in silence. Sonny was uncomfortably tired, Chad was focused on driving in the heavy traffic, and Portlyn was thinking about the color she wanted for the manicure she was getting that weekend.
The food Mrs. Cooper had prepared for them seemed to make Sonny feel better, so she shrugged it off that her body had just had enough of the cafeteria food. The three teens all changed into their bathing suits and walked down the stairs, through the basketball court, and into the pool room together.
"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Chad shouted as he did a cannon ball into the cold, blue water. Portlyn followed with a graceful dive and Sonny carefully walked down the stairs at one end of the pool to slowly adjust to the temperature of the water.
Portlyn started to splash water at Chad who began splashing her back. Sonny found it funny how short tempered Chad was. It seemed to be so easy to set him off. She began to swim towards them to join the fight as a wave of nausea attacked her entire body.
"Chad, doesn't this remind you of that scene between Mackenzie and Chloe?" Portlyn stopped splashing for a moment.
"Yeah, that was such an awkward day! I swear we were filming that pool make out scene all day long! I was so pruned when we finally got out," Chad laughed, remembering the day.
"Why did you have to do so many takes again?"
"We kept slipping on the pool tile and ruining the shot."
"Hey, Chad," Sonny quietly interrupted. "I'm not feeling so great. I think I'm going to go to bed."
"Oh," Chad swam over to her near the shallow end. "Do you want me to get my mom or walk you to your room?"
"No," Sonny shook her head but forced a smile to convince him she was okay. "I'll be fine. I think I'm just really tired. Sorry for being such a party pooper." Chad watched Sonny slowly walk out of the pool, but his head was quickly shoved under the water by Portlyn, who had crept up behind him, causing him to lose focus on Sonny.
"Portlyn," Chad growled as he wiped the water from his eyes and shook his hair out like a wet dog. Cornering her down, Chad reached out, grabbed her, lifted her above the water's surface, and just as he was about to submerge her, they both heard a huge splash.
Chad dropped Portlyn into the water as he spun around. Red was the first thing to catch his eye, then he saw the rest.
