a few of my favorite things

'Yes?' Shane said.

'There's a reason why I live with my godfather…' she said slowly, clutching onto his fingers. 'And why he's so overly protective of me…'

'I thought it's 'cos you ran away from home,' he said with a laugh.

But Eugenia wasn't laughing.

'My parents died in a plane crash when I was 10,' she said softly. 'I don't have any other family. My godfather barely lets me out of his sight 'cos he promised my mother he'd look after me. '

Shane was shocked, to a young man like him living a fairly good life, such a tragedy was unthinkable.

'I'm… Eugenia… I'm so sorry,' he said pulling her into his arms.

'It's okay,' she replied bravely. 'I just thought you should know, you know.'

They were silent for a few moments.

After a long while Eugenia finally spoke.

'What was it you were going to say?' she asked.

'Oh… erm.. never mind,' he said feeling his ears going slightly red.

'No what was it, tell me,' she urged.

'I… I wanted to ask if you'd wanna be my girlfriend?' he said looking up at her, in a half-anxious, half-eager fashion.

Eugenia couldn't help herself, she giggled at the inappropriateness of their two comments

'Okay Shane, I'll be your girlfriend,' she winked in a girlish manner

Shane fought back the desire to punch his hand in the air and scream 'YES!'

----------------end of scene--------

'Hey Hills,' Chad called. 'You want some pizza?'

'Do I want some pizza!' she shouted from her dressing room. 'Of course I want some pizza!' There was a silence as Chad pulled out the huge boxes.

'What kind is it?' she yelled.

'Pepperoni!'

'Wait for me!!!'

Hilarie came running out of her dressing room still wearing her "Eugenia" shoes. Blue flats with white ribbons. Chad suppressed the urge to laugh out loud, seeing Hilarie in those sweetie-pie shoes was definitely worth a few bucks. He secretly deliberated over whether he should take a snapshot with his handphone camera.

'Is there a fork?' Hilarie asked wrinkling up her nose at the gooey cheese.

'Excuse me?' Chad was stunned back to reality by her odd request. 'Did you just say a fork? Who eats pizza with a fork??'

'I do,' she argued. 'I hate getting my hands all yucky.'

'Then how does Peyton eat pizza in her usual slobery fashion?' he teased.

'She does with a good deal of cleaning up afterwards,' she argued back. 'Honestly its one of the worst parts of the role.'

Chad laughed as Hilarie dug out a napkin and proceeded to eat her pepperoni slice while holding it, she chewed with a satisfied smile on her face.

'How ladylike can you get?' he teased.

She stuck out her tongue at him fiercely.

'Apparently not very,' he muttered under his breath with a patronising smile. 'So what else don't you like about it?'

'The role?' she asked. Chad nodded. 'I like it generally,' she said thoughtfully. 'Just some parts are difficult that's all.'

'Like what?' he said.

Hilarie screwed up her nose in a cute fashion.

'You first.'

'I think…' Chad said. 'I think Shane got it really. It's hard always being the nice guy, you know? Like you can't make mistakes and if you do you're not that worthy a guy anymore? I mean everyone should be able to make mistakes right?'

'I think mine would be the art,' she said firmly.

'The art?' Chad frowned. He crossed his arms in front of him and was clearly not satisfied.

'The art's hard alright,' she retorted smacking him on the arm. 'I mean, to get that deep, to do stuff like that. Peyton has to dig somewhere real deep to be that "deep" all the time. Sometimes I can't get it, I can't get that thorough into my own soul. I… I just can't.' Hilarie shrugged and took another slice.

Chad eyed her for a few moments and then looked away, deep in thought.

-----------------------------

'Favorite fruit?' Shane asked wandering around the trees.

'Strawberries… I love the smell…' she smiled swaying gently on the park's swing.

'Favorite color?'

'Blue… and sometimes pink.'

'Favorite time?'

'Hmmm… not sure about that one…' she said scratching her head.

'You're supposed to say being with me,' he hinted, poking her in the side.

'Oh I see… I'm sorry,' she said. 'Umm… being with Shane. I mean, I so love Shane Scott.'

'Cool…' he said in mock nonchalance. They both laughed.

'Don't you think its weird your dad and my godfather have the same surname?' she asked suddenly.

'Not really…' he argued. 'Scott's a pretty common name.' Shane walked over to push her on the swing. 'I know!' he said. 'Favorite weird thing?'

'Favorite weird thing?' she protested, turning around to eye him. 'I dunno! Teddy bears??'

'Ooooh.. kinky…' he teased.

'Shut up!' she cried.

'What about you?' she said. 'Favorite fruit?'

'Bananas.'

'Color?'

'Blue… dark blue.'

'Sport?'

'Hmmm… swimming.'

'Not basketball?' she asked quizzically.

Shane breathed heavily. 'Nope… not basketball…'

'How come you don't play? I mean since your Dad's such a star and all….'

'You've been her three weeks and you know that?'

'News travels fast,' she shrugged.

'I can't play…' he sighed. 'I have a heart disorder. I got it from my grandfather.'

'Oh, I'm sorry,' she said quickly.

'Don't be,' he smiled reaching over for her hand. 'I wouldn't want all that pressure of achieving anyway. Beth can do that…'

'I'd love to meet your family,' she smiled.

'Yeah, yeah,' he said. 'That'd be great. My parents, they'd just love you.'

------ end of scene -----

'Favorite fruit?' Chad asked spinning her around on the desk chair in "Nathan's" study.

'Cherries,' Hilarie replied firmly.

'Sport?'

'Tennis.'

'Color?'

'Red and gold.'

He turned her around to face him.

'What about yours?' she smiled.

'Tennis, green apples and black…. Or dark dark blue,' he said with a grin.

'Green apples?' she raised an eyebrow.

'Only green,' he grinned. 'Gotten over the script yet... we are 8 episodes into the season?'

'No way!' she cried. 'I thought bringing back in a birth mother who we never knew existed was bad, bring keith back as your "guardian angel" was worse, but you and me…. Coming back as romeo & Juliet style reincarnations of ourselves?? Now that's an all-time low!'

Chad laughed heartily. 'Rushing off for TRL?' he said as she started packing up.

'Yep,' she smiled. 'See ya…'

Hilarie skipped off the set and towards the door, as she reached there she turned around to wave. She saw Chad sitting on the desk chair, obviously thinking. She was about to call out when something stopped her – a slight increase in her heart beat, a slight flutter on the inside of her. She watched him swing around, like a kid in some ways and almost giggled to herself.

Suddenly he looked up, breaking the moment.

She stumbled out of the door hurriedly without saying goodbye.