Chapter Ten:
Elise was walking down the street when she walked into someone. Both of them fell onto the ground, and Elise looked up, ready to tell the person off, but stopped when she recognized who it was. She might've changed her looks a little, but Elise knew exactly who she was before she even asked.
"Shana?" Elise asked, wanting to make sure that it was her.
"Hey Elise." Shana grinned, and helped her up.
"Damn girl, you changed your looks." Elise said, looking her old friend up and down.
"Yeah, I just couldn't live with my other look." Shana replied. "You've changed a bit too."
"I guess." Elise replied. The only things that had changed about her were her height, and that her pimples were all gone.
"So how come you ain't hanging with Brooke?" Shana asked.
"Don't you remember?"
"Oh right, forgot about that" Shana said, how could she forget, she was the one who tore their friendship apart. Of course, Else and Brooke didn't know that.
"So what're you doing back here girly?" Elise asked, as the two walked to a bench and sat down.
"Well," Shana said, twirling a strand of her dark red hair between her fingers, "I wanted to visit, see if there were any cute guys around."
"There's more isn't there?"
"You remember David right?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, he told me that we were a mistake and that I should leave, he dumped me!" Shana hissed.
"That's it?"
"He said that he should've gone for Brooke first, instead of me."
Elise gasped.
"He said that? Damn, Brooke managed to break you two up without even being there."
"I know." Shana replied dejectedly.
"Is that why you're here? To get back at Brooke?" Elise asked.
"She's part of the reason, but I think I just wanted to come home." Shana ran a hand through her hair.
"How're you gonna get back at Brooke?" Elise asked, curiosity shining in her stormy grey eyes.
"I'll think of something."
Brooke and Ace:
The feeling of doubt and fear about Ace's change of nature had all disappeared after the first ride. After that, she became more comfortable around him; just like the first time she met him. Back then, her feelings for him were real, but now, she knew they were long gone. She may have been at ease, but the intimate feelings will never return.
"What made you want to do this today?" She asked after they were seated with some food by their sides.
"Do I really need a reason to want to spend time with my girlfriend?" Ace raised his eyebrow as he stared intently at her.
"Well…" She tried to think of a reason, but ultimately failed. "I guess not."
"And you're having fun, right?" Ace pressed on.
"Yeah…" She truly was having fun with him, but her gut still told her that something was wrong.
"Then quit questioning it, you and I are just bonding a little." He grinned as he leaned in closer to kiss her on the cheek.
Brooke chewed on lip, but nodded.
Charlie and Billy:
(Twenty Minutes Later)
"So is Brooke still dating Ace?" Billy asked.
"Yeah." Charlie answered.
Billy could see from the look on Charlie's face that he was definitely sick of the fact that Brooke was still with Ace. To some extent, even he thought that Brooke should've left Ace a while ago. Of course he wouldn't voice that out, but he knew that Brooke deserved someone more caring.
Before he could ask if Charlie had any feelings for Brooke, the subject of discussion came skipping into the store.
"Hey guys! Whoa, Billy, you're really burnt." Brooke giggled while holding a stuffed animal.
"Hiya Brookie." Billy grinned at her. "Where'd you get the stuffed animal?"
"Ace actually won this for me at the carnival today." Brooke explained, looking at the teddy bear.
"That was…nice of him." Charlie said, gazing at Brooke with a soft look in his eyes.
"Nice? More like weird!" Billy chuckled.
Brooke only smiled because it was nice of Ace, but it was still pretty weird. Half of her wanted to believe that Ace was changing for the better, but the other half believed that Ace had a hidden agenda. She was hoping for the former, but part of her wanted to see what being with someone else could be like.
"Charlie your shift is up!" Mark shouted from his office.
The shout startled the trio, but only Charlie replied to it since it was directed at him.
"So, you guys wanna walk home with me?" Brooke smiled.
Billy and Charlie looked at each other, and shrugged.
"Sure." They both replied.
Once Charlie had put his work gear away, the trio began walking towards Brooke's house. No one really said anything, but it was fine. Each were dwelling on their own thoughts, and so it wasn't awkward at all. But every silence's got to have an ending.
"So was the carnival fun?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, it was really fun actually. You guys should go." Brooke recommended.
"Ehh, I don't think I'd go there alone Brookie." Billy made a face as he said this.
"Come on! You guys would have fun!" Brooke giggled.
"Maybe if you came with us, we would." Charlie chuckled, throwing an arm around his best friend's shoulders.
Brooke grinned, and wrapped an arm around Charlie's waist.
"I wouldn't mind going to the carnival again!"
Billy could unquestionably see the chemistry that Charlie and Brooke had with each other. He didn't dare voice it to them, but they acted more like a couple than Brooke did with Ace. Anyone with a brain could see that Brooke was more at ease and a lot more happy than when she hanged around Ace.