A/N: I am really disappointed that Randy lost, but at the same time, I am so happy that John won! This is so great! Anyway, an update, and thanks to all those who reviewed. Sorry if I can't mention your names, I'm quite in a hurry to do this coz the bed is calling. I do hope I wouldn't disappoint you guys in the following chapters. Now, on with the story and I don't own a thing!

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

I knew something was up the moment I saw John talking to Stacy in the cafeteria on the first day of classes. John was leaning close to Stacy, and she had a big smile on her face. Stacy saw me walk in the door and her smile faded a little. John went on talking. "That's great," he said. "I'll see you later."

I was almost right behind John. He turned around and saw me. A guilty look crossed his face as if I had caught him doing something wrong. The bell rang. "Dude!" he said, uncertainty in his voice. "I'll catch ya later, OK? Hafta hit class." And with that, he was gone.

Stacy greeted me with a small smile and left as well. She looked worried. She used to say that I could see straight through her, that I knew her like no one else did.

Things had been getting really weird lately in my circle of friends. Stacy and I had started drifting again after that incident with Trish. Because of that, we would go out in twos or threes but never all four of us together. Acceptable combinations included John, Christy and Stacy or John, Christy and myself. Never John, Stacy and myself. Never Christy, Stacy and myself. The situation had begun to bother all of us. We all missed the old gang.

My thoughts were interrupted when Christy pulled me aside to talk to me as I was on my way home. "Randy!" she said. She seemed visibly distraught. "I have to talk to you!"

I told her I was going home.

"You can't go home!" she said in panic. "I have to talk to you and it's really important. Please, Randy, please, you have to help me! I can't talk to Stacy about it and God knows John is no help and that leaves you, Randy. There's no one else. You have to help me. I'm going crazy. I'm absolutely desperate."

"All right," I gave in. "But what's wrong?"

There was a sinking feeling in my stomach that what she had to tell me had something to do with Stacy and John which was precisely the reason that she couldn't talk to them and had to talk to me.

"I'll tell you later," Christy replied. "Let's meet at Starbucks after 20 minutes, OK?"

Not wanting to hang around school anymore, I headed straight for Starbucks and waited for Christy to arrive with the sinking feeling in my stomach worsening every minute that passed.

After 20 minutes, Stacy walked in the door. I waved to her. If I wasn't imagining things, she looked genuinely happy to see me. She walked over to my table and sat down in front of me.

"Hey you," I greeted her.

"Hey," she said in return.

"What brings you here?" I asked her. "Getting your caffeine fix?"

She gave me an adorable smile. "Actually, I'm supposed to meet John. Have you seen him?"

Aha! I thought to myself. Caught red-handed.

"No," I answered her as the sinking feeling in my stomach plummeted to my feet.

"Oh," she said. "And what are you doing here?"

"Actually, I'm supposed to meet Christy..."

Our eyes met.

"Oh, God," she said.

"They wouldn't have," I said.

"They just did."

An unbelievably awkward silence settled between us. Then we were both laughing uncontrollably. We just laughed and laughed for a good five minutes.

"I think our friends think that we should talk," Stacy said. "So tell me, Randy, why aren't you talking to me?"

The smile had disappeared from her face and she looked like she was holding her breath. "It's not that," I said. "It's not that at all. It's just after what happened, I just wasn't comfortable. But it's not that I didn't like it... I did." I paused. "I liked it a lot. You were just suddenly not there anymore."

Stacy let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said. "But you should know me better. You're supposed to chase me, silly."

"OK," I said, suddenly feeling very stupid.

"One more thing: what's with you and Trish?"

"Trish?" I said laughing. "Nothing's going on. We're friends." I looked at Stacy. "Are we friends?"

Across the table, Stacy looked into my eyes and I fell in love with her for the millionth time in my life.

"Friends," she said, and we shook hands. But we didn't let go until we went home.

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

A/N: Tell me what you think!