"What the hell is wrong with you?" Torrie asked with a fiery gaze as she advanced on Stacy. It was an unusual sight because Stacy would never let anybody see that she's backing out from a confrontation but this time, she felt different. She was half afraid of the expression Torrie was wearing. But she took a lung full of air and stood her ground.
"Torrie, what the hell is wrong with you?" Stacy managed to fight back the words. She stopped backing out and stared at Torrie straight in the eyes.
"I've known you to be a fighter Stace. Much more of a fighter than I am! But what I see now is not the Stacy I used to know!" she literally screamed at her friend. John and Marc just stared at each other. They've always known that when the girls are in the middle of 'talking' about something, they could never be interrupted.
"What are you talking about? Can you please clear it up because I just don't understand you!" Stacy pretended to be unaware of what Torrie was saying and sat down on the couch and leaned on the armrest.
"How could you just let Randy go off with Trish?" Torrie asked her and Marc's eyes bulged out in surprise.
"You know about that?" Marc asked suddenly and just received glares from his three friends. "Sorry, won't happen again." He said meekly and hid behind John.
"Why? Why should I stop Randy from going out with her?" Stacy asked in a challenging voice.
"You like him! God knows how much you like him!" Torrie screamed at her. "Why can't you stop being so heartless and cold? Just stop minding your pride and your ego for once and just admit your feelings for that damn jerk!" Torrie said exasperatedly.
"What is it to you anyway if Randy and I have feelings for each other? I'm just his sister. I've accepted that fact so long ago." She lied straight into her friend's face but didn't face John. John felt weird being in the middle of that conversation.
"Oh really? Stacy? How could you prove that, eh?" Torrie asked her in a proud voice. John wanted to reach the door and just step out but before he could do so, Stacy was by his side and was holding his hand.
"I will not have any of these nonsense anymore. For your information Torrie, my boyfriend's in this room so I wouldn't want him hearing any of this crap." Stacy said and it stopped Torrie.
"What?" Torrie managed to choke out after a few seconds of absorbing what she had just heard. "I beg your pardon?" Torrie asked again if she heard it right the first time.
"I'm with John now." Stacy stated simply like it was just yesterday's news. If Torrie's jaws were capable of falling down the floor, it would have happened.
"Tell me you're kidding." Torrie said in a small voice. "Tell me you're just fooling me." It was almost a desperate plea just for Stacy to admit she's just kidding.
"Since when do I make good jokes Torrie? I've always been bad with making others laugh." Stacy just said and tugged John's shirt for help.
"We… we're not kidding Tor. Stacy's my girlfriend now." John said, trying his best not to spill an emotion that would reveal the truth to Torrie. Torrie backed away and it was her turn to sit n the couch. She looked tired to their surprise and it was Marc who first approached Torrie and ask her if she was all right.
"You okay?" Marc asked, his voice full of concern. He was just as surprised as Torrie was.
"Since when?" Torrie asked coldly.
"Yeah, since when?" Marc chimed in.
"Since the day I realized how much I care for John and how much he means to me." Stacy answered a small voice. If John hadn't known the truth that they were just pretending, he would have believed all that Stacy had said and would have been so happy to know that the girl he loves and cares for feels the exact same way for him.
"Well then. Congratulations!" Torrie seems to have gotten back to her old cheerful self. She stood up and approached John and Stacy. Marc knew her words and what she feels deep inside didn't match and he was worried for her.
"Hey it's not like they're already getting married!" Marc tried to make a joke and they all forced a small laughter.
"Who's getting married?" Stacy's dad asked curiously as he came down the stairs.
"John and Stacy!" Marc yelled and they all threw him dirty glances.
"Didn't you just said that we're not getting married?" Stacy told him and just looked at her dad as blankly as she could.
"Mr. Keibler!" Torrie exclaimed. "Wow! You're back!" she said in amazement.
"For good." Stacy's dad said and Stacy's face turned more sour.
"That's great! Umm… we're back too and as a sort of celebration, I'm taking the gang out. That okay?" Torrie asked and Stacy's dad just nodded.
"You all go and have some fun! Stacy don't stay out light." he said and went to the kitchen.
"I hate it when he does that!" Stacy said and they all know her voice was loud enough for her dad to hear.
"What are you saying?" Torrie asked her.
"I hate it when he tries to act like he's a dad!" she said in gritted teeth.
"Calm down babe." John told her and she looked at him. John just winked at her. It was the first time John had called her that and she has to admit that she kinda like the feeling. She smiled at him.
"You're just so cute John!" Stacy said and pinched his left cheek.
"You're really telling the truth?" John asked hopefully.
"Of course I do. How could I ever lie to you? And besides, you know me too well, you'll just see right through me if I'm lying." Stacy said.
"Aww, how sweet!" Marc said teasingly and Stacy just playfully slapped his face. "Hey, why do I always get to be so tortured here?" he asked with a mock pained voice.
"There's so many things I missed." Torrie said and looked at John secretly.
"Come here." Stacy said and they all huddled together. "I missed this. I miss you all guys!" Stacy said and they shared a hug.
"Too bad Randy isn't here and he's stuck hanging out with Trish." Marc said and they all agreed.
"So, where are you taking us?" Stacy asked curiously.
"It's up for you to follow me and know." Torrie said playfully and pulled Marc's hand to Marc's surprise. Stacy held on to John's hand tightly and they followed Marc and Torrie outside.
"Race you to the park!" Torrie said and they all rode their bikes. Except for John.
"This time, you're not driving. I am." He said and she just smiled. "Hey guys! Wait up!" John yelled after Torrie and Marc's backs.
"Hey! Isn't that Marc's line?" Stacy asked him and they laughed together.
"Wow, Randy! I didn't expect this! This is so cool." Trish exclaimed as Randy removed the blind fold and she saw a picnic set for two. Randy reached for the bouquet of flowers lying on the grass and gave it to Trish.
"I'm glad you like my surprise!" Randy said and helped Trish sit down. They started talking to each other and Randy told Trish his jokes and she laughed but Randy could sense that she was just faking it. He missed Stacy's laugh when he would tell them his jokes. He could remember that John and Marc would say that his jokes were stupid but Stacy would still find them funny.
"Now why am I thinking of her?" he thought to himself.
"What's wrong?" Trish asked when she noticed Randy fell quiet.
"Tell me more about yourself Trish." He said slowly and Trish stopped smiling.
"Woo! Faster John! Come on! Go faster!" Randy heard Stacy's familiar voice before Trish could speak and he turned to see Stacy holding on tight at John's back as the latter furiously pedaled. "You can't catch us!" Stacy said again and Randy saw she was now yelling at Marc and Torrie who were now slowly gaining on the pair! He laughed a bit.
"You just wait! The two of you!" Torrie answered back and drove harder. Randy guessed Marc was the last rider. As usual.
"Beat ya!" John and Stacy said as they got off the bike just a few meters from Randy and Trish's place. They still haven't noticed the pair and they were laughing so loud like they were having the time of their lives.
"We won! We won!" they chanted and Stacy hugged John with glee, sticking their tongues out at Marc and Torrie.
"Yeah, yeah… no need to rub it in." Marc said.
"Aww, don't be such a sore loser Marc." Torrie said and patted Marc's back.
"Easy for you to say. You're not the last one to finish the race." He said and made a face.
"Don't worry wittle Marc. I'd buy you ice cream later so that you'll feel better." Torrie said and Marc couldn't help but laugh.
"I'll bear that in mind!" Marc said and tickled Torrie. John looked at Stacy and he winked at her.
"Marc just gave me an idea!" he said and started tickling Stacy too.
"No John don't!" Stacy said in between fits of laughter.
"What did you say? Tell me the magic words!" John teased her and Stacy just continued laughing until they fell to the grass. Randy wanted to run to her and help her up and check if she was okay or if she was hurt from the fall. But he saw Stacy was still laughing and it stopped him. Trish was also looking at the gang and she couldn't help but feel jealous. Jealous of Stacy's complete life?
"Soon Stace, what you have will be all mine." She secretly promised to herself.
"Come on you two. Get up." Torrie said to John and Stacy. Stacy turned to look at Torrie and smiled and she muttered, "Yeah, okay." And turned to John just as John was raising his head…
The time stopped… to Stacy and John… To Randy who was watching closely. Everything around them vanished. They didn't know how it happened. It just did, their lips meeting and… Randy felt something cold and sharp in his heart as he watched what was happening. Stacy's eyes were wide open and the sweet sensation of the kiss was intoxicating her… John couldn't help but close his eyes and just feel the rush of the moment.
"Oi! That's enough!" Torrie said to them, she just noticed Randy looking at the pair and she felt sorry for him. For her, Randy looked so jealous and was about to blow his head off! Stacy and John realized their intimacy and quickly pulled away. John helped Stacy up but Stacy couldn't help but feel shy to look John in the eyes.
"Ice cream anyone?" Torrie asked and they all followed her. Stacy was left behind, she was still caught up with the moment.
"My first kiss…" she said and touched her lips and smiled. Randy just hung his head low after seeing her smile.
"Stace, you coming or what?" John asked and offered a hand as he returned beside her. Stacy nodded and took his hand.
"You okay?" Trish nudged him and he realized he was still with Trish.
"Yeah."
"You look troubled." She commented and Randy shrugged.
"I'm just thinking… I realized that I just lost something really important to me." Randy said and tried his best to smile when Trish reached for his hand.
a/n: how was it? tell me what you think.. leave a review... thanks...