A/N: I'm glad you all enjoyed the previous chapter. Here is another and thank you to all those who review. I love everyone of you.

During lunch the next day, I was nervous. It was going to be the first time I saw the girls since the incident. I got to the cafeteria early and took a seat at an empty table in line with the cafeteria's entrance. This way I could see them come in and assess if they had read my text.

I poured out my chicken noodle soup from my thermos and waited. "Oh soup," said a male voice from behind me. "I'm starved." Volcano sat down in front of me as I still kept my eyes on the doorway.

After a moment I realized my soup was no longer in front of me. "Hey!"

"What? You weren't eating it."

I pulled the bowl back toward me. "I need my soup. I'm convalescing and it helps."

"Convo what?" he asked.

"Recovering from the flu," I explained.

"Well so am I." He pulled the bowl back to him. I watched him sip a few spoonfuls as he kept his eyes on me, daring me to pull it back. A few drops littered his chin and I had to admit I really wanted to just lick it off. We hadn't had a moment alone, so we hadn't kissed again since Friday. I licked my lower lip as he flirtatiously wiped the soup away with one of my napkins. He smirked. "I know what you want," he whispered.

My face heated as he read my mind, but I wasn't going to allow it. "Yes, my soup back."

"Isn't this how you got sick in the first place, sharing my spit?" My cheeks felt on fire as I knew they changed the color.

I turned to focus on the door, knowing I was going to miss my chance to reconcile with the girls because of his distraction. I pulled my drink cup closer to me and emptied it. Then I poured some chicken noodle from my thermos.

"If you had more, why were you giving me trouble?" Volcano pondered.

"Because I only have one bowl and it's my soup." At that moment I noticed Rosalie enter the cafeteria. "They're coming. Go, go. I need to focus."

"Okay," he got up with the bowl. I was still watching Rose when Volcano leaned over and pecked my cheek causing me to turn my glance back and make eye contact to his dark brown eyes. "Good luck." My hands covered my soft, just kissed, cheek and I knew I wasn't going to be able to slow my rapid heart for the rest of the lunch hour.

Volcano walked off and I quickly scolded my throat as I downed my cup of soup.

"Rosalie!" The other two were asking her to slow down.

I approached them cautiously. "Hey. Did you read my text?"

Asia pulled Angela away by the hand, but Rose lingered. "I did. I tried talking to them about it. Give Angela some time."

"I don't want to give her time. I didn't do anything wrong." I headed straight to their table. "Look you could be angry with me all you want, but you're really angry at yourself. You are the one not taking a chance and you just want an excuse to give up. I told you I got the Bens confused that means Ben Cheney is still available. So why don't you just speak to him?" I pointed to the Ben who sat on the other side of the cafeteria.

Angela looked over at him. "I can't."

"Fine. If you won't, none of us will date," Asia suggested.

"Wait a minute," Rosalie spoke up, "I didn't agree to that."

"Come on," Asia encouraged, "female solidarity." She smiled at me. "Right, Bella?"

My stomach did flips. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand Volcano and I just started something, but on the other, I needed to support Angela. "Um, right." I didn't know what I was going to tell Volcano. Would he be willing to put us on hold for a little bit longer?

-o-

I fidgeted in my car after school waiting for Volcano to leave the building. I knew I could just call him, but I figured this is a face-to-face conversation. He walked out with a swagger only he could have and I honked my horn to capture his attention. His head turned and even from this distance I could see the happiness his face emitted when he saw it was me. His cheeks rose as the corners of his mouth lifted and he walked over. My belly fluttered then dropped as the realization hit me about what I must do.

"Hi sweetie," he whispered as his head ducked into my driver side window to kiss me. Oh, how I wanted that kiss.

I turned my head away. "We need to talk. Get in."

His face dropped, but his curiosity ignited as he withdrew his head and came around to enter from the passenger side. "What's wrong?"

"I can't do this," I whispered, giving it a double meaning, one for him and one for me. My face was forward and down staring at the steering wheel.

The side of his right index brushed softly down my cheek bone and to my chin, then his hand quickly grasped my chin to turn my face to him. "What do you mean?"

I gathered my strength. "You and me, I can't do this."

"What? Why?" His voice sounded shaky and unsure for the first time since I've known him. "I behaved today. Even let the guys have a bye when they pushed past me. I held it together and didn't stick anyone in lockers."

One corner of my mouth responded with a jerk upward, but my eyes were still solemn. "That's great. I'm so proud of you, but I still can't."

His hand released and fell to his lap, but pulled tight into a fist. My jaw loosened leaving my mouth slightly ajar as I saw the tension mount and fear entered every cell in my body. "There has to be a reason, a real one. You didn't give us a chance." He spoke with a calmness that didn't match his posture.

"It's a deal I made with the girls. Nobody dates until Angela and Ben get together."

His fist suddenly released. "So I get gypped because some dude doesn't like your friend?"

"It's more than that. He doesn't know she exists and she won't approach him. We're trying to support her."

His eyes go searching through the parking lot. "Point him out to me. I'll straighten him out."

"No." I grabbed his arm preventing him from exiting my vehicle.

"She has to do it on her own."

His eyes look to my hand wrapped around his forearm then up to me. "Do you even know how much I want to kiss you right now?"

The butterflies in my stomach took flight as I felt the same need. "I know, but we have to be strong."

His lips moved into a smirk. "Oh, I'm strong, very strong." His body pulled away as he opened the door to get out. Before he shut the door he leaned in. "Are you planning to come over for my tutoring sessions or am I supposed to fail math?"

"Oh. I'm not sure about today, but I can tomorrow after school. I'll come right over."

"Great." His pearly whites shined as he slammed the door.

"Wait!" I yelled out my window. He came to my side. I pulled out Victoria's number. She needs to not fail math too. "This is for Moe."

"Who?" he questioned.

"Your blonde friend. He rides the black and silver motorcycle. I forgot his name."

"James?"

"Yes. The redhead in my PE class won't let me tutor her in math until I give her number to him. If she fails, she loses her athletic scholarship and Principal Greene is bent on me preventing that."

He took a good look at the piece of paper. "A redhead huh? James will like that."

I watched him walk over to his Harley and hopped on. The three stooges finished harassing this large boy who knocked one of their bikes over. The teen looked roughed up, but not too damaged. They mounted their vehicles. Volcano leaned over to Moe/James and their hands locked in a bro-shake. Volcano kick-started the ignition, revved the motor and turned toward me. He smiled then sped off. The others followed, but Moe/James turned around to look at me, too. I held my breath as I saw him look into his hand where a piece of paper sat. He shoved it into his pocket and drove off after his friends.

-o-

"I can't believe you won't call Ben," Rosalie stated as we walked through the mall. "You share a class. Pretend you have a question about what you learned then ask him out."

The girls decided just hang out in a neutral location, while we tried to encourage Angela to make a move on Ben.

"It really is a very simple, but clever plan," I added.

"Oh yeah? Well I don't see you making a move on Volcano. You are all wishy-washy about him: I like him, I don't like him, I like him, again," Angela worded in defiance stopping right in front of the fountain. My heart pumped wildly at the sound of his name and I wanted to stifle the flush soon to show on my face with a splash of some cool water.

"Firstly, this is not about Bella," Asia said, pushing be behind her, "and secondly, I'm sure Bella will as soon as you call Ben. You know we put dating aside for you."

"Some of us more than others," Rose mumbled.

Asia glared at Rosalie then turned back to Angela. "Bella is here for you, we all are, because you need us."

Angela looked at me as I nodded in agreement. "But he doesn't like me; he likes you."

I glanced back at the fountain then to her. "No he doesn't. He merely found me interesting and literally just sat down, when you guys came over. You're very pretty Angela, maybe he doesn't know you're available."

"Yes that's true," Rosalie averred. "Next week is the Halloween party at his house. I'm sure Bella could get an invite for all of us."

"I could put a good word in for you," I specified.

"You'd do that, even when I thought daggers at you?" Angela asked.

"It was a misunderstanding, as long as all is forgiven."

"Come on," Asia tugged on me, "let's get something from the costume store to wear."

-o-

Tuesday Volcano ignored me in the halls even though we partnered up in chemistry class. He wandered into the cafeteria and my eyes caught his dark browns as he searched for food.

"What are you staring at?" Asia asked me.

"Huh? Nothing." I glanced down at my veggie burger.

"So Bella I don't see Ben around. What if he doesn't show up today?" Angela asked.

"I guess I'll just ask tomorrow. I'm still not certain he'll talk to me. Don't you remember his reaction when you said Volcano's name?"

"No, I was busy being angry at you."

"I do," Rose answered. "He made a mad dash thinking he was hitting on Volcano's girl."

I tittered at the thought and I felt my cheeks pink up slightly. I took a sip from my water bottle to distract myself before I reached full blush. My eyes searched him out involuntarily and I caught him looking in my direction.

"Hey, there he is," Angela declared before my pulse could react to Volcano and instead reacted to the nervousness of getting an invite from Ben. "Go on, Bella."

I stood up. "Watch my food." I paced myself as I took my steps toward my target. "It's no big deal," I told myself. "You've asked boys to get invited to parties in the past." My heart thumped faster. "Only getting invited wasn't as important as it is now." The girls were counting on me; Angela was counting on me. "Hi Ben."

Ben was about to sit down when he turned to me, a smile graced his face. "Hello Bella. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay."

"I hope Volcano wasn't upset with me. You told him it was a mistake?" he asked.

"Everything is cool."

"Great." He sat down at the table with several other juniors. I recognized a few from my classes. "Is there something you need?"

I looked over at my friends then back at him. They didn't look too pleased. I rubbed my sweaty palms against each other, hoping to stop the leakage. "Yes. I heard you are having a party Monday."

"Yup. It was supposed to be a small costume party, but word got out and now so many people are asking. Do you want to come?"

"Could I?"

"Yeah, it would be no problem," he answered.

"What about my friends?" I pointed in their direction.

He peeked over. "Weren't those girls yelling at you in the mall?"

"Minor tiff. So can they?" I felt a little perspiration roll down my back, but I tried to hold it together.

He turned to glance at them again. "Is that Angela Weber?"

"Yes. Don't you to have history class together?"

He nodded. "Make sure Angela comes."

Relief washed over me. This was working out better than I expected. "I'll do that."

I practically skipped over to my allies, a smile plastered to my face. "He said yes and he said to make sure Angela came."

"He did not!"

"He did!" I told her. "You see? He does know you exist."

"Must be all those in-depth conversations over pencils," Rosalie joked. "Can we get dates now?"

"Not yet," Asia claimed. "Angela's got to get a date first."

"Aww!" Rose pouted. I internally swore.

"Wait a minute!" I glanced around our table top. "Where's my burger?"

The girls nervously looked at each other and avoided eye contact with me.

"He took it," one of them whispered.

"Who took it?" I looked up as I saw Volcano leaving the cafeteria holding a few items of food, one of which was my burger.

"We tried to stop him," Asia stated, "but he was really quick."

"I guess you don't like him again?" Angela snickered.

I felt my anger build up, heating my forehead. I was hungry. I huffed and followed after him. "Hey," I called just before he exited the building. "Why can't you bring your own food and stop taking mine?"

He smiled at me which dissipated any residual anger. "I'll trade you." He came closer and I could smell the lingering scent of his Brut deodorant. He must have put some on early this morning. "Your burger..." His breath tickled against my ear. "... for one kiss."

I swallowed as my mouth went dry. "You know I can't," I whispered.

I noticed his deep eyes dropped down to my mouth and he sucked on his lower lip. My heart pounded as thoughts of how that lip would taste. "Come on, Bella," he voiced carefully. "Forget about your pact and go out with me."

I shook my head. "Keep the burger."

A/N: What do you think? Let me know.