Wow that took forever to update. Well my editor has been slacking off...lol...so enjoy!

Chapter 14

The park was a place full of memories, both good and bad. Looking around, a flood of emotions filled me and a smile came across my face. Like the summer memories of Squid and I, past memories with Greg and even some with Kevin. As I stepped into the park, two girls ran by me. One was screaming and crying and the other was just behind her, laughing a maliciously. I feel a flashback coming on…

"Eat the bug!" Seven year old Greg towered above me. My trembling five year old fingers reached for the worm, a whimper escaped my mouth.

"I can't believe you're a-scared of a little bug!" He teased, his friends who were looking on snickered in agreement.

"I'm not going to touch the worm." I said in a bratty voice, pulling my hand away from the bug like it was a hot stove.

"Fine but we'll just have to call you cry baby from now on." Greg and his friends began teasing me, making crying sounds and rubbing their eyes. He shoved the worm towards me, but I swatted it away and dashed from the sandbox we were sitting in. He and his friends were close behind me. I stopped at the fountain in the middle of the park. My mom and dad, who had been divorced since I could walk, were standing on each side of the fountain, beckoning for me to go with them. My mom, who I spent most of my time with, smiled her warming smile at me, while my father stood there, smug as could be.

"C'mon honey, you can sit in the front seat!" My father had told me. I was sold right there. Still I cannot believe I gave up my mom for a crappy life with my dad, all for the front seat. As I hopped merrily to my dad's car, my mom called out from behind us.

"Kelly you go in that car you'll never see me or Greg again!" She warned. I don't care, I had thought, I'm going into the front seat. Too bad she was right. I didn't see them again for ten years…

I noticed someone sitting alone on a bench. Their hood was up protecting their face from the winter wind and my eyes. I walked around the bench, the note clutched in my hand.

"Excuse me…" I started.

"I'm glad you came Kelly." I stiffened as the voice filled my ears.

"L-L-Lianne?" I stuttered, stunned as she took down her hood to revel her brown curly locks and deep brown eyes.

"Well duh, who'd you think it was?" She asked giggling. I was shocked. If anything I thought it wasn't her.

"But how…when…why'd you tell someone your secret, then blame it on me?" I asked. She laughed lightly.

"I realized people would like me more if they took pity on me, so I told Heather Peterson and she told like everyone. Good move on my part, huh?" I gawked at her.

"But why blame me?" I asked again.

"I thought Alan would break up with you if he saw what a fraud you were…well are, and then take pity on me. But I guess that didn't work out." I smiled triumphantly. Damn right it didn't work.

"But…" She continued and my face fell. "You know that new girl, Chloe? She pretty much wants to start an 'I Love Alan' club, so I figured, if I can't get to him, maybe she'll use her 'almost-as-good-as-me' good looks to get to him." She smiled.

"He's not that thick you know." I said.

"I know. Chloe is also a sweet talker. Trust me, when she gets started, there's no turning back for him." She smiled once more before leaving me sitting on the bench, baffled beyond explanation.

"I knew it!" Squid cried. I gathered him, Amber and ZigZag in my room to tell them the news about Lianne and the park incident. I may have left out the Chloe part though.

"What a freak." Amber spat. Tell me about it.

"But seriously, who called it?" Squid asked showing off his new 'I told you so' dance.

"You did." We all said, unenthusiastically.

"Yeah well, I've got better news." ZigZag said. "It's almost holiday break!" We all cheered softly.

"That reminds me. Kelly we need to go shopping for our lovely boyfriends." She pinched ZigZag's check as he made a face.

"That reminds me, I gotta go." Squid made a beeline for the door. I followed him to the door and we both paused.

"Why are you hurrying off?" I asked.

"It's Sunday and you know, homework, school…" his voice trailed off.

"You're still not mad about Devin are you?" I asked, trying to get in his line of vision, which was somewhere down the hall.

"Yeah course not." He said. I stood up to kiss him. He bent down and gave me a quick peck and dashed off, leaving me with my lips still puckered.

"I love you!" I called after him. He waved backwards and shouted back.

"Yeah love you too!" I sighed and closed the door behind me.

"Do you think he's still mad about the whole Devin thing?" I asked ZigZag.

"Nah, he took care of that." I smiled weakly.

"What are you worried about?" Amber asked.

"It's not him. I'm worried about; it's that girl, Chloe." ZigZag looked at me questionably.

"Why? She's cool." I laughed.

"Not according to Lianne. She said, and I quote, 'She pretty much wants to start an 'I Love Alan' club' and she also said 'when she gets started, there's no turning back for him'." Amber gulped at my reenactment.

"Don't worry about him Shorty." ZigZag said.

"Guys wanna stay for dinner?" I asked, trying to cheer myself up.

"I'm game." Amber said.

"She's my ride home so, I'm game too!" I smiled. It felt good to have great friends around when you need them.

It was the Friday before Christmas break. Squid and I walked side by side in the hallway. He smiled as he looked down at me.

"You're short." He said, his six foot something stature towering over my pathetic 5 foot 1 body.

"Didn't we discus this at camp?" I asked teasingly. He smiled, looked up, and continued walking. Meanwhile, I glanced around at the couples interlocked on the lockers on the way to my own. Squid hated PDA, not that I could blame him, some was a little over the top, but something wasn't the same about him. He hadn't kissed me, and I mean really kissed me in forever. Maybe he was waiting, but I didn't know what for.

"You alright?" He asked, stopping in front of my locker before heading out to Amber's car. "You look pale."

"I'm fine." I lied. He eyed me before waving at someone behind me. Please don't be…

"Oh is this a bad time?" Her high pitched voice made me cringe. Whenever I say, please don't be, it is…thank you!

"For what?" I asked, whirling around to face her.

"To talk to Alan." Before I could answer, she dragged him to a locker down from mine. She spoke intentionally loud in hopping I would hear her.

"I was hopping that we could work on that math project." She said flirtatiously twirling her ebony hair around her bony finger.

"Well actually we were going to go to Kelly's house." Squid said whirling around to flash me a smile. Chloe yanked him to face her.

"I thought we should work on it. Besides, she told Lianne's secret, why do you still want to go out with her?" She glared over his shoulder at me.

"Look you're new here so I'm going to offer you some advice. Stay away from Lianne." I blurted out. She stepped out from behind Squid to face me.

"She's right you know." Squid added, causing her face to drop.

"Whatever. Let me know if you change your mind." She flipped her hair and strutted off down the hallway.

"A good egg gone rotten. You girls are so mean to each other." Squid said laughing. He stopped when he caught sight of me.

"You sure you're ok?" he asked. I nodded, the lump in my throat preventing me from talking.

"I thought she was nice." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Guess not." I mumbled.

"What took you so long?" Amber said, shivering in the forty degree air.

"Casanova over here got a little visit from the devil." I said, elbowing him harder than I intended.

"It's not my fault." He said, rubbing his side.

"If you two are done fighting, midterms are after break and Ricky and I need to study." She said, halfway into the car.

The holidays weren't a big deal with my family. We usually got some presents, ate some food and just hung out. My mom invited Squid over to help me with gift wrapping.

"Are you bored?" I asked. We sat on my bedroom floor surrounded by boxes. Squid fumbled the tape dispenser.

"Are you kidding? I love wrapping." He pulled another box in front of him.

"Not with this." I said sighing. "With me." He looked up slowly.

"What makes you say that?" He asked. I smiled shyly and shook my head.

"No reason." My smiled faded and I looked at the ground.

"No seriously." He said. I looked up quickly.

"It's just…I don't know. All this stuff about that new girl and I don't really remember the last time we really, you know, kissed." He laughed.

"I know it's stupid let's just forget about it ok." He furrowed his brow.

"No way! I can't have you go thinking about that, especially around the holidays. I guess I've been a little," he paused. "Detached lately." I raised my eyebrows and nodded.

"I've just had a lot on my mind."

"Like what?" I asked.

"It's silly. I've been kind of stressed over your present. The guy I'm getting it from, let's call him Bob, Bob's been slacking with getting it and I'm running out of time." My eyes widened.

"It's not illegal is it?" I asked. He laughed and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It'll be an amazing Christmas no matter what."

"How about we catch up on all the stuff we've been missing." He said, smiling suggestively.

"My mom's down the hall!" I said, laughing as he kissed my neck.

"Then we'll shut the door." He whispered, reached behind me and shut it.

"I love you." He whispered again. I smiled.

"I know." I whispered back, making him smile too.

Oh la la...aren't they cute togather, well i have a miny bias with that becasue she is my creation mwhahaha...wow, ok let me get back to photography class, hope you enjoyed. Reivew mucho!

33 SMACbaby