Here's the next chapter. Once again I don't own the Ducks nor do I own Lizzy's sonnet. That comes from the movie Ten Things I Hate About You. All I own are the Baseball team, Lizzy, Anna, Emma, Ellie, and Aly. Enjoy.

Chapter 35: The Prank War

Lizzy's PoV
I woke up to a green glare of the clock reading 2:16 am. I looked around and remembered where I was. "Scooter," I said shaking him, "Scooter wake up."

"Go back to sleep Lizzy." He answered.

"Can we talk?"

"In the morning Lizzy."

"It is morning."

"After eight in the morning."

"I guess it can wait." I sighed and went back to sleep. When I woke up again it was after nine and Scooter was staring at the ceiling. "Oh, sorry." I muttered when it crossed my mind he might have wanted to get up.

"No it's fine." He said. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"I just..." I trailed off. He gave me ample time to talk but when I didn't he started talking about the latest hockey game he had seen.

When I sat up he started to get to what he thought was the root of the problem. He basically told me that ignoring Dean wouldn't solve the problem and that aside from time only talking would fix it. He also told me not to hold a grudge because Dean was a hormonal teenage guy and it was only natural for him to do that. Mainly he just talked and I listened. Some of what he told me was what Kenny had already told me and some of it wasn't but he did touch slightly on letting it go because I missed Dean and he kinda had a right to admire what he has while he had it and not to take things for granted.

"Thanks Scooter, that's a lot to think about." I said as he finished.

"Sure but do make sure you think about it."

"Will do. And thanks, for letting me stay here last night."

"Anytime." He answered as I put on my shoes, jacket, and left. On the way back to my dorm I ran into a few J.V. cheerleaders.

"Oooo, just wait till I tell your little Deanie-bear where you spent the night." Their captain said.

"And just where did I spend the night?" I asked smirking.

"The Varsity dorms, cheating on him with an older man?"

"You do know that I'm playing Varsity Baseball this spring right?"

"Well yeah...but you could just as easily use that to cover for why you're sleeping with one of them."

"If you insist on telling him I spent the night in the Varsity dorms then tell him I spent the night with Scooter Holland, I'm sure he'll understand." I spat.

"You mean Gaffney's Scooter?"

"Yup the very same."

"Oooo." They squealed in unison.

"Just wait until I tell Julie, then she'll be mad and make sure Deanie dumps you, and...Ooo this will be great."

"You know there's only one minor problem with your little plan there Tiffany." Connie said. I looked behind me and saw her and Julie standing there breathing a little hard. They looked like they had been out for a jog.

"Hey Julie, Connie. What's this little problem?" Tiffany said.

"You really want to know?" Connie asked.

"The problem is," Julie said when Tiffany nodded, "Portman and I already know where she was, who she was with, and what they were doing. And you know what neither of us has a problem with it."

"Oh," Tiffany said sounding disappointed. "So you don't mind if I ask Deanie?"

"No, none of us would mind if you asked Portman." Connie told her.

"But I wouldn't wake him." Both Julie and I warned.

"They say it's better to let sleeping bears lie." I said.

"I thought it was dogs." One of the other girls said.

"It is but bears are more vicious when they've just woken up." Julie put in.

"Oh," that's when Tiffany and her clones walked away and the silence grew awkward.

"Um, thanks." I said looking at my shoes.

"You don't have to thank us; you're part of us and the team."

"Yeah but..."

"There are no buts about it Lizzy although we don't like the fighting or the situation between you and Portman we're not going to let you take on those girls by yourself, even though you probably could have done it." Julie added.

"Not the point. You're taking his side aren't you?" I said.

"No, of course not. He shouldn't have said it." Connie said quickly.

"Then you agree that he's a pig and I shouldn't talk to him ever again?"

"No, I think you might be overreacting a little." Julie said hesitantly.

"So then you're not taking sides?"

"Not yours or his but Kenny's." I groaned. "We do want to know when the fighting will end though."

"In a few days I guess. I do miss him and you guys but I don't want to go back on my point."

"And he won't apologize because he doesn't think he's done anything wrong?"

"I guess. It could be because I haven't given him the chance to."

"You're just confused."

"Yeah pretty much."

"Don't worry about that, all of us get confused about boys one time or another." Connie said.

"But that's just the thing I shouldn't be confused by boys, I grew up with five of them around all the time. I should know how to fit in with them better and girls should confuse me."

"You got to stop thinking so much just let it come to you and it'll make more sense that way." Julie put in.

"Yeah do something to get your mind off it. I know come jogging with us." Connie tried.

"Not particularly dressed for jogging maybe next time." I said. "Besides I'm kinda cold and hungry. I'm going to head inside but I'll see you later."

"Bye Lizzy." They called as I walked away. I spent most of the rest of the day in my room and only came out for dinner. When I did I sat with Emma and Ellie. They introduced me to Anna and a girl named Alyssa who was a friend of Emma's.

"I saw your masterpiece." I said to Anna.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I liked it."

"Yeah?"

"Really."

"You wouldn't happen to know how to get over artist's block do you?"

"Take a shower." Anna got an accosted look on her face. "No I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that, I meant after you finish washing and stuff just stand there and let the water run down you while your mind wanders. It usually helps me."

"Hmm, interesting thought."

"And if that doesn't work you could always come watch him play."

"Do you think he'll know I'm there?"

"You personally? Probably not," her face fell, "That there's another pretty face in the crowd yes. As a team we hardly notice specific people in the crowd but we do notice if there's a very pretty or handsome face in the crowd that hasn't been there before." She was blushing bright red. I smiled.

"You know if that doesn't help we could always have him pose for you." Alyssa said. Anna got even redder.

"She's just kidding." Emma said forcefully.

In English Lit on Tuesday February 1, we started sonnets and for Thursday she asked us to write our own. I thought about it on Wednesday in study hall but didn't come up with anything until after play practice. It took about a minute to write it down and another to recopy it neatly. Fulton came in and plopped down on my bed.

"I'm bored." He complained.

"And I'm tired." I answered.

"So talk to Port. Girl you haven't seen him since that day at dinner, he's completely changed. It's sickening really."

"Fult you know good and well that is not what I meant." He sighed heavily. "Please just give me a couple more days."

"Alright, you have till Saturday before I lock you both in a closet and don't let you out."

"You're a good friend."

"Thanks. But you know it's just because I hate being stuck in the middle." For the rest of the time Fulton flipped though a car magazine as I finished the rest of my homework. At dinner I sat with the baseball team who, through Max, had apologized.

"Welcome back to the land of the hormonal driven jocks." Mike said.

"Why is it so boring around here?" I asked.

"Because all you've been focusing on is school, hockey, and homework. You need to do something else." Max suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"Well like last year for instance, the hockey teams entertained us all with a prank war." Jim said.

I think he figured out that I have a small prank streak. I got a small smile on my face and Max grew cautious. "No way ER you can't get us into anymore trouble." Max said.

"I've never gotten you guys into any trouble." I said indignantly. "Besides we won't get into trouble if we don't get caught."

"What's your idea?" Bastian asked.

"I say we fork the front lawn."

"Whose?"

"The administration building."

"Too big go smaller."

"How about Varsity?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Nope, you guys can't get blamed for it. Who would fork their own front lawn?"

"Good point, would we say who did it?"

"Blame it on JV hockey. Say it's for Varsity hockey."

"Why hockey?"

"Have you seen any other team react act the same way Varsity Hockey does to the JV Hockey team?" Mike asked.

"Alright," Bastian said.

"Besides you know if the Varsity Hockey team got pranked they'd prank back and it would keep her sufficiently entertained for a while." Brian tempted.

"I can see that." Bash answered nodding.

"So it's agreed? We'll do it tonight? Fork Varsity's front lawn, then leave a note saying 'look out front love JV' or something along those lines?" Jim asked fueling my idea.

"Whoa hold your horses there; we have to make sure we have everything." Bash said. "Where are you going to get the forks?"

"There's a small store down town that sells plastic ones."

"And the note? How can you make it look convincing?"

"Scooter knows Charlie's handwriting so if you could get me a sample of Charlie's work I could forge it." Mike said. I nodded and Bash looked around trying to find someone else who was against it. Unfortunately for him everyone seemed to be into it.

"What about you?" Bash asked. I raised an eyebrow. "You're on the JV team and it will end up landing on you."

"I'll deal with that when I have to." He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. I knew we had him convinced, but the team still sat waiting, with baited breath, for him to give the ok.

"And you say we won't get caught?"

"Exactly."

"If we do?"

"Bastian we won't get caught."

"If we do?"

"I'll take the blame; it was my idea in the first place."

"Lizzy." Max started.

"Alright I can live with that." Bastian said. The team let out a collective breath.

"You can't seriously let her take the fall if something happens." Mike said.

"I can and I have my reasons." Bash stated firmly. So that night we forked the front lawn around midnight and the next morning I sat between Adam and Charlie firmly ignoring Dean.

"If that's the way you play, then you better watch your backs." Andy hissed as he walked past.

"What the hell was that about?" Adam asked. I turned toward the baseball table where Max caught my eye and I nodded.

"Hey ER did you hear?" Emma asked standing across from me behind Fulton.

"Hear what?" I asked.

"Someone forked the Varsity dorm's front lawn and everyone says the hockey team is blaming their JV counterparts." She said.

"Thanks Emma but you do know they didn't do it right?" I answered.

"Good luck telling Varsity that." I smirked and she walked away.

"How did you know we didn't do it?" Julie asked.

"Why would you after what happened last year?" I answered.

"So why is Varsity blaming us?" Guy asked.

"Because well think about it the only people who have shown outward contempt for any Varsity team is us. Unless there's someone else here that hates a varsity team that we don't know about then it would have to be us." Adam said.

"But don't they have cameras on the outside of all the buildings?" Connie asked.

"Only where it has a shot of the student, faculty, and Visitor parking lots." Dean answered.

"Spent a lot of time in the Dean's office to know that didn't you?" I snapped.

"No he asked me to help him fix the sound on one of them." Dean spat back. I rolled my eyes and looked away.

"So if we didn't do it then who did?" Dwayne asked.

"Maybe someone who doesn't like you framed you." I suggested.

"What are you saying?" Dean snapped.

"That maybe someone was bored out of their skulls and framed you for entertainment. I didn't think it was that hard to understand." I barked.

"Why do you keep talking about the team as if your not on it?" Simultaneously we both stood up.

"That's none of your business."

"I'm just saying that maybe your new boy-toy put you up to this, joining the team and then making us bomb the most important game of the season next weekend." Portman growled.

"What boy-toy?" I snapped.

"That jerk and ex-Hawk Larson."

"Port maybe..." Fulton started.

"Stay out of this Reed!" We both snapped.

"If you knew anything you would know I only tried out because I lost a bet with Matt, but I stuck with it because I love the game. Larson isn't a jerk, he's a good friend and a..." I was cut off when Adam's hand slid over my mouth.

"That's enough Lizzy." He said gripping my arm.

"Yeah come on Lizzy-gator calm down, we have to get to class." Fulton added taking my other arm as he and Adam almost drug me out of the cafeteria. When we reached my locker I was in tears. Fulton took me into his arms and rubbed my back until I had calmed down. During English Lit. we all had to get up and read what we had written.

"Ms. Jacobs would you like to go?" The teacher called.

"Not really." I muttered to Fulton. I stood and made my way to the front of the class. "It's called Ten Things I Hate About You." I said.

"I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair. I hate the way you drive my car. I hate it when you stare. I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind. I hate you so much it makes me sick; it even makes me rhyme. I hate it, I hate the way you're always right. I hate it when you lie. I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry. I hate it that you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call. But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all."

By the time I finished I was crying. I handed the page to the teacher before walking back to my desk. Instead of sitting down I grabbed my bag and walked out the door.

"Hey," a female voice whispered sitting down next to me in the hallway near the janitor's closet.

"I love him." I answered.

"I know." She replied.

"I think I'm gonna talk to him at lunch."

"That's good." I sat there sobbing on her shoulder until the bell rang. "Come on let's get you cleaned up." After she got me pretty cleaned up she walked me to lunch but for some reason everyone was either glaring at me or avoiding my gaze.

So there's that chapter. Let me know what you think.