Disclaimer and A/N: Guess what?! They aren't mine! Dear Santa Claus; I've been a very good girl this year, so could you please put Christopher Ralph in my stocking this year? Or how about just by it? *grin* Okay Okay, this running joke is getting old. Gosh, I love these things--I just babble on and on about nothing at all! (As I'm sure most of you have noticed!) Anyway, sorry about making you wade through all the babble, I just like to talk. :) Hope you like this next installment, and I promise, in Chapter 6 you will find out all about Brooke's master plan...:)...so without further ado...
Matchmaking 101 5/??
The next morning, Catie stood in front of her locker, lost in thought. She glared at the insides of her locker, her hazel eyes holding a far away look in them.
She and Jamie hadn't made it home from Lover's Leap last night until after midnight. Needless to say, when her parents caught her sneaking in five hours past her curfew, they were less then thrilled. She was now officially grounded until she was either twenty five or dead, whichever came first.
"Catie!? Earth to Catie Roth!" Val voice broke into her thoughts, pulling her attention away from the locker.
"Huh? Oh hi Val." Catie said distractedly.
"You had no idea I was standing here did you?" Val asked her in amazement.
"Umm...no? Why?" Catie asked, hoping that she hadn't missed something important.
"I've been standing here trying to talk to you for the past five minutes! What is so interesting about your locker that you didn't even notice that I was standing here?" Val asked, grinning.
"What? Nothing! I was just...umm...thinking..." Catie fumbled for an excuse that Val would believe, but judging by the expression on her best friend's face, she didn't think that she was going to be able to find one.
"Okay, girl, spill. What's going on?"
"There's nothing going on! I'm just...preoccupied...you know...with...school...and stuff." Catie looked up at her best friend, silently hoping that the taller girl would believe that line.
No such luck.
"School? Yeah right. Catie, since when did you care about school?" Val asked, smothering a laugh.
"I care about school." Catie defended herself half-heartedly, scanning the hallway for a tall figure with rugged black hair and a leather jacket.
"Since when?" Val repeated herself, shifting her books into one arm.
"Since..." Catie didn't have time to finish her sentence, because all of the sudden, Jamie came into view, looking exactly the way he always did--but somehow different.
"Catie?" Her best friend asked, snapping her fingers in the other girl's face, trying to get her attention.
"Um, hey, Val, I'll...uh...catch up with you later, okay?" Catie asked, already moving down the hall, her ponytails bouncing.
"Um, okay?" Val asked the thin air, watching her best friend make a bee line for Jamie Waite.
As Val watched, Catie slipped up to Jamie and put her hand on his arm for a minute, her eyes locked on his face. She watched Jamie's face light up into a smile as he covered Catie's hand with his own, his eyes glued to her face. They talked for a minute, and then Catie laughed, shaking her head back and forth. The next thing Val knew, the twosome were walking down the hallway together, Catie's fingers still lingering lightly on Jamie's arm.
The blonde watched him go, her eyebrows taking an excursion into her hairline. "Well...that was...interesting."
"What was interesting?" Tyler asked from behind her, startling her.
"Tyler! You scared me!" Val cried, put her hand up to her racing heart.
"Sorry." He flashed a smile that made her heart race for another reason all together. Turning to look at Jamie and Catie again so he wouldn't see how blood red her cheeks were, Val gestured with her hand.
"That's what's interesting. You know, if I didn't know better, I think that those two didn't need any help from Brooke to get together." Val thought out loud.
Tyler looked as well, and a slight grin pulled at his lips. "I think your right. Think we should still go through with the plan?"
Val thought for a minute, her eyebrows drawing together. Finally she smiled, and nodded. "Yeah, I think we should."
"Now, for my next question: do you honestly think this hare-brain scam of Brooke's is going to work? Because you know, I would rather not be beat up by Jamie--or even worse, Catie." Tyler fretted, pulling his mouth to one side.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Val promised, smiling up at him.
"I feel so much better now."
"You should."
Matchmaking 101 5/??
The next morning, Catie stood in front of her locker, lost in thought. She glared at the insides of her locker, her hazel eyes holding a far away look in them.
She and Jamie hadn't made it home from Lover's Leap last night until after midnight. Needless to say, when her parents caught her sneaking in five hours past her curfew, they were less then thrilled. She was now officially grounded until she was either twenty five or dead, whichever came first.
"Catie!? Earth to Catie Roth!" Val voice broke into her thoughts, pulling her attention away from the locker.
"Huh? Oh hi Val." Catie said distractedly.
"You had no idea I was standing here did you?" Val asked her in amazement.
"Umm...no? Why?" Catie asked, hoping that she hadn't missed something important.
"I've been standing here trying to talk to you for the past five minutes! What is so interesting about your locker that you didn't even notice that I was standing here?" Val asked, grinning.
"What? Nothing! I was just...umm...thinking..." Catie fumbled for an excuse that Val would believe, but judging by the expression on her best friend's face, she didn't think that she was going to be able to find one.
"Okay, girl, spill. What's going on?"
"There's nothing going on! I'm just...preoccupied...you know...with...school...and stuff." Catie looked up at her best friend, silently hoping that the taller girl would believe that line.
No such luck.
"School? Yeah right. Catie, since when did you care about school?" Val asked, smothering a laugh.
"I care about school." Catie defended herself half-heartedly, scanning the hallway for a tall figure with rugged black hair and a leather jacket.
"Since when?" Val repeated herself, shifting her books into one arm.
"Since..." Catie didn't have time to finish her sentence, because all of the sudden, Jamie came into view, looking exactly the way he always did--but somehow different.
"Catie?" Her best friend asked, snapping her fingers in the other girl's face, trying to get her attention.
"Um, hey, Val, I'll...uh...catch up with you later, okay?" Catie asked, already moving down the hall, her ponytails bouncing.
"Um, okay?" Val asked the thin air, watching her best friend make a bee line for Jamie Waite.
As Val watched, Catie slipped up to Jamie and put her hand on his arm for a minute, her eyes locked on his face. She watched Jamie's face light up into a smile as he covered Catie's hand with his own, his eyes glued to her face. They talked for a minute, and then Catie laughed, shaking her head back and forth. The next thing Val knew, the twosome were walking down the hallway together, Catie's fingers still lingering lightly on Jamie's arm.
The blonde watched him go, her eyebrows taking an excursion into her hairline. "Well...that was...interesting."
"What was interesting?" Tyler asked from behind her, startling her.
"Tyler! You scared me!" Val cried, put her hand up to her racing heart.
"Sorry." He flashed a smile that made her heart race for another reason all together. Turning to look at Jamie and Catie again so he wouldn't see how blood red her cheeks were, Val gestured with her hand.
"That's what's interesting. You know, if I didn't know better, I think that those two didn't need any help from Brooke to get together." Val thought out loud.
Tyler looked as well, and a slight grin pulled at his lips. "I think your right. Think we should still go through with the plan?"
Val thought for a minute, her eyebrows drawing together. Finally she smiled, and nodded. "Yeah, I think we should."
"Now, for my next question: do you honestly think this hare-brain scam of Brooke's is going to work? Because you know, I would rather not be beat up by Jamie--or even worse, Catie." Tyler fretted, pulling his mouth to one side.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Val promised, smiling up at him.
"I feel so much better now."
"You should."