Author's Note: Hello, faithful readers! Here's chapter two! I'm so happy, this story is progressing really well. I think that it is flowing easily because I like the characters and I am really getting to know them. So, please, please review! I would love to read your comments. Thank you all so much!

Mallory Sprenger and the Mystery of the Brass Bells

Chapter 2

I walked into Luiggi's. As usual, it was bustling with people. I could barely hear Kylie shouting at me from where the table was because of the din.

"Geez!," I shouted when I reached the table, "Could it be any louder in here?"

"Well, since you're shouting it now officially is!" I laughed. Kylie was always joking. That was one of the reasons she and I were such good friends.

Kylie continued, "Hey, well everyone, this is Mallory Sprenger. Mallory, meet everyone. This kid here," she pointed to Jake, "well, you know him. This is Matt…" she continued around the table. There was a total of ten of us, five girls and five boys. It seemed that everyone was couples, Matt and Janie, Jules and Joey, Kara and Andy. The boy who didn't have a girlfriend was Cameron, or Cam. I caught Kylie's eye, then looked at Cam. She winked at me and then sat down.

I knew exactly what she had in mind. I squeezed in between him and Janie. It was a little awkward because he, also, knew that Kylie was trying to get him and I to hook up.

"Hey," he said, calmly, holding out his hand.

"I'm Mallory, as you probably figured out," I replied.

"Cam."

"So, you play any sports?" It was a good icebreaker if you were talking to a guy. They love sports. Get them on the topic and they'll talk for hours.

"Football, basketball, baseball and lacrosse."

"Cool."

"You?"

"Umm…no." This wasn't true, but all I did was horseback riding. He didn't need to know that. Most boys, I'd found, weren't interesting in riding, or just plain afraid of horses. (Tough, eh?)

"So what's your favorite baseball team?" I was asking all of the questions. Even if we had started out okay, it was all going down from here.

"Yankees."

"Oh yea, they're good."

I smiled and started to talk to Kylie.

"What are we ordering?" I had to shout again, she was sitting on the other side of the table.

"Ummm….guys! What do y'all want?"

"Plain!" I shouted, in unison with Cam. We both blushed. Hey, cool, we had something in common.

I looked at him again. He was kind of cute, clear skin, dark amber eyes, and dark brown hair. He even had those cute freckles! When he smiled, his cheeks dimpled. Okay, so he was really cute! I laughed to myself.

"Since we have the plain lovers over there, how about we get plain?" Kylie spoke out.

The group agreed and soon our order was taken. I ordered a Diet Coke along with my pizza.

"Yuck Diet!" Kylie shouted when she heard me order. It seemed like the whole restaurant turned around. She blushed and our table became quiet.

"Your point?" I asked.

"You already so skinny!"

I glared at her. She very well knew I wanted to be a model.

"Okay, okay." She backed down.

"So, what else do you like in the way of food?" Cam had gotten over his shyness, well, okay, maybe.

"Umm….I'm not much of a big eater, but," I immediately regretted the statement. I should just be myself, and I love food. I continued, "I really, really like Mitchel's Cookies and Cream Ice Cream."

"Mitchel's? What's that?"

"Only the best ice cream in Cleveland! Wait, don't you know about it?"

"No, I'm kind of new."

"Really? Where'd you move from?"

"New York."

"New York City!?"

"No! No, just outside of Albany. I don't like big cities."

"Oh, okay."

Now I know what you're thinking, you're saying to yourself, "Cleveland, I thought that that was a "big city." Yes, you were right. We didn't live in Cleveland, we lived outside. In fact, very far outside, approximately a one half hour drive. I mean, our town was so small it wasn't even on the weather maps on the local news station!

"Do you like it here, then?"

"I'm still kind of getting to know it, I guess, but I'm liking what I've experienced." He flashed a perfect smile at me. Oh my God! Those dimples! He was definitely cute. I had made up my mind. Totally.

"That's cool." The pizza had arrived.

"Dig in!" Kylie shouted, always the motivator.

I grabbed a small slice and started daintily eating it. I noticed, that by the time I had finished, Cam had already eaten two pieces.

"This stuff is great!" He said.

"I agree."

"You know what? I think we should get together more often."

"Really?" Was it the food?

"Yea, how about you and me go see a movie next Friday. It's the only day I don't have practice."

"Sure, sounds great!" I had a date! For once! I was so happy, I could hardly wait to tell Kylie.

The couples started to leave as soon as the pizza was gone. Kylie came over to me, her arm looped through Jake's, who was looking the other way, getting anxious to leave.

"So, how was it?" The anticipated question.

"Ummm…."

"Is that all you have to say? C'mon, you and Cam did talk an awful lot."

"Yea."

"Are you sure that he didn't ask you, let's say, a certain something?"

"Okay, okay," I broke down, "He asked me to go to the movies on Friday and I said yes." It came out in a split second.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh! She squealed with excitement.

"I have a date!"

"You have a date!"

I hugged her, with Jake looking a little puzzled, but still undisturbed.

"Wait a sec, I don't even know his last name or number!"

"Here." She scribbled something on a napkin and handed it to me. "Got to run!"

I didn't even see her leave because I was too busy looking at the napkin.

"Cam Doland," it read, "281-4425."