Author's Note: Gotta make a correction. I just found out that Sandy's last name os Foster. Whoops...time to go back and edit! LOL!

Chapter Four

Allie walked out of her bathroom and looked at Marah. "What do you think?" she spun around. She had on a long, golden-yellow, spaghetti-strap dress with black lace jacket over it. Marah had just put lace on the bottom of her elbow-length black gloves, and cut off the sleeves to her lace jacket, so it was now spaghetti-strap, too, and sewed it onto her dress. The only thing not ready at that point was Allie's hair, and all she had to do was take it out of the ponytail it was in, and let the curls fall down to her back. "How do I look, Mar?" she asked.
Marah smiled and nodded. "Oh my gosh, Allie! You look great. But if you don't mind, I have to go. I have to get ready before Tony gets back from Danny's. He's gonna be there at seven-thirty, too, so I'll see you at the party at eight, okay?" she asked, standing up and going over to hug Allie. "Don't be nervous. You're gonna knock him right off his feet. I talked to him a little bit ago, and he's so nervous..."

Allie laughed and shook her head. "He's nervous? HE is nervous? How could Sandy be nervous about me? It's just me! I mean..." she took her hair down and let the curls fall over her shoulders and down her back a little ways. "I mean, sure, I'm nervous, but I was fine earlier when it was all four of us. Then when Eden left, I started to realize that it was getting closer. Then when Michelle left, it struck me again...and now that you're leaving...Mar, I'm so nervous," she laughed a little bit.
Marah stood up and walked up to Allie. "Relax, Allie. Sandy obviously likes you, and for good reason. You'll be fine. I mean, I was so nervous when I first started seeing Tony, but look at me now...he and I are more comfortable around each other than we are around ourselves..." she laughed a little. "Trust me, Allie. You'll be fine, and if, by some strange twist of fate, you're not than I give you full right to blame me and hate me forever, okay?" she joked with Allie, trying to calm her down.

Allie hugged Marah and smiled a little. "I wouldn't hate you...just not talk to you for a couple years..." she joked. "I mean, how could I hate the first person in Springfield that befriended me?" she asked with a slight grin. "You and Marina are my Rocks of Gibraltar. I just wish there was some way we could get Shayne to the Beacon, so Marina would come with us...she needs a break from that hospital..."
Marah sighed and hugged Allie back. "I know she does..." she released Allie from the hug. "But she loves Shayne so much. I mean, he needs her, as much as he wants her to have a life of her own, I don't think he'd be progressing as well if she wasn't there with him so much. You know what I mean?" she asked, as they walked to the front door together, passing by Lizzie's room on the way. "As long as we support her and go visit them in the hospital a few times a week, I'm sure Marina will be fine..."

Allie nodded and smiled as they passed by her mother in the hallway. "Yeah, I guess..." she turned her attention from Marah to Beth. "Hey...mom..." she was still getting used to calling Beth her mother. "Are you going to the party at the Beacon that Cassie Winslow is throwing?" she asked curiously, hoping she wouldn't be going, so that she wouldn't get twenty questions about Sandy. She hoped that it was just a coincidence that Beth was dressed up--maybe that she had a date or something.
Beth looked at Allie and smiled a little. "Yes. I'm going with Jeffrey O' Neill. Why, honey?" she asked with a sweet, motherly smile. "You're going?" she looked over Allie's dress and smiled. "I'm glad you're finally socializing. Who are you going with?" she looked from Allie to Marah. "I'm sure you and Tony are going together, right?"
Marah nodded and smiled. "Yes, we are. And Allie is going with my half brother, Sandy Foster..." she looked over to Allie, to see the look on her face. Apparently, she was far from thrilled that Marah had told Beth. "But...I have to get going. I'll see you both in a little while."

Beth looked to Allie and smiled a little. "Well, I'll just have to meet this Sandy Foster when we get there, won't I?" she grinned. "When's he getting here?"
Allie sighed and looked back to see Lizzie coming out of her bedroom in her dress for the party. Oh God...Lizzie is going. I should have expected, her being Tammy's best friend and all... We'll just have to avoid her at all costs, that's all, she looked back to Beth. "Uh, seven thirty..."
Beth smiled and nodded, walking on into the living room and closing the door behind her. That made Allie's night. She just prayed that her father wasn't going, too. That would make matters a hundred-million times worse. My first date in Springfield and my PARENTS are going to be there...she huffed out a sigh.
Lizzie came up to Allie. "So, Sandy Foster from Sandy and the Mole, huh? It's all over town that the Mole set up a date between you two on the air..." she rolled her eyes. "Poor pathetic Sandy couldn't get a date and called up the most pathetically single girl in Springfield to go to the New Year's party with him?" she laughed a little. "I'm going with Tammy's ex, Joey Luppo..." she pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "At least I've got an attractive guy!"

Allie nodded and faked a smile. Just great...chances are dad is going with Olivia Spencer...but Olivia is cool, and she won't spaz out over me being there with Sandy. Why couldn't she have been my mom? She asked herself. She'd never date a district attorney. She realized that Lizzie was still babbling on and insulting Sandy, but then she looked out the front door and saw headlights coming through the Spaulding gates. "Well, it's been nice talking to you, Lizzie, but Sandy is here, so I have to go..." she grabbed her coat from the coat rack, when her father came around the corner and looked at his daughters. Oh...great...just what I need.

Philip looked at the door, and watched Allie prepare to leave. "Let him come in, Allie. I want to meet your date. I heard you telling Marah you were going to the party with...Sandy Foster?" he asked, standing between Allie and the door. "Why don't you go sit down and I'll bring him in to you..."
Allie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'm twenty years old!" she yelled as she looked at Lizzie, who was grinning triumphantly. "I don't need a scanner on my dates. I think I know who's a good person and who's not, thanks..." she crossed her arms at her chest and huffed out a sigh.
Philip looked at her and pointed to the living room as the doorbell rang. "Allie, go sit on the couch. I'll answer it. You too, Lizzie. It could be Joey..." he directed to his daughters. "I'll bring either one in. Your grandfather and I only want to talk to them..."

~~

Sandy buttoned the top button on his gray button up shirt. He hated not being able to dress too fancy for Allie, but he didn't have much for fancy clothes. He was already pressed for time, anyway...he had to go pick Allie up in five minutes...but he wanted everything to be perfect, and he needed a little bit of extra time after he was dressed to be sure he had everything ready. He had the red rose that he was going to give her, he took a shower, he put on his cologne...he was ready. Was he ready? He had never met a girl like Allie in his life. Allie was real, Allie was sweet--add it all up and Allie was way too good for him. You can do this, Foster. You asked her out, she said yes...you can handle it. She is way too nice to stand up, anyway. Not that you ever would...he straightened the collar of his shirt and pulled the bottom down. I look okay...I guess...he combed his hair and took one more look in the mirror. It would have to do.

He wondered what Allie would be wearing. She could afford any dress in the known world, so whatever it was, it was going to be amazing. Even if she showed up in a potato sack, it'd be amazing. But, the fact remained, that Allie was a Spaulding, so chances are she was going to go with a beautiful dress that would make Sandy feel like he didn't deserve to be there with her. He wondered if Marah was with her at the Spaulding mansion, helping her perfect her already flawless look. Girls always got ready for parties or dances in groups of at least three anyway. It was probably she, Marah, Eden August and Michelle Santos. Marina wasn't going because Shayne wasn't going, or else she'd be thrown in that little group.

He imagined himself, Tony Santos, Bill Lewis and Danny Santos all getting ready for the party together. He laughed a little. Tony, Danny and he would be at each other's throats, Bill would be...well, Bill was a nice guy, so Bill would be cool with everything. No, it was definitely a plus that guys never prepared for parties together the way girls did. Marah was probably putting all the finishing touches on Allie's dress, since he'd seen hers earlier that day, and it was all ready. Tony was going to be swept away, that was for sure. Sandy could tell already that he was going to be knocked off his feet. He looked down at himself, knowing that it would definitely look like they were Beauty and the Beast dancing together.

He froze. Dancing. He'd never thought of that. He was a horrible dancer. He'd never really slow danced before, since the girls never asked him to, and he was too scared to ask them. He hoped that Allie was a horrible dancer too. Maybe she wouldn't make him dance. Who was he kidding? Allie was probably a fantastic dancer. She could probably teach him in a couple seconds how to slow dance. He sighed as he saw looked at the clock. It was seven twenty-five already? He grabbed his wallet, put it in his back pocket, picked the rose up off the table, locked the door on his way out and rushed to his car, the bitter winter air biting at his face. "One small step for man, one giant leap for Sandy..." he told himself as he got into his car and started it.

~~

This was the closest that Sandy had ever been to the Spaulding mansion, and it wasn't that bad of a place. He pulled up to the gate and looked at the gatekeeper. He flashed a smile and rolled his window down. "Hi, I'm Sandy Foster, and I'm here to pick Allie up for the New Years party tonight..." he explained to the gatekeeper, and smiled as he opened the gate. His nervousness doubled when he got closer to the mansion. It was even bigger from close up. He sighed, got out of his car and breathed in a deep, cleansing breath. "You can do it, Foster. Let's go..." he walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Rather than be met by Allie, which he would have much preferred, he was face-to-face with Philip Spaulding. "Good evening, Mr. Spaulding. I'm Sandy Foster, I'm here to pick Allie up for the New Years party?"

Philip looked at Sandy, a slight smile on his face. "Come on in, she's in the living room. We can talk for a couple minutes...unless you're in a huge rush..." he led Sandy to the living room, where Allie sat across from Lizzie, and Alan sat at his desk, going over papers. "Dad, Allie's date is here..."
Alan lifted his head and looked back. "Oh, right. Hello...what's your name again? Allie told me, but..." he held his hand out for Sandy to shake.
Sandy shook his hand and smiled politely. "I'm Sandy Foster, sir..." he introduced himself to Alan Spaulding, who flashed him a smile. "Nice to meet you..."
Alan nodded his head a little. "You're taking Allie to the New Years party...so presumably, you'll be back after midnight. Am I right?" he asked.

Allie shook her head and looked at the floor. God, they want to ruin me. Come on dad and grandpa! Just let us go, please! She blushed beet red and looked up, catching Sandy's eye. "Yes, we'll be back kind of late, grandpa Alan. Aren't you coming?" she asked.
He shook his head no. "No, not this year. There's just too much to do. I'm sorry, Alisha..." he looked at Philip. "But you're going with Olivia, so why not let Alisha and Sandy be on their way?" he asked with a smile, making Allie cringe by saying her full first name.
After the first name anger set in, Allie looked confused. This was very uncharacteristic of her grandpa Alan, but she was glad for once. "Really, dad. We'll be fine for the half-hour or so that you can't watch us out of the corner of your eye. Sandy won't hurt me, I don't think..." she winked at Sandy.
Sandy shook his head and smiled at Allie. "I wouldn't dream of it..." he turned his attention back to Philip and Alan, hoping they would just let them go.

Lizzie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "God, you guys are so cheesy!" she stood up and left the room. "At least when Joey and I go out, we get straight to the kissing and don't go through the formalities of being all sweet and mushy with each other..." she huffed out as the door to her room slammed.
Allie rolled her eyes at Lizzie and hoped that she and Sandy could get out before Beth and Lillian came into the room and started to grill him as well. "So, dad, grandpa Alan, can we just go now, please?" she pleaded.
Alan nodded and Philip hesitantly nodded, too. "Yes, you can go. But be good, okay?" Philip asked, flashing Allie a pleading glance. "I mean...have fun, but be good, still."
Sandy nodded and looked at Philip. "It's only the first date, Mr. Spaulding. I wouldn't try to do anything with Allie on the first date. Not until we know each other well enough..."

Allie almost melted. Sandy was such a gentleman! She stood up and kissed her father and grandfather on the cheeks and smiled. "Bye, grandpa Alan. See you later, dad..." she took Sandy's arm and looked at him. "Ready to go yet?" she asked with a grin ash she grabbed her coat from the coat rack and put it on her shoulders.
Sandy nodded and linked his arm with Allie's. "Ready as I'll ever be..." he shrugged and walked her out the door, to his car, opening the passenger's side for Allie. "Ready, but nervous nonetheless..." he whispered after he shut the door. "What a combo..." he walked around the car and got in.

Allie got a good look at Sandy for the first time as he walked around the car. He looked amazing. He was wearing a gray button-up t-shirt and black, baggy jeans...nothing too fancy, but he still looked amazing. His hair was combed perfectly, and she noticed as she walked out of the house with him--he smelled amazing. She was going to be the envy of the party...and if she wasn't, all the other women in Springfield were insane. Sandy was perfect, and nothing would tell her otherwise...