Chapter 6

One week later the Catilian is on Saturday. Jake, Ham, Max, and Ham are in the parking lot talking.

"He kissed you?" Max asked.

"Yeah." Jake answered.

"Eww!" Kyle said.

"I am never going to be able to sleep in there again."

"What happened?" Ham asked.

"He snuck in behind me and said that I didn't belong here. Then he kissed me."

"Eww!" Kyle repeated as he shuttered.

"What did he mean by that?" Max asked.

"I don't know." Jake looked at Ham to see he was trying to hide his concerned look.

As they talked a car pulled up. Suddenly Kyle jumped up and pushed Max in front of him. "Kyle, what?" Max turned to try and push him away.

"She's not real, she's not real." Kyle said.

Max turned to see Maria and Tess getting out of the car. "Maria, Tess, what are you doing here?" Max hugged the girls.

"To meet Kyle's roommate." Tess answered, as she pulled away. The girl hugged Kyle.

"Um, Maria, Tess, this is Hamilton and Jake. Guys, Maria and Tess." They exchanged hellos.

"How did you get here?" Max asked.

"And when are you leaving?" Kyle added.

Jake and Hamilton watched the four with amusement.

"I'm going to ignore that, Kyle. Apparently Mr. Harding has a little slush fund." Maria said.

"How long are you staying?" Max asked.

"Until Sunday."

"Really?" Ham asked, glancing at Jake.

"Would like to go to a dance?"

"Really?!" Maria asked.

"Ham?" Jake asked, glaring at him.

"Come on, it'll be fun." Ham insisted.

"Excuse us a sec." Jake said, grabbing Ham's arm and dragging him to the side.

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"Okay, yes, it will be weird. But it would look worse if both of us don't go, or we try to go together."

"Fine, but you get Tess." Hamilton laughed. As they walked back over, they spotted Ryder. "Oh no." Jake groaned. Jake and Ham sat with the others. Ryder seeing them tried to head toward a different direction. "Ryder," Kyle yelled, "come here." Ryder looked up and saw the girls , so he came over.

"So you're Ryder?" Tess asked.

"Who are you?"

"Tess," she held up the picture. "You should be a model."

"How, you're." Ryder glared at Max and Kyle.

"We never said who was going to see them, we just said someone." Max said smiling.

"Nice to meet you." Ryder said to Tess and then left.

"What's his deal?" Maria asked.

"Who knows." Ham replied.

"So this dance?" Tess asked leaning on Ham.

"Yeah, Saturday, it's fancy, and you have to wear white." Jake said. "How is it a week before the dance and you two didn't have dates?" Maria asked.

Both Jake and Ham shrug their shoulders.

"Boys are hopeless."

"Who's hopeless?" Maria turns around.  Scout, Will, Caroline, Paige, Lena, and Gwen walk up.

"Well, the gang's all here." Max commented.

"So who's hopeless?" Scout asked again.

"These two." Maria said pointing to Ham and Jake.

"Oh, well we've always known that." Lena said, as she sat down next to Max.

"Uh, this is Tess and Maria." Max said. "Maria, Tess, that's Scout, Will, Caroline, Paige, Lena, and Gwen."

Everyone said hi.

"So how long are you visiting?" Will asked.

"Til Sunday." Maria answered.

"Cool." Scout said.

"So, Max do we get to see the school or what?" Tess asked.

"Why don't we all show you two the school?" Lena offered.

"Sure." Tess replied.

"The more the merrier." Maria added.

As they showed the girls through the buildings, they came upon Finn. "Hey, Finn." The boys all yelled, scaring Finn.

"Hello, is there something I can do for you boys?"

"No, we're just taking Max's friends on a tour." Ham said.

Max introduced them.

"Hello, a pleasure to meet you." Finn said as he shook both girls' hands.

"Hi," Maria and Tess responded.

"Well, I have work to do, so I hope you have a good time here." Finn walked away.

"Wonder what's up with him." Gwen said.

"Not a clue." Will said.

"Okay, next stop, TV room." Maria giggled.

Later that day the group is sitting by the lake. "So is anyone else hungry?" Maria asked. "Cause I am."

"Well, we could go to the diner. But Scout and I have to work, speaking of, Scout we gotta go." Will said.

"You two want to go there?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah, sure." Tess said.

Maria nodded.

"Well, we'll see you guys in a little bit." Will said as he and Scout walked away.

"So what do you guys think?" Kyle asked.

"This place is pretty cool." Tess said.

"I would like to go see the girl's school, too." Maria said.

"We can show you tomorrow." Lena suggested.

"Okay, cool." Maria said.

"So where are you all from?" Tess asked.

"New York." Jake replied.

"Here." Ham said.

"Oh, really?" Maria asked.

"Yup, my dad's the dean."

"Oh, well that's cool."

"You really think?"

"Well, yeah, you must have free run of the school."

"Not really, but it has it's good points."

"So Paige where are you from?" Tess asked.

"California."

"Cool." Maria commented, "and you guys?"

"South Carolina, and a bunch of other places, I went to school all over." Caroline told them.

"New York." Lena replied.

"Pennsylvania." Gwen said.

"Wow, you guys are from everywhere." Tess said.

"Yup." Gwen said. "So, I've never been to Roswell, but I've always wanted to visit. It must be very touristy, huh?"

"Yeah, it can be. But it's still an interesting place to live." Maria replied.

The next day after class, Caroline, Lena, Gwen, and Paige gave Maria and Tess a tour of the girl's school.

Meanwhile Jake and Ham went to a bridal rental shop in town for suits. "Jake."

"Hmm?"

"My dad said I can move into the dorms after the dance."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"What about Max?"

"Well, he can either get his own room, or share one with Kyle, leaving Ryder to himself."

"Found one." Jake said pulling a suit off the rack.

"Can I help you?" A saleswoman asked walking up behind Ham.

"I just want to try this on?"

"Here, I'll unlock a room for you." Jake followed the woman; she turned her head and smiled at Ham, who smiled back. While Jake changed Ham found a suit, she opened the door for him to see. "So?" "Very spiffy."

"Really?"

"Yes, Maria will want you so bad." He smiled.

Jake playfully hit as she headed back into the dressing room. Once she was back in her clothes, she pushed Ham in. "Your turn." When he came out to show her, she whistled playfully. "Sexy."

"Oh, really?"

"Yup, watch out Tess."

"Why?"

"Because if she tries anything, I'll have to kill her."

Ham laughed.

As they left the shop with their suits, they saw Ryder. He was sitting outside the coffee shop across the street from them. "Is he spying on us?"

"He's Ryder, so I wouldn't be surprised. Come on." Jake started across the street.

"Wait, we're not actually going over there?"

"No, but the bike is parked over there remember. Unless you want to walk back."

"No, let's go." Jake handed ham her suit as she got on the bike. He put his helmet on and put the suits between them. Ryder watched as Jake started the bike and rode off.

Later that day, Maria, Tess, Gwen, Lena, and Max went to watch Kyle at practice. Afterward, Kyle walked over smiling. "Hey."

Everyone said hi.

"Why are you so happy?" Tess asked.

"There's a scout coming to Saturday's game."

"Wow." Maria said.

"Yeah, well I'll be back. I gotta shower, see ya." He and Gwen kissed and then he ran toward the dorms.

"So you two have gotten cozy, huh?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, you could say that."

Maria smiled.

"So do you guys have dresses yet?" Lena asked.

"We are going to that bridal shop in town." Tess replied.

"Well, if you don't find anything, Gwen and I are going to a place in Carson tomorrow afternoon." Lena suggested.

"Okay, sure." Tess replied.

Meanwhile, Scout and Will are working at the diner. Ryder walks in with a bunch of friends. "Scout, your turn, table 5." Will said, trying to hide a smile.

Scout looked up. "Oh, no you don't!" He called back.

"I got him last time."

"Fine!" Scout walked over and handed them menus, but refused to make eye contact with Ryder.

"Well, look who it is." Ryder cooed.

"Can I get you drinks or anything?"

"We'll have a pitcher of Coke."

"Ok." Scout walked away quickly. Scout gave Will a dirty look as he went to get Ryder's coke.

Will laughed as he looked up to see Sean walk in. "Hey, man." Will said.

"Hey." Sean replied.

"So what can I get you?"

"Four hamburgers, all get medium fries and medium cokes."

"Hungry?"

"I'm treating Bella, Charley, and Grace."

"Aren't you nice."

"Yeah, well I try." Sean smiled.

Scout groaned as he put the pitcher on the counter, then he saw Sean. "Hi."

"Hey, Scout, is life really that bad?"

"If you have to Ryder, yes."

On cue, Ryder called out. "Hey, Scout, where's my coke?"

"Try not to kill him." Sean said, as he and Will laughed.

"Ill try, but no guarantees." Scout said, as he picked up the pitcher and walked over.