The group of them always bragged that the nights were just as exciting or more than the days among themselves. They were mostly fun people, or the ones who abstained from fun proved to be entertaining. Paris had been the only one who had pushed for a group party after the first night of shooting, the others were more inclined to celebrate privately, and that had been how it had turned out. Dave was picking up Lane at 6:30 for the concerts, and she was so excited. Shane, in a burst of friendliness, had spent an hour putting in temporary blue hair dye, and Rory had even allowed her to blast her choice of music on the room's radio player.

"It's going to look awesome," Shane exclaimed as she ran the dye through Lane's hair.

"Dave is going to be so impressed," Rory added, knowing that even after all these years Lane still cared a lot about what Dave thought.

"You don't think it's over-the-top? Mama Kim would."

"Mama Kim thinks that being here is over the top, remember?"

Lane nodded, causing the blue goo to slip and slide around in her hair.

"This feels disgusting," Shane complained, but kept doing it.

"So," said Rory, distracting Shane from the disgusting dye, "you and Zeke have the apartment all to yourselves tonight?"

"Damn right. Dave, Tristan, Dean and Jess are all kicked out till midnight."

"How is it you keep him up so late and he still insists on shooting so early?"

"He's a morning person."

"How can people BE morning people?" Lane complained.

"No clue," said Shane.

"Coffee," suggested Rory, grinning. She left to get another cup.

An hour and a half later, Shane, Rory, and Lane came out into the living room to show off Lane's hair to Paris and Summer. Summer was painting her nails, and Paris was reading.


Summer nodded her approval and went back to her nails, but Paris didn't like it.

"Lane Kim! What if that doesn't wash out before tomorrow?"

"Relax psycho, I know what I'm doing," said Shane, "we could do yours!"

A horrified look crossed Paris's face, and the girls giggled.

"Come on," said Rory laughing, "Jess would like it."

Lane left and reappeared in a Bon Jovi T-shirt and ripped jeans. The doorbell rang, and Rory walked to it and opened it.

"Hey Dave," sit down, Lane will be right out." Rory instructed as Lane made a mad dash to the bathroom.

Three minutes later Lane came out, and pretended to look surprised to see Dave sitting at the table.

He smiled and walked over to her, "Lane Kim, you look great," he said, and kissed her. She kissed back, and smiled. When he pulled away she said, "So do you." After a chorus of "awwwwww" from the other girls, Lane and Dave left.

They got into the car and Dave smiled, "I feel out of place with your hair and my plain clothes."

"Want to stop and get your tongue pierced? That'd help." She thought about it for a minute and then violently shook her head, "no tongue piercing. What about your nose? Yeah, nose is good."

Dave laughed, "that is exactly why I love you."

"Because I look like I should be in the video for "Blue?"

"Yeah," said Dave, "that's exactly it."

Back at the house, Rory was trying on outfits for her date with Tristan, and modeling them in front of the other girls. Finally, after outfit five, Summer got up and went to Rory's closet.

"Lets see, you look really cute in red, where is he taking you?"

"Dinner and coffee."

"Then we won't want anything to showy, plus, he loves how modest and stuff you are, so how about a sweater?" She searched through the closet and finally pulled out a thin V-neck sweater.

"As for pants, nice jeans would probably work best. Dark denim." She pulled out a pair of dark denim jeans, and smiled, "damn, you're tiny."

"I'm working on that."

Summer left the room, and Rory got dressed. She checked herself in the full-length mirror, and then showed off the outfit.

Summer smiled, "Perfect."

Paris nodded, "good to see your not dressing up like a whore."

Shane said, "Nice."

Rory poured herself a cup of coffee, and then the doorbell rang, "Must be him!"

Summer answered it, "Hey Tristan."

"Summer."

"Rory's just about ready."

"Can I come in?"

"One second."

Rory looked at her reflection in the kitchen window, and gave a thumbs up to Summer.

"Yep, here she is," said Summer as Rory walked out of the kitchen.

"Wow, you look great," said Tristan, scanning the outfit.

"Thanks, so do you. Lets go." Rory mouthed the words 'Thank You' over her shoulder to Summer who just winked.

They walked down to Tristan's Porsche, and Rory climbed in.

As he started the car, Rory started talking. "I don't know that my mother would approve of me going on a date with the man who just murdered me all in the same day."

"Well, your mother loves me."

It was true. Lorelei had thought Tristan was a sweet, charming, handsome boy. Rory decided her mom was after the money. Regardless of the reason, Lorelei was heartbroken when they broke up.

"That was before you killed her daughter."

"I guess that's true. Then again, since your not really dead, she might be willing to turn a blind eye."

"Your devious."

"No, I'm charming."

"Fine. Where are you taking me for dinner?"

"Can't you handle a surprise?"

"Uh… no."

Tristan laughed, "Then I suppose I'll have to tell you. Château Riverside Palace. "

"Oh," said Rory, almost in a gasp. The Chateau had been the first place they had kissed. Tristan was obviously trying to ignite memories. Rory wasn't sure if she wanted to remember. The story went that Rory had broken up with Tristan for Dean, but it had been more to the fact that she thought he was cheating on her. She had never had proof, just the idea.

Tristan knew she was surprised by his choice, but he liked Rory still, and he wanted her back. He hadn't been serious with anybody since her, and he hadn't ever really gotten over her.

Part of their chemistry had been their silly little fights. They fought flirtingly, and they were up to it again. This time about the radio station on the way. It was only a five-minute ride, so after they finally agreed, which meant that Rory won, they pulled into the fancy parking lot. The Chateau Riverside Palace was had huge columns that embraced it's customers, and a huge lighted entryway with high ceilings and expensive chandeliers. Tristan had called ahead and the "DuGrey" party was immediately seated. They were placed in a quaint table by the window that overlooked the balcony, the balcony they had kissed on. Piano music played nearby. "Clancy," a strapping young man was their server, and he promptly arrived and asked what they wanted for appetizers. Rory ordered the Mozzarella Tuffs, which meant cheese sticks. Tristan asked that they make it a double order.

Meanwhile, at a small run-down coffeehouse known as "Joey's Joe," Dean and Amber sat on a torn up couch and sipped lattes. Amber was a smart brunette, she had gray eyes and was tall, but not as tall as him. She was skinny and pretty, and quiet tempered.

"Hey," said Dean, not eloquent.

"Hi."

The couple paused for a moment and then Amber smiled, "I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"I tried to think of why we ended it, and I started to cry. I decided that meant that I wished it hadn't ended."

"I wish it hadn't too. So what are we going to do about this?"

She smiled, and winked, "Well, we can either be miserable and separated, or get back together."

"Hard choice."

"I know, I know."

"I have an idea! Lets get back together."

She laughed and smiled, works for me!"

Summer and Paris were the only ones in the house. Shane had already headed over to the boy's apartment, which meant that Jess would shortly be there. Summer was putting the finishing touches on her make up so that she could go clubbing. She was wearing black skin tight leather pants and a flashy blue shirt, it had sleaves but it also had a V-neck that went to her belly button.

She asked Paris how it looked, and she sarcastically responded, "Super, JLO."

"Does my butt really look that big?" Summer asked playfully.

The girls laughed, and the doorbell rang.

"Well, that would be Jess," said Summer, "I'll leave you two alone."

She slipped out the back door and off to her clubs.

Paris answered the door. She was shy around boys, especially Jess.

"Hello, come in."

"Hey."

"Thanks so much for helping me run lines, I mean it's so nice of you, I hate trying to just read the script without somebody to read the other lines. It's been proven that it sticks in your head better if you say it out loud then if you just read it, did you know that?"

"Paris," Jess said, interrupting her, "it's no problem."

"Well, thanks."

"No problem. Can I get some coffee? Our piece of shit machine back at the apartment broke again."

"Sure. How come everybody is a coffee freak?"

"Because we never sleep."

"That's true."

Jess smiled, "You looked good in that dress today,"

"Thank You! I don't think black is my color. You did really good today too, I mean you died very realistically."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"That's how it was meant to be."

"Sure," he said smiling sarcastically, "this is weird."

"How is it weird?"

"Don't even pretend. We went out, we broke up, and now were running lines and making small talk. It's weird."

"We could make big talk."

"Okay, shoot."

"Do you like Rory?"

Jess paused, "Does it seem like I do?"

"Don't answer a question with a question."

"No. I don't like Rory. I still get jealous when I see her with them, but I don't want to be with her."

"That's a very unconvincing answer."

"Who's idea was it to make big talk?"

"Who thought of the phrase 'Big Talk'?"

"You."

"Oh, yeah. Well, anyway, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's shoot, which is why I called you over. I wanted to know my lines perfectly for my big scene and…"

Jess stopped her conversation by putting his mouth on hers. After a moment, she pulled away from the kiss and he said, "Shhhhhhhh." Then he went in for another round.

Meanwhile, Tristan had convinced Rory to go out on the balcony, after they had eaten their dinner.

"It's still beautiful from up here, isn't it?" said Rory, ignoring him, not letting him try to force history to repeat itself.

"It's still the exact same."

"Your charming and smooth, Bible Boy, but I'm not stupid. Your trying to repeat history, like a cheesy chick flick, overbudgeted romantic movie, and I won't have it."

"Really?"

"Really. Can you believe that?"

"Sometimes you have to make things happen," he said smiling at her, and then he kissed her.

She didn't pull away, she couldn't force herself to.

When they finally stopped she smiled at him, and said, "I hate you."

"You only wish you could."

Dean and Amber were on their fifth latte, and were cuddled close on the couch, looking at the pictures in the art book that was on the bookshelf. The coffeehouse was a huge hangout for intellectual students, who sat around drinking lattes and reading. Even though he was with Amber, he wondered why he had never brought Rory here. He forced the thought out of his mind, and kissed amber on the cheek, she smiled, and turned the kiss into the lips. A painting of Monet's seemed to smile up at them. The next page was a picture of a storm.

In a place called "Thunder," Summer was sipping a Martini and being hit on by Blitz, the DJ for the club. Blitz was famous at the club, well loved, and girls followed him around. She was in love, or at least proud that the unattainable famous DJ was plotting to get her. She smiled and whispered the title of the song she wanted. She walked away, and bragged to a group of girls that he had taken her request. Blitz never took requests. At Midnight, Blitz gave the DJ area up to "Flash" a young guy who hero worshipped Blitz and was his apprentice. Blitz approached Summer, who was drunk by this time. Summer had only been up into the VIP area once before, when a fading pop star decided she could go with him. He ignored her, but she got to say she'd been up there. Blitz took her up there, and she was happy. After she'd smeared enough lipstick on his face, and he was beginning to press for more, she had the common sense to say no, and left. She probably wouldn't be able to go to "Thunder" anymore. She hated it when people labeled her a slut. She wasn't. Sex was for relationships, she didn't do one-night-stands. All the girls who scowled and muttered slut when they saw her, would have given it up to Blitz in a second. She wrote her phone number on his hand, but she knew he wouldn't call. Boys were about one thing.

Jess and Paris never did practice lines, they made out the entire evening. The scripts lay forgotten on the coffee table. The wordlessly renewed their relationship, a move that was well predicted. When they came up for air Paris sighed, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," he replied, and used their oxygen supply in the best way they knew how.

Zeke and Shane were rustling underneath the sheets, a smile on both their faces. They heard the door open and slam. "Dean!" shouted Shane, as she kissed her man, and quickly got dressed. She left him smiling, alone in the "Love Nest." He was a very happy man.