Chapter 5/?

Part One

Angel trudged across the street towards his house. Tia was really pissing him off. She seemed to be having fun hanging out with him at Alicia's birthday party and after that he'd walked her home. They had even held hands! But then when they arrived at her doorstep, he tried to kiss her and the events went down hill from there. She had pulled away saying: "I wouldn't kiss you if you were the last guy on the planet!"

He had gotten mad, lots of yelling in sued, everything ended with the door she slammed in his face. He had remained on her door step yelling his lungs out and pounding on the wooden door like a maniac till her father's car pulled up in the drive way and he had to escape before charges were being pressed against him for stalking.

He was exhausted, annoyed, and totally clueless. If this had occurred with his last girlfriends he would have given up, because he was a guy and no girl was worth THIS much trouble.

But THIS was Tia, and he wasn't giving up without a fight.

Clover hummed along to her Walkman in total bliss when the phone rang. "Urr," She muttered. "Can't a girl have five seconds to veg?" Careful not to trample Tia's cheerleading poster, which read 'Go West Side Angel's'. Clover had a feeling that their football team was NOT the 'Angels.' "Hello." She mumbled into the phone.

"Clover, it's me. Duo."

Clover froze. Duo was the last person she expected to hear from. The chances of Homer Simpson calling to congratulate her on winning the lottery seemed more plausible.

"Clover I miss you."

Clover slowly got over her shock, and his words left only a deep penetrating anger. Duo had no right to call her. Not after the way he heartlessly dumped her in front of, hmmm? Oh, yeah-everyone! "Well I don't miss you." Her voice was filled with disdain. "And I have things to do, which I really must get back to."

Duo winced; the venom in her voice could poison the entire planet. "Just give me five minutes." He begged.

Clover sighed and lifted her watch. "I'm listening."

"Look," He began with utter sincerity. "I was wrong. I know that now. I've been paying for it. Just not being with you." Duo's voice caught. "Its'.well it's punishment enough, I miss you so-"

"You should have thought of this before you dumped me! Clover spat. "I honestly don't give a shit and you have three minutes left."

Duo took a deep calming breath. "I already explained this all in a email I sent you last night."

"What the hell is with you and emails anyway!" Clover muttered darkly.

Duo decided to ignore her last comment and continued on with his speech. "To make a long story short-"

"Good cause you only have one minute left."

Duo clenched and unclenched his fists. "STOP interrupting. Like I was saying." He dropped his voice to a low mummer. "Before I was rudely interrupted." His voice raised again. "I want you back. Me and you, Clo we belong together."

"Be still my heart." Clover replied sarcastically. "Oh look you've run out of time." And slowly she raised her finger to the phone and hung up. Clover felt so angry. Angry at Duo for having the nerve and actually calling her. Angry because he had cheated on her. Angry because a part of her wanted to take him back. A part of her had been wishing for this very thing to happen. And she felt sad. She, really, really, wanted to cry.

Suddenly the phone rang jolting Clover out of her thoughts. She quickly turned the phone on and lifted it to her ear. "STOP CALLNG ME DUO!"

"Uh, Clover? It's Logan."

Clover blushed and tried to calm herself down. "Oh sorry about that." She said with a shaky laugh.

"Anyway." Logan replied. "What do you say to Mexican? I booked us reservations at Le' Mexecanio for eight o'clock. There is something very special we have to celebrate I am the official Halfback on our football team!"

Clover could hear the excitement in his voice and could tell he was smiling. She didn't want to turn him down but she just wasn't up for celebrating tonight. She felt like she'd aged ten years in the last ten minutes and all she wanted to do was sleep. "Good for you...but I can't come I've got.homework."

"Come on it will be fun." Logan continued, his excitement level had dropped a notch. "And I can't cancel reservations."

"I would love to come but." A nagging voice in the back of her head surfaced. 'Duo's friend works at Le' Mexecanio, he'll see you with Logan and tell Duo.' "I'd love to come." She finished.

Logan laughed. "That did mean yes right?"

Clover grinned. "Of course it meant yes." They finished up and said their good-byes. Tonight, Clover told herself, you will be at Le'Mexecanio with Logan, enjoying a hot delicious meal, you will have fun, you will-you have moved on. The fact that Duo will get jealous has nothing to do with it.Unfortunately it wasn't very convincing.

Part Three

Angel handed the clerk a twenty-dollar bill and in return was given a bouquet of beautiful red roses. 'What evil lifeforms.' He thought staring at them with disgust. He couldn't believe he was doing this. If a week ago anyone had told him he'd been standing inside Garden Lifestyles he would have laughed, laughed, and laughed some more. He quickly exited the store before his rep got trashed. "Tia better like flowers." He muttered a second before he bumped into someone. Looking up he saw the exact blue eyes, blond hair, ruby lips, and glamorous smile, that had been the feature of his every dream and fantasy as of late. It was Tia. "Hey." He greeted flashing her a smile, but it quickly fell from his face as he noticed she was holding hands with Logan and dressed in a stunning red dress way to formal for any occasion less then a date.

"Hey Angel." She said with a smile, but it was a sad smile.

"Angel." Logan glared nodding his head in the official guy greeting.

Angel quickly thrust the bouquet into Tia's hands. "Here Tee, there for you." He waited for her obvious response. "Oh Angel that's so sweet!" Or "Oh Angel you are the greatest, why don't we head to Vegas and get married then we can take our honey moon in Hawaii and celebrate are new found long by-"

"I'm Clover."

"Oh." Angel instantly grabbed the flowers back from her. There was no way he would buy another bouquet. Logan snickered and Angel glared at him. So he'd forgotten about the twin thing? "Then I guess there's no reason to stick around." He turned on his heel and left. "Charming fellow." Logan sneered.

Clover ran a hand threw her fine blond hair. "He's okay when you get to know him."

"Which I don't intend to do." Logan jibed. "Want to head down to the beach? Get some ice-cream?"

Clover yawned, Le' Mexecanio had been fun and filling.

She liked Logan, really. She just wasn't in the mood for this now. Not when she felt like her heart was slowly being ripped to pieces. It had been so easy to get over Duo when she knew she couldn't get him back. And before the phone call she would have easily called him a jerk, but he sounded so sweet on the phone. Like he really meant what he was saying. Tia had said she was better off without Duo and Clover had agreed. She just wasn't sure if she could agree now. She wanted Logan. She wanted Duo. She WANTED to stop feeling this way. "No thanks, I'm really full and really tired. Do you think you could take me home."

The spark in Logan's eyes disappeared. "Sure."

The car ride home was quite and awkward and the moment Clover entered the safety of her house she relaxed for the first time that evening. Clover wanted to cry. She needed to cry. But she just couldn't cry. Why was this bugging her so much? If she wanted Duo back why didn't she take him? Wait, she knew the answer, she just wasn't up for bullet proofing her heart now that she couldn't trust him. She knew she shouldn't take him back and she knew she wouldn't. They were over and that hurt. It hurt a hell of a lot more then she ever imagined.

Part Four

The moment Tia entered her French classroom Tuesday morning she knew something wasn't right. Have the girls in her class were crowded around her desk. Tia knew she was popular but wasn't this a little extreme. Slowly the crowd of girl's parted and there sitting on her desk was the most beautiful roses she'd ever seen.

"You are so luckily." Lisa gushed. Tia shrugged and gingerly lifted the roses to her nose and sniffed. Mmmmmmmmm.

"Tia there's a card." Lisa pointed out totally ruining the mood. Tia opened the card, read the inscription, and nearly dropped the roses.

Dear Tia

Not even 1 million roses can compare to your beauty.

Love Angel

Once French ended Tia hurried towards her locker and was just about to shove the flowers inside it when Angel showed up.

"Hey." He grinned leaning casually against her locker. His gray T-shirt stretched against his amazing chest and it was all Tia could do not to grab him.

"Hey yourself." She replied.

"Did you like the flowers."

Tia stomped her foot furiously. "No I did not. Flowers are gift's boyfriends send girlfriends. You mister are not my BOYFRIEND!"

Angel blinked rapidly. "So I guess that means we wouldn't be going out tonight, huh?"

Tia rolled her eyes, he was too much. "Good guess, but why don't you take a clue and leave me alone!"

Angel's gaze became furious and he slammed his fist against her locker. "What is your problem. I WAS TRYING TO BE NICE!"

"WELL STOP TRYING.CAUSE I HATE YOU!"

"I HATE YOU TOO!"

A short stocky looking boy taped Tia on the shoulder. "Okay were aware that you two hate eachother but could you keep it down, some of us are studying."

Angel glanced around in utter annoyance. "The only person trying to study is you." He glanced down at the kid's math book. "But my advice, you should drop algebra and pick up a new course. What's it called again? Oh, yeah, your life!" The kid huffed and puffed and scurried away.

"Uh!" Tia exclaimed. "You are such a jerk and take your dumb flowers!"

Angel was clenching his jaw so tightly it looked like it was going to snap. "You keep them!" Then he stormed away. Tia threw the bouquet at him but it only whacked a fat dude on the nose and fell to the floor.

"Hey Logan." Duo called in a sing song quality. "I heard that you've been dating Clover."

Logan spun around and faced Duo. "I happily reply with a yes."

"You might want to change your answer pal. You're on the football team now and so am I. The only difference is that the team is behind me one hundred percent. If you continue to date Clover and are injured on the field it's purely a coincidence."

Logan narrowed his eyes. "Was that a threat?"

Duo gave Logan a small shove. "More like a warning. Trust me you will know when I'm threatening you. Stay away from my girl and you can avoid it all."

To Duo's amazement Logan started to laugh. "You think I'm afraid of you?"

Duo nodded. "You will be and I suggest that from now on you watch your back." Logan just shook his head and walked away. Duo was proving to be a whole new brand of asshole.

Part Five

"Tia wait!" Angel called grabbing hold of her arm before she had the chance to escape-yet again.

She shot him a withering glance. They had been playing hide and seek all day. She was tired, school was over, and she wanted to go home. "WHAT Angel?"

He suddenly became really interested with his sneakers and was staring at them like they held the secret to the universe. "I'm sorry about this morning."

Tia sighed. She couldn't deal with him right now. Best to put on a smile and make a quick escape. "Me too. But I really got to go."

"Just one more thing?" He still hadn't dropped her arm and she gave him permission to continue with her eyes. They were trained right into his and she felt trapped somehow. "Tia do you think.we could ever.Could you ever like me?" Tia desperately wanted to yell no. But in that moment he just looked so small, so insecure, so hopeful, that she couldn't crush him. "Hardly." She finally muttered.

His eyes lit up and he smiled. "Hardly's not never." Then he leaned in to kiss her and she felt an overwhelming sensation of.fear. She had to get out of here. Now.

"No Angel. Hardly was the nice way for never." Then she picked up her bag and practically ran away. It seemed that was all he'd seen her do lately.

Part Six

Angel rang the Rameriaz's doorbell an hour later and it opened with a bang.

"Hey Angel." It was Clover. "I'll go get Tia."

"No." Angel said with an uncertain smile. "Actually, I'm here to see you."