Thank You's:

saxaphonebaby lol i'll forgive u....i'm glad u like it.

sk8erpunkGCpnay thanks 4 the suggestion...i hope the summary is better now, if not lemmie know.

maroonedpirate11yay! I was shooting for funny :-)

NevaChicka

jamiemarie33 I'm so happy u think it's that great!!!

Here's the chapter sorry it took me so long, i couldn't log in for a few days.

Merry Christmas

December came quickly for the band, and everyone was excited for the Holiday dance. It was nothing fancy, but it meant that all secret couples would be out and about...so they wouldn't be so secret anymore. The dance would be held on Christmas Eve. Katie and Ray were at the mall a week before the dance so that Katie could find a good outfit. Ray didn't really want to be there...she wasn't the shopping type, but she needed to get some stuff at the electronics store.

"Katie, that's the millionth outfit you've tried on! Pick one already!" Ray complained.

"Shut up Ray! I have to find the perfect one. Zack has to like it. Now, which skirt do you like better? The black one, or the red one?"

"Black, but red would be more festive." Ray said, not really paying attention because she saw Freddy and Zack enter the store. She smirked. "But of course, you could always ask lover boy." Katie gasped.

"What! He's here?! Hide me!" Katie ran back into the dressing rooms. Zack spotted Ray and the two boys headed over.

"Hey Ray...what are you doing here by yourself?" Zack asked.

"I'm not here alone Zack...Katie's hiding from you...she doesn't want you to see her in an outfit she might buy...But I think she should get your opinion on it. It's not like it's the prom or anything."

"Come on Katie! Come out!" Freddy called into the dressing room. Katie came out in her regular clothes.

"I've picked out what I'm going to wear Ray, so it's going to have to be a surprise." Zack frowned.

"But I really wanted to see it." She hugged him.

"Well you're just going to have to wait. Wanna get some food?" Zack nodded.

"You guys wanna come?" Zack asked.

"No way man! I don't want to be stuck with the two love birds!" Ray said holding her hands up. "I'm going to get some stuff from Best Buy and Models...I'll meet up with you three later."

"Hey you're not leaving me with them! I'm going with you!" Freddy exclaimed and followed her out of the store.

"They're hopeless." Katie said rolling her eyes. Zack hugged her.

"Naah, they'll figure it out soon enough. Come on, let's go eat."

Freddy and Ray made their way to Best Buy, and were checking out CDs not really talking about anything in general, except their favorite bands.

"So, who's going with who to the dance?" Ray asked.

"Well, Tomika is going with Lawrence, Leonard with Alicia, Gordon and Marta, Katie and Zack, and I think Summer is going with Marco."

"You mean she's not going with you?" Ray said innocently, "I thought you two would be going together...you'd make the perfect couple." Freddy chuckled.

"She asked me, but I turned her down. I only like her as a good friend. Nothing more. Are you going to be there?"

"Me?" Ray asked disbelievingly. "Why would I go?" Freddy shrugged.

"I dunno....maybe you had to work or something...or I thought Derek might ask you." Ray burst out laughing.

"Derek!? Gross! I'd rather go with Joey!" She stopped laughing, "But seriously, who are you going with?"

"I dunno..." "Jones! Its your school dance, you have to go! You're the one I wanna get the dirt from about Katie and Zack."

"Then why don't you go yourself?"

"Because I don't go to the school. Duh! Now why don't you have a date?"

"I didn't ask anyone. I don't like anyone."

"Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England." Ray said sarcastically.

"Well I do like someone, but I don't think she likes me." He told her truthfully as she paid for her CDs.

"Dude, you'll never know until you ask her."

"How should I ask her though? Give me an example. I've never actually asked anyone out that I really liked as much as I like her."

"You like her a lot huh?" He nodded. They took a seat on a bench as Ray thought. "Well, you could always sing her a song. Girls love that." She suggested.

"Out of the question! I don't sing for anyone but my shower."

"Alright, then you can send her a bunch of flowers and a note asking....that's like the biggest cliché of them all." Freddy laughed.

"Yeah like I'd do something like that!"

"Well, I'm out of ideas...let's go to Models!" She suggested getting up. She gagged as they looked through the windows of some stores.

"You don't like shopping do you?"

"Not girly stuff like skirts and frilly junk. I like Models, and sports stuff, and of course electronics and music. I'm actually thinking about taking up an instrument or something...dunno what yet."

"Why don't you sing?"

"Me?! Sing! That's a good one Jones. I'd break glass if I ever sang."

"You might actually be good. Come on, sing something."

"Nope. I won't sing for you until you sing for me." Freddy smiled at her mischieviously.

"Well, you can always come into the shower with me." He said hugging her from behind. She pulled away and punched him in the arm playfully.

"You perv! That'll never happen. Will you stop hitting on me! Your future girlfriend won't like that very much." she didn't stop smiling until they saw Summer and Marco walking towards them. Marco saw them first, winked, and pulled Summer into a store so that she wouldn't see them.

"I always knew I liked that kid." Ray said smiling again. Freddy sighed in relief. If Summer saw them together, she'd flip...but she did seem to be having a good time with Marco, so maybe she'd forget about him.

"So Jones, what's new in your life? How's Joey?" Ray asked breaking the silence between them as they entered Models.

"Well, my mom and dad got pissed at me because I got drunk two nights ago...but they forgot to ground me which worked out...they're really thinking about not letting me play for the band anymore, but that won't happen cuz I'll just play anyway. Joey's doing fine...he misses you though, which is rare for him. I don't understand why he likes you so much."

"I have a way with little kids. Your parents can't take you out of the band! You guys are going to get signed! I heard one of the scouts talking about it at your last gig at the club! They asked me what I thought of you guys, and I told them that you guys were the best band that ever played at the club. You'll definitely get signed!"

"Are you serious?!" Freddy exclaimed. "Are they going to call Summer?!" Ray nodded. "Ray you're the greatest!" He picked her up and twirled her around in the middle of the store. She was laughing.

"Put me down Jones! I know it's good news, but you don't have to thank me, you guys were the ones who played." He put her down.

"Yeah but you got us the gig! Thank you thank you thank you!" Zack and Katie came in and joined in with the thanking.

"Why are we thanking Ray?" Zack asked once they stopped.

"BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GET SIGNED IF SUMMER AGREES!" Freddy screamed. People in the store started looking at him weird.

"I think we should leave now....Freddy's starting to scare people." Katie whispered. They all left the mall and went their separate ways.

That Monday in school everyone was talking about the dance. Tomika and Katie were talking about how they were going to get there. Everyone agreed that they would all go as a group and then split into pairs so that the guys wouldn't have to wait for the girls. Ray came over and sat next to Katie.

"So, you all excited about the dance?" she asked pretending to be preppy.

"You betcha!" Tomika exclaimed equally as preppy. "So, are you going to show up anyway?" She asked seriously.

"Yeah right! I don't think so Mika."

"Why not?"

"Can't, I've got some stuff I have to do."

"Like what?' asked Freddy and Zack who came over to sit by them.

"I promised some of the guys that I would go to the pool hall and shoot a couple with them."

"Then we'll come."

"Yeah. We have to keep you out of trouble." Freddy teased.

"No way! You guys can't come watch me work!" Ray scolded. "Go to your dance."

"Work?" Zack asked.

"Ray don't you dare think about hustling again!" Katie exclaimed.

"I was kidding. Sheesh. I'm not going to the pool hall that night. You guys are really gullible." Katie smacked her beside the head.

"Don't scare me like that! You promised me you wouldn't hustle anymore."

Ray rolled her eyes. "I know, I know...I won't hustle anymore." She assured Katie, she leaned to Freddy's ear, "But that doesn't mean I won't find other stuff to do." He fought back the laughter. Katie gave them an odd look as if saying 'what are you two up to?'

At the end of the day, Freddy had detention again so he had to stay after school. His English grades were up so Ray no longer tutored him, and he didn't have to spend his detention with Mr. Bard. No, his detention was spent in the lunch room, just sitting there doing homework for an hour. He had a brilliant idea suddenly pop into his head. Once he was done serving detention he rushed out of the school in hopes of catching Ray. Luckily she was about to get onto her bike when he saw her.

"Ray wait!" he called. She looked over at him and took her helmet off.

"What's up Jones?" she asked. He panted, out of breath from running.

"I...hang on....I have something to tell you."

It was the night of the dance. Everyone was excited. The girls showed up in two cars, and the guys in one as they had borrowed Dewey's van. They were shocked when they saw the girls. They looked amazing.

"Katie?" Zack asked walking up to her. She was wearing a black skirt that went to her mid calves and had a slit up one side, and a green top with a low cut.

"Hey Zack." She said happily. He gave her a hug and kiss hello.

"Where's Freddy?"

"No clue...I don't think he's coming." Zack shrugged. Just then they heard a motorcycle enter the school driveway. It was Freddy, with someone on the back. The girl had on black pants and a red shirt that had a criss- cross top. When she removed her helmet they all gasped...it was Ray.

Katie ran up and hugged her. "Ray you made it!!!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah...If Jones hadn't invited me, I probably wouldn't have come." Ray told her. Katie looked back and forth between Ray and Freddy.

"Are...Are you two together?? Like came as a couple?" Katie asked. Freddy nodded and put his arm around Ray.

"Better believe it." Freddy gave Ray a kiss on the cheek. Everyone's jaws dropped. No one had expected them to come together. The dance went along nicely. Ray and Freddy were wreaking havoc amongst the couples by holding mistletoe above them so they had to kiss. They danced together, but not to any slow songs.

"So, do you think they'll stay together for long?" Katie asked Zack.

"They should...I mean they're like perfect for each other." Katie nodded and put her head on his shoulder.

"Time for you two to kiss!" They heard Ray and Freddy say sweetly holding the mistletoe above them. Katie blushed and Zack kissed her.

"Why don't you two kiss?" Zack asked.

"Because I don't kiss on the lips on the first date." Ray said matter- o-factly. "I don't care what the holiday is." She and Freddy ran off before anyone could grab the mistletoe from them and make them kiss. They went over to one of the tables and Ray sat of Freddy's lap while he whispered something in her ear. She couldn't stop laughing, and he was smiling.

"I wonder what he's telling her." Katie thought aloud.

"Then why don' you go find out." Zack suggested. Katie nodded and went over to Freddy and Ray.

"If you'll excuse me, we need to have a girl chat." Ray looked up.

"Yeah, okay sure." Freddy frowned as Ray walked away with Katie to the bathroom. Zack and Freddy went over to the buffet table.

"Alright man, what's going on? I mean I'm happy for you and all, but what made you decide to ask her out so quickly? It took me almost two years to ask Katie out."

"I dunno Zack, it's just something about her...she's just a great girl."

In the girls room.....

"So Ray, do you really like Freddy?" Katie asked. Ray nodded.

"Yeah. He's funny, sarcastic, and not afraid of what people think. I could get used to having a normal relationship for once." Ray told her. Katie smiled.

"So...what was he whispering in your ear?"

"Sweet nothings." Ray replied holding in a laugh.

"Like what?" Katie asked eagerly.

"No literally, he was goofing around saying 'sweet nothings, sweet nothings, I'm whispering sweet nothings in your ear.'" Ray laughed. Katie burst into giggles.

"You've got to be kidding me! Can't he be romantic for one second in his entire life?!"

"We're talking about Jones here Katie."

At the end of the night everyone was really tired. The cafeteria was full of partied out, done-in teenagers. There were even a group of drunk ones...you see, Ray and Freddy spiked the punch.

"Well, it was nice while it lasted." Ray smiled giving Freddy a quick hug. Katie looked at her weird.

"What do you mean?" Freddy smiled mischievously.

"Ray and I weren't actually out on a date...We faked it for laughs." Zack punched him.

"You mean it was all a lie?!"

"Yeah man. I thought you of all people would have realized that." Freddy grinned, grabbing Ray's hand. They rushed to his bike before anyone could yell at them, which they already were. Freddy drove her back to her house.

"Well that was fun." Freddy laughed.

"Yeah, you should have asked that girl to go with you though. I don't think she would have turned you down. It's not so bad being your girlfriend." Ray started walking towards the big house, in hopes of Freddy driving away. But he didn't. In fact he started walking her to the door.

"Ray I know you don't live in this house." He walked her to the other house. "I'll see you around...You going to come to my house for New Year's?" he asked seriously. She smiled.

"I'll think about it." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Good night Jones, and Happy Holidays." "Good night Ray." He smiled and walked back to his bike.

That's the end of that chapter...PLZ ReViEw...u know u wanna!!! :-D

ShOrTsTaCk