Closing her eyes as fear washed over her and the world speeded past, Chloe
gripped the dashboard with all her strength. This was it. Chloe Lane, opera
star of the future, was going to die a fiery death when a car driven by a
madman plunged off the road and into some ravine.
Through clenched teeth, Chloe ordered, "Zach, slow this piece of junk down - NOW!"
"Piece of junk? Chloe, I'll have you know this is a '66 Mustang. A very sweet ride if I do say so myself. Besides, you said that you wanted to get to school early on the first day."
"Yeah, well, I'd also like to get there alive!"
Keeping his eyes locked on the road, Zachary Wesley grinned and remarked, "Chloe, you're such a grouch in the morning. In fact, from what I've seen, you're a grouch all the time."
"You've only known me two days!" Chloe angrily exclaimed, her eyes now wide open. "Of course, you've been acting like a total jerk the entire time."
"Me? Please, you're nothing but a spiteful pain in my rear. All you have done since I met you is whine and mope around the house. Craig was still mad that my mom kicked me out, so he made me stay there. You could have left whenever you wanted. Instead, you chose to stick around and make me as miserable as you."
Smirking, Chloe replied, "You're just mad because I wouldn't let you have my bedroom."
"Would it have killed you to switch rooms with me? My room is bigger and has a larger closet!"
"Zach, I don't care how nice your bedroom is, I'm not switching with you. So, just leave me alone about it. Besides, I overheard Craig telling Nancy that he wouldn't trust you having that tree right outside your window."
Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, Zach unhappily muttered, "Well, when I get caught sneaking out because I had to use the front or back door, it's going to be all your fault."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Handsome. Charming. Rich. Popular. Philip Kiriakis was all those things. But, when he looked in the mirror, all he could see was the sadness. Critically gazing at his reflection, Philip considered something that Jason had told him over the summer. His friend had mentioned that he just wasn't the same. Sure, he might be nicer, and that was fine, but he had lost some of his charismatic attitude. And, in place of that great force was a blind devotion to Chloe. Jason was more than happy to point out that Philip's love for Chloe was anything but fine.
Philip turned from the mirror and approached his closet to find a shirt. He knew that he was running late, but wasn't terribly concerned about it. He had something far more important on his mind. Chloe.
Walking back across the room with a light blue v-neck shirt, Philip paused in front of the mirror and took a moment to really look at himself. He frowned when he realized that Jason had been right and that he couldn't even recognize himself anymore. And, the person Philip did see, he wasn't sure he liked.
Philip didn't want to lose Chloe, he was so in love with her that he wasn't sure if he could live without her in his life. However, Philip wasn't sure how many more mornings he could get out of bed and see nothing but a shell of his former self in the mirror.
One thing was certain. Philip just wasn't strong enough to let Chloe go. If she wanted the relationship to end, she'd have to be the one to do it. And, despite his reservations, Philip honestly didn't want to lose her. As their song said, he needed her. She was the one good thing in his life, which was a lot to lose.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jason was stepping out of his truck when he glimpsed the speeding black metal enter the senior parking lot at full speed. In the blink of an eye, the car came to a graceful stop in a parking space not far from Jason.
With a bemused grin on his face, Jason shut his truck door and leaned against it as he, along with several other teens, watched an unfamiliar guy step out of the car and approach the passenger side.
Noticing the blush creeping into his shy sister's cheeks as she watched the new guy, Jason felt his grin drop. Erin was not supposed to be looking at guys like that - ever. And, if Jason caught a guy so much as smiling at his baby sister in a suggestive way, he'd take care of him in a very painful manner.
Opening the passenger door, Zach gave Chloe a triumphant smile and extended his hand saying, "See, I told you that I'd get you here in plenty of time."
Releasing her firm grip on the dashboard, Chloe pushed Zach proffered hand away and stepped out of the car on her own. Glaring at him quite disapprovingly, she replied, "You nearly got us killed! You drive like a maniac. I swear, I am never riding with you again!"
Jason blinked several times just to make sure that what he was seeing was actually real. And, it was. There was Chloe Lane stepping out of the car. Jason knew that the fight at the pub between Philip and Shawn would have some repercussions, but he'd never expected Chloe to show up on the first day of school with another guy.
Vaguely, Jason heard his younger sister mention that she was going to go ahead and start walking to the building. However, Jason's attention was nearly completely focused on watching Chloe and the new guy. From the looks of things, Chloe wasn't involved with him after all. In fact, she looked more than a little displeased
Jason confidently walked over to the couple. He had decided that it would be in everyone's best interest if he just played nice with Chloe. After all, at one time, he and Philip had been really close friends, and it would only help him retrieve that friendship to get along with Chloe.
Besides, Jason was in a pretty good mood - regardless of the fact that summer was over and it was time to go back to hitting the books. Mostly, though, Jason was anxious to see Mimi. She had rushed out of his house so fast on Saturday, he wasn't sure if she had actually been there or not.
"Come on, Chloe, let's kiss and make up," pouted Zach.
"You really are a jerk, do you know that?"
"Well, I try," remarked Zach. The comment earned him a light laugh from Jason.
Chloe glanced first at Zach, then at Jason who seemed to have magically appeared behind Zach. Looking back and forth between the two, Chloe wondered what it was that she had done to deserve such a double whammy. She knew that if Zach and Jason ever joined forces, they would be an unbeatably egotistical duo.
Extending his hand Jason greeted, "Jason Masters." Chloe groaned as Zach returned the gesture by introducing himself. It was starting already. The two most aggravating guys she had ever met were now on a first name basis. She only prayed that an obnoxious friendship wouldn't ensue. God only knew what trouble those two could get into if they put their scheming heads together.
Chloe's worrisome thoughts were interrupted by Jason greeting her good morning. Suspiciously, she stared at him, wondering just what he had to gain by not ridiculing her first thing in the morning. Slowly, she returned, "Hi, Jason."
"So, Chloe," began Jason as he forced himself to not call her Ghoul Girl. "Where's Phil? I thought the two of you would be showing up together in that new sports car his dad bought him."
Chloe was definitely not in the mood to explain her problems with Philip to Jason. In a slightly annoyed tone, she answered, "Well, obviously we didn't."
Throwing an arm around Chloe's neck and bringing her body against his, Zach looked at Jason and commented, "And, obviously Chloe is being called on by that monthly visitor. I bet he doesn't like her anymore than the rest of us."
Jason snickered at the remark while Chloe blushed and pushed herself away from Zach. Determined to find any excuse to get away from the guys, Chloe quickly allowed her eyes to roam the parking lot and surrounding area. There had to be someone she could talk to other than her snickering associates. Just when she thought she was destined to have to put up with more insults from Zach, Chloe saw Brady standing near the entrance to the school. And, as though they were magnetically attracted, Chloe found her eyes locked with his as hidden passion met its mirrored self.
Tossing Jason and Zach a terribly fake smile, Chloe said, "What do you know, I see someone I need to talk to. I'll see you later - hopefully much later."
Chloe was barely six feet away from the guys when Zach suddenly felt a distinctly feminine body press up against his own. Looking down, he found a young woman with long, dark curls batting her fake eyelashes at him.
"Hey, sexy. Welcome to Salem High," purred Jan as she boldly ran a hand across Zach's chest.
Zach raised an eyebrow at her action and looked to Jason with a beseeching look. Jason, however, only frowned and shook his head. He'd played games with Jan before and didn't plan to do it again. With her, you always came out the loser.
"You know, I'm sure if you wanted someone to show you a good time, I'd be more than able."
Smiling Zach returned, "Yeah, and if I wanted to have something tacky and clingy attached to my body, I'd just wear spandex." Using both his hands to thrust Jan's stunned body away from his own, Zach added, "Why don't you go turn your cheap tricks somewhere else, I've never really been interested in the football team's unofficial mascot."
Quite near to stomping her foot in frustration, Jan turned to Jason only to find him smirking at her. Jan flashed him a dirty look before she started to walk away. Just as she passed by Jason, he lowly remarked, "Gee, I bet it must hurt being rejected by the new guy because even he knows what trash you really are."
Jan didn't make a return comment, she only walked away. Jason had definitely crossed the line with that one. No one spoke to her like that and got away with it. First, he'd had the nerve to defend Mimi. Then he had actually called her trash. Well, he would pay the price and so would his new friend. Someday, somehow.
"You know, Zach, I have a feeling that you and I are going to get along real good."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Brady watched Chloe's face as she approached him. He made no effort to meet her halfway, content to allow her to come to him while he studied her. Brady had watched as Belle moped around the penthouse for the past week and a half acting like her dog had died. Of course, the Blacks didn't have a dog, so that obviously wasn't the case. Then, Saturday, Belle had come home even more upset and refused to talk to anyone about. All she would say was that it was her own fault for being too trusting. Now, Brady was seeing the same look on Chloe's face.
As Chloe neared him, Brady saw her glance over her shoulder to where Jason Masters was standing with the guy who had given Chloe a ride earlier. Brady didn't recognize him, but he instantly found a strange feeling grow inside him when the guy winked in return to Chloe's glance. If Brady didn't know better, he might believe the feeling was jealousy.
"Hey, Brady."
"Hi, Chloe."
The couple stood silently staring at everything but each other until Brady reached out and placed his hand under Chloe's chin. Forcing her to look up at him, he softly said, "I don't know what's going on, but if something is wrong you can tell me."
Chloe could feel the tears building in her eyes at Brady's sincerity. There were so many things she wanted to tell someone, anyone. She was tired of fighting with her mother. She was scared that the strained relationship she shared with Philip would soon be ending. She was afraid that she had lost her friendship with both Belle and Shawn because of some silly misunderstanding.
Forcing back the tears, Chloe answered, "I'm fine. Really, I am."
"Yeah, right, and I'm thinking of starting a fan club for my stepmother," sarcastically replied Brady. "Why don't you just tell me what happened with you and my sister?" Noting the surprised look on Chloe's face, Brady added, "She's been moping around the penthouse all weekend, and now you're wearing the exact same sad expression she had on. So, spill. What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Wrong answer. Try again."
With great reluctance, Chloe answered, "There was this huge misunderstanding between me, Shawn, and Belle. Now, Belle hates me and probably never wants to speak to me again. Happy?"
"No, and neither are you and Tink." Handing Chloe a wallet that he had been holding at his side, Brady said, "This fell out of Belle's purse and she didn't notice it before she got out. Why don't you take it to her and see if you can't clear things up?"
Chloe reached out to take the wallet from Brady's extended hand, but her entire body froze when her hand touched Brady's. The simple touch left Chloe nearly breathless as she remembered Brady's recent flirtatious behavior. Looking up only to find Brady smirking triumphantly, Chloe jerked her hand away from his, nearly dropping the wallet in the process.
"I'll give it to her," quickly mumbled Chloe before hurriedly walking away from Brady.
Enjoying the view of Chloe's retreating figure, Brady silently pondered his plan. After seeing the sadness that continued to haunt Chloe's beautiful eyes, he knew that she was the one to help him. He felt certain that with a little scheming and a lot of luck, they could both have what they wanted.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mimi nervously patted the palms of her hands against her denim-clad thighs as she scanned the hallway in search of Belle. It had nearly killed Mimi getting up in time to get to school early, but she had made it - for one reason. She had not spoken to Belle in several days, and she was dying to tell her about the towel incident at Jason's house.
Seeing Belle come through the door at the end of the hallway, Mimi rushed to meet her.
"Oh, my gosh! Belle, I have got to talk to you!" Mimi squealed as she met her best friend. "You would never believe what happened to me Saturday."
Lost in her own excitement, Mimi failed to notice the pained look that appeared on Belle's face at the mention of Saturday. Continuing, Mimi said, "I ended up on top of a bed with Jason Masters, and the best part is, he wasn't wearing much clothing at all!"
Shaking her head as though it would force away both her tears and pain, Belle bitterly answered, "Well, I guess the two of you have something in common with Shawn and Chloe now, don't you?"
Belle turned away from Mimi and stormed down the hallway. It was the first day of her senior year, and she was miserable. Actually, she was beyond miserable. One of her best friends had stolen the guy she had loved her entire life. Rounding the corner faster than she should have, Belle was forced to stop suddenly so she wouldn't bump into two people coming around the corner from the opposite direction. That pause gave Mimi time to catch up with her.
Mimi, however, completely forgot why exactly it was she was running after Belle when she saw who her friend had nearly bumped into. Looking as gorgeous as he had when she'd been at his house, Jason was standing right there in front of her. Mimi tried to keep herself from blushing as she instinctively remembered just what Jason looked like without that shirt on.
Seeing who she had nearly ran into, Belle despondently said, "Sorry, Jase. I wasn't watching where I was going."
Zach took in every detail of the blonde standing in front of him. From the silky hair to the cute feet strapped in by high sandals, she was entirely adorable. For a moment, Zach stared first at Belle then Jason, awaiting his introduction. When he saw that Jason was lost in some intense lock of eyes with the brunette girl, Zach tried clearing his throat. Once again, Jason paid him no attention. Finally, Zach just lost his patience and jabbed Jason in the side with his elbow.
Jason irately glared at Zach who only nodded his head in Belle's direction. Getting the idea, Jason casually said, "Belle, Mimi, this is Zach. Zach, these are my friends Belle Black and Mimi Lockhart."
"H-e-l-l-o," slowly drawled out Zach at he brazenly took Belle's hand and lifted it to his lips.
Mimi and Jason shared an amused, yet thoroughly confused, stare as they both wondered just what it was that was happening between Belle and Zach. Whatever it was, neither expected Shawn Brady to be very happy about it.
Belle wasn't sure what she was expected to do. All she had been able to think about all morning was Shawn, and, now, there was another handsome, dark-haired guy trying to make her heart flutter. She didn't even know the guy, and his was kissing her hand. She'd known Shawn her entire life, and she couldn't get him to even kiss her cheek. Then again, Chloe didn't seem to have any problems with Shawn . . .
Blocking out the thoughts of Shawn and Chloe, Belle smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you, Zach." When Zach said nothing and only continued to explore the depths of her eyes, Belle gave a nervous, yet genuine, laugh and used her free hand to motion to Mimi. "Uh, this is my friend Mimi."
Zach kept his eyes on Belle as he politely muttered, "Nice to meet you, Mimi."
"Yeah," grumbled Mimi as she watched Zach watch Belle. The guy had an almost predatorial look in his eyes. Mimi was just waiting for Shawn to show up and make Belle forget all about Zach. Then again, Mimi was still trying to figure out just what it was the Belle had meant by her earlier comment concerning Shawn and Chloe being similar to Jason and Mimi. Mimi prayed that it didn't mean what she thought it meant.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Using her mind to overcome the desire to look back and see if Brady was watching her, Chloe continued to walk away from him. She could see that most of the other kids were heading inside the building and knew that the first bell of the day would soon be ringing. However, Chloe continued to walk with no destination in mind.
She still had Belle's wallet in her hand, but was beginning to think that she should just have someone else give it to her. Chloe felt certain that Belle wouldn't welcome the opportunity to speak to her. Hoping that she could convince Jason to give Belle the wallet, Chloe scanned the parking lot, but realized that he and Zach were both already gone. No doubt they were already causing trouble.
Chloe was about to turn around and head toward the building when she saw Shawn's truck pull into the parking lot. She wasn't quite sure if she should approach him after Saturday's incident. She had departed his house so quickly, they didn't even have a chance to discuss what had happened. Now, she was afraid that she had lost her last friend.
All those doubts were erased from Chloe's mind when she saw Shawn nearing her with a smile. It was a weak one, but it was still a smile.
"Have you seen Belle yet?"
Holding up the wallet, Chloe answered, "No, but I ran into Brady and he wanted me to give this to her. She accidentally left it in his car."
Shawn nodded as Chloe placed the wallet in her own purse. He'd been worried that Chloe would be angry about Saturday. He had been immensely relieved when she returned his shaky smile. After the fight with Philip, he couldn't afford to lose any more friends.
Bending his arm, Shawn extended it to Chloe and said, "What do you say? Ready to face another year at Salem High?"
"With you as my friend? Always."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"So," began Belle with all the happiness she could find. "Where are you from?"
"I grew up in Chicago. So, Salem is a big change for me. I haven't even gotten a chance to explore this town yet, but I have a feeling that I'll have a lot of adjusting to do."
Belle smiled and tried to curve her curious nature. She didn't succeed. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you move to Salem? Did one of your parents get a new job here?"
"Actually, I moved in with my older brother, his wife, and her daughter. You might know the daughter. Her name is Chloe. Chloe Lane."
Her face paling, Belle replied, "Yeah, I know her. We used to be friends."
Mimi and Jason shared another look as both wondered about the past tense that Belle used in her sentence. Jason was entirely clueless, but Mimi had a suspicion that she knew what, or more precisely, who was the cause for Belle not being friends with Chloe.
Taking a deep breath, Mimi asked, "Belle, does this have anything to do with Shawn? I know that you mentioned him and Chloe earlier."
Struggling to stop her bottom lip from quivering, Belle nodded and replied, "Yeah, Meems, it has to do with Shawn." Belle looked at Jason and Mimi before hesitantly saying, "You guys were there when Shawn got into that fight with Philip because of her. But, what I need to know is, did you guys know that Shawn had feelings for Chloe before that?"
Interrupting before Jason or Mimi could respond, Zach casually asked, "Does this Shawn guy happen to have dark brown hair and wear a leather jacket even though it's still hot outside?"
Belle, Jason, and Mimi all stared at Zach with surprise etched on their face.
Mimi curiously asked, "How did you know that?"
Zach pointed to the door at the end of the hallway and explained, "That's how."
Half of the teens in the hallway watched as Shawn and Chloe entered the building, among those staring were Zach, Jason, Belle, and Mimi. After the widely known fight between Shawn and Philip, it was quite interesting to see Chloe show up on Shawn's arm. The first bell had yet to ring, and the year was already off to a very interesting start.
Through clenched teeth, Chloe ordered, "Zach, slow this piece of junk down - NOW!"
"Piece of junk? Chloe, I'll have you know this is a '66 Mustang. A very sweet ride if I do say so myself. Besides, you said that you wanted to get to school early on the first day."
"Yeah, well, I'd also like to get there alive!"
Keeping his eyes locked on the road, Zachary Wesley grinned and remarked, "Chloe, you're such a grouch in the morning. In fact, from what I've seen, you're a grouch all the time."
"You've only known me two days!" Chloe angrily exclaimed, her eyes now wide open. "Of course, you've been acting like a total jerk the entire time."
"Me? Please, you're nothing but a spiteful pain in my rear. All you have done since I met you is whine and mope around the house. Craig was still mad that my mom kicked me out, so he made me stay there. You could have left whenever you wanted. Instead, you chose to stick around and make me as miserable as you."
Smirking, Chloe replied, "You're just mad because I wouldn't let you have my bedroom."
"Would it have killed you to switch rooms with me? My room is bigger and has a larger closet!"
"Zach, I don't care how nice your bedroom is, I'm not switching with you. So, just leave me alone about it. Besides, I overheard Craig telling Nancy that he wouldn't trust you having that tree right outside your window."
Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, Zach unhappily muttered, "Well, when I get caught sneaking out because I had to use the front or back door, it's going to be all your fault."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Handsome. Charming. Rich. Popular. Philip Kiriakis was all those things. But, when he looked in the mirror, all he could see was the sadness. Critically gazing at his reflection, Philip considered something that Jason had told him over the summer. His friend had mentioned that he just wasn't the same. Sure, he might be nicer, and that was fine, but he had lost some of his charismatic attitude. And, in place of that great force was a blind devotion to Chloe. Jason was more than happy to point out that Philip's love for Chloe was anything but fine.
Philip turned from the mirror and approached his closet to find a shirt. He knew that he was running late, but wasn't terribly concerned about it. He had something far more important on his mind. Chloe.
Walking back across the room with a light blue v-neck shirt, Philip paused in front of the mirror and took a moment to really look at himself. He frowned when he realized that Jason had been right and that he couldn't even recognize himself anymore. And, the person Philip did see, he wasn't sure he liked.
Philip didn't want to lose Chloe, he was so in love with her that he wasn't sure if he could live without her in his life. However, Philip wasn't sure how many more mornings he could get out of bed and see nothing but a shell of his former self in the mirror.
One thing was certain. Philip just wasn't strong enough to let Chloe go. If she wanted the relationship to end, she'd have to be the one to do it. And, despite his reservations, Philip honestly didn't want to lose her. As their song said, he needed her. She was the one good thing in his life, which was a lot to lose.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jason was stepping out of his truck when he glimpsed the speeding black metal enter the senior parking lot at full speed. In the blink of an eye, the car came to a graceful stop in a parking space not far from Jason.
With a bemused grin on his face, Jason shut his truck door and leaned against it as he, along with several other teens, watched an unfamiliar guy step out of the car and approach the passenger side.
Noticing the blush creeping into his shy sister's cheeks as she watched the new guy, Jason felt his grin drop. Erin was not supposed to be looking at guys like that - ever. And, if Jason caught a guy so much as smiling at his baby sister in a suggestive way, he'd take care of him in a very painful manner.
Opening the passenger door, Zach gave Chloe a triumphant smile and extended his hand saying, "See, I told you that I'd get you here in plenty of time."
Releasing her firm grip on the dashboard, Chloe pushed Zach proffered hand away and stepped out of the car on her own. Glaring at him quite disapprovingly, she replied, "You nearly got us killed! You drive like a maniac. I swear, I am never riding with you again!"
Jason blinked several times just to make sure that what he was seeing was actually real. And, it was. There was Chloe Lane stepping out of the car. Jason knew that the fight at the pub between Philip and Shawn would have some repercussions, but he'd never expected Chloe to show up on the first day of school with another guy.
Vaguely, Jason heard his younger sister mention that she was going to go ahead and start walking to the building. However, Jason's attention was nearly completely focused on watching Chloe and the new guy. From the looks of things, Chloe wasn't involved with him after all. In fact, she looked more than a little displeased
Jason confidently walked over to the couple. He had decided that it would be in everyone's best interest if he just played nice with Chloe. After all, at one time, he and Philip had been really close friends, and it would only help him retrieve that friendship to get along with Chloe.
Besides, Jason was in a pretty good mood - regardless of the fact that summer was over and it was time to go back to hitting the books. Mostly, though, Jason was anxious to see Mimi. She had rushed out of his house so fast on Saturday, he wasn't sure if she had actually been there or not.
"Come on, Chloe, let's kiss and make up," pouted Zach.
"You really are a jerk, do you know that?"
"Well, I try," remarked Zach. The comment earned him a light laugh from Jason.
Chloe glanced first at Zach, then at Jason who seemed to have magically appeared behind Zach. Looking back and forth between the two, Chloe wondered what it was that she had done to deserve such a double whammy. She knew that if Zach and Jason ever joined forces, they would be an unbeatably egotistical duo.
Extending his hand Jason greeted, "Jason Masters." Chloe groaned as Zach returned the gesture by introducing himself. It was starting already. The two most aggravating guys she had ever met were now on a first name basis. She only prayed that an obnoxious friendship wouldn't ensue. God only knew what trouble those two could get into if they put their scheming heads together.
Chloe's worrisome thoughts were interrupted by Jason greeting her good morning. Suspiciously, she stared at him, wondering just what he had to gain by not ridiculing her first thing in the morning. Slowly, she returned, "Hi, Jason."
"So, Chloe," began Jason as he forced himself to not call her Ghoul Girl. "Where's Phil? I thought the two of you would be showing up together in that new sports car his dad bought him."
Chloe was definitely not in the mood to explain her problems with Philip to Jason. In a slightly annoyed tone, she answered, "Well, obviously we didn't."
Throwing an arm around Chloe's neck and bringing her body against his, Zach looked at Jason and commented, "And, obviously Chloe is being called on by that monthly visitor. I bet he doesn't like her anymore than the rest of us."
Jason snickered at the remark while Chloe blushed and pushed herself away from Zach. Determined to find any excuse to get away from the guys, Chloe quickly allowed her eyes to roam the parking lot and surrounding area. There had to be someone she could talk to other than her snickering associates. Just when she thought she was destined to have to put up with more insults from Zach, Chloe saw Brady standing near the entrance to the school. And, as though they were magnetically attracted, Chloe found her eyes locked with his as hidden passion met its mirrored self.
Tossing Jason and Zach a terribly fake smile, Chloe said, "What do you know, I see someone I need to talk to. I'll see you later - hopefully much later."
Chloe was barely six feet away from the guys when Zach suddenly felt a distinctly feminine body press up against his own. Looking down, he found a young woman with long, dark curls batting her fake eyelashes at him.
"Hey, sexy. Welcome to Salem High," purred Jan as she boldly ran a hand across Zach's chest.
Zach raised an eyebrow at her action and looked to Jason with a beseeching look. Jason, however, only frowned and shook his head. He'd played games with Jan before and didn't plan to do it again. With her, you always came out the loser.
"You know, I'm sure if you wanted someone to show you a good time, I'd be more than able."
Smiling Zach returned, "Yeah, and if I wanted to have something tacky and clingy attached to my body, I'd just wear spandex." Using both his hands to thrust Jan's stunned body away from his own, Zach added, "Why don't you go turn your cheap tricks somewhere else, I've never really been interested in the football team's unofficial mascot."
Quite near to stomping her foot in frustration, Jan turned to Jason only to find him smirking at her. Jan flashed him a dirty look before she started to walk away. Just as she passed by Jason, he lowly remarked, "Gee, I bet it must hurt being rejected by the new guy because even he knows what trash you really are."
Jan didn't make a return comment, she only walked away. Jason had definitely crossed the line with that one. No one spoke to her like that and got away with it. First, he'd had the nerve to defend Mimi. Then he had actually called her trash. Well, he would pay the price and so would his new friend. Someday, somehow.
"You know, Zach, I have a feeling that you and I are going to get along real good."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Brady watched Chloe's face as she approached him. He made no effort to meet her halfway, content to allow her to come to him while he studied her. Brady had watched as Belle moped around the penthouse for the past week and a half acting like her dog had died. Of course, the Blacks didn't have a dog, so that obviously wasn't the case. Then, Saturday, Belle had come home even more upset and refused to talk to anyone about. All she would say was that it was her own fault for being too trusting. Now, Brady was seeing the same look on Chloe's face.
As Chloe neared him, Brady saw her glance over her shoulder to where Jason Masters was standing with the guy who had given Chloe a ride earlier. Brady didn't recognize him, but he instantly found a strange feeling grow inside him when the guy winked in return to Chloe's glance. If Brady didn't know better, he might believe the feeling was jealousy.
"Hey, Brady."
"Hi, Chloe."
The couple stood silently staring at everything but each other until Brady reached out and placed his hand under Chloe's chin. Forcing her to look up at him, he softly said, "I don't know what's going on, but if something is wrong you can tell me."
Chloe could feel the tears building in her eyes at Brady's sincerity. There were so many things she wanted to tell someone, anyone. She was tired of fighting with her mother. She was scared that the strained relationship she shared with Philip would soon be ending. She was afraid that she had lost her friendship with both Belle and Shawn because of some silly misunderstanding.
Forcing back the tears, Chloe answered, "I'm fine. Really, I am."
"Yeah, right, and I'm thinking of starting a fan club for my stepmother," sarcastically replied Brady. "Why don't you just tell me what happened with you and my sister?" Noting the surprised look on Chloe's face, Brady added, "She's been moping around the penthouse all weekend, and now you're wearing the exact same sad expression she had on. So, spill. What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Wrong answer. Try again."
With great reluctance, Chloe answered, "There was this huge misunderstanding between me, Shawn, and Belle. Now, Belle hates me and probably never wants to speak to me again. Happy?"
"No, and neither are you and Tink." Handing Chloe a wallet that he had been holding at his side, Brady said, "This fell out of Belle's purse and she didn't notice it before she got out. Why don't you take it to her and see if you can't clear things up?"
Chloe reached out to take the wallet from Brady's extended hand, but her entire body froze when her hand touched Brady's. The simple touch left Chloe nearly breathless as she remembered Brady's recent flirtatious behavior. Looking up only to find Brady smirking triumphantly, Chloe jerked her hand away from his, nearly dropping the wallet in the process.
"I'll give it to her," quickly mumbled Chloe before hurriedly walking away from Brady.
Enjoying the view of Chloe's retreating figure, Brady silently pondered his plan. After seeing the sadness that continued to haunt Chloe's beautiful eyes, he knew that she was the one to help him. He felt certain that with a little scheming and a lot of luck, they could both have what they wanted.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mimi nervously patted the palms of her hands against her denim-clad thighs as she scanned the hallway in search of Belle. It had nearly killed Mimi getting up in time to get to school early, but she had made it - for one reason. She had not spoken to Belle in several days, and she was dying to tell her about the towel incident at Jason's house.
Seeing Belle come through the door at the end of the hallway, Mimi rushed to meet her.
"Oh, my gosh! Belle, I have got to talk to you!" Mimi squealed as she met her best friend. "You would never believe what happened to me Saturday."
Lost in her own excitement, Mimi failed to notice the pained look that appeared on Belle's face at the mention of Saturday. Continuing, Mimi said, "I ended up on top of a bed with Jason Masters, and the best part is, he wasn't wearing much clothing at all!"
Shaking her head as though it would force away both her tears and pain, Belle bitterly answered, "Well, I guess the two of you have something in common with Shawn and Chloe now, don't you?"
Belle turned away from Mimi and stormed down the hallway. It was the first day of her senior year, and she was miserable. Actually, she was beyond miserable. One of her best friends had stolen the guy she had loved her entire life. Rounding the corner faster than she should have, Belle was forced to stop suddenly so she wouldn't bump into two people coming around the corner from the opposite direction. That pause gave Mimi time to catch up with her.
Mimi, however, completely forgot why exactly it was she was running after Belle when she saw who her friend had nearly bumped into. Looking as gorgeous as he had when she'd been at his house, Jason was standing right there in front of her. Mimi tried to keep herself from blushing as she instinctively remembered just what Jason looked like without that shirt on.
Seeing who she had nearly ran into, Belle despondently said, "Sorry, Jase. I wasn't watching where I was going."
Zach took in every detail of the blonde standing in front of him. From the silky hair to the cute feet strapped in by high sandals, she was entirely adorable. For a moment, Zach stared first at Belle then Jason, awaiting his introduction. When he saw that Jason was lost in some intense lock of eyes with the brunette girl, Zach tried clearing his throat. Once again, Jason paid him no attention. Finally, Zach just lost his patience and jabbed Jason in the side with his elbow.
Jason irately glared at Zach who only nodded his head in Belle's direction. Getting the idea, Jason casually said, "Belle, Mimi, this is Zach. Zach, these are my friends Belle Black and Mimi Lockhart."
"H-e-l-l-o," slowly drawled out Zach at he brazenly took Belle's hand and lifted it to his lips.
Mimi and Jason shared an amused, yet thoroughly confused, stare as they both wondered just what it was that was happening between Belle and Zach. Whatever it was, neither expected Shawn Brady to be very happy about it.
Belle wasn't sure what she was expected to do. All she had been able to think about all morning was Shawn, and, now, there was another handsome, dark-haired guy trying to make her heart flutter. She didn't even know the guy, and his was kissing her hand. She'd known Shawn her entire life, and she couldn't get him to even kiss her cheek. Then again, Chloe didn't seem to have any problems with Shawn . . .
Blocking out the thoughts of Shawn and Chloe, Belle smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you, Zach." When Zach said nothing and only continued to explore the depths of her eyes, Belle gave a nervous, yet genuine, laugh and used her free hand to motion to Mimi. "Uh, this is my friend Mimi."
Zach kept his eyes on Belle as he politely muttered, "Nice to meet you, Mimi."
"Yeah," grumbled Mimi as she watched Zach watch Belle. The guy had an almost predatorial look in his eyes. Mimi was just waiting for Shawn to show up and make Belle forget all about Zach. Then again, Mimi was still trying to figure out just what it was the Belle had meant by her earlier comment concerning Shawn and Chloe being similar to Jason and Mimi. Mimi prayed that it didn't mean what she thought it meant.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Using her mind to overcome the desire to look back and see if Brady was watching her, Chloe continued to walk away from him. She could see that most of the other kids were heading inside the building and knew that the first bell of the day would soon be ringing. However, Chloe continued to walk with no destination in mind.
She still had Belle's wallet in her hand, but was beginning to think that she should just have someone else give it to her. Chloe felt certain that Belle wouldn't welcome the opportunity to speak to her. Hoping that she could convince Jason to give Belle the wallet, Chloe scanned the parking lot, but realized that he and Zach were both already gone. No doubt they were already causing trouble.
Chloe was about to turn around and head toward the building when she saw Shawn's truck pull into the parking lot. She wasn't quite sure if she should approach him after Saturday's incident. She had departed his house so quickly, they didn't even have a chance to discuss what had happened. Now, she was afraid that she had lost her last friend.
All those doubts were erased from Chloe's mind when she saw Shawn nearing her with a smile. It was a weak one, but it was still a smile.
"Have you seen Belle yet?"
Holding up the wallet, Chloe answered, "No, but I ran into Brady and he wanted me to give this to her. She accidentally left it in his car."
Shawn nodded as Chloe placed the wallet in her own purse. He'd been worried that Chloe would be angry about Saturday. He had been immensely relieved when she returned his shaky smile. After the fight with Philip, he couldn't afford to lose any more friends.
Bending his arm, Shawn extended it to Chloe and said, "What do you say? Ready to face another year at Salem High?"
"With you as my friend? Always."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"So," began Belle with all the happiness she could find. "Where are you from?"
"I grew up in Chicago. So, Salem is a big change for me. I haven't even gotten a chance to explore this town yet, but I have a feeling that I'll have a lot of adjusting to do."
Belle smiled and tried to curve her curious nature. She didn't succeed. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you move to Salem? Did one of your parents get a new job here?"
"Actually, I moved in with my older brother, his wife, and her daughter. You might know the daughter. Her name is Chloe. Chloe Lane."
Her face paling, Belle replied, "Yeah, I know her. We used to be friends."
Mimi and Jason shared another look as both wondered about the past tense that Belle used in her sentence. Jason was entirely clueless, but Mimi had a suspicion that she knew what, or more precisely, who was the cause for Belle not being friends with Chloe.
Taking a deep breath, Mimi asked, "Belle, does this have anything to do with Shawn? I know that you mentioned him and Chloe earlier."
Struggling to stop her bottom lip from quivering, Belle nodded and replied, "Yeah, Meems, it has to do with Shawn." Belle looked at Jason and Mimi before hesitantly saying, "You guys were there when Shawn got into that fight with Philip because of her. But, what I need to know is, did you guys know that Shawn had feelings for Chloe before that?"
Interrupting before Jason or Mimi could respond, Zach casually asked, "Does this Shawn guy happen to have dark brown hair and wear a leather jacket even though it's still hot outside?"
Belle, Jason, and Mimi all stared at Zach with surprise etched on their face.
Mimi curiously asked, "How did you know that?"
Zach pointed to the door at the end of the hallway and explained, "That's how."
Half of the teens in the hallway watched as Shawn and Chloe entered the building, among those staring were Zach, Jason, Belle, and Mimi. After the widely known fight between Shawn and Philip, it was quite interesting to see Chloe show up on Shawn's arm. The first bell had yet to ring, and the year was already off to a very interesting start.