Placing Connor's breakfast plate in the dishwasher, Maureen Lockhart
quickly dashed out of the kitchen to answer the front door. Upon hurriedly
opening the door, Maureen was surprised to find herself face-to-face with
Catherine Masters' son.
Maureen ran her hand over her hair in an attempt to smooth it as she said, "Why, Jason. It's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you, too, Mrs. Lockhart. I hope that I didn't get here at a bad time."
Eying Jason suspiciously, Maureen wondered just what he was up to. It wasn't that she didn't like Jason, because she had always held a special fondness for him as a boy. But, because she had known Jason since he and Mimi had been young children, she knew that the self-assured young man was never so cheerful without a reason. However, Maureen had no clue what the cause for Jason's happiness had to do with her or her family. With a faint smile, Maureen responded, "No, no, it's not a bad time. We were just waiting for one of Mimi's friends to arrive and take her to school."
"Yeah, that would be me."
Jason nearly laughed at the look of disbelief that glimmered in the eyes of Mimi's mother. Trying to not show her surprise, Maureen said, "Oh, I'm sorry. When Mimi told me last night that a friend would be dropping by this morning and picking her up, I just assumed that it would be Belle or maybe Shawn Brady. Please, come in. I didn't mean to be rude."
Entering the house, Jason replied, "Don't worry about it."
Maureen gave Jason another smile and explained, "I hate to leave since you just got here, but I need to take Connor to his school, and it's located on the other side of town. And, I have to stop at the pharmacy and pick up my prescription on the way."
Grabbing her purse, Maureen began to wish that David had not already left for work. Like the typical mother, Maureen didn't exactly adore the idea of leaving her teenage daughter alone in the house with a handsome football player. Pushing aside her worries, Maureen called for Connor before saying to Jason, "Mimi is still getting ready, but she should be down soon. You can just have a seat on the couch and wait for her. I'm sure she won't take too long."
The moment Mimi's mother and brother left the house, Jason hurriedly got up from the couch and made his way up the stairs. Reaching the landing, Jason instantly spotted Mimi's bedroom. Who else would put a poster of N'sync on the outside of their door?
Shortly after knocking on the boy band-clad door, Jason was greeted with the sight of Mimi, still wearing her pajamas, flinging the door open. A light laugh escaped Jason's lips when he noticed how wild her hair appeared. Of course, Jason stopped laughing when his eyes came to rest on the top of Mimi's night shirt, which was opened just enough to give him a hint of what lay beneath the rest of the cotton material.
Forcing his eyes to focus on Mimi's face - and only her face, Jason smugly asked, "So, are you ready to pay?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was yet another unbearable breakfast at the Wesley house. At the head of the table, Craig was purposely ignoring his wife as he read the business section of the paper and handed Zach the sports. Meanwhile, Chloe was simply ignoring everyone and pushing her breakfast back and forth across her plate as her mother sent her disapproving glances.
In her most chipper voice, Nancy attempted conversation. "So, what does everyone have planned for the day? Craig, I know you're meeting with that pediatric surgeon from Los Angeles. I'm sure that will go well. And, Chloe, you haven't mentioned any plans for after school. Don't you want to tell me what you'll be doing?"
From behind his section of the newspaper, Zach sipped his orange juice and rolled his eyes. It didn't surprise him in the least that Nancy had purposely avoided bringing him into the conversation. She had never liked him, and he doubted if she ever would.
"You want to know what I'm doing after school, Nancy? Well, let me see. I was planning on tracking down a drug dealer so I could blow my money on heroine before I found a heavy metal band and had unsafe sex with each of its members."
Spewing his orange juice all over the scores from the latest game, Zach almost chocked upon hearing Chloe's reply. Lowering the paper, Zach was forced to use all of his strength to not laugh at the abhorred expression on Nancy's face.
Catching sight of Zach's lips curling into a grin, Nancy pointed her finger at him and declared, "This is not the least bit amusing young man, so don't you dare laugh. In fact, I am certain that you are the one to blame for Chloe's new attitude."
The grin dropping completely from his face, Zach angrily demanded, "Me? What did I do? I can't help it if your own daughter hates you."
"Chloe doesn't hate her mother," calmly interjected Craig as he continued to read the paper as though nothing were wrong.
"Don't try and tell other people how I feel! I'm sorry, Craig, but you have no idea how much I hate Nancy. I would do almost anything to just get away from her."
Glaring menacingly at Zach, Nancy stated, "You've only been in my home for a few days and you're already becoming a bad influence on my daughter. I should never have allowed you to move in here after your own parents kicked you out."
Finally having enough, Craig methodically folded the paper and slowly placed it on the table. He sent his wife a cold glare and ordered, "Don't ever speak to my brother in that way again. You were not in Chicago, Nancy, so you can't know what exactly happened there. And, I'm sure Chloe will agree with me when I say that how she feels and acts when you're around has nothing to do with Zach and everything to do with you, Nancy."
"Craig, I cannot believe that you are allowing your misfit brother to interfere in our marriage like this."
Roughly pushing his chair back, Zach stood up and sent Chloe an almost apologetic look. Defiantly glaring at Nancy, Zach simply stated, "I'm outta here."
He had not even left the room when Nancy declared, "You are not going anywhere until you tell Craig and I what you will be doing. It's a little early for you to just be going to school, so I know that you'll be going somewhere else first. Where?"
Rolling his eyes, Zach responded, "If you must know, Jason is busy this morning, so I told him that I would take his sister to school."
"Jason?" Nancy asked as she allowed the name to drift through her mind. "Wait! Don't tell me that this is the same Jason that has tormented Chloe since she first came to live in Salem."
Standing up and moving away from the table, Chloe angrily declared, "The only person that has been tormenting me since you forced me to move in here is YOU, Nancy. So, don't even bother to blame other people."
"Don't use that tone with me, young lady. I was only wanting to know if Zach is making friends with that horrid boy that left the dead chicken on our doorstep."
"God, Nancy, you never stop! Yes, all right? Yes, it is the same Jason," answered Chloe, her temper continuing to rise.
"Well, that shouldn't surprise me. You know what they say, birds of a feather do flock together."
Zach rolled his eyes at Nancy's unsubtle attempt at an insult. Tossing his sister-in-law yet another dirty glare, Zach commented, "I'm getting out of here. Because, if I don't leave now, I'll be flipping you the bird." Walking away from Nancy and grabbing his backpack from the foyer, Zach said to Chloe who had followed him out of the dining room, "I'll see you in class. Good luck with Nancy - you're going to need it."
Just as Chloe returned to the war zone known as the dining room, Zach opened the front door and made his escape from the disgruntled structure he referred to as home. He was getting in his car when he saw a silver convertible pull up beside him.
Offering Philip a distracted wave as he got into his own car, Zach yelled, "Chloe's inside and could probably use some help right now. She and Nancy have more than likely already started World War III."
"Yeah, thanks," replied Philip as Zach pulled out of the driveway and sped down the street. Staring reluctantly at the house, Philip took a moment to work up the courage before actually entering. Philip knew Nancy was bad enough in a good mood, so he really dreaded seeing her when she was releasing her anger and frustration.
Reaching the front door, Philip noticed that Zach had left it ajar. Philip decided to let himself into the Wesley house, and he had just shut the door behind him when he first heard Chloe screaming at her mother.
Philip was about to enter the living room when Chloe stormed toward the foyer and ran into him. He instantly noted the uncomfortable look that was painfully clear on Chloe's face. Attempting one of his famous dimpled smiles, Philip said, "Good morning. Zach left the door open, so I just let myself in. I hope that's okay."
Stepping away from Philip, Chloe nervously tucked a few strands of her dark hair behind her ear and responded, "Yeah, that's fine. But, um, why are you here?"
"Well, yesterday at lunch, I told you that I would drive you to school in my new car. You know I always keep my promises, Chloe."
"Philip, you didn't have to do this. In fact, I was just going to walk to school."
"Yeah, but I'm here now, so you can just ride with me." After a brief pause, Philip gave a sincere smile and questioned, "After all, isn't that what friends are for?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The short ride to Salem High had been a quiet one for Jason and Mimi. He was busy gloating over his apparent victory, and she was consumed with worrying about what Jason was going to put her through.
Removing his keys from the ignition, Jason carefully appraised Mimi's attire. She was wearing a short blue skirt with a daring slit in the side that showed off a great deal of her legs. Her upper body was barely covered by the matching top with its low cut neckline and open back. Her make-up was somewhat darker than usual and the particular shade of lipstick that Jason had chosen for her to wear somehow made her lips look more tempting than ever.
Mimi coldly glared at Jason and complained, "I can't believe that you made me wear this. You are so twisted."
"Come on, Meems, you knew what you had to do when you made the bet."
"Yeah, but I didn't think I was going to lose. Besides, I never would have thought that letting you choose what clothes I wore to school today would turn out so bad."
"Hey, I think I did a really good job picking out your stuff. And, that choke around your neck is definitely a sexy touch. You should be glad that part of our bet involved me choosing your wardrobe."
Tossing Jason a doubtful look, Mimi grouchily questioned, "Why should I be glad that you forced me to dress like a call girl?"
"Mimi, you don't look like a call girl, and you know it. You just don't look like you're trying to be sweet and perfect like Belle. I told you that you needed to step out from her shadow. And, this little ensemble will definitely earn you the spotlight."
Burying her head in her hands, Mimi muttered, "I hate you."
"Nah, I don't think so. Anyway, do you know what you have to do?"
Mimi moved her hands away from her face and glared at Jason. "Yes, master, I know what to do. I let you go in first, then I make my grand entrance. After that, I have to greet you, and any guy you point to, just like you told me to. Then, for the rest of the day, I have to respond in a very horrible way every time you say my name."
"I happen to think that your response to me saying your name is a good one."
Stepping out of the truck, Mimi retorted, "You would."
Jason only laughed as he shut the door of his truck and walked toward the building, leaving Mimi to stand nervously in the parking lot as she tried to convince herself that she wouldn't die the moment everyone saw her revealing outfit.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Parking his car beside Shawn's truck, Philip gave Chloe a nervous smile. He wondered if her stomach was being attacked by butterflies like his was. He had no idea how he was going to handle all the inquiries that were sure to be made once everyone found out that he and Chloe had broken up.
After sitting in silence for a moment, Philip said, "So, I guess we should head on inside and get ready for first period."
"Yeah," replied Chloe as she opened the door and removed herself from Philip's flashy convertible.
The former super-couple were on their way to the school's front entrance when they happened to notice Mimi standing alone and talking to herself. Sharing a look of confusion, Philip and Chloe debated whether or not to approach their fellow teen.
As Mimi continued to pace around and tell herself that she could go through with her punishment for losing the bet, Philip gave her a quizzical look and whispered to Chloe, "Maybe we should just go inside and let her work out whatever is going on by herself. She looks like she could use the privacy."
Chloe only nodded and followed Philip into the building. After witnessing Mimi's conversation with herself, Chloe wondered how she had ever been referred to as the odd one instead of Mimi.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Shawn Douglas Brady!"
"Belle! I swear, I thought that you wanted the clips taken out of your hair. Really, I did."
Standing in the middle of the hallway with half of her pretty blond hair restrained by small silver clips while the rest fell flat beside her face, Belle sent Shawn her dirtiest look and was reminded of why she had vowed to find someone new. It was becoming painfully obvious that Shawn would never see her as anything but someone to joke around with.
Giving Belle his puppy-dog face, Shawn pleaded, "Don't be mad. It's only the second day of school, and I really don't want to have to beg for your forgiveness for the entire year."
Laughing, Jason muttered, "Somebody's in the dog house."
As Shawn sent Jason an exasperated glare, Zach moved closer to Belle and quickly whispered something in her ear that instantly had her smiling, meaning that it instantly had Shawn seeing red. However, before he got the chance to try and smooth things over with Belle once more, Shawn noticed Philip and Chloe approaching.
"Hey, you two. How's it going?"
Chloe and Philip shared an almost solemn look that didn't go unnoticed by Shawn, Belle, Zach, or Jason. Though everyone else just assumed that Philip and Chloe were in the middle of one of their classic disagreements, Jason knew better.
Answering Shawn, Philip quietly replied, "Things are okay."
Shawn stole a glance at Belle, but it was obvious that she didn't know any more than he did. "Yeah, sure. Do you guys want to tell us how things are really going? We can tell something's up."
In a whisper, Chloe meekly answered, "Philip and I broke up last night."
For a moment, there was complete silence as everyone tried to comprehend all the repercussions of Chloe's statement. Jason wasn't sure if he should be sorry that Philip no longer had Chloe or if he should be happy that Philip had finally been set free. Though he had never been an expert on relationships, even Jason knew that what Philip and Chloe shared wasn't the type of romance that they truly desired. But, he did have a feeling that if Chloe ever woke up, she would see that her happiness was only as far away as Brady Black.
The wheels were turning in Belle's mind as she wondered what could possibly cause Salem High's perfect couple to break up. Her mind repeatedly returned to one person. Shawn. Everyone knew that Shawn and Philip had been fighting about Chloe the night of the party at the pub. Then, despite Shawn's explanations, Belle was still a little weary concerning the time she had found Chloe in bed with Shawn. And, if Shawn was interested in Chloe, that would explain why he never saw Belle as anything more than a friend.
For the most part, Shawn was making no assumptions concerning the end of Philip and Chloe's relationship. He knew that they had been fighting, but he had failed to realize that it had become so serious. All that Shawn really knew was that Philip and Chloe had obviously done what they needed to do, and he supported them both whole-heartedly.
Zach, however, felt something that Philip and Chloe's other friends didn't - guilt. Having not known Philip and Chloe very long, Zach failed to understand how rocky their relationship had been. Instead, he knew that they had been considered an ideal couple and then, after his arrival, they broke up.
"Listen, Philip, if this has anything to do with that remark I made about Chloe and her nightie yesterday in class, then there's something I need to tell you." Before he could be interrupted, Zach continued, "I didn't mean it. In fact, I've seen Chloe maybe twice in her nightie, and the weird thing is that I didn't even really pay attention to her. Come on, she's practically Craig's daughter. That makes her family. I swear to you, Philip, I don't think of Chloe in that way, and I never could. I'm telling you, I consider her family. Nothing more."
Philip managed a weak smile as he lightly punched Zach's shoulder and responded, "It's cool, man. I know you were just joking around. Trust me, our break-up has nothing to do with you. It was just time. That's all."
As his friends stood amazed by his calm and forgiving attitude, Philip noticed Mimi enter the school and strut down the hallway in her baby blue ensemble. "Can someone please tell me what's up with Meems?"
Shrugging with false innocence, Jason remarked, "I really wouldn't know."
Releasing a low whistle, Zach cocked his head to one side and openly stared at Mimi's legs, "Man, why didn't anyone tell me how hot she looked in a skirt?"
Slightly thrown off by Zach's comment, Jason was lost in his own world as Mimi reluctantly went down the line of people and said good morning to Philip, Chloe, Shawn, Belle, and Zach. However, Jason's attention was returned solely to Mimi when it was time for her to greet him good morning.
Mimi took a deep breath that did little to calm her before approaching Jason with feigned confidence and doing what she knew she must do because she had lost the silly bet concerning Kevin and Susan.
After giving Jason a cruel glare, Mimi forced herself to smile as she moved her body against his and began to run her hands over his muscled chest. Clenching the soft material that covered his bare skin, Mimi lifted his shirt up just slightly and purred, "Good morning, stud."
While all of his friend stood with their jaws on the floor, Jason replied, "Good morning to you, too, Meems. May I say that outfit is just perfect for you?"
Before Mimi could step away, Jason shocked not only her, but all their friends, by softly smacking her rear. He could only laugh and shrug as Mimi tightened her grip on his shirt and sent him yet another displeased glare. Oh, he was loving this.
Maureen ran her hand over her hair in an attempt to smooth it as she said, "Why, Jason. It's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you, too, Mrs. Lockhart. I hope that I didn't get here at a bad time."
Eying Jason suspiciously, Maureen wondered just what he was up to. It wasn't that she didn't like Jason, because she had always held a special fondness for him as a boy. But, because she had known Jason since he and Mimi had been young children, she knew that the self-assured young man was never so cheerful without a reason. However, Maureen had no clue what the cause for Jason's happiness had to do with her or her family. With a faint smile, Maureen responded, "No, no, it's not a bad time. We were just waiting for one of Mimi's friends to arrive and take her to school."
"Yeah, that would be me."
Jason nearly laughed at the look of disbelief that glimmered in the eyes of Mimi's mother. Trying to not show her surprise, Maureen said, "Oh, I'm sorry. When Mimi told me last night that a friend would be dropping by this morning and picking her up, I just assumed that it would be Belle or maybe Shawn Brady. Please, come in. I didn't mean to be rude."
Entering the house, Jason replied, "Don't worry about it."
Maureen gave Jason another smile and explained, "I hate to leave since you just got here, but I need to take Connor to his school, and it's located on the other side of town. And, I have to stop at the pharmacy and pick up my prescription on the way."
Grabbing her purse, Maureen began to wish that David had not already left for work. Like the typical mother, Maureen didn't exactly adore the idea of leaving her teenage daughter alone in the house with a handsome football player. Pushing aside her worries, Maureen called for Connor before saying to Jason, "Mimi is still getting ready, but she should be down soon. You can just have a seat on the couch and wait for her. I'm sure she won't take too long."
The moment Mimi's mother and brother left the house, Jason hurriedly got up from the couch and made his way up the stairs. Reaching the landing, Jason instantly spotted Mimi's bedroom. Who else would put a poster of N'sync on the outside of their door?
Shortly after knocking on the boy band-clad door, Jason was greeted with the sight of Mimi, still wearing her pajamas, flinging the door open. A light laugh escaped Jason's lips when he noticed how wild her hair appeared. Of course, Jason stopped laughing when his eyes came to rest on the top of Mimi's night shirt, which was opened just enough to give him a hint of what lay beneath the rest of the cotton material.
Forcing his eyes to focus on Mimi's face - and only her face, Jason smugly asked, "So, are you ready to pay?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was yet another unbearable breakfast at the Wesley house. At the head of the table, Craig was purposely ignoring his wife as he read the business section of the paper and handed Zach the sports. Meanwhile, Chloe was simply ignoring everyone and pushing her breakfast back and forth across her plate as her mother sent her disapproving glances.
In her most chipper voice, Nancy attempted conversation. "So, what does everyone have planned for the day? Craig, I know you're meeting with that pediatric surgeon from Los Angeles. I'm sure that will go well. And, Chloe, you haven't mentioned any plans for after school. Don't you want to tell me what you'll be doing?"
From behind his section of the newspaper, Zach sipped his orange juice and rolled his eyes. It didn't surprise him in the least that Nancy had purposely avoided bringing him into the conversation. She had never liked him, and he doubted if she ever would.
"You want to know what I'm doing after school, Nancy? Well, let me see. I was planning on tracking down a drug dealer so I could blow my money on heroine before I found a heavy metal band and had unsafe sex with each of its members."
Spewing his orange juice all over the scores from the latest game, Zach almost chocked upon hearing Chloe's reply. Lowering the paper, Zach was forced to use all of his strength to not laugh at the abhorred expression on Nancy's face.
Catching sight of Zach's lips curling into a grin, Nancy pointed her finger at him and declared, "This is not the least bit amusing young man, so don't you dare laugh. In fact, I am certain that you are the one to blame for Chloe's new attitude."
The grin dropping completely from his face, Zach angrily demanded, "Me? What did I do? I can't help it if your own daughter hates you."
"Chloe doesn't hate her mother," calmly interjected Craig as he continued to read the paper as though nothing were wrong.
"Don't try and tell other people how I feel! I'm sorry, Craig, but you have no idea how much I hate Nancy. I would do almost anything to just get away from her."
Glaring menacingly at Zach, Nancy stated, "You've only been in my home for a few days and you're already becoming a bad influence on my daughter. I should never have allowed you to move in here after your own parents kicked you out."
Finally having enough, Craig methodically folded the paper and slowly placed it on the table. He sent his wife a cold glare and ordered, "Don't ever speak to my brother in that way again. You were not in Chicago, Nancy, so you can't know what exactly happened there. And, I'm sure Chloe will agree with me when I say that how she feels and acts when you're around has nothing to do with Zach and everything to do with you, Nancy."
"Craig, I cannot believe that you are allowing your misfit brother to interfere in our marriage like this."
Roughly pushing his chair back, Zach stood up and sent Chloe an almost apologetic look. Defiantly glaring at Nancy, Zach simply stated, "I'm outta here."
He had not even left the room when Nancy declared, "You are not going anywhere until you tell Craig and I what you will be doing. It's a little early for you to just be going to school, so I know that you'll be going somewhere else first. Where?"
Rolling his eyes, Zach responded, "If you must know, Jason is busy this morning, so I told him that I would take his sister to school."
"Jason?" Nancy asked as she allowed the name to drift through her mind. "Wait! Don't tell me that this is the same Jason that has tormented Chloe since she first came to live in Salem."
Standing up and moving away from the table, Chloe angrily declared, "The only person that has been tormenting me since you forced me to move in here is YOU, Nancy. So, don't even bother to blame other people."
"Don't use that tone with me, young lady. I was only wanting to know if Zach is making friends with that horrid boy that left the dead chicken on our doorstep."
"God, Nancy, you never stop! Yes, all right? Yes, it is the same Jason," answered Chloe, her temper continuing to rise.
"Well, that shouldn't surprise me. You know what they say, birds of a feather do flock together."
Zach rolled his eyes at Nancy's unsubtle attempt at an insult. Tossing his sister-in-law yet another dirty glare, Zach commented, "I'm getting out of here. Because, if I don't leave now, I'll be flipping you the bird." Walking away from Nancy and grabbing his backpack from the foyer, Zach said to Chloe who had followed him out of the dining room, "I'll see you in class. Good luck with Nancy - you're going to need it."
Just as Chloe returned to the war zone known as the dining room, Zach opened the front door and made his escape from the disgruntled structure he referred to as home. He was getting in his car when he saw a silver convertible pull up beside him.
Offering Philip a distracted wave as he got into his own car, Zach yelled, "Chloe's inside and could probably use some help right now. She and Nancy have more than likely already started World War III."
"Yeah, thanks," replied Philip as Zach pulled out of the driveway and sped down the street. Staring reluctantly at the house, Philip took a moment to work up the courage before actually entering. Philip knew Nancy was bad enough in a good mood, so he really dreaded seeing her when she was releasing her anger and frustration.
Reaching the front door, Philip noticed that Zach had left it ajar. Philip decided to let himself into the Wesley house, and he had just shut the door behind him when he first heard Chloe screaming at her mother.
Philip was about to enter the living room when Chloe stormed toward the foyer and ran into him. He instantly noted the uncomfortable look that was painfully clear on Chloe's face. Attempting one of his famous dimpled smiles, Philip said, "Good morning. Zach left the door open, so I just let myself in. I hope that's okay."
Stepping away from Philip, Chloe nervously tucked a few strands of her dark hair behind her ear and responded, "Yeah, that's fine. But, um, why are you here?"
"Well, yesterday at lunch, I told you that I would drive you to school in my new car. You know I always keep my promises, Chloe."
"Philip, you didn't have to do this. In fact, I was just going to walk to school."
"Yeah, but I'm here now, so you can just ride with me." After a brief pause, Philip gave a sincere smile and questioned, "After all, isn't that what friends are for?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The short ride to Salem High had been a quiet one for Jason and Mimi. He was busy gloating over his apparent victory, and she was consumed with worrying about what Jason was going to put her through.
Removing his keys from the ignition, Jason carefully appraised Mimi's attire. She was wearing a short blue skirt with a daring slit in the side that showed off a great deal of her legs. Her upper body was barely covered by the matching top with its low cut neckline and open back. Her make-up was somewhat darker than usual and the particular shade of lipstick that Jason had chosen for her to wear somehow made her lips look more tempting than ever.
Mimi coldly glared at Jason and complained, "I can't believe that you made me wear this. You are so twisted."
"Come on, Meems, you knew what you had to do when you made the bet."
"Yeah, but I didn't think I was going to lose. Besides, I never would have thought that letting you choose what clothes I wore to school today would turn out so bad."
"Hey, I think I did a really good job picking out your stuff. And, that choke around your neck is definitely a sexy touch. You should be glad that part of our bet involved me choosing your wardrobe."
Tossing Jason a doubtful look, Mimi grouchily questioned, "Why should I be glad that you forced me to dress like a call girl?"
"Mimi, you don't look like a call girl, and you know it. You just don't look like you're trying to be sweet and perfect like Belle. I told you that you needed to step out from her shadow. And, this little ensemble will definitely earn you the spotlight."
Burying her head in her hands, Mimi muttered, "I hate you."
"Nah, I don't think so. Anyway, do you know what you have to do?"
Mimi moved her hands away from her face and glared at Jason. "Yes, master, I know what to do. I let you go in first, then I make my grand entrance. After that, I have to greet you, and any guy you point to, just like you told me to. Then, for the rest of the day, I have to respond in a very horrible way every time you say my name."
"I happen to think that your response to me saying your name is a good one."
Stepping out of the truck, Mimi retorted, "You would."
Jason only laughed as he shut the door of his truck and walked toward the building, leaving Mimi to stand nervously in the parking lot as she tried to convince herself that she wouldn't die the moment everyone saw her revealing outfit.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Parking his car beside Shawn's truck, Philip gave Chloe a nervous smile. He wondered if her stomach was being attacked by butterflies like his was. He had no idea how he was going to handle all the inquiries that were sure to be made once everyone found out that he and Chloe had broken up.
After sitting in silence for a moment, Philip said, "So, I guess we should head on inside and get ready for first period."
"Yeah," replied Chloe as she opened the door and removed herself from Philip's flashy convertible.
The former super-couple were on their way to the school's front entrance when they happened to notice Mimi standing alone and talking to herself. Sharing a look of confusion, Philip and Chloe debated whether or not to approach their fellow teen.
As Mimi continued to pace around and tell herself that she could go through with her punishment for losing the bet, Philip gave her a quizzical look and whispered to Chloe, "Maybe we should just go inside and let her work out whatever is going on by herself. She looks like she could use the privacy."
Chloe only nodded and followed Philip into the building. After witnessing Mimi's conversation with herself, Chloe wondered how she had ever been referred to as the odd one instead of Mimi.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Shawn Douglas Brady!"
"Belle! I swear, I thought that you wanted the clips taken out of your hair. Really, I did."
Standing in the middle of the hallway with half of her pretty blond hair restrained by small silver clips while the rest fell flat beside her face, Belle sent Shawn her dirtiest look and was reminded of why she had vowed to find someone new. It was becoming painfully obvious that Shawn would never see her as anything but someone to joke around with.
Giving Belle his puppy-dog face, Shawn pleaded, "Don't be mad. It's only the second day of school, and I really don't want to have to beg for your forgiveness for the entire year."
Laughing, Jason muttered, "Somebody's in the dog house."
As Shawn sent Jason an exasperated glare, Zach moved closer to Belle and quickly whispered something in her ear that instantly had her smiling, meaning that it instantly had Shawn seeing red. However, before he got the chance to try and smooth things over with Belle once more, Shawn noticed Philip and Chloe approaching.
"Hey, you two. How's it going?"
Chloe and Philip shared an almost solemn look that didn't go unnoticed by Shawn, Belle, Zach, or Jason. Though everyone else just assumed that Philip and Chloe were in the middle of one of their classic disagreements, Jason knew better.
Answering Shawn, Philip quietly replied, "Things are okay."
Shawn stole a glance at Belle, but it was obvious that she didn't know any more than he did. "Yeah, sure. Do you guys want to tell us how things are really going? We can tell something's up."
In a whisper, Chloe meekly answered, "Philip and I broke up last night."
For a moment, there was complete silence as everyone tried to comprehend all the repercussions of Chloe's statement. Jason wasn't sure if he should be sorry that Philip no longer had Chloe or if he should be happy that Philip had finally been set free. Though he had never been an expert on relationships, even Jason knew that what Philip and Chloe shared wasn't the type of romance that they truly desired. But, he did have a feeling that if Chloe ever woke up, she would see that her happiness was only as far away as Brady Black.
The wheels were turning in Belle's mind as she wondered what could possibly cause Salem High's perfect couple to break up. Her mind repeatedly returned to one person. Shawn. Everyone knew that Shawn and Philip had been fighting about Chloe the night of the party at the pub. Then, despite Shawn's explanations, Belle was still a little weary concerning the time she had found Chloe in bed with Shawn. And, if Shawn was interested in Chloe, that would explain why he never saw Belle as anything more than a friend.
For the most part, Shawn was making no assumptions concerning the end of Philip and Chloe's relationship. He knew that they had been fighting, but he had failed to realize that it had become so serious. All that Shawn really knew was that Philip and Chloe had obviously done what they needed to do, and he supported them both whole-heartedly.
Zach, however, felt something that Philip and Chloe's other friends didn't - guilt. Having not known Philip and Chloe very long, Zach failed to understand how rocky their relationship had been. Instead, he knew that they had been considered an ideal couple and then, after his arrival, they broke up.
"Listen, Philip, if this has anything to do with that remark I made about Chloe and her nightie yesterday in class, then there's something I need to tell you." Before he could be interrupted, Zach continued, "I didn't mean it. In fact, I've seen Chloe maybe twice in her nightie, and the weird thing is that I didn't even really pay attention to her. Come on, she's practically Craig's daughter. That makes her family. I swear to you, Philip, I don't think of Chloe in that way, and I never could. I'm telling you, I consider her family. Nothing more."
Philip managed a weak smile as he lightly punched Zach's shoulder and responded, "It's cool, man. I know you were just joking around. Trust me, our break-up has nothing to do with you. It was just time. That's all."
As his friends stood amazed by his calm and forgiving attitude, Philip noticed Mimi enter the school and strut down the hallway in her baby blue ensemble. "Can someone please tell me what's up with Meems?"
Shrugging with false innocence, Jason remarked, "I really wouldn't know."
Releasing a low whistle, Zach cocked his head to one side and openly stared at Mimi's legs, "Man, why didn't anyone tell me how hot she looked in a skirt?"
Slightly thrown off by Zach's comment, Jason was lost in his own world as Mimi reluctantly went down the line of people and said good morning to Philip, Chloe, Shawn, Belle, and Zach. However, Jason's attention was returned solely to Mimi when it was time for her to greet him good morning.
Mimi took a deep breath that did little to calm her before approaching Jason with feigned confidence and doing what she knew she must do because she had lost the silly bet concerning Kevin and Susan.
After giving Jason a cruel glare, Mimi forced herself to smile as she moved her body against his and began to run her hands over his muscled chest. Clenching the soft material that covered his bare skin, Mimi lifted his shirt up just slightly and purred, "Good morning, stud."
While all of his friend stood with their jaws on the floor, Jason replied, "Good morning to you, too, Meems. May I say that outfit is just perfect for you?"
Before Mimi could step away, Jason shocked not only her, but all their friends, by softly smacking her rear. He could only laugh and shrug as Mimi tightened her grip on his shirt and sent him yet another displeased glare. Oh, he was loving this.