As his sister made her way toward the main building of Salem High, Jason
Masters stepped out of his truck. Seeing Erin walk into the building, Jason
discreetly pulled his backpack out from behind the seat. He was carefully
checking its contents when he heard the sound of a roaring engine and the
faint thumping of music blaring through a car's speaker system.
"5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . ."Jason counted down. And, as he reached zero, Zach Wesley and his classic black mustang dramatically entered the parking lot. "Damn, I'm good."
Parking just a few spaces away from Jason, Zach languidly stepped out of his car, grabbing a random notebook from the backseat before locking and shutting the door. Casually tossing his keys in the air and effortlessly catching them, Zach asked, "Ready for another boring day at Salem High?"
Jason grinned with clear mischievousness as he approached his best friend. As the young men walked together toward the building, Jason cryptically commented, "Oh, I don't think it's going to be the usual boring day."
"Dare I ask what you've got planned?"
"Let's just say I might need your help later today – toward the end of sixth period. Do you think you can cut out of your class a little early?"
Smiling with both charm and amusement, Zach replied, "Gee, I think I'm already starting to feel sick."
"Great," responded Jason. After a few seconds of thought, he added, "If you can, try to bring some reinforcements. I'm not sure how much help I'm gonna need for my plan."
"No problem."
Just as the tenacious duo was entering the building, Jason casually asked, "So, did Craig totally flip out when he picked you up at the police station? You never did tell me how things went for you Saturday."
In an attempt to casually shrug away the question, Zach answered, "Everything's fine. Craig and Nancy don't even know what happened."
"But, I thought that someone came and picked you up . . ." Jason thought aloud.
Completely ignoring Jason's musings, Zach commented, "Oh, hey, look. There's Philip and Belle. Let's go chat it up."
Jason followed Zach with obvious reluctance. He felt that he was far too busy working out the details of his scheme to bother with socializing.
Reaching Philip and Belle, Zach offered them a rather weak smile while Jason merely stared at them indifferently. Zach proceeded to nod at Belle and say, "So, about that little misunderstanding on Saturday . . ."
Belle defiantly crossed her arms over her chest and challenged, "Which one? The misunderstanding involving you not keeping your hands to yourself? Or, was it the misunderstanding that involved you being greedy and causing us to all nearly get in trouble?"
Faced with the unexpected demand, Zach uncertainly muttered, "Both?"
Looking back and forth between the blonde beauty and the dark-haired male, Philip curiously asked, "What are you talking about? What happened that I don't know about?"
"Nothing," Zach and Belle denied in unison.
It was then Belle's turn to try and alter a conversation's direction. "So, do you guys have your psychology reports ready to turn in?"
"Yeah," grumbled Jason as he continued to be lost in his thoughts. Ignoring his comrades, he began to look around the hallways in search of Mimi.
Displaying a blue folder, Philip stated, "It's right in here."
"What about you, Zach?" Belle asked.
"Of course I have my report. It's right . . ." Flipping through his notebook, Zach found little more than a few sheets of blank paper, a few notes, and several pages of doodling. ". . . outside in my car."
Without another word, Zach headed back out to the parking lot.
Shaking her head with false worry, Belle said, "Sometimes I worry about that boy."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
As Brady held open her door, Chloe carefully stepped out of his jeep. Along the way she tossed him the usual exasperated glare.
In response, he boasted, "I told you that we'd make it here in plenty of time."
After a quick glance at her watch, "The bell is going to ring any minute. Besides, I don't see why we couldn't have just driven back to Salem last night."
Brady closed the distance between his body and Chloe's by pulling her to him. Staring down into her blue eyes, he huskily whispered, "Because, my little diva, we're a couple of newlyweds who are madly in love with each other. It would be expected that we'd enjoy every last moment of private time on our honeymoon."
Catching a glimpse of Zach Wesley strutting out of the building and toward the parking lot, Brady gently placed a hand on each side of Chloe's face and pulled her to him – covering her lips with his own. Brady slowly moved his left hand from Chloe's cheek and placed it on her lower back.
It was only when the need for oxygen became unbearable that Brady finally released his new wife.
Panting for air, Chloe asked, "Wh-what was that for?"
For a brief moment, Brady found himself becoming entangled in the moment and its possibilities. However, he managed to overcome that distraction and answered, "Um, it was for show. I saw Zach coming this way."
Casting a cynical glance at the newlyweds, Zach muttered, "I think my breakfast is about to make a return trip."
As Zach unlocked his car to get his other notebook, Shawn Brady's small truck pulled into the parking lot. While Shawn turned off the ignition, Mimi gushed, "Thank you so much for giving me a ride to school. I totally appreciate it."
"It wasn't a problem. I just thought that your mom had been letting you borrow her car to drive to school."
Opening the passenger door, Mimi thoughtlessly responded, "After Saturday, there was no way she was going to let me borrow the car – which is totally unfair since it wasn't even my fault."
"Since what wasn't your fault?" Shawn curiously inquired.
"Um, nothing. Nothing wasn't even my fault," Mimi poorly lied.
Just as she was about to step out of the vehicle, Shawn commanded, "Shut the door, Meems. I want you to tell me what you're hiding."
"Nothing," Mimi again badly fibbed. Receiving an almost stern glare from her friend, Mimi said, "Okay, there was just this little incident on Saturday."
"What kind of little incident?"
"The kind that landed me, Belle, Zach, and Jason in jail."
Shawn shook his head and responded, "No way."
"Oh, yes, way. It was awful. I mean, it was bad enough getting arrested for robbery in front of everyone at Salem Place, but it was way worse being stuck in a real jail cell."
A pensive look overtaking his facial features, Shawn wondered aloud, "I talked to Belle just last night on the phone. Why wouldn't she tell me?"
"Probably because she was still embarrassed about having to tell the police exactly what happened when the cops arrived. Of course, you can't blame them for being curious since she was attacking Zach with her purse." Hardly stopping to breathe, Mimi blabbed, "Then again, I probably would have hit him too if he'd gotten fresh with me." Seeing the anger that immediately filled Shawn's brown eyes, Mimi muttered, "Oops."
Turning away from Mimi and her expression of regret, Shawn randomly looked out his window. That was when he saw Zach walking away from his car. To himself, Shawn grumbled, "Who does he think he is? There's no way I'm going to let that punk just swoop in and start putting the moves on Belle."
"Shawn, please . . ." Mimi pleaded. However, her unspoken requests did no good. Throwing open the truck door, Shawn jumped out and began to immediately stalk toward Zach, who had stopped to talk with Brady and Chloe.
When Shawn reached the trio, he gave Zach a rough push from behind. Ignoring the curious stares of Brady and Chloe, Shawn demanded, "What happened with you and Belle?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I know you tried to put the moves on her. I also know you got her arrested," Shawn practically yelled.
Mimi's arrival at Shawn's side was more than enough of an explanation for Zach. "You just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you, Mimi?"
"Don't blame Mimi for this," ordered Shawn.
Brady cautiously stepped in between the two teenagers. Directing his steely gaze at Zach, Brady questioned, "What did you do to my sister?"
Zach threw Mimi a somewhat angry look before he said, "Nothing, Brady. There was just a huge mix-up at Salem Place. What can I say? I bear a charmed life."
The feeling of deja vu swept over Brady. All but staring at Zach, Brady tried to determine what was so familiar about the younger man. Yet, he couldn't even pin point what had Zach had said or done to incite that mysterious feeling of remembrance, much less the original source.
"Let me make this easy for you. Did you or did you not hit on my girlfriend?"
"Not . . . exactly," stammered Zach, his gaze stranded on Shawn's clenched fist. He wondered just how much blood would be spilled if a fist fight were to ensue. His thoughts becoming rather random, Zach hoped that he would get neither his nor Shawn's blood on his new shirt.
Before Shawn could begin his own tirade against Zach, Brady advised, "I'm warning you, Wesley. Stay away from my baby sister."
"We're not joking," chimed Shawn. "I don't want you putting Belle in danger or getting her in trouble."
To Zach's immense surprise, Chloe jumped to his defense. "Would you guys just leave him alone? If Zach says it was just a mistake, that's all it was." Hearing the bell for first period loudly and shrilling declare it time to be in class, Chloe concluded, "Let's just get inside." Turning to Brady, she stated, "I guess I'll see you this afternoon . . ."
Brady quickly kissed Chloe's cheek and said, "See you then, sweetheart."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
As Mr. Woods prepared to take roll, Belle turned around and whispered to Philip, "I thought Zach was going to just go to his car."
Philip merely shrugged and responded, "He probably just ran into some girl in a mini-skirt. The guy's got a one-track mind."
"Maybe," murmured Belle. She found herself unsatisfied with Philip's shallow explanation when she took another look around the room. Not only was Zach's seat empty, but so were the seats belonging to Chloe, Shawn, and Mimi.
Addressing the class, Mr. Woods, asked, "Has anyone seen Miss Lockhart, Mr. Wesley, Mr. Brady, or Miss Lane?"
With a cynical smirk, Jason corrected, "Actually, that's Mrs. Black, now."
Before Mr. Woods could respond to Jason's puzzling comment, Chloe, followed by Shawn, Mimi, and Zach, barreled into the room and declared, "Here we are."
While trying to hurry to her seat, Chloe nearly tripped over an unexpected object in the aisle. Chloe indignantly turned to see what had nearly caused her to fall. Spotting a backpack beside Jason's desk, she quietly hissed, "What's that?"
"It's my backpack," responded Jason.
Sitting down in her seat, Chloe looked at Jason and asked, "Since when have you owned a backpack?"
Jason answered Chloe only with a smile that promised trouble.
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Jason did his best to not appear nervous as he stood outside the boys' bathroom. He figured if a teacher came down the hallway, he could just duck inside and use that as his excuse for not being in class.
Hearing whispers coming from his left, Jason turned to find Zach and Philip cautiously approaching him. Nodding toward Philip, Zach explained, "You said to bring reinforcements. Well, here he is."
A bit confused, Jason asked, "Isn't Shawn in your class? Why didn't you sneak him out, too?"
Grimacing just a tiny bit, Zach answered, "Let's just say that I'm probably not his favorite person right now."
Though Jason was quite curious about what had happened between Zach and Shawn, he knew that it wasn't the time to ask. "Okay, guys, the bell to end sixth period rings in less than five minutes. So, we've got to hurry."
"Hurry with what?" Philip asked. It seemed for the millionth time that day that he was missing a huge piece of a puzzle. He still didn't know what Zach and Belle had been discussing in the hallway that morning. However, Philip was fairly certain that it had to do with the mystery of why Shawn later looked ready to strangle Zach.
"My brilliant idea to win Meems over - the idea I got from the advice you guys gave me yesterday."
Closing his eyes, Philip muttered, "I regret this already."
"Okay," whispered Jason. "Philip, I need you to go into the Principal's office and somehow get him out of there. Do whatever it takes to keep him out of the building for at least five or six minutes. Zach, you're pretty good with electronics, right?"
"I suppose."
"Good, then, I need you to come with me after Philip takes care of his part."
Nodding, Zach quietly replied, "Just one question: What are you going to do?"
"Be artistic, publicly interested in Mimi, and break the rules while doing it."
"Yeah," grumbled Philip. "I'm definitely going to regret this."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Following sixth period, Mimi quickly went to her locker to grab the book she needed for her final class of the day. Just as she was pulling out the textbook, Belle approached her and asked, "Hey, Mimi, have you seen Philip or Zach? They both disappeared at the end of class."
"No, but that's really weird. Jason said he had to go to the bathroom last period and never came back."
"I wonder what they're up to," Belle mused aloud.
As an almost cosmic answer to her question, the school's P.A. system suddenly burst to life with the voice of Zach Wesley. "Ladies and Gentleman of Salem High, may I have your attention? You're in for a very special treat today. Since Principal Cohen has stepped out of the office to attend to some personal business with his favorite call girl, we shall have a little fun of our own . . ."
Extremely loud pop music blared from the speakers. Glancing at Belle, Mimi muttered, "I know this song . . . I actually have it on c.d."
"So, why would Zach be playing this?"
Once again the universe decided to show Belle its answer. From the speakers blared a familiar voice singing the song lyrics.
Every six seconds
Every six seconds
Baby I can't stop
My mind from slipping
Every six seconds or less
Preoccupation of the opposite sex
And you're the one I blame
For making me go crazy
I think of you in different ways
Fourteen thousand times a day
"Oh, my god," Mimi exclaimed. "That sounds like Jason! That is Jason!"
Her eyes becoming as wide as saucers, Belle attempted to discreetly point behind Mimi. Looking at Belle as though she were losing her sanity, Mimi asked, "What? What are you pointing at?"
"Behind you!" Belle hissed.
Turning around, Mimi found herself looking into Jason's stunning green eyes as he belted out the song lyrics. She was stunned when the popular athlete boldly winked at her. From the laughter of those nearby, Mimi knew it was not an action that went unnoticed.
As Jason tried to near Mimi, she slammed her locker shut and began to nervously back away. "What are you doing, Jason?"
His only answer was to continue singing.
Victoria's Secret I've been keepin'
And its getting harder all the time
I can't keep it undercover
I need your soft lips kissing mine
Mimi's cheeks blushed a bright shade of pink as Jason continued to near her. Her level of embarrassment only rose as a larger crowd surrounded her and Jason. Ignoring the laughter and amusement of his classmates, Jason continued to serenade Mimi.
Every six seconds
My body starts beggin
Your sweet thing is wreckin me
Until you give me some
Ten times a minute
Six hundred times an hour
Another cold shower
Until you give me some
(Until you give me some)
I picture you in red matte lipstick
Sponging all over me
Leaving a mark on my fantasy
Or swimming in water wearing nothing but moonlight
Both of us soaking wet (splash)
Half way to the towel is as far as we get
Gasping with sincere shock, Mimi turned from her would-be suitor and ran down the hallway. Completely unaware of the fact that he was embarrassing Mimi rather than flattering her, Jason hurried down the hall after her.
Catching up with Mimi, Jason continued the song.
Victoria's Secret I've been keepin'
And its getting harder all the time
I can't keep it undercover
I need your soft lips kissing mine
Every six seconds
My body starts beggin
Your sweet thing is wreckin me
Until you give me some Ten times a minute Six hundred times an hour
Another cold shower Until you give me some
Having fled the office, Zach followed the crowd to watch the spectacle. Out of seemingly no where, he felt a somewhat harsh slap. He turned to look at Belle just as she angrily spat, "I can't believe you actually helped him with this stupid idea!"
"The guy's humiliating himself just for her. Doesn't that count for something?"
Not sure how to respond, Belle chose to remain silent.
Every six seconds
My body starts beggin
Your sweet thing is messin me
Until you give me some
Ten times a minute
Six hundred times an hour
Another cold shower
Girl you got the power
Until you give me some
Focusing not on the sacrifice Jason was making, but the ridicule of her classmates, Mimi turned away and quickly ducked into the girls' bathroom. Seconds later, she was pushed back into the hallway by Chloe.
Giving Mimi an unwavering glare, Chloe declared, "Don't expect me to help you. You've made your bed - now lie in it."
"But," squealed Mimi. "I didn't do anything!"
Wrapping his arms around Mimi as she attempted to argue with Chloe, Jason continued to sing.
Every six seconds
My body starts beggin
Your sweet thing is messin me
Until you give me some
Ten times a minute
Six hundred times an hour
Another cold shower
Girl you got the power
Until you give me some
Squirming almost uncontrollably, Mimi attempted to escape Jason and his powerful presence. However, the hold of both his hands and his alluring eyes was too great.
His eyes focused on the unfolding drama, Shawn stepped up beside Belle. With a shake of his head, he commented, "Not only is Mimi obviously unimpressed, but Jason is butchering that song to pieces."
Thoughts of you keep swimming through my veins
Baby night and day And I cannot concentrate on anything
But this urge I have inside
Every six seconds
Every six seconds
Until you give me some
Every six seconds
Every six seconds
Until you give me some
Every six seconds
My body starts beggin
Your sweet thing is wreckin me
Until you give me some
Ten times a minute
Six hundred times an hour
Another cold shower
Until you give me some
Finally breaking free of Jason, Mimi took a few careful steps away from him. Her eyes brimmed with tears as the chuckles of her classmates reached her ears. Pleading with Jason, she requested, "Please, just stop!"
Jason ignored the request and proceeded to sing only louder.
Every six seconds
My body starts begging
Your sweet thing is wrecking me
Until you give me some
Ten times a minute
Six hundred times an hour
Girl you got the power
Until you give me some
Every six seconds
Ending the song, Jason stared at Mimi with eyes overflowing with a rather innocent uncertainty. His eyes staring into Mimi's, Jason slowly whispered, "Meems, there's something I need to tell you . . ."
"The only person you're going to be talking to, pal, is me," declared Principal Cohen as he placed his right hand on Jason's shoulder and spun him around. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Masters."
Reaching out with his left hand and taking hold of Philip as he tried to slip away, the principal continued, "That goes for you too, Kiriakis." The middle-aged man turned his head to look around the crowd. "Wesley, wherever you are, I expect you in my office now!"
As the bell rang to announce the beginning of seventh period, Principal Cohen shouted, "That sound means it's time to get to class. Show's over."
Belle watched with immense worry as her friends were carted off to the doomed office. To her boyfriend she quietly said, "They are going to be in so much trouble, Shawn. I know that Jason's mom is going to be furious when she finds out. And, I'm sure that Mr. Kiriakis will really be angry with Philip."
Barely concealing his innate jealousy, Shawn asked, "What about Zach? Aren't you worried about him?"
Avoiding eye contact with Shawn, the petite blonde replied, "I bet Zach's gotten away with a lot worse." As she recalled the charges Officer Duncan had listed while they were in jail, Belle added, "I know he has."
Mimi hesitantly approached Shawn and Belle. Her face clearly afflicted with embarrassment, Mimi whined, "I will never be able to show my face around here again. I can't believe he sang that song to me in front of the entire school." Pretending to shiver, Mimi added, "Eww, I can't believe I actually liked that song. Now, it's just ruined for me."
Shawn felt as though he should defend Jason and his misguided antics. Yet, he was well aware that Jason would be furious if he betrayed his confidence. Saying all he could, Shawn stated, "I have a feeling that Jason deserves the benefit of the doubt."
"Jason Masters deserves the benefit of the doubt? Ha!" retorted Mimi angrily. "He lives to embarrass me. Humiliating me is his favorite hobby."
As Mimi stormed off and Belle followed her, Shawn muttered, "Yeah, but I've never seen him humiliate himself." Sighing, Shawn wondered how Mimi could possibly be so blind to Jason's romantic feelings. "Guess we'll just have to see what plan Philip has up his sleeve."
"5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . ."Jason counted down. And, as he reached zero, Zach Wesley and his classic black mustang dramatically entered the parking lot. "Damn, I'm good."
Parking just a few spaces away from Jason, Zach languidly stepped out of his car, grabbing a random notebook from the backseat before locking and shutting the door. Casually tossing his keys in the air and effortlessly catching them, Zach asked, "Ready for another boring day at Salem High?"
Jason grinned with clear mischievousness as he approached his best friend. As the young men walked together toward the building, Jason cryptically commented, "Oh, I don't think it's going to be the usual boring day."
"Dare I ask what you've got planned?"
"Let's just say I might need your help later today – toward the end of sixth period. Do you think you can cut out of your class a little early?"
Smiling with both charm and amusement, Zach replied, "Gee, I think I'm already starting to feel sick."
"Great," responded Jason. After a few seconds of thought, he added, "If you can, try to bring some reinforcements. I'm not sure how much help I'm gonna need for my plan."
"No problem."
Just as the tenacious duo was entering the building, Jason casually asked, "So, did Craig totally flip out when he picked you up at the police station? You never did tell me how things went for you Saturday."
In an attempt to casually shrug away the question, Zach answered, "Everything's fine. Craig and Nancy don't even know what happened."
"But, I thought that someone came and picked you up . . ." Jason thought aloud.
Completely ignoring Jason's musings, Zach commented, "Oh, hey, look. There's Philip and Belle. Let's go chat it up."
Jason followed Zach with obvious reluctance. He felt that he was far too busy working out the details of his scheme to bother with socializing.
Reaching Philip and Belle, Zach offered them a rather weak smile while Jason merely stared at them indifferently. Zach proceeded to nod at Belle and say, "So, about that little misunderstanding on Saturday . . ."
Belle defiantly crossed her arms over her chest and challenged, "Which one? The misunderstanding involving you not keeping your hands to yourself? Or, was it the misunderstanding that involved you being greedy and causing us to all nearly get in trouble?"
Faced with the unexpected demand, Zach uncertainly muttered, "Both?"
Looking back and forth between the blonde beauty and the dark-haired male, Philip curiously asked, "What are you talking about? What happened that I don't know about?"
"Nothing," Zach and Belle denied in unison.
It was then Belle's turn to try and alter a conversation's direction. "So, do you guys have your psychology reports ready to turn in?"
"Yeah," grumbled Jason as he continued to be lost in his thoughts. Ignoring his comrades, he began to look around the hallways in search of Mimi.
Displaying a blue folder, Philip stated, "It's right in here."
"What about you, Zach?" Belle asked.
"Of course I have my report. It's right . . ." Flipping through his notebook, Zach found little more than a few sheets of blank paper, a few notes, and several pages of doodling. ". . . outside in my car."
Without another word, Zach headed back out to the parking lot.
Shaking her head with false worry, Belle said, "Sometimes I worry about that boy."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
As Brady held open her door, Chloe carefully stepped out of his jeep. Along the way she tossed him the usual exasperated glare.
In response, he boasted, "I told you that we'd make it here in plenty of time."
After a quick glance at her watch, "The bell is going to ring any minute. Besides, I don't see why we couldn't have just driven back to Salem last night."
Brady closed the distance between his body and Chloe's by pulling her to him. Staring down into her blue eyes, he huskily whispered, "Because, my little diva, we're a couple of newlyweds who are madly in love with each other. It would be expected that we'd enjoy every last moment of private time on our honeymoon."
Catching a glimpse of Zach Wesley strutting out of the building and toward the parking lot, Brady gently placed a hand on each side of Chloe's face and pulled her to him – covering her lips with his own. Brady slowly moved his left hand from Chloe's cheek and placed it on her lower back.
It was only when the need for oxygen became unbearable that Brady finally released his new wife.
Panting for air, Chloe asked, "Wh-what was that for?"
For a brief moment, Brady found himself becoming entangled in the moment and its possibilities. However, he managed to overcome that distraction and answered, "Um, it was for show. I saw Zach coming this way."
Casting a cynical glance at the newlyweds, Zach muttered, "I think my breakfast is about to make a return trip."
As Zach unlocked his car to get his other notebook, Shawn Brady's small truck pulled into the parking lot. While Shawn turned off the ignition, Mimi gushed, "Thank you so much for giving me a ride to school. I totally appreciate it."
"It wasn't a problem. I just thought that your mom had been letting you borrow her car to drive to school."
Opening the passenger door, Mimi thoughtlessly responded, "After Saturday, there was no way she was going to let me borrow the car – which is totally unfair since it wasn't even my fault."
"Since what wasn't your fault?" Shawn curiously inquired.
"Um, nothing. Nothing wasn't even my fault," Mimi poorly lied.
Just as she was about to step out of the vehicle, Shawn commanded, "Shut the door, Meems. I want you to tell me what you're hiding."
"Nothing," Mimi again badly fibbed. Receiving an almost stern glare from her friend, Mimi said, "Okay, there was just this little incident on Saturday."
"What kind of little incident?"
"The kind that landed me, Belle, Zach, and Jason in jail."
Shawn shook his head and responded, "No way."
"Oh, yes, way. It was awful. I mean, it was bad enough getting arrested for robbery in front of everyone at Salem Place, but it was way worse being stuck in a real jail cell."
A pensive look overtaking his facial features, Shawn wondered aloud, "I talked to Belle just last night on the phone. Why wouldn't she tell me?"
"Probably because she was still embarrassed about having to tell the police exactly what happened when the cops arrived. Of course, you can't blame them for being curious since she was attacking Zach with her purse." Hardly stopping to breathe, Mimi blabbed, "Then again, I probably would have hit him too if he'd gotten fresh with me." Seeing the anger that immediately filled Shawn's brown eyes, Mimi muttered, "Oops."
Turning away from Mimi and her expression of regret, Shawn randomly looked out his window. That was when he saw Zach walking away from his car. To himself, Shawn grumbled, "Who does he think he is? There's no way I'm going to let that punk just swoop in and start putting the moves on Belle."
"Shawn, please . . ." Mimi pleaded. However, her unspoken requests did no good. Throwing open the truck door, Shawn jumped out and began to immediately stalk toward Zach, who had stopped to talk with Brady and Chloe.
When Shawn reached the trio, he gave Zach a rough push from behind. Ignoring the curious stares of Brady and Chloe, Shawn demanded, "What happened with you and Belle?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I know you tried to put the moves on her. I also know you got her arrested," Shawn practically yelled.
Mimi's arrival at Shawn's side was more than enough of an explanation for Zach. "You just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you, Mimi?"
"Don't blame Mimi for this," ordered Shawn.
Brady cautiously stepped in between the two teenagers. Directing his steely gaze at Zach, Brady questioned, "What did you do to my sister?"
Zach threw Mimi a somewhat angry look before he said, "Nothing, Brady. There was just a huge mix-up at Salem Place. What can I say? I bear a charmed life."
The feeling of deja vu swept over Brady. All but staring at Zach, Brady tried to determine what was so familiar about the younger man. Yet, he couldn't even pin point what had Zach had said or done to incite that mysterious feeling of remembrance, much less the original source.
"Let me make this easy for you. Did you or did you not hit on my girlfriend?"
"Not . . . exactly," stammered Zach, his gaze stranded on Shawn's clenched fist. He wondered just how much blood would be spilled if a fist fight were to ensue. His thoughts becoming rather random, Zach hoped that he would get neither his nor Shawn's blood on his new shirt.
Before Shawn could begin his own tirade against Zach, Brady advised, "I'm warning you, Wesley. Stay away from my baby sister."
"We're not joking," chimed Shawn. "I don't want you putting Belle in danger or getting her in trouble."
To Zach's immense surprise, Chloe jumped to his defense. "Would you guys just leave him alone? If Zach says it was just a mistake, that's all it was." Hearing the bell for first period loudly and shrilling declare it time to be in class, Chloe concluded, "Let's just get inside." Turning to Brady, she stated, "I guess I'll see you this afternoon . . ."
Brady quickly kissed Chloe's cheek and said, "See you then, sweetheart."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
As Mr. Woods prepared to take roll, Belle turned around and whispered to Philip, "I thought Zach was going to just go to his car."
Philip merely shrugged and responded, "He probably just ran into some girl in a mini-skirt. The guy's got a one-track mind."
"Maybe," murmured Belle. She found herself unsatisfied with Philip's shallow explanation when she took another look around the room. Not only was Zach's seat empty, but so were the seats belonging to Chloe, Shawn, and Mimi.
Addressing the class, Mr. Woods, asked, "Has anyone seen Miss Lockhart, Mr. Wesley, Mr. Brady, or Miss Lane?"
With a cynical smirk, Jason corrected, "Actually, that's Mrs. Black, now."
Before Mr. Woods could respond to Jason's puzzling comment, Chloe, followed by Shawn, Mimi, and Zach, barreled into the room and declared, "Here we are."
While trying to hurry to her seat, Chloe nearly tripped over an unexpected object in the aisle. Chloe indignantly turned to see what had nearly caused her to fall. Spotting a backpack beside Jason's desk, she quietly hissed, "What's that?"
"It's my backpack," responded Jason.
Sitting down in her seat, Chloe looked at Jason and asked, "Since when have you owned a backpack?"
Jason answered Chloe only with a smile that promised trouble.
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Jason did his best to not appear nervous as he stood outside the boys' bathroom. He figured if a teacher came down the hallway, he could just duck inside and use that as his excuse for not being in class.
Hearing whispers coming from his left, Jason turned to find Zach and Philip cautiously approaching him. Nodding toward Philip, Zach explained, "You said to bring reinforcements. Well, here he is."
A bit confused, Jason asked, "Isn't Shawn in your class? Why didn't you sneak him out, too?"
Grimacing just a tiny bit, Zach answered, "Let's just say that I'm probably not his favorite person right now."
Though Jason was quite curious about what had happened between Zach and Shawn, he knew that it wasn't the time to ask. "Okay, guys, the bell to end sixth period rings in less than five minutes. So, we've got to hurry."
"Hurry with what?" Philip asked. It seemed for the millionth time that day that he was missing a huge piece of a puzzle. He still didn't know what Zach and Belle had been discussing in the hallway that morning. However, Philip was fairly certain that it had to do with the mystery of why Shawn later looked ready to strangle Zach.
"My brilliant idea to win Meems over - the idea I got from the advice you guys gave me yesterday."
Closing his eyes, Philip muttered, "I regret this already."
"Okay," whispered Jason. "Philip, I need you to go into the Principal's office and somehow get him out of there. Do whatever it takes to keep him out of the building for at least five or six minutes. Zach, you're pretty good with electronics, right?"
"I suppose."
"Good, then, I need you to come with me after Philip takes care of his part."
Nodding, Zach quietly replied, "Just one question: What are you going to do?"
"Be artistic, publicly interested in Mimi, and break the rules while doing it."
"Yeah," grumbled Philip. "I'm definitely going to regret this."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Following sixth period, Mimi quickly went to her locker to grab the book she needed for her final class of the day. Just as she was pulling out the textbook, Belle approached her and asked, "Hey, Mimi, have you seen Philip or Zach? They both disappeared at the end of class."
"No, but that's really weird. Jason said he had to go to the bathroom last period and never came back."
"I wonder what they're up to," Belle mused aloud.
As an almost cosmic answer to her question, the school's P.A. system suddenly burst to life with the voice of Zach Wesley. "Ladies and Gentleman of Salem High, may I have your attention? You're in for a very special treat today. Since Principal Cohen has stepped out of the office to attend to some personal business with his favorite call girl, we shall have a little fun of our own . . ."
Extremely loud pop music blared from the speakers. Glancing at Belle, Mimi muttered, "I know this song . . . I actually have it on c.d."
"So, why would Zach be playing this?"
Once again the universe decided to show Belle its answer. From the speakers blared a familiar voice singing the song lyrics.
Every six seconds
Every six seconds
Baby I can't stop
My mind from slipping
Every six seconds or less
Preoccupation of the opposite sex
And you're the one I blame
For making me go crazy
I think of you in different ways
Fourteen thousand times a day
"Oh, my god," Mimi exclaimed. "That sounds like Jason! That is Jason!"
Her eyes becoming as wide as saucers, Belle attempted to discreetly point behind Mimi. Looking at Belle as though she were losing her sanity, Mimi asked, "What? What are you pointing at?"
"Behind you!" Belle hissed.
Turning around, Mimi found herself looking into Jason's stunning green eyes as he belted out the song lyrics. She was stunned when the popular athlete boldly winked at her. From the laughter of those nearby, Mimi knew it was not an action that went unnoticed.
As Jason tried to near Mimi, she slammed her locker shut and began to nervously back away. "What are you doing, Jason?"
His only answer was to continue singing.
Victoria's Secret I've been keepin'
And its getting harder all the time
I can't keep it undercover
I need your soft lips kissing mine
Mimi's cheeks blushed a bright shade of pink as Jason continued to near her. Her level of embarrassment only rose as a larger crowd surrounded her and Jason. Ignoring the laughter and amusement of his classmates, Jason continued to serenade Mimi.
Every six seconds
My body starts beggin
Your sweet thing is wreckin me
Until you give me some
Ten times a minute
Six hundred times an hour
Another cold shower
Until you give me some
(Until you give me some)
I picture you in red matte lipstick
Sponging all over me
Leaving a mark on my fantasy
Or swimming in water wearing nothing but moonlight
Both of us soaking wet (splash)
Half way to the towel is as far as we get
Gasping with sincere shock, Mimi turned from her would-be suitor and ran down the hallway. Completely unaware of the fact that he was embarrassing Mimi rather than flattering her, Jason hurried down the hall after her.
Catching up with Mimi, Jason continued the song.
Victoria's Secret I've been keepin'
And its getting harder all the time
I can't keep it undercover
I need your soft lips kissing mine
Every six seconds
My body starts beggin
Your sweet thing is wreckin me
Until you give me some Ten times a minute Six hundred times an hour
Another cold shower Until you give me some
Having fled the office, Zach followed the crowd to watch the spectacle. Out of seemingly no where, he felt a somewhat harsh slap. He turned to look at Belle just as she angrily spat, "I can't believe you actually helped him with this stupid idea!"
"The guy's humiliating himself just for her. Doesn't that count for something?"
Not sure how to respond, Belle chose to remain silent.
Every six seconds
My body starts beggin
Your sweet thing is messin me
Until you give me some
Ten times a minute
Six hundred times an hour
Another cold shower
Girl you got the power
Until you give me some
Focusing not on the sacrifice Jason was making, but the ridicule of her classmates, Mimi turned away and quickly ducked into the girls' bathroom. Seconds later, she was pushed back into the hallway by Chloe.
Giving Mimi an unwavering glare, Chloe declared, "Don't expect me to help you. You've made your bed - now lie in it."
"But," squealed Mimi. "I didn't do anything!"
Wrapping his arms around Mimi as she attempted to argue with Chloe, Jason continued to sing.
Every six seconds
My body starts beggin
Your sweet thing is messin me
Until you give me some
Ten times a minute
Six hundred times an hour
Another cold shower
Girl you got the power
Until you give me some
Squirming almost uncontrollably, Mimi attempted to escape Jason and his powerful presence. However, the hold of both his hands and his alluring eyes was too great.
His eyes focused on the unfolding drama, Shawn stepped up beside Belle. With a shake of his head, he commented, "Not only is Mimi obviously unimpressed, but Jason is butchering that song to pieces."
Thoughts of you keep swimming through my veins
Baby night and day And I cannot concentrate on anything
But this urge I have inside
Every six seconds
Every six seconds
Until you give me some
Every six seconds
Every six seconds
Until you give me some
Every six seconds
My body starts beggin
Your sweet thing is wreckin me
Until you give me some
Ten times a minute
Six hundred times an hour
Another cold shower
Until you give me some
Finally breaking free of Jason, Mimi took a few careful steps away from him. Her eyes brimmed with tears as the chuckles of her classmates reached her ears. Pleading with Jason, she requested, "Please, just stop!"
Jason ignored the request and proceeded to sing only louder.
Every six seconds
My body starts begging
Your sweet thing is wrecking me
Until you give me some
Ten times a minute
Six hundred times an hour
Girl you got the power
Until you give me some
Every six seconds
Ending the song, Jason stared at Mimi with eyes overflowing with a rather innocent uncertainty. His eyes staring into Mimi's, Jason slowly whispered, "Meems, there's something I need to tell you . . ."
"The only person you're going to be talking to, pal, is me," declared Principal Cohen as he placed his right hand on Jason's shoulder and spun him around. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Masters."
Reaching out with his left hand and taking hold of Philip as he tried to slip away, the principal continued, "That goes for you too, Kiriakis." The middle-aged man turned his head to look around the crowd. "Wesley, wherever you are, I expect you in my office now!"
As the bell rang to announce the beginning of seventh period, Principal Cohen shouted, "That sound means it's time to get to class. Show's over."
Belle watched with immense worry as her friends were carted off to the doomed office. To her boyfriend she quietly said, "They are going to be in so much trouble, Shawn. I know that Jason's mom is going to be furious when she finds out. And, I'm sure that Mr. Kiriakis will really be angry with Philip."
Barely concealing his innate jealousy, Shawn asked, "What about Zach? Aren't you worried about him?"
Avoiding eye contact with Shawn, the petite blonde replied, "I bet Zach's gotten away with a lot worse." As she recalled the charges Officer Duncan had listed while they were in jail, Belle added, "I know he has."
Mimi hesitantly approached Shawn and Belle. Her face clearly afflicted with embarrassment, Mimi whined, "I will never be able to show my face around here again. I can't believe he sang that song to me in front of the entire school." Pretending to shiver, Mimi added, "Eww, I can't believe I actually liked that song. Now, it's just ruined for me."
Shawn felt as though he should defend Jason and his misguided antics. Yet, he was well aware that Jason would be furious if he betrayed his confidence. Saying all he could, Shawn stated, "I have a feeling that Jason deserves the benefit of the doubt."
"Jason Masters deserves the benefit of the doubt? Ha!" retorted Mimi angrily. "He lives to embarrass me. Humiliating me is his favorite hobby."
As Mimi stormed off and Belle followed her, Shawn muttered, "Yeah, but I've never seen him humiliate himself." Sighing, Shawn wondered how Mimi could possibly be so blind to Jason's romantic feelings. "Guess we'll just have to see what plan Philip has up his sleeve."