C&N

The look of shock on Callie's face was evident. Her normally tan skin had faded to a sickly green pallor. Her mouth gaped open and she was batting her eyelashes in confusion. Bradin felt as if he'd just been slapped. Who WAS this guy? He was He strutted around in his tight jeans as if he owned the world.

"B-B-Ben? What...what...what are you DOING here?" Callie finally managed to sputter out.

"I'm so sorry I didn't call you Cal, we moved right after you left and I lost your phone number in the mess. Didn't I tell you that my father was able to snag a job in PL? It was a really great career opportunity and the schools here are much better," the cocky brown-haired god replied.

He turned to Bradin and smirked at his incredulity.

"I'm Ben by the way. I just moved here from Oklahoma. Callie and I dated before she moved here to sunny So Cal. Who are you?"

Bradin still couldn't hide his shock at Ben's confidence. He wasn't used to people being so forward.

"I'm Bradin Westerly...I'm actually new here too, from Kansas. Nice to meet you," Bradin muttered through clenched teeth. It was NOT nice to meet this snobby jerk who was trying to steal Callie from right under his nose. He didn't even have the decency to do it when Bradin wasn't around. How rude.

"You guys mind if I join you? I was just checking out the local hot spots, but I could use a break,"

Callie gazed at Bradin with a weak smile and gave Ben permission to join them.

As she listened in silence as Bradin and Ben made small talk she couldn't help but remember how hurt she'd been when Ben hadn't called her when she moved. She hadn't known that he'd lost her new number...Callie had loved Ben so deeply and then when she didn't hear from him and had been too shy to call him herself...She'd felt as if she'd been slapped. Finally, fed up with waiting for a call that wasn't going to come, she'd given in and called him. A giggly female voice answered and said Ben was busy and couldn't talk. Callie had hung up disappointed and angry. Something was seriously sketch...

Bradin sat and answered all of Ben's nosy questions, vaguely of course. He wanted to come off as tough and in control of himself. How long had he and Callie known each other? Not long. Were they going out? Sort of. Where about Kansas had he come from? Hogarth County...Bradin was a little irritated to find that they knew quite a few of the same people. Soon though, Bradin's tough exterior began to wear off, Ben's on-going conversation and infectious smile were hard for a normally friendly guy to resist.

Callie watched in amazement as Bradin's coldness wore off and he began to laugh with Ben. Ben seemed to have that effect on everyone, few could resist his cheerfulness. Bradin was so sweet and cute, but Ben was everything she had known for so long. Callie couldn't get the giggly female voice out of her head though, so she decided to give Bradin a try.

"Um guys? We've kind of been sitting here for a while and there are people waiting for some place to sit." Callie said. She turned to Ben and said pointedly, "Ben, Bradin and I should get going. It was great to see you, we should hang out. Bye!"

"Hang on Cal, just let me pay for this stuff. Yeah Ben we should kick it sometime, I got the new Madden game that totally rocks," Bradin went to the counter to pay the bill and Callie waved good-bye to Ben as she made the long, crowded trek to the front door.

C&N

Nikki sat on her bed, biting her lip like she did when she was deep in thought. She was in the middle of a daydream taking place in 10 years where she and Cameron were married and she was pregnant with their first kid. The phone rang on her bedside table, startling her out of her reverie. She leaned over to check the caller ID, her legs getting caught in a blanket and almost falling off in the process. It was Cameron. She shuddered at the memory of what had happened just a few hours before. Should she answer?

Come on girl...You might not get this opportunity again!

"Um...Hi Cameron"

"How'd you know it was me?"

"Duuuh caller ID. Get with it dude!" Nikki joked.

"Nikki, I just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier. You see, Amber and I are kind of off and on and I was under the impression that we were off right now. Then she showed up at my house today and then she showed up at my house today and when she found out I was going to hang out with you, we were suddenly dating again and she insisted she come along. I'm really really sorry and I...well I...just want you to know that Amber and I broke it off for good today. Can you hang out tomorrow?"

"Lemme check my schedule...Yuuup I'm free!! Wanna come over around 11:00?"

"That's sounds good. I'll see you then,"

Nikki hung up, filled to the brim with joy. Maybe her life would be ok after all.

I cant say how sorry I am that this took almost a month to write. I've been soooo busy with school and reality that it was kind of hard to keep up with it all. The story seems to be on the right track for now and I hope you enjoyed this new chapter, short as it was. I'll try to update again really soon. Please R&R!!!