A/N: don't worry, i don't plan to write out comments to comments people have left me every time i update. it's just been a while since i've been back at this and i love hearing from my "regulars." hahah. you guys are awesome. :)

redhed311: my first review! yaaaay! thanks for checking this out!

Pure Imagination aka Bewilderment aka (who else have you been again??): wooohoo! you're here! i've always looked forward to getting your comments on ICS&CC.. they always made me laugh cuz you're so darn hyper all the time. hyper's good in my books.:) awesome to hear that you're as excited about this as i am. :)

onlyme1: oh sweetie, you don't gots to worry about any mary sues in this story. ;) i hope that's not giving away too much, but this new amber character will be an interesting one indeed. ;) i've had her whole demeanour planned out in my head for a while now. thanks for giving this sequel a chance!

Lladybug777: i'm liking this whole love-hate relationship we have going here? ;) first, you hate me for not putting byron and char together at the end of ICS&CC – and then you love me for writing a sequel. hmmm. you're an interesting one. J you're obviously not a fan of cliffhangers but i have a few more tricks up my sleeve. muahah.

jordan: yeeah. that's what i kinda meant about the whole age thing not working out. it gets confusing if you didn't get it right in the first place. whoops. haha. thanks for checking it out though.

meangurl: thank you for that.... "enlightened".. comment you left me but i'm sure you have better things to do than read crap – thanks for the oh-so-constructive criticism though. i'd say that i looked forward to reading some of your stuff (which i know is probably fabulous)... if only you actually didn't end up leaving an anonymous review. thanks anyway. a Merry Christmas to you too :)


CHAPTER TWO - Obstacle

I nervously looked down at my wristwatch and hastened my pace, my footsteps echoing loudly down the empty hallway. I'd spent a couple of hours in the library, researching a humanities project for Social Studies and totally lost track of time. Being twenty minutes late to our first Yearbook Committee meeting was definitely not a good way to start out the year.

I was getting so bad at this whole punctuality deal.

I held my breath as I slowly turned the doorknob and quietly walked into the Yearbook office. The room was impressively almost full. A few heads turned, but I offered a sheepish grin and found an empty spot at the back. Leaning against the edge of a desk, I focused my attention to Kerry Bruno, this year's editor.

"Okay, guys! So you have your assignments and your assignment partners. Please please please don't bug me about who I paired you up with because you really have no choice." She smiled brightly. "Don't hate me because I'm a control freak." That got a few chuckles from the crowd.

Uh-oh. Partners? I thought nervously. What partners?

"Now that that's been said, it's brainstorming time!" she announced. "Come back to me in a week with ideas....and details! I love details!" She clapped her hands twice, indicating the end of her speech.

People started getting off their seats and moving around the room, while I stood there, looking like a complete dumb-ass.

"Charlotte!" I turned my head to the sound of the voice and smiled gratefully when I saw it was Vanessa. I hurried over to where she was sitting.

"Pleease tell me that you're my partner," I pleaded.

"I wish I could hun," she said regretfully. "But that's your partner." I followed her pointed index finger with my gaze and where should it land but in the direction of her brother.

Oh nooo, not Adam or Jordan... or even Nicky for pete's sake -- I wasn't that lucky. Who else but the guy who made my heart sink to the pit of my stomach every time he walked by me: Byron. Byron Pike. That name haunted me. I gulped.

"I know," Vanessa said pitifully, probably seeing the stricken look on my face. "Trust me, this was purely Kerry's doing. She wanted seniors paired up with the younger staff and it was... just luck of the draw I guess." She grimaced. "I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do to change it."

"This is fantastic," I said under my breath, my voice thick with sarcasm.

"Well..... c'mon now...." Vanessa began slowly. "Is it really going to be that bad?" I glared at her. "Okay! Fine! But what are you going to do? Drop out of yearbook just because of him? Trust me, Char. He's not worth it. You can totally be editor in two years -- something you've always wanted. So you need to do this. Byron's just an obstacle. Think of it that way."

An obstacle, I thought. Right. Sure..... Okay then. I can do this. I let out a deep sigh and headed over to his direction. He was already jotting notes down in his notebook.

"Hi," I greeted awkwardly. That was the first word I'd said to him literally since that day at the baseball park. He looked up but then quickly avoided my eyes.

"Hey," he replied flatly. I noticed that he wasn't really jotting down notes, but just doodling absentmindedly on the page. He saw me looking down and abruptly closed the cover.

"Um. So Kerry made us partners," I mumbled.

"I had nothing to do with it," Byron replied briskly.

"I know."

"....Oh."

Great. So this was productive. We were going to get so much accomplished this year. Not.

"Byron and Charlotte!" Kerry, our most favorite person, walked by. "Tsk, tsk. I don't see any brainstorming happening here. C'mon guys!" I rolled my eyes as she passed me. I hated being in this pathetic situation.

I inwardly groaned as I dropped my bag on the floor and took a seat next to Byron, innately leaning as far away as possible. Without saying anything, he slid over a sheet of paper.

It was our assignment for the year. We were supposed to work on page layouts for the big social events at SHS like dances, pep rallies and such.

"This should be.... interesting," I said after reading it, not having much else to say. Byron nodded slowly, running his hands through his hair. He always did that when he was nervous or uncomfortable.

I cleared my throat and took out my pen and a spare notebook. Through my clouded thoughts, I got down to work and started writing. Next to me, Byron opened his notebook and did the same.

For the next twenty-five minutes, we sat there. Just writing. Not a single word passed between us. I could easily say that it was probably the most awkward situation I had been in. Ever.

Thankfully though, by 4:30pm, Kerry dismissed us with a last reminder to have concrete ideas by next week. Not seeing much chance in improving things with Byron, I made a depressing mental note to work on more ideas on my own. I stood up and collected my things into my bag

"So how does Saturday sound?" I looked up, caught off guard. Byron was looking at me expectantly.

"Uh. What?" I wasn't sure I heard him right.

"Tomorrow. Saturday. I start work at four, so we can work on this if you wanted."

"Um, sure." I stammered uncertainly. "Y-You can come over any time."

"How does one o'clock sound? Right after lunch?" I slowly nodded. "Good. See you later."

He walked off without another word.