Ella awoke the next morning to find Anna singing out loud with the music streaming through her headphones. Sitting up, Ella threw a pillow at her. "Can't you let a person sleep?" Anna laughed and took the headphones off. "What did you say?" "Nothing," Ella sighed. "What time is it? I feel like I've been asleep for a decade." "It's almost noon. You need to get up and get dressed, lazy." Ella's cell phone started ringing. She looked at the caller id, but didn't recognize the number. She answered anyways. "Hello?" "Hey Ella! It's Lucas!" Ella smiled and pulled the covers back over her head. Anna pulled them back down. "Out of bed!" She yelled. Ella obeyed and got up, walking over to the bathroom and slamming the door. "Hey Lucas," She said. "What's up?" "Ah, nothing really. I was just wondering if you maybe wanted to hang out for the day. My cousin has this restaurant near here, it's just over the bridge…they have awesome coffee." Ella could never turn down coffee. "Yeah sure…I'll just go ask Anna." "No!...I mean I thought it would be cool if you and I just hung out." Lucas stated as calmly as possible. Ella blushed at the thought of spending the entire day with Lucas…again. "Ok…pick me up in about half an hour?" She could hear Lucas running down the steps of his building. "Yeah that works. See you then Ella Bella." "See you then." She repeated.

Ella was just about to head downstairs when there was a knock at the front door. Brian was near by so he answered it. "Hey Lucas…I didn't think we needed you today…Anna is at the field all day." Ella could hear Brian talking to Lucas in the foyer. "No sir, I'm not scheduled to work. I was just going to take Ella out." Lucas told him. Ella came from around the corner and stepped on her tip toes to kiss Brian on the cheek. "Bye Brian…can you tell my mom to call me?" Brian opened the door to let them out. "Sure thing Ella. Have a nice day." Ella waved bye as she and Lucas stepped onto the elevator.

The waiter had brought out two large cups of coffee and a piece of chocolate cake, just as Ella had ordered. "I guess you are feeling better today…that is a huge piece of cake my friend!" Lucas teased Ella as she took a bite of it. She casually wiped away the smear of chocolate icing that had gotten on her face. "I feel ten times better. Want some?" Ella slid her plate over to Lucas and held it front of his face. He grabbed the extra fork and took a bite. "Andrew makes the best cake." Ella took another large bite and closed her eyes. "You can say that again."

Esperanza was sitting on the floor in Nicole's bedroom, reading a magazine. Nicole was painting her own nails on the bed. "You know Esi…Max has been acting strange lately. What did you do to him?" Esperanza looked up and gave Nicole a look that said 'I don't want to talk about it.' But then she spoke. "It was nothing really. I think he just thinks that I'm mad at him. I haven't talked to him since the night of the concert." "Whoa!" Nicole exclaimed. "That was almost a week ago Esi! Are you mad at him?" "No…at least I don't think so…I don't know. Some things were said while you and Andy were in the bathroom at the gas station. It was just awkward. That's all. If it makes you happy, I'll go and talk to him right now." Nicole smiled and put her nail polish on the bed side table. "I'm coming with you…" She received a stare from Esperanza. "Ok, so maybe I'm not. Good luck."

Esperanza slowly walked down the hallway and up another set of stairs. Max's room was at the end of this hallway. She knocked on his door, and when he said to come in, she did so. But he hadn't known who it was. "Oh…hey." He said not trying to hide his disappointment. "What do you need?" Esperanza sat down on his bed and pulled her feet up. "I just wanted to talk to you." "So now you choose to talk to me?" "Oh shut up!" Esperanza yelled. "Let me talk! OK?" Max was surprised by her forwardness and tone. He turned around from his computer and looked her in the face. "Ok, you have my attention." Esperanza took a few deep breathes, readying herself to talk. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted the way I did the other night. I wasn't myself." "I noticed." Max said to her. "Even though the drive is there…I think it would be best if you and I just left it alone. You are leaving to go home in a few weeks…and then I'm going back to school in the fall. Maybe we should just be friends." "You aren't being serious are you?" Esperanza questioned. "I am. I realized that you are a little too immature for me...I'm sorry. It's for the best." Esperanza stood up and walked towards the door, turning around to face Max. "I just realized that you're a jerk. You were there for me after Nevan's death…and I have to thank you for that. But it was all a lie. You were a lie." She turned back around storming out of his room...being sure to slam the door on the way out.

Nicole had heard the slamming of the door from upstairs. But she wasn't expecting what she saw when Esperanza came storming into her room. Esperanza threw herself across the bed and buried her face into the covers. "I hate boys…he just broke up with me." "What? Are you serious?" Nicole asked. "He said that I was too immature and that it would be best if we were just friends. That the sex drive was there and if we didn't both back off, that we were going to end up doing something that we would regret…well he didn't really say that…but that's what he meant." "I trust you Esi. Come on…I'll take you home."

After Esperanza got home she grabbed the pants out of her suitcase and had her mom drove her to the post office.

Holly received the pants a few days after Esperanza had mailed them. There was a letter in the front pocket. She took it out.

Holly, I'm mailing these to you a bit early. Let's just say that I couldn't stand them in my presence any longer. Hope you fair better with them in your hands. I abused the power of the pants…and now Max and I are no longer Max and I. He broke up with me. But I'm ok…two boyfriends in one summer…that's not too bad is it? I didn't think so. I'll email you later. All my love. Esi

Holly pulled them on and walked outside. She could see her mom and Stephen talking on the steps. She ran out to greet them. Lena looked up and saw her in the pants. "Holly…did those just come?" "Yeah mom…Esi said that she couldn't stand them in her presence any longer. But whatever, I have them now."

Stephen put his arm around Holly's waist and pulled her onto his lap. "You look beautiful. I remember seeing your mom, Carmen, Bee, and Tibby wearing those pant the summer I was there. I thought it was so strange!" Lena nudged him with her knee. "But you also thought Tibby was the sexiest thing alive when she was wearing them." "Ah yes. I remember that. I don't like to remember that moment!" Holly laughed and put her arm around his neck. "Did Phen have a little crush on the Tibster? That is so cute!" Stephen nodded his head and covered his eyes for a moment. "I even could have split up Brian and Tibby for good. They hadn't started dating yet, but I could have seriously screwed that up. Brian still thinks that I'm a womanizing loser. Just ask him." Holly laughed again and stood up. "Well…do you guys want to go get some lunch? I'm bored out of my mind staying in the house." Lena and Stephen stood up following Holly. "Is that all the Greeks do? Eat?" Stephen jokingly asked. "Mostly!" Lena laughed.

Anna was doing drills with Nate, Zach, and Zach's partner. Nate kicked the ball to Zach, skimming his head. "Whoa!" Zach yelled. "Sorry about that one man!" Zach swore under his breath and kicked the ball to Anna. When the ball finally made it back to Nate, he kicked it again. This time it didn't miss Zach's head. Zach picked up the ball and chucked it at Nate. He caught it, and looked up in time to see Zach walking in his direction. "Calm down dude." Nate said. "What's your problem?" Zach asked, quickly approaching Nate. Nate threw the ball down and looked Zach in the eyes. "You are my problem. You think that since you and Coach are so buddy-buddy, you can get anything you want…Even the open spot in next year's team." Anna was by Zach's side now. "Nate shut up…you know he got that spot fair and square. You were at tryouts…" Nate raised his hand to hit Anna, but someone caught it. Nate turned his gaze to find Eric hovering over him.

"What's going on here…Tommy?" Tommy looked from Zach to Nate. Should he rat out his best friend? He shrugged his shoulders. Eric sighed and looked at Anna. "Since Tommy here doesn't want to rat out his best buddy…it looks like you are going to have to rat out your boyfriend. What happened?" He tightened his grip on Nate's arm. "And tell me the truth…all of it."

Anna stepped closer to Eric. "We were just doing the drills, and then Nate kicked the ball a little too hard, it barely missed Zach's head." "Is that all that happened? You kids are ridiculous!" Anna went on. "No…that's not all that happened. Nate got the ball again and kicked it. The next time it hit Zach in the head…Zach came over and asked Nate what his problem was, and Nate said…" She paused. Eric let go of Nate's arm and stepped back. "What did Nate say?" "He thinks that because you and Zach are so close…he told me that he doesn't want his superstar status to be taken away next year just because this new guy Zach is way better than him…" Tommy stammered out. Eric was furious. "You! In my office now!" He yelled at Nate. Nate looked at Tommy and then at Zach. "Idiots."

After practice was over, Zach found Tommy. "Listen man, I'm sorry you had to do that." Tommy put his stuff inside his locker and sat down on a bench. "He had it coming…he doesn't really think that you got on the team just because of your status with Coach…Nate knows you are going to be a key player this year. And that means that his star status will be stripped from him. Get what I'm trying to say?" Tommy asked. Zach nodded. "Crystal clear…I'll see you tomorrow Tommy." "Bye Zach." Tommy yelled out.

Bridget had seen it happen, but she hadn't known what was said until Anna had told her. "Where are they now?" She asked. Anna pointed in the direction of Eric's office. "They haven't come out yet." Bridget sat silently in the hallway waiting for Eric to come out. Ten minutes after she got there, he did. Along with a sullen Nate. Nate stormed off down the hallway and into the locker room, punching a few lockers on the way to his.

Bridget placed her hands on Eric's shoulders. She could feel the tension. He still looked mad. "Nate's a good player. But his attitude toward the game sucks…I had to do it. Stuff like this has happened before with him." "What did you have to do?" Bridget asked. Eric massaged his temples and leaned his head back. "I permanently suspended him from the team for the season."

Brian had made dinner for everyone, and Lucas had even joined them…at the request of Ella. Eric was sitting beside Bridget and across from Anna. Anna couldn't believe what she had heard. "Let's not talk about it…" Eric pleaded with Bridget and Anna. They both shut up. Bridget directed her attention in another direction…to the boy that Ella was sitting beside. He kept looking in Bridget's direction, but looked away when she met his gaze. "So, this is the Lucas that took care of my daughter?" She questioned. Lucas put his fork down and looked up. "Yes ma'am, unless there's another Lucas I don't know about!" Ella squeezed his shoulder and then moved her hand down his arm, to grab his hand. "Do not fret Lucas…you are the only one!" "How old are you?" Bridget asked him. "I'm 21." Ella saw the look of extreme shock cross over her mother's face. Ella and Lucas started laughing. Bridget was confused. "Wait…what's so funny?" Ella let go of Lucas' hand and put it back on his shoulder. "You actually thought that Lucas and I were…that is hilarious mom! It would be considered illegal in most states!" Bridget took a sigh of relief and held her hand to her chest. "Ok…so you two aren't…?" "No!" Lucas reassured her. Ella ran her hand back down Lucas' arm and winked at him. "But we could be if you didn't have a problem with it!" She told her mom. Bridget shook her head and looked at Eric. "If it didn't work for me, then it won't work for you." "But it did work for you Bee." Anna piped in. Bridget gave her a mean look. "Shut up Anna." Eric laughed and grabbed Bridget's hand under the table. She blushed. "Ok…so maybe it did work out…but in a screwed up kind of way!" The whole table erupted in an uncontrollable laughter. Even Eve was laughing, and she had no idea what, was going on.

Ok…so now I have to go get ready for work…yes I have to work tonight! No fireworks for me! Hope everyone has a fantastic Fourth of July though! (I'll be making popcorn!) I'll update later this week…maybe even tonight! Who knows! Thanks to xSummerbabyx…I just got all of your reviews before I uploaded this!