Esperanza was sitting in Holly's room, watching her paint. "What are you thinking about?" She asked Holly. Holly put her brush down and turned to face Esperanza. "Sean…You?" "Max." Esperanza admitted. "I know we agreed to be friends…but I still like him, a lot." "I know how you feel…I told Sean that I had to work things out…but I already have worked them out. I'm just afraid." "You afraid?" Esperanza joked. "What are you afraid of Holly?"

Holly pulled her feet up in the chair and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I'm afraid of love…" Esperanza put down the magazine she was reading and sat up. Her cell phone was ringing. It was someone from home calling. "Hello…" She started to say, but the other person got there first. "Hey Cousin!" "Andy!" Esperanza shouted as she jumped off of the bed. "What are you doing here?" "Well…actually never mind. I'll be at Holly's in ten minutes." After giving him directions, Esperanza hung up the phone and threw it on the other side of the bed. "Andy is in Bethesda! Can you believe that?" Holly tried her best to smile with her friend. "That's awesome."

Ten minutes later Esperanza and Holly saw Andy coming down the road. Esperanza shot up and waved her arm frantically, and then she realized that Andy wasn't alone. Nicole was in the front seat. When they pulled up Andy and Nicole both got out of the car. Esperanza made sure to hug both of them. "Holly, this is Nicole…my friend. And you know Andy." "Hey lazy." Holly said to Andy. "Hey shorty." Andy said back. Andy put his arm around Nicole's waist and pulled her closer to him self. Holly snickered. "What?" Andy asked, puzzled. "Nothing it's just that Andy has a girlfriend!" Holly laughed again. Andy rolled his eyes at her. "Don't act so shocked Holly. Do you have a boyfriend yet?" He asked her. "Kind of…it's complicated." "How is it complicated Holly?" Andy questioned her again. Esperanza turned around and pointed down the road. "Well he's right there Andy, why don't you ask him yourself." Holly turned around and looked as Sean's truck came slowly down the street. "Crap." She said more to herself than to anyone else.

Sean pulled into Holly's driveway and got out. He did something strange though, when he walked by Andy's car. He peered inside the back window, and then turned back around; a confused look appeared on his face. Holly stayed where she was. Sean walked over to her and stood next to her, his hands in his pockets. "Hey" He said to her. "Hey you." Holly said. "Oh yeah…this is Andy, Esi's cousin, and this is Nicole, Andy's boyfriend. Why were you looking in Andy's car? Did you think it was mine or something?" "Not exactly." Sean stated. "There was…" He saw Andy shaking his head, so he stopped talking.

Esperanza was suspicious now. "Andy? What do you have in the car?" "Nothing, I swear." "But…Sean said he saw something." Nicole stepped forward and grabbed Esperanza by the shoulders. "Turn around." She forced Esperanza to turn. And when Esperanza got around, she froze. It was Max.

"Max." Esperanza walked over to him and looked up into his shaded eyes. "Esi…how are you?" "I'm doing well. How are you?" She asked him. "I could be better. That's actually why we are here." "We?" Esperanza turned to look at Andy and Nicole. "Ok, so maybe I begged and pleaded with them to come. So it's why I'm here. Do you want to go for a walk?" "It wouldn't hurt." Esperanza said. She ran over to the other group. "Max and I are going to go for a walk."

"I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't get you off of my mind and every thing I saw reminded me of you. And then I thought back to what you said the day you left…'let's just be friends.'" He said quoting Esperanza. Esperanza thought back to when she had said that. "I meant it…" She saw the look of sadness cross over his face. "I meant it then. I know what you mean. I can't stop thinking about you either. I guess that means it wasn't time for this thing we had going on, to end." Max's face lit up. "I agree."

(Back to Holly's World)

Holly was left to entertain Andy and Nicole. "Well pea brain," She said hitting Andy in the arm. "Sean and I need to talk…I guess you guys are on your own. Esi and Max will be back in a few minutes."

Sean and Holly walked off and got into Sean's truck. Andy let out a sigh of relief. "Don't worry Nicki; it's not that she hates you! She's just always like that. She's still mad from when I broke her favorite Hanson tape when we were kids."

Here's another chapter…it's all I could write at the moment. But do not fear…I'll be back with more! Love you all…even if I don't know you! Rachel