A/N: This chapter was kinda fun to write. Also, we finally run into the DotM. I almost wasn't going to actually put them in this story 'cause I didn't want Stanton/Serena tension, but I decided it worked that way...er, they decided? I'm not sure I'm in control of this story anymore...lol. That's always fun, right? My stories usually get better when that happens. Lemme know if I'm right!

-Cali :)

"Okay," Yvonne said, breaking the silence again, "was anyone else weirded out by that last fortune?" She looked around. "Anybody?"

Kieran raised her hand and there were nervous chuckles from the group. "Yeah...um...so, are we ready to go?" she asked, looking around. Everyone seemed finished, and everyone had read and eaten their fortune cookies.

"I think so," Yvonne said, looking around.

"Let's hit the road," Cassandra agreed. "I'm ready to dance!"

Kieran smiled and wiped her fingers on her napkin to get any traces of sticky sauce off her hands, and then stood up, shouldering her purse.

Yvonne and Cassandra did the same, Cassandra stretching seductively before resting a hand on Karyl's arm.

Stanton bent his elbow gallantly, offering his arm to Kieran, and she rested her palm on his arm as they walked back to the bus. He let Kieran step in first, and then followed her, sitting down next to her in the back seat. Cassandra, Karyl, Yvonne, and Tymmie all filed in fairly quickly after that, choosing their seats.

"Ready to go?" the driver called back, and the entire group chorused, "yeah!"

Kieran grinned and Stanton hugged her with one arm. With his long fingers, he turned her head to face him and kissed her so thoroughly that she felt herself blushing.

Stanton only pulled away when Karyl tapped him on the shoulder. "Ahem. Save it for the afterparty," he said with a grin.

Kieran's blush deepened, and Stanton grinned at his friend, then turned back to Kieran. "Don't worry. It'll be fun," he assured her, and she smiled. "Just relax and have fun...and just so you know, you are blushing bright red," he added with a grin.

Kieran's lips pursed and she smacked his shoulder, much to everyone's amusement. "None of that," she said firmly, though she smiled, and searched through her purse. Pulling out a bit of Bonnebell Lip Rush, she rolled it over her lips. Stanton smiled, and she licked her lips. She knew he liked that lip gloss. It tasted like candy, due to the sugar in it. Yes - there really was sugar listed in the ingredients for that gloss. She had gotten the strawberry flavored tube.

Stanton watched her, debating for about five seconds, and then couldn't help but kiss her again. Lightly, though, this time.

Kieran smiled. She was so happy with him...She hoped they would stay together for a long time. Listening to conversation and loud, booming music, she relaxed, leaning on Stanton's shoulder with their fingers laced. Suddenly, Yvonne squealed. "We're there!" she said, and stood up, dancing to the music that was playing. Cassandra whooped and joined in while everyone else watched. Kieran was less eager to dance in front of everyone. She liked dances, but she just didn't feel this beat yet.

The bus stopped and the two girls nearly fell over, giggling. Once the door opened, they all rushed out, excited.

"Let's go!" Cassandra exclaimed, dragging Karyl and searching through her purse for their tickets as she walked.

Yvonne walked quickly to keep up with Cassandra, and Tymmie followed.

"Meet back here at midnight!" Stanton called to his friends, all of whom were rushing to the doors, ready to dance.

Kieran walked with Stanton, feeling her energy level start to rise as she realized she could feel the booming bass all the way out here. She grinned. "I can already feel the music."

Stanton brushed a hand down her back and watched her straighten. "That's not all you feel," he teased, and ran his hand to the side, around her waist.

Kieran didn't push him away. Instead, she relished the feeling he was giving her and felt her adrenaline begin to pump through her veins. Her pace began to speed up and she found herself walking to the beat of the music.

"Getting excited?" Stanton asked with a smile, and left a kiss on her temple.

Kieran grinned, and let her stride take on a more confident note as her hips swung more. She didn't even push Stanton away when he rested his hand on her hip instead of her waist. When she walked over to the table where school administrators were taking tickets and checking IDs, the administrator stopped what he was doing and stared at her for a second before realizing she was a student. "Ticket and ID," he said, and Kieran searched through her purse.

She handed him her ticket, and Stanton's. Much to her confusion, Stanton hadn't taken out an ID, but the administrator waved them both in anyway, handing Kieran back her ID, which she stuffed back into her purse.

"Thanks," she called back to him, and turned to Stanton. "How come he didn't check you?"

"He knows me," he explained flippantly. He couldn't tell her. Not yet. He wanted her to have fun at the dance. "Do you want to check your purse?" he asked, pointing to a slight line at the makeshift coat-check room.

"Oh - yeah. Let me just do one thing," she said, and took her lipgloss out of her purse. After rolling a little more on her lips and rubbing it in, she put the tube of gloss in her cleavage, looking up at Stanton.

He raised an eyebrow. "Save it for the afterparty, Kia," he purred in her ear, and she closed her eyes with a little sigh, enjoying the chill he sent down her spine. "Just her purse," he said to the lady who was watching them, waiting to see what they wanted to check. She took it and put it into a brown paper bag with the number 254 on it.

"Two-fifty-four," she told them, and Kieran took the slip of paper she handed her, pushing it down her dress along with the lip gloss. "Have fun, you two."

"We will," Stanton said, watching Kieran, and wrapped his arm around her waist to guide her into the gym, where the dance was being held. Everything had been decorated, and there was a chocolate fountain at the side of the floor, along with a few cakes and chips, and a soda fountain.

"Wow," Kieran said.

Stanton nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

"I just hope the deejay is decent," she added, rubbing her lips together to help her lipgloss soak in more.

"He is," Stanton assured her. He knew this one - he had deejayed at the Dungeon once or twice, and those nights had always been filled with good music and dancers. "I know him," he explained at her quizzical look. "He's a good deejay. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to get a glass of water - want anything?"

"Sure, ah, water's good." She wanted to be a littel hydrated before she started really dancing. They were in the hall just outside the gym.

"Kieran!" A voice called to her, and she turned to face Vanessa Cleaveland. "Wow, gorgeous dress! Who's your date?"

Kieran smiled. Vanessa was a friend - well, more of an acquaintance, really, but they definitely knew each other. "Hey Vanessa. Thanks," she said in response to the comment about her dress. "I like yours too," she admitted with a smile. Vanessa was wearing a shimmery light blue gown with spaghetti straps, her long blonde hair all done up in curls and glitter. "And your hair," she added. "Um, I'm here with Stanton."

Something flashed across Vanessa's face that Kieran couldn't quite catch before it disappeared. "That's cool," she said, and turned when she heard her date call her. "I gotta go. Have fun," she said, and walked over to Michael Saratoga.

Kieran just couldn't understand what Vanessa saw in him. Sure, he was in a band, and he was kind of cute, but did he have a personality? Stanton was...mysterious. She liked that about him. It was like a game to her, trying to figure him out. "Hey, Serena!" Kieran called to her when she and Jimena passed her, both dressed amazingly and looking like goddesses in their long gowns with theirhair in curls, or pinned out of the way. "Wow, you guys look incredible," she gushed.

"So do you," Serena said with a smile. "I love your dress. Where did you get it?" She walked around Kieran, pushing her hair away so she could see the real cut of the dress. "And who convinced you to leave your hair down?" she asked, grinning.

"There are so many vatos watching us," Jimena told her friend with a grin. "Where's your date, Kieran?" she asked, looking around.

Just at that moment, Stanton walked up behind Kieran and handed her a glass of water. "Thanks," she said with a smile. "Stanton, this is Serena and Jimena," she said, gesturing to them.

A/N: Dundundunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn...More ominous music. Yay! I like the way this one went.

Do you?

Review!

(Heehee, that rhymes...)

-Cali :)