AN-Sorry that this is so short but helping to take care of a newborn takes a lot of time and has put me behind on updating.But I'm going to put this out here for you.I hope you like it

CHAPTER 6

MONDAY

BANQUET HALL TWO HOURS AFTER LIZZIE AND GORDO'S WEDDING

"Ok what the hell is wrong with you?"

Looking up in surprise from his seat in the back of the banquet halls bar area, Matt couldn't help but to frown at the blonde who was standing in front of him with her arms crossed, glaring down at him.

"What makes you think something's wrong with me?" Matt asked and than turned up his beer can taking a long pull from it.

"Oh I don't know." Melina rolled her eyes as she plopped down at the table next to Matt and immediately pushed the almost half dozen beer cans that were sitting on the table in front of her off onto the floor. That action and the loud racket that it created caused the nearby bartender to give Melina a dirty look. Not backing down an inch Melina gave the bartender a dirty look right back which caused the young man to gulp and quickly make his way down to the other end of his bar.

Turning back to Matt,Melina held the same dirty look on him and continued "Maybe the fact that you looked like a Gloomy Gus through your sisters whole entire wedding. And while everyone else is out there on the dance floor having fun you ditched me and stuck yourself back here in this dark corner drinking your way to an early case of cirrhosis of the liver."

"Hey I haven't been drinking that much! And I sure as hell didn't ditch you!" said Matt and than flinched when Melina's dirty look got worse"Ok maybe I did ditch you a little."

"Alright than." smirked Melina,a little bit of her secretly happy over the fact that she still had the stuff to make Matt squirm "I'm going to ask you again what in the hell is wrong with you?"

Leaning back in his seat Matt's mind being debating over which one would get him killed the quickest and with the least amount of pain, Miranda if he told Melina their secret or Melina for not telling her his secret.

Oh what the hell why don't I just tell her everything? It's not like Miranda can get any more mad at me.

"Alright Melina but you have to promise me that you won't breath a word of what I'm about to tell you to anybody."

Most especially to Miranda!

"Ok not only will I promise not tell anyone but I'll even double pinkie swear and spit on it." Melina smiled as she held up her left hand dropping back to hers and Matt's most unbreakable childhood pledge.

"Double pinkie swear and spit." Matt returned the smile as he wrapped his pinkie around Melina's as they shook their hands and pretended to spit on the floor. Taking in a deep breath and knowing quicker was better, Matt spit it out. "I'm in love."

Matt watched as Melina begin stammering,with her eyes opened wide in shock.

"Ahh look Matt... I'm flattered and all...and I know that I'm here with you right now and we used to be a couple back in high school...but don't you think you might be rushing this a bit? I mean I'm not really ready for us to jump right back into being a couple just after one date."

"No no no I didn't mean that I loved YOU," laughed Matt but than felt bad when he saw the hurt look that crossed Melina's face "Look sorry I mean yes I do love you Melina.But it's in that 'you've been a great and best friend since forever' type of way.Not in the I'm IN love with you I want to jump your bones type of way, understand?"

"So let me see if I have this right." Melina crossed her arms and looked at Matt through narrow eyes "While you're in love with someone else you went out on a date with ME?"

"No! Yes!" Matt sputtered "Look Melina, Lizzie came to me after the cook out and asked if I could be your date to her wedding.I think she was doing some kind of half ass match making attempt."

"Ok but why didn't you tell Lizzie or any of us about this girl? Or why didn't you bring her to the wedding?"

"I didn't have to bring her because she's already here." smiled Matt "And I didn't tell anyone about her because she didn't want me to."

"Huh?"

"Look Melina I didn't mean to miss lead you or hurt you with this but yes I'm madly in love with someone and deep down I think both you and I know that we missed out on our chance to be anything more than friends."

Melina felt a little anger build up but deep down she knew that Matt was right,so she let a bittersweet smile spread across her face " Ok maybe you're right.So enough of this feeling sorry for ourselfs.Now Matt why don't you tell me just who it is that has captured your heart?"

"Miranda"

"Miranda as in Miranda Sanchez,that Miranda?"

"The one and only." smiled Matt.

Matt told Melina the long complicated story of his and Miranda relationship. How they had ran into each other while living in LA. How they had started dating and how Miranda had decided to keep their relationship a secret until the reception when they would tell everyone.

"Wow you sure have a complicated love story going for you there Matt." Melina shook her head and than reached over and punched Matt hard on the arm.

"OW!" Matt muttered as he rubbed his now sore arm "What the hell was that for?"

"For going out with me when you have a girlfriend."

"Oh yeah sorry about that." Matt smiled with embarrassment.

"You're forgiven." smiled Melina "But I do have to admit that now that I know what's going on it helps explain a few things." Noticing the puzzled look on Matt's face Melina continued "Earlier when I was going through the cake line Miranda was standing there serving. When I got up there she gave me such a dirty look I thought she was going to jump across the table and come at me with her knife."

Matt couldn't help but to laugh at that.

"What a second you if you and Miranda were going to tell everyone about the two of you at the wedding reception,why haven't you done it yet?"

"Because right now she's mad at me for being here with you. She hasn't said two words to me in the last twenty-four hours and I think right now she's trying to avoid me."

"Hmm well in that case I think it's time you and I MADE her come to you." Melina smiled her eyes starting to dance with mischief.

Noticing the sparkle in Melina's eyes Matt shook his head in fear "Oh god I know what that look means. You're up to something."

"You want to have some fun?" Melina turned to look at Matt, a her smile spreading more across her face.

"You know the last time you asked me that was our senior year of high school. And if I remember correctly we both got suspended from school for a week and almost went to jail."

"Like I knew that the sprinkler system was going to go off in the library like that! And I still don't get what the big deal was? I mean it wasn't like all those books didn't dry out!" Melina pouted "Anyway do you want my help in getting Miranda to spill the beans about you and her or what?"

"Yeah I'm in." said Matt knowing whatever Melina had cooked up in that old noggin of hers it had to be good.

"Good" said Melina as she stood up from her seat and than pulled Matt up from his "Alright everyone is sitting together at the family table, so you go over there and sat down as close to Miranda as you can get."

"And?" Matt asked knowing there was more to this.

"And when I get there I'm going to walk up to you and start talking to you in front of Miranda.And when I do you need to just play along with me."

"What are you going to do?" Matt asked Melina as she started pushing him toward everyone at the table.

"So not important right now." said Melina still pushing "You just do like I said and play along with me when I get there."

"Ok ok." said Matt as he started walking off but than stopped and turned to his best friend "Melina?"

"Yeah?"

"Just in case the fall out over this is bad I'm going to go ahead and thank you in advance for whatever it is you're about to do." smiled Matt "And Melina a second ago when you thought I was talking about you and me being well you know...in love...well I'm sure it would have been nice."

"Yeah it would have." said Melina looking a little sad "But who knows maybe in another life time" Than motioning Matt away from her with her hands Melina got serious "Now go do as I say and go sit at the family table,sit close to Miranda and wait for me."

"Yes, ma'am." Matt wondered off doing as Melina ordered.

"Now" said Melina watching Matt walk off and rubbing her hands together "This is where the fun begins."

TBC