Chapter nine

"Ty!" Charlotte exclaimed.

Ty's face turned a dark crimson color. Busted.

"Ty!" Charlotte said again, catching up with him. "I didn't know you liked me."

Ty studied the girl before him. Her long ponytail was a mess, she was barefoot, and yet she still looked beautiful. "I do," he said finally.

Charlotte blushed at those words. It was like they were getting married.

"What?" Ty asked.

Charlotte shook her head. "Oh, nothing."

"Anyway," Ty stuck his hands in the front pocket of his grey sweatshirt. "Want to go out or something some time? How about tomorrow night? We could go to Piers or something."

Charlotte was about to respond when she remembered something: Tomorrow night was Jem and Nicole's date. She had promised Jem she would at Piers with Ryder, who had won reservations from some radio contest just like Jem had, so that if Jem screwed up she could save the date. But she didn't want to tell Ty (who, now that she thought about it, she really liked) that she would be about with another guy, so she just said, "No, no I can't do tomorrow, sorry."

Ty breathed a sigh of relief. He had just remembered that tomorrow night he would be out with Zoey. "Okay, well some other time then?"

"Some other time," Charlotte promised.

bReAk

The next day, Tuesday, the afternoon classes seemed to take forever. But Dana wished that they were twice as long, for hoped that seven o'clock would never come. She had gotten detention the day before for cursing at that slime ball who was hitting on her, and in detention some random guy had asked her out. For some unknown reason, she was probably just upset about Logan, Dana had agreed to going to Piers with him Tuesday night at seven, because he had won some contest. And now it was Tuesday, and Dana really really didn't want to go.

Ring ring!

The end-of-classes bell rung, signaling that it was four o'clock. Great. In three hours she'd be completely miserable with some new guy named Sean. In fact, the only good thing that had happened to her so far was that the Dean had stopped her in the hallway and said that Dana wouldn't have to show around the new girl anymore, because she had arrived early.

Dana made her way to her dorm where Zoey was already seated on her bed, a huge pile of clothes in front of her.

"What's up?" Dana asked, even though she didn't really care.

"I don't know what to wear tonight," Zoey moaned.

"Where are you going?"

Zoey sighed. "Out with Ty—I'm so excited. And I need to look extra-special for my future boyfriend, but how am I supposed to look special in jeans?"

"You have tons of skirts," Dana offered, trying her best to be nice. "What about this one?"

She held up a flouncey white Abercrombie skirt that was Zoey's favorite.

"No, it's dirty. See that tomato sauce stain on the bottom?" Zoey said.

Dana smiled mischievously. "We could cut the bottom off.":

bReAk

Two and half hours later, Zoey and Dana were ready to go. Well, Dana was going to wear the jeans and graphic tee she had worn to school that day, but Zoey was all ready. In process of cutting her stain off, they had succeeded in cutting off basically half her skirt, so her white mini was short. She paired it with a black halter tube top, and she flipped her blonde hair and applied a deep red Maybelline Wet Shine Diamonds lip gloss.

"Ready?" she asked Dana, looking at herself in the mirror as she spoke.

Dana rolled her eyes at Zoey's vain-ness. She knew the girl wasn't used to seeing herself look sexy instead of pretty, but come on. "I guess so."

"Let's go!" Zoey squealed.

They made their way to Ty's room and knocked on the door.

It opened to Ty.

"You look really nice," he said to Zoey.

Zoey knew that she didn't look nice. She looked hot.

bReAk

Nicole finished blow-drying her hair and blew herself a kiss in the mirror. It was almost seven o'clock, and she had to meet Jem at Piers in five minutes. Luckily, it was only a three minute walk.

"Hey you," she greeted him when she got there.

"Hey Nicole," Jem replied, giving her blown out hair, pleated denim mini skirt, and white Split tee the once over. "You look…wow."

"Thanks," she giggled flirtatiously, even though she only thought of Jem as a good friend she was going to a fairly nice restaurant with. "I'm so starving. Ready to Rock?"

Jem nodded. Like hell he was.

bReAk

Charlotte's mascara-coated eyes fluttered open and looked at the clock.

7:08

Charlotte bolted up. She was supposed to have been at Piers almost ten minutes ago, and she wasn't even dressed. But she couldn't be late for not only Ryder, but Jem. Jem who need her.

Oh, Crap.

Charlotte looked down at her velour short-shorts and white cami. She sighed. It would have to do. Before running out the door in her rubber thong flip-flops she ran a brush through her long, dark hair, applied a shimmery plumping gloss, put in dangling silver chandelier earring, and hoped to god that Piers wasn't too nice of a restaurant.

bReAk

Alyssa Rivers didn't really care whether or not Chase believed her 'Sorry, I have cramps, can't hang out' excuse. Chase Matthews wasn't even THAT cute, anyway. The only reason she had made out with him at Double Shot was:

She needed to make out with someone, both Ryder and Logan were ignoring her even though she had kissed Ryder and Logan had asked her out.

To get that Zoey-brat. She was so perfect that someone needed to steal her boyfriend.

And besides, Logan Reese was HOT. And he had asked her to Piers. And she needed a full hour to get into her cropped tube top, khaki mini-skirt, platform sandals, and do her make up. And now that she was waiting in Piers with Logan she knew that it had been the right decision, even if Chase did decide to break up with her.

Right, like he'd do that.

bReAk

Dana and Sean and Zoey and Ty were all in line together, and though Dana still had feelings for Logan, she had to admit that Sean was pretty cute. Even if he was a new kid. When it was finally their turn to talk to the man at the front desk, Ty said, "Hi, my friend I won the Piers radio contest and have reservations, please."

"Ah," the Piers worker, who was in a suit, wiped his mouth with a napkin even though he wasn't eating anything. "And which of the PCA ROX winners are you? Ty Martin, Sean Elliot, Ryder Parks, Jeremy Whistle, or Logan Reese?"

Dana's jaw dropped. Logan was one of the winners?

"Ty Martin and Sean Elliot," Sean answered.

"Right this way," the man in the suit answered. "All the PCA ROX winners are seated in the VIP section."

"Sweet," Ty remarked.

Yeah, only the evening was going to be anything but sweet.

bReAk

Nicole was so excited about going on a nice date that she didn't even notice that Logan and Alyssa were behind her and Jem in line until Logan spoke up.

"I'm Logan Reese," he said. "And I want to be seated. Now."

"Logan!" Nicole squealed. "Alyssa! Like, heyy."

Alyssa scowled at the two. "What are you doing with her, Jeremy?"

Jem scowled back. "We're on a date, Alyssa."

"Whatever," Alyssa snapped her gum.

The two couples were led to the VIP section, where there were five tables for two set up.

"No flippin' way," Dana said slowly, dropping her roll.

"What?" Sean asked her, having no idea why she was staring at Logan and his date.

"No flippin' way," repeated Dana, this time louder.

Logan smirked at Dana he got to his table, and even pulled out Alyssa's chair just to spite her.

"NO FLIPPIN' WAY!" Dana exclaimed, pushing her chair out and standing up.

Sean frowned. "Dana, what's wrong?"

"Shut up," she commanded. She couldn't deal with him right now. "Logan Reese, why the flip you with that Alyssa-brat?"

"Well," Logan leaned back in his chair, his lax attitude just making it worse. "I asked her to join me."

"Alyssa made out with Chase," Dana crossed her arms, still standing.

"Alyssa, how could you double cross Chase?" Zoey spoke up from the table her and Ty were sharing. The five tables were arranged in a circle, with the girls sitting on the inside and the guys on the outside.

"You made out with CHASE?" Logan demanded.

Alyssa shifted uncomfortably. "What do you care? I heard that you kissed Charlotte Tabloid," she spat.

"You WHAT?" Dana and Ty roared at the same time.

"Charlotte Tabloid?" Sean asked.

Just then Charlotte and Ryder walked in.

Alyssa's mouth dropped open. "Ryder why are you with CHARLOTTE?"

"Why not?" Ryder replied defensively.

"Because you made out with me!" Alyssa screamed.

Logan, Charlotte, and Zoey said at the same time, "WHAT?"

"You're a slut!" Logan cried.

"How could you do that, Ryder?" Charlotte pouted.

"You cheated on Chase twice," Zoey accused.

"Whatever," Alyssa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Charlotte is this your boyfriend?"

Charlotte looked around for the speaker and found herself looking straight at her old boyfriend.

"Sean!" she exclaimed.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Sean demanded.

"Why are you here?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"I transferred," he replied coolly, and then repeated his question once more.

Charlotte didn't know quite what to say. She didn't consider Ryder her boyfriend, but she didn't know whether or not he thought she was his girlfriend. "Um…"

Sean took that as a yes. "Does he know that, technically, I'm still your boyfriend?"

"What!" Ryder exclaimed.

"We never broke up." Sean said.

"Then why'd you ask ME out?" Dana demanded.

Charlotte put her head on the table.

"Why'd Charlotte kiss Logan?" Sean retorted.

"You kissed LOGAN?" Ryder asked in disbelief.

"You SLUT!" Dana growled.

"Why, do you still like me, Dana?" Logan asked innocently, though of course he just wanted to rub it in her face.

"Shut UP!" Dana yelled.

"You still LIKE him?" Sean demanded. "And you went out with me?"

"You still like him," Alyssa snickered. "How pathetic. He chose me over you!"

"I don't even like you," said Logan truthfully.

"WHAT?" Alyssa asked in embarrassment.

Nicole laughed.

"Shut up," Alyssa told her. "At least I'm not going out with someone who probably doesn't even like me."

"I'm not going out with him!" Nicole yelled.

Jem looked hurt. Charlotte rushed over to him.

"That was mean," she told Nicole.

"Well I still can't believe you made out with Logan," Nicole replied, crossing her arms.

"Neither can I," Zoey put in.

"Shut up," Nicole said to her. "You're the one going out with the guy I like!"
"You LIKE him?" Zoey exclaimed.

"You LIKE me?" Ty asked.

Nicole didn't answer. Her face turned red.

"You LIKE him?" Jem demanded.

"I cannot believe you like my boyfriend," Zoey told Nicole.

"I'm not your boyfriend!" Ty yelled.

He didn't think he'd be the one to yell, but the tension was so thick he could hardly breath, and he needed to get it out.

Zoey's face flushed. "You're not. I—I thought you were."

"No, I like Charlotte," Ty answered automatically. Oops.

"You WHAT?" Sean, Logan, Ryder, Zoey, and Nicole demanded.

Suddenly a waiter appeared. "Are you all ready to order?"

"NO!" Everyone shouted.

(A/N: Okay, everyone HAS to tell me what they thought of that chapter. I hope it kicked ass!)