Chapter 9: LOST

A new morning was breaking through Briarwood. Still one day before the big dance at Briarwood. Xander and Chip are training in Rootcore that morning. They were both studying.

"Aw man. How am I suppose to remember this all?"

Chip grins when Xander came up with the question. "Well, I have an idea."

"Oh no, you don't. Madison did that too many times with me."

"Alright, if you say so. So, do you have a date for the dance?"

"I'm still analyzing, which lucky girl would be perfect to go with me."

"Still didn't find someone?"

"It's not that easy to find someone. I can't just pick someone to go to that dance."

"Yeah, sure."

"What about you? Do you have a date?"

"Nah, not yet."

"Oh come on, mate. There has to be someone you wanna go with."

"I do have someone in mind…"

"But…" Chip remained silence and returned to his books. However Xander was too curious to leave this beside. "Come on Chip. Who? Is she hot?"

"Xander, not every girl needs to look hot, or being popular like the ones in your dating journal."

"Not just the hot girls are in my journal. Also the ones with brains and the ones with loads of cash. So, who is she? Do I know her?"

Before Chip could answer, they were distracted by the hard door shutting behind them. Vida entered the room all upset.

"Whoa, looks like someone got out at the wrong side of the bed." Xander joked.

"Knock it off Xander."

"Yes, meine Fuhrer," Xander saluted at her. Vida shot Xander a look.

"Is everything alright?" Chip asked worried.

"No, everything is not alright."

"What's wrong?"

"Men! That's wrong."

"Whatever it is, it wasn't me."

"I wasn't talking about you, you moron."

"Whatever. Look, I'd love to stay and listen, but I have classes right now. So, I gotta go. I'll see you guys later."

"Later." Xander left Rootcore, leaving Vida and Chip alone. Vida took a seat and kept staring in front of her. Chip moved closer with his chair. "No date for the dance?"

"Oh no, that too. Great. I'm organizing the event and I don't even have a date."

Chip knew that she rather go with Xander. But also knew that Xander is probably taking someone else, because Chip thinks that Xander will always see Vida as one his friends and not more. "Well, if you want. I don't have a date as well."

Vida smiled when Chip was trying to ask her. "Chip Thorn, are you asking me to the dance?"

"Well, that is if you want to. I'll promise to keep my superman custom at home."

Vida actually had someone else in mind, but after Xander's respond about the dance, she knew the chance that he would ask her, would be very small and she didn't want to go to the party dateless. "It's a deal," Vida answered while she blushed.

Chip was glad to hear her answer. "Good. But I can see that something else is bothering you. So, would you mind telling me what's going on?"

Vida started to roll with her eyes. "It's Nick."

"What about him?"

"Guys like him really think that other people don't have feelings. So, he just pretend to be all nice and then at another moment, Bam! He drops them like a rock."

"Oke, I have no clue what you're talking about."

"About him and LeeLee."

"Nick and LeeLee? Since when did that news hit Briarwood?"

"Since they kissed in front of our school."

Chip shocked when he heard that. "Who told you that?"

"So, it's true?" Vida started to slap Chip on his arm. "How come you didn't tell me?"

"Ouch! Because Nick didn't want everyone to know. It wasn't such a big of deal."

"Not a big of deal? I can't believe what I'm hearing. How could Nick be so selfish?"

"Relax, it was just a game."

Vida suddenly calmed down, but was confused at the same time. "A game?"

"We were playing truth or dare. LeeLee picked Nick and Nick chose dare. So LeeLee gave him the assignment to kiss her 10 seconds long."

"And he was just fine with that?"

"Ofcourse not. You know what he thinks about her. He doesn't like her and he never will. But he had no choice. It's the rules of the game. Trust me, that kiss really meant nothing to him. "

Vida was relieved to hear that. "Oh thank god. You have no idea how glad I am to hear that."

"Why?"

"So, now I don't have to cancel the dance. Imagine if I had to disappoint a huge crowd of people. Everyone at our school was excited about this dance."

"Wait a sec, why should you cancel this party because of Nick? I thought you threw this dance for Madison." Chip asked confused.

"Well, I told you that this dance was my plan to bring 2 people together."

"2 people together…" Chip eyes grew large when he suddenly realized what he has done. "You mean, this dance was actually for Nick and Madison!"

"Yeah, who did you think this party was for?"

"Uh-oh." He knew that he was going to be in big trouble when he realized that not only did he think the dance was for Madison and Ben, he also told LeeLee about them going back together, which means that LeeLee would take advantage of this situation.

"Chip, you're scaring me now. Why are you saying uh-oh?"

"V, I think I made a huge mistake."

Vida's mouth felt open when she heard that. "Chip, what do you mean by you made a huge mistake? And how big is that mistake?"

Chip tried to smile, but saw his smile started to disappear when he slowly started to tell Vida the truth.

Meanwhile, at Briarwood High, Nick and Xander are walking through the school hall talking about the dance.

"Mate, you have loads of girls who'd love to go with you and you still didn't pick one."

Nick sighs. "I'm not even sure if I'm going."

"Pardon me? Are you insane? First of all, V organized it and she would kill you if you don't show up and second, a party means loads of girls."

"Funny, I heard you already picked someone you wanna go with."

Xander's eyes grew large when he heard that. Did Nick know that he's talking about Vida? "How do you know that?"

"I have my sources. Look, it's already pretty obvious that she won't turn you down."

"Are you sure?"

Nick sighs. He rather would be the one taking Madison to the dance, but knew that he lost his chances anyway with her. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"I'm not sure if I should ask her."

"I'm surprised you didn't ask her yet."

"Well, it's not that easy. I'm looking for the right moment."

"Xander, it's a dance. It's not like you're going to ask her to marry you."

"I know that."

They both arrived at their locker. When the 2 boys were getting their books out of their locker, Nick saw Madison standing at her locker. "Hey Xander."

Xander faced his best friend. "What?"

Nick wanted to tell him that Madison was standing there and that he could take his opportunity to ask her to the dance. However, Xander didn't see her, because his back was facing her. Nick was suddenly thinking about what Phineas said at the forest. 'You'll never get the right answer, if you don't ask the right question to the right person.'

"Earth to Nick. Anyone in there?" Xander waved with his hand in front of Nick's face.

"Huh?"

"You wanted to say something?"

"Yeah, uhm…" Nick just knew that he needs to talk to Madison first. "Toby asked if we could work Monday after school as well. He'll be out of town then."

"That's no problem."

"Great, I'll tell him then."

"Cool. Look, I gotta go now, but I'll see you later."

"Alright, see you later."

Xander closed his locker and left in a hurry. Nick closed his locker and wanted to walk to Madison.

"Hey Nick."

Before he even could move, someone else stood in his way.

"LeeLee. Look I gotta go now."

"To where? Maybe I can come with you."

"I'm going to talk to Madison and I don't need you to come with me."

"Fine, but before you go, I need to ask you a question."

Nick sighs. "Fine, what is it?"

"You know about the upcoming dance Vida is organizing?"

"Yeah so?"

"Well, I was thinking, since you and I don't have someone to go with, how about if we go together?"

Nick turned to Madison for a moment and then he turned back to LeeLee. "I'm sorry LeeLee, I actually have someone else on mind I wanna go with."

LeeLee noticed that Nick was looking at Madison the whole time. "You're not talking about Madison Rocca, right?"

"What if I did?"

"Oh poor Nick. I don't know how to tell you this."

"Tell me what?"

"Madison is already taken."

Nick knew Xander didn't ask her, so there was no way that she was already taken. "Yeah sure. Bye LeeLee."

"I'm not kidding. Even if she's not asked yet, you better not ask her."

"And why would I do that? So, I would go with you?"

"No, because you wouldn't make the organizer very happy with that."

"Why would Vida be upset about that?" Nick asked confused.

"You mean you don't know it yet?"

"Know what?"

"I'm surprised they haven't told you yet. On the other hand, it was going to be a surprise for them, but I thought you guys were pretty close friends and they would have told you anyway."

"Told me what LeeLee?"

"Vida is organizing this dance to bring Madison and Ben back together."

Nick started to laugh. "Madison and Ben? That's a good one."

"Why don't you believe me?"

"I'll give you a reason. Madison broke up with Ben. And there's no way she wants him back. She doesn't even love the guy."

"And how would you know that? Maybe she regretted that she ever let him go."

"Trust me, I know Madison and there's no way those 2 are going to be together again."

"Fine. If you don't believe me, why don't you ask Miss Rocca herself?"

"Fine, I'll ask Vida about it later."

"Nick, I was talking about the other Miss Rocca."

Nick looked at Madison, who was still standing in front of her locker, reading one of her books. LeeLee was smiling when she saw Nick was shaking in the knees. "What's the matter? Scared that it might be true?"

"Fine. But you'll see you're wrong about this." Nick slowly walked to Madison. His heartbeat went faster, when he came closer and closer to her, until he stood in front of her.

"Hey Maddie."

Madison moved her book back in her locker. "Nick, hey." Madison tried to smile, but it was hard to smile at someone you want more than anything in the world, but you can't have him. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, everything is all good."

"Good."

"Did you hear about the dance? Your sister is organizing it."

"Yeah, I heard about that."

"So…are you going?" Nick asked nervously.

"Well, my sister organized the whole event. It wouldn't be fair not to go."

"Cool. Are you going alone or with your sis?"

"I'm not planning to go by myself to the dance."

"So, anyone in mind you wanna go with?"

Madison was trying to not look in his eyes. If there's anyone she wants to go with, it's with him. "I actually did have someone in mind I wanna go with."

"Really? Then why don't you ask him?"

"Because she's already going with me." Nick's mouth felt open when he saw Ben joining them and putting his arm around Madison.

"Ben?"

"Hey Nick."

"So…uhm…the 2 of you are really going together to that dance."

"Ben asked me when you guys were actually looking for me."

"I see." Nick was disappointed when he saw Ben moving closer to Madison.

"So, Nick, who's your date for the dance?" Ben asked with a smile.

Nick didn't know what to say at the moment. "I…uhm…"

"He's going with me." LeeLee answered after she heard the entire conversation and smiled at Nick.

"Wow, you and LeeLee?"

Nick hesitated for a minute. He looks to LeeLee, then back to Madison and Ben. "Yeah, we are going together."

Madison looked disappointed when she saw them together.

"Well, this is a surprise." Ben answered with a smile.

"You could say that again." Nick responded while he looked at Madison.

Madison then looked up to Nick and LeeLee. "I'm very happy for the both of you. I hope you'll have a great time together at the dance."

"Ofcourse they will. Why shouldn't they?" Ben answered all excited. LeeLee was excited as well. Except for Nick and Madison. They are spending their evening with someone else, while they actually want to be in each other's arms that night.

"We have class, so we should really go now. But it's nice to know that you won't have to go alone. I'll see you later."

Madison and Ben walked hand in hand to their class.

"Madison, wait!" Nick yelled before they would leave to class. Madison turned around.

"Yeah?"

Nick really wanted to tell her the truth that she is the one he wants to go with. But all he could see right now are the intertwined hands of Madison and Ben together.

"What I'm trying to say is…uhm…I just wanna tell you…uhm…"

"Tell me what Nick?"

"I'm glad for the both of you. Really. You deserve it."

"Thanks Nick."

Madison and Ben left to their class leaving Nick with LeeLee. Madison turned around one more time to Nick and then they disappeared when they entered a classroom. Nick couldn't believe what he just saw. He knew he screwed up everything now. He lost her for good now. Or might there still be a chance for our Red Ranger?

End Chapter 9.

Alright...there's Madison answer. It's Yes to Ben. Please don't hate me now. LOL. And finally one mistake is cleared up. In next chapter, another mistake will also be cleared up!

More Xander and Vida focus in the next chapter. I promise! I'm glad you guys like Phineas in the previous chapter. It won't be the last time we see of him.

You know whatcha gotta do if you want the next chappie real soon! More reviews!