Hey. Thanks for waiting and putting up with my slow updates. It takes time to get these the way they are and I get writer's block a lot. So sorry.

Thanks to Demon-pup and Loudgirlkate for reviewing. This chapter is dedicated to a dedicated fan, Loudgirlkate. This is the chapter you've been waiting for, girl. Hope you enjoy! Well, Later. Read and Review, please.

Since the party started at eight, we got ready around seven. I know, it sounds like a girl's amount of time to get ready, but we actually only had about a half hour. Mike was stopping by to pick us up on his way.

Well, anyways, I was getting ready in my room while ZigZag was doing the same in the room to the left of mine and Magnet was in the room to the right of mine.

I don't know how many rooms this house has. I should make that my goal. I've lived here for a few months now, and I still don't know how many rooms are in these walls. And if you ask me, that's kind of sad.

Well, anyways, I ended up looking in the mirror, surveying myself. My dark blue jeans were baggy, but not to where they'd fall down to my ankles and I had on a fitted black t-shirt with a black, long-sleeve dress shirt that was unbuttoned. I also had on a hint of this new cologne that smelled kind of like sandalwood, but a bit sweeter. I hoped I looked good enough. Good enough for what? I don't know.

Somehow, all three of us guys wound up being ready at the same time. It was kind of weird.

ZigZag was in this white shirt that had a collar and a pair of tan khakis. It made him look like he should be in a private school. His baby blue eyes sparkled with mischief. I wonder what he's thinking.

Magnet was in black jeans and a black wife beater. He had a red dress shirt on as well that was left unbuttoned, showing off his lean muscled frame. Damn, I really sound girly right now, huh?

We waited about ten minutes outside before my buddy, Mike, showed up. He had that one song from Space Jam blaring through the sound system of his truck. You know, that song that goes, 'Hit 'em high, hit 'em low." Yeah, that's the one.

I don't think the neighbors really liked it, but hey nobody hated Mike.

He gestured for us to climb in the back, so we did. Mike waited about five seconds for us to get settled before he speeded off to Isabel's house. See, Mike was even void of traffic laws for some reason that's unfathomable.

"Where'd he learn to drive?" Magnet yelled over the blaring. He sounded a bit bitter and looked like he was going to be sick. Oh God, he doesn't get motion sickness, does he? If so, throw up over the side of the truck, not on me!

Okay, that was mean. My friend might get sick and all I can think is don't throw up on me, but really, I didn't want puke all over me.

We approached Isabel's sprawling mansion in about ten minutes, and we were all fine. There was a pool in the front yard that was fed water from a waterfall that started on the balcony. People were swimming and I could hear the hip hop music from down the street. It was that song by 50 Cent called Candy Shop. Even though the song was just all about sex, I liked it. Come on, I'm a teenage guy, what do you expect?

Magnet, Ziggy, and I hopped out of the side of the truckbed, Magnet looking a little better since we've stopped moving. After taking a minute to let Magnet get his bearings, we strode into the house that was trembling into submission from the loud music.

Mike had already left, in search of his green eyed vixen of a girlfriend, so he missed ZigZag's wonderful performance.

As we crossed the threshold, ZigZag grabbed his collar with his thumb and fore finger, popping it up viciously. Even though this was mildly amusing as is, he had to yell in his most girly voice, "Pop tha' colla', holla'!" I swear I did not know this kid. Okay, sue me, I did. Even if you did sue, you wouldn't get anything. I have nothing too valuable.

Well, Ziggy caught a lot of stares from his wonderful performance. Magnet and I pushed him farther into the room, laughing as we went.

I scanned the crowd, looking for people I knew, but my brown-tinted looking glasses that I call eyes settle on one person, and I couldn't take my eyes away from them. After a moment of me staring, her dark, entrancing blue eyes rose to meet mine and locked their gaze with mine, her tanned cheeks becoming graced with a pink glow. I couldn't stop a smile from creeping onto my face.

The girl was standing, talking to a group of girls who noticed her gaze was to me and had started giggling, causing her to blush more. She looked to be about a head shorter than me, maybe just under. Her dark brown, wavy tresses flowed to the middle of her back, and I was surprised to see she was in a lower cut dress, but she didn't appear to be self-conscience. In fact, her back was straight and she held her self-confidence about her as if it were an invisible orb surrounding her.

I swallowed and licked my upper lip, still staring at her even though she'd lowered her gaze to the ground. Oh God, now I feel like a stalker. I quickly turned and settled my gaze on another girl who was obviously trying to drown herself in beer because she was chugging it faster that a train eats the tracks.

I could have told her that that will screw her life up, but lots of people probably have already told her that, and some people just need to learn things the hard way.

A hand rested on my shoulder, and I looked up to see the light blue eyes of ZigZag. He smiled at me knowingly and yelled over the music, "You like her, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked nervously. I already knew though.

"You like that girl. The little, half-Hispanic one wearing the almost knee length, scoop-neck white dress." I looked at him wierdly. Where'd he learn so much about fashion? Wha-? I live with my mom and three sisters, what do you expect?" Oh.

"So do you like her?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about," I stated stubbornly and walked off to get some sort of drink that isn't alcoholic. I didn't see his evil smile.

He followed me to the kitchen where I got a twenty ounce Mountain Dew and threw him a Pepsi. He's a Pepsi fanatic.

"Don't deny it, I saw the was you looked at her, Squidly," He said in a very Yoda-like tone. Yes, I've watched Star Wars, is that a crime?

"Looked at who?" I was being really stubborn, and I'm proud to admit that I can be more stubborn than anyone else I know.

"The hot little Mexican in the white dress out there that you couldn't take your eyes off." He was speaking slowly as if speaking to a little kid.

Hey, did you know that a kid is a baby goat? Yeah, interesting tid-bit of information that is really, utterly pointless.

"Don't call Mariah hot," I nearly growled. Ziggy laughed and held up his hands in an I-give-up gesture.

"I don't want her, Squid, it's you that does."

"No, I don't. I can't like her." He rose a blond brow in question.

"Why? Is she, like, your friend's sister or somethin'?"

"No, not really. She's, like, my best friend up here. I can't like her. Not as anything more than a friend anyway." He grinned.

"You can't decide who you like. You fall for people with your heart, not because of your relationship with them or with any reason. You just fall for them. So, get over this nonsense and ask her out." When did he become Dr. Phil? Damn, Ziggy is gettin' too psychological for his own good. I must have dazed out because soon I found his long piano fingers snapping in my face to get attention.

"You really like her, don't you? Ziggy asked, really intrigued, well, seemingly anyways.

I nodded then shook my head no. He rose an eyebrow, chuckling.

"Ye- no... I don't know," I groaned, rubbing the back of my neck, looking off to the side, looking out the kitchen doorway towards, well, yeah, you know.

No he was laughing and patting my back, telling me about how proud he was that I was growing up. And in response, I told him to shut his nugget, but that just made him laugh harder, almost to where tears were in his eyes. What can I say? He's easily excitable.

After he got over his fit of giggles, we headed back out to the party. Magnet was dancing with a couple of girls. Yeah, a couple. He's such a player.

I went over to talk to Mariah. She looked gorgeous, but I can't think she does, right? I mean, it'd be really awkward, right?

I tapped her on her white-clad shoulder, and she turned around. I gave a small smile and said hi.

"Hey, AJ. What do you want?" Ouch.

"I wanted to say sorry, and I want to be friends with you again. Please?" I must have sounded pathetic.

"Alright we can be friends, but don't yell at Monica again. I've had some bad experiences and I don't want her to have them too." I rose an eyebrow, I wonder what those experiences were, but I wasn't going to ask right then.

"You look great tonight," I told her, feeling my cheeks heat up in a blush. I never blush around girls, what's my deal?

"Thank you." She smiled, and blushed too. I couldn't ask her to dance however since Mike decided he wanted to leave. Don't ask me why. He was just pissed and yeah, I didn't want to get him more mad.

We gathered up ZigZag, and peeled Magnet away from the girls and left. It was a pretty uncomfortable ride, though it was much slower and there was no music. I knew something was wrong, but with Mike, you gotta leave him alone for awhile.