BreakingTradition: Good idea about the coma… I've got something else planned though, sorry! Hope you like it instead
Larabaybee: Haha thanks for the review, I'm glad you like this!
Pebbles-05: Hmm, your wish may soon be granted Swirls cloak of darkness
BTW I had the idea to put some GooGoo Dolls lyrics into each chapter, as this story is kind of named after one of their songs and, well, they rock! \m/ Love it? Hate it? Don't really care? Let me know! Anyway – on with the show!
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'Hahahaha,'
Chase glared at Logan as he pulled up in his huge convertible, laughing at the mangled remains of his room mate's car. Nicole and Lola jumped out from the back seat and ran over to Zoey, who sat in the back of the ambulance having a cut on her forearm dressed. 'Hey, guys,' she smiled weakly. 'Sorry we had to call you back from the beach.'
'Ohmigosh, are you OK? Is she OK? It's so OK!' Nicola gibbered senselessly.
Zoey raised her eyebrows, confused, and looked over at the boys. Michael and Logan had got out of the car, and Logan nodded at Zoey. 'Hey, she's OK, right?'
Chase nodded. 'Yeah, we're both fine, thank God. Although if she wasn't, it would be all my fault.'
'Well, as long as neither of you are hurt…' Logan burst into cruel laughter. 'Haha! You idiot! Crashing your car the last week of term!'
'This is priceless,' Lola piped up. 'The added drama of a car crash will heighten the impact of our little wedding prank, don't you think? You're gonna be the talk of the school!'
Chase gave her a sarcastic thumbs up. 'Oh, thank you, Lola, I'm glad to hear it!' He rolled his eyes and turned back to Logan. 'C'mon, my car's getting towed off to the repair yard. Can we catch a lift with you and head back to the beach? We can't let this ruin the tradition, right?'
'Right,' Michael nodded. 'Zo, you done there?' he yelled.
She stood up, moved her arm and thanked the ambulance driver. 'Yeah,' she called back, walking back over to Logan's car. 'Let's go.'
'Zo, I'm so, so sorry,' Chase began, as they piled into the back. 'This is all my…'
Zoey shook her head, looking distracted. 'It's cool, Chase, it's so not anyone's fault,' she said. 'Hey, li-' She stopped as Quinn bustled into the seat next to her, grinning excitedly. 'Look! The ambulance driver gave me this old tubing! Finally I can finish my project…'
Zoey rolled her eyes good-naturedly. 'I'll talk to you at the beach,' she said quietly to Chase, before turning back to Quinn with a bright smile. 'What project?'
Quinn grinned evilly. 'Oh, that's my little secret, Zoey. I'm planning a big surprise for prom night, just you wait!'
'I can't stand the suspense,' Zoey drawled, leaning her head back against the seat and looking at Chase out of the corner of her eye. His head rested on his elbow, leaning on the side of the car, eyes staring out over the passing roadside as they headed towards the beach in late afternoon, deep in thought.
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And I'm aware
I'm in love
but you don't care
I'm torn in pieces
I'm blind and waiting
for you
My heart is reeling
I'm blind and waiting for you
/--------------------------/--------------------------/----------------------/-------------------/
'OK, Nicole, here we go. Work your magic,' Lola enthused. She spread out a selection of bridal catalogues on the sand and looked at her room mate expectantly. Nicola snatched up the nearest one, squealing excitedly. 'Oh my God! David's Bridal! I love these!'
'Nicole, focus!' Lola cried. 'You need to find a wedding dress for Zoey, not you. Preferably a slightly 'Dem Der Hills'-style number. You know, a little white trash.'
'Oh, I got ya!' Nicola said slowly. She gave Lola a peppy thumbs up. 'I'm on it!' Lola smirked, shook her head and turned to Michael. 'So, how are we going to pay for this? I've got a hundred dollars saved up, but I was hoping to use it for spending money on holiday this summer…'
Logan waved a hand from his sun lounger. 'Hey, don't worry about it. I'll foot the bill for this wedding thing.'
Lola raised her eyebrows. 'Woah, seriously? Are you sure, Logan? It could end up costing quite a lot…'
'Yeah, it's nothing,' Logan insisted casually. 'I'm in a good mood this week.'
'Well, that sure is a change,' Michael said. 'How come?'
'Oh, you'll see,' Logan replied smugly. Lola growled angrily. 'First Quinn, now you! What's with all the secrets? I need to find some sanity. Where's Zoey?'
Michael shrugged. 'I don't know, I think she went walking with Chase.'
'Dude!' Logan cried. 'Our man is finally getting some action!' He and Michael high-fived.
'Boys!' Lola muttered, turning away sulkily and picking up her magazine. She jumped as a hand reached out and pushed it down. Dustin's slightly odd, squirrel-like face grinned into hers.
'Uh, Dustin? Trying to read here!' she snapped.
'OK, sweetie,' Dustin beamed. 'I just heard you mention you don't like boys. Perhaps what you really need… is a man. A man like me.'
Lola raised an eyebrow disdainfully. 'Dustin, you're, like, three years younger than me. In a year's time I'll be dating Tom Welling. Get out of my face.'
Dustin sighed. 'Fine. Have it your way. But by the end of this week, you'll be begging me to be your date for the leavers' prom.'
Lola snorted. 'I think not.' She rolled up her magazine and swatted him. Shoo, fly. I say again. Boys.'
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'So, you meant it?'
Zoey turned around to face Chase, the waves lapping at her feet. His face was completely honest. 'Of course I did, Zo. I love you.' He laughed to himself. 'It's taken, what, five years for me to tell you? I love you. I love you, Zoey Brooks.' He laughed again, nervously, unable to read her expression. 'But if you don't… you know… that's cool. I've been your friend for five years and I'll be your friend for another fifty if that's all you want.' He looked closely at her face, trying to gauge the effect his speech had had on her.
She still looked pensive, before meeting his eyes. A smile spread across her face. 'Chase, you fool!'
He couldn't help but grin too. 'What?' he squawked. From the look in her eyes, he was beginning to know that it would be alright.
Zoey sighed. 'Chase, this is our last week at PCA. After this, you're going home to Long Island and I'm going back to LA. We're going to college there. Somehow I don't think a bicoastal relationship based on a last week together will work.'
'Oh, come on, Zo,' Chase said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. He pointed at her suddenly. 'Ah-ha! You think we could have a relationship!'
Zoey looked carefully at the sea swirling in eddies around her ankles. 'Chase, you are the best person I know. You are the kindest, the funniest, the nicest, the most genuine… and I love you. If I'd known you'd felt this way a few years ago we could have made something of it. I just think that now it's too late for that.' She looked up at him. 'I'm sorry, Chase.'
He looked back at her with pleading eyes. 'So, if I'd told you I liked you from the start…?'
Zoey shrugged. 'I'd have given it a try. Like I said, Chase, I love you. But come this Friday, we're probably not going to see each other again. Let's not make things complicated.'
'No, let's…let's…' Chase looked around desperately, finally kicking a huge mound of sound with an angry scream, degenerating into a whimpered 'Ow!' as he realised his toe had hit a rock. 'DAMNIT!' he yelled, and limped away, leaving Zoey alone.
I'm standing here on the ground
The sky above won't fall down
Even though we fall in all
directions
Resolution of happiness
Things have been dark for
too long
Don't change for you
Don't change a thing for me
Don't change for you
Don't change a thing for me
I
found a love I had lost
It had been gone for too long
Even
though we fall in all directions
Execution of bitterness
Message
received loud and clear
Don't change for you
Don't change
a thing for me
Don't change for you
Don't change a thing for
me
