I successfully avoided Lizzie that same weekend. After what had happened at the party, talking about it was the last thing I wanted to do. I had dissected possibly every detail of the evening every spare moment of the day. I mulled over what Blake and Denisse had informed me.

"She tends to get overly friendly when she's had a drink or two. She can't handle much."

"What do you mean?"

Denisse spoke. "Let's just say I've had to pry her off a stranger or two in the past..."

"What!"

I still wasn't sure if I would rather not have known at all...

So was that what she thought of me as? In her drunken state would I be just another guy Denisse would have to pry her off? But that's just it...I wasn't just another guy. I was her best friend. She had barely had a couple of shots. She couldn't have been that far off. Or was she? If she was, I understood her behavior to an extent. But if she wasn't then...what the hell did that mean? I was driving myself crazy with all these scenarios. I figured I'd better quit. Just talk to her...it'll be fine. There has never been a problem between us that we haven't been able to talk through. And it sure as hell wasn't about to start now.

Approaching her at her locker Monday morning turned out to be almost anti-climactic. I had chewed over several possible outcomes of our inevitably awkward conversation. When it came right to it, I had to force myself just to walk over and say hello. I strolled over with as much nonchalance as I could possibly muster up.

"Hey Lizzie," I greeted easily as I leaned a shoulder into a nearby locker.

She turned her attention away from her books to greet me with one of her sparkling smiles. "Hi Gordo."

So far so good.

"So uh, how was the rest of your weekend?"

"Mmm...not so bad. I had to work last night, but that was pretty much it. You?"

"I uh didn't do much. Just homework and stuff."

She nodded her head and returned her attention back to her books.

What the hell? She didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable. Did she just want to pretend nothing happened? I mean, I wanted that more than anything but I felt the need to at least discuss it with her. It had only been three days but it was eating me away.

"So that party..."

I let the sentence hang in the air and she elegantly picked up the rest. She laughed and placed a hand on my arm.

"Yeah," she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

"About what?" I questioned. All I wanted was confirmation from her of what exactly had happened.

"You know," she gestured with her other hand. "I don't usually drink at parties and I'm just sorry that you had to physically carry me out of there." She laughed again.

"That's what you're sorry for?"

"Well yeah..." her face turned grave. "Should I be sorry for something else?"

Sweet mother of God, she didn't remember! What the heck was I supposed to do now? I realized she was expecting me to give her an answer and if I waited too long to respond she'd grow suspicious.

"No no, there's nothing else."

She nodded her head slowly as if trying to decide whether or not to believe my words. "Okay..."

I laughed suddenly to lighten the tension. "So uh, is Miranda always like that at parties?"

She smiled and shut her locker. "Tip of the iceberg my friend," she patted my shoulder pitifully.

I had to spill my guts to someone, and right now Daniel seemed my most worthy confidant. We clicked from the beginning and there was an unspoken respect between the two of us. In my opinion, if you don't respect the person the friendship is a fallacy.

I approached him in the locker room where we shared 5th period weight training. He knew it was something important because he regarded me with wary eyes.

"You don't look so hot, Dave."

"You got a few?"

The guys had started filling out so I was able to sit on the bench that divided the ongoing rows of lockers.

"I'll just cut to the chase."

Daniel remained standing and faced me expectantly. "I'm all ears, man."

"It's uh, about Lizzie."

"Lizzie?"

"Yeah..."

He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for me to elaborate. Damn this wasn't a conversation I wanted to have. He must have noticed my uneasiness and spoke up.

"Just spit it out, Dave. It can't be that embarrassing."

My gaze shot up. "What makes you think this is embarrassing?"

"Your shoes can't be that fascinating...you won't look anywhere else."

I scratched the back of my neck even though I didn't have an itch. Daniel smirked and socked my shoulder.

"You realize the longer you wait to just come out and say whatever it is you need to say, the more amusing this will be for me, right?"

"Fine, fine." I then proceeded to tell him everything. And I mean everything. From Lizzie's unexpected behavior to my 'informative' conversation with Denisse and Blake.

I found Daniel's silence unsettling and traded silence for silence. And then: "Did you like it?"

My neck snapped in his direction. "What?"

He shrugged. "It's just a question, David. Did you like it?"

I suddenly laughed. "What does that have to do with anything?"

He was now openly grinning. "Why can't you just answer the question?"

"Are you gonna stop answering my questions with more questions?"

"Are you?" he asked.

I stood up, chuckling nervously. "Okay, this is obviously a pointless conversation. I think we should just get to class."

He clamped a hand on my shoulder. "Not so fast, Gordon. Just answer the question."

"I don't have to answer anything."

He held a hand up in surrender. "You're right. You don't have to tell me anything. But you might wanna answer that question to yourself."

"Why?"

"Just do it for the sake of your own sanity." Had it been anyone else, his laugh would have been mocking. "I could tell this is really getting under your skin."

"How would you feel if you were in my situation?"

He laughed. "Oh, your situation is unique. With there being a lifelong friendship and everything."

I nodded thoughtfully. "What if it were you and Miranda?"

The question caught him off guard and I gleefully indulged in his obvious discomfort. This was the first time I had ever seen my friend blush. He was always so carefree and laidback.

I returned his earlier gesture and clamped a hand on his shoulder. "Not fun to be in the hot seat, eh?"

He shrugged off my hand hastily retrieved his backpack from his locker. "We should get to class."

I openly laughed at his embarrassment and he flipped me the bird. Ah, such love.

I caught up with him in the mass of students scrambling to reach their friends before they had to reach their final class of the day. I had just apologized for being an ass when a girl approached Daniel. I faintly recognized her but I couldn't recall her name.

"Hey Daniel."

He favored her with a pleasant smile. "Hi Vero. What's up?"

"Nothin' much. Waiting for Michelle to get out of Burton's class."

He chuckled lightly. "That class was a bitch when I had it last year."

"Yeah." Her gaze fell onto me, eyes full of curiousity.

I offered her a friendly smile and a small hello. She grinned back, revealing dimples, and nodded appreciatively. I felt awkward just standing there smiling, and having this girl smiling back, neither of us saying anything. Daniel obviously wasn't going to make the introductions so:

"I'm David," I held my hand out.

She regarded me with a surprised, yet gratified expression. "Veronica."

"Nice to meet you." I shook her hand and she shook back with an equally firm grip.

She laughed when she pulled her hand away. "And I was beginning to think all manners were lost on the male race."

"Hey! What about me?" Daniel protested.

"Oh, who are you kidding?" she said bluntly, and he laughed.

The bell rang, signaling the beginning of 6th period.

Daniel cursed. "Damn, I'd better get going or Mr. Perry is gonna have my neck." He burst into a sprint and called over his shoulder. "I'll see you both later."

I noticed Veronica was still regarding me with a curious expression. "I uh, better get to class. It was nice meeting you."

"Can you spare a minute?"

Being a teacher's aid wasn't the most demanding class so I hung back. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to make you late to class."

She smiled and shook her head. "I'm already late. A minute or two isn't going to change that fact."

My eyebrows went up in mock surprise and she stepped closer. "Oh, so now it's two minutes?"

Her tone was playful. "Maybe I should make it three since you're already teasing me when I've only known you for five minutes."

"Five? It seems more like three."

Her laugh was the kind that any person would pay a mint to have. It was sincere and infectious.

We chatted for what only felt like a couple of minutes until one of the school's deans walked pass. "Get to class kids. Or I'll escort you myself."

Veronica pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket to check the time. "Shit," she laughed. "Okay yeah, we'd better get going."

"What time is it?"

She turned the phone around, so the screen faced me. My eyes widened. "Damn, I don't mean to seem rude but I have to go."

I turned, ready to burst into a jog. I felt her arm catch my elbow. "Wait."

I faced her again and waited for her to speak. Instead of saying anything, she pulled a thin Sharpie from her backpack. Before I knew what was happening, I had seven numbers scrawled across my open palm.

"Hopefully, you're as nice as you seem and won't leave me high and dry."

I was speechless and stood there mute. She winked before turning and walking to her next class. Meanwhile I stood there shocked, staring at my still open palm.

A/N: So. This is the end of the story. If there was ever an open end to a story, this is it. I'll probably continue with a part two or something similar.

The reason I'm splitting this story in half is because I don't want the chapters to go into the 40s. With all the storylines I have in mind at this point, that's probably how long this story could be if not more. Feel free to review and throw some ideas at me. It's Summer! WOO HOO!