.5:13 PM – Teen club - Backstage.-

"Oh, how did you get through that, Sha?"

"Well, I'll tell you, it wasn't easy. But a boy helped me out."

"A boy you say?"

"Yeah… His name's Rei."

"Ah, I see."

"And anyway, all that and an all-week in-school suspension added on top of that!"

"Oh, how'd that happen?"

"Last week I spray painted a teacher car."

"Well that was stupid."

"Yeah, I know but back then I was into the gangster thing, remember?"

"No, you acted like you were!"

"True enough."

Shakon and her group were all talking about their weeks, and, as always, Shakon had a great story to tell. All the girls were sitting in a medium sized room with chairs and a table and a few vending machines.

Shelly, a girl with short blond hair who was an average height laughed. "Truer then you wish it, eh?"

Shakon rolled her eyes. "Again, that's true."

Kate, a girl with medium-long black hair and who was fairly tall, was sympathetic. "Well, at least you don't have to do anything you don't want to anymore, right?" She asked.

Shakon nodded. "Yup. Found a better group to hang out with. All of 'em have jobs here."

Jordan, a girl with very short green hair who was medium short in height sat next to Shelly. "And who is this 'Rei' fella? You seem to glaze over his name's mentioned." She mentioned casually.

Shakon flushed slightly. "Oh… I dunno…" She said, kind of shyly.

The other girls were fairly interested now. Shakon was never really shy, and they knew that since her rep at school was toast, she would be able to toss out that whole "Shakon hates guys" thing.

"You like him?" Shelly asked, curiously.

Shakon was thoughtful. "I don't know… But I know he likes me." She said.

The other girls were excited. "So, now, you need to give him an answer." Kate asked.

Shakon nodded. "Yeah, but I can't decide whether I like him as a friend or if I like him as more." She replied.

"Well," Jordan started. "How do you feel when you're around him?"

Shakon thought about this. Yes, that would be a good place to start. "I don't really wanna talk about this now." She said. "If I think about this anymore, I'll be distracted tonight."

The girls nodded. "Yeah." Kate said. "Are you going to start out on the DJ stand again?"

Shakon smiled. "That's the plan. And I finished 3 new beats during the week."

The girls were impressed. "Awesome." Jordan said. "So, how long do you wanna do music live?" She asked.

"I don't know… Just until I get enough energy ready. I'll pop in an old CD when I'm done, and then I'll just jump on and join you."

"Great." Shelly replied. "Well, let's get out there. It's already busy!"

15 minutes later, the club was totally packed, Shelly, Jordan, and Kate were on stage, and Shakon was making some great, fast music.

This was also the time Satsuna, Max, Rei, and the rest of the clan arrived.

"I don't see her." Satsuna said, looking for her friend. She was wearing a dressy black tank top, and some black, form fitting jeans. Her hair was still tied back in a ponytail with the lavender ribbon.

Max pointed to the DJ stand. "She's up there." He said. Max was wearing a white t-shirt under a black vest and also had loose, black khakis on.

Satsuna looked. "Oh! Yeah, there she is! Wow, I didn't know she was good at the music too."

Rei nodded. "Yeah, she's pretty good." He was wearing a Chinese-style t-shirt with black pants. "But this is nothing compared to her dancing."

Satsuna smiled. I can't wait to see that! She thought, looking around. The music was practically deafening her, and the lights and smoke nearly blinding her.

"Hey, Satsuna." Max said to his friend.

"Yeah, Max?" She replied, turning to him.

Max was a little shy but asked, "You wanna dance?"

Satsuna nodded. "Yeah, sounds fun."

Max led Satsuna to the floor, leaving Rei smiling. The lone boy walked over to the alcohol-free bar and watched the entity of his desire. Why do I even like her? He thought. She's nothing like any other girl I've ever gone out with… So, why do I like her? I don't get it at all…

Shakon was starting to feel an adrenaline rush. Yes, I love it! She thought, looking around. She saw Max and Satsuna together. Oh, they so like each other.

Shakon smirked as she changed the music to a pre-recorded song: "Best day of my life" by Jesse McCartney.

Shakon smiled when she saw the expressions on Max and Satsuna's faces change from joy to a little surprised and bashful. Shakon loaded the CD player with more prerecorded CDs that it would change to automatically when the song that was being played finished. She leaned on the chair, taking a break and listening to the music.

Woke up around a half past 10
Cant believe that I'm late again
Put down about a quart of caffeine
To start my pulse and then
I grab my jeans off the floor
Then I hit the door
Its just the same old same
It goes to show you never know
When everything's about to change

Just another day
It started out like any other
Just another girl
Who took my breath away
Then she turned around
She took me down
Just another day that I
Had the best day of my life

Cant say exactly what it was
She's not the usual type
She wore a cowboy hat
With her red Prada boots
And a Gwen Stefani smile
Then she pulled out a pen
And surprised me when
She wrote her number on my hand
Then she was gone
But from now on
I'm gonna be a different man

Just another day
It started out like any other
Just another girl
Who took my breath away
Then she turned around
She took me down
Just another day that I
Had the best day of my life

I guess it goes to show
You never really know
When everything's about to change

Just another day
It started out like any other
Just another girl
Who took my breath away
Then she turned around
She took me down
Just another day that I
Had the best day of my life

Just another day
It started out like any other
Just another girl
Who took my breath away
Then she turned around
She took me down
Just another day that I
Had the best day of my life

Started out like any other

Started out like any other
Had the best day of my life
The best day of my life

About mid-song, Shakon had caught sight of Rei. She used this time to think about her answer. I don't know… She thought. And when the song had finished, she had reached a conclusion. She was about to go over to Rei, when her favorite song came on and her teammate took the mic.

"Hey everyone! Y'all havin' fun?" Shelly asked, and her question was answered with joyful yelling. "So, y'all know who we are, but I don't think you've met our little clan's leader! Why don't you give the girl encouragement! Make some noise!" Shelly ended with a hand outstretched to Shakon's direction. And the crowd roared with ecstasy.

Shakon smirked. She always waits for the perfect time for this! She thought sarcastically. Shakon leaped off the stand and swiped the mic from a very impish-feeling Shelly.

"Thanks!" Shakon said, still not completely showing who she was. "And y'know, Shell, I think many of them know exactly who I am!"

Shelly took the microphone again. "Really? Gee, we'll see about that. Anyway, our "fearless leader" is gonna do a solo dance, right?"

The crowed roared again, and Shakon laughed. "Alright! Alright! Hey, Kate, could you go restart the song?"

Kate nodded, her eyes shining with excitement. She went and restarted the song as the other two got off stage and Shakon took her place.

Vera's face burnt as a memory of bedroom fun
With a ligther and some hairspray
Smoking in the girls' room

Shakon found the main beat and her body swaying to it, with very basic moves, which, though basic, very impressive looking.

Not worse than Shelley's rape behind the McDonald's
By a man she thought was fine, didn't tell anybody
Or maybe back then we just thought that she was getting some

Now we look back and see that she didn't know how
We never thought that we'd get caught up
Stuck in the teenage waste

As we explode
As we explode

Then she started the more complicated and exhilarating moves which the aura of pure delight started radiating throughout the room.

Then getting drunk in the bushes by the road outside the Kmart
Rolling around in them to see if you would get prickled
Slip the acid on your tongue rooftop shopping mall parkade
We couldn't get enough

Then count the stars and the ten million woes
Just you and the universe judging each other
We never knew that we'd get caught up
Stuck in the teenage waste

As we explode
As we explode
As we explode
As we let go

It's a fight, it's a fight and you finally belong
Got a shiner now and it's more than a battle scar
More than a battle scar, such a good, good story to tell
At lunch break, lunch break, lunch break, lunch break
Such a good, good story to tell

You bully, you break, you bully, you break
You fake, you fake, you fake, you fake
You smoke, you toke, you want, you flaunt, you hit it and you're in it and it's spinning

And it's wild
We never thought that we'd get caught up
Stuck in the teenage waste

By this time Shakon was completely given to the music. It was like her ecstasy drug, and she was completely giving all she could and wouldn't quit it.

As we explode
As we explode
As we explode
As we let go

We're counting the stars
We're counting the stars
We're gonna go far, we're gonna go far
We're counting the stars, we're counting the stars
We're not very far, we're not very far

And it's you and me in the open air
It's truth or dare, we don't care
We're counting the stars, we're counting the stars, we're counting the stars, we're counting the stars

Shakon finished and the (still ignorant) crowed went wild. Shelly took the mic. "Wow! Better then normal, Sha!"

Shakon smiled and removed the hat, which was previously shielding her face. The people from Shakon's school (which made up the majority of the crowed) excitedly whispered to each other.

"Any reason in particular?" Shelly asked.

Shakon nodded and took the mic. "Yeah, it's a good way to relieve stress. And trust me, there's been a lot of stress this week." She smiled out to everyone. "But! It's all good now!"

Shelly laughed. "Good!" She put the mic back, and Shakon whispered to her that she had some personal business to take care of.

Shakon leapt off the stage and sat beside Rei at the bar. A techno-pop song took over the oxygen. Shakon took a deep breath and turned to Rei. "Havin' a good time so far?" She asked the boy.

He smiled. "Yeah. You were great just now."

"Hey, thanks!" Shakon said happily. Then she tried to think of a way to say what she needed to. "So… Rei, do you still… want an answer?" She asked shyly.

He looked at her, a little surprised. "An answer? Yeah. It'd make my mind a lot less distracted." He said.

She smiled. "I know… that you like me… And well… I like you too." She said.

Rei was over joyed. "You do?" He asked.

Shakon nodded. "Yup."

The two teens were silent for a moment because neither knew what to say after that. But they were happy about the mutual feeling.

"So… What now?" Rei asked.

Shakon closed her eyes. "Your choice." She said, practically inviting him to hall her "his girl".

Rei perked an eyebrow. "Mine?" He asked. "Why mine?"

Shakon smirked. "Because you're the one that started this." She answered.

Rei didn't know how to reply to this. Partly because it was true, and partly because he wished it wasn't.

Shakon laughed at his reaction. She had made the poor boy speechless. "I'm gonna guess that you don't know?" She asked.

Rei thought a minute, then smiled. "No, I know… I know perfectly what I'd choose." He said.

Shakon smirked. "And that would be…?"

Rei's hand made it's way to Shakon's chin, and he moved closer to the girl, who was now fairly taken aback. This… I did not expect out of Rei. Shakon thought.

Rei smiled when he saw how the girl's expression had changed. "You said it was my choice." He said.

She smiled. "Yes, I did." She replied, leaning towards him.

Meanwhile, two other teens, a blond and a pinkette sat down after a long session of dancing together.

"Wow, Satsuna, I didn't know you could dance like that." Max complimented.

Satsuna laughed. "Well, you're not too bad yourself." She replied.

Max smiled. "This has been a lot of fun so far!" He said.

"It's about to get more fun!" a voice next the two said.

Max and Satsuna turned to see Linea and Kimihiro standing next to them. Linea was dressed in a classy (but quite skimpy) black tank top who's neckline reached down to her stomach area, and she also wore black jeans with small tears in various places, revealing the skin underneath.

"Oh, and, why do you say that, Linea?" asked Satsuna.

Linea walked to Max and put her arms around him. "Because Max's gonna come with me, aren't you?" She asked the now very uncomfortable boy who was absolutely speechless.

Satsuna glared. "And you're going to make him?" She asked.

Linea nodded. "Yeah, I am. You have a problem with that?" She replied.

Satsuna became furious. She got up and pulled Linea off Max right then and there. "You can't touch Max!" She told a shocked Linea.

"Why's that?" She asked. "He's single."

Not tonight he's not! Satsuna thought. "No, he's not." She said.

"What?" Linea, Kimihiro and Max asked.

Satsuna rolled her eyes and turned to Max and put her arms around him. She whispered in his ear "play along, would ya?"

Max understood. Oh! He thought. He smiled. "Yeah. She's right." He said.

Linea was confused. "When did this happen?" She asked.

Satsuna smiled. "On the way here." She answered.

Linea smirked. "And how do I know you're not just playing with me?" She asked.

Max had an idea. "If we weren't lovers, would I do this?" He asked before pulling Satsuna close to him and kissing her. Satsuna was, at first, quite surprised, but then forgot about Linea and kissed him back.

Linea glared and left, but Max and Satsuna had already forgot about her. They forgot that they were only supposed to be pretending. And they, more importantly, forgot that they were in public.

But reality settled in again when Shakon's voice came piercing through to them.

"Wow, you two, are you human beings or rabbits?"

Max and Satsuna pulled back from each other slightly and realized what they had just been doing. They both turned crimson, causing Shakon to laugh.

"Sorry." Satsuna muttered to Max, who shook his head.

"Don't be." He said.

"I'll leave you two alone." Shakon said smugly, running back to the stage, nearly choking with laughter.

That… was very interesting. Satsuna thought. I really wish ... but it could never happen.

Max surveyed the girl who was still quite close to him. "Satsuna…" He started. "Did you… enjoy that?" He asked the now alarmed girl.

Satsuna flushed a pink. "You first." She said.

Max chuckled. "Well, I ought to have, since I'm the one that started it." He said cheerfully.

Satsuna smiled. "I guess I did too, then." She said.

Max stood up and grabbed Satsuna's hand. "C'mon." He said.

Satsuna got up. What the hell am I getting myself into? She thought.

An hour later, at about 10:30PM, when everything was done, the dancing girls went backstage, very proud of that night's performance.

"Great job you all!" Jordan said excitedly.

"Yeah, and I'd like to give extra credit to our glorious leader for an extraordinary performance!" Shelly said.

Shakon took a bow. "Thank you! I'm here 'till Tuesday!" She said playfully.

She went over and picked up her jacket and bag. "I'll see you on Wednesday for practice, okay? See y'all!" She went to the door, waved and left.

Can't wait to get home Shakon thought, walking out the door and began walking to the bus stop, blissfully unaware of the figure following her.