A/N: I'm extremely sorry for the lack of updates. I have had absolutely NO inspiration. And a lot of shit has been goin on lately. But maybe this chapter will be a step in the right direction for more updates. Well, until June 30th anyways. Next month I start packing for Louisville. Finally!!! Lol I leave someplace around the 13th of July. My Aunt will be coming up on the 30th of June from FL and will be here till the 12th of July. Which means my computer will probably be takin apart around the time she comes up. So basically, until I get settled into Louisville life, I'll only be updating in June. And then I don't know when I'll update again. I need to find a job ASAP once I get down there and then I'll be starting school August 23rd. It's gonna be busy and hectic. So don't expect many updates. I think that's it. I hope to have a couple more out on this story. Oh, since ff.net has fucked up their website once again by adding new features that we didn't need, there's no way to space out new segments to the chapter. And they won't let me really fix it. Am I pissed? Oh completely!!! I guess just look for the non-indented paragraphs. God I hate this stupid fucked up website.

"How's Hope's eye?" Shane asked as he spotted for Matt who was bench pressing.

"It's doing fine," Matt replied as Shane helped him place the bar back in its holders. He sat up and grabbed the towel, dabbing his face.

"Ya know, she deserved that punch," his friend growled. Matt looked up at him and laughed, shaking his head.

"No she didn't."

"Okay, maybe not, but I have to stick up for my girlfriend, right?"

"Not if she's in the wrong. And she was."

"But Hope attacked her!"

"But with good reason," Matt smiled. Matt sighed and stood, raising his arms above his head and stretched.

"I guess..........." Shane said crossing his arms. "But she makes me SO mad! I wanna bash my head in the wall sometimes when it comes to your sister!"

Matt chuckled and slapped Shane's back as he said, "Welcome to mine and Jeff's world."

"I'd like to leave please," Shane remarked. "It's just that sometimes we get along great, ya know? And then it's like I want to kill her! She's just so thickheaded sometimes. But I love her all the same!"

"Like I said, welcome to mine and Jeff's world. You're like a brother to her. So of course you love her and hate her at the same time. And even if she bugs you more than anything in this world, you'll always love her and want to protect her."

"I don't want to be a brother," Shane muttered angrily as they moved towards the gym locker rooms.

"Tough shit dude. Once you're in, you're in for good."

"I just wish she'd be more, I don't know."

"You can't change her Shane. And even if you could, you wouldn't want to in the end. The reason you love her is because she's Hope. And she'll always be Hope. If you were to change her, she'd be someone completely different, and you wouldn't love her half as much."

"This is why your sister aggravates me so much," Shane laughed.

"What?"

"She always has to come up with the right things to say! Much like you!" Shane glanced in the mirror and sighed as he tightened his ponytail. "I think it's time."

"Time for what man?"

Shane turned to Matt and grinned, pulling his hair out of the ponytail.

"Jeff?! I know you're home. I saw your car!" Hope yelled as she walked into her twin's home. She sighed as she started for his room. She looked around and realized how empty the place was without Beth. It was definitely different and quite sad. "Jeffrey!!" She called out once again as she reached his closed bedroom door. She tilted her head to the side trying to find a time when he had shut his door in the past. When she couldn't come up with one, she walked in. "OH SHIT!" she screamed catching the blonde and her best friend having themselves a naked wrestling match. Hope quickly turned around as the two stopped what they were doing and ran towards the exit.

"Hope?!" Jeff yelled as he and Lizzie exchanged surprised looks. He quickly grabbed a pair of pants and ran after his sister while Lizzie started to get dressed. "Hope, wait!"

She faced him and crossed her arms over her chest. "What the hell were you two doing?!"

"Hope, you're not stupid. I'm sure you can figure it out," he replied.

"I don't want to figure it out. That..........that............UGH!!!!" Hope cried disgusted.

"Hi Hope," Lizzie smiled as she walked towards the siblings. She looked at Jeff and gave him a light kiss on the cheek while Hope stared at her, tapping her foot on the floor. "I'm gonna go, but if you need to talk, you know to call me."

"Yeah, of course. Bye Lizzie," Jeff smiled watching her leave.

"You're sleeping with my best friend!!!!" Hope yelled pushing Jeff into the living room and then screamed in disgust when she remembered where his body had just been. "What the hell is up with that?!"

"Hey, she's my friend too!" Jeff replied.

"Oh, you wanna play it that way huh? Well do you see me sleeping with Shannon?!!! Or Joey?! Or well, anyone else?! No, you don't. So why do you have to be sleeping with her?!" she continued to yell as Jeff slumped onto the couch, rolled his eyes, and let out a sigh. "Oh don't you sigh at me!"

"Hope, just shut it for, oh, I don't know, 5 minutes?" Jeff snapped.

Shocked she dropped next to him, blinking furiously. "Well, how long has this been happening?"

"Not very long..........started when she brought that cake over to me," he grinned.

"Ewww," Hope snarled. "Why?"

"Because she was here.............and Beth wasn't............and you weren't here," he replied.

"Jeff, it's not that I didn't want to be here. If I could have gotten here the day she left, I would have. But you know I couldn't," she sighed.

"I know, I don't blame this on you. I blame it on Beth. God..........Hope, I really miss her. I loved her so much and I just don't understand how she could just leave me like that," Jeff shook his head. "Lizzie just made me feel better, even if only for a little while. It worked. It took my mind off of Beth. And at the time, that's what I needed, or do need, or I don't know."

"Jeff, this isn't going to make things better. Having sex with Lizzie can only complicate things in the long run," Hope spoke softly has she rubbed her brother's back. "If you needed someone to talk to you, you could have called me."

"But that would have made me think about Beth and only Beth. And I didn't want that. I don't know what to do Hope. I know I can't keep this up with Lizzie, but I don't want to hurt her. She's a great friend. And I do love her."

"I don't know what to tell ya Jeff. You're in quite over your head here bro."

"I know. You wouldn't happen to have a time machine would ya?" he questioned hopefully.

"If I did, do you honestly think I'd be sitting here with you discussing your pathetic love life instead of on some beautiful sandy beach with Sean?"

"Yeah, true."

"Ya know, Lizzie, she um, well, never mind," Hope shook her head.

"She's in love with me?" Jeff guessed.

"Yeah, or at least she thinks so. I mean, really, who's to say if it's really love?"

"I know all about it. I'm not blind. That's why I'm scared of hurting her. She's been hurt so much in the past. I don't want to end up on her asshole list."

"Then tell her that."

"Easier said than done."

"I know that somehow you'll make this all right," Hope smiled kissing his cheek. "Ewww...........gross..........."

Jeff laughed and wrapped his arm around her neck, putting her into a hold. She fought with him, laughing and crying out for him to stop. Finally her head rested on his lap, with his arm still over her neck and her fingers locking with his.

"We're just a couple of lonely people, aren't we?"

"No, not really, we've got each other," Hope smiled.

"Unfortunately, that's not gonna cut it for me Bade. I'm not gonna find her, am I? I had the one and lost her. I'm never gonna get her back."

"Jeff, you're young. You've got plenty of time to get the one back into your life. Hell, she could be right under your nose."

"It sucks. Shannon's getting married, Matt and Amy might as well be married, and you, well, never mind.............and Shane and Lisa..........."

"Jeffrey!!" Hope growled.

"Sorry, bad example," he chuckled. "But you get my point."

"Yeah, I do. I know I wasn't with Sean nearly as long as you and Beth were together and maybe we weren't meant to be, but I loved him and loved every second I was with him. In a way, he made me feel complete. I felt like I had someone who would always be there, through the good and bad. And now I miss him like crazy. I miss his deep voice, his crazy hair, his obsession with fire, and just everything else about him."

"You two did seem to mesh well. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you two."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too."

"Guess we just gotta keep looking," Jeff said.

"Yeah, just no more sex with my best friend?"

"I can't agree to that. Lizzie does have some 'skills'. And I'm not talking bout wrestling either," Jeff winked at his sister.

"Oh that does it! I'm so disgusted with you, I have to leave," Hope cried hopping off of the couch.

Jeff laughed and followed her to the door. "Love you Bade."

"Love you too Jeff. And it will get better. It has to," Hope smiled before leaving her brother.

Hope laid on her bed, flipping through a car magazine, the music blaring in her room. She yawned and threw the magazine on the floor. She rolled over and hung upside down on her bed, her legs bouncing to the beat of the music. Slowly, the words started flowing out of her mouth.

"Loose, footloose, kick off your Sunday shoes. Please, Louise, pull me offa my knees," she sang. She jumped up off the bed, the music seeming to move her feet for her, and she began to dance around the room. "Jack, get back, c'mon before we crack. Lose your blues, everybody cut footloose."

Suddenly she heard laughing and some starting to sing with her. "You're playing so cool, obeying every rule. Dig way down in your heart. You're yearning, yearning for some, somebody to tell you, that life ain't passing you by." Before she could even turn around hands were placed on her hips and she felt at ease as she started dancing with this stranger, singing along with the popular 80's song. "I'm trying to tell you, it will if you don't even try. You can fly if you'd only cut loose, footloose. Kick off your Sunday shoes. Oowhee, Marie, shake it, shake it for me. Whoa, Milo, c'mon, c'mon let's go. Lose your blues. Everybody cut footloose."

The mystery person turned her around and her smile matched his. When she realized who she was looking at, her smile faded, her arms crossed over her chest, and her eyes rolled. "Oh, it's you," she groaned moving to turn the stereo off.

"Gee, the way you said that makes me feel so extremely wanted," he replied with a sarcastic smile on his tanned face.

"I'm glad, cause that's exactly what I was goin for," she shot back.

"Alright, so what's wrong?" he questioned sitting on her bed.

"Nothing, why would you think something's wrong?"

"You don't listen to footloose when you're in a superb mood Hope. I know you too well. It's your happy feel good movie. It's your guilty pleasure."

"Shane, that doesn't mean that something's wrong. Maybe I just wanted to listen to some different shit."

"I don't buy that," he smiled.

"Alright, I'm not happy. So what? Can't I be upset without someone jumping down my throat about it?!"

"I'm just worried about you. I'm sorry that I care."

"I'm sorry Shane. You didn't deserve that. I know you care, I'm just havin an off day I guess," she sighed falling back on her bed.

He leaned over her and smiled, "It's alright. I understand. No apology necessary. I suppose I deserve it anyways for what Lisa did to you. At least it's healing well."

"Yeah, I just wish I could have gotten a shot in, ya know? I'm sorry, I shouldn't be talking so bad about her to you. You are her boyfriend. Although I have yet to figure out why."

He laughed and sat up straight. He smoothed back his dark hair just as Hope shot up next to him. Her mouth hung open and her eyes as big as half dollars. "What?" he asked casually.

"Holy fuck!" she screamed pointing at his head. She jumped up, suddenly speechless as she examined him. Her mouth fell back into place as she stepped back and crossed her arms. "I've apparently slipped into the twilight zone."

He laughed at her and asked, "Why do you say that?"

"You fuckin cut your hair! I never thought I would see the day when you'd cut your hair," she shook her head as she moved towards him and reached out to touch it.

"Well, you thought wrong," he smiled as she continued to run her fingers through his newly cut short hair. "What do you think of it?"

"Shane, it...................it looks great!" she exclaimed with a bright smile on her face. "I can't even tell you how shocked I am about this."

"Yeah, you should have seen me at the barbers getting it done. I almost peed my pants in fright!" he laughed. "But you think it looks good?"

"Yeah, I do," she said sitting back down next to him, her leg bent underneath her. "Why'd you do it?"

"Something different. My new mask was getting caught in the long hair anyways. I'm thinkin bout dying the top of it green. What do you think?"

"That would look awesome. I say go for it," she replied, a genuinely happy smile on her face.

"I think I will," he grinned. "Well, I came over here for a reason. Not just to show off my new do."

"Oh? What's the reason?"

"Well, I thought I owed you for what Lisa did. And for all the help you've given me on my costume. Plus I think you might need this. Just a sort of release. You've been havin a rough time lately," he replied handing her an envelope.

"What's this?" she questioned.

"Open it and find out."

Cautiously she flipped the flap open and looked inside. When she realized it was safe, she reached in and pulled out a thick piece of paper. After examining it, she squealed with excitement and wrapped her arms around Shane neck. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist before she leapt up started jumping around her room. Finally calming down she pushed her hair behind her ears and smiled at him.

"Are you serious?!" she exclaimed.

"As a heart attack," he laughed. "I got two tickets, one for me and one for you. I thought you might like to go. So what do you say?"

"Oh hell yeah!!!" she jumped into a kneeling position on her bed and kissed his cheek. "Thank you Shane. This is exactly what I need." She looked the ticket over, never losing her smile.

"Well, I'll come over tomorrow afternoon and pick you up and we'll go to Charlotte to see Linkin Park in concert."

"I really REALLY appreciate this Shane. This is really great! I can't wait!!! And Chester.............oh baby. Hottness!" she screamed.

He rolled his eyes and stood, walking to the door. "Then I'll see you tomorrow Bade."

"Yeah, tomorrow," she smiled at him.

"Okay, so would you like to tell me why you're so mad at me?" Lizzie questioned as she crossed her arms and stared at the purple haired girl that sat across from her in the little coffee shop.

"You really don't know, do you?" Hope sighed sipping the iced coffee she held in her hands.

"If I did, I wouldn't have asked," Lizzie replied.

Hope shook her head as an older couple stopped to stare at the two girls. Both looked up at the man and women as they shook their heads disapprovingly. Hope's nose twitched in anger before letting out an angry spout of words. "Yes my hair is purple. And yes I did it on purpose. And YES I LOVE IT!!! If you got a problem with it, LEAVE!" Frightened the couple quickly walked out of the shop.

"Jesus Bade, chill out," Lizzie cried. "What the hell is the matter with you?!"

"You sleeping with my brother is what's the matter with me!" Hope blurted out.

Lizzie sat back in her seat, shocked at the outburst her friend had just made. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

"Lizzie, he just got out of a relationship. A really good relationship and then you start sleeping with him like right away! Why?"

"He called me. He wanted someone to talk to. What was I supposed to do? Not go over there?"

"No, but you didn't have to jump in bed with him!"

"You think it was all my idea? Bade, I hate to tell you, but he wanted it just as much as I did."

"No, he wanted Beth. You just happened to be there when he was the loneliest."

"He didn't want Beth! He told me he wanted ME!"

"That may have been what he told you, but do you honestly believe that? Lizzie, I'm not trying to hurt you by sayin this shit. Really I'm not. But you know how he felt about Beth."

"You may not be tryin to hurt me, but you are. I'm sorry that Jeff happens to be your brother. And I'm sorry that I love that boy, but ya know what? I'm not sorry about what we did. I'm not one bit sorry!" Lizzie exclaimed as she stood in a huff and started out of the little coffee shop. Hope rolled her eyes and ran after her best friend.

"Lizzie, stop," Hope said running up beside the auburn haired girl.

"I don't want to hear it anymore Hope. You're supposed to be my best friend. You're supposed to be behind me in anything I do!"

"Not when it comes to my twin brother!"

"God, why can't you be happy that he finally wants me? Why can't you be just a little bit happy that things are finally goin my way?!"

"Lizzie, is this really what you want? To be friends with benefits with him? Because that's all you are to him right now."

"I know that's all we are. But there could be a future."

"Not anytime soon. You may think you know my brother as well as anyone of us, but you don't. Jeff is a very sensitive individual."

"You think I don't know that?!"

"No, I know you do. But when it comes to relationships, he's going to seem stronger than normal. He's hurting inside Lizzie. Like really bad. He still really loves Beth. You're just filling up the hole of lust that left with her. Please just be careful. For his sake and yours."

"I know what I'm doing."

"I don't think you do. You've had this crush on him since you two met. And you've done well up until this point at keeping your distance from his heart. He needs this time to heal. And I think you know that deep down."

"But I want him so bad Bade. It's hard."

"I know it is. But you're strong. You just gotta be his friend. Sex fucks up a lot of things. Friendships being one of them. Do you want sex or his friendship?"

"Do I have to decide now?" Lizzie joked.

"LIZZIE!" Hope laughed.

"Alright, his friendship. But what do I do if he wants sex again?"

"Try to resist him. Or tell him how you feel. Or I don't know. He does love you Lizzie. He told me that. But as a friend. He can't be in any sort of healthy relationship right now. But maybe if you give him time you'll have something deeper than a friendship," Hope smiled draping her arm over her friend's shoulders.

"How do I get myself into these messes?"

"Must be your massive sex appeal," Hope laughed.

"Oh yeah baby! I am HOT!" Lizzie grinned nodding her head as they walked down the street.

Lizzie relaxed on Hope's bed as they listened to a loud stereo playing Linkin Park. Hope was in her closet trying on clothes for the concert that nite. She was getting more and more excited as it got closer to the time when Shane would be picking her up. She stepped out in a pair of baggy black jeans that set low on her hips. Her hot pink thong straps peeked out over the top of the jeans as she clasped a black leather belt with silver studded stars around her waist. She wore a black tank top that stopped just above her belly button, showing off her tan stomach. Over that was a hot pink mesh top that matched the straps of her thong. Her hair was partially pulled back in a ponytail that sat high up on her head. She placed her hands on hips and smiled as she looked at Lizzie.

"What do ya think?" Hope questioned.

"Holy shit! You look like Amy!" Lizzie laughed. "Dude, if I went that way I'd totally sleep with you!"

Hope laughed and moved towards her mirror to work on her make-up. "Glad to know that. That's usually what you say about Amy."

"And you look like Amy so it just works!" Lizzie said. "I still can't believe you're goin on a date with Helms." Shannon picked that exact moment to step into Hope's room. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Hope, jaw dropped to the floor, in shock of what she looked like and what Lizzie had just said.

"You're goin out with Shane?!" Shannon exclaimed.

"I'm not goin out with Shane. We're just goin out," Hope replied.

"You do realize it's the same thing right?" Shannon said.

"No, it's not. It's two completely different things."

"Alright, how is that possible?" Shannon inquired as he sat on Jeff's old bed.

Hope sighed and looked at him, leaning against her desk. "Alright, I'm not goin on a date with Shane. He's just taking me to a Linkin Park concert."

"It's a date," Lizzie and Shannon spoke in unison as they nodded at each other.

"It's not a date!" Hope insisted squirting herself with her favorite perfume.

"It's not a date, huh? Then why are you wearing your favorite perfume?"

"Well, just in case I meet Chester or some other totally hot guy," Hope replied with a smile.

"Oh please, it's so a date," Lizzie grinned. Hope rolled her eyes as Shane walked into the room dressed in a pair of loose fitting jeans and a white wife-beater. "YOU CUT YOUR HAIR!!!" Lizzie yelled jumping up to get a closer looked.

"Yeah, did it yesterday," Shane smiled. "What are ya'll doin here?"

"Heard you and Hope were goin on a date so I just had to be here," Lizzie replied winking at Shannon.

"It's not a date," Hope and Shane replied together.

"Awe, they're already speaking at the same time," Shannon swooned.

"If I didn't want to see Linkin Park so badly, I'd tell you to go by yourself," Hope sighed looking towards Shane. He laughed and walked to her full length mirror, giving himself the once over. "I see, I'll be spending the nite with egotistical Shane."

"I don't have an ego," Shane shook his head.

The other three looked at him shocked and Lizzie opened her mouth saying, "If your ego was any bigger, we wouldn't all be able to fit in this room!"

"It's not my ego filling up this room. It's your stinky ass Lizzie," Shane retorted.

"Oh, Shane, that was so hurtful. I'm not sure I can go on with my life," Lizzie smirked sarcastically.

"Are you two done?" Hope questioned.

"Yeah, I think so. For tonite anyways," Lizzie shrugged her shoulders.

"Ya ready to go?" Shane asked Hope. She nodded at him. He put his hand on her back softly and led her out of the room. Shannon and Lizzie tailing behind them snickering and making snide remarks. Hope glanced behind her, giving each of them dirty looks that could kill, which only caused them to make their remarks louder.

"Have fun on your DATE!!!" Lizzie waved to Shane and Hope as the two of them got into his car. Hope shook her head and waved her fist out the window at Lizzie as they drove down the driveway.

"How immature, huh?" Shane smirked.

"Completely. Like I'd ever go on a date with you!! That's just absurd!" Hope laughed hysterically.

"Why?" Shane questioned sounding somewhat hurt by her remarks. Hope stopped her laughter and looked at his serious face.

"Well, you and I don't exactly get along. I mean you're a good friend and all, but a relationship between you and me wouldn't work out."

"Why not?"

"You're not my type for one thing. You're too hip hop. For another thing, we fight way too much. And you're dating Lisa! YUCK!" Hope answered.

"Opposites attract Hope."

"Not us though."

"So you're saying that if in the future you're single and I'm single, that we'll never have anything together more than a fucked up friendship?"

"Basically."

"I don't know why, but that kinda hurts."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to hurt you Shane. Especially not tonite. I mean this is a really great thing you're doing, taking my sorry pathetic ass out to a Linkin Park concert. But that's just how I feel about us."

Shane sighed and shook his head, muttering, "Too bad..................."