JEREMY'S PARTY.

5:30 PM

Cassie Hotz scanned the room for a glimpse of Jeremy and Tiffany but didn't see them anywhere.

Hmm, where are they?

"I'm going to go search for some totally HB's. K?" Paige asked her friend.

"Me too." Alison said, already having an eye on Ricky Ferman.

Cassie nodded. "'Kay."

"I don't know if I should go find Tyler yet or not…" Nicole said fiddling with her dress strap. "I mean, I'm kind of nervous."

Cassie nodded. "Undestand."

Cassie was still scanning the room and she spotted Jeremy and Tiffany awfully close for being 'just friends'. She then looked next to them and saw Jack Faller and Tyler Reese.

"There's Tyler…and my oh my! Jack turned out to be a total hotty." Cassie said, and actually meant it, surprised by how he looked, she thought to go over to him, and of course bring Nicole, so she can get to Tyler. "Let's go."

Cassie grabbed Nicole's arm and navigated through the people. She stopped at Jeremy and Tiffany really quick to say hello.

"Hey guys!" Cassie said cheerfully. "Great party Jer!"

Jeremy looked down at his feet. "Er, thanks C."

"You girls look super ah-dorable! I'm jealous!" Tiffany gushed, adding a fake smile that only Cassie caught on to. "So sorry I couldn't make it earlier, Jeremy was having problems setting up and since I live so close…"

Jeremy automatically turned beet red. "Uh, yeah."

Obviously there was something going on. Cassie knew better. Jeremy's parents always have people come set up the party, why lie?

"It's chill." Cassie said sweetly. "Now excuse us, there are two total hotties calling our names."

The girls went over to Jack and Tyler, and smiled sweetly.

"Hey Ty, Jack." Cassie greeted the two boys. "How are you enjoying the party?"

Jack shrugged, "It's fine, I didn't really want to come, but now that you're here it makes it a lot funner."

Cassie winked. "Fabulous."

Cassie could feel herself sweating. Gross. But, wow, he got SO cute. And maybe instead of making Jeremy jealous…she might actually like Jack.

Great.

"This is one of my good friends Nicole Ritz." Cassie added with a smile to Tyler. "But I'm sure you know that already."

Cassie could tell Nicole was blushing to herself.

"Hi, Nicole." Tyler said with a twinkle in his eye. "You look really pretty tonight."

Nicole blushed deeper. "Oh, thanks. You look…hot."

Cassie stifled a laugh, Nicole was so nervous, it was hilarious!

"You two should go dance…" Cassie started pushing them towards the dance floor where four in the morning by Gwen Stefani was playing. "So I can get to know Jack better, again." She said with a wink in Nicole's ear.

Nicole looked at her great fully and said, "Okay."

Tyler and Nicole started swaying to the music, they looked so ah-dorable together Cassie couldn't help but smile.

"They'd make a cute couple, wouldn't they?" Cassie asked Jack.

Jack shrugged. "I guess."

Cassie flashed him a smile, "So, how was your summer?"

"Fine." Jack said simply.

"That's chill." Cassie said sweetly. "Want to dance?"

"I don't dance." Jack said.

"Oh." Cassie said disappointedly.

"But we can maybe go sit over there?" Jack gestured towards the couch, grabbing a drink, which was obviously spiked.

"Okay." Cassie smiled walking towards the couch with him.

Jack sat down and patted his lap. "It's okay, sit down."

Cassie did as she was told, and sat on his lap.

"Want a drink?" Jack asked handing her the cup.

Now Cassie wasn't a drinker. She had alcohol but she took a tiny sip anyways, trying not to gag and passed the drink back to Jack.

"Thanks." She said sweetly turning to face him.

"No problem." Jack said.

Cassie could feel his hot breath on her cheek, his breath smelt like beer, so she turned around facing the party again.

Jack smiled, "Do you remember when we were four and I proposed to you in your backyard?"

Cassie did remember. Her and Jack knew each other for a long time, but they drifted a part after Cassie turned thirteen. They were playing hide and seek with Paige and he made a ring out of a dandelion and asked her to marry him someday.

Cassie laughed. "Yeah."

"Your really pretty." Jack said turning her towards him and pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "And don't think I forgot, I'm holding you to that promise."

Cassie laughed and blushed at the same time.

She's gotten called pretty a lot, and has had a lot of boyfriends, it was just weird hearing it from him. It made her feel light headed, and extremely happy. That was fast, seeing as Jeremy and her JUST broke up YESTERDAY. But Jeremy seemed to be over it to, over there with Tiffany draped all over him. Jack was just…always there.

Jack kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I really do like you."

"I like you too…" Cassie said. "But…"

"What?" Jack looked at her, studying her face.

Cassie shrugged. "I mean, me and Jeremy just broke up, yesterday and I don't want people to think I'm just doing this to make him jealous…"

Even though that was your plan in the beginning, wasn't it C?

"That doesn't matter?" Jack said, surprising her.

Cassie laughed, "It does matter. To me."

Cassie cared a lot about what people thought about her. Even if she was the most popular girl in school, people would still talk trash. And being with Jack a day after Jeremy dumped her she'd be labled as a rebound slut or something!

Jack nodded towards Tiffany and Jeremy kissing. "It looks like he's over it."

"I…uh…" Cassie was at loss for words.

Jack whispered in her ear, "I've loved you since we were kids…"

Cassie thought about it for a minute. She did like him, but love was such a strong word. She thought she loved Jeremy. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized there WAS something between her and Jack. After all, he was her first kiss. Not a serious kiss, but a cute little kid first kiss.

Cassie stumbled for words. "I…I…"

Jack quickly kissed her on the lips, not long, a short cute kiss, like the one they shared when they were kids.

Cassie closed her eyes, surprised that he kissed her right away. She barely knew the guy anymore. She knew the kid version of him, not the grown version. He's so hot…she thought to herself.

Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her closer. Then whispered, "Will you be my girl friend?"

This is too soon. Cassie thought to herself. But she just couldn't help herself.

"Yeah." She said with a smile, "I'd love to be, after all, we are engaged."

He laughed and she sat up, pulling him to his feet. "Now, we are going to dance."

He sighed, "Fine!"

She laughed and took him out to the dance floor where "Shawty" was playing.