Hollywood Rivalries Chapter 28: Inner Prankster, a zoey 101 fanfic

A/N: Chapter 28. Any songs used aren't mine.

Chapter 28: Inner Prankster

I'm in my dorm while it's lunch time.

Breakfast was kind of awkward this morning, and it's weird, but after the big blow out when Michael and I got back from my mother's funeral…I'm not surprised.

Dana and Logan have broken up, although I know they still love each other. Just them being their stubborn selves. I got the whole story from Logan because Dana tuned me out when I asked. I will keep my biting comments and remarks directed towards Leighanne Reese to myself. I'd like to shove those stiletto boots up her—

Okay, I'll be biting my tongue now. Really hard.

Quinn snapped and went berserk after she found out what Chelsea did. She held the girl up with a DNA scrambler. Trust me, I know what that thing does…and it does more than rearrange the number of chromosomes you have. Matt eventually had her sleep in his dorm. After that is a matter behind closed doors. For my own sanity, I'd prefer not to know.

Chase and Zoey are avoiding each other. She's mad at him because she should have told everyone about Chelsea in the first place. Chase defended himself by saying Zoey wasn't there when he was a child so she couldn't jump to conclusions, so now he's frustrated with her.

Zoey knows I knew about Chelsea.

Now, she's pissed off at me. I'm mad at her, because I tried to vouch for Chase, and she didn't get it! I fucking hate people like it. Nicole blames me for her break up with Stan. Did I tell him to lock lips with his ex? No! Dana and Michael defended me.

Michael tried to calm Zoey down, and for the first ever, Chase and Zoey argue. They had the biggest argument I've ever seen. Oh, but she won't listen to me, but whatever. I don't care anymore. Nicole, being spineless sides with Zoey. Big surprise there! Note sarcasm.

Being the short-tempered person I am, I scream everyone into silence, and storm off landing here. Logan was surprisingly quiet, and quietly walked off. He's going to the courts. He goes there when something bothering him.

I lay on my bed, and sniffled. I refuse to let anyone see me cry. What happened to me? I was fine, and just like that, everything has been turned on his ear. I'm going to go and whether or not I come back, I don't know…

I got dressed with make-up, and wore my tinted glasses. I straightened out my caprices, and my black top, which I shortened myself by the way…so it shows about 5 inches of my midsection. I have a loose black and white tie around my neck, and black and white Converse Chucks on my feet. A tilted hat on my head completes the look.

Damn, my eyeshadow is looking kind of weird. Better fix that up.

I was preoccupied with perfecting the colour on my eyelids, when I heard a knock.

"It's open!" I shouted, and added muttering. "…unfortunately…"

"Um, hey Vanessa…" the voice greets shyly. I turned around and was surprised. What the holy hell—

"Matt?" I blinked in surprise. Not that I didn't want him around but Matt and I haven't really gotten the chance to talk to each other, so I'm surprised that him of all people would show up at my dorm. I smiled, and crossed the room to where my purse was. "Um, not that I'm not happy to see you but what are you doing here?"

"Oh," he answered, with a sheepish smile. "…I just came to see if you were okay. This morning was pretty tense, and right now everyone's separated trying to cool off. Vanessa, I know you've heard this so many times, but I'm so sorry about your mom…"

I smiled, "Thanks, Matt…"

"Now, come on. Five days, you know. You haven't been dancing around campus."

Maybe I don't want to dance. Did he ever think of that?

"So?"

"Well, it's you," Matt answered, with a light shrug. "…you're usually doing the Robot or pirouetting to class. We've grown used to it, you know like adapting…"

"Oh, okay…" I said, finally. "…now, what's the real reason you came up here?"

Matt raised his hands in mock surrender, "Ok, fine. You caught me. Don't you think you could settle this? Come on…be the bigger person…"

No.

No way in hell!

If they wanna be stubborn, fine.

"No," I replied, simply as we waked out Room 101, and I closed the door behind us. "…I'm done with it. Stick a fork in me, I'm done…and wait, aren't you supposed to be in class right now?"

"It's in that direction anyway, but I could ask you that same question?"

I smirked, "Sorry, Keller. Work calls. I have to record half of my album if I want it out by the summer and I have a Guess photo shoot… But I have a question."

"Shoot…"

"This has been bugging me for sometime but…" I started, and stared him in the eyes. "…would you happen to be related to Coach Keller?"

Silence. Matt looked away.

"He's my uncle… my crazy uncle… I hate it," he replied. "He's always wanted me to be athletic and fit, when I just preferred studying, and grades. But I do owe him to an extent. I'm sorry you have to watch him yell at his food…"

He looks almost…embarrassed, and I could see the blush on his cheeks.

I laughed, "I kind of figured. Don't worry. It's very amusing now."

A sigh escaped him, "I could go to class, but I won't. Chase, Stan, Michael, Logan and I have to practice. Ah, the responsibilities of having a band. Strenuous, don't you think?"

"You don't even know the half of it…"

The guys' band was actually good. Anymore, they could be signed to an actual label. Hmm, that gives me an idea. The band was called Fiery Ice. An oxymoron, I know…but Chase and Logan came up with it. Logan was fiery and hot-headed…Chase was a mellow dude. Therefore, Fiery Ice was born.

They also told me it was because Zoey and Dana were polar opposites…

Anyway, I think the drummer's damn pretty hot…

"So, I take it they're all ditching class for the afternoon?" I asked, as we stood at the silver Lamborghini.

"Yeah, pretty much…"

"Hey, Matt?"

"Yeah…"

"Don't tell the others where I went…"

"Vanessa…" he said my name in a pleading way. "…can I least tell Michael? Think about it. You go off, he asks me, I don't tell him his girlfriend went off God-knows-where, he panics, and eats me alive…"

I rolled my eyes with a smile, "Fine. You can tell Michael, only because he's my boyfriend…and I love him…"

Matt smiled, and surprisingly we hugged.

"Bye… see you later, okay?" I said, with a small wave.

"Cool…" Matt replied, as his hazel eyes had a small twinkle in them.

I smiled at him, one last before getting onto my car, starting the ignition and drive out of PCA's campus. Do I care that there's all this drama and somehow I've been linked to it?

No, because I'm immune to it.

That's the joy of being numb with some much emotion that your ability to feel them turns off…

I'm not thawed out, because I'm close to be frozen with…nothing.

Why can't I melt?

"They hate us…" I said, finally. After what happened this morning, I'm not sure where Zoey and I stand. Seriously, we've never argued like that. EVER. I'm starting to think Dana and Logan are starting to rub off on us. I sighed, as the four of us were in the empty auditorium. Shocker. I've decided to cut my favourite class. "The girls hate us…"

"So? What difference does it make? I could get any girl I want to anyway," Logan replied, and snapped his fingers.

"…but you don't want another girl…" Stan added with a sigh. "Just like I don't any other girl but Nicole…"

Logan sighed, and lay across at least three chairs and closed his eyes.

"You know nothing, okay? So, stuff it… You don't know what I want."

Logan hasn't seen more than a sentence today. Yeah, we're basically moping together. Stan and I are just sad. Logan is just angry. Plain angry. Ok, I take back what I said about being just sad. Of course, it sucks but there's a sense of frustration there.

"Shut up, Stan. Just shut up…and let me mope quietly" I said, and continued to tune my guitar. Michael hasn't said anything, but a curious look came on his face, as he twirled his drumsticks.

"Why would you tell Vanessa ahead of everyone else?"

Are you serious? He's seriously asking me this?

"I don't know. She gave that, you know, look…" Logan and Michael looked at me weirdly. "Oh come on, you've both experienced that…first-hand! She made me crack. That whole Good Cop, Bad Cop thing going…"

"Well, it doesn't matter," my childhood friend said finally getting his bass guitar out, and slinging the strap around him. It's killing me he doesn't have Nicole anymore. Now Vanessa and Zoey are fighting only because she defended me. That makes me feel worse. The song I wrote is upbeat, but we're anything but.

I heard the door open, and Matt ran up to us.

"Hey guys. Sorry, I'm late. I just caught up to Vanessa…"

"Yeah?" I questioned nervously. Yeah, her temper officially scares me.

"Yeah, she had to go to some photo shoot and recording session. Don't tell the girls, well, Zoey and Nicole anyway…"

Michael got this goofy grin on his face, "What a woman…that's my baby. Always workin'"

Gee, thanks. I mean, if you can't properly mope about your teetering relationship the least you could do is pretend…

"I hate you, man. So much…" Logan said to our drummer. He doesn't mean it. He's just angry about him and Dana breaking up. We tried to get the story, but he basically gave us the evil eye. So forget I asked. He takes his position at the mic as Stan and I plug our guitars into the amplifiers. Michael sits at the drums, and Matt stands by the keyboards.

Michael and I start, and Matt and Stan join in. Logan obviously sings, and honestly he's pretty good.

It's not enough to hear me say you've won
You only wanted me for having fun
But now I think you've gone and had your way
And left me with a pile of bills to pay
I can't even rewind the tape machine
To listen to your drunken reasoning
So here it is - your final lullaby

Oh, I also do the background vocals on the chorus.

So goodnight, goodnight
You're embarrassing me
You're embarrassing you
So goodnight, goodnight
Walk away from the door
Walk away from my life
So Goodnight

Matt plays although I think he could be a tad louder. I nod and point my index finger up, and he's gets it. Logan breezes through the rest of the song, flawlessly. I'm not telling him that with the monster-sized head he has. I think I'll pass. This second verse personally made me laugh when I wrote it down.

I've given up on social niceties
I threw 'em out when I threw out your keys
Along with all your records I can't stand
You never even listen to any one of them
You're never gonna drag me out again
With all the people that were never ever even your friends
So here it is - your final lullaby

So goodnight, goodnight
You're embarrassing me
You're embarrassing you
So goodnight, goodnight
Walk away from the door
Walk away from my life
So goodnight

A little bit of rain I'd say is fair
But when it starts to thunder they all stare
This isn't goodnight, this is goodbye…

I intentionally put that guitar piece in there for myself. Selfish, yes, but it sounds nice, okay?

So goodnight, goodnight
You're embarrassing me
You're embarrassing you
So goodnight, goodnight.
Walk away from the door
Walk away from my life

The songs ended, slower and we stop. It's over, and I think it's suitable for the audience to hear now. We've run through it so times.

So goodnight, goodnight
You're embarrassing me
You're embarrassing you
So goodnight, goodnight
Walk away from the door
Walk away from my life
So goodnight

After a few minutes, we stopped and it was just silent.

I'm going to go crazy in this silence, so I'll go to my dorm, and think about what I am. I'm not a great liar. Period. I don't know how some people do it, but it's not for me.

"Where are you going?" Michael asked.

I carried my guitar back, "Uh, to the dorm…"

"Ok, later, man…"

"Yeah," I replied, absent-mindedly.

Now, excuse me while I bang my head against a nice, hard wall repeatedly and scold myself…

Hopefully I'll fall asleep, and forget everything.

Three hours after school and she was here…

Being the good student she was she managed to go to class, despite not being able to concentrate very well.

Zoey Brooks walked across the beach in solitude. It is ironic that she'd return to the place she had admitted her love for Chase, and now she wasn't so sure. She had every right to be mad. Did he not trust her? Was it really that important to hide? So much so that it cost Stan and Nicole their relationship?

But Vanessa knew. She was the first to know because Chase told her.

Zoey thought Vanessa was her friend, but guess not.

Some friend, the blonde thought sadly, with a bit of bitterness. Tears threatened to fall as she perched herself on a rock, watching the sun sink into the California sky. The ending of another day was starting to show. To cheer herself up, she called Dustin while his entire grade had gone on a camping trip.

Zoey had found out her brother was even climbing up in the love department, finally getting together with his long-time crush, Ava Mendez…

…Seemed like everyone was happy at the moment, as six people's love lives hang in the balance.

I'm standing on a bridge
I'm waiting in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now

A tear rolled down her cheek, as her mind flashed back to this morning.

The table that was usually filled with laughter and joking around, now tense and awkward.

It shocked even her when Chase and Zoey, overcome with rage, argued with each other. It was a scary experience, one she wanted desperately push out mind's eye view. It wasn't fair. Dinnertime was counting down but Zoey was sure that her appetite had died…

What was happening to her?

Finally, she rested her head on the top of her knees and quietly sobbed, searching for the answer to her own question…

There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound

Quinn had been pacing up and down her boyfriend's dorm. She was angry.

"Honey, stop pacing…" Matt tried, for the fourth time that night.

"How can I? I'll blame myself here. You know why? Because if I hadn't introduced Chelsea to everyone maybe this wouldn't have happened and—"

"Quinn, look at me," Matt instructed sternly. He hated to see her upset. It just didn't look right to him. He'd kill the next guy that made Quinn cry. She looked at her boyfriend, with tear-filled eyes. It was as if she could feel their pain, almost in a literal sense, and it was just overwhelming. Matt smiled and wiped a tear away, and played with one of her braids. "None of us this is your fault. Chelsea is a horrible person, but I don't blame you, and neither should you…"

Isn't anyone tryin' to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you

Quinn smiled through her tears as she held back a sob.

"What did I do to deserve you?"

Matt pulled his girlfriend into his arms, "Nothing. All I've ever wanted to is love you. Now I can…"

Quinn reached up, pulling a shirtless Matt into a lip lock. He kissed her back, just as fiercely. She could hear him moan into her mouth, and she ran her fingers down his abdomen. He walked backwards with her, never breaking the kiss between them. Quinn lay down as they made out, passionately.

"Matt…" she breathed, as pleasure ran through her. Her adrenal glands worked overtime sending adrenaline through her body. She moaned, as he bit and sucked on her neck gently.

"You're so beautiful…" he said, looking down at the brunette.

"I want you… all of you…"

"You sure?"

"I've wanted this for a long time. From the first day I met you," she admitted, a blush creeping on her cheeks.

His hazel eyes sparkled, as he stroked her cheek gently, and kissed it, moving his mouth to her ear.

"I'll be gentle…"

Before anymore words were said, lips collided…

Quinn lost her virginity to Matthew that night, and had no regrets…

Nicole sat a fountain, confused as clear tear drops dripped and hit the floor darkening the concrete? How could Stan do that to her? Her habit of giving her heart away too fast had caught up with her. It didn't make sense. It didn't matter who kissed who because it hurt both ways.

Why did Stan kiss another girl, let alone his ex?

Were Nicole's kisses not good enough? Was she really a bad kisser?

Did Stan find her hideous and lie to her when he told her everyday she was beautiful?

It didn't matter, because it was over.

Is it really? Are you sure you want to give up Stan? a tiny voice questioned in the depths of her psyche.

Nicole looked up wiping her tears, and soon she was angry with the shadow looming above her.

Angry brown eyes connected with hazel ones.

"Aw, poor you…" the voice sneered. "…did you break a nail?"

"You won, okay! Take Stan! He was yours first!" Nicole screeched in Chelsea's face. "I hate you. You pretended to be my friend, and you put a freakin' knife in my back, you…you, bitch!"

A dainty manicured hand went flying across accompanied with a loud SMACK.

"You little whore!" Chelsea screamed, grabbing her cheek. It stung badly.

"You can't hurt me anymore. Your threats don't scare me," the angry brunette answered, as she felt her heart shatter, and her once bubbly voice now reduced to a noticeable tremble. "…you already have."

Nicole spun on her heel and ran with tears in her eyes…

Dana Cruz with an angry motive stormed into her dorm, blindly forgetting to routinely slam the door beside her. She hated…everything. One minute she loved Logan and wanted to just kiss him like there was no tomorrow, and the next she wanted to rip all the internal organs out of his chiselled body…

She had dumped him.

…and although she didn't personally know Logan's mother (only reading about her in the tabloids), Dana despised that woman. Suddenly, Leighanne become the epitome of all evil to her. It hurt her that Logan actually started to believe the poison this woman put in her own son's ear about her, and for what?

It then hit her that Logan had been acting weird for about five days, since the night at Sushi Rox when the devastating news of Natalie Stevens' passing had been delivered.

Something didn't seem right, she thought with a frown as she strummed her black and red guitar with random chords. Like Chase, Dana was also a guitarist. She also played the piano when convenient…

For her, that is.

Logan controlled her, made her feel like pile of mush whenever they bantered.

…when he did spontaneous things like kiss her while upside down hanging in the tree above her, she knew Logan would always keep her on her feet.

"What was that for?"

Logan hung upside down, as his face took on a reddish hue from the blood rushing to his head. He smirked nonetheless.

"Just thought I'd hone my inner Spiderman…"

"What am I, then?"

"If I'm Spiderman, then you're my Mary Jane…"

Dana laughed, as Logan's face became almost as red as a tomato.

"Fine, but get down…"

"Oh, shit…" he cursed. Damn, he shouldn't have climbed the tree. "Wait, I think I got it. I-"

Logan fell out of the tree with a thud, landing beside the caramel-curled girl. Dana looked concerned as her boyfriend sat up on his elbows, rubbing his head. He opened his eyes, and then closed them again.

"I think I'm seeing double…"

"Well," Dana answered, with a playful smirk. "That's what you get for trying to be spontaneous. You almost look like a cherry red tomato…"

Logan blinked, and his eyes focused again.

"Ha. Ha. Funny, Cruz. Very funny…" he retorted, and kissed her under the tree right side up this time…

Dana sighed, as she continued to strum her guitar. The words to her song had formulated and came spewing out of her, as she sing in the empty dorm. The only other sound was her electric guitar…

Aah, ah ah
You're so good to me baby, baby

I wanna lock you up in my closet when no one's around
I wanna push your hand in my pocket because you're allowed
I wanna drive you into the corner and kiss you without a sound
I wanna stay this way forever I'll say it loud

Now you're in, you can't get out

Dana was surprised but sang anyway…

Logan Reese walked aimlessly around PCA. He sighed and shook his head when he realized where his feet had taken him.

A bronze plaque with the words: BRENNER HALL staring him in the face. His feet didn't stop him. Logan was almost hypnotized by a voice coming from the corridor. It was so familiar he had heard it before.

You make me so hot
Make me wanna drop
It's so ridiculous
I can barely stop
I can hardly breathe
You make me wanna scream
You're so fabulous
You're so good to me baby, baby
You're so good to me baby, baby

His footsteps stopped at the source.

There she was. Her curls falling into her chocolate brown eyes. The eyes that were so dark and mysterious…but were so entrancing all the same.

I can make you feel all better, just take it in
And I can show you all the places you've never been
And I can make you say everything that you've never said
And I will let you do anything again and again

Now you're in, you can't get out

She looked almost angelic, playing and singing, and Dana was too wrapped up into her music to notice him standing there. Where did this come from?

That would always remain a mystery to her, but it was as if she was voicing her all of the feelings her subconscious felt, and as much as Dana wanted to stop, it wouldn't let her.

How did he do that? Logan asked, quietly as Dana flooded his ears. He wanted nothing more than run away and hid in the solstice of his beloved basketball courts, but something stopped him…

Kiss me gently
Always I know
Hold me, love me
Don't ever go
Ooh, yeah yeah

Dana strummed the last few chords, and the ended…

You're so good

Logan was going to do it. Just walk into the room and talk. This was going to be her last chance, and if it didn't work, then he'd take the hint and move on, as painful as that was for him. Dana stopped moving for a split second, sensing she was being watched.

God, was she ever right.

Dana looked up, as a pair of brown eyes locked with hers…

Michael was at the basketball courts, with a smile on his face as he dribbled a basketball in between his legs and threw the ball. It went in with a SWISH. Nothing could wipe the smile of off his face as he sat on the bleachers, tired. It was his fault Michael was happy. He had Vanessa.

His grades were pretty decent, and it was Junior Year.

Yep, life was good. A buzzing sound was heard, as he sat up to get his phone out of his pockets.

A text message from Vanessa…

"Thank you, God…" he said, looking up at the sky and then opened it.

Hey Handsome. I'll be back in an hour or so from my photo shoot. Recording in the studio went great, and we're in the process of mixing the songs. U know. Giving them beats, and stuff. Anyway thought I'd check in. I miss you.

-Love 'Nessa

He smiled and typed a reply back.

Hey Beautiful. Glad to hear you'll be coming back to me, where you belong lol. That's good to hear about your music. Hope I get to see some of those pics ;) Miss you too, baby.

-Love Mike

Michael put the little phone in his pocket, and stood up walking to his dorm.

Yes, life was good…

Stan Crowe had fallen asleep on the single bed in the confines of his single dorm. It hadn't come easily, but it had come.

However, his dreams were anything but sweet…

Chase Matthews was restless, and he tossed and turned from his nap. Sure, he was asleep, but it was turbulent. Green eyes snapped open, and little beads of sweat lined in his forehead.

"Okay, just a bad dream… I'm at PCA," he reassured himself.

He fell back into bed, with a dramatic sigh. As he lay awake in bed counting the holes Logan had put in their ceiling, it was at that instant that a new resolve crept into his mind. Chase knew it was wrong. It was wrong, and this would come back to bite him later, but right now Chase felt rebellious…

He jumped out of bed, and grabbed a purple PCA sweater, putting his over his head.

It was known that Chase carried little things in his bushy hair, so he shook his head, and an almost evil smile crept onto his face, as a sliver bobby pin fell on the floor with a soft clink. He bent down, picking it up…

"Perfect…" he said as the same smile grew.

He knew exactly how to exact revenge…

It was time for the prankster that had been dormant for so long to reawaken.

Chase took one look at his dorm, and turned bolting out of it and in the direction of Brenner…

A/N: I love writing this chapter. From now on, the rest of the story will be written in NORMAL POV, because I want to speed things up a little bit in the story. The songs are "Goodnight. Goodnight" by Hot Hot Heat (love 'em!), and "Hot" by Avril Lavigne. This is what Dana thinks of Logan, even they're broken up (for now). Listen to it. It's my new favourite song.

Recommended Read of the Week: Clash of The Secrets (if you like dark themes and stories with blood in it), Things I Will Not Do (if you like to laugh, and trust me, you will…), and Behind Green Eyes (if you like angst/romance)

Next chapter will be explosive… SO REVIEW!

-Erika