Authors Note-

Hey, guys! So sorry for the long wait. So I guess I'll just get on with the chapter. Updates for RS, WP and EB will be coming soon… and a special TP update ;) so keep a look out.

Oh, and I kind of think part of this sounds like WP Amy… oh well, maybe it's a sign that I need to update WP…

-Steph

Note: I stupidly made a mistake with the dates—the Kentucky Derby is supposed to be on the first Saturday in May and I made the Derby and Ty's birthday on May fifth which would be a Friday. So, go along with all the dates so far but Ty's birthday and the Derby are on MAY SIXTH.

WARNING: this chapter is pretty bad. Sorry. I guess I just have to get back into this story again but I swear it will get better!!

Disclaimer: Everything recognizable belongs to Lauren Brooke

BALDWIN PRINCE

Chapter Three— Ex-Girlfriends and Best Friends

Monday, April 1, 2006

"Ooh, I like the outfit. You look totally hot." That was what Soroya said when she picked me up on Monday morning.

I rolled my eyes as I buckled in my seatbelt. "Thanks just don't get used to it," I joked. I wasn't usually one to spend time on my appearance when I was forced to wake up at the ungodly hour of six o'clock. I'd taken the pains today though… at least a little. I'd chosen to wear this dress that my mom had gotten for me before she'd died last year. It came to about mid thigh, had a scoop neck, little cap sleeves and a black ribbon right under my chest. It was this aqua green color with a brighter blue trim. Since I wasn't like Ashley and went out of my way as to not appear a slut I coupled it with a pair of black leggings and, since I was rushed for time, just grabbed my knee length black Uggs. With my hair straight and left down, a bit of eyeliner and some lip-gloss, I did look pretty good.

"Any particular reason why you chose today to dress particularly nicely?" Soroya asked casually as she turned off of my driveway and onto the main road.

"Oh, nothing in particular," I responded nonchalantly.

"Okay, so I suppose that fact that the whole school probably knows by now that Ty asked you to the Derby—which is a huge deal if you hadn't already figured—and that a huge and ugly confrontation with Ashley is virtually inevitable had nothing to do with it, right?"

"Of course not," I smiled. I brushed some of the hair out of my face and looked out of the window. "It just so happens to be a fortunate coincidence."

"Ah!" Soraya giggled and had to swerve slightly to keep from running into the back of a black Jeep. That just made her giggle more.

"Try not to kill us before what I am sure is going to be a highly exciting day at Green Acres Prep," I laughed and patted her on the shoulder.

"I'll try my best," she assured me sincerely.

"And I'm glad to hear it," I laughed along with her. Wow, I'm never that perky and laughy and happy in the mornings. Maybe the coffee was bad or something…

Soroya turned up the radio a bit and we just listened until she had parked her car in the schools parking lot. Ty's signature Escalade EXT was already there and I could see Ashley's little silver Corvette—she had a new car, like, every other month. I don't think she was a very good driver…

"Don't worry about it," Soroya said as we walked towards the schools big front lawn where every one congregated before classes started. "You and Ashley have had battles of the wits before, including the time when Ty dumped Ashley and asked you out. You totally own this battle."

"Thanks, Roya."

"And just think," she spread her hands before her face slowly, "you get to make Ashley feel like an idiot and then you get to go and buy a pretty dress later, it's all good."

"Yeah," I laughed with her.

"Ashley has nothing on you," Soroya continued as we grew ever nearer to the lawn. I was grateful for her support and all but I was beginning to wish that she would stop. "I mean, you're smart and she's stupid, you're gorgeous and she's just a slut…" she trailed off and I couldn't resist the giggle that escaped me. "And," she finally concluded, "you've got Ty and she doesn't," she nodded firmly to emphasize her point.

"Well when you put it like that..." I laughed.

We headed over to the big tree that had become our spot to meet the rest of our friends as we did every morning. More people looked at me then usual—apparently, dating Ty Baldwin earned quite a few stares on a regular basis—and there were a few whispers and points. Wow. I mean, really, I had thought that Soroya was exaggerating a little bit with the whole oh-my-god-this-is-such-a-big-deal-thing but I guess not.

I glanced over to where Ty normally was. He was, just like every other day, sitting on top of a picnic table with the rest of his group around him. He caught me watching him and, per his usual, smiled and waved at me. I did the same back.

"Oh my god! Tell us all about it!" was the first thing that I heard as Soroya and I stopped under our tree. I looked around at the eager and smiling faces of my friends.

"What?" I blushed slightly. "Look, it's really not that big of deal," I said modestly.

"Um, yes it is!" Rebecca burst out. "It's a huge deal!"

"Yeah," Jennifer jumped in. "You know that Ty's never--" she looked over my shoulder and stopped short. "Um…" she began uncomfortably. "I'd tell you not to look, Amy, but I think you would want to…"

I turned and I can't say that I was surprised with what I saw. As I watched Ashley approach me in the sauntering, swishing hip and stuck out chest way that she walked I actually considered whether or not she really was a slut. I mean, yes, I knew she was one and I was fairly confident in saying that she knew how she dressed and tried to look how she did (some girls were just like that) but just seeing her then was like… wow. Her blonde hair was lightly scrunched and her makeup was so far from subtle it wasn't even slightly amusing. But, that was just the least of Ashley's latest getup. She wore this black, kind of billowy, tank top that had a semi serious v-neck that was lined with a nice portion of lace that hooked together in the back of her neck before two separate pieces of lace snaked down her back and attached to the tank top and considering that the lace was black but practically see through… and after seeing the dark denim skirt she wore I no longer questioned the length of a true micro mini. And if that wasn't enough, Ashley somehow felt possessed to wear a pair of black pointy toed boots with a high and skinny heel that ended just below her knee.

Someone really needed to sit down with that girl and talk about her motives. I mean, Ashley's only like seventeen or so (possibly sixteen), she really did not need to be dressing like a hooker. It was when I saw her as she was then dressed that I continually questioned Ty's sanity and good judgment. Ashley must've been a witch or something because there was just no way that the Ty I knew—and dated—would go out with her.

And, of course Ashley's gang of similarly dressed groupies followed behind her loyally.

More people started watching as she approached. I guess they had been waiting for a catfight between the girlfriend and the ex-girlfriend. I saw Ty try to get up and come to help me but he was pushed back down and restrained by a couple of the guys on the football team—those really big guys that protected the quarterback, whatever they were called. Yeah, Ty might have been strong and fit and all of that, but there was no way he was getting away from them without some serious damage to his person.

The look of Ashley's face was purely murderous as she approached me. I was tempted to take a step backwards but I somehow resisted. Soroya stood faithfully by my side.

Ashley stopped right in front of me and everything was so silent for a minute that I actually said, "Nice, um, boots, Ashley," just to hear something.

"Thanks," Ashley said coldly. "My mom just got them for me when she was in Paris… but I'm sure you know that I'm not here to discuss footwear," she glanced down at my boots, "but yours is so last week by the way." I couldn't quite bring myself to point out that she had frequently worn Uggs.

Ashley flipped her hair over her shoulder and her icy blue eyes glared at me from under what had to be pounds and pounds of makeup. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she said bluntly.

"Um, what?" I said uncomfortably.

Ashley put the majority of her weight on one leg and jutted out her hip. "What the hell do you think your doing fucking around with my boyfriend?"

"Sorry," I said, "but last time I checked it was me who was dating him." Yes, I know, a childish thing to say but I couldn't help it.

"Ah," Ashley rolled her eyes and flipped her hair over her shoulder. She put one hand on her stuck out hip and glared at me. "Maybe you didn't hear me correctly, what are you doing fuc—"

"I heard you just fine the first time, Ashley," I sighed. "No need to repeat yourself."

"How did he ask you to the Derby?" Ashley said in a perfectly clear voice. I bet she loved the audience we had. "I hope you know that you and him have no future together," she continued in a snotty voice. "You're not going to marry him," she said.

"Whoa," I almost laughed. "Who said I was going to marry him? I can't recall my ever suggesting that."

"You're going to that Derby thing with him," Ashley said as though it would explain everything.

"Yeah? So?" I was still confused. "I know the Kentucky Derby is a big deal and all but why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

I felt an elbow connect with my ribs. "This is what I was going to tell you," Soroya hissed in my ear. "It's always been said that the girl Ty finally invites to the races is the one he's going to marry."

My eyes widened and all I was capable of was an, "Oh."

"Exactly." Ashley glared at me some more. "Do you even know the kind of attention Ty will get by the photographers there? Do you know how many pictures of him there will be? And you will undoubtedly be in some of them, you little slut."

I froze. Ever since the little incident between me and Ty, I was rather sensitive about that word. "I'm not a slut," I said simply, not even bothering to include a comment about the pot calling the kettle black as I met Ashley's eyes and glared right back at her.

"Um, yes, you are," Ashley grinned maliciously. "Do you think we don't know why you two broke up that one time? You broke up with him because he wouldn't fuck you." My eyes widened and Ashley grinned. "No? Sorry. I meant that he broke up with you because you are just a little slut and a Baldwin can do so much better."

"And you think you're better?"

"Of course I am. I'm glad you're finally opening your eyes," Ashley's eyes sparked.

By then I was so mad at her accusations that I didn't even think before I said, "If I'm a slut then what are you?"

The whole yard got really quiet then. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ty stop trying to get away from the guys that held him where he was. I instantly felt ashamed. Maybe it was true, but I shouldn't have said it.

"Did you just call me a—" Ashley started but didn't get any further.

"You know what?" I interrupted her. "It's not even worth it, Ashley. Just let it go. He broke up with you and now he's dating me," I shrugged my shoulders lightly.

"He won't be dating you for long," she kept on in the same vain as before.

I sighed. "Whatever you say, Ashley."

"Everyone knows that I'm so much better for him then you are."

I raised my eyebrows. "Then you have no reason to worry about anything, do you?"

Ashley's heavily made up eyes narrowed. "Watch yourself, Fleming," she said, taking a step closer to me. I stepped back a little and Ashley just stared at me. I glanced nervously over to the picnic table Ty was still sitting on.

This whole thing was being blown way out of proportion. When I'd accepted Ty's offer to go with him and his family to the Kentucky Derby, I'd never thought all of this would happen.

"Hello, ladies," my knight in shinning armor said as he suddenly appeared by my said, placing a hand gently on my back.

Ashley looked up at him and fluttered her eyelashes and, flipping her hair over her shoulder said, "Hey, Ty."

Ty looked at her briefly and said, "Hi," before looking down at me. "Hey," he said more genuinely then he had to Ashley and he smiled before leaning down and kissing me briefly on the lips. I heard Ashley humph and stomp away and tried my hardest to hide my laugh in Ty's shoulder. Ty chuckled, too.

"So," he said once I'd gathered myself once again. "Are you coming over after school?" he always asked me and I always said yes.

I opened my mouth to reply but Soraya beat me to it. "Nope. She's goin' shopping with me."

Ty frowned. "Shopping?" I nodded in confirmation. "Why?"

"I need a dress for the Kentucky Derby," I said, "and Soroya's helping me pick one."

"You can just wear what you're wearing now and I wouldn't care," he protested.

I placed a hand on his chest. "I don't think so. Seeing as there are enough people waiting for me to fail at this whole thing and given the fact that your mother seems to be starting to like me, I'm going to look like your girlfriend aught, too."

Ty rolled his eyes. "You know I don't care what you wear."

I held up a finger. "But I do. I'll come over tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." The bell rang before anything else could be said and I walked with Ty into the school. Ashley glared at me but with Ty by my side I had the upper hand in this whole little game for the time being.

-

"Okay, so do you have any idea what you want to wear?" Soroya asked me as she drug me into Nordstroms.

"Um—"

"Well that's okay," she barreled on, not waiting for my answer. "We'll find you something amazing."

"My fate is in your hands," I joked as she led me through racks and racks of clothes until we came to the dress section.

An hour later, Soroya steered me into a dressing room and hung armfuls of dresses on the door. She followed me in and closed the door behind her. She then picked up each dress she'd pick out for me to see.

"Too busy," I said and she cast aside a brightly colored printed floral dress.

"What the heck's up with the bottom of that one?" another dress gone.

"Too short."

"Too long. It's not a ball."

"I don't think Ty's parents would appreciate that," bye-bye dress with a daring neckline and super low back.

I blinked several times when faced with the next dress and simply said, "Ditto," and it was tossed aside.

"Um… no."

"No black. I don't want to look like I'm going to a funeral." Several dresses were then eliminate.

"No ruffles," I covered my eyes is horror as I was faced with something that looked alive.

"That one looks like someone threw it up."

"Sorry, but I don't want to look like cotton candy."

Sorry groaned when we were down to three dresses. She tossed one more into the pile of 'no-goods' before stopping me from my mechanical putdowns of every dress. "You have to try on something," she said. She looked at the two remaining dresses. "Here," she said, holding one up. "This one's pretty, try it on." She hung it one the door before fleeing the dressing room, not so surreptitiously leaving before I could say something about this dress.

I slid the lock on the door into place and then was left alone with a big mirror, a pile of ugly dresses and the one that I was meant to be trying on.

I purposefully turned away from the mirror as I shrugged of my clothes, took the dress of its hanger and slipped it on. I zipped the zipper on the side up and straightened it out before I turned to the mirror.

I watched as my mouth fell open. The dress was gorgeous. It was simple but elegant. It was strapless with a shirred bodice and went down just past my knees, ending with a bubble hem. It was an ivory color with scarce amounts of a lovely, light green color mixed in so that if you looked really close it looked like little flowers. There was a strip of gold beads sown onto the dress just under my chest. It showed of curves I hardly knew my body had.

"Are you changed?" Soroya asked impatiently through the door.

"Yeah…" I answered slowly, still in awe over my reflection.

"Well open up!" Soroya demanded. "Let me see!"

I unlocked the door and opened it and was faced with Soroya. She looked me up and down. "Oh my gosh! It looks amazing. You're totally getting it." She left me no room for protest… not that I would have protested; I was in love with the dress.

"Ty won't be able to take his eyes off you," Soroya boasted, proud of her good dress-choosing-work as we walked aimlessly through the mall, the dress safely secured in a garment bag in my arms.

I looked into a store shyly. "I'm sure there will be more interesting things," I assured Soroya. "Like the race, for one."

Soroya laughed like there was actually something funny about that. "Well then the young Mr. Baldwin is just going to miss the race, isn't he?" she asked with a big grin.

"I don't—" I began but stopped short when I saw just what store Soroya was trying to take me into now. "Oh no," I held up my hands and ducked out of her grasp on my arm. "I'm not going into Victoria's Secret, thank you very much," I informed her.

She turned to face me. "Oh come on, Amy. Just for fun and besides," here her look took a turn to the evil side and I stepped back, "it is Ty's birthday and don't you want to give him a nice present?"

I blushed but stood my ground. "Thank you, Roya, but I've already got his present."

"Well no one said you can't have two."

"True," I agreed. Soroya looked momentarily happy but then I said, "But my idea of a present isn't some stupid, skimpy underwear," and her face fell.

"You are no fun," Soroya pouted.

"Maybe not," I agreed. "But I have morals. Showing but dressed in a few wisps of lace or silk or whatever sounds like something Ashley would do. And God knows I'm not trying to be like Ashley."

"Well, true," Soroya consented. "But you could get something nice and sexy that's kind of elegant and still… covers you, I suppose." I gave her a look and she sighed. "Fine. What did you get him them?" she asked as we—thankfully—walked past Victoria's Secret.

I grinned. I glanced around for affect, not because I was worried about any of the strangers around us overhearing. And then I whispered in Soroya's ear what I'd gotten for Ty.

"Wow," she said appreciatively and nodded her approval. "That is good. And romantic. So sweet!" she cooed.

I laughed and we linked arms and continued through the mall, laughing and talking like only best friends good. For now, everything seemed to be going okay, despite the whole Ashley incident from that morning.

We'd just have to see what tomorrow would bring us.

I hated waiting.

a/n: H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E. whatever. Next chapter will be better, I promise. Hope that maybe you enjoyed it anyways. Maybe… oh well. EB and RS are up next! Review! -Steph