CHAPTER FOUR
Problems

(Back in Corrie's POV)

The walk home was even more quiet and lonesome. The thought of finally having someone to walk home with brought my hopes up, but London interrupted and burned them.

I couldn't get him out of my head. He was the first guy to ever be sincerely nice to me, or least it seemed like that. Pushing that thought out of my head, I focused on the road ahead of me.

Suddenly, my cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Corrie!" Maddie said, "Come over to the Tipton! I'm in need of help!"

Worried, I quickly answered "Yes" and ran to the Tipton. Thinking back, I remembered that Trevor said that he'd be staying at the Tipton. "Maybe I'll see him there."

At The Tipton

As I arrived, I found Maddie behind the candy counter, multiple cases of who-knows-what in front of her.

"Corrie! You're here!" Maddie exclaimed.

"Yeah, Maddie. What is it?"

"Mr. Moseby's told me to alphabetize all this candy and the magazines by 5:00 and I can't do it alone. Can you help?" she pleaded.

Glad that she wasn't in major trouble, I nodded. Besides this would give me a reason to stay here and look for Trevor.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Come on, Mr. Moseby said that we could use the lobby couch," Maddie answered, taking a seat.

Sitting beside her, I started with the magazines as Maddie organized the candy.

"So, Corrie, who was that guy you were talking to at lunch?" she asked, sticking all the Snicker bars on the corner of the table.

"His name was Trevor. He just moved here," I answered, separating the Seventeen and People Magazine.

"Is he going out with anyone?" Maddie asked.

That was probably one of the most uncomfortable moments I had to be put into. Looking at Maddie, I could tell that she liked him too. "Umm, I don't know."

"Well, I hope he's not. I was thinking about asking him to the dance that's coming up in about three weeks," she said, putting the Kit-Kats in a neat pile.

My hopes were getting more and more crushed. It seemed that all my friends were in love with Trevor. With my reputation at the school compared to theirs, I wouldn't be able to compete with Maddie and London. I just hoped that Mary Margaret didn't like him.

"Corrie, sweetie, why are you so quiet all of a sudden?" Maddie asked, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just…" my cell phone went off. "Hold on Maddie." I turned my attention to the phone. "Hello?"

"Corrie, honey is that you?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Yeah, it's me," I answered, getting up and walking to a secluded corner of the lobby.

"Well, I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

"That guy. At lunch. Who was he?"

My heart started racing. "Please don't tell me this is going in the direction I don't want it to go." I thought to myself. "His name is Trevor. He just moved to Boston."

"Is he…attached?"

My heart sank. "Not that I know of."

"I hope not. You know, London's right. That guy is very hot. I was thinking of asking him out."

"Uh, sure," I answered, trying, but not succeeding in hiding my disappointment.

"Corrie, honey, is anything wrong?"

"No," my tears were swelling up inside me, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You don't sound okay."

"I said that I'm fine!" I said, a bit more savagely than I intended.

"Corrie! Honey, talk to me," her mom was calling in the background, "Corrie, if you want to talk, I'm always here."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound that rude, but I'm fine. Seriously."

"Okay, but I'm always here," she said, before hanging up.

Collapsing to the ground, I let my tears fall like the rain that was now falling outside. Drip-drop…Drip-drop. My world was closing up around me. My three friends were all in love with the same boy that I was. There was no way that I could compete with them. They're all prettier, richer, and smarter than me.

"Corrie? Is that you?" a voice said from behind me.

Looking up, I saw that it was Trevor, his shadow cast upon me. Burying my head back in my hands, my tears continued to stream down my face.

"Corrie? What's happened? Are you okay?" The concern in his voice was so sincere and caring. He sat down beside me and lifted my head up. "Corrie, what's wrong?"

I tried to say something, but my fears got in the way. I couldn't say it, I couldn't tell him that I loved him, knowing that my three friends liked him, too. The only thing I could do was shake my head.

"Corrie…" he wiped a tear from my cheek, "Corrie…" he hugged me.

I wanted to tell him how I felt, but fears were holding me back. Burying my head into his chest, I cried the last of my tears.

"Corrie, it's going to be okay," his reassuring words calmed me, "Everything's going to be okay."

Wiping the rest of my tears away, I looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks Trevor. I'm sorry about that."

"Corrie, don't worry. I'll always be here for you. Even though I just met you today, I feel as if I've known you forever." He got up and helped me up.

Blushing, I thanked him. "Thanks. You've been helping me all day, like my knight in shining armor."

He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I can't leave a damsel in distress helpless, can I?"

Blushing madly again, I looked at the floor.

Trevor lifted my chin up ever so softly and looked in my eyes. "Corrie, can I tell you something?"

"You can tell me anything."

"Corrie, even though I just met you this morning, there's a feeling deep inside me. Something I have to tell you. That I really, really…"

"Corrie, where did you go?!"

I looked around to find who disturbed our moment. It was Zack and Cody. "Corrie, Maddie's wondering where you went."

"Well, I'm right here, aren't I?" I answered, wishing they weren't here.

"Well, Maddie is worried about you. She thought that you might have been taken captive by someone," Cody remarked.

"Okay, I'm coming," I told Cody, "Go tell her I'll be right there." They ran off. Turning to Trevor, I apologized for that, "I'm terribly sorry, Trevor. I have to go help out Maddie."

"Alright," he replied, somewhat sadly, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow," he asked hopefully.

"Of course," I answered, turning around as I walked toward Maddie.

"See ya then!" he turned and walked into the elevator.

"See ya then," I whispered to myself. Then remembering what Maddie had said minutes earlier, my hopes went down again. Taking my seat, Maddie asked, "Was that Trevor?"

"Yeah, he's living here." I answered, resuming where I left off with Cosmogirl magazine.

"Great, that means I've got a lot of time to make him fall in love with me," Maddie answered, grinning.

"Lucky you," I answered half-heartedly, "lucky you."