12:25 PM, Sky High Cafeteria- Ally's POV
Everyone was gushing about homecoming. If possible to do so without being caught by her friends Ally would have rolled her eyes. Will was going with Gwen, senior heartbreaker, and had hurt Layla in the process. Sometimes he was such an idiot. Ethan was going with Maj who had also, unknowingly, hurt Zach. Layla had agreed to go with Zach as friends since neither one of them had dates. Ally wasn't planning on going.

Her sister, Layne, had adored homecoming as had her mother. Ally hated the whole idea of it. Dresses, music, dancing, and public humiliation. There was no way on earth she was going. Maj and Layla had tried and failed to convince her otherwise and now she listened in amusement as they debated over dress colors. Layla wanted to wear green and Maj wanted to wear neon orange, something that Layla had instantly said no to. The argument that had started fifteen minutes ago was still going strong. "You cannot wear neon orange with your hair," Layla snapped for the eighteenth time already that lunch period.

"That's rich coming from little miss unoriginality," Maj snapped back. "You wear green every single day. At least orange is different for me."

"And going to look completely horrid with the purple streaks in your hair," Layla cut in.

"Just cool it for a minute," Ally cut in with a laugh. "How about you guys give me your dress sizes and I'll pick your dresses out for you?" Layla and Maj gave her considering looks before both nodding slowly. "Great," Ally said, pulling a small notepad out of her pocket that she kept there for reminders. "Write them in here for me then."

That afternoon armed with Maj and Layla's dress sizes she headed for the local shopping boutique. She searched around but didn't find anything that she thought would look at all flattering for either of her friends. That meant she had to convince her mother to drive her to the mall for dresses which required her actually going to homecoming. She sighed but left the store and headed for home. "Mom?" she called questioningly and was surprised when her mother actually came out of the living room.

"What do you need?" her mother asked in an almost hostile tone.

"To go dress shopping for homecoming," Ally admitted reluctantly.

"Why don't you go with that Williams' girl, Lena or whatever her name is, instead of bothering me?" her mother snapped.

"Because I'm also picking out my friends' dresses as a surprise for them and I can't let her see," Ally explained with as much patience as she could muster. "Please mom."

"Fine," her mother grumbled, stomping back into the living room. "Let me get my purse."

The tension in the car was undeniable but it eased some when Ally let her mother pick the dress store. For the first time since Layne had left for Chicago they actually laughed together as they looked over dresses. Her mother found the perfect one for Maj, a black dress with silver and white beads along one side of the collar, and Ally found Layla a turquoise one. Finally she picked out a dark blue one for herself. The tension that had dissolved a little came back on the car ride to Layla's house but Ally still gave her mother a kiss on the cheek before heading up the drive and into Layla's house.

1:15AM, Outside the Williams' House- Gwen's POV

"Do we really need her?" she grumbled into the phone, staring up at Layla's bedroom window. The two girls inside were enjoying themselves, their laughter drifting down through the open window.

"Yes," came the cold reply. "We need to know what she sees. I need her alive."

"Fine," Gwen answered. "You'll have her two days from now at homecoming." Then she snapped the phone shut and stalked away, muttering under her breath as she went.

Sorry for not updating sooner! Thanks to WeasleyTwinsAreMyLife, Zs, and Little Old Me for reviewing the last chapter. I own nothing but Ally