Author's Note: Ok, so I know I usually listen to you guys on the whole what you want to see front, unfortunately I cannot grant one of your apparent wishes on this one. I cannot provide you with a Danny and Deena romance, because Danny, as was so lovingly pointed out by Theresa, is still hung up on Lexi, also the Banks and Portman clans are connected enough as is...no need for more confusion. Sorry! But I hope you'll enjoy the story anyway.

Disclaimer: After all of this time, I still don't really own anything.

Chapter 3: Giving it a chance

"Jim Tyler?" Dean scoffed that night as he and Julie got ready for bed. "Jim Tyler doesn't have half of Danny's talent and potential. The team respects Danny, they'd listen to him and let him lead them."

"You know how Charlie is," Julie said, "It's all about the underdog. I mean, if just the best player were captain than Charlie wouldn't have been, it would have been Adam."

"Adam would have been a horrible captain though," Dean pointed out, "he's spineless," Julie shot him a watch it glare, "You know what I mean. Danny would be great."

"Well, at least you didn't yell at him." She sighed, "Poor kid was scared out of his mind to tell you."

"He was?" Dean said, feeling guilty. "Why?"

"Could it be the way you treated Kitty all summer?" She pointed out, "Ever wonder why the kids didn't bring their friends over to swim this year? They didn't want to risk everyone seeing one you two's blow outs. He's afraid to disappoint you."

"I'm not disappointed in him," Dean shook his head, "Kitty I'm disappointed in, not him. She just has so much potential Jules."

"And she'll realize that potential," Julie smiled, "but she'll do it with him."

"What if she doesn't?" He sighed, "What if it ends up being like, well," he hesitated to say it.

"Like me and Adam?" Julie nodded. Her first marriage had been something of a disaster. "It won't be. Kitty's not me, and Julian isn't him. Call her in the morning, tell her you're sorry. Oh and Theresa made cheerleader."

"Oh," he nodded, "yeah, great."

"We're supporting her on this remember?" Julie said, trying to hold back her fear. "This is what she wants."

"Right," he nodded, "we're supporting her. And Kitty will be fine. Aren't the girls supposed to be the easy ones?"

"Six kids and I've discovered," Julie sighed, "I don't think there are easy ones. They're just all hard."

"No, Marie is easy," he said.

"Marie is seven," Julie laughed, "she should be."

Deena looked over and saw Theresa sitting with the other freshman cheerleaders giggling and rolled her eyes. They now all had their red and white uniforms, and wore them all the time. She wanted to barf, it was disgusting, sure the varsity players all wore their jackets all the time, but that was different, they didn't run around school all day in their jerseys. She never understood how that girl could be related to Kitty. She noticed Lilly Powell look over at her, whisper something in Theresa's ear and then the two of them look at her and laugh. She sighed deeply. Two people who she was supposedly "friends" with had teamed up. Lilly's cousin Andy had been Julian's best friend, until something happened their senior year. She wasn't exactly sure what, but she knew it had something to do with Lexi Vanderbilt and the prom. Anyway, Lilly had tormented Deena all through grade school and now she was attached at the hip with Theresa Portman, this was not going to be fun.

"Hey Dee!" Ryan Wells, one of her teammates, and best friends from childhood, sat down across from her. "What's happening?"

"Hi Ryan," she said, "I'm just trying to imagine what life will be like with two Lilly's around."

"Two?" Ryan shuddered, "why are there two?"

"Theresa Portman," she made a face, "haven't you heard? The two of them are like best friends forever!" Ryan laughed.

"Chill out Banks!" He said, "Besides, I'll bet Theresa's cool. I mean, you're the one who's all obsessed with Kitty, and Danny's awesome."

"She's not cool," Deena shook her head. "She is nothing like Kitty! Kitty's amazing, she's awful."

"She's cute," Ryan said looking over and observing Theresa flipping her blonde hair behind her. Deena looked at him and rolled her eyes. "But you're cuter?" He tried. Deena shook her head.

"So not the point," she said, "look at her,"

"I am," he nodded, biting his lip, she hit him. "You said to!"

"She's just so, ugh, phony I guess is the word. I mean, the first time we met, when we were ten we got along great, she was so much fun," she explained, "and then when we saw each other the next year, it was like entirely different. All of a sudden she was like this super boring girly girl, with no personality of her own and she was really mean. I don't get it. I really don't, I mean, how can Kitty be her sister, and she still be so wretched."

"You barely know her," Ryan laughed. "Give her a chance."

"Tell you what," Deena said, "she's smart enough to not go out with you, then maybe I'll give her a chance."

"Are you mad at me?" Jim said sitting next to a spaced out Danny. "I mean, seriously, dude, I didn't ask for this, if it were up to me, it would be you."

"Nah," he said, "I'm not mad. Hell, less responsibility, more fun right?"

"Right," Jim laughed. "So, your sister? What's the deal there?"

"Dude!" Danny said, "are you asking to date my sister?"

"What? No!" He said, "I mean the whole cheerleading thing. I mean, Dean Portman's daughter on the cheerleading squad?"

"Oh," Danny said, "yeah, I'm over it. I'm just concerned that she's hanging out with Powell's cousin." Jim laughed.

"You and Banks did such a number on Powell I doubt that girl would try to mess with your family," he pointed out.

"So wait explain it again?" Lilly asked Theresa as they walked down the hallways. "I'm still confused."

"Well, now you know how I've felt my whole life," Theresa shrugged, "it'll be much easier once Julian and Kitty get married, and we can just all say that we're in laws."

"So are you at Eden Hall to look for a husband too?" Lilly asked, giving a cruel giggle, Theresa laughed, uncomfortably, she actually loved that Kitty was so happy and in love, but she often pretended that it was just weird that her nineteen year old sister was ready to settle down with one man for the rest of her life.

"No," Theresa shook her head, "although a boyfriend would be nice."

"It won't take long," Lilly shrugged, "I've already seen guys noticing you. And according to my cousin, the hockey players always hook up with the cheerleaders."

According to my brother your cousin is an ass hole. She thought to herself. But she knew that Lilly was probably right. "Well, a couple of the varsity guys are pretty cute," she nodded. "But Danny probably already threatened them with castration. He was never this protective back home, but now it's like I'm made of glass or something." She rolled her eyes.

"Varsity?" Lilly laughed, "Sweetheart, you're pretty, and a cheerleader, but no varsity guy would get with a freshman." Theresa was starting to see why Deena avoided this girl.

"My mom dated a senior when she was a freshman," she pointed out, "and apparently your cousin had his fair share of freshman during his senior year." She wasn't going to filter anymore, there was no point, and she knew just about everything about Andy Powell because of Danny's strange obsession with bashing him. "Besides, I like to set my sights high."

"Hi," Ryan Wells, one of Deena's friends walked up. Theresa smiled halfheartedly but Lilly shot him a look that would kill, if such things could. "Uh, Theresa, can I talk to you?"

"Sure?" she said, looking at Lilly who just shrugged and walked away. "What's up?"

"Are you busy this weekend?" He said. She sighed and looked at Ryan, sure he was cute, but a freshman, and well, a little too attached to Deena Banks for her to be really interested.

"I have practice," she said, trying to be nice. I have to be nice to Deena's friends. Kitty will kick my ass if I'm not.

"I do too," he said, "I was thinking maybe after practice?" He was so excited, she couldn't shoot him down.

"Yeah," she said, trying to smile. "Maybe, I'd uh, have to check with my brother, but if he says its fine then sure."

"Oh," Ryan said confused, "check with your brother?"

"Yeah, see Danny's got this whole protective thing going," she explained, "I think he promised my dad and our un-uh, Luis or something."

"Your Luis?" He asked. "Care to explain that?"

"It's a long story," she wrinkled her nose. "And a little creepy."

"You could tell it to me over dinner," he shrugged and walked away. She laughed, at least he was confident.

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