"What happened to you?!" Tibby asked as Tyler, with a bloody lip, trod through the front door with a blonde girl holding desperately on to his hand.
"Some jerk at the coffee shop slammed me for no apparent reason," Tyler said.
"Who?"
"I don't know, um David?"
Hayden nearly choked on the lemonade she was drinking from across the room. Why had David punched Tyler? Jealousy, of course. No, it couldn't be. She needed to talk to him.
As luck had it, a knock at the door made her smile. When Sean opened it to David's fretful face, Tyler flinched and scurried into the bedroom.
David glanced at Hayden, "I need to talk to you," he said seriously.
They sat outback, the only place in the small house private enough for a serious conversation. In her sweats, she sat on a lawn chair next to David, who was still wearing a green apron from the coffee house.
"I didn't quite catch the whole story behind you punching my friend," Hayden tried to say sternly.
"Oh so he's just a friend now?" David's eyebrow arched.
Hayden sighed, she knew she had to tell him now. "Okay, look, I just… wait, why did you punch him?"
"Well he was sitting there with Kelley, all giggly and cute, and I just thought that I would hate to see anyone take advantage of you."
"So my plan worked."
"What plan?"
"The plan to make you jealous," Hayden smiled.
"Yeah, then it worked," he ran his left hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, maybe I should've thought first. I just thought that no girl should be cheated on by her boyfriend, whether he's hot and famous or not."
"So no actual jealousy?"
"Yes, yes I was actually jealous. I didn't think it was fair that you got the actor boyfriend while I was stuck making minimum wage in a small town coffee shop. I think I…" he trailed off in a short stutter.
"You…?"
"I think I love you." One kiss—and all was well.
Becca sat with her ipod headphones plugged in her ears on her bed in her room, leafing through the latest Vanity Fair magazine. She was singing some of the lyrics to her favorite hip-hop song out loud when she jumped at her door opening. She ripped her headphones from her head and smiled as her cheeks blushed.
"Hey," Hunter said.
"Hi?" Becca said a little unsure what the reason for him barging in to her room all of a sudden.
"Well, I wanted to know if uh, um, maybe you wanted to go see a movie. There's this comedy out and I really want to see it but if I wait till I get home, I just know Justin is gonna ruin the end for me."
"Yeah sure, let's go now."
Ten minutes later, they walked into the theaters and sat near the back just as the lights dimmed and the previews started. They laughed and laughed at all the funny parts, but when things got to being serious in the movie, Becca could feel Hunter looking at her. In the end, the good guy got the girl of course and Becca looked over at Hunter to notice him staring back. In sync with the characters in the movie, they leaned in for a kiss. When it was over, Hunter reached for her hand and the credits rolled. Becca stared into Hunter's eyes as he spoke, "Bec, I really really like you. I know we live so far apart, and I used to not believe in long distance relationships but I'd like you to be my girlfriend."
Becca smiled, "Of course I will."
"I'm sorry," said the cake that sat on the counter in Carmen and Win's house. Skye chuckled and Hannah watched from around the corner.
"Yes, I baked you a cake, I know it's lame," she said shyly.
Skye stared at her, "Can I give you your stuff back? I don't feel comfortable wearing it."
"Look, Skye, I'm sorry I tried to change you," Hannah sighed.
Skye glanced at the cake, "You know, I figured you just wanted me to blend in, but I have friends and a girlfriend. Yeah I get made fun of, but I endure it. Some girls get made fun of for being sluts, some guys get made fun of for being wimps, I don't mind being teased for something I'm not ashamed of: being just a little nerdy."
"A little?" Hannah giggled.
Skye laughed. "I forgive you." He hugged her and they picked up his luggage getting ready to go to the airport.
The whole ride to the airport was strange and awkward as Zoey took multiple angry glances in Forrest's direction. They pulled up, she dropped a few quarters in the parking meter, and they checked in his luggage. When they got through all of the security and finally arrived at the gate, they still hadn't spoken to each other. The other friends were there: Hannah chatting with Skye, Becca holding Hunter's hand, and Hayden awkwardly trying to have a conversation with Tyler, while he shrugged her off. And here Zoey stood with Forrest, refusing to talk to him. She knew he would be leaving in a matter of fifteen minutes, so she decided to say something.
"Did you have a good time?" Zoey asked.
"Not really."
"Well feel free not to come back."
"Look, Zoey, I'm sorry we didn't exactly agree on the same principles but I still like you."
"I don't like you at all."
"Then I won't come back."
"Thank you."
Forrest laughed, "Gosh, my mom was so dumb signing me up for this. It was nice meeting you, though. Even though we only had like ten minutes of a date, I really enjoyed it. I actually do like Bethesda, and you have a great family and wonderful friends. In fact, can I have Hannah's number?"
"No!" Zoey exclaimed a little too loud. "She wouldn't be caught dead with a piece of… fish like you."
"Fish?"
"Yes, I think they're gross."
"Then fish I am. Hey we're boarding soon so I guess maybe someday I have a one in a million chance of seeing you again. Thanks for the memories." He grabbed his backpack and headed towards the gate, being the first one to board the plane.
Zoey looked around while Tyler quickly followed Forrest and Hayden said goodbye as he walked away. Hannah hugged Skye and fixed his hair before telling him to email her and sending him on the plane. Becca's goodbye had to be the most painful. She must have hugged Hunter for ten minutes before kissing him for a while and saying goodbye. She didn't cry of course, they had only been dating for a matter of hours. Of course, Hunter promised he would be back for Christmas or spring break, or prom. Definitely prom.
So when all the girls sat in the airport coffee shop telling the tales of their last days with the Los Angeles boys, Zoey couldn't help but feel like all was well. Of the four different stories, the results were a boyfriend, a friend, an acquaintance that would soon forget the name of his host and a boyfriend that didn't live in L.A., and an evil enemy. But their summer was almost over, and the girls all felt enriched by their experiences even if the hotties all didn't end up falling in love with them as planned. But hey, sometimes the perfect plan isn't what's planned but beyond that. And by that I mean, things don't always work out the way you want them to, but they work out. And if that wasn't enough clichés, there's a lot of fish in the sea, it usually takes more than one strike, and he just wasn't the right guy for you. Now goodbye forever to this story that I started writing like eighteen years ago and I am FINALLY finished with!