Chapter Twelve

After I had cried my eyes out in Nikki's bedroom, I stood up from my sanctuary on the floor, ready to leave. I wobbled, but I was able to stay on my feet without tipping over.

"Are you sure you're ready to go? You can spend the night," Nikki said, hovering near my side in case I fell.

"Yeah. I don't want to impose on you any more. I will go walking somewhere until I can figure out what to do. I obviously can't go back to the hotel, but my stuff is there, including my money…" I trailed off, wiping my eyes with a tissue.

"Take your car, don't walk!" Nikki protested, looking horrified.

"Does it look like I'm in any condition to drive? I'll come back and get it tomorrow."

"Well at least take a shower. It will refresh you and get rid of the puffiness from your eyes. Besides, if you need to stay somewhere else, you can be clean," Nikki said, handing me a Juicy tracksuit she had just pulled out of her closet.

"Thanks," I said, tearing up again.

"Oh stop," she said, pushing me towards the door to the bathroom. "Go. Get clean."

Nikki was right again. I felt so much better after showering, and my eyes were no longer red.

I wished her a farewell, and left her house with nothing but Nikki's clothes on my back, and my cell phone in my hand.

I was halfway down the block when I realized that the sweatshirt pocket had had two fifties slipped into it.

I almost burst into tears right then and there.

I don't know where I was headed, just that I had to get there. With no destination in mind, I started walking, trying to get as close to Central Park as I possibly could, to keep me from getting lost.

So, I almost completely over looked it when I walked by, and I didn't register in my brain what I was seeing until I had walked a few dozen steps.

I halted, and retraced my steps, making sure to go behind a tree so he wouldn't spot me.

My eyes did not deceive me. Chad Dylan Cooper was sitting on top of a boulder on a picnic basket. A pretty girl was sitting across from him, and he was laughing, but she had a serious look on her face.

She was fair skinned, with full lips and brown hair that flowed in gentle waves just past her shoulders when it was up in a ponytail. A red flower rested gently in her hair and she wore a skin-tight, white spaghetti strap top and a shirt red skirt with a red and white checked belt around her hips. She wore red silk sandals and big, silver hoop earrings completed the ensemble.

Chad was dressed nicely too, in khaki pants and a light blue polo shirt. His hair seemed even more perfect than usual. It made me seethe.

So what if I unknowingly played hard to get this morning? It was out of habit. For gosh sake's, you don't just wake up one morning and start liking someone you have hated for the past however many years. It just doesn't work that way.

Oh my gosh, now Chad was hugging the girl! And the girl kissed him on the cheek! And she was so not trying to hide her cleavage as she got up, gracefully hopped off the boulder, and immediately pulled her cell phone to her ear, scurrying off talking like a madman. For a second, her eyes met mine and I glared. I hope those sandals hurt her feet.

I had had enough. I went over to Chad and promptly slapped him across the face.

"You-you-you bastard!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face yet again. "First you have the mind to stand me up after school and I walk by to see you hitting on another girl. I'm such an idiot! I will never forgive you for this!" I sobbed, storming away. I was so surprised at the word that came out of my mouth, but contrary to my previous statement this morning, I probably would never forgive him, so he probably earned it.

"Sonny! Wait, Sonny, that wasn't what it was! Sonny, we need to-" I could hear Chad calling after me as I ran down the street in the middle of the park, not even being able to see where I was going.

I stopped when I got to the end of the path, and I spotted Chad's limo waiting for him. I didn't even think, I just got into the backseat and told the driver to drive to the hotel, that Chad would be along later.

He didn't even seem fazed by my tears, as he drove away, and through the tinted window, I saw Chad running like a madman down the path, waving his arms and yelling. It only comforted me a little, and with tears still streaming down my face, I lay my head against the window and closed my eyes.

Chad's POV

I was waiting for Sonny to show up at my picnic spot (she was really late, by the way) when my press secretary walked up to me.

"Hey, Sonia. What are you doing here? I thought you were touring the sights with your boyfriend," I said, kind of snappishly. I was still peeved she had been spending too much time with her boyfriend she brought along and not enough time setting up interviews on all the shows filming out of New York.

"Eh, he wanted to go see some show I had no interest in seeing, so I thought I would take a walk when I got your text."

"Text? I never sent you a text."

"Yeah, you did, like an hour ago. I was kinda surprised, but then I thought, yeah he's trying to butter me up so I can book him all the best show spots, so I figured I'd come." She held out her Blackberry.

The text read: "Hey, change of plans, come meet me at the giant rock in the middle of Central Park. Got a great surprise planned, I think you'll love it. Drive over here ASAP. ~CDC

I paled. "Um… that wasn't supposed to be sent to you."

Sonia scoffed. "Thanks, Chad, honey, makes me feel real good."

"Don't call me honey," I protested. 'You're only three years older than me, it's nasty." I reached into my pocket to send the text to Sonny instead of Sonia, but no dice. My phone was dead.

"Hey, Sonia, can I borrow your phone? I need to text my…friend. I was supposed to text her and not you. But I guess I selected your name instead."

Sonia rolled her eyes and sat down. "You mean your girlfriend?"

I started to protest, but she held up her hand. "Honey, you wouldn't do all this for just a friend." She gestured to the meal I had set up. She picked up a sandwich. "And the boss would kill me if he found out I was sending non-work related texts on my work phone. My other phone is charging at my hotel."

I groaned. "Aw man, Sonny's gonna think I stood her up."

"Don't worry, she will be charmed with your good looks and wit." She had a serious look on her face but I burst out laughing.

"Yeah, right she's never cared about any of that stuff. That's what I like about her."

Sonia smiled. "You really like her don't you?"

I nodded. "And I don't wanna screw this up. So if you don't mind, I'm going to go back to the hotel and charge my phone so I can call her. And you need to work on me getting interviews."

She agreed, and I leaned over to hug her, and in return she kissed my cheek. "You are really the best press secretary any one could have," I said, as she jumped down from the boulder and immediately whipped out her phone. She glanced towards the trees, and whispered under he breath.

"Chick alert," she said and then scurried off, chattering merrily to whomever she had just called.

What? Chick alert? What the heck was that supposed to mean? My thoughts were interrupted by a slap going across my face at top speed. I gingerly put my hand to the spot on my face where it stung the most, and tried to clear my vision, which had been marred by tiny white lights.

When I was finally able to see straight, I saw a very angry Sonny in my face, screaming at the top of her lungs. I caught the words bastard, which I would never expect to come out of Sonny's mouth, stand me up, another girl, idiot, and never forgive you. The last words out of her mouth were the ones that hurt the most. I tried to explain, but she started running away.

"Sonny! Wait, Sonny, that wasn't what it was! Sonny, we need to-" I tried to yell after her, but it was no use, so I started running.

I was a few yards away when I saw her get into my limo.

"No, no! Not my limo! No, you can break my heart but never take my limo! Sonny, wait, come back, I want my limoooo!" I yelled, and waved my arms, trying to get the driver to stop. But, the limo went around the corner and was gone.

Sonny's POV

I woke up when I felt the bump of the limo going over the slight raise in pavement at the entrance to the Plaza's parking lot. I thanked the driver profusely and went out, trying to walk fast, but not too fast as to raise suspicion. If I knew Chad like I thought I did, he would find another means of transportation and bribe the driver to get to the Plaza ASAP and try and find me before I could leave, which is exactly what I did not want to happen.

So, I took the elevator and handed the elevator operator a twenty to claim the elevator was broken if Chad came and tried to get on.

Ryan was dusting when I came in. "Sonny? Everything-" he paused. "What's up?" he asked, setting down his duster.

"Do not let Chad in here before I leave," I said, walking past him and slamming the door shut.

I furiously started tossing clothes in my bags and zipped them up as quick as I could. I grabbed them and opened the door, taking deep breaths. I was in the hallway when I heard the door open and shut.

"Where is she?" Gosh darn it, that voice belonged to Chad Dylan Cooper. "Is she here?"

"I don't think so," Ryan replied, perfectly innocent.

"Do you know where she is?"

"Um…" Ryan started.

I ruined it though, not thinking, sprinting to my room with my duffel bags thumping against my back, and slamming my door shut and turning the lock with a loud click.

"Never mind!" I heard Chad call, and heard his shoes clomping down the hallway as he walked, at a quite leisurely pace, I'm sure.

"Open up, Sonny." He knocked on my door. Well, pounded is more like it.

"No!"

"Fine. I will just knock on this door until you open it."

"Fine by me," I called back. Two could play at this game. I unzipped one of my bags and took out my iPod and speakers. I set the iPod to the most horrible tune I owned- one heavy metal songs that was free on iTunes, so it wasn't like it was a waste of money- and plugged it into my speakers. I then turned the volume all the way up, which drowned out both Chad's knocking and screaming to turn down the music, and lay down on my bed, the music also drowning out all my thoughts.

When the song was about to come to a close, I set it on repeat, and for the next ten minutes, I got to listen to the songs over and over...and over...and over again.

Then, I warily shut off my iPod, my ears still ringing, and listened. All was quiet.

I silently padded over to the door, unlocked it, and stuck my head out. Nobody was there. I crept into my room to grab my things, and I peered out one more time to make sure the coast was clear.

"Boo!" Chad had snuck down the hallway when I went to go grab my bags.

"Aaaaiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" I screamed, one hand going to my chest and the other trying to slam the door shut on Chad's 'perfect' face. No such luck. He stuck his foot in the door and started to walk in. I tossed the bags away from me and ran into the bathroom, where I locked that door before Chad could get in. He started up his incessant banging again and I tuned him out, sitting down on the toilet to wait it out.

Twenty minutes later, the knocking ended, and I welcomed the silence. I was not going to make the same mistake as last time, so, not knowing why I hadn't thought of this sooner, pulled my phone out of my pocket, stuck the camera half under the door, and snapped a few pictures. I pulled the phone back in, and looked at the pictures.

None of them showed anything except for the last one, which showed Chad lounging on the bed, making a face at the camera.

"Funny, Chad," I said.

"I thought so too," came the reply.

I groaned and sat back down on the toilet. This was going to be a long evening.

A/n- dont forget to review! the site tells me that only 5% of ppl reading this actually review, so lets up that percentage guys! anyhoo, i hope you liked it, the end is nearing (in the next 2 or so chapters) so each chapter will possibly be getting longer, these last 2 chapters have had more than 1,000 more words than my others, so be prepared! and R.E.V.I.E.W. :D