AUTHORS NOTE: Hey everyone! This is a crazy chapter, as usual. Please READ AND REVIEW! You can review by scrolling down to the bottom left hand corner and clicking GO next to SUBMIT REVIEW. Thanks everyone. I don't own DTNG, Craig…

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"Cal! I haven't seen you since the beach," Marco enthusiastically shouted, putting his iced mocha down and walking over to Callie, who was ordering at the counter of The Dot.

"Hey Marco," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Babe! I'm loving this shirt! Vintage?" he said, kissing her back, cheek to cheek.

"From Evie, actually. She bought it for me, she's a little on the 'giving' side this week. But wow Marco, you're being pretty nice considering you were having a ball laughing at me the other day," Callie said, with a stern look on her face.

"Callie, I wasn't laughing at you. I could never laugh at you. That was just Paige being immature, and Emma' stupid crush on Craig getting the worst of her. Don't let them get to you," He said, taking a seat on an adjacent stool.

"Eck," Callie said, pushing the straw around her smoothie. "Craig. Not exactly my favorite person of the moment."

"Because of the other day?"
"I don't know. We're not really together anymore. Would it be totally crazy if I thought he cheated on me when we were together?"

"Why do you always jump to this conclusion? He's changed, trust me. And plus, I mean, if the thought of another girl even crossed his mind for a second, I would tell you in a second."

Yeah Marco, that's what they all say. Like you'd really tell me that your best friend is cheating on me, that is, if we were going out.

"But Marco, it's just that at the beach he..."

"Defended you, while everyone else laughed."

"Because everyone wants to defend the little slut that gets a volleyball chucked at her face, right?" Callie said, looking into Marco's dark eyes.

This is the great thing about Marco, Callie thought. I can spill to him anything, and he'll never tell a soul.

Marco thought for a moment.

"Are you scared of Emma Nelson?"

Not really, but Emma and Paige combined are just plain horrible. Two former best friends joined together.

"No!"

"Callie, don't let anyone push you around. Anyone who doesn't love you is crazy. Funny, athletic, and devastatingly gorgeous. What's not to love? You don't need any shit from Emma, you're Callie Taylor. Remember that next time."

Yeah, I'm f'ing Callie Taylor

"Thanks Marco," Callie said, grinning.

"Why don't you come chill with us during rehearsal tonight? Show everybody you don't care what they think."

"I don't know. Thanks Marco, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Look babe, I'd love to stay in chat, but I promised my mom I'd help her cook dinner. Family night. Ciao!" Marco grinned, leaning in to give Callie a quick peck on the cheek. Callie stuck her head out, and Marco pecked it, as usual, with a loud "muwah" sound.

Callie looked into her smoothie, twirling the straw around the cold chunks of pineapple. "You're Callie Taylor, remember that next time." "You're Callie Taylor, remember that next time." "You're Callie Taylor, remember that next time." The words rang in her ears over and over again, like a sweet symphony. She snatched her purse off the counter, and took a quick sip down her throat. As she put the icy green drink on the sticky counter, she noticed a shiny silver cell phone gleaming nearby. She picked it up, and opened the thick leather cover.

A picture of the Italian flag was on it, and big capital letters on the screen that spelled MARCO. Oooh, Callie thought. This phone looks really expensive. She smiled and slipped the cell phone into her gray purse.

Emma strolled down the street with Paige and Hazel carelessly, talking and sharing secrets as Paige made Star's leash tighter.

"So she's such a whore these days," Paige said, scratching Star behind the ears.

"I know! And she doesn't deserve Craig, I don't know why he still goes after her all the time, you know? Like at the beach!" Emma replied.

"Hunn, you so like him!"

"Aren't you two both friends with Callie?" Hazel interrupted, while stepping over a puddle of water.

"Was. That is, until she ditched me for Super Freak Evie and," Paige explained. "Wait, what did she do to you anyways Emma?"

Stole Craig from me!

"Stole my boyfriend from me last year at Craig's party."

"Okay, that definitely wasn't her fault! Emma, you can't blame Callie for that, it was just stupid Manny and stupid Sean."
"Wait, what? I'm beyond confused," Hazel said.

"Haze, you were out of town. Craig had a party. Callie and Sean hooked up, but only because of Manny's evil doings, and Craig went all insane and started beating the crap out of Sean. I had taken her with me and all and…"

"Then shouldn't you have been looking out for her?" Hazel said.

"What am I, her mother? Can we please change this subject."

Hazel scratched her head, looking at Paige and Emma. How could there have been a party last year that I, Hazel Aden, was not aware of? What it really have killed someone to tell me? Why didn't Jimmy?

"Didn't Jimmy ever tell you about it?" Emma asked.

Paige than nudged Emma in the arm, very sharply.

"Ow!"

"No…why, what happened?"

"Nothing," Paige responded. Quick, change the subject, change the subject. Hazel will disown me if she found out that I knew her boyfriend was cheating on her.

"Hey, doesn't that sound like Downtown Sasquatch?" Emma said, staring hopelessly at Craig's garage in the distance.

"Oh my god, it is! We need to go say hi!" Paige said, dragging Hazel and Emma to the garage.

"Alright guys, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3," Spinner said, tapping on the drums.

They played for about a minute up until Craig stopped them, disgruntling shaking his head.

"We sound terrible with a missing bass," Craig added.

"Marco lost his cell, he's going crazy all over town looking for it." Jimmy said.

"Oh," Craig said, tuning his newly fixed guitar.

"He probably just left it at the beach," Spinner said.

"I still can't believe Emma," Craig said, slightly infuriated.

"Oh, c'mon Craig, it was kind of cute! Little Miss Nelson getting all mad for you being all up on Callie,"

"Spinner!"

"C'mon Craig, she's like in love with you! And she's way hotter than last year, think about it!"

Emma, Emma Nelson. Wow, never thought of her that way.

"Surprise surprise boys!" Paige said, bursting through the door, dog in hand, with both Emma and Hazel by her side.

Speak of the devil.

Paige set Star down on the ground, and ran up to Spinner, jumping on his lap and giving him a kiss. Hazel followed behind, giving Jimmy a quick peck.

Oh, now things are just sufficiently awkward.

Star than trotted over to Craig and wrapped himself around his leg, her large tongue hanging out the side of her mouth. Emma laughed and hurried over, disattaching her.

"Sorry, Star really needs to be neutered!"

"Its okay," Craig said, shaking off his leg.

"Oh, Emma," Paige said, in between kisses on Spinner's lap, "Did you get your ticket to the carnival?"

"Yeah, and I bought one for everybody!" Emma pulled the thick wad out of her pocket and handed them around the room.

"Emma! You're such a doll! Spinner, baby, don't…"

"Hey thanks Emma," Craig said, slowly giving the ticket back to her. "But I don't think I'm going to go."

"What? Craig why not?"

"Because,"

"Because 'she' might be there? Please Craig, for me?" Emma said, shining her puppy dog eyes at him.

Hazel chuckled lightly, sandwiching her face into Jimmy's shoulder, trying not to embarrass Emma.

"Isn't she cute?" Hazel whispered to him.

Craig hesitated and took the ticket from Emma. "Sure."

"So that's a really cool guitar," Emma said, lacing her fingers over the strings weightlessly.

"You want to try and play it?"

Craig took his guitar off and put it around Emma's skinny shoulders, very delicately. He wasn't about to have to go get it repaired again. Emma touched it awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

"How do I play it?"

"Here, let me show you," Craig put his arms over Emma's, helping her strum a few chords.

"Wait, won't everyone else mind? I mean, I'm stealing their lead singer!"

"I don't think I mean much to them," he said, looking over at Paige and Spinner, who were arguing yet still kissing. And when he glanced up expecting to see Hazel and Jimmy, they were already gone and probably making out in Jimmy's car.

"How could you not mean much?" Emma said. Craig smiled and helped Emma strum a few more chords, slightly grinning.

"You wanna go out sometime?"

"I think I can fit you in Craig," Emma smiled and brushed her silky blonde hair off her shoulder.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shane kissed Callie, stroking her hair.

"What is that stupid noise?" he asked, taking his hand out from under her shirt.

"Just Craig's dumb guitar," Callie said, pulling Shane back down on her lips. She felt Marco's phone vibrating in her pocket, and ignored it easily with no guilt.

Shane pulled away for a moment, wiping his lips.

"We can stop if you'd like too," Callie said, pouting, trying to look as sexy as possible.

"Babe…"

"Did I tell you how much I love you in that shirt? That color does like, so much for your eyes,"

Shane fell back on top of her, kissing her even harder. Then, Callie realized that she could now control him. He was hers.

"I love you," Callie said, as Shane kissed her neck.

"I love you too," he mumbled.

Ha! He loves me. I wish Craig could have done it that easily. Shane is so perfect, and all mine.

"So, I have this really pretty pink lingerie I just bought," Callie said, massaging her foot on the crotch of his jeans, as he continued to kiss her neck.

Shane arose his head from her neck, smiling at her. Callie grabbed his shark tooth necklace and laced it between her two fingers, playing with it.

"I'd love for you to see it tonight," Callie said, looking into his eyes.

"I'd love to see it too," Shane said, kissing her on the lips.

Callie pushed his dark brown hair off her forehead as he kissed her. Callie smiled on the inside; she always loved doing that. Something about pushing Shane's Abercrombie hair off her face made her feel so safe. It might be silly, but it's true.

"I could see myself with you for the rest of my life," Callie said.

Dammit, Shane thought. She's a kid still. I should have known better. Just because we had sex she thinks I'm her soulmate? Fuck, just fuck. She was so good though. And pink lingerie…pink lingerie!

"Same. You might be the one." Callie kissed him again, and Shane wrapped his arms around her waist.

Craig opened the door, walking into his house. He took his shoes off on the doormat and took a deep breath. I have a date with Emma. He walked a little farther in, and after hearing some giggling he purposely knocked the end table over, making a bowl of blue beads drop and scatter on the ground. Craig crossed his arms and made a sigh, rolling his eyes. Shane popped up off the coach with wide eyes at Craig, both pissed and relieved. He ruffled his make out hair, and immediately it looked perfect again. Callie followed soon after, fixing her tank top.

"Callie, I got stuff to do," Shane said, pulling out his car keys.

What? Erg, thanks for ruining that Craig.

"I'll talk to you later babe," he said, slapping her butt than bolting out the door. Callie bit her lip. She was getting really sick of people doing that, it almost had a permanent red mark there. As Shane closed the door, Callie threw a pillow at it, upset.

"Shane not being to cooperative today?" Craig said, walking into the kitchen.

"My BOYFRIEND is being plenty cooperative, thank you very much, you just know how to ruin the moment," she said, looking for her bra on the ground.

Craig poured a glass of water, and leaned against the sink, sipping it. Callie continued to look around the living room, picking up pillows and such. Craig dumped his water in the stone sink, realizing it was near his feet. He bent over and picked it up, studying the gaudy, red lace contraption that read 'Victoria's Secret'.

"Looking for this?" he said, trying to figure it out. "No wonder Shane left, he probably thought you were trying to kill him. How do you undo it anyway?" he asked, studying all the different clasps. Callie stormed over to him, ripping it out of his hands. "If I remember correctly, didn't you used to wear normal ones?"

"Wouldn't you like to know Mr. 'I'm-jealous-of-my-own-cousin', I mean, really."

"Me, jealous of Shane? Why would I be jealous of that ass hole? He's a cold hearted womanizer and he's going to hurt you."

"You're jealous. And I don't really think its your place to tell me boyfriend is gonna hurt me. Really, that's pretty low."

I wish you'd listen to me.

"Whatever."

"Oh poor Craigory, you'll always be jealous, much like among other things,"

"And why is that?"

"Because you fucked up and now you can't remember what one of these looks like," Callie said in a mockingly happy tone as she untangled her bra. "Oh, and by the way Einstein, it opens from here."

Craig laughed sarcastically, "Oh really? Well, I'll have to ask Emma about it when I take her out tomorrow."

Callie's eyes widened and a piece of dry vomit grazed her throat. EMMA?

"Oh, well I hope you two have all your little precious fun trying to save her precious birdies and precious pandas on your precious little date!" Callie winded back, with a big, clown-like smile on her face, as she waved her arms in the air. Craig studied them intricately, noticing several small punctures scattered all over her lower arm.

"What are those from?"

"Nothing. I gotta go." Craig looked at her in a dumbfounded way, watching her go out the backdoor. He wasn't stupid. How do I deal with you these days?

Callie opened Marco's cell phone and dialed Evie's number once out of Craig's view.

Craig tiptoed to the door, pushing his ear against it.

"You got any shit this week?"

"You know it."

Callie hung up the phone and smiled.