Note: being the forgetful soul that I am, I forgot to mention the OOCness, I apologize. Most of it is explained later, well, I also intended it to be somewhat humorous and for some parts I have different conception of the characters.

Have a gr8 day!

2- Cool

Holly James pushed up her sunglasses so that they pulled her short bleached hair back.

She and her best friend/ colleague had just gone out for lunch.

"You hair looks horrible," Holly bluntly commented as they sat down, "You can see those split ends from miles."

"Thank you Holly, that's very kind of you." Carmen responded, being use to Holly's blunt sincerity.

And so their conversation went on about the business and other things, until finally Carmen mentioned her mild distress.

"Are you still digging this guy?"
"NO!"

"So what's the freakin' big deal?"

Carmen tried explaining, but the real answer was just too personal, even though it was her best friend she was talking to. Carmen never was one for opening up too much, to anyone, not her friends, family, or even her fiancée.

"Just invite him, or don't!"

Holly was going insane, usually she would listen to anything over an apple pie, but Carmen was not like that, immature, she did not appreciate it.

"Stop it, you're going all high school girl over this!"

Carmen sighed, "You're right. I just won't invite, that's it."

XXXXX

"Who is it?" Alexis Rhodes grunted. It was four in the afternoon and a knock on the door woke her up. Of course her boyfriend did not wake up, or he was just feigning sleep so he will not have to get up.

Behind the door stood a message boy holding an envelope, who said he had something for one Chazz Princeton.

Alexis signed for it then locked the door.

"What is it?"

"So you were awake! You sneaky bastard!"

Alexis tried to keep the envelope away, but he managed to snatch it away.

"What is it?"

Chazz could not believe his eyes… he was officially invited to the wedding he just read about in the news paper a week ago.

He had to wonder… what the hell was this suppose to mean? He has not been in contact with either of them for years, why would he be invited?

"Whoa, this is weird." Alexis commented, and she was right. It was strange.

The following day, he decided to get to the bottom of it. Although it was not a real Sherlock Holmes mystery, it still bugged him.

Finding Carmen was easy enough. He found out that she worked independently and located her office. That afternoon he paid a visit to the place, where he was greeted by a woman with short blond hair and brown eyes.

"Hello, may I help you?" she said politely.

"I'm looking for Miss Long."

"She's out at the moment."

He asked when she will be back, in response he received an uncertain answer. He then asked for her whereabouts. He wanted to get this over with.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

"Look," he began in an agitated tone but decided not to let his temper get the best of him, since he needed the information and continued, "My name is Chazz Princeton, would you,"
"Oh!" she said looking him over, this was the guy she has heard of.

Not bad. She thought, then released the information she had of Carmen current location.

XXXXX

I cannot believe this catering business took me two hours! Gee… it's only food!

Carmen thought to herself, rolling her eyes. Outside the sun was setting, and Carmen decided it best to head home. She was about to catch a taxi, but she had another thing coming…

There she was, Carmen Long. She had hardly changed, physically anyway.

Carmen was never outstandingly beautiful, but not hard on the eyes either.

"Carmen?"

She spun quickly at the sound of her name, only to see a face she has not seen in a long time, but there was no mistaking it.

How many people have this hair style?

"Well, well. If it isn't Chazz Princeton. Long time no see."

"Let me cut to the chase- why did you invite me to your wedding? I know it wasn't Truesdale, so,"
"You haven't changed a bit, still the rude brat you always were."

"The rude brat who was your best friend."
"Yeah, best friend, a friend who let go of me pretty easily and doesn't even ask how I'm doing after not speaking to me for a decade! You know, you did have good question- why did I invite you anyway? Forget it, it was stupid." Carmen said in a low but upset tone.

Unlike her past friend, Carmen was not at all quick to anger.

She was about to walk away, seeing no point in the conversation, when he stopped her with a surprising apology.

"Would you like to have coffee, or something?"
"Sure," she said smiling. Although she was not quick to anger, she was fast to forgive, "I need to go home now, but I'm available tomorrow, we can have lunch."

Carmen missed their friendship. In their youth they were both sort of outcasts in some way. Carmen was not always liked because she was just being herself.

She could never be too open with her emotions, while other girls would be friendly amongst each other, she couldn't. Not with a lot of them anyhow.

But Chazz was one of those people who she felt free with, she did not have to force herself to be nice, it was all natural.

The next day, after Holly teased her all morning in the office, it was time for her scheduled lunch. She was wearing a white buttoned short sleeved top and a white skirt with embroider orange flowers.

The two met at the cafe Carmen usually went to with Holly. When she arrived, he was already there, sitting by a table outside.

"Hi, what's up?" he said awkwardly. The entire situation was awkward.

"Fine, you?"
"Good, good."
"The next thing I'll be asking you about the weather..." Carmen said jokingly, trying to break the ice.

"Look, I... I'm not sure what I'm suppose to say, this is,"

"Odd? Yeah... well, the reason I invited you to my wedding is because I wanted to reestablish the connection."

And so, they continued to talk until the conversation began to flow.

Carmen asked him about his life, what he was up to, and was asked the same things pretty much.

"Now, I have to ask this- you and the Kaiser? How?"
"Well, it's not a very exciting story... anyway, after I told you hoe I felt and you know the rest I went to the shore, just to be alone. I wasn't crying or anything, but I suppose you could say I seemed upset. So, I was staring at the distance, when I finally noticed another person was there, it took a while register that there was the most important guy in school. We didn't speak or anything, he just... glared at me. Anyway, one day a couple of years later I found myself in some shady duel- don't ask how, it's a dreadful story- and there he was, Zane Truesdale himself. After the duel, which he won, I thought maybe I should say hello, but being me as you know I thought I would come off as an idiot. Much to my own dismay, I continued coming to that place, just to see him. The fact that DA's former best duelist was doing this bewildered me. To make a very long story short, one day I finally went up to talk to him. He was not very friendly to say the least, which made me even more suspicious- he was, as I recalled, very polite. Again, trying to keep it short, after a while I decided to do something. Don't ask me what made it happen, because he was not the least bit nice to me, but I cared, and so arranged, In some crocked way, a duel between him and Jaden. After that it was like the old him was back. He thanked me for sticking by him and the rest is history."

"I can imagine the two of you in public," Chazz chuckled, "probably acting like you don't know each other."

"That's the idea..."

"Tell me, does that secretary of yours have torte syndrome or something?"

"I don't have a secretary."

"The big mouth, short blonde hair..."
"That's Holly, she my partner, and she had a car accident a few year ago, head injury, since then she says pretty much everything she thinks."

"Are you with anyone?"

The answer Carmen received was a bit of a shock, but she said she was happy that he got his heart's desire.

They continued to converse until Carmen had to go back to the office.