Chapter 5

Penny, Jadey and Roma were having lunch on a separate table, which was across the boys' table. The boys stared at the girls and Teddy said,

"So, you broke up with her? It sounds stupid."

"Yeah, you didn't even explain it clearly." Gordie said.

"No, guys, you just don't understand." Chris said, and stared at Penny's table.

"Then if we don't understand, then tell us why did you break up with her." Gordie said.

"I did it because…because I don't trust her anymore." Chris said.

"That's it? No, there's gotta be an apparent reason for this." Gordie protested. "Is it because of Stan?"

"Speak of the devil, there he goes to their table." Teddy said, and saw Stan pass by Penny's table and talked to them. Chris looked back and saw Stan sit beside Penny, who looked sad and dull today.

"What's he doing?" Gordie asked.

"Don't ask me, you're the one who has better eyesight than I do." Teddy said. "Oh, look he's drinking from Penny's glass."

Chris looked back again and saw Stan drinking from Penny's water and his arm near her. Chris stood up quickly and said,

"I can't take a look at this anymore." And walked away from the cafeteria before he sees something he doesn't want to see.

"You're upset." Stan said to Penny, who wasn't talking the whole time.

"Well, yeah, of course she is." Roma said.

"Why? What happened?" Stan asked.

"Because, from this day on, Penny's already considered 'single'." Jadey explained. Penny just looked down, trying to forget about what happened yesterday but it keeps coming back. Stan just comforted her, until his friends called him. He stood up and said,

"Well, Penny, I'm sorry for what happened." He said, and unexpectedly, kissed her cheek, and ran to his friends, who were howling and laughing at him.

"What did he just do to you?" Roma asked, surprised in what she saw.

"Did he just kiss you?" Jadey said, looking disgusted. "I mean, it's okay for him to do all the talking and stuff but the kiss was below the belt."

Penny stood up and approached Stan and said,

"We need to talk, Stan." And grabbed him somewhere outside the cafeteria. She led him to a corner where nobody passes by and said,

"Stan, why did you do that? I thought we were friends."

"We are, Penny. What's wrong?" he asked.

"We're friends but you can't just kiss me like that."

"Why? Is it because you can't trust me?" Stan asked, almost mad.

"No, I didn't say that. I just meant that I don't know if you could just do that."

"Well, I'm sorry, Penny. I was just trying to make you feel better." He said, sounding hurt.

"I'm sorry, Stan. But you already did. And I guess you're right." Penny said.

"Yeah, come here." He said, and hugged her. Penny hugged him back and his lips was on her hair but she didn't feel it. And for one last time, he kissed her hair.

Penny came back to her friends' table, looking a bit better. Jadey and Roma looked like they had something important to tell Penny. But asked first about what happened.

"What did you do? Did you punch him or what?" Jadey asked.

"No, he just apologized." Penny said, and drank from her glass where Stan drank from.

"Okay, so now you wanna drink from that glass too. What happened to you?" Roma asked, disgusted.

"C'mon, guys, he's like a friend to me already. And he invited us to the game. I'm sure my brother's gonna give us the front seats again. " Penny said, and looked at Stan's table.

"Well, sure, we'll watch." Roma said.

"Yeah, so happens that Chris and the boys aren't with us." Jadey said.

*---*

Gordie left the cafeteria to look for Chris. He wasn't sure if should tell Chris about what he saw a while ago, Stan kissed Penny. He thought it could cause trouble. And Chris said it him self, he didn't feel anything for Penny anymore. Chris just came out from the restroom and leaned on a wall.

"Chris, c'mon, let's go." Gordie said. "Nothing happened, man."

"I just can't stand seeing her." Chris said, sadly.

"Hey, guys, here's some tickets for the game." Vern said, running with Teddy, who was holding three tickets. "I'm sorry I couldn't get the front ones."

"Thanks, Vern. The game's on Friday, right?" Gordie said, and handed Chris a ticket.

"Yeah, see you guys there. And I'll be the hero in the game this time." Vern said.

"Yeah, right." Teddy, doubted.

"You'll see." Vern said and left for the showers.

"Don't worry, Chris. It's gonna be okay." Gordie said, and tapped his shoulder.

"Yeah, Chris. Take it like a man!" Teddy said, and ran around the hallways, crazily. Chris didn't think it was a good idea to go to the game. But it was a tradition for them to watch the game. The only difference is Penny and the girls weren't with them. And he didn't want to see Penny, anyway.

Penny and Johnny came to the Stadium earlier for the game. Johnny was just going to substitute since he didn't want to play entirely. Penny sat on the front seats and reserved two for Roma and Jadey. Penny saw Stan climb the stairs to the front seats and sat with her. He was already in his soccer uniform, which was blue and white and his black Adidas spike shoes.

"Good luck in the game, Stan." Penny said, and played with his messy hair.

"Thanks, Pen." He said, and smiled. "I better go to my team. You'll see me later." And he stood and left at the back of the Stadium to look for his team. After a couple of minutes, people started to arrive at the Stadium and Roma and Jadey came.

"Hey, Penny, I bought some soda for all of us." Jadey said, and handed her a cherry flavored Dr. Pepper soda.

"I didn't know that Gordie was here." Roma whispered, and looked at Gordie, Chris and Teddy who were at the regular seats.

"Oh, Chris is here." Penny said, nervously.

"And what's the matter? He knows that your brother plays so of course you're here. And we could cheer for Vern too." Jadey said.

"Yeah, just not too loud." Roma said. The game soon begun after the singing of the National Anthem and the entering of the teams. The game continued when Stan's team scored the first goal, and the boys have been waiting to Vern to be the hero of the game. After half time, Vern soon got his chance. Vern got the ball and was heading across the field to score. Another opponent blocked his way but he had a better idea.

"Come on, Vern. Move your ass!" Teddy cheered, and stood up.

"GO Vern!"

Vern was on his way before the goalie when he stumbled backwards and Stan got the ball again and BAM! He gets to score again, and smiles at Penny.

"Aw, damn it, Vern! You were this close!" Teddy yelled, frustratingly.

"You're very enthusiastic, Teddy. Have you been drinking any energy drink lately?" Gordie teased, and looked at Chris, who was bored. "What's up, Chris?"

"He's getting on my nerves. He'd been smiling at Penny the whole time." Chris said.

"I know, man. But I thought you didn't like Penny anymore." Gordie asked.

"I don't. But he just can't do that." Chris said. Four minutes were added to the game before it ends. The team still has one last attempt to score. And a guy with the name Ronnie written at the back of his jersey has the ball this time. If he gets this goal, the team wins and if not, it's gonna be a tie. After one last second, Ronnie goals. And the team won. Penny got down from the seats and unto the field to her brother when Stan came and hugged her, making her jump. Her friends' eyes widened and Johnny stared at them surprisingly. Roma and Jadey planned to distract the boys by approaching Gordie and Teddy.

"Teddy! What's up?" Jadey said happily, and kissed his cheek.

"Uh-great. What happened to you?" he asked her, confusingly.

"Nothing. I'm just really happy and excited."

"That the team won?" Teddy asked confusingly.

"Yeah!" Jadey said, almost squealing.

"Well, then, stop yelling." Teddy said, irritatingly.

"Aw, why so cranky, Teddy?" Jadey asked him.

"Yeah, what happened to you guys?" Roma asked Gordie who was looking around for Chris.

"Well, I guess we all didn't have fun in the game. And Chris just walked out." Gordie said. "Where's Penny?"

"She's talking-uh-congratulating the team and her brother." Roma stammered, thinking of reasons, while Jadey hit her in the arm.

"Okay, girls, enough trying to distracting us. What is going on?" Teddy asked, seriously.

"Nothing. Nothing, right? And it's not us. It's you guys." Jadey said.

"Us? You are the ones who keep coming to us and trying to distract us from something." Teddy yelled.

"Then what do you want us to do? Then fine, I won't talk you!" Jadey said.

"Fine! So, in the mean time, why don't you go somewhere else and celebrate with those football players and leave us!" Teddy yelled. Jadey grabbed Roma and climbed down the bleachers.

*---*

"It's the worst, Penny. I've never seen him like that." Jadey said, sitting on a couch in Penny's house.

"What have you guys been doing anyway?" Penny asked.

"Well, we were trying to distract them before they see anything. Especially Chris, but he walked out." Roma explained.

"Why were you guys distracting them?"

"Because, we saw the whole Stan-wild-hug encounter and it's really not good for Chris to see that." Jadey said.

"Oh, right. I don't get it. Why would that matter to him? He said to me that he didn't feel it anymore, and I'm sure he doesn't care anymore."

"Well, we just wanted to tell our boyfriends how we could help because they all look cranky, especially Teddy." Jadey said.

"I didn't know you guys had the initiative to do those. And how annoying could you be?" Penny asked, curiously.

"You don't wanna know, Pen." Jadey assured her. "My mom knows it when I'm lying or something."

"Oh, you mean like, Jadey Bartholomew, I know that you're lying!" Penny said, imitating Jadey's mom's voice.

"Yeah, something like that. But her voice doesn't sound like that." Jadey joked.

"You know what's worse? Is my dad! He would suspect me sneaking sometimes and then yell across, Roma Brandon, I caught you!" Roma said, remembering the time when she tried sneaking out of the house.

"Well, the last time my mom yelled at me was when Roger told her on the dining table about me dating Chris." Penny said, and remembered the memories she had with Chris.

"But now, you and Chris are history." Roma declared.

"Do you think its Stan's fault why this happened to you and Chris?" Jadey asked Penny.

"No, I can't blame Stan. He hasn't done anything wrong, but we just became friends." Penny answered.

"Yeah, but remember the first time you guys met? And Penny, face it. Stan likes you. Maybe the kiss that he did to you wasn't supposed to be done. But I think he really likes you and wants you to realize something."

"But what if I don't realize anything? What will he do?" Penny asked.

"I don't know, Penny. But he's just a guy who has a dream and he's strong enough to reach it. Did you ever think that you would like him back?"

"And again, I don't know. It's just so hard to say no to him. And what I like about him is that he's man enough to face things."

"See? Maybe you do like him."

"Yeah, but just as friends. And I couldn't imagine it being together with him." Penny said, shaking her head.

"And Penny, if you're thinking about approaching Stan, I already made a chart to count how long you and Chris are history." Roma said.

"Wow, and maybe next time, you're gonna be having a notebook with you, counting how many times Jadey kisses her boyfriend." Penny joked, and looked at Jadey who didn't like talking about Teddy. "Sorry."

Hey, guys. Sorry if it sucked, I was doing this around 2am since I can't sleep. What do you guys think about Stan? And how about Teddy's tantrums? I still have a lot of plans and I have to think about an ending. So, help? And please do it, as in REVIEW. NOW, NOW, NOW.