Chapter 2 is up :)

"Okay first of all get away from my car I just cleaned it and don't want any makeup or other stuff on it" While Michael said that he got away from his car himself and directly looked at Amber. "And second I'm not asking you anything. I'm here to pick up a friend" Ambers smile faded and the people started talking. "What? Why wouldn't you ask me out? I'm popular and my daddy is one of the most successful bankers. I'm beautiful and every girl wants to be like me." Amber started to become hysterical and her friends were running up to her telling her how beautiful she was. Michael just turned around saying nothing than: "You're coming, Em? I have to go to work." Emily slipped by Amber and her friends and sat into Michael's car. All students were confused by the scene and rumours started to spread.

They hadn't spoken since they had driven off Emily's school. "Thanks for picking me up." She tried to start a conversation. Michael had changed within the last year. He wasn't shallow anymore. He somehow had grown up. He was studying pretty successful and worked hard. Even Rick was hardly able to make him freak out. But he was still Michael. The hot guy every girl wanted to be with. He would never date a girl like Emily more someone like Julia for example. She was naturally pretty, self-confident, intelligent and a very good blader. "No problem. By the way who was that girl?"

"That was Amber, the most popular girl at school." She said. Michael's question made her a little bit sad. She hoped he wouldn't end up asking Amber out. "Okay and why did she think I would ask her out? I mean I don't know her and after this brief encounter I'm pretty sure I don't like her." Emily had to hide her smile about that and tried to say as emotionless as possible "I don't know but she came into the centre almost every day within the last week asking for you."

"Throw her out the next time." Was all the young American said.

They arrived at the airport and Emily went inside to pick up Mariah.

Emily was waiting impatiently because Mariah's flight was late. But finally after 30 minutes of wait Mariah came down the stairs in the airport. The Chinese waved at her friend while walking up to her. "Hi Emily, I missed you so much." Mariah said while hugging her best friend. "I missed you too. How are you?"

"I'm fine but Lee is driving me insane. He's complaining about everything. It's horrible! What about you?" Mariah asked following Emily out of the airport. "I had a horrible week. My school announced a dance and Amber tries to make me look like a loser more than usual. Although one good thing happened today. Amber wanted to go the dance with Michael but he rejected in front of the whole school."

"You're having a school dance? That's so cool. I wish we had such things too. I mean wearing a beautiful dress, being picked up by a guy and dancing." Mariah trailed off.

"It seems you are more excited about it than me."

"Oh right you don't like parties but maybe you will change your mind if you go there and maybe you can make Amber feel like a loser this time. You just need the right outfit and the right guy." Mariah said already thinking about a solution.

"Assuming that I want to attend the ball you just summed up all the problems. No one asked me and I don't want to spend money on a dress for just one night." Emily said as they arrived at Michael's car.

"Come on Emily! Don't give up that easily." Mariah tried to convince her friend while Michael put her luggage in his car. "No!" Emily said resolutely.

Michael had driven them to the centre and left for work while the two girls were sitting on Emily's bed talking about the last year.

"So despite the dance you're not going to attend is there anything new?"

"No not really. Amber is making fun of me, my grades are good, Steve and Eddy are talking about senseless stuff. Although I have to say that Michael and Rick are less fighting." Emily told Mariah.

"I didn't mean that. I was talking about a guy. Is there one you're interested in?" Mariah asked smiling at her friend who immediately blushed.

"No" Was all she said trying not to look at Mariah.

"OH MY GOD! You like someone! Who is it? Do I know him? Tell me everything!"

"What? No there is no one!"

"Don't lie to me. I'm your best friend, Emily. I know you." Emily shook her head she couldn't tell anyone about that not even her best friend. She wasn't sure about her feelings herself. So how could she tell someone about it.

"Come on, Emily. I'm your best friend you can trust me. I won't tell anybody about it and I won't laugh." The pink haired tried to calm her friend down. "I... I think I somehow... like Michael. But I... I... I'm not sure about it." Emily stammered her voice becoming quieter. Mariah almost couldn't understand what she had said. "You like Michael? That's sweet." Mariah smiled at her friend.

"No it's not! He's the captain of our team, he's a friend and he's Michael. I mean all the girls are after him. I bet his female fellow students run after him. He would never like me." Suddenly tears started to form in Emily's eyes.

"Oh Emily. Why shouldn't he like you? You're intelligent, you're pretty, funny, loyal and so nice." Mariah said hugging her friend.

"How about a deal?" Mariah said making Emily look confused.

"What kind of deal?"

"You'll go to the dance, we'll get you a dress and I talk to Michael if he goes to the dance with you..."

"WHAT? NO!" Emily interrupted her friend.

"I haven't finished. If Michael says yes you can spend a whole night with him and even dance with him because it would be strange if he wouldn't dance with you on a dance. You can make Amber jealous because he turned her down and shows up with you and the most important. It's just you two the whole evening so you can find out how you really feel." She explained.

"He will never say yes."

"Let me worry about this. You're in?" Mariah asked hopefully.

"Okay..."

"Good then we will go shopping tomorrow. Shall we meet at the mall after your classes are over?"

"Yes."

The girls continued chatting for a while and then went to bed. Emily didn't sleep very well she was still worried about Mariah's plan.

The next day

Emily took the bus to the mall to meet Mariah. When Emily got off the bus she could already see her standing at the entrance. "Hey, how was school?" She was greeted by her friend. "Quite good. Amber is too busy thinking about the dance and her date."

"Okay then let's see if we can find a dress for you."

It was the fifth store and Emily was sick of it so she sat down and waited for Mariah to pick out dresses. "What are you doing here? Pretending to buy a dress for the dance you're not going to attend?" A voice that Emily knew too well said. Emily turned around to see Amber and her friends standing in behind her. The day just got better. Emily couldn't find a dress with an acceptable price that looked good and now there was Amber and her stupid friends. "I wouldn't know why I should talk to you." Emily simply said and got up looking for Mariah. Unfortunately Amber followed her. "Trust me you won't find here anything you can afford. I mean look at you! This skirt and a polo shirt? That's a fashion crime." Her friends laughed. "At least she doesn't look like a slut." Mariah said appearing behind Amber and her friends. Amber looked at Mariah disapprovingly. "And who do you think you are that you can talk to me? I'm fabulous!" The blonde said. "I wouldn't say that. But according to your behaviour I guess you're Amber." Mariah said grinning.

"Yes, I am. You heard of me?"

"Oh yes I heard a lot of you. The story I liked the most was when Michael turned you down in front of the whole school. Because he will go with Emily to the dance."

Amber's smile suddenly faded and her eyes got big. She took a deep breath to calm her down.

"As if Michael would ever go out with someone like her. But we will see that on Friday." Amber turned around and left the store with her friends.

"Mariah! Why did you say that? What if he says no? Then she will make fun of me for the rest of my life!" Emily almost freaked out.

"Calm down Emily. I found the perfect dress for you and it's reduced." The Chinese gave her friend the dress and pushed her into the changing room.

"While you try it on, can I have your cell phone to make a call?"

"Sure"

Mariah went a few steps away from the changing room so Emily couldn't hear her. She flipped through the contacts until she found the right number: Michael's number. Emily didn't knew Mariah had already talked to Michael. The answer wasn't exactly what she expected.

*Flashback*

Mariah was sitting at a table in the cafeteria of the centre eating her breakfast.

"Can I sit here?" She looked up to see Michael.

"Of course you can but don't you have lectures?"

"No my first lecture on Wednesday starts at 1 pm. I just like to have the apartment for myself once a week while the others don't know." He simply said sitting down.

Mariah laughed. "It's good that I meet you. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure I guess"

"Do you like Emily?" Michael was confused by that question slightly worried why Mariah would ask him that.

"You mean this friend of mine I know since over 10 years because we grown up together and attend the same team? No I just like people to believe that so one day I can tell them and make them feel like dirt. Really Mariah. That is a silly question. I know Emily for years of course I like her."

Mariah totally failed at not smiling while she said: "That wasn't funny, Michael!"

"Your face says something different."

"Okay can I ask you another question?"

"Is it better than the last one?"

Mariah knew why Emily liked Michael. They shared the same humour. Pointing out obvious things and making fun of it.

"Yes it is. Emily still has no date for the dance would you go with her?" Michael looked up from his bowl thinking of what to say.