Chapter 9:
February 1, 2002
Two weeks until the Valentine's Dance. Only two more weeks until the night from Hell.

Perhaps that's a bit melodramatic. It probably won't be that bad. Can't be any worse than watching Kay moon over Miguel who's mooning over Charity, right?

Yeah, today was full of shockers. First Kay dumped Miguel. I can't believe I'm writing this. Kay actually dumped Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald, the so-called love of her life. Needless to say, I was shocked!

But that wasn't the only surprise of the day. Later, when I was in the hall talking to Jessica, trying to figure out what could possibly be going through Kay's mixed-up mind, Kay agreed to go to the Valentine's Dance with Jordan Aberman. I still can't believe that she agreed to go with that egotistical jock!!

So I'm headed to the Valentine's Dance with a date of my own… a date that will allow me to be there if Kay needs my help (not that she'll ask!)… a date named Jessica Bennett.

"Reese, how long do you think that it will take for Charity to come to her senses? I don't know how much more of this I can take!" Miguel moaned despairingly after their fourth hour history class.

Reese had come to expect such complaints from Miguel after history. After all, both Charity and Christopher were in the class and seeing them together was apparently driving Miguel crazy.

But what Reese couldn't understand is why Miguel led Kay on like this. Kay was a wonderful woman who deserved to have a boyfriend who knew how special she was. A boyfriend who knew how beautiful and intelligent she was.

A boyfriend like him.

Reese combed his fingers through his hair and released an inaudible sigh. He would never get a chance to show Kay how she should be treated. She would never let him.

So, rather, he got to listen to Miguel, the man she supposedly loved, go on and on about how much he missed Charity. He always talked about Charity. Not Kay. Never Kay.

"Hey, guys!" Kay chirped cheerfully as she slung her arm over her boyfriend's shoulder. "What's up?"

Under his breath, Reese offered a prayer up to the heavens. Let Kay realize that she deserved better than Miguel. Let Kay realize thathe was the right man for her.

An awkward silence followed Kay's arrival. Reese noted that Miguel had at least gained the good sense not to talk incessantly about Charity when his "girlfriend" was within earshot.

"So, uh, what's for lunch today, guys?" Kay asked with a grin.

"Good ol' PB and J," Miguel replied, holding up his brown paper bag, tearing his eyes off of Charity's retreating figure for a moment.

Reese rolled his eyes, but of course neither of his friends noticed. As always he was the invisible one. He could travel to another dimension and no one would know the difference. It was amazing what he had noticed since he had discovered the truth about his "relationship" with Kay.

"Uh, I didn't have time to pack a lunch this morning, so I guess I'll be braving the cafeteria food today," Reese offered, giving them a comedic grimace.

But did his friends notice? Of course not. Miguel's gaze had returned to Charity's quickly disappearing blonde hair. Reese knew that Miguel loved the woman, but he couldn't help but think that this was a bit extreme. Wasn't spending every waking moment obsessing over her going a bit too far?

Look in the mirror when you say some of these things, Durkee, Reese chastised himself. It was less than a month ago when he idolized Kay in much the same way.

Kay. The woman whose cheerful demeanor was quickly disappearing as she followed Miguel's gaze and saw what he had been staring at. Her happy grin immediately transformed into a sad frown. Perhaps she was finally realizing that Reese's words of the previous week hadn't been said out of jealousy… but rather out of love.

Reese almost laughed at that thought. Even if Kay did acknowledge that he was right, it wouldn't make a difference. She was so head-over-heels for Miguel that she would follow him to the ends of the earth if he asked her to. Hell, she had already waited almost three years for the man—what was three more?

No, Reese just had to accept it. Kay would never give up on Miguel. And that meant that, somehow, he would have to try to find a way to give up on Kay.

If only he knew how to do it.

After they reached the cafeteria, Reese headed towards the dreaded lunch line while Kay and Miguel went to go snag them a table. Reese watched, pain ripping at his heart, as Kay flirted with Miguel and kissed him playfully on the face.

Kay really loved Miguel. But why couldn't she have loved him that way?

Suddenly, Kay pulled away and placed her hands on her hips. Reese couldn't hear what she was saying over the din of the lunchroom crowd, but the blue fire shooting from her eyes made it was obvious that she was pissed.

Reese watched from afar as it appeared that his at least part of his dream was coming true. Could Kay really be dumping Miguel?

Reese laughed mirthlessly, drawing the attention of those around him. But he paid no attention to them. The fact remained that Kay Bennett would never give up on Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald. Not as long as she felt that she had a chance to snag him for her own.

And since she was dating him at the moment, he knew that she wouldn't be giving up on him anytime soon. That is, unless what he had said to her had actually gotten through the stubborn skull of hers.

"You want cole slaw with that?" Bertha asked from behind the counter.

"No, thanks," Reese replied, not taking his eyes off of the scene unfolding before him.

"C'mon, hun," Bertha insisted, preparing to place a big glob onto his tray. "You need some slaw with those 'taters."

With an annoyed sigh, Reese turned to face the graying woman. "No, thank you, Bertha. I prefer my tater tots without cole slaw." Quickly, Reese moved down the line, away from Bertha and her cole slaw.

Returning his gaze to where Kay and Miguel had stood moments before, Reese was surprised to notice that both of them had disappeared. He quickly scanned the surrounding tables for some sign of either of them, but he had no luck. It was almost as if the two had disappeared!

Suddenly a voice called out his name. "Hey, Reese, pull up a chair!" It was Miguel.

Obligingly, I did ask he said and set my tray on the table. "Miguel, what happened to Kay?"

"She dumped me," he replied with a shrug. "Something about how I shouldn't have a girlfriend if I was still so hung up on Charity. But, come on. I only asked her out 'cause she was badgering me to move on with my life."

Reese's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Miguel honestly had no idea how much Kay loved him. How dense was he?

Kay had put up with his affection for his ex for almost a month. No other girl would ever last that long in a relationship that was so obviously going nowhere.

Not only that, but as far as Reese could tell, this was the first time Kay had mentioned her unhappiness to Miguel. Typical girls would have given Miguel an ultimatum weeks ago.

"Dammit, Miguel, don't you know anything?" Reese shouted, his slate gray eyes quickly clouding over with his fury. "Kay loves you, man—or at least she did."

Miguel rolled his eyes. "Reese, I doubt Kay will end our friendship because I'm having problems moving on. We're friends forever—just like you and me."

"God, Miguel, how can you be so dense? How can you be so blind? Kay loved you… and not just like a friend. She loved you like a woman loves a man. She loved you so much, Miguel, and you trampled on her heart."

Miguel raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Reese, you guys only broke up a month ago. She couldn't have fallen in love with me so quickly. I think you're exaggerating just a little."

"Dammit, Miguel, do you have any idea why we even broke up?"

"Yeah, Kay said that she was confused about her feelings for you, and she didn't want to lead you on."

Reese's mouth dropped open in shock. Like hell Kay was confused about her feelings! She knew exactly who she wanted and had known for years.

With a shake of his head, Reese lowered his voice and told Miguel the truth. "She broke up with me because she's in love with you?"

At that opportune moment, a gaggle of freshmen girls had begun to giggle loudly, drowning out Reese's soft words.

"What was that?" Miguel asked.

"I said we broke up because she was in love with you," Reese repeated just a bit louder.

Of course, at that moment, chants of "Fight! Fight!" has begun to chorus throughout the cafeteria as two junior guys started pummeling each other.

"What?" Miguel shouted, still unable to hear Reese's words.

"I said that Kay and I broke up because she's in love with you!!" Reese shouted, as administrators intervened to stop the fight. Suddenly, the cafeteria grew eerily quiet, before a soft snicker began to ripple amongst the students.

Reese looked around him in horror. Everyone had heard what he had just said. Kay was going to kill him.