Dedicated to Maddie and Sophie (welcome to maddieland & maplexsyrup), because they are the only two people who will read this and get the inside jokes hidden in it. :) And because I couldn't have written this chapter without Sophie giving me ideas along the way.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own the Clique. So sue me. ;)

After Chronological Passing, or Chrono, as Kristen and her teammates on the OCD Sirens called it, Coach Phillips let them take a water break. As she searched her bag for her Vitamin Water, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Hey, Kris."

Kristen turned around to find herself face-to-face with Derrington.

"Who says I don't want you to? I love getting hit on by cute blondes."

She blushed at the memory of their earlier conversation. Derrick Harrington had called her cute. No. Snap out of it Kristen. You do NAWT need to be thinking that way.

"Hey. Don't think I'm not mad at you for abandoning me earlier," Kristen said, hoping he hadn't seen her blush. "I had to get in a group with a bunch of total LBRs, who, for the record, couldn't even seem to remember their own numbers."

"Yeah, well. It's not like you missed anything, except for Kemp calling you my beysh." Derrick replied.

"Your beysh?" Kristen giggled. "And is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?"

"Depends on what context you use it in," Derrington shrugged. "But since it was attached to my name, I'd have to say it was a compliment," he added, flashing her a toothy grin.

"Whatevs," Kristen smirked. Derrick could be so full of himself sometimes.

"Anyway, I've already figured out how I'm going to make it up to you."

"And how do you plan to do that, Oh Great One?" she asked, her voice dripping sarcasm.

"By inviting you to come to the pool with me and the boys this weekend," he answered easily.

"Fair enough. I forgive you," Kristen smiled, tucking a hair that had come loose from her pony tail behind her ear.

"So you'll be there then?" Derrick asked, his chocolate brown eyes lighting up.

"Sure. Why not?" she replied, taking a swig of her drink. It wasn't like anything could go wrong. Alicia had already promised not to breathe a word for fear of having her own indiscretions revealed. And Massie was still miles away.

"Great," Derrick grinned, and then jogged back over to his friends. Kristen could hear them joking around, probably at the expense of Derrington and herself. Sure enough, she could distinctly catch the words, "Kristen," "Derrick," and "beysh." She laughed softly to herself. Boys. Can't live with 'em; can't live without 'em!

-xo-

That night Kristen was curled up on her couch re-reading Romeo and Juliet for the millionth time. Her friends couldn't understand how she could bear to read the Shakespearian classic, but it was one of Kristen's all-time favorite books. Her heart ached for the couple that could never be, all because of a fight between their families. Hmm, she mused. Kind of like how Derrington and I can't be together because of Massie and her stupid boy-fast.

Just then, her phone vibrated on the table beside her. Kristen slid a bookmark into the dog-eared novel and placed it beside her on the couch before picking up her LG Venus. Its screen informed her that she had one new message.

Massie: hows life in westchester?

Kristen gulped. This couldn't be a coincidence. Massie texting her the same day Derrick asked her to go to the pool with him? Her nimble fingers flew across the keypad as she typed her response.

Kristen: pretty good. ? about orlando

Massie: boor-ing. thinkin bout cming home early

Kristen heaved a sigh of relief. Massie was just bored. Alicia hadn't spilled the beans after all.

Kristen: at least u have a choice. im stuck here all summer :(

Massie: poor u.

Just as she was typing up another response, she received another text message.

Massie: gtg. takin kuh-laire shopping :)

Kristen shrugged and returned to her book, forgetting all about the short conversation and finding herself immersed once again in the tale of romance and angst.

-xo-

"Okay," Cam said, screwing his face up in thought. "Would you rather kiss Kemp… or get raped by a polar bear?"

"What kind of question is that?" Kristen laughed. "Kiss Kemp, of course."

It was Saturday morning and they were at the pool. Kristen was wearing a Juicy Couture bikini with boy short bottoms- the perfect blend of flirty and sporty. The boys had each donned some variation of Hawaiian-print surfer jams. At that moment, none of them were in the water, but rather, sitting at the pool's edges. They were playing a game of Truth or Dare with a slight variation of the rules: refusal to answer the question truthfully or complete the dare resulted in being immediately thrown into the pool.

"As you wish," Kemp smirked, leaning in towards Kristen.

"That was a Truth, NAWT a Dare!" Kristen protested, swatting him away.

"Okay then, I dare you to make out with me," Kemp shot back.

"Dude, it's not even your turn," Josh cut in. "And even if it was, you can't just dare her to kiss you. It has to be someone else."

"And who made that rule up?" Plovert piped up. "Ah-leeeeeee-sha?" He stuck out his chest and strutted along the edge of the pool in a perfect imitation of the Spanish beauty's slow-motion saunter. All the boys erupted into laughter, causing Josh's tanned cheeks to flush crimson. He stood up and unceremoniously shoved Chris into the pool, causing the boys to laugh even harder. Kristen cackled along with them before falling back on her pool chair, gasping for air.

"Okay, okay," she said as she regained her breath and a scowling Plovert climbed back out of the pool. "Josh. Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," he answered promptly.

Kristen racked her brain for ideas. "I dare you to go do the worm. In that puddle," she said finally, pointing to an area where the pool water had splashed onto the concrete.

"Ooo-kay," Josh said. He lay down on the pavement and started flopping around, collecting odd stares from an elderly couple passing by. The group laughed and then it was Josh's turn to pick someone.

"Yo, Derrick! Truth or Dare?"

"Dare, of course," the shaggy-haired blonde replied smugly. Kristen couldn't help but notice how he resembled a puppy dog even more so than usual with his wet bangs plastered to his forehead.

"I dare you to… Hmm. What should I dare you to do?" Josh said, pausing to think.

"Make him kiss his beysh!" Kemp suggested, catching Kristen's eye and winking at her.

Kristen rolled her eyes but could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks.

It wasn't long before the boys had started up a chant. "Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!"

Derrington shrugged and leaned in towards her. "We don't have to if you don't want to," he whispered when his lips were only mere inches away from hers.

Kristen didn't answer. Instead she lifted her face to his and they were kissing. His lips were surprisingly soft and gentle, the polar opposite of what Kristen had expected from the cocky, over confident star goalie. But it ended shortly after it begun, and Kristen was once again sitting alone on her beach chair while the boys continued their game of Truth or Dare.

It was just a Dare, Kristen told herself, looking down at her feet. It didn't really mean anything.

She repeated this to herself over and over again, even after the game had ended. She was still repeating it when everyone decided to get back in the water and start a game of Marco Polo. And she kept repeating it until it was time to go and she was walking towards her bike. She repeated it right up until the moment when someone grabbed her hand, and she turned around to find herself looking up into the chocolate brown eyes of none other than Derrick Harrington.