A/N: Well here is a nice long chapter for you, maybe foreshadowing maybe not. We will see. But anyway, I hope you guys like it. Izzers, I'm sorry that it wasn't up last night when I said it would be...I fell asleep at the helm and then has to work this morning. So here it is for all! We're getting into the cute part in the next few chapters. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and listen to Dane Cook while I type up some more stories. Cheers!

Chapter Four

The cafeteria buzzed with the conversations of hundreds of students and they were all talking about the same generic things: school work, teachers, who was with whom, the upcoming football game. From her usual cheerleading table in the centre of the crowded room, Josie could hear them all. All, that is, but the conversation she was supposed to be a part of. She didn't care about Melody's love life, so she ate her pudding in transfixed silence. At the next table over, Don was also enjoying his lunch with uncharacteristic silence. Josie hadn't called him after his dad had dropped her off. In the six years of their friendship, it had been the first time he'd gone to bed without talking to her. All night he'd lain awake trying to figure out why. The only conclusion he kept coming back to was Mike. Hurt and confusion awaited him at school that morning when Josie didn't return his morning salutations. He couldn't understand why she couldn't see that he was in love with her and was even more confused that she didn't feel the same. It just made sense for them to be together. He sighed and looked down at his empty lunch tray. A warm grip on his forearm jolted him back to the moment.

"Can I talk to you Don?" Josie asked voice above a whisper.

His face fell when she failed to call him Donnie. "Sure Jos. What's up?"

She shook her head. "Not here. The stands at the field."

"But we'll miss English," he stated, mentally slapping himself for being stupid.

Josie tried to hide her smile and failed. "So?"

He returned her fugitive smile and stood up. "Let's go then."

She followed him out into the blinding afternoon sun, shielding her eyes. "I'm sorry about this morning. For not, well, acknowledging you."

"Why didn't you?" he inquired.

"I saw you with Mike and Chavez and I just got so angry all over again," she explained.

"Well…what did I do?"

"You're kidding right?" He shook his head. "Don, you treated me like I was your property. Just because we've spent the last six years going home from school together, doesn't mean we do it for the rest of our lives. I NEED other people in my life."

"Yeah but do those other people have to be my friends? I mean…what about Melody? Can't she be your bus buddy?" he asked.

"Donnie, I hate Melody. You know that. And the stupid bitch got captain," Josie glowered.

"I'm sorry Jos. I know how much you wanted captain," he said, rubbing her back. "You deserve it more, if that helps."

She smiled and climbed the stairs to the stands. "Kind of. But not all that much. It doesn't make me captain."

"I tried," he sighed, sitting down with her. "Do you really like Mike?"

"Does it really bother you if I do?" she countered.

"Yeah, it does," he admitted.

"But I don't understand why. Mike is a good guy. Why would it bother you?" she prodded.

He wanted to shout his reason. He would have settled for just whispering. But all he could do was shrug and say: "They're my friends. So it's weird."

"Donnie, they'll always be YOUR friends. I would never come between you guys. But I wouldn't want to date someone you…I don't know. If you don't want me dating your friends, tell me now and I won't," she said.

It was his chance to nip his problem in the bud. In hindsight, he should have put his foot down and told her no. But, being the good friend he was, he merely shook his head and smiled. "I don't know why you'd want to date my friends, but I'm not going to stop you."

She grinned. "Good because Brian asked me to the dance next week."

"He did WHAT?" Don demanded. "I thought this was about Mike?"

"It's not entirely about Mike. Mike's just come up because of yesterday," she explained.

"Well…when did Chavo ask you to the dance?"

"This morning, before math," she replied, chewing thoughtfully on her thumbnail.

"That ass," he muttered. "I told him not to ask you."

"You said you were alright with this," she said.

"That's when I thought we were talking about Mike," he replied hotly.

"What's the big difference?"

"Chavez just wants to have sex with you!" he exploded.

"What? Don that's an asshole thing to say about your friend," she snapped.

"It's true though! Have you never seen the looks he gives you? At least Mike knows how to treat a girl," Don grumbled. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"At some point, I'll need to fall down. You can't protect me forever," she sighed.

"I can if you'll let me," he countered.

She smiled sadly. "I'm not going to let you. Soon enough, you'll have a girlfriend you'll want to protect more."

"I'll never want to protect anyone more than you. You're my best friend in the whole world Jos. No girlfriend of mine, or boyfriend of yours, will come between us," he stated with naïve determination.

"Promise?" she inquired, turning to face him.

He nodded. "I promise. You'll always be my number one Josie."

She threw herself on him and gave him a bear hug. "You're the best Donnie. As long as I live, no one will replace you."

"Are you still going to the dance with Chavez?" he asked.

"Do you want me to?" He shook his head. "Then I won't."

"You should go with Mike. He likes you," Don stated.

"Really? Quiet little Mike?"

Don reluctantly nodded. "I don't know if he like likes you. But he wants to ask you to the dance."

"Well I bet you scared him off after your tantrum yesterday," she stated.

"I wouldn't call it a tantrum," he pouted.

"Oh I would," she laughed.

"Why don't YOU ask him then?" he snapped.

"Girls don't ask guys out. That's the guy's job. All the girl has to do is look pretty," she replied, glancing down at her watch. "We should head back."

"So you won't go with Chavez?" he pressed, rising from his seat.

"Not if Mike asks me. I haven't given Brian an answer anyway. I told him I needed to ask you first," she replied with a smile.

"Then it's a good thing I told him last night I didn't like it. Otherwise things might be awkward."

"You don't thing they are already? That Billingsley temper is not something to be reckoned with," she teased, ruffling his hair.

All expressions left his face. "You are dead Josephine. Oh so dead."

He lunged at her, but she narrowly dodged him. With a shriek of laughter, Josie dashed down the stairs of the stands. Don was close behind her, determined to catch her. A few of the other people who were down at the field, watched the two chase each other around. Josie wove around the field as if it were littered with football players. Don mirrored her movements and soon he caught up to her. He grabbed her around the waist, tackling her to the ground. Breathing heavily, he pinned her to the turf, finding himself in the same position that got him into his mess of feelings in the first place. Josie giggled, oblivious to the longing in his eyes. When she realized he wasn't laughing with her, she stopped abruptly and looked up at him.

"Oh, you were serious about killing me?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Do you know how to dance?"

She blinked, at a loss for words. "Uh…yes, I do. Why?"

"Because I don't and I need to learn by next week. Will you teach me?" he asked.

"Um…yeah sure. Who are you taking to the dance?" she inquired.

"Oh I uh haven't decided yet," he lied. "I just have so many girls in line to be my date."

She rolled her eyes and pushed him off her. "Oh great. Like you need another reason to be full of yourself."

He laughed and looked up at the clear blue sky. "I don't know what you're talking about Jos. Will you teach me?"

"If it means that much to you. Come over to my place tonight. We'll dance and watch a movie or something," she said, propping herself up on her elbows.

"I don't have practice tonight. Want to just come to my place?" he inquired.

"Sure, if your dad doesn't mind," she said.

"You know he won't," he scoffed.

"Well, I need to go home first and grab my music, then I'll bike over. Cool?"

He nodded. "Cool. I'll see you in science."

"See ya," she said, hopping up and jogging back to the school.