As soon as Casey read the note she knew she was in for a surprise. Regretfully she took her things and placed them into her school bag. School was out and as much as she would've liked to skip and not go. A part of her wanted to do this whole band thing. She loved and adored singing and it was only for one night. How much trouble could one night cause? Despite her better judgment she closed her locker and went down to the parking lot. She found her car and regretfully looked at the address and was on her way.

What if it's a trick, she thought. I cannot take anymore surprises! She took a deep breath and kept trying to convince herself that everything was going to be alright.

Still she hated to go. She was already angry with Justin for last night. How could he have done that? He used to not be like that, he used to be kind. Not scheming. Poor Noel and I hate to admit it but I even feel bad for Derek. That's how much this whole thing has effected me I feel bad for one person I truly hate! Justin! Argh! How can I even go to practice when I'm carrying on the weight of the world. I want to kill him! She thought bitterly.

She turned thoughts to another alternative. Maybe this isn't a scheme. Maybe he truly needs my help. Perhaps he is just being a friend, though what kind of friend goes out and takes the two guys in my life and get them drunk causing only a mess of issues.. I don't know I am soo confused.

She continued driving and alas she found an older building covered with graffiti and had broken windows. She pulled away thinking she had a made a mistake of address. That was until she saw a note taped on the door of the old building:

BAND MEETING AND REHEARSAL INSIDE

No way! Casey panicked. There is no way we're rehearsing in here. I mean someone could get shot or we could all be trapped. It looks like it has major termite damage. He can't be serious.

That regretting feeling she had before had once again flooded into her brain as she entered the dingy old building. "Hello?" She said quietly when all she saw was darkness followed by a light in the corner.

Casey was never really a brave person. In fact the slightest horror movie could scar her for life, so being in this place scared her. She began getting closer to the light when she realized that it was a doorway.

Carefully she opened the doorway with her hand and suddenly she almost died.

It wasn't a psycho at all it was someone or should I say someones she knew very well.

"Casey!" Yelled a pretty punk girl with wavy red locks.

"Oh My God! Ellie! Wow, you look awesome!" Yelled Casey running towards her friend. She gave her a huge hug. "I've missed you!" She said.

"I've missed you, too!" She hugged back.

"Didn't you miss me?" She flipped around and saw one of her other friends, Ryan. He was an average height guy with curly brown hair.

"Duh! Who else am I going to go shopping and scope for cute boys with!" She then ran over to give him a hug. When they broke their embrace. She turned to both of them. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't the end to the surprises?" She asked and then Ellie and Ryan looked at each other and smiled.

Just then a person came tumbling into the room. "Okay so I got two mocha lattes and one low-fat caramel mochiatos. I didn't know what to get Casey, so I just got her a vanilla cappuccino." He put the drinks down on the table and looked at the group of friends and smiled. "What's up, Casey?" She looked at him as if she was trying to place him. He was tall very tall with messy blonde hair and he was wearing glasses. He was a very attractive guy, but for some reason she just couldn't place him.

She turned to Ellie, "Who is he and why does he know my name?"

Ellie almost spit out the mocha latte, she was drinking, because she was laughing so hard.

"Casey, it's me."

When nothing happpened except for she gave him a weird look. "Cody."

She thought about it for a moment. No way is that Cocoa! He was at least two feet shorter and he wasn't as built and just no way is that him. Though he does kind of look like him in the face, and CoCo did have blonde hair and glasses and... "Oh MY GOD! Cocoa! That can't be you. You look so.. Oh MY God Cocoa! Wow, you have certainly grown up from the little 12 year old kid who always used to follow Ellie around."

Now he was blushing a deep red and Ellie didn't seem to notice a whole lot she just kinda glanced at him and then looked away.

"I didn't follow her around," he said getting nervous and then shot Casey a look that said, You are about to die a most painful death if you ever bring that up again.

"Wow, I cannot believe I am sitting here with all my old friends. Somebody pinch me am I dreaming?" She then felt a hard pinch on her arm. "Ouch! Ryan that's not funny! I was only joking!" She laughed.

Just then Ellie's phone rang. "Uh-huh...Yeah she's here... KK see you in 20.. bye."

"Who was that?" Casey asked as they were all settled down on the old couch.

"Oh that was Justin, he's on his way," Ellie said casually.

"Oh.." Casey said sadly.

"You don't sound exactly happy about it. What's going on with you guys? You used to be so close." asked Ryan.

"Well..." Casey began sadly. "You know how it is. People change and they turn on you. I mean okay Justin used to be a good guy but we had a bad break up. You guys remember."

"Do I ever. When you left town all he did for months was mope around. He stopped calling to hang with us and instead he just got kept up in his room. His mom got so upset with his negative ways. She used to offer to pay me just to take him out. Then he got into hanging out with this weird crowd. He got into loads of trouble. Then when his parents split a few months ago. He went over into the deep end. He didn't talk about it and then last I heard he's leaving town to stay with you. I thought you set that up," said Cocoa.

"I most certainly did not, that was my mother's doing. It just seems like he's become this whole other person, a jerk. I mean I wasn't the friendliest when he waltzed in but excuse me for thinking he was up to something when he shows up out of the blue and all of sudden wants to rekindle our friendship. Also just when I think he's alright because we had a decent talk in the park. He goes off and gets one of my best friends and my stepbrother drunk."

"What?" Ellie asked amazed.

"Yeah. Last night Derek (My Stepbrother) and Noel (My Best friend) come home completely wasted and I find out Justin was behind it all." She didn't bother telling them what happened with Derek and Noel because clearly they were too wasted to know what they were doing.

"I can't believe he would stoop that low. I'm surprised you even came knowing all that," Ellie said.

Casey looked down she couldn't quite understand why she had come. She loved to sing and Paul encouraged her to do this. It has nothing to do with Justin, this is just something she really really wanted. Besides she wasn't going to let that thing with Derek and Noel slide. No she was going to deal with Justin. He's still staying at the house and I can still talk to him there.

"Yeah. So enough about me. I want to hear about you guys."

"Well okay you remember Luke Vontello?" Asked Ellie.

"Yeah, the basketball guy?"

"Right. Well after two weeks of shamelessly flirting with him and a few amazing dates. He asked me to be his girlfriend!"

"Wow..." Casey said then she turned to Cocoa who looked as if a thousand needles had penetrated his heart. Casey felt bad for him. She knew Cocoa had always had a thing for Ellie. Ever since he was little. He was a year younger than her but that didn't matter to him. Her heart went out to him.

She turned the attention on Cocoa. "So.. Mr. Hottie...are you dating anyone?"

"Not at the moment," he said.

"Well any girl would be lucky to have you. Isn't that right Ellie?" She nudged her elbow.

"Yeah, sure..." She said.

Cocoa smiled.

Ryan turned to Casey, "Why do I think we're fourth wheels?"

Casey laughed.

Just then Justin broke into the room carrying equipment.

"Alright guys. We are sound proofed and ready to go let me plug in my amp and we'll get started.

He turned to Casey with a piece of paper. "Here's the set list..." She looked down at the list.

Jessie's Girl

99 Red Balloons

The One

She looked at the third on and turned to Justin. "The third song sounds familiar but I don't remember hearing it whose it by?" She asked.

"Casey McDonald"

"What?" She looked at the paper than at Justin, then back again at the paper. "No." She said.

"Why not?"

"Because I wrote that a long time ago. Because it's not right for the contest! Because I said so!"

"Now how can I argue with that," he said rolling his eyes and went back to plugging things.

She turned back to him a little angry. "I mean it. We are NOT doing it!"

"Why not? The song rocks! Besides the rules say each performer must perform at least one original song."

"Then why don't we play one of yours. We can't play this!"

"Why not?"

"I told you why not. It's my song! I decided if we play it or not!"

"How about we decide this later. Let's get the first to song under wraps and then we'll negotiate. Alright?"

"Fine," she said. Going over the songs in her head.

Ellie got behind the drum set, Ryan went to his keyboard, Cocoa started tuning his base and Justin started practicing his rifts on his guitar.

After about five minutes of prepping the gang was ready to play.

"Alright everyone Jessie's girl on Ellie's count," said Justin.

"One..two..one, two, three," she yelled.

Casey began to sing...

Jessie is a friend,

Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine,

But lately something's changed,

that ain't hard to define,

Jessie's got himself a girl,

and I want to make her mine,

And she's watching him with those eyes,

And she's loving him with that body,

I just know it,

Yeah, n' he's holding her in his arms late,

Late at night,

you know I wish that I had Jessie's girl,

I wish that I had Jessie's girl,

Where can I find a woman like that...

She continued to sing and they were just through their second run of 99 red balloons when she looked at the time and she started freaking out. "Oh my god, guys it's nearly 9:30 and George and Nora were expecting me back around nineish! I have to get going. I'll see you guys later. Oh and you better get back also Justin or Nora will call your mom!"

"Oh okay alright. Let's pack it up guys. We'll pick it up tomorrow." He turned to Casey. "Alright, I'll take you home."

"No really it's okay."

"No I don't mind."

"I do!" She said finally.

"What's your problem?"

"You! Are my problem? How can you expect everything to just be peachy after what you did?"

"After what I did?"

"Yes getting Noel and Derek drunk last night. Then disappearing from the scene of the crime. Don't act so innocent," She said furiously.

"What are you talking about?"

"Knock it off."

"Okay would you like the whole truth or the lie that's clearly been fed to you?"

"Well okay I did take them out but that was just to have fun honestly. I was just going to take them out to see a movie. Then Derek was like, 'No let's hit a bar'. I couldn't stop them. Then by the time we were inside Noel was hitting on every girl that walked by. In fact at the end of the evening he was with the bartender. I tried to control them but I couldn't handle it. Then I dropped them off because I had just gotten a phone call from my mom and she was really upset and that she needed to see me immediately. Honestly it was just a misunderstanding I think you should rethink your friends and family."

Casey looked at him in disbelief. There's no way that's right. Derek has done lots of horrible things in his life, but I hardly believe any of that. What about what he said about Noel. Noel would never use women like that. We've been best friends for a long time now, that is totally un-Noel like. He's sweet and caring.

"I don't believe you," she said finally.

"Sure believe what you want. Though explain how if I took them out to a bar. How I'm not currently suffering from a hangover right now. Also if you don't believe me about Noel. Why don't you take a look in your boyfriend's pocket. I'm sure you'll find something very interesting in there.

"I'm leaving," than she grabbed her keys and stormed out to her car and took off.

A/N: Quick update. I wonder how long I can keep this up. HAHA! A few things about this chapter. Yes, Ellie was basically Ellie from Degrassi (She's my favorite character and I just thought she would be perfect for this role) Cocoa is Cody's nickname btw. Oh and he was inspired by my awesome friend from summer camp who acted exactly like him. Ryan I love him! You will see more of them in the next few chapters. Thanks soo much again for the reviews they mean alot. I know there are lots of questions about who Casey is going to end up with. You'll maybe figure it out in the next few chaps, maybe not who knows. More drama, comedy, and suprises to come. Hope you'll continue to read and review!

-Ally