Thanks to FreakierThanFreaks, , my time is now, Cena's baby doll and CarolinaGirl521 for the lovely reviews. Thank you too to everyone who read the previous chapter. I must apologize for taking taking so long to publish a new chapter.

If everyone goes as I'm planning a new chapter will be published next Friday - or then after Christmas.

This chapter is dedicated to my time is now.

Thanks for motivating me to keep writing this story.

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With the end of the week another weekend was approaching. Nevertheless, before those two expected days arrived, students everywhere still had one more day at school to attend.

It could be another normal morning in the Keibler's residence, but something was wrong inside the four halls. The tension in the kitchen was clear as crystal - at least, for Stacy Keibler, who wasn't enjoying her morning meal not even a little bit thanks to Katherine.

By the glances her mother was sending in her direction from the counter, Stacy understood the older woman must have found out something about the night John went to visit her in the middle of the night - it didn't exist another reason for Katherine to gaze at her only daughter so recriminatory.

The tall blonde took a long and deep breath. She should have known better - the neighbour wouldn't have kept what she saw to herself; she would tell it to her progenitors and to put her in troubles.

- Stacy, Kyle - James called his two sons when entered inside the family kitchen. - Are you ready? I don't want you to be late for school.

- I'm ready - Stacy said finishing her orange juice. All she wanted was to leave the awkward room and to win some time to get ready for the inevitable. Without wanting to stay behind - everything between he and Stacy had to be a competition inside his head -, Kyle pushed his half-full bowl of cereals away. He was reading to leave too.

The two Keibler children rose to their feet. Nonetheless, before the older sibling could go further, Mrs. Keibler stopped her with words.

- James, you can take Kyle to school. I'll take Stacy later. We need to have a little chit-chat.

James sent a puzzled look in his wife's direction, but he didn't get an answer from her. Whatever she wished to speak with Stacy would stay between her and their older daughter. At least, it would stay between them for now. Maybe later he would find out the theme of their conversation.

- Someone is in troubles - Kyle mocked his older sister when passed by her side.

Stacy fought the urge of hitting him. She wondered the reason he was still joking with her when she was helping him having good grades at Math. Sometimes she wished she was a bad sister. Her threats of stopping helping him wouldn't be threats anymore if she was a bad sister.

- Are you sure? - the football coach asked. He couldn't think of what had happened for his wife's behaviour. She had only acted so strictly with Kyle. - You'll arrive late at your work. It will be better if I take her. Can't you talk when she arrives from school?

- Don't worry James. It'll be a quickly talk. - The older woman showed her white pearls in a suspicious beam. - Both I and Stacy will arrive on time to our commitments.

Stacy wished her father would protest a little more and to break her mother's will. The conversation the mother of two wanted to have with her wasn't certainly pleasant - she was using the voice and the gestures she used when wanted to have a particular conversation with Kyle. Due to her mother's actions, the blonde teenager had a slightly idea of about what she could want to speak.

Katherine waited for James and Kyle to leave the house. Only when she heard the door slamming, she spoke with Stacy, who anxiously awaited to listen to her.

- I spoke with Mrs. Smith yesterday in the supermarket. - The teenager fought to not transpire concern. From all the people in the World, she had to find the neighbour who had caught her with John a couple of days ago. - She had some interesting stuff to tell me. It was about something that happened in the neighbourhood.

- Really? - Stacy stammered. She wished her voice hadn't sounded so weak and alarmed. By now her mother already knew about her new relationship and it wasn't a good thing. She should have known hiding a secret boyfriend wouldn't work out.

- Yes. Mrs. Smith told me she woke up in the middle of the night a couple of days ago. It seems she heard some weird noises outside and she had to find out whom or what was making them,

- Did she find out? - Quickly, Stacy regretted opening her mouth. The question was more than stupid. Mrs. Smith had seen her with John. It was her voice that interrupted their kiss - a kiss that luckily she didn't see.

- She told me she saw my daughter outside with some boy. Do you mind explain to me what is happening Stacy? I can't imagine my own daughter waking up in the middle of the night to meet a boy outside my house.

- It may have happened - Stacy confessed, not too sure of her choice of words. The confirmation would only make her mother angrier with her.

- So, you went outside in the middle of a freezing night to meet a boy. May I know who he is or did you never think about telling me about him? If he makes my daughter to lie to me and to go out in the middle of a freezing night, he can't be more than just a simple friend.

Of course Stacy would end up telling her family about John and about her relationship with him. However, it was still too soon. She needed a little more time before revealing her new boyfriend to the family.

Not only the beginning of their relationship had less than a week as she and Randy hadn't broken up too long ago - she wasn't worried with Randy's reaction when he figured out she was dating John; after all, didn't he already get involved with some girl from his school? Plus, John was one of her father's basketball players - James loved her to death, but it wouldn't be easy to digest the idea of who her new boyfriend was. Because of all those reasons, the announcement about John couldn't be done lightly. Her parents needed to be prepared first.

- He is just a friend. - Lying wasn't her best option, but she felt it was the only option she had to get out of her house alive. Also if she wanted to keep her relationship with John a secret for a little longer, she had to lie - even if she wasn't very good at it.

- Stacy, I already had your age. You won't fool me. - Katherine didn't know how wrong she was about her daughter's capacity to deceive her. Her innocent daughter wasn't going to be very innocent about the subject she wanted to discuss.

- I swear he is just a friend. - Her fingers ran through her long blonde hair. It wouldn't be easy to convince her mother, but she would do it. - He had some problems at home and he wondered if he could speak with me.

- In the middle of the night?

What kind of parents would let their son walk out of their house after a late night discussion? It was bad parenting and Katherine wasn't afraid of saying it. The mother would never let any of her two kids leave the house at such late hour of night after a disagreement.

- You can have discussions with your parents at any time of the day. - Wasn't her mother trying to have one just half hour after waking up? She could have used that argument, but she didn't want to angry her mother even more.

- Stacy, stop lying to me. Neither I nor your father raised you to be a liar.

- I'm not lying! - Stacy exclaimed keeping her voice low.

- Then why did he come to speak with you? I'm sure he has more friends than you and some of those friends are boys. Why would he rather come to speak with you?

- Because...because he has a crush on me. - From all the words that had run from her mouth since the conversation with her mother begun those were the only that together were true. - He confessed he liked me a couple of weeks ago and I told him I didn't want us to be more than friends. Plus, I didn't break up Randy too long ago. After it, I couldn't send him away when he called me to speak with me in a moment of need or he would think I was pushing him away because he has feelings for me.

- That big heart of yours should know it's inappropriate to do what you did. - Stacy furrowed her eyebrows. Did her mother leave in the last century? Since when was wrong to meet a boy - any boy - outside in the middle of the night? Katherine needed to get updated. - Mrs. Smith loves to gossip. Do you know what she may have been saying about you?

- I don't know what she's saying about me, but I know she may be telling everyone a bunch of big lies. - If someone was telling a bunch of big lies, it was her. It was so easy to lie, but it didn't make her feel good with herself. - You shouldn't believe what Mrs. Smith says. You know her nosy ways always put innocent people in trouble.

Katherine thought about her daughter's words. As much as she wished believe in Stacy, there was something odd in the story she was telling her.

Noticing her mother was very quiet, Stacy took advantage of the opportunity. It was cue to try to leave the house and to come to an end with the talk.

- Mom, I'm going to be late for school. - It was wrong to end the conversation so abruptly, but if it went on she would be late for school - which meant she would make a little trip to the detention room - and maybe would end contradicting herself. - Will you take me or not?

- Sure. - Without another word or glance at her daughter's direction, Katherine left for the living room where her purse was placed.

Stacy wasn't the girl who lied to save her own skin. Nevertheless, if she wanted to maintain her relationship with John, she would have to make sure it would be a secret from her family for a while. When everything was resolved, Stacy would tell the truth. But for now, she would keep the lie.

For the first time in her short life, Stacy had a dirty little secret - and she didn't appreciate it.

The news given by Candice shocked Torrie. Since the beginning, the honey blonde found Candice's plan to get Phil by his younger brother a little too much - in other words, she thought it wouldn't work at all -, but as a good friend she was, she supported Candice´s crazy idea and even swore she would do everything in her power to help her friend to reach her goal. Nonetheless, it never crossed her mind Candice would end up winning what she wanted - she hadn't "won" it exactly yet, but if she understood it right the raven-haired woman was closer of it than she was before.

- Let me see if I understood it right. - Torrie was ready to recap the latest news Candice gave. And while she was doing it, she would convince herself it was true and nothing more than the truth. - Damon called you and he told you his mother wanted you to babysit him.

- Yes. - By the tone of voice used in the "yes" it was clear Candice was very excited. It wasn't every day that she found herself close of winning the boy she was crushing for almost three months.

- But when you arrived at Damon's home you understood he had lied to have you around and his brother was the one who actually had to take care of him.

- Yes.

- Then his girlfriend appeared at the house - it was the hardest part for Torrie to conceive - and she thought he had lied to her when saw you around - she thought he wanted to spend time with you - and then she broke up with him.

- Yes! - Candice exclaimed with a huge smile etched across her face. Her tone of voice earned a few odd glances from the other girls in the classroom that were waiting too for the beginning of the class.

The raven haired had never felt as happy as when she understood it was all over between her crush and his punk girlfriend. For the first time in a long time, Candice felt she was a lucky person. She was finally receiving what she deserved.

The honey blonde furrowed her eyebrows. Could someone blame Torrie Wilson for feeling a little bit suspicious? They were best friends since they were young, but Candice's story wasn't very plausible - at least for her, the story had a side that didn't make it believable.

- Are you sure you aren't making it up? - Torrie asked out of the blue, making the happy teenager to lose her huge smile. The blonde tried to ignore the dirty glance sent in her direction. - Are you sure you didn't listen to what your ears wanted to listen to?

- Did you and Stacy changed personality and no one told me? - Candice exclaimed in a very sour mood. Her bright mood had gone downhill with her friend's suggestion. She was one hundred percent sure of what she heard and seen. - You should be happy for me. You shouldn't be trying to bring me down.

- I'm happy for you - Torrie defended herself. She loved to see her friends in high spirits. Not only didn't they annoy her with depressive moods as she wasn't caught in a depressing twirl of emotions. - I'm just very surprised with everything.

Inhaling a deep and long breath, Candice calmed herself down. Nothing and no one would ruin her happiness. She was finally getting what she wanted and no one would ruin her goal. In the next months, she was convinced she would be dating Phil.

- I think I may make Damon a visit today and if there's a chance I'll speak with Phil - Candice said, sharing her plans. She had an opportunity and she would take it. - I'll try to comfort him. Torrie, this is the opportunity I was waiting for.

- You know, maybe he already spoke with his girlfriend and...

- Ex-girlfriend! - Why was Torrie consecutively trying to take her down? It was hard to stay positive when she was surrounded by such a negative person.

- Fine. - The blonde crossed her arms over her chest. Candice was over the moon and soon or later she would fall hard if she didn't think about some possibilities that could be very true by now. - Perhaps he already spoke with his ex-girlfriend and she is once again his girlfriend. Don't you think you are precipitating?

The raven haired teenager rolled her eyes. Couldn't Torrie share the same enthusiasm as she? Since the school started she had been dreaming about Phil and now she was very closer of having him - she was closer of becoming his official girlfriend. If everything worked out as she wished, with the start of a new year she would have a new boyfriend. And it was better for her friends to be happy with it.

- You are late - Candice exclaimed when saw Stacy approaching from them. Just like that, she ended her conversation with Torrie, who was trying to "demolish" her plans to have a new boyfriend.

- I'm not late - Stacy mumbled while occupying her desk. The morning interrogatory had affected her more than she thought it would do. She didn't expect to feel angry with herself for lying to her own mother, but she felt.

Two pair of eyes stared at her filled with confusion. Stacy was never in a bad humour - not even when she broke up with Randy or rumours about her cheating on him with John were spread she emerged in a bad mood. The teenager blonde was still nice to everyone. She was even nice for those who were bashing and badmouthing her behind her back and she had knowledge of their actions.

Everyone had the right to have a bad morning, but Stacy never had one and she would probably have one if something odd - or terrible - was going on. No wonder, the basketball coach's daughter would make her friends and people who knew her to feel worried if she acted the way she was acting the moment.

- What happened? - Candice asked and approached her desk closer of the one where Stacy was sat. Torrie followed Candice's gesture. This wasn't the Stacy they knew and were friends with.

- I had a solemn talk with my mother this morning - the blonde explained. She opened her bag and took off some books. Luckily she hadn't forgotten anything - however, she had almost left her bag in her mother's car.

- About what? - The taller blonde bit her bottom lip, a sign she was inclined to keep it a secret from them. If Torrie was first astonished by Candice's tale, not she was concerned because of Stacy's strange behaviour. - C'mon Stacy, you are worrying us.

- Someone saw me with John and told her. - Her friends were aware of her relationship with John. They were only people to whom she told and gladly it would remain like that for a long while. Or until she felt it was time to reveal to her parents. - I had to lie and to tell he was just a friend.

Candice and Torrie exchanged an interrogation glance. It wasn't abnormal Stacy to speak with the members of the male genre. Why would her mother make a big deal out of it? Perhaps there was something Stacy wasn't telling them...

- May I know why your mother won a sudden interest in the guys with whom you walk around? - Torrie queried. She along with Candice wanted to know all the truth. - Or did that person saw you two doing something more than walking around? I can imagine a few things you could be doing that made your mother angry at you for being seen with John.

Stacy blushed and did her best to hide it, but it was impossible. Her red cheeks had already been seen by her two best friends who were possibility - they were certainly - imagining uncomfortable situations she may have been caught with her boyfriend. However, their minds were being too perverse.

- I don't know what you two are thinking, but slow down your imagination. We were just talking outside in the middle of snow. Nothing scandalous happened.

For a moment the three friends stayed in silence. The noise was being made by the classmates that surrounded them. Nevertheless, Candice couldn't keep her mouth shut up anymore. There was something she wanted to say and the brunette wouldn't keep it to herself.

- I can't believe you lied to your mother. You are just becoming such a pretty little liar.

- Shut up - Stacy ordered. Her conscience was heavy enough. Her two best friends didn't need to make her feel worse about the lies she told than she already was feeling.

- And she is winning your morning foul mood - Torrie joked landing her eyes on Candice, who didn't find the joke as funny as the honey blonde did.

It had been a while since John had a girlfriend. Before Stacy, he probably had one official girlfriend and some hook-ups. However, he was one hundred percent sure it was normal a girlfriend to reply to his messages and Stacy hadn't done it yet.

He wondered if he should be worried for not having news from her. Nevertheless, at the end of day, they were trying to be discrete because of the parents and probably the reason she didn't reply was because it would raise suspicions - after the night they had been caught by one of Stacy's neighbours, their contact had decreased.

- Do you know where Matt is? - Listening to his friend's voice, John put away his cell phone and swerved his eyes in Chris's direction. He hadn't noticed the dirty-blonde getting closer of him.

- He sent me a message saying that he had some emergency at home - the basketball team caption answered. He hadn't paid much attention to the message from Matt because his mind was on Stacy.

- Is it everything fine? - John shrugged his shoulders. When his girlfriend replied to his message or gave him a call, he would think about Matt's message and would try to read it between the lines.

Understanding he wouldn't have a better answer from John, Chris looked around the school hall. They were waiting for the class to start. However, due to the classroom door being locked, the students had to wait for the teacher to arrive. While fathoming the hall, his eyes caught the presence of Katie Lea - she wasn't easy to miss in a crowd.

- I wish I could know what is going on inside her mind - Chris whispered and unluckily, John listened to him. It was in one of those brief moments, he wasn't thinking if Stacy was in trouble.

It had been a while since Chris and Katie had been playing a cat and mouse game - where Kate was the cat and Chris the mouse. During the last three months it has been funny, but at the same time annoying, to see Chris running from Katie and without understanding her intentions.

- Where are you going?

John didn't give an answer and walked to Katie's side. He was going to make his good action of the day and hopefully Chris wouldn't annoy him anymore with more stories about Katie and her crazy intentions towards him.

- What did you do? - Chris asked as soon as John returned to his side. He had seen him speaking with Katie. For what he realized, it had been an easy task and when his friend walked back to his side, the girl had been left with a smile on her face.

- Prepare yourself to go to a winter crazy Gothic party Saturday - John announced without stop his walking. It didn't give time for Chris to protest about it.

With his good action of the day done, John only hoped he would finally receive a reply from Stacy before feeling worried. As much as they had to discrete, it didn't mean something couldn't have happened and it was the real reason he wasn't receiving an answer.

I'm sorry for the spelling and grammar mistakes. English isn't my first language.

xoxo

Ainat