A/N: I'm so sorry that I'm posting this so late. I totally forgot and I'm actually at my cousin's house right now. The next chapter isn't exactly done yet... I'll do my best to get it done and posted tomorrow, but I don't know if I can. Sorry in advance if I can't post it tomorrow.
December 30th
"So… What do you think?" the brunette asked nervously, stepping out into the hall in order for her mother to analyze her outfit.
For the special occasion, Sonny was dressed in the white, layered dress given to her by Portlyn, Tawni, and Penelope. Around the waist, a black ribbon was tied in a bow behind her. Leaving her hair down, she pinned it to the side using the golden rose hairpiece.
"Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous," the proud mother smiled, hugging her daughter.
"Thanks, mom. They helped me a lot," she returned the smile, motioning to the mass of teenage girls behind her.
"It wasn't that much work, really. She's already very pretty," Penelope remarked, seeming absolutely guiltless.
"Yes she is," Connie grinned affectionately, squeezing Sonny's shoulder gently.
"Alright, alright. Enough," she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "James will be here soon and I have to finish getting ready."
As she headed back into the bedroom and the other girls scattered, Zora and Audrey glanced at each other tensely, knowing exactly what the other was thinking. "Of course Penelope's playing the nice girl angle."
Hearing the doorbell ring, Sonny shouted, "Can someone get that, please?"
"Got it," the two girls yelled in response, heading towards the front of the apartment complex.
"I still think you shouldn't go," Tawni rolled her eyes. "He's a jerk."
"Everyone deserves a second chance, Tawni," she replied, tossing her phone into her purse lying on the bed.
"Fine. Don't come crying to me when he dumps you again," the blonde shrugged, sitting down and flipping through a magazine.
"We're not even dating!" Sonny restated for the twentieth time. "We're not even really friends."
"Whatever," Tawni shot back, not bothering to look up from her magazine.
In the front hall, Zora and Audrey pulled the door open and were greeted by the tall brunet who was wearing a white button-down shirt and black tie, holding a grey dress jacket.
Smiling, he addressed them politely, "Hello Zora, Audrey."
"James," Audrey nodded curtly as Zora folded her arms, saying, "Conroy."
Glancing around apprehensively, he began to state, "Uh, I'm here for—"
"Sonny. We know," the blonde finished, refusing to move from her spot on the floor.
"Girls, stop terrorizing the poor boy," Connie called as she entered the room, moving towards them.
"Hello, Ms. Munroe. It's a pleasure to meet you," he grinned charmingly, extending his hand towards her in the space between the girls' heads.
"Hello, James. Sonny has always wanted to see a Broadway musical. She couldn't stop talking about it all week," the mother disclosed with a warm smile as she shook his hand.
Just as he opened his mouth to say something more, the brunette came into view in the back of the room, taking her new pair of heels out of their box.
Seeing James gaping subtly, Connie assumed her daughter had arrived. "Well, I guess I'll just go now. It was nice meeting you!" she shouted as she exited towards the living room.
Reaching the doorway, Sonny smiled welcomingly as she greeted him. "Hello, James."
"Hello, Sonny," he responded slowly as he snapped out of his daze. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah," she nodded, stepping into her shoes and fastening the straps.
The two young girls parted to let their friend through, glaring at James once her back was to them.
Holding out his arm for her, James let Sonny lead the way as he caught a glimpse of the two girls looking worriedly at each other as they shut the door.
Inside the apartment complex, the blonde haired prima donna and the boy with bright blue eyes peered around the corner of the living room.
"Should we go now?" Chad suggested, glancing at his cell phone clock.
Nodding as she checked hers as well, she replied, "Yeah. Skyler and Darren are going to meet us there, right?"
"Mhm. I'll text him once we get close to the theatre."
As the pair strutted over to the door, Tawni remembered, "Shouldn't we tell someone we're leaving?"
Spinning around, Chad yelled, "Hey, we're leaving now!"
"No one cares!" Nico retorted from his beanbag chair.
Raising an eyebrow at the blonde, he held the door open for her and followed her to the lobby.
In the back booth a small bakery in downtown New York City sat the always charming Skyler DeVane who was accompanied by equally as charming Darren Criss. Together, the two were laughing over their cups of coffee as they picked at the remainder their food.
"So, he really hid in a wardrobe closet for the entire day?" the older boy chuckled in disbelief.
"Yep! If it was anyone else other than Rider Kingston attempting to flirt with him, I'm pretty sure Chad could have filed for assault," his companion grinned.
"What made Portlyn dare him to do that?"
"Who knows? We generally don't try to get into the mindset of Portlyn Maddison. It's a dangerously scary open place," Skyler joked, taking another sip of his coffee.
Nodding knowingly, Darren related, "Ahh, I remember this one time Chris and I were in character during this interview along with Heather—"
He was interrupted by the vibration of the dark green phone on the beige table, signaling that he had a new message.
"I'm sorry about that," Skyler apologized, lifting his cell phone from the table to read the message.
"Don't worry about it," he reassured his friend, sipping his coffee.
"Oh, Chad says that he and Tawni are a few blocks away from the theatre. We should get going too," the green-eyed boy advised as he stuffed his phone into the pocket of his jacket.
"Sure, let's go!" Darren replied enthusiastically as he stood up from his seat.
As the boys took what was left of their dinner to the trash, they pushed the doors to the bakery open and headed down the street into the bitter cold.
"Lucky that we found a bakery just a few blocks away from the theatre," Skyler murmured through the wind as he pulled his scarf up around his mouth.
As soon as they had made it to the first intersection, the couple was swarmed by reporters and photographers, shouting over each other and gusts of winter air.
"That duet last night on Condor TV has said to be as controversial as the original scene from Glee. Any opinions?"
"Where are you two headed off to this evening? Have anything fun planned?"
"Your fans and all of Hollywood are asking the same question: Are you two in fact dating?"
Keeping his eyes forward and ignoring their questions, Skyler felt Darren take his hand, leading him forward as the crosswalk light changed to green. For the next four blocks, the duo was pursued by the nosy interviewers.
By the time they reached the entrance of Majestic Theater, Chad and Tawni were just stepping out of their limo. Noticing the two other teen stars, the paparazzi began hounding them with similar questions.
Wordlessly, the group of four headed inside the theatre. Glancing back to see security handling the wild journalists outside the building, Skyler breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad that's over," he exhaled, relaxing his shoulders and the releasing grip he had on Darren's hand.
"Hey, who said you could let go?" the shorter boy smiled teasingly.
Taking his hand again, Tawni rolled her eyes and directed, "We've got to go in and find them now."
"Right," the three boys nodded, trailing behind her to the theatre doors.
Once they had their tickets validated, Darren whispered, "I think I see the back of James' head over there."
"Where?" Tawni hissed softly.
"Oh, I see him! Follow us," Skyler replied, leading the way.
"Where should we sit?" the blue eyed boy whispered urgently.
"Uh… up there," the blonde pointed to the front row of seats in the balcony just above the targets.
Hurrying along, they managed to snatch up the last four open seats in the front row of the balcony, in the perfect position to spy on the brunette Random and her "non-date."
Settling in, each removed his or her thick winter jacket and draped it over the back of the chair he or she was occupying, observing the subjects below.
Back at the apartment, a mob consisting of teens and young adults was being ushered out the door by the two chaperones.
Logan trailed behind the rest of the group, asking in confirmation, "Are you guys sure you don't want to come bowling with us?"
Barely looking up from his book, Chase nodded from the couch, "You go ahead. I'm not much of a bowler."
"And I'm just not in the mood," Rider shrugged, sprawled out on the couch opposite from Chase.
"Wearing filthy, disgusting shoes other people have worn while using filthy, disgusting bowling balls in a filthy, disgusting bowling alley?" Penelope grimaced.
"Pass," she and Portlyn chorused.
"Suit yourself," Luke shrugged, leading Logan out of the room and down the hall with the others.
Once the limo full of tourists arrived at the bowling alley and everyone who was bowling rented shoes, they broke off into two groups of six.
In Lane 8 were Nico, Grady, Damien, Matthew, Shayne, and Connie. In Lane 7 were Audrey, Zora, Luke, Logan, Cassie, and Caleigh. Hannah had agreed to sit out, considering she hadn't really come to bowl, but rather to get out of the apartment after a week of being confined.
As the games began, Nico had bowled a seven with his first ball and a gutter-ball with the second. The rest of his group didn't fare much better, with the exception of Shayne and Connie. On his very first roll, Shayne hit a strike.
"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be," Nico raised an eyebrow mockingly.
As the boys laughed, Connie stepped up to the lane. Observing carefully, they watched as her ball rotated down the lane, earning a nine. With the second shot, she managed to hit the very last pin, receiving a spare as her first score.
"Whoa! Nice going, Ms. Munroe!" Matthew nodded, impressed by her bowling skills.
"Please, I told you all that you can call me Connie," she smiled as she strolled back towards her seat at the table.
Over at Lane 7, things were going fairly well for them. Audrey, Zora, and Cassie were all averaging about the same score as was Luke. For Luke's first time bowling, he was doing a fine job in all of their opinions. Logan had the highest average, but only by a few points. Caleigh was having trouble, but each of the older players decided to take turns guiding her shots, so she was only trailing behind by several points.
After her first roll, Caleigh jumped up and down happily at her score of six. "Yay! I got a six because that's how old I am!" she exclaimed, causing everyone to laugh due to her infectious enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, back at the apartment, things were quiet. In the living room, Rider had a chance to try out the gaming systems for a while. He kept the volume at a tolerable level so that his friend, who was lying with his back flat on the floor and holding his book above his head, would not be irritated with him. The two girls had shut themselves in their room to have a sappy movie marathon. Or at least that was the excuse they had told the boys.
"So, what do you want to watch?" Portlyn chirped, flouncing across the room to pick up a stack of DVD's from the table next to the TV.
"Portlyn," Penelope rolled her eyes as she shut their door.
"There's A Walk To Remember, My Sister's Keeper, Charlie St. Cloud—"
"Portlyn," she repeated with more force.
"Or we could always just see what's on TV," the brunette shrugged, reaching for the remote.
"Portlyn Maddison, stop talking for two seconds and just listen," Penelope nearly yelled.
Once the other girl was silenced, Penelope began, "Remember when I told you about my plan involving James so I could date Chad?"
"Yeah? What about it?" the other girl inquired, cocking her head to the side.
"Well, the plan is going well. That's why she's not here right now. I just thought you'd want to know," the devious brunette smiled.
"I thought she was with James Conroy going to see that musical… What was it called again? 'Ghost of the Theater' or something?"
"It's Phantom of the Opera. And yes, that's part of the plan," her friend rolled her eyes.
"Oh. That's cool, I guess," the brunette airhead shrugged, only half comprehending the situation. "Now, what movie do you want to watch?"
She sighed and replied, "A Walk To Remember."
As her friend cheerfully inserted the movie into the DVD player, Penelope sprawled out on her bed and sighed under her breath.
In the living room, Chase had nodded off in the middle of reading his book, which was now on the floor next to the couch. Putting the game on pause, Rider sneakily crept over to the kitchen, opening one of the containers of cookies, which Sonny had specifically said to leave alone.
Just as he reached inside to pull one out, Chase said, "Don't you dare take one of those cookies, Kingston."
"How did you—"
"When the obnoxious background music for your game suddenly ceased, I woke up and assumed you'd left. Then I heard your footsteps in the kitchen," Chase explained, still lying on the couch with his eyes closed. "Now, if you want to eat one of those cookies without being mauled, you'll bring me one as well."
"You're so bossy, Alteau. Gosh," Rider grumbled teasingly, taking two cookies from the container.
By the time he had walked into the living room, Chase had picked up his book and held it up above his face to read.
"One Double-Amazing-Chocolate-Delight cookie for Chase Archimedes Alteau," he announced, handing Chase his cookie.
"Thank you, Rider Ian Kingston," he rolled his eyes, placing the cookie between his teeth as he turned to the next page of his book.
Leaning down, Rider gingerly took a bite out of Chase's cookie, smirking as he left the other boy glaring scathingly.
"Screw you, Kingston," he griped, setting down his book and holding what was left of his cookie.
Taking a bite out of his own cookie, the other boy replied with a smirk, "You wish."
After the green-gray eyed actor had returned to his game, the Chase bit into remainder of his cookie and muttered softly to himself before hiding his rapidly reddening face in his book once more.
From the balcony of Broadway's Majestic Theater, the three-name blond had barely paid attention to the whole first act. He was too preoccupied with observing the two subjects of the operation below.
Glancing across the row, he noted the look of contentment and bliss on his best friend's face, obviously a direct result of the ideal date with the perfect person. Smiling faintly, Chad looked back to the stage and heard the blond diva sigh wistfully as the music transitioned to a soft, lullaby-like melody.
Onstage, the scenery depicted a frosty rooftop with fluffy, white snow floating down gracefully. As the brunette actress portraying Christine Daaé looked out into the crowd, as if she was overlooking a brightly lit city, the blond actor playing Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny approached her from behind.
"No more talk of darkness. Forget these wide eyed fears. I'm here, nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you," he sang in a gentle tone as he stood alongside her.
Let me be your freedom
Let daylight dry your tears
I'm here, with you, beside you
To guard you and to guide you
Turning her head to meet his gaze, Christine replied, "Say you'll love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you, now and always. Promise me that all you say is true. That's all I ask of you…"
From her seat, Sonny smiled softly, nearly hypnotized by the pair. She was so absorbed in the scene that she didn't even notice James had placed his arm around her shoulders.
Let me be your shelter.
Let me be your light.
You're safe, no one will find you.
Your fears are far behind you.
The couple elegantly shifted across the stage hand in hand as they exchanged their words.
All I want is freedom,
A world with no more night.
And you, always beside me,
To hold me and to hide me.
From the balcony, the two boys on the end of the row had intertwined their fingers and they smiled fondly, looking into the other's eyes.
Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime.
Let me lead you from your solitude.
Say you'll need me with you here, beside you.
Anywhere you go, let me go too.
Christine, that's all I ask of you.
As Raoul wrapped his arms around Christine, Tawni sighed dreamily when she detected the Phantom lurking behind one of the statues, causing Chad to silently roll his eyes and peek down at the two chestnut haired teens.
Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime.
Say the word and I will follow you.
Share each day with me, each night, each morning.
He observed as the boy reached for Sonny's hand, just as she withdrew it from the armrest. The blond just about laughed out loud, but refrained from doing so.
"Say you love me," Christine sang just as Raoul replied with, "You know I do."
Love me, that's all I ask of you.
The couple on the stage shared a beautifully passionate kiss as the short musical interlude began. Sonny smiled and blushed deeply at the fleeting thought of herself and a certain blond actor. After a few moments, she tore her eyes from the stage to check the time on the wristwatch her mother had lent her. Suddenly, she felt James' arm around her shoulders and subtly straightened up in her seat as she looked back to the stage, causing him to remove his arm from her chair.
Anywhere you go, let me go too.
Love me, that's all I ask of you.
As the scene transitioned, the mood between James and Sonny did as well. Thanks to the air of uneasiness, the time between the song "All I Ask of You" and the end of the first act flew by.
During intermission, James turned to Sonny, holding his cell phone and saying, "I'll be back in just a sec. I have to return this call."
"Okay, go ahead," she nodded, pulling out her own phone.
Once he had left, she sent a quick text and settled into her seat once again.
On the second level of the theatre, the Tawni's phone vibrated obnoxiously in her purse on the floor causing her friends to look at her.
"Ugh, sorry," she muttered, sending the green and hazel eyed boys back to their discussion about the musical so far.
Rolling her eyes, she picked it up and read, "Hey, Tawni. You told me to text you during intermission…?"
In a matter of seconds, she typed her reply back.
"Oh, yeah! How's everything going with you and James?"
"Is that Sonny? What are you saying to her?" Chad demanded when he saw the blonde speed texting.
"Yes, it's Sonny. I asked her how things are going with James," she answered, rolling her eyes as a new message appeared in her inbox.
"It's alright, I guess... Really kinda sorta intensely awkward…"
"Hah, Conroy's screwing up. That's good to hear," the blond smirked as Tawni showed him the text.
"Yeah, but if you don't do anything soon, he'll still win her over," she pointed out.
"Time is running out," his conscience restated.
Sighing, he replied to both, "I know."
Out in the lobby, James was leaning against the wall, holding his phone to his ear.
After about three rings, he heard the female's voice say, "Hey. How's it going?"
"Well, I'm alive, aren't I?"
"Yeah, yeah. But your date's going well?"
"I guess so. It's not really a date. I put my arm around her shoulder and she sort of shrugged it off," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Ugh. You better not mess this up for us. If this doesn't work out, she'll never want to go out with you," the brunette on the other end of the line reminded him.
"I know, Penelope. I'll be careful."
"Good. Now get back in there," she ordered before hanging up the phone.
Sighing, he proceeded to drop his phone into his pocket and return to his seat wordlessly.
"I'm back," he announced as he sat down once again.
"Everything alright?" Sonny asked with a hint of concern in her voice.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," he nodded, rubbing the back of his head, trying to clear his mind.
Before she could question him any longer, the lights dimmed and music flowed through the air once more.
About an hour and a half later, the performance came to an end. Everyone in the audience applauded loudly and smiled as the cast took their final bows.
"Okay guys, we've got to get out of here before they see us," Chad declared in an urgent tone.
"Yeah, let's go," Tawni nodded, following behind him.
"Actually, you two go ahead," Skyler offered. "I think Darren and I are going to hang out for a little while longer. I'll see you guys back at the apartment."
Nodding, Chad replied, "Alright. See you later."
Once the main operatives of the mission had departed, Darren held out his hand toward Skyler, who complied gladly. As the two boys gradually made their way to the doors, following behind the large crowd of theatre-goers, Darren paused.
Looking around, he whispered, "Hey, uh. Just wait a sec."
"Hmm?" he murmured, glancing down from the balcony.
Down below, the floor was empty of the majority of the audience, whereas the lobby was filled.
"Let's go this way," the shorter actor motioned, leading the taller one towards a door labeled, "Authorized personnel only."
Raising an eyebrow, Skyler quietly followed along, wondering where Darren was taking him. At the bottom of the stairs was a long hallway lined with rooms. Each door was decorated with a little plaque in the shape of a star containing the name of the actor or actress whose dressing room it was. The green eyed boy smiled faintly as he recognized some of the names. After a few turns, the pair arrived at a heavy black door.
Looking up at him, Darren grinned, "Are you ready for this?"
When Skyler nodded, he instructed, "Close your eyes."
As he did so, he felt the other boy's hand resting on his shoulder, guiding him through the door.
Once they were standing in the center of the room, the shorter actor told him, "Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Instantly, Skyler's green eyes were filled with light, which was beaming down from the ceiling. Gawking at where he was standing, he scanned his surroundings disbelievingly. He had finally been given the chance to stand on a real Broadway stage.
"It's amazing isn't it?" Darren smiled, his hazel eyes bright with excitement.
"Indescribably," Skyler grinned, spinning around several times and moving across the nearly empty stage to take in everything he could see. "Are you sure it's alright for us to be here?"
Nodding, the older of the two reassured, "Yeah. I arranged everything earlier."
"What do you mean by 'everything'?"
Darren grinned at him and motioned to someone on the side of the stage.
As the lights dimmed slightly, a soft guitar accompaniment emanated from the speakers.
Walking slowly towards his companion, Darren sang, "Don't know much about your life. Don't know much about your world, but… Don't want to be alone tonight on this planet they call Earth."
Smiling softly, Skyler met him halfway and joined in with, "You don't know about my past and I don't have a future figured out. And maybe this is going too fast. And maybe it's not meant to last…"
Holding out his hand, Darren looked into the other boy's eyes, captivating him while being captivated by him.
But what do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Grinning as Skyler's face reddened, Darren let his emotions flow through his voice.
Never knowing if there's solid ground below,
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay.
What do you say?
What do you say?
Breaking their gaze, Skyler strode towards the left wing, his face flushing a light shade of red, and Darren followed suit, heading to the right wing.
I just want to start again
And maybe you could show me how to try.
And maybe you could take me in,
Somewhere underneath your skin.
As he headed back towards center stage, Darren had his eyes fixated on Skyler with a sincere and kind look on his face.
What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Letting the other boy take his hand, Skyler smiled weakly and bit his lip. He was feeling a bit hesitant about the whole situation.
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?
At the end of the chorus, he let go and turned around, looking down at his feet and singing, "And I had my heart beaten down, but I always come back for more, yeah."
Approaching him slowly, Darren softly sang, "There's nothing like love to pull you up, when you're lying down on the floor there."
He walked around to face Skyler, just as he turned his head away. The shorter musician caught him by the chin and turned him back to look into his eyes.
So talk to me, talk to me,
Like lovers do.
Skyler's green eyes flickered happily as Darren goofily danced in place for him.
Yeah, walk with me, walk with me,
Like lovers do.
Like lovers do.
Quickly traversing back across the stage, trailing after Skyler, Darren didn't give up hope.
What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Smiling to himself, Skyler chuckled softly as Darren pounced on his shoulder. Taking his hands, he let the hazel eyed singer lead him back to center stage.
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
Gazing genuinely into his eyes and meaning every word, Darren asked, "What do you say?"
"What do you say?" Skyler repeated softly.
Don't know much about your life.
Don't know much about your world…
When the music came to an end, all that could be heard was the sound of their breaths.
Once he had caught his breath, Darren looked up at Skyler with his puppy dog eyes, "Over the past week, I realized that I've never felt anything like the way I do when I'm with you. And I haven't asked officially, so… Skyler DeVane… Will you take a chance with me?"
A small smile formed on Skyler's lips as he answered, "Only if you'll hold my hand when we jump off the edge."
"I will," Darren nodded seriously and smiling affectionately.
"Then, yes," Skyler grinned in return.
As one tilted his head up, the other leaned down, and their lips met in a sweet and sincere kiss to seal their deal.
"Phew, we made it back before them," Chad whistled as he stepped out of the elevator.
"Just barely. They should be here in less than ten minutes," Tawni pointed out, hanging up her furry white coat.
"Hello to you too," Chase shouted sarcastically.
"Shut up, Alteau," the blond shot back, heading to the room that they and the other Mack Falls boys shared.
"I assume things are not looking up then?" the dark brunet inferred.
"Not really any worse, but not much better either," the blonde diva shrugged.
"What do you mean?" he inquired, sitting up and lowering his reading material.
Pausing when she reached the couch, she glanced down the hallway to see if a certain scheming brunette was approaching before replying, "She doesn't seem interested in Conroy, which is good. Mr. Arrogant over there is just being negative."
"Ah. Well, he'd better make some sort of advancement soon. We're all sick of hearing him whine about her," he rolled his eyes.
"I second that," the green-gray eyed actor piped up from the adjoining room. "It's almost as unbearable as the time when—"
"Bring that up again, Kingston, and I will slaughter you," Chad bellowed through the door.
Looking quizzically at the boy closest to where she stood, Tawni arched an eyebrow confusedly.
Shrugging and waving off the older boy's unfinished comment, Chase rose from his seat on the couch and entered the kitchen to concoct a cup of hot chocolate.
Standing alone in the living room, she remembered that the pair would be returning any minute and quickly sped down the hall, slipping into the bedroom she and the other girls shared.
In the lobby, James smiled warmly down at Sonny and chuckled softly as they waited for the elevator.
"You are unlike anyone I've ever met, Sonny."
Nodding, she answered with a faint smile, "I've been getting that a lot lately... Now, the question is, is that good or bad?"
"I don't know about everyone else, but to me it's a wonderful thing," he replied seriously.
She laughed lightly, stepping inside the elevator once the doors opened.
Turning to face him after swiping her key card, she began her farewell, "I had a great time at the musical tonight, James. Thank you so much."
"No problem," he nodded and smiled knowingly. "We should do this again sometime."
"We'll see," she responded with a small smile.
Once the doors opened again, both entered the apartment. Just as she was about to announce to her friends that they were back, James softly whispered, "Wait, Sonny…"
She glanced up at him, her brown eyes glistening softly and her lips parted slightly as she began to ask him what was wrong, when he leaned down and kissed her gently. Taken by surprise, she stood motionless, not quite sure how to react.
After a few short moments, he broke the kiss, feeling just as speechless as she was. Examining her expression, he noted that she looked more shocked than anything.
Before she could verbalize once more, he turned away and murmured something inaudibly to himself as he reentered the elevator and descended.
After he had departed, Sonny hung up her coat and slipped out of her heels before slowly striding towards the kitchen to sit down.
As she entered the kitchen, Chase glanced up and quietly greeted her with, "Oh. Hello, Sonny."
"Hi, Chase," she nodded, acknowledging his presence as she made herself a cup of hot chocolate.
"How was Phantom?" he asked, taking a sip from his own mug.
"It was great," she smiled softly. "I loved everything about it."
"While that may be so, you seem a little… shaken up about something."
"Hmm… What? Oh, it's nothing," she mumbled as she took a seat across from him at the table.
"I may not be much help to you about whatever it is that's on your mind, but I'm willing to listen if you want," he shrugged, watching as she kept her head and eyes low to avoid his gaze.
Sighing softly, she looked to Chase and admitted as she took a sip of her hot chocolate, "The musical was great, but being around James was so awkward. Tonight was part of James'… trial, I guess. I said I'd give him one week to change my mind about giving him a second chance."
"And…?"
"He was on his best behavior all week. At the ice skating rink, Empire State Building, just walking around the city… I don't know why tonight was any different," she wondered, her eyes flickering to the direction of the elevator.
"Well, the whole theme of the musical you went to see is true love, isn't it? He may have carried over some emotions from it. Whatever happened might not have meant anything at all," Chase shrugged.
Pushing her mug towards the center of the table, she rested her arms on the edge and blurted, "He kissed me," before burying her face in her arms.
Swallowing a gulp of his warm beverage, he replied, "Oh… I see…"
"What do I do?" she mumbled, her voice muffled.
"Like I said before, I might not exactly be the most helpful person to discuss this with. Maybe talk to Blondie?"
Lifting her head and sitting upright, she brushed the hair away from her face and asked, "You mean Tawni?"
Nodding, he answered, "Yeah. I apologize for not being of any assistance. Relationships aren't exactly my forte."
"All the same, thank you for listening, Chase," she smiled softly, standing up from the table. "I think I'll go talk to Tawni right now."
"No problem," he replied, standing his book on the table, searching for the place where he left off.
Picking up her mug and purse, she slowly headed to her room to converse with Tawni. Passing by the boys' room, she heard Darren's voice coming through stereo speakers, singing, "Why can't you see what you're doing to me?" Hastening her pace, she arrived at her door and nudged it open with her elbow.
Once he had heard the door click shut, Chase stood up from the table and headed for the boys' room. As he passed through the game room on his way, he softly announced, "Code red." Immediately, Rider paused his game and leapt up from the floor, following behind.
Entering their room, the two boys closed the door behind them and stood by the bed Chad was sprawled out on.
"Dude, get up. We're in code red according to Mr. Know-It-All," Rider prompted, prodding him to sit up.
"Why, what happened?" the blond asked, turning down the music with a small black remote on the bedside table.
"Sonny just informed me that Conroy kissed her," Chase stated bluntly.
The words sliced through every hopeful thought in his head.
When he didn't show any signs of response, Chase continued, "She seems very… conflicted. If you're going to make a move, it has to be tomorrow. New Year's Day ends James' trial with Sonny. She's making her decision tomorrow night. Your time is almost up."
"What do I do?" the blue eyed boy asked.
"At this point, I think the only thing you can do is just tell her flat out how you feel about her," Rider shrugged. "But that's just me. You should ask Skyler when he gets back. He might have an idea."
Sighing dramatically, Chad picked up his phone from the table. The other two were about to exit the room when he, he groaned, "Oh, we're dead."
"What is it now?" Chase asked, turning around.
Just as the two older actors approached him again, the door swung open and in came Tawni.
"Code red," she stated, throwing the door shut.
"Thanks for the news flash, Blondie, but you're late," Rider commented sarcastically.
"Oh really? Have you seen the new Tween Weekly article?" she retorted.
"I was just about to show them," Chad answered. "Look. 'As the new year approaches, it seems as though so does new romances have been forming as well. Earlier this week, we've spotted So Random's Sonny Munroe out and about in New York City with Mackenzie Falls' guest star, James Conroy. The pair was seen at various places in NYC over the past few days. Tonight, we caught them on their secretive outing as they headed in to Broadway's Majestic Theater to see Phantom of the Opera.'"
As he paused to take a breath, Tawni picked up the rest, "'But that's not all the news we have for you! Arriving shortly after them were Mackenzie Falls' Chad Dylan Cooper and So Random's Tawni Hart! Could there be spark between these two starlets?' Oh, ew! They think I'm dating Cooper!"
Rolling his eyes, Rider continued reciting, "'Also with them were Skyler DeVane of Mackenzie Falls and Glee's Darren Criss. The couple appeared to be very close. In a few of the pictures below, you can see Darren leading Skyler by the hand into the theater. Do you suppose there's something going on with them as well? What better reason to go see one of Broadway's most romantic musicals?'"
"Where did you find this article?" Chase inquired, pushing his glasses back up onto his nose.
"Tween Weekly's twitter. Posted about a half hour ago," Tawni replied.
"If Sonny sees this, we are all screwed," Chad grumbled, tossing his phone onto the other side of the bed.
A few moments later, the door opened, revealing Skyler and Darren.
"Hey, have you guys read—" Skyler began.
"Yeah, you're late," Rider interrupted him.
"Oh. Well, what are you gonna do, Chad?" he asked, sitting next to Darren on the opposite bed.
"No idea. I guess, I'll wing it when the time comes," he sighed.
Suddenly, a knock on the door silenced the group.
"I think that time has come," Chase muttered.
"Who is it?" Rider called.
"Sonny. Can I come in?" she replied.
"Yeah," Chad answered, giving Rider a look that said, "You'd better behave yourself, Kingston."
After entering the room, she stated, "I'm just gonna get right to the point.
Looking to her best friend, the pair sitting together on the bed, and the boy with cloudy blue eyes, she asked, "Were you four following me?"
An uncomfortable silence filled the room as none of them could come up with an excuse.
"…Well?"
"Psh, no… Why would we follow you and James?" Tawni rolled her eyes nonchalantly.
"I don't know. You tell me," the brunette said as she crossed her arms.
"We weren't following you, we were just… Uh… Just…" the blond sputtered, struggling to fabricate some sort of logical reason.
"I think what he means to say is, we just wanted to make sure everything was okay," Darren suggested as Chad shot him a subtly grateful look.
"Yeah, we know how Conroy can be. We didn't want anything to happen to you," Skyler nodded in agreement.
"Oh… Well, you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. But thank you anyways," she smiled at each before leaving the room, closing the door on her way out.
Everybody simultaneously let out a sigh of relief once she had gone.
"Thanks for covering for me, man," Chad thanked the brunet with hazel eyes.
"No problem," Darren nodded in return.
"So… Are you two dating?" Tawni asked, turning to face Skyler.
Flushing a deep red, the green eyed actor replied, "I could ask you two the same thing!"
"Yes, but you already know the answer to that, so…" Chad pointed out, rolling his eyes and then grinning.
He sighed and rolled his eyes good naturedly, then looked at the boy next to him.
Grinning widely and taking Skyler's hand, Darren announced, "Yes, we are."
Slapping Skyler on the shoulder the way he always did, Rider grinned, "Yeah, DeVane!"
"It's about time. Congratulations to both of you," Chase nodded, smiling faintly.
"Awesome. I approve, Sky," Chad chuckled as he extended his hand in position to perform their secret handshake.
"Oh, it's getting late. I'd better get going," the dark haired musician sighed as he checked the time.
"Oh, alright," his boyfriend nodded, standing up.
As the couple left the room, Tawni followed them out and headed to her room while the other boys began planning what they would do about the whole James situation.
"What are you guys planning to do for New Year's tomorrow night?" the shorter boy asked as they slowly strolled towards the elevator.
"We're going into Times Square to watch the countdown. How about you guys?"
"Oh! We were thinking about doing that too. Maybe we could all meet up for dinner or something. Then after, we can hang out somewhere before heading to see the countdown," Darren suggested as he pressed the elevator button.
"Definitely! Call me on Oovoo tomorrow morning and we'll talk about it," Skyler agreed.
Reaching up to give his boyfriend a hug, Darren whispered, "Perfect."
The green eyed boy kissed him on the top of the head as the elevator arrived.
Pouring out came the rest of the travelers who were returning from the bowling alley, shushing each other as they noticed the two boys still embraced.
Once they had all passed by, Skyler grinned, "I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Until then," Darren smiled, stepping into the elevator, giving a small wave as the doors closed.
Back in the boys' room Chad had dropped out of the conversation with his friends as they explained the situation to Logan and Luke, who had just arrived back. Rolling over in bed, the blond reached up and skipped to the next song on his playlist. Shutting his eyes, he let himself think about his emotions as the song played.
See, I can't wake up.
I'm living a nightmare
That keeps playing over again.
With his eyes closed, Chad could picture exactly what had happened earlier that evening. His mind kept replaying a certain moment where James lowered his lips near Sonny's ear and whispered a comment that had made her laugh softly. The image only made Chad wish he would have heard her adorable little giggle instead of James.
Locked in a room,
So hung up on you.
And you're cool with just being friends.
Somewhere in Mr. Condor's huge New York mansion, a brunet boy was pacing around in his room, reviewing the events from that night. Flopping down on his bed, he sighed, mentally scolding himself for being so impulsive.
Left on the sidelines.
Stuck at a red light.
Waiting for my time.
And I can't see…
Both boys lay motionless, pining for the same girl who hadn't the slightest clue about what to do or who to choose.
Why don't you love me?
Touch me,
Tell me I'm your everything,
The air that you breathe.
In the girls' room, Sonny burrowed under the covers as the other three crowded together on the opposite bed, gushing over the latest gossip in their magazines. Tuning out their voices, she strained to hear the music emanating through the walls of the boys' room.
And why don't you love me, baby?
Open up your heart tonight,
'Cause I could be all that you need.
Why don't you love me?
Why don't you love me?
After a few moments, she realized why the song sounded so familiar. Her best friend in Wisconsin, Lucy, had emailed her a link to it because she thought it was relevant for Sonny's situation. As the voice in her head sang along to the music, she began to realize just how right her friend was.
See, I'm just too scared
To tell you the truth.
'Cause my heart, it can't take it anymore.
She was too afraid to choose. She knew that if she chose one over the over, it would be the end of a friendship.
Broken and bruised,
Longing for you.
And I don't know what I'm waiting for.
She had a vague idea of who she wanted to be with, but there was only one problem. Even if she chose him, he wouldn't know. She wouldn't have the courage to tell him why she rejected the other. She wished he would be the one to save her, instead of the one to make things more complicated.
Left on the sidelines.
Stuck at a red light.
Waiting for my time.
So just tell me…
Before that evening, Sonny had already made her decision. She was going to give James a second chance, but she would tell him they should start off by being friends again. That was before he threw a wrench into the plan.
Why don't you love me?
Touch me,
Tell me I'm your everything,
The air that you breathe.
The kiss they shared perplexed her. It wasn't that it was terrible. In fact, it was surprising. She hadn't anticipated it. Or rather, she was hoping she wouldn't have to expect it.
And why don't you love me, baby?
Open up your heart tonight,
'Cause I could be all that you need.
The single most confusing aspect about the whole thing was that, in a way, she had liked it. She couldn't remember what it had felt like the last time she had been kissed. It left her wondering how she would feel if she chose one and not the other.
Why don't you give me a reason?
Please tell me the truth.
You know that I'll keep believing
'Til I'm with you.
Each of them rolled over to face their windows and looked out at the sky, making a wish on the North Star.
Why don't you love me?
Kiss me.
I can feel your heart tonight.
It's killing me.
For James, all he wished was for the kiss to not effect Sonny's decision. He had felt confident that he knew what her decision was and he didn't want it to change.
So why don't you love me?
Touch me,
Tell me I'm your everything,
The air that you breathe.
Chad wished for more time. He was still trying to build up the courage to tell her, but his time was almost up. He was running out of chances.
And why don't you love me, baby?
Open up your heart tonight,
'Cause I could be all that you need.
As for Sonny, she asked the universe to help her make her final decision. She was getting tired of all the games that were being played. She just wanted to things to go back to normal.
Why don't you love me?
But the universe never works the way we want it to. Much like in the Wizard of Oz, in which the wizard only truly granted one wish, only one of the trio's wishes was granted. They would soon find out which one it was.
A/N: Review, pleaseee?