Chapter 3: The wait

A/N: ROFL, you already know who the second OC is, although you may not remember it from the last chapter.

6:45 PM:

The cold night air bit at Kari's cheek. For the moment, the area in front of the school was mostly empty. It wouldn't be for long. She hoping that T.K would arrive before Davis, because she knew she had promised her attention to Davis, for the evening, at least.

She didn't think it was likely… She wouldn't even have bet on T.K's arrival. She knew that tonight was going to hurt for the boy she liked, so that Davis could have what she had agreed too.

Why am I doing this anyway? She asked herself, If this is going to wreck the dance for me, why don't I just tell Davis that I'm canceling on him, that someone else has asked? He'll understand.

But she knew why she wasn't canceling. She liked Davis, too. And much as she preferred T.K, seeing Davis hurt would wreck the dance for her, too. She'd rather not wreck it for Davis, as well. And while it might wreck this ONE night for T.K, this was probably the only chance she'd give Davis.

As it turned out, though, her hopes turned out to be reasonable, as T.K showed up before Davis.

He walked over to her, smiling as if he were plotting something.

"What are you plotting?" Kari asked.

"Nothing" T.K answered, still smirking

"Honestly, I can TELL you are plotting something, spit it out." She said

"You'll see." He said with a laugh.

Kari rolled her eyes. It clearly had to do with her, so it was probably his idea of vengeance… for making him jealous, since she knew he couldn't care less about the wait. She didn't really care; there wasn't much that he was could and would do that would hurt her, and even less that he would do intentionally, "Whatever. Anyway, what's new?"

"Nothing. The homework for the weekend is boring, and there is too much of it, as always, and that's about all that is really vaguely new since you last talked to me. You?"

"Nothing her either. I'm already DONE with my homework for the weekend." She said.

"No need to rub it in." He said.

"I'm not" She said, and then after a short pause, she launched into the topic they had both been avoiding out of concern for each others feelings, "This dance is going to be awful."

"Then tell him you changed your mind."

"And wreck the evening for him?" Kari asked, slightly pointedly.

"Better him than you." T.K said.

"T.K... It's going to be a wreck for me either way. I either wreck the evening for him, or I have to spend the dance with him rather than you."

"Kari... You're hurting me, too, you know." He said.

"Damn it, I know that!" She said, hurt by his insensitivity, "I have to choose between hurting you, or devastating him. Believe it or not, I like him, as well... And although I like you more, I was hoping you'd understand, that way I didn't have to feel GUILTY on top of everything else."

"I'm sorry." T.K said, "I... wasn't thinking."

The area in front of the doors to the school had begun to fill, and so the two reluctantly ended their conversation, knowing that Davis would show soon, and trying not to wreck the dance for him if he figured out this was the only date he'd ever get with Kari.

Both KNEW that Davis knew, but they didn't feel the need to rub it in.

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5 minutes later:

The area in front of the school was now crowded, with excited teenagers trying to push and shove their way to the door, never mind that it would only take a couple minutes to get into the school whether you were at the front or at the back.

Davis and Kari stood side by side, Kari faking a smile, although it wasn't as difficult for her as she thought it would be, because the evening wouldn't be that bad.

T.K stood alone, watching Kari. The way she'd snapped at him had surprised him, and it made him feel really guilty. Here, she had been relying on him to make this easy for her, and he had failed. He knew, as well, that he couldn't get away with what he had been plotting... She'd be REALLY angry.

Yolie was with her date, a boy by the name of Johnathan. To be honest, she didn't like him at all. But she was trying to avoid admitting to Ken how she felt about him... She was so sure that a relationship would be awkward becuase of what he'd done.

Ken was with his date, Jenna. He liked Jenna, but only as a friend. She was a fine person, and she really didn't deserve the way her peers treated her.... It wasn't her fault her mother refused to medicate her on the days she had custody, because she felt that 'discipline' could do it. All the same, he wasn't going to dump her. Jenna didn't know who he'd been, and the only girl he liked DID. And he was sure that it would make a relationship with Yolie awkward.

The doors finally opened, and the school's ASB stood behind the door to greet everyone, and to make sure everyone was actually supposed to be there.