Chapter 31...

TIME IS RUNNING OUT
PART 1

Dragging his suitcase out of the storage area of the coach, Kofi was exhausted. His limbs were like jelly and his eyes felt as if they would drop at any moment. He hadn't slept well at all, despite the soft cotton sheets of the hotel bed; his head had been clouded with thoughts that kept him awake. He sat down on a nearby wall in the school parking lot, his legs suddenly feeling heavy underneath him.

The coach had finally arrived back from San Diego and a few students were waiting around at the school for their parents' arrivals. Jack had his arms wrapped around a hungover Eve as they sat together on the grassy lawn, her frame leaning back against his, and Rosa, Brie and Nikki were squeezed onto a nearby bench, punching into their sidekicks.

When Brie noticed Kofi, she waved him over. "Hey you," Obviously Brie held no hard feelings over Kofi refusing to spend the night in the hotel bathroom with his headphones in whilst Brie and Montel had some fun in the hotel bed.

"I barely saw you at the club last night," Nikki told Kofi, putting her Blackberry into her Coach bag.

"That's because you and Dolph left the club early to go bang in a broom cupboard somewhere."

"Takes one to know one, right? Because you and Montel were keeping it clean as a whistle!" Obviously these kinds of insults were only acceptable because they were sisters and therefore had free passes to rip each other to shreds.

"Guys," Rosa chose to be the mature one. Besides, there was something she'd wanted to ask Kofi. "So Kofi, did you and Alicia have fun last night?"

"Yeah, it was okay." Kofi ended up going back to his hotel room at eleven-ish and speaking to Kelly on the phone for another half hour. Was it wrong he enjoyed their conversation more than the whole night at the club spent with Alicia?

She may not have had book smarts, but Rosa wasn't an idiot. "And things are alright between you guys?" She brushed off the twins ears' obviously – metaphorically - pricking up.

"Why? What has Alicia told you?"

"Nothing," Rosa liked to think she had a sixth sense when it came to relationships. "You guys seemed...distance. That's all. Not as close as you used to be, y'know?" Unfortunately, Kofi believed what Rosa was saying. He knew there were cracks in his relationship with Alicia and as much as they tried to hide it, it was obviously there. Instead of defending himself, he decided to stay silent. "I'm sure you guys will get through it though."

"But what if we don't?" Oops. He hadn't meant to say that aloud.

"So there are problems?" Rosa knew it. Their conversation stopped as a red Ferrari pulled up in the parking lot, and the twins said their goodbyes, before hopping into their mother's ridiculously extravagant car. Once they were gone, she repeated the statement.

"I guess last night I did some thinking and I realised that our relationship may well be over." Another pause, however, as Andrew Kingston came into the parking lot in his car, and Kofi was forced to leave Rosa on the curb. "Don't say anything to Alicia though, yeah?"

Rosa kept her fingers crossed behind her back. "My lips are sealed." She watched as Kofi and Eve dumped their bags into the trunk of Andrew's car, before speeding out of the parking lot. Picking up her Blackberry, she began to text Alicia.

We need to talk. Free later? R x

"Great job, son!" Andrew called to Kofi in the back seat. "I'm a proud dad right now."

"Thanks," Kofi muttered, shutting his eyes.

"You must be exhausted," Kofi didn't have to reply to his father, as from the passenger seat, Eve went into an elaborate description of the 'meal' everyone went out for the previous night – considerably bending the truth – but Kofi's mind wasn't there. The excitement he'd previously felt over the basketball victory had disappeared and been replaced by something indescribable.

His relationship with Alicia was over and there was nothing he could do to save it.

Walking up Ted's driveway, Eve felt sick.

She still hadn't gotten over what she'd seen at the club. Sleep hadn't been an option the previous, instead spent the night tossing and turning, thinking about Ted. Jack hadn't been much help, just telling her it wasn't in her control, and she'd have to let it go. What was she meant to do? How was she supposed to tell Ted she saw his girlfriend making out with another guy? If she kept it a secret, she'd be hiding the truth from her best friend; that wouldn't be fair. But if she told him the truth, she'd break his heart; that wasn't fair either.

Pressing her finger against the doorbell, the loud ring sent Riggs into a frenzy, his frantic barking audible from outside. Eve smiled; she loved Riggs. Through the frosted glass, she saw Ted calming the dog, picking him up and carrying him over to the doorway.

"Hey," Ted allowed him to kiss him on the cheek and then ruffle Riggs' coat. "I was just about to take Riggs for a walk. Wanna tag along?"

"Sure," She watched as Ted put Riggs on a lead before closing the front door and beginning to walk down the street. It was adorable to Eve how much Ted loved his dog Riggs.

"So how was San Diego?"

"The first couple of days were a little boring, but we won the game in the end, and on the last night, everyone went out to a club."

"Hungover?"

"A little," Lies. Her head was killing her.

"Sure," Ted winked, knowing her all too well. The pair had to stop walking, as Riggs began growling at a nearby dog. "Easy, Riggs!" Ted tugged lightly at the lead, forcing the dog along. "So it was a fun trip?"

"I've never been to San Diego before, so it was fun."

"Did you see Layla?" He casually slipped his girlfriend into the conversation.

"Actually, I did. That's kinda why I came over." This wasn't going to be easy.

"Oh yeah?"

"I don't really know how I'm supposed to say this-"

"In words," He responded sarcastically. "Or you could draw a picture. Although your drawing skills aren't the best."

"Layla...I saw her...she was..." Why wasn't it coming out? She'd lost the ability to form normal sentences. Eve could feel herself blushing, and Ted shooting her confused looks.

"Come on, Eve, Riggs is getting restless." Ted was joking, but she knew when he found out the truth, he'd be furious.

"I saw Layla making out with another guy."

Everything stopped. Almost like Beverly Hills knew what had just been said. The flow of traffic stopped and the roads emptied. Even Riggs stopped barking and running, stopping to sit by Ted's feet quietly. Ted himself looked straight at Eve but it was as if he couldn't quite comprehend what she was saying, as if she were speaking a foreign language. "What?" His voice was a whisper.

"I'm sorry, Ted." Eve wasn't much louder. "In the club, she was sat on another guy's lap and they were making out-"

"No, I heard what you said." He stopped her. "I just...I don't get it. Layla's my girlfriend, she wouldn't do that."

"I wish it wasn't true but she did, and you deserve better-"

"Better? Who? You?" He snapped. Ted didn't want to be around her anymore and he snapped, storming down the street with Riggs by his side.

Eve ran along next to him. "What're you talking about?"

"Face it, Eve. Ever since Layla and I got together, you've been jealous because I haven't been at your beck and call and you miss having all the attention."

"You really think that's the case?" Eve yelled at him, suddenly overcome by fury. There were tears forming at the back of her eyes, but she did her best to keep them there.

"I know that's the case." He matched her in loudness. "Why do you need me anyway? You've got Jack!"

"Ted, what the hell has gotten into you? This is about Layla, not us."

Ted shook his head, laughing at her. "What is it about you, Eve? Always the victim, never does anything wrong, everyone else is the bad guy. You don't even see the way you manipulate people! You're with Jack despite the fact you have mixed feelings about him and I don't even know why you're friends with me!"

"Because I like you." Eve whispered.

"Is it because I pay you attention? Is it because I'm the pushover that has to listen to you complain about how your perfect life isn't so perfect? Is it because you think you're not like the other shallow cheerleaders, so you hang around with a nobody like me so you can convince yourself you're a good person?"

It was Eve's turn to snap and with one quick jerk of her hand, she'd delivered a hard slap to his face. Just the sound of it sent Riggs into a barking state.

Eve didn't attempt to hide her tears anymore, sobbing as she said, "You couldn't be more wrong! I'm friends with you because I thought you were a genuinely nice person in a city of fake people and I thought you understood me. But if that's what you think about me, then you don't know me at all."

Neither one said anything, as Ted's expression was blank and Eve swallowed back her tears. She sniffed a couple of times, silently praying her nose wouldn't start running. For someone who was usually so mild-mannered and calm, exploding in such a way was almost a relief.

"So have you got anything else to say? Anymore assumptions about me?"

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"I guess that's it then," Eve and Ted walked in opposite directions but as Eve turned around, she was sad to see him keep on walking.

Basically, this is 'Part 1' because this chapter sets up everything that happens in the next chapter.
Chapter 32 will have one (possibly) predictable twist and one you hopefully won't see coming...
So will Kofi end things with Alicia?
And will Ted and Eve make up?
And where will Jack and Kelly come into both relationships?
Please review and you'll find out ;)

Xx