I'm back:)
Disclaimed, yeah?

"So you just had to blow me off for Connor?" Claire complained.

Massie rolled her eyes. "No, Claire. It's not like I just left you. I also left Kristen."

Claire sighed. "You know, you'd think that someone who came from a bad relationship would be all… bleh. But you're all over Connor like a dog's slobber."

Massie looked at Claire. She was sitting down on Came's red loveseat, her legs dangling off the arm, her math worksheet on her stomach. "What?"

Claire blushed. She shook her head slightly.

Massie was lying back on Cam's can-fit-seven-people bed when she pleaded, "Tell me. Please?"

"There's nothing to tell," Claire stated, avoiding Massie's eyes.

She clenched her teeth. Leaning back, she wondered, Does she think I'm being slutty? She shook her head. No. Not Claire. No way.

Just then, the door opened and Kristen, Josh, Cam and Derrick came in. Kristen had a light sheen of sweat on her forehead leftover from soccer practice.

Josh marched in, a triumphant look on his face. He placed bags of barbecued and sour cream and onion Lays and honey-barbecued Fritos Twists on the glass table that Cam dragged in earlier.

Cam came in carrying a bucket filled to the rim with ice and sodas that he dumped next to the table.

Derrick then came in with two plates of pizza rolls with the steam still hovering around it. He placed that next to the bags of chips.

"Okay. Uh," Derrick checked his back pockets and pulled out two bags of Skittles, two bags of sour gummy feet and two bags of M&Ms. "Who wanted the Skittles?"

"Me, me, me!" Kristen yelled, grabbing the blue bag from his hand.

Josh said something loud and foreign. Everyone turned around to look at him. He sheepishly smiled back and said, "Sorry. It was Spanish is any of you were wondering."

"That's nice," Massie commented from her place on the bed.

"It is, isn't it?" Josh retorted, having grabbed his red bag of Skittles.

"And gummies for Cam and Claire," Derrick continued, throwing them the bags.

Cam caught his bag while Claire let it plop on her stomach. Derrick climbed on the bed with Massie, making the bed vibrate. "M&Ms, mademoiselle?"

She smiled at him and took the purple bag. "Why yes, sir-moiselle."

He laughed. "Okay, that does sort of fit me."

"Sort of," Massie teasingly agreed.

The two laughed again, the sound annoying Claire and Kristen. And just to please herself, Claire said aloud, "Hey, Massie, isn't Connor going to call any time soon?"

This stopped Derrick and Massie's laughter. There was an awkward tense in the room before Cam said, "Look, guys, like I said earlier, I'm sorry for bursting like that. That wasn't cool, and I know that. There's just been a lot on my mind lately." He sheepishly glanced at everyone's face, his gaze lingering on Claire's just a little longer than most. He hoped that everyone accepted his lame apology.

"Cam, it's okay," Derrick said. "Seriously. I get it. I'll only be mad if you make out with my dream girl or something."

Massie giggled. Josh and Cam's eyes flickered to Massie. Claire's thoughts fluttered, wondering who his dream girl was.

Derrick looked down at Massie. "Why are you so giggly?"

She giggled again, shrugging.

Derrick dramatically rolled his eyes. "Gosh, Massie. Don't be such a popsicle."

She playfully scoffed and punched his arm. "I will if you stop being such a waffle!"

Derrick looked at her, his eyes gleaming with content. "You remembered?" he asked, his tone softening.

She grinned. "Of course I do. It's not every day that a boy I absolutely loathe comes up to me and calls me a popsicle, expecting for it to scar my emotions forever."

Derrick winked at her. "Touché."

Kristen rolled her eyes. Cam half-smiled while reclining in his chair. "Why do you guys call each other that?" he asked.

Derrick laughed and leaned forward. "In the fourth grade, Massie was drinkinging some slush thing which fell on her—"

"Because you shoved it at me!" Massie interrupted.

Derrick chuckled at the memory. "Anyway, I called her a popsicle and in her frustration, she called me a waffle."

Claire heard everyone laugh, Kristen's own forced. She was jealous of Massie, she admitted, because she and Derrick had so much history together and she and Derrick had absolutely no history with each other. Ironic, since they were neighbors practically their whole lives.

Massie laughed and looked down at her vibrating phone. She one new message from Antonette.

Antonette: What R U doing?

Massie took the phone into both her hands and texted her back.

Massie: Hanging with the group. & U?

It took her only one minute to reply.

Antonette: Oh. Don't 4get to get close 2 Derrick! =D

Massie rolled her eyes and looked up to see that everyone left except for Derrick who was on the edge of Cam's monster-huge bed.

"Where are they?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Derrick responded, flicking out of his dazed expression. "Oh, them? Not sure. Something about more gummies, something or other."

Massie nodded. Watching Derrick was something she rarely ever did. But she never knew that he actually looked good. Nor did she know that he was a cool person if you gave him the chance.

It was weird how they hated each other back then, and now, they seemed to be getting along fine. The past few days were quick and blurry now, but she remembered that they were the days that her interest in Derrick grew. She loved the way he would get all protective when she needed it. He was someone she could rely on and someone she could laugh with.

"Mass?"

"Yeah?"

He hesitated before saying, "Don't you think you're going a little too fast with Connor? Sneaking off with him and stuff?"

Massie raised an eyebrow. Why was everyone thinking that she was going a little too fast? "No, not really. Why? Do you think I am?"

"Does my opinion count?"

"Yes, of course it does."

"Well then…" He paused again, not wanting to say the wrong thing. "In my opinion, yes. You just broke up with Chris and already you're with Connor."

Massie narrowed her eyes and climbed off the bed. "What are you saying?"

Derrick turned around. Calmly, he answered, "I just think you need to slow down. Connor's always going to be there for you, you know."

This flared Massie's anger. "And what if he's not? What if he just picks up and leaves like the rest of them? And if he doesn't even tell me that he's leaving and his neighbor informs me?" She circled around Cam's bed, wanting to see Derrick's reactions.

Derrick's eyebrow arched. "And if he doesn't? It's pretty obvious that he wouldn't want to leave you because he's in love with you!"

"Well, he should tell me that he's in love with me so that we could just get over it! He needs to stop putting it off!"

"Well maybe if the girl showed hints that she loved the guy, he wouldn't have left!"

"But he did, didn't he? He didn't even call or e-mail or anything! He just left without a single thing! At least a good-bye would've been nice!"

"Maybe he was afraid that you'd pity him! Or that you'd laugh in his face and just crush his heart!"

"Maybe he should've just come to me still and just be a big guy and tell me how he felt! He would've been surprised at what I had to say."

Derrick stared deep into Massie's eyes. She was vulnerable. Both of them were. Right at that moment.

Massie gulped. Without thinking, she slowly asked, "Who were we talking about?"

Derrick blinked. "I think it was about Connor."

She nodded her head, even though she knew that they were talking about them.

_xoxoDDLSG_

"So you and Antonette are still together, or is it fin?" Kristen asked, fascinated by Josh.

They had only been talking for an hour, but it seemed like they knew everything about each other. In fact, she had told Josh about the time she was caught cheating in class; technically, she wasn't cheating, her classmate was. Kristen was simply telling her to stop. She hadn't told Claire or Massie that, though.

"I'm not sure really. We haven't talked in a while." Josh shrugged and stared at Kristen. She was beautiful, but she was insecure. She was witty, but she thought she wasn't smart. She played soccer, but she thought she was girly.

She was innocent. But the way she captivate him was overwhelmingly… Overwhelming.

Josh loved her in so many ways and she didn't. Because she loved Derrick.

"Why do you ask?" he inquired, trying to get his mind off Kristen liking Derrick.

Kristen half-smiled. She jumped onto Cam's tiled island countertop and poked Josh's nose playfully. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Josh rubbed his nose and chuckled. "Oh, Kristen. I would like to know. It's why I'm asking." He pulled himself up onto the counter to sit next to her, accidentally hitting his head on the pans that hung low from the brown pots and pan holder.

Kristen laughed and ducked from the moving pans. She swayed, side to side, and said, "I don't know. Just curious." She looked at him and smiled.

He smiled back. It was really the only thing he could do.

Unless he kissed her.

And he wanted to, but he couldn't break what they had.

And whatever it was that they had, it was better than nothing.

_xoxoDDLSG_

"It's so weird that you love Sour Tongues," Cam said, tossing Claire three more of the red candy.

Claire giggled and caught them. "Are you kidding? Sour Tongues are the best candy there is. Sour Patch my butt!" She popped all three of them into her mouth, waiting for the explosive taste to ring in her mouth.

Cam watched as the beautiful blonde's face twisted and changed. He laughed heartily and popped three chewy Lifesavers into his mouth.

Claire shook her head and chuckled. "The best, I swear."

Cam nodded and chewed.

"Whatcha chewing on?" she asked.

"Lifesavers."

Absentmindedly, Claire laughed.

"What?" Cam asked, hoping there wasn't anything in his teeth.

"Well, I just remembered this one time that I ate a Lifesaver and I choked on it. Don't ask how because I don't know, either. All I can tell you is that you can't give me green Lifesavers or I'll die from terror." She shuddered and blushed.

Cam nodded and laughed. "How ironic."

Claire nodded, wide-eyed. "That's what Kris said."

"I can imagine."

Claire smiled and looked around her. Jars and jars of various candies filled the shelves, candy chains hanging from random spots on the ceiling. It was Claire's CandyLand fantasy coming to life.

"How did you get this whole basement for your candy?"

Cam followed Claire with his eyes. "Just asked my dad. It took a while to get a response from him, but look where we are now."

Claire nodded. "I love this place. I wish I could get one like this place."

Cam half-smiled. Derrick hated candy, so why did Claire like him?

Because he looks good, rang a voice in his head.

He shook his head and continued to admire Claire's pleased expression.

A/N: =P

Ugh, that took me forever! I can't believe it... Well, I know that i skipped over Cam's apology, but I just thought it didn't really matter much. Anyway, I just have to say thanks to all of you that are so nice and subscribe and favorite and review this story:)

Oh, and Behind Enemy Lines: I'm changing the point of view. I thought about the plot, and originally, Claire was to be brave enough to leave Kristen's group, but I'm now changing it to someone else. Just stay put, I'll update that one soon:) I fixed that story so that it wasn't messed up.

Oh, and I fixed up this story. I made spaces between the first two chapters of this, and I'm gonna lay low with the A/Ns. Sorry, I just like to talk a lot:)

Review, pLease?

Pizzazz,

xoxoDDLSG