I'm FINALLY updated Break the Ice! I'm so sorry for the wait, but I hope this chapter makes it up to you guys.

Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever, owned Big Time Rush or anything that is recognizable in this story.

Bailey: Aww, thank you so much! I'm so happy you're enjoying it! I'm sorry that you had to wait, but I hope you like this chapter :) And thank you for reviewing, I really appreciate it.

HUGE THANK YOUs to everyone who has read, followed, favorited, or reviewed this story! Thank you so, so much! I love hearing from you guys, I always get so happy when I read your reviews :)

Okay, so, I was hoping to get this chapter up, well, a couple of weeks ago. Believe me, the long wait was not intentional, but I ended up getting blocked with this chapter, and then I got really busy with school. Hopefully you guys won't have to wait so long for the next chapter. And the epilogue for "Touch the Flame" and the next chapter for "Take the Heat" are both underway, they're just going slowly.

Enjoy the chapter :)

Chapter Twenty-Two: Truces

Katie's POV

James and Carlos were already in the gym, talking and laughing about whatever it is that boys talk and laugh about. Stephanie bit her lip as she eyed Carlos.

"I think you still have a chance with him," I told her. "If you want him."

"He's not my usual type…" she said thoughtfully. "He's different…"

"He likes you, you know. It's pretty obvious."

"He didn't like me on New Year's Eve."

"He didn't like any of us on New Year's Eve. It had to do with us crashing the party."

"True," she conceded. "I don't know. Maybe I'll talk to him in chem."

"Okay."

I watched James intently, my arms crossed over my chest. After a few moments, he looked around, and our eyes locked. He said something to Carlos, before moving towards me.

And then Lauren stepped out of the locker room, looking all shiny and radiant with her strawberry blonde hair pulled into a perfect ponytail and her skin glistening with…what? Moisturizer? Who the hell wore moisturizer to a high school PE class?!

She shot me a smirk before sauntering over to James, hips swinging. She intercepted him halfway towards me, and kissed him deeply, pressing her chest against his.

"Bitch," I mumbled as I turned away from them.

Stephanie nodded in agreement, before saying, "Looks like Carlos is coming over here."

I glanced back over my shoulder. Sure enough, Carlos was making his way over to us.

"What's up?" I asked as he reached us.

"Not much, just wanted to get away from James and Lauren – especially Lauren."

"You don't like her?"

"She's…She kind of rubs me the wrong way. Like, I'm sure she's a really nice person, but she kind of drives me nuts. And she's so clingy to James. She's steadily turning into the nightmare girlfriend, you know? I think she's driving James insane, he immediately started grinding his teeth when he saw her."

My eyebrows shot up and I smirked. "Really? In-ter-esting…"

"You can say that again…Not sure how much the other guys really like her, either. I mean, I think they liked her okay, we all did, but then at my New Year's Eve party…" He shook his head. "I'm not going to lie, the fact that she went into the closet with Dak Zevon just strikes me as…wrong. And from what Dak told me, there was definitely some lip action going on in there."

I scuffed the toe of my sneaker against the gymnasium floor, my mind flashing back to the lip action that had gone on – twice – between James and me that same night.

"So I don't know…It seems like she's trying to be too…too…If that even makes any sense. Like she's trying to be cool and wild and sexy and down for anything, which is really pretty stupid because that's not what James wants."

"What does James want?" Stephanie asked curiously with a glance at me.

"Someone who doesn't act like he's going to run away. Someone who's not going to go make out with some other guy when she's at a party with him. Someone who isn't freaking paranoid."

"Sounds like Katie could fit that M.O," Stephanie commented, grinning at me.

"A lot of girls could," Carlos pointed out. "But yeah, she's as good an example as anyone else."

"She's perfect for James, and we all know it. And so does Lauren."

Carlos didn't say anything, but I could tell by the look on his face that he agreed.

PE began a couple of minutes later, and we were split into teams for volleyball. I smirked widely when James ended up on my team, and Lauren was placed on the opposite team. Hah! In your face, Lauren Winters.

James walked over to me and I grinned at him. "Hey, partner."

"Hey…"

"What's up?"

"Nothing."

"Yet you're over here, and not making kissy faces through the net to your girlfriend."

"If you're going to be rude – "

"If I'm going to be rude, then what? You're going to stop playing with me on the playground?" I placed my hands on my hips. "You're going to avoid me? You've tried that before and it didn't work."

"If you're going to be rude, then I'm not going to talk to you."

"Fine. Have it your way."

He sighed. "Look, would it be at all possible to just…I don't know, try to get along long enough to beat the other team?"

"I guess so…Although, I'm not the one with the stick up my ass."

"Is it possible for you to not go on the defensive?"

"You tell me."

He groaned.

"Okay, okay," I relented. "I'll behave myself, I'll be nice, I'll watch my tongue."

"Thank you."

"Mmm hmm."

"So…truce?" He held out his hand, and I shook it.

"Until PE is over."

"Sounds like a plan," he grinned.

I would just like to say that Lauren clearly isn't as athletic as she thinks she is. The entire game, she ducked behind Carlos, who was on the other team, occasionally grabbing his arm when the ball was headed straight for them. Stephanie spent so much time rolling her eyes that I was amazed her eyes actually managed to stay in their sockets. James and I were actually able to work together, and I'm pretty sure it was because of us that we kicked the other team's ass. Oh yeah!

"Well, that was embarrassing," Carlos grumbled as he joined James and me on the other side of the net once PE was over.

"It wasn't that bad," Lauren insisted, draping herself all over James while simultaneously nibbling on his neck. He squirmed away from her, looking extremely uncomfortable, but not before my stomach rolled with nausea.

Slut.

Bitch.

Stupid PDA.

Get a room.

Or better yet, don't.

"We were crushed," Carlos snapped at Lauren. "Have you never played volleyball?"

"I don't like playing sports that involve using my hands. I prefer to kick balls."

Both boys immediately scooted a few inches away from her, while Stephanie snickered. "Just make sure it's not your boyfriend's balls."

I smirked. "How weird. I prefer to use my hands when it comes to balls."

Lauren's eyes narrowed, before she grabbed James in a deep kiss – gross – and stomped into the girls' locker room. Well, she sure told me. Especially since James was now wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I officially hate bubblegum flavored lip gloss," he stated.

Stephanie cracked up, while I just grinned. James and I both knew I didn't use bubblegum lip gloss, that I preferred cherry, strawberry, and vanilla, all flavors he liked.

"I'm going to go get changed," he grumbled. "I'll see you guys in chemistry." He headed off to the boys' locker room, looking very disgruntled.

"He needs to break up with Lauren," I stated. "She's so clingy and so…not for James."

"He likes clinginess," Carlos told me. "Just not the way Lauren's doing it…"

"Tell me about it. He hates PDA, at least with her. And she was bragging in the girls' locker room about how they went up to Make Out Point and fooled around and stuff. It was sickening."

Carlos blinked. "I don't think there was a lot of fooling around…nothing good anyway."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't actually know what happened, James didn't go into details, but it sounds like things got pretty boring, pretty fast."

I smirked. "How about that?"

"How can fooling around get boring?" Stephanie demanded. "Was it just really awkward?"

"Look, I don't know," Carlos raised his hands up as if to ward us off. "I just know what James told me. If you want to know what happened, then ask him."

"Maybe I will," I said thoughtfully. "Hopefully we'll still be partners in chem."

"After your last semester? You and James blew up the table. I doubt Ms. Straumner will be stupid enough to put you two together again," Steph pointed out.

I shrugged. "She was stupid enough to do it once. And we did much better after we blew up the table."

"I repeat, Ms. Straumner would be very stupid to put you two together again."

"But if she does put us together, than that's almost an hour a day that I can use to prove to James that I'm what he wants."

"Like he doesn't already know that," Stephanie said. "I'm pretty sure he's figured that out, he's not stupid. He's just a stubborn ass."

I sighed, tugging at my ponytail. "I wish he'd be less of a stubborn ass."

"I just want him to be happy," Carlos spoke up. "And he's miserable with Lauren."

"Well, why hasn't he broken up with her?" Stephanie demanded, placing her hands on her hips. "If he's so damn miserable, shouldn't he be trying to get rid of her rather than keeping her around?"

"He likes her as a person. He likes her in general. As a girlfriend…she's not what he wants, but he doesn't want to admit that. I think he's still hoping that something will click into place for them."

"And is that actually going to happen?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"No clue."

"I guess we'll find out," Stephanie shrugged her shoulders. "Come on, let's go shower and get changed and listen to Lauren talk about how great having an actual chest is. Bitch."

I nodded in agreement, before saying bye to Carlos and going into the girls' locker room. I immediately spotted Lauren, standing around in her gym shorts and sports bra, as she chatted with a friend. My eyes narrowed and my lip curled up in disgust.

Exhibitionist.

Slut.

James stealer.

I slid over to her, as I headed for my locker. "Just so you know," I said as I passed by her, "James hates your bubblegum flavored lip gloss."

I caught sight of the death glare on her face once I reached my locker door, and I smirked widely. I really hope she had ice for that burn.

The bitch was definitely back, and it felt fucking good.

Five minutes later, I headed to chem., and smirked when I saw James already sitting at our old table, a disgruntled look on his face. I sauntered over to him and slid into the seat beside him. "Are we keeping the same partners as last semester?"

"I think so. It looks like the people who are already here are sitting with their old partners."

"Cool. When we're not blowing up tables, we really do make a pretty damn good team."

He gave me a half smile. "Yeah, we do."

"And, it's thanks to you that I passed English. I get to go back to ice skating practice today."

His smile widened. "Yeah, I was meaning to ask you about that. Congratulations!"

"Thanks! I'm looking forward to it."

"Even though it means having to put up with Sarah?"

"Eh, I'll deal with it. I'm just looking forward to being back out on the ice. I've missed it so much."

"I'm sure."

I nodded and crossed my right leg over my left one. "So, what do you think of my outfit? I thought I'd change it up a little bit since it's a new semester. My mom took me shopping after Christmas and helped me refurbish my wardrobe."

"Yeah…um…it's different. Looks good, though."

"Thanks." I ran the toe of my boot up his leg and he gave a small shudder. "I'm glad that it works."

"Yeah…" he swallowed. "It really does."

I smirked and let my foot drift farther up his leg, to his thigh.

"Katie…"

"Yes?"

He placed his hand on my leg, but paused once he made skin to skin contact. My eyes darted up to his, our gazes locking as his thumb slipped around to the back of my leg, my breath hitching slightly.

There was a long pause, neither of us blinking.

And then Kendall and Carlos walked into the room.

James let go of my leg like a hot brick, and I slammed my foot back down to the floor. They both stared at us for several long seconds as if they weren't entirely sure they had seen what they thought they had. I shrugged unconcernedly at them and pulled out my textbook, just for something to do.

James let out a long breath and got out his own book, looking a little dazed.

I knew exactly how he felt.

He really needed to get rid of Lauren.

Before either of us could say anything to break the silence, however, Ms. Straumner walked into the room.

Guess playtime was over.

Class began soon after, and then James and I were both distracted by the lecture, focusing instead on taking notes, rather than on the tension that was still extremely palpable.

Once class was over, we packed up and Kendall and Carlos grabbed him before I could say anything to him. Jo and Stephanie approached me, and I just sighed, looping my arms through theirs as we walked out of the room together.

Lunch went by quickly, with me busily ignoring James' table. Lauren and Kyle were both sitting over there now, and Lauren was hanging all over James. It looked like he was having trouble eating with the way she kept shifting and blocking him from his food.

Poor guy.

Okay, so I wasn't actually ignoring them. But it was extremely hard to when I could hear Lauren's loud, obnoxious giggle from across the cafeteria. I was grinding my teeth so furiously that by the end of the day I was going to need false ones. Could she get any more annoying?

"Just relax," Jo advised me. "She's a bitch, nothing more, nothing less. It's you James wants."

"But he's with her."

"But didn't you two have a moment or something in chemistry?" Stephanie asked me as she spooned granola topped yogurt into her mouth.

"A little bit…"

"And it's like Carlos said, he's hoping things will get better with Lauren, but we all know they won't. She's too busy competing with you to really think about her relationship with James."

"She's right," Camille nodded in agreement. "She probably wasn't like that to begin with, but once she realized that James still wants you…she's never going to be able to hold onto him if she keeps that up."

"Exactly," Jo said. "She's as good as lost him."

"What're we talking about?" Jett asked as he slid into the chair beside mine.

I immediately got to my feet. "None of your business, perv."

"Really, Katie, really? You're still holding something against me that I did when I was drunk."

"In case you haven't heard, jackass, attempted date rape is serious business."

"Please. It gave you an excuse to let James Diamond rescue you. And it wasn't attempted date rape. Besides, I was drunk, so it wouldn't count, anyway."

I rolled my eyes, deciding now wasn't the time to argue with him about this. Of course he wouldn't think it was a big deal – he didn't have the morals or brain functions to even consider that what he had done was wrong. "Whatever. See you guys at ice skating practice," I added to Jo, Camille, and Stephanie.

"Wait – were you guys talking about that hockey dude? James Diamond?" Jett asked suddenly.

"Once again – none of your business," I informed him, before stalking off to throw the remnants of my lunch away and spend the rest of my lunch period curled up in the library.

At last, it was time to head to ice skating practice.

It was a relief to lock myself in the ice rink's locker room, to slip into my ice skating dress, to lace up my skates. I pulled my hair into a bun and walked out, breathing in the chilly air, feeling my body relax even more.

Sarah was waiting for me when I walked out into the rink. She eyed me. "Warm ups. Let's begin."

And so started my first ice skating practice since October.

By the time I had finished practice, Sarah had declared that I was about as graceful and smooth on the ice as a clumsy hippo. Apparently I weighed as much as one, too. I guess hippos' weight is usually somewhere in the ninety to ninety-five pound range. Yeah, I definitely hadn't missed her, or her criticisms…or her insults. But I took them, kept my lips zipped shut, and once she gave me the okay, began making my way back towards the locker room.

"Oh…Katie?"

I turned around to face Sarah once more. "Yeah?"

"Are you still seeing that hockey player?"

"It's hard not to – I have several classes with him."

She scowled at me. "Don't get smart with me, Katie. Are you romantically involved with him?"

I gave a short, bitter laugh. "Clearly you aren't down with the gossip in the halls. James is dating some big boob slut chick. I'm out of the picture."

"Good. He wasn't good for you, he distracted you from practice, and with the late winter and spring competitions so close, we can't have your head anywhere but where it needs to be, now can we?"

"You mean on the rink? On the ice? On my routine?"

"Exactly. There will be plenty of time for boys later on. And the boy who you'll end up with won't be held down by family secrets."

"Shane isn't a family secret."

"Really? Then why isn't he out to the world?" she retorted.

I placed my hands on my hips. "You don't know a single damn thing about the Diamonds, don't start jumping to conclusions. That family has been nicer to me than you've been in the six years that I've known you. You're my coach, so focus on my ice skating, and not what's happening in my personal life. It's my life, not yours. Get the fuck over it." And with that, I stormed into the locker room, absolutely seething.

I walked into the theater fifteen minutes later, my messenger bag slung over my shoulder. James was already sitting in one of the seats, elbows on his knees, hands folded. He was gazing almost longingly at the stage, not even blinking.

I giggled slightly and walked over to him. "Hey, stranger."

He looked up at me as I approached. "Hey, Katie."

"Mind if I sit here?" I nodded towards the empty seat beside him.

"Go for it. I don't think anyone else we're friends with is going to be in this class, so…"

"Sweet. Guess it's just the two of us." I sat down beside him. "So, happy to be back in the theater?"

"A lot happier than I ever thought I would be. But it's almost a relief, you know?"

I nodded. "I do. I just had my first ice skating practice in a few months. I mean, I've been on the ice, just not like that. Not really training. I missed it. It was amazing to be back out there."

"Yeah?" he kept his eyes fixed on me. "How was Sarah?"

I groaned. "Urrghh…I really don't want to talk about her. She's a bitch, nothing but a judgmental bitch."

"I think we already knew that." He playfully bumped his shoulder against mine. "Didn't we figure that out the night at the drive-in?"

"Yeah. Well, I'm not starving myself because of her this time. She compared me to a clumsy hippo. That was just downright rude."

"Not only that, but you look nothing like a hippo. She needs to come up with better comparisons."

I laughed. "That she does. So, looking forward to our first drama class?"

"Yeah, so much."

"It'll be fun."

"I have to say, I was a little surprised when you said you'd signed up for this class."

I shrugged. "I always wanted to take a drama class, and when I registered for this class, we were on better terms. I just thought it'd be something fun to do. And then I went and screwed it up."

"Katie – "

"No, listen. Please? I screwed it up, and I'm sorry. Before I broke up with you – whatever the hell it was that I did – something happened. I got a text – "

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," a voice said from the doorway. An all-too familiar voice.

Oh, shit.

Mrs. Waddleburger was our drama teacher.

James sat straight up, before staring at her, and then looking back at me. After a long moment, he cracked up.

Mrs. Waddleburger crossed the room and stepped up onto the stage, smoothing out her pencil skirt. "Some of you may know me as an English teacher, but as the school's old drama teacher, Mr. Simpkins, was forced into early retirement last semester, I volunteered to take over this class as well."

No. Nononononono! This couldn't be happening! I couldn't have Mrs. Waddleburger as a drama teacher! I had just barely escaped her doughy clutches. This wasn't happening. I was dreaming. It was all a nightmare. I was going to wake up at any moment –

"So," James smirked at me. "You and Wattburgon are back together. How do you feel about that?"

I blinked at him. "Who's Wattburgon?"

"Excuse me – Waddleburger."

"Save me, James!" I whispered desperately to him, clinging to his arm. "Don't let her get me!"

"She's not going to get you," he murmured me, wrapping an arm around me. "Relax. You'll be okay."

I whined, but leaned into him anyway. Ooh, warm and comfy. I had missed this.

Waddleburger passed out syllabuses and gave us a brief synopsis of what this semester would entail, including putting on a play at the end of the school year.

I had the strangest feeling that Sarah was going to kill me…No way was drama going to sail smoothly around ice skating practice. No way in hell.

We managed to get through drama, and then it was time for my second ice skating practice of the day, and hockey practice for James. Goody.

I grabbed the books I would need out of my locker, before heading towards the smaller ice rink. It wasn't being closed down yet, not until they decided whether or not to reopen the town ice rink, thank goodness. Otherwise we would have been in a much worse position than we already were. With everything that had been happening lately, I didn't need any more complications or drama in my life.

Just as I was walking up to the entrance, Shane stepped out in front of me, nearly scaring me out of my mind.

"What the fuck?!" I cried as I placed my hand over my heart. "Are you trying to jump out at random people, or did you draw my name out of a hat?"

"No…Look, I need to talk to you, but I don't want to do it with the hockey team or the ice skaters around."

"If this is about Kyle – "

"It's not. It's about my brother."

"Oh." I paused, before glancing at the time on my phone. "What the hell, I have a few minutes. Come on." I pushed into the rink's lobby and led him over to a bench. We sat down and I turned to face him. "So, spill. What's up?"

He took a deep breath. "You know as well as I do that Lauren isn't right for James."

"No shit, Sherlock, where ya been?"

Shane glared at me. "That's not my point. My point is, is that I get it."

"You – what?" I stared at him in bewilderment. "Get what?"

"Get where you're coming from. If some random dude – or girl, whichever the case may be – was suddenly all over Kyle, I would be pretty pissed off, and I'd probably do whatever it takes to get him back."

"I – yeah – okay…"

"But James doesn't work that way. His brain doesn't work that way. You seriously hurt him, Katie. Kyle's said that you had your reasons, and I'm sure you do. But the reasons you gave James were shit, and you ended up breaking his heart."

"I know. Believe me, I know," I said, almost pleadingly. "And if I could take it back, I would. I know I made a mistake, and if I could redo it – "

He held up his hand. "Also not what I was getting at. James knows you're sorry, we all do. And I know that since then, some things have happened between you two."

I blushed slightly. "Not too much…"

"Enough to confirm that he's still into you."

"Okay...are you getting to your actual point anytime soon? Because eventually we're going to have to move so that the construction team can come in and demolish the rink."

He glared at me. "Smartass."

"Thank you. I try."

Shane rolled his eyes. "My point is, you really hurt James. But I just saw him, and he said you two were getting along a lot better, that it was like November and early December, when you were friends, but on the brink of maybe becoming something more."

I smiled a little. "Yeah…that's kind of what it's like."

"And I want you to keep it there."

"What?"

"I want you to back off of him a little bit. I'm not saying this to be a jerk. I truly like you, even though you have repeatedly hurt my brother. I mean, okay, you're not my favorite person in the world by any means, and there's been a couple of times where if it wasn't wrong to hit a girl, I totally would have hit you."

"Wow, thanks."

"But I like you more than Lauren. I mean, she's nicer than you, but you and James fit better together – no jokes! I don't want to hear about how well you two fit together."

I smirked. "Payback's a bitch, huh?"

"I knew making those jokes about you two would come back to haunt me…Anyway, I'd rather it be you with James, and I think James does too. But he's stubborn as hell, and you're going to need to regain his trust. Because that right there is why he's still with Lauren. He trusts her. He doesn't trust you. He let you in and you threw him to the wolves. So, regain his trust. Be his friend. And make it clear every now and then that when he and Lauren finally do break up, that you'll be there for him, waiting. That you're not giving up on him. But tell him that you're backing off, because he needs his space. He is so into you, Katie, but he doesn't trust you, and nothing's going to happen until that changes."

I nodded. "I get it. I'll back off, I'll regain his trust. I'll be his friend."

He smiled. "Thank you. That's all I'm asking." He gave me a quick hug, before getting to his feet. "I've gotta run, I've got hockey practice, and you've got ice skating practice."

"Yeah." I stood up and walked over to the glass wall into the rink. "Hmm…looks like everyone but Jett is in there. I wonder where that weasley little perv is."

Shane shrugged. "Beats me. And honestly, I don't care."

"I'm sure you don't. I'll see you later."

"Yeah…wait. One more thing."

"Yeah?"

"For the record, Kyle misses you."

"He does?"

Shane nodded. "Very much. He's still angry and hurt, but he does miss you."

I sighed. "I miss him too."

"I figured. I just thought I'd tell you…"

"Thanks…see you later."

"Yeah, see you later." He headed off, and I let out a breath. Okay, time to switch up game plans.

Lauren's POV

I could hear him creeping up behind me as I sat in the library, reading a book.

I turned around and fixed Jett Stetson with a glare. "Don't you have ice skating practice?"

He smirked and slid into the chair beside me. "I thought I might find you here. Waiting for Diamond?"

"Yes. I thought maybe we could go out for ice cream or something after practice."

"What are you guys, twelve? He doesn't want to go out for ice cream. What he wants is to get a certain petite brunette in the backseat of his car and have his wicked way with her."

I idly flipped a page of the book I was reading, kicking the leg of the table with my foot. "What's your point?"

"My point is, is that you're barely holding onto him with a ripped thread. He's not going to stay with you."

"I'm really not getting why you care so much. I mean, you texted me out of the blue yesterday and told me you had something interesting to tell me about my boyfriend and Katie. I knew I shouldn't have given you my number at the New Year's Eve party. Anyway, what do you want?"

He leaned back in his chair, pushing it onto its hind legs. "You want to keep James, right?"

"Yeah, of course. He's awesome. Nice and sweet and funny and hot. The only problem with him is that he comes with a certain clingy, needy, slutty little bitch who can't even fill out an A cup bra. And for whatever reason, James doesn't mind. And I don't get it. Although I guess since she's willing to put out…" I grinded my teeth. "How do you compete with someone who your boyfriend was friends with benefits with and who he's clearly into?"

Jett shrugged. "You spread rumors about her? Half lies?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What're you getting at?"

"You want to keep James. I want Katie."

I scoffed. "Since when?"

"Since Garcia's New Year's Eve party. Katie and I made out."

My eyebrows shot up. "Clearly she's not picky about where her lips go."

"I'm just going to ignore the insult. I want Katie. You want to hang onto James. So, I say we work together."

I surveyed him. "And what do you suggest we do? Because if it involves touching you in any way or making out with you, I'll have you know that I have pepper spray and I'm not afraid to use it."

"Good to know. And no, that wasn't what I was going to suggest. The only girl who I want to be touching me or making out with is Katie."

"Then what? What do you want us to do?"

"We tell everyone that she and I slept together."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You told me you guys just made out. You want to change it to hooking up?"

He nodded. "Why not? Think about it. Diamond wouldn't want anything to do with her – he can't stand me, and he can barely stand her half the time. And Diamond is the only thing that's standing in the way of me getting what I want. He'll see you're the better option and stay with you, while Katie – poor, sweet, misunderstood Katie – will come running into my arms, and voila, hole in one."

"Gross. And I really don't know…I mean, I don't like the girl in the least…but spreading rumors about her? And telling everyone that she slept with you? Isn't just spreading rumors about her bad enough?"

He let out a huffy breath. "Well, I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this…"

"Oh no…resort to what?" I demanded, bookmarking the page I was on and closing my book.

"You do know that Diamond wasn't actually doing whatever lie he told you he was doing with Katie in the closet at Garcia's party, right?"

I gritted my teeth. "He told me they were talking – whisper-yelling, I think he said – and yes, I'm aware that they were probably kissing. I have never seen him look that way after…yeah, not important."

"And Katie and I had a minor discretion that same night, and James came running to her rescue. I seriously doubt nothing happened when Diamond took Katie home."

"Wow. He didn't tell me about that at all."

Jett shrugged. "You should ask him. See what he says."

"I will. Though I'm sure you're right," I added bitterly. "I know Katie was sexting him. I saw the texts on his phone."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up there. You stole his phone? I'm impressed." Jett grinned at me.

"I didn't steal his phone. We were at a restaurant the other day, and James got up to use the bathroom and he left his phone on the table and I just…grabbed it. He hadn't deleted the texts. And they came in the same day he called me up to ask me to…talk to him. He talked to Katie before he called me and then after. I bet she talked to him the way he wanted her too."

"So, she's stealing your sexual grip over him, assuming you ever had it."

I grimaced. I wasn't sure I ever had any kind of power over him. It was Katie, all Katie, that much was obvious. I mean, maybe I had had James that day Katie had sexted him, but the second I hung up on him, I had lost him.

"Still think spreading rumors about her is a bad idea?" Jett asked me.

I pressed my lips together. "You know what? I'm going to get back to you on that. We'll see what happens."

He grinned widely. "With Katie in four of Diamond's periods, you've got to have some kind of leverage."

"Like I said, we'll see what happens. Anyway, you better get going. If you find out anything more about James and Katie, text me."

"You know what I heard about their chemistry class?"

"No."

"That they were all over each other. That the sexual tension was intense."

"Yeah, I want that slutty bitch out of the way. I'll talk to James before I do anything, though. But if I can't persuade him to ditch the whore…"

"Katie's going down," Jett smirked.

"Hell yeah."

Wow, so, a lot of stuff happened in this chapter. And Lauren and Jett...talk about deviousness. *Clucks tongue*. Scheming to keep James and Katie apart...Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and I would love to hear what you thought of it! Reviews are a writer's best friend, after all ;)