"So, new girl, do you mind telling me what the hell you were doing last night, watching the both of us from your bedroom like that?" The man in the blue sunglasses asked in an angry, yet unusually calm, tone of voice.
Katie remained silent. She didn't know what to say to these two, let alone know what to even do, and a huge part of her was telling her to go back into the house and warn Candy, or maybe even call her dad and tell them about all of this; but knew that these two would not let her go without an answer. There were plenty of things that she wanted to tell them, hoping that they'd be enough to calm them down and put everything yesterday behind them; but no matter what excuse she could think of, she found none of them very convincing. For what it's worth though, neither of them seemed very threatening, especially the one with the blue hair and dog hat, who still seemed worried to actually be here.
Eventually, Katie was about to say something; but right before she could, one of the two boys spoke up. "Chaz, I really don't think we should be doing this." The blue-haired one says. "Yesterday or not, we shouldn't be pressuring her like this."
"We are not pressuring her, dude." The boy with the sunglasses, Chaz, told his friend. "We are just giving her the warm welcome, and to see why she thought it was a good idea to watch both of us through that window last night."
"But what about that doctor guy who lives here?" The blue-haired boy then asked. "We don't know if he's here right now or not, and if he is, then he will-"
"Uh...technically, he's a dentist; not a doctor." Katie decided to point out, catching the attention of both men.
"So she finally speaks." Chaz says under his breath, glancing over at his friend for a quick second before turning to face the tomboy again. "Now, answer my question, new girl: why the heck were you standing there in your room and watching us for?!"
"Look, dudes, that was just an accident." Katie says in an attempt to reason with the duo. "I thought that the old man still lived in that house you're both living in now, and-"
"Do you mean that old man who used to collect a bunch of stuff from that antique store across the street from the park?" The blue-haired boy asked, earning him a simple nod from the tomboy, which prompts him to frown solemnly. "I...don't know if anyone's ever told you this yet, but...he passed away a couple weeks ago, due to liver failure."
"Oh..." Katie replied, sounding just as saddened as the blue-haired boy was. "Uh...n-nobody's told me yet...until now, I mean; although, in hindsight, I...uh, guess I should've expected that this was inevitably bound to happen eventually; he was very decrepit when we first met."
"This new girl's got quite the vocabulary, does she?" Chaz whispered to his best friend, which didn't end up going unnoticed by the tomboy, who was glaring at him for his comment. "I mean, she dresses pretty cool, but she talks as if she's one of the chimps we used to know back in the Royal Academy; the ones who hang out at the library in between classes."
"Well, when I was a student at the Royal Academy, I would usually never go to the library; although, most of the time, I wish I did, because there were so many books there that I've been wanting to read. Instead, most of my free time was spent skateboarding to my next classes, or talking about homework with Crystal Montell or one of the other students."
"That first one seems kinda odd, considering that Tim and I have never seen you skating around the hallways." Chaz stated, clearly not convinced by what the tomboy had said.
"Well, I-"
"Wait..." The blue-haired boy, who's apparently named Tim, says abruptly. "Did you just mention Crystal Montell?"
"Uh...yes, I have." Katie answered in an awkward tone. "Why?"
"It's...funny that you're friends with her, because she's...Chaz's ex-girlfriend."
"What?" Katie asked in surprise, before turning her attention over to Chaz, who was currently trying to avoid looking at the tomboy. "So, you're supposed to be Charles McFreely; the inconsiderate asshole who dumped my best friend for Summer Baxter?" She asked in a more serious tone of voice.
"It's more complicated than that..." Chaz muttered, still keeping his eyes away from the tomboy, before eventually facing her so that he can explain his side of the story to her. "Summer was putting the moves on Travis Dylan throughout the entire twelfth grade, completely avoiding me in the process; so, I brought Crystal along to be my 'fake girlfriend' for a couple of days, hoping that it'll get her to become jealous. In the end, it worked; and coincidentally enough, I figured out through Travis that Summer was also trying to get me jealous, believing that I was going to pick some other girl instead of her; and he was also trying to get some advice from her on how to get Liberty Martin to go out with him as well."
"You know, that story doesn't make you sound any more friendlier..." Katie says, her glare still focused on him.
"Look, if it was any other girl, the result would've been the same."
"That still doesn't excuse the fact that you went and broke my best friend's heart."
"Look, I know, and I've made a mistake by bringing Crystal into this plan in the first place." Chaz says in an attempt to calm the tomboy down. "It's just that she was one of the only girls who didn't have a date to the prom-which was when all of this happened-and I had no other choice but to pick her. Again, if it were to be someone, like, Violet Nightshade or that one girl with the pirate hat who works down at the Boardwalk, the outcome would've been the same."
It was around this part of the conversation that the trio took a bit of a pause. None of them said a single word for the next few seconds, as Chaz was silently trying to think of what to say next; Katie was glaring at the former for everything that he's telling her; and Tim was standing beside them, completely silent, as he wasn't sure whether or not to intervene in case this gets out of hand. It wasn't long before one of them eventually decided to speak; the one doing so being Chaz.
"Look, I know there's nothing that I can say, or do, to fix things between us, since I've heard Crystal's now dating somebody else..." Chaz started off saying as he rubbed one of his hands through his hair. "But all I can tell you is that I'm sorry all of this happened in the first place. Don't get me wrong, Crystal's one of the coolest girls I have ever met in my entire life so far, but...in the end, my heart felt like it belonged to Summer, especially since we've had a much longer history together...all the way back in our freshman year."
"Admittedly, I appreciate that you're apologizing for this, but if you're going to do that, say it to Crystal." Katie told the man in the leather jacket. "She's the one who's heart you've broke, not mine."
"Since you're one of her friends, we could always come back whenever she's hanging out with you so that she can Chaz can finally set things straight with each other." Tim comments, holding up a finger as if he came up with a brilliant idea. "I've been hoping to find time for them to talk since they've broke up four years ago, so..."
After hearing what the blue-haired boy said, Katie's slightly aggravated expression turned into that of uncertainty, especially after hearing him suggest a solution that she probably would've came up with herself if he weren't here. "Well, I do appreciate the idea, Tim; but I'm not sure if she's going to-"
"Katie, do you guys got any better shampoo in this bathroom?!" Candy shouts from upstairs. "The one that you have in here isn't one that I like!"
"I'm coming, Candy!" Katie shouts while looking behind herself, before turning her attention back over to the two friends one last time. "Anyway, I must get back to tolerating living with my cousin again. Since I believe this makes us acquaintances now, I presume that I will be encountering you again in the near future; yes?"
"Pretty much." Tim unanswered while holding up one of his hands, prepared to wave 'goodbye' to the studious tomboy. "We'll see you around, Katie."
"Possibly..." After Katie muttered this, she stepped back inside her house and closed the door behind her, allowing Chaz and Tim to head back to their own house.
An hour later...
"So, let me see if I get this straight; that new guy you were talking to me about last night-the one who just suddenly appeared next door to you without you even knowing about it-is my ex-boyfriend?!" Crystal asked while pacing her best friend's living-room, all while the latter was sitting on her own couch, while her cousin was sitting on one of the armchairs right beside it.
"That's what he and his friend claimed; so, yes." Katie answered honestly, which was when the goth stopped right in front of the coffee-table.
"His friend?!" Crystal asked in a surprised tone of voice, eyes widened at the mention of that small bit of information. "So, not only is Chaz McFreely-of all people-living next door to you, but he's also letting that fucking wimp with that stupid dog hat live with him?!" She asked while throwing her hands up into the air, before proceeding to pace around the room again. "Of course he's still friends with that idiot..."
"To be perfectly honest with you, Tim seems like a pretty nice guy compared to Chaz."
"That still doesn't mean I can't hate him for being friends with that cheating asshole..." Crystal mutters as she proceeded to pace the room again, keeping a hand covering her own mouth as she did. "Goddamn it...I knew that this new guy sounded familiar when you told me about him last night..." She says under her breath. "How could I be so stupid and not see that?"
"Then why didn't you say anything when you two were talking about it?" Candy asked, deciding to finally join the conversation.
"Because I didn't know if it was true or not..." The goth answered as she approached the living-room window, looking out to see if those two boys were out there or not; it doesn't look like either of them are home at the moment. "There's so many other boys that I knew who I've considered 'cool' before Chaz and I even started, and just like him, some of them do actually have motorcycles of their own..." She paused for a second in order to sigh. "It's just that I didn't expect want it to actually be him..."
"Well, it is him, dude; and it seems like my cousin's taken a bit of a liking towards him."
"What?!" Katie exclaimed, turning her head in order to glare at her cousin for assuming something like that.
"Why else would that Chaz guy have come to our house?" Candy asked, not removing her stare away from her cousin. "Unless he stopped by to ask you if he could borrow something, and he has no reason to talk to Uncle Maxwell about...anything, I believe that it's pretty obvious why he came here to begin with; and that's most likely you, Kate."
"You're being ridiculous..." The studious tomboy retorts while rolling her eyes.
"Then why did those two stop by?" Candy asked, continuing to glare at her cousin some more. "Was he here just to say 'hello'?"
"It was because I was-" Katie started off saying, only to stop as soon as she realized what she was about to tell them. She wanted to stay silent, but the serious looks on the other two tomboy's faces were telling her to explain the rest; and that's sadly what she did. "Uh...watching him put tools away from my bedroom..."
"You were what?" Crystal asked in a confused, yet surprised, tone of voice.
"All I did was stand there by my bedroom window and watched him put tools away in the pantry." The studious tomboy clarified. "He...seemed kinda cool to me..." She admitted awkwardly. "Of course, that was BEFORE I found out he was the same boy who dumped my best friend for a much more popular girl..."
Despite the fact that Katie sounded sincere about everything she was saying, Candy and Crystal both exchanged glances with each other, as if they were currently having a conversation with each other via their own minds. "Let me guess; it's obvious?" The latter asked the former, who just nodded her head. "So, you and I are thinking the exact same thing on this one, huh?"
"That she clearly finds your ex-boyfriend hot?" Candy asked, staring at the goth with an eyebrow raised at her. "This is totally typical of Katie, no doubt about that..."
"What the f-I find him hot?!" Katie asked, nearly exclaiming at what was being suggested by her other two friends.
"Katie, this wouldn't be the first time you found a dude like Chaz to be 'hot', or 'handsome', or 'sexy' for that matter; and from I'm being told about him, he definitely sounds like he's no different than the other boys that you've took interest in before."
"Remember that one dude with the skateboard that you've fell head over heels for, despite the fact that you knew he was a total bad boy and that your dad hated him?" Crystal asked, leaning against the back of the other armchair.
"Not to mention that one guy who we met at that bar one time, who had the sweet car, sweet jacket, and sweet muscles." Candy added while pointing at her cousin. "Oh, boy...I still remember how you reacted when you saw that dude's muscles-"
"Can we please get to a point here?" Katie asked, hiding her face in both of her hands, clearly feeling embarrassed having to be reminded of all this.
"Okay then." Candy replied with a simple shrug. "The point is that you're totally into this Chaz guy."
"No, I am not." Katie told her cousin before turning her attention towards her best friend. "Would you tell this imbecile that her assumption here's utterly ridiculous?"
"To be fair, dude; if you're actually into him, then you're doing me a favor and getting him off my back, so-" Crystal started off saying, only to be interrupted by her best friend afterwards.
"How selfish." Katie commented in a calm, yet still clearly annoyed and disappointed, tone of voice. "I believe that I made it quite clear at this point that I am not into him whatsoever, not yesterday, and not now either; and even if I did fall head over heels like the other boys I've fell in love with before, I believe that feeling is kinda ruined by the fact that he told me that he broke your heart, Crystal."
"Okay..." Crystal replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Ex-boyfriend of mine or not, I wouldn't give a shit if you went out and date him; and besides, I've moved on from him anyway, and I'm dating somebody else now."
"Isn't he dating somebody else now too; the girl you hate the most out of everybody in this town?"
"Yes; from what I've heard he's still dating Summer Baxter..." Crystal answered while rolling her eyes at what she had just said. "But despite the fact that I hate his girlfriend more than him, I wouldn't put it past him if he tries to get me back; and behind his girlfriend's back too."
"Well, regardless of whatever happens between you and him, and whatever happens between him and I, the only way that I'm becoming friends with him is when he apologizes to you for what he's done."
"Like that'll ever happen..." Crystal says under her breath, standing up from the armchair. "It's already been four years since we've broke up, and he still hasn't apologized; and I wouldn't put it past him if he still doesn't do it now and later."
"I think I'm just going to stick to what I've just said." Katie says as she stood up from the couch and went over to the hallway behind her. "In the meantime, I'm going upstairs so that I can look over what questions I'm gonna be asked at my job interview later on; you two can...do whatever you want, as long as you both don't distract me."
"That sounds fine to me." Candy says as she stood up from her chair. "Personally, I've had plans of my own today."
"Really?" Katie asked in an intrigued tone. "What are they?"
"I'm going to the clubs-"
"Well, that sounds typical of you, now isn't it?" Katie asked, using her cousin's words against her, much to the latter's dismay. "Although, the clubs are much better at night."
"I'm not going to the club to party." Candy told her cousin, now entering the hallway as well. "I'm going there so that I can apply for a job there."
After hearing what her cousin had said, Katie gave her a kind smile. "Seems fitting for a party-loving girl like you." She says, in a tone that sounds a lot nicer than the one she was using before. "I hope things turn out well for you."
"Dude, if I'm able to talk some clubs into letting me into their building, then I'm bound to be able to earn myself a job at one."
"Don't get too confident now, Candy." Katie warned her cousin, going up the stairs some more. "Anyway, I'm just gonna head upstairs and look over what I'm going to be asked on my resume now."
"Alright." Candy replied, before turning her head towards her cousin's best friend. "Do you want to come DownTown with me, Crystal?"
"Sorry, dude; but the club's not my kind of hangout spot." Crystal says reluctantly, crossing her arms as she stared at the blonde tomboy. "Also, some of my friends are expecting me to meet up with them later on, so..."
"Well, why don't I drive you to where you're meeting your friends then?"
"You drive me to where my friends are?" Crystal asked; this time, in a very shocked tone. "Candy, you're a cool girl and all, but...in case you forgot what I've told you yesterday, I hang out with the goths; in other words, someone that you're not."
"So?" Candy asked, shrugging nonchalantly. "It's not like your friends would be the first goths that I'd end up meeting."
"Yeah, but...Goth Boy's got a thing for 'who's cool' and 'who's not cool'."
"Well, luckily for him, I am cool." Candy says as she headed over to the front-door. "You'll see that if he notices me, he'll see that I'm just as cool as one of his friends, one-hundred percent."
"Okay..." Crystal muttered as she walked up to her best friend's cousin. "But while we're there though, do you think you can keep the 'party girl' thing at a minimum for me? The last thing I need is for Goth Boy or one of the others to get annoyed or angry with me for inviting someone like you to his house."
"I can't make any promises..."
"Dude..." Crystal growled as she glared at the blonde tomboy, causing the latter to stare at her, quickly regretting her little joke.
"Alright..." Candy says, holding both of her hands up in a defensive manner. "I won't say or do anything to piss them off..."
"Good." The goth says with a light smile, just as the other tomboy was now closing the door behind her.
"I swear, you and my cousin are no different from each other sometimes..." Candy muttered as the two approached her car. "It's like you two are actually sisters, except that she's way more nerdier than you..."
"Eh, sometimes, I wish; but unfortunately, life's just not fair." Crystal says as she gets into the front-seat next to Candy, then proceeding to buckle herself in. "Well, it's time we get a move on if you wanna meet them; Goth Boy and Yuki have work in, like, a half-hour."
"Do you know where your friends are right now?"
"I know where they are." Crystal answered as the car pulled out of the driveway. "But unfortunately, I don't think you're gonna like where it is..."
"Please...I doubt I'm going to hate wherever your friends hang out at." Candy replied, earning her a look of the goth that one would presume she was saying 'Really, dude?'.
A few minutes later...
It was thankfully a short drive to get to where most of the town's goths hang out at, which was a rather typical-looking house, to say the least. There was a couple downsides to it though; such as the fact that it looks rundown, with some of the boards beginning to fall off, some of the windows were cracked, and it looks like the door was removed. Some of the grass seemed to be dying, as well as the single tree that could be seen next to the house; and there appears to be a hole visible in the room, with a bat flying out of it. It should also be worth noting that out of all the houses that were along the street, it was literally the only one that actually looked like this.
Candy just sat there in her driver-seat, staring at this house with a look of pure horror and surprise on her face, all while Crystal was staring at it with a rather calm expression instead. "I stand corrected..." The former of the two said, clearly wanting to now drive off and go to one of the clubs instead.
Note: We're finally done with the second-half of Katie meeting Chaz and Tim, and unlike last time, it doesn't seem like they really started on the right foot here. Don't worry though, because they won't wind up becoming rivals; at least not one-hundred percent. Sadly, it might be a bit before the two will become a couple, thanks to the inclusion of there being a past relationship Chaz had with Crystal; because really, the latter breaking things off with Katie over Chaz is beginning to become old to me.
There's nothing really much else I can say about this chapter, so I'm just going to see what reviews we have are...
TheBigBunnyBoy: Yeah, it was pretty obvious who they were the moment Tim's dog hat was brought up, among other things. Also, there's going to be a few changes here and there compared to other times I've made this story.
lordgemini: Well, it looks like things have gotten more complicated now; and yes, Crystal did know who Chaz and Tim were; but too bad neither of the outcomes turned out good for either of them. The only thing that didn't wound up happening was Candy coming downstairs to meet the two boys for herself, but that's mainly because I didn't think it was the right time for them to meet yet. The two will encounter each other eventually, but only time will tell when that will actually happen.
I'm the next chapter, we will be taking a look into Crystal's life this time; and maybe a little bit more into Candy as well. Until next time, I will see you all in the next chapter.