Days' Of Our Five
Episode 1

Authors: Angelica N. Ferguson
And
Yelena Bronevetsky

Emails:
Angelica N. Ferguson
HeinousAnus@farts.com

Yelena Bronevetsky
WeLuvArnie@aol.com

CHARACTERS:

Sean’s girl
Name: Alanna
quite short but makes up for it with a REALLY loud voice, munted eyes that always change colour, has a sick and twisted sense of humor, preppy/trendy dresser (think joey from dawson's creek)
Character: youngest one-16; really big 5ive fan, eager to experience life; naive as well; gets herself into situations that aren't too good,
Alyson: Good friend of Alana's but wants Sean (bitch)
Joy: 5'2, medium long hair and blue eyes
Character: Good friend of Alana's but wants Sean (bitch)
Jen:5'8, brown hair w/ blonde streaks, green eyes.
Character: Good friend of Alana's but wants Sean (bitch)
Richie’s girl Name: Sunny
dark, DARK brown hair cut in a bob below the chin, with natural auburn looking highlights brown-hazel eyes, 5'4, fair complexion, slender figure, cheery personality, laid-back, understanding, patient, sensitive, fun-loving, shy at first then MAJOR talkative and wild, ALWAYS ready for a good time!!!! trendy but comfortable (think natalie imbruglia meets elizabeth from general hospital)
Character: the good girl, sweet, naïve, and has a cousin who hates her.
Sunny’s cousin, Terri, hates her cuz she’s the nice girl and everyone loves her.
Terri: not evil, but hates Sunny; will do anything to sabotage Sunny and her relationships, dark brown hair, light brown eyes with greenish specs in the middle, 5'8, 18 years old, sorta slutty/trendy (think buffy the vampire slayer)
Scott’s girl Name: Angelica
loud, laughs quite easily, up and coming pop star, funny, outgoing, gung ho, vivacious, short blue spiked hair with black roots, brown eyes, tall, thin, crazy wacko punk chick (dresses a bit like A.J. from BSB, complete with leopard print cowboy hat or gwen stefani) mod, obsessive compulsive, biting fetish
Character: crazy one, up and coming pop star, friends with everyone but no one knows much about her except Yelena's cause they're best friends; live in small town before pop stardom so she's very well known but is mysterious; super friendly; gay best friend choreographer named Tom Heidi:long layered blonde hair, blue eyes, 5'7, extremely rebellious and love to do anything; plays all sports especially soccer and bball
Character: Scott's psychotic ex-girlfriend (bitch)
Tom: dark brown hair, blue eyes, loves to shop, into hip clothes and shoes, has that little boy cute factor , lots of tattoos, dresses like J.C. in N*SYNC
Abs’ girl
Name: Yelena
cheeky, rather humorous, comfy casual, all about the corduroys, long wavy blond hair, blue eyes, slightly resembles “Felicity”, obsessive, addicted to TV, Dresses like Drew Barrymore
Character: quiet one, Angelica's best friend (we've known each other forever so we're super close and I'm her main dancer); have a best friend named Mark and he's secretly in love with me but I'd never go for him cause we're best friends; 17 years old, innocent,
Sumi:large hazel eyes, very curly & long black hair, 5'7",skinny Character: interested in Abs (bitch)
Mark: dark brown spiky hair, blue eyes, really goofy, cute in little brother kinda way, baggy and grungy style (typical skater)
J’s girl
Name: Katie
long dark curly hair, very tan, brown eyes, 5'5", loud, really funny, sultry,always laughing but has dark mood swings
Character: masseuse, violent tendencies, party animal, very unfaithful, huge flirt, sometimes abusive Day's of our 5ive By: GeL (Angelica) and Yen Yen (Yelena)


Episode I: Phantom Menaces
(sick of our puns yet?)

The nine dancers turned in unison to the bass heavy music. Yelena wiped the sweat from her brow and said, "We done for today?" The girl she addressed did one final shimmy, spun and answered her, "Yup...Oh, what are we doing tonight?" "Going to the Groove Spot of course," Yelena answered as the dancers began to file out of the rehearsal studio. "Oh my word! The G-Spot again?! Haven't you had enough dancing?" "Oh come on. I promise I'll talk to him this time." "Uh uh. No way! I don't think so. That is exactly what you said last time and you did shit." "Tonight'll be different. I promise. Pleeeease, Gel??" The young choreographer interjected, "Maybe we should go, Angelica. I mean, she does seem very eager." Angelica replied, "Fine, Tom. Alright, Yelena. We'll go, and if you don't make a move tonight, dammit! I'm gonna pants you. Come on."

*****************************************************************

The short brunette sighed as she picked up the receiver. She drummed her nails impatiently as she counted the rings. “Come on, Terri, pick up….” “Hello.” “Terri, hey, it’s me, are you busy tonight?” “Oh hey, Sunny, no…why?” “Do you wanna go to that hot new club with me, I think it’s called the Groove spot…” “Yeah, ok, that sounds like fun,” the girl replied through clenched teeth. “Well, then I’ll pick you up at 10:00,” Sunny smiled, happy to have a social life once again. “See ya later!” “Yeah, later.” Sunny remembered the good times she’d had with Terri as she hung up the phone. Terri had always been her favorite cousin, even though she’d always ahd this premontion of some sort, that somehow, Terri was not to be trusted. She grabbed her keys and attempted to push the negative thoughts about her cousin from her mind.

Tonight they were gonna have fun, and hopefully meet some hotties. Afterall, the Groove spot was supposed to be the new “hot spot” in town…

*****************************************************************

“Oh my god, Alanna! I’m so excited! Tonight is gonna be soo awesome!” “I know, Allison, I’m soo psyched! I’ve got such a good feeling about tonight.” Alanna sighed and gazed dreamily into the mirror. “Really? What kinda feeling”, Allison queried as she pulled on her flares. “Just this wonderful feeling, like, that I’m gonna meet someone really special, I guess,” Alanna answered, as two more girls entered the room. “You’re gonna meet someone special, are you? What about us?”, demanded the shorter of the two girls. “Finally, Joy, you made it! What took you so long? Allie and I thought you were gonna blow us off again for your boy toys.” The shorter girl rolled her eyes and flipped her brown hair over her shoulder. “Oh, them, they’re history. We’re back on the open market. That is what tonight is all about, right? We need new boy toys.” “Yeah, really, ones that’ll talk about something other than themselves for a change.” Alanna smiled and said gleefully, “All I gotta say, Joy, is good luck to us all tonight!” Joy smiled back at her friend, “I mean, gosh, we’re all so gorgeous, our biggest problem tonight is gonna be fighting off all the losers! I’ve got our fake ID’s covered.”
Allison leaped off the bed to hug Joy. “No way, Joy! You are the best!” Amid jocund chatter and laighter the girls finished dressing and making themselves up. Tubes of lipstick, mascara, and glitter were tossed back and forth across Alanna’s bedroom. The four girls applied, reapplied, and primped until they were satisfactorily sexy.

*****************************************************************

“Hey, Yelena, your man is DJ-ing!” “Uh, yeah, I know, Mark,” Yelena replied, trying to conceal her staring eyes. “Oh, you’re such a dork, why don’t you just go talk to him?” “Shut up, Gel, what am I supposed to say anyway?” “I dunno, why don’t you request a song or something?” “Yeah!” Tom agreed, “That’s such a good idea, then you can just be like,‘y’know, you’re pretty cute, wanna go out sometime?’” “All of you just shut up! I’ll talk to him later…it’s just not the right time right now.” Yelena exhaled, crossed her arms, and leaned back in her chair.

“Well, whatever, we’re going to dance,” Angelica said as she rose and grabbed Tom by the arm. She automatically began dancing, as did Tom. They were both dressed modishly with Angelica in orange parachute pants, a leopard print tube top (leaving her tight pop star stomach bare) with a black army cargo strap vest over top, and chunky black doc martens, and Tom sporting black cargos and a blue, silk button-down Hawaiian shirt. “She’s such a good dancer,” Mark said to Yelena, making conversation as they watched their friends get jiggy with it. “Yeah, she is. So is Tom!,” Yelena said, laughing at Tom, who was really getting down. Mark, noticing Tom’s antics, also began to laugh heartily, but stopped suddenly when he looked at Yelena, who by now was no longer watching their friends groove. He rolled his eyes and sank back in his chair.

She was ogling at the DJ. The four friends had to come to the Groove spot, the G-spot as they lovingly referred to it, every weekend because of Yelena’s obsession with the DJ, whom she refused to speak to. All she did was stare. And it drove Mark insane. With every second that her blue eyes lingered on the mysterious DJ, it was another agonizing twist of the knife in Mark’s heart.

****************************************************************

The two girls smiled at each other and danced blissfully. “We look sooo good, Terri!”, Sunny yelled to her cousin above the din of the music. Terri glanced at her own outfit then at Sunny’s and smiled again. “I know!!” Terri was wearing a crimson tank top, a tight, black, knee length skirt, and strappy black heels. Sunny was equally as fetching in a tight, skimpy baby blue dress and silver platforms. As the song began to change, Terri turned and loked at the DJ. She gasped slightly as she regarded the young man conversing with the DJ.

“Sunny, check him out! Is he not the hottest thing you’ve ever seen?!?!” Terri clutched her dancing cousin woth one hand and pointed up toward the DJ with the other. Sunny’s eyes grew wide with admiration as she said, “The blond talking to the DJ?! Wow!! Oh my god, he is totally my target tonight!” Terri’s eyes narrowed at the latter whilst she thought to herself, ‘I sooo saw him first!!!’ She turned her head when she suddenly felt hands on her hips. When she looked back at Sunny, she noticed that someone had also begun dancing with her cousin. She maneuvered her way closer to Sunny and her partner and said, “Let’s go dance over---“, but halted in mid-sentence when she noticed the mysterious blond was gone.

“Terri, I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll be right back,” Sunny shouted to her cousin, retreating into the crowd. Sunny angled herself toward the ladies’ room, but as she turned the corner to the bar, stopped short. She took a deep breath and approached the bar at a more leisurely pace. She calmly seated herself a chair down from the mysterious blond. She ordered a drink and inconspicuously checked out her lust object. She swiftly averted her eyes as he looked over at her. When she looked back a few seconds later, they made eye contact. Sunny inhaled sharply as the mysterious blond smiled an enticingly charming smile at her.

She shyly returned the smile and then quickly took a sip of her drink. Her heart was pounding as she heard him speak. “Hello, I’m Richie.” Sunny almost dropped her drink as she replied, “Hi, I’m Sunny.” “What a great name…So do you have a very ‘sunny’ personality?” Sunny covered her face, giggling. “I guess so, I laugh a lot.” “Why do you cover your face like that when you laugh? Y’know it’s a crime in this country to hide a face that pretty.” Sunny giggled even harder and blushed. “I don’t know about that…Richie.” Richie rose and moved to the seat next to Sunny’s. He gestured to her drink and asked, “Can I get you another one of those?” “Sure,” Sunny answered, nodding and blushing even harder. Unbeknownst to Sunny, Terri had spied her cousin flirting at the bar and vowed under her breath…

*****************************************************************

The four girls hurriedly shuffled into the club, being carefully not to fall on their platforms. As they passed the guard, each handed their ID to the muscular man and waited in anticipation at his reaction. Finally, each got through and entered the smoky chamber looking cautiously back to make sure no one realized they weren't supposed to be there. "Oh my god! I can't believe that worked! We are so in!!" Alana shrieked as she adjusted her tight black capris and made sure the strap on her pink halter top was securely fastened.

The outfit was finished off with pair of pink chunky sneakers. "This is SO awesome guys! I am totally meeting some hotties tonight. Now, you're sure my outfit is okay?" Joy asked referring the lavender tank top, short black patent leather skirt, and black platforms she was sporting the evening. "You look great! Stop worrying. I'm just hoping this thing stays up,"said, pulling up her hot green tube top, accompanied by a pair of white flares. "Come on chicas. Hotties await," Alana declared as she started walking toward the dance floor.

The others fell into line behind her, pushing through the crowd until they reached the huge group groovin' to the music. The girls were all having a great time when a young man approached Alana. He tapped her on the shoulder and casually spoke, "Yo baby, I musta died and gone to heaven cause I see an angel standin right in front of me." Alana laughed and turned, "Where'd you come up with that one...oh my god..." In front of her stood none other than Sean from her all-time favorite group 5ive. The other girls turned in amazement at the scene. "You wanna dance?" he asked smiling. "Ummmmm...."Alana stammered regaining her composure. "Sure." She turned to her friends in complete marvel as he led her off to another portion of the dance floor. After the initial shock wore off, Alana was able to speak again and portray her natural charm. "You wanna go to the bar?" Sean asked after dancing to song after song. "I need a drink." Alana agreed and the two moved towards the bar. Sean ordered the drinks and the two sat down to chat.

Hours later, Alana realized that is way past the time she had told her mom she'd be home. She couldn't believe how well she and Sean vibed. Alana handed Sean a scrap of paper on which she'd written her phone number and stood up to go find her friends. She finally found the three standing near the door not looking happy at all. "Finally..."Allison said under her breath as the girls walked out of the club. The car ride home was silent as Alana's friends plotted against her. It just wasn't fair. Alana had always gotten the hotties and this was the last straw. Sean from 5ive! How lucky could one girl get...

Episode II

Episode II: The Force

Episode II

"Go, Gel!", Yelena yelled knowing full well Angelica couldn't hear her through the sound proof glass. Mark laughed and adjusted his headphones. "She sounds great today." Mark, Tom, and Yelena were all sitting in on Angelica's recording session. She was currently recording her debut CD and could use all the support she could get. "How'd that sound, Guy?", Angelica asked the technician turning to face them. "Great, Gel. You can come out and take a break. Then we're back in the studio for a couple more hours, k? I wanna get all the background vocals recorded tonight," replied the tall, middle aged man. "That was awesome, Gel," Yelena said, rising to give her friend a hug. "Definitely," chimed in Tom.
"Thanks, guys. Come on, I need some water."
The four friends headed down the hall to the room housing the vending machine. They sat chatting when suddenly Yelena jumped up. "I totally forgot! We're supposed to be at the club by 10 tonight!"
"We can be a little late," Tom replied.
"You know he only DJ's from 10-11. I can't miss him!", she stated giving the group a pathetic look.
"Fine...Gel, you comin'?", asked Mark.
"Sorry, guys. I gotta hang around here for a couple more hours. Tell me how it goes, alright? Have fun," Angelica replied as her three friends walked away. Sighing, she stood up and walked back down the hall to the studio.

“Let’s get back to work, little lady,” Guy said, ushering Angelica back into the studio. “Take it from the second verse.”

As the music came through her headphones, Angelica began bobbing her head to the beat. She closed her eyes and sang. Scott paused as he noticed a striking young woman in the studio as he passed. His eyes grew large as he watched her; she was incredibly beautiful. Even though he couldn’t hear what she was singing, he assumed she had an equally beautiful voice. He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow as he gazed through the window at her.
His heart started to beat faster and he could feel himself turning red as heat rushed all over his body. He watched intently the dramatic movements of her lips and the twists of her neck. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a man beckoning to him. Scott walked toward the door and opened it. He stepped into the control room of the studio, still unable to force his eyes from the girl. The man that had waved him in spoke,
“I’m Guy Patterson, Angelica’s producer. Who might you be?”
“Oh,” Scott reached out and took the producer’s proffered hand.
“I’m Scott Robinson, I was recording down the hall. I was on my way out, and I noticed her.”
He turned to face Angelica.
“She’s excellent, if you’d like to listen,” Guy said, holding out a pair of headphones to Scott.
Scott grabbed them eagerly. He slipped them on, and immediately a surprised expression crossed his face. The voice he heard was unbelievable. He hadn’t imagined this powerful voice could come from the slender girl he was observing. Shortly, the song drew to an end and the girl opened her eyes. Time seemed to have decelerated into slow motion. Scott watched fixedly as her eyelids slowly rose and her gaze connected with his. His heart palpitated rapidly and his jaw gradually dropped. The girl’s eyes widened and then a smile spread across her lovely face. Scott couldn’t control the smile that sprang to his. It seemed, too, that the irrepressible grin only grew larger as the stunning girl gracefully removed her headphones and entered the control room.

“Hello,” she said. And her speaking voice was just as superb as her singing voice.
Scott held out his hand and stuttered. “Hi, I’m Scott. I was on my way out, and I…I…I saw you, and your producer offered me a listen. And I must say, you’re quite…quite talented.” Scott flushed as he finished his sentence and her hand gripped his.
“Thank you! Thank you so much! I’m very flattered…were you recording here, too?”
Scott fought to tear his eyes from her’s, so penetrating and deep. He arduously transferred his gaze to examine the rest of her extraordinary face. She had mysterious almond shaped eyes that seemed to be able to see right into his soul. He was almost afraid she knew all his thoughts, specifically the dirty ones he was having at the moment, as his gaze traveled southward.
Suddenly, as she spoke, Scott blinked and made eye contact again. She was inviting him to stay for the duration of her recording if he wanted, and maybe afterwards they could talk some more and he could tell her about what he was recording, and of course he was no inconvenience whatsoever, actually having an audience was a real pleasure. Angelica silently pantomimed a scream as she reentered the recording chamber. She was pretty sure she’d never seen a guy quite as attractive as Scott.
Actually, she was positively sure. She was also pretty sure she’d seen him somewhere before, perhaps on TV or something. While she donned her headphones and commenced singing she pondered where she could’ve seen him before…he was recording, so he must be some sort of musician…then she remembered, and hit her note way off key. She’d seen him in a music video…Scott was in that band 5ive! All whilst recording Angelica tried to keep her eyes shut, but she just couldn’t. They kept forcing themselves open of their own accord. It was like her body was telling her to look at Scott. As if somehow, that’s what her eyes were crafted for; to look upon this person she’d only just met, but for some inexplicable reason felt the deepest connection with.
So halfway through recording, she stopped fighting against her body’s impulses and gave in to stare at Scott. She realized it wasn’t all that bad either, because he returned her stare, with the most adorable smile she’d ever seen. Angelica made a variety of different faces and gesticulations to go with her songs, and to amuse Scott. She was remarkably successful at the latter, having Scott with either a rakish grin on his face, or flat out laughing hysterically.

Angelica attempted to listen attentively as Guy discussed their progress with her and laid out their plans for the next day, but she couldn’t ignore Scott’s mockery of her producer as he stood behind Guy tacitly mimicking his words and gestures. She finally let out a chortle, which forced Scott to hastily halt his mocking of Guy and make like he was doing nothing as Guy turned to see what was sooo funny. He looked quizzically at both Scott and Angelica , rolled his eyes, shook his head as if to say,
“Kids….”, and then told Angelica she was free to leave. She and Scott both hurriedly exited the room.
“You’re quite the comedienne I see,” Angelica said and smiled coyly up at Scott.
Scott readily returned the playful smile and rejoined,
“You’re rather amusing, yourself.” He added, suddenly concerned,
“I hope I didn’t ruin your recording or anything…”
“Oh, of course not, on the contraire, I think you might actually have improved it. So, what were you recording?”
“I just had to redo a few tracks…nothing big. You really are very talented.” Angelica smiled up at Scott again.
“Thanks…” They stopped as they reached the exit.
Scott opened the door, motioning Angelica to proceed him, which awarded him another arresting smile. As they began to cross the parking lot, Angelica halted and turned to Scott wearing a bemused expression on her pretty face.
“I seem to have forgotten that I have no ride. I have to go back inside and call my friend to come pick me up. It’s really been a pleasure.”
“Wait, where do you live, I’ll drive you home,” he replied, grabbing her elbow as she turned to go back inside.
“Oh, no really, you don’t have to, I’m sure I’m out of the way.”
“No, it’s no problem, I’d be happy to.” He grinned the dashing grin Angelica had suddenly come to adore.
“OK, thank you so much. But y’know you really don’t have to…”
“Come on, my car’s parked over here.” Scott steered Angelica by her elbow in the direction of his vehicle.

As Scott turned the ignition the radio came on.
“You can change it if you want,” he said to his passenger.
“Oh, this is fine.” Angelica turned up the volume as a new song started.
“Oh my god! I love this song!”, Scott cried as they pulled out of the parking lot.
The two began singing in unison, which caused them to look at each other demurely and cease. Shortly, they began again. When the song ended and a commercial came on Scott turned down the volume and asked Angelica where she lived. She gave him some simple directions, and luckily Scott knew the area well. Suddenly, another song came on and Angelica practically leaped toward the volume dial at the same time as Scott.
“Richard Marx!”, they both yelled simultaneously. They regarded each other again, laughing.
“You like Richard Marx?”, Scott asked incredulously.
“Oh my god, yes! This has been one of my favorite songs for like EVER!”, Angelica answered. She started singing again, as did Scott.
“Where ever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you, whatever it takes or how my heart breaks, I will be right here waiting for you…”, they sang together, occasionally glancing over at each other to smile.

"Here it is," said Angelica, leading Scott into the cozy apartment. As they walked into the living room, they noticed the dim flickering of the TV screen with Yelena lying on the couch across the room.
She was all wrapped up in her favorite Ninja Turtles blanket with a box of tissues next to her. The two looked at the TV screen noticing the movie she was watching.
"I've seen this movie...It's not sad...Why's she crying?", Scott whispered into Angelica's ear.
"Is she okay?" "I don't know, but she hardly ever cries.
Maybe this isn't the best time. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?", Angelica replied looking at her best friend with worry.
Suddenly, Yelena looked up and noticed the two standing there.
"Who's that?" she asked between sniffles.
"This is Scott," Angelica stated as Scott waved cautiously at the sobbing figure.
"He was just leaving." "Bye, Gel. Uhh...nice to meet you," he said before walking towards the door.
Angelica looked longingly at him as he walked out, then turned to her friend.
"Now, what's wrong?"
"Well, we went to the club you know...", Yelena started.
"Yeah, I know...", Angelica replied sitting down beside Yelena.
"The D.J. guy was there as usual and I watched him for his whole set before I finally got up the courage to try and talk to him. He looked so great tonight. He was wearing this crazy outfit with these goggle thingies and this hat and stuff. I was about 10 feet away from him when I show this girl approach him...and..."
She paused reaching over to grab a tissue. "Gel, you shoulda seen this girl...She was all over him. She this had black tube top that just let it all hang out and this short, tight skirt...if you can even call it that. She was being all flirty and trying to sit on his lap and stuff...", she continued.
"Well, that doesn't mean that he actually liked her...", Angelica said, trying to comfort her.
"Well, that's not the end," Yelena proceeded as tears started to fall down her mascara-streaked face once again.
"He kissed her Gel...on the lips...these voluptuous lips...It's a total sign. We're not meant to be."
"Oh come on, Lena...It is not a sign. Things like this happen all the time at clubs. I'm sure she meant nothing to him," Angelica offered comfortingly. She hugged her friend and continued trying to cheer her up.
Between sniffles Yelena asked,
“But what about you, who’s ‘Scott’?” Angelica smiled and said ecstatically,
“Oh wow! He is sooo great! And have you ever seen anyone soooo gorgeous?!” She giggled and kinda jumped around on the couch giddily.
“That’s awesome, but where’d you meet him?”, Yelena inquired, trying to grab her friend and seat her back down on the sofa.
“He’s in that band, 5ive! He was recording in the studio and he stopped in on his way out. So we introduced ourselves and he stayed ‘till I was done and then gave me a ride home!”
“He is really hot….any sparks?” Yelena had ceased crying by now and was rather intrigued.
“Oh my god, yes! Like as soon as I saw him I got this warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach. And y’know what, it’s not gone. It’s like, somehow, meeting him made me…..whole….does that make any sense?”
“Yeah, it definitely does….even though it’s kinda weird, but I know what you mean.”
“But I don’t know if I’d call that sparks…he’s really nice, but I don’t think he likes me all that much.”
“Why not? He did give you a ride home.”
“Yeah, but that’s just cuz he’s soo nice, that doesn’t mean he’s interested in me. And it definitely doesn’t mean sparks!”
“Whatever, Gel, I think trading digits means sparks…”
“Whatever, Lena, he could just wanna be friends, we did hit it off rather well.”
“See, sparks! Face it, sparks were flying and you know it…you just wait ‘till I see the two of you together, then I’ll prove the spark factor to you.”
“OK, OK, whatever….let’s just watch the movie ok?” Yelena laughed and said, “Oh my god! You know you love talking about this! Just look at that huge stupid smile on your face!” Angelica threw a pillow at her amid bursts of laughter. “Fine, we’ll watch the movie….but I need details later, girl.”

The two girls sat on the couch until very early in the morning watching funny movies, talking about Scott, and telling jokes. By the time they went to sleep, Yelena had almost forgotten about the club, and Angelica had already been deep in dreams about Scott.

---------------------------------

Episode III: Obi-Wan

Alanna spooned more cereal into her mouth as she flipped through this month's YM. Just as she slurped down the last spoonful, she heard the loud ringing of the phone. Jumping up, she rushed to the phone hoping it was Sean who'd said he'd call her the next day. Sure enough, when she picked up the receiver, she heard the familiar voice. "Hey, is Alanna there?" "It's me. Sean?" "Hey! So I was wondering if you'd wanna go to that big carnival thing with me and a friend of mine?", Sean inquired hopefully. "Oh yeah, I wanted to go to that. I'd love to go with you Sean!", Alanna replied hoping she might get to meet some more 5ive members if that was the friend he was referring to.

"Great. I'll pick you up at like 7, alright? See ya then." "Sure. Bye," she said hanging up the phone. She screamed in excitement and ran up the stairs to pick out an outfit. She needed to look her best to impress that hunk Sean. Angelica dropped herself lazily on the couch, pointing the remote at the TV. She curled up to watch, just as the phone rang. She waited for Yelena to answer it, and rose when she heard her roommate call her name. "Who is it?", she yelled back."Your boyfriend!", Yelena responded teasingly. Angelica rolled her eyes disapprovingly as she grabbed the phone from Yelena. "Hey, Scooter, what's up?" Yelena rolled her eyes back at her friend and fluttered her eyelashes as she listened to Angelica's rapid change in her tone of voice. "You are such a dork," she whispered and left the room. "Hey, busy today?", Scott asked Angelica. "Well, I kinda had plans with Yelena…why?" "Oh, well I was just wondering if you wanted to go to this carnival thing with me, but if you're busy it's ok."

"Well, Yelena and I were actually gonna go to the carnival, so if you wanna come with us it's cool." Angelica felt slightly guilty inviting Scott along, but those sentiments passed quickly at Scott's next words. "Is it OK if I bring a friend, too, then?" He continued jokingly, "It could be sort of a double date." Angelica chuckled and said, "Sure, sounds like fun. Who's your friend?" "My friend, Abs, he's in the band, too. All the guys are planning on going to the carnival, and they all have like 'dates' or something, except Abs and I. So I figured I'd call you and we'd just all hang out or something." "Yeah, that's cool…so when should we meet you there?" "In an hour? Is that good? By the bumper cars…""Yup, so see ya then!" "Yeah, later…" "Later!" Angelica hung up the phone and ran into Yelena's room. "Get dressed! We're going to the carnival in an hour!" "What? I thought we weren't gonna go till later?" "Um, no, we're meeting Scott and his friend there in an hour." "Oh, well ok, then…", Yelena said sarcastically. "Come on, it'll be fun." "Weren't you and I gonna have a girls only day?" "Yeah…but we meant without Mark and Tom, and Scott and his HOT friend are not Mark and Tom." "Hot, you say?" "Um….yeah, I'm sure he is. He looks pretty hot in the videos…" "In the videos…which one is he?" "The one that raps I think…" "Fine, if I remember correctly, he is hot…ok, let's get ready." Yelena smiled and began rummaging through her closet.

"Y'know what…we told Mark and Tom we were having a girls only day…it's a good thing they aren't home." "Yeah, really." Just as Yelena spoke, they heard the front door open. "Oh, shit, Lena, they're home! They're gonna wanna come to the carnival with us." "So, we just won't tell 'em where we're going. Since we're meeting the guys there, it's not a problem." Mark's head popped in the doorway. "What's not a problem?" Angelica threw a pillow at Mark, and said, "My hair." Mark ducked and stared at her quizzically. "Whatever, sistah." He formed the letter "W" with his fingers. "Go away, Mark," Angelica replied, throwing a shoe at his head. She hit him square on the nose, right as Tom tossed the pillow back at her. "You two are bad liars…", Tom said, shaking his head. "Liars, Tom? And where did you two go this morning?" "For your information, we went food shopping. Something YOU have been neglecting lately. We DO have to eat, Gel." "Why is food shopping MY job?", Angelica asked mock-angrily. "Because, Miss Picky, you always have to get EXACTLY what YOU want, and you throw a fit if some one else buys the wrong thing, that's why." Tom threw the shoe that had hit Mark at her. "Well, I am gonna throw a fit if you bought a bunch of junk food again, Tom." Angelica stood and pushed the two guys out of the room. "Why don't you go unpack the groceries and let us get dressed." "Why," Mark hassled. "Where are you two going?" "To the carnival, we're bored." "Can we come?", Mark asked as he pushed the door open and stepped back into the room. "No!", both girls rejoined simultaneously. "Why not?", he whined.

"We already told you, it's a girls only day," Yelena said, pushing Mark out of the room again. "Does that mean Tom gets to go?", Mark asked, forcing Tom in between himself and the door. Everyone except Tom laughed at Marks anecdote about Tom's sexual preference. Then the girls leaned against the door, closing the guys out. Mark turned to Tom, and said matter of factly, "She's going on a date. We're following her." "You are such an idiot, Mark. Who cares if she's going on a date? Leave her alone!" "No, Tom, I have to know who HE is." "Why, so you can see how much better than you he is?" "Ouch, that really hurt, Tom." Mark punched Tom and walked past him to the kichen. Sunny rummaged through her closet looking for the perfect outfit. Her blue carpeted floor was already covered with various skirts and shirts that'd been rejected. She needed to look awesome today. Richie was coming in less than an hour and she was far from ready. She finally settled on a pink sundress, which complemented her fair skin. Sunny spent the next hour applying makeup and trying out different hair-styles until she knew she looked great. Outside her window, she heard a car pull up. Looking outside, she saw the bright blond running up towards the house. She took one last look in the mirror and ran down the stairs. Just as Richie put his finger to the door bell, Sunny threw the door open with excitement. "Hey!" she said happily. "Hey Sunny. You sure look great tonight," he complimented with a huge grin on his face. "Why thank you. You look pretty good yourself." Sunny replied as Richie took her hand and led her towards the car. In the back seat, she could see a pretty girl sitting beside a dark haired man who waved at her as she sat down. They were all introduced to each other and continued on their way to the carnival.

Angelica and Yelena surveyed the scene before them as they walked to the edge of the fair grounds. There were bright tents and numerous vendors and games all around. There were people everywhere, eating, yelling, laughing, and generally just having a good time. "Scott said to meet them at the bumper cars," Angelica said, stopping to look around for a sign as to where the bumper cars could possibly be. "Well, let's go look for the bumper cars then." Yelena began walking into the bustle of the carnival. A few minutes later the girls found the bumper cars, but no guys. "We're early, now we're gonna look like losers." Angelica stared at her watch. "Oh relax, loser. They're not gonna care that we're early." "Yeah, well I do care, I like being fashionably late." "Well, it doesn't matter anymore, cuz here they come." Yelena pointed to her left. "Don't point!", Angelica exclaimed, seizing her friend's hand. "Oh my god, you loser. You're really in-love with Scott, aren't you? Calm down." "Just stop pointing, OK?" Yelena squinted at the approaching guys. "Y'know, Scott's friend really looks familiar…there's just something about him…" "It's probably because you've seen him in their videos. Where else would you have seen him?" Suddenly Abs began pantomiming scratching turn tables, and Yelena jumped. "Oh my god! He's the DJ, he's my DJ! Oh my god, what am I gonna do, I look like crap today!" Angelica turned Yelena around towards her.

"You look fine…how do you know he's your DJ? You've never seen him up close.""I just know, OK." "Whatever…well, you can ask him yourself right now," Angelica said, waving to Scott. "No way, there is no way I'm asking him. Will you later?" "Why do I always have to do everything?" "Because I'm shy, and you're not afraid to do anything and you don't get embarrassed." Yelena looked at her best friend pleadingly. "Fine, I will later." She smiled broadly as Scott greeted them with a huge grin. "Hello, ladies. This is Abs. Abs this is Angelica and Yelena. Gel, Abs is dying to hear your stuff. Are you gonna be in the studio again soon?" Angelica beamed as Scott touched her hand. "We just have finishing touches to do, but he could have a private exhibition if he likes," she said, holding Scott's hand and looking deep into his blue eyes, a coy smile dancing across her lips.Without shifting his gaze he asked Abs, "Would you be interested, Abs?" "Yeah, definitely," Abs answered, regarding Scott and Angelica with an eyebrow raised quizzically. An awkward silence ensued while the four young people all stared at each other. Abs decided to break the silence by saying, "Does anyone wanna do the bumper cars?" Yelena looked to Angelica, who was still having a moment with Scott, and then responded to Abs. "I'll go on the bumper cars." She elbowed Angelica who jerked and then quickly agreed. They all moved to stand in line. "Angelica, have I seen you somewhere before?", Abs asked. "I don't think so, why?""Oh, you just look really familiar, that's all." "Hmmm, I don't think we've ever met before…" "No, I don't think we've met before, you just look really familiar. Have you ever been to the Groove Spot?""Yeah, I go there all the time." "Really?! I think that's where I know you from! You're there every Saturday aren't you?""Yeah, it's like our favorite club." "I knew I'd seen you somewhere before." "Wow, I can't believe you recognized me," Angelica said, shaking her head in disbelief.

She noticed Yelena standing silently behind her, and then felt suddenly culpable. "Um, so are you at the G-Spot every weekend, too?" Abs laughed jovially. "The G-Spot?! That's hilarious! Yeah, I DJ there every Saturday." "Oh, yeah, I guess you do kinda look familiar then…I mean without the hats and goggles and stuff." "Well, I'd rather not be recognized in public, y'know, so I wear that little getup." Scott and Abs both stepped back, extending their arms, as they entered the bumper car ring. "Ladies first," Scott said with a dashing grin, showing his crooked tooth. 'Aww, what cute teeth,' Angelica thought to herself. She and Yelena preceeded the guys into the bumper cars and exchanged excited glances. They waited patiently for the cars to start and cheered as the corny circus music began blaring through the speakers. Suddenly the cars lurched and Yelena drove head on into Abs' car. Everyone laughed and yelled elatedly as they drove around, bashing into each other's cars. "I wanna go on the ferris wheel," Alanna announced upon entering the carnival. "I'm not much for ferris wheels, " Sunny replied looking down at her feet in embarrasment. "I have this problem with heights..." Richie put his arm around Sunny, comforting her. "Don't worry. We don't have to go with them. How about we just meet you guys back here later? At like...10?" he asked the other two. "Fine with me, "retorted Sean taking Alanna's hand as they walked away towards the ferris wheel. The pair sat down comfortably in a red car, chatting about the beautiful sky that night. As the ride began to move, Alanna felt Sean's hand moving up her leg and suddenly remembered a very familiar scene in the movie "Fear"... The bumper cars slowly drew to a stop, as did the circus music. The four young people exited the ring, laughing riotously. "Dude! I love bumper cars!", Angelica exclaimed. "Me, too!", Scott agreed, grabbing her around the waist. Angelica yelped and punched him playfully in the stomach.

"Oh, you're gonna get it!" Scott glared at her menacingly and ran after her as she booked across the grass. Abs and Yelena stood laughing, not entirely comfortably. Halfway across the field, Scott caught up with Angelica and tackled her. Angelica wriggled underneath him, laughing. Scott flipped her over onto her back and pinned her arms down on the ground. Angelica stopped laughing, breathing hard. Scott's eyes criss-crossed all over her face, inspecting every detail, but always returning to stare intensely into her eyes. She closed her eyes as Scott leaned in to kiss her. At first the kiss was light, and then it deepened. Scott unpinned her arms and she reached up to wrap them around his neck. On the other side of the carnival, Sunny and Richie had been taking a stroll. Suddenly Sunny grabbed Richie's hand and shrieked, "A psychic!" She proceeded to drag Richie towards the brightly colored tent before them. "You really wanna see a psychic?" Richie asked in surprise. "I love this stuff! I've always wanted to see a psychic. But..."she paused stopping in her tracks. "If you don't want to..." With one look at the face Sunny was making, Richie knew he couldn't refuse her. "Let's go..." he replied and she smiled and continued leading him towards the tent. Alana was breathless as they got off the ferris wheel. She was quiet as they began to walk through the carnival, looking for something that attracted them. Sean stopped as he spotted Richie and Sunny near a bright tent. "Richie!", he yelled, trying to attract his friend's attention. The two turned at the loud scream. Sean and Alana ran over to them with amused looks on their faces. "A psychic?", Sean asked snickering. "Sunny wanted to go," he replied as he noticed that Sunny was turning red. "I mean, we wanted to go." "Maybe we'll join you, "Sean replied. "I'm always up for a laugh." The four entered the tent to see a strange looking woman sitting at a table. She had large, curly hair and a wild dress on.

"Enter," she said, motioning to them. "I am Madame Tabitha" The woman examined each face carefully as they sat down in the makeshift plastic chairs set before her table. "So," she began. "You wish to travel into the world of the paranormal?""Umm...I just wanted to know my fortune..."Sunny replied. "Fine," Tabitha said with a tired look on her aging face. "You may enter one by one to receive your fortunes." With that, the woman proceeded to walk behind a silk, purple curtain at the back of the tent. Sunny looked around at the other three. "I guess I'll go first?", she asked. The others shrugged and motioned for her to go ahead. "Welcome child. And what is your name?", asked the woman as soon as Sunny had settled into one of the chairs in the back tent. "I'm Sunny...", she said quietly, looking around at the brightly decorated room. "Yes...Sunny..I see...a person in your life...they are not who they seem...", Madame Tabitha predicted. Sunny began to think about the fortune. Her mind came straight to Richie. Could he be not what he seems? Who else could it be? "You must beware Sunny..."the psychic continued, looking straight into Sunny's worried eyes. "That is all...I see no more...Send in another friend." Sunny rose and thanked the woman. She walked slowly out of the curtain and mumbled to Richie that it was his turn. "Is something wrong?" he asked. "What'd she tell you?" "Nothing...it's your turn...", Sunny replied looking quietly at her feet. Confused, Richie proceeded to walk behind the curtain. "And what is your name?", asked Tabitha as Richie entered. "I'm Richie. How much is this gonna cost?", Richie questioned suspiciously. "This is not about money. It is about expanding our minds...", Tabitha replied. "Five dollars." The young man reached into his pocket and handed her the money. "So, what's gonna happen?" "Patience child. I must think...", Tabitha began. "Yes...I see...a wine glass...You must stay away from the wine glass...It will cause many problems..." "The wine glass?" Richie asked. "Sure..I'll avoid the wine glass....You've been a great help..." He was quite amused by this prediction and quietly chuckled as he walked back through the curtain. "Your turn Sean," he said, sitting down beside Sunny.

Sean walked into the back tent and sat down in one of the provided chairs. "I'm Sean," he said to the seated woman. "Yes, I know. There is much in your future," Tabitha spoke. "You are entering a new road in your life...But there are many temptations keeping you from it. Beware of these." "Sure thing...", Sean replied walking out. As he entered the main tent, he motioned to Alana that it was her turn. "The woman's crazy...", he whispered as she walked in. "And who are you?", Tabitha asked the attractive girl entering her tent. "I'm Alana." "You have trouble in your future Alana. I see...little squirrels…", Tabitha began. "Squirrels??", Alana questioned. "Yes...little squirrels...They are trying to rob the blind folded squirrel of its nuts...That is all...", she finished. "What the hell? This is such crap!", Alana replied as she stormed out of the tent. "You okay?", asked Sean. "Yeah...Stupid psychic just told me some crap about squirrels. Lets go," Alana explained. The four left the tent, deciding that is was time to go home. Back on the other side of the field, Abs and Yelena were buying cotton candy and discussing various subjects like Abs' DJ-ing and Yelena's dancing. "I'd love to see you all dance sometime," Abs said. "I guess that could be arranged," Yelena responded shyly. She quickly changed the subject, uncomfortable with talking about herself. "So, do you think Scott likes Angelica?" "Scott? I dunno. He has a really serious girlfriend, so it doesn't matter if he does." Abs hadn't seen the full performance across the field, which Yelena had. "Scott has a girlfriend?!", Yelena declared incredulously. "Yeah, you didn't know? Actually I'm surprised he's not here with her today." "No, I didn't know, and neither does Gel." "Does she really like Scott or something?" Abs suddenly grew serious. Yelena attempted to cover her slip. "Oh, well, I don't know…it's just that Scott flirts with her really bad and I thought maybe he had a crush on her or something." "Oh, well, I don't really know. He hasn't said anything…besides, he's totally against cheating, and he and his girlfriend are really serious." "Well, that's good I guess," Yelena said, attempting to finalize the conversation. She abruptly appreciated that it was far more comfortable to talk about herself than it was to discuss Scott's sudden cheating on his 'really serious girlfriend'.

She and Abs reverted back to their previous discussion about her. Yelena relaxed as she found it really easy to talk to Abs. They clicked, and this made her incredibly happy. They ambled their way through the fair grounds, stopping to play various games. At practically every game they played Yelena lost, and Abs won her a stuffed animal or something. They both carried four stuffed toys, including an Obi-Wan doll, and Yelena was wearing a ridiculous plastic crown. "Woah, wait! There's Scott and Gel." Yelena grabbed Abs' hand and led him over to a psychic's tent. Unbeknownst to Yelena, Mark and Tom leaped out from behind a hot dog vendor, spying. "Oh man, no! They're gonna go in a dark tent and who knows what's gonna happen!" "Mark, shut up before she hears you." Tom pulled Mark back behind a tent. "Dude, he won her all that crap, I mean I haven't won a single thing all day." Mark turned to look into the tent they were hiding behind. "Check out all those balls, Tom!", he said amazedly. "Yeah, Mark, it looks like a party in your mom's mouth!" Mark kicked Tom and responded with, "Yeah, whatever, it looks like a party in your mouth. Come on we gotta get a better look inside that tent." "We can't without her seeing us." "I have an idea. Now don't get the wrong idea about this Tom, but it's the only thing I can think of." He dragged Tom over to the entrance of the tent. They peeked in and suddenly someone walked out. Mark grabbed Tom and pretended to make out with him. "Oh my god Mark!", Tom yelled, pushing Mark away from him. "What are you doing?! Like that's not gonna attract attention!""What?! I panicked!" "Whatever, Mark. Let's get out of here." Tom turned to leave. "Look, they'll probably be home in a while, and you can try to get something out of her and see if she lied this morning, or if maybe she met this guy here." "I already know she lied this morning…why is she doing this to me?!" "Stop whining, Mark. Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" "Well…fine, maybe I will. Yeah, I will, I'll do it tonight!" "That's it, Mark, stand up for your manhood!" "Ewww, Tom, that's just raw. Do not ever speak of my manhood to me again." The two stalkers turned to leave the carnival.

Mark stole one last look at the psychic's tent. 'I wonder what that psychic is telling her right now…' "You know, I've always wanted to see a psychic," Yelena started as the group walked into the tent. "They always have them on the soaps me and Gel watch." "Yeah, me too, "agreed Abs. "Welcome my friends. Please enter. Soon you will be enlightened to the spirits of the future," spoke the psychic, as the four sat down before her. "I am Tabitha." "Hey there. So is this gonna be expensive?", asked Angelica. "Fret not child. I have a feeling that you will soon have no money worries. Now please, follow me," replied Tabitha, walking behind the curtain to the back of the tent. Angelica followed her, glancing back to her friends before disappearing into the curtain. "Now...I see something wonderful in your future. Something you've always dreamed of...Yes...I also see something even better in your life that has already happened. Something to do with timeless love...but you must be careful. There are evil spirits about...That is all. Send in another friend," Tabitha ended, motioning towards the curtain. Angelica walked back to her friends pondering the fortune. As Angelica entered, Scott rose and smiled at her kindly. "My turn?", he asked. She looked at him in a new way, as if seeing again for the very first time. "Uhh...yeah...", she finally said, coming out of her daze. She couldn't stop thinking about the psychic's prediction. "Welcome friend. Sit sit," Tabitha said as Scott entered. "I see much in your future." "Cool. "What's gonna happen?" he asked. "Amazing....I see a soul mate for you...but there is someone who will try to stop it....someone from your past...You must beware Scott..."she predicted. "A soul mate? Wow," Scott replied, his mind drifting to Angelica. "Wait, how'd you know my name?" "What, you think I don’t watch TV?", Tabitha asked smiling. Scott smiled back and returned to his friends. "Go ahead Abs." Abs entered the tent, looking around at the extravagantly decorated room. "I'm Abs," he said.

"Yes...sit. I have much to tell you. I see a relationship beginning...someone who has admired you from afar. She has seen you many times...at a place you go often...I see...dancing...yes...", Tabitha finished. "Thanks, "Abs said, handing the psychic a five dollar bill and walking out to the tent. He began to think about the prediction. Dancing? Maybe the pyshic had meant the Groove Spot. He remembered a girl who'd been flirting with him last week. Could it be her? Then his mind came to someone else. He remembered Angelica saying she'd seen him at the club many times before.... As Abs returned from the psychic, Yelena got up and walked past him through the curtain. "Hi there, " she said greeting Tabitha. "Welcome. I see...some trouble in your future if you don't stop it,"Tabitha began. "There is a relationship oppurtunity...but you must work hard for it. There is a force nearby who is stopping you from getting what you deserve." "What should I do?", Yelena asked worriedly. "That...I cannot say...but please heed my advice," the psychic finished. "Some advice...", Yelena thought exiting the tent. "Didn't even tell me what to do." The girl glanced at her watch, growing peeved. She redid her bun and sat down to wait. Her two other workers had gone home for the day. She stayed to wait until her last client showed up. Technically the shoppe wasn't supposed to close for another 15 minutes, but the appointment had been for 45 minutes ago. Just then she heard the door open. She looked up to see a man walk in, breathless. "I'm so sorry I'm late," he said between breaths. "I got stuck in traffic, so parked a few blocks from here and ran the rest of the way." "It's alright. We don't close for 15 minutes anyway." The masseuse smiled and thought to herself, 'I'll let it slide cuz he's just Grade A top choice meat…'"Do we still have time for my full-body massage?" "Oh, yeah, we'll take our time.

You can grab a towel and change in that room there," the masseuse said, motioning to her right. The man entered the room and closed the door behind him, but not all the way. The masseuse angled herself so she could see in the crack. She watched as he undressed, a smile slowly spreading across her face. Lost in a fantasy world, she didn't notice as he opened the door, shocked to see her staring right at him. "Are you ready?", she asked quickly to cover up. "Yeah, I'm ready," the man replied. "Um, I'm J, what's your name?" "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Katie." Katie reached out to shake J's hand. She pulled him over to the massage counter. He climbed up on it and closed his eyes, relaxing. "So how long have you been a masseuse?", he asked as her hands moved up and down his back. He lay calmly, conversing softly with Katie. Her practiced hands kneaded, prodded, pushed, pulled, and beat his body until the tension was fully released. "You should probably come in here more often since you seem to be so active. A weekly massage is the best thing for you." Katie chopped her hands up and down J's spine. "Well, maybe I will start getting a weekly massage.

I mean if it's so good for you and my masseuse is as attractive as you…" He looked up at Katie and smiled, giving her Nick-Rabajda-eyes. Katie returned the sensual gaze and spread hot oil across J's muscular body. J tuned over, and grasped her by the shoulders. He pulled her down on top of him and kissed her passionately with raw animosity. Katie, caught up in the moment, began ripping off her clothes and giving into her animal desires. She threw J down on the floor and he pulled her roughly down with him. She scraped her nails across his back and with brute force, moved him up against the wall…

Episode IV: A New Hope…???

Sunny crept quietly passed the couch, making sure not to wake her cousin, as she tacked a small note on the coffee table. She took one last look at the sleeping figure before walking towards the door. Sunny herself a last look over, then walked out of the house to the small car parked in the driveway.

As Sunny's car rolled down the street, another car came from the opposite end and stopped in front of her house. Out of the car stepped Richie with a worried look on his face. He'd been trying to call Sunny for days since the carnival and she hadn't returned a single one of his calls. He knew he had to come over and sort things out.

He walked hurriedly to the door and knocked loudly. As Terri heard the knock, she rose sluggishly from the couch and walked towards the door. She hated being woken up before noon and this made her quite upset. Before opening the door, she looked carefully through the peephole. Her heart stopped as she saw Richie standing on the step. She couldn't let him see her like this! "Hold on a second!", she yelled, as she ran up the stairs. She searched her room for the sexiest number she could find, finally settling on a tight, lowcut, black dress. She quickly ran a brush through her hair and hurried back down the stairs. Terri stopped momentarily to catch her breath before opening the door for Richie. "Hey!", she greeted cheerfully. "Umm...hi...I'm Richie. Is Sunny here?", he asked hopefully.

"Oh, I'm really sorry Richie. She's not here right now. She left me a note that she was going out. Lunch date or something…", Terri replied, trying to keep a straight face and she applauded herself for the lie. Richie's face fell at the news. "A....a lunch date?", he questioned quietly, his lip quivering. "Are you sure?" "Yeah, pretty sure. Why? Did you have a date with Sunny? You know, it's so hard to keep track of all her boyfriends." She giggled.

"Ohh...", Richie said, trying not to show the hurt in his eyes. "I guess I'll just go then..." "No silly!" Terri squealed grabbing his shirt sleeve. "Come on in. I was just making breakfast." "Well, I dont know...", he trailed off. "Come onnn!", she persuaded. "I'm Terri. Sunny's cousin." "Well, I guess I could stay for a little while...", Richie finally agreed, hoping he could get some insight into Sunny's behavior lately. Richie followed Terri into the kitchen, watching her hips swing in rhythm as she walked. His eyes were glued to every curve the tight dressed revealed of Terri's slim figure. "You want...Cheerio's or Honey Bunches of Oats?", she asked reaching up to the top cabinet housing the cereal. "Hmm?", he asked, his eyes still on Terri's long tan legs.

"Cheerio's or Honey Bunches of Oats?", she repeated, looking down at Richie. "Oh…", he said, shaking out of his daze. "Honey Bunches." "I thought you'd pick them. They're sweet...just like you," she replied, smiling flirtatiously as she set the cereal on the table. Richie laughed in turn, taking a seat across from her. "They're my favorite." "Really?", Terri asked in amazement. "Mine too! Sunny can't seem to understand why I eat them. She hates them." As Terri poured the milk into each bowl, she smiled sweetly at Richie, revealing the light brown eyes framed by a set of long, black eyelashes. He stared deeply at her, noticing the small flecks of green in the beautful eyes. "So, what's up with you, Richie?", Terri asked, sitting down beside her cereal. "Well.."Richie began, his mind returning to Sunny. "I've been kinda worried about Sunny lately." "Oh really?" she asked, trying to look concerned. "Have you two been dating?"

"Yeah...she didn't mention me?", he asked, feeling hurt. "Well...I don't think so...Like I told you, it's hard keeping track of all of Sunny's guys," Terri explained. "There's a lot?", he asked. "Well, I don't know that it's my place to tell you, but yeah, there's a few I see here a lot," she replied taking a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. She made sure to lick the spoon seductively, before dipping it into the bowl again. "I see..." Richie spoke, thinking intently at the news. He couldn't believe Sunny could do this to him. "So, Richie...", Terri said, trying to change the subject. "Oh..uhh...Terri...", he stammered, attempting to think of something to say to her, his head full of Sunny thoughts. His mind finally fell to her outfit. He'd wondered earlier about it. "No offence or anything, but, why are you wearing that?"

"Oh, this old thing?", she asked, laughing. "Actually, I was out late last night dancing, and didn't really get a chance to change when i got home." "Oh really? Where?", Richie asked, trying to concentrate on her words, instead of contemplating what he would do about Sunny. "The Groove Spot. You been there?" She smiled. "Oh yeah, me and my friends go there all the time...", he replied, starting to get up. "You know what? I should be going now...I'll see ya." "Wait, you don't have to go Richie!", Terri said, running after him. "I'm sorry Terri. I really have a lot to do. Tell Sunny to call me when she gets home," Richie finished, as he left the house. Terri watched him walk towards his car for a second, before falling angrily onto the couch. She'd been so close. She knew she'd have to do more than flirt to get Richie to forget about her cousin. She'd need help from someone more powerful than her, and she knew just who to turn to.

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“Dude, Len, you look fine! Let’s go!” “Gel, you have nothing to worry about, Scott’s in-love with you. But I, on the other hand, am still wooing Abs. I have to look seductive!” Yelena yanked out her ponytail and turned away from the mirror to face her friend. “Up or down?”, she asked, twisting her scrunchy. “Down, now come on,” Angelica replied, grabbing the scrunchy out of Yelena’s hand. “What’s with you, I thought you always had to be ‘fashionably late’?” Yelena crossed her arms triumphantly. “Uh, hun, Scott only called an HOUR AND A HALF ago and said come over. I think this signifies as fashionably late. Now let’s go. Anyway, what’s with you? All we’re doing is hanging out…why do you insist on looking perfect?” “I already told you, Abs needs to want me. In order for him to want me, I have to look hot. OK?” “Yeah yeah, whatever.” She took Yelena’s hand, dragging her away from the mirror.

Scott and Abs leaped up simultaneously as the doorbell rang. They looked at each other, eyebrows raised. “Umm…” Scott shrugged his shoulders and went to answer the door. Abs followed him. Scott looked through the peep-hole and then turned to smile at Abs. He opened the door, stepping back to allow the girls in, a huge grin on his face. “Hey, I thought you guys might not be coming..” “Oh sorry, we had some errands to do and we ran a little late…”, Angelica answered, hugging Scott and Abs in turn. Yelena hugged them both as well, and asked, “So what are we doing tonight?” Abs took their coats and hung them in a closet, saying, “Well, whatever you want really. Since we’ve been really busy lately, we figured we’d just take a night to chill, y’know? So you can play pool or watch a movie or play video games, or go cook with Richie…he’s making dinner. He’s obsessed with this new cooking show so he has to try out all the recipes every chance he gets.” Abs rolled his eyes in the general direction of the kitchen.

Laughing, Angelica said, “Well, I’d love to help Richie with his cooking!” She headed off toward the kitchen with Scott in tow. Yelena turned awkwardly to Abs. “What movies do you have?” “Ummm,” Abs looked up at the ceiling, thinking. “I dunno…wanna go check?” Yelena nodded and they moved off toward the TV room.

“Hey, Richie!” Angelica dashed into the kitchen, receiving a warm welcome from Richie. He hugged her, careful not to spill any of what he was holding on her. “Hey, girl! How are you? We haven’t seen you around here for a while…” “Well, we’ve all been busy, y’know? It’s nice seeing Scott and Abs a lot, but I miss just chillin with you and J. Where’s Sean at these days? Haven’t seen him forever…he’s never here.” “Oh, he’s always out on dates or something…he’s quite the Mac with the ladies…” Richie made a goofy face and nudged Angelica’s elbow as if to say “if ya know what I mean”. Angelica returned the goofy look and elbow nudges. “Say, have you met J’s girlfriend yet?”, Richie asked, placing his masterpiece in the oven.

“No, I haven’t? Is she here?” Angelica dipped her finger into a sauce Richie was concocting. She received a light slap on her hand from Richie as he said, “Yep, they’re playing Playstation I think.” “OK, well I’ll go meet her and then I’ll be back to help you in here.” She turned and smiled as she noticed Scott, slouching in the doorway. “Wanna introduce me to J’s girlfriend?” “Sure…” The two went upstairs and entered a room at the end of the hall. “J, Angelica wants to meet your girlfriend.” “Oh, hey!” J rose and hugged Angelica in greeting and then took the hand of the dark haired girl who rose behind him. “This is Katie. Katie, this is Angelica. She’s a good friend of ours.” J beamed as he spoke Katie’s name. Katie reached over to shake Angelica’s hand and whispered conspiratorially, “He really sucks at this game.”

J heard her and he slapped her behind, retorting with, “Yeah, that’s only why I’ve won 6 times in a row and you’ve only beat me twice.” Katie spun around and punched him in the stomach. J twisted her arms behind her. Katie cursed loudly, laughing raucously. Angelica ducked as Katie took a swing at J. She stumbled backwards into Scott who grabbed her around the waist. He began tickling her and she yelped, squirming out of his arms onto the floor. He fell down on top of her and commenced tickling her again, as off to their left J and Katie were going at it full force. J had Katie over his knee and he was smacking her butt while she attempted to kick and punch him mercilessly. Angelica wriggled out from under Scott and tried to crawl away, but Scott grabbed her ankles. She half screamed half laughed and began kicking at Scott.

He pulled her back toward him by the ankles. She jumped up and he tried to grab her ankles again. She sat on his back and began tousling his hair. Scott yelled and sat up, knocking Angelica onto the floor. “Not my hair!” He attacked her hair in return. They both grasped each other’s wrists and collapsed on the floor laughing hysterically. They turned their attention to J as he ran out of the room with Katie hanging onto his back, piggy-back style. They began laughing even harder as they listened to J and Katie making weird animal noises. “Wow, that was fun…”, Angelica said, sighing. “Yeah, it was,” Scott replied, wrapping his arms around Angelica’s waist as they slumped against the couch.

Yelena twisted the tassel on the pillow nervously as the credits began to roll. She glanced over at Abs who appeared to be equally nervous. He got up and turned the TV and VCR off. “So what’d you think of the movie?”, he asked. “Oh, it was good. I’ve seen it so many times before. I love it.” “Wow, me too! It’s one of my favorites…” “Yeah, mine too. So…what’s Richie cooking?” “Ummm, I dunno. He’s a pretty good cook though.” “That’s good…when did he get into cooking?” “Oh, I don’t know…he just got really into this cooking show and started cooking all the time…” “Oh…so…what’s new?” Yelena was starting to worry that Abs had no interest in her whatsoever, but then her heart jumped at what he next said.

“Actually, I was kinda wondering if you could help me out with something…see I have this friend that I really like…but I don’t know how to tell her…” He smiled at her hopefully. Yelena returned his smile and he continued. “See, I’ve liked her for a while, but I thought she was interested in someone else ‘cuz she was never home when I called or she was talking to a friend of mine…” Yelena’s heart jumped. She was always on the phone with J. He cracked her up so they’d been hanging out a lot lately with his new girlfriend. “I guess I’ve wanted to tell her for a long time…but the right time just never presented itself. Do you think you can help me?” “Oh…Abs…well…I don’t know what to say…I think she is interested, she just hasn’t had the opportunity to tell you either…” “Really?” “Yeah, really. She’s liked you for a long time, too.” “No, way, really, she doesn’t act like it…” Yelena began thinking about how nervous she always was around Abs and how she would never talk to him. “Yeah, she knows that…” “Wow! Seriously?! Angelica really likes me?!” Time froze. Yelena grabbed the remote obsessively pushing the rewind button.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work how she wanted it to. Her heart was floating limply in acid in her stomach. She felt the color rise to her cheeks and then drain just as quickly. The room around her spun and all she could see was Abs’ elated face. The expectant look in his eyes in that instance was the very bane of her existence. Seeing his elated smile made her want to die. But not after first sawing it off his face. And then having Richie stir-fry it so it could be fed to Angelica. She grimaced and the world stopped spinning and the walls seemed to drain away. She suddenly felt extremely nauseated. “I’m sorry…I don’t feel good at all…I’m gonna go home.” “Wait, wait, what’s wrong? She doesn’t really like me does she…” Yelena lurched and almost puked as Abs muttered about Angelica. She walked into the kitchen where Angelica was putting the final touches on a fabulous meal with Richie. “Hey, you’re just in time! This is soo good, Richie is the best cook!”, Angelica said, holding out a piece of chicken to Yelena. She suddenly noticed the look on Yelena’s face.

“What’s wrong?” “Nothing, I just feel sick that’s all. I’m gonna go home. You stay and eat and do whatever. I’m leaving.” She turned to walk out the door but her friend stopped her. “No, I know something is wrong. Now what is it? I know you too well…” “Nothing is wrong, I just don’t feel good, that’s all. Now let me go home.” Angelica looked hurt. “OK, well, I’ll see you later then. Get some rest…” Yelena immediately regretted her words as she listened to the genuine concern in Angelica’s voice. “I’m sorry, Gel, I just feel really crappy, that’s all.” Angelica hugged her. “Get some rest…I’ll talk to you tomorrow morning, don’t wait up ‘cuz I don’t know how long I’m gonna be here.” “OK, thanks, Gel.” With that, Yelena left. Angelica turned back to Richie and shrugged her shoulders. “What’s wrong with her? She’s not really sick is she?” “Nope. I’ve known her for enough years to know that.

I’ll find out soon enough I suppose. I’m willing to bet it has something to do with Abs.” “Speak of the devil…”, Richie muttered as Abs strode into the kitchen. “What’s that, Richie?”, Abs questioned, taking a piece of chicken. “Oh, nothing, just that Chef Neville does not appreciate your grubby mitts in my food!!” Abs snapped his hand back as Scott joined them in the commodious kitchen. “Oh yes! I am so hungry!” He held Angelica around the hips as she fed him a piece of chicken. “Quality, huh? Richie and I make a good team…” “I’ll say, that’s really good! Keep watching those shows, Rich!” Richie nodded and smiled cheekily at everyone in the room. “Let’s go everyone. Dinner is served!” J and Katie entered the kitchen from another doorway. J swiftly seated himself at the table and began shoveling food onto his plate. Katie laughed, glancing over at Abs who was glaring at Scott and Angelica. She mentally recorded the glare. There was obviously something between the three of them. She made a note to herself to speak with Angelica about it after they ate.

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Sean tapped his foot rhythmically, as he took a sip of his coffee. He hummed along, intently watching the swift movements of the drummer's hands. As the song ended, Sean rose, clapping enthusiastically. He loved going to jazz clubs and this one had always been one of his favorites. As the bassist began strumming his strings to begin the next song, Sean looked around at the other people at the club. His eyes circled around the room, inspecting the figures until his eyes stopped at the bar. Sitting at a stool, was a striking young lady. She wore a sparkly silver halter-top, accompanied by a short leather skirt. The girl sipped her drink slowly, looking bored as she surveyed the area. Suddenly, her eyes fell on Sean. He didn't recognize her, but she recognized him. She was Joy, one of Alana's friends.

Joy couldn't believe her luck. She'd been trying to think of ways to see Sean since her friend had met him at the club weeks ago. Now was her chance. Joy finished her drink before rising from her bar stool. She straightened her skirt and sauntered over to Sean's table, running her fingers through her hair. He waited in anticipation as the girl approached, fixing his collar and checking his reflection in a spoon. "Hi, " she said, smiling as she slid into the booth beside Sean. "I'm Joy." "I'm Sean," he replied. "So...what is such a lovely lady like you doing here all alone tonight?" "Waitin' for you, baby...", she spoke, raising her eyebrow flirtatiously. Sean smiled at her, liking her style. He motioned for her to move closer to him in the booth. As she settled comfortably into the seat, he put his hand casually on her leg, feeling the cool leather on her skin. "So...Joy...", he began. "Tell me about yourself." "Well, I'm in high..." She stopped herself before finishing the sentence.

Joy had realized that she couldn't let Sean know she was in high school. This could let him connect her to Alana and she knew she couldn't let this happen. "I mean...I work...at an office..." "Oh...okay..", Sean spoke, making a confused face at her. "So you like jazz?" "Oh yeah. Love it...", Joy replied, leaning in closer to Sean, allowing her dress to dip even lower then before. Seazing the oppurturnity, Sean tilted her head and kissed her lightly on the lips. Softly, he whispered in her ear, "Anyone can make you sweat, but only I can keep you wet..." "I like how that sounds...You wanna get outta here?", she replied quietly, blowing in his ear. "I think the bands over." Sean nodded, as he took Joy's hand and walked her to his car. "I can't wait to give you some baby…", he said, opening the door for her.

As they drove towards a little park nearby, the two sat almost silently, sharing provocative glances occasionally. Soon, they reached the park and began strolling down the narrow pebbled paths. "You know...", Sean began, looking up at the sky. "The stars tonight can't compare to the sparkle in your eyes." "Oh Sean... That's so sweet!", she said, sighing and leaning in to rest on Sean's shoulder. "You're shivering," he said, taking off his jacket. "You want my coat?" "Awww!" Joy swooned. "Thank you!" The two continued walking, enjoying the night. Joy held on tightly to Sean, as he hugged his arm around her, caressing her lower back and derriere. She smiled to herself smugly at successfully making Sean forget about Alana. Now all she had to do was to go home with him and she could work her real magic. Joy suddenly looked down at her watch. "Damn...", she muttered to herself. It was almost her curfew and she knew her mom would kill her if she didn't get home at midnight exactly.

"What?", asked Sean, looking down at her. "I'm really sorry Sean, but I have to go home. My mo-", she cut herself off again, almost letting her age slip. "My boss gets really mad when I'm not at work on time." "Oh...", he replied sadly. He'd been hoping Joy would come home with him. He began to walk back towards the car. "Don't you want my number?", Joy asked hopefully. "Oh, sure," Sean said as she scribbled something down on a scrap of paper and handed it to him. "Thanks..." The car ride home was silent with Joy upset she had to put her plan on hold and Sean upset about not receiving the booty. As Joy walked from the car towards her house, Sean hoped for better luck the next time. There were lots of lucky ladies out there and he was gonna give them all an equal oppurtunity.

“Sharked again!”, Angelica wiggled her butt in Scott’s direction. “You really suck at pool…” “I’m letting you win!”, he retaliated sharply. “Yeah, WHAT-EV-ER, loser.”
“Fine, let’s play again!”
“Fine, and don’t ‘let me win’ this time!”
“Fine! Let’s go!”
Angelica racked the balls with lightning speed and efficiency. Scott studied the formatted balls and shot. The break was clean. He sank a solid, then set up for his second shot. He missed and Angelica shot him a smug smile. She shot and sank two stripes. She smiled smugly at him again. The game progressed with Scott only sinking two more balls and Angelica winning. Again. They’d been playing pool for an hour or two. They’d lost track of time.

At first, J and Katie had played with them. They were all incredibly hyper and they’d been blasting popular rap and cheesy dance music. They had all been dancing around the room and rapping along and having tons of fun. Then Katie and J had gone upstairs and they’d left Scott and Angelica to themselves. “OK, you win. I suck. This isn’t fair. You’re too good. Where’d you get so good at pool?” “I dunno,” Angelica said relaxing in a giant armchair. “I’ve only recently obtained a pool table, but I never have time to play…” “I learn something new about you everyday…what else are you hiding from me?” Scott placed his pool stick on the table and crossed the room to sit in the massive chair. Angelica cuddled up to him saying, “I’m not hiding anything from you. If you wanna know, just ask.

I have no secrets.” She looked up into his jovial blue eyes and smiled. Her heart began to race as his eyes flicked across her face, inspecting every detail. It drove her nuts when Scott did that. And he did it every time before he kissed her. Some how she just never got sick of watching his eyes…he kissed her deeply, enfolding her in his arms. He reached up to stroke her cheek. His lips lingered as the kiss ended, entreating for more.

Yelena sat in front of the TV again; crying. She rapidly tried to stifle her sobs as the door opened and Mark and Tom entered. She turned the TV on and began channel surfing. Mark and Tom jabbered about something and they crossed in front of her on the way to their rooms. Tom said good night to Mark and Yelena and closed his door. Mark halted and sat on the couch next to his distraught room mate. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing,” Yelena replied, sniffling.

“You can’t conceal your emotions from me, Len,” Mark cozened, trying to sound totally corny to make Yelena smile. Mark succeeded and Yelena said with a half smile, “OK, fine I’ll tell you.” “Alright, and there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about, too…” Yelena looked at Mark quizzically and then continued, “Well, we were hanging out with the guys, at their place…” Mark took her hand in his own and tried to look sincerely concerned. He almost couldn’t. He cared. But not enough that he could stop, for even a second, thinking about how beautiful Yelena was. He needed to tell her hi true feelings. Now was the time. He interrupted her as he realized he hadn’t heard a word she’d just said. Shocked at his interruption, Yelena paused for a second, but when Mark didn’t continue, she did. Again Mark was lulled into ignorance by her voice and her sad, lovely face.

This continued for quite some time; Mark attempting to look interested and Yelena babbling about her evening. Mark tried to interrupt her a few times and explain his own deep feelings, but he always forgot what he was gonna say and Yelena would begin rambling again. Suddenly, Yelena stopped talking and stared at Mark. Mark seized the opportunity and grabbed her and kissed her. To his surprise, she didn’t recoil from the kiss. She actually returned it.

Days of Our Five, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Ritchie shuddered as he looked through the peephole. Before the door stood a pretty blond. She went to knock again just as Ritchie swallowed nervously and opened the door. “Hello, Heidi. What are you doing up so early?” Ritchie forced himself to be cordial and to smile. He detested Scott’s girlfriend and he dreaded the scene that would present itself when Heidi went to find Scott. “Early? Oh, I’ve got some great news that I had to tell Scott in person, that’s all,” she replied arrogantly, pushing past Ritchie into the house. She began climbing upstairs. Ritchie hurried downstairs to where Scott and Angelica were still sleeping. Attempting to shake them awake, he didn’t hear Heidi come up behind him. She cleared her throat. Ritchie turned, opened his mouth to offer an explanation, then realizing that this was not his problem, he thanked everything holy and rushed back up the stairs. “Scott!” she screamed, her eyes aflame with anger.

Scott, startled to wakefulness, began mumbling incoherently. Suddenly he realized that his girlfriend stood over him, livid. “Heidi?! Ummm, Heidi…" he trailed off as Angelica awoke. “Scott, who’s Heidi?”, Angelica asked, perplexed. “I'll tell you who I am, you little slut!”, she retorted as she grabbed Angelica's arm, pulling her up to her level. "”I'm Scott's girlfriend! Who the hell are you?” Angelica’s eyes opened wide in astonishment, before reacting to the girl's insults. “Listen, I'm not gonna stand around while some fuck wit tries to insult me. Sort this out, Scott. Call me when you’ve got an explanation.” She turned to depart the room. Without a second's hesitation, Heidi grabbed Angelica's arm, swinging her body back to face her. With an evil glare, she slapped Angelica across the face. It took all of Angelica's strength not to hit the girl back, knowing she couldn't stoop to her level of bitchosity. Holding her face in pain, she glared at Heidi and then at Scott. On her way out of the house, Angelica was stopped by Ritchie. “Are you OK?”, he asked worriedly. “Me? I’m fine…it’s Scott you should worry about. That girlfriend of his does not appear to be too happy…”, she answered dazedly, trying to ignore the sting in her cheek. “Come here,” Ritchie said, reaching out to hug Angelica. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell you…” Angelica shook her head, refusing Ritchie’s proffered hug. “It’s really OK, Ritchie. It doesn’t matter to me.” Ritchie held her at arms length. “You know it does.” “It doesn’t. It really doesn’t. Obviously Scott really wanted to be with his girlfriend all along, other wise he would’ve told me about her, or broken up with her or something. That’s pretty clear now.” She shrugged as if to let her surging emotions roll off her back.

“You don’t know Scott as well as I do. He doesn’t cheat…not ever. You mean something to him. I can’t explain why he never mentioned Heidi…that you’ll just have to ask him. But it’s obvious you really mean something to him.” “Scott didn’t really even cheat on her though…I was a diversion…” “No you weren’t…don’t feel that way.” “Thanks, Rich. Can you give me a ride home?” “Sure. No problem.” As they turned to leave the house, loud screams could be heard from the living room. Angelica couldn't stop herself from halting in her tracks to listen. “Heidi!”, she heard Scott yell from downstairs. “She means nothing to me! She's just some girl. Ritchie's friend or something...I don’t even know her name! We were all just watching a movie last night and she ended up falling asleep near me. You gotta believe me!” Angelica clenched her fists, her nails digging painfully deep into her clammy, ice-cold palms. "Rich, can you take me home?" With that, they exited the house.

************************************************************************

Angelica slammed the door behind her. She leaned heavily against it, sinking to the floor. Her head raced with thoughts of Scott and her heart palpitated fiercely, threatening to erupt out of her chest with each labored breath. She needed to stay strong and not show her emotions, hoping somehow that this would lessen the sting of Scott’s lies and his last words that echoed viciously in her ears, throbbing incessantly and pounding into her brain, feeding their way into each conscious thought. Sluggishly, she pulled herself to her feet, walking towards the kitchen. Angelica felt the need to bury her troubles in a heaping bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. As she entered the kitchen, she saw Yelena standing at the stove, stirring around a pan of scrambled eggs. "Hey Len," she mumbled, reaching into the freezer.

"Angelica...where the hell were you?", questioned Yelena, turning to face her. "I really need to talk to you." "Slept over Scott's...", she replied as she grabbed a spoon and sat down at the table. "What's wrong?" "Wait, what's wrong with you?", Yelena asked, suddenly noticing Angelica's downcast, vacant eyes. "Are you okay Gel? What happened with Scott?" "Nothing...", Angelica replied, trying to avoid Yelena's glance. "Tell me what's up with you." "Alright...", Yelena said, sitting down in front of her friend. "It has to do with me...and Mark." "What'd he do now?, she asked, trying to force Scott and his tormenting words out of her mind to listen to Yelena. "Well, I came home upset last night...and we were talking...and..." "What? You have a fight or something? He decide to move out of the house again?", Angelica asked, chuckling. "No...nothing like that...Well...we...got...jiggy...", Yelena stammered. "You what? Got jiggy? So you...went dancing?", Angelica asked, looking at Yelena quizzically. "No Gel...we...umm...did the horizontal tango? Mattress mambo?" Angelica’s jaw dropped, her eyes wide with incredulity. "Len, what the hell are you talking about?" "Damn it Gel! We fucked!" she finally blurted out in frustration.

Angelica began to laugh hysterically at the outburst, still not believing what she had just heard. "No you didn't...", she said between spurts of laughter. She rocked back and fell off her chair, her tempestuous laughter cutting quickly short at her best friend’s next words, uttered ominously seriously. "Yeah...yeah I did."

Scott opened each cupboard drawer, perusing each one's contents before moving onto the next. Finally, he settled on a bag of salt and vinegar chips and walked with them lazily into his bedroom. He flopped down on the bed and began scanning through the various CDs sprawled around he room. When he came to one that interested him, he popped it into the stereo and sat back to relax and think over the Angelica situation. He knew he had to talk to her, but had no idea what to say. He sat motionless for a long time, just thinking of a solution. Scott still couldn't believe what he'd done to Angelica. He cared so much for her, but now he might never be with her again. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps woke him from his trance. He slowly got up and surveyed the room. In the doorway, he could see Abs' figure standing, watching him with anger. "What's wrong mate?", he asked, removing the headphones from his ears. "You, that's what's wrong," he retorted, staring angrily into Scott’s deep blue eyes. "I can't believe what you did to Angelica." "You heard about that?", Scott asked, standing up to face him. He hadn't realized that word had spread so quickly about the situation. Scott made a mental note to yell at Ritchie about this later.

"Yeah, I heard....", replied Abs as he walked closer to Scott. "How could you do that to her?" "Abs, this is completely none of your business. Why don't you just let me do what I want?", he questioned, glaring into Abs' eyes, attempting to look tough, against Abs’ more muscular frame. "Look, if you can't treat her right, I sure can...I mean..." Abs closed his eyes in disbelief at what he'd just said. He'd promised himself not to let Scott ever find out about his feelings for Angelica. He stood waiting for his reaction. "Is this what this is all about?", Scott asked, now infuriated at this news. "You're just trying to take my girl?" "Well, if you've forgotten your little outburst this morning, she's not your girl anymore," Abs responded, smirking at the comment. Scott had finally had enough of Abs' antics. He could feel his fingers beginning to curl together in a fist. His face was turning red, and he knew the vein in his forehead was surely protuding. Scott could feel the anger bubbling up inside of him, ready to burst out in a strong punch to Abs' face. Scott's hand slowly began to loosen as he tried to calm himself. He knew he couldn't punch his best friend like that, but he had to get his anger towards him out somehow. He couldn't believe Abs had been after Angelica the whole time. His anger was finally released in a sharp push directed towards Abs.

Stunned for a moment at Scott's unusual violence, Abs quickly regained his composure and responded with a shove back in Scott's direction. This quickly developed into a brawl, with each party attempting to shove the other as hard as possible. Suddenly, Sean, who'd been in his room at the time, heard the commotion. He quickly ran to the room and pushed the young men apart. They each sat breathless at opposite ends of the room glaring at one another. Scott knew he had to talk to Angelica immediately. He couldn't lose her to Abs...

"Yelena!", Angelica shrieked, jumping up from the floor to face her friend. She still couldn't quite comprehend what she was hearing. "How? When? Oh my god..." "It was last night...and I don't quite know how it happened," Yelena said, almost in a whisper. As she spoke, she could only look down at her hands, not wanting to look up and see Angelica's reaction. She could feel her face coloring to a deep crimson with embarrassment. "It's just that...I came home upset last night...and Mark was there..." "So you fucked him?", Angelica questioned, trying to understand how something like this could have happened. "Gel, it wasn't like that...I was crying...and he was so nice to me...and…", she trailed off as she tried to explain herself. She'd already spent the whole day going over the previous night’s events, trying to understand how she could have done something like that. It was definitely not a "Yelena" thing to do. "Wait, why were you crying?", Angelica interjected, wondering what could have made her friend so upset that she could have lost all of her senses. "Did it have something to do with why you left Scott's last night?" "Yeah. I was talking to Abs...and," Yelena began, trying to keep from crying again. She'd been doing enough of that lately. "He was telling me how he liked a friend of his..." Angelica's face perked up at that. "Was it you?", she asked hopefully. "No…", Yelena replied, looking back at her hands sadly. She began to chip silently at her nail polish to avoid telling Angelica what Abs had said. She didn't want to start problems with her and Scott knowing this could probably lead to some.

"So who was it Len?", Angelica asked impatiently. She couldn't understand why her friend wouldn't just tell her. Finally, Yelena let the whole story out. She told Angelica about Abs' feelings for her, and how upset she had been. Then she went on to tell Angelica how she'd come home crying and Mark had comforted her. She ended with the final activities of last evening. Angelica sat for a moment allowing all this incredible information to soak in. She couldn't believe Abs liked her. Finally, she spoke, "Len, I'm so sorry. You gotta know I didn't plan for this thing with Abs." "I know Gel...still sucks though...", Yelena replied sadly. She decided she needed to change the subject. "So what happened with Scott?" "Oh...yeah...Scott." Angelica repeated, stalling before she answered the question. Eventually, she cleared her throat and explained to Yelena all that had happened with Scott this morning. When she finished the explanation, Yelena rose to hug her friend, but Angelica shook her head. "Really Len, it's okay. It wasn't meant to be I guess…” She added caustically, “I’ll live. Everything is for the best, y’know…”

Angelica stared into her steaming mug. The rich coffee aroma tantalized her senses. Her taste buds yearned for the caffeinated beverage, the soothing warmth and bitter acidity rushing through her. This would be somewhere around her 10th cup of coffee today. Actually, it was an almond cappuccino; she needed some variety. Caffeine seemed to take away the morning’s sting. Whereas most people hit the bottle, Angelica turned to strong coffee and assorted caffeinated beverages in times of great emotional stress. She drank the potent brew slowly, savoring each sip. She sat alone in her favorite café. She’d been there for most of the day. Yelena had been with her for a short time, but then she’d had to go to work, so for the duration of the afternoon she’d been alone. The night was still young, but Angelica had no desire to leave the comfort of the café sofa. She listened to the beautiful jazz strains reaching her from what seemed like miles away, but what was really only about 50 feet. The notes reverberated through her head, ringing tinnily off the walls of her brain to reflect down to her hollow heart. The solitary notes drifted about scouring the emptiness inside. They bounced about, then died hauntingly. ‘Kind of like Scott and I…’ she thought to herself, stirring her foam idly. Suddenly, a familiar voice broke through her contemplative reverie. Startled she dropped her spoon, splashing hot cappuccino. “Gel…” Without turning around, she answered sullenly, “What?” “Can we talk?” This time she turned around, hearing the raw emotions enveloping Scott’s words. “Sit…” She moved over a little on the sofa and Scott gingerly sat next to her, careful not to touch her, lest he be slapped in return. Noticing his pained expression, Angelica softened her tone.

“Rough breakup?” Scott half smiled and replied, “You could say that…do I have a black eye yet?” Angelica giggled slightly at Scott’s answer and he said sincerely, “I thought I lost that smile forever this morning…whether you know it or not…I know I hurt you this morning. And I’m sorry…” “It’s OK…I understand…well no I don’t, but I don’t really care. It’s not my problem; is it?” “No, it’s not, it’s my problem, and I’ve dealt with it.” “That’s good,” Angelica said absently, wiping up the spilled cappuccino. “Can you at least act like you care? I’ve been all over looking for you…” Angelica looked up at Scott, blinking slowly a few times pensively before she spoke. “Y’know what, I do care. But after what you said this morning-- yes I did hear you-- I didn’t think you cared.” “You heard that?” Scott’s face fell. “I didn’t mean that…” “Well whether you meant it or not…Y’know what?! Never mind!! It doesn’t matter…no hard feelings, OK? We’re still friends…I mean were we ever more than friends?” “Can you please not take that tone? It makes me feel like an asshole.” “Good.” Scott shook his head in disbelief. “Good?” “Yes, you pulled a major asshole maneuver. You deserve whatever pain you’ve suffered. But I’m still you’re friend…and whatever you want to talk about, I’m here.” “I want to talk about us. Heidi and I are over. I’ve wanted to get out of that relationship forever--” Angelica cut him off. “So I was an excuse?” “No! You were not an excuse! Would you let me finish?!” “Sorry! That just…pissed me off right there…continue.” “OK…Heidi jumped to conclusions this morning. I tried to explain things as best I could, but I just can’t get through to that chick sometimes…she has this perfect vision of me and her, which I just don’t share…” Angelica nodded, listening and sipping her cappuccino. “I mean, I want the perfect relationship as much as the next lad, but not Heidi’s perfection…I couldn’t handle her…” “But that doesn’t explain why you never told me about her.” Scott clenched his jaw, muscles flexing as he thought. “I know…I honestly don’t know why I didn’t. I loved what we had, and I didn’t want to ruin it, I guess. I know I still look like an asshole…”

“But an honest one now.” “Yeah, well, I’m sorry…I’ve never cheated on someone before…I hate cheating and lying. But…” Scott trailed off. “But what?” “But…I wanted to be with you so bad…at the time hooking-up with you made perfect sense…” “Does Heidi know that’s all we did?” “No, she thinks we slept together…She did find us asleep together this morning.” “Yeah…” Scott traced Angelica’s jaw lightly with his fingers. Angelica could faintly smell his cologne as she tried to turn her face away and hide what was written there. They both had dark circles under their eyes, remnants of the early rising and stress of the day. Scott’s forehead was creased with large wrinkles, his head tilted down a little, his eyes looking up into Angelica’s. “Do you wanna go home now?” “Home?” “Do you want me to walk you to your place?” “Oh, yeah, sure.”

“So how much coffee did you drink today anyway?” “Oh I dunno…more than 10 cups…I was at the café like all day.” “Wow, you must be wired!”, Scott remarked in amazement. He put his arm comfortingly around Angelica’s waist. She in turn, did likewise.

The night was cold and no stars were visible. The dark sky was clouded over and the scent of rain was in the air. And yet despite the impending downpour, electricity engulfed the two hurrying figures. Emotions ran rampant. The morning was practically forgotten. They were so intent on each other and the smiles on their faces, the gleam in their eyes, the touch of their hands. And then the rain came. It fell from the sky suddenly and like a release of all the bottled-up negativity that had yet remained. As the myriad of crystalline drops struck the ground and the two smiling faces, soaking everything in its refreshing, cleansing euphoria, they stopped. Regarding each other almost speculatively they grinned ecstatically and Angelica dashed swiftly away, with Scott not far behind. As she ran, Angelica reflected on everything concerning her and Scott up to this point. It seemed he was constantly chasing her, whether figuratively or physically. Splashing madly through a muddy puddle she tripped. She sprawled on the wet pavement, dirty and drenched. But with her fall, she’d come to a conclusion. More a question than an actual conclusion; what was she continuously running from?

Ritchie witnessed the scene before him, aghast with feelings of betrayal. There sat his lovely Sunny, laughing, twirling her hair flirtatiously, batting her eyelashes, eating her lunch delicately, and all without any regard to her supposed boyfriend, himself! And yet he couldn’t be mad at her, basking there in all her beauty and innocence. He rapped his own head sharply. ‘She’s not innocent, you idiot! Look at her there, that little slu…little angel…how exquisite can a creature be…’ He struck himself again. He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on what he saw, that not being Sunny’s immaculate looks, but her evil ways.

Ritchie shook his blond head exasperatedly, donning his sunglasses quickly, believing it to be an effective disguise. It wasn’t good enough. A hand tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He turned abruptly, shocked. “Ritchie, right? Do you remember me? Terri…Sunny’s cousin…” Ritchie gazed at Sunny’s gorgeous cousin, brilliant in her casual, but tasteful attire. Her long dark hair was tossed over one shoulder, a few locks cascading elegantly around her striking face. Ritchie fiercely fought back the impulse to tuck those shining locks behind her ears. He clasped his hands behind his back to restrain himself from touching Sunny’s equally beautiful, yet completely opposite, cousin. Finally, he stammered out a response. “Uh, yeah, I remember you…Honey Bunches of Oats…” They both chuckled at Ritchie’s quip about their favorite cereal. “Are you hear to meet Sunny?”, Terri inquired ingenuously. “No…I was just here to make some reservations…but I’ve changed my mind.” “Oh…” “Why, are you here to meet Sunny?” Ritchie seemed suddenly more interested. “Yes, as a matter of fact.” A glint flashed in Terri’s eyes. “We’re on a double-date, actually.” Ritchie’s face fell, and Terri almost felt bad. “Oh…a double-date…with your boyfriends?” “Well, I don’t know about Sunny, but I don’t have a boyfriend…Sunny gets all the guys. Probably ‘cuz she’s blond…” “Maybe, but I like brunettes…” Terri smiled and said, “Why, thank you…but it is true, most guys do go for blonds…I wonder why…” Ritchie shrugged. “I don’t know. But say, are you busy tonight? I know it’s short notice--” Terri interjected with an eager, “No!” and then relaxed her tone and said more calmly, “No, no, I’ve got nothing planned so far. Why?” “If you’re not busy, do you think you’d want to do something with me?” “OK, yeah, that sounds like a good idea. What did you have in mind?” Ritchie couldn’t repress his smile any longer. “Well, I’m really into cooking and I’ve been told I’m quite good at it, so maybe you’d like to come over for a nice, quiet, candle-lit dinner, specially prepared by me?”

Terri’s brown eyes sparkled with excitement. “Wow! That sounds wonderful! I’d definitely be up for that!” Ritchie slipped her his arm through hers and escorted her into the restaurant, finalizing their plans. A vintage red convertible pulled up in front of the restaurant. The driver hopped out of the car, leaping over the seat and throwing his keys at the butt of his exiting passenger. She yelped and tumbled out of the car as a firm hand followed the keys in striking her behind. She grabbed the keys and chucked them back, aiming for the man’s head, but he caught them just in time. He tossed them lazily to the valet and smiled demonically at the girl. “Come here, Katie…”, he growled advancing menacingly, making a dive for her rear, but receiving a pointed and painful kick in his own instead.

Ritchie fretted around the kitchen, completely stressed out. He had successfully kicked all the guys out of the house tonight, which was a plus; about the only plus, though. Terri was due to arrive any minute and he still wasn’t dressed. He stopped what he was doing, breathing deeply to alleviate his anxiety. ‘Everything will be fine,’ he told himself. He adjusted the oven temperature and then made his way upstairs to change. Running his fingers through his blond hair and taking a final glimpse in the mirror, he rushed down the stairs to answer the door. He had butterflies in his stomach. This was extremely unusual…he never got nervous around girls. He supposed Terri was different, though. He hadn’t REALLY spoken to her ever. Hopefully the evening wouldn’t be too awkward. As he opened the door, he assured himself that he wasn’t doing this just to get back at Sunny. If he were, wouldn’t he have taken Terri someplace public…? “Hello, Terri, and how are you this fine evening?” “Wonderful, and you?” “Oh, well now that you’re here…”, Ritchie beamed as he said this, and was afforded an incredible smile in return from Terri. “What do you have planned for tonight, Ritchie?”, Terri inquired sweetly. “First, a candlelit dinner, prepared with love by yours truly, then I was thinking a ride around the city in a horse drawn carriage…” “Oh my god! Ritchie, that sounds so awesome…way to seduce a girl.” “I try. But really, who’s seducing anyone now…I think the seduction has already been quite successful.” Terri blushed and said, “You are quite the charmer.” “Well, follow me this way and we’ll see if I’m quite the cook, too.” Taking Terri’s hand gently, he led her to the dining room. Terri gasped as she surveyed the sight before her. The table was absolutely beautiful. There were four exquisite silver candleholders with twinkling alabaster tapers, platters of sumptuous food, maroon napkins in silver rings, a bottle of champagne chilling in a stainless-steel ice bucket, two fluted crystal champagne glasses, and a single red rose on the plate in front of the chair Ritchie politely seated Terri in.

When Terri finally regained her powers of speech, all she could mutter was a breathless, “Wow…” She had never been on a date this spectacular before. All the guys she’d dated before had been, to put it bluntly, crude and ill mannered. But Ritchie, on the other hand, was amazing. This date was a dream come true so far. A candle-lit dinner, made by a Prince Charming that could cook! Still taking everything in, Terri was again speechless. Ritchie couldn’t tear his cerulean eyes off of Terri. Her dark, wavy hair cascaded about her slender shoulders, her eyes sparkled in the candle light, her simple, yet sultry, black dress came to her knees, but had a slit that extended wonderfully high up her thigh, she had a delicate silver chain around her neck, and her make-up was flawless. Ritchie, too, suffered from speechlessness. Appearance-wise, Terri was the girl of his dreams, and he had the whole evening to determine if her personality chimed with his.

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