The next day, Leah had caught up with two of her old friends from middle school, Melanie and Raychel, and they decided to just hang out at the mall, like they did in middle school, just for the nostalgia.

"So, we were at the club right, and I meet this guy, he's good looking and all, so I started dancing with him, and then all of a sudden, outta no where some bitch comes up to me, and spills a drink on me! Turns out it's his girlfriend! By then I'm really pissed, so I kicked her ass!" This was Raychel, she's a girly yet tough wildfire. She's a no nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is kind of person who doesn't bullshit. If you loved her, then she loved you, and if she hated you, then she really didn't give a shit. She was unapologetic about who she was, and you could either take it or leave it. Maybe it had something to do with her being a native New Yorker.

"Yeah, and then we got kicked out of the club." This is Melanie. Like Raychel, she was bold, but not nearly as tough. She was more comedic out of the two, over exaggerated everything, and she would do anything to get you to laugh. Actually, she reminded Leah a lot of Chris come to think of it.

"Raychel," Leah said. "You have to control your temper, you can't just bash someone's face in like that!"

"Well, she threw a drink on me first!" Raychel replied, defending herself. "And I spent good money on that dress."

"Have you ever heard of turning the other cheek?" Leah asked. The girls then came to a stop, and sat down on a bench.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you were 'Miss Kumbaya-We Are the World- Let's All Hold Hands and Be Friends'!" Raychel said sarcastically. Leah laughed. She'd really missed her old friends.

"Oooh! Hottie alert!" Melanie said excitedly, as an Abercrombie and Fitch model type walked past them. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go work my magic!" Melanie said, before getting up, and power walking over to the food court, where the hottie was headed to.

"Fast Ass!" Leah jokingly called after her. Melanie was soooo flirtatious. Always had been. Even when they were in middle school. And the boys loved her. In fact, looking back Leah couldn't remember a time when Mel didn't have a boyfriend, or gentlemen suitor of some sorts.

Leah and Raychel turned around and watched as Melanie turned on her charm. She flipped her hair, did that flirty laugh that she always does, and flashed that killer Miss America smile, and WHAM! In less than a minute, they were exchanging phone numbers! "I'll admit, the girl's got game!" Leah said, as Melanie happily skipped back towards the bench.

"Works every time!" Melanie smiled.

"Give us the details." Raychel said.

"His name is Dylan, he goes to the University of Louisville, and he's an aspiring underwear model, so you know his body has got to be killer!"

"You found all that out in one minute?" Leah asked in disbelief. Melanie nodded proudly

"And I also told him that you could get him booked by Calvin Klein." Melanie said to Leah.

"You did not!" Leah gasped in disbelief. Melanie again nodded her head proudly. "I can't do that!"

"Why not? You're a celebrity aren't you?" Okay, now Leah was beginning to almost hate that word.

"But I don't know Calvin Klein!" Leah replied. "And I know nothing about modeling! And besides, how can you promise a guy something, when you haven't even known him for five minutes? I swear, you have some sort of guy addiction, there should be some medical term for it!" Leah and Raychel laughed.

"'Sup Mallrats!" Leah, Melanie, and Raychel turned to see Charlie, and his younger brother Jesse. "I see after all these years, nothing's changed." Charlie said, referring to the fact that Leah, Melanie, and Raychel used to practically live in the mall when they were younger, even if they didn't buy anything, they'd just hang out there, and hunt boys! In fact, they loved the mall so much that Aiden and Charlie used to call them Cher, Dionne, and Tai, from the movie Clueless. "Except for the fact that you used to be all over me!" Charlie said to Leah.

"Boy, please! I was never all over you!" Leah replied, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah sure!" Charlie said.

"Hey Leah, you think you could hook me up with Mandy Moore?" Jesse, Charlie's sixteen year old brother asked. "She's hot, I could definitely rock her world!" How cute, he was a player all ready. Leah, Melanie, and Raychel burst out laughing.

"Sorry Jess, I think Mandy may be taken." Leah replied.

"Alright fine then, hook me up with Britney." Jesse said.

"She's with Justin."

"Damn I gotta start me a boy band, those guys get all the girls!" Jesse exclaimed, and everyone laughed.

"So, are you coming by our house later?" Leah asked.

"Yeah I am, so I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Okay! 'Bye guys." Leah said before they walked off."

"Hey Melanie! Call me!" Jesse called out to Melanie, forming his hand in the shape of a telephone, and placing it to his ear.

"You're a baby Jess!" Mel replied.

"Wow Mel, I guess all the guys really are atrracted to you!" Leah said.

"It can be a curse sometimes, really. But I can't help it that I'm this hot, it's like a job ya know!"

"Conceited!" Leah and Raychel said in unison.

"Okay, okay, whatever! Enough about my love life Leah, let's talk about yours." Melanie said.

"What about my love life?" Leah asked.

"You need to get laid!" Raychel replied.

"Um well, I kind of already have been." Leah said, blushing.

"You? getting laid?" Raychel asked in disbelief. Leah nodded in embarrassment.

"When?" Melanie gasped.

"And by who?" Raychel asked.

"JC." Leah replied. "He's my boyfriend now."

"Well it's official. Leah James had finally beaten me in the boys department! A popstar, I can't compete with that!" Melanie said. "Unless, you can hook me up with AJ Mclean, he's got that whole bad boy thing going for him, and I really like that!"

"Melanie, you are a mess!" Leah replied.

"Or Howie if you can't get AJ, I'm fine with Nick too, he's a little young for my liking, but I could do something with him!"

"What happened to your underwear model? Did you forget about him that quick?" Raychel asked.

"It's good to have options." Melanie defended herself.

"You know what they say when a girl has too many options...." Raychel lingered, implying that Melanie was on the verge of slutiness.

"Oh shut up! Anyways, what's important is that Leah over here, is finally getting some!" Melanie said, taking the attention off of herself. Leah rolled her eyes. She hated when her friends teased her about being a prude. She preferred the term old fashioned. "You know what?" Melanie said. "I'm gonna announce it to everyone!"

"Mel you wouldn't!" Leah exclaimed.

"Just watch me!" Melanie said. And with that, Melanie climbed on top of the bench, and cupped her hands together like a microphone, and yelled, "Hey everyone! Leah James is finally getting-"

"Melanie!" Leah gasped. She took Natalie by the calves, and yanked her down.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Leah said. At first she was a bit angry and embarrassed, but how could she stay mad for long? It was Mel of all people!

"Aww, are you mad?" Mel asked pinching Leah's cheek.

"No, I'm not mad, let's just get out of here before people start staring!" Leah, Melanie, and Raychel, all grabbed their bags and decided to go to Preston's for lunch, the restaurant which Natalie's dad happened to own. They knew they'd get free food there!

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

"So, speaking of getting laid, you know that Charlie's like totally into you right?" Raychel asked Leah. Leah's eyes widened in shock.

"Uh-uh!" Leah replied.

"Uhh yeah, he's so into you." Melanie said, taking a bite of her Jambalaya. "You should've seen the way he was looking at you!"

"Gross! Charlie's like my brother!" Leah exclaimed. "Ugghhh!"

"Well, he definitely doesn't see you as a sister." Raychel says.

"Whatever! He's so not into me!" Leah said.

"Yeah right!" Melanie replied. "Remember you used to have a crush on him?"

"It was not a crush!" Leah said.

"You were like obssessed with him. Remember that time when Aiden, Charlie, and a bunch of their friends made plans to go to Kentucky Kingdom?" Raychel asked, referring to the Lousiville's Six Flags amusement park.

"Yeah, and you made us ride our bikes there and 'coincidently' bump into them." Melanie said.

"Oh come on! We were twelve! And besides, they were high school boys!" Back when they were in middle school, getting to hang out with the 'high schoolers' was the coolest thing to them!

"Yeah whatever, keep denying it, but Charlie so wants to bang you!" Melanie said. Leah, then nudged Melanie in the side with her elbow. "Owww! What was that for?"

"Parent alert!" Leah replied, as Natalie's dad made their way over to the booth.

"Hey girls, you guys okay?" John Preston asked.

"Yeah Daddy, we're fine." Melanie replied.

"Leah! I haven't seen you in the longest! How are you?" John asked.

"I'm good Mr. Preston." Leah replied, giving the former professional football player a hug. Everyone loved Melanie's dad because he was the cool dad, and just as wacky as his daughter.

"So what's happenin' girls?" John asked, trying to seem cool. He put his elbow on the table, and proppped his chin up in his hand, pretending to be genuinely interested in girl talk.

"Daddy, you're embarassing me!" Melanie said. Raychel and Leah slightly giggled.

"Fine, fine, I'm going! Have fun girls!" John said before walking away.

"Oh my God! I love my dad, but he can be so embarrassing sometimes!" Melanie said.

"Be glad your parents care enough to be embarrassing." Leah said bitterly. Damn, did I just say that out loud? Oops! Leah looked up to see Raychel and Melanie's looks of sympathy. "Sooo... um how about that Dylan guy, why don't you call him?" Leah said, quickly changing the subject.

"Are you kidding me? I can't call him now! I'll come off as desparate!" Melanie exclaimed.

"Well aren't you?" Raychel asked.

"Oh shut up! Anyways, everyone knows that it's a rule, the guy has to call the girl first."

"What rule?" Leah asked.

"It's an unwritten rule, in the dating code!" Melanie explained. Leah laughed, ever since the sixth grade when Melanie had gotten her first boyfriend, she had sworn by some secret dating handbook.

"If you like a guy, why can't you just call him up? Why does there always have to be a game to play?" Leah asked.

"Hey listen to the girl, she knows what she talks about, she is the one with a steady boyfriend afterall!" Raychel said.

"Hey! I have a boyfriend!"

"Which one? Steve, Jason, or Dylan?" Raychel quipped. "Which one is it this week?"

"What are you implying?" Melanie asked offended.

"What do you think I'm implying?" Raychel retorted. Leah loved to watch Melanie and Raychel go back and forth, even after all these years they still hadn't changed. She also loved the fact that after she changed the subject, they didn't push the issue. That's what she loved about them. Sure they cared about each other, but if someone didn't want to talk about something, then they didn't have to. They always had fun together, and it was sort of like this unwritten rule, that they didn't really talk about anything serious. They just always had fun, there was no drama between the three, and that's one thing that Leah honestly did miss about being back in Louisville.

Leah and Melanie had first met in kindergarten and had been bestfriends since the first day of school. Leah was always shy, and reserved, and Melanie was the tougher out of the two. If someone tried to take Leah's cookies away from her, or push her off a swing during recess, Melanie was right there to push them down, and make them eat dirt! Growing up, Melanie always had her back. That was also the case, when they first met Raychel in the third grade. Raychel and her family moved to Lousiville from Staten Island in the middle of the school year. Raychel being the only new girl, automatically made her an outcast, and her strong New York accent, didn't help either. Sometimes kids can be cruel, and shun you if you're different.

And Leah, Melanie, and Raychel had been bestfriends ever since.

"Oh my gosh! Is that Adam Baker?" Melanie shout-whispered.

"Whose Adam Baker?" Leah asked.

"From high school." Raychel explained.

"I used to date him!" Melanie said.

"You used to date everybody!" Raychel replied. Melanie elbowed her.

"So who is this guy?" Leah asked.

"He transfered from St. Mary's in the eighth grade." Melanie replied.

"Oh." Leah said. The summer before eighth grade was the year that Leah and her family had relocated to Orlando. She remembered crying her eyes out the day that her parents broke the news to her that they were moving to a whole nother state. Every plan that she had made with Melanie and Raychel had gone down the drain. The day that she moved, Raychel and Melanie had helped her pack, all three of them sobbing uncontrollably. At the time, she honestly thought her life was over. Although now looking back, the move to Orlando was probably one of the best things to ever happened to her (JC, Lucky, MMC etc...), sometimes she still felt kind of jealous that Raychel and Natalie got to go to high school, and college together, and made all of these memories. They had a much closer bond because of it, and more often than not it made Leah feel like a third wheel.

"Damn, he's even hotter than before!" Melanie said.

"Mel please don't..." Raychel pleaded.

"I'm gonna go see if he's single!" Melanie said, before getting up from the booth, and making her way over to his table. Leah and Raychel exchanged a look, and just shoock their heads.

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

"Hey honey, I know it's probably like three am where you are, so just give me a call when it's daytime there. Love you!" Leah smiled at the sound of JC's voice. She hated that they kept missing each other like that, and she couldn't wait until they finally got to be together again.

"Humor me." Melanie said. "Why are you guys making us watch you play basketball in the freezing cold?"

"Because, we need a couple of hot chicks to watch us!" Aiden replied, before shooting the basketball in the hoop. Melanie rolled her eyes.

"Wow Mel, that was probably the first guy that you haven't been interested in!" Raychel teased, Melanie gave her the finger.

"Well, except for Leah and Jill, because if I thought you guys were hot, then that would be really sick and disgusting!" Aiden said. Leah, along with Jill, Raychel, Melanie, and Mel's younger sister Melissa, and Angela, one of Jill's old friends, were all sitting in front of the James' home in lawn chairs watching Aiden, Jeremy, Charlie, and Jesse play basketball on their private basketball court.

"You guys should at least put a jacket on, you'll catch pneumonia!" Raychel warned.

"Okay Mom, we'll get right on it!" Charlie said sarcastically.

"Ughh! Boys!" Melissa groaned. "Remind me, why are we doing this again?"

"Because you love me!" Jesse winked. Melissa rolled her eyes.

"As if!" Melissa and Jesse were the same age,a nd they group up together, Jesse was always shamelessly pursuing her, and Melissa never gave in to him once. "Seriously though, why are we here?"

"Because you followed me like a sad little puppy." Melanie replied.

"Because you have no life!" Charlie said.

"Because it's good that we all finally get to be together and spend time with each other!" Jill said. Everyone turned to look at her. "What?" She asked.

"I'm just surprised that you thought to care about anyone other than yourself." Leah said. Damn, had she just let that slip too? Jill shot her a surprised look. "What? I'm only being honest?"

"Come on, let's be real. When's the last time we all hung out together like this?" Jill asked, ignoring Leah's remark about her being self-absorbed.

"As in all nine of us?" Melanie asked. "Never!"

"Exactly! Which is why we should all cherish these special moments. Next week, I'll be back in California, Aiden and Charlie will be back in Chicago, Jermey will be in Atlanta, and Leah will be off traveling the world. Who know's the next time we'll all be together like this? We should have all done this a long time ago!"

"You're right." Angela said. "I guess I can stand the cold just a little while longer. Closest to thirty points right?"

"100." Jeremy said.

"What?" Melissa squealed.

"But you guys are only at sixteen points!" Leah exclaimed. It was Aiden and Jeremy against Charlie and Jesse, and so far they were tied.

"It's eight o'clock now! We'll be out here all night!" Raychel said. "You guys are nuts!" Leah couldn't believe that they were actually going to stay out all night and watch the guys play basketball. She was never much into sports, except when she watched games with JC, but tonight she didn't mind it. Surprisingly enough Jill was right, they did need to spend time together, becuase they didn't know when the next time they were all going to be together was.

"Hey guys, I'll be right back." Leah announced.

"Where are you going?" Jill asked.

"Well, if we're gonna be out here all night, then we have to stay warm and fed. I'm gonna go make some hot chocolate and order some pizza."

"I want a supreme one!" Charlie said.

"I want a cheese one." Aiden said.

"And I want a pepperoni one!" Melissa chimed in.

"Okay, supreme, cheese, pepperoni, got it!" Leah said, before walking off. From the basketball court, she took the back route, and entered through the sliding back doors to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, Leah grabbed the phone from off it's hook and ordered the pizzas, then boiled some water for hot chocolate.

"Hey." Leah turned around when she heard a male voice, and saw that it was Charlie.

"Hey!" She replied. "Did you guys finally get tired of freezing your balls off?" She asked.

"No, your brother had to pee, so we took a break."

"Oh."

After a moment of silence passed them Charlie spoke up again, "You know after being in Chicago for so long, I don't think that any pizzeria in Kentucky can cut it for me." Charlie said.

"I feel the exact same way about New York pizza!" Leah smiled.

"Yeah, but Chicago's way better."

"Yeah, well I beg to differ!" Leah replied.

"Oh yeah?" Charlie laughed.

"Yeah!"

"We'll see about that. How about I make a deal with you?" Charlie said, walking up to Leah.

"Okay, what would that be?" Leah asked.

"How about the next time you visit Aiden, I take you out for a night on the town, and I'll buy you a slice of real pizza?" Charlie proposed.

"I'd like that." Leah said. Then all of a sudden out of nowhere she felt Charlie's lips pressed up against hers! Shocked, Leah immediately pushed him back. "Charlie what the hell?!" Leah exclaimed

"I-I-I just thought that-"

"You thought that what?" Leah asked.

"Shit! I thought you were into me!" Charlie replied.

"Into you? Since when?"

"C'mon, back in the day you used to constantly follow me around."

"I was twelve." Leah sighed.

"Well what about earlier?" Charlie asked.

"Earlier?"

"At the mall. You were flirting with me!"

"I was not! Charlie, you're like my brother!" Leah said.

"Trust me Leah, I if I were like your brother , I wouldn't have these feelings for you." Charlie admitted.

"Feelings?" Leah asked.

"When we were younger, and you used to like me, I always saw you as my sister, but now, you're all grown up, and let's just say, you're not like a sister to me anymore. I never realized how beautiful you were until now. You're beautiful, and intelligent, and funny, and so perfect."

"Charlie I'm flattered. But I'm sorry that I don't feel the same way." Leah said. Charlie looked crushed, and Leah felt horrible. "Come on Charlie, you can get over me, I'm not the one for you. Trust me, you're gonna that girl. The girl that you know is going to be your wife, from the very first moment you look at her. Believe me when I say I'm not that girl."

"So there's no way that you could ever feel the same for me?" Charlie asked. Leah shook her head no.

"I have a boyfriend." Charlie looked even more crushed.

"Any chance of you guys ever breaking up?" Charlie asked. Leah shook her again. Come on I know he's gotta be a jerk?" Leah shook her head. "Cheater?" She shook her head again. "A womanizer?"

"He's perfect." Leah said, and Charlie sighed.

"If you don't mind my asking, who is this 'Mr. Perfect'?" Charlie asked.

"His name is JC." Leah replied.

"You mean the dude from Nsync?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, the dude Nsync." Leah laughed.

"Shit I gotta start a boy band, those guys get all the girls." Leah laughed again. Wow, she couldn't believe that she's heard that twice in one day!

"I'm really sorry Charlie." Leah said.

"Don't be." Charlie replied. "If he makes you happy, then I'm happy for you." Charlie said, giving her a hug.

"Thanks Char, it means a lot." Leah said, hugging him back. As soon as they realeased each other, Aiden came down the steps.

"Hey Charlie, you ready?" Aiden asked, eyeing the two suspiciously.

"Yeah man." Charlie replied.

"I'll meet you guys out there." Leah said, before both Charlie and Aiden went back outside. The moment he was out of sight, Leah released a breath that she hadn't relaized she had been holding. Did that really just happen? How would she explain that to Josh?

"Hey did you order the pizzas?" Jill asked, walking through the door.

"Oh. My. God!" Leah gasped. She felt like she needed an inhaler. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! This is bad, really bad!"

"What happened?" Jill asked, startled by Leah's outburst.

"Charlie just kissed me!" Leah whisper-shouted!

"What when?" Jill asked, her eyes growing wide.

"Just now! He told me that he has feelings for me!"

"Oh my God! You're kidding right?" Jill asked.

"No!"

"Did you tell him about JC?" Jill asked. Leah nodded.

"Now, how do I tell JC about Charlie?" Leah asked.

"He's understanding right?" Jill asked.

"Yeah."

"He loves you right?"

"Yeah."

"Well then you guys should be okay." Jill said.

"Ya think?" Leah asked, catching her breath. Jill nodded.

"Yeah."

"Okay, well can you please make the hot chocolate, while I go somewhere and silently freak out?" Leah asked.

"Yeah sure, go ahead." Jill said.

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

Finally at eleven o'clock, the basketball game was over. Charlie and Jesse had jtied with Aiden and Jesse, and both teams were so competitive that they didn't want to give up until it started raining. After dropping Melissa off at home, Melanie came back to join Raychel and Leah at Leah's house, for a sleepover, again, for the sake of nostalgia. The girls were all in their pajamas and watching movies downstairs in the basement, and had laid out sleeping bags. Leah had decided not to tell her friends about the kiss, because she knew she'd hear 'I told you so's' from both Melanie and Raychel.

"Well despite freezing my ass off, I had fun tonight." Raychel said, sitting down on top of her sleeping bag next to Leah.

"Yeah me too." Leah said joining them. "I think Melissa softening up a bit to Jesse."

"I know, I think it's so cute." Melanie replied.

"Hey guys have you seen my phone?" Raychel asked. Both Leah and Melanie shook their heads. "Damn, I must've left it in my car, I'll be right back." Raychel said, before racing up the basement steps.

"You know I really had fun tonight with you Leah." Melanie said.

"Yeah me too."

"It's great having you back in town, we've all really missed you."

"I've missed you guys!" Leah replied. "I've missed hanging out with you and Raychel!"

"It's gonna suck when you leave." Melanie said.

"Mel, I'm sorry." Leah apologized. Now she felt all crappy. Like she was abandoning the people she loved.

"No it's okay, I know you have a life and career and everything. I just miss my bestfriend sometimes." Melanie said, scooting closer to Leah.

"I miss you guys too! Being back here with you and Raychel is the most fun I've had since I've been back, I'll definitely missed that." Leah said, hugging Melanie.

When Melanie hugged Leah, she couldn't help but to feel some sort of spark. She smeled so good, she was so pretty. Melanie couldn't believe what she was about to do, but she just couldn't fight the urge. She just decided to do it, she leaned in and... kissed her!

"Oh my God! Melanie!" Leah squealed. "What was that?" Leah asked completely shocked for the second time in one day. Had Melanie just kissed her? "Melanie!"

"I-I-I-'m sorry. I should just leave." Melanie said. Getting up, to put her jeans on. She couldn't believe what she had just done! She felt so ashamed, and embarrassed, and Leah could since that. Leah didn't mean to make her feel bad about herself.

"Melanie wait! Don't go, please." Leah pleaded, pulling her back down. "Talk to me. What's going on."

"I can't talk about this." Melanie cried. "Not with you."

"Why not?" Leah asked. Although she, Melanie, and raychel never talked about anything serious, she wasn't about to let her friend feel like what she felt was bad or wrong.

"Because you're you, and you're a celebrity!" Melanie said, freaking out.

"But I'm you're friend first." Leah replied. "C'mon Mel, you can talk to me? I'm not mad or anything, I promise."

"Fine." Melanie said, sitting back down.

"So Mel, are you a... lesbian?" Leah asked.

"I don't know!" Melanie answered honestly. "There was this girl, Carla, she was my roomate in my senior year of college, the first girl that I ever had any romantic feelings for. The first girl I had ever kissed. I never even questioned my sexuality until the day I met her. We even had a brief relationship. But nobody knows about it."

"So what happened?" Leah asked.

"After graduation we went our separate ways. She went back to Connecticut, while I stayed here. We figured it was for the best. I thought me liking girls was just a phase, but then you came back in town, and it triggered those emotions all over again."

"Wow." Leah was stunned. She had never suspected Melanie of being lesbian or bi-sexual, mainly because she surrounded herself with so many guys. But maybe that was onnly a guise so that no one would suspect her. "So... do you have feelings for me?" Leah asked curious. To be honest, she was kind of flattered that she had attracted attention from the opposite sex! Maybe she didn't give herself enough credit afterall!

"Oh God no!" Melanie said. "I mean I thought I did, I thought kissing you would be something magical, but really it wasn't."

"Oh." Leah said, a bit disappointed. "So I'm not like totally sexy to you?" Leah joked.

"As if! You're like my sister!" Melanie laughed, shoving her playfully.

"Whatever, you know you want this!" Leah joked, flipping her hair.

"Don't flatter yourself kid!" 

"But seriously though, I don't care whether you're gay, straight, bi-sexual, or whatever it doesn't matter to me, you're my bestfriend, and I love you. Whoever you decide to be, it's okay."

"Thanks." Melanie said.

"Do your parents know?" Leah asked.

"No!" Melanie replied. "They'd kill me!"

"C'mon Mel, no they wouldn't, you're parents are great, they always have been."

"Yeah, but they're conservative Catholics and being gay is unacceptable, they'd hate me forever. they'd be so ashamed." Melanie said, crying.

"Melanie, I know your parents. They love you unconditionally. They may be a little hurt when you first tell them, maybe even confused, but trust me when I say, they will accpet you for who you are."

"I'm scared." Melanie admitted.

"What if I do it with you, you know tell your parents." Leah suggested.

"You'd do that for me?" Melanie asked.

"I would."

"You're my bestfriend!" Melanie said, before throwing her arms around Leah. "Thank you so much!" She cried, this time happy tears. Tears of relief. She felt like a major weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. After Melanie released Leah from her arms, she wiped her tears away,

"Hey guys, what'd I miss?" Raychel asked, descending the stairs, cell phone in hand.

"Nothing!" Both Leah and Melanie said in unison. Raychel sat down next to Leah on her sleeping bag.

"Hey, how about we watch My Best Friend's Wedding?" Raychel suggested.

"I'm cool with that." Melanie replied. When Raychel got up to put the movie in, Melanie took Leah's hand and gave it a squeeze, and mouthed the words Thank you. Leah gave her hand a squeeze in return.

Although Leah was happy that she could help out Melanie, she was also freaking out inside. Not because one of her bestfriends was a potential lesbian, but because that was the second time that she had gotten kissed that day! And she had a boyfriend! She felt so awkward, she wished she could talk to Lucky about it, she always knows just what to say. How would she explain this to Josh?

Melanie Preston

Raychel Esposito

Charlie Blake

Jesse Blake