Matt thumped his head down on the table in between us, "I so failed that test in English."

I poked his slicked back hair, smiling a bit when it didn't move, "I doubt it. You knew your stuff last night when you went home."

He shrugged, "I know. I just . .. froze up."

"That's understandable. Whoa!" I gasped when I was engulfed by a set of arms. I glanced down to see pale skin and slightly chubby arms holding me. I frowned, "Zacky?"

Matt grinned, "You're right."

"Okay, you can let go now." I squirmed.

"Not until you promise to come watch me play tonight. My girlfriend's gonna be there so you won't be alone." Zacky chuckled in my ear as Brian, Jimmy, and Johnny joined us. Yesterday, Matt and I were alone. Now we had an overabundance of people.

"If that's what it takes to get your grip off of me, okay! Are you guys going?" I asked as soon as he let go.

Brian shook his head, "I have a music clinic tonight."

"I have to finish unpacking." Matt made a face.

"Band practice." Jimmy grunted, "Although if we don't find a guitarist worth a shit soon . . ."

"Dude!" Brian glared at him and they started talking.

I turned to Johnny, "You going?"

"Yeah. You can ride with me if you want." He smiled as he offered.

"'Kay. Thanks." I smiled back. Who knew he was so sweet?

Matt grabbed my hand, "I forgot my pop, walk with me?"

"'Kay."

I scooted out from behind the table and walked toward the vending machines, my hand still tucked into his. I could practically feel the gazes clinging to us as we skirted in between tables. I tugged at my hand but he simply tightened his hold o my hand. I glanced at him, "Matt, people are staring."

"So? Are you ashamed of me?" He grinned a bit.

I felt myself blush and silently cussed myself for being so easy to tease, "No. But you don't realize what people say-"

"And I don't care. I choose my friends . . .and girlfreinds." He smirked, "Now, what do you want to drink?"

"Oh . . .a Diet Coke would be cool." I shrugged and he let go to dig in his pockets.

A few seconds later, we went bck to the table and Johnny started laughing at us. Matt cocked an eyebrow at him, "What?"

"Nothing. I've just never seen Daniellea holding hands with anyone." He shrugged.

"Because I'm a cow that everyone, except you guys apparently, hates." I muttered and found my hand being amost crushed by Matt's grip.

None of the guys got a chance to say anything because the bell rang right after. I was surprised that a lunch time had gone by without me burying my nose in a book or hiding in the bathroom. I was also taken back when we traveled as a group to music class, which passed in a laughing, joking haze. The only one who really seemed to pay attention was Brian. I hit Matt's arm, "Why did you take music anyway?"

"I'm good at it, but I didn't realize this was basically music theory."

"Just the first couple of six weeks, to kinda brush us up on it." Zacky explained, "Normally all us guys just copy Brian's worksheets."

Jimmy laughed and nodded, "Then the rest is practical. They have marching band here and then they have this class, which turns out to usually form a couple of groups that go in the parctice room and play music. The difference is that we get to have guitars and such. I play drums."

"Bass." Johnny said quietly. I'd noticed that he didn't say much to the whole group.

"Guitar." Brian and Zacky chorused.

"I play lots of stuff." Matt shrugged.

"Same here."

"You've been in music with me for two years and I've never seen you do anything." Brian frowned.

Johnny piped up, "I've heard her play piano at her house."

"You can hear that?" I felt my face get redder.

He nodded.

Matt prodded me, "I gotta hear you."

"Would you shut up? We're trying to pay attention. Oh . . . it's her." A girl sitting in the row of chairs in front of the ack corner where we all sat scoffed, rolling her eyes.

I bit my lip and turned slighlty sideways so I wouldn' thave to endure her look.

Matt looped an arm around me and Zacky hugged my legs from his place on the floor. I smiled at him and that smile turned into a laugh when Brian called her a skanky whore. Could it be possible I might actually be making friends?

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

"Woot! Go, Matt!" I clapped from beside of Johnny on the bleachers at the football field.

"How come you never do that for me?" Zacky asked in a slightly pouting tone.

"Because you have me to cheer for you." Lorrie, his girlfriend, reminded him laughingly.

"Besides," Johnny grinned, "She's not cheering for him, she's distracting him."

I laughed and nodded a bit. After Zacky's ball game two weeks ago, Matt and I had talked online and he'd told me he was going out for football. This was his first official practice and I'd already caused him to screw up twice, just by "cheering him on." He knew I was just teasing him though, so I was sure he wouldn't be mad.

Zacky made a face, "I'l be glad for the break between fall league and spring league. No one comes to fall league games because of football."

"I'd much rather be at home watching Gilmore Girls." I grumbled.

"You know, you're not obligated to be here." The girl in front of me snapped.

I raised my eyebrows, "No, you're right, I'm not. But Matt asked and as a good friend I came."

"Well, he's a football player now. He won't want to hang around you, you freak." She sneered.

Lorrie threw herself forward to punch the girl as Johnny pulled me backwards. I swatted him off, "Johnny, let me-"

"No. Zacky, get your woman, let's go." Johnny's arms, though small, tightened on me like a vise. He pulled me away from the bleachers and toward the parking lot. We got to where Zacky and Matt's cars were parked and he finally let me go.

I slid up onto the trunk of Matt's car, snaking my fingers into Johnny's pant pocket for his rather smashed pack of cigarettes. After a second of passing one of them back and forth between us, I finally sighed, "Thanks, Lorrie."

"No way are you thanking me. She so deserved that. And I feel the need to apologize anyway." She ended softly. I simply looked at her. "I beleived that shit everyone says about you. I thought you were a freak, a dyke . . even a devil worshipper." She rolled her eyes.

I shrugged, "You're not the only one who believes it obviously. Rumors are ugly things based in partials truths."

Now Johnny grinned, "So do you swing both ways?"

"I've experimented and I'm open to it, but I don't chase girls."

"Awesome! Girl on girl!" Johnny laughed and Zacky joined in.

"Where?" Matt asked as he walked up, slinging his sweat dampened shirt over his shoulder.

I gulped at the display of rippling muscles and toned stomach while Zacky filled him in. He reached over and pulled on a lock of my dark hair, "How come you never told me that?"

"Because you didn't ask!" I laughed, swatting at his hand.

"Ugh, come on, midgets. I stink so I wanna go ahead and run you two home." Matt reached toopen his car door while I slid to the ground.

"Okay. Bye, Zacky, Lorrie. I'll talk to you two later." I started to get in back and Matt stopped me. I looked over my shoulder at him as Zacky and Lorrie left and Johnny jumped in in the back. He shut the door on him and looked at me intently for a second. It made me nervous, "What?"

"Do you want to hang out tonight? Just you and me." Was it possible he seemed nervous too? Why?

"Sure." I smiled a bit."

"Okay. So say about eight . . ." He pulled me a little closer.

Since when did we have to set a time to hang out? And when did it feel weird to be this close to him, even with his shirt off? "Yeah, sounds good."

"Alright. Let's go." He drove me and Johnny home.

Once there, I showered and changed and ate dinner wtih my mom and Rodney. I'd just came back into my room to do some homework before matt came over when I
heard something hit my window. I glanced at it and saw Johnny hanging out of his own. I raised mine and stared at him, "What?"

"Getting ready for your date?" He grinned as he questioned.

I frowned at him, "You're having hallucinations, Johnny. I don't date. Haven't and probably won't."

He winced, "So then what are you classifying your night with Matt?"

"Two friends hanging out." Stating the obvious much?

"Well, he sees it differently."

"Oh." Now I was really nervous. Thank you, Johnny! I sighed and pushed my hair back just as I spotted Matt's car coming up the road. i smiled just a bit, "Gotta go, Johnny. Talk to you later."

"Right here, as soon as he leaves." Johnny nodded, blowing me an affectionate kiss before we both dunked inside. Not even that could reassure me.

Was this a date or two people just spending some time together as friends?

Notes

Can we not post banners on this site?  confused!