Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Best Days of Our Lives ❯ Turning To You ( Chapter 5 )

Best Days of Our Lives

By Kawaii_Cherry_Blossom

Disclaimer:

I do not own any of the characters, except Destinee. I do, however, own the plot line of this fic. I do not own the songs that I used, which include:

"What Dreams Are Made Of", by Paolo and Isabella;

"Runaway" by The Corrs;

"It's Gonna Be Love" by Mandy Moore; and

"I Knew I Loved You" by Savage Garden

Chapter 5

Turning To You

"This is gonna be so exciting!" Mina said as she pinned up a pink streamer in the gym. Sakura, Duplica, Destinee, Lita and herself had opted to decorate the gym for the dance, which was to take place that night. The girls had managed to get the afternoon classes for that day cancelled so that they could have the afternoon to get prepared.

"So are you guys bringing dates?" Duplica asked. Sakura, Lita and Mina shook their heads.

"We're all just coming together", Sakura explained.

"Except for one of us…" Mina said, winking and glancing at Destinee.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Duplica asked. Blushing, Destinee smiled.

"Guys!" she said, embarrassed.

"How cute! She's blushing like a little school girl!" Lita teased. Destinee's face became redder as she turned away.

"You know guys…I think that I'm…well…in love…" she said.

"Really?" Sakura asked.

"I can't really explain it. It's just that…he's different from the other guys I've been out with. He's sweet and romantic and he really cares about me. I've never felt this way before… " Destinee explained in a tone that could only portray that she was indeed in love. Lita smiled.

"That's really beautiful, Dest", she said.

"How long have you been going out for?" Duplica asked.

"About three months now." Duplica smiled.

"That's the same as Ritchie and I. I'm sure of it - you must be in love. You're acting like me!" Destinee smiled, blushing.

"I can't wait till tonight!" she cried ecstatically, going back to hanging streamers.

"Do you think Ash has done it yet, Dest?" Lita asked, moments later.

"Done what?" Duplica, ever the curious one, asked.

"Asked Misty to the dance of course!" Mina said, as if it were the most obvious fact in the world.

"Oh!"

"I don't think he would have yet", Destinee answered.

"How come?" Lita asked curiously.

"Because Ash is a total chicken!" Destinee replied, laughing.

Lita and Mina nodded agreeably.

"Do you think that Misty will even come…?" Sakura asked quietly, a worried tone in her voice. Destinee sighed.

"I don't know. I hope so, but somehow I doubt it…" Lita nodded.

"Yeah, she sure hasn't been very friendly lately."

"What's up with her?" Duplica asked.

"We don't know", Mina stated, worry present in her eyes.

Facing back towards the wall of the gym, Destinee sighed. 'Misty… What is going on…?"

***

Misty wiped a tear from her eye as she arrived at school. She had come to pick up a book that she had forgotten, but it was also nice to get out of her house for a while. She walked slowly to her locker, her head down all the way. Arriving at her locker, she turned the combination lock until she heard it click, and opened the door. Suddenly, something caught her attention. Atop her pile of text books, there was an envelope with her name written on it, in handwriting that she didn't recognise. Eyes filled with curiosity, Misty opened the envelope and took out the piece of paper that was inside.

Dear Misty,

No matter how hard I try, I cannot stop thinking about you.

Please meet me at the year 12 dance. Wait in the middle of the dance floor at 9 o'clockand I will meet you there.

I cannot wait to see you.

Love from,

Your secret admirer.

Misty's eyes filled with tears, however this time they were tears of joy. Almost in disbelief, she read the letter over twice more to make sure that she wasn't imagining the whole thing.

'I can't believe it… Someone's actually interested in…me…? Who could it be…?'

***

Jessie sighed as she looked around her room. She had dumped the contents of her wardrobe onto her bed in order to put together an outfit for the dance; however she was not having much luck. Sick of blending into the background all the time, Jessie always wore revealing outfits, to show off her figure and to make herself stand out. She had been labelled a slut and a whore over and over, but she could care less what people thought about her. However, she did care what James thought about her.

'What am I going to do…? I just want to look nice for James… I don't want to wear any of this stuff, and I don't have any money to go out and buy something new…' she thought, sighing defeatedly and falling onto her bed, atop the masses of clothing items. Jessie's thoughts were interrupted as she heard the doorbell ring. She listened for a few moments, and when it seemed that no one else was going to answer it, she rushed downstairs to find out who was there. The door opened to reveal a delivery man holding a shallow but wide box, his van parked outside in the street.

"Jessie McInnes?" he asked, holding out a pen computer. Jessie nodded and signed her name, bursting with curiosity about what was inside the box.

"Thank you", she said as he gave her the box. It was very light, she noticed. When the delivery man left, she rushed back up to her room, her eyes full of anticipation. Both nervously and curiously, she ripped the lid off, to reveal a dark blue dress. In shock, she carefully picked the dress up and eyed it. It was simple, with shoestring straps, and was a length that would reach just above her knees. She looked at the label. It was an expensive brand name.

'Who on earth could have sent this…?' she thought.

Managing to take her eyes off of the dress, she once again looked into the box. A small envelope lay amongst the tissue paper that the dress was lying in. Her emotions a mix, she picked it up and opened it.

Dear Jessie,

I hope you won't mind…but I saw this dress and instantly thought of you, so I had to buy it. You can wear it to the dance if you like it, but of course you don't have to. I can't wait to see you, no matter what you are wearing.

Love James

Jessie squealed out in happiness, hugging the note to her chest. A genuine smile planted on her face, she picked up the dress and tried it on. Amazingly, it was a perfect fit. The colour matched Jessie's eyes and made them appear bluer.

"I love him, I love him!" Jessie cried out, before stopping, realising what she had just said. "I…love him…"

***

"Ash!" Destinee called out as she saw him on her way home. Ash, Misty and herself all lived just two streets away from one another. As she came closer, however, she saw that Ash did not appear to be very happy.

"Hey…" he said, seeming distant.

"Ash? What's wrong? Didn't Misty accept your invitation to the dance?" Ash sighed.

"No, she didn't…" he said sadly.

"What? What do you mean? Is she not going?"

"Oh, she's going alright…" he said quietly. Destinee looked utterly confused.

"Huh?"

"Apparently she already has a date. She wouldn't tell me who, but she seemed extremely happy about it…"

"Really? I wonder who it is…"

"I have no idea… But it was really weird…" Ash said.

"What do you mean?"

"Misty wouldn't let me inside her house. She said that her room was a mess but that's such a dumb excuse because Misty's room is always a mess, and she's never said anything about it before", he explained. Destinee nodded.

"That is weird…" Destinee looked up worriedly as Ash sighed.

"Ash…"

"I just…can't help but think that Misty doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. I mean, she's been ignoring me and pushing me away, and now some new guy comes along and suddenly she's all happy."

"Ash… Misty's just going through some tough times…" Ash sighed.

"I guess so… I just wish she'd open up to me… I mean, like I told you on the phone last night, she almost did yesterday, but something seemed to stop her and she just ran away. I just don't know what to do anymore…"

"I know it's hard Ash but I think that all we can do is be there for Misty and not give up on her. She knows that we're here when she needs us." Ash nodded.

"Yeah…"

"So…you're still coming tonight, right?"

"I dunno…"

"Of course you are!"

"Are you bringing him?"

"Justin? Of course!"

"Dest…"

"Don't start Ash. He's the most amazing guy…" she trailed off, an emotion that could only be identified as love present in her eyes.

"I just don't trust him, that's all…"

"Can't you just try…for me?"

"Sorry Dest… I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Justin won't hurt me. He's…different from the other guys I've dated…"

"Right…" Ash said. "Just…be careful okay?" Destinee nodded, smiling.

"I will. Thanks Ash. You're such a good friend", she said as she hugged him. After they had embraced, she looked at her watch.

"Oh man, I should really go and get ready", she said.

"Yeah, you should since it takes you like five hours", Ash joked. Destinee slapped him playfully and walked away, waving.

"See you later!" she called out.

"Bye", he replied.

***

Three hours later…

***

Misty looked at herself in her full-length mirror and smiled slightly. She had chosen to wear a blue halter neck top, made out of the kind of material that shimmered slightly in the light, and a blue and white ruffle skirt, with a hemline that zigzagged up and down and fell to a length just above her knees. Her white heeled shoes and white bag complemented the outfit. As usual, she had applied a light amount of makeup, wearing only foundation, mascara, lip gloss and a touch of silver eye shadow. Her short orange hair was let down, pinned up on one side with a sparkly clip. Satisfied with what she saw, Misty smiled excitedly.

'I wonder who my date is… He sounded so romantic in the note…' she thought.

Grabbing her bag, she rushed out of her room happily, and happy to be happy. It seemed as if she hadn't smiled in weeks, and now that she thought about it, she realised that she hadn't.

'This is going to be an amazing night. I just know it!' she thought as she stepped out of her house.

***

"Testing, one, two, three!" Duo called over the microphone. He and the band had decided to come early, to prepare for their set later that night. They would not play the entire time, just for a set of about twenty minutes at the beginning of the night.

"It's all working fine", Gary said, running back from the other side of the gym.

The gym itself had been decorated beautifully. Pink, blue and white streamers hung from each corner, and gathered in the centre of the roof. Balloons sat all over the floor, and coloured lights were set up around the room. A disco ball also hung in the middle of the ceiling.

"Nervous?" Mina asked Destinee. Destinee smiled sheepishly.

"Sort of. I just can't wait to see Justin!" Destinee glanced down at herself. "Do I look okay?"

"You look gorgeous!"

Destinee wore a rose-pink halter neck dress, which was gathered at the hipline and fell just above her knees, with a jagged hemline. She smoothed her long, dark hair, which fell down her back, a touch of glitter having been sprayed through it. Her bright blue eyes were complemented with black eyeliner and mascara, and shimmering pink eye shadow.

"I can't wait until the party is started!" Destinee exclaimed happily.

***

"Raye!" Gary called out as he saw her enter. Raye looked up, refraining from rolling her eyes at the sight of Gary Oak.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You look really beautiful tonight", he said meaningfully. Raye was shocked at the sincerity of his words.

"Oh…um…well…thanks…" she stumbled out.

'Is he serious or just joking around…?' she asked herself silently.

Gary sighed as she walked away. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat as she paused for a moment, but returned to normal as she continued on her way.

'How can I get her to like me…?' Gary asked himself, sighing.

***

James smiled graciously when he saw Jessie, his emerald eyes sparkling like two stars against a dark blue night sky. Jessie blushed, feeling nervous yet incredibly excited. She stood leaning against the gym wall, wearing the dress that James had bought for her. She and James had decided to meet at the dance, as she did not want him to see her house or meet her family. James walked to her slowly, a calm smile present on his face. He wore black pants and a green shirt, which caused his emerald eyes to shine like jewels. When he was standing in front of her, he reached for her hand. Picking it up gently, he kissed it softly, before looking back into her eyes. Jessie was stunned. No boy or man she had ever dated had treated her this way. She felt like a princess in her very own fairytale. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she smiled at him, their eyes locking.

"You look…" James paused. "Incredible…" Jessie smiled gratefully.

"Thank you…so much… For the dress and…for saying that…" she said, almost in a whisper, tears developing in her eyes.

James smiled as he took her hand once again.

"Shall we go inside?" he asked her. Nodding, she smiled.

***

"Justin!" Destinee called to a tall, dark-haired man of about nineteen. She smiled as he walked to her and kissed her softly.

"Hey babe. You look gorgeous", he commented. Destinee smiled.

"Thanks", she said as she took his hand and guided him to where her friends were.

Many more people were arriving, both the year twelves, their dates and any close friends that they had brought along. Destinee noticed Jessibelle standing in one corner, whispering to Butch, Meilin, Cassidy and her date - probably one of the male models she worked with, and probably a rich snob like she was.

'What are they up to…' she thought worriedly.

***

"We should have brought a video camera to preserve the moment!" Cassidy said, laughing.

"It's sure going to be funny", Butch agreed, joining in the laughter.

"Yes, it will be. But all that counts is that that little twit gets exactly what she deserves. No one messes with Jessibelle Jones and gets away with it", she said as she grinned evilly.

"There she is!" Meilin cried, pointing to the doorway.

The others turned to see Misty entering the gym, glancing around at the people inside.

Jessibelle glanced at her watch. "

Well, we've got a half-hour to kill, so let's go have some fun!"

The others nodded, agreeing, as they made their way to the dance floor, just as the band was starting up.

***

"Okay guys, are you ready for a great night?" Destinee called out.

Screams and whistles were heard from the crowd, which the band took as a yes. Destinee smiled as the music started up, played by Gary, Duo and Raye.

"We're starting with a slow one, so all you couples, get onto the dance floor because this is your moment", Destinee said, smiling as a waft of people moved.

James smiled as Destinee said this, moving in front of Jessie.

"May I have this dance?" he asked politely. Jessie smiled, her face blushing a deep red.

"Of course", she said, nodding. She let him lead her to the dance floor. James gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Jessie closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder, feeling safe and peaceful in his arms, as the music began…

"Have you ever seen such a beautiful night…?

I could almost kiss the stars for shining so bright" Destinee sung clearly, as she watched the couples on the floor sway to the music.

"When I see you smiling I go…oh, oh, oh

I would never want to miss this

In my heart, I know what this is…"

Ash glanced at Misty from across the room. She stood in the back corner of the gym, looking extremely nervous.

'What is it? A blind date…?' he thought to himself. Misty looked up, and for a moment, their eyes locked onto one-another's.

"This is what dreams are made of

This is what dreams are made of…"

Ash looked into Misty's eyes, a look of worry and disappointment present in his own. She gazed back at him for a few moments, before looking away, again focussing on glancing around the room.

'Why does it have to be this way…?' he thought sadly as he watched her.

"I've got somewhere I belong

I've got somebody to love

This is what dreams are made of…" Destinee smiled as she finished the song. It was one of her favourites to sing, as it was short and sweet. The next song began right away.

"Say it's true

There's nothing like me and you

I'm not alone

Tell me you feel it too

And I would run away

I would run away, yeah…

I would run away

I would run away with you…"

James pulled away from their embrace, staring into Jessie's eyes. She returned his gaze, her blue eyes melting into his green ones. The chemistry between them was incredible. It was a new experience for Jessie, who then realised that she had never been in love before James.

"You're so beautiful…" he whispered to her. She smiled happily and lovingly as she moved into his warm embrace once again.

'This feels so right… So incredible and so…right…' Jessie thought.

James smiled contently. 'My life is so wrong that I know…this is right. Jessie and I…I think we're truly right for each other…'

"'Cause I have fallen in love with you

No I'm never…

I'm never gonna stop falling in love…with you…"

***

"What the hell is he doing with that…that whore?!" Jessibelle said angrily.

"I have no idea, he must be out of his mind", Meilin commented.

"Look at him! He looks like a lovesick puppy! He couldn't be in love with her, could he?" Jessibelle said.

"No way. Who would be in love with Jessie? Guys just use her to get what they want, no one's actually ever loved her", Cassidy said viciously.

"I can't take it anymore! James, you will be mine. And I don't care what I have to do to get you…" Jessibelle said vindictively.

***

Li Syaoran glanced around the gym, feeling quite out of place.

'Why did I even come here? I'm such an idiot…' he thought to himself. As his eyes lay upon a certain auburn haired, emerald-eyed girl named Sakura, however, he suddenly remembered the reason. He felt his face become flushed as she looked over to him and smiled, her eyes sparkling in the coloured light that shone around the gym. Feeling embarrassed, he looked away shyly.

'Why is this happening to me? I'm so weak! I can't let her get to me!' Li told himself. '…But she's so pretty, and so nice… Oh, geez, Li, get ahold of yourself!'

Suddenly, Li felt somebody standing in front of him. Looking up, he was startled to find Sakura's smiling face in front of his own. His face blushed a deep red as she held out her hand.

"Would you like to dance?" she asked simply. Li panicked.

"Me? Dance? Me? Uh…" he stumbled. Sakura smiled.

"Sure."

Hesitantly, Li held out his hand, feeling his heartbeat quicken as it joined with Sakura's. Slowly, she led him to the dance floor, where she began clapping for the band as they finished their second to last song.

"I hope you're all having a great time out there!" Destinee called from the stage. "This is our final song for the night, so get up, dance and have a good time."

"It's gonna be me, baby

It'sgonna be you, baby…

Time, I've been patient for so long

How can I pretend to be so strong?

Looking at you, baby…

Feeling it too, baby…

If I'm asking you to hold me tight, then it's gonna be all night…"

Li smiled shyly as the song began. Awkwardly, he placed one hand around Sakura's small waist and another on her shoulder. As the music began, they began to move gently to the beat. Li glanced away as Sakura looked into his eyes.

'Is this a move out of friendship, or something more…?' he wanted to know. 'I couldn't ask her, what if it's the first option? I don't want to make a fool out of myself. Oh man…she's so beautiful… What am I gonna do…?'

"It's gonna be love, it's gonna be great

It's gonna be more than I can take

It's gonna be free, it's gonna be real

It's gonna change everything I feel

It's gonna be sad, it's gonna be true

It's gonna be me, baby

It's gonna be you, baby

It's gonna be…

It'sgonna be love…"

Misty sighed as she listened to the lyrics of the song. She glanced at Ash again, who was now talking to Lita. Checking her watch, she decided to visit the bathroom to check that she looked alright before she met her secret admirer. She frowned angrily when she arrived to meet Jessibelle, Cassidy and Melin, who'd had the same idea. Standing in front of the mirror, Misty chose to ignore them as she carefully applied a new coat of lip gloss.

"So", Jessibelle started. "Haven't you got a date?" Misty rolled her eyes.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm meeting him later."

"Oh really? We'll see, won't we?" Jessibelle replied, smirking.

"What?"

"I just mean…it would be a shame if you got stood up, princess", Jessibelle said, before bursting into a fit of giggles with Cassidy and Meilin.

Misty's eyes grew cold, and she could feel tears beginning to well up in them.

'No, I won't let them get to me… Don't cry, Misty. You can do it…' she thought as she turned away from them and rushed out of the bathroom. It was time to meet her date.

***

The band was stepping down from the stage as Misty made her way to the dance floor. Music was playing over the stereo, and Misty stood amongst the people who were dancing. Feeling rather stupid, she glanced around to check for anybody who could be her date. She didn't see anybody looking around or waiting, however.

"Misty!" she heard a girl call. Turning, she saw Lita, Serena and Mina dancing near her. She waved, a slight smile on her face. The three girls made their way over to her.

"Hey Misty, what are you doing?" Lita asked.

"Do you wanna come dance with us?" Mina added. Misty shook her head.

"Thanks, but I'm waiting for someone."

"Oh? Who?" Mina asked curiously. Misty blushed, looking at her watch. 9:03. Where was he?

"Well uh…I don't really know."

"What do you mean?" Serena inquired.

"Is it like a blind date or something?" Lita asked.

"Sort of. There was a note in my locker this morning from a secret admirer, asking me to meet him in the middle of the dance floor at 9 o'clock.

"Really? How romantic!" Lita said. Misty nodded, smiling.

"Yeah…" she trailed off. Again, she glanced at her watch. 9:05.

'Maybe he's just late… I'll keep waiting…'she reassured herself, nodding and nervously glancing around.

***

Lita, Mina and Serena resumed dancing, keeping an eye on Misty as they had fun.

"So that's why she didn't accept Ash's invitation…?" Lita said.

"Yeah, I guess so", Mina added.

"Who do you think this guy is?" Serena asked curiously.

"I have no idea…" Mina thought out loud.

"Me either… We'd better keep an eye out for her though", Lita said, the others nodding.

***

It was 9:10. He still hadn't arrived. The tears from before threatened to spill as she stood on the dance floor alone.

'Whoever it was just stood me up… And they've made me look like a total fool…and feel like one…' she thought as she lowered her head, so that she wouldn't have to see the strange and pitying looks she was getting from people.

"I guess your little date was a no-show", she heard a familiar voice say. Glancing up, she saw the unwelcoming sight of Jessibelle, her date, Cassidy, Butch and Meilin following behind her. Their poises and the sickening scent that drifted in the air when they came nearby suggested that they had been drinking alcohol. Misty blinked her tears away.

"Mind your own business!" she yelled, but it came out more like a sob.

Lita looked over at Misty.

"Shit", she muttered as she saw her friend almost in tears. Angrily, she tried to move to where Misty was, but there were too many people on the dance floor.

***

Ash glanced up from his position leaning against the wall. He had been watching Misty as she stood out on the dance floor.

"What's going on…?" he asked himself quietly, before making his way through the crowd to Misty.

***

"Poor, innocent little Misty…" Jessibelle commented. "I'll bet you were so excited that somebody liked you."

Misty clenched her fists, feeling herself begin to shake.

"It was probably the highlight of her month to get asked out", Cassidy said, smirking.

"I'll bet!" Meilin added.

The four of them began to laugh, and they were joined in by various people who were watching. Their laughter was like a knife, and Misty could feel it wedging its way into her heart, slowly and painfully. Their words stung like onions, causing more tears to develop in her eyes, preparing to make their way down her cheeks. Her vision became blurry as she glanced around, watching them point and make fun of her. The loud, thumping music made her brain feel as if it were about to burst. Her eyes displaying a look of helplessness and anguish, she turned, preparing to run…only to find herself being welcomed into Ash's arms. Feeling more alone than ever, she grasped onto him, letting his arms wrap around her. In his arms she felt safe…protected from the harshness of reality. When he pulled away, he cupped her face, placing his hands on her cheeks gently.

"It's okay, Misty… I'm right here for you," Misty nodded, tears falling down her cheeks as she let out a sob.

"Misty!" Destinee called out as she made her way through the crowd to where Ash and Misty were.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. Her head down, Misty did not reply. Destinee's eyes filled with worry, but she nodded as she read Ash's expression. He wanted to be alone with her.

"Let's get out of here…" Ash said. Misty nodded, and he put an arm around her as he guided her out of the gym.

"Good luck, Ash…" Destinee said softly.

***

James glared at Jessibelle from across the room. She looked up to see his glare and smiled at him, swaying her body to the music seductively. When he didn't smile back, she frowned, looking furious and jealous as he leaned closer to Jessie.

"I can't believe they did that…" he said softly to Jessie, a hint of anger in his voice.

"I know…" Jessie agreed.

***

"What is your problem?!" Gary yelled, causing Jessibelle to spin around in alarm. When she saw Gary, she smirked.

"Your little idiot friend is the one with the problem. She got what she deserved."

"How dare you! You wrote that note, didn't you? You made Misty think she had a secret admirer!" Lita stepped in. Jessibelle smirked.

"Yep!" she said proudly. "And it worked like a charm!"

"Misty's going through some tough times! Don't you have a heart?" she yelled.

"Give me a break", Jessibelle snorted, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Gary and Lita stared at her in disbelief. She and her group of followers did not appear to be guilty at all.

"You bitch! How dare you walk away!" Lita called out as Jessibelle turned, rolling her eyes as she did so.

"Let her go, Lita", Destinee said softly. Lita turned to face Destinee.

"But Dest…"

"She's not worth our time", Destinee said simply, tears in her eyes. Lita let her defenses down, nodding.

"Are you okay, Dest?" Gary asked, noticing that she was obviously upset.

"I'm fine… I just hope Misty is too…" she said softly.

***

"Maybe it's intuition

Some things you just don't question

Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant

And there it goes; I think I found my best friend…"

Jessie had never felt anything like what she was feeling for James as he held her close, swaying softly to the music. She never wanted this moment to end, never wanted to have to let go and feel alone again. She felt safe, protected, accepted, and most desirably, loved. James pulled apart from their embrace slightly, holding onto her hands. Their faces were just inches apart. Everything that was going on around them seemed to become drowned out as their faces grew closer, their eyes locking onto one-another's. Finally, their lips touched, and the desire and love that they felt for one-another was expressed as they kissed softly.

"I know that it might sound more than a little crazy, but I believe…

I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life…"

***

Destinee glanced around the gym, smiling at the song that was playing, which was one of her favourites. There were still quite a lot of people keeping up the energy of the party. She had had a great night, aside from what had happened to Misty. Her smile turned into a frown at the thought of what Jessibelle and her friends had done. She could not believe that they could be so heartless.

She and Justin had danced most of the night, and he had swept her away with a number of passionate kisses throughout the night. Destinee paused as she realised that she hadn't seen Justin for a while.

'I'd better go look for him', she thought to herself as she looked around the gym, attempting to make him out amongst the crowds of people. As she walked around the gym, she silently hoped that he hadn't left already. When she couldn't find him ten minutes later, however, she guessed that that was the case. As a last resort, she decided to check outside. She smiled as she recognised his pants - it had to be him around that corner.

'But what would he be doing there…?' she asked herself, before shrugging and making her way towards him. However, when she found Justin, she was greeted with a most uncomfortable situation. A shocked look appeared on Destinee's face as she found Justin…with Cassidy in his arms, kissing her passionately. Tears quickly made their way to Destinee's eyes as she watched them painfully. Her heart felt like it was breaking in two, like Justin himself had grabbed a knife and uncaringly sliced right through it. Suddenly, Cassidy noticed her standing there, and broke away from Justin.

"Hey", she said, a smirk on her face. Justin turned, shocked to find Destinee standing there, looking utterly heartbroken.

"He's a great kisser", Cassidy said teasingly, as she walked past Destinee.

Destinee didn't move. She stood staring at Justin, tears falling from her eyes.

"Baby, it's not what it looked like", he said, but his words sounded so empty. Destinee pushed him away as he attempted to pull her into an embrace.

"How could you…?" she muttered, before turning on her heel and running away from the scene.

***

"Misty… Are you okay…?" Ash asked softly. The two sat on the brick fence that surrounded the school. Ash glanced at Misty, who shivered. It was getting cooler. Smiling slightly, he took off his jacket and gently placed it around her shoulders. His smile became a frown, however, as he saw another tear fall down her cheek. Slowly, he reached across and took her right hand, causing her to turn and face him slightly.

"Misty…" Ash said seriously. Looking down, Misty sniffed.

"I…I'll be fine…" she said, her voice shaking. Hesitantly, she looked up into Ash's eyes. His deep brown eyes were filled with compassion and worry, pleading her to open up to him. Fear overwhelmed her own eyes, as pools of tears formed like whirlpools in the ocean. Slowly but steadily, Misty began to cry. She helplessly let herself be pulled into Ash's embrace once-more, needing to feel safe and protected again. Ash let her cry in his arms, rubbing her arm soothingly. She cried for about five minutes, before she finally pulled out of Ash's embrace. Ash could see that she was tired and worn out, the makeup that she'd used to cover it now running from her tears. To Ash, however, she still looked beautiful. Pushing a few stray bits of hair out of her eyes, he stared into her eyes seriously. If she hadn't been so upset, Misty would have been in awe of the fact that Ash could be so caring and empathetic, let alone serious.

"Misty…" he began. "You need to tell me what's going on…okay…?"

Ash watched Misty carefully, and was relieved when she finally nodded slowly.

"Okay…" she said slowly.

To be continued…

Man, I LOVE cliff-hangers! Well…I love making them anyway, I don't love reading them. ^^ Anyway, how will James and Jessie feel after their first kiss? What will Destinee do about Justin? And will Misty reveal what has been bothering her? All will be revealed next time!

Love and light,

Sarah.

"Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous.
Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish.
It does not take offence, and is not resentful.
Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins, but delights in the truth.
It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope,
And to endure whatever comes."

1 Corinthians: 13, 14 4-8