A week later, Keely still hadn't answered Maureen.

Because Maureen was right, it was a big decision. Actually, enormous was a more fitting word for her predicament.

Keely had finally admitted to herself that she wanted music to not only be part of her life, but her entire life. And then that night she had been offered a record deal, and along with it all of her forbidden dreams along with all her insecurities. And she still hadn't told Joe the reason that she had came running to his house that night, she hadn't told her father that she was contemplating leaving him, and she hadn't told Haley why she was so distracted.

And she was feeling guilty. Because there were thousands of artists just trying to get Maureen Jones to listen to their demo, hoping with all of themselves for a record deal. And Keely was considering turning it down.

If she took the deal, she would leave all her family behind, for how long, she wasn't sure.

Not that she would never come home again, but she was only seventeen. What if she became one of those artists that were huge when they were young, but burnt out?

Or what if she poured all of her heart into the music she recorded, and then her records never sold?

But if she didn't take the record deal, she might never get this chance again.

"What are you going to do after high school?" Keely asked Haley one morning when they had just bought their habitual morning lattes and settled into the giant cushioned couches.

"Be a fashion designer," she answered instantly.

Smiling slightly, Keely looked at her closely. "What if you were offered to go to New York to go to put your clothes on the runway, would you go?"

Though she was confused, Haley took a second to answer. "It would change my life," she admitted, "And I really do like my life right now. It's great, making clothes for you and then squad. But I wouldn't even hesitate if I was offered something like that, it's my dreams on a platter."

"Even if you left all your friends behind?"

Grinning, Haley said, "I would call you every night. But I would go, because it's not only what I want, it's what I need. What's up Keely?"

Sighing, Keely closed her eyes for a moment. "Nothing," she lied.

*

Even though she didn't want to get back together with Tony, she needed to ask him about his future. Keely was gathering information, this was what she always seemed to before making a big decision.

After practice, Keely hung around because Tony was still training.

"Do you want to grab dinner?" Haley asked grabbing her giant gym bag. "Pizza sounds good to me."

"I've got to take a rain check on that one," she apologized.

Haley sent one look to where Tony was still doing drills, sweat pouring down his brow unnoticed in his effort. “Oh, okay," she said understandingly. "I want to know the details tonight."

"I just need to talk to him," Keely insisted.

"Whatever you need to do, I'll be here," Haley patted her arm.

Rolling her eyes, Keely watched Haley walk off the field with their friend's Jane and Sara. If only her best friend knew what was going on.

Finally the field was empty, finding the perfect moment, Keely grabbed a water bottle out of her gym bag. Because Tony was standing there for a moment, his hands on his hips and panting steadily. He rarely breathed this heavy during games, but Tony had also been playing straight for almost four hours.

"I think you could use this," she called throwing him the water bottle.

Spinning around on his heel, Tony grabbed the bottle out of the air deftly where it would have hit Keely in the head if she'd been in his place.

"I didn't even know you were still here," he admitted, taking a swing from the drink.

"I need to talk to you," Keely told him seriously.

His eyes lighted immediately, "I really do love you Keely. And I wish I could take everything back."

"Tony," she held up her arms halting him immediately. "I don't want to talk about us, I don't want to go back to the way we were, because we were actually terrible when we were together."

"We could work on that," he whispered taking a step towards her.

Shaking her head, Keely stepped back. "I can't do it now, Tony, can't you just accept that?"

"For now," he promised, stopping.

"I really just need someone to talk to right now."

He looked shocked, "Oh."

"I know that even when we were together we never actually talked, it was just sex," Keely admitted. "But, I do need to talk to you right now. Really, I just need to ask you a question."

Seeming willing to please, Tony nodded.

"Say you're playing football in college and you have someone you're in love with, and friends over there. You had all of this, and then you were offered to play for the Indianapolis Colts,” she picked out randomly. "Would you take the offer, or stay with the ones you loved?"

"I would go," he said immediately.

She narrowed her eyes, trying to find a lie, "Leaving behind the ones you loved?"

"If these people around me really loved me," he explained. "They would want me to go. And they wouldn't resent it. Because they would know that football is all I've ever wanted. If I was in love with this girl, I would need to know that she could accept me for who I really am."

"Oh," she said quietly, she had never expected something as profound as this coming from Tony.

"Why did you ask?" he was interested.

Keely sighed, "I guess I'm just thinking about our futures. I mean, we're in grade twelve, we don't have much time left to just be kids."

*

"You never told me," Haley said as they walked down the driveway towards Keely's house.

"I never told you what?" Keely returned perplexed.

Haley just rolled her eyes, "What happened the other day when you stayed late after cheer practice to talk to Tony. I know you say you're done, and done forever, but even if you don't want to admit it, there's something between you and Tony."

"It was nothing," she shrugged.

Now Haley narrowed her eyes. "Usually nothings turn into big somethings," she pointed out.

"What?" Keely laughed opening her front door. "You really aren't making any sense right now Hales," she observed as they walked to the kitchen.

"Are you hiding something from me?" she asked, leaning on the counter as Keely grabbed a yogurt container from the fridge. "And what are you doing? You absolutely hate yogurt."

Shrugging, Keely answered, "I figure it's an acquired taste."

"That sounds really disgusting," Haley said when Keely passed her a granola bar, but she continued when all she got in answer was a shrug. "So, while you're acquiring, I'm going to go on enquiring."

"You sure have a way with words," Keely laughed.

"You're just trying to distract me from finding out the truth of what happened between you and Tony," she accused.

Leaning forward, Keely rolled her eyes one last time before becoming serious yet again. "Really, it's nothing out of the ordinary. He told me he loved me, and I told him that I couldn't go back to that drama train we were always on."

"This type of story always ends steamy sex in the equipment room."

"What?!" she laughed good naturedly, deciding to throw away the yogurt. "Seriously, it was the same old."

From there Keely went on to tell Haley about the conversation.

"Why do you want to know about the future so much all the sudden Keels?" Haley asked the moment Keely finished the not very long winded story. "You were always easy come easy go, and now in the past few weeks you've become obsessed with everyone's futures. What would they do if their dreams were offered to them."

Feeling out of place and awkward while lying to her friend, Keely didn't meet her eyes, instead she started tapping her fingers on the island all the while to a nameless tune.

Haley laughed suddenly, "And why you would ask that question is a mystery to me. Because no one in our lives are stupid enough to turn down those dreams."

"Ha ha," Keely laughed unenthusiastically.

"Hey," Joe called walking into the house through the sliding door behind them. "Keel, do you want to buy a panda? I really want to buy a panda, we should save up so we can have a pet panda."

Her laugh was more enthusiastic now, "What are you talking about Joe?"

But he wasn't listening to her words, because he had become nervous seeing his ex-girlfriend as well as an ex-very good friend sitting on a bar stool.

"I mean, we'd have to pay for bamboo," he rambled.

Bewildered, Haley just furrowed her brow. She'd jolted violently when she'd heard his voice. They hadn't talked once since their break up five months ago.

"You okay sweetheart?" Keely asked, placing a hand jokingly on his forehead. "No fever," she teased before looking back at Haley. "Hales, I'm going to go get changed and then we'll go."

"What's going on with her lately Joseph?" Haley asked, getting up from her position and walking over to Joe.

"Why ask me?" he asked, "Question back at you Hales."

"You're her best friend," Haley pointed out, "And don't call me that."

Joe looked at her closely, "I have no idea what she's doing. And I really didn't mean for it to end like that Hales."

"Don't call me Hales," she repeated, her eyes were just flat. "I don't care anymore," she continued shaking her head. "If you didn't mean for it to end like that, you should have never started it. Because you knew the whole time we were dating, and you really should tell the truth for once."

"We need to go back to the way we were," Joe pleaded quietly. "We need to go back to the way we all used to be, for Keely."

"Then tell the truth, because everyone has the right to know why we broke up. And Keely has the right to know Joe, she's everything to you, and you're lying to her now."

So... I'm really way to tired to write an author's note, I've slept like five hours in the past two days. Not a good idea.

Anyways I'm now going to go skip around the house singing, "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date."

Blah blah blarg...

What do you think Joe's hiding? Guesses? Comments?

What should Keely do?

Yay! Vote/comment because... I don't know haha...