As he took her hand,

He gave her all she had been waiting for,

A shiver down her spine.

"So, the gala is this weekend." Aubree stated as they made their way towards the lockers.

"I still cannot believe Alexis Maxwell is gonna join the runway!" Madeline squealed, shaking Aubree's shoulders.

"I know, right! The only thing that's keeping me excited! It will be one of the most beautiful evening of the year. I am just concerned about completing the designs, you know. Apparently, mom wants to launch them in the runaway." Faye said with a grin as she opened her locker, shoving her catalogue inside and nodding towards some of the seniors that greeted her.

"That will be so awesome! We are so happy for you, Faye! Heard that Mrs. Lockwood has been planning for this gala since two years. Plus, having models like Bella McCarthy, Roma Tisdale in your show is an agenda itself. I saw McCarthy's interview yesterday, apparently, she's really excited to be part of the show." Madeline added.

"Launching your own designs in the show, is so cool! I am really excited for you." Aubree grinned, patting Faye's head in a motherly manner.

Just as they were talking, Faye saw a petite figure leaning on the opposite side of their lockers.

Isabella Grey.

A smile crept out on her lips as Faye saw her humming an old song.

"Faye, you coming?" Aubree asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You both go, I will meet you at the cafeteria." And Aubree, along with Madeline shrugged before walking away.

"Hey Isa!" Faye placed a hand on Isabella's shoulder, a big smile on her face.

The girl with that short bob instantly jumped, startled.

"Oh, hey Faye." She let out a sigh of relief as soon as she found herself looking at Faye.

"I am so sorry if I scared you." Faye said, sheepishly.

"Oh, no problem. Its my fault, I just, I do not know where my mind wanders at times." She laughed.

"Do not worry about it. Anyways, what's going on? Everything fine?" Faye asked.

"Everything is well, I guess. Hey Faye, you are not angry at me, are you? I mean, for losing all the documents and all."

"Why will I be? Its been months and the school newspaper and everything is going on pretty well. And are not we all humans? Of course we will make mistakes." She laughed it off.

"Thanks, you know, for forgiving me."

"Oh shut it. Wanna have lunch with us?" Faye offered, making Isabella look at her in surprise.

"At the, at the, populares table?" She stuttered.

"I do not know we were labeled that badly. But well, in your reference, yah, populares table."

"I do not know, I mean, others will be weirded out by my presence. Plus, I do not think Madeline likes me." Isabella said, eyes on the floor.

"She is-" And just as Faye was about to say something, someone shouted from behind.

"Faye, Bell, guess what?" And they both turned around to see Zach running up to them, followed by River, a wide grin on his face.

"I got a B on physics, I got a B, that's the best grade I have got so far." He smiled at Isabella, his eyes full of love and happiness as he looked at her.

"Looks like you are not that of a bad tutor, ha?" Zach smirked and Faye watched as Isabella's cheeks turned a crimson red.

And for the first time Faye realised something.

Isabella liked Zach.

Zach liked Isabella.

"I think my brother is in love." She heard River's voice as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, making her face go all red.

"He is."

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

"So, Isabella, tell us something about you." Madeline asked with a tight smile as Isabella played with her food, looking nervous.

"Well, I am a part of the student council and um, kind of, into literature and stuff. Well, I guess, that's it." She said, laughing hesitantly.

"You were the one who had lost the monologues, are not you?" A smirk occupied Madeline's features.

"Madeline, stop that." Aubree glared at Madeline, making her look away.

Faye did not blame Madeline. She knew how it felt like to watch the love of her life falling for someone else. How it felt like to watch them drift away.

She realised how different Madeline's situation was from hers.

Madeline actually once had something with Zach. Zach actually once liked her back. They had a past unlike hers and Kyle's.

And she knew Zach would never hurt Madeline.

She knew they would make it through. That they would still love each other as friends.

Faye wondered how Kyle was doing. Was he still in love with Stacey, was he still gonna avoid her, was he really gonna break their friendship?

After his sprouting relationship with Stacey, he kind of left their group and started to spend all his spare time with her.

According to Zach, they had asked him to hangout with them at times but when they did not get any reply to the messages they send him, they kind of gave up.

"Well, at least, you are not like Faye. We had a baby project last term. It was her turn to take the baby home and the next day when she came to school, the baby was gone, whoosh." That made Faye snap out of her thoughts and look at River, who smirked at her, making her belly go wild with butterflies.

She watched as River melt the tension, making all of them laugh when he ended the story.

"You know, you are a pain in the ass, like, real pain." Faye stick out her tongue at him.

"Babe, you love me." River laughed, making her choke on her own voice.

"I... I do not. You, you are a, a stupid oaf." She stuttered.

"Denial is the first stage of acceptance sunshine." And River ruffled her hair, making her blush deeply.

"You both are really cute, you know that?" Isabella broke into laughter, joined by a few chuckles from Max and Aubree who were trying really hard not to laugh.

And just as Faye was about to protest, Madeline stood up from her seat, her eyes red and a dashed and broken look on her face.

That was something Faye never wanted to look at.

The shattered look at Madeline Bishop's face.

"You all enjoy lunch, I have some places to go. Isabella, it was nice meeting you." Her voice was muffled and she slowly dragged her legs to walk out of the cafeteria.

"I, I think, I should go with her." Faye declared when she noticed the silence that filled the surroundings.

And she was about to follow Madeline when she felt someone grab her hand.

Faye instantly yanked back and looked at the person.

And there he was.

Kyle Francis.

The guy she thought she loved, the guy she once wanted to be with for all the wrong reasons.

"Kyle, not now, I need to go." She shook her head, pulling away.

"Faye, please. Its important." He pressed.

"Hey Faye, go with him, I am going after Mads." Zach said, standing up from his place and already running after Madeline.

She let out a sigh before looking up at him, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Not here, let's go to the terrace." Kyle shook his head, saying.

"You hurt her one more time and I am gonna beat the shit out of you." And Kyle could only nod in answer to the death glare he was receiving from River.

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@tomboy_16