Chapter twenty three.

'So it's true...' Brady trailed off that Monday in school as he, Hailey and Blair's gazes followed the new 'it' couple of their school.

They watched as Lacy practically hung off Cade's arm across the lunch room toward the basketball table. Cade seemed to shake her off just before they reached it to sit down, but Lacy didn't seem affected and promptly took the seat next to him looking happier then Blair had ever seen her.

'It all seems a little fast doesn't it?' Brady asked the girls. He'd just been filled in that Hailey now knew about Blair and Cade's secret relationship. 'I mean just last week he told you he had no interest in Lacy and he liked you...'

'What?' Hailey interrupted him interested. 'When did this happen?'

'Oh, last week I confronted him about Lacy.' Blair blushed, 'I was a little jealous and he told me he liked me and not worry.'

Hailey frowned in confusion, 'Then what the hell is he doing with her?'

'I have a theory,' Brady said as he sipped his orange juice. 'Up until that Riverside party he didn't like Lacy and was only hanging out with her for that assignment, right?'

Blair nodded.

'Then he sees you with Dean and gets a little jealous, realizes you're not too interested in him anymore and picks the one person who annoys the hell out of you to pretend to date.'

Brady smiles triumphantly as though he'd solved a huge murder mystery case.

Blair frowns, that idea had definitely crossed her mind. Quite a few times to be honest. Cade had seen her kissing Dean, and they had been fighting even more than usual that week previously. She eyed Cade as he leant over and placed a kiss on Lacy's cheek and was a little dubious. Also there was the whole idea of why Cade would be jealous in the first place. They both wanted to keep their relationship secret, keep it on a friends basis and he told her straight up he didn't want a relationship. But dating Lacy to annoy her was something right up his alley.

'Stop overthinking it B,' Hailey instructed her seeing the obvious signs on her friends face. 'Look at the positives, you're free of the weird arrangement you had going on. You can focus on Dean.'

'Oh yeah,' Brady grinned. 'I may or may not have asked Wes for the DL on Dean.'

Blair tore her eyes away from Lacy and Cade and focused on Brady interested, 'What did he say?'

'Nothing!' Brady laughed. 'Couldn't be a more squeaky clean guy if you found him at church Blair. He broke up with a long-term girlfriend three months ago because she moved interstate and didn't want to do long distance. Not really much of a player either, Wes can't remember him hooking up at parties or anything. He's crazily into sports, mainly running. Also he came first in the half iron man for our state...'

Blair's mouth fell open, 'Wow.'

'Yep, obviously he's not as good as me but from what I can tell takes it pretty seriously,' Brady continued smiling. 'All in all Wes thinks he's a good choice.'

'He sounds pretty damn perfect,' Hailey said wistfully. 'Did he text you back after yesterday?'

Blair nodded and pulled out her phone hiding a smile, 'He asked if I wanted to go out to dinner tomorrow night after I cancelled the night after the party.'

'On a Tuesday?' Brady asked sounding impressed. 'He's so cool.'

Blair burst out laughing, 'Shut up Brady.' She stood up and headed over to get a drink leaving Hailey and Brady at the table pondering her possible new romance. She could tell her friends wanted her to forget all about Cade.

'I think I'm going to try and get some intel on Cade and Lacy,' Brady whispered to Hailey making sure to keep an eye on Blair. 'I don't buy it do you?'

Hailey shrugged, 'I can't really comment as far as I knew Cade and Lacy were always seeing each other. I know Blair is a little down about it though.'

'I like Cade though, I think he's just a little confused,' Brady nodded convinced.

'Well I like Dean,' Hailey argued. 'You have to agree he seems like a better option, even if Cade does like Blair and is just jealous. He plays too many games and I don't like that.'

'And you don't think Blair was playing games a little kissing Dean in front of Cade?' Brady said with an amused smile. 'I think Dean is a distraction for her.'

Hailey frowned, 'Well I didn't know that happened. Seems I don't know much about anything lately!'

The two friends shut their mouths as Blair joined the table looking relaxed.

'How are you guys going with exam study?' Blair asked pulling some books out of her bag and throwing them onto the table with a loud huff.

Hailey shrugged, 'Exams?' Then she giggled. 'Relax B, every year you top the class and I'm sure this year won't be any different.'

'Well every other year she hasn't had boys as a distraction...' Brady trailed off with a grin.

'This is serious guys,' Blair ignored them. 'They're coming up really soon, and these are the ones that are most important. Brady, you should care more don't you need straight A's for a full sports scholarship?'

Brady shrugged, 'Yeah but my average is already quite high, I'm not too worried.'

'Well lucky you,' Blair muttered already feeling the pressure. She'd always been like this however. As soon as exams or tests came around the corner she turned into a machine, studying 24/7 absolutely terrified she would fail something. It's never happened before but she didn't want to see it happen now either. It was important to Blair that her results were perfect. Not that her parents actually cared about her results, she didn't want the first time they requested her report card to have anything but an 'A' printed on it.

The next evening Blair hung around the living room nervously bitting her lip, waiting for Dean to arrive. He had insisted on picking her up which Jane thought was adorable and couldn't stop smiling fondly at the fidgeting Blair. Hailey too parked herself on the living room couch in her PJ's with some popcorn ready to watch a movie and Blair was contemplating backing out, staying safe and hanging out with her best friend.

'I don't know why you're nervous,' Hailey shook her head when Blair even suggested it. 'He's a lovely guy.'

Suddenly Blair, Hailey and Jane looked over at the door as someone knocked on the other side. Blair reached for her bag, taking a deep breath she opened the door quickly.

'Its you,' she said her eyes darting from Cade to Lacy disappointed.

'Who did you expect?' Cade rolled his eyes. 'I forgot my key.' He and Lacy pushed past Blair as Blair peered out the door to see if she could spot Dean and closed it sighing. She turned around to find Cade and Lacy now staring at her.

'Where are you going dressed like that?' His voice sounded strained and Blair could almost feel a blush surfacing under his gaze and she glanced down at her outfit wildly.

'What's wrong with my dress?'

'Have you got a date?' Lacy sounded more amused than anything.

'Yes she has with the hottest guy ever, apart from Jacob.' Hailey jumped to her defense quickly.

Blair turned to her friend and laughed, 'Thanks Hails.'

'Come on, let's go and do our assignment,' Lacy turned to Cade and motioned to the stairs. Blair was fairly certain everyone knew she didn't mean go upstairs and do an 'assignment'.

'Um, yeah in a minute,' Cade waved her off rudely. His eyes were fixated on Blair, 'Where are you guys going?'

Lacy slumped into the chair next to Hailey's with a sigh as Cade took the edge of Jane's couch seeming interested.

'Just out to dinner,' Blair shrugged avoiding his gaze.

'Is this your first date?' He asked.

'What's it to you?" Hailey interrupted annoyed that Cade was throwing Blair's confidence.

'Hailey,' Jane chided surprised. 'Be nicer to your cousin.'

The doorbell rang and Blair jumped to answer it gratefully. This situation was just getting too awkward for her.

Dean stood there dressed in a pair of dark jeans and black shirt and wearing a wide, open smile that Blair had to immediately return. He looked fantastic, once again she was positive he looked much older than he was.

'Blair?'

Blair heard Jane call out from the couch expectantly. Blair knew she wanted to be introduced to Dean.

'Um, I'm sorry,' she whispered to him as she pulled his arm into the living room. 'Jane I'd like you to meet Dean, Dean this is Jane and you remember Hailey?'

Dean nodded and grinned over at Hailey as he launched forward to shake Jane's hand in a friendly manner.

'Nice to meet you Jane,' he turned to Cade. 'Hello again,' he shook Cade's hand who had an unimpressed air about him. 'Wow everyone's here,' Dean chuckled as he looked around the full living room and Blair blushed madly.

'Yeah apparently we're the welcome committee,' Lacy said dryly although Blair was sure she could see Lacy checking him out.

'We should go,' Blair said loudly trying to cover the awkwardness.

Dean nodded and followed her to the door waving to Jane as they closed it behind them.

'I'm so sorry about that,' Blair gushed as soon as they reached his car. 'Jane really wanted to meet you and for some reason Cade and his girlfriend decided to hang around too...'

Dean laughed loudly, 'It's fine seriously. Your family is great, how do you feel about pizza?'

He was looking at her with a sparkle in his eyes and Blair melted a little inside. He liked her dysfunctional family, she couldn't do any wrong with him. He was perfect?

...

Two weeks later and Blair was pretty sure her and Dean were a couple. They hung out nearly every night after their first date. He took her to dinner, picked her up from school, hung out in his room blasting music and Blair even went running a few times with him. Well she struggled alongside him pretending she wasn't the most unfit person alive. After the third time he asked her to go for a run she contemplated telling him the truth, that she hated running, and that pulling out every hair on her head seemed more fun then going for another 10km run. Hailey advised her against that one strongly and Blair went with him once again. Only this time it didn't hurt as much, she was probably building up a resistance to the distance by now...

'It's so hot tonight,' Hailey complained to her family one evening after dinner.

Blair sat camped at her feet while Hailey did an intricate braid design.

'See, I told you,' Hailey's father turned to her mother in ernest. 'The weather is changing, it's the perfect time!'

'Perfect time for what?' Blair asked wincing slightly as Hailey yanked a piece of her hair.

'Your father thinks it's a perfect time to head down to the beach house,' Jane smiled wryly. 'Remember the good old days? You girls would swim at the beach all day and we'd have lovely barbecue dinners at night...'

'We haven't been there since I was twelve,' Hailey responded not exactly sounding uninterested. 'I remember it being pretty basic though, the house was great just nothing much else around.'

'That's the beauty of it,' he argued.

'Maybe you could invite Dean down Blair,' Jane added as an afterthought. 'It would give us a chance to get to know him a little better. You two are nearly joined at the hip.' She smiled slyly over at Hailey, 'And for you to bring your beau down miss Hailey, I've heard little about him and would most definitely like to meet him.'

Hailey blushed under her parents amused looks, 'Yeah, yeah ok I get it you want to meet him.'

'Sounds fun to me,' Blair grinned at everyone. A little break down by the beach might be a nice distraction from school.

'Cade can bring his girlfriend too,' Jane nodded. 'She seems a little odd to me but I'm sure we'll warm up to her.'

...