(Fays POV)

"Tell him you're in love with him."

My head snapped up, turning slightly behind me to glare at Dean, who was sitting in the back seat of Luis' black Poniac Grand Prix. My mind had been wandering again, thinking about my psycho stalker. I had totally forgotten about my other problem. Clearly my brother hadn't. "Be quiet Mr. Nosy."

He shrugged. "Not like what I said wasn't true. You're in love with him."

"Yeah, Fay," Luis said from the drivers seat, "face the music, babe. You're head over heels for the guy."

"I'm not in love with him."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm not!"

Luis stopped at the red light and glanced at the review mirror at Dean. They both had that "she's totally in denial" look on their faces. Freaking bastards. I swear they were both conspiring against me.

"Fay, my dear, dear friend," Luis began, driving the car on green. "Tell me this, when you see Austen surrounded by girls, what do you think?"

"I wanna rip their heads off and feed it into an errupting volcanoe." I blinked. Whoa did I say that? Oops.

"Uh-huh," Luis nodded. "Now is that a normal response of a woman who insists that she isn't in love?"

"Shut up," I huffed, crossing my arms.

"Just admit it," Dean said, "you love him. You probably have from the beginning. It's common for close friends to become more over the years."

I turned to look at him again. "Who are you, Doctor Phil?"

Dean looked me straight in the face, completely expressionless. "I prefer to be compared to Oprah. I find that her way of thinking is more logical."

"You go boy," Luis hooted. "Oprah is the shit!"

"Maybe I should throw you two into a volcanoe instead," I muttered darkly, sitting back on my seat.

"Don't be such a downer, Fay," Luis turned the car on the corner. "Today is Saturday, no school, and we're going to a killer beach party. Be a little bit more cheerful Miss Gloomy."

"Yeah, if there is something to be cheerful about." You don't have a nutty psycho after your ass.

A slow smile twitched on his lips. "Weeeeell, I heard Austen's gonna be there."

I grimaced. "Oh joy, praise the lord, to be graced in the presence of a guy who hates my guts is such a blessing. Yay."

Luis rolled his eyes. "No need for sarcasm. And he doesn't hate you."

"He probably does now."

"Over reacting again," Dean said from the back seat. "My sister isn't very tackful."

"Pretty clueless," Luis nodded.

"Yes," Dean sighed as if thinking about it caused him pain. "Very."

"Uh, yeah, I'm still in the car you bastards."

"Love you too, hun," Luis wiggled his brows at me.

I snorted. Why are the men in my life so pushy? Anyway, time to change the subject. "Hey, what's up with you and Angela?"

Dean shrugged boredly. "What about us?"

Luis and I exchanged knowing looks. "I mean why were you so close to her yesterday? That's sick, you even held her hand."

"Not everyone has your scornful opinion of her, Fay."

"Uh-huh, that still doesn't answer my question."

"Which one? About Angela or about what you're going to do when you see Austen at the beach today?"

I shot him a heated glare. "Oh, you're sooo good on changing subjects."

"Better than you are, yeah."

Luis laughed. "You two are freaky siblings, you know that? It's fun to watch you two go at it."

"You want him?" I offered. "You'll even get all his clothes free, no extra charge. Just remember to feed him."

"You're very amusing, Fay," Dean rolled his eyes, "funny."

"Thanks, I try."

"Seriously though," Luis smiled, "what's up with you and Angela? You two have a thing?"

"Not really, she's very skitish about being in a relationship."

I snorted. "Really? Because she was getting along with Jason pretty well."

"Yes and look how that turned out."

"How?"

"She's hurting."

"That's nice."

Dean looked at me. "No, it isn't nice, Fay. You two aren't that different. You both don't want to get hurt so you close yourself off. The only difference is that Angela took a chance with Jason but you, you didn't give Austen a chance at all."

I didn't have anything to say to that.

"So..." Luis glance at Dean in the review mirror. "You like her?"

Dean looked thoughtful for a second before nodding. "No, actually, I love her."

Whoa, my brother had always been straight to the point.

"You love her?"

"Yes."

I shook my head. "Honestly, I have no idea what to say. I feel pity and disgust at the same time."

"Ignore her," Luis told Dean. "Since when did you start liking her?"

"I didn't start liking her," Dean answered simply. "It was the red ribbon of fate. Destiny."

I couldn't help it, I started laughing uncontrolably. Tears streaked down on my cheek as I struggled to breath. "F-fate! Hahaha! Fate he says! Destiny! Dean, you've been reading or watching too many fantasy movies."

"I believe him," Luis said suddenly, stopping my laughter short.

"You what?"

"I believe him. I think there's someone for everyone on this earth. Sometimes we don't find our other half but the ones that do are lucky."

I gapped at him. "You serious?"

"Yeah."

I looked at them and shook my head. "Well I don't believe that. It's either you fall in love or not. It's your choice."

"Everyone has different beliefs, Fay."

"Uh-huh."

We rode in silence after that, each deep with our own thoughts. Fate huh? Was I fated to fall for Austen? Were they right? Did I already love him? Was I just running away from the inevitable?

And did Fate decide for me to have a mentally insane person put a dead cat in my locker?

I pulled the chain from around my neck where the ring Austen gave me hung. I've always had it with me, hidden under my shirt on the chain.

Why was that? Why did I hold this ring so precious to me? Was it because Austen was my childhood friend or was it something more?

Luis was changing the radio station and paused when a song caught his attention. He turned up the volume and I grimaced at the lyrics in the song. That jerk probably did it on purpose.

I know we've been friends forever,
But now I think I'm feelin' somethin' totally new.
And after all this time,
I've opened up my eyes,
Now I see,
You were always with me!


Chorus:


Could it be,
You and I,
Never imagined?
Could it be,
Suddenly,
I'm fallin' for you?
(I am falling)
Could it be,
You were right here beside me,
And I never knew?
Could it be,
That it's true,
That it's you?


(Could it be?)


That it's you.

It's probably true...I was probably in love with him, how it happened I have no idea. But...if I did, I had to confirm it for sure. I had to know for sure that I've fallen for him. But not now, not when this stalker was after me. I wont put him in danger. Only after I catch the stalker will I confront my feelings for Austen.

I had to or else Austen will keep hurting.

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Cookie: Yo yo yo! XD I'm in a pretty good mood at the moment so right now I will not only upload 1 but 2 chapters today! Wheeeeee! :) So after you read/vote/comment la de dah on this chapter wait patiently for the next. It should be up soon. ^_^

Pic of Angela Becker----------->

Youtube song is "Could It Be" by Christy Carlson Romano. I remember listening to it on an old disney cartoon called Kim Possible. Yeah, remember that? lol ah childhood. Yes, yes, Cookie and her old song choices. Viva le old songs! Hazzah!...ok enough of me ranting again.