Zoey's POV

I was sitting on my bed when he came loping in through my open dorm doorway. His hair was in its usual crazy curly style, making it look like a fro. His easy half smile gracing his features. That smile, it made my stomach flip flop, and his startling green eyes made my heart skip a beat. God I loved this kid. Chase Matthews. He's been my best friend since my first footsteps on the PCA campus. Ever since he ran into that flagpole, which I'm so glad he did thinking about it.

I just wish I knew if he felt the same as me. Lola, Quinn, everyone as a matter of fact assures me that I should take the plunge, and that he does like me. But I'm more of a traditionalist with these kinds of things. I want him to make the first move is what I'm saying. I don't want to have to make the effort, not that I wouldn't if I had to, but if he really liked me as much as people say, wouldn't he just kiss me, or tell me?

"Hey Zoe, how was your summer?" he asked me with such ease.

"Oh, you know, swimming, hanging out with Dustin, practically spending the summer over this kid Chase Matthew's house." I smiled at the last 10 words. Chase knew what I did over the summer, because I'd spent a couple months at his house over the summer.

"Wait a minute!" Chase held up his hand, "Who is this Chase Matthew character?" he had a mock stern look on his face that was so adorable. I just wanted to grab his face and mash his lips against mine and never let him go.

"Well… He's tall; he has this crazy adorable curly brown hair, amazing green eyes, and the cutest smile on the planet." I pretended to faint at the thought of him.

"Sounds like some serious competition." He mumbled in a thoughtful voice. I got back up into a sitting position and found Chase's face only a couple inches from mine.

He had a look in his eyes I'd never seen before. His lips were parted slightly and I could feel his breath on my face. He took his hand and laid it on my cheek. My eyes fluttered closed against my will, and I could feel the shifting of the mattress as he came even closer.

"Hey guys!" suddenly, Chase's had was gone, and I could feel myself in that stupid pose girls in the movie make after the guy surprisingly kisses her. I opened my eyes and saw Lola facing the bunk beds. I silently cursed her bad timing, I was so close!

Chase was looking out the window at the PCA campus and he had this faraway look in his eyes. That mysterious look that was there was gone. Lola looked over at me and gave me a questioning look. Apparently she hadn't noticed me and Chase's position only moments before. I glared at her and she looked embarrassed. She knew how much I liked him, and how epic that moment could have been. She pointed to the door and I nodded furiously.

She looked around for a minute, trying to come up with a reason to leave the room, but before she had time to blurt out a lame excuse, Chase stood up and sighed. He looked at me, not like usual, though, something was different. I felt like smacking my head at my lack of thought. Of course he was looking at me differently. We were centimeters away from kissing!

"I should probably go." Chase mumbled, "See you later Zoe?" He looked at me again.

"Definitely." I gave him a broad smile and stood up to hug him goodbye, but by time I looked up, he was gone.

I plopped back down on my bed and growled in frustration. "LOLA!" I shouted. She started looking frantically for an excuse to leave the room again. "Do you not look at what you're interrupting?" I said through gritted teeth.

Lola looked at me apologetically. "I'm really sorry Zoey. I had no idea!" she looked really upset. I knew I shouldn't have yelled at her, but I was angry, and I needed to vent, and Lola was there. Suddenly Quinn came bursting into the room hauling a cart full of gizmos, gadgets, and things that looked just plain weird. The hair on the right side of her head was braided, while the other side sat plain.

"Are you guys ready for our senior year at PCA!?" she squealed. Easy for her to be so ecstatic, she had a boyfriend. She didn't need to worry about capturing some guy's heart, then making out with him until she couldn't breathe. She looked at Lola, then at me, I shook my head no, then dropped my head back down on my pillow and screamed.

Chase's POV

I can't believe I almost did that. I almost kissed the girl of my dreams, and she didn't look disgusted with my behavior. In fact, the seemed like the polar opposite. Zoey had never given me so much as a hint as to her feelings about me, besides the friend related ones. I walked into my dorm and found Logan and Michael fighting over the single bed.

They noticed me, and have me a halfhearted wave before returning to their argument. I let myself fall down onto the couch and thought about what would have happened if Lola had shown up five minutes later. Michael took a temporary hiatus from his feud with Logan and sat next to me.

"So, did you tell Zoey you love her yet?" he looked at me with that mischievous look in his eyes that he always seems to have. I looked at him dead in the eye, and I opened my mouth, but nothing seemed to come out. I tried again, but the same result.

Michael looked at me funny and put his hand on my shoulder. "You sick man?" I nodded. I was still processing the whole kissing scenario, and his first question. "Yes." Michael backed away from me a little and reached for the trashcan. "If your going to throw up man, I'd prefer you do it in this." He looked at the can, then at me.

"No. Not sick. Yes." I wasn't aware of what I was saying. My mouth was acting of its own accord. My brain wasn't quite sure what was happening yet. It was still back in 101 with Zoey, my hand on her cheek, her eyes fluttering closed at my touch, the feel of her breath on my face, I could practically feel her lips on mine.

"What?" Logan was in on the conversation now. Michael and Logan were looking at me like I was going to get sick, and in a way, I felt like I was.

"I did it. I took the plunge." I said. I don't think Michael even remembered his first question. "I told her Michael." I beamed. I had finally caught up with everything. "Told who what man?" he questioned. "Zoey!" I shouted, "I think I told her I loved her!" I was frustrated by now. Michael was giving me this weird look, and Logan's jaw was practically on the floor.

"Way to go man!" Michael clapped me on the shoulder. "What'd you say to her?"

"I didn't really say anything. More like, almost kissed her." I said. "Does that count as telling her?"

"Almost? Why almost? Why not. 'I did kiss her?'" Michael interrogated.

I frowned, angry all of the sudden. "Lola."