27. Kaitlyn and The Game

"Alright Bonin, I'm convinced." Derrick was doubled over with his hands on his knees as he tried to get his breath back. "You're pretty fast... for a chick."

Kaitlyn could only laugh. Unlike Derrick she was still stood up right and her breathing had already almost returned to normal. Her tanned skin glistened with sweat, a much less unsightly image than her running partner's drenched grey t shirt and damp face.

"This is why I run alone," she winked at him as she began her cooling down exercises. "Otherwise, you just get slowed down."

Derrick dropped to the ground. He released his long, curly hair from its band and shook it out; Kaitlyn grimaced as she watched some sweat fly with it.

"More like you've been holding a grudge ever since your old running partner finally went through puberty and got too cool for you." He grinned as she rolled her eyes at him.

"When are you going to stop bringing that up?"

"As soon as you stop being bitter."

"I'm not bitter!"

"'I'm Kaitlyn, I'm a total badass and I don't need a running partner'," he mimicked her voice and bobbed his head around as he did so. "'Especially not a certain peroxide blonde male model...'"

In response to this Kaitlyn abandoned her stretches and sent a kick in Derrick's position. His background in amateur wrestling had given him quick reflexes though, as he grabbed her muscular leg and pulled her forward so that she came crashing down onto him.

"Bateman!" She shrieked as he began to wrestle around with her. He pulled her into a headlock which she quickly struggled out of, only to return with a move that left his arm bent behind his back.

"Okay, okay, you win!"

With a satisfied grin she dropped his arm and sat back down on the grass beside him. He pouted and nursed the arm.

"For the second time today," she laughed as she stretched her legs out in front of her. "This is getting far too easy, Bateman."

"Don't you worry, Bonin. I'll beat you at something soon enough."

"I bet you will."

She winked and pushed him so that he rolled over onto the grass. He quickly rebounded by grabbing her by the waist and pulling her down again; but this time, she ended up pinned beneath him.

"And Bateman secures the victory!" He exclaimed as she wriggled beneath him. When he was satisfied, he released her and lay on the floor beside her. "Told ya," he grinned. "Bet you didn't even see that one coming."

"Of course not," she giggled as she looked over at his bright smile. Of course, one day she would tell him that she had seen his attack coming and out of sheer amusement let him win this round.

Kaitlyn released her own hair from its band so she could lie comfortably on the grass.

"Dude, you'll never guess what happened the other day." Kaitlyn began chuckling to herself as she thought about the story she was about to tell.

"What?"

"Creepy Johnny Curtis asked me out on a date."

The two burst into laughter. It was well known around campus that 'Creepy Curtis' was all about the ladies. With his handsome features and muscular figure he often succeeded in his endeavours, much to the disgust of Kaitlyn and Derrick who had shared many classes with him for years. But recently he had turned his attention to Kaitlyn, who by sophomore year of high school had blossomed in more ways than one; and Johnny was never afraid of checking out her curvy body to let her know just that.

"Dude, he is so gross," Derrick groaned. "Where's he gonna take you, to the back of his van?"

The laughter resumed. Johnny's vehicle of choice was more of a pick-up truck than a van, but this didn't stop Derrick and Kaitlyn's jokes.

"I can't believe he used to be your best friend," Kaitlyn breathed, wiping a tear out of her eye.

"Well, I guess you know all about having crappy taste in friends."

"Okay, okay," she giggled.

"When are you guys gonna get a room?"

Kaitlyn and Derrick looked up at the exact same time to see Eve strolling over to their spot of grass.

"Hey Eve," Derrick grinned, sitting up and shaking grass out of his hair. "How's The Miz?"

Kaitlyn snorted as Eve blushed.

"What did you tell him?" Eve looked at Kaitlyn.

"Nothing!" The blonde protested. "The news is already out there. In fact, we overheard some cheerleaders talking about it in Mrs Haverstone's American History class today."

"Oh god," Eve muttered, dropping her bag onto the grass and taking a seat with the two friends.

"You're the one who made out with him at David Otunga's party," Kaitlyn said frankly. "You're gonna have to deal with the consequences."

"You know, Kaitlyn, I really hate you sometimes."

"Hey, I speak nothing but the truth," she grinned back.

Eve shook her head. "I can't wait for you to hook up with somebody so I can mock you relentlessly."

Now it was Derrick's turn to snort. "Kaitlyn? No way. As if that's ever gonna happen."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kaitlyn looked back and forth between Derrick and Eve as they shrugged. "How do you know I haven't hooked up with someone already?"

"Oh really?" Eve grinned. "Who?"

"None of your business."

Eve and Derrick burst out laughing as Kaitlyn blushed. "You guys are the worst friends."

"Aw, Kaitie," Derrick cooed and put an arm around her shoulders, squeezing tight through her protests. "Johnny Curtis is still single, right?"

"That's it Bateman; you're about to get your ass kicked."

She leapt on top of him so that she was straddling him, and went to twist his arm again until he begged for mercy. Eve sat watching this and shook her head with a smug smirk.

"Once again," she called over their squeals. "Get a room!"

"God, guys; get a room why don't you?"

Kaitlyn giggled as Seth grimaced and tossed a peanut in the direction of a couple who sat making out by the bar.

"Screw you, Rollins," the man grinned.

"Please," the woman looked up and gave an even wider grin. "Everyone knows the reason Sethy-boy's mad is because he isn't getting screwed now that Paige has finally come to her senses."

Seth leaned over the bar and raised his eyebrows at the couple. He folded his muscular arms and tried his best to suppress the growing grin on his own face. Kaitlyn bit her lip and watched him banter with his friends.

"Good point, Audrey. Let me know when your sister's single again. Remember that time we-"

"Ew! Cut it out, Seth!" The woman named Audrey grimaced and covered her ears while the man with her burst out laughing. "Mark, let's go get a table before I have to pour this beer over your asshole friend."

The man named Mark shot Seth a wink as he ushered his girlfriend over to one of the tables by the window, leaving Seth and Kaitlyn laughing behind the bar.

"Just to be clear," Seth looked over at Kaitlyn. "I hooked up with Audrey's older sister one time back in high school and she never let that grudge go."

"I didn't ask," Kaitlyn smirked back at him. "But good to know you value my opinion so much."

Seth laughed and rubbed his bearded chin. "Why wouldn't I? I know full well how great your taste is."

He licked his lips and eyed her casually as he tried to gauge her response to his clearly suggestive comment. Over the past few days he had gotten to know her as one of the most strong-willed women he had ever met, and he was sure he had probably just earned himself a slap. But instead, to his surprise, she simply folded her arms and gave him what felt like an equally suggestive shrug.

"Now Mr. Rollins," she said quietly, seductively, even. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Now if you don't mind, I've got some customers to serve."

She grinned and turned on her heel to serve the rowdy group of college-aged men at the other end of the bar. Seth let out a low whistle as he watched her backside move from side to side as she did so. The way the faces of the college guys lit up as she approached them made it clear that Seth was not the only man in the bar who appreciated Davenport's latest, finest import.

He watched as she served the group; partaking in their flirtatious banter and laughing along with them. As soon as she finished serving the last drink, she turned back towards Seth and discretely rolled her eyes at the bunch, making him laugh once again. As they walked away and took their party over to a booth, Seth wandered over to Kaitlyn under the guise of getting some change out of the cash register.

"Incredible," he grinned, shaking his head. Kaitlyn looked up from counting the bills the group had left as a tip.

"What is?" She smirked as she shoved them in her pocket.

Seth leaned closer towards her, placing a hand on the small on her back. She barely even flinched.

"Your skills."

"Who knew those four years at college was all just building up to me one day temping at a bar and spending all day flirting with drunk dudes. My parents would be so proud."

Seth laughed. Her dry, sarcastic sense of humour was definitely one of the main reasons he had convinced his dad to give her the job behind the bar, filling in for a bartender on vacation. Of course, the overwhelming attraction he felt towards her was inconsequential.

"This isn't working, is it?"

Derrick and Kaitlyn sat side by side on her living room couch. The music coming from VH1 on TV quickly faded into the background yet neither could be in the moment enough to look at each other and speak honestly.

"Why can't a guy and girl just be friends?" Kaitlyn sighed finally. "It always has to be complicated. He really likes her, she really likes him; they just have to end up together one day, right? Well I don't believe that. You don't have to be someone's lover to be able to love them. And I love you more than any of these awful guys in Connecticut, but that doesn't mean we have to date. Y'know?"

Derrick nodded slowly. "I know. Social pressure, right?"

"Exactly!" Kaitlyn groaned and shook her head. "Everyone told us to give it a try, and we did. And now we know."

"Yeah, we do."

"One day we'll look back and laugh at this."

"Yeah, we will."

"I'm glad we could talk about this properly."

"Me too."

Silence returned and the music returned to the foreground. The two sat and stared aimlessly at the TV as Lauryn Hill sang her songs of love and yearning; ironically.

"It could all be so simple,

But you'd rather make it hard

See, loving you was like a battle,

We'd both end up with scars..."

As Kaitlyn continued staring straight ahead, Derrick's head rose slowly and he looked up as a tear rolled down her cheek. Her eyes remained transfixed on the music video before her.

"Are you happy for Kelly and Dolph?" Derrick asked suddenly, despite the fact that he already knew the answer. All he needed was the confirmation.

She sniffed quietly and slowly reached her hand out to intertwine it with Derrick's. As the hook rang through the living room, a certain tension filled the air.

"No one loves you more than me,

And no one ever will."

Both sat in silence as each word hit them harshly. Derrick turned his head and stared at Kaitlyn once again, while the tears rolling down her cheeks as she continued staring at the television screen gave him all the confirmation he needed.

"Thanks again for filling in," Seth looked up from the cash register as Kaitlyn wiped down the bar. They had reached a mid-evening lull which meant the two were practically alone.

"Anytime dude. Believe it or not I love working behind a bar."

"Duly noted. Maybe you'll join the team full time once you move out to Davenport."

Kaitlyn snorted. "As tempting as that offer sounds, I'm not sure sleeping with the boss's son is the way I want to get my start in the working world."

Seth raised his eyebrows, surprised by her bluntness. As she began laughing, he couldn't help but grin. He closed the cash register and came up behind her, slinking his arms around her waist and halting the circular motions her arms were making with the dish rag.

"Do you wanna say that any louder?" He murmured, burying his face in her soft hair. Just like she did several nights ago, Kaitlyn could quickly feel the electricity surging through her. "Imagine how hot it would be if we-"

"Okay," Kaitlyn interrupted him, giggling and unwinding his arms from her middle. "Somebody is going to walk through that door the second you even think about doing something, and I am not taking that risk.

She pushed herself out of his way to continue wiping down surfaces while he leaned casually against the bar and watched her with his usual smirk.

"So I guess that means we'll just have to take it back to my place after closing?"

"More like it means you better keep your hands to yourself, pretty boy."

He shrugged and gave her wink, but stopped his persistence. Just like she had said, it wasn't long before punters came piling through the doors of The Inn once again. Seth immediately went to work serving his customers as Kaitlyn lay down the dish rag with a sigh. Seth was an attractive, confident young man who was already well aware of the effect he had on Kaitlyn; which immediately meant he was trouble to her.

As much as she had found herself enjoying his company and presence, Kaitlyn remained wary of the enigmatic figure of Seth Rollins. After the night they had shared together at Corey's party, he had refused to fade out of the picture as she had imagined he would. The following afternoon he had invited her to a Crossfit training session at his favourite gym before asking her to come and work behind the bar at The Inn to keep her busy during her stay in Davenport. Seeing as Ettore spent practically all day at work and AJ had quickly became busy sharing her interests with Bayley, Kofi and especially Xavier, she was grateful for the pleasant company Seth offered.

Their intimacy began as a secret and so far had continued this way. Even despite all the time they were spending together, Big E had not once expressed any suspicion about the affair – or if he did he had remained awfully quiet about it. Throughout college the two had developed such a platonic friendship that he struggled to see her as anything other than 'one of the boys'. So when a guy like Seth – even despite his womanising reputation – quickly became her gym buddy and now fellow bartender, why would he suspect anything?

Either way, Kaitlyn was determined to keep her wits about her. The flirty banter had been taking place non-stop for days on end now, and even though they were yet to repeat the events of Corey's party, Kaitlyn was sure Seth was determined to do so. She sighed and smiled as she watched him chat with ease to the man he was now serving at the bar. He was pretty alright, this Seth Rollins. Her eyes fell down to his backside as he leant over the bar.

"Not bad at all," she murmured to herself.

Kaitlyn was a proud girl. When your dad decides one day to stand up and walk out on you and your mother, you learn resilience quickly. She had developed a thick skin and a sharper tongue, and thus far it had equipped her to cope with the unpredictability of the men around her; from her father leaving her mother, to Derrick abandoning her after their brief, failed romance. Yet there was always one man, one boy who had the ability to melt away any sense of strength around her, and he did it incessantly and carelessly. It was nothing for Dolph Ziggler to decide to leave her friendship behind for his new high school life, just like it was nothing for Dolph Ziggler to decide to start dating her best friend. Just like it was nothing for Dolph Ziggler to come into Kaitlyn's home on the night of homecoming, follow her up the stairs and into her bedroom, kiss her softly, undress her and make love to her after she had spent hours comforting him through his break up with Kelly.

As she lay in his arms in the dark room, Kaitlyn sobbed quietly to herself. He had quickly fallen asleep but she lay awake, taking in every last bit of him. His muscular arms as they enveloped her, the defined abs and chest she ran her fingers across, the blonde hair that splayed across her pillow... In short, he was perfect. He was perfect and everything she had wanted since she was eight years old. In her heart of hearts she was ready for him to wake up the next morning, kiss the top of her head and let her know he was hers and she was his. Regardless of the past, they were now finally each other's. She could see herself in Kelly's shoes; wearing his Letterman jacket, walking into prom with him, spending her life with him...

They had a special connection. They always did. The friendship that had developed in their earlier years was something special. Almost every morning for several years they would run through the streets of their hometown as the sun rose, ending up in the park where they would sit on their favourite bench and talk. They would talk about everything; school, love, life, the future... The future. They envisaged each other as friends forever. Of course, no mention of romantic entanglements was ever made, but they would be there for each other. High fiving at prom, high fiving at graduation, hugging each other on their respective wedding days. Sure, she and the girls would be best friends forever, but with Dolph it always ran deeper. The bond was indescribable, unbreakable. Or so she thought.

"I love you," she whispered as she pressed her cheek against his rising and falling chest.

It was like that song they loved, the one by Lauryn Hill. Her life had changed the day he first played it for her. Loving him was like a battle, and she had the scars to prove it. Kelly was her best friend. She loved Kelly and she felt awful about what had just happened. But nobody loved Dolph more than Kaitlyn and nobody ever would. Not Kelly, not Nikki... No more silly games, no more pain, just reciprocity. She closed her eyes tight and snuggled closer into him and fell asleep.

Kaitlyn had experienced a lot of hurt in her life, but nothing hurt more than the feeling of the cold, empty side of the bed beside her. She shot up and searched frantically around the room for any sign of him, but he was gone. And the worst part was that in some way, she knew he was never truly there in the first place.

"Hey," Seth looked down at his watch and grinned. "Looks like it's almost quitting time."

Kaitlyn grinned. "Already? Tonight has just flown by."

"Well," Seth grinned back as he began tidying up around the bar. "I guess time flies when you're in good company, right?"

She rolled her eyes and continued picking up empty glasses. She hummed to herself as she flitted around the now quietened bar, save for the one group still sat by the window. She glanced over at them and noticed that they seemed to be embroiled in conversation, but for a moment she could swear a few pairs of eyes looked up in her direction. Shrugging it off as a normal day at the office for a barmaid, she glided past them and cleaned up the tables around them.

"Almost closing time, guys," she announced casually as she approached the table.

"Already?" One of the men groaned. "I guess it's time to fish or cut bait, huh Mikey?"

She frowned as laughter arose from the group as one of them – presumably Mikey – bowed his head to hide his reddening face.

"Sorry," another one cleared his throat. "It's just that we've been here all night because this pussy has been trying to strike up the courage to ask for your number."

The laughter resumed and Kaitlyn blushed. She shook her head and tried to laugh it off as she collected the empty glasses from the table.

"Come on dude!"

"You guys are assholes," he murmured, downing the remainder of his drink. "Sorry about them," he looked up at Kaitlyn with earnest eyes.

"It's no problem," Kaitlyn giggled. She gave a small nod and took the glasses back over to the bar, where Seth was stood seemingly surveying the situation.

"Everything okay?" He said, frowning.

"All good," Kaitlyn assured him with a smile. "Just bar banter, right?"

"Right." He pursed his lips and continued frowning at the group. "I'll go try and clear them out so we can close for the night. Would you mind taking the garbage out back?"

"Aye aye, captain."

She skirted past him and through the doors that led out back, once again humming as she lugged two bags behind her. As she closed the trashcan lid she let out a sigh and dusted her hands off. Bartending might not have been much, but now that her first shift was ending she felt a sense of gratitude that had pervaded her for the longest time. She had forgotten how nice it was to be busy. By the time she had gotten back inside, she was surprised to see the group of men still gathered around the table, with Seth stood hovering over them; his back to Kaitlyn. The man named Mikey was now absent.

"Come on guys, time to go."

"Aw, come on man!" He received as a response. "Poor Mikey's gonna head straight home and jerk into a sock if he doesn't at least get her digits!"

"Yeah," one of his friends concurred. "He's been stiff since the second we walked in here. The poor dude just got dumped last week and all he needs is the attention of a hot chick."

"That's not my problem," Seth put his hands up. "Plus, she's not that type of girl. You might want to try Hooters."

Kaitlyn, slightly hidden by the back door, sniggered quietly at this.

"Can you guys knock it off already?!" Mikey returned from the bathroom, shaking his head and still red from embarrassment. "I don't want anyone's number."

"Thank you," Seth sighed. "Now, are you guys ready to leave?"

One of the men sighed and clapped Mikey on the back. "Tammy must have really done a number on you if you can't even get a number off of a chick as hot as this one."

The others sniggered but Mikey just shook his head.

"Alright, very fun. Now let's just get out of here."

"To Hooters!"

The group once again burst into laughter as they rose from their seats and followed Seth to the exit. Once they were all out, he let out a groan and locked the door behind them.

"See what happens when we hire hot bartenders?" He turned to Kaitlyn with a smirk on his face. She simply shook her head and began laughing.

"This place is going to be great for my ego," she giggled as she headed out to the front of the bar and took a seat on one of the stools.

Seth shook his head. "You want a drink?" He gestured towards the bar.

"Why not? I feel like I've earned it."

"That's the spirit!"

He skirted past her, ruffling her hair as he did so, and went back behind the bar. He began mixing spirits into two glasses.

"I've had fun today," Kaitlyn sighed, leaning against the bar. "More fun than I've had in a long time."

"You mean more fun than you've had since that party?"

"Ha ha," she poked her tongue out at him. "I mean more fun than I've had back home. I don't even want to go back at this point."

"Then don't," he shrugged casually. Kaitlyn frowned.

"Don't be silly. I've got to go back at some point."

"Says who? Why not just live in the moment and stick it out here?"

He barely looked up at her as he mixed the drinks, but she stared on in disbelief. Finally, he turned his attention away from the drinks and gave her a small smile.

"Look at it this way: you've got friends here now; you've got a job if you want one..."

"You're crazy. I'm not planning on making the move until the new year!"

"Your call dude," he shrugged and handed her a drink. "Whenever you do decide to, you are more than welcome at the House of Rollins."

She rolled her eyes at him and sipped at her drink. "I'm sure this place is called The Inn."

"Yeah," he winked. "But that's not what I was talking about."

She shook her head and tossed a napkin in his direction.

"Hey!" He held up his drink as if introducing a toast. "Seriously though, Kaitlyn; here's to a simple life."

She paused in contemplation for a moment before coming to a conclusion in her head and clinking her glass against his.

"To a simple life."

Kaitlyn and Eve sat in silence in the car. It felt like it had been centuries since Eve had pulled into Kaitlyn's driveway, but neither was ready to step out of the vehicle and really come to terms with the events of today.

Kaitlyn was staring straight ahead. Not a single tear rolled down her cheek; no water filled her eyes. Nothing came to her but a drained, empty feeling. And for some reason, she welcomed this with open arms.

"You don't have to go home yet," Eve said quietly, her voice hoarse. "You can come sleep over at my place."

Kaitlyn shook her head. "I need to be with my mom."

"I understand."

Eve bowed her head once more.

"It's so unfair," she whispered. "You have to go through this and he gets to carry on living his life as normal, acting like him and Kelly are-"

"Stop, Eve. It's not his fault."

"Stop defending him!"

"It takes two to tango, right?"

Eve sat speechless; defeated. There was nothing she could say and she knew instantly that this was one of those times where there was nothing that could be said. Her heart was breaking for her best friend and there was nothing she could do about it. When did it all become so complicated? Just a year ago things were so simple. No cheating boyfriends, no womanisers, no clinics...

"I love you, Eve. Thank you."

"I love you too, Katie. I'm here for you, always and forever."

She reached out and linked her hand through Kaitlyn's.

"Always and forever," the blonde repeated, almost silently.

"Favourite movie?"

"Easy: The Breakfast Club."

"You are such a cliché."

"Okay hotshot, what's yours?"

"Easy," Seth grinned from ear to ear. "Almost Famous."

"Who's the cliché now?!"

The two started laughing as Kaitlyn frowned, realizing she had reached the end of her second drink. Seth noticing this gestured towards the bar again.

"One more for the road?"

Kaitlyn sighed in contemplation.

"Hey," Seth frowned. "Simple life, remember?"

She gave him a stern look. "Yeah, but I have the feeling that if I stay and keep drinking with you things are gonna get real complicated real quick."

This made Seth's characteristic smirk return. "Oh really? So you're scared of the effect I have on you."

"Just shut up and pour me another drink, Rollins."

With a bright grin he acquiesced, turning back to the bar and refilling their glasses.

"I've got another question," Kaitlyn piped up, leaning over the bar once again.

"Shoot."

She grinned. "Why the blonde patch of hair? Not that it doesn't look great, but it's very... unique."

"Exactly," Seth grinned back. "My dad hates it but the ladies love it. Plus in a small town like Davenport you've got to carve out some individuality somehow. Corey's got the tattoos, Big E's the size of a house, Bayley's got her headbands, Xavier's got the fro, Paige is..." He stopped and chuckled to himself. "Paige is Paige. We've all got our quirks."

Kaitlyn paused, eyeing him cautiously. "So," she said, as casually as she could. "What's the deal with you and Paige?"

Seth placed the two glasses down between them.

"I figured you'd bring that up," he sighed. "There's no deal. A little bit of history there, but it's history. From what I hear she's got something going on with Corey now, so..."

He shrugged and began nursing his beverage, but Kaitlyn remained unsatisfied. Noticing this, Seth continued.

"Hey, how come you care so much anyway? Worried you've got competition?"

"Very funny," she rolled her eyes. "I just don't want to be the cause of any problems here, y'know? Davenport is supposed to be a fresh start for me. The last thing I need is to walk straight into somebody's messy relationship drama."

Seth shrugged. "You've got nothing to worry about, trust me. We're all good."

He held out his fist for a fist bump that Kaitlyn gladly reciprocated. He quickly averted the subject back to 'favourites' while Kaitlyn sipped at her drink.

"Okay, now here's the important one: favourite song?"

"Why's that the important one?"

"Because," Seth held a finger in the air with a wise expression on his face. "Your favourite song gives everything away. Your innermost desires, your past, your experiences... You wanna find out about a person, you find out what their favourite song is."

"Oh really?" Kaitlyn giggled. She took another sip of her drink and looked away in thought. "I don't have one."

Seth snorted. "Of course you do. Everyone does."

"Not me. I've never been able to choose."

Seth frowned and stared over his glass at her. She refused to give anything away.

"Fine," he said finally. "I guess I won't tell you mine just yet either."

"Good," Kaitlyn grinned. "We'll get there one day."

Kaitlyn doubled over and placed her hands on her knees, giving herself a moment to catch her breath. After a few moments she stood up straight and looked at the empty track surrounding her. This time tomorrow she would be running another 500 metres, expect this time with other competitors and spectators taking her from her usual running solitude. The fast beating of her heart felt good. The aching in her legs felt good. The feeling of accomplishment felt even better. If she kept this up she was well on her way to receiving the scholarship for the University of Chicago; well on her way to leaving Connecticut. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself, allowing the cool breeze to envelope her sweaty body.

After a quick shower and change back into her normal clothes, Kaitlyn swung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out of the locker room. Walking through the busy corridors of Springfort High, she kept her eyes straight ahead and avoided her periphery. She was, however, unsurprised by the sight of Johnny Curtis leaning against her locker.

"I thought I told you to avoid me in public?" She hissed, slamming open the metal door and refusing to look at him.

"Yeah," he said with a casual shrug, tugging on the lapels of his leather jacket. "But I just thought I'd ask you if you were ready to accept my proposal."

"Ew," she groaned as she rummaged through her locker. "You asked me to prom; not to marry you."

He smirked and leaned in closer.

"So, Katie... What's it gonna be? Or would you rather we discuss this in the back of my truck like last time..."

"Ew!" She slammed the locker shut and glared at the tall, muscular, grinning boy before her. For all intents and purposes, he was gross. They didn't call him 'Creepy Curtis' for nothing. But, he was simple. The... arrangement the two had going on was simple, and Kaitlyn couldn't really ask for anymore.

"What d'you say?"

At that moment, she looked up and saw Kelly and Dolph walking hand in hand through the corridor in their direction. Kelly had her usual lovestruck smile on her face while Dolph obnoxiously chewed his gum and held onto her hand with pride. By the time Kelly saw her, it was too late for Kaitlyn to run in the other direction. With her free hand, Kelly waved frantically in her direction and whispered something in Dolph's ear before giving him a soft kiss on the cheek and rushing over to Kaitlyn. Dolph did not once look Kaitlyn in the eye.

"Sorry Johnny, but I've got to head to lunch with the girls. See you later."

Before he could protest, Kaitlyn readjusted her backpack and went to meet Kelly. They linked arms and began heading towards the cafeteria.

"Guess what," Kelly squealed, practically bouncing up and down.

"What?" Kaitlyn replied through gritted teeth, trying her best to sound positive.

"Dolph just asked me to prom!"

She wanted to barf. But instead, she patted her friend on the arm and congratulated her. She half-listened as Kelly recounted the story as they entered the cafeteria, and was beyond relieved to see Eve, Maria and Alicia already sat at their usual table. As soon as the two joined, Kelly immediately shared her news, inciting squeals of excitement in the other girls. For a moment Kaitlyn caught eyes with Eve, who gave her a silent look that said a thousand words.

"I'm gonna go get a bottle of water. Anyone want anything?"

The four girls shook their heads and returned to their prom discussions. Kaitlyn sighed and rose to her feet to head over to the vending machine. Her stomach knotted as Derrick Bateman bent down to retrieve a can of soda.

"Hey Derrick," she said with a tone of optimism to her voice. He stood quickly and turned to face her.

"Hey Kaitlyn," he cleared his throat, struggling to make eye contact.

"How's it going?"

"Great. You excited for your track meet tomorrow?"

"Yeah, so excited! Are you coming?"

"No, I can't make it." Her face fell. "But I overheard Creepy Curtis talking about it in class earlier and I'm sure he'll be front row."

And with that, he gave a quick nod and walked straight past her and over to his group of boys. Kaitlyn stared in disbelief, her throat tightening. After quickly punching in the numbers and a dollar bill, she claimed her bottle of water and stormed over to the other side of the cafeteria where Johnny was stood talking to a terrified looking sophomore. As soon as Kaitlyn approached she quickly disappeared.

"Fine," Kaitlyn said through gritted teeth. "I'll go to prom with you."

Johnny grinned and attempted to reach a hand out in her direction, which was quickly slapped away.

"But don't get any ideas, got it? And if you even think about bragging about it, so help me God..."

"Whoa, calm down Katie," his smooth voice rang, causing her to shudder where she stood. "Just as long as we get to rent out a hotel room afterwards..."

"Hey guys."

Kaitlyn let out a long sigh and kicked her shoes off before going to join AJ and Ettore on the couch, where they were parked comfortably watching TV.

"Hey," they replied in unison.

"Good day at work?" Ettore asked, putting an arm around her shoulder. "I hope Seth wasn't too much of a pain in the ass."

"I had fun. It was great. Seth is cool. It's all good."

"It's all good," AJ sighed in a sing-song voice before the three slipped back into silence and focussed on the TV in front of them. Kaitlyn rested her head on Big E's shoulders and smiled to herself.

Here are the songs that inspired these chapters:

Eve = Beyonce - Halo

Maria = Less Than Jake - The Science of Selling Yourself Short

Kelly = Johnny Cash - I Walk The Line

Alicia = Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind

Kaitlyn = Lauryn Hill - Ex-Factor