Summary: He fell for her then, he still falls for her now

Summary: He fell for her then, he still falls for her now. A Zoey and Chase Threeshot.

A/N: The last chapter! Let's just pretend I said something totally witty here.

Falling For You

Chapter Three

There's no way Zoey's really dating Logan. Chase thought to himself, as Zoey approached Logan. He was hiding in a bush, as instructed by Logan, so he could prove Zoey was dating him.

Which'll be hard considering it's not true. He thought. He was right; it wasn't. But he didn't know that when the two started to converse, they were merely talking about Logan tutoring Logan in chemistry.

"Oh hey, what're you doing here?" Logan asked.

"Uh, weren't we supposed to meet here at 4 o'clock?" she questioned.

"Yes! Hey!" he hugged her.

"Hey…" she said, somewhat confused, but hugging him back. Okay, I'm still not completely convinced…

"So, where should we go today?" he moved his head in Chase's direction. He was mocking him. That was so not cool.

"I dunno," Zoey answered. "Library…your room?" Oh, god. His room?

"Yeah, you know, wherever we can be alone." Logan confirmed. Oh my god Zoey please protest…

"Right," she agreed. No way. There's just no way.

If Zoey could love someone like Logan, and not him, there really wasn't any hope left.

"You know," Logan began. "I think this is working out pretty good between me and you. Dontcha think?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's kinda weird but it's working for me." Zoey answered.

"Listen, I gotta tell you something. I, uh…" he looked at Chase through the bush. I swear on the biggest cookie in the world that I am going to kill Logan. "I told Chase what's going on between us."

"What?" she asked, shocked. "I thought we decided no one should know!"

"He's my friend!" Logan defended. "I just felt like he needed to hear the truth!" Friend? FRIEND? Ha, good one Logan. Not when this is over.

"You mad?" Logan's tone of voice made Chase's skin crawl with disgust.

Zoey sighed. "I guess not…I mean, I hate that I've been lying to Lola and Quinn."

"Exactly! We shouldn't have to keep secrets from our friends!" Logan said, with emphasis.

"Yeah I know, it's just chemistry." Zoey laughed. Chase froze.

"Yes! You know chemistry which," Logan paused. "We have together."

"ALRIGHT!" Chase quickly fell out of the bush, completely disoriented. "I, have, heard, ENOUGH!"

Enough to know that some things just aren't meant to be.

"Let's prom it up!"

The music was at its highest, now playing I've Got You by Mcfly. Everyone was jumping to the beat, dancing with their dates, feeling on top of the world.

Logan wasn't particularly happy. Everyone thought he was dateless. He wasn't though.

He was going to the prom with the prettiest, smartest, most creative, energetic, witty girl he's ever known. And currently, he was wishing he could be next to her, dancing with her…instead of being annoyed half to death by Stacy. He'd only gotten to see her in the fifteen minutes before prom. It so wasn't enough.

He could've been, if they weren't keeping their dating a secret from the world.

Quinn was sharing the same fate, standing at the other end of the gym with her friends from the Girls Science Club (Firewire still hasn't lifted his "Boys-Only" decree on the actual Science Club).

Both of them knew something had to be done. So they set off to find each other at the exact same time.

And crashed right into each other.

"Logan!"

"Quinn, whoa! I'm sorry, are you okay?" He helped her up. She sighed.

"Not really." She smiled a small smile. "I've been missing you all night."

"Guess I wasn't the only one then." Logan put his hands into his pockets and looked into her eyes.

"You missed yourself?" Quinn joked.

"You know what I mean!"

"I know." Her smile faded. "Look, I think we should –"

"Tell everyone we're dating?" Logan finished. He was thinking the same thing.

"You read my mind." Quinn confirmed with a nod. He grabbed her hand, receiving stares from a few people around them, and a few whispers.

"Let 'em talk." Logan said. "They're just jealous anyway." Quinn rolled her eyes as they approached their friends.

"Um, did we miss something?" Michael asked, who had just taken a break from emceeing the prom.

Dirty Little Secret, by the All-American Rejects began to play.

"We have something to say," Quinn explained, still holding Logan's hand. "It's about –"

"Chase!" Lola shouted all of a sudden.

"Chase?" Quinn repeated, confused.

"Look, he's here!" Lola yelled, causing everyone to turn. As Lola said, there he was, running up to his friends as fast as he could.

"Hey man!" Michael yelled. "I knew you'd end up coming."

"It's great you're here!" Lola greeted, giving him a friendly hug.

"Thanks you guys but there's no time!" Chase said, exasperated. "Where's Zoey?!"

"We don't know!" Quinn answered.

"Well then where's James?!"

"Over there!" Logan pointed quickly. They were all confused as Chase ran for his life towards that direction.

Sure enough, there was James, a tan, blonde girl right by his side, although her back was to him.

Chase approached and took a deep breath, grabbed the girl by the shoulders and turned here around.

"Zoey, I need to –"

"Just tell Zoey you love her."

Michael's words rang through his mind as he leaned against a wall, watching Zoey watch Gender Defenders.

He couldn't help it. She was beautiful inside and out. She was his best friend, and only his best friend at that point, but he couldn't live without her.

He was in love with her. She should know. She had to know.

He took out his Tek-mate, his heart racing faster than ever before. He opened a new text message box, to Zoey, and typed: "The message was…I LOVE YOU."

He hesitated for a moment, reminiscing through all they've been, and thinking about the future. What would she think? Would she even think about it at all? Would she ever speak to me again? Then, he pressed send and there was no turning back.

And then Chase waited. Waited for the familiar beep of a text message being received in Zoey's direction. But it never came.

For Zoey's Tek-mate had fallen into the fountain, along with Chase's hope.

"Talk to…" Chase stopped mid-sentence. "Wait, Gretchen?" Sure enough, it was Gretchen standing before him, and standing with James. Not Zoey. I am so confused here…

"Hey." Gretchen said, and wiped her nose on her hand, which she them wiped onto her white dress.

"James," Chase turned his attention to the guy next to her. "Where's Zoey? I thought you were going to the prom with her. I thought she was your…um, close female companion."

"Was." Corrected James. Chase's eyes widened.

"What?!"

"I was going to prom with her. She was my girlfriend." James explained, a sad but understanding look in his eyes. "She broke up with me. She said she couldn't do it."

"Couldn't do what?" Chase was still in utter shock.

"How should I know? You know her better than me." James shrugged. "All I know is, Gretchen didn't have a date…so here I am." He grimaced as she began to pick her nose.

"Oh." Chase really didn't know what to say.

"Anyway," James continued. "I have a feeling it's about you. Go find her. I want her to be happy."

Brief pause.

"Alright." Chase sighed, his thoughts running a mile a minute. "Are we good? I know we got a rough start…"

James nodded. "We're cool. Go."

"Thanks, man." Chase said, really meaning it. "Nice seeing you again, Gretchen."

She stared blankly. "You're stupid."

Chase blinked. "Right." And off he went as fast as he could, knowing exactly where his best friend of three years would be.

He was falling. Falling through despair and fear and so many other things. He refused to accept the fact that his grandma was gone. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't.

What was he going to do next time he tripped and embarrassed himself? He'd go visit her, wanting to talk to her, for her to sing A Million Raindrops, even though he was sixteen. He didn't care. And she wouldn't be there. Her house would be as empty as sadness.

Now his birthday, this supposed-to-be happy occasion, would now also mark the day of her passing. His e-card to her would never be opened.

She wouldn't be at his graduation. Or his wedding day. Or at the day his first play or book is released. She would never meet her great grandkids. It was all too much to process. So he just wouldn't. He'll just sit here at the fountain in the pouring rain, and he won't cry. It'll make it easier.

Suddenly, a voice he knew all too well broke him from his thoughts. "Do you want to be alone?"

After a few moments, thinking he should stick with his plan, he began to nod. But then, he decided that he needed her. He'd always need her. So he shook his head, and Zoey Brooks sat next to him. She put her arm around him.

And then he cried on her shoulder. Cried for his grandmother, whom he missed so deeply that it was indescribable.

He realized it was okay to fall sometimes, whether physically or emotionally, because he had Zoey to catch him.

Turns out, Chase was right. She was at the fountain, where they'd shared so many memories; resolving spring break drama, catching up after the summer with javachinos, dancing late at night, and even the day they'd been reunited and Chase had his heart broken.

The stars were forming in the skies and there was a slight breeze, even though they were in California. The blare of the music from prom could be heard pretty clearly from the distance.

Zoey knew the reason she had parted with James. The answer was right there, right in her mind. But she avoided it, trying to think of anything besides Chase. She got up and started walking around the vicinity, looking for something to take her mind off of him.

Flagpole. No, definitely not. She noticed there was a dent in it, probably from Chase's bike. She gave a small smile.

Coffee Cart. Javachinos. Sigh…no.

Bush. Okay this is hopeless.

When a person can't get another person off their mind, maybe they're supposed to be there.

She sat back at the fountain, memories filling her mind as she stared at the ground. Had she ruined everything by dating James? The chances of that were high.

"I knew I'd find you here." Chase said out of nowhere. Zoey jumped up, startled, and tripped over her own feet. "Zo!" he ran and caught her before she fell. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. You alright?"

"Yeah, perfectly." She answered, and came out of his arms. "So you're speaking to me now, I guess?"

"Well, I heard –"

"After you broke our promise?"

"What?"

"Our promise." Zoey repeated, as if it was obvious. "To never let one of our relationships come between us. Ya broke it, Fuzzyhead."

"Fine, fine," he said. "But at least I didn't not tell my best friend I was dating someone."

"Yes you did." Zoey reminded. "Rebecca."

"Oh." He face fell. "Right." He tried to think of something else. "Well, I went all the way to England and back because of you."

"So did I."

She was right.

"Why are we even talking about this?" Chase asked. They stared at each other, and all of a sudden, they both burst out laughing.

Zoey sat back down at the fountain, still laughing. "Come sit." He obeyed.

"I heard you had a rough time, James-wise." Chase forced himself to say after a while. "I'm sorry about that."

"Really?" Zoey turned to face him, and pulls her legs to her chest. "'Cause…I'm not."

"Oh really?" Chase half-smiled. "And why's that?" Okay…breathe, Zoey, breathe.

"Well, I guess when you left," she started to explain. "You left a really big space. And I tried to fill it." She looked into his eyes. They were smiling. "I guess his hair wasn't bushy enough." She ruffled his hair, and they laughed.

"So what does this mean?" Chase asked, just wanting to hear it straight out. "I mean, you saying that, me hearing it, us being here, right now?"

"You actually need me to explain?"

"I'd appreciate it."

"Okay then." She smiled. "I'm in love with you, stupid."

"Oh my god," he let out a sigh of relief. "You don't know how good that felt to hear.

"It felt pretty good to say it too."

"Hey, you know what else I've wanted to do for the last three and a half years?" he questioned, smiling.

"What?" she asked.

"Close your eyes and find out." He leaned in and then – Whop! She'd hit him on the shoulder.

"Ow! Was that called for?" he whined.

She gave a teasing smile. "That was for not telling me you were coming home." She tilted her head to the side. "And this, is also for not telling me you were coming home." She pressed her lips against his.

Fireworks, singing birds, hallelujah choruses. Everything everyone wishes for in a kiss. It was all there.

And then Chase decided three and a half years of falling was worth it.

After about 10 seconds, although to them it felt so much longer, they pulled apart and Zoey smiled. "Well, come on, let's enjoy prom!"

"Zo, you know PCA's got a dress code for dances." He pointed out. "And though you look absolutely beautiful in what you're wearing right now, they probably won't let us in."

"I know," she grabbed his hand. "We'll have our own prom, right here, right now. You could hear that music from Wisconsin."

Chase smiled. "Your wish is my command."

All of a sudden. "Ow – Michael! Your on my foot!"

"Ssh, Lola! They'll hear you!"

Chase and Zoey looked at each other.

"We've got some insane friends." Chase shook his head.

"You guys, we can hear you! Come on out!" Zoey shouted.

All at once, Lola, Quinn, Michael, Logan, Vince, and Lisa stumbled out of a nearby hedge.

"Lola, you ruined the moment!" Quinn argued.

"Not my fault!" Lola shot back.

"Wh-whoa!" Michael said, trying to cover up. "You guys, how'd we end up in the bush?"

"It's a crazy world." Logan added.

"Couldn't agree more." Vince put in.

"So," Zoey interrupted. "You guys were spying?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Michael shrugged.

"All Michael's idea, I swear." Lisa laughed.

"So, mind if we join your prom?" Lola asked, and took a bag out from behind her back. "We brought Dorito's!"

"And chemically altered fructose substances!" Quinn finished, revealing a box.

"What?" everyone asked except Logan.

"Healthier candy." She and Logan said at the same time, and they smiled.

"Tastes better, adds less." Quinn added.

"It's true, it's amazing." Lisa agreed.

"So?" Lola smiled, grabbing Vince's hands.

Zoey sighed and smiled at her friends. "Fine, come on." Everyone cheered.

"Oh, wait." Logan said. "Is this a good time to tell you guys that Quinn and I are dating?"

Everyone was silent, but strangely, no one laughed.

"Yeah, it would be." Zoey nodded. "That explains so much."

Everyone gave their agreements.

"Now, let's really prom it up!" Michael yelled, grabbing Lisa's hand. Everyone cheered again.

A slow song turned on back at the prom, which could be heard by the fountain where Chase and Zoey, Logan and Quinn, Michael and Lisa, and Vince and Lola all had their own dances as midnight fell at Pacific Coast Academy.

This is the life

(This is the dream, this is the wish)

This is the chance

(The chance that you, don't want to miss)

A/N: Aaaaand that's a wrap!

Boy, was that fun to write. Hope you all enjoyed it. I lost my voice from a school carnival last night. Luckily you don't need a voice to type! Review please!

-Colors