by Hilary
"Aren't you excited Rach? This is your big chance to get Matt," Melody asked.
"Yeah, really excited," Rachel replied half-heartedly. Something was tearing her up inside. 'What's wrong with me?' she thought to herself. 'I should be happy, I get to go out with Matt.' Then she thought back to the rehearsels, watching Melody with Mark. For some reason, that had bothered her. Seeing Melody with Mark just didn't seem right.
"And Mark is just so cute, isn't he? Rach, what do you think?" Melody giggled.
"Huh? What?" Rachel had been starled. She had lost herself completely in her own world. "Uh, yeah, he's ok Mel."
"Ok? He's gorgeous!" Melody exclaimed. "Of course, you think that way about Matt."
"Yeah," Rachel said. 'C'mon Rach, get with it. Stop acting so silly about this. It's Matt, the guy of your dreams,' she told herself, yet it didn't seem to help.
"Agh!" Karen squealed. "It's almost 7, we gotta go or we'll be late."
With that, the four girls ran out of the house and downtown.
The plan was for everybody to meet up at the Carlton Caf� at 7. All the girls were going to Melody's to get ready for the big night out.
"There are gonna be 4 girls here right?" Shane asked.
"The more important question is are there gonna be 4 HOT girls here?" Kian interjected.
"Melody said she was bringing three friends," was all Mark said.
"Well, if they're friends with Melody, I'm sure they're pretty hot," Matt commented, just as the girls walked in. "Yeah, they all look ok." He said to the lads just before the girls got to the table.
"Hello ladies," Matt greeted them.
Melody pushed Rachel towards him. "Uh, hi Matt."
"Hi, and you are?"
"I'm Rachel."
"Nice to meet you Rachel. Have I seen you around school before?"
That comment hurt Rachel, even though she had slowly begun to lose interest in him. "I would assume you have. I do go to Summerhill."
He basically ignored her last comment and introduced himself Karen and Liz. Rachel was ready to cry. So much for this being a great evening with Matt.
"Hey Rachel." She heard from behind her. She turned around to see Mark, but before she could say a word Melody came over and wrapped her arms around him.
"So what are we doing tonight Mark?" Melody said in her cutesy little cheerleader voice. 'How does she do that?' Rahcel thought.
"Uh, I dunno. Yo, Matt, what are we doing tonight?"
"The movies I suppose, unless someone has a better suggestion."
Kian broke in. "Well, if we're going to the movies, do you suppose we could stop off at the Record Room. Metallica's new album came out today and I wanted to get it."
"Yeah," Shane added. "We don't we just go hang out at the Record Room."
Everybody looked at Shane as if he had suddenly turned green. "Sure Shane, let's be a bunch of losers," Matt said.
Shane opened his mouth to say something but before he could Melody said "Let's just get out of here. We can hit the Record Room for a bit then the movies." With that, the group hit the road.
Once they got into the store, the group separated. Kian and Matt went over to the Rock section, while Shane, Karen, Liz, and Rachel made their way over to the Pop side. Melody and Mark just stood up by the front.
Shane noticed that Rachel was more busy watching Melody and Mark then looking at CD's. "Hey Rachel, something wrong?" Shane asked. He could tell something was bothering her, even though he didn't know her that well.
"No, I'm ok," she replied.
"It's Mark isn't it?" Shane asked."
"Why on Earth would you say that?" Rachel said, quite surprised he knew.
"Well you keep looking at him. I just figured that meant you liked him."
"No, I most certainly do not like him. In fact I find him positively revolting." Rachel was lying through her teeth.
"Um, ok." Shane wasn't quite sure he could believe that. Any girl that looked that wistfully at a guy usually wanted him.
Mark was trying his best to ignore Melody but not make it obvious. 'She's so damn annoying.' Mark thought. 'Why doesn't she just shut up?' He had to get away from her. "Hey, um, I need some air. I'm just gonna go outside for a minute."
"I'll come with you," Melody volunteered.
"No thanks. I need a minute alone."
"Fine," Melody said with a sigh. "I'll be with the girls when you come back."
Mark nodded at her and then walked out. "What am I doing?" he said outloud to himself. "I don't like her and I know it. Why do I always want what I can't have?"
"What can't you have?" Rachel asked.