An imaginative World

2012-01-17T11:27:00.002+11:00

IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I LAST POSTED. I GUESS LIFE HAS GOTTEN IN THE WAY. WILL POST MORE IN THE FUTURE. WORK GOES BACK NEXT WEEK. AND I FOR ONE AM GLAD. I WANT TO RESUME MAKING MORE MONEY.

Chuck Wicks - Stealing Cinderella

2011-03-21T17:30:00.000+11:00

The Wanted - Gold Forever (Official)

2011-03-05T11:41:00.000+11:00

2011-02-27T14:53:00.001+11:00

ABOVE IS A BANNER I MADE FOR THE STORY “NOW THAT YOU’RE GONE’’ WHICH IS A STORY ABOUT LOSS AND HOW HARD IT IS TO MOVE ON FROM LOSING SOMEONE YOU CLEARLY LOVED SO MUCH.

ONE STEP AWAY ALBUM REVIEW

2011-02-26T17:58:00.001+11:00

For the Broken is that special album you find yourself listening to on long drives, late nights and early mornings. Its the perfect body of music to ease you out of summer season and into the fall. Each song takes you into moments of nostalgia-induced daydreams - where you remember the place in your life that relates most. Its not young music or old music.....its human music. The perfected instrumentals coupled with authentic lyrics and strong vocals, add a sense of reality that everyone can feel connected to.
The album paints varied portraits of relationships, love and broken hearts. "Riptide"is a strong rock ballad about the confusing end of a relationship where one is fighting the inevitable. Then there are the energetic Rock tracks "Here We Go" and "In This Moment" where one questions the mistruths from their partner. Comprised of Terence Healy (Lead Guitar), Adam Carrington (Lead Vocals), Mike Nuzzolo, (Bass & Vocals) and Ben Trudeau (Drums), One Step Away has created a refreshing body of music that will surely reaffirm and seal them as Pop/Rock sensations.

Check out more from the band at:

www.myspace.com/1stepawayband

www.facebook.com/onestepaway

www.youtube.com/onestepawayvideo

2011-02-21T20:47:00.001+11:00

Taken from the songs I use as a soundtrack when writing “Us Against The World”

If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

Open your music library
Put it on shuffle
Press play
For every question, type the song that’s playing
When you go to a new question, press the next button

Opening Credits:

Waking Up: The Way It Goes - Gloriana

Average Day: Until I Get Caught Red Handed – Every Avenue

First Date: Keep Falling Down – The Media Says

Falling in Love: Me With You – Jennette McCurdy

Love Scene: Sugar Sweet – Sing It Loud

Fight Scene: Love This Pain – Lady Antebellum

Breaking Up: I’d Hate To Be You – Mayday Parade

Getting Back Together: Takes A Lot Of Love – Katherine McPhee

Secret Love: Twenty Years - Augustana

Life’s Okay: Had It All – Katherine McPhee

Mental Breakdown: Stop The Bleeding – Sarah Darling

Driving: Papercuts – Runner Runner

Learning a Lesson: All I Need Is You – The Click Five

Deep Thought: Naturally – Selena Gomez & The Scene

Flashback: You Can’t Break A Broken Heart – Kate Voegele

Partying: Kiss It – Christina Milian

Happy Dance: Love Is Enough – Days Difference

Regretting: Do You Think Of Me – Daisy Mallory

Long Night Alone: I Told You So – Boys Like Girls

Death Scene: Off The Chain – Selena Gomez & The Scene

Closing Credits: Save Your Heart – Mayday Parade

If Riley’s life was a movie…

2011-02-21T17:25:00.001+11:00

Taken from the songs I use as a soundtrack when writing “Now That You’re Gone”

If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

Open your music library
Put it on shuffle
Press play
For every question, type the song that’s playing
When you go to a new question, press the next button

Opening Credits:

Waking Up: All-American Girl – Carrie Underwood

Average Day: Wheel Of The World – Carrie Underwood

First Date: The End – Mayday Parade

Falling in Love: Time To Let Me Go - Gloriana

Love Scene: Someone Like You – Boys Like Girls

Fight Scene: Wish You Were Here – Kate Voegele

Breaking Up: When You Got a Good Thing – Lady Antebellum

Getting Back Together: When I’m Done – The Click Five

Secret Love: Starts With Goodbye – Carrie Underwood

Life’s Okay: Stealing Cinderella – Chuck Wicks

Mental Breakdown: Gone – Phone Calls From Home

Driving: That’s What You Do – Stephanie Brownlee

Learning a Lesson: Things I Should Have Said – Chelsea Field

Deep Thought: Sorry - 3union

Flashback: Already Broken – Jasmine Rae

Partying: Ready To Love Again – Lady Antebellum

Happy Dance: Trainwreck – Demi Lovato

Regretting: Somebody – Kristinia DeBarge

Long Night Alone: So Small – Carrie Underwood

Death Scene: The Story Left Untold – Every Avenue

Closing Credits: What If – Ashley Tisdale

If my life was a movie…

2011-02-21T17:14:00.001+11:00

If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

Open your music library
Put it on shuffle
Press play
For every question, type the song that’s playing
When you go to a new question, press the next button

Opening Credits:

Waking Up: Turn It Up – Jimmy Robbins

Average Day: Mr Beautiful – Cheyenne Kimball

First Date: One Day You Will – Lady Antebellum

Falling in Love: Give In To Me – Garrett Hedlund & Leighton Meester

Love Scene: Fall – My Girl Friday

Fight Scene: Outta Time – Mercy Mercedes

Breaking Up: Heartbeat – Stereo Skyline

Getting Back Together: Behind Bars – The Wanted

Secret Love: Lift Me Up – Kate Voegele

Life’s Okay: Kissin You – Miranda Cosgrove

Mental Breakdown: Love Just Is – Hilary Duff

Driving: Girl, You Know Me – The Brightlife

Learning a Lesson: Strong Enough – Katie Armiger

Deep Thought: Full Moon Crazy – Honor Society

Flashback: Flat On The Floor – Carrie Underwood

Partying: Forget You – Phone Calls From Home

Happy Dance: You’re Not Sorry – Taylor Swift

Regretting: Stay – Dean Geyer

Long Night Alone: Don’t You Know - 3union

Death Scene: Still Holding On – Phone Calls From Home

Closing Credits: What About Us – The Bigger Lights

Excerpt from An Unexpected Christmas

2011-02-20T14:38:00.001+11:00

As Sara jumped off the stool, she bumped into another person and suddenly, she found her pretty red dress covered in beer.

“Ugh!” Sara groaned, pulling at the wet parts of her dress. Her dress was a mess. She couldn’t stay any longer looking like this. Her dress was sticky and clung to her body.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” a deep voice said to her. Sara looked up into the eyes of a guy she hadn’t seen around town before. And she was sure Serena would have spotted him out to her if he wasn’t a new face. He was everything Serena would consider hot with his intense green eyes, shaggy brown hair with bangs that fell around his eyes and he wore a plain black t-shirt, revealing his ripped chest and showing tattoos on both of his upper arms like he was the kind of guy her parents wouldn’t her dating or spending time with her daughter. Either he worked out quite a bit to look the way he did or he could eat and eat without putting on the weight.

“No, it’s my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Sara stammered, unable to form a proper sentence. Sara didn’t usually have a problem talking to boys. She was always able to strike up a conversation and a coherent one at that. How could her vocabulary be restricted to a mere couple of words?

“Well, allow me to at least help you.” He grabbed a handful of paper towels from the bar and passed them to Sara. As she took them from him, Sara’s fingers briefly touched his hand, sending waves of shock through her body. She hadn’t been touched like that since Aiden.

“Thanks,” she said, adverting eye contact down to her dress.

“So can I buy you a drink?”

Sara shook her head. “No, it’s fine. You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes I do.”

“No, really, I was leaving anyway.”

“C’mon, let me make it up to you,” He challenged. “I won’t take no for an answer.”

Sara tilted her head, scrunching up the balls of paper towels in her hands.

“Okay.” She returned to the stool she was previously sitting as the guy with no name sat down on the stool next to her, calling over the bartender.

“One beer and—” He looked over to Sara.

“And I’ll have a root beer. Thanks, Mike,” Sara finished. As the bartender moved to serve another customer, the guy looked at her questionably and Sara shrugged. “It’s a small town. We all know each other.”

“That’s not what I meant. You don’t drink beer?”

Sara shook her head. “Sure, I drink beer, just not tonight. I don’t really feel like it.” She looked at him and narrowed her eyes vigilantly.

“What?” he asked her.

She folded her hands together on the bar. “I’m just wondering if you’re always this persistent with women you spill beer on in a bar. I’m curious.”

“Only when such woman is as beautiful as you are then I don’t want to let them get away,” he showed a devilish smirk.

Sara blushed, feeling her cheeks go red with coyness. She bet his smirk won over many women he picked up in bars. “So are you new to town?” she asked him.

“You could say that. I’m…” He stopped as though there was something else on his mind like he should say something but didn’t. She obviously didn’t know him. “I’m just passing through town. By the way, I’m Jesse.”

“And is that name supposed to mean something to me?”

Mike returned with their drinks and Sara nodded her appreciation his way.

Jesse picked up his glass and took a sip then wiped his mouth with his hand. “Probably not,” he said. “I just thought we were introducing ourselves. I say my name. You say your name.”

Sara studied his side profile, taking notice of his five o’clock shadow on his face. “Well, Jesse, I didn’t know we were playing that kind of game but I suppose this is the part where I tell you my name?”

“That would be the general idea of the game.”

“And how do I know you’re not some kind of stalker? Should I be wary of you?” She rested her right elbow on the bar, and turned her body so that she was facing him.

“If you want to but you have nothing to worry about. I’m not a stalker. Like I said, I’m just passing through town,” he explained.

“That’s what they all say. So why are you passing through town?”

“You ask a lot of questions.”

“No I don’t. Not really. I’m just being friendly and getting to know a tourist. It’s what anyone in town would do. Why are you here?” she asked again, refusing to back down until she got an answer from him.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me your name.”

Sara rose to her feet, taking one more mouthful of root beer.

“You’re going so soon?”

She swallowed. “I have somewhere I need to be,” she told him. “Besides, if you’re not going to tell me why you’re here then I don’t have to tell you my name. I’m not going to converse with a stranger because I was taught better than that.”

“Can I call you then? I’d like to get to know you better over dinner or something?”

Sara leaned into him. “Tell you what. You can call me when you tell me why you’re here.” She challenged.

“So how will I tell you?”

She grinned. “Then I guess we’ll both be left with unanswered questions. Bye.”

She was faced with an uncertainty. Should she say more? Should he know her name? Give him wanting more? She figured she could have a little fun, maybe toy with his feelings. She might not be looking to date him but even if she wasn’t then it didn’t mean she couldn’t keep him hanging on. She had used to keep the guys wanting more in high school.

And as she disappeared out the door, all she said to him was, “But if you’re staying in town for a while, you can always look for me. I’ll be the girl you spilt beer on, whose name is Sara.”

New Story: An Unexpected Christmas

2011-02-20T10:28:00.001+11:00

Character Pictures for a new story titled “An Unexpected Christmas”

Plot:

IT'S A CHRISTMAS FULL OF SURPRISES FOR SARA MATTHEWS WHOM AFTER ENDURING ANEMOTIONAL TURBULENCE THIS YEAR, SHE UNEXPECTEDLY RECEIVES ROMANTIC ADVANCES
FROM THE LEAD SINGER OF A ROCK BAND WHO ARE IN TOWN FOR THEIR NATION WIDE TOUR. AND ALONG THE WAY, EACH WILL DISCOVER SOMETHING THEY HADN'T KNOWN THEY WERE LOOKING FOR - A SECOND SHOT AT LOVE AND FAMILY.

Sara Matthews – Main character, heroine. Mother to soon to be three year old Chloe McCormick. She’s the spitting image of her father which, for Sara, is always a close reminder that her late fiancé Aiden McCormick who is a casualty of war was no longer there to see his little girl grow up. She’s a single mother who works to support her and her daughter whose world revolves around Chloe.

Dylan Patton – Main character, hero. He first meets Sara in a bar but doesn’t tell her his real name. Instead he uses his middle name Jesse which is what he sometimes goes by when he wants to remain anonymous. He’s the front man of rock band “Enigmatic Boys” and sparks fly the instant he laid eyes on Sara. She is unlike any other girl he’s gone out with. His attraction to Sara is soon tested through the tiny mind of her daughter Chloe whom he begins to develop a bond with in a father and child kind of way, making him realise there’s more to girls than hooking up for a good time.

Serena Ballard – Secondary character, heroine’s best friend. Sara and Serena have been best friends since grade school. They’ve grown up together and been through everything together like first dances, first kisses, first crushes, prom, graduation and recently, Aiden’s death. Serena is the kind of friend who is always there for Sara no matter what. She simply wants to see her best friend happy and contented in life and while she’s the life of the party, out to have a good time whose only obsession is boys, she hopes to have what she saw Sara had with Aiden and now Dylan.

Chloe McCormick – Sara’s energetic three year old daughter. She inherited her father’s looks and her mother’s personality. When Dylan enters the picture hoping for a chance to get to know Sara, Chloe sees Dylan as someone who could be her new daddy because he is nice to her. She doesn’t fully understand as to why her real father is not there. She was only a baby when he deployed to Iraq and eventually died on his tour of duty and doesn’t remember him though Sara points him out to her through photographs.

Travis Martinez – Dylan’s fellow band mate. He’s the guitarist.

Matt Garner – Another of Dylan’s band mates and friend. He’s a wise soul and is often found giving his friend advice on the things that matter most like girls and love.

Aiden McCormick – Sara’s late fiancé, Chloe’s father. He succumbed to being a casualty of war, eventually becoming a war hero. He enlisted soon after graduating high school and although Sara wasn’t pleased to know her long term boyfriend whom she had been dating since high school was in the army, she knew it was something he had been considering for some time. Aiden had proposed to her just before his first tour of duty and they were planning to wed once he returned but a few weeks after he had deployed, Sara discovered she was pregnant and when Aiden returned home, they decided they would wait to get married until after Chloe was born. After the birth, Aiden deployed one more time and was killed in action.

How To Deal: Chapter Three

2011-02-20T07:55:00.001+11:00

Once upon a time
I believe it was a Tuesday
When I caught your eye
We caught onto something
I hold onto the night
You looked me in the eye
And told me you loved me

Taylor Swift, "Forever and Always"

Chapter Two

"Hello?" Taylor called out to an empty foyer as she walked into her house after the taxi dropped her off.

When she got no answer, she sighed, dropping her keys onto the side table near where a mirror hung and guessed that no one was home because otherwise she would have been greeted by either her parents or younger brothers.

"Great," she said aloud to herself. "Why is it that when I want privacy, everyone is around and when I want to talk to someone, I'm all alone? This totally sucks."

She just could never understand that.

Just then she felt her phone vibrate through the pocket of her black skinny-leg jeans. Fishing it out of her pocket, Taylor read Annie's name on the caller I.D, a grin appearing on her face at the thought of hearing from her best friend so soon after returning home. She couldn't wait to see her and catch up on all the gossip she missed while she was in New York City.

"Hey, Annie," she said into the phone when she answered the call as she walked into the fairly spacious kitchen, her heeled shoes sounding on the marble floor.

"Hi, Taylor, I wasn't sure if you'd answer your phone. I figured that you may or may not still be on the plane so I was just going to leave you a voicemail but I am so glad that you're home," Annie replied. "I missed my best friend."

Taylor could barely hear her friend over the excessive noise on Annie's end of the line. She guessed she was out somewhere, but she was also glad to hear from someone she cared about-even if it wasn't her mother and father.

"Thanks, I missed you too. Where are you?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm at House of Java with Brittany, Chloe, Grace and Abigail."

So she'd go and meet her friends at House of Java. She may need a rest and that meant to sleep but right now, she also didn't feel like being alone. She had sat alone on the plane with no friends or family to talk to for three weeks. She missed them. She'd catch up on her sleep later.

"Cool, then I will meet you there. I'm on my way now," Taylor said.

"No, we'll come to you. I'm sure you're exhausted. There's-"

But Annie was cut off when Taylor said bye and ended the call, sliding her phone back into her pocket, placing her bag down onto the floor near the entry to the family room. She'd unpack later. Then she picked up her keys and with a brief look around the house as though she was realising that nothing had changed, she walked back through the hall and was out the door.

Five or ten minutes later, Taylor paid for her taxi fare and emerged into House of Java, spotting her friends sitting on one of the purple plush seats in a corner booth. They were laughing about something when she joined them.

"Hi, guys," she said. "What are we talking about?"

Grace was the first to rise to her feet and embrace her friend with a hug.

"Oh, it's so glad to have you home. I've missed my chats with you."

Taylor looked sceptical, prompting Grace to continue. "No, seriously, you're the only one who actually understands Brittany when she's talking."

Brittany just narrowed her eyes, looking scornful while the others laughed, including Taylor. She and everyone else who knew Brittany loved her and her eccentric ways of life.

As she said hello to each one of her friends, sitting herself down in the only vacant spot beside Chloe, Taylor let her eyes wander ahead towards another table, falling onto someone particular sitting there-Conner. She couldn't see his face, but rather the back of him only, though still, she knew what he looked liked-well the back of him anyway. She did go out with him. But it wasn't that seeing her ex boyfriend again in a little over two months that gave her the chills up and down her arms.

It was the fact that he was whispering into the ear of a girl she didn't know. Who was this girl with red curly hair? What was her name? How did she know Conner? All these questions began running through her mind at a fast pace and the fact that she didn't know the answers to them bugged her. Was this girl the new girlfriend? It was all she could think of. There were not nearly enough words to muster the courage to say anything.

Annie and Brittany followed their friend's gaze until their own fell on Conner and the curly haired girl, whoever she was.

Annie then turned back to Taylor, her face showing concern for her friend. "That's why we thought we'd come to you."

So there had been a reason as to why Annie had wanted to suggest she come to her. Taylor loved that her friends had tried to think of her feelings in this whole situation but Taylor figured that at least she was finding out now before she put her heart on the line for a guy who had already moved on without her. She didn't need heartbreak all over again. Okay, so she hoped she and Conner would find their way back to each other but obviously he had alternate plans-separate from hers. It was no big deal. There were plenty of fish still in the sea. So why did she feel like she had just had her heart ripped out from beneath her all over again? Why did love have to hurt so much that she couldn't breathe and think properly?

"Love stinks," Brittany said, trying to make her feel better.

You got that right, Taylor thought to herself.

Chloe sat in sympathy with her, hugging her gently. "I'm sorry, sweetie."

Brittany crossed her arms on the table. "Apparently they met in rehab so-" Brittany was harshly stopped mid-sentence when Abigail scolded her silently, gently punching her in the shoulder.

But Taylor didn't want her friends to feel sorry for her. She wasn't the kind of girl who needed people to feel sorry for her. She took it in stride that if it was supposed to end a certain way then it was going to happen. End of story. And apparently, God had other plans for her. She just wasn't supposed to be with Conner at this point in time.

Taylor sat up, gazing back over to Conner's table, this time, smiling at Tia who was smiling back at her after noticing her in the café. She began to rise to her feet and looked around at her friends. "Whatever. Can we just go now?"

"Yeah, okay," Grace said, looking at the others, searching for reason within them. Annie shrugged her shoulders. No one knew what to say but they went along with their friend's suggestion. None of them wanted Taylor to feel uncomfortable knowing she was sitting a few tables away from her ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend. She was their friend and they all knew that Taylor didn't want to be here when her ex was also here.

The others followed her out of the booth as Taylor watch Tia usher over to their table but Taylor respectively declined, shaking her head and waving goodbye as she turned and headed out the door.

"So do you know who she is?" Taylor asked Brittany. Word was that Brittany knew who was dating who and which two were hooking up. It was why Taylor had asked her. There was not a doubt in her mind that she didn't think Brittany wouldn't know the name of the red haired girl.

"Her name is Alanna," whispered Brittany. "And she has nothing on you. You and Conner made a hotter couple than he does with her."

And as Taylor took one last glance back at Conner, she realised that Brittany was right. This Alanna girl did have nothing on her because she had everything on her. Conner and Alanna were more alike than she ever would be. She and Conner were just not meant to be. It was as simple as that.

Conner looked over at Tia, following her gaze and found out who she was waving to-Taylor. He had been told by Megan that she had travelled to New York to partake in a dance program at a top dance school but he hadn't even known she had arrived back in town. Now he couldn't begin to imagine how she must be feeling when she saw him and Alanna together. No, he knew exactly how she'd be feeling-hurt. He could read her like an open book. Sure, he and Taylor had called it quits but he still cared about her very much. He probably always would because she was his first real relationship. He could never really forget about her. Conner never intended to have Taylor find out about Alanna this way. He had planned to tell her face to face and had he known that she was here, he would have talked to her. He just hoped he'd get a chance to talk to her-and soon.

Taylor was sitting in her bedroom at the desk in front of her laptop as she wrote the English paper Abigail had told her about that was due next week while she listened to music on her iTouch.

Then her cell phone lit up and vibrated from its position on her desk.

"Hi, Tia," Taylor said into the phone when she answered the call, reading the caller I.D.

"Hey, girl, how was New York? Run into any Gossip Girl stars out and about?"

Taylor could almost see Tia's face turning into a smile as she asked her.

"No, I didn't. I was a little too busy dancing to go scouting for celebrities. Besides, I think they had already finishing filming the show by the time I arrived there."

"Damn. What about Chace Crawford? I heard he's in a new movie and they're shooting it in New York."

Taylor refrained from cracking a laugh at her friend's expense. Gossip girl was one of the only shows Tia could stand to watch anymore besides Grey's Anatomy so she was kind of obsessed when it came to style stalking the stars of the show.

"Yeah, I didn't see anything, Tee. Sorry," she said. "But what's up?"

"That's a shame, but anyway, I assure you, there is a reason as to why I call you on a Saturday afternoon when I could have just walked next door to you..."

Taylor could barely make out Tia's voice as she tried to listen to music, write a paper and talk on the phone all at one time. Therefore, she turned down the music as she focused on her friend.

"So we're going to a bonfire down on the beach tonight and I thought you might like to come too so that you can see everyone before school on Monday."

Taylor had an inkling suspicion of who we were. She figured she meant everyone she hung out with which meant that there was a good chance Conner would be there too. And if so, then he'd probably bring his girlfriend with him too. Taylor guessed that she had started to hang out with his friends as well since she began going out with him.

"I don't know." Taylor weighed in on her options, chewing on whether or not she should go to the bonfire and risk seeing her ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend together. It was bad enough that she had been a witness to it at House of Java. She really didn't want to have to go somewhere, knowing they'd be there all along. It wasn't her style to make small talk with an ex and his girlfriend. That just wasn't how she rolled.

"C'mon...it'll be fun," Tia attempted to persuade.

Taylor tried to toy with the idea but as hard as she had tried, she couldn't get the image of Conner and Alanna out of her head. She didn't want to see them together. It was going to be bad enough to have to see him in school-when it was just him-she couldn't begin to see what it'd do to her state of mind if she saw them together.

"If you're worried about seeing Conner with Alanna then I wouldn't panic because he might not be coming anyway."

There it went-AGAIN! And just when she had come to grow sick of thinking about those two names together, she had heard them in the flesh through conversation from her friend. He might not even be there. Might, as in there was a chance he would be there and she couldn't take that chance if he was. Not right now anyway. She knew there'd be a time when she would need to talk to him but if there was any chance of her putting it off for as long as she could then she would take that chance rather than risk it. It was better than having an awkward conversation with your ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend. She had seen One Tree Hill last season and for the record, she was team Peyton all the way. There was no denying who she had been rooting for in the end.

"Tee, it's nice of you to think of me when Conner and I are not together anymore but I really can't come. Although, I'd love to catch up with you, I also have an English paper to write and according to my parents, that has to come first. Sorry."

So she had lied to one of her nearest and dearest friends but she didn't know what else she could do or say. There was no way she'd put herself out there and purposely go out of her way to see Conner and Alanna together.

"It is cool. School comes first, especially when you've missed three weeks. Actually, I've got a history paper due that I should be staying home to finish but what you going to do." Taylor heard Tia stall for a moment and she could have sworn she had heard a male's voice in the background but didn't think anything of it. She figured it was probably Trent or Andy. She had heard from Jessica through a text message while she was in New York that Tia had started dating Trent. That they were keeping it low key but that they were still a couple.

She wouldn't let something overrated get to her. It was probably nothing anyway.

After Taylor and Tia said their goodbyes, Taylor placed her phone down on her desk and stared at the computer screen in front of her, contemplating what to write next. It wasn't that she wasn't good at English because she was but she just didn't have the energy to find the words to spur an essay. And if she did then she was afraid it wouldn't be up to the high standard she usually put into her assignments. She drummed her fingers against the keyboard.

"So the rumour is true. My favourite cousin is finally home." Taylor looked over to the door and saw Melissa standing there with a smile on her face.

"Liss!" Taylor jumped up from the chair, pushing it back and bounced as best as she could with a cast on her leg toward her cousin, embracing her with a hug.

"How was New York?" she asked as the two girls hugged. Melissa pulled back and looked down. "On second thought, don't tell me. I think I can make it out myself. You broke your leg. Did you missed me that much? You had to break your leg?"

"Fractured actually," Taylor pointed out. "There is a difference. And it's not my whole leg, just my ankle."

With the help of Melissa, Taylor hopped to her bed and sat down while Melissa took a seat at the chair Taylor had previously been sitting on.

"So how'd you manage to 'fracture'," Melissa air quoted, "your ankle?"

Taylor shrugged her shoulders. "During a dance rehearsal, I hurt it by moving it in a way I shouldn't have, refused to seek treatment in which I continued to dance knowing my ankle was limited to movement and then in the midst of a class, the pain suddenly became too overwhelming that I could no longer stand up let alone dance and I collapsed. In other words, as the doctor told me, it's a simple injury made into a bigger problem brought on by me who refused to seek medical aid when I hurt it in the beginning."

"Taylor-"

Taylor raised her hands in surrender. "I know. Please, I don't need another lecture explaining how I did the wrong thing. I got it from the doctor and the dance instructors and then again from my parents an hour ago. I don't need it from you too. Believe me, I've learnt my lesson, but at the time, I honestly thought I'd be okay. That the pain would go away on its own and that I just needed to rest it with an ice pack."

Melissa stared at me, her brown eyes watching me carefully. "Obviously you didn't rest it enough."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, so why exactly are you here?" Taylor asked her, changing the subject. She didn't need to be told by everyone that she was stupid to continue dancing on her leg after hurting it the first time.

Melissa rolled her eyes, stared at the computer screen then back at Taylor, resting her hands in her lap. "I'm here because we're going to a bonfire tonight."

"We?" Taylor asked. Hadn't she just gone through this with Tia? Who were we?

"Yes, we, as in you and I," said Melissa. "And Will. He's waiting out in the car."

"Look, Tia already called and invited me to the bonfire. I said no to her and I'm going to say no to you too."

"You did? Why?"

"I'm tired. I don't feel like sitting around another famous bon fire on the beach to bitch about people I don't like. I really just want to have a quite night at home with my family. Besides, since when do you and Tia talk to each other?"

"Really? Yeah, I'm sure you do. And I'm sure there's somebody you'd like to bitch about." She examined her finger nails carefully. "I wouldn't go so far to say Tia and I are friends but I guess we both have something in common-you. So we've learned to tolerate each other for your sake. We won't be the only two there. Most of the senior class were invited and probably some of the junior class who talk to the seniors. There will be plenty of people for you to talk to."

So Melissa was right. Taylor had been given an extension-but by one week. It still didn't give her a lot of time to write a 1500 word essay on the effects of Loss though she had plenty to say on the topic given she had experienced loss in her life.

"I-" Taylor tried to say.

Melissa stood up, pursing her lips together. "I can't." She mocked her cousin, knowing the words that were going to come from her mouth. "Yes you can. That's not the Taylor I know. The Taylor I know never says I can't. I don't think the word is even a part of her vocabulary much does she know the definition of the word because if I can recall, she defied all the doctors who told her she'd never walk again because she was determined to walk rather than face life as a paraplegic. Now, unless I'm thinking of another Taylor who looks like you, I could have sworn that that was all you."

"I get it. I don't say I can't, but this time is different. I haven't lost movement in my legs. I just don't want to see my ex boyfriend and his girlfriend together at this present time. I'm sure you'd feel the same if you knew Will was dating some other girl."

Taylor figured she'd be strong enough to get past the initial shock of seeing Conner with someone else and having her heart break all over again. After all, she had been through much worst than a meaningless break up so she knew that she had the courage to pull herself through and survive a broken heart but she also knew that the less she saw of Conner and Alanna together, the better she'd be in the long run at getting over him.

Melissa stormed to Taylor's walk in closet, pulling out her sandals then crossed the room back to Taylor.

"I am not taking no for an answer." Melissa tossed her shoes at her cousin. "You're coming with us."

Taylor gave up arguing with Melissa. She knew it wouldn't get her anywhere. Instead, she slipped her shoes onto her feet and rose to her feet with the help of her crutches. Melissa did a quick once over in Taylor's full length mirror as she passed it on her way out of her room.

"So earlier you said Will was waiting in his car. Did you guys get back together?"

"Yes."

Taylor couldn't figure it out. She had only been away for three weeks and those three weeks felt like a life time. A lot had happened and a lot had changed in three weeks. She hadn't expected to come home to change. Sure, she had expected that not everything would be the same as it was when she left but she did not expect the people she knew the most in town to change as well.

And all that Taylor could say was, "I wasn't gone that long. What else happened while I was away?"

How To Deal: Chapter Two

2011-02-20T07:54:00.001+11:00

I'm taking this one step at a time
I'm letting go a little more everyday
But moving on doesn't feel right
I still think about you every single night
I guess I gotta give it for you a little more time

Jordin Sparks, "One Step at A Time"

Chapter One

Three Weeks ago...

Taylor waltzed into her house carrying four bags from expensive shops after spending up a small fortune during a shopping spree with Annie and Brittany.

She figured that the shopping spree had something both Annie and Brittany had conspired together in an effort to have her come out of the house and stop moping about while she waited for a phone call from Conner. Conner had been in rehab for four weeks now and he had promised to call her soon but so far, she had yet to get his call. It wasn't that she missed his call because she made sure to never go anywhere without her phone. She didn't want to miss it for when he did call her. Taylor got that Conner was busy trying to get over his addiction but still, he had promised to call her. It wasn't like him to break one of the promises he made to her. He never broke a promise-well, not one Taylor knew of.

Call her crazy, she was trying to move on without Conner, she just didn't want to completely forget about him either. There was a part of her that hoped he'd come home and want to rekindle the relationship they had had before everything turned sour. She knew it was a long shot but she didn't care. It was all she could think about and as much as she had tried to say yes to guys when they asked her out, she always managed to turn them down, knowing that she wasn't completely over Conner and probably wouldn't be until she knew for sure that it was over between the two of them. Then she'd start dating again.

"Mum. Dad, what's the matter?" she asked her parents when she walked through to the main living room and found both of her parents sitting together on the couch.

They looked up from a piece of paper they were reading.

"I would ask if you had fun shopping but I think the bags are a good enough answer," her father noted.

Taylor sheepishly glanced down at the bags she was holding, setting them down on the floor. "Yeah, but don't worry, I didn't go overboard." She meant that she didn't max out the emergency credit card her parents gave her or spend all the cash still being kept in her Chanel purse.

Her father sighed relief. Without saying anything, Taylor knew what he meant-good, I won't see my bank account decrease as rapidly as I usually do.

Taylor raised her eyebrows, spotting the paper in her mother's hands. "What's that?"

"An acceptance letter into a three week program at a prestigious dance school in New York City," her mother said. "I found it when I emptied your clothes hamper. Why didn't you say you were accepted into a dance program?"

"Why didn't you tell us you applied to a dance program?" her father added.

Taylor shrugged, sitting down on the sofa opposite her parents. "I don't know...I guess I wasn't sure if I should go or not. I only applied because I didn't think I'd get in. The program runs this time every year and according the school's website, not everyone who applies is guaranteed a spot into the program because they only offer thirty positions to the truly talented dancers. I didn't think I was that good of a dancer."

"Honey, I always knew you were a talented dancer. You've always had a passion for dancing," her mother told her.

"But, you have to say that. You're my mother."

"Well, yes, that's partly true, but obviously these people at the school think you've got talent as well or otherwise they wouldn't have offered you a spot in the program."

Taylor knew her parents were right, but she couldn't go. The timing was all wrong. What would she do about school? Yes, she could probably afford to miss three weeks of school since she was well ahead in all of her classes. But she had only applied to the program when Conner had been missing in action due to the explosive intervention his family and friends tried to give him. At the time, she had nothing better to do other than worry about her boyfriend and so she had filled in an application, sending in a video with it.

"I guess...but what about school? Do you really want me missing important school days?" Taylor asked, determined to find fault in something that meant she couldn't go to New York because her parents wouldn't allow it. Though, she knew that the only reason she didn't want to go was because she wanted to be here when Conner called. She kept telling herself that he would call her because he had promised her. And it was the only thing keeping her sane.

"Of course not, but sweetheart, this is an opportunity you can't pass up," her father said. "And we've already spoken to your guidance counsellor. He seems to think you'll manage fine for three weeks. Apparently, your grades have maintained well above average this year. You won't have to work hard to catch up when you resume school in three weeks."

Taylor should have known that her parents would have done their research before committing to something like allowing her to miss three weeks of school to dance. They were always thinking of her education because making sure their children got an education was their top priority and they made sure their children knew that too.

"I understand if you don't want to do it and your dad and I will support you either way," her mother sympathised with her. "But I think you should strongly consider going. You wouldn't have applied if you didn't want to go. And I'm afraid that if you don't go, you might regret your decision later."

Taylor knew that her mother was right. She did want to go but by going, she didn't want to give up thinking she and Conner didn't stand a chance at being together again. She hoped they did. But she couldn't miss out on an opportunity like this. And she'd have her phone with her for when he called her. She wouldn't miss his call.

"Actually, I think I do want to go," she said at last.

"Well, then, you better get packing," her mother glanced down at the piece of paper in front of her, "because you have a deadline." She looked up at her daughter. "When did you receive this letter?"

Taylor shrugged. "I don't know...I can't remember."

"Well you're supposed to be there by Monday which means you've got this afternoon to pack so that we can purchase you a plane ticket to New York."

Taylor stood up and leaned into her parents, embracing them in a quick hug. "Thank you. You're the best. I love you," she said before she rushed out of the room and headed up stairs towards her bedroom. When she got to her room, Taylor dropped her bags onto her bed and smiled to herself. Okay, so Conner hadn't called her just yet but she didn't care. She knew that he'd call her eventually. He had promised her and yes, he was in rehab to get better but she also knew that he'd make the time to call her because he wouldn't make a promise he couldn't keep-especially to her. But she couldn't sit and dwell on playing the waiting game.

It was pure torture and she wasn't going to torture herself nor was she going to get herself worked up over a phone call that would happen. So she'd go do something she knew Conner would be happy to see her doing. It was only for three weeks and it wasn't like she'd miss his phone call. Even in New York, she'd still have her phone with her. She pulled her phone from her jeans pocket, quickly glancing at the LCD screen to check the time, wishing he'd call her already before she gave up and tossed it aside onto her bed as she made her way to the other side of her bed, opening up the door and walked into her semi organized closet. She had too much to do to continue thinking about when Conner would call her. She needed to pack but the first thing she needed to do was work out what clothes she'd take to New York with her.

She came out with a handful of designer named jackets still on their coat hangers.

"Mum!" She called out as she walked out of her room, not bothering to notice the sound of the phone ringing on her bed, reading 'Conner cell' on the screen.

It was a typical day at the airport in Los Angeles as everybody continued to make their way to and from the places they had to be. And in the middle of the crowded airport, Taylor was spotted walking away from the flight gates as she exited the plane that had brought her back to L.A from New York. And unlike before when she boarded the plane headed for New York so that she could take part in a dance program at an elite New York dance school, this time, a number of things had changed about her that she hadn't been sporting when she left the city.

And as she loaded her bag into a waiting taxi before she climbed in, giving the driver the address of her destination, Taylor tossed her Brazilian brown coloured hair over her shoulder and sighed as she let the cast on her leg rest, ready for whatever drama was planned for her as she settled back into life. A part of her hoped she and Conner would get back together following his recent struggle with alcoholism but one thing was for sure-she was a new and improved and even edgier Taylor and nothing or no one was going to get to her the way it used to because she had come too far to back down now.

How To Deal Prologue

2011-02-20T07:52:00.001+11:00

Oh, sweetheart,
put the bottle down
You've got too much talent
I see you through those bloodshot eyes
There's a cure, you've found it
Slow motion, sparks
You've caught that chill
Now don't deny it
But boys will be boys
Oh, yes, they will
They don't wanna define it
Just give up the game and get into me
If you're looking for thrills then get cold feet

Kelly Clarkson, "I Do Not Hook Up"

How To Deal

Prologue

Seven Weeks earlier…

Conner turned down his street, feeling the familiar sense of dread as he approached his house. Dinner with his paranoid mother wasn't something he was looking forward to, but hopefully if Sandy was around, then his mother would know better than to start tossing out more crazy accusations. He pulled his Mustang into the driveway, and then glanced in his rear view mirror, doing a double take when he noticed his friends' cars parked farther down the road. There was Andy's vintage Caddy, Tia's Lexus, Maria's Green Taurus and Elizabeth's Jeep.

Conner let the engine idle for a second, contemplating what he should do next. His first instinct was to take off and he supposed he could always turn around and go see Taylor but maybe he should just go this over with and go inside to face the music. Whatever they were doing there, he needed them to get the message to leave him alone for good and there was no better time to do it than now. He reached into the backseat and pulled out an almost empty bottle of vodka out of his backpack, taking a couple of swigs that was just enough to relieve the strain of what he knew was about to come his way. They could think he was drunk if they wanted. It was even better.

He would just walk right in there, tell them off and then head on up to his bedroom and lock the door behind him. Or maybe he could go and spend some quality time with his girlfriend where he knew he wouldn't be judged. At least he had one person who still believed in him. One person he could count on in times of need, if his friends doubted their belief in him. He was just grateful that she too wasn't sucked into what his friends believed he was or wasn't. He didn't need Taylor believing every word his so called friends told her, especially when it wasn't true. None of it was even remotely close to being true. It might have been the half truth but it wasn't the whole truth.

He was glad to know she hadn't turned on him. At least, he had his girlfriend on his side, if she was the only one. So he liked to drink alcohol. He liked the smooth transition of it going doing his throat. But that didn't make him an alcoholic. It didn't mean he had a problem. His mother was the recovering alcoholic. Not him. She was the one who used her privileges as a member at the country club to indulge on enough alcoholic beverages to become tipsy and make a fool of herself in front of the people she knew, only to have a phone call in the middle of the night saying to come and take her home because she's not fit to drive home on her own.

He turned off the car and made sure to slam the car door extra loudly when he got out so everybody inside his house would know he was home. Then he sauntered up to his front door, almost looking forward to the chance to getting the annoying do-gooders inside his house off his back.

It's Showtime, he thought as he pulled open the door and walked through the short hall into the living room, finding a heavy built up of silence surrounding the room. When he stepped into the room, they were all there—his mom, Tia, Andy, Evan, Maria and…Megan and Taylor.

Fury coursed through him at the sight of his little sister and girlfriend sitting side by side each other on the couch, staring at him with wide, scared eyes.

How dare they bring them into this? He thought he'd at least be defended by the two people he cared for the most. But here was his sister and girlfriend, and they were pitted against him. Unbelievable!

The silence was interrupted by the sound of his name, coming out in the softest, quietest tones he had ever heard. But he could still recognise the voice and his eyes went straight to Taylor, who looked away, unable to see his reaction, before he turned to Tia.

She met his gaze, her green eyes filling rapidly with tears. "Conner," she repeated, louder this time.

His breath caught, and emotions he hadn't thought were possible soon flooded his body and he was unable to move. Instead, he just stood there on the spot in shock, not knowing what to say to these people. He tore his eyes away from hers and stared down the rest of his friends, trying to make his absolute loathing clear. If they wanted to stage a stupid little intervention for him then fine. So be it. But Megan was here. Taylor was here. And that was too much—way too much.

He balled his hands into fists, feeling his face grow hot under the collar, and then he spun around on his heel and started to head for the door. He didn't know where he was going to go but he knew that he had to get out of here. He couldn't take it any longer.

"Conner—wait," Tia blurted out. He turned not, quite looking at her. He'd let her say whatever she wanted to say and then he was getting the hell away from everybody, including Megan and Taylor.

"Conner," she said, "we're here because we love you."

What a bunch of crap? They loved him. If they all loved him so much, then you'd think they would leave him alone and let him be, let him live his own life the way he wanted to live it. But no, they had to interfere until they voiced their opinions about the way he should be living his life. They needed to have a say and it was enough to drive him completely insane. They couldn't just ignore what was happening.

They were all watching him as he stared around the room at his family and friends sitting in his living room, wondering who was going to speak next.

He wanted to walk straight out the door, leaving them all behind, but this time he had no place else to go. He couldn't go to his girlfriend's place seeking comfort. She was here and he couldn't go to Andy's or Evan's. They were both here. He really didn't have anywhere to go. Besides, he kind of wanted to stay and see who would be next to have the courage and tell him he had a drinking problem.

Conner stared back at Tia, barely able to believe the words that she had spoken. Well, actually she could believe them. She was Tia. She was known to be outspoken. But all he wanted to do was tell them to shove their little intervention like it was really helping—confronting him about the drinking problem he supposedly had.

"It's about your drinking problem," Tia backed up and his entire body went rigid as he moved his gaze to his supposed best friend. She kept her wide brown eyes focused on his face without flinching, but he knew well enough to recognise the slight tremble in her lips and voice that always came out when she was trying to hide her emotions.

He heard Megan let out a small, choked noise and the anger that he had been building inside him since he walked in the door reached boiling point.

And whatever had been holding him here released its grip and Conner whirled around, storming toward the front door. He shoved open the door, reaching into his pockets with his other hand for the keys to his Mustang, the keys jangling in his hand. A few more feet and he'd be behind the wheel of his Mustang.

Seconds later he was out the door as heard foot steps behind him. He didn't dare glance around to see who had bothered to chase after him. He didn't care who it was. He just knew that he was out of there. As he opened the car door and got in, closing the door, he looked back into his rear view mirror and saw Tia closing in behind him.

"Conner, wait!" She called out frantically to him, but he didn't stick around long enough to hear her out. Instead, he put the key into the ignition, turning the car on and pulled out of the drive way. He didn't know where he was driving to, and quite frankly, he didn't care. All that mattered was that his house and so called friends; family and girlfriend were out of view and he kept going until he couldn't see them anymore.

Monday morning Conner turned off his car as he sat out the front of Taylor's place, ready to face up to what he had done to her when he skipped town.

He knew he had hurt her because he saw Tia last night and she had said how Taylor wasn't sure what to make of their relationship anymore. It was when Conner knew he had to confront her after many weeks of making her wonder whether the two of them were even in a relationship or not. He couldn't bear to think he had made her wonder in the first place. He wouldn't let himself hurt her anymore than he already had. He wanted to spare her the pain of having her heart break all over again.

As Conner got out of his car, realising he had sat long enough and he needed to get it over and done with, he thought back as to how his conversation with Tia had gone down the night before. She had reacted as he had expected her to react. She had been concerned for him but she also understood that he needed to deal with everything he was putting himself and everyone else through in his own way. But she was just glad to know he was okay and that he was going to get the proper help he needed to overcome this addiction. He supposed he could have done both Tia and Taylor in one night considering they lived next door to each other but he knew that one conversation would be harder than the other and at the time, he wasn't sure what he was to say to Taylor so he thought it'd be best if he waited until this morning.

But even now, he still wasn't sure what he should say to Taylor other than sorry. He knew he owed her one heck of an apology and that it was all he hoped he was expected to do, though he also knew she deserved a better boyfriend than he had been to her. At least he had expected Tia's reaction considering he had known her since grade school but Taylor was a whole other story—one Conner wasn't sure what to expect from her. Should she be angry at him for skipping town without telling her where he was going? Would she be angry? Would she be happy to know he was back and in one piece?

He walked across the Morris' green front lawn, stepping onto the porch as he pressed in the door bell, waiting anxiously with his hands in the pockets of his baggy blue jeans.

Conner heard noises inside followed by the scuffing of feet on the floor before the side window curtain opened slightly as Taylor appeared, her face showing signs of contentment which lifted Conner's spirits, knowing she wasn't holding resentment toward him.

She disappeared then seconds later, he heard the door being unlocked then it opened as Taylor stepped out dressed in pale blue skinny jeans and a grey polar fleece hooded sweater, reading the letters SVH. Conner stepped away as she closed the door behind her and walked toward the swing chair on the porch.

"Hi," she said as she took a seat. She crossed her legs and pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her knuckles, clasping her hands in front of her body as if they could act as some sort of barrier between them.

Conner paced the porch, unable to stand in one spot, afraid of what would happen next if Taylor's father came outside. He figured he wasn't the most popular person to be seen around here because as it was, her father had been cautious of his daughter dating him to begin with.

Taylor looked up at him and instantly picked up on his uneasiness. She opened her mouth to talk, trying to calm down his nerves so that the two of them could have a proper conversation together.

"It's okay. You can sit down. My dad was the one who told me to talk to you." Taylor chuckled at Conner's widened and amazed eyes. "Yeah, I know. I was surprised too."

At her request, Conner sat down beside her, avoiding eye contact. Instead he set his eyes on one spot on the ground. He didn't dare want to see the hurt and confused look in her eyes. He had already seen her face hurting once before at the intervention his family and friends had tried to give him. He didn't need to see the emotion again.

"But your dad is right. We do need to talk," said Conner as he searched for the right words to say and at the same time, he found his voice hoarse with uncertainty. He wasn't sure what to make of their future anymore and if they even had one together. "Before I…I just thought we should talk."

Taylor gripped tighter onto the side rail of the chair, her knuckles turning the colour white. By being in his presence, she was a bundle of nerves, and she didn't know why. She had never been this nervous around him before; then again, a lot had happened since she and Conner started dating. She had never expected she'd be dating a guy who would later develop an addiction to alcohol. But she was and so she had to work out where she stood with him. For the sake of their relationship and her heart, she needed to know if she was even in a relationship with him, one both of them was committed to.

Conner used his hands to grip tighter onto the edge of the seat.

"So I'm going to rehab. My mum got me into the program she went to."

"That's great, Conner. I'm really happy for you."

Conner still wasn't sure what he should say, but at least she had been happy to know he was going to a rehab program. Sure, Taylor had appeared happy when she saw him but unlike Tia who had hugged him as soon as she saw him, Taylor continued to keep her distance from him. She was probably still cautious of whom he had become and Conner didn't blame her. He'd do the same thing.

Taylor watched Conner look down at the ground. Had she said the wrong thing? Did he want her to say something more? She really didn't know what she should say in response to him and truth be told, she just didn't know what she was supposed to say to Conner anymore. Too much had already happened between them and recent events had definitely made an impact toward their shattered relationship. As much as she would have liked to forget all that had happened and go back to the way they were, she knew they couldn't. None of it could be erased like it didn't happen. And both Taylor and Conner knew that, but life went on and you just had to learn to go on, knowing what you know.

"When are you going?" Taylor croaked out.

"My mum managed to get me in today," he went on to say. "I would have come to tell you last night when I saw Tia…but I…couldn't really deal with confronting two people I hurt."

Taylor felt every bone inside of her loosen up slightly. She could see that he did want to change, that he knew he needed help and by helping himself, he was confessing to the people who he had hurt the most.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I know was a jerk for the way I went off without telling anyone where I was going. I treated you badly and for that, I truly am sorry."

At least he had the decency to tell her how sorry he was. She guessed it was a start. He was trying to make amends for all the wrong he had done lately.

She forced herself to meet his gaze, finally feeling a twinge of real emotion as she stared into his hazel eyes. It was like a conversation between two people who barely knew each other, not a couple who just weeks ago had been so close. Scenes began to roll through her mind as she sat there, her body tight with nerves. Conner kissing Tia. Conner drunk. Conner wild and out of control. Conner wild and out of control. Conner yelling at her and trying to throw her out of his house.

She wanted to desperately reach out and help him but a part of her was reminding her of all the pain he had caused her when all she had wanted to do was help him. He hadn't wanted her help then so why would he want her help now?

Conner cleared his throat. "So I was thinking that it wouldn't be fair to make you wait for me while I'm away.

Was he breaking up with her? Oh, crap! He was. Even after everything he had put her through in recent weeks; she wasn't expecting him to break up with her. Okay, so she guessed he thought it was best for them right now and she was thankful to know that he was thinking of her but to call it quits. Did she really want to go there? She wasn't so sure.

She didn't need him to say any thing else. She knew what he was trying to get at. He had only come to see her because he wanted to break up with her. She had never been dumped before, so she didn't know what it was supposed to feel like. She had always been the one who did the dumping. She was the dumper not the dumpee. What was she supposed to feel?

Was she supposed to be angry? Check. Confused? Check. Sad? Check. If there was a word for all three then she'd be it.

Conner ran a hand through his hair. "What I'm trying to say is that maybe it'd be best if we took a break, at least until after I've returned from rehab."

What was she supposed to say back to him? Okay, yeah, that's a great idea. Let's break up. It wasn't how she imagined a break up should be. Break ups were never an easy thing to do, no matter how much people claim you'd be in the long run. It wasn't what you anticipated it to be in your head.

"Uh…okay," Taylor stammered, fumbling with her hands.

His gaze flicked over her face but neither Conner nor Taylor said anything else. As of this moment, Taylor wasn't sure if she wanted him here anymore. She wanted him gone but not out of her life if that made any sense at all.

Conner stood up, rubbing his hands along the front of his jeans. He looked down at Taylor, his eyes intent as he watched her closely, obviously looking for some form of reaction from her. But all he got was a glum smile. Was she glad he had decided to enter the cool down phase of their relationship? Why couldn't he read how she really felt? He had used to be able to look into her eyes and instantly know what she was thinking.

There was something in his voice that made her look up at him and for a second, she remembered everything she used to feel when she was near him. How his shirt smelled when he held her against him. The way her body reacted every time he kissed or touched her, but they were old memories and obviously not enough to make everything that had happened to just go away on its own. It was too late.

Still, she ached for one last hug from him. And as she rose to a standing position, she stepped forward into him as he embraced her affectionately, looping her arms around his neck and burying her face into his chest.

"I miss you," she let the words she had been dreading to say come out in a soft, low way.

Conner squeezed her back, letting her know that it was okay, that everything would work itself out. "I miss you too."

Conner could have stood on the porch with Taylor forever but he couldn't because the longer he stood there, the harder it was going to be to tear himself away from her. He didn't want to leave her but he knew that in order to help himself through this recovery, he needed to part ways with everything that meant a lot to him. He hated to see her on the verge of tears and just wanted to hold her tight and tell her that everything would be okay but he couldn't because he didn't know if everything would be okay.

Using all the strength that he could muster together, Conner pushed himself away from Taylor, placing his hands on either side of Taylor. "You should get going to school before I make you late," he said. He searched her eyes with his own. "I'll try to call you soon."

"You promise?"

There was a word he liked to avoid whenever possible but for Taylor, he was determined to keep his promise. He wasn't going to shatter her heart again.

"I promise."

And as Taylor watched Conner walk back to his car and drive away, she sank back down onto the swing chair, unable to collect the courage to drag herself off to school. She had just had her heart broken and there were no words to describe what she had just gone through than utter lack of sensation.

Book I’m reading right now…

2011-02-19T22:03:00.001+11:00

Twins Under His Tree by Karen Rose Smith

Newly widowed Dr Lily Wescott was the proud new mother of twin baby girls. But she couldn’t have done it without surgeon Mitch Cortega supporting her through it all.

Spending time with Lily and her twins was making Mitch yearn for something. The wounded combat surgeon knew they both needed time to heal, but how much longer could they fight their attraction?

Christmas Cupid - ABC Family - Extended trailer

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Rihanna - Only Girl (Alexandra Amor Cover)

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Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are ( Alexandra Amor Cover)

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The Vampire Diaries Extended Promo 2x08 - Rose

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Carrie Underwood - Mama's Song (MUSIC VIDEO)

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Chelsea Field - Things I Should've Said

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Supernatural (Space) New promo season 6

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Supernatural Season 6 Trailer - NEW one

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Alexandra Amor - Superstar [HQ MUSIC VIDEO]

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Supernatural || 6x01 Exile On Main Street [CW Promo Season 6] HD

2010-09-11T10:35:00.000+10:00

Gossip Girl Season 4 first Promo !

2010-08-18T08:00:00.000+10:00

Chelsea Field - Things I Should've Said

2010-08-16T10:57:00.000+10:00

Jennette McCurdy - Not That Far Away - Official Music Video

2010-08-16T10:52:00.000+10:00

The Bigger Lights - Hey Summer (Official Music Video)(NEW SONG) HQ

2010-08-12T17:04:00.000+10:00

Supernatural Season 6 official promo CW

2010-08-12T16:03:00.000+10:00

90210 - Season 3 Promo

2010-08-12T15:59:00.000+10:00

Hellcats Trailer - Cheer Up

2010-08-12T15:56:00.000+10:00

The Vampire Diaries Trailer - Extended Preview

2010-08-12T15:51:00.001+10:00

2010-08-12T15:50:00.000+10:00

LIFE UNEXPECTED SEASON 2 PROMO

2010-08-07T19:14:00.003+10:00

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES SEASON 2 PROMO

ONE TREE HILL SEASON 8 PROMO

2010-07-19T11:14:00.002+10:00

JESSIE JAMES "BOYS IN THE SUMMER" MUSIC VIDEO

2010-07-14T10:57:00.000+10:00

NEW TV SHOW PREVIEWS

LONESTAR

RAISING HOPE

MY GENERATION

RAMONA AND BEEZUE TRAILER

2010-07-14T10:21:00.001+10:00

RAMONA AND BEEZUS TRAILER...I'M NOT ASHAMED TO ADMIT THIS MOVIE LOOKS REALLY GOOD

STEP UP 3D MOVIE

2010-07-10T16:50:00.000+10:00

STEP UP 3D MOVIE TRAILER STARRING AUSTRALIAN ACTRESS SHARNI VINSON

2010-07-07T17:27:00.000+10:00

New story I'm developing titled A Reason to Love. This is the character list of what I think each character looks like. Synopsis coming soon.

FRIXION MUSIC VIDEO AFRAID

2010-07-06T11:31:00.000+10:00

Frixion's music video to their single Afraid

NEW BOY BAND "THE WANTED" WITH THEIR OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR FIRST SINGLE

2010-07-06T11:18:00.002+10:00

The Wanted first single All Time Low...pretty catchy!!

2010-07-03T15:08:00.004+10:00

Hellcats is an upcoming American television cheerleading comedy-drama series for The CW starring Alyson Michalka, Ashley Tisdale, and Matt Barr. The show is based on the book Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders by journalist Kate Torgovnick. The series is described as "Election meets Bring It On"

Hellcats revolves around Marti, a pre-law college student from the wrong side of the tracks. When budget cutbacks and her mother's constant carelessness cause her to lose her scholarship, she joins the Hellcats, the college's competitive cheerleading team

HELLCATS PROMO 1

PROMO 2

NIKITA PROMO

HELLCATS PROMO 3

2010-06-16T08:56:00.001+10:00

I finally got my certificate last wk so now comes the time when I attempt to look for another job, in a place where I'll hopefully be paid a little better than I have been. Fingers cross someone says yes to me.

2010-06-13T18:31:00.000+10:00

MAKE IT OR BREAK IT SEASON 2 PROMO!!

LOOKS INTENSE BUT AT THE SAME TIME VERY VERY INTERESTING. I CAN'T WAIT!!

SomeWhere Over The Rainbow (There Is A Pot of Gold. Also Mirrored), Glee

2010-06-12T16:44:00.000+10:00

The Journey Medley (The Longest Greatest Medley EVER. Also Mirrored), Glee

2010-06-12T16:42:00.000+10:00

Boys Like Girls: Heart Heart Heartbreak Official Music Video

2010-06-05T10:14:00.000+10:00

2010-05-19T10:53:00.001+10:00

Just learned that ONE TREE HILL got renewed for an 8th season and after the season finale we got yesterday, I am so glad we are getting another season. We need to clarify the shocking season ender. I want to know what is going to happen to Clay and Quinn. We can't just leave like that and have them get shot. Will they die? Personally, I hope they don't. I know some people don't like them that much but they've grown on me. And I'm glad we at least got some happiness from Julian and Brooke and Nathan and Haley. So perhaps if season 8 is the last season, we'll have another tree hill wedding and another tree hill baby. Two long awaited things.

2010-05-14T08:56:00.002+10:00

EASY A MOVIE TRAILER

ALBUM REVIEW

2010-04-28T15:51:00.000+10:00

Anyone who's seen an episode of iCarly is already aware that Miranda Cosgrove can carry a tune - she sings the show's opening theme. But can she carry a whole album? Happily, the answer is yes.

The tracks on "Sparks Fly" are fun and generally upbeat, and many are filled with quirky lyrics and hooks that keep the album entertaining from start to finish. For instance, the Ke$ha ("Tik, Tok") penned "Disgusting" is all about being completely disgusted with yourself for being so in love with a guy, and "Oh, Oh" features an unique sound effect throughout the chorus and verses.

Several of the songs, such as "Disgusting," "BAM," "Oh, Oh" also have an 80's feel that should help the album appeal to adults, while the tweens can appreciate the more straight-forward teen pop feel of "Kissin U" and "Daydream." Other standouts include "Shakespeare," "Brand New You," "Beautiful Mess" and "There Will Be Tears," the latter of which shows of the lower range of Cosgrove's vocals.

On the negative side, some of the ballads do weigh the album down a bit - "Hey You" is a bit forgettable, and Cosgrove's voice sounds a bit strained on the higher notes of "What Are You Waiting For," although the song itself is pleasant enough to warrant a few repeated listens anyway.

All in all, "Sparks Fly" is a solid and enjoyable debut album full of ear-candy for just about any pop music fan. And you'll definitely want to purchase the deluxe version of the album - the four extra songs are well worth it.

2010-04-22T07:31:00.001+10:00

I went to a private screening of When in Rome in Sydney last night thanks to the tickets I won in the daily telegraph. I was actually surprised by how good it was and that I enjoyed it. I didn't think it would be as good as it was. But it was and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes that kind of movie being a chick flick.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

HOW TO DEAL CHARACTER LIST

2010-04-14T18:05:00.000+10:00

CONNER MCDERMOTT - MICHAEL TREVINO

Michael Trevino from "90210" and "The Vampire Diaries"

I think Michael is the perfect candidate to be Conner. Looking back on a day when I wanted to write How To Deal, a Sweet Valley fan fiction story I'm working on but couldn't so instead I began randomly googling celebrities who could remotely be a look alike to the characters, I found Michael to be exactly as I imagine Conner. Don't you think he's got the whole tortured and broody musician look?

TAYLOR MORRIS - DAVEIGH CHASE

Daveigh Chase from "The Ring" movies and "Big Love"

I didn't know who this girl was until she popped on a google search when I was looking for someone who was an image I had in mind for Taylor. And as soon as I saw her, I knew she was perfect. She's everything I'd imagine Taylor to be. She's a spitfire yet vulnerable. Headstrong. Kind-spirited. She's got a heart of gold. Can't you see her trying to tame the likes of boys everywhere, though she's really only got one on her mind.

MELISSA FOX - ASHLEY LEGGAT

Ashley Leggat from "Life With Derek"

As soon as I saw her, I knew I had found Melissa. With a mean streak to match anyone who stands in her way of getting what she wants, I think there is also a vulnerable side to Melissa as we have already seen in the books. Look out if you double cross her but if something as so much isn't going her way, she'll meausures into her own hands and do something drastic, maybe even costly.

WILL SIMMONS - LUKE MITCHELL

Luke Mitchell from Australian soap "Home and Away"

When I thought of Will Simmons, it was a far cry from Luke Mitchell. I hadn't even thought of him but now that I have, maybe he's a good choice after all. Will is the football jock and probably considered hot though he also happens to be dating the girl every other girl at school is afraid to go against. And although Luke's character 'Romeo' on Home and Away doesn't play football, I still think he'd make a good jock and have the entire school fawn over him.

TIA RAMIREZ - VANESSA HUDGENS

Vanessa Hudgens from "High School Musical" movies.

I always had Vanessa Hudgens in mind for Tia. She's almost the spitting image of her. If anyone could pull her off, it's Vanessa. She's the girl who tries to succeed in everything she sets out to do. She tries her hardest to make nice with everybody and only when someone is rude to her or inappropriate gossip is being spread about her friends will she take a stand.

SWEET VALLEY HIGH MOVIE CAST

2010-04-09T10:01:00.000+10:00

Who do you think would be better suited to playing the characters in the SWEET VALLEY HIGH book series?
Here are what two websites think and for some strange reason, both sites think Zac Efron would make a good Todd Wilkins. Give me some time to think and I'll come up with my own choices though I gotta say, Leighton Meester as Lila Fowler is spot on.

LILA FOWLER should be played by LEIGHTON MEESTER. I’m sorry, but rich bitch Blair Waldorf was totally modeled after Lila, so this role would not be a stretch in the slightest.

Oh, BRUCE PATMAN, what a complicated man you are. Semi-newcomer KELLAN LUTZ has the sexy, mean bad boy thing down.

I always kind of hated Elizabeth’s best friend ENID ROLLINS. She was dorky and a goody-goody like Elizabeth, so she should be played by someone on the mousier, tomboyish side, like ELLEN PAGE.

AMY SUTTON was Elizabeth’s bestie in middle school, but then she moved away, turned into a snotty beyatch, and then moved back to town, only to become new besties with Jessica. I don’t know if Kristin Cavallari can act, but sister looks and acts just like her on “The Hills.”

TODD WILKINS was the best out of Elizabeth’s lame boyfriends. I would sex him up by casting that hottie ZAC EFRON.

It will take a real actress to play REGINA MORROW, the deaf girlfriend of Bruce Patman, who dies of a cocaine overdose. EMMA WATSON should have the chops.

LYNNE HENRY was a much smaller character in the series, but as I was doing research, I was struck by how edgy and indie rock Lynne’s look was back then. ALEXA CHUNG would be all over that shizz.

JESSICA/ELIZABETH WAKEFIELD
When the books were adapted as a TV series in 1994, identical teen actresses Brittany and Cynthia Daniel were cast -- but in the modern age, it makes sense to cast one actress and give her the "Parent Trap" treatment. So, which young blonde lady is up for the challenge of playing both demure and wanton? Well, Hayden Panettiere has danced nimbly over the good/evil line over the past three seasons of "Heroes." Plus, she already has her own cheerleader outfit.

WINSTON EGBERT

The whole point of class clown Winston is that, sure, you'd never sleep with him, but he's still a really fun time. (Elizabeth asking him to the Harvest Ball was a total pity date.) And who's a better time than "Superbad"'s McLovin, aka Christopher Mintz-Plasse?

BRUCE PATMAN

Because Scott Porter from "Friday Night Lights" is a gifted actor whose struggles with paralysis have given him no shortage of serious moments, don't you think he'd welcome the chance to cut loose and flaunt his wealth, good looks and bad-boy charisma on screen?

2010-03-31T10:53:00.000+11:00

Review of their latest album. Taken from above website.
The Bigger Lights self-titled album is the band's first full-length on the heels of two EPs. With two new band members (drummer, Ryan Seamen and guitarist, Chris McPeters) since the release of their second EP the band's sound has taken a little bit of a change. This album reflects a softer version of what we have previously heard from the band.

This album has a much pop-ier sound than their previous EPs. While songs like "That Kind of Girl" and "Jessie" more closely resemble their older songs, many others show a different side of TBL that listeners haven't heard before.

The album is different, but still reflects the qualities that make The Bigger Lights special. Lead singer, Topher Talley, has a unique and distinguishable voice that the album showcases well. All members of the band have a passion for music, both their own and that of others, and it shows throughout the album.

Not every TBL fan is going to appreciate the album, but the subtler punk influence and greater pop influence will appeal to a greater mass audience and invite many new listeners to enjoy the band's sound. Overall, the new album is a great effort and is definitely worth a listen or two.

TYLER HILTON'S "SUNSET BLVD" MUSIC VIDEO

2010-03-27T17:12:00.000+11:00

Watching this makes me really anticipating the moment when I can get my hands on his new EP out April 20 and then his long awaited album due out in the winter in Australia.

2010-03-24T16:07:00.001+11:00

Taken from the above website. But I just recently found this band and therefore, I figured this review could be helpful to others who have never heard of Artist Vs Poet before and would like to discover a new band.

Artist vs. Poet – Favorite Fix CD Review
By: Tyler Hoppel
Forming a semi-generic, yet appealing sound, and having a bit of luck was all it took for this Texas based pop punk band to get signed. (Artist vs. Poet signed to an indie label called Fearless Records). Soon after signing came a few EP’s, that paved the way for their debut full-length Favorite Fix. Artist Vs. Poet couldn’t possibly fit the Fearless signing pattern of energetic poppy rock bands any better. Favorite Fix was recorded with multiple producers including Zack Odom, Kenneth Mount (All Time Low, Mayday Parade, Cartel) and Mike Green (Paramore, Breathe Carolina). The result is a clear pop rock record with all the bells and whistles.
Giving Artist vs. Poet the benefit of the doubt and a closer, fair look into the album’s contents should probably be given to make sure some hidden treasure don’t lie in wait. At the heart of Artist Vs. Poet rests pretty typical pop punk melodies. Yea, I mean they add crunchy effects to their guitars, sample beats and eccentric lyrics that keep your headphones in your ears. But if you take away all off that, all that lies, is a simple pop rock that I used to play when I was in a shitty band in high school. I guess what Im saying is, without the big name producers this record wouldn’t have any substance.

I knew I was in for a let down as soon as the opening track “Car Crash” kicks off with vocals singing, “bah dah dah dah dah, dah dah, dah dah dah”, followed by some “oohs” and “ahhs” in the chorus. That, in a nut shell, is the foundation of the band’s sound, with slight deviations along the way to keep the self-plagiarism at an almost bearable level. “Adorable” and the title track “Favorite Fix” are all bland and boring. The track “We’re All The Same” starts off sounding like a Postal Service rip-off (looks like someone else is trying to bank off of that genre). Ballads seem to be this band’s strongest suit; “Miserably Loving You” and “Alive” make up for the frequent clichés in their lyrical subjects by honing their melodies and harmonies. The prior two songs features a skillful buildup and release of near epic proportions. “Giving Yourself Away” may be the best song off Favorite Fix, but it may be little to late to save this record. These three tracks aside; “Miserably Loving You”, “Alive” and “Giving Yourself Away” Favorite Fix fails to impress and joins the ever building stack of bands trying too hard to do what another bands have done that preceded them. In some sort of irony vocalist Tarcy Thompson ends the record by singing “how do we cope with things we hate”.
Favorite Fix stand-out tracks – “Miserably Loving You”, “Alive” and “Giving Yourself Away”

Favorite Fix track-listing -
01. Car Crash
02. Adorable
03. Favorite Fix
04. Unconscious Reality
05. Damn Rough Night
06. We’re all The Same
07. So Much I never Said
08. Miserably Loving You
09. Broke But Not Broken
10. He’s Just Not Me
11. Alive
12. Giving Yourself Away

Score: 2/5
Similar To: Forever The Sickest Kids, The Friday Night Boys, Sing It Loud

2010-03-24T15:59:00.000+11:00

How I Met Your Mother Season 5 Episode 18:

90210 Season 2 Episode 15:

2010-03-24T11:21:00.002+11:00

Life UneXpected Season One Episode 10

AVENUE 52 "SIMPLE GIRL" MUSIC VIDEO

2010-03-24T10:21:00.002+11:00

2010-03-22T16:57:00.000+11:00

2010-03-22T16:45:00.000+11:00

Miley Cyrus - I Hope You Do
(one of my favourite songs...this and "When I Look at You"

2010-03-12T15:16:00.000+11:00

NAME YOUR TOP 5 FAVOURITE TAYLOR SWIFT SONGS.

1. Forever and Always
2. Invisible
3. The Outside
4. Superstar
5. Tell Me Why

MILEY CYRUS WHEN I LOOK AT YOU MUSIC VIDEO

2010-03-11T19:09:00.000+11:00

ITUNES SHUFFLE

2010-03-11T17:02:00.000+11:00

Instructions: Put your favorite music player on shuffle (Party Shuffle on iTunes) and fill in the names of the songs in the order they show up. Or you could pick your own songs, but that's not as much fun. ;) (Yeah, I thought I'd do it again).

My love of life was inspired by the song: How Far Do You Wanna Go - Gloriana

My Favourite thing to do is: Headlight Disco - The Click Five

To cheer myself up, I: Jenny - The Click Five

My Theme Song: 99 Times - Kate Voegele

Happiness is: Further Now - Ten Second Epic

Right now, I feel: Me Without You - Ashley Tisdale

My Birth was like: Tonight, I Love You - The Latency

My parents are like the song: I Never Do what I should - Sarah Darling

My Deepest Secret is: Suicide Sunday - The Friday Night Boys (I swear this is not my secret)

The Story of my Life: Come in with the rain - Taylor Swift

High school was like: Sorry I stole yo girl - The Friday Night Boys

At my wedding they'll play: Still Holding On - Phone Calls from Home

My friends see me as: Picture Perfect - Tyler Hilton

What makes me happy is: Turn it Up - School Boy Humor

My family is described by the song: Songs About Home - Mandy Moore

This song described my grandparents: The Way it Goes - Gloriana

When I'm drunk I say: Into Your Arms - Runner Runner

My make-out song is: Burn it Up - Jessie James

My Last words will be: Better Than You - The Friday Night Boys

Somewhere in my wedding vows, I will include: That Pretty Gurl - The Media Says

If I got lost on a desert island, I would yell: One Way Or Another - Kate Voegele

How will you die? 21 - Runner Runner

Next time I'm in front of a crowd, I'll say: Here We Go Again - Demi Lovato

At my funeral they'll play: All-American Girl - Carrie Underwood (Kinda odd cos I'm not even American. ha ha. I'm Australian.)

My message to the world has always been: For Always, Forever - Every Avenue

US AGAINST THE WORLD - CHAPTER THREE

2010-03-11T11:55:00.000+11:00

Us Against The World

Chapter Three: The Life Changing Conversation

"Oh my god, you little slut!" Stacey blurted out the second Chantal came home, stepping into her apartment she shared with her friend.

"You know?" she asked warily, already knowing the answer to her question. Of course she knew. She and Stacey had known each other since elementary school and had been best friends since junior high. Chantal should have known she'd find out eventually. She usually always did. Nothing in Chantal's life was sacred anymore.

"Uh-huh, Isabella just text me," she explained, crossing one leg over the other as she turned away from the television in favour of facing her friend. "You slept with Adam last night and now you're doing the inevitable walk of shame." She tutted her finger at her as though it was wrong of her to either have sex with her friend or do the walk of shame. Or maybe it was both. Chantal gave up trying to understand her friend a long time ago. Quite frankly, it did her brain in just thinking about it.

"Did Isabella also mention that Adam and I were also incredibly drunk when it happened?" asked Chantal, dropping her bag on the old pale blue couch beside the arm chair Stacey was sitting in. "It just kind of happened." She leaned against the couch, to take her black pumps off her feet.

"No, she seemed to leave that part out," Stacey replied, pressing her lips together.

"Of course she would." Chantal rolled her eyes, kicking her shoes to the side as she padded gently into the small kitchen joining onto the even smaller living room and poured herself a glass of orange juice from an empty glass sitting in the dish rack. The apartment was small but at the time, it was all either girl could afford. It was comfy and both girls had grown accustomed to their living situation since moving into it almost a year ago and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. It was lived in--exactly as Chantal liked it.

"But being drunk doesn't matter because you still had sex with Adam," Stacey continued in a matter of fact manner. "Can I ask you a question?"

Chantal set her glass of juice down. "So? I was drunk. He was drunk. And he was there. If I was with some other guy, I probably would have had sex with them too. I obviously didn't know what I was doing because if I had been sober, I would never have slept with Adam. But sure, fire away. You're going to anyway even if I had said no."

"How does sex just "kind of happen"?" she asked, in repeat of Chantal's earlier response.

Chantal sipped her juice slowly then on her last sip, she spoke. "Haven't you been listening to a word I said? I was drunk. Adam was drunk. We both didn't know right from wrong. We fell into bed together. End of story. It still doesn't change anything."

"But this changes everything," Stacey said, trying to get Chantal to see the bigger picture.

"How?" Chantal was confused but her head was also pounding, not from the alcohol she consumed last night or that she could still taste beer on her tongue (she wasn't a glass of wine type of girl. If she was going to drink then it had to be the good kind, the kind you could get wasted on and obviously do something you'd live to regret the next day. The heavy kind. She was the only one of her friends who would drink beer and perhaps it was also the reason she got on so well with guys. Maybe she'd need to start drinking wine in order to get a little attention and affection from a guy or two. Then again, what on earth was she saying? She didn't need to start changing her habit now. She had had many beers before and still managed to land a boy to play with) or even knowing she had had sex with Adam. None of it mattered now. Her head was pounding as though there was a ticking time bomb waiting to go off and it really wasn't helped by having to listen to her friend explain her actions to her. She didn't need this now or ever.

"Adam isn't just some guy. He's also your friend--our friend."

"Uh-huh and now he's a friend I've had sex with. It still doesn't change anything," she lied. Okay, so it wasn't the complete truth but the more she kept from her friends, the better they'd all be in the long run. No one needed to know that she was beginning to see another side to sleeping with Adam--a side, she herself, didn't even see coming.

"Of course it changes things. Okay, so it would be understandable if the two of you had feelings for each other. It would be a little weird at first but we'd eventually get past it. But you don't have feelings for each other and what you did--"

"What we did was just sex," Chantal intercepted. "And not the kind you have with Nick. We don't love each other like you love Nick. It doesn't need to mean anything, not if you don't want it to." Or if you don't let it...

"Exactly." Stacey clicked her fingers. "Adam was your friend long before last night. How are you supposed to look at him now knowing what you did together?"

Chantal had been asking herself that very same question all morning. She just wasn't sure of her answer yet. She didn't have one to give. She had found herself lying to cover up the excuse of not having an answer.

Chantal downed the rest of her orange juice, running the empty glass under the tap to rinse it out then placed it in the drying rack.

"It was nothing so it'll be easy." Another lie. Again. Boy, this lying thing was easy. Perhaps she should try doing it more often.

Chantal skipped toward her bedroom and Stacey called out to her. "Yeah, I'd change your clothes if I was you too. You've got drunken sex with Adam written all over that dress."

But Chantal ignored her friend and wondered if she even believed the words that emerged from her mouth. Just how easy would it actually be?

"So have the two of you actually talked since that infamous night you spent together?" asked Isabella as she, Chantal, and Stacey were walking out of the café hidden away by shrubs in pots after enjoying a coffee together. They stepped out onto the sidewalk of a busy New York street. Just another typical day living in the city that never sleeps.

Chantal had met up with Isabella and Stacey at their work and opted to have a girl's lunch together.

But now that she was having lunch with two of her best friends, Chantal just wasn't sure as to how she should explain the night she slept with Adam to them or anyone. Five days later—almost a week—and she still hadn't gotten around to really talking to Adam about all that happened between the two of them. Adam didn't think they had anything to talk about. It was just one spontaneous night of sex as a result of drinking way more than they should have. But Chantal wasn't so sure. Were her friends' right? Chantal just wasn't sure as to how she should bring the subject up. There was no problem. She didn't like Adam nor did their one night together really mean anything. They were both drunk and didn't know what they were doing.

"Not exactly—should we have?"

Isabella gave Stacey a look that only the two of them were a part of. They could read each other's mind.

"Well, generally when you sleep with a guy who is also your friend, you should talk. You have things to work out." Stacey was the first to speak. In the eight and a half years since Stacey had known Chantal, she assumed it would have been bluntly obvious that she and Adam would naturally have something to discuss, especially when she had never slept with one of her guy friends before.

"What things should we have to work out? There are no issues." Chantal was confused. Why must her friends make everything complicated with a guy? Sex wasn't supposed to be this hard. What a guy and a girl did was natural.

"Are you sure about that? How could you not?" Stacey was adamant to think something needed to be discussed even if Chantal didn't think there was. Okay so Stacey, herself, had never had this situation arise and that was mostly because she was the type of girl to be in acommitted relationship with one guy. She didn't do meaningless flings. She would leave that to her friend though she also didn't know how Chantal consistently managed to avoid the awkward boyfriend and girlfriend conversation. But still, Chantal hadn't just slept with any old guy as opposed to the guys she met while clubbing. This time it was different.

The guy was Adam and what went down between them wasn't just a kiss. Chantal had slept with Adam and Stacey was sure it would alter their entire friendship together. You could only go so far with friends. There were boundaries you couldn't go past when you were friends with an extremely cute guy. Even Stacey had to admit that Adam was insanely handsome though she had never been one to think of him as more than just a friend. He wasn't exactly her type though she could see why Isabella would think he was perfect for Chantal because he was. She and Adam would be good together. They didn't lack chemistry. They'd just work together, if Adam and Chantal were smart enough to realize they could make it as a couple together.

She had always assumed that Chantal had thought the same thing but now, she wasn't so sure. Had Chantal always had a thing for Adam? Had she wanted something to progress between the two of them? They were obviously really good friends and Stacey could see why Adam would be turned on by Chantal. Her friend was hot and definitely got all the right attention in the boy department. She never had any trouble in landing a guy, she just didn't seem to want to keep the guy. Maybe Chantal was right. Maybe this time wasn't so different to any of her other nights spent with boys. Or maybe she was lying to herself in order to prevent her heart being broken. She didn't want her hear shattering into a million little pieces.

"I know what you're trying to do and I honestly couldn't care less," Chantal broke the silence.

"Wait!" Isabella raised her right hand in the air. "What are we trying to do?"

Chantal could play along just as easily as her two friends standing beside her on a busy New York City sidewalk. She stuck out her thumb to hail a taxi. "You," she pointed at Isabella, "and you," she pointed to Stacey, "are trying to get me and Adam to realise that we like each other, that we want to be together. We both worked it out at dinner the other night but it simply isn't the case. I know it might be hard for the two people who are so madly in love with their boyfriends to understand but Adam and I are just friends. It is possible for the two of us to just be friends without having it supposed to mean something more romantically."

Stacey opened her mouth, ready to respond but Chantal quickly shut her down. She needed to get this off her chest once and for all—and just maybe she'd start believing herself.

"Uh—let's get one thing straight, shall we? Yes, Adam and I had sex but as far as I know, it didn't mean anything to either one of us. It also won't change anything between us. We're still friends. We'll only ever be friends."

A bright yellow taxi pulled up beside them and as Chantal pulled the handle on the rear passenger door, she turned around and stared at her friends stunned faces. She had finally shunned them down about her un-involvement with Adam. "You still coming or what? The guys are expecting us."

And just like that, the conversation had come to a rapid halt though neither girl had doubts that it wouldn't be the last.

An hour and a half after Chantal, Isabella and Stacey had settled into the apartment shared by Adam and Tyler ready to watch some major sport event on the wide screen television (the trio of girls still weren't quite sure as to what they were even doing there), Isabella and Stacey kept swapping glances at each other as well as at Chantal as she confined herself to the opposite side of the living room in a desperate bid to get away from their constant roll of the eyes.

She knew what they were thinking but she also knew they were resorting to those damn eye glances for the fact that Adam, Tyler and Nick were present in the room and they couldn't dare admit aloud their true intentions to Chantal in front of them. At this point however, Chantal wasn't sure if she liked the idea of her friends talking to her with their mind.

Then Chantal stood up, rubbing her hands down the front of her light grey skinny jeans and she did something out of the ordinary. She was nervous as hell but she needed to knock it out of the way and that's why she asked Adam if she could talk to him, getting a staggered expression from Adam and everyone else in the room.

"So um, Isabella and Stacey think we need to talk," Chantal finally admitted. She and Adam had been standing outside the apartment for a number of minutes and only now had she finally been able to speak, given that she had not only taken Adam by surprise but also herself. She didn't quite know what to say to him. But just maybe this little talk really would get her friends off her back. And just maybe they'd finally see that there was no connection between her and Adam at all.

"Of course they do." Adam stared out at the busy New York street. He rubbed his hands together. "So are we supposed to discuss what happened between us the other night?"

"I think so. They seem to think that it's going to change our friendship somehow even though they're aware that it happened because we were drunk."

"Well, yeah, but did you at least feel something for me?" Adam asked her and for a moment, he had her but then he formed a cheeky grin and cracked a laugh. "I'm joking. But I had you thinking I was serious."

Chantal playfully hit him on the back. "Whatever. But there is something that did cross my mind." She just didn't know how to bring the subject up.

"Oh, yeah?" Adam raised an eyebrow

"Yeah," she said softly. "You kissed me."

"Yes I did kiss you. You're just picking up on this now? There was a lot of kissing involved that night. Don't tell me you don't remember?"

"No, I remembered." You don't forget something as pivotal as what we did. She couldn't forget that night even if she tried. Her friends kept bringing it up every chance they got.

"No, you kissed me. You kissed me first."

Adam bowed his head. "I know but it's like we said, we were both drunk and we just both happened to be there together."

"So that's all it was?" she asked. Chantal tried to hide the fact that she was somehow let down by knowing why Adam kissed her. Did she really want him to kiss her because he actually wanted her? It was absurd. Oh, shit! What was she saying? "Yeah, you're right. We weren't in our right minds that night."

Adam shrugged aimlessly. "Or maybe it had something to do with the dress you were wearing. As your friend, I don't know if I can tell you this but you looked hot on that night. I'm surprised you didn't have a guy try to jump you."

He thought she was hot. Strange to hear it from him, even though their relationship had taken a different approach but he took notice of her appearance and how she dressed. Did he do it all of the time?

"Yeah, no, you're right; you can tell me I'm hot because you are my friend. I think you're allowed to tell me the truth. So, you really thought I was hot?" she asked him. Something about it the first time just didn't sound right. She needed to hear him say it again for it to be real. She had never imagined he'd ever say that about her. She was Chantal. She was just friend. She was the girl he paid no real attention to. She wasn't someone he'd go out of his way to hook up with or so she thought anyway.

Adam nodded his head and smiled. "You were hot. You are hot," he clarified. "You're gorgeous. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

"What about you? Would you go out with me again if given the chance?" She blurted out, and then wished she hadn't said anything as soon as she let the words escape her mouth.

Adam scratched his chin. "Yeah, I suppose I'd hook up with you again if you weren't my friend. But you are and I care for you too much to play those kinds of games with you."

He cared about her. She felt her heart ache knowing he didn't want to play the games he played with other girls with her. But she was determined to down play the whole situation. She wasn't completely sure of her feelings for Adam. Did she like him as a friend or as more than a friend? Even when she had first met Adam, she had found him rather charming and good looking. He definitely knew how to win his way into a woman's heart or in his case, her pants or skirt. But once she had gotten over the initial shock of Adam, she realised she was better off being his friend than a number on his list of girls who'd be his latest conquest. So why was she suddenly reverting back to her old ways of fantasising about the two of them together? She had had that over long before the other night even happened.

"Well, you're lucky I'd never go out with you anyway. I've seen how your games work. I don't want to have my heart break like every other girl who you've strung along and had their heart broken in the process of the stupid game you play. My heart doesn't break so easily but I also don't want there to be a first time which is why I find you utterly repulsive. No wonder I was drunk when we had sex. I wouldn't have done it with you any other way."

What was she talking about? She was one to talk. It wasn't as though she didn't know how to play the game.

"Ooh, smart talk for a pint size person."

"You got that right."

"Hold that thought," Adam said when he felt his phone vibrate through his pants pocket.

"Ooh, I hope that's your phone vibrating and not something else." Chantal teased.

Adam laughed, reading his caller I.D. "It's my sister. I wonder what she wants."

"She probably wants to tell you how she finds you utterly repulsing as well. Tell her I said hi."

Adam answered the call, ceasing an end to the vibration. After a brief conversation, Adam ended the call, feeling his hands tremble as his phone slipped to the ground, partial colour beginning to drain from his face.

Chantal gave one serious look in his direction. "Adam, what's wrong?"

Seconds later after Adam and Chantal returned from outside, the others all turned and faced them. But Adam didn't say a single word. Instead, his colour continued to wash away and he simply walked past them, locking himself away in his bedroom.

As their gaze fell from Adam, they turned back to Chantal and it was Nick who was the first to speak.

"What's going on?"

Chantal threaded her fingers together, feeling her own colour drain away.

She could feel the words all messed up even before she spoke them.

"Um...Mia called. Adam's dad died today."

And as everyone reeled with the news they had just been dealt, all that could be done was silence--pure and utter silence.

US AGAINST THE WORLD - CHAPTER TWO

2010-03-01T16:29:00.002+11:00

US AGAINST THE WORLD
CHAPTER TWO: THE MORNING AFTER
The following morning Chantal rolled over onto her side, her eyes squinting open a smidge as she took in the non familiar surroundings of where she lay in bed. Walls and a ceiling was painted brown, black bed side tables and the doona covering her wasn't the purple and white one she had on her bed. Whose bed was she in? What had she done last night? Then the events of last night suddenly flashed through her mind in a series of images that made her remember and realise where she was. However, it wasn't until she heard a deep yet recognizable grunt next to her and she knew what had gone down last night.
She looked over and saw a body sleeping next to her. Then she slowly peeled the sheet away from her body, not totally shocked by the sight she saw and tugged at the sheet, pulling it tighter across her naked body. Shit! She had slept with Adam. How could she have had sex work Adam and not remember any of it? How many times had they actually done it last night? Her lips felt raw and were no doubt pink and puffy. As much of last night that she could remember—dinner, dining alone with Adam, drinking with Adam—she was still a little hazy on the rest of the night though she guessed she had the drinking to thank for that. How she had ended up in Adam's bedroom let alone in his bed was still confusing the hell out of her. Then Adam rolled over too, stretching his arm, his eyes opening quickly when his hand felt someone beside him.
"Hi," she said. "Bet you weren't expecting me in your bed this morning."
Neither was I.
"Did we?"
"Do the unthinkable? The deed? I'd like to say no but it looks like we did."
Adam rolled over onto his back, rubbing his face with his hand. "I guess we did quite a bit of drinking last night. I don't remember much at all."
"You and me both—the part I do remember however was I think you invited me in for coffee and I guess somehow we ended up here. Needless to say, I don't actually remember you and me drinking any coffee at all. I guess we skipped that part."
"Well then I suppose I owe you a coffee. You want one?"
"If you're offering to make me one then how can I refuse?" Chantal grinned. "I don't think you've ever offered to make something for me."
"I've also never woken up and had you in my bed either. I guess we're dealing with a lot of firsts this morning."
"Mm, yeah I guess we are." Boy, he couldn't be more right. Could it be that Chantal was beginning to feel something other than platonic feelings for Adam? Was he feeling the same way? She wished she was able to get inside his head and see what he was feeling. Then again, this was Adam. It was highly unlikely of Adam to feel any such emotions for a girl let alone Chantal. She supposed she was just lucky enough to be offered a coffee the next morning following last night's rendezvous.
"So I'm gonna go out first." Adam moved to the other side of the bed, sitting on the edge of the bed, his bare back facing Chantal. Somehow Chantal remembered gliding her hands his back.
Adam slipped on a pair of running shorts and as he jumped up off the bed, Chantal brought the sheet tighter around her body, making sure he didn't get a glimpse of anything he had access to last night. Sure, he had already seen her in all her glory but today was a new day. She didn't need to give him another private viewing, not unless the two of them were planning to see other again and she doubt they'd be going at it a second time.
"And I'll tell you when the coast is clear for you to come out of my room. OK?"
Chantal nodded her head. "OK," she said feebly, still unsure as to what all of this meant and how it would affect her friendship with Adam. They hadn't really talked about where to go from here.
"Although I do remember you kissing me first," she said but Adam had already gone.
"There you are!" Isabella startled, clasping her hands together from where she sat on the stool behind the kitchen counter.
"Mm," Adam groaned, scratching the back of his head. He obviously hadn't accounted for Isabella to be sitting there even though he knew his chances were fairly large.
"Oh, well, good morning to you too sunshine," she said. "You're awfully chirpy this morning. What you not do last night?" She used air quotes to get her point across.
Adam looked at her suspiciously. He didn't like the way she asked him what he did, as though she already knew.
"What do you mean?"
Isabella shrugged her shoulders, looking over at Tyler who was standing on the other side of the counter. She gave him a look as though she was saying, should I tell him or not? Then she proceeded to say, "What did you do last night? How was dinner?" She showed a sparkle in his eyes.
"You know?"
"Know what?"
"About what happened between me and Chantal?"
"Yeah, of course I know about you and Chantal going to dinner together. I arranged it—Stacey and I arranged it."
"I'm not talking about dinner. But thank you very much for that. I do like being set up."
"Then what else are you talking—" She stopped mid sentence, as Adam's comment began to make sense. "Well, I didn't know before but I do now." Isabella slid off the stool and as she brushed past Adam, she patted him on the back. "Thanks for telling me. So is there a," she used her fingers to air quote, "me and Chantal" now?" She placed her empty glass into the sink.
"Pardon me?"
Isabella leaned forward on the counter with one hand while the other rested on Tyler's shoulder. "You and Chantal—you slept together. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"Why should it?"
"Never mind," Isabella shook her head. Then she quietly whispered to herself, "Maybe because you're friends with the girl. That's a damn good reason to have it mean something."
Sometimes Isabella didn't understand how Tyler and Adam had even become best friends. They were nothing alike and when it came to the opposite sex, they had nothing in common. Tyler could handle being in a long term relationship. He could handle having a girlfriend. Adam couldn't. He had never handled being with one girl because he had never committed himself to a long term relationship before unless you counted his past relationship with Amy who had been Isabella's best friend in high school and even then, they had not lasted more than a couple of weeks at one time.
Their relationship had been more of the physical kind than anything else and when they had gotten what they wanted from each other, they usually called it quits and moved on after they realised they didn't have nearly as much determination and strength as Isabella and Tyler did to commit to one person and not deal with the physical kind all of the time.
Isabella banged on Adam's closed door. "You can come out now, Chantal."
Isabella looked back at Adam with curious eyes. "Chantal is in there, right? You didn't do that thing you do with my friend did you?"
"What thing do I do? I wasn't aware I did something." Adam gazed over at Tyler. "Did you know I did a thing?"
"Oh, no. Don't bring me into this. Yes, I'm your friend." He pointed at Isabella. "But she's my girlfriend. I'm not getting in the middle."
Tyler refused to get in the middle of his best mate and his girlfriend at war or whatever was going on between them. He didn't want to choose sides. It wouldn't matter what side he chose to be on. In the end, he would have the other one mad at him because he didn't side with them. It had happened many times before when they were in high school.
Isabella walked back towards Tyler and stood up to reach him, looping her arms around his neck as she kissed him. "Good choice baby." Adam groaned. Seeing his two friends kiss in front of him was something he didn't need to see.
He had put up with it in high school. Did he really need to live through it all over again especially so early in the morning? He didn't need to see a replay or be reminded of what it was like to be around his two oldest friends who were very much in love with each other.
"And you know very well what thing you do. You bring a girl home and have your way with her then once you get what you want; you make up some lousy excuse to get her to leave."
Isabella came closer to Adam, sticking her finger at his chest.
"That is the thing you do and yes, you are my friend too but Chantal and I share a much bigger bond because we're both women. If you do anything to hurt her then you will regret messing with her.
"Maybe she messed with me."
"Yeah, well, to you that would be a compliment. Something you've had coming to you for some time. You probably deserve it."
"Aw, thanks." Adam clutched at his heart as though he was devastated.
"No problem." Isabella resumed to her stool. "You know I still love you. I just love Chantal more."
She stuck out her tongue at Adam. She always did enjoy winding Adam up. He was such an easy target. And even after high school, she still knew how to get to him.
The door to Adam's bedroom opened and Chantal emerged, wearing what appeared to be last nights outfit. In an outfit as short as the black and white v-neck dress with cap sleeves and a skirt with a cinching finish that Chantal was wearing, it came as no surprise that Adam couldn't resist her. Chantal was hot, especially in that dress. She knew how to work it. That was for sure.
"Good morning," she smiled brightly, not knowing exactly what she was walking into.
Isabella put her elbows on the counter, her chin resting in her hand. "Good morning, Chantal. Sleep well?"
"Uh-huh," she said warily, looking over at Adam who nodded his head in her direction as though to confirm that Isabella and Tyler knew they had slept together last night.
"So did you and Adam have a good night together?" Isabella asked her friend with a devilish smile.
"It was alright." She said. How did you explain that you slept with one of your guy friends to your best friend? However, Chantal figured she'd need to try to explain how it happened in the first place but she wasn't even sure despite the fact that she and Adam had both been extremely drunk. Still, she had gotten drunk before and never went to bed with Adam. Why was this time so different? But she couldn't explain it now. She needed to get out of the apartment and clear her head. It would better if she explained the situation to her friends at a later date when she actually knew how to explain it herself. She was yet to gain control of her jumbled up words. "The dinner, I mean. Did Adam mention that we were both really, really drunk?"
"Yeah, he might have mentioned something about that, but you know I'm still going to have to tell Stacey."
"Um, well, I'm going to go now," she said to anybody who was listening.
Adam ran a hand through his hair. "OK, then. I'll see you out.
Chantal followed him towards the door but not before she said good bye to Isabella and Tyler. Chantal could feel Isabella's gaze on her until she was out of sight.
Once the two of them were standing outside the closed door, Chantal folded her arms across the other, hugging herself in an attempt to keep warm. She really should have worn a jacket to dinner last night.
"Are you cold?" Adam asked her.
"Oh, no, I'm fine." She shrugged him off. She didn't need anything else from him to alter their friendship anymore than they had done last night by sleeping together.
But Adam didn't take no for an answer and opened the door ajar, pulling his jacket from the coat rack and gave it to Chantal who snuggled herself into it.
"Now you have a reason to see me again, just in case you were planning to avoid me."
His jacket was warm on her skin, as warm as she had been last night when he touched her.
"Thanks for buying me dinner. But you know even as a dog walker, I still could have managed to buy my own meal. You didn't have to do it."
"I know but I wanted to. That what friends do and about what friends shouldn't do, I--"
"Don't say it. You don't have to say anything."
"But we haven't really discussed what happened."
"And we don't need to. We were both drunk and as a result of consuming too much alcohol, we had sex because you and I were actually having fun together. It was a stupid mistake--one that will never happen again. It didn't mean anything and we can still be friends, right?"
"Of course we are." He pushed a couple of falling strands of hair from her face, making Chantal instantly feel weak at her knees. "I guess I figured that because we had sex, it would ruin our friendship and I really appreciate the friendship we have together."
"I do too." And she did. She just wasn't so sure she could still be his friend knowing she had slept with him. How could she possibly stay friends with the guy and be sure that it meant absolutely nothing when she wasn't completely sure that it was nothing?
"Aw, you loaned her your jacket. That was nice of you," Isabella said to Adam the moment he stepped back into the apartment.
"You were spying on us? That's so noble of you to care about your friend."
"I know." Isabella followed him to bedroom. "So does that mean you like her now? Are you going to form some kind of relationship?"
Adam pulled on t-shirt. "I know you think we'd make a good couple but last night doesn't change anything besides the fact that I slept with Chantal and it might have brought us closer. We're just friends and Chantal agrees with me. There is never going to be anything more between us. Now will you stop interfering in our personal lives?"
Isabella surrendered. "Fine, I surrender. Are you happy?"
"I'll be even happier if you actually keep to your word. I'm going for a run to clear my head." As he raced out of the apartment, he said to Tyler who was now sitting down on the couch watching some sports show. "Will you tell your girlfriend to get off my back?"
"You believe me, don't you?" Isabella fell into Tyler's lap. "Don't you think they should be together?"
Tyler touched the tip of her nose as he craned his neck around Isabella, all the while his focus never leaving the television screen. "After last night, I don't know what to think but you know Adam. He's not the type to get into a relationship with a woman and the last time I checked, neither was Chantal. I don't think I've ever seen her be committed to one guy."
"And that is why they're so perfect for each other. They just don't realise it yet."
"Will you promise you won't get in the middle of Adam and Chantal's drama? Do it for me." Tyler was serious. "Let them figure it out themselves in their own way."
"Oh, but, if--" Isabella saw the pleading expression on Tyler's face. "Fine, I promise I won't try to meddle in their friendship," Isabella said sadly with a frown on her face. But what her boyfriend didn't know didn't hurt anybody. So she had told a little white lie. Big deal--she'd just have to confide in Stacey instead.

US AGAINST THE WORLD - CHAPTER ONE

2010-03-01T16:20:00.002+11:00

SUMMARY: Chantal and Adam were pushed together by a friend only to realize they really do love each other. But are they willing to fight all that life will throw at them to be together?
US AGAINST THE WORLD
CHAPTER ONE: THE NON-DINNER DATE
Chantal walked in through the doors at Chez Rouge on Saturday night. She was there to meet her friends. It had been almost two weeks since the wedding that didn't happen between Tyler and Adrienne. Two weeks since Tyler and Isabella had finally worked out they wanted to be together.
Ever since then, she couldn't recall the last time she and all her friends had spent a night together, just hanging out. Lately, it was either Stacey and Nick or Isabella and Tyler. She disliked having friends who were a part of a couple. She always felt like the odd woman out though she wasn't entirely the odd one. Adam was yet to commit to an actual relationship however she doubted with his record of not sticking to one girl long enough, he'd be staying single for quite some time.
It wasn't as though Chantal couldn't find a guy to hit on her. She had had plenty of offers in the past. It was that of all the guys whom she had gone out with, they just weren't considered right for her. She didn't see herself being with any of them for longer than a night or two. She approached a young woman with brown hair standing behind a podium at the front of the restaurant and showed a bright smile.
"Hi, I have a reservation under the name of Bence," she said.
The hostess studied a book on the platform in front of her and then said, "Follow me please."
She followed the hostess around a maze of tables.
"Adam!" Chantal said the instant she spotted him dining alone. Great, they were the first ones there. Where was everybody else? Now she would be forced to make small talk with him while they waited for the others to arrive. Then she examined the table he was sitting at. It was a table for two. That wasn't right. How would they all fit at that one table? There were six of them.
"Um, excuse me," she said to the hostess. "I think there's been some kind of a mistake. I'm," she pointed at Adam. "We're meeting our friends. We are going to need a bigger table."
The girl looked at Adam then back to Chantal. "Nope, there's no mistake. Ms Bence only reserved one table—a table for two. Enjoy your evening." She smiled at Adam. "Someone will be by soon to take your order." She placed two menus down on the table then left.
"What are you chuckling about?" Chantal asked when she saw Adam laugh as she took a seat opposite him.
"Don't you get it?"
"Get what?" She wasn't sure what she was supposed to get.
"This." Adam spread his arm out, showcasing the restaurant they were at and the number of chairs at the table that had been reserved for them. "Dinner for two. Isabella reserved the table. There never was going to be dinner with our friends unless you count the two of us. She's been trying to set us up for a while now and it has probably increased more now because she thinks the two of us should be together now that she and Tyler are together and Stacey and Nick are together. Haven't you noticed the signs she has given you?"
"Yeah, well, if she thinks there's a chance of the two of us getting together then she'll be waiting a long time because there is no way in hell will I ever think of you as my boyfriend."
Adam raised his eyebrow. "C'mon, I'm not that bad. But do you think I'd actually want to date you? You're not even my type."
Chantal smiled, putting all eye contact to her menu. She should have been offended by his comment but she wasn't. She didn't know what his type was and she didn't want to know. His personal life had nothing to do with her and that was the way she wanted to keep it. "Good then it's something we can both agree on. We don't think of each other that way. So you can go if you want."
"You don't want me here? You'd prefer to eat alone than with company?"
"I don't care either way but just because Isabella arranged for us to have dinner together doesn't necessarily mean we have to. She's not here. We can lie and say we did."
"Or we can actually have dinner together and then there's no need to lie to her. We'll be giving her what she wants," Adam propositioned. "Am I that revolting that you can't have dinner with me?"
"No, I just thought maybe you'd have a date tonight. There's no girl you could be seeing instead of having dinner with me."
"Not tonight. What about you? No guy for you to hook up with?"
Chantal shook her head. "You know when you put it like that; you make me sound like I'm a whore who is only after one thing."
"Then it's settled. C'mon, it's just one dinner—two friends having dinner together. You in?"
Chantal pondered for a moment. Did she really want to endure a dinner with Adam? What the hell? She'd do it this one night and make Isabella think her plan to get them together had worked when it hadn't.
"Okay. We'll have dinner together but this doesn't change anything. I still don't like you very much."
"Chantal, it's just dinner. I'm not asking you to like me." Adam picked up his own menu and opened it. "I'm buying but please don't go for the most expensive meal. I'm not a millionaire."
Chantal folded her arms, her brown hair falling to her shoulders. "Aw, do you say that to every girl you go out with?"
"Only to the ones I don't like," Adam said which scored him a scowl from Chantal. "I'm kidding. You're forgetting that I don't go out to dinner that much." He smirked. "So you should count yourself very lucky."
Meanwhile, Isabella flipped through some magazine she wasn't remotely interested in, pretending to be thoroughly engrossed in each page as she sat on the lounge in Tyler's apartment; her legs tucked up underneath her and wondered how the date she had set up was going. Had they discovered she wasn't going yet?
"Bells, was that my phone?" Tyler asked from the kitchen where he was cooking the two of them dinner since Isabella had pre-arranged for Noah to sleepover at one of his friends houses.
Isabella peered over the top of the magazine, spotting his phone on the small round coffee table.
She reached out for it and pressed the menu button. There was one new text message from Adam.
She opened it reading, your girlfriend is too sneaky for her own good. But we've worked out how her plan works. I give her props this time.
"No, it wasn't your phone."
"Then why are you holding it with a smile on your face?" Tyler asked, coming up behind Isabella and surprising her. He manoeuvred his arms around his girlfriend in an effort to retrieve his phone from her hands. And when he did, he took one look at the message displayed on the screen and looked at Isabella.
"You know what Adam is talking about?"
Isabella didn't say a word. Instead, she grinned sheepishly, the power of her facial expression showing all meaning.
"I don't want to know whatever game you're playing at though I trust it's got something to do with you trying to get Adam and Chantal together."
"Maybe," was all Isabella said in a sing song tone of voice.
Tyler returned to the kitchen. "Can't you just try to leave them alone? If they want to be together then let them work it out on their own and it will happen."
"Tyler, I love you but I can't do that. We both know I'm right about those two. They belong together but they're never going to get together on their own which is why they have me. I'm here to give them a push in the right direction—towards each other."
"Then I hope you're right because I'd hate for it to backfire on you and cause us and them to lose someone's friendship."
"Ssh." Adam hushed to Chantal as he dug around in his pants pocket looking for his keys to the apartment. He staggered a little on his feet, stumbling through each of the keys on his key ring. Dinner had gone successfully well, even with Chantal for company although perhaps, they both had the four or five glasses of beer and wine to thank for a dinner that came without any glitches.
He never thought he would have had dinner alone with Chantal. But now, almost and hour and a half later, here he was standing at the door outside his apartment with Chantal after one too many glasses of beer. Where did they go from here? Did he dare invite her inside like he had done so many times before? However, this time felt different. They had had dinner alone, just the two of them, something they hadn't done before. He pushed a number of keys into the lock until finally, he found the key that did turn and unlock the door. Then when he got the door open, he stood in the door way, his arm resting on the side of the door frame and stared at Chantal, not knowing what to say.
"You wanna come in for coffee?" he asked.
Chantal stood up straight, well as straight as she could stand given her condition of being a little tipsy. "Do you ask all your dates in for coffee?" She wobbled on her feet.
"You're not my date. It was just dinner."
But in answer to her question, he had never invited his dates into his place for coffee. They had either become turned off by now or made an excuse to go home early or the really flighty ones usually were at the point of the night where they had other plans on their agenda that they could do together that didn't include coffee.
"Well, it's a good thing I'm not your date then because you would have made a lousy date. You didn't even walk me home. So what do we do now?"
"You wanna come inside or not?"
"I thought I wasn't your date."
"I can still invite you in. We were friends before tonight happened." Adam stepped closer to her. He wasn't as tall as some of the guys Chantal had gone out with but even when he was standing this close to her, he was towering over her. Then without either one of them knowing their next step, their mouths came together in a transcending kiss neither one of them was expecting, their tongues dancing with each other as Adam let her inside, pushing her up against the open door.
They came up for air just long enough to shut the door but didn't stop and contemplate what they were doing together. It was most likely the alcohol talking but both Chantal and Adam were at the point that they didn't dare consider the repercussions they'd face tomorrow as a result of the incredible sex they'd have together tonight. When Adam put his mouth on hers, his second kiss was harder than the first as he fought with every urge in his body to take her right then and there. He didn't quite understand what was happening between them but Chantal showed no signs of slowing down. She continued to give back just as much as he gave her. Then without saying another word, he led her to his bedroom, closing the door behind them and all the rest that followed was just a mere blur into the night.

THE GOOD GUY MOVIE TRAILER

2010-02-14T14:39:00.001+11:00

SECOND CHANCE FAMILY CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

2010-02-11T15:07:00.006+11:00

Everyone is simply somebody who is looking for a second chance at something or with someone.

RILEY CALWELL - SHAILENE WOODLEY

Shailene Woodley from "The Secret Life of The American Teenager"

I had a hard time searching for an actress who could be Riley because I had simply built up so much on the character. But as soon as I came across a picture of Shailene, I immediately thought of Riley. She's Nick and Kelly's daughter who are both insanely gorgeous so we had to expect that Riley would be beautiful too. Losing her mother at fifteen has taught Riley a whole lot about life experiences and she has had to grow up a lot faster. But despite all that she has been through, all that she really wants is to know she's loved by her father and that he'll always be there for her. She's Creative. Headstrong. Strong willed. Outspoken. Sensitive. Stubborn. For most of the story, Riley is a brunette but at the end, she goes back to her roots of having blonde hair like her mother. We just have to imagine what Shai would look like with blonde hair.

NICHOLAS "NICK" CALWELL - PAUL WALKER

Paul Walker from "The Fast and The Furious" movies

Unlike Riley, I didn't have a hard time trying to find somebody to be Nick. Paul Walker is exactly what I was looking for when it came to what I imagined Nick to look like. In his 30's and still remarkably handsome. After the death of his first wife, he's now taking on the responsibility of being a single father to his teenage daughter which has proved to be harder than he thought. That was, until he met Alyssa who made him test his emotions on everything he didn't think was possible. Kelly had been his true love and he never thought he'd find that again until Alyssa walked into his life. They're both very much alike, like father and daughter as the saying goes in so many ways including personality and creativity.

ALYSSA CALWELL - JORDANA BREWSTER

Jordana Brewster from "The Fast and The Furious" and "Chuck"

Jordana is the perfect fit for Alyssa. She's stunning, beautiful, fresh, young and exotic. All that I see is Alyssa to a tee. Step mother to Riley. Reasons why Riley loathes her so much; she's beautiful, and she married her dad. Alyssa is quite often the one who gives wisdom to Nick about how he should approach his daughter. She isn't trying to replace Kelly, she simply wants a sense of belonging in the family too.

KAI HUDSON - MATT LANTER

Matt Lanter from "90210"

Matt is another perfect candidate. We're used to see him playing characters with a little edge and Kai is definitely edgy in his choice of fashion but he is also capable of being a good listener. Just when (Riley) has him pegged, he'll show an entirely different approach to things. He'll listen to you when you have something to say and you can talk to him about almost anything and he'll just get where you're coming from without needing some form of explanation. He will also make you try things you never thought were possible. At first, he's labelled an ass by Riley then he becomes her confidante but just maybe he's really a potential boyfriend for the mis guided teenager because they have more in common than Riley will let on.

LUKE FOSTER - PAUL WESLEY

Paul Wesley from "The Vampire Diaries"

I can't watch The Vampire Diaries without thinking of Luke. Paul is the perfect specimen for Luke. He's the good guy. The boy next door and in reality, he's Riley's boy next door. Two friends who have known each other since they were little. Not only friends but best friends. They've always been there for each other when they're needed the most. But Riley can count on Luke to be there for her when she needs him. He's her conscience. He'll tell her when she's wrong and he almost knows her better than she knows herself. No romantic interest. Just good friends. I think we'd all be lucky to live next door to Paul and be his friend.

KELLY CALWELL - ELIZABETH BANKS

Elizabeth Banks from "Zack and Miri make a Porno"

I wasn't too sure who'd make a good Kelly because she isn't heavily featured in the story since she dies and the story is set how everything has changed since Kelly's death. Before I decided on Elizabeth Banks, I had also contemplated using Rachel McAdams. All I knew was that she'd have blonde hair and Riley would somewhat resemble the spitting image of her mother but now that I've had time to think of Elizabeth Banks as Kelly, I can't picture anyone else other than her. Before she married and became a mother, she was the girl at school whom every guy wished they had a shot with. The girl that could actually sing and chances are, Riley will exhibit more of Kelly than just her looks.

SONGS ON SHUFFLE

2010-01-31T11:01:00.002+11:00

Put your iTunes on Shuffle, then find out the answers to these questions. No cheating! You may comment on your answers if you want to.

1. How does the world see me?
"Kiss Me" - Tyler Hilton

2. Will I have a happy life?
"Terrified" - Katharine McPhee

3. What do my friends think of me?
"My Cowboy" - Jessie James

4. Do people secretly lust after me?
"I Get It" - Kate Voegele

5. How can I make myself happy?
"Overloved" - Paula DeAnda

6. What should I do with my life?
"Is Anybody Out There? - The Downtown Fiction

7. Will I ever have children?
"No Typical Thursday Night" - The Downtown Fiction

8. What is some good advice for me?
"Imperfections" - Days Difference

9. How will I be remembered?
"Till The Truth Walks In" - Sarah Darling (Really? OK)

10. What’s my signature dancing song?
"Hey Alli" - Runner Runner (Uh-huh, well I haven't danced to this song yet)

11. What’s my current theme song?
"Just in Time" - There For Tomorrow

12. What do others think is my current theme song?
"This is Us Breaking Up" - Push Play

13. What shall they play at my funeral?
"See You Around" - Runner Runner

14. What type of girl/guy do I like?
"Sweet and Low" - Augustana

15. How’s my love life?
"Semi Charmed Life" - Runner Runner

RANDOM THOUGHT

2010-01-22T09:55:00.000+11:00

Just about finished the story titled 'All I Want For Christmas' and I am so glad to know it's almost done. I had a ball writing it but now all I want to do is start writing Adam and Chantal's story because I have so much drama planned for those two. I don't know whose relationship is going to experience it more, theirs or Isabella and Tyler.

Anyway, it's my nephews birthday today. He's three and I still can't believe it.

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TV SHOW PROMOS

2010-01-20T13:03:00.003+11:00

VAMPIRE DIARIES PROMO- looking forward to it returning and after seeing this, it looks set to be intriguing with Elena and Damon hanging out together. Maybe it's the start of a friendship brewing between them or possibly a love triangle.

ONE TREE HILL PROMOS

Is it just me or does the house that Julian is in look like the house that Lucas Peyton lived in? Either way, having Taylor back and the way she came back makes it interesting for Haley and Quinn.

LIFE UNEXPECTED PROMO

RANDOM THOUGHT

2010-01-20T11:11:00.001+11:00

Just finished watching Life UneXpected and I must say, I enjoyed it. I hope they put it on tv in Australia. I'd watch it. It definitely lives up the hype of all the promos I've seen on YouTube of the show. I can't wait to watch next week. Anyway I've been a little MIA in between work because of dawson's creek. I got the complete series and well I have been reliving my favourite moments of pacey/joey who were my favourite couple and quite possibly my favourite couple on tv at the time that it was on tv. I was so glad they got together when the show ended.

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ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS/US AGAINST THE WORLD CHARACTER PICTURES

2010-01-07T12:16:00.001+11:00

MIA HARRISON - AMANDA BYNES

Amanda Bynes from "What I like about You" and "She's the Man"

Mia will come into the story later as Adam's sister. I chose Amanda because Mia is supposed to be the exact opposite of her big brother.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS / US AGAINST THE WORLD CHARACTER PICTURES

2010-01-04T11:03:00.004+11:00

BEN JAMES - CHRIS HEMSWORTH

Chris Hemsworth from "Home and Away" and "Star Trek"

Ben hasn't come into the story yet but he'll be featured in the sequel as Ben, Tyler's older brother. Good looks are supposed to run in the family and you'll see what I mean.

HOLLY JAMES - SELENA GOMEZ

Selena Gomez from "Wizards of Waverly Place"

Holly is Tyler and Ben's little sister. She's seventeen years old and like what a little sister does best, she torments her big brothers, especially when it comes to their love life. She's never afraid to admit to them that she either likes or loathes the girls they date. Sweet. Fiery. Headstrong. Funny. Outspoken. Outgoing. Compassionate. And like I said, good looks definitely run in the James' Family.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS / US AGAINST THE WORLD CHARACTER PICTURES

2010-01-03T14:30:00.009+11:00

ISABELLA BENCE - MANDY MOORE

Mandy Moore - singer/actress

Despite Mandy Moore having brown hair in this picture, Isabella has blonde hair though I chose Mandy Moore because Isabella is supposed to give out the whole "innocent" kind of vibe. She's graceful, pretty, goofy and knows when to be serious and when not to be. Her number one priority is her son. She's the girl next door kind of girl who's still down to earth even if she's made it as a famous fashion designer. Everyone loves her because she's simply Isabella and doesn't go out to be someone she isn't. She has no expectations.

TYLER JAMES - SEAN FARIS

Sean Faris from "Life as we Know It" and "Never Back Down"

Sean has the exact look I was going for when I think of Tyler. He's definitely swoon worthy and I think almost every girl has a crush on him which is what I was going for. Everyone wants to be with the popular guy who's oozes the aura of hotness but they can't have him because he's never available.

ADAM HARRISON - JENSEN ACKLES

Jensen Ackles from "Supernatural"

Adam is the guy who has never committed himself to one girl. He doesn't do relationships but I think that he has to find the girl who will test his emotion and be unable to get out of his head, He's also very likable, funny, friendly, charming and best friends with Tyler. I think Jensen is very likable although Adam does have sandy blonde hair.

CHANTAL MERLE - CHRISTINA MILIAN

Christina Milian - singer/actress

Christina Milian has Chantal down to a tee. She's exactly how I pictured Chantal to be and she's the female version of Adam. She's fierce and independent and knows what she wants. An aspirational singer who wants to be able to live out her dream of being an international pop star. She doesn't define herself as a stereotype or someone she's not or will never be. She says it exactly as it is, never afraid to speak her mind for her friends or to her friends, yet when it comes to her heart, she'd much rather keep her own feelings hidden, scared that if revealed, she'll get her heart broken.

ADRIENNE - AMBER HEARD

Amber Heard from "The Stepfather" and "Never Back Down"

I can't think of anyone better to be Adrienne than Amber. Amber is everything I'd imagine Adrienne to be. Beautiful. Sexy. Gorgeous. Smart. Manipulative. And with an attitude to boot. She demands attention and expects you to be there at the drop of a hat. She knows what she wants and will go after it without thinking of the consequences which is why she and Isabella don't get along.

JESSE - TYLER BACHTEL

Tyler Bachtel - Calvin Klein model

I didn't know who Tyler was until now and even before I knew him, in my mind Jesse looked like this. He's the whole package. Jesse hasn't come into the story yet though he is mentioned as Isabella's ex boyfriend. He's the boy who was Isabella first real relationship after she and Tyler went their separate ways for college. Jesse, of course, dumped her. Jesse is serious, charming, charismatic, a family man, gorgeous and protective. He'll also fight for the people he loves the most. He's everything a girl would want which is why I see him coming back into Isabella's life. Can't you see a love triangle forming to compete with Tyler?

AMY - JENNA DEWAN

Jenna Dewan from "Step Up"

I wasn't quite sure who I imagined being Amy. What I did know was that she has wavy brown hair, she's nice and sweet which is why she and Isabella had been best friends since elementary school but she can also be feisty in order to make a statement. She was Adam's on again off again girlfriend in high school but their relationship had been more physical than anything else. She might be another lover triangle to compete with Chantal or maybe there won't be much of a fight and her return will just make someone share her true feelings.

SECOND CHANCE FAMILY BANNERS

2009-12-21T21:44:00.001+11:00

Two banners I made of the characters represented in the story "Second Chance Family" I'm writing. The celebrities are who I've pictured each character to look like.

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MOVIES I WANT TO SEE IN 2010

2009-12-19T17:44:00.002+11:00

THE LAST SONG

DEAR JOHN

LETTERS TO JULIET

VALENTINE'S DAY

THE BACK UP PLAN

MUSIC PLAYLIST

2009-12-19T17:43:00.001+11:00

To cheer myself up I: For Always, Forever - Every Avenue
If I got lost on a desert island, I would yell: Sweet And Low - Augustana
The best thing about me is: I Wanna - The All-American Rejects
What I did did last night was: Better Than You - The Friday Night Boys
I'll have a good day if I can just hear: Falling For You - Kelley James
My birth was like: Written All Over My Face - Kris Allen
My love of life was inspired by the song: Don't Come Crying To Me - KSM
Next time I'm in front of a crowd, I'll say: I Quit I Quit I Quit - The Click Five
Somewhere in my wedding vows, I will include: Stop The Bleeding - Sarah Darling
My best friend is like: Fallin' Apart - The All American Rejects
At my wedding they'll play: Sore Winner - There For Tomorrow
My innermost desire is: Long Way To Go - The Click Five
My favorite thing to do is: Love Drunk (Acoustic) - Boys Like Girls
My parents are like the song: Save Your Heart - Mayday Parade
The story of my life is: Chicago - Kate Voegele
My theme song: Kiss On Me - Tyler Hilton
Happiness is: Solo - Demi Lovato
My deepest secret is: Thursday Night Pregame - The Friday Night Boys
At my funeral they'll play: Where Are You Now - Honor Society
This song describes my grandparents: Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson
My last words will be: Turn It Up - Jimmy Robbins
Behind my back, my friends think I'm: Somebody - Kristinia DeBarge
How will you die? Heels Over Head - Boys Like Girls
When I'm drunk I say: Disconnect - Kristinia DeBarge
My day will be like: Rockstar - The Friday Night Boys
My family is described by the song: The Best Day - Taylor Swift

TSLOTAT PROMOS FOR NEW SEASON

2009-12-19T15:47:00.001+11:00

SOUNDTRACK

2009-12-19T15:22:00.002+11:00

If your life had a soundtrack, what would the music be?
1. open your library (iTunes, winamp, media player, Zen, iPod)
2. put it on shuffle
3. press play
4. for every question, type the name of whatever song comes up
5. press the next button to get the answer to the next question
6. don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool

SOUNDTRACK FOR MY LIFE …
01 - OPENING CREDITS: Superstar - Taylor Swift

02 - WAKING UP: Hold On - See You Around - Runner Runner

03 - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: Paint Me Envy - School Boy Humor

04 - FALLING IN LOVE: Here We Go Again - Demi Lovato

05 - FIGHT SONG: Goodbye Surrender - Verona Grove

06 - BREAKING UP: Imperfections - Days Difference

07 - PROM: Unpredictable - KSM

08 - LIFE: If I Can't Have You - Kelly Clarkson

09 - MENTAL BREAKDOWN: Speakers - Days Difference

10 - DRIVING: Up Against The Wall - Boys Like Girls

11 - FLASHBACK: Living Proof - The Downtown Fiction

12 - WEDDING: The More Boys I Meet - Carrie Underwood

13 - JOB: Get So Far - Ten Second Epic

14 - BIRTH OF CHILD: Either Way I'll Break Your Heart Someday - Augustana

15 - FINAL BATTLE: Wish You Away - There For Tomorrow

16 - RETIREMENT: Blue Jeans - Jessie James

17 - DEATH SCENE: Don't Close The Book - Honor Society

18 - FUNERAL SONG: Nobody Has To Know - Honor Society

19 - NICE ONE: Kindly Unspoken - Kate Voegele

20 - END CREDITS: Love Drunk (Acoustic) - Boys Like Girls

SECOND CHANCE FAMILY SYNOPSIS

2009-11-01T15:30:00.000+11:00

Synopsis: Second Chance Family

Riley is your typical seventeen year old girl. Two years ago, she dealt a devastating blow when her mother suddenly died. Unable to face the fact that her mother was never coming home and her dad wasn't there for her, she packed up her bags and enrolled into a boarding school on the other side of the country. Now, two years later, she has reluctantly returned for the summer holidays for the sake of her father's wishes. As she tries to adjust to the fact that her father has remarried, she and someone who may just be her true love helps her to discover a hidden talent that she just might share with her mother. So come along for a summer to remember as Riley and those around her learn what's really important - family.

Character cast list for SCF

2009-11-01T09:40:00.001+11:00

So I finally decided on a celebrity cast list for the story "Second Chance Family" I'm writing. It took me long enough but I'm satisfied with the end result because I think they match with the characters.

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OUR LIFE AS A MOVIE OR MAYBE NOT

2009-10-31T17:35:00.003+11:00

YOUR LIFE AS A ROMANTIC COMEDY
someone may make a movie about your life,

you have to choose the actors who will play:

#yourself alias the main character
#the true love
#the "mistake"
#the true love's best friend
#the rival
#mom
#dad
#sister
#the best friend
#the best guy friend
#the city

jessica stroup as me.

chace crawford as the true love.

matt lanter as the "mistake."

julieanne hough as the true love's best friend.

leighton meester as the rival.

rachel mcadams as my mom.

jensen ackles as my dad.

francia raisa as my sister.

megan park as my best friend.

paul wesley as the best guy friend.

new york as the city.

And now you have to choose YOUR PERSONAL SOUNDTRACK, of course:

#opening credits: Push Play - Where I Belong
#falling in love: Runner, Runner - So Obvious
#the kiss: The Latency - Tonight, I Love You
#sex: There For Tomorrow - Burn The Night Away
#the break up: Demi Lovato - World of Chances
#the psychological breakdown: Ashley Tisdale - What If
#shopping with friends: Jessie James - I Look So Good (Without You)
#the getting back together: The Click Five - All I Need Is You
#end credits: Jimmy Robbins - Home To Me

Meme

2009-10-30T22:06:00.001+11:00

Haven't had much of a chance to write much but now I'm watching the latest episode of supernatural. They're channeling benjamin button. Dean is an old man. Already watched the vampire diaries. Really good too. Anyway, I'm out for the night and quite possibly the weekend. My birthday is on Tuesday.

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Meme

2009-10-28T19:29:00.001+11:00

Work today. And I got some new assignments. Now I can work on them tomorrow though I really can't wait when I finish the whole course. Hopefully it will be this year. However yesterday not having an assignment to do gave me time to write some of sweet valley story or at least write some of the plot. And with everything I have in stall, I can't wait to start writing it again. So much drama going on for these teenagers and mainly six of them since the core of the characters are six (Taylor, Conner, Melissa, Will, Tia and Trent) so yeah plenty of drama with Taylor and Conner especially. I won't give too much away but there's an offer to go on the road with a band, then there's a shock pregnancy, and of course prom which will be full of drama and after graduation there's an accident involving three of our girls which will take it's toll on the guys.

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Dear John movie trailer

2009-10-23T11:51:00.000+11:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5kW7bE0ZYM

This movie looks really good. I've read the book so if it is anything like the book, hopefully the movie will be good. Then there's the last song which I finished reading the other day. When a trailer comes I'll post it.

Meme

2009-10-22T07:44:00.001+11:00

Work yesterday then I got home and I was tired that I couldn't even eat dinner last night.

Anyway I plan to finish the last two questions that I have to do then I can type it up and send it in. I also have to watch 90210. Maybe today since one tree hill, gossip girl and how I met your mother have all been watched this wk and all in one day. Don't know how I managed that. Tomorrow is the vampire diaries and supernatural. So I'm off. I have some cleaning to do. Yeah, housework is never done. I think I need some new music too.

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Meme

2009-10-15T07:12:00.001+11:00

So I'm home today and I plan to work on my assignment being that I really can't wait to complete this course so that I can get my certificate. I have five assignments left to go. Yes! Anyway, I also have some music to catch up on today because I didn't get on yesterday. That's all for now. I'm thinking one tree hill or 90210 today since I am yet to watch them. So I'm off to do some housework.

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2009-10-14T07:31:00.000+11:00

Haven't had a chance to watch one tree hill yet though I did get to watch gossip girl and let's just say that I am so glad the secret is finally out and that everyone knows that scott is the long lost son. Toward the end of the ep, we saw Serena and Nate left out of the couple thing. Does this mean there will be a repeat of Serena and Nate like season 1? I guess we'll find out. Anyway I'm off to work today. So I doubt I'll have a chance to watch one tree hill today.

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Second Chance Family banner

2009-10-12T20:34:00.000+11:00

So here is a banner that I made for a story I'm writing - when I find the time that is. It's about a family who have to deal with the ups and down of what it means to be a family when someone you love dies.

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Meme

2009-10-12T17:28:00.001+11:00

Anyway, I haven't had much of a chance to write with work and such but I've managed to watch all the new shows and so far glee and the vampire diaries are my favourites as well as the returning ones like one tree hill, gossip girl, 90210 etc. Oh and supernatural. How could I forget that? LOL!

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Meme

2009-10-12T17:22:00.000+11:00

My sister came up from Melbourne for my mums birthday which meant I got to see my nephews and niece. So gorgeous, I had to snap pictures of them. I guess the next time I see them will be at Christmas.

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TSLOTAT PROMO

2009-09-14T10:18:00.002+10:00

PROMOS OF NEW SHOWS!!

2009-09-05T14:48:00.001+10:00

SNEAK PEEKS OF 90210 SEASON 2

2009-09-05T14:44:00.001+10:00

BEHIND THE SCENES OF OTH SEASON 7

2009-09-05T14:36:00.000+10:00

SNEAK PEEKS OF OTH SEASON 7

2009-09-03T09:56:00.002+10:00

First Five minutes of the new season of One Tree Hill which I am excited for just to see how the show will do without Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton being that Lucas and Peyton were pivotal roles on the show. Anyway, needlesstosay, I am stoked to see Brooke and Julian together.

2009-07-30T13:06:00.002+10:00

Has any one seen this?

She's talking about how she's too busy to contemplate a reunion of SBTB. Who knew Tiffani could be funny?

Speaking of, the cover of People magazine is just devine and coincidently enough, Tiffani is on it. I really want this issue!!

If we don't get a SBTB reunion then I'm just happy we got a cast picture (minus the guy who played screech). I used to love watching this show when I was younger. I remember waking up on a Saturday morning and tuning in to watch it. My favourite character was Kelly and least was Screech needless to say that I don't care that he's not in the shoot. And at the time, my favourite TV couple had been Zack & Kelly. I wasn't so much a fan of the college years series as I was of the original SBTB though I have seen the movie which wrapped up the show and was glad that Zack & Kelly married to end the show.

SECRET LIFE SNEAK PEEK

2009-07-22T11:15:00.003+10:00

Nothing else to post right now so I shall post the sneak peeks of the new episode of the secret life.

SNEAK PEEK!!

So I'm off now to watch the new 10 Things episode.