MATT

"So are you gonna tell Will how you feel now?", Matt asked Emma, standing near Emma's locker.

"I don't know, Matt. Penny likes him too", said Emma, worriedly.

"Well, it actually depends on who Will likes, don't you think?"

"Okay", said Emma with a sigh, "I'll tell Will after you confess to Penny. I really don't wanna hurt Penny in any way."

"Okay, deal."

WILL

Will was at the running track, doing some warmup laps, thinking about his pathetic, messed up, love life.

He really liked the person he had danced with at the masquerade, but still had no idea who she was. He had danced for three weeks with Emma in play practice and had really liked it. He felt guilty for that too.

Emma had seen Chloe pressing herself on top of him, and had thought he was getting back together with Chloe.

He had caught Emma, Matt and Penny following him around, claiming that they were doing it for fun, when he knew they must have some other reasons.

He thought about how angry he had felt, when Chloe had called Emma a fake blonde. He thought about how the lights in the theatre made Emma's hair shine like gold, how happy he himself felt when she laughed, how disappointed he had felt when play practice had been cancelled for two days.

What was happening to him? He had never felt more confused in his entire life.

He felt so different when he was around Emma. He had never felt that way ever before.

He just never wanted Emma to leave his sight. He would always wish Mrs. Hughes would make them do a second practice. He would waste time at his locker, until he saw Emma come to her own locker, and would say Hi to her.

At football practice, he would stare at her, practicing with her team on the running track. He had once kicked the ball in his own goal while looking at her. He could still hear coach's outraged voice saying,"Drop down and give me fifty!"

He felt somebody tap his hand. He turned around quickly and Emma ran into him and he got knocked onto the ground, Emma on top of him.

His heart was beating triple time as she put one hand on his chest, another on the ground, and pushed herself up. He could see her cheeks turn a deep shade of red as her teammates, along with Will's teammates staring at them. His could feel his own face burning as well. She held out a hand to him.

"Sorry",she muttered, hoisting him up.

"So..", he began," to what do i owe the pleasure of you running into me?"

He felt like kicking himself again. Why did he have to talk in bloody medieval language? She must be thinking he was high. Great.

But, she just laughed. He let out a sigh of relief. Maybe he hadn't made a complete fool of himself after all.

Emma looked down, "Um, Will...",she began. It felt so nice, hearing her say his name.

"Yes, Emma", he replied.

"Uh, I'm sorry, but the track team needs to use the running track for practice...", she said, but Will kept staring at her. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her.

Stop, he told himself. She's dating Matt.
That thought made him feel like someone was twisting a knife in his gut.

"Yeah, um, sorry. I'll go now."

And with that, he jogged to the soccer field.

PENNY

Will and Matt were standing at the end of the deserted corridor and they turned around when they saw Penny come through the doors. They both smiled and began walking towards her.

She felt her stomach churn as they both came nearer, blood pounding in her head, with each step that they took.

They were finally a foot away from her. Will smiled that smile of his, which she thought had stolen her heart. And Matt, Matt grinned crookedly at her, the way he always did, conveying a simple message, that he would always be there for her, no matter what.

And she knew what to do. She planted a kiss on Will's cheek and turned to Matt.
She leaned in but then Kyle appeared out of nowhere, shoved Matt away, then brought his lips to her ear and shouted, "Wake up, Ms. Roberts!"

Penny woke up with a start to see Ms. Hart towering over her, scowling, "I hope you were dreaming about acing your Calculus exam, because at this rate, I must say, the chances are bleak",said Ms.Hart, while everybody laughed

Penny could feel her cheeks burn as she looked down, feeling everybody's gaze on the back of her head.

Ms. Hart continued their lesson, but Penny kept her gaze fixed to the ground. She hated being humiliated like that.

Penny suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Matt grinning at her, the same way he had in her dream. Her stomach twisted, looking at him and thinking about that stupid dream of hers.

"Don't worry, Penny. She humiliates me almost every class", he said, trying to make her feel better. She did, actually. And she was grateful for that.

She smiled at Matt, "Thanks Matt."

"Why do you think she's like this?", Kyle asked, who was sitting next to her. She thought of the dream again, and felt her cheeks heat up at the sight of his smile. Ugh. Her messed up feelings were seriously getting the better of her.

"She just needs to get laid", Shane said, ending all conversation.

MATT

Matt went into the basketball court to shoot some hoops. It was his way of destressing.

He thought he would figure out what to say to Penny at Shane's party.

He opened the door, and there she was trying jumpshots. Was she real, or did Matt like her so much, that he had begun hallucinating? She wasn't real. She never stayed back after practice. But he had to confirm.

"Are you real?", He asked, stupidly.

Penny looked at him, concerned," Are you okay, Matt?"

Okay, so she was really there, and now Matt had made a complete fool of himself.

Great. Just great.

"Ah, don't mind me. I'm kinda tired", he said, feeling his face burn.

He had to change the topic, so he began," Um, your shooting position is wrong, Penny", he trudged over to stand behind her," You need to bend your knees a bit more to create more tension, which gives you that spring effect that coach was talking about", he put his hand on her wrist and pulled it downwards," your shooting hand should be in line with your ear, and curve it more", he let go,"now straighten your legs, lift your body on your toes, and shoot."

Penny let go, and the ball went clean into the hoop.

She got excited, "I did it!", she said, jumping up and down. Then she gave him a tight hug.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up, but his body responded to her touch, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. It felt so good, so right.

They pulled apart enough to look at each other, and that electricity crackled between them again. He felt himself lean in, closer, closer...

Their lips were about to touch, when Penny's phone rang loudly in her pocket, and they jumped apart.

He could confess right now. But he was still afraid something might go wrong. He would muster up enough courage till the party. He would confess at the party, once and for all. He was sure of it.

"Um, I should go", he said, and turned around to him.

"See you at Shane's party",Penny called behind him.