The next month passed by quickly. Scott and Kayla were still dating at the end of it, and Kayla was very happy with the way their relationship was going. Scott was still being very sweet, and she enjoyed being around him just as much as when they had only been friends. Although they weren't moving that fast, they weren't moving that slowly either. On their last date, which had been their one month anniversary, they had actually been making out for a few minutes in front of her door before she had gone inside.

Meanwhile, Kayla was working on the two songs that she would sing at the audition for the duet with the Backstreet Boys, "For The Rest Of My Life" and another Christina Aguilera song called "We're A Miracle" that she had chosen herself. She hadn't been sure about that one at first, because she hadn't succeeded with the other song by the same artist, but her vocal coach assured her that it complimented her voice and showed off her range more than the other songs that they were considering for the tryout. So she decided to trust her vocal coach and stick with it. Scott was just as supportive of this decision, telling her not to worry, that she would sound great no matter what she sang.

A week before the audition, Kayla and Scott were planning on going to the movies on Friday night once again. Kayla was doing her history homework on Thursday night when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey, Richardson, it's me," Linz said, calling her by that nickname because of her crush on Kevin.

"Hey, McLean," Kayla replied, grinning. Basically, Kevin was to Kayla as A.J. was to Linz.

"Whatcha doing?"

"These history questions. They're taking me for- freaking-ever."

"Haha, I did those yesterday."

"Shut up, McLean." Kayla laughed.

"Listen, I just heard that Melissa Haverty is having a party tomorrow night, and we're invited," Linz said.

"Really? That's great!" Kayla exclaimed. "Oh, but I have plans with Scott."

"So change them. This is Melissa, Kayla. Melissa Haverty," Linz reminded her. "She throws the most kick ass parties on this side of the Mississippi."

"Okay, okay, I'll talk to him," Kayla relented. "But I really have to finish these damn questions."

"Fine, Richardson. I'll leave you," Linz declared.

"Bye, McLean."

"Bye."

Kayla disconnected and was about to dial Scott's number when the phone rang. She jumped and dropped it out of surprise. "Hello?" she asked, quickly picking it up again.

"Hey."

It was Scott.

"Wow, that's really weird. I was just gonna call you."

He laughed. "Strange. Listen, you know how we were planning to go to the movies tomorrow night?"

"Yeah," Kayla said hesitantly.

"Well I just heard that Melissa Haverty is—"

"Having a party," Kayla finished for him. "Yeah, we can go."

"Great!" he replied.

"That is really weird. That's what I was calling you about," she explained.

"Whoa, we have that whole psychic connection thing going, huh?"

She laughed. "Yeah, I guess so." She glanced over at the clock and saw the time. "Damn it, I have to go and finish these history questions," she muttered reluctantly.

"Okay. Bye, babe, see you tomorrow," Scott said.

"Bye Scott."

Kayla hung up the phone and smiled to herself for a moment before shaking herself slightly and focusing on her homework again.

"So how long have you been going out now?" Melissa was asking Scott and Kayla.

"A month and a half," Kayla answered with a grin.

"And I've been loving every minute of it," Scott added, sliding an arm around her waist.

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Melissa commented. "What's your song? I'll get my brother to play it." Melissa's older brother was the DJ for the party.

Kayla and Scott exchanged a look. "Song?" Kayla echoed. "We don't really have a song, I don't think..."

"There's the theme from the Ben Affleck movie," Scott suggested.

"Okay," Kayla agreed, laughing.

"You mean 'Because I Love You?'" Melissa asked.

Scott nodded. "Yeah, that one."

"Okay...just a second." Melissa disappeared into the thick crowd of people.

"Wow...we have a song now," Kayla commented.

Scott grinned. "I know...kinda weird, huh?"

"Yeah, but in a good way," Kayla replied, smiling warmly.

"Yeah," Scott agreed. The song started to play, and he pulled Kayla out onto the makeshift dance floor in Melissa's living room and into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder as the two of them moved to the slow beat of the music.

When the song was nearly over, Scott took Kayla's face in his hands and started to kiss her lips softly. By the time it had ended, they were engaged in a full-fledged makeout session. "Mm..." Kayla remarked, loving the way he was making her feel.

Scott finally broke away for air, panting slightly. "Come on," he whispered into her ear, taking both of her hands and pulling her away from the dance floor.

"Where are we going?" Kayla whispered.

"Here," Scott said, stopping in front of a door. He opened it slowly and pulled her inside, closing the door behind her. The room was pitch black. Scott pulled her farther inside and turned on a lamp that was sitting on a small table to reveal that they were in the guest bedroom.

"Scott..." Kayla broke away, instantly uneasy.

"Shhh." He pulled her close to him again and started to kiss her. She became lost in his kisses as he eased her onto the bed, getting on top of her. Kayla pulled her head back to speak. "Scott, I don't think I'm ready to...Scott!"

He had been sliding his hands up her stomach and onto her breasts. She pushed him off of her and onto the floor.

"Oof," Scott murmured. Kayla got up and started to walk out of the room. He quickly got to his feet and grabbed her arm.

"Don't touch me!" Kayla snapped. "I can't believe you!"

"Come on, we've been going out for a month and a half," Scott pointed out.

"A month and a half?! Scott, I'm seventeen!" Kayla shot back.

"Exactly!" Scott replied.

"What?! I'm seventeen," she repeated. "I'm not ready for that kind of a commitment."

"Commitment?" Scott echoed, his voice hardening. "Who said anything about a commitment? I just think we should do it."

Kayla's jaw dropped open as she stared at him in disbelief for a moment before turning around and starting to storm away.

Scott grabbed her arm and turned her back around again. "Okay, I didn't mean that," he said quickly. "But, Kayla, the fact remains, we've been seeing each other for a month. And if you really care about me, you'll understand that it's time to move to the next level. And if you don't care about me, then there's not really any point in staying in this relationship."

"So...you're saying that if I don't have sex with you, you're going to dump me," Kayla summarized.

"Well, when you put it that way..."

Kayla shot him a withering look.

"I guess," he admitted. "So what do you say?"

"I say..." she began in a seductive voice, moving closer to him. "I say..." she said again, putting her hands on his chest. "I say I'm dumping you first!" she yelled, slapping him across the face, pushing him away, and running out of the room in tears.

She was almost to Melissa's front door when Linz grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "Hey, where are you going?" she asked. She saw the tears in Kayla's eyes. "Whoa, what's wrong?"

Kayla shook her hand free. "I dumped Scott!" she shouted, running out of the house. Luckily, she had driven herself and Scott to the party, so her car was there. She got into the driver's seat and buried her face in her arms on the steering wheel, crying softly. How could he do this to me? she thought. I thought he was my friend...I thought I could trust him!

Then she started to take a new frame of mind, and her face hardened. Why didn't I see through him? she wondered angrily as she started the car. Looking back on the past month, she could now see a million subtle signs that she had managed to miss the first time around. Kayla glared out the windshield as she drove down the almost empty streets until she got home. Then she rushed up to her room without saying anything to her parents and collapsed onto her bed in tears.


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