Katie walked through the Tulsa mall, looking in various windows. So far it had a lot of interesting stores, but she had mainly just stayed with Judy and her sisters. They had been there for a few hours, and they were just entering the food court when she saw Zac with his mother and his two younger sisters waiting in line at the pizza place. She looked at him, and he looked up just in time to catch her glance.

He gave her a sly grin then tapped his mother on the shouler. She turned around, and saw Judy. She smiled, then waved her over.

"Oh, it's Diana!" judy said.

"Oh, look, it's jess and avie!" Melissa said.

"Let's go see what they're up to." Judy said, dragging them across the food court.

"Judy..."

"What, weren't just going to say hi..." Judy said.

Half an hour later, Katie was at a table with her sisters, judy, diana, Jessica, Avie, and Zac, who was sitting right across from her. She looked up, and he winked at her, and she looked straight back down at her pizza. She suddenly felt sick.

"So, Katie, are you going to the dance tonight?" He asked with a grin.

"Yeah." Katie said.

"Oh."

"Yeah, Nicole's making me."

"Uh huh."

"What?" She asked, knowing he was up to something.

"i hear Ians' going to be there." he said.

Katie jabbed him under the table, which wiped the grin off his face. Ten minutes later, the two groups parted, Katie not even bothering to look at Zac for the rest of the time. He gave her a puzzled look, then walked another way with his mother.

"You know, you don't have to be so mean to him." Judy said.

"Yes i do."

"Why is that?"

"Just because."

"Katie, he didn't mean to jump on you."

"That's not what I'm talking about." She said.

"Okay." Judy said.

The four walked through the mall, looking in various stores. Katie stopped when they reached a hair salon.

"What?" Judy asked.

"I dont' know."

"You want to get your hair cut?"

"I think so."

"Alright." Judy said, walking in the store.

"Dont' cut your hair too short." Krista said. "Yeah, just cut it a little." Melissa said.

"Ok." Katie said.

FIve minutes later, she was sitting in the chair, getting ready for her hair. First, they washed it and cut it so that it was just past her shoulders. Judy let her get some highlights that were light blonde, and they washed her hair with a mix that would bring out her natural curls. Her hair was shorter, lighter blonde, and curlier.

"It looks great!" She exclaimed, looking at it. She could hardly believe it was her own hair. Nicole would absolutely freak.

"It does look cute." JUdy said as they walked out.

"That took a long time." Melissa said. "But it was worth it." She said.

"The only thing is that it stinks now." katie said.

"Yeah, but not as bad as a perm." Kristen pointed out.

"True." Katie said.

The rest of the day she spent babysitting Kirsten, Ben, Madison, Melissa, and Kirsten while Judy went out to go to the store and rent some movies. It would just go quicker without five little kids running around loose. Around six thirty, Katie got up and went to her room to get ready to go to Nicole's. She said she was giving her a dress, so Katie just grabbed a few different pieces of jewelry and some nice sandals to wear.

She stuck them in her bookbag and got on her bike to leave. She pulled up a few minutes later, entered the house. She went up the main staircase and straight to Nicole's room, where she could hear her loud music.

"If you want to have a good timeeeee......" Nicole sang. Katie opened her door, sneaking up on Nicole who was dancing around her room in her bath robe with wet hair.

"If you know you've got something on your mindddd..........Don't deny, dont' be shyyyyyyyy.....Just come around." Nicole turned around and her eyes flew open.

"AAAAAH!!!!!!" She screamed, seeing Katie's hair.

"Yeah!" Katie said, turning down the volume of her stereo.

"Oh my gosh!"

"I know!" Katie said, setting down her bookbag.

"That looks great."

"You think?"

"Yeah. Wow, what inspired you to do that?"

"I don't know, actually. I just walked by the hair salon in the mall today, and i thought, 'i need a new look.' So i did it." Katie said.

"Well it looks great. It's almost seven twenty, so let's get started. We need to leave in like, forty five minutes, and i have a ton of work to do on myself." She said, walking into her bathroom. Katie followed her in, seeing all of Nicole's makeup scattered on the sink counter, with shoes, socks, shirts, skirts, and hair ties scattered around on the floor.

"You'll have to excuse the mess, i've been quite frantic trying to find something for you to wear." She said.

"Oh great." katie said sarcastically.

"No no, you'll like what i picked out." She said, walking over to her closet. She pulled out a sleeveless blue dress.

"Here, try this on." She said, handing it to Katie.

She went into the bathroom, and took off her jeans and top, pulling the soft blue dress over her head. She settled it on her body, then looked in the mirror. it fit her nicely, and fell an inch or so above her knees. It was very nice, and looked nice with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She walked out so that Nicole could see her.

"Oh, that looks so nice." She said.

"You think?"

"Yep."

"I hope Zac likes it." Katie said. She quickly realized what she had said, then corrected herself. "I mean Ian."

"What?" Nicole asked.

"I said Ian." She said quickly.

"No, i heard you, you said Zac! You like Zac!" Nicole screamed.

"Shhhh....no i don't." Katie said, flushing.

"You're blushing! You do too like him!"

"I do not! I can't stand him! It's just hot in here!"

"Hot my ass!" Nicole said, pointing at her with a grin on her face.

"Whatever." katie said, slipping on her sandals. She went over to her bag and pulled out her silver necklace and two rings to wear.

"I'm ready."

"Uh huh." Nicole said, brushing her hair.

"Now what are you going to wear?" katie asked.

"This." Nicole said, pulling out a sleeveless, light purple dress. It had a string of pink flowers around the bottom, and was very pretty. She went in and put it on, then came out to model it. It came up to her mid thigh, and she put on some leather sandals and went into the bathroom to start her hair.

Twenty minutes later, the two were finally ready. Katie had allowed her to put minimal makeup on her, and Nicole had done her own hair and makeup. As they walked to the rec center, katie could feel the butterflies in her stomach forming.

Did she like Zac? No, she thought, she couldn't. He was simply infuriating, and she hated him most of the time. But, he was really handsome, and she didn't really like Ian. Well, she would just have to go to the dance and find out.