Author Note: Warning: Romance starts here. Yes, it's going to be sappy and sometimes unbelievable. But I think you'll understand Isaac better later on...after the psychiatrist visit in part 4 or 5. I'm kind of evil to my characters, if you haven't picked that up yet. By the way, there is no pun intended with Chris' name...

Part 2

"So, Amber, did you talk to Steve yet?"
"Huh? Sorry, I was zoning out..."
Taylor rolled her eyes and sat down next to Amber.
"Steve. Did you talk to him?"
"No. I don't think I'm ready for a boyfriend yet."
"Okay then, not as a boyfriend, but as a date to the party! C'mon, Amb, you gotta go."
"I don't 'gotta' go. Besides, I thought you were my date."
Taylor laughed and picked at her food.
"Oh really?"
"Really," Amber replied with a grin.
Two more girls sat down with them, one with an utterly distressed look on her face.
"Guys, I have major issues."
"And?" Taylor asked blandly, sticking a piece of lettuce with her spork.
"My dad took away my car," Tina answered, shooting Taylor a reproachful look.
"Why?"
"I hit a pole when I was parking! Three hundred dollars worth of damage. My dad had a fit."
"Hey, I found an awesome mechanic on Friday," Amber offered.
"Seriously? Who?"
"Chris Brown. Just a couple blocks from 7-11."
"Wait, isn't that Isaac's brother?" The fourth girl asked, looking up from her Slim Fast shake.
Amber nodded and opened her mouth to explain.
"You know Isaac? Lucky," Taylor commented, grinning to herself.
"Oh, I know! I heard he's such a nice guy," Tina added, writing Chris' name on her palm with a shiny blue pen.
"Doesn't he have a girlfriend?" Kylie asked.
Tina shook her head, a mischievous grin forming on her lips.
"Broke up on Saturday. It was all over her blog. She was sooo upset."
"Why'd they break up?"
"Apparently, on Friday night he made her wait on the phone 'cause he was talking to some other girl. She got jealous, he got mad, and they broke up Saturday morning."
Guilt settled in the pit of Amber's stomach heavily.
"I heard she had it coming though," Tina added as an afterthought, "She never let him talk to anyone, especially chicks."
"Didn't she have a bitch fit about him hanging out with his brother instead of her?" Taylor questioned, chewing her salad thoughtfully.
"Maybe. I don't really pay attention to her. It's Isaac I--hey, it's Isaac."
Amber's head shot up and she searched out Isaac's mop of brown hair. She found him walking with a guy she knew from her journalism class the year before.
Isaac turned his head to give his friend a strange look, but he caught Amber's gaze instead. He smiled and directed his friend towards Amber and her group.
"O. M. G. Is he coming over here?" Kylie hissed.
Tina nodded and tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear.
Isaac and his friend Gary stopped a few feet away.
"Hey," He said.
"Hi, Isaac," Amber replied, unsure of how to act and why he was there in the first place.
"I called Chris after I got off the phone with you and he asked me to tell you thanks for 'networking' him or something."
"Oh, no problem! After saving my life, it was the least I could do."
Isaac grinned.
"I dunno if he saved your life, but..."
"Trust me. He did."
"Cool. I'll tell him."
She nodded.
"Hey, Amber, are you going to that party?" Gary asked.
"I, uh...I'm not sure."
"Why not? Did nobody ask you to go with them?"
"No, but that's not the only reason."
Taylor snorted incredulously.
"You have too been asked. Just not by the right person. And I will call your dad and yell at him if he purposely plans a dinner on that night."
Amber smiled.
"Thanks, Tay."
Taylor nodded and tossed her empty salad container and spork into the nearest trash can.
"A 'dinner'?" Isaac repeated.
"Yeah, a dinner," Amber sighed, "A whole bunch of snobby rich people who get together only to compare how much money they've wasted on the latest and greatest things. They're the most boring things I've ever been to."
Isaac and Gary glanced at each other.
"Sounds interesting. We'll crash the next one, 'kay?"
"Be my guest. Have fun."
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Amber stood and threw away her trash, grabbing Tina's and Kylie's as well.
"See ya later, Amber," Isaac said, heading off with Gary to get his backpack.
Amber waved.
"Amb, you have some major explaining to do," Tina whispered.
"Meet me after school and I'll tell you everything."
"Me too," Taylor cut in.
"And Kylie. I get it. See you guys later, I gotta get to history."

"Daddy?"
James Hughes looked up at his daughter from his mountain of paperwork.
"Yes, sweetie?"
Amber sat down opposite of him and leaned her elbows on his desk.
"Could I go to that party I told you about?"
"When is it?"
"Saturday."
James sighed and removed his reading glasses to rub the bridge of his nose.
"Amber, you know what's going on on Saturday."
"But Daddy--"
"Mr. Hughes? Your client has arrived," the maid said, cutting off Amber's plea.
"I'll call him in when we're done here."
"Yes, Sir."
The maid exited silently, closing the door behind her.
"Daddy, can't I miss one dinner? No one ever talks to me anyways. And I haven't been to a party in soo long."
James considered her for a moment.
"You may go on one condition."
She beamed.
"Yeah?"
"I want you to carry some type of self defense and I want you glued to either Taylor's or Tina's hip. Understand?"
Amber jumped up and hugged him.
"Thank you, Dad!"
"You're welcome, sweetie. Can you call my client in?"
"Yup! Love you Dad."
"Love you too."
Amber left the office with her cell phone already in her hand and with Taylor's number on speed dial. She motioned to the maid and she scurried down the hallway to retrieve James' client.

Music was pumping through the speakers, blaring out some hip-hop song to keep the teens crammed into the room dancing and sweating.
"I thought you said you couldn't come tonight?"
Amber swiveled on her heel and smiled when she recognized Isaac.
"I talked my dad into it."
"Ah, no rich people?" He teased.
She laughed and his smile faltered.
"What's wrong?" She asked, realizing his sudden change.
He quickly resumed his smile.
"Nothing. I'd just never heard you laugh before. I like it."
Her cheeks were on fire, she couldn't look him in the eyes...and she thanked God that the room was dimly lit.
"Hey, you wanna dance with me?"
She nodded and put her soda down. He took her by the wrist and dragged her straight to the middle of the room. After only a few minutes of close dancing, the hired DJ decided to slow it down.
Amber stepped away from Isaac.
"I'm going to, umh--"
"No, stay."
He grabbed her hand and gently reeled her back in. Her heart was up in her throat, disaster screaming through every nerve in her body.
'Oh God...not good, not good...'
Isaac guided her arms around his neck and smiled reassuringly at her.
"You don't have to be afraid of me," He whispered.
'Yes I do.'
"No, you don't."
She bit back a response and resisted the urge to kick herself. She had gotten into the habit of running her mouth when she was nervous, speaking whatever came to mind.
Isaac shook his head.
"Relax, Amber. It's just a dance. Trust me."
She nodded and tried to focus more on the music than his hands on her lower back.
She was just beginning to relax when she felt his cheek on hers, his breath on her ear. Her heart set off at a gallop and she heard him chuckle.
"Amber...relax."
But the song ended before she could.
Gary tugged on Isaac's sleeve, pulling him away from Amber by a foot.
"Let's go, man, I gotta be home before midnight."
"I'll meet you out there."
Gary took the keys from Isaac and made his way through the throng to the exit.
"You're leaving?" Amber implored, finding herself a little relieved but at the same time, depressed.
He nodded.
"Apparently...I'll, uh, see you on Monday."
He hesitated then leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"See ya." She breathed.
Without another word, Isaac fought his way through to the exit and disappeared from view.
"Hey, Babe, when d'you have to be home?" Taylor asked over the music, coming from out of nowhere with a glass of soda and a guy hanging off her arm.
"No later than 12:30."
"Awesome. We'll leave in half an hour."
"Find me."
Taylor winked and lost herself in the crowd again, leaving Amber standing alone in the midst of people she didn't know and would probably never care to know in the first place.

"So?"
"So what?" Amber asked.
Taylor rolled her eyes.
"I saw you dancing with Isaac. C'mon, Amb, don't leave me in the dark, here. I want to know everything."
"Nothing happened. We danced for a few songs. That's it."
"No kisses?"
"One on the cheek before he left."
Taylor pouted, thoroughly disappointed.
"So boring."

Taylor shook Amber awake, bright light from her window glaring into her face.
"Wake up, I'm starving!"
Amber groaned and rolled over. Taylor's stomach growled and she pounced on Amber.
"Wake up, wake up, wake up! I'll sit here forever!"
"Fine...get off..."
"Nope! You gotta knock me off."
"Damn you."
Taylor laughed and bounded off the bed with too much energy for...whatever time it was.
"C'mon, Amb. I'm really, really hungry and something down there smells de-lish!"
Amber sighed and rolled out of bed reluctantly. Taylor grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out of her bedroom and down the stairs to the dining hall.
Taylor groaned when she saw pancakes and bacon piled in the center of the table on a giant platter.
"God, Amb, I'm moving in! How d'you stay so thin with all this food?"
Amber rolled her eyes at Taylor's naiveté.
"It's only 'cause you're here. Usually I have cereal like every normal person."
"Cereal? I'd have, like, three bowls every day!"
Amber gave her a look as she plopped down in her chair.
"That's because you never stop eating."
Taylor beamed.
"You know you love it. Don't deny it."
Amber looked up to the ceiling in silent prayer.

R&R! Cookies promised to all reviewers!!