Enjoy!

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Candy loved all the drama going on. Sure, it sucked for Nadia and Jazz whose whole world just changed. But Candy couldn't help feeling she was watching a soap opera. At school she was the center of drama. She joined the group of popular girls and she was the 'it' girl of this new school. Of course that meant she had to play the part. She dated the hottest boys and went to every party. That also meant that she had to deal with jealous girls that thought that Candy had stolen their man. In some cases it was true and others it was only partially true. The only dramatic thing she didn't like was what was happening to Ben. She hung out with him everyday after school the week after he told her he loved Kayla. She wanted to interfere and break up Kayla and Jake, just to help cheer up Ben but she just couldn't. Kayla made her brother too happy and there was some other reason why she didn't interfere but she just couldn't put a finger on it.

She also hooked up with Matt a couple of other times, but they didn't really spend time together besides that. Matt was hot, but she liked hanging out with Ben more. Jazz and Nadia spend time together, but Candy could tell that Nadia didn't act as close to Jazz as she used to act. As far as Candy could tell, Nadia didn't talk with Rachel at all. She and Matt were always disputing and they never said one nice word to each other. Matt had tried to be friendly at first but Nadia didn't respond with kindness to that. Candy could tell that Matt now saw Jazz as a little sister. He looked out for her, just like he looked out after his mom. Candy saw he didn't like when either one of them was unhappy. From what she could tell, her brother spent his time with Kayla, Nadia, and his art buddies at school. He was busy enough and Candy was careful enough for him not to find out about all the boys she had dated. Kayla also still hung out with Ben. Candy didn't know how Ben could act normally with her but he did and Kayla still didn't know he was desperately in love with her. That girl could be clueless. Candy thought even Jake knew Ben loved her. Not that he was the jealous type anyways.

Ben and Candy hung out more and soon they were almost always together at home. They listened to music and talked about everything. Candy even told him what she thought her power was. Some sort of dream vision thing. It was the first time she said she had a power out loud. She didn't want it, at all.

One of the days after school in the beginning of April, Ben and Candy walked into the small library in the house to do their homework together, Candy only did the homework because Ben nagged her to. Candy was teasing him on his Ray Bans glasses he put on when doing homework. Such a hipster. When they walked in they saw Kayla and Jake kissing each other passionately. Kayla's hands were weaved in Jake's hair and Jake was pulling her closer by the waist. Candy immediately looked at Ben and saw the hurt expression on his face. This was the first time he had seen them kissing since the first time. Candy couldn't take his pained look and said,

"Sorry to interrupt, Jake."

They both pulled away and Kayla blushed.

"Oh, hey Candy. Hey, Ben. I didn't see you there. Uh, well me and Kayla will go and leave the room for you guys to use."

Kayla gave Ben a smile and then both Jake and Kayla walked out holding hands.

"You okay?" Candy asked.

"No. I'm sick of it! I'm sick of feeling this hole in my heart every time I see them together. I want her to be mine, and only mine. I want her to love me back."

"I really don't know what to say. I have never been in love so I wouldn't know the feeling. But you need to get over her."

"No, I don't. She needs to realize she loves me. Do you remember the advice you gave me when I told you I love Kayla? I'm going to follow that. I'm going make her jealous. But to do this I'm going to need your help. Will you?"

"I totally know what you want me to do. I would, but you know I can't hurt my brother."

"Please! He will benefit from this. If it turns out Kayla is really in love me then it would be better for him to find out now then later. Right?" His hazel eyes looked pleadingly into her eyes. She rolled her eyes.

"Okay. But my boyfriend better not find I'm going to kiss you or whatever. He seems like the possessive kind and well I'm still not tried of him yet."

"Thanks! And he won't find out. I don't want to get beaten to a pulp. Wait, did I just hear you say you have never been in love? With all the boys you've gone out with?"

Candy raised her eyebrows. Is that what Ben thought? That she was a slut? If he did it hurt.

"Is there a problem with my dating habits?"

Ben must have heard the edge of her voice because he said,

"Now, I'm not calling you a slut. But you must realize that you go through a lot of boys. You are like a female version of Matt. And you know how many girls he's landed. I'm just surprised, you've never been in love."

"No. I've never been in love. And I know have been with a lot of boys. I guess I should explain why that is. Listen. Here is how it all started." She told him her story that no one had heard before. She didn't know why she did but she trusted him.

She'd had lost her virginity in the back of a car in the end of eighth grade to a junior. He sort of dumped her right after. She was hurt. She was even more furious. She wanted to make him realize what a mistake he had made. She learned how to seduce the opposite sex and soon if she wanted them they were hers, one way or another. Many guys craved her attention but she was soon the one dumping not the person being dumped. She didn't broadcast how many guys she had slept with but it had been quite a few. Many of them older. A lot older. The junior that dumped her soon came back to ask if they could date again. She'd slept with him and then said no. When it came to boys she always got what she wanted. She never wanted to feel the way she felt after she got used and dumped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so inconsiderate. That junior was a jerk. He didn't deserve to be your first. I can see why you have never fallen in love. But you don't have to go around sleeping with everyone to not get hurt."

"Well, it's the way I work. And you can either like it or leave." Candy was a bit sensitive on this subject. She had never confessed her reasons for sleeping around. Candy expected Ben to leave because he wouldn't like her anymore because she was not going to change. He didn't instead he came closer and gave her a brotherly hug.

"I'm not going to go. Sure, I wish you would change, but I'm not going to force you. To each his or her own. Plus, you are going to help win over Kayla."

Candy smiled. They worked on their homework and talked about how they were going to make Kayla jealous.

"Here's the plan. I have a performance at a local bar on the last Saturday this month. I'll invite everyone. Right when I leave the stage and everyone is coming to congratulate me and all that stuff, you kiss me right in front of everyone and I will return the kiss. And then we will wait for Kayla's reaction."

"Okay. That sounds good. Now, it's totally not going to get super weird between us, right? Cause I want to keep you as a friend."

Ben smiled.

"No, I don't think it will be awkward. You have kissed people before and so have I. This is just acting. We will still be friends. You don't have to worry about that." They finished their homework talking about something else. Candy felt a little nervous for the last Saturday of the month, but she didn't know why.

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