It's been a while, but here's the next chapter, NUMBER 5! WHOOT! Personally, I don't like this chapter that much, but I hope it suffices until I get another idea :S This chapter contains a few tributes, one to Hollywood Undead and another to Total Drama Wireless. I do not own either of them. Please read, enjoy, and review! Much love, Mandy!

Gwen's POV

Well, I suppose school isn't that bad.

Wait, what am I saying? It sucks! I've made one friend, an enemy, and God knows what else. No, I do NOT count Cody as a friend because I despise him. I do, really! Everything I've been doing and talking about isn't-- oh, nevermind… Just let this be known: I don't like Cody!

Anyway, school gets out around four o' clock. I went to my locker to gather my homework when I heard someone stop beside me. Glancing up, I breathed a sigh of relief, "Hey, Missy,"

"Gwen, oh my gosh! Guess what!"

"I can't imagine… what?"

"I was partnered with Wes in science class! We're gonna do a project on animal mating behavior."

I made a grossed-out face, "Animal mating?" I repeated, as though I'd misheard her.

"Uh huh! It was my idea, but he said he liked it."

"That's, uh… awesome…" I honestly didn't know what to say. She was obviously on Cloud Nine, how could I make her any happier?

"So who are you partnered with?" she asked.

My stomach began to churn. Missy knowing about my science partner would not only be bad… it would be a solid disaster.

She poked my shoulder, "Well? Who is it?"

"Uh, someone… stupid…" I said without thinking.

"Is it Willy?"

"No,"

"Justin?"

"He's not in my science class,"

"Hmm…" Missy put a pink painted fingernail to her cheek in thought. Suddenly her emerald eyes got wider than her hoop earrings, which were pretty damn huge, I might add. "Ohhhhhh, I know who it is!"

"Wh-who…?" I asked nervously.

"You're with Cody, aren't you?"

How did she guess so fast?!

"No!" I cried, not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah, he's your partner, Gwen, admit it! Come on, I'd figure it out eventually!"

Crap… she was right…

"All right, all right…" I hissed, rubbing my temples. "Yes, he's my partner. But it means nothing, Missy, you hear me? Nothing!"

"Ooooooooh, Gwen, you've got a thing for him, don't you?"

I growled, "Did I not just say that it means nothing? Does the word 'nothing' even register in your vocabulary?"

"Sheesh, you don't have to yell at me!" she said, apparently offended. "I'm just joking with you. Besides, I know you don't have a thing for Cody…"

I smiled, triumphant, that she understood. But as she was walking off, I heard her mutter, "She totally likes him…"

--

My diary was my only best friend. Yeah, Missy's nice, but I wouldn't quite call her a 'best friend' yet. She has yet to reach that standard…

Flying onto my bed, I flipped open to the last place I left off in my journal, a page near the middle of the book, and clicked my pen. My mind raced for a few seconds before I began to write,

Dear Diary—mood: apathetic. My life is spiraling downward. I couldn't get enough money to go to the Blood Red Romance and Suffocate Me Dry concert. It sucks 'cause they play some of my favorite songs like 'Stab My Heart Because I Love You' and 'Rip Apart My Soul' and of course, 'Stabby Rip Stab Stab'. And it doesn't help that I couldn't get my hair to do that flippy-thingy. Like that guy from that band can do. Some days, you know...

Just kidding, but it's a good song. Anyway, what I REALLY wrote:

I can't believe how much school has sucked lately! First I get a death note from the most preppy ho in the grade, then I end up being partners with that geeky me-obsessed kid from TDI, Cody! How could it get any worse? Well, I shouldn't say that, since it always jinxes people in the movies. Anyway… Cody's really changed, though, actually. He's taller now, and his face isn't so round anymore, it's slimmer, and his eyes are more green than I remember. He's got a few freckles on his nose, he doesn't look so scrawny, he's got a nice shape to his upper body, and his lower half isn't too bad either, and--

I stopped abruptly and the pen flew from my hand, as if some strange ripping cramp had caused my fingers to spasm. Looking back on what I'd written, my breathing nearly stopped. I was making Cody sound like he was hot. HA—in my DREAMS! Wait… he WAS in my dreams!

"Aaaaaaugh!" I chucked the book against the wall with a descent 'bang'. My palms collided with my face. I must be going crazy! What the hell is wrong with me?!

To get my mind off this Cody business, I made a struggle to grab my cell phone. Luckily I had the person I was searching for on speed-dial. With the phone to my ear, I waited eagerly for the answer.

Ring… ring… ring… ding (lol)…

"Hi, you've reached Trent's mobile. Trent doesn't have AT&T so he gets no bars here in… wherever he is… so thanks for your call about whatever you were gonna say, 'cause he's not getting it. Haha, joking! Leave a message and I'll call you. Peace out."

Damn it…

"Hey, Trent," I said. "It's me, Gwen. Just sitting here all bored and stuff, so… when you get this, call me, okay? I need to talk to you again, dude. Bye."

With a growl and a roll of my eyes, I flung my phone to the floor in despair.

Now what…?

If I couldn't talk to Trent, my mind wouldn't stay off my problems (ahem… CODY). I could've called Missy, but… nah… You know, it's bad enough I have to actually think about Cody, but this weekend he has to come to my house. Damn you, stupid science teacher and your stupid partner-choosing methods!

Hopelessly bored, I turned on my TV. Sure enough, Total Drama Island was on. And guess what episode it was? Yeah—the one where I had to be with Cody in the canoe.

I was about to change the channel, but something stopped me. I did a compare-and-contrast to the Cody then and the Cody now; HUGE difference, my friend, as I described in my diary. During that awkward time of close inspection, I let my thoughts wander back to when Cody had saved Trent and Lindsay from the quicksand. He'd come swinging gracefully on that vine, missed Trent's hand, slammed hard into the trunk of a nearby tree, slid peacefully to the ground…

…and then Lindsay had hugged him.

My fist clenched as I remembered her arms around his neck. But… why did it bother me so much? With a random epiphany I realized that even that day, I'd been jealous of the hug. But again, why?

Perhaps the Cody I knew then was still the Cody I know now? Maybe he just looks and acts different? No, no, he's changed completely. It's the only way I'll ever like him, if I ever do. It's how he is today. He's just cute, and it's definitely going to stay that way. Just cute… nothing special…

That's when he smiled. On the TV, it showed Cody and his dazzling gap-toothed grin.

Quickly I had to rest a hand on my bed frame to catch myself. Oh, dear God, this is not happening! And then the other half of me said, Oh, yes it is. Let's face fact, Gwen: you're falling for Cody.

Thank you very much, self…

Still I refused to believe it. Yet… could it be true? Was it really possible? I mean, come on! It sounds way too 'romance-novel' to be real. It's the kind of thing you read about all the time—girl likes guy, girl starts falling for the last guy she'd expect, that guy likes her, the two end up together, the first guy gets angry, the second guy wins, and the two go home happy and get drunk? Or wait… did it go like that…?

Whatever! You get my point! It's too cliché, especially for me. But once more, I ask… is it really possible?

I was strongly determined to find out.