A month had passed since Lance's death. Everyone was doing better, and his funeral had been held. It was held at the same church, and he had been buried next to Michelle. Their closest friends hadn't forgot Lance and Michelle's deaths.

It was a beautiful Saturday mid-morning. Joey, Marie, Jana, and JC had decided to go to the local park, Wilson Park, to just hang out. Chris and his girlfriend, Stacie, hadn't showed up yet.

"Hey, babe," Joey said huskily, coming up from behind his girlfriend. He wrapped his arms around Marie's waist.

"Joey," Marie murmured, pulling his neck towards her. She kissed his neck as he chuckled in delight.

"Man, that tickles," Joey replied. He saw a piece of paper that Marie was reading in her hands. "So, what have you got over there?" he asked her, looking at the paper in her hands.

"Huh? Oh, it's just an invitation I got yesterday," Marie said nonchalantly, stuffing the letter in her pocket.

"Invitation, eh? To a party?" Joey questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah."

"Can I see it?"

Marie hesitantly agreed. "Okay," she said slowly. I don't know if Joey will approve, she thought. She dug into her pocket and handed the paper to him. He read it and laughed.

"Oh man, is this JC's ex who's holding a party?"

"Yes, it's the same Britney JC dated," Marie confessed with a small smile. "But Joey, I kind of want to go. Wouldn't you want to go together? It might be fun."

"That girl has a bad rep I heard," Joey answered, unsure. "I don't know, Marie. Are you sure you want to go to Brit's party? I heard from Justin that she was trying to seduce him recently."

"Okay, she's not that bad," Marie replied. "We're sort of friends from cheerleading last year. Come on, Joey. We'll have a blast."

"I don't know-"

"Please?" Marie begged, giving Joey puppy eyes. "Pretty please, Joey? It'll be fun. We can leave early if anything stupid happens! She's not as bad as JC says. She is really nice."

"Uh…"

"I go to school with her!" Marie added desperately. "She's in two of my classes this year. She's a changed person!"

"Fine," Joey answered. He stuck his tongue out at her.

Marie giggled and leaned closer to him, kissing him on the lips. "I knew you couldn't resist the good old puppy eyes trick!" she said while kissing him.

"Just shut up and kiss me some more," Joey returned jokingly. They kissed passionately with desire.

"Oh God, get a room!" JC shouted, several feet away from them. He had seen them both all over each other. He and Jana were tossing a frisbee.

"JC, shut up and leave us alone!" Marie shouted back, continuing her make-out session with Joey.

Jana and JC watched as Marie's hands slid down the backside of Joey's shorts, getting all touchy with him. "Eww!" Jana shrieked, grossed out by Marie's actions. "Will you behave? Be good people and save that for prom night!"

Joey and Marie let go of each other and doubled over with laughter. "We were just trying to gross you out!" Marie cried through laughs.

"Mission accomplished," Joey added with a grin, jogging over to JC.

JC shook his head. "You are sick, my man," JC commented with a smirk.

"Oh, it's not like you haven't made out with a girl before," Joey asserted with a grin.

"Yeah, but we are in public," JC reminded him as he caught the frisbee.

"Anyway, where are Chris and Stacie?" Joey asked, checking his watch. "Aren't they supposed to be here?"

"Yeah, they are." JC nodded. "But I guess they're going to be a little late."

"What could be taking Chris and Stacie so long?" Jana wondered aloud as JC tossed her the frisbee back.

"What, Chris? What the hell is that!" Stacie blurted out with widened eyes as she stared at Chris' vehicle behind him, then Chris. Chris had shown up ten minutes late at her doorstep, and the bicycle on the pathway-she hoped-was not his.

Unfortunately, Chris was beyond embarrassment. The bicycle behind him happened to be his. It had a red basket attached to it. "Is this some kind of stupid joke?" Stacie asked him, her voice louder than usual.

"No," Chris said fearfully. He hated to have to break the news to Stacie, but she had to find out sooner or later. "That's our transportation," he explained quietly. "My, um, car wasn't working."

"What!" Stacie raged. "You have got to be kidding! How are we going to get to the park?"

Chris pointed to the bicycle mutely.

"No! Uh- uh. Nooo!" Stacie groaned and gave Chris a look. "Chris," she wailed. "Anything but that…that thing! Why don't we just take the taxi or something?"

"How about your car?" Chris suggested hopefully.

"My parents took it out," Stacie mourned. "Urgh, dammit. Got any money on you?"

"Let's just take the bike," Chris insisted, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "You can sit in the basket."

"Hell no!"

"Come on, please? It'll look cute."

"Chris, I said no." Stacie shook her head firmly at her boyfriend. She shook Chris by the shoulders. "We have to get there pronto! Jana has been paging me nonstop, like, thirty billion times! Understand?"

Chris shrugged. "They bicycle is our only way," Chris replied. "Or if you want, we could walk."

Stacie shut the front door behind her and ran past Chris to his bicycle. "I choose the bike. But I'm pedaling. You sit in the basket, honey."

"Ha, ha. Very funny," Chris remarked, amused. "Um, no. I'm pedaling."

"No time to argue!" Stacie called to him cheerfully, already on the bicycle. "Come on, Chrissy. Sit, sit."

Chris muttered incoherent words under his breath and shuffled to the bicycle.

"Look! There's Chris and Stacie now," Jana cried excitedly, rushing towards the pair who was coming into sight. Chris looked pained and was rubbing his behind and carrying a red basket in his hand. Stacie was pedaling on the bicycle, a bright smile on her face.

"Hey, guys!" Stacie said, waving.

JC and Jana both ran to them. "Oww," Chris moaned, rubbing his behind. "I'm hurting."

"What happened to you?" Jana asked Chris, looking at him then the basket.

"Chris was sitting in that," Stacie replied, pointing to the basket, "and it broke and he fell off the bike."

JC and Jana doubled over in a fit of laughter. "Chris, you are so retarded, I swear!" JC hooted.

"Oh, be quiet. It hurts," Chris complained. Everyone laughed at him. "Hey, it's not funny!"

"Where's Joey and Marie?" Stacie asked, searching for the couple.

JC turned his head and stared at Joey and Marie, who were now making out on the picnic table. "Argh, you guys!" he barked, irritated. "I swear, you two cannot keep your hands off each other for five seconds. We turn our heads for a second, and when we turn around again, you're making love on our picnic table!"

"Don't be mad because you're not getting any," Marie joshed, wiping her lips.

JC eyed her. "Bite me, Marie," he snapped. Joey and Marie chuckled. Not funny! JC thought. Jana was standing right there, and of course she was probably uncomfortable.

"Urgh, does anyone have ice?" Chris asked, breaking the silence. Everyone turned his or her attention to the whining Chris. "I am soo sore."

Marie and Joey came over and laughed. "Poor Chris! What happened to you?" she asked.

"The guy was sitting in a basket and broke it," JC explained.

Marie and Joey chuckled. "Chris, you are so weird," Joey remarked to his friend. "Anyway, I am so hungry. I think I worked up an appetite. Where's the food?"

Yeah, working up an appetite by your smooch fest, Jana thought. "Well, it was on the table you guys were smooching on."

"Um, oops. It fell on the ground." Marie smiled sheepishly and rushed to the picnic table, followed by Joey.

"Chris, you should sit down. I'll go and get you some ice from the cooler," Jana replied, stifling a laugh when she saw Chris's expression on his face. He was still hurting. Poor guy, Jana thought sympathetically.

Stacie walked Chris over to the picnic table to sit down. Jana brought Chris ice and he was quite grateful. "Hey, Chris, what gave you the idea to use a bicycle anyway?" JC questioned as he and Jana helped Joey and Marie set up the picnic table.

Chris groaned. "We didn't have a car," he said pointedly.

"I can't wait to see what vehicle you guys will be riding in to the prom," Jana teased. Chris shot her a look. Jana laughed.

"Oh, the prom!" Stacie piped up with a beam. "Hey, let's talk about the prom guys."

Oh, great, JC thought sourly. He did not want to be a part of prom talk. "I, uh, have to get something in my jeep," JC blurted out without thinking. He ran off.

Joey, Chris, and JC were all hanging out at JC's house the next morning. They were watching Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. It was JC's favorite out of the trilogy. JC had avoided the prom conversation. He had the urge to ask Jana to the prom with him. She still hadn't given him a straight answer. The thing was, he wanted to take Jana with him. Even if they weren't a couple. It was one of the promises they had made to each other. JC didn't want to break it.

But deep down inside, JC was shaking. He was scared. He didn't want to be turned down. He would feel so devastated and embarrassed. It was just one simple question, but a lot of thinking went into it. Would they ever get back together? JC secretly prayed they would. He wanted to win her back. But he wasn't sure if she would accept him or not. Maybe this is a sign for me to move on. I'll find someone in college. There will be plenty of hot women on the college campus. I'll get to date them all, and Jana will just be a speck in my memory. Who are you kidding, JC? JC hated thinking about it.

"JC, thinking about women?" Chris inquired, raising his eyebrows. "You look like you're about to drool."

"Uh, no," JC responded quickly, focusing back on the TV. It was scary how his friends knew him so well. He glanced at Chris and Joey, who were exchanging glances to each other.

"JC, who are you taking to the prom?" Joey asked, obviously waiting for him to say the name Jana.

"Please do not say Britney, or I will have to slap you!" Chris begged half-jokingly. He stretched out his body on the recliner. "Man, can you believe it? Prom is in two weeks! Then we all graduate."

"Don't worry," JC assured him. "It's not Britney. Anyway, how do you and Joey feel about not going to your senior prom at your school?"

"Oh, we're cool with it," Joey responded. "I mean, we want to take Stacie and Marie to their school's prom. It would be more fun that way."

"How's that?" JC joked. "What, you get to check out all the hot chicks at Lincoln?"

"Hmm, that's a possibility."

"Ooh, that's dirty," Chris guffawed.

"You know I'm only joking. Marie would kill me," Joey replied. "So who's it gonna be, JC? Who's the lucky woman you're escorting to the prom?"

"I haven't decided," JC answered. "I don't know. Maybe I'll go stag."

"I'm surprised you aren't taking Jana," Chris replied quietly.

"That's a touchy subject," JC reminded him sorely. "I don't know…"

Chris spoke up. "JC, it's so obvious you still have feelings for Jana," he said.

JC cringed. "Chris, quiet! We are missing the good part," he scolded briskly. His favorite part of the movie was happening. It was when the Millenium Falcon went through the asteroid field.

"Damn! That was a close shave!" Joey remarked, his eyes glued to the TV.

"Hey, quit trying to change the subject," Chris replied.

"I told you, I don't like her in that way anymore. Those feelings are gone," JC responded, trying to sound convincing. But he knew he still had feeling for Jana deep down inside of him. He cared for her. His feelings for her were so hard to get rid of.

"I don't believe you man," Joey said disapprovingly. "Just ask her out to the prom already."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Joey, maybe I don't' want to go to the stupid prom at all," JC declared. "Or maybe I might want to take someone else."

"Fine, man. Whatever you say." Joey sighed and raised his arms in defeat. "I guess it is your choice anyhow."

JC exhaled sharply. "Sorry for being so cranky. I just have a lot of things on my mind. I just need to relax or something."

"Hey, I have an idea!" Joey piped up excitedly. "Why don't you go with me, Marie, Chris, and Stacie to Britney Spears' party next week?"

JC gave him a look of pure shock. "Hell no, Joey! What are you thinking!" JC yelled, glaring at his friend. How could Joey even suggest such a thing? He loathed Britney. "There is no way I'm going near that girl ever again!"

"Calm down. It's an end-of-the-year party. You have to go. Jus said that your ex-girlfriend got a new haircut too. Don't you wanna see what she looks like now?"

"Not really," JC said with a nasty laugh. "This is Britney we are talking about. I really don't care about her new haircut. Truthfully, I wish everyone would stop calling her my ex-girlfriend because she isn't!" JC gave his friends a frown. "Jana would be referred to as my ex, not Britney."

"JC, don't be a shit head!" Chris remarked, groaning. "We're all going to the party together and we'll have a great time. Don't think about Britney being there. We're seniors so we have to go to this party! Who else is holding a party besides her anyway?"

"No one," JC answered.

"See, my point exactly. She just happened to be holding the senior class party this year," Chris replied. "Just ignore her at the party, and everything will work out fine."

"I still say no," JC said decisively.

"You are going, and you are taking Jana!" Joey added with an evil grin.

"Joey, you need to shut up right now or I will crack you," JC threatened in a polite tone. "My answer is no, you guys. I will not be seen at her party, and neither will Jana."

JC found himself in Chris' van, on his way to Britney's house. Britney's party was that night, and everyone was excited. Chris shouted enthusiastically as he raised the volume of the music. His stereo blasted. Everyone was packed in Chris' van and they were exhilarated to be going to the party.

Jana felt less enthusiastic than the others did. She felt like she had been dragged to Britney's party. She and Britney weren't exactly chummy, so Britney would be in for a huge surprise. Jana knew that Britney would be treating her like dirt the whole night, so she planned to avoid the girl.

Be civil, Jana reminded herself. The memory of her punching Britney came into her head, and she smiled to herself triumphantly. And don't use the fist Jana. That's completely off limits. Just ignore Britney.

"Okay, even if it is Britney's party, it doesn't mean we have to hang out with her the whole night," Marie replied, shrugging. "I mean, there will be tons of people there. She'll be floating all over the place."

"I say we occupy a room," Joey suggested huskily, slipping his hand over Marie's waist.

Everyone groaned. "I need to pull over and puke," Chris announced, making a sickened face.

"Me too!" Stacie and JC said in unison as everyone laughed.

"Hey, Jana, why are you so quiet tonight?" Stacie then asked, turning to Jana. "You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," Jana responded with a smile. "Just thinking, and a little tired."

"I'm sorry Marie and I dragged you with us," Stacie apologized with a chuckle. "You really didn't have to go. I feel so bad now. I hope you're not mad at me."

"Not at all," Jana told her honestly.

"I can't believe you finally agreed to go to Britney's party though," Marie piped up. "That was a shock."

Jana shrugged, feeling embarrassed.

JC's ears perked up at the girls' conversation. I wonder if she's thinking about us, or me, he thought hopefully. JC had planned his whole night out. He would talk to Jana the whole night and completely ignore Britney. He was even surprised himself that Jana reluctantly agreed to go to the party with him. He had also had the help of Stacie and Marie to get Jana to go with him. Maybe they could be more than friends that night. I am such a loser! JC thought.

"Oh my gosh, we're almost at her house," Marie said loudly with anticipation. Jana rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe Marie was actually excited about the party. But Marie was a friend of Britney's, so she did have the right to be excited. Personally, I'd rather be cleaning toilets, she thought sourly.

"Eww, you're too excited for her party!" Stacie remarked, making a sickened face. "Don't get too excited. It's only Britney."

"Well, she does hold good parties," Marie objected. "Good parties rock."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Chris increased the volume. "Everyone just shut up about Brit, or you will be sorry if I throw up right now."