Hiding Out * Open *

[Chase Matthews]

Chase had been avoiding Gretchen all day, she just would not leave him alone he really disliked her but the only reason why he even asked her out was because she looked so much like Zoey, he wished the girl would have said no to him and all but of course she said yes, what was Chase thinking? What was she thinking? She barely even knew Chase and Chase just thought that she looked like Zoey so she would certainly act and be like Zoey right? A Zoey replacement. Boy was he ever wrong.

He sighed kicking the sand as he arrived at the beach he was still trying to avoid seeing Gretchen and all he didn't think she would check here not anytime soon at least she would probable check his dorm first, the movie theaters and places like that it was a cold day and all so she won't thick that Chase was here. He had on a sweater and long grey pants on to keep warm.

When he arrived at the beach he walked along the edge of the water still kicking the sand the waves were lightly coming up and making his shoes get all soaked but it didn't really bother him even though his feet were starting to freeze.

[Zoey Brooks]

Zoey gave a sigh as she kicked a small stone out into the water. She hadn't seen anyone she knew yet. Well unless you counted that guy from her science class back in the first semester...but he wasn't really her friend. She barely knew him! She was really longing to see some of her bestest frends right about now. Lola, Quinn, Nicole, Michael, Chase, and yes, somehow even Logan. She had really missed the whole lot of them the past month. More than she could ever have imagined.

Her eyes fell to the ground without much reasons. She had expected her friends to be hanging out at the student lounge where she could just come in and see them all. Tough luck much? Now she was going to have to say 'I'm back!' to everyone seperatly. What a pain that was going ot be. She knew that Nicole was probably at the Mall dragging Lola with her, while Quinn was off at some science convention or whatever that place where she went was called. Michael and Logan would shooting some hoops, and as for Chase...well he'd probably be off somewhere. Somewhere to get away from reality for a while.

The sudden sight of curly brown hair made her look up. A smile spread across the 15-year-old's face. She knew he had to be somewhere that no one would think of going. She quickly looked dow at her outfit. She was wearing her normal blue jeans and a long-sleeved top full of different colors. She shrugged. Chase had never really cared about her clothes anyway. Making sure not to make any sound whatsoever, she ran up to him and quickly put her hands over his eyes. "Guess who!" she 'asked' him, knowing perfectly well he'd recognize her voice.

[Chase Matthews]

Chase was still kicking the sand the water was starting to fill up in his shoes now and every time he would walk he would hear squashing noises in his shoes. No matter how hard he tried to get Zoey out of his mind he couldn't and that was what he was trying to do right now but it wasn't working the best and he wasn't liking it, he really was trying very hard to like Gretchen and all.

He felt someone put their hands over their eyes and jumped a bit. " Gretchen..." he muttered under his breath a bit turning to see who it was, he had to take a second glance at her face after all Gretchen did almost look like Zoey just a bit, ok more like a lot but thats not the point. He stared at her for a bit. " Zoey.." he stammered stepping back from her as if she was a ghost and tripping over his own feet falling back into the freezing cold water.

He screamed a bit and started to shiver as he made his way back standing up his face was bright red now and he didn't know what to say to her was it even really Zoey, he gulped a bit. " Zoey?" he asked again still shivering bad idea falling like that Chase felt like such a idiot.

[Zoey Brooks]

Chase's reaction had exactly been the one she had expected. At least there wasn't a flagpole around. And he wasn't on his bike which already put him less at risk of hurting himself. Her eyebrows raised at the mention of a name. One she hadn't ever heard before. "Gretchen? Who's Gretchen?" she asked curiously. She was was too nosy for her own good.

"Oh my God! Are you ok?" Zoey said when Chase fell down. She ran over to him, hoping he was alright. Sometimes she wondered if he did it on purpose to trip or crash into something everytime he saw her. It seemed that it happened almost every single time the they saw each other and that it had been a while that they hadn't. Like the start of each semester for example.

Zoey rolled her eyes slightly and smiled at him. "Obviously I'm Zoey. Who else could I be?" She asked. "If your really thinking I'm not Zoey then let me prove it to you that I really am...well Zoey. Ask me something. Anything that only the real Zoey Brooks would know." she said grinning slightly.

[Chase Matthews]

Chase's face turned deep red when she asked who Gretchen was. He was embarrassed he didn't really want to tell her Gretchen was his girlfriend, she would see her and probable notice the resemblance and all. " Well.. uhh you see..." he said pausing he didn't want to lie to Zoey just the same though. " Gretchen's my girlfriend.." he stated rather fast. Staring at the ground not knowing what her reaction would be to that, he didn't know if Micheal or Logan or any of the other girls had told Zoey about Gretchen and what she acted and looked like yet, but Zoey seemed to act clueless and all he just didn't know if she was acting that way on purpose.

Chase nodded. " Yeah, I'm fine.. I'm just really clumsy as always." he stated putting on a fake smile and laugh. He always fell down when he hadn't saw Zoey in a long time it's just something that happened to him when he was near her and he hated that, he swore to himself some day he wasn't going to fall down the next time he saw her but that didn't work this time but failing was a account of shock that she was here right? Yeah, thats a good excuse not being clumsy right? Yeah it is.. Chase was sort of arguing with his mind right now about the incident of falling down. He was still slightly shivering though.

Chase now knew for sure that this was Zoey and all. " Oh believe me you could be someone else... like Gretchen.." he muttered under his breath not realizing he had said that out loud. He was staring at the ground before looking back up at her. " Alright.... The first day at PCA how did we meet?" he asked her.

[Zoey Brooks]

"Well.. uhh you see...Gretchen's my girlfriend.."

The words hit Zoey with such force that she actually had to take a second to think about it. Something that she hadn't done in a while. Chase...has a girlfriend?! But I though...didn't he...hadn't he told Michael that he liked me a month ago? Oh gosh this is confusing. Zoey thought unsure. And there she had been thinking that he still liked her because of his clumsyness and all. She decided not to care and simply put on a fake smile. One that Chase was probably going to see right through. "Well I'm happy for you. This...Gretchen girl is probably the luckiest girl in the world right about now."

She felt her face pale a little. Had she just said that Gretchen was the luckiest girl in the world because she was dating Chase?! What had gotten into her that last month! Zoey merely tried to look as though nothing had happened. "It seems that it's become a sort of tradition no? Your clumsiness and all." She said trying her best to put on a convincing smile. Had she been anyone else but herself she probably would have noticed that she was having trouble smiling now.

"How could I be Gretchen? I mean it isn't as though she looks like me, or well...I look like her, and it isn't like you like me just as much as you like her...right?" she asked rather uncomfortably.

"Alright.... The first day at PCA how did we meet?"

For the first time in minutes the smile on Zoey's face was real. "Let's see....My dad had gone off to the administration office to get a map of the campus and the Dorm number in which I was staying, so I was standing there looking around. Then you passed on your bike, you waved at me, and when I waved back you crashed into the flagpole and told me that you were simply checking the PCA flag. Not that I fell for it." she said grinning.

[Chase Matthews]

Chase could tell her smile was a fake one, he knew her way too long to fall for one of her fake smilies. " You don't really think that, now do you?" he asked her. " I can see right through you, ya know that, that smile is fake.. so who is he?" he asked her, he figured as she said that the girl was lucky she meant that she was because she had a boyfriend back in England or something like that. " You miss him?" he asked her he frowned a bit but quickly put on a smile he hated when Zoey had a boyfriend and he was always just the guy best friend he always had wished he could be more but he was sure it was never going to happen.

Chase nodded. " Well, yeah but only when I see you for some odd reason. You must be bad luck Zoey!" he stated with a short grin he was of course only joking and all. " But don't worry I will take all the falls I get to hang out with you still." he stated. That was the Truth too Chase rather have a broken leg then not be able to hang out with Zoey it was hard enough not being able to see her for the past month.

Chase stared at the ground a bit as she spoke. " Oh if you only knew.." he stated with a nervous laugh, Gretchen looked like Zoey by a lot their was the differences though, Zoey was much prettier in Chase's eyes though but they defiantly had their similarities. " Well.. uhh.." Chase honestly liked Zoey more then Gretchen he didn't even like Gretchen but he couldn't tell Zoey that. " Well, she is my girlfriend so I err like her like a girlfriend but you like a sister" he couldn't even look at her as he said it because he didn't mean it, it was the opposite well he couldn't imagine Gretchen like a sister nor girlfriend but Gretchen was his girlfriend after all.

Chase acted surprised. " Zoey!" he screeched. " It really is you!" He said giving her a hug with a short grin on his face as if he was really surprised and had not believed her the whole time until now.

[Zoey Brooks]

Zoey merely rolled her eyes. She had never imagined herself going out with an 'English guy' as she called them. They just had that British accent that got on her nerves so much! They were also SO obsessed with talking about themselves. Kind of like Logan come to think of it. "There's no guy in my life Chase. Well unless you count my dad and Dustin. Other than that I'm perfectly guy-free. Being in England was sort of like being in Logan-land, and trust me, I had NO idea that place could actually exist! And I do mean what I said. I always do no?" She asked him while biting her lip. A sign she usually did when she was nervous.

Zoey smiled. Sometimes Chase actually knew just what to say to get her to cheer up. "Well then. Maybe I shouldn't get too close, or else who knows what might happen with Gretchen with me here?" she said jokingly. Well at least she meant it to sound like a joke. Though somewhere at the back of her mind, she was secretly hoping that with her here she might get the two to break-up. Kind of like the whole Rebecca thing. Snap out of it Zo. He's over you. Now get over him. You never reeeaaalllyyy liked him anyway. Right? Riiiight?! her mind screamed at her.

Zoey snapped out of her thoughts as Chase spoke. She looked at him, noticing that he was staring at the ground. She crossed her arms slightly, knowing something was wrong. "Ok. What's really up between you and Gretchen?" she asked him. It was obvious that there was some kind of problem. Or else Chase would actually be able to look at her when he was talking.

"Well obviously silly!" Zoey said laughing. The hug was all she needed to start feeling her stomach turn over. Why was she feeling like this now? They had hugged before. This was nothing new. Nothing new at all. Except that it was in a way. Zoey had started to feel sort of different about Chase ever since she had heard him on the webcam saying how much he loved her. She had seen him in a different light since then. A really different light.

[Chase Matthews]

Chase smiled he couldn't help but have the smile that was sort of already on his face go into a grin. Zoey wasn't seeing anyone and he liked that it was a good thing even though he was at least he didn't have to deal with seeing the girl he has been crushing on since the 8th Grade with some guy or hear about some guy 24/7 he hated that. " Thats great.." he grinned then coughed. " I mean alrighty then.." he said hoping she didn't think anything of what he had said about it being great she wasn't with anyone. " That hurts Zoey!" He stated referring to her only saying Dustin and her dad. " I'm not in your life anymore.. I see how you are you go away for awhile then just like that Chase isn't a main guy in your life anymore.. your best friend!" Chase tried to put on a sad looking face, but couldn't help but still keep grinning.

Chase knew that Zoey was only joking about the Gretchen thing and their friendship getting sort of ruined not wanting her to hang out with him. He rubbed the back of his neck a bit, he wasn't so sure that Gretchen would want them hanging out she reminded him of Rebecca only worse much worse but he decided to lie a bit maybe Gretchen would be ok with it.. or well he hoped anyways. " Nothing will happen Zoey.. I won't let it." he added the last bit really fast though.

Chase groaned a bit was it really that obvious that their was something wrong with Gretchen that he really didn't like her not even a little bit, only her looks but that was shallow and all but the only reason why he liked her was because she looked like Zoey, but Chase liked Zoey for her inside and outside. " Nothing, nothing at all. Gretchens perfect!" Chase put on a fake smile now trying to make it seem as if he had meant every word he had just stated. He just hoped Zoey would fall for it. Chase laughed a bit. ' I'm Silly now?" he asked her. " Thats not some new nickname or something is it?" he asked her with a short grin it was better then bushy haired freak he thought though but whatever Zoey called him for a nickname he didn't really care, she was Zoey after all.

[Zoey Brooks]

Since when was her not dating anyone great? She would have understood if she had ever dated a guy that was sort of like Chase's ex Rebecca, but as far as she knew it hadn't happened. Unless it had and she wasn't aware of it. Oh well. She'd just ignore the comment as though he hadn't said it. It would save a lot of explanations that would have to be told. Zoey rolled her eyes slightly before putting on an expression of fake sorrow. "Awww. Did I just hurt your feelings? Well I'm sorry if I forgot to mention that your the most important guy in my life Chase. Do you need a hug to make you feel better?" she said grinning slightly. She barely saw her father, and the last time she had he had been practically dragging her out of the airport when she was about to board the plane back ot PCA, and as for Dustin he wasn't exactly her favourite person right about now. So technically, Chase was sort of like the most important guy in her life at the moment.

Zoey smiled. She really didn't want to ruin Chase's happiness by messing everything up between him and his girlfriend. As long as he was happy with Gretchen, she was happy. At least she'd try to be for her friendship with Chase. "If you say so. I seriously don't want anything like what happened with Rebecca happening again." she said. She bit her lip slightly to stop herself from actually saying what she was thinking. Actually, barely anything she had said in the past few minutes was what she was actually thinking. A few things were, but those were the things that were pretty obviously known.

Zoey sighed a little. Of course Chase wasn't going to admit that there was a problem with Gretchen even if he wanted to. It wouldn't be...right for a boyfriend to say that about his girlfriend. No matter how horrible she was. Though if she anywhere as weird as Quinn then maybe there would be a problem...but somehow she sort of doubted that Gretchen was weirder than Quinn. It was practically impossible for that to happen! She merely put on a small smile and nodded.

Clear dissapointment could be seen on her face. Though no one else but herself knew why. She was kinda of hoping that he would say something was wrong with Gretchen. Just so that she might actually feel a little better. As though knowing the faults in Gretchen would actually make her believe that Chase hated her. "Well then. I'm happy to hear that you've found the perfect girl for you." she said with the same fake smile she had put on a million times in the past.

Zoey laughed. "I didn't mean it as a nickname! You know what I meant Chase!" she said hitting him lightly on the shoulder. He always had the most funniest things to say. It was just who Chase was. Hopefully, he was never going to change. He was perfect just the way he was in Zoey's eyes. She wouldn't change anything about him. Not even his bushy hair,

[Chase Matthews]

Chase sighed a bit, hoping Zoey had not heard the sigh though. He was glad that she had not heard him say it was great that she didn't have a boyfriend or well at least he thought she had not heard him. At least he didn't need to go and make up a quick lie about why he had said that, that would have been difficult. " Yes, you hurt my feelings." he said with a nod trying hard to look sad as if she really had hurt his feelings. " I do need a hug now.." he stated putting on a pretend pout. " So I'm more important then your dad and Dustin now?" he asked with a grin only joking around though.

" What about that English Guy back in London though that you left to come back to PCA?" he asked her he was only joking and all though he knew she wasn't seeing anyone after all she did say that but he still couldn't believe that some English Guy didn't try to get with her.. maybe they did and all she just turned them down Chase smiled at that thought. " Don't tell me you didn't date at least one guy in London.. you had to I mean your Zoey Brookes the most beautifulest girl after all.." Chase turned red a bit then realized what he had said. " I mean after Gretchen of course." but that was even stupid saying that once Zoey saw Gretchen she would surly find out about Chase's secret and liking Zoey and all.

Chase rubbed the back of his neck once again after she said she didn't want another Rebecca instance, he didn't know how Gretchen would react to Zoey. " Nothing will happen.. remember the pact we made no girlfriend or boyfriend will come between our friendship?" he asked her. " Then you went and hit me with a grape." he stated with a short grin and a laugh. " But in the end I total won that grape battle!" he smirked at her.

Chase put on a fake smile as she said she was happy for him and finding the perfect girl. " Yeah I did.." he stated. " She is wonderful you know, beautiful, smart, a good leader, comes up with great ideas.. I could come up with a lot more saying about her but I would be going on forever.. and I don't want to bore you." he stated with a short grin but he was really describing Zoey Gretchen wasn't any of those things besides pretty and all but other then that Gretchen was just disgusting.

Chase smirked at her. " Yeah, I know what you meant." he stated. He then rubbed his arm as if Zoey had hurt him. " Oww Zoey what is it with you and the violence!?" he asked still rubbing his arm even though it didn't even really hurt him.

[Zoey Brooks]

Zoey smiled and rolled her eyes. Chase was never going to change one bit. At least she hoped so. He was just perfect the way he was. He was funny, always there when you needed a friend, not to mention the best friend a girl could have. Or at least the best guy friend that she could have. "I'm sorry little guy. I didn't mean to. Well if it really makes you feel better then I will give you a hug." she said as though speaking to a 5 year-old. She smirked slightly before hugging him.

Obviously it wasn't really a hug, it was just one to show that if it really had happened that she ahd offended him, then she'd be sorry, but right now she wasn't really sorry. Except for the fact that she had left Chase here practically alone at PCA to hook up with Gretchen while she was off to England. "You know, as a best friend. I mean I barely see my dad anymore, and now even less since he's off in England, and Dustin is...well...he's Dustin, rather annoying, a disappointment trust-wise, not to mention that he ruins moments that he shouldn't. So that leaves you." she said not really realizing what she had just said.

Zoey rolled her eyes. Why did her friends always expect her to have a boyfriend whenever she went someplace out of the 'ordinary' ? It got on her nerves sometimes. Well when Nicole & Lola asked her about it anyways. "Well...thanks for the compliment..I guess, but I didn't date anyone over in England. For one they were just...way too self-conceited, and...to be honest.." Zoey stopped for a few seconds, taking a deep breath. She really couldn't keep anything from Chase. It was just who she was. She was going to tell him about the 'webcam convo' she overheard a month ago sooner or later, and she decided that she should just tell him now. It would be a lot less akward for her to talk to him if she said it.

"Chase...look I have to tell you something. You know that day when we talked on the webcam a month ago? When I was in England? Well um...you know a few hours later? When you, Michael & Logan were in your dorm? Well you see....I don't think that Michael... um... closed the webcam... so... what I'm trying to say is... I... I heard... all that you guys said..." she said looking away from him. She couldn't handle looking at him directly when she told him. She knew that if that happened to her, she'd definatly have a lot of trouble accepting it.

kinda bad I know. hope it's ok if I didn't make her answer the last 3 paragraphs though =/

[Chase Matthews]

Chase continued to pout until she hugged him. He couldn't help but laugh just a little bit she was talking to him like a little kid that was making fun of him but what can you expect when your the one acting like a five year old he smirked at Zoey a bit but didn't say anything for awhile. " The hug only made me feel a little bit better.. your still a meany.." he said still acting like a little kid.. if he wasn't with Gretchen he would of said a kiss would make me feel better but that would defiantly give something away before she left the she probable won't have thought nothing of it and just kissed his hand or something like that. At the thought of Gretchen and her kissing him, it gave him chills down his back and not the good kind of chills.

Chase hated those words best friend and he knew he always would, but he grinned just a bit he would take what he would get he was important in her life and he liked that. " You really know how to make a guy special Zoe.." he stated the grin never really leaving his face. Dustin and ruining moments oh he remembered one where Dustin tackled Chase to the ground when Chase and Zoey were about to kiss oh Chase was mad but he couldn't show it to Zoey or Dustin instead he just went to complain to Micheal. Chase nodded in agreement with her saying that then quickly shook her head hoping she had not caught that whole thing because then she would wonder where Dustin had ruined one of his moments. " Really Dustin has ruined moments for you.... like what?" he asked her hoping that was a quick save on his behalf.

Chase liked that he really believed her know not even one guy he liked that. " Ok.." he stated simple wanting to say more then that but didn't. Oh know he didn't like the sound of to be honest she probable came back for someone here someone that she left here at PCA, then he would have to see that couple oh how he was dreading her being with some other guy here he would much rather have her have a long distance relationship with a guy then here at PCA at least he won't have to watch them together.

Chase froze as he heard her talk about the web cam. " Micheal.." he muttered under his breath. Chase felt really sick to his stomach now. " Everything?" he asked her maybe she thought she did but she hadn't he was shaking and taking deep long breaths, Zoey couldn't know that he loved her could she and by a web cam! His face was turning red from embarrassment now but he had also been holding his breath for the longest time and couldn't catch his breath again.

[Zoey Brooks]

Zoey laughed. Typical Chase joke to tell her she was 'a meany' as he put it. "Then what else do you possibly want me to do? I mean you have Gretchen there to do... you know... what girlfriends do, so what's possibly left for me to do?" she said grinning slighly. At hat moment was when it really hit her that Chase was with Gretchen. She realized that now Chase would most probably have less time to hang with her and therefore they'd have a lot less time to catch up. Sometimes Zoey really did regret ever even considering going to London. It was true that Chase hadn't helped in her decision, but now that she was back, she'd try to piece everything together again. Absolutly everything that she could at the least.

"I know I do. It's one of the things I do best. I guess having a little brother sort of gives you abilities that no one else has." she said smirking. Having Dustin as a brother often made her wish things were a lot different. Well in some cases. Most of the time she simply didn't want a brother, though she knew perfectly well that she was stuck with Dustin for her entire life. Though there were a few advantages to that. Mostly that she was able to get some guy advice when Chase wasn't there. Not that Dustin was that helpful. "Um...well he ruined one of my birthday parties a few years ago. You don't want to know, but that was only one of the things he did." she said trying to come up with examples other than that whole Trisha not beliving her & Chase were together even if they weren't really.

Zoey nodded her head once, showing Chase that all that was about the whole story really. "That's about it where England guys are concerned. Oh and did I mention that this one guy actually asked me if I knew Logan? Apparently a bunch of the guys over there have Logan as a role-model. It was pretty creepy actually. Though don't tell Logan. His ego's already big enough as it is." she said smiling. It had been really creepy when this random guy had come up to her in the school hallway and ask her about Logan. She had merely said she didn't know him. It had been the only escape route she had thought of back then.

Zoey stared at the sand. She was hating this more and more. "Everything. I'm positive about it." she said. She looked up at him. He was apparently not taking this that well. His face was red. Weither it was from not breathing or embarrasement she had no idea. All she knew was that it was really scaring her. "Oh my gosh Chase, are you alright?!" she asked a little alarmed.

[Chase Matthews]

Chase put on a fake grin. " Yeah, I guess your right. I better go off and find Gretchen then.." he stated turning off acting as if he was really going to just leave Zoey standing there. But even if he was really going to leave he won't have went off to find Gretchen he really did not want to have to deal with her that was the main reason why he was out here in the first place was to get away from Gretchen. He stopped half way out in the sand and turned around heading back to Zoey. " Nah, I don't really want to see Gretchen right now, plus I can see her whenever.. and you I'm not so sure anymore you never know when your just going to get up and leave again." he said with a small smirk and a shake of his head glancing at Zoey.

Chase laughed at one of her comments about how Dustin ruins moments. He shook his head at her. " And you still hold that against the poor little guy, jeez Zoey give him a break.. see what I mean by big meany Dustin would defiantly agree with me there." Chase added with another smirk, but he of course was only joking.

Chase now started to burst out laughing. That was great people actual admired Logan over in London, maybe they should tell Logan about that maybe Logan would move out to London so people would admire him. But Chase knew that deep down if Logan was to move he would end up missing the jerk after all, but he would have rather had Logan move then Zoey, that s ab it harsh but it was the truth in Chase's mind. " Yeah, don't worry I won't tell Logan about that one. His ego is already huge he don't need a bigger one." Chase stated with a short nod of his head.

Chase's face was even more red now he was still in panic mode. He started to stutter and ramble. " Everything.. the loving you and everything." he felt really sick now like he was going to pass out and thats just what he did his face got so red that he fell back into the stand fainted.