20 days until Sunset

Chapter 13 (Gabe's P.O.V.)

I feel so bad about this. How could I have agreed to this? I am not the kind of person to give in to this kind of stuff. The guilt was slowly growing inside me. Then I looked at Cole who gave me a look then nodded his head. I turned to look at the other boys and sighed. Of all people they had to pick me, I think the producers have finally lost it. Then I looked at all the girls. Laurenza, Suzanna and Mandy. Ugh Mandy. What am I going to do? If she figures out I am going to be so dead, and I mean physically. I know for a fact that she can kick butt; quoting Cole quoting Lizzie.

I looked at Mandy and sighed. I want to tell her so bad, but I know if I do I'm going to get my butt kicked. So either way I get killed (again physically) and lose something important to me. It was then I felt a hand rest on top of mine. I turned and saw that it was Mandy's. Her expression looked so worried about me. Then a pang rushed through my heart. It was guilt. Damn you guilt! I know I shouldn't feel quilty because in the I get the good part out of this deal.

"Gabe are you ok? You kind of zoned out on us", Mandy said worriedly.

"Huh? Ooh yeah I'm ok sorry about that", I blurted out.

"So yes or no? You didnt answer me yet?" Suhy said.

"To what?" I asked, clearly zoned out when she asked me that question earlier.

"Do you want to come with us to the pre-season ball with us or not?" Lizzie asked looking annoyed.

"Sure why not?" I said.

"Ok good, I guess you guys are going to pick us up at 7 30 right? Ok good so see you guys tonight" Mandy said getting up and walking out the door with the other girls, giving us a small wave.

"Alright that's it! Tell us what happened with you and Mandy" Cole said slinging an arm around my shoulders.

"What are you talking about?" I said, geniually confused.

"Dude we know about the necklace, but does management know about this?" Will managed to say.

"No they don't", I confessed.

"Well they probably should, it's great process in the plan", Dalton said. My heart panged with guilt.

"Guys I don't think we should bring this up now", Will said, probably noticing the drop in my face.

"It'll be alright Gabe, don't worry about it dude", Dana said hitting me in the arm.

"She would kill me if she knew about this guys, and her sister-in-law would tear me to shreads. With her bare hands, pregnant or not" I said starting to see reality sink in. Well Terry is just one more person to add to the list of people about to kill me.

"Dude, chill. Come on let's just go get ready for the party", Cole said getting up. We all got up and followed him back to the studio and drove back to the house.

I knew that it was a fancy party, class A as our manager would call it. This calls for a suit and tie. The whole shiz. So I got out a suit. Now a tie. I don't know how the boys pick their ties but I sincerely do not know how. Guess I'm going to wing it.

Black, red, polka dot? No that's just weird. Why must this be so hard? I wish a was a girl. No I take that back, I don't want the whole PMSing crazed phase of my life. I rolled my eyes at my own thoughts. Then I saw it. It was my father's tie. He gave it to me a few years ago to keep when we moved to L.A. and I kept forgeting that I had it. It was a coral blue but for some reason had hints of navy blue and indigo. Don't ask how I know all this stuff, I just have worn it so many times that I memorize it.

I put it on, the same way Mandy had a few days ago....NO! Stop it Gabe! Stop thinking about her this instant! But I just couldn't. It was as if her exsistence was imprinted into my thought process. I am never going to get through this night, let alone the next twenty days.

I took one last look in the mirror and walked down the stairs to see the boys already boarding the limo. What time is it? 7 20. Crap we are late. I ran out of the house and motioned for the housekeeper to lock the door. He just smiled and did so. I ran to the limo and literally jumped inside to be yanked forward by the car speeding forward.

"Finally decided to join us Gabe?" Cole said, wearing a bright red tie.

"Sorry I just didn't know which tie to wear" I admitted.

"It's alright and woah look out the window", Will said. I snapped my head to the door to see three gorgeous girls walk in. Lizzie in a scarlet red dress, Suhy in a turqouise dress. I smiled then I looked at Mandy. And my jaw dropped.

She was wearing a blue dress, the identical shade as my tie. It was a coral blue at the corset around her torso, the skirt flowing out with simple ruffles in the colour of my tie. I sat there, awestruck. The producers aren't making this any easier.

"Did you two colour coordinate or something?" Lizzie asked, clearly not noticing her and Cole matched.

"No we did not", I said smuggly, "But apparently you and Cole did ooh and Suhy and Will?"

All four of them blushed as the rest of the boys and Mandy all laughed. I smiled widely seeing that this night might not be so bad if I keep an open mind. Then my phone rang. I read the I.D.

Mia.

I picked up. I probably shouldn't have but I did.

"Hey Gabe", she said in  her extremely annoying high voice.

"What do you want?" I added annoyed now.

"Are you going to the party tonight?" she asked in the same voice. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course I am", I said flatly.

"Good so am I. And so are the producers", she said smuggly. I froze. They are going to be there. No, Mandy is coming too. No No No No No. This is not happening. If she figures out before it will happen, I am so screwed.

"Ooh they are coming?" I asked suprised, in a facade of course.

"Yup and you better bring your best act on Gabe, we are all watching", she said then a long beep. SHe hung up on me. I closed the phone and looked up to see seven faces staring back at me.

"Who was that?" Mandy asked me looking worried again.

"Um just someone going to the party", I said,

I wasn't lying but I wasn't telling the truth either.