Simone pulled away form Ty. Their kiss had lasted only a few moments but it had felt much longer. After staring at each other for an equally amount let of time, Simone managed to put her scattered thoughts into words.
"Why did you do that?"
"Well," Ty was dumbfounded. He hadn't planned on kissing Simone so he didn't really know how to answer the question without feeling like a rejected fool.
"You know I have a boyfriend, Ty! I told you I have a boyfriend." Simone yelled out of frustration and confusion.
"Yeah, I remember." Ty said, remembering meeting Chad earlier that day at the Book Cafe. 'Simone doesn't look like the type of girl he'd date.' Ty thought.
"So if you remember my boyfriend, why in the hell did you kiss me?" Simone yelled.
"I forgot at the moment and I..." Ty trailed off. He never meant to anger her and he certainly didn't want to get hurt himself by her rejection.
"You what? Just though, what the hell, I'll kiss her for no reason at all!"
"I had a reason." Ty defended himself.
"So what was it?" Simone asked in a calmer tone.
"I felt like it. I wanted to...kiss...you." Ty said showing a look of worry on his face as he let the words fall out.
"You wanted to kiss me?" Simone asked.
"Yes," Ty answered thankful she wasn't yelling.
"Well, how long have you been wanting to kiss me?" Simone yelled, "Is this some 4-year long obsession like Kelly?"
"No," Ty said in a calm, quiet voice.
"Or maybe when you RAN into me yesterday, all of these deep, warm, fuzzy feelings came rolling out."
"Whoa, whoa, I never said anything about feels." Ty said, only to wish he hadn't.
"Oh so this is a pure physical thing you want, huh? I know what kind of guy you are, but I don't think you have a clue as to what kind of girl I am..."
"I was just a kiss!" Ty yelled, making Simone stop talking, "Just a kiss. Nothing more. Nothing less."
"It was nothing at all." Simone said, sending a wave of hurt disappointment through Ty's body.
"So why don't I just finish walking you home?" Ty said, changing the subject as fast as possible.
"We're only a block away from my house and we're where street lights are now, so I can go the rest of the way on my own." Simone said quickly and starting walking away.
Ty stood there for a few moments until Simone was out of view, then proceeded to curse himself for what he thought had destroyed any chance of getting Simone.

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The Russell house was dark and quiet. The creak of the front door opening and Simone stepping inside were the only sounds.
'Everyone must be in bed.' Simone thought. She wasn't surprised though. It was almost 1:30 AM. Tomorrow morning, her parents would give her the same talk she always gets when she comes home late, about being in before curfew and taking advantage of their trust. Simone always had an excuse before and if she didn't, at least she had Kay to get into trouble with. But tonight, Kay had left for Tabitha's long before Simone had left for her home. What excuse could she give this time? "Oh sorry, I would've been home earlier, but this guy who just got off community service was lip-locking with me." Simone remembered her kiss with Ty. She was still in shock. She hadn't even seen it coming. She did feel a bite bad for yelling at him so much, but she has been trying to get Chad for almost 2 years and now she was trying to keep him.
Simone pushed all thoughts about the night with Ty and the kiss away. Feeling frustrated and tired, she made her was up the stairs to her room. Before she got to her room though, she had to pass by Whitney's. While she passed it, Simone expected to hear no noises expect the sound of Whitney snoring. 'No way,' Simone thought, 'Ms. Whitney is too perfect to do something as unattractive as snore.'
But to Simone's surprise, she heard Whitney's voice coming from behind the door. 'Now what is she doing up this late?' Her curiosity getting the best of her, Simone stepped closely against the door and listened.

"I'm glad you're having so much fun in Bermuda, Theresa." Whitney said. "I can't believe Sheridan and Luis taught those senior citizens how to tango." Whitney let out a slight laugh.
"Whitney, what's wrong?" Theresa asked worried.
"Nothing is wrong Theresa,"  Whitney lied.
"Yeah right. Come one, tell me. Does it have to do with Chad?"
Just the mention of his name made Whitney want to burst into tears. Should she tell Theresa what had happened? She would most likely say something like "You two belong together! It's fate!" Whitney thought.
"Your silence tells me I'm right." Theresa said.
"It's over, Theresa. It's over for good." Whitney managed to say bravely without letting her friend know of the tears falling down her face.
"No wonder you're up so late. It must be almost 2 AM there."
"I just couldn't sleep. I tried, but all I could think about was what I did to him."
Out side Whitney's bedroom, Simone had been listening to every word her sister had said to Theresa. "I can't believe she really ended things with Chad. I mean, she'd lie to me about it, like before, but to Theresa. No way. He really is mine." Simone quietly whispered to herself.
"What did you do, Whitney?"
"I hurt him. I could tell just by look at him at the Book Cafe tonight."
'That bitch did go to him.' Simone thought angrily to herself.
"What did you say to him?" Theresa asked.
"I didn't really have to tell him anything. He kind of figured it out why I was there on his own. And he knows that we are through for good."
'Yes!' Simone celebrated in her head, hardly able to keep her joy inside.
"You didn't mean that, Whit. You and Chad belong together. It's..."
"Don't you dare try to tell me that some stupid word you heard on a soap opera is going to foretell my life, because that might have worked out for you, Theresa, but I refuse to let my life be lead by a word as stupid as 'fate'." Whitney yelled into the phone, "I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated and upset and..."
"It's okay, Whitney."
"No, it's not. I call you on your honeymoon and then proceed to yell at you."
"You're upset and in pain and I want to help you."
"No one can help me, Theresa." Whitney sighed, "I told myself I'd never go through this. Get so attached to a guy only to have it not work out. I feel like I can't do anything, like I don't have the strength or will to do anything. And my dad's starting to notice. My tennis really has been suffering. It's like I don't want to do it anymore."
"Do you?"
"Of course I want to play. I have to be champion for my dad."
"Shouldn't you want to be champion for you?"
"I want it too, I just...I don't know." Whitney said as she wiped away her tears from her face.
"Why don't you try to get some sleep. Or you can go see Chad." Theresa suggested.
"No, I can't go see him." Whitney sighed and looked at a picture on her desk of her and Simone as children. "I think I'm just going to go to bed."
"Okay, I'll see you in a couple of days. We'll go out or something."
"Okay, 'night." Whitney hung up the phone and picked up the picture. She looked at it, her and Simone were so close back then. They still were, but now there was something between them.
Whitney looked at the wall separating her and Chad's rooms. "Your happiness is more important, Simone. Chad Harris is yours." She turned out the small light on her desk and climbed into bed, just after placing the picture on the night stand.

"Oh Whitney you are so right," Simone said walking into her bedroom and turning on the light, "Chad Harris is mine and you, sister dear, will never have him."
 

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Chad looked at the clock on the table next to the bed just as it flashed 1:52 AM. It was too early to be awake, but after what had happened tonight, Chad couldn't sleep and he wanted to get ahead with his plans. 'Thank God for Hank.' Chad thought as he packed the few things left in his apartment up.
Chad was very thankful that when Hank called and said he wanted to see him earlier today, Hank had came through for him and found a new place for him to stay at a cheap price. Last year, when his apartment was condemned, thanks to Whitney, everyone in his building was put in a tough spot when it came to finding a place to stay. Luckily, when word got around about what had happened, the Youth Center started taking donations from people around town to fix up another building to have another apartment building in Harmony for a cheaper price.
When Luis came and told Chad about the new place when it was being fixed up, Chad had declined a room saying he wanted them to go to people who were desperate, but Chad would had much rather sleep a wall away from Whitney. Now, he like to sleep across town from Whitney.
Worried all of the apartments were already filled, Chad had thought he had to continue his sleepless nights, but luckily there was a room left. And when Chad saw it this afternoon with Hank, he knew it would be perfect for him.
Chad finished packing up his things and grabbed a bag and the keys to his new place. As he opened the door, he looked back at the room. It was a clear as the day he moved in except for the boxes of Chad's things.
"Well, I guess I really am moving on from her. How else would I be able to move away from her." Chad sighed and walked out the door.