A/N: Ahh yes...this song...this song...for this chapter...there is a reason (LOL PUNS) that I included this song. ^-^

"Shhhh!"

"You shhh!"

"You both shhhhh!"

"Ok, ok."

"Ow!"

"Hey, it's not my fault, it's dark!"

"They're coming!"

~~~

Noah grabbed Richelle's hand as they stared at the closed doors to studio A. 

"You ready?" he asked.

She laughed. "Yeah. How much could have changed in a month?"

Together, they pushed open the doors. And were met with darkness.

"Hello?" called Noah, into the space. 

"Do you think the power's out? This is the time we were supposed to come, rig--"

"SURPRISE!!"

All at once, every light sprang to life illuminating all of A and B troupes. The studio was covered in balloons, streamers, and a stage with instruments set up apparently for a band. 

"Welcome back!" Miss Kate smiled widely and crossed the room to embrace both dancers. "How was Paris? Come, you have to tell us everything!"

~~~

Two hours later, after everyone had been sufficiently regaled with Noah and Richelle's stories of Paris, people started bunching off in groups to catch up or just socialize. 

Noah found himself in a group with Richelle, Giselle, Eldon, James, and Riley. 

"So Richelle," grinned Giselle. "Is there a story behind that necklace?" 

Oh shoot. The necklace. Right. Noah thought, remembering something he had forgotten in the excitement of their return.

Richelle's hand flew to the golden pendent at her throat and blushed. "Actually, yes. Noah got this for me on the very last day of our trip. Noah, you want to tell them what happened when you went to find this....Noah?" 

Noah had stood up and he glanced at her guiltily. "Uh, yeah. I will, it's a good story. I'll be right back, okay Richie? I need some fresh air for a bit, how about you tell them about the Louvre?"

Richelle nodded, confused. "Uh, sure. Okaaay...right so we went to the Louvre on like, our second day," Richelle continued, turning back to the group. 

Noah practically sprinted to the door, and James and Riley exchanged a look. They had seen what Richelle had not, as her back had been to the front of the room. 

Seconds before, Amanda had left the party.

~~~

"Amanda! Hey, Amanda!" Noah caught up with Amanda at the end of the hallway.

She closed her eyes and stopped walking, hoping that voice didn't belong to him. Maybe it was Max, pretending to be Noah...

"Amanda!" a hand on her shoulder made her turn her head and reveal that it was, in fact, Noah. "Hey!" he grinned and hugged her. "How've you been? We haven't talked in like, the past week or so! What's up?"

"Ten days," muttered Amanda, stone-faced as she shook Noah off and continued down the hall.

Noah stood, shocked for a moment before jogging and falling into step beside her. "Ten days what?" he asked. 

"Nothing," she said, and kept her eyes determinedly on the linoleum in front of her. Since when was this hallway so long?

"Amandaaa," Noah pleaded. "What does ten days mean?"

Amanda stopped abruptly. "You really can't even guess?" she asked, incredulous. 

Noah stopped as well, nervous. "Well, no. Not really."

Amanda rolled her eyes to the ceiling and sighed. "Ten days since we've last spoken, dummy."

Noah cracked a smile. "Right. Sorry, not a week, ten days."I should just give it to her now. Just pull it out of my pocket and give it to her. Ok. I can do this. 

"Ten days since you kissed Richelle on top of the Eiffel Tower. And sent me a picture of it."

Noah couldn't speak.

He stared at Amanda, finally realizing why she'd gone radio silent that day. She trembled with anger, all of the feelings of the past ten days welling up inside her. 

"You're a jerk, you know that? Who sends someone, who you've been leading on for weeks, a picture of you making out with someone else?!" Her glare pierced though Noah causing him to drop his gaze to the floor as he responded.

"I-I didn't mean to send it to you like that! It just sort of happened, then I pushed the send button by accident! I did't mean for you to find out--"

"--So you wouldn't have told me?" Amanda forced a harsh laugh. "So you would have just kept it a secret? I wish you'd just stayed in Paris with Richelle!"

And then she punched him across the face and strode away, still shaking, only this time with tears.

Noah stared after her, utterly discombobulated. He rubbed his cheek where she had hit him, but recognized that he probably deserved it. 

The first time he had seen Amanda face-to-face in a month, and she had decked him. 

Noah slowly turned back to the party. He'd set things right with Amanda. She was his friend, and he'd missed her.

And only in the way that one misses a platonic friend whom one does not think about in anyway that does not fall into the 'only friends' category. 

Mostly. 

A/N: HAHAHA next chapter shall be a flashback! (With lots of Nomanda) And then...well, I'm just gonna say I have PLANS great PLANS for the next chapters that may or may not be very cool. 

Thanks so much for reading, I really appreciate it!!