~So, Kevin's Dilemma is continued! I think I'm gonna keep doing the 'journal-entry-at-the- beginning' thing, I really like how it's going. Well, that's it. Review please! 3

Today was really complicated and annoying. I wanted to get stuff done, but Avi was sleepy the whole time and he couldn't concentrate. Kirstie was at least trying, but she was texting one of her friends. Scott and Mitch were just… staring at each other. I can't get anyone to concentrate and work!

Maybe I should talk to them. If I can get them to explain why they're not putting their all into everything, I'll be able to fix it.

Kevin left the journal lying open on his bed and sprang up to grab his phone from a shelf in the living room. He called Avi. He'd better answer… Kevin thought.

"Hello, this is Avi Kaplan. I can't talk you right now, but I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks." Avi's low voice emanated from the phone, and it beeped, directing Kevin to voicemail.

Kevin sighed. Well, maybe he's getting some rest. I'll talk to Scott.

"Hiya," Scott's voice crackled over the phone. "It's Scott."

"Yeah," Kevin answered. "You sound really hyper right now, so I'll make this quick."

"Shoot," replied Scott.

"Well, I've been observing that lately you seem kind of… distracted," explained Kevin. "I was wondering what's going on."

"What are you talking about?" Scott asked. "I wasn't distracted!"

"Oh, really?" Kevin said, words dripping with sarcasm. He rolled his eyes. "Then tell me what I said when you all left. How did I say goodbye?" He won't be able to remember because he wasn't paying attention, proving me right, Kevin thought. My old History teacher used that trick all the time.

"Uh…" Scott thought hard. "Mitch… right?"

"No," Kevin said, sighing. "Pay attention. I never talked about Mitch once."

"But I swear…" Scott began. "I thought… never mind."

That's it! An explanation hit Kevin like a bullet. He's not just bad at remembering, he thought that I had been talking about Mitch because it's all he can think about! This is gonna get really weird… "You probably just thought that because you were staring at him the whole time."

"Uh-uh," Scott protested. "I wasn't-"

"Seriously?" Kevin interrupted. "I saw you."

"Yeah- I was just… um… looking at, uh, his… hair," Scott said, formulating some sort of excuse as he went along. "Yep, it was different today."

Kevin snorted with amusement. "Nice try."

"Leave me alone," pleaded Scott. "And don't tell Kirstie or Avi."

"Oh, god," Kevin said. "Please. Everyone knows you like him."

"Shut up!"

Kevin could almost hear Scott blushing. "Talk to you later, then." He hung up. And I thought they couldn't get any more adorable, Kevin thought. But my one question is why would he fall for his best friend? And why not tell Kirstie?

Scott sighed, laying the phone down. Why does Kevin have to know everything about everyone? he thought. Well, maybe I can just-

"Hey Scott!" Mitch called, poking his head around the corner to the kitchen, where Scott stood. He walked into the room.

"Huh?" Scott snapped out of his thoughts. "Yes, I'd love to."

"I didn't ask you anything," Mitch said, suppressing a giggle.

"Oh, I thought…" Scott felt really stupid. Whenever I'm not paying attention, I always answer with yes. But sometimes it doesn't work out, he thought. Like this time. "Then why are you here?"

"Oh, I guess you're busy." Mitch looked crestfallen. "I'll just go…" He turned, glancing over his shoulder at Scott, waiting for the blonde to stop him.

"Hang on!" Scott said. "I want you here-um- you can stay with me, or… gah." I'm so bad at this! "Wanna stay?"

Mitch burst out laughing. "I was waiting for you to call me back. You always fall for my sad face. What I wanted to ask you is have you read this book?" He ran back to his room and returned holding a light volume.

"Uh, no," Scott said, looking over the book. "I don't read a lot."

"Oh, that's okay. I was just wondering," Mitch said.

"Yup…" Scott didn't want to stare, but he kept glancing over at his small friend.

"Well, see ya," Mitch walked out of the room after petting Scott's head on tiptoes, book lying forgotten on the countertop. He was probably going to his room, or to the living room where he could stare out the window at the rainy skies.

"Ugh!" Scott exclaimed once his friend was gone. He ran a hand through his hair. Why can't I concentrate on anything? he asked himself. I hate it. I need to talk to someone. And that person's gotta be Kevin. He grabbed his phone. "Hey Kevin?"

Kevin picked up almost immediately, punctual as always. "What?"

"I've gotta talk to you about… some stuff, kay?" Scott asked, feeling more awkward than ever.

"Sure, anything," replied Kevin. I know where this is heading, he thought, smiling. But I wonder why can't he just confide in Kirstie?

"I just can't really focus on anything," said Scott, sighing. "I guess you were right."

"There's a lot of explanations for this," Kevin said. "One, you're under a lot of stress. Two, you need sleep. Three, you can't get something else out of your mind and it's bothering you."

"That's it?" asked Scott. There's nothing wrong with me, he thought. I feel like Curvy's a doctor.

"Yup," Kevin said. "Now we've got to rule out the ones that aren't possible and hopefully we'll come to some sort of conclusion."

"I sleep good," Scott reasoned. "So I don't think that's it. I'm also not under any stress. Like, at all."

"So you think you're preoccupied with something else?" asked Kevin. "That's got to be it, there's nothing left."

"But what?" Scott wondered out loud. "What do I think about all the time?"

"Um…" Kevin pretended to think. I know exactly what's going on, if only he'd take the hint.

"I can't really think of anything," said Scott. "Sorry."

"Ugh! That can't be it," Kevin said. Here we go, this'll work. "What was the last thing you touched?"

"Um, my phone," Scott said. Obviously, he thought. I called you.

Kevin rolled his eyes. "No, before that."

"Um, probably Mitch," Scott answered, thinking back. "Yeah. He pet my head."

"Right," Kevin said. Exactly what I thought. "So you've been thinking about him a lot, right?"

"Yeah, he's my best friend." I officially hate Kevin, thought Scott. I thought stuff couldn't get any more awkward.

"You're still trying to deny it?" Kevin sighed. "Seriously."

"Whatever! I give up!" Scott exclaimed. "I think about him all the time. I can't get him out of my head. What do you want me to do about it?"

"All I want is for you to be able to concentrate again," Kevin said. "And there's two ways to get there. One, for you to talk to Mitch about your feelings. Two, to really shut him out. Like, all the way."

"What?" Scott was stunned. "But I can't pick one! Either way I'd probably lose my best friend."

"You've got to decide sometime," Kevin said. "Just tell me when you do. Again, both options are good. Your choice."