Disclaimer: Once again, DO NOT OWN SHOW OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS!! Just a fan that'll actually show others that this show exsists and that there are fans. Very demented fans. I'm talking about me, so shut up. :p ENJOY!!

She ran. Her target objective: to get home for dinner or else. Stopping a few times to catch her breath, she would wonder. "Am I gonna make it on time? Am I going the right way? Wait, I know I am! What am I thinking?! What am I DOING?!" She continued to run. At one point, young Stacy Stickler started reliving the events of her day.

"Ok. Got all my assignments, right? Right! Geometry homework," Went passed one store, "...English...," Another, "Science, Math, that assignment for Gym class...," Made her way past a construction site, while in the process of getting yelled at for being in the way - "SORRY!" She yelled back. Wait, wasn't there something else? Something else that happened that normally wouldn't? Stacy stopped one last time to catch her breath.

"...Yeah...I think...I got everything,...but...did I forget to tell someone something? ...No, that's not it...what happened today?" Got out of school, Bradley, hung out with the guys, Bradley, got bored...

"...Bradley." It hit her. Everything at one time. Bradley was in love with her. It was real. Everything was real. The confusion, his confession-

"STACE!! ...It's you. The person I'm crushing on...is you."

Her first kiss...being in love...

"Love?"

Wait...WHAT?!

"WAAAAIT A MINUTE HERE! WAIT-WAIT-WAIT...I'm in love with Bra-WAIT! ...I'm in love?!"

Was it getting hotter outside? She felt sick, different...Stacy looked at a nearby window. No, nothing was wrong: she was just blushing. BLUSHING?

"...I'm in love." She let the words sink in. "...I'm...in...LOVE!" Giggles came out. " I'M IN LOVE!!" Hands glued to the sides of her head, Stacy slid off the wall to sit on the concrete below, laughing like there was no tomorrow. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't! Stacy Stickler was in love! LOVE! The kind of thing seen in romance movies where a guy sweeps a girl off her feet. Everything revolving around it! The cuddling, the romantic walks on the beach, slow, descending sunsets-the WORKS! EVERYTHING was gonna happen to her! EVERYTHING was gonna be the fairy tale that she always wanted! Everything was going to be OK! She HAD to get home, HAD to RELISH this precious moment! Stacy finally got up and started jogging home.

She reached the door. About to turn the knob-WAIT! Why does her face feel wet? Stacy wiped her cheek with the back of a hand. Was she crying?

"Stacy, is that you?" Mrs. Stickler called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, Mom! I'm not too late, am I?"

"No, Honey. Well, actually a LITTLE bit late, but it should be ok." Stacy walked in the kitchen and saw her mother looking puzzled at the pot simmering before her. "I just can't seem to get this darn thing cooking today! Usually I wouldn't have this much of a problem, but today...! Ugh! My head must not be in the right place!" Stacy looked at the pot, then back at her mother.

"Is there anything I can help out with, Mom?"

"No, No, Sweetie. I think this thing just might need a little more time. I'll call you when it's do-" She paused when she got a look at her daughter's face. "Stacy, Honey...is everything ok?"

"Of course, Mom. Why? ...Do I seem different somehow?"

"Well, usually when you come home for dinner, you usually wouldn't seem this...happy."

...Well, this was unexpected! What to say, what to say... "D-Don't worry, Mom. E-Everything's fine! I'm just...excited to be home...that's all!"

... "Well...ok. Just make sure you get your homework done and not let whatever's going on distract you, alright?"

"Alright, Mom." And she went to her room. Closing the door and tossing her book bag aside, Stacy got a good look at her ceiling. A long breath in and out got her from a standing position to sitting while leaning against the door. She closed her eyes, lay her head back, and let all the feelings from before resurface.

Love...is this what it feels like? Is it really this good? Well, for all she knew, all the signs pointed to 'yes'. Her heart was fluttering the same, she was extremely happy...But then...why did it seem so...awkward? What did happen that day?

"I'm in love, I'm-in-love, I'm-in-love..."

It was no use. The more she said it, the less her heart felt.

Her eyes opened. Stacy looked at her hands: they were clutching to the bottom of her bright orange dress. What's wrong?! What happened to all the good feelings that were coursing through her? What happened today?

"...Do you...love me?"

Bradley said that. Bradley said that... He asked her if she loved him. LOVED...him? "B-Man, I..." she whispered.

The kiss... Stacy moved her fingers to her lips. It felt so...so exilerating. The overwhelming feelings when he put his mouth on hers... She would give anything, ANYTHING to have that feeling, again. But did she really want it? Does she really love him?

Her face was becoming wet, again.

Scratching was heard on the door. Then whimpering.

"Alright, alright. Hold on."

Frank, the family's beloved, "Weiner Dog" was at her door.

"Hey, Franko!" At least he can cheer her up... He decided to crawl on her and give this cute, pleading look. She rubbed his head and started a little play session. Rubbing his stomach, rolling around on the floor, playing, playing, playing...

"Stacy, dinner's ready!" Her mother called from the kitchen. She sighed, stood up and headed there, along with Frank who was one step ahead: mealtime is one of his favorite times of the day. Dinnertime didn't go as smoothly as it usually would. Sure, Mrs. Stickler finally figured out what she was doing wrong and Frank was enjoying his meal. But there was tension in the air and they could feel it-both mother and daughter.

"Are you sure you're ok, Sweetie? It seems like your mood just dropped since you went to your room!"

Stacy gave a small smile. "Yeah, everything's ok. I'm just..." Thinking for a moment. "-Going through a bad dream I had! Y-Yeah! Don't worry, Mom. I can handle it!"

She fell for it - in a way. Giving her daughter the, 'If you need anything, just let me know' and 'You don't have to go through it alone' talk, Mrs. Stickler continued eating. Stacy hated lying to her mother, but she just wasn't ready to talk about something this serious, yet. After the regular bedtime routine that they would have every night, the light was shut off and, after giving her daughter one last concerned glance, she left the room. Stacy stared at the dark ceiling.

"Do I...do I REALLY love him?"

Thinking, thinking... She gave up. Everything she was hoping for, everything that she looked forward to in the future was all crushed by the realization of one, 'simple' answer:

"No...I DON'T love him..."