This oneshot is part of my 100 Theme Challenge. For more info, visit my profile.

I do not own Kids Next Door

2. Love

Fanny Fullbright flung open the door to the history classroom and stomped inside, her fierce expression daring anyone to comment on her behavior. She dropped down into her chair, slamming her books onto her desk. The teacher – a substitute – looked up from her attendance sheet in alarm, but none of her classmates appeared to notice. It wasn't a very unusual sight.

However, as the lesson began, whispers flew around the room.

"Looks like Fullbright got dumped again."

"Like that's a surprise."

"Hasn't she gone out with every boy in the sophomore class yet?"

"Maybe she's moving on to the juniors."

"That poor girl."

"Poor girl? You've got to be kidding! Didn't you hear what she said to Josh last month?"

"And what about Eric? He practically committed suicide last semester when he finally broke up with her."

"She doesn't even act like she cares."

"Nathan told me that he broke up with her because she kept talking about that Gilligan guy. He finally had to say that enough was enough."

Her back stiffened at that one, but she stared straight ahead. Fanny focused intently on the notes the teacher was writing on the board without really noticing them. She knew what everyone was saying.

Of course, they were all wrong. She did not stare at "that Gilligan guy." And was it her fault that he chose to date girls like that Muffy Jenkins? But she was most certainly not "obsessing over him," as Zack had had the nerve to suggest. So what if she occasionally suggested that he could do better than Laura Limpin? Who cared if a good portion of her conversation was making fun of him? If a guy didn't like that, then he could just buzz off.

And apparently, they had. It wasn't so much that she minded getting dumped. It just proved that all boys were jerks. It wasn't even being known as the girl who couldn't keep a boyfriend for longer than two months. Well, okay, that was some of it. It was why she kept trying with the whole boyfriend thing. It had turned into something of a challenge, and of course, Fanny Fullbright never backed down from a challenge. Still, she wasn't really sure what it was that bothered her most about the whole thing. Perhaps it was because they all kept saying the same thing.

Against her will, she remembered the latest in a fairly long line of break-up speeches, the main reason for her current bad mood.

"Look, Fanny, I can't do this anymore. If you're in love with Hoagie, then stop deluding yourself and go ask him out already."

The words echoed in her head. In love with Hoagie. In love with Hoagie. In love with Hoagie.

Fanny shook her head sharply. She was not in love with Hoagie P. Gilligan. It was absurd.

Ask him out already. Ask him out already. Ask him out already.

She leaned purposefully over her paper in an effort to rid herself of the words running through her mind. It didn't work. Could she possibly – no. The very idea was ridiculous. He had been driving her crazy ever since the seventh grade when he strolled into her math class and cracked one of his awful jokes. She hated those jokes. She wondered if he sat around thinking of them, or if he just made them up on the spot.

The bell rang, and she glanced up from the still-blank sheet of paper with a start. Was class over already? Fanny gathered her stuff together and walked slowly out of the classroom, still ignoring the other students She wondered absently if 9 boys could all be wrong. Of course they could. They must be mistaken. All 9 of them. Right.

Because she was staring sourly at the floor, Fanny didn't notice the boy walking toward her until she ran into him, dropping all of her things. "Watch it!" she snapped automatically.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Here, let me help with that." Of course. It was him. Hoagie knelt down and tried to help her gather her books, but she waved him off.

"I'm fine," she hissed.

Fanny continued to her next class, leaving him looking after her in bewilderment. There was absolutely no way she could be in love with Hoagie Gilligan. It just wasn't possible.

The End

A/N: Okay, I confess. I actually wrote this one before I started the 100TC, and then afterwards I tried to make it match with one of the themes. But still, it was fun to write. I so wanted to do it with Hoagie, instead of Fanny (just 'cause I thought it might be more fun), but I realized that since he's got something of a reputation as a skirt chaser, it wouldn't work. Oh well.

As always, reviews are welcome and any concrit would be greatly appreciated. Seriously, guys, the main point of this exercise is to get better at writing, and that can't happen until I know what I need to work on.

Numbuh 212