Parappa The Rapper sighed as he pushed away his lone glass of water and buried his head into his slender, pale arms. He just couldn't win her over, no matter how hard he tried. He had tried just about everything. He learned karate from the Master Onion. He got his driver's license, though he did not have a flashy limonsine to drive about the town like Joe Chin did. The wealthy showoff. Parappa had his dad's car at his disposal though, and while it was no show stopper in town, it got around. Parappa had went to boot camp and been taught how to be a man by Instructor Mooselini. He had even asked Cheap Cheap to assist him and teach him how to make a cake for Sunny Funny's birthday. He had done quite a bit for the young, sunflower girl he'd been best friends with since childhood. But none of it was enough. None of it was good enough to win her affections which he'd been seeking to obtain since they'd made the transition from carefree children to bored and hormonally changing teens. And at this point, he was pretty much done trying.

Maybe it was seeing her run off to Joe Chin's sparkly, long limousine in the street as Parappa was in the mid-sentence with her just mere seconds before. Maybe it was the way she gushed over his limousine and eagerly accepted Joe Chin's gifts or offers to go someplace for a date. Maybe it was those half lidded eyes and perfectly curved smile on her warm, sun kissed face that he had only seen her give to Joe Chin. Or maybe it was the way she wrapped her dainty arms around his neck, loosely, and stood on her tip toes, her eyes closing, and her pink lips puckering out as she brought herself up and closer to Joe Chin's own figure. His lips specifically. And though it pained him to see it, the mechanics of it beforehand, during, and even after, when the two eventually pulled apart, Parappa couldn't tear his eyes away until Sunny turned her body and was about to lock eyes with him. Then Parappa ran. He ran as fast and as far as he could. As much as his legs covered by baggy, navy blue sweatpants could muster. And after catching his breath, and wiping away the tears that had begun to fall and roll down his pale cheeks, and blur his normally clear vision, he ended up here, in Bread Burger. An untouched glass of tap water just inches away from him on the table in the booth, and a broken heart still very much so aching in his chest. Parappa was so immersed in his thoughts he hadn't even heard or acknowledged someone's footsteps come toward the table he sat at, nor did he hear them sit down right across from him, his head still buried into his arms.

"Hey Parappa… um, are you alright?" The voice was squeaky and girly, but in a soft and subtle way. He recognized it immediately as Lammy's.

He lifted his head from his arms, and instinctively adjusted his hat with his fingers as it had shifted a bit during his moping. He let out a sigh, his black dog ears hanging out from his new royal blue beanie moving up and then down as he let out a long breath. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Not really, Lammy." Parappa admitted.

There was no point in lying. Lammy or anyone really could tell from his body language that something was up. And besides, he had no sort of energy to lie anyway. He felt like someone had sucked all of the life out of him, very dull, and very drained.

Lammy removed her hands from the table's surface, and put them at each of her sides on her side of the booth.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that. Would you… maybe wanna… talk about it… or something?" Lammy trailed off.

She wasn't good with these kinda things. But either way, she still wanted to be there for Parappa, and give him the support he needed. She wasn't used to seeing him down like this, and she didn't want him to stay like this. She looked straight into his eyes, awaiting an answer, but alas, just after her question, Parappa moved his head down, so that the front, fold over part of his trademark beanie cover his eyes, and all she could see now was his round, black nose, and his slightly parted mouth. Lammy sighed, though it was not as loud or hefty as the one Parappa had executed just a moment ago, and folded her hands in her lap, looking away from him to give him time to gather his thoughts and answer her however he so chose. She felt her cheeks grow warm, and she knew all too well she was blushing, that her olive skin had turned pink. She was prone to blushing due to her complexion, and well, as far as why she was blushing… well…. she had a pretty big crush on Parappa, little did he know. Little did anyone else know either. Or maybe they did. She wasn't sure. But it didn't matter if their friends knew or not. She knew they weren't the kinda people that spread secrets. The funny thing was that Parappa, the one who should have noticed it first and foremost, did not know of it. Or if he did, she was not aware of it. He had never made any sort of indication that he knew, like asking her out for ice cream or a movie, or going for a ride in his car, or whatever. He didn't call her very much either, except when it was about a group hangout of some sort, so she figured they were just friends. And besides… what did her crush matter? She and the rest of the universe knew how he felt about… Sunny Funny.

Sunny Funny had been a long time crush of Parappa's, she wasn't sure how long, but it'd been a while since he'd developed those googly, dream filled eyes and that ever adoring smile which he only donned around everyone's favorite sunflower. Initially he acted shy around her, always pulling his favorite frog logoed beanie over his eyes as eye contact with her made his heart quicken and his breathing slow all at once as he stammered and tripped over his words, broken both by nerves and by his shaking body. He still was like that, although instead of just being around her and being the lovesick puppy he was, he had gone to great lengths to gain her attention, and hopefully, her approval. He had done countless things. But none of it seemed to land him a date with Sunny, none the less the title of them dating or being a couple. It seemed she was always running after Joe Chin, that overly muscular, sparkling teeth dog with the overly long and shimmery limo that stretched across the town's boarders.

"What's there to talk about? I've tried everything to impress her. To get her to notice me. But what's it matter? Sunny made her choice… and I'll always be the second choice, the alternative, the guy who's only good enough to be a friend, not a boyfriend…" Parappa mused, digging his hands into his navy blue sweatpants' pockets, slumping a bit in his side of the booth.
Lammy felt her heart drop in her chest. So it was about Sunny after all. And though she did not know what exactly had gone on, she knew it must've been serious to get Parappa this down in the dumps. She wondered had Joe Chin and Sunny become an official couple. Again, she did not know, but she knew whatever it was, it was pretty serious. Lammy ran a hand through her short, layered red hair and said,

"Well, I believe that you shouldn't have to do things to impress someone, Parappa. If you really like someone, them just being there and being who they are will be enough reason to pay attention. And as far as Sunny choosing someone else, well, that's her decision. But it's also her loss. You're a great guy, Parappa, and any girl would be lucky to have you. Not just as a friend, but as a boyfriend… you're nice, and funny, and sweet, and talented, and usually you're so optimistic… that you just have this ability to make everyone around you's day better."

Parappa blinked, lifting his head, and revealing his eyes as his beanie lifted with him. He hadn't been expecting that from Lammy. But even so, her words, her kind words, had warmed his otherwise heavy and pain filled chest. And though he wasn't sure whether to believe that it was Sunny's loss not to be dating him, instead of Joe Chin, he did believe that love was something that was supposed to be simple but wonderful. You shouldn't have to jump through hoops for someone to notice you, let alone develop feelings for you.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess." Parappa shrugged his shoulders, and looked down again, the fold of his hat hiding his eyes again. Lammy frowned. She wasn't helping. She could clearly see it. But she didn't want to just give up. She sometimes had trouble believing in herself, and what she could do, but being Parappa's friend over the years had surely helped with that lack of confidence. Even when he was doubtful himself, he always would say this phrase, a mantra of sorts. Yeah... Yeah I know, I know. I gotta believe! And after a while, this sort of thing sticks with you. She had gotten better at playing her favorite guitar and even got over her fears of playing on stage thanks to Parappa and his positive attitude. And now, now he needed someone to lift him up, to make him believe in himself again. Lammy wanted to be that person, no matter how long it took or how challenging it proved to be.

"Hey, I'll be right back, okay?" Lammy said, and scooted to the edge of her side of the booth, her body springing up from the seat. She made her way towards the counter where orders were taken and received. Parappa mumbled "Okay…" in a long, drawn out voice, and sighed right after the words left his lips, his beanie still hiding his eyes as he slumped in his seat. A few minutes later, he heard Lammy's voice again, though like before, he did not really hear or notice when her footsteps neared, or when she slid back into her side of the booth opposite him.

"Here, Parappa. My treat."

He looked up from his red and white sneakers planted on the floor beneath the table, and met Lammy's eyes as well as a lone ice cream cone in one hand, which she had outstretched to him, halfway across the table. It was a vanilla soft serve. Parappa's favorite. His eyes widened a little, and his mouth parted, as he shook his head back and forth slightly.

"Thank you, Lammy. But I couldn't take that from you."

Lammy smiled, her arm not stirring a bit, and still in the stretched out position. She nodded her own head up and down, her layered, red hair jumping a bit as she did so.

"Yes you can. I want to see you smile, Parappa. That's all I want. So please… please take this cone from me. And enjoy it."

Parappa could hear the sincerity, the kindness in her voice, as well as in her eyes, which were still locked with his, and her curved upward smile, still resting on her olive face. He reached his own hand out, and his fingers brushed over Lammy's as he got the cone in his grasp, carefully but firmly, and he retracted his arm, bringing the cone to his lips just seconds after. Lammy blushed, and looked away after their fingers grazed each other, but only for a moment, before she took a breath and recovered, her skin returning to normal. Parappa took a lick of the cone, and the simple but refreshing and cold treat meeting his lips immediately brought a smile to his face. It also seemed to numb the heavy feeling in his chest as the ice cream went down his throat and traveled further below. It was brief, only a momentary feeling, but none the less. It had soothed him. Lammy felt herself grinning from ear to eat as she took a peek at Parappa every so often and noticed he was indeed enjoying the soft serve ice cream she had given him. At least he didn't look so sad, so lost anymore. He was starting to look like normal Parappa again.

Finishing their cones, Parappa reached up to his recently bought and donned royal blue beanie with the frog icon across its fold and pulled at its sides, removing it from his head and putting it on the table to his right. He soon replaced it with another hat, same style, but a different color, his trademark orange red from his sweatpants pocket, and once secured, he let out a breath of relief.

"You okay, Parappa?" Lammy asked. She wondered what was with the new hat, but didn't really get to ask or say much about it, considering that when she found him, he was moping, and she grew worried immediately, and everything else seemed to go out the window.

Parappa nodded. "You were right, Lammy. If someone really cares for you, they'll notice you for who you are, not what you do just to get their attention. And so, I'm gonna go back to wearing my favorite hat, not the one I bought because Sunny said she liked the color blue."

Lammy shifted her gaze to the abandoned, blue hat on the table. So that's what it was. She then looked back up at Parappa, his red orange beanie bringing her comfort. Now he sounded like the old Parappa, and he looked like the old Parappa.

"I like your red beanie better. It suits you. And you shouldn't change it for anyone. You're great just the way you are, Parappa."

Parappa blinked, his mouth in the shape of an "o" for a moment. But he soon recovered, and smiled, his dark eyes meeting Lammy's.

"Thanks Lammy."

Parappa reached for his blue beanie, and then said, holding it between his palms,

"I want you to have this."

Lammy nearly lost her balance in her seat, though she was leaning against it straight.

"What!?" She said, her voice going up a little in pitch, matching her internal shock value to a T.

"You didn't have to, but you got me an ice cream cone because you wanted to show me how you cared about me. And now, I want to give you something to show you that you mean a lot to me."

He extended his arm, beanie in hand, and Lammy stared at it in hesitation. Should she really take it? It was such an intimate part of Parappa, his trademark beanies with the smiling frog on the front. Nobody really knew why Parappa wore them, but he always did. And after a while, it just became a part of his appearance, a part of his character. Parappa's voice broke her from her thoughts.

"Just take it, Lammy. It's okay, I promise."

And she did. With his reassurance and with the wave of his hand, which placed the beanie in between her own hands gently. She smiled, holding the soft, blue hat for a moment to admire it before pulling it over her layered locks of red hair.

"How do I look?" Lammy asked shyly.

Parappa gave her a thumbs up, and his smile never seemed to leave his face from the last few minutes of their conversation.

"You look great." He confirmed vocally.

His smile left his face after, not because he was sad. Well, he was still a little sad, yes, but not as he had been initially. He felt a sense of hope, like he would get over this, he would be the happy go lucky, positive attitude beating Parappa The Rapper again, one day. One day soon. This was the first couple of steps to letting go. He had accepted that Sunny Funny did not like him the way he liked her. And he had taken his time to cry and mope too. He has enlisted in the comfort of a friend, and finally, he was letting go of his feelings for Sunny. Taking off that hat and giving it to Lammy, it could now be a source of happiness for someone else, someone he cared about, rather than causing heartache and failure. With the hat passing, he had handed off his attachment, his ever-growing desire for Sunny to think he was cool, to think he was a hero like Joe Chin. He was donning his own, red orange beanie again, and with it, would be himself again. Parappa, the positive dog with quite a bit of music and flow in his limbs, and slouchy sweatpants and all.

"Lammy… I appreciate you being here. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be moping around for another week or so."

Lammy smiled, but stayed silent. She felt he had more to say, and right she was.

"It's just… I don't know. You like someone for so long, and then you realize after all that time, of you doing these things for them, just to get their attention, just to make them smile, that all along they've liked someone else."

Lammy narrowed her eyes. She knew all too well what Parappa was talking about.

"You ever feel like that before, Lammy?"

Lammy felt her stomach twist and turn with a sharp pain. It was brief, but it was enough to cause her to let out a gasp, a noise that signaled her discomfort as she clutched her belly beneath her cropped red tee. Parappa reached out a hand for her shoulder, but Lammy turned her head and scooted away from his grasp.

"Lammy?" Parappa said, his voice questioning, full of confusion.

She said nothing. But he did notice her cheeks go pink. Putting two and two together, her reaction, as well as what he had been talking about just moments ago, he asked,

"You have, haven't you?"

Lammy nodded, but remained silent, and kept her eyes away from his own.

"Is it PJ?" Parappa inquired.

"As if!" Lammy gave a disapproving, disbelieving huff.

"Don't tell me it's Joe Chin." Parappa shuddered as the words left his lips. Everybody just seemed to love that guy.

"I don't find show offs cute." Lammy shook her head to herself, her eyes rolling a bit.

"Well then, who is it? I'm out of guesses." Parappa admitted.

"What does it matter? He doesn't even know I like him."

"Well, you'll never know if he feels the same unless you let him know."

Lammy huffed again, and scooted herself across the seat, and hopped up from the booth. She removed the beanie from her head, and smoothed out her hair with her palms after returning the hat to its owner's hands.

"I gotta go, Parappa." She tried to leave, but he grabbed her wrist, and she stopped and turned around at his touch.

"Wait… Lammy… what did I do wrong?"

His eyes looked sad again. He looked like a lost poppy, ears hanging low, mouth scrunched up in a bit of a squiggly line, and his black, rounded nose pouted out a little. Lammy's heart dropped in her chest for a second time tonight. She hated seeing him like this. And this time, it was her who had caused it. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, desperately,

"You didn't do anything wrong Parappa! It's me who screwed up by liking you!"

Her hand flew to her mouth, as she realized what she had said, and also, the fact that it had come out, out loud, and no less, in front of Parappa himself. Her face warmed, and that all too familiar pink hue appeared itself lightly against her cheeks. She removed her hand, and tried to explain herself, before Parappa could say something,

"Parappa, I, I, listen, I can explain—"

But her explaniation was cut short, due to Parappa standing up from his side of the booth, wrapping his arms around her lower back, and pulling her close until their lips met each other's. Lammy felt like she was in bliss, her heart beat quickening and her previous uneasy stomach filling with girly butterflies as their lips collided and meshed together as if they were dancing together. She felt safe in his arms, and soon found her own arms encircling his neck ever so gently, as she embraced him closer. Parappa smiled into their kiss in response to her actions. But they did not pull away from one another yet. They stayed this way for a while. Neither were sure exactly how long, but it felt like they were floating together in the clouds, somewhere close to where heaven's gates stood in all their glory.

"I like you too, Lammy. And, if you wanna, I'd love to take you to see that new movie that just came out last Friday. I can pick you up from your place."

Lammy still felt herself blushing, but she didn't feel embarrassed about it. Parappa's smile, and those eyes, half lidded, and full of admiration, along with his offer to take her out for a date, had her feeling comfortable with her feelings for him. For once. Finally. After all this time. But even so, she had to ask…

"But what about Sunny?"

"Well, it's going to take me a little time to get over her, of course, but in the meantime, I want to get to know you better, Lammy. You seem to like me for who I am, and well, that's worth looking into, right? Besides, you're awesome on the guitar, you love music like I do, and you're… you're beautiful."

Lammy smiled. She wrapped her arms around Parappa, and got closer to him, her eyes gazing straight into his. Parappa felt his own lips curving up into a smile, naturally, as he reached up, blue beanie in hand, and put it back onto Lammy's head.

"It looks a lot better on you, if you ask me." Parappa said, very matter of factly, earning a kiss from Lammy.