Flavour of My Life

Sequel and predecessor to 'Only Lil'. To quote Kimi: what in sanity's name happened between Chuckie and Angelica?

"C'mon, Chuckie, level with me! What happened?" Tommy pushed his friend. Chuckie, the friend in question, was lying pitifully face down on Tommy's bed, and was definitely not in the mood for a 'deep and meaningful'.

"It's no use," Chuckie answered in a muffled, dead pan voice. "It's over. Finished. Gone. Caput! Hope you liked the first episode 'cause there ain't gonna be a sequel!"

At that moment, Dil knocked and entered Tommy's bedroom. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Chuckie's position.

"Er ... Chuck?" he said in a concerned voice. "Are you able breathe with your face plastered to the mattress like that?"

"I have no need to breathe anymore, Dil," Chuckie proclaimed miserably, remaining where he was. "Can't you see my life is over and I'll never love again for as long as I live?"

"Dude, that sentence contradicts itself," Dil observed.

"Chuckie, roll over!" said Tommy, becoming annoyed. When Chuckie didn't move, Tommy grabbed the back of his shirt and tried to force him.

"All right, all right!" Chuckie complained, rolling over on his own and sitting up at the head of the bed. Tommy, and now Dil, sat opposite. "Happy?"

"No," said Tommy bluntly. "You still haven't told me how you and Angelica got together."

Chuckie folded his arms and pouted. "It's a long story. And who cares what happened, she dumped me!"

"But you've only had one date," Dil pointed out. "And that was, like, the day before yesterday."

"Angelica doesn't like to waste any time, does she?"

"Chuckie, I think you're overreacting," Tommy noted.

"Of course I'm overreacting!" Chuckie exclaimed. "What do you expect, Tommy? I overreact about everything!" Chuckie began to count with his fingers. "Pollen, nuclear war, milk expiry dates, America's Most Wanted, my sister dating Phil ... especially when they're in your garden in the middle of the night while – "

"We get it," said Dil, cutting him short.

"What I meant was," Tommy went on, "before you bit my head off, is that Angelica never actually said she didn't want to go out with you anymore."

"She may as well have!" Chuckie blasted again, becoming even more worked up. "After everything she said! She ... she promised me it'd be fine! That none of this would be a problem! How could she ... how ... "

Chuckie willed himself not to get upset. It had been a very stressful day.

"I'll go get us something to drink," said Dil, feeling it would be best to give the best friends some time alone on this one. Once he left, Tommy moved up the bed and sat next to Chuckie.

"It's not fair," Chuckie sniffed, wiping an escaped tear from his eye. "She had me believing I'm all special one minute, and then the next it's like I'm back being something stuck to the bottom of her over-priced shoe."

"There still might be hope," said Tommy, putting an arm around him. "What Angelica did today totally sucked, but I can tell you she's not proud of it. She's struggling ... "

"Good!" said Chuckie, sounding unconvincingly pleased. Tommy chuckled.

"So ... are you ever gonna spill on what happened between you guys in the first place? Or do I have to force you to drink expired milk ... "

Chuckie wiped his nose and managed to smile a little. "Be real, Tommy. Like you want to hang around and listen to me reminiscing! I know you'd rather be with Lil."

"Don't change the subject," said Tommy, nudging him. "And besides, I'm catching up with Lil later. I'm all yours, buddy! Spill it."

Chuckie sighed.

"Okay," he resigned. "Here I go ..."

"I guess it started about three weeks ago when we were first paired up for a Biology project. That's when I realised I ... well, started to notice Angelica more then I use to. It was monumentally embarrassing, which is why I never said anything to you or anyone! Plus I was determined not to let Angelica find out, fearing she'd kill me or worse, laugh in my face … "

Three weeks prior to Valentine's Day. That's three weeks before Kimi would collide with Phil in a bush, and three weeks before Tommy and Lil would discover the 'intimate' possibilities of Chinese food, a blackout, a fold-out tent and very smelly lip balm. It was also three weeks before Chuckie and Angelica would share their first date.

Yes, Chuckie and Angelica on a date. How you ask? Why? Have they lost the plot? Been brainwashed? Are aliens using intergalactic mind control techniques from the nether regions of the universe? Dil would like to think so, but that's really not the case ...

No. This is simply a matter of a boy and a girl – a boy and a girl who have been sparring for WAY too long.

"Ahhh, Brad!"

"Angelica," said Chuckie, at his wits end, "if you dribble 'ahhh, Brad!' ONE more time, I'll – "

"You'll what? Have a nosebleed? Go ahead! It'd make my day, Finster. Hey, let's even make that the theme of our assignment! I'll give you a nosebleed, document the results, and see how long it takes for you to wind up on a stretcher."

Chuckie glowered at her.

"I've got a better idea! Why don't you just nag me for the next two weeks and I'll document how long it takes before I go crazy and chop all the heals of your shoes!"

"Oooh, nice comeback!" said Angelica, genuinely impressed. "Becoming quite the badass in your old age, aren't ya?"

The now sixteen year old Chuckie and seventeen year old Angelica were in the back of their Biology class. The teacher had just informed them they were to be paired on a project, which they would have to make up and complete in two weeks time. To Chuckie's annoyance, Angelica spent most of the class 'dribbling' over a boy called Brad, and how "rectumly challenged" it was of the teacher to pair her with Chuckie instead of him.

"His last name's even Pittman!" said Angelica excitedly, back on Brad's case. "It's so perfect! He even looks like Brad Pitt."

Chuckie glared at her idiotically. "Angelica, he's black!"

"We're going to have such attractive children … " Angelica went on dreamily, ignoring Chuckie.

"Look," said Chuckie, his patience wearing thin. "Angelica, I don't want to fail Biology so can we please think about the project instead of your flavour of the week? Please?"

"Pft! Fine!" said Angelica indifferently. "And Brad is not a flavour of the week. For your information, I've had my eye on him for ten days now."

"Congratulations! That's like, twenty years in Angelica time."

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"Bite me!"

Yay, I'm beginning another fic! And how romantic is it so far? You know the deal, read and review. Like it? Love it? "Rectumly challenged?" Don't be shy.