Rugrats copyright Viacom

Chuckie & Angelica

By StoryCrafter

Chapter 1

Angelica was filled with pain, but Chuckie couldn't tell why. Sure, her mother was gone. But that was a long time ago. And she was really popular with the other High Schoolers, just as she always wanted. But Chuckie couldn't help but that there was a needle stuck deep in Angelica's heart as he watched her talk to a couple of her gal pals as he took his break at the Java Lava. He took a sip from his mocha latte as he wondered if there was anything he could do. Or should do. Angelica was a proud girl after all. Chuckie really didn't want to cross her.

And despite having a sister and a mother, and some friends that were girls, he still didn't understand women at all. And that was despite the fact he had actually dated a couple of them from time to time.

Angelica's Dad was due to pick up them any minute to take them to some concert. Chuckie didn't know who the band was. But he supposed that it was none of his business. He had his own business to take care of. Such as getting a date with Nicole this weekend. A project of which he could never get the courage to complete. Maybe his best friend, Tommy, would have some dating advice to give him that could help him.

The bells of the front door turned Chuckie's head toward it. Tommy entered the coffee with a big grin on his face. "What's up, Chuckie?"

Chuckie frowned. "You come into here, grinning like an idiot, and you asked how my day was?" He narrowed his eyes. "What's up with you, Tommy?

"Whoa, what's with the attitude, Chuckie?" Tommy raised his arms reassuringly. "I was having such a good day and then I decided to come into to see how you were doing. That's all."

"Cram it, Pickles," Angelica yelled. "I'm talking with my friends here. Can't you keep your mouth shut for one second?"

"Sor-ry, Angelica," Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Hmph." Angelica raised her nose and returned to her friends.

Tommy sat down across from Chuckie. "What's gone her undies in a bunch?"

"I don't know." Chuckie continued to watch Angelica. "But something's been eating at her."

"What do you mean?" Tommy turned his gaze to his cousin.

"She's been a little distant lately. Like she's been in Zimbabwe or something. And something she takes a second to answer your hellos. I think she's thinking about something very important."

Tommy let a sudden laugh. "Angelica think? Ha, that's a good one, Chuckie. I'm sure this important item is just boys or something."

Chuckie pounded the table, which caused everyone to look in their direction. "Well, it's important to her."

"Have you asked her about it?"

"Actually. No."

"What do you think?"

"That pretty-boy soldier boyfriend of hers dumped her."

"But she hadn't said." It wasn't a question.

"You don't think that she would go around telling people, do you?"

Tommy had to agree. "She wouldn't,' he had to admit.

"That's right, Tommy. A rich girl like her admitting to a relationship that went sour. Yeah right!"

"Depends on the guy," Tommy pointed out.

"That's true, I suppose."

"Whatcha guys talking about?" Kimi appeared at their table.

"Waah, where did you come from?" Chuckie had trouble keeping his heart in his chest. Kimi didn't look apologetic as far as he could tell.

"I'm sorry, Chuckie, I didn't mean to startle you. But haven't you heard?"

Both Chuckie and Tommy shook their heads.

"The Dummi Bears are coming to Downtown Mall. This Friday."

"That's good to know," Tommy allowed.

"We both know that Kimi really likes the Dummi Bears," Chuckie said.

"Still?"

Kimi exhaled. "Yes, Tommy. I still like the Dummi Bears."

"But you're in High School."

"Uh-huh," Kimi nodded.

Tommy threw his hands into the air. "I give up." And Kimi muttered what sounded like, "I don't see what's wrong with Dummi Bears."

Chuckie stood and motioned them to silence. "Come on, you guys, Angelica is over there. Suffering. And here you are talking the Dummi Bears."

"Sorry, Chuckie," Tommy and Kimi said.

Chuckie nodded to himself. "Now, that's better."

"Chuckie," Tommy said, "even if a boy dumped Angelica, there's nothing we could do for her."

"Tommy's right, Chuckie. Angelica would never accept any help from us. She'll have to depend on her own friends for support."

Chuckie looked toward Angelica and sighed. He hated to admit it, but Tommy and Kimi were right. Nothing he could have done would have helped. He had to stay on the sidelines and see what would happen.

But what he really wanted to know was he cared so much about it.

"Yo, Chuckie," Betty called from the counter, "we need you for beverage duty."

"Coming, Betty," Chuckie replied. He turned to his friends. "I guess my break is over. See you two after work."

They agreed that they would. Chuckie got up and headed for the counter without a single glance in Angelica's direction, but she was all that was on his mind. Why couldn't he let go? Angelica had been dumped before. On numerous occasions. So what made this time any different?

He opened the counter-opening thing, put his apron on, and closed the counter-opening behind him. "Ready for duty, Captain Betty," Chuckie saluted.

"Captain Betty, huh," Betty mused nostalgically. "That's what they called me back in college." She seemed to look back on those days. "I wonder how all my ol' college buddys now." She shook her head. "Enough living in the past. There are thirsty customers that need taking care of." She indicated the long line of angry customers.

"But, you're the one- Oh, never mind." He went to the empty register, where a college girl with blonde hair and a tank top was tapping her foot. "How may I help you, Miss?"

"First, you can stop calling me Miss." Chuckie nodded. "And second, you can give me banana-strawberry smoothie." Chuckie frowned. This girl acted like she owned the place, and he almost believed it. How did she do that?

But, nevertheless, she had given him an order and he needed to fill it. So he very carefully gathered the ingredients, very carefully put them into the blender, very carefully placed the lid and very carefully started the blender. With that much accomplished, he began to feel relaxed about the whole thing. But he did notice that, from the strap that showed, the girl had on a green bra under that red tank top. Who wore green underwear? And the bra barely kept in its contents. She looked like a more mature and developed Angelica.

"How long does this take? I have somewhere I need to be."

"It's almost done, Miss."

"Don't call me that."

Chuckie winced. "Oh, right. Sorry 'bout that."

She didn't respond.

Chuckie depressed the blend button and poured the blender into a paper cup. Which he handed to her. "That's $1.97, ma'am."

"Don't call me that, either." She handed him a couple of one's. Chuckie frowned and gave her the drink and three pennies.

She accepted them without saying a word and left.

Now that wasn't very nice, Chuckie thought.

He served three more customers before Angelica and her friends got up and met her Dad at the front door. Chuckie didn't bother to say bye. Instead he concentrated on the drink and snack orders. Which had mixed success. Every time a blonde stepped up to the counter, he kept thinking it was Angelica at first. Even the little, old lady who wasn't sure whether she wanted lox with her bagel or not.

Pretty soon, Chuckie had to admit to admit to himself that he had a problem. What it was he didn't know. But it couldn't have anything to do with Angelica. It just couldn't. Maybe his mind was using her as a way to distract him from his real problems. Whatever those might be.

After he was finished doing his stint at Java Lava, he was ready to help his Dad and Betty closed up the shop for the night. Years of practice had done their wonders. There were finished in less than twenty minutes. And that included the washing of the dishes.

-OOO-

Why did Benny have to die? Angelica asked herself when she read the letter for the she-didn't-know-th time. Now her child would never know her father. How was she supposed to raise the child she was carrying all by herself? Children were supposed to have their father around.

That bastard.

It was his fault that this had happened.

"Angelica," her father cried. "Time for dinner."

"Okay!" Angelica dried the last of her tears and left her room.

It was all that bastard's fault.

-OOO-

"...and then he spilled his milk onto his pants," Kimi concluded, valiantly trying to contain her laughter.

"Ha ha, very funny," Dil said. He was the one that Kimi was talking about. "I almost forgot to laugh."

Tommy smiled big-brotherly. "If you didn't try that milk so quickly."

He and his friends were gathered around the lunch table telling each funny, to them anyway, anecdotes.

"Hey, a bet's bet. Besides I won didn't I?"

Tommy shrugged. "Wouldn't know. Hadn't hung around there long enough."

"And why not?" Dil seemed genuinely interested.

"Ah, I had some things to do."

"Like what," Dil asked pleasantly.

"Just some things, okay?"

His friends glanced nervously at each other. "Okay, if you say so, Tommy," Phil said before starting in his own anecdote. "Okay, this nun, priest and rabbi enter in a bar, and-"

"Is this another one of your lame jokes, Phillip?" Lil interrupted. "Because if it is…"

Phil raised his right hand. "It's a true story. I swear."

Tommy listened to Phil's story, but his mind was on Angelica. What was wrong with her? And, more importantly in his estimation, why did she keep it bottled up? He would have spied on Angelica had it not been for Tommy's… other duties.

He prayed silently that Angelica would get over this setback.

"What was that, Tommy?" asked Phil.

"Just a little prayer."

"Who did you pray for?"

Tommy didn't say.

-OOO-

"What do you want now, Finster?" Angelica had a long day already and she was ready for any of Chuckie's shenanigans. "Can't you see that I'm busy?"

Chuckie and Angelica sat next each other during American History. They had done so for every session since the beginning of the school year.

"I was wondering… I was wondering if I can… borrow… a pencil," Chuckie finally spat out.

Angelica groaned. He's no Benny, that's for sure. "Knock yourself out, kid." She handed him a pencil. "You should know, however, my boyfriend joined the army."

"Pardon?"

"I've seen you look at me. You want me." She looked him straight into his eyes. "Too bad. I'm taken."

Chuckie gaped at her. "But I don't you, Angelica."

"Oh, sure. Keep telling yourself, kiddo," she smirked. "Just keep telling yourself that."

Chuckie sighed.

Angelica smiled to herself. She didn't really believe that Chuckie actually wanted.

She just liked to watch him squirm.

"Anything to get my mind off of Benny," she whispered.

"What was that, Angelica?"

"Nothing, Finster. You should really try to mind your own business."

-OOO-

Chuckie didn't believe that was nothing. He met with Tommy at his locker after class to share his fears about Angelica's relationship with Benny. "I think that's he been abusing her," Chuckie concluded.

Tommy looked at him skeptically. "Do you have any proof for this?"

"Actually… no."

Tommy sighed. "I suppose this is where you're going to ask me to help you spy on her."

Chuckie breathed a sigh of relieved. "Thanks, Tommy. That would be a great help."

"No way, Chuckie." Tommy started to walk away. "She might be a pain-in-the temples, but she's still my cousin. And family is the most important thing in the world."

"But you helped me spy on my sister."

Tommy stopped. "Ah, good point." He turned back. "Okay, Chuckie. Let's get started."