"Are you retarded? Or just insane?" Richard Valentine scratched at the red stubble on his chin in confusion.

"Dad!" Tootie exclaimed in shock at her father's rather crude word choice.

"Sorry, sorry." The red-haired man again raised his hands up in front of himself in defense, realizing his poor choice of words for describing this teenager who was apparently his youngest daughter's best friend. "I meant no offense Tim, I-"

"Timmy, dad. His name is Timmy." Tootie corrected her father again, this time with an annoyed edge in her voice.

"Right, Timmy." Richard once more scratched his chin in thought. "Sorry, it's just... Hard for me to imagine Vicki attracting the attention of any guy, let alone someone like you." The red-headed male took a few seconds to mull over his own words. "I don't mean that insultingly. You seem like a good kid, from what little I've been told about you from my wife and daughter. But that's exactly why I'm so confused by you liking Vicki... You do realize she's a-" Richard again paused as he looked over his shoulder toward the kitchen, then turned back to Timmy, voice now lowered to a whisper. "A blood-sucking, money-grubbing Hell-demon, right?"

"Um... No disrespect, sir, but I don't think she's that bad." Timmy lowered his voice to an octave similar to that of Tootie's dad, knowing they were both treading on thin ice with Vicki only a room away. "She can be... Abrasive at times, but she's hardly a demon..."

"Pretty sure she doesn't suck blood, either." Tootie added in, her own voice still at a more normal volume.

Richard Valentine now turned his attention to his youngest daughter. "Tootie... Were you in on this plan? You knew that Timmy wanted to ask my permission to date Vicki?" The man looked at Tootie incredulously, not quite believing that this wasn't some elaborate prank.

"Uh-huh. Timmy asked me what day would be best to come over and talk with you about it. So I stalled both you and mom so he could." The raven-haired girl shrugged, clearly not finding the whole situation anywhere near as strange as her father did.

"Did... Did your mother know about this too?" Richard hesitantly asked, worrying that he was the only one left out of the loop.

"Nah, I don't think so, anyway. All mom knew was that I was trying to stall you both, not the reason why I was." Hoping her part in the conversation was finished, Tootie picked the TV remote back up and began channel surfing.

The red-head brought his hand up to his face and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. "I'll never understand teenagers these days... Timmy, do you even know what you like about my... Eldest daughter?"

Upon hearing the question, Timmy blushed and looked away. It was one of the few questions he was wholly unprepared to answer, not because he was embarrassed to admit his reasons for liking the twenty-two year old, but because he didn't currently have any reasons for liking her, not definitive ones, anyway. Part of it was most certainly lust. The red-headed woman was more than just easy on the eyes, she was gorgeous! It went far beyond the brunet's attraction to red-heads though. The woman was lean and fit, even though he'd rarely seen her do anything that could be called exercise, her light skin was somehow always blemish-free, save for the lightest dusting of freckles here and there, and those only added to her beauty.

And of course, the brunet had caught himself staring at her chest on more than one occasion. In keeping up with the woman's naturally lean physique, her bust was by no means ample, yet the tight-fitting shirts she usually wore(especially the tank-top she slept in) revealed that Vicki wasn't an ironing board either.

Still... Enjoying the eye candy the woman unknowingly(?) provided was not the same as having an emotional connection with her. As far as Timmy knew, Vicki had absolutely no idea that he liked her, and while he was sure she'd caught him staring at her a few times, the brunet was fairly certain that she didn't take it seriously, likely thinking it was little more than... Art appreciation. "I... Well... It's kinda... Hard to explain. She babysat me for quite a few years, and I'll admit, there were times where I thought she was downright evil..." Timmy watched as Richard seemed to consider his words, then rubbed the back of his head in confusion, clearly wondering if the brunet was ever going to get to the part where he'd list Vicki's redeeming qualities. "B-but! Um... Mean as she could be, every now and again, I'd get a glimpse of... Something else. I can't really explain it, but she has..." The brunet felt his face heat up with another blush. It almost felt wrong to be talking about Vicki like this to her dad, rather than just saying it to her face. "She has a softer side. But it isn't the only thing I like about her. There's something about that temper of hers that I... I'm just drawn towards. And I... I don't want to be left wondering about what I could've had, but was too scared to even attempt to go after. I just want to know if Vicki and I... Can work, so I figured I'd start with you." Timmy paused to catch his breath, he was unused to putting so much feeling and emotion into words like he was. "So, I'll ask again; may I ask for your permission to... Date Vicki?" The brunet finished his sentence in a hopeful tone.

Richard; on the other hand, took the opportunity to lean back into the couch again, releasing a loud sigh as he did. "You've got guts, I'll give you that, Timmy. Even more now than I thought you did a second ago, when you asked me the first time. I wish I could tell you that you have my permission, but it really isn't up to me, it's up to Vicki." The red-head stood up from the couch with a weary-sounding groan. "That being said... You have my blessing to give it a shot." He stepped forward, giving Timmy a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Best of luck to you." He then stepped over to the front door and pulled it open. "Alright, I'm heading out Hon'!"

"'Kay, see you when you get home!" Nicki called from the kitchen.

Whose voice was quickly followed by Tootie's from Timmy's left. "Bye, Dad!"

The brunet watched the man leave, only realizing after he was gone that Vicki's goodbye was strangely absent.

Meanwhile...

"Hey Mom." Vicki spoke with another yawn as she entered the kitchen and cracked her neck, followed by another stretch that brought several crackling and popping sounds with it.

"I thought I heard the sound of a bear waking up from hibernation..." Nicki spoke in an amused tone as she placed a plate of pancakes on the table for her eldest daughter. "Made you breakfast."

"You didn't have to, y'know..." The red-head sat down at the table as she grabbed a large bottle of maple syrup.

"I know I didn't have to. I wanted to, because you're my daughter." The raven-haired older woman stepped over next to Vicki and ruffled her messy bed hair.

Vicki frowned at her mother's affectionate gesture. She was a twenty-two year old woman now! Not some little kid whose hair you could just come over and ruffle! She was almost tempted to lightly swat her mother's hand away, but, in all honesty, she preferred affection over the animosity her and her mother once held between them. Still, this didn't prevent the blush that came over the red-head's face as her mother kissed the top of her head. "Mom..." Vicki whined out childishly.

"I know, you're a grown woman now, but you and Tootie will always be my little girls, so you'll have to put up with my love as long as you live in this house... And still want me to make pancakes for you." Nicki added in deviously, knowing the threat of no pancakes was enough to get Vicki to give up on nearly any argument. "And technically I did have to make you breakfast, else you'd have slept in 'til noon."

Vicki blushed, knowing her mother had her there. "Jeez... You're almost as good as I am when it comes to blackmailing people..." The red-head muttered through a pout.

"Well, you had to get that and those beautiful pink eyes from someone~!" Nicki fluttered her eyelashes at her daughter.

"And now we know who I got my modesty from too!" Vicki teased back, earning her a rather flat look from her mother.

"Keep that up and I'm taking away your pancakes." The raven-haired woman shot Vicki a stern look, one the red-head responded to by picking up her breakfast and holding it in her arms defensively while looking at her mother cautiously. After several seconds of this mock-standoff, Nicki shook her head back and forth and giggled. "How old are you again?"

"Old enough to run for my room if you try to take my breakfast..."

"Sometimes I wonder if I got you and Tootie confused, and she's the older one..." Nicki shrugged her shoulders and turned back toward the stove to begin cleaning up the kitchen.

Seeing that her breakfast was safe for the moment, Vicki placed it back down on the table to resume eating. "So why's Dad still here?"

"Well, Honey, I am married to your father, so..." Vicki's mother spoke in a mocking tone, clearly intending to be stating the obvious.

"Not..." The twenty-two year old sighed as she took another bite of her pancakes. "I mean why hasn't he left for work yet? He's usually gone by the time I wake up."

"Well... I'm not really sure. Tootie went out of her way to stall the both of us this morning, but she took extra care to make sure your father stayed here until Timmy got a chance to talk to him." Having finished washing the dishes, Nicki dried off her hands and sat down across from Vicki at the table. "So you don't know either, huh?"

"Not a clue. I didn't hear so much as a peep out of Tootie about Timmy coming over, which is odd considering she's probably just waiting for the Twerp to pop the question at this point." The younger Valentine stood up from the table and strode over to the fridge, producing a carton of orange juice after a bit of digging.

"'Pop the question'?" Vicki's mother asked in confusion. "You do know that Timmy and your sister are just friends, right?"

The red-head sat back down as she drank directly from the orange juice carton, earning her an eye roll from her mother. "Ah... I know, I know. I should use a cup... But I'm gonna finish it, so there." Vicki took another sip before continuing. "And as for the Twerp and Toots being 'just friends'? Yeah right! Have you seen the way she hangs all over him? And Timmy! He doesn't even resist anymore! If that's not a red flag, I dunno what is."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Vicki. Your sister's always been a very affectionate person. Remember how she always used to hold my hand when we all went on vacation to Disney? She'd even hold your hand if I wasn't around, or when I told you to keep an eye on her."

"That's different. Tootie was shy and just didn't want to get separated from us. She's never hugged us for as long as she hugs him, and she certainly never tried to hang all over us like she does Timmy. I think those two are secretly dating behind everyone's backs." Vicki swished her fork around in the puddle of syrup on her plate. "Not that they're being very secretive about it..."

"Keep it up, you don't sound jealous of some boy getting your sister's affection, not at all." Nicki remarked in a mocking tone as she stood up to take Vicki's now empty plate and put it in the sink.

"Right, that must be it. I'm jealous of the Twerp and how much attention he gets from my little sister." It was Vicki's turn to roll her eyes this time.

"I'm glad we could come to an agreement on the matter." The raven-haired woman turned from the sink to refocus her attention on Vicki. "So, what've you got planned today?"

"Nothing, why?" Vicki scratched her head, further messing up her already messy hair. "Ugh... Need to grab a shower..."

"Oh? No work today?" Nicki asked in slight disbelief. Her daughter usually had something planned, be it her normal job, or the occasional babysitting job she still took on during the weekends or her off days.

"Unless I get a call from one of my clients in the next hour or two, nope. Just gonna spend the day relaxing around here... Might swing over to the Turner's house and jump in the pool... I dunno." Vicki shrugged indifferently.

"Listen to you... Your 'clients'? Sounds like you're this well-known business woman." Vicki's mother remarked in a(somewhat mockingly) impressed tone of voice.

"That's exactly what I am, in a sense. I don't have 'em anymore, but I used to carry around business cards when I was babysitting full-time. Although, now that I've only got a few clients, there hasn't been much need to. Most of the people I babysit for have my number on hand if they need to reach me..." The red-head at last noticed that the shoulder of her tank-top had slipped off, and slipped it back on.

This was in turn noticed by Nicki, who shook her head in amusement at her older daughter's lack of modesty. "Y'know Vicki, when we have guests over, it might be a good idea to... Maybe cover up? Just enough so that you aren't giving them a free show?"

"Ugh, you too?!" The red-head facepalmed and shook her head. "Dad said the same thing to me when I got up a few minutes ago, and I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Timmy's not a guest after the first few visits, and he's been over here plenty of times. Second, this is my house, I should be able to dress how I want. And third, what's it matter? The Twerp's got the hots for Tootie, not me. And, besides all that, he's seen me in less than this without batting an eye, so quit worrying... Both of you." Vicki looked at her mother sternly as she moved to exit the kitchen, but paused as she heard a groan from her father in the living room.

"Alright, I'm heading out Hon'!" Richard Valentine's voice echoed from the next room.

"'Kay, see you when you get home!" Nicki yelled out into the living room.

Vicki remained standing in front of the door, listening as Tootie said her own goodbye to their dad. "Bye, Dad!"

"Not gonna say bye to your father?"

The red-head looked over her shoulder at her mother, whose arms were now crossed over her chest. "Mom."

To anyone else, there seemed to be little to no feeling in Vicki's tone, but being that this was the babysitter's mother... "Alright, I get it. There's still some healing that needs to be done there. I won't push it."

The younger of the two Valentine women sighed, relieved that her mother knew her well enough that she didn't need to elaborate. "Thanks."

"You're welcome Honey." The raven-haired woman looked at the clock, seeing that it was now five past ten. "Well, you and Tootie have fun doing... Whatever you two end up doing. I'm gonna be late for work at the rate I'm going."

"'Kay, see you when you get back." Vicki finally left the kitchen and returned to the living room, and promptly chuckled as she found her sister and Timmy in what most would see as a fairly compromising position. The brunet half-sat, half-laid against the corner of the couch, his left leg hanging off while his right laid across the cushion he was on, and his hands were clasped together on his chest. Tootie; on the other hand, currently rested her head on Timmy's stomach while the rest of her body was laid somewhat parallel to the brunet's leg. Currently, her sister held the remote in her hand, occasionally pressing the channel button, pausing to look at what was on, then pressing it again. "Comfy?" Vicki quirked an eyebrow up at the admittedly cute couple.

"More or less." Timmy replied with a shrug, making Tootie lightly butt the back of her head into her friend's stomach to keep him from moving around so much.

The red-head stepped in front of the television, blocking the two teens' view of it. "So, you two finally gonna confirm what everyone already knows?"

"If you're talking about the two of us dating, then no, I'm not confirming that because it isn't true." Tootie replied in annoyance. "Timmy just makes a good pillow..." The raven-haired girl shifted around slightly, then laid her head back down on Timmy's stomach. "When he's not moving around so much. You should try it some time, best pillow I've ever had." Tootie grinned at her sister cheekily as the brunet looked away, a dusting of pink now visible on his cheeks.

"I doubt Timmy would be very keen on the idea of me using him as a pillow, isn't that right, Twerp?" Vicki crossed her arms under her chest and leaned forward, unwittingly bringing a little more attention to a certain part of her anatomy.

"Well I..." Timmy lightly scratched his nose with his index finger. "I wouldn't be all that opposed to it..." The blush on his cheeks darkened by a small degree.

"Hmph, you're just saying that to be nice. Still afraid of what I might do to you behind closed doors?" The red-head spoke in her familiar saccharine tone, then giggled as she saw Timmy's blush darken even further. "Anyway-" Vicki stood up straight and made for the stairs. "I'm gonna go take a shower, and mom's about to leave for work, so as much as I'm sure you two wanna bang each others brains out, try to behave yourselves, 'kay?"

The two watched Vicki disappear up the stairs, and Timmy, once he saw that the woman was out of sight, let his head drop back onto the arm of the couch with a thud. "Dammit... So much for me thinking that things were going well today..." The teen threw his arm over his eyes with a loud and dramatic sigh. "Maybe I should just go home-" Timmy cut himself off as he felt movement on the couch, movement that suggested that Tootie was moving closer. Leaning forward, he opened his eyes just in time to see his friend laying her head on his chest. "Wh-what are you-?"

"Shh! I'm listening..." Tootie pressed her ear against Timmy chest while raising her hand up to stop mere inches form covering his mouth.

The teen felt his blush return in full force. Yes, Tootie could be overly affectionate at times, but what she was doing now... Was a little ways past 'affectionate' and leaned more towards intimate. Yet, against his better judgment, Timmy remained silent, hoping that Vicki wouldn't come back downstairs for some reason and find her sister and him like they currently were.

"Wow..." Tootie grinned as she listened to the loud and rapid thumping in her friend's chest. It was beginning to slow down, but there was no doubt in the girl's mind now... "You really like her, huh?"

"What'd you think, I was lying this whole time?" Timmy looked away, face still flushed red in embarrassment.

"No..." Tootie pushed herself up and off of the brunet. "It's... I'm just surprised, that's all... You've never, um... You've never really told me about... That."

"...It's not like I understand it all that much myself. That stuff I said to your dad? It's true, but... Until recently, I didn't really think of Vicki like that. Yeah, she's- Well, she's hot, but being hot isn't really enough to base a relationship on, so I thought more about it. I thought about the times she's looked out for me when she didn't have to, and she's been nice to me-"

"I've been nice to you." Tootie smirked as she shot Timmy a knowing look.

"I know, and you're my best friend... But like I said, there's... some kind of draw to her abrasiveness. I like her because she's mean, and because I know that the nicer side that rarely comes out is there." While he felt relieved to be able to tell someone about how the red-head made him feel, the brunet also remembered a little too late just who it was he was talking to. "Er... Sorry, Tootie. I know I'm probably not making this easy for you..."

The raven-haired girl scoffed at Timmy. "We're still on this? Timmy, look, I liked you for a long time, you're sweet, kind, a little goofy, but smart... When you need to be." She smirked teasingly before continuing. "And my best friend. Yeah, I'm a little jealous of Vicki, since I know now that I couldn't make your heart do that." Tootie tapped her fist on Timmy's chest for emphasis. "But... I guess we're just not right for each other." She shrugged as she stood up from the couch. "The heart wants what the heart wants, right? Yours wants Vicki, and mine... Just has to find another great guy. Maybe Chester'll be my Prince Charming, maybe he won't. But you and I aren't gonna stop being friends just because we can't be lovers..." Tootie turned back to Timmy with a devious grin. "Standing offer...?"

The brunet audibly gulped at Tootie's expression, then began tapping his index fingers together nervously. "Um..."

"Oh, chill out! I'm just messing around..." The raven-haired girl giggled at how easily she could fluster her prudish best friend as she offered her hand to pull him to his feet. "So, now that you've got my dad's permission to date Vicki, what're you planning on doing with the rest of the day? It's only..." Tootie pulled out her cellphone, which indicated the time as 10:36. "A little past ten-thirty, we've got the whole day to spend however we want!"

"Well... If it's all the same to you-Gah!" Before he could finish, the brunet was roughly pushed back down onto the couch, landing with a dull thud that was quickly followed by a second thud as his raven-haired friend fell, spun around mid-fall, and landed back-first on the couch, her head landing right where it had been before she'd gotten up. "That was... actually pretty impressive."

"You wanna wait for my sister, right?" Tootie brought her hands up to her stomach and clasped them together, allowing them to come to rest in such a way to make her pose resemble the one Timmy had been in earlier.

"You don't mind?" Timmy relaxed into the sofa cushions again, figuring he and Tootie would probably have a long wait ahead of them, if he was to consider how long Vicki's showers tended to take.

"I'm gonna need snacks to tide me over."

"Gonna have to let me get up then..." Timmy reached down to Tootie's shoulders, intending to give her a gentle push so he could get up, only to take pause as she rose to her feet.

"I'll be back!" With an obvious bounce in her step, Tootie made a beeline for the kitchen.

Timmy moved to get up, remembering how much of a hard time Tootie had the first time she tried to get herself a snack. "I could-"

The raven-haired girl spun around to face her brunet-haired friend, her right hand outstretched to display her palm, bidding for him to stop. "No! Stay! ...Good boy." Tootie smirked as Timmy obeyed her directive, then continued into the kitchen.

"I'm not a dog..." The brunet muttered as he fell back into his earlier position on the couch. "So why am I acting like one...?"

In the upstairs bathroom...

Vicki turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, cutting what would've normally been an hour-long affair into a five minute rinse. Realizing she had little to do on a Saturday morning, the red-head decided that she'd go with the plan she'd thought of on a whim: Go over to the Turner's house for a dip in their pool. "Crap, should've asked the Twerp if it's even open... Certainly hope it is, didn't bother washing my hair..." Vicki pinched the bridge of her nose, annoyed at her own lack of foresight, then strode over to the bathroom door, yanking it open. "Hey Twerp!" Vicki shouted down the hall and stairs, then listened for the sound of scurrying feet as her target ran over to the railing.

"Yeah?"

"Your parents open the pool yet?" The red-head yelled as she hung onto the bathroom's door frame for support, leaning out into the hall to ensure that her voice carried all the way downstairs.

The brunet gave the upstairs hall a rather flat and deadpanning look, even though it was impossible for Vicki to see it. "My parents don't know the first thing about owning a pool. I opened it."

"No one likes a boaster, Timmy-AH!" As Vicki finished, her still wet fingers slipped off the door frame, sending the red-head plummeting towards the hard-wood floor of the hallway. Thinking quickly, she stuck her arms out in front of her to brace herself for the impact, yet, as before, these were wet, causing them to slip out from under her, and Vicki to land with a loud 'thud' on her stomach in the middle of the hall, still soaking wet, and still quite naked. "Graceful as a gazelle..." She muttered to herself as a rosy tint covered her cheeks.

"Vicki?! Are you okay?" Timmy moved around the railing and began hurriedly climbing the stairs.

"You take so much as one more step and I'll neuter you!" With her face now rivaling the color of a ripened tomato, Vicki scrambled on all fours in reverse back into the bathroom, then shut the door and leaned against it, releasing a relieved sigh. Yes, Timmy seeing her in her swimsuit or pajamas she could handle, but Timmy seeing her in her birthday suit? Big no. She had some modesty, despite what many people likely thought.

Knock-Knock

"Yeah?" The red-head lightly hit the back of her head against the bathroom door in response to the knocking.

"You okay in there?" Timmy's worry-filled voice alerted her to the identity of who'd been knocking.

Vicki gave herself a quick once-over, noticing that, other than a few particles of dirt on her stomach and chest, she was none the worse for wear. "I'm fine. Shouldn't you be downstairs making out with Tootie?" The red-head grimaced at her tone. She almost sounded... Jealous? "Ugh... What am I thinking?" Vicki facepalmed and shook her head. "Must've hit my head when I fell..."

The brunet, now leaning on his shoulder up against the bathroom door, sighed. "You're really pushing that, ain't ya?"

"Me? You're the one holding her in a protective embrace on the couch! Only person pushing things around here is you." Vicki stood up straight and grabbed the towel off the sink. She was beginning to wish that she was the type to bring her clothes into the bathroom with her when she showered. With a shrug, the red-haired woman wrapped the towel around herself; not even bothering with drying off now, and pulled open the door to the bathroom, causing Timmy to lose his balance from not having anything to lean against and tumble onto the wet floor. "So, the pool is open, right?"

"Agh..." Timmy rubbed the back of his head, sore from connecting with the tile floor of the bathroom. "First of all, Tootie and I are just friends... Very close friends. You'd think a guy couldn't have a close relationship with a girl he's known most of his life without there being some romantic undertones to their relationship!" The brunet nearly shouted at Vicki in annoyance. "Second, I..." Timmy paused, quickly realizing how very little his ex-babysitter was currently wearing. "I'm um..." He felt his cheeks heat up, and opted to just shut up, knowing he'd end up saying something stupid if he continued.

"You're um?" Vicki shot the brunet a quizzical look, then turned her attention down to herself, remembering that she was currently wearing nothing but a medium-sized towel. "Right. Naked." She adjusted the towel, ensuring it wouldn't fall down in the middle of talking. "Okay, I know you're a guy, so there's probably not a lot of blood going up here-" Vicki tapped the side of her head with her index finger. "At the moment, but I need you to focus, Timmy. Can you do that? Can my Twerp focus for thirty seconds?" She purposefully finished in a childish tone.

In response, Timmy nodded dumbly, as the part of his brain that dictated talking was apparently out to lunch for the moment.

"Sweet. Now, the pool, right? It's open, all set, doesn't need any chemicals to go in it, and it's safe to swim in, right?"

"Um... Y-yeah. Should be all- all set." Another nod, this one slower.

"Good, because I'm coming over. It's gonna be ninety today, so... Tell Tootie to go grab her bathing suit, and I assume you have one at your house...?" Vicki brought her index finger up to her chin in thought.

"Well... Yeah, but-"

"Okay good!" The red-head exclaimed with no small amount of enthusiasm as she tore off her towel and whipped it into Timmy's face before he could catch a glimpse of anything. "I'll be ready in ten, so tell Tootie to get her ass in gear!"

Timmy listened for the distinct sound of moist feet padding out of the bathroom, then heard what he assumed was Vicki's bedroom door shut; upon hearing this, he sighed and whipped Vicki's towel off his face. "Way to go, me..." From what he could tell, Vicki was completely oblivious to him liking her, and he was too afraid to say much of anything in her presence, though her state of undress may have affected that.

"Timmy? Sis...? Anybody- Oh." Tootie peeked into the bathroom, finding her best friend sprawled out on the floor, a soaked towel in his hand. "Jeez, Timmy. If you wanted to take a shower, just tell me..." The raven-haired girl grinned at him as she lowered her glasses. "Although... One of us clearly has no idea about proper showing procedure."

Timmy narrowed his eyes and frowned at his friend's teasing remark. "Bite me."

"What do I get in return?" Tootie's grin remained as she once again offered Timmy her hand so she could pull him up.

Timmy once more found himself rolling his eyes at Tootie's bizarre sense of humor. "Y'know Toots, if you said or tried half of the stuff to someone else that you do to me, you'd have been sued for sexual harassment by now."

"Don't pretend you don't love my weirdness." The raven-haired girl responded in a mockingly offended tone. "So, what're we doing today?"

"Guess we're going swimming, according to Vicki. She told me to tell you to go grab your swimsuit, and to be ready in about ten minutes." Timmy shrugged indifferently. He didn't really have a problem with relaxing in his backyard pool all day, it just wasn't how he'd expected the day to go when he first got up.

"So... You're gonna be swimming too, right?" An evil smile broke out across Tootie's face as she quirked an eyebrow up at the brunet.

"You're just gonna ogle me all day, aren't you?"

Tootie's smile faded as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes contemplatively. "Mm... It's a distinct possibility." The raven-haired girl nodded her head, then spun around and exited the bathroom. "See you downstairs."

Timmy let out a groan as Tootie left the bathroom. No matter what he did, it seemed that the two girls had him wrapped quite securely around their fingers. Vicki, because he liked her, obviously, but there was still that lingering concern about what she might do to him if he didn't obey her. Tootie; on the other hand, simply had his loyalty as a friend. No, he didn't have romantic feelings for the girl, but she was, without a doubt, cute, and the brunet found he simply couldn't say no to her. "Well... At least they don't know I can't tell either of them no..."