Author's Note: This is a short chapter. It was supposed to be two parts but I decided to put the second part into the next chapter, or making that a chapter itself. Oh well, whatever. Keep reading. lol.

Chapter 2: The Different Half

The two weeks that followed Wally and Kuki's recent fight were surprisingly peaceful. Not a single argument has sprung up between them so far. Of course there were occasional grunts, and the insults were unavoidable, but for some strange reason, the peace persevered. It wasn't until the third weekend, when the whole gang chose to spend the day at Nigel's house, did something happen, that would trigger the longest and most significant feud ever.

It was a bright, Saturday afternoon and for some reason, there was nothing to do. The Cheezaria was closed for renovation, no one felt like going to the beach, and everyone else seemed to have something else to do. Therefore the whole gang sat scattered around Nigel's living room, each absorbed in his or her own activity.

In one corner, Nigel and Hoagie sat playing a game of chess. Abby was sitting in one of the armchairs, reading a magazine. Wally, not being the gentleman that he's supposed to be, was lying across the couch watching TV, while Kuki sat on the floor watching with him.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Kuki said after Wally switched the channel on TV.

"I have the remote," He responded thoughtlessly.

"I'm watching too, you know."

"I don't care."

"So rude…"

"Whatever."

A dull moment of silence passed, with Kuki having to endure the wrestling match on TV. Finally, Nigel stood up after beating Hoagie at another game.

"I'm going to the kitchen to get some snacks," He announced, "Anyone want anything?"

"Corn dog," Hoagie requested first.

"Soda," Abby followed.

"Chips," Wally said next.

"Apple," Kuki said last.

After Nigel disappeared to the kitchen, Kuki found her opportunity to steal the remote back. She knew for a fact that neither Abby nor Hoagie would care if another fight between her and Wally broke out. Besides, it's not like she was intending to start an actual fight. She just wanted the remote back.

She first began by taking a quick glance at Wally, only to locate the remote loosely sheltered in his hand. Next she slowly switched position, facing him slightly. He didn't seem to notice anything. Then, without thinking twice, she charged at him and reached for the remote control.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He reacted immediately, tightening his grip upon the gadget with both hands.

"I WANT THE REMOTE BACK!" She demanded as she struggled to gain control of her grip.

The two of them wrestled each other for a while, causing the remote to go back and forth between them. It took so much of their attention that neither of them heard the sound of the doorbell, followed by Nigel's voice from the kitchen claiming to answer it.

"LET GO!" Wally demanded. He pulled the remote from Kuki with all his might, hoping to be rid of her grip. Unlike he expected, she held on, and he therefore ended up lifting her off the floor. She landed right on top of him.

Everything happened so fast. Neither Wally nor Kuki noticed the grins on Abby and Hoagie's faces, nor did they notice their own laughter together. They were completely unaware that they were actually having fun…together.

The playfulness stopped when Nigel came back into the room. Yet it wasn't his presence that stopped Wally and Kuki, but more like the puzzled look on his face and the news that he bore.

"Kuki," He said.

"Yes?" Kuki looked up, still smiling and unaware that she was still on top of Wally.

"There's someone at the door for you."

"Who is it?"

"He said his name is Wallace."

Cold, hard suspicion suddenly seemed to have blanketed the room. Kuki, who was in wide-eyed shock, felt everyone's eyes on her. Nigel, for one, was obviously puzzled after encountering the stranger who was currently standing out in the hall. Hoagie looked simply curious about the sound of the unfamiliar name. Abby looked betrayed, eyeing Kuki as if accusing her of hiding secrets. The biggest challenge, however, was looking down, only to find the two green eyes looking up at her.

There was something odd about the expression on Wally's face. It was like a mix of everyone's reaction, with his own unidentifiable expression added to it. He looked intensely confused, desperately curious, terribly betrayed, and something else that Kuki could only interpret as…pain.

She got off of him awkwardly. Ignoring everyone's stare, she thanked Nigel and went out into the hallway. There he was, waiting for her: a young lad with the looks of a teenage body-builder. He stood about six feet high, beating Nigel and Hoagie by only a bit, but came across as equivalent to Wally's height. He had bright, blonde and spiky hair and blue eyes that seem incapable of expressing anything but fierce, masculine pride.

"Hey babe," He said to her.

"Wallace…er…hi…" She said awkwardly, "What are you doing he – NO!!"

Wallace had picked her up into a tight, painful bear hug and had leaned in for a kiss but she responded by slapping his face back with both hands.

"Ow!" He barked and dropped her gracelessly, "What'd you do that for?!"

"I'm sorry! You just kind of…caught me off guard there."

"That's what you said the last time. Geez, we've already been dating for a week and we haven't even kissed yet."

"I know but – "

Kuki stopped when she heard someone's footsteps behind her. All of a sudden, she was desperately wishing with every fiber of her body that it's not whom she expected.

"Nice shirt, man." Wallace said to the person behind her, "I watch wrestling too."

Kuki's heart sank. No one in the gang watches wrestling except for one person…

Wally walked towards them. For some reason, every step he took sounded like thunder in Kuki's ears. When he finally appeared in her sight, all she could see was the same pouting face that she's been seeing for the past seven years. The only difference is that those cold, green eyes seem to be avoiding hers. She couldn't understand why, but it hurt more than the many times that he would stare directly at her with his ruthless smirk.

"Kuki never told us about you," Wally said to the man before him, with a harshly steady tone.

"Makes sense," Wallace replied, "She and I just met a week ago."

"That's kinda weird. I always thought she was they type of girl who'd wait."

Kuki stared at Wally, wondering if she'd heard him right. It was a loaded statement. She didn't know if it was just another one of his crude insults as a friend, or a remark of disappointment from being 'something else'.

"Well," Wallace smirked arrogantly, "There must be something special about me."

"Maybe," answered Wally.

He took another minute to eye Wallace, as if scanning his whole being with his eyes alone. After that, he walked away. Kuki could've sworn that he had glanced at her before turning away. And there was no denying that there was something there that she's never noticed before.