Author's Note: Didn't look like a lot of people read last chapter...yet. I'm not surprised, this appears to be a dead fandom. Hopefully someone will take interest and review this story...if not, I'll just keep posting for my own amusement until I get bored.

Real quick, a few things I forgot to mention last chapter: (Just about) every chapter will begin with a "Tip", as a sort of homage to the show. Some will be ridiculously lame (like last chapters) but they all have something to do with what's going on in the story and more specifically, the chapter. These first few chapters might seem a bit...weird, I'm still feeling out the characters, trying to get their voices right and figuring out how to move them where I want them without making them seem too OOC. Some people might be wondering which characters will appear in the story, answer is simple, as many as I can work in (that includes whatever teachers I can make fit, and obviously, Gordie). A lot of people at this point are probably wondering what the heck is up with Moze, don't fret, you'll find out in the next couple chapters.

Lastly, there's a reason for why I write (almost) everything. If something seems wrong to you from the show or whatever, let me know in a review and if there's a reason for it I'll explain in a reply, and if it's genuinely a mistake on my part I'll fix it and be eternally grateful...or annoyed, which ever.

Please read!

Chapter 2:

Tip: School relationships don't usually last long, so even the smallest milestone can be cause for celebration; so don't let the occasion pass you by unnoticed, because you never know when it'll all end.

Ned found Cookie hovering around the high school front entrance with the rest of the freshman who were waiting on middle school friends to arrive. Ned had given a few acquaintances from Polk, nervous about their first day in high school, the same tip he'd hoped to use that day with Moze: enter the building with a friend or two, there's safety in numbers and knowing that you're with others that share your fear actually helps ease it. From the looks of things, the tip got passed around.

Cookie was flanked by Martin Qwerly, a kid who could literally talk a person to death, and Coconut Head, a boy who earned his unfortunate nickname in the sixth grade due to an oddly shaped haircut, one he seemed to decide to bring with him to high school. Both were good friends from Polk and it was clear they planned on accompanying Cookie into the school as their "support group". They all perked when they saw Ned approaching and Ned would have been happy to see them if his mind weren't plagued with nagging little doubts.

As soon as he was close enough, Ned began to ramble, "Moze isn't the type of girl that would dump me for a guy with a car, is she? She doesn't even like cars."

"Moze likes cars," Cookie un-helpfully pointed out, his brow crumpled in confusion.

"It's true! She does," Ned moaned, "She's going to dump me, because I'm too young to drive and then she's going to find an older boyfriend that has a car, and…is…taller. That's probably where she ran off to…to find older, taller guys. She's probably in the parking lot ogling sophomore boys right now, as we speak."

Martin and Coconut Head exchanged a look.

"I think I should…" Martin excused himself as Coconut Head stammered, "My homeroom is right this…"

They both took off in opposite directions. Cookie darted his head back and forth to watch his retreating friends, then shrugged nonchalant and turned his attention back to Ned. He plopped a hand on Ned's shoulder to quiet the ranting tipster.

"Moze isn't going to dump you," Cookie said, sounding more automated than reassuring, and then he perked and exclaimed, "And now that that's settled, let's focus on me. This year, my goal is to get Lisa Zemo to go out with me. And you," Cookie pointed both his index fingers Ned's direction, "…are going to help."

"I thought you already went out with Lisa Zemo," Ned replied, perking a brow. Though disconcerting thoughts still tumbled round his head, his interest was slightly piqued by his friend's statements.

"That was only once and it was pizza with you and Moze so it didn't feel right making any big moves," Cookie whined dramatically, "And then I didn't see her again for the rest of the summer," he paused and calmly explained, "She went on vacation with her family, somewhere in the woods without any technology."

Ned rolled his eyes but remained silent.

"But now that she's back in town, I have a second chance to do things right. I'm going to get her to go out with me…again, but this time, I'll ask her to be my girlfriend, and give her a token of my love," Cookie declared. He tugged a battered looking microchip from out of his pocket and held it up as though a precious gemstone, "This is the microprocessor chip from my very first successful robot build in the second grade. It means a lot to me and I want Lisa to have it."

Ned nodded respectfully. He didn't know if girls really liked receiving micro-whatevers but it was definitely a gift a girl like Lisa would appreciate.

Suddenly finding himself swept up in Cookie's heartfelt exuberance, Ned plastered on a toothy grin and announced, "And my goal is to surprise Moze tonight with the biggest bash ever in celebration of our three-month-a-versary, so that she remembers how perfect we are for each other, and so I can give her these."

He pulled out a tiny ring box from his pocket and flipped the top open. Cookie's jaw dropped.

The two rings inside were identical, silver braided bands that formed a heart in the center. On the sides of each heart were inlaid two very tiny clear-colored stones. Though simple in design, the promise rings obviously cost a pretty penny.

"They're sterling silver – which according to the clerk, girls really like– and those are real diamonds. I mowed a lot of lawns this summer to save up for these rings. And I painted a shed," Ned proudly exclaimed.

Mowing one lawn over the summer was an impressive feat for Ned, a habitual procrastinator and laze-about, but mowing multiple lawns and painting a whole shed, all so he could purchase a couple sappy promise rings, was akin to a miracle. Ned didn't do those kinds of things and Moze knew it, so he knew that she would understand the meaning of such a seemingly small gesture to its fullest extent.

"Also, they're engraved," Ned added, still grinning ear to ear.

After a few seconds of silence passed, Ned darted a nervous look to his still gaping friend. He fidgeted with the box. His face fell.

"It's too much, isn't it? Too much…too soon. Just like that letter I wrote Suzie in the eighth grade. What is wrong with me? Why do I move so fast with girls? If I give these to Moze, she'll freak out and dump me, won't she?"

He snapped the box closed and Cookie blinked, as though awoken from a trance.

"Ned, calm down," Cookie said, matter-of-factly, "You and Moze have been going out for three months, it took you guys two years to sort out your feelings for each other, and you've been best friends your entire lives. Too soon? I think you're lucky it's not too late."

Ned didn't look entirely convinced. He sighed and tucked the box securely back into his pocket.

"You're right," he agreed, half-heartedly, and then he shook his head and stated more firmly, "You're absolutely right. Thanks, Cook. Now, I have to get to work on the party plans. You sent out the invitations a week ago, right?"

"Yup. I mailed them to all our friends from last year," Cookie answered, "I can get you a list of everyone who RSVP'ed by lunchtime."

"Great," Ned exclaimed, clapping his hands together, "But there's still a lot of other things left to do before that final bell rings. Cookie, I need you to find Moze and keep her distracted today, while I finish up with the rest of the party plans."

When this is over, Ned thought, I'm going to owe so many favors… Moze Is definitely worth it though.

"But…what about Lisa?" Cookie pouted, furrowing his brow in concern.

Ned felt bad for the guy, he really did. Cookie had spent all of eighth grade trying to get closer to Lisa but always found himself foiled by the posse of bachelors that followed her around like gosling to their mother goose. When it seemed his chance had finally come, he just about blew it then she disappeared for three months. But Ned couldn't worry about Cookie's problems at the moment, he had a party to covertly plan before the final bell rang, and there was all year to help Cookie court Lisa.

"Plan party now, tips for Lisa later," Ned commanded, shoving Cookie down the hall.

Reluctantly, Cookie wandered away in some random direction supposedly to search out Moze, but not before shooting a few dirty looks over his shoulder Ned's direction.

When Cookie was out of sight, Ned tugged a paper from his backpack, the list of party preparations, and glanced over it.

Flowers, orchestra, doves…Ned scrunched his brow and wondered if maybe the doves were a little over the top. He pulled out a pen and scratched 'doves' off the list. Then nodding his approval, he tucked the list away and set off to find the Oboe twins.

0-0-0

As Cookie wandered down the hall, he grumbled to himself under his breath, "It's not fair. Ned already has Moze, and they're basically the perfect couple. So why is this – entirely unnecessary - party for her more important than getting me Lisa?"

It had been a long summer for Cookie. He had one amazing pizza "date" with the crush of his life just before the end of school, only for her to vanish into the woods at the very start of vacation without so much as an "I'll call you when I get back". Then, as if to make matters worse, his supposed two best friends were too preoccupied with one another to spend much time with him. They were lost, deep in an endless ocean of love and on the rare occasion they did surface for breath, giving Cookie a moment of their precious boyfriend-girlfriend time, things were just so painstakingly not the same.

Cookie sighed. In the past, he could hang out with Ned or he could hang out with Moze or he could hang out with both and it never seemed like such a big deal. But now, it felt like it was Ned and Moze or nothing. And while he would gladly take Ned and Moze over nothing, he missed the one on one time he used to have with each best friend.

After all, they're unique personalities balanced Cookie out.

Ned appealed to Cookie's masculine side. They would watch action movies, have unabashed discussions about bodily functions, and Ned would help Cookie out with his latest plans of dare-devilry by providing helpful tips such as, "Are you insane? You'll get yourself killed doing that."

Likewise, Moze satiated Cookie's feminine side – a well defined, highly tuned side of which he is very proud – by going with him to mani-pedis, clothes shopping, discussing with him the girly books that he loves so much, and, also, helping him on his latest plans of dare-devilry by providing helpful tips such as, "Are you insane? You'll get yourself killed doing that."

Yeah, Cookie decided, I definitely need time with just Ned or just Moze, not this…Med – er – Neze…hm…Noze, yeah that works, Noze creature they've become.

Cookie rounded a corner than hastily doubled back; slamming against a wall of cold, blue lockers. He shuddered.

Seniors.

The corridor was lined with them. Large, beefy men with facial hair and thick, musky body odor, and statuesque women that wore high-heels and push-up bras and talked openly about their menstrual cycles. They would eat Cookie alive.

Speaking of things that were unfair.

Sometimes the school system felt like this never-ending cosmic joke. One year you're top of the food chain, one of the prestigious "upperclassmen", then the next, you're flung right back to the bottom link, looking up at larger and infinitely more frightening "upperclassmen" than you'd ever faced before. Cookie could have used Ned at that moment. Ned would have tips on how to handle seniors but he was too busy – trying to impress his girlfriend, Cookie scoffed – to be any help.

If Moze went down that hall, Cookie thought humorously to himself, then I won't have to worry about keeping her distracted while Ned plans that party.

Cookie frowned, feeling slightly ashamed as he imagined Ned diligently planning this surprise party for Moze. Three months really was a long time for any school romance. Usually it marked the end of the line; as in, ladies and gentlemen, please keep all hands and feet inside the moving vehicle because we are now entering Splitsville. Yet, Ned and Moze still seemed to be going strong and, if those rings were any indication, then they were headed for the long haul.

Here I am sad about what I lost, Cookie mentally chastised himself, when I should be excited for my best friends and what they gained.

Admittedly, Cookie was happy when Ned and Moze finally – finally – got together. He'd seen it coming long ago, of course, even if they hadn't. Nearly everyone had seen it coming. The two were just such a natural fit. And even though the three were all best friends, there had always been this deeper connection between Ned and Moze, something as indefinable as it was unmistakable.

Just because things are different between those two and it sort of changes things between us three, Cookie decided, doesn't mean it's a bad thing.

And maybe things weren't so different. They were all three still best friends. A smile warmed Cookie's features as he let his thoughts on the situation take a more optimistic route. Distracting Moze from the party plans for the day meant that he would be spending the entire day with Moze, and just Moze, which meant one on one best friend time. Cookie had recently finished the new Nicholas Sparks book, and he knew Moze had it on her summer reading list; maybe they could talk about how tragically the story ended, but how beautiful the two main characters' love was for one another.

As for Ned, after the first day of high school and relationship milestone party stress was over, and they moved into their day to day routines, Cookie felt certain things would settle back into a sort of normalcy. Ned promised to help with Lisa later, and Ned rarely broke his promises. He really was a good and loyal friend.

Cookie nodded to himself.

I'm overreacting, he thought, things are going to be fine with Ned, Moze, and me. We're the three musketeers…the three amigos, even. The Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria – wait, those are boats. Oh well, I'm totally the Santa Maria, the biggest and most important of the three. Wait, what was I doing? Oh, got to find Moze.

Cookie blinked back to reality and nearly jumped back, startled to find two big, brown eyes glaring up at him, shimmering with concern and uncertainty.

"Cookie, what are you doing?" Moze demanded, arms folded over her chest, "You've been standing here staring blankly into space for the past five minutes."

"Uh…I was thinking…" Cookie faltered.

He furrowed his brow. He couldn't exactly tell her he'd been contemplating the dynamic of their three-way best friendship and how he felt that Ned and her newfound romantic relationship was messing up its synergy.

He placed his hands on his hips, jutted his chin out, and proudly proclaimed, "About boats."

"O-kay," Moze drawled and then, glancing along the corridor, anxiously asked, "Ned isn't around, is he?"

Cookie scowled. That stung. Two seconds of conversation and already she was looking for her boyfriend.

"Nope," Cookie answered, "He went to…" he scrambled for a lie, "…find his homeroom."

Moze didn't look convinced.

"He wants to make a better impression on his teachers this year," Cookie continued, his words growing increasingly weaker under Moze's scrutinizing glare, "It's one of his New Semester Goals…because his permanent record was destroyed last year, this year is like a blank slate for him…"

"So he's not around?" Moze pressed.

"No," Cookie answered.

Moze relaxed, breathing a sigh seemingly out of relief.

"Good," she mumbled and Cookie's brow shot up momentarily, then scrunched in confusion at that comment.

"Good?" he echoed.

Panic scurried across Moze's features. Hastily, she responded, "I mean…good for him. Wanting to do better…in school. I'm proud."

Cookie narrowed his eyes at Moze, examining her more closely. Admittedly, he couldn't read her as well as Ned, and he didn't know her moods or understand them as well as Ned, but he was part cyborg – a classification attributed to the fact he was always hooked up to a highly integrated computer system that streamed data through the lenses of his glasses – and the computer not only kept a comprehensive encyclopedia of body language which adapted to each individual person that he interacted with on a daily basis but it also took note and brought his attention to minor details in the body language of whomever he was speaking to.

At that moment, the computer was lighting up with information on Moze: a smile that didn't reach her slightly red-rimmed and more-glossy-than-usual eyes (indicative of sorrow, grief, depression, etc.), arms across her chest (indicative of guardedness – possibly lying, discomfort, low self-esteem, etc.), speaking in a slightly higher pitch (indicative of lying)…and the list went on.

Cookie tried to piece the information together. Moze was obviously lying about why she'd said "good" in reply to Ned not being around, but then, why else would she have said it? Unless, she really was glad that Ned wasn't around. Perhaps she was avoiding Ned. But why?

Cookie figured he could always ask.

"Are you avoiding Ned?" he questioned.

"No," Moze quickly snapped, then faltering, "Maybe…" and then meekly, "I don't know."

Cookie's mind reeled back to moments before and Ned's – at the time, seemingly irrational – concerns that Moze would dump him for a guy with a car. Then, he flash forwarded to his earlier thoughts about three-months typically being end of the line for most relationships.

"You're not going to break up with Ned, are you?" Cookie demanded, suddenly feeling defensive.

"What? No," Moze again quickly snapped, and then once more faltering, "Maybe…" and then, finally, meekly, "I don't know."

Cookie's jaw dropped. He couldn't grasp a single thought; they were all spinning out of control. Ned was planning a party to celebrate his and Moze three-month-a-versary, he had promise rings he spent all summer working for and…and…Moze was possibly planning on dumping him.

Ned would be crushed. How could Moze do that to him? Why would Moze do that to him? But more to the point, if Ned and Moze being together screwed up the dynamic of their three-way-best-friendship with Cookie, what would Ned and Moze breaking up do to it?

"Why would you break-up with Ned? I thought you two were the perfect couple?" Cookie cried.

Moze shot a nervous look around the hall, then lowered her eyes and wrung her hands (indicative of shame, remorse, grief, shyness, low self-esteem…).

"So did I," she murmured, her voice wavered slightly. She bit the corner of her cheek and rolled her eyes up to lock with Cookie's (indicative of honesty, interest, trust, etc.). For a moment, she seemed to be debating something. Then she shook her head and lowered her eyes again, "I can't talk about this right now. I gotta go."

Moze started away, then paused, and – as though a second thought – turned back and wrapped her arms around Cookie's midsection, sinking against him for a moment (indicative of caring, love, comfort, etc.). Hesitantly, Cookie returned the hug, placing his hands neutrally on her shoulders.

"Please don't tell Ned I said anything," Moze whispered.

"Uh…okay," Cookie stammered, now thoroughly confused.

Moze pulled away, straightened herself a little and turned, trudging down the hall. Cookie watched her retreat until she was out of sight, uncertain of how to sort out the jumbled mess in his mind. Moze wanted to break up with Ned. It seemed surreal, he had to of heard her wrong.

Then a thought occurred to Cookie. A horrible, terrible thought. But it all seemed to add up to that one, tragically, despicable thought: Moze lying, avoiding Ned, wanting to break up with Ned, that look she'd given Cookie, that hug…

"Oh no," Cookie gasped, face warping into what his friends aptly described as 'Cookie-face', "Moze likes me."

Another Author Note: I'm trying out some new writing "techniques" with this story that I've never uesd before. Such as, third person POV with first person POV thoughts. Generally, they're types of things the characters would have said aloud in the show. Oh! And the three-month-a-versary thing...Moze and Ned got together in the field trip episode, which dropped a lot of hints that indicated it was an end-of-the-year field trip (ie. Sweeney's 'good-bye' to Ned in the tree...), so I just figured they'd started dating end of the year 8th grade, summer is roughly three months long, so their three-month could conceivably coincide with the first day back to school.

Also, things seem pretty easy-going right now, but hang in there, things are going to gradually move into darker places. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what buttons I'll need to push to break these three...and I think Moze is going to prove hardest, she's such a ridiculously strong character. I'm looking forward to the challenge this fanfic presents...introdcuing a goofy show like Ned's to some dramatic angst.

Thanks for reading...Please Review!