Awww thanks for the reviews guys! I never really understood why they were so valuable to other authors...until now! They mean so much and give me motivation. =]

And here's your gift!

After school, the boys were practicing in the dojo when Jack asked, "Hey where's Kim? She's usually never late!"

"You're right!" Jerry replied, "Isn't she like usually the first one here so she can get a head start on training?"

"Yup, unless...she comes here with Jaaaack!" Eddie said as he nudged Jack. "Get off!" Jack slapped Eddie's elbow away. "We're JUST friends, and SHE'S the one that likes ME! Not the other way around!" he scoffed.

"Mhmm," the rest of the guys said in unison. Jack decided to go Kim-like and jerked towards the gang, causing them to flinch and hold their hands up in defense. "Mm that's what I thought," he muttered.

A couple of moments later, Kim bursted through the door in a rush. "Hey Ki-" Jerry greeted but was cut off when she walked into the girls' locker room before he could even finish his sentence. "Hey Jerry, how are you? Oh I'm spiffy! Thanks for asking and saying hello," he grumbled to himself.

"What's up with her?" Eddie asked.

"Mayyybe it's her time of the month?" Milton suggested.

"I HEARD THAT!" Kim's loud voice echoed from the locker room.

"Heh, sorry Kim." Milton scratched his neck nervously.

"She's probably just having a bad day," Jack replied, "Sooo, who wants to spar with her?"

Everyone replied a quick, "NOT ME!" except Milton, who wasn't fast enough. "AWW MAN! Why is it always me?" he complained, shaking his head in shame.

The door from the locker room swung open, and out came Kim in her gi.

"Um Kim..why are you wearing your gi? We're not in a tournament," Eddie questioned then immediately shielded his face, thinking that she was going to hit him.

"I'm just in that gi-wearing type of mood, ya know?" Kim replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She tugged her sleeves down a bit.

Jack eyed her suspiciously.

"Can we just pair up and spar please? I have to let out some steam," Kim said hurriedly. She knew Jack was observing her, so she tried to act normally.

"Okay," everyone obeyed. Over the months, they learned the right and wrong times to mess with Kim, and right now, messing with her would be like a Kamikaze mission.

Jack and Jerry were up first. Jerry lunged for Jack, but he just stepped to the side letting Jerry collide with the mat. And that was the match! "Woooowww," the rest of the gang shook their heads in shame.

Next, Eddie sparred with Milton since Rudy wasn't in the dojo and there was an odd number of people. Rudy was probably in his man cave doing something crazy. But this fight only lasted maybe a minute or so as Eddie easily pinned Milton's scrawny body down onto the mat.

Afterward was Milton and Kim. "Please go easy on me Kim," Milton pleaded. "Okay, I'll go easy," Kim said as she took her stance. Milton felt a little relieved, but was still worried about her pummeling him into the ground. Kim was the first to attack with her kick, but to everyone's surprise, it was sloppy and inaccurate, even Milton could tell! He ducked as Kim's foot missed and flew over his head, then he grabbed her leg and flipped her. She landed on the ground making a loud thud. "Ow," Kim said while rubbing her butt.

"Go Milton!" Eddie and Jerry cheered. Milton's face was filled with glee! "I did it!" he cheered while jumping around.

"Um Milton? Can we have one more go please? Just one more," Kim begged. She was way off her game and needed to redeem herself.

"Well...what's the worst that could happen?" he shrugged.

Milton gave her a hand so she could get up. Once again, they took their stances on the mat. This time, Milton was the one to make the first move since he was filled with new found confidence. He attempted a poor roundhouse kick that anyone could have dodged, but Kim reacted too slow. He ended up hitting her shoulder and sent her to the floor.

"Oh my gosh! I did it! Again!" Milton squealed with excitement. "Kim, you okay?" He asked after his victory dance - or should I say, Jack's victory dance, since everybody does it after winning.

"Yea, I'm fine. I'm just a little out of it," Kim replied nonchalantly as Milton helped her up. She looked over to the rest of the gang and their eyes were wider than Lady Gaga's in her Bad Romance music video and their mouths hung out so big, she swore an aquaglobe could fit inside! "Um guys?" Kim asked nervously, "You alright?" The boys immediately snapped out of it and nodded quickly. She then focused her attention on Jack, who also looked pretty shocked himself.

Jack broke the gaze between them, "Yeaahhh I think that's enough for today." He stretched, pretending to be tired. Whatever seemed to be bothering Kim was really affecting her performance. So he acted tired so practice could end early and that she could get a break.

"Kim are you okay? You seemed a little off your game today," Jack asked when he caught up to Kim after training was over.

"Er yeah, I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind."

"Really? Like what?"

"Um," her mind scrambled for an answer, "That big math test tomorrow! It's craziness!" Kim lied.

"Mhm, well okay if you don't want to tell me then I'll just leave," Jack sensing the falseness in Kim's voice turned to walk away.

"Wait! Look, I'm sorry. I just don't want to talk about it. But please don't leave me," Kim was staring down at the ground now.

"Kim, we're best friends! Of course I would never leave you, I was just joking around. But you know you can tell me anything," Jack said softly.

"I know. I know. Can we talk about something else please?"

Jack took a good look at Kim. Even though she was not facing him, he knew that she was wearing a worried expression. Her petite frame was shaking and she was taking short rapid breaths.

"Okay," Jack sighed, "So what do you wanna talk about?" He wasn't going to let it go, but he dropped the subject just this once to give her one less thing to worry about.

"Donna Tobin's ponytail?" Kim replied with a smirk, finally turning to look at him.

"For the last time, it's a FRENCH BRAID!" Jack argued, even making the hand gestures of a braid onto his lush brown hair. Kim laughed. Like a REAL laugh, which is something she hasn't done in a long time. She gazed up at his warm eyes and bit her lip. Everything about him was just so perfect, what are the chances of someone like him to like someone like her? No, she mentally stopped herself, I can't think like this about him, especially not now! She turned her focus back on the conversation and relaxed as Jack casually put his arm around her shoulders. They talked like this all the way to her house, laughing and smiling.

He was Kim's temporary escape from her pain.

Yeah, I decided not to let you guys in on Kim's feelings JUST yet. Please don't kill me! *holds hands up in defense*

Lol, so how do you feel about this one?