Disclaimer Well, third chapter. I'd like to say thank you to all the reviewers out there. So, thanks. I don't own anything outside of the people mentioned in the first chapter.

"Aussie…get up. Aussie Raeeeee."

Aussie grumbled, knowing that voice only too well. "Aiden." She yawned, opening her eyes. She expected her brother to be towering over her, feet placed on either sides of her. Out of all the days to wake her up, why this one? The effects of last nights' alcohol still lingered; Tony was right, she was a light weight.

Speaking of weight, she had tried to shift onto her right side, but something kept her from doing so. An unfamiliar weight. Having many play wrestling matches with her brother, his weight had become her own, so to speak, and this was way too heavy to be him.

Although her eyes were open, she couldn't make out who was on top of her. She squeezed her eyes shut for just a moment, and reopened them. The sight of Tony Alva, frizzy gold hair dangling over his shoulders, with a grin on his face welcomed her.

"Ah!!! Tony!" she called, shoving the Mexican boy off, only to have him pop right back up in his previous position, resting his hands on his knees. "Aiden!" she yelled as loud as she could.

"You rang?" Her brother grinned a goofy grin, poking his head into the bedroom.

"Aiden, you have until the count of three to make Tony get off me. One….two…"

"Ah, come on guys, she's up. Leave her alone already." Stacy instructed, brushing his hair behind his shoulders.

"Ah, come on, Peralta, what's the fun in having Aussie hang with us if we can't tease her?" Tony said in a mocking manner, climbing off the brunette.

"Stace, have I ever told you you're my hero?" she joked, pulling herself up, back resting against the wall, "Aiden is Mom okay?"

"Yah, she's okay. She's in her room, resting up as we speak. I already called her work and told them what happened." Aussie closed her eyes, nodding. Dave was nowhere insight. Usually, after a fight, he was back in Emily's arms, making up for the fight with a bouquet of roses or something to that extent, paired with a fake apology.

Shit. I have to work tonight…great. She thought, banging the back of her head against the wall.

"Aus? You okay, chicka?" She opened her eyes, and answered Tony's question with a silent nod.

"Bro, I have work tonight…can you handle taking care of Mom until I get home?"

"Yeah, 'course I can. What time do you work?"

"11:00 to 6:45." Shifts at the small diner usually didn't thrill Aussie, but she needed the money to pay for her fighting classes, and help with the rent here and there. She didn't want to go into work tonight. She didn't feel like putting up with the diner's more stubborn customers, as her responses usually got her in trouble with her manager.

"11:00? Well then you should start getting ready, its 10:00 already." Stacy said, glancing at his watch, "If you hurry, I'll give you a ride."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." She paused, throwing the covers onto the ground, "You were gonna give me a ride, anyways, Peralta. Don't play that with me." She teased, crawling out of her bed to her dresser for clothes for the day.

"Yeah, you're right. I just thought that telling you that would make you move faster." He said, tugging on a piece of her hair. She brushed his hand away before she went into the bathroom for a quick shower.

"Thanks, Stace!" Aussie called, waving to the blonde boy as he drove away. With a small sigh, she fashioned her hair into a high ponytail, bangs left out to frame her face in just such away before entering the diner with no spirit whatsoever.

"Aussie, hey." Daniela, one of Aussie's co workers, called cheerily, dumping the sordid silver wear into a gray tub along with other dirtied dishes, "Word of warning, the boss is a battle axe today, so I'd just do my job and keep my mouth shut. Who knows what she's capable of this time…talk about rawr." Daniela pulled a monster like face, tucking the tub underneath one arm, forming a claw with her spare hand.

Aussie laughed, shaking her head. Kerry's rampages were really nothing new to the work staff, but when she did have them, everyone just learned to keep it to themselves. Aussie had troubles with this, but she still had a bit of a headache, and didn't feel like arguing back.

"Oh, joy. Well, I'm kinda hung over so I guess today I can just refrain from being myself. Just for today though."

"Aussie! We're down one bus boy today, so get to it!" Kerry snarled shoving a tub similar to Daniela's into Aussie's arms.

"Yes, ma'am." She grimaced once Kerry had turned away, and stuck her tongue out childishly.

….

"Stace, I just got off. Do you think you could so me a favor? Swing by and pick me up on the way to Skip's? Thanks, man, I owe you. Alright, bye." With a relived sigh, Aussie hung up the phone before punching out. Daniela laughed, bouncing in the seat next to Aussie, who had thrown down her wash rag on the now clean table top.

"Long day, wouldn't you say?" she said, watching as Aussie folded her arms over one another and placed them on the table, resting her head on her top arm.

"I'll say. I'm glad we're closing up early for whatever reason."

Daniela made a face, "Speak for yourself. I hate being on clean up. It takes forever, and prolongs our suffering. But, the suffering is over for tonight. What are your plans for tonight?"

Aussie shrugged, sitting up, and pulling her hair from the ponytail, "Well, once Stacy comes to pick me up, we're gonna head to my uncles' shop and meet everyone…after that, I really don't know. It's unpredictable with those guys on some days."

"Uh-huh, and what about Tony? You know you've still got the hots for him. And, I've seen the way he looks at you." Daniela sing-songed, fluttering her hands in a cutesy manner that made Aussie want to throw up. She rolled her eyes, slapping Daniela's arm with the dish towel.

"Ha. You mean the way he looks at almost every girl? Please, Daniela, don't even kid about something like that."

A smile crept onto Daniela's lips in an instant, "You still like him."

Aussie's jaw dropped as she gaped at Daniela, "Okay, ew. I do not like Tony still."

Daniela's eyes rolled in her head, as the tiny bell attached to the top of the door rang, Stacy Peralta entering the diner.

"Oh, look, my ride's here. Bye, Daniela." She threw her apron on the table, leaving with Stacy before Daniela could get a word out.

"So, how was your shift?" Stacy asked, slowing for a red light.

"Ugh…hellish as usual. Kerry was super bitch today, talk about rawr." She sighed, quoting Daniela.

Stacy laughed, and they remained silent for most of the ride.

"Does it seem like I still like Tony?" The question Aussie just proposed was sudden, and caught Stacy off guard as he looked at her, eye brow raised.

"Do you want me to answer that truthfully?" he joked. Of course he would, there's a not a thing in the world that Stacy wouldn't be honest about with Aussie—not about her relationship with Tony, her and Aiden's little fights.

Aussie shot him a serious look, and he sighed, "Honestly? A lot, actually. And, it seems like he still like you, too. Just the way you guys act around each other is kind of a dead give away. Is that a problem?"

Aussie groaned, covering her face with her hands, "A big problem! I don't want to like Tony still."

Stacy bit his lower lip, patting her hand as he pulled up in front of the Zephyr shop. He really hated to see her stress out like this. "Well, forget about it now. Let's go in and watch our friends' act stupid." He offered her a smile, opening his door.

"That…is the best offer I've had all day."

….

"Stace do you think we do this too much?"

Stacy turned his head to her, a questionable expression etched deep in his features.

"This," she explained, gently patting the hood of his car, "Lie on the hood of your car and look at the stars."

Stacy pondered the question for a moment before shaking his head, "Nah. I think its nice break from our normal routine."

Aussie nodded in agreement, "Are you still mad at Kath?"

Again, Stacy thought about the question before answering. "I talk to her, don't I?"

"Yeah, but, that doesn't mean you're not mad at her anymore. I mean, I talk to people when I'm mad at them."

Stacy shrugged, "Kind of, I guess. Jayboy's at fault, too, but I'm over it, I guess."

"Yeah, well, Kathy had a choice…and so did Jay…they just made the wrong ones. I, myself, am still really, really pissed off at the both of them for what they did."

"But, Kathy's your friend…"

"I don't care. What she did to you is just fucked up."

He smiled at her comment, "Not a lot of people think so, so that makes you the first. But, it's water under the bridge now."

"Well, that's good. Because, I probably would have felt bad about calling Kathy a bitch and Jayboy a prick…"

Stacy sucked in a breath, Aussie's mind worked in quite a different way than most girls. He was about to say something, but Tony stomping out of the shop had caught their attention.

Aussie bit her lip, looking at Stacy, "He looks pissed..," she slid off the car, looking back at Stacy one last time, "I'm gunna go see if he's okay."

She followed behind Tony with as much confidence as she could muster. If there was one thing in this world that scared her, it was Tony's temper. It was worse than her own, and he used it well to his advantage.

"Tony…" she called out, but her voice was meek and timid. She cleared her throat and called his name again, placing a hand on his toned arm, but he'd managed to pull it away from her grasp. She groaned, her own temper wearing down a bit.

"Alva! Don't ignore me like that, kid, you know I hate it." She said, sliding onto the grass next to him.

He ignored her presence for the most part, but, that didn't stop her from leaning into him, chin resting on his shoulder. "Alva, what's wrong? You don't normally storm out like that for no reason."

Her question leered in the air for a few moments as Tony desperately tried to avoid it, and go about ignoring her as planned. But, there was just something about Aussie. Something he couldn't place his finger on, whatever it was, he couldn't bring himself to ignore her.

"Blanca. She's getting all freaked out because she saw me with some chick today." He started, and Aussie drew back, leaning on her palms, crossing on leg over the other.

"Yeah. Typically girls like to be the only girl in their boyfriends' life. Kind of expected actually."

Tony smirked, "Is that why you broke up with me?"

She knew he was going to pull that card, but she had her own counter retort, "You know exactly why I broke up with you, Tony. And, besides, Blanca doesn't know the Tony Alva I do. She doesn't know that no matter how many girls you may drool over, no matter how many girls hang around you, that in the end, she's the only girl you really want in your life." She offered him a smile.

He had never really looked at Aussie before. But, the way the moon light was beaming against her face had got him to thinking. No longer was she the same girl he had grown up with, but instead she was a young woman, with her opinions, certain way of doing things. Also, he had taken notice to how she had changed physically. That innocent little girl look he'd become so accustom to had washed away, and been replaced with a certain beauty. Even now, in her work shirt, with her make up half sweated off, and hair in a tangled mess, that beauty was held. And, he realized he was lucky; that was the girl he loves, and she loves him back. Everyone else was otherwise convinced Aussie had no feelings left for Tony at all, but Tony…Tony wasn't convinced, he knew deep down she cares for him like he does for her.

"Tony…hello. Earth to Tony Alva." Aussie called, waving her hand in front of Tony's face, giggling a bit, "Dude, you okay man? Thought I lost ya there."

Tony snapped himself out of his daze, just long enough for his brown eyes to search her hazel ones. He couldn't stop himself from his next action. It seemed like the perfect moment and he had to take it. He set his forehead against hers, and brushed her lips with his own gently, giving her the opportunity to pull away if she desired.

She seemed like she had no intention of doing so, allowing Tony to kiss her gently. She had begun to kiss back, but she raised her hand, placing it on Tony's chest, pulling herself away. "I-I'm sorry, Tony. I c-can't…Blanca..I'm sorry. I just can't do this…kiss you, I mean."

Tony stiffened his lower lip, biting back a few things he had wanted to yell. He stood up, flustered, and left the girl pleading for him to return behind.

….

"So, he kissed you?"

Aussie squeezed her eyes shut, flinching at Peggy's words. She, herself, still didn't know what to make of what happened.

"And you kissed him back?"

She nodded meekly, "I started to…but I don't know what happened."

The Asian girl shook her head, "You know what I think about this whole situation?"

"What?"

"I think that the only reason you kissed him back is because you still have feelings for him, you're just to stubborn to admit it."

"Peggy!" she cried, smacking the girl over the head with a pillow. She knew Peggy was right; Peggy was always right.

"You know I'm right, Aussie."

"So, I'm the stubborn one? This coming from the girl who has the most pathetic crush on my brother, who, may I remind you, won't admit it either." She countered, and Peggy flushed. The two sighed in unison.

….

"You kissed my sister?!"

Tony groaned, ignoring Aiden's cry of disbelief, "Yes, man, I kissed your sister."

"Well, did she kiss back?" Red Dog asked, feeling only the tiniest tinge of jealousy. Okay, so maybe he had a little tiny crush on Aussie and maybe he would feel compelled to plan some grand, romantic gesture in order to get her before Tony had gotten a chance to take her back. He bit down on the side of his lower lip, anticipating Tony's answer.

"She started to, but she pulled away and said something about Blanca."

A breath of relief slipped from Red Dog's lips, as Tony paced about the front room of his house. Aiden was wearing a bit of a relieved expression himself, but, his little sister had just randomly been kissed. Even if it was by Tony, his first friend out of all the Dogtown skaters.

"Well, better she was kissed by you than some complete stranger."

"Whatever, man."