A/N: I know, I know, I said Friday, and it's Saturday. I'm a horrible person, I should have updated sooner, etc, etc. I've got legitimate reasons, and I shall explain them in the Author's Note below. Now, on to the story!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kickin' It.

Laughing and fully recovered from the potentially friendship-ruining moment with Jack, Kim flopped down next to Milton and Eddie, who both looked so sure of themselves.

"What's up?" She asked, slightly out of breath. Jack ran up behind her, his cheeks bearing a trace of a blush.

Jerry responded, "Well, Milton and Eddie just made a bet on whether or not you-"

"Would get mad that Jerry's already eaten all the candy!" Milton interrupted in a squeaky voice while Eddie clamped a hand over Jerry's mouth. Honestly, when would that boy learn to think before he speaks?

Kim gave the three a perplexed look before she continued, "Okay... Well. I'm not mad, Jerry."

"Aww, shucks," Milton over enthused and looks at Eddie, "Looks like I owe you a hot dog, c'mon, let's go get that right this very second." Soon, Kim and Jack were left with an awkward silence and a confused Jerry.

"Sooo..." Kim drew out, "That was interesting."

"I agree, Kimmy." Jack said.

"Don't call me that!" Kim giggled while giving Jack a friendly punch. When Jack rubbed his shoulder in mock pain, Kim stuck her tongue out and Jack laughed with her. Jerry raised his eyebrows before going back to being DJ. Maybe Eddie would win the bet after all...

"So, DJ Swagalicious, you gonna play some music or what?" Kim asked, breaking a staring contest Jack was trying to initiate.

"Yeah, I got a pretty slammin' playlist going up, I just need to add a little more tunage before I really get this party crackin, ya feel me?"

Kim raised her eyebrows, a little perplexed. "Sure?" She said, more a question than a response.

"Swag." Jerry nodded.

Kim nodded, humor dancing in her eyes, "Alright then... I'm gonna go find a bathroom."

As the blonde's figure retreated, Jerry looked at Jack, then at Eddie and Milton conspiring at the hot dog cart, then back at Jack. No one was around to stop the Love Doctor from making a house call...

"So Jack," Jerry began nonchalantly, "You and Kim were getting pretty cozy earlier."

Spluttering, Jack responded, "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Don't lie to me, Jack, I saw the way you two were looking into each other's eyes! I'm surprised you didn't go in for the kill then and there, if you know what I mean." Jerry winked at Jack. By the rapidly spreading blush on Jack's cheeks, Jerry knew he was on the right path, but before he could prod any further, Milton and Eddie returned with the hot dog supposedly "won" in a bet.

"Oh no! Jack!" Milton cried, "I don't think you got enough sunscreen! You're face is bright red!" Fishing around for a second, the gangly teen drew a massive bottle of SPF, grabbing Jack's hand and placing a large amount on his fingers to cover up the 'sunburn' on Jack's cheeks.

Jerry snickered at Jack, who was still blushing furiously.

"Jerry!" Milton reprimanded, "Skin cancer is not funny!"

The latino had the grace to look chastised "Sorry, Milton..."

Eddie and Jack laughed at Jerry, who was sulking like a child who'd been caught coloring on the walls. Kim showed up and took in the scene, a brooding Jerry, giggling Jack and Eddie and a self righteous Milton, applying sunscreen liberally. Again.

Kim smiled at her friends and sat down next to Jack, inhaling and exhaling deeply as she simply enjoyed the presence of her friends. Jack smiled at Kim, who caught his eye and smiled back. Milton rolled his eyes at the obvious attraction while Jerry and Eddie shared a these-two-better-confess-their-feelings-or-we'll-do-it-for-them look.

Looking at her friends, Kim asked, "So, what do you guys want to do for the rest of the day?"

"I was going to work on my tan before hittin' up some of the sweet, beach-lovin' honeys." Eddie said, eyeing some girl down the beach who would (most likely) reject the poor young teen. It didn't help that he usually went for women almost double his age.

Milton rolled his eyes at Eddie's attempts at being a 'playah' and said, "I'm going to document the different types of sea creatures in the tide pools for my biology club. If I collect enough, I'll earn the 'See What I Sea' badge!"

"That's cool, Milton," Jack said without a trace of sarcasm, "I'm sure that'll impress Julie. Amiright, Kim?" He winked at Kim who gave a knowing look to Milton.

"Uh-huh, it sure will!" She said as Milton blushed, not responding as he gathered his notebook and pencil as he headed off to check the pools.

"What about you, Jerry?" Kim asked.

"I'm gonna work on my tan, yo. The girls like a nice, tan Jerry." He shrugged.

"Just make sure to wear sunscreen," Eddie warned.

"Mm, you know, that sounds good. I think I'll just lay out and read my book." Kim said, reaching into her bag to grab her sunscreen and book. "Can you pass me a soda?" Kim asked Eddie. She applied the sunscreen for what felt like the millionth time that day, coating her arms, legs and stomach before reaching for her shoulders and back. Kim felt satisfied with her job and laid out on her stomach clutching the cold drink in one hand and opening her book with the other.

She suddenly felt a warm hand rub circles on a section of her back. "You missed a spot." Jack stated simply, not noticing how he left Kim with tingles running up and down her spine as she tried to focus on her book.

"Thanks." She said absent-mindedly, training her eyes on the text.

"No problem," Jack said.

A minute or so later, Jack was laid out next to her, one arm behind his head, his toned chest inhaling and exhaling evenly under the warm sun. "Whatchya reading?" Jack asked, turning his head towards Kim.

"Looking For Alaska." Kim replied, emerging from her book. "It's good."

A couple seconds went by with Jerry's music and the sounds of seagulls filling the void between the two until Jack disturbed the blond again, "What's it about?" He asked.

"It's about this guy who- You know what? I'll let you read it. I've already read it and I brought another book with me anyways." She handed him the paperback volume.

Jack rolled his eyes, "This better not be one of your girly romance books." He smirked, recalling a time where he had been dragged to a film adaptation of one of the aforementioned books. He thought it was really bad, the story line was really unbelievable and the main characters were really annoying and he hated watching i- Okay, so he cried at the end when the guy and the girl finally got together, so sue him. Kim didn't ever need to know about that.

"Dude you totally cried when Jeff confessed his love to Annie. I could hear you sniffling and your eyes were red afterwards." Kim said, thumbing through another well-worn tome.

Jack spluttered as Eddie and Jerry laughed at the poor brunet. Kim grinned at Jack, who had taken to glaring at Kim but couldn't help it when the corners of his mouth turned up, cracking the mask of anger he tried to put on. Her eyes lit up as she laughed and he joined in, her happiness infectious. As their giggles subsided, they settled into their books, the sun warming them as they were lost to the world.

A/N: Okay, so, why I was unable to update: We had our band banquet last night and I had to help set it up right after school, so I couldn't upload it then, and I ended up spending time with some of the seniors that are graduating in a couple days. Don't kill me! They're my really good friends and they're going off to college soon, so I want to spend as much time as I can with them before they leave. So yeah, that's why I'm late in updating.

Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! It's a little on the shorter side, but what can you do? I'll put the next chapter up sometime next week, but I have finals soon, so I'll be pretty busy.

Again, I hope you liked this chapter! If you didn't, let me know what I can do to improve in a review!

Best wishes,

x Em