Disclaimer: Okay, you caught me. I really am Diane Duane and instead of working on my next book I'm writing pointless fluffy fan fiction for no pay. Nothing gets past you.

Chapter 7: In Which Things Get Worse

You know how sometimes there are days when the world seems to be on your side? Days where there was so much that could have gone wrong but inexplicably everything turns out all right anyway?

Yeah, that's so not this kind of day.

On the contrary really. This has been the kind of day where you walk around thinking 'well, at least things can't really get any worst then they already are' and then somehow all the forces in the universe work together to make sure things do. Get worse I mean.

Yeah, that's the kind of day this has been.

Let's just recap shall we?

First I get assigned some punk slacker as my lab partner. Then said punk slacker goes on to spend the entire period hitting on me via notes instead of, oh I don't know, working. Said slacker then goes on to earn me a Saturday detention alone with him, Kit (A.K.A love of my life) and Mrs. Stuart.

Hold on, there's more. The love of my life goes on to reject my offer of a sleep over and thus denying me the profound privilege of seeing him clad in his pajamas. Then he goes on to pretty much call me a predictable goody two shoes and in a moment of weakness I agree to go out on a date with the before mentioned punk slacker, which bring me to my current situation.

Which is in a lousy pizza place across from the two most popular girls in school on a date with some guy whom I had just met today and to top it all off the love of my life just walked in the door.

(A/N-you have no idea how badly I wanted to end the chapter here.)

I was just spying on Joanne and Tasha over the top of my menu when the little bell stationed over the door clanged cheerfully over the head of the latest costumer. Who just happened to be Kit followed by Carmela (because god hates me, that's why).

Kit's eyes found me immediately (he once told me, during a game of truth, that he could sense whenever I was in a room) and we locked eyes for a moment neither of us waving or speaking via mind touch.

Carmela, however was a bit slower, reading the enlarged menu behind the service counter until she noticed kit wasn't paying attention to whatever it was she was saying. 'Mela's eyes followed where Kit was looking and when she caught sight of us she gave an excited shriek and grabbed Kit's hand, dragging him with her over to our table.

"Nita!" she squealed, causing some of the nearby tables to crane their necks to stare at us including Joanne and Tasha. "How's your date going?" she asked in a rather carrying whisper making James smirk, Kit look apologetic and me blush to the roots of my hair.

"It's going fine, Mela." I didn't bother whispering. I then went on to make all the necessary introductions "James you remember Kit (Here James gave Kit some sort of backwards nod which Kit reciprocated. Guy's are weird, I won't try to explain them.) and this is Kit's older sister, and another one of my friends, Carmela. Guy's, this is James."

Carmela gave an excited little wave and a 'hi' which James returned (although he might have been mocking her with the wave). Kit, however, had stopped looking apologetic and was now scowling unabashedly at James, who would sporadically shoot wary looks between Kit and I. Hmm, maybe Kit thought James was mocking Mela's wave as well.

"What are you guy's doing here?" I asked.

"Mom burnt dinner again," Mela answered "we've been sent to collect something edible to eat."

The waitress choose this moment to arrive with our pizza. She set down the hot pan and paused for a moment, giving us a second to ask for anything else, before shuffling away again.

Kit looked from the pizza back to me again.

"You hate pepperoni." he accused..

"I don't hate pepperoni" I defended (or lied, either one) "I just prefer other toppings more so you don't see me eat it much."

"Bull," he snarled "you hate pepperoni. You call it mystery meat."

I had no idea why he was getting so angry over something as small as a pizza topping, but I didn't want James to know that I hated the topping he picked.

"I do not," I said indigently.

"You do to."

"I do not."

" Do to."

"Do not."

"Do to."

"Do not."

"Do to."

"Do not."

By this point in our childish banter most of the restaurant was staring at us, including the wait staff. James was looking confused, Mela was looking knowing and Joanne was looking down right giddy ( she was no doubt already setting up plans in her head to spread the news of this little freak out all over school).

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this," I snapped "it's just pepperoni. It's not the end of the fucking world."

"No reason," he answered, "I just don't know why you would pretend to like something you so obviously don't." he said with a meaningful look towards James.

And with that he was gone, stalking through the throng of people and out the door. Mela said her goodbyes and followed after him leaving me and James alone with a crowd of onlookers, a pepperoni pizza, and one hell of a thick tension hanging in the air between us.

Gradually the other people in the restaurant went back to their business. I picked up my water glass and downed what was left in it in one go before turning back to James, feeling the sudden need to apologize for what had just happened.

"I'm sorry about that, James." I said, "I don't know what's wrong with him but he's been acting odd all day."

He looked doubtful but he nodded anyway and reached over to serve himself a slice of pizza. I picked one out for myself after him and purposely ate every bit of pepperoni on it, fighting off my gag reflex the entire time.

We ate in silence for the rest of the time. I didn't have any seconds and James polished off the rest of it himself. He paid the check and pulled my chair out for me again when we made to leave.

I could feel Joanne's eyes on my back all the way to the door (which he held open for me again). When we got outside the temperature had dropped a good fifteen degrees at least and I was now freezing. I shivered and rubbed my hands over my arms rapidly to warm them.

"Are you cold?" James asked.

Before I could answer that no, I'm not cold at all that I just shiver sometimes for no reason, he had taken off his jacket and was holding it out to me.

This is when it hit me that he had been polite for our entire date. He was actually trying. When I realized this I felt guilty and I wanted to tell him not to bother. I wanted to tell him that he really didn't stand a chance. I wanted to tell him that, despite my best efforts not to be, I was still madly in love with my idiot of a best friend. I wanted to tell him sorry, but it would never work between us.

There was so much that I wanted to tell him but I couldn't very well tell him any of that so I just took the jacket and said nothing.

A/N- Here is where I would usually add some sort of catchy remark to try and compel you to review but I just don't have it in me at the moment. I've used up all my creativity on the story and I have none left (sob). So just review, alright?

A/N- the next chapter will probably be of Saturday detention and will most likely be posted over the weekend. Sorry for the wait.