Disclaimer: Ioomoc

J.L.: I just got extremely bored of playing my games, so it's on to chapter 10.

Christmas Break at Valentine Residence: Claire

It's a few days before Christmas, and we're finally off school. I decided that I was going to spend the day with the Valentines as I woke up and sat up in bed. It took me only five minutes to get dressed and get Chris out of bed before heading over there. Dick informed me that Jill was still sleeping in. I crept up to her room and opened the door, seeing that she was asleep.

"Jill!" I shouted as she pounced upon her bed. She jolted up and scream, hitting me with her pillow.

"Damn it Claire!" Jill shouted as she fell off her bed. I got off her bed and held out my hand to help her up. She's been taking me and Chris out a lot lately since Steve moved away. I'm taking her out today in return.Chris stepped into the room and started chuckling at the sight of Jill tangled up in her bed covers on the floor, glaring at me with her hair in a mess. She threw her cover aside and whacked me again with her pillow before walking straight into her bathroom.

"Hurry up! We're hanging out all day today Jill." I shouted as I walked downstairs to grab some grub from the fridge.

Jill's room: Chris

As soon as Claire left, I opened the bathroom do to see Jill brushing her teeth. She looked at me from the mirror, spit the toothpaste out and washed her mouth of it.

"Hey there." I said as she looked back at me.

"Hey." Jill replied, turning towards me and leaning against her sink. Nothing much else has happened since I got better. I smiled and walked up, pinning her to the sink and breathing on her neck. She leaned her head against mine, smiling.

"Leon and Ada are meeting us at the mall, so with Ada and Claire trying to seduce Leon, we can have a couple of private moments." I suggested. Her smile widened. She looks so tame like this.

"That sounds good." She said and looked up at me, a couple of inches in height difference between us becoming much more noticeable. When did she get to be so small compared to me? I leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, but her hands snaked around my neck and held me there. What are you doing to me Jill? She broke it off quickly and motioned for me to leave, to keep suspicion from arising.

An hour later at the mall: Claire

Forced to wait on Leon and Ada to get here, Jill Chris and I got some food from the food court and munched down on it. I watched the two intently, hoping I'd catch some glimmer of hope that they'd be running down the aisle like I always had imagined. Unfortunately they were friends. Only friends and nothing but friends.

"So, whens the baby due?" I asked, watching Jill start to choke on her food. Chris cocked his eyebrow at me.

"What baby?" Chris asked, Jill spitting out her partially chewed up bagel. She glared at me.I'll get her to tell him she likes him one way or another. Leon and Ada walked up from behind them, Ada and Jill waving to each other and Leon keeping his hands in his tight pants pockets. Leon...the guy I was chasing after until Steve came along. He's got Ada as his girlfriend, but...

"Nothing, so, hey guys!" I waved, smiling. Ada cocked her perfectly trimmed eyebrow a bit and Leon just looked with unamused welcome.

"I'm suppose to bring our Fez today with me." Ada said and took her seat. I looked over her shoulder and saw a familiar looking freshman.

"Hey there Luis." Chris said, and the kid looked over and smiled at Chris.

"Hello Chris, Hey Jill." He said. I nodded at him when he smiled at me.

"So then, Let's get to shopping. Hot topic first?" I asked. Chris grunted in slight disgust.

"I'll go over there with you." Leon spoke.

"Ada promised she'd take me to Star bucks." Luis offered and Ada nodded. So we're splitting into groups? How am I to egg Jill into confessing to Chris if-

"I'm going to Guitar Center." Chris said and Jill went with him. Ada and Luis left right after leaving me with Leon.

"Not going with Ada?" I asked.

"She's switched us to friends with benefits, so I don't have to be stuck up her ass all the time." Leon explained. I stood up and walked with him to Hot topic.

Within Minutes, photo booth: Jill

Chris and I sat in the photo booth, smiling widely as we watched Leon and Claire walk past, not paying attention. I sat back and breathed out a sigh. Chris smirked widely as he placed a passionate kiss upon my lips, his tongue wrestling with my own as his hands clasped my face. My heart started raced, both from the adrenaline of getting caught and the fury in which our lips met. My god Chris... We pulled away and caught our breaths before I poked my head out of the booth and started towards Guitar Center. Chris followed close behind.

"Looking for another Les Paul?" I asked as we enter the store.

"Not really. I just want to see what all picks they have." He answered maintaining the two feet distance we agreed to keep between ourselves just in case.

"So when do I get to see a performance?" I asked, he smiled and shook his head.

"I play guitar as a stress reliever Jill, not to be a big rock star." He answered. The guy Rebecca had been dating for a while before deciding to break it off a couple of weeks ago walked up towards us.

"Hey there, whose the guitarist?" Billy asked. I smiled and pointed at Chris. We haven't seen much of Billy since Rebecca dumped him for Richard, but he's still a good guy.

"Nothing professional." Chris defended himself. Poor guy's still shy about it.

"So, you signed up with your recruiter yet or are you still horsing around on that?" Billy asked, his arms crossing his chest. I looked over at Chris, who was scratching the back of his head. Wait what? Chris hasn't signed up? I thought he'd want to be the first crew out as soon as he graduated. Is he having seco-no, he wouldn't. Chris has been wanting to be an Air Force pilot since we were kids.

"Not yet, still thinking it over throughly. Don't want to commit to something unless I'm absolutely sure about it, you know?" Chris said. Billy smiled and lightly punched Chris in the shoulder. This is new. What the hell is going on with you Chris? I kept my eyes on Chris.

"I bet you're starting to think about becoming a Marine." Billy jested. Chris smiled.

"Yeah, just so that I can show you up when it comes to who'll be the better marine!" Chris challenged. Billy chuckled and shook his head.

"Whatever man, I'll catch you guys around." He said, and waved to us as he walked off. I waved back but quickly turned my attention back to Chris.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Nothing Jill, don't worry, I'm just making sure it's what I really want." Chris answered, his hand coming up to my face to cup it. I brushed it aside and jerked my head toward the window of the store. Claire and Leon were a ways off but still within viewing distance of us.

"They won't notice, They're too busy trying to shove fries down their throats." Chris tried. I shook my head.

"No chances, please." I reasoned. He sighed and turned his back to me to examine the guitars on the wall.

"It's a pain when I can't kiss my girlfriend out in public, you know that?" He asked.

"Trust me, I know the feeling." I spoke and walked off.

Meanwhile, in the food court: Claire

"That's sick." Leon spouted when I shoved the remaining fries in my mouth and grinned at him. He then stuck the fry he had up his nose then popped it into his mouth before chewing it and sticking out his tongue with mashed fry covering it.

"No, that's sick, you win Leon." I said and push the cinnamon bun towards him as he grinned. Jill came striding up and plopped right down in an empty seat at our table. I looked at her, and she looked pissed.

"Why hasn't Chris signed up for the Air Force yet?" She asked hastily.

"He's finally starting to realize what a dead end career it is?" Leon offered. Jill perked her eye brow at him.

"Jill, Bathroom?" I asked. She sighed out and smiled.

"Sure, I'll hold your hand." She answered.

"Ooo. That's hot." Leon jested.

"No boys allowed." Jill said.

"Dyke." Leon spat.

"Consumer whore." Jill retorted and Leon sat back amused.

"Alright, you win." He admitted. With that Jill and I headed to the bathroom and I was relieved to find it empty. Jill leaned back against the wall, her arms crossed and watching me. I went up to the sink and washed my hands.

"Let me put it to you this way. Chris has got something on his mind. I'm not sure what but I'm sure if you worked at it, you could get it out. I have been noticing that he's been smiling a bit more lately, and been very unsure about going off to the Air Force." I spoke to her through the mirrors reflection. Jealousy crossed her face and she looked up with a sincere look of worry.

"Do you think he's found a girlfriend?" She asked. I bit my lip and thought. You know, that might be it. Who though? It couldn't be Jill. She wouldn't be upset about Chris thinking twice on the Air Force or worry about him having a girlfriend...I looked at her and worry was etched. Oh no...if he's got another girlfriend then Jill's just lost out. It's her own fault though. She didn't tell him how she felt but that was because she didn't want to ruin his plans for the Air force...so if he doesn't go into the Air Force then she'll probably be so torn. Nothing like a nice knife in the chest knowing the guy you didn't date because of his future is casting his future aside for another woman.

"Jill...I'll find out for you tonight." I promised her. She nodded.

"I'll tell him how I feel then if he's single." She promise and headed out of the restroom. I dried my hands off and leaned back against the sink. Here's your chance Chris. Girl of your dreams is just waiting on your word.

Meanwhile outside of EB games: Chris

Ada and Luis were heavily into making out with each other in the Arcade Zone, so I had ditched out of going there and headed for an actual video game store. My cell phone started buzzing as soon as I was about to step inside.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, Just had a talk with Claire. I think I may be able to blow her off us and open up a good excuse for you to go dating." Jill spoke. She's intelligent and cunning, but how much lying is going to be done?

"I'm listening." I spoke.

"Go out on a date with me?" She asked. I smiled widely.

"Sure." I answered.

"Okay, so, tonight while you're getting ready for your date, she'll ask you about it. Don't say my name, but go on like it's another girl. She thinks you've got another girlfriend. You won't exactly be lying and she'll be open for incorrect interpretation." She explained. I'm going on a date with Jill.

"Where should I meet this girlfriend of mine?" I asked. I heard her chuckle a bit. My heart was starting to race.

"William H.C. lake?" she asked.

"Sounds good." I answered and she hung up. I hung up and put my cell phone away, feeling better than I had in a long time. If this keeps up, I'm definitely not joining up in the Air Force. Now that I think of it, the lake is a good place. Quiet secluded place, in the middle of a state park where people only go there to fish or practice driving...how often has she been thinking about this? I walked away from Eb games.

J.L.: I'm going to set forth on the next chapter now, so no time to talk. Review, would you kindly?