Aftermath.
"You guys were the ones who crashed Brad Pittman's party?"
"Phil kissed Monet Mulford? Our friend Phillip De Ville and the Monet Mulford!"
Still gathered together in Tommy's bedroom, Tommy and Dil had had a lot to absorb in the last half-hour: from army-style gatecrashing, to Chuckie and Angelica kissing, and – to Dil's persistent and unquenchable shock – Phil and Monet Mulford kissing. They had no idea Chuckie's story of how he and Angelica came together was going to be so … complex!
"Phil and Monet Mulford?" Dil repeated again, getting on Chuckie's last nerve.
"YES! And I wouldn't call what they were doing kissing. More like sucking eachother's faces off … "
Tommy laughed. Dil was only further impressed.
"Phillip De Ville is my new hero. I worship Phil!"
"What about Buddha?"
"Buddha too."
"Wow, Dil," said Tommy, amused. "I didn't know you had it so hard for Monet Mulford."
"Oh Thomas, please!" said Dil, in a tone that suggested his older brother was being perfectly ridiculous. "I am but one of many males at our school who feels this way. Monet Mulford is la crème de la crème. The height of the girl food chain! And to think," he shed a fake tear, "one of our own, Phillip De Ville, crossed the line everyone else feared to tread. I'm so proud!"
Tommy rolled his eyes. "Monet's hot, but I don't know." He shrugged. "She doesn't do it for me."
"Spoken like a man who has been truly whipped by his girlfriend," Dil sniggered. "So come on, Chuckie! What happened next?"
"Sunday morning, eleven-thirty. I sat up in bed – a zombie. Had Saturday night been some crazy dream? It was one huge blur … "
Chuckie sleep-walked to the kitchen in a t-shirt and pyjama bottoms, where his family were eating a late breakfast around the table. Kimi was there, back from Phil and Lil's place. Chazz and Kira were very 'up'. Positively radiant.
"Chuck!" Chazz welcomed his son. "Have a seat. We saved you some bacon and eggs in case you woke up."
Chuckie sat across from Kimi, who smirked at him. "Mom and Dad went to a club last night. Can you believe it?"
"What?" said Chuckie, bemused.
"We danced the whole night!" said Kira happily, making lovey-dovey eyes with her husband. "And we didn't get home until about five o'clock this morning."
"I've never felt so young!" added Chazz.
"It's beyond the normal humane levels of humiliation!" said Kimi, buttering her toast with load scrapes. "I mean, we're not even old enough to go to clubs yet." She indicated to herself and Chuckie. "Our parents hitting the scene before we do? It's like you guys are embarrassing us in advance!"
"Kimi sweetie, stop being dramatic," said Kira. "More orange juice?"
"Sure, why not," said Kimi, handing over her glass. "So what did you and Phil do last night, Chuck?"
The question caused Chuckie to retch on a bit of egg – but only slightly. No cause for alarm! He swallowed it down with some of the orange juice Kira had served him.
"I would've asked Phil himself," Kimi went on, "but he was asleep when me and Lil woke up earlier. Knowing how he likes to sleep-in, he probably won't surface back to life 'til about five o'clock this afternoon."
"We, er – " Chuckie cleared his throat. "We went to arcade most of the time. Nothing eventful … "
Nothing eventful. Not unless you counted the fact Chuckie had stolen his dad's car, ambushed Brad Pittman's party and kissed Angelica! I kissed Angelica. Oh god, I kissed Angelica! She kissed me!
"Chuck? You okay?"
Kimi and his parents were staring at him, concerned. Chuckie figured he must've looked like he was about to be sick. It wasn't completely out of the question …
"I'm fine!" he said breathlessly, stomach gurgling. "I'm gonna go back to my room for a while. I'm still tired. "
With that, Chuckie gulped the remains of the orange juice and scurried back to his room out of sight. Once there, he crash-landed onto his bed. He should really eat something, he thought vaguely. He would, if only his stomach didn't feel like a tight little ball of post-Saturday night nerves. Thank goodness his mom and dad had chosen last night to discover clubbing. For all they knew, he and Phil had been at the arcade 'til all hours …
He was growing more and more nauseous. Last night, the moment just after Angelica kissed him goodbye in front of her house, he wondered if it was seriously goodbye. Like 'goodbye-goodbye'. His tummy gurgled again, noisily, and he groaned.
Maybe it's for the best we don't see eachother? he thought, not really meaning it. It's too much drama being in love with Angelica Pickles!
'DING DONG!' went the doorbell.
"That's not her," Chuckie said to himself, but then he heard the muffled sound of what was indisputably the distant voice of Angelica Pickles. So much for the 'goodbye-goodbye' theory … unless she'd come over to seal the deal? To make sure the message had sunk in?
Chuckie didn't have much time before Angelica would reach his bedroom door. He quickly got up off the bed, surveying his reflection in the mirror above his dresser. To say he had 'bed hair' was an understatement.
Excellent. My head looks like a flayed carrot top! No time to worry about that now I guess …
'Knock knock' at the door. "Chuckie," said Kimi from the other side. "Angelica's here to see you. Can she come in?"
"Yeah, send her in," said Chuckie, keeping his voice as level and as cool as possible.
Angelica entered Chuckie's bedroom, shutting the door behind her. No make-up, hair in a ponytail, aqua trackpants and a yellow t-shirt. Chuckie much preferred 'casual' Angelica. She was more beautiful this way …
Why don't stomachs come with volume control! Chuckie thought feebly, trying to conceal the incessant gurgling with his hand. Luckily Angelica's attention had gone to his hair.
"There's a raging bonfire on your head. Did you know?"
"Is that what you came to tell me?"
Angelica furrowed her brow. "What's with the attitude?"
"Nothing," said Chuckie apologetically, shaking his head. "Nothing, it's just ... I wasn't expecting to see you today. I kind of imagined that if you did come over, it'd be to tell me that what happened between us last night was a big, regrettable mistake."
A nervous laugh followed the end of this sentence … as did an uncomfortable pause. Chuckie had hoped Angelica would've laughed along with him, but she did not. She looked worried – so then he worried.
"Ah, Angelica?" Chuckie prompted, a bite to his tone. "This would be the part where you assure me I'm being an idiot and that of course you didn't come over to tell me that. Right?"
And still she looked worried. Thinking his fears had been answered, Chuckie was about to yell at her when she suddenly cried in anguish, "Oh, Chuckie! Isn't this awful?"
"What? You mean my hair or the whole situation?"
"Everything! I mean, we were romantic last night. Romantic, us! And we kissed!"
Again: why don't stomachs come with volume control!
"Didn't you wake up this morning feeling like you wanted to vomit?" Angelica asked him.
"Hey!" Chuckie retaliated. "I hope you're talking about Brad and not about kissing me!"
"Oh, be real Finster. Iceland could hear the sounds being emitted from your stomach right now! Admit it, it made you feel sick too."
"That's just …'cause the whole thing's a shock! It's not our normal mode of behaviour."
"No, it's really not."
Angelica sat on Chuckie's bed, Chuckie then sitting beside her.
"I won't lie to you, Chuckie," said Angelica. "A large part of me believed what went down between us last night was a mistake, and that I should end it."
Chuckie's jaw clenched. Fortunately Angelica kept talking …
"But a bigger part of me can't forget everything you've done. When I think about you saving my bracelet, and what almost happened with me and Brad … all the icky romantic feelings set in again."
"So," Chuckie began tentatively, "are you saying the idea of us is too icky, or it's … icky and okay?"
Angelica smiled at him, and nudged him playfully with her elbow. "Icky and okay."
"Oh!" Chuckie sighed. "Oh, well that's good then. That's good … "
"It's a big adjustment. Seeing you in a new light, and all. As opposed to seeing you as my one of my girlfriends?"
Chuckie laughed. "Yeah, right. I remember that line."
They faced eachother. Even though Chuckie wouldn't have minded to kiss her again, he was worried he might barf all over her like Stan from South Park. Plus he hadn't brushed his teeth since yesterday. Angelica seemed to read his thoughts, and leaned in for a hug instead.
Enter Kimi …
"Chuck, mom wants to know if you and Angelica want some banana smoothie – WO!"
"KIMI!"
In the next instant, Chuckie had his sister by the upper arm and was ushering her out of the room.
"'Knocking', Kimi? As in 'to knock'? HOW many times do I have to tell you not walk into my room like that unannounced!"
"You and Angelica were hugging!" Kimi exclaimed in amazement.
"Yes, I know but – "
"Is she drugged?"
"Nobody's drugged anybody!" said Chuckie, raising his voice.
"Well s-orry! What crawled up your behind and camped for the night?"
"Just go! I need to talk to Angelica in private."
"Didn't look like there was much talking going on from where I was standing … "
"GO!"
Kimi left, amused but bewildered. The thought that perhaps her brother and Angelica Pickles had fallen for eachother was – at this stage – too insane an idea to comprehend.
Chuckie returned to Angelica, who was up standing with her arms crossed.
"Do you think she suspects anything?"
"Nah," said Chuckie, waving it off. "If we can hardly believe what we're doing, there's not much hope for everyone else."
"That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about, Chuckie. The 'everyone else' knowing thing? Do you think we could keep it, you know, a secret? For this week at least?"
"Still ashamed to be seen with me, huh?" said Chuckie, half-joking.
"I'm going to tell Savannah and the others eventually. I promise. But don't you think it'd be better this way? Keeping it hidden? We can adjust to it first and then everyone else can catch up."
Even Chuckie had to admit the prospect of telling his family and the gang that Angelica was his new girlfriend was a bit daunting. Not to mention the whole school. Angelica's my girlfriend he thought in disbelief. Wonderful, elated, stomach wrenching disbelief.
"I'll see you Monday?" she said before leaving. Chuckie nodded to her, the words Angelica's my girlfriend still dancing merrily in his mind. She kissed him quickly on the mouth, dizzying him, and left.
Chuckie spent much of the remainder of the day catching up on sleep. He also managed to squeeze in a phone call to Phil later that afternoon.
"So, are you guys on or what?" Phil questioned him.
"We're … on," said Chuckie, smiling as he said it. Phil whooped from the other line.
"Glad to hear it, buddy! After everything you went through for that girl."
"But you can't tell anyone, Phil!" Chuckie added hastily. "We're keeping it a secret for a week."
"Oooo, forbidden lurve," cooed Phil. "I like it, it's poetic. I'm in! Nobody will hear a word from me, Spidermonkey. So was last night fun or was last night fun? I think we should gatecrash professionally! Start a business ... "
"I'm still recovering, thanks very much," said Chuckie jadedly. "How are you doing? Still high from kissing Monet Mulford?"
"Like you need to ask! It's my new happy place. I'm prancing and singing around the house like a complete loser! Lil thinks I'm auditioning for a Disney film."
Chuckie laughed. "So you opted not tell anyone about it?"
"As if anyone would believe me if I did. No, I'm afraid it'll have to remain my dirty little secret! It'll entertain me through Math, at least."
As the night drew near, and Sunday was almost over with, Chuckie was still packing some nerves. Did Angelica really mean what she said? Was she really going to give him a shot? Thanks to years of tormenting and teasing on her part, Chuckie was always expecting Angelica to pull a fast one on him. To suddenly change her tune …
"Guess there's no turning back now," he said to himself, while lying in bed.
Until Monday.