It's been a while - I know, I know, but in my defense things have been weird - lots of drama and lots of books

Wintergirls, Catherine Hardwicke's Biography of On Twilight, Fruit Baskets No. 17, Night World Vol. 3, and Crank to be specific

and ex boyfriends cheating on long lasting best friends dating new friends

Amanda is working on a Saturday. Every day she has to work is unjust to her. Especially on days when Jessi and Kyle are snuggling it up in their table behind the glass walls. They sit opposite each other with their drinks in hand. Kyle sets his drink down and Jessi reaches for his hand with her free one. Amanda's gut and heart get tangled together, she feels like she is going to puke but instead carries on like a good girl.

"What are they talking about?" Amanda muses out loud and then her customer looks at her weirdly. The customer is a few inches taller than Kyle with long black hair and a tan that you have to be born with. His name is Ari.

"Uh," he smiles that cute, handsome smile of his. "I'll have something with blueberries in it," he tells Amanda and she nods and turns back to work and thinking about Jessi and Kyle. She hands Ari his smoothie and Ari notices Jessi and Kyle too. He makes his way over there and stands beside their table.

"Jessi!" Ari exclaims when he sees Jessi. "How you been doing?"

"Good," Jessi says. Ari cant feel the tension in the air, but Jessi and Kyle can. "You?"

"Bored, but you know the story," and Jessi does know the story. He told her during the lock down. Ari and Jessi have become good friends during the last few days, seeing as how Ari seems to be the only cultivated peer in her class, beside herself, anyway.

"Yeah," Jessi smiled.

"Yeah, so later I could use some company, are willing to volunteer?"

"Anytime," Jessi promised. With a smile Ari calculated his chances of getting alone with her.

"So, now a good time? I have my Vespa outside, if you want to see it," he offered.

"Sure," Jessi looked at Kyle with a good bye glance. She wasn't trying to make him jealous, but Ari was and it was working. Declan noticed this whole incident and walks over to Kyle's table. He sits in Jessi's seat and looks at Kyle with wild, wide eyes.

"Woah, buddy buddy," he exclaims with passion. "What was that?"

"Jessi and Ari," Kyle says in his cute, jealous way. "What a –"

"Dick," Declan ended it for him. He had a serious look in his eyes. "Kyle, that guy just made play on your girl."

"Play?"

"Yeah, and she went with him. That doesn't bother you in the slightest?" And then Declan saw that it did. "Oh Kyle, okay first rule in relationships – never let another guy take your game. If he wins, you lose."

"Like in basketball?"

"Exactly like in basketball, look to the rest of the world, to Amanda and everyone, they think you are either single or rebounding. He doesn't know that and so… You should watch out if you want to keep Jessi," as Declan said this Kyle was looking out the window to see Jessi and Ari talking over the motorcycle in front of the store. In the pit of his stomach fumes started to rise. He wanted to kill Ari.

Amanda was still staring at Kyle. She was looking back at Jessi and the new guy and thought that she might still have a chance. Hillary was just coming in and went over to Amanda and started talking.

"Hey girly," Hillary said with much chipperness in her blonde voice.

"Hi Hillary," Amanda responds when she sees Hillary but it sounds like a question. Hillary looks to where Amanda is staring. At Jessi and Ari.

"Hmm, cutie," Hillary comments. "Actually, he's kind of hot. I can see why she digs him," she says and then looks at Amanda's hopeful expression. "What are you thinking?" Hillary intrigues with a smile.

"Nothing, its just… if Jessi finds a new fascination besides Kyle we can get back together. Kyle can be mine again," she thinks to herself softly.

"Oh Mandy, you need a guy yourself. You cant keep pining for Kyle – he's moved on, to a new girl and now you need to also." She points out.

"What do you mean, he's moved on?" Amanda asks, now completely uninterested in even looking like she is working.

"Well he has Jessi now, and they're supposedly soul mates and what not," Hillary says but then she takes in Amanda's sad and sullen look. "Oh, you didn't know," it wasn't a question but an observation in itself. "Okay, well, then tonight we rebound. You need a smile on that cute face of yours," Hillary tries to persuade.

"No, no, I am okay," Amanda lies.

"Oh, I'm sorry Amanda, I had a blonde moment," Amanda retains herself from saying that she's lived a life full of blonde moments. Amanda continues to work and waves goodbye when Kyle leaves. Kyle waves back out of politeness. He wonders to himself if this was how she felt before. Right now Kyle feels like wringing Ari's neck and… he didn't know if he just wanted to lock Jessi in his room so he could keep her to himself without this jealousy issue or just taking her in his arms and kissing her right then and there to put Ari in his place. But no, he wouldn't, because he was the good guy, the nice guy, and the boyfriend that didn't get jealous or possessive.

Jessi looks confused as she sees Kyle and Declan walking out.

"Where you two going?" Jessi asks with her girlfriend concern.

"Just to the gym to play some ball," Declan informs her so Kyle doesn't blow a fuse.

"Oh, maybe we should play sometime," Ari says.

"What do you play?"

"Point guard," Ari informs them and then Kyle stalks away. Declan follows his lead. "What's up his ass?"

"Whose?" Jessi asks as she plays confused. She can tell something is wrong with Kyle but doesn't know why.

"Kyle, he seems… jealous."

"Kyle doesn't get jealous," Jessi fought.

"Are you sure, I mean, you are someone to envy," Ari argued. He pinned Jessi against his bike so she couldn't get out. His lips were only inches from hers.

"Ari…" Jessi began. Ari tried to kiss her but Jessi pushed him away. "Don't, I'm Kyle's girlfriend, not yours," she tells him and then stalks off herself. Jessi goes into The Rack again to get her own drink. Amanda eyes Jessi and gives her a look. Jessi is pretty pissed and easy to tick off. Amanda tsks under her breath and then Jessi snaps.

"What?" She asks of Amanda.

"You'll actually cheat on Kyle with that loser," Amanda proclaims. "Kyle deserves better," she tells her.

"I wasn't cheating on Kyle and who does he deserve? You?" Jessi fires off. She walks closer to Amanda. "You lost when you left him, I didn't steal him."

"The only reason we broke up was because of you!"

"No, it was because you couldn't trust Kyle. I can trust him and he trusts me. I'm sorry if this hurts you Amanda, but back the hell off. Your opinion isnt wanted in this circumstance."

"Circumstance, do you even have any valid feelings for Kyle?" Amanda counter argues. Jessi doesn't say anything at first. For the first time Amanda sees, Jessi is showing emotion with her eyes.

"How can I not?" Jessi says and then turns her tough face on. "You knew this answer for a while, so why don't you back off. This isnt a three way relationship – so get the hell out of not just mine, but Kyle's life. He doesn't need anymore ditzy blondes in his life," she left out the comment, he already has Hillary. Jessi leaves Amanda there as she suffers the embarrassment in front of the whole store.

Ari found Declan and Kyle at the gym making shots and decided to join them. Declan went to go ask a few other guys to play a game. Leaving Kyle and Ari together. Alone.

"So you're dating Jessi, huh?" Ari asks Kyle in the awkwardness. "Funny, she never told me before."

"Oh really," Kyle mused and bounced the ball hard on the ground.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool and pretty hot," Ari thought. Forgetting for a moment the look Kyle gave him when he was flirting with Jessi before. Kyle has control of himself, and he sees Ari more of an annoyance than an actual threat. He found it weird that he was even using the word threat, Ari, and Jessi in the same thought. It was agonizing seeing this cocky guy talking about his Jessi.

"She's not just cool – she's incredible, and she's not just hot either, she's beautiful," Kyle counters. "Don't say anything like that again – or I'll hurt you more than I can right now," Kyle tells him in his non threatening voice.

"Right now?" Ari asks with a confused voice. Kyle throws the basketball at Ari's balls and hits him hard. Ari doesn't play well in the game that day.