A/N: Whelp. I know, I know, it's been like...6 months...since I last posted...? This was meant to come out for Christmas. But~ guess what, it's super long (like currently 17 pages long and still going) and even though I wrote a lot while I was on Christmas Break, I got stuck at one part. HOWEVER COMMA my friend gave me the brilliant suggestion that I split it into two parts (which I was thinking of doing anyway) and then just upload the first part. Which I wish she'd suggested 3 months ago because this first half has been done for like ages. Art school is still killing me though, so I'm working on these chapters in the negative amount of spare time I have. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the ideas that belong to the H2O: Just Add Water franchise that are not my own.

CHAPTER 13| MERRY FISH-MAS, PT. 1

"You're sure you want to go out so soon?"

"I'm fine, Arak." Daquiri leaned on her hand propped up against the car door as she looked over at her brother. "It's been a few days. I'm not that fragile."

Arak hesitated slightly, even as he turned onto the road Suzi had said she lived on. "What about your face? It's still not fully healed."

Daquiri rolled her eyes. "They all saw the bruise days ago, and I already explained it away. Honestly, Arak, you're making a big deal out of nothing."

Arak stayed silent for a few moments. "What did you tell them?"

"That my dad beat the shit out of me."

The look Arak gave her was heavily unamused.

She snickered quietly to herself, her gaze flicking to the window. The houses were becoming more spaced out now, with more stories and larger yards. Her brother apparently decided not to push for the real answer any further, and went back to being quiet. If the atmosphere of the car was anything to go by, he hadn't been amused by her unabashed quip. But then, he'd never understood her morbid sense of humor that had tended to pop up through the years.

It was a few minutes before he spoke up again.

"So who's this girl's house you're going to again?"

"Suzi Vargas," she answered shortly.

Arak glanced at her. "And what's she like?"

"Frustrating."

Arak looked at her again, his brows furrowed this time. "And she's...a friend?"

"Relatively."

Arak gave a snort. "Sounds like you two are real close."

"She's more of a friend of a friend," Daquiri clarified, almost idly, as she pressed her cheek up against the passenger window in an attempt to see further down the road. The window was broken and wouldn't roll down, so it was the best she could do. "I think it should be coming up soon."

"What does it look like?" her brother asked as he slowed the car down a bit. The road they were on had become rather seclusive; the last house they'd seen had been at least a mile or so back.

"How should I know, I've never been to it," she retorted. She frowned. "Are you sure we haven't passed it by now? I haven't seen any houses."

"Based on the directions I looked up, it definitely hasn't come up yet." Arak briefly looked down to the map he had printed out. "I think it'll be up here on the left."

Daquiri stayed on the lookout for another house to come up. The next closest thing she saw to something vaguely residential was an open iron gate that...looked like it led up a driveway at least. She frowned a bit. "Do you think that could be it?"

Arak slowed the car to barely moving and checked the directions. "Yeah, I think it actually is." He glanced up again. "Yeah, that's the house number," he confirmed, referring to the gold-plate letters descending down one of the stone posts of the gate. "Fancy," he commented as he turned into the open gate.

"Extra," Daquiri muttered.

She was speechless, however, as Arak pulled up the Vargases' driveway. If it could even really be called a driveway—it was more like a private road. There were several cars up at the house, and Daquiri recognized one of them as Christopher's, but the rest must have belonged to Suzi's family. They were all shiny and expensive-looking and none had even a speck of dirt, unlike the old Buick Arak and Daquiri were trundling up in. Arak stopped the car behind Christopher's.

They both silently stared up at the huge Spanish style villa.

"Nice. Friends," Arak said slowly, his tone bordering on a snicker.

"I didn't know she was this...well off," she muttered uncomfortably as she gathered up her bag and opened the passenger door.

"I see why you find her so frustrating," Arak commented, a grin starting to sound in his voice.

Daquiri rolled her eyes as she got out of the car. "Shut up, Arak."

"Wait!" Arak leaned towards her from his own seat. "Make sure to steal some of her silverware!"

"Go home." She slammed the door in his face, successfully silencing her brother as he began to crack up. Annoyed, she stalked the rest of the way up to the much-larger-than-necessary front door, which was up a wide stone staircase and under a looming arch of a front entrance. The porch curled all the way around the side of the house in a verandah, dotted with plants, sculptures, swinging benches and other places to sit. It felt like she was at a hotel.

She didn't look back at her brother more out of stubbornness than anything, but she gave a slow swallow as she looked up at the door looming in front of her. She rang the doorbell.

A middle-aged Hispanic woman with greying hair and a kind face opened the door. "Hello," she greeted, her voice lilted with a slight accent. "Are you one of Suzanna's friends?"

Trying not to look taken off guard at the use of Suzi's full name, Daquiri gave a hesitant nod. "Are you...Suzi's mom?"

The woman gave a small laugh, her dark eyes crinkling as she shook her head with a smile. "No, miss, I'm the Vargases' housekeeper, Gina. Please, come in." Gina stepped aside and held the door open wider for Daquiri. "Suzanna and her friends are—"

"GINA! Is that Ri?"

Both Gina and Daquiri seemed to instinctively grimace at the loud yell. The woman saved hers with an amused smile, though. "They're in the living room," she clarified. "Can I get you anything to eat or drink, miss?"

"You can just call me Daquiri," Daquiri said, feeling uncomfortable. "And that's okay. Thank you."

Gina smiled like she knew something Daquiri didn't. "Alright, well let me know if you change your mind, Daquiri."

Daquiri followed the woman to the living room, which was just off the foyer. Her entire house probably could've fit into both of those rooms alone.

In fact, her entire house was probably worth less than a single couch in this living room alone.

She stood at the entrance to the room, feeling like she shouldn't be touching anything despite the fact that Gypsy, Sue and Christopher were all splayed out around it.

Gypsy lifted her head up from making what looked like the cootie catchers kids used to make in grade school. "Ri-Marie!" Dropping everything, her friend bounced up from the floor.

Daquiri should've been more prepared for Gypsy's usual greeting of tackle-hugging.

"Ah—mmh." She had to muffle her own groan at having the still-healing welts and bruises on her back tightly squeezed, forcing her almost-grimace into a smile. "Hey, Gyp."

"'Sup, Ri."

Daquiri glanced over at Suzi. "Your house is big."

Suzi gave a small smirk. "Your insight is ground-breaking, as always."

Daquiri's gaze perused the room as Gypsy pulled her in and sat them down on the floor. "What are you guys even doing?" she asked, noting Suzi sitting in one of the recliners surrounded by balled up pieces of paper and Christopher on a couch with his laptop.

"Well, we're supposed to be hanging out." Suzi sent an emphatically meaningful look towards Christopher. "But someone is being antisocial."

Christopher didn't even look up from his screen. "This is my natural state."

Suzi grabbed one of the balled up pieces of paper next to her, which Daquiri now realized were rejected cootie catchers, and threw it at Christopher's head. "Why are you still on that dumb thing?"

Christopher deftly ducked the missile without even glancing up. "I'm doing things." There was a twinge of a smile on his face, however.

"Oh really," Suzi said flatly. "What kind of things?"

"Very important homework things," he replied a bit too seriously.

"He's playing Runescape," Gypsy commented from where she was on the floor, folding a new cootie catcher out of sparkly craft paper.

Christopher gave her a long look over his laptop. "You betrayed me."

"Oh, psh," Suzi scoffed. "Why aren't you even playing a real game?"

"It's not that bad of a game," Daquiri commented, half absently as she studied one of the several cootie catchers Gypsy had already made. She glanced up to see everyone staring at her. "What? My brother used to play it. I would watch."

She noted Christopher giving her a slightly appreciative glance before returning to Suzi. "A real game's more noticeable," he said with a wry smile, "and I'd have to close things."

"Oh God forbid you have to close things." Suzi's dramatic voice was downplayed by her dry expression. "Whatever will the nerds of the Internet do without your input."

"Well at least I can put away my laptop, you're still stuck with that personality of yours."

Christopher's retort made Daquiri smirk to herself a bit.

"At least I have a personality," Suzi shot back.

Christopher huffed but smiled. He looked over his laptop screen at Suzi. "Oh, we're starting this are we?"

Daquiri glanced up again and narrowed her eyes a bit as Suzi straightened and raised a challenging eyebrow. The Latina's dark eyes flashed. "I bet you couldn't go a week without that glorified junkpile," she announced. "You'd probably shrivel up and die from lack of exposure."

Christopher huffed again. "I could go a lot longer without my laptop than you could from insulting my stuff."

"Oh, that's sweet," Suzi said with a smirk. "Did you actually want to wager that?"

"Indy, this is where you say 'no'," Gypsy finally piped up, looking up from her cootie catcher with a small, almost distressed frown.

Christopher only spared her a glance. He chuckled and shook his head, looking back at Suzi. "It's hardly an even bet…"

"Aww, afraid you'll lose?" Suzi said with a smirk, a condescending tone creeping into her voice.

Christopher raised his brows and gave her a look.

Leaning an elbow against her armrest, Suzi gave him a smug smile. "So what are the terms, then, fish guts?"

Christopher glanced down at his laptop to stop what he was doing on it, then closed it halfway to join the conversation more. He thought for a moment. "You'll drop all the insults and nicknaming around me, or..." He glanced up for a moment as he thought about it more. Then he smiled. From the short period of time Daquiri had known him, she recognized it as a very bad sign. "Or you'll have to make up for it by being very polite and complimentary to Clayne. Ask him out to somewhere nice."

His smile broadened as he was hit in the head with another piece of paper.

"Screw you, Indy," Suzi scowled.

"At least he's the dumbest of the bunch," Daquiri half-muttered, mostly to herself.

"That only makes him all the more aggravating," Suzi replied in a voice laced with disdain.

This entire group also had an annoying habit of being able to hear all muttered comments due to Christopher's usual mumbled speech.

"They used to be surfing buddies," Christopher input helpfully. "So they've got 'chemistry.'"

"Surfing buddies is a stretch," Suzi said, giving Christopher a look. "He's an idiot that thinks he's amazing because he's a dude, and I only used to put up with him on a regular basis because one of the other girls I used to surf with had a crush on him."

"Well her crush will have to wait as you two spend a lovely evening together after you cave," Christopher replied with an unbothered smile.

"Well when you cave, you and your jacket won't be. Because I'll be dropping it in mud, guck, and whatever else I think of."

Daquiri raised an eyebrow at that.

"What? No."

"Aww, are you not feeling so sure anymore?"

Christopher frowned at Sue for a long moment. "Fine."

"Then let's write up the contract."

"Really guys?!" Gypsy whined. She tugged at Christopher's pant leg in protest, but he continued to ignore her.

The boy gave an amused huff and shook his head. "Contract."

If Daquiri hadn't already been completely out of the loop of what exactly was going on, now she was even more confused. "Contract?" she repeated.

"He cheats," Suzi explained bluntly.

"I do not," Christopher objected.

"He'll try to every time."

"It was always fair," he grumbled.

"Name one time!"

"All of them! Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean it wasn't fair game."

"This is why they make contracts now," Gypsy whispered loudly to Daquiri.

Daquiri looked back and forth between the two, still bemused.

"Ri." Sue snapped her fingers at her. "You write this up."

Daquiri blinked at the sudden inclusion. "Excuse me?"

"We need someone else to write it," Sue explained almost hastily, motioning with her hand. "It's the rules. And you write better and faster than Gyp."

Gypsy opened her mouth, looking like she was going to protest, but then she stopped and shrugged. "It's true."

Daquiri gave a relenting sigh. "Alright, I guess."

How she wished she hadn't agreed.

Getting Suzi and Christopher to agree on rules and 'definitions' was ridiculously difficult enough, but being in the same room as the two of them while they argued and attempted to talk over the other was giving Daquiri a headache. Practically the entire page she'd written was scribbled out where she'd had to cross things out and rewrite them, per Sue and Christopher's constant "revisions". It had gotten very old, very fast.

"Okay," Daquiri announced loudly, interrupting another argument between the two. "Let me go over what's here." Contrary to two seconds ago, the two were both stone-silent as she read through the "contract," probably to make sure neither of them missed some sort of loophole the other might've tried to sneak in. Because after hearing these two go at it, she honestly wouldn't have been surprised.

Daquiri finally reached the end of the page. She stared at the monstrosity in her hands. "I think this is the most pretentious thing I have ever read in my entire life."

"It has to be or Indy won't follow it," Suzi commented, almost absently, as she seemed to have something else on her mind. "We need minders. Because I still don't trust Indy."

"Seriously? You're the one who's way likelier to slip up without thinking than I am," Christopher pointed out.

Suzi raised a lone brow at him. "Then what do you have to worry about?" She turned to Gypsy and Daquiri then, her lips pursed. "Gyp...you'll have to be with me. Indy will try to get you to take sides otherwise."

Christopher straightened. "I will not!"

Sue sent him a withering look. "You always do. Besides, A, Gyp is like a metal detector for any bad word said against you, and B, I'm pretty sure insults have been part of Ri's vocabulary since she was two and she is now immune to them. I doubt she'd notice if I ranted about you for five minutes." Suzi raised an eyebrow. "So really I'm doing you a favor."

Christopher merely huffed.

Daquiri cleared her throat. "Do I get a say in this? What even is a minder?"

"No, and congratulations you get to spend more time than you want with Indy now," Suzi said, her mind clearly already made up.

Daquiri opened her mouth and then closed it again. "Um?"

"Oh, relax." Suzi rolled her eyes. "It won't be for very long." She sent a mischievous look towards Christopher. "Someone is going to cave very soon."

Christopher snorted. "Fat chance. You'll be kissing Clayne by next week."

"HA. As if."

Christopher raised his brows, a smirk playing at his mouth. "Well kissing is part of dates, isn't it?"

"Not part of first dates, you idiot, what kind of floozy do you think I am?"

"As someone who has seen you dating since middle school, I would beg to differ. Kissing is part of the bet, or no deal."

Suzi stared at Christopher long and hard. "Fine. One kiss. But only if you also don't get to wear your jacket for a week after you lose."

Christopher smiled. "Deal. Oh, but one more thing—the kiss has to be with tongue."

Suzi let off what sounded like a string of expletives, but Daquiri couldn't quite tell because it was all in Spanish. The very rude gesture she gave Christopher was unmistakable, however. Christopher was cracking up as he held his hand up to shield the multiple paper missiles Suzi was launching at him.

"Two weeks without your jacket, you bastard."

Daquiri sighed as she wrote down the new additions. She had a bad feeling about these next coming weeks.

It was amazing how much not being able to go on the Internet freed up time.

It had been a few days since the bet had started, and since he'd gotten tired of reading and doing puzzles all day, and it was Christmas Break of all times, Christopher figured it was as good of a time as any to get back to his projects.

Now if only he could find that picture…

"You can try that box over there," he said as Ri came up to him with a questioning look. He didn't miss the wide-eyed look of probably exasperated resignation as she turned back around, but he was too caught up in rifling through his own stack of photos to pay much attention to it. They'd sort of "hung out" the past few days while he wasn't with Gyp or Sue, which had been pretty awkward, especially at first since they didn't have many hobbies to do with each other aside from…reading. Next to each other. Silently. By this point, though, they both seemed to have gotten used to being around each other—or at least, not feeling awkward and silently bored while they were.

"So…why is it so important we find this photo again?" she asked him as she opened the lid to the box he had gestured to. She seemed to only half-heartedly start looking through the printed photos.

"I need to set up cameras and I don't remember the other location I took the first picture in," he said. He frowned as he got through another stack of photos, coming up empty-handed. "Dammit," he muttered. "I know I'd be able to find it on my laptop."

"Well," Daquiri said, her tone only marginally encouraging and mostly dubious, "there's still a few other stacks. It might still come up."

It didn't.

Ri carefully replaced the top to the last shoebox of pictures. "Maybe…it's time to move on to a different project."

Christopher gave a huff, irritated since he'd already been putting off this project forever.

Ri was looking down, studying a photo of his in her lap. "What…do you think this is, anyway?"

He came over to sit down next to her on the bed, and realized she was holding the more recent photo of the strange creature he'd captured on camera.

"I don't really know," he admitted. "I've tried looking up stuff about it, but the only thing I can find with that big of a tail like that, that would be around here, are dolphins—and there aren't any dolphins in existence with that kind of coloring." He frowned. "The texture seems strange, too. I can't completely make it out in this, obviously, but it doesn't seem completely smooth like a dolphin or shark's skin, either."

Daquiri gave him a sidelong look. "You've…really done a lot of research on this." She looked back down at the photo. "I didn't realize you were so invested."

He shrugged. "I've…sort of had a lot of time on my hands."

Ri gave a slow nod. "Idleness breeds contempt, I suppose."

And Christopher had been doing his best to hold no contempt over this situation for as long as he could.

"Well, um…"

Christopher glanced over when Daquiri spoke up again.

"I know we're supposed to spend all this time together, or whatever, but…um, well I'm actually supposed to do Christmas prep stuff with my family tonight. And it takes a while, so…"

"Oh. Uh, yeah, of course," Christopher said. Actually, that reminded him… "I've gotta do some Christmas shopping myself, actually."

Nodding, Daquiri stood up. "Well, just know if you break the contract when I'm gone, Suzi will come to haunt you Christmas Eve."

Christopher gave a bit of a scoff of laughter, but his mouth turned up in a small smirk. "Did you need a ride home?"

"Uh, no, that's okay." Ri stuck a thumb over her shoulder. "My brother can just pick me up."

"You sure? It wouldn't be a problem."

"Yeah, that's okay." She looked down at her shoes. "I don't want to keep you. I'll just go wait over at Gyp's for him."

Christopher couldn't help but feel there was something more to it, but he wasn't about to push it further, so he just nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow or something, I guess."

"Yeah, I guess."

On that note, she left.

Alright. New day, time for Plan B.

Christopher may not have the ability to find that picture right now, but he could still take pictures. He'd wanted to get back to the waterfall-hidden cave for a couple weeks now, but hadn't quite gotten around to lugging all his equipment back out there. There was also the matter of trying to convince Sue and Gyp to come, and they'd seemed interested in the prospect of exploring a cave all the way up until he'd mentioned it involved diving to it.

He just couldn't figure out what it was about diving, or even swimming with them lately. He couldn't remember the last time they'd done it together. He just didn't get it—they were all supposed to be best friends. So why did it feel like he hardly ever saw them anymore? And when he did, it almost always felt like something was...different. Like some sort of guard was up. Even with the bet, he couldn't help wondering if Sue had paired him with Ri on purpose.

He shook his head. Speaking of which. He was supposed to be focusing on this.

Making sure he had all the equipment with him he could carry safely, he pushed off the side of his boat and into the water. He'd wanted to not only bring enough of his camera equipment to make sure he could get good lighting in the cave, but he'd also brought some rope, marking sticks and a flashlight, all in waterproof bags, for exploring the cave further, among a few other things. He still had a few things back in his boat as well, but he'd have to make a second trip for those.

He resurfaced in the small pool, looking around at the cave. Everything looked the same—not that he'd really been expecting anything different—except that it was a bit lighter and easier to see now that it was daytime. He wondered if perhaps he should come back at night another time as well for different camera lightings.

Setting down his equipment at the edge, he dove back down and out to his boat, making as quick a trip back as he could. Back in the cave, he pulled himself out, pulled off his flippers, and replaced them with a pair of bagged boots. He'd rather not take his chances against sharp ground rocks.

It took him a little bit to get out and set up his camera stuff. He took a couple test shots of some stalagmites, seeing how they turned out. He'd start here, then move into the passageways to take pictures as he explored. It'd be more efficient, and he'd also have photographic evidence of his path along with the markers.

He tweaked the lighting a bit to where he was pretty sure it would be good. Then he lined up a nice shot.

He frowned when he hit the shutter button and it didn't go off. He glanced down at his camera screen.

Card full! it read.

Great.

He hit the playback button to delete the old photos on the card.

Then, upon scrolling through them, realized it was a batch he hadn't uploaded to his laptop yet. Ugh.

Giving an annoyed huff, he returned to his equipment to find his other card. He rifled through his bag to find the SD card holder. Upon finding it, however, he opened it to find no backup card.

Crapshit.

Christopher irritatedly fit his key into his front door, aggressively jiggling it around a probably unnecessary amount to get it open. He shut it none too gently before stalking off to his room to find his other SD card.

He tugged out his phone when it beeped and, glancing at the screen, saw a text from Gyp that said something about him coming over. He shoved the phone back into his pocket as he shuffled around several things on his desk, trying to find the missing card. There were only so many places he kept those damn things…

Ten minutes later, he'd upturned half his room looking and he still couldn't find it. He sat down on his bed with a huff. Just as quickly as he sat down, though, he stood up again and headed back for the door. Maybe he'd left it at Gyp's house.

He let himself in the Venirs' front door to see Gyp and Sue sitting in front of the TV and, after swiping a cookie off a plate from the counter, he strode over and leaned on the back of the couch.

"Gyp, did I leave one of my SD cards over here?"

Gyp didn't look away from her and Sue's show. "Your what cards?"

Christopher gave a bit of a small huff. "The memory cards for my camera. You put them in the computer to take photos off?" He made a small motion with his fingers.

"Ohhhh, those." Gypsy finally glanced up at him. "Uhhhhhh…no?"

"If you did leave it here, it's lost forever now," Sue commented idly.

With a sigh, Indy stepped over the couch to sit down next to Gyp.

"Becoming bored yet?" Suzi enquired in a distracted voice, continuing to pay more attention to the TV.

Christopher merely gave a muttered grumble under his breath.

Sue finally looked over at him, a slight frown on her face. "Where's your warden?"

Christopher grumbled something indiscernible in response.

Suzi straightened up. "Did we not agree Gyp and Ri are supposed to be with us, like, as much as possible?"

"She's got things to do because she has an actual life, okay?" he snapped.

"Woah." Suzi slowly raised her brows at him. "I didn't realize her absence was the cause of your grouch mode. Got a soft spot for Little Miss Red all of a sudden?"

Christopher rolled his eyes. "It's not. And no."

Suzi gave a small snort. "I suppose that's well enough, because I'm pretty sure she has almost less of a life than—"

She was cut off by Gypsy elbowing her in the side. Suzi made a sour look.

Christopher raised his eyebrows in a very similar fashion to how she had at him. "Hypothetical insults count."

"Says nowhere in the contract," Suzi shot back at him.

"I really don't feel like pulling it out to prove you wrong so just don't."

Sue stuck her tongue out at him.

He frowned. "What are you, nine?"

She smirked at him. "Still older than—ugh, this is the worst." She cut her own self off this time with an angry look.

The corners of his mouth tipped up ever so slightly. "Actually, I'm feeling a bit better now."

Suddenly Gyp sat bolt upright. "Wait! Did you ever take your card out from the slot in your laptop?"

Christopher stared at her for a long moment.

Then he let out an extensive string of curse words.

He had just run out of breath from them when he caught sight of Suzi smiling smugly at him as she leaned against the couch armrest. He immediately gave her the finger and angrily spouted off another round of colorful choice phrases, this time directed at her.

Sue was laughing by the time he ran out of steam again, and Gyp was concentrating on ticking off her fingers.

"That was twenty-two." She brightened. "I think that's a new record!" She held out her hand to Christopher. "Camera!" she demanded.

There was absolutely no amusement on Christopher's face. "Knock yourself out. Card's full." He handed her his camera.

Gypsy pouted. "Boo. Does that mean I have to use my phone?"

"Oh no, iPhones take such horrible pictures," Suzi teased her.

"Not scrapbook-worthy ones," Gyp whined. She held her hand out to Sue this time. "Lemme at least use yours, you have the newest."

Suzi good-humoredly opened up the camera option for Gyp, who proceeded to take a picture of his face, which was still a fiercely grumpy scowl.

Gypsy sighed as she looked down at the screen. "I suppose it'll have to do." Then her head abruptly whipped back up and her hazel eyes widened. "WAIT A MINUTE. INDY, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE PICTURES FOR CHRISTMAS." She threw herself against him, the camera precariously falling onto the couch. "YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CHRISTMAS PICTURES. WE'VE NEVER MISSED A YEAR!"

Christopher worked his jaw for a moment, glancing down at his chest and away from Gyp's pleading face.

"Right," he mumbled.

"You wouldn't want to let your best friend down," Suzi chipped in, her voice sly. "Would you, Indy?"

Holding his hands over Gyp's ears, as she'd decided to stay on his lap, he told Sue to shut up in as offensive of a way possible.

He sighed as he let go of Gyp. "I still have my other card. I just have to get it from Daquiri."

"Well, call her!" Gypsy dug his phone out of his pocket and shoved it at him. "Right now!"

Christopher made a face. "You know I don't call people."

"IT'S FOR THE GREATER GOOD." Gyp started typing in something on his phone, then frowned. "You don't have Ri in your phone?"

"No? She's never given me her number."

"I would say something about that fact but it would be extremely insulting," Sue commented.

Gypsy huffed in his face. She pulled out her own phone, but instead of just dialing in the number on that, she was apparently transferring the information onto his. "There," she said after a few moments. "Jeez, weirdo." She glanced up to give him a look and he just gave her a helpless shrug.

She tapped the screen of his phone before putting it to her ear. He had hoped that meant she was calling Ri, but at the last moment, she pressed the phone to his own ear.

"Gyp, I don't want it!" he protested, trying to shy away from the device, but as she was still fully on his lap, he couldn't avoid her very well. They grappled in a struggle for a moment, but Christopher froze when he heard a slightly muffled, "Hello?" from the phone.

"Um," he stammered wittily, partially out of panic and partially out of a lack of knowing what else to say.

There was a pause on the other end. "...hello?"

"Uh. Hi." He gave Gyp a look, but she gave him a look right back.

Another pause. "...who is this?"

"Oh. Uh. It's...Christopher. Braddock." Finally giving up, he took the phone from Gyp so she didn't have to hold it to his ear anymore.

"Oh," Ri said on the other end. "Um, hi."

"Hi," he said again.

There were several more moments of silence.

"...did you need something?"

"Oh. Um, y-yeah," he stammered. "I was just...uh, wondering if you could...check something for me."

"I mean...I'm kinda busy at the moment…" Christopher heard the sound of yelling in the background and what sounded like a muffled reply from Daquiri, probably because she'd covered the speaker. "Sorry," she said, her voice clearer again. "My brothers."

"S'fine," he mumbled. "But, uh, it would just take a second. If...you don't mind."

She let out a quiet sigh on her end that he wasn't sure he'd been meant to hear. "I mean, I guess, if it's quick. What is it?"

He fumbled for words. "Uh, my SD card. I mean, um, I'm looking for it…" He was momentarily distracted by Sue silently laughing at him, and he scowled at her. "Sorry," he muttered quickly. "Um, I was wondering if you could check my laptop. For the card."

"Yeah. Sure."

He opened his mouth, feeling like he should say something else, but ended up closing it again and waiting silently.

He heard some muffled noises and shuffling around, until finally Ri's voice came back with, "Yeah, it's in here."

Of course it was.

"Uh, cool," he said. "Uh, do you think you could bring it next time...uh, I see you I guess?"

"Yeah. Sure."

He nodded, then remembered she couldn't see that. "Cool," he said again. "Um, thanks. Er...when will that...be?"

There was another audible sigh. "Um, I'm not sure. Tomorrow, I guess. Maybe."

"Okay. Uh, alright." He paused. "Oh, and, um, to eject the card—"

"I know how to eject it. I gotta go."

Before Christopher could say anything else, the line went dead.

He looked at his phone. "She hates me."

"You're just now realizing this?" Suzi asked wryly.

"What did she say?" Gyp asked, leaning forward on his chest.

"She'll bring the card over tomorrow," he said. He frowned. "Hopefully the fact that it was in my laptop means I cleared it."

"Can't she just clear it for you?" Gyp pressed, apparently still hung up on the Christmas pictures thing.

Christopher started to open his mouth, but Sue cut him off.

"Uh, no. Against contract rules. No one can do favors for him on the computer. That would make this whole thing pointless."

He sent the Latina an annoyed look.

Gypsy finally fell back onto the couch. "Well, so long as you can take pictures for Christmas." Then she brightened. "Oh, and New Year's! We've gotta make sure we document the party!"

Suzi frowned at their friend. "Party? What party?"

"The New Year's Eve party—the one at Sabrina's house! Kalen invited us, remember?"

"Oh." Sue's voice had gone slightly flatter. "That party."

"Do you really wanna...go hang around a bunch of random people for New Year's, Gyp?" Christopher asked her, doing his best to keep his tone careful.

"They're not random people—they're all our classmates!" Gyp said excitedly. "Besides, Kalen will be there, too!"

Christopher tried not to scowl. "Why can't we just spend New Year's together like we always do?"

"We will be together!" Gypsy said. "Just also with a bunch of other people!"

"Not what I meant," he grumbled.

"Is social interaction too much to handle while you're already on Internet withdrawal?" Sue's voice had pitched to an irritating baby-sounding level.

He scoffed. "You'll be having your date with Clayne before we ever get to New Year's."

She raised a coal-black eyebrow at him. "Rather presumptuous from someone who's already going stir-crazy without his Runescape-machine. I'll have you know I can go much longer before I break."

He snorted. "I very much doubt that. You thrive on insulting me. You'll wake up in the next few days and realize you can't survive without calling me a moron." He gave a small smile. "Or nerd. Or dork. Or fish guts." He leaned towards her slightly. "Or maybe even a fat joke."

Suzi glared at him. "Are you making a bet within our bet?"

He leaned back against the back of the couch, spreading out his arms. "Actually, I am."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Guyyyyys, noooooo," Gypsy whined. "This isn't allowed!"

Christopher held up a finger. "Actually—it doesn't say anywhere in the contract that we can't amend things as we go along." He grinned at Suzi. "So what do you say? Scared, Potter?"

Suzi snorted. She looked away for a few moments. "You know what—fine." She looked back to him and narrowed her almond-shaped eyes. "You're practically hours away from cracking already." She gave him a thin smile. "So—if, and when, you cave before the party, you definitely have to go—shirtless."

Christopher's near-sputtering was interrupted by Gypsy bursting out laughing. When he gave her a betrayed look, she covered her mouth with both hands. "Sorry," she squeaked, even though she was still trying not to giggle through her fingers.

He tightened his jaw a moment. "Alright, Puerto Rico. But when you cave before the party, you have to make out with Clayne at the strike of midnight—in front of everyone. And that's on top of all the pre-confirmed conditions we have in the contract already."

Suzi slowly shook her head. "Be prepared to strip, Mister Braddock—because I've got this in the bag." Sue pulled a tube out of her bag and slowly applied a sheen of gloss to her lips. She smacked them together at him.

He smirked. "Remind me to find out Clayne's favorite lip flavor for you. It'll make a good Christmas gift."

Gypsy gave a defeated sigh. "I'll text Ri…"

A/N: WHO WILL WIN? Trick question no one does hah. jUsT kIdDiNg but you'll see next time. My Trash Twins have issues.