Author's Note: New chapter yay! Thanks for the reviews, I'm super appreciative.

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Chapter 38: Build it Up

Julie stared at the large house and stuck her hands into her coat pockets uncomfortably. Jimmy looked over at her.

"You OK Cat?" He said softly.

"What am I doing here?" She sighed, "Ellie and I aren't even friends."

"You're here so that I don't have to talk to Brad all night," He laughed. "Come on, it'll be fun. Mrs. Cole's actually really cool, when she's clean." Julie nodded and they walked up the stairs. He knocked on the door.

"Jimmy!" Mrs. Cole smiled and hugged him. "Oh it's so good to see you. You've grown up so much!" He laughed, "And you must be Julie."

"Hi," She waved awkwardly, "It's really nice to meet you," Your son's a moron and your daughter hates me, she thought awkwardly. Annemarie Cole was a remarkably beautiful woman, and it was clear where Elena's easy good looks came from. She was just as blonde just as effortlessly tiny and had the same big blue eyes. Her hair was straight though. That was the only difference Julie could see, obviously besides the thirty year age difference. Jimmy looked at her carefully, watching for the signs of relapse. But she seemed fine, a little happier than usual, but she usually was when she first came back.

"So, you're the one who's finally gotten him," Annemarie winked, "Are you good to her James?"

"I try to be," He smiled. Julie blushed, and was a little bit shocked that he answered so casually to the name that he'd specifically asked her not to call him by. But she'd heard Ellie call him James and she had guessed that that was why. They walked in and saw Brad and Tommy sitting watching TV.

"Hey Julie," Ellie walked over and hugged her. She looked at her oddly. Maybe Ellie was the one who was high.

"Um, hey," She said, "Hey Tommy, hey Brad."

"Hi," Brad waved.

"Hey," Tommy looked at her nervously, "Did my sister tell you anything today?"

"Oh my God," Elena said sitting down next to him, "Give it up! It's creepy." That shut him up. Julie was grateful, because after their initial talk she and Tammy had had a second one, which ended with the caveat, "Please don't tell Tommy any of this." "Besides, I don't talk to my brother about my love life, Julie, do you?"

"Um, well, my brother's three months old," Julie shrugged, "So, I mean, I don't really talk to him about anything."

"So," Fulton turned over on his side. Tammy looked at him, "Better?"

"Not really," She scrunched here face. He sighed. "I'm sorry baby. I'm glad you liked it though."

"We need to figure this out," He looked at her. "Because here's the thing, we're a freaking awesome couple."

"I know!" She nodded, "All of our friends are completely jealous of us."

"Yeah," He said, "I mean, even Portman and Elena, and they like don't even notice other people are in the room when they're together."

"I know!" She sighed. "We'll get there, I know we will." She kissed him, "I love you, I have to go."

"It's only ten o'clock!" He laughed.

"And it's a school night," Tammy said, "And my mom's totally on my ass about curfew lately." She kissed him. "I think she suspects." He laughed. "Same thing tomorrow?"

"You're on," He smiled, "This is a lot more fun than teaching me to skate."

"Oh honey," She laughed, "Most things are a lot more fun than teaching you to skate."

Steve smiled untying the laces of his skates and walking back from the pond a few blocks from their street.

"Well that's just fine!" He heard someone shouting. "I'll walk, I don't need your stupid ride." He recognized the voice. Taylor. He ran over to where she was now shivering. "Stevie," She said.

"Are you OK?" He asked.

"I'm fine," She said, "Except that Jason's an asshole." She crossed her arms.

"I could have guessed that," He mumbled. She looked at him. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No," She said, "I'll call a cab." He nodded as she pulled out her cell phone. "You can go."

"Yeah, I'm going to leave you alone on a street corner," He said.

"Steve, its suburban Bangor, not Harlem," She rolled her eyes, "I'll be OK." He shuffled his feet.

"You know I miss you," He said.

"You do not," She growled. He looked at her. "You miss her." He sighed. "Have you talked to her?"

"I sort of freaked on her at Thanksgiving and we haven't talked since," He shrugged, "She's coming home in a few weeks for Christmas." He looked at her. "And I do miss you."

"I guess you can walk me home," She said softly. He smiled and they started walking. "I haven't slept with him." She mumbled. He looked at her. "And he's really pissed off about it." She shuddered.

"Here," He took off his coat and put it around her shoulders. "Are you planning to?" She looked at him, "Sleep with him?"

"I don't know!" She whined, "I don't see why I would have to. I mean, because I slept with you I have to sleep with every boyfriend now? Is that how it works?"

"I don't know how it works," He shrugged. She nodded. "I do know that you deserve better than I gave you and some guy who kicks you out of his car because you refuse to sleep with him." She smiled. "Tay, I didn't mean to use you."

"I used you too," She shrugged, "It was fun to use each other." He laughed. They reached her house and she kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks. Fix things with Julie, I don't want to have dumped you for no reason. You two belong together." He smiled and walked away. Maybe Taylor wasn't such an airhead.

"Are you actually happy for me?" Linda asked as she and Charlie walked out of a restaurant.

"Are you actually happy for you?" He laughed, "You've asked me that like seventy times. Linda I'm thrilled for you. A little bummed for me, but whatever." He kissed her. "I don't want to stay here the rest of my life either, you're just getting out first."

"I just," She sighed, "I don't want us to end up like Kelly and Scooter. I want you to have a life."

"We'll deal with that in August," He shrugged, "Linda, it's December we have months before we have to deal with this," He smiled, "Besides, I'll still have hockey, which was all I did before I met you." She laughed. "Good, you're smiling, you should be." He touched her face. "We're not going to be like them."

"When I'm gone and you've got hot freshman cheerleaders throwing themselves at you," She whispered.

"Hot freshman cheerleaders throw themselves at me now," He laughed, she glared at him, "I've learned to say no."

"You better keep saying no Mr!" She poked him in the chest.

"I plan to," He laughed. "Come on, we're not done yet!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her away. She giggled.

Kelly sat on her bed when the phone rang. She picked it up.

"Hello?" She said defeated. She was tired and depressed.

"Kel?" She sat up at the sound of Scooter's voice.

"Hey," She said softly.

"Hey," He said, "I miss you." She smiled. "That's all I wanted to say. Your turn."

"You really hurt me," She said. "And I miss you too."

"Can we just start over?" He asked, "I mean, forget that this whole thing happened."

"Start over?" She said.

"Yeah," He sighed.

"OK," She whispered. "Hi, I'm Kelly, you're friends with my brother right?" He laughed. "I'm going to Yale for my interview next weekend."

"Is that code for having sex in my dorm bed?" He smiled. She sighed sarcastically.

"No it's code for, I have my interview," She said softly, "But the dorm bed sex isn't ruled out. If you're nice."

"I'll be nice," He laughed, "Not too nice."

"They seem like nice kids," Annemarie said as she and Elena sat on the couch. She nodded. "Jimmy seems different, happier."

"Well, he loves her," Elena shrugged. "So you know,"

"You helped with that," Annemarie said. Elena shrugged. "Sweetie, after Evelyn died, I know it was hard for him, and you were there for him." She smiled. "Brad Vanderbilt was extremely attentive." She swallowed. "I thought Dean was your boyfriend."

"Brad's just a friend," Ellie said standing up. "He's sort of into me, but it's just a crush, it'll pass." Annemarie smiled. As soon as Ellie hit puberty the boys flocked, she'd been grateful so far Ellie's choices had been good. Jimmy Riley had been ideal, and Dean Portman seemed nice enough. Hopefully she'd keeping choosing the right boys.

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