Hello again, readers!

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I simply got swamped and it's taken me this long to get things under control to the point where I could have my life back.
This story will continue, it's already complete after all, just the final details are needed to really bring it to life. I greatly appreciate the feedback I've gotten from all of you, I'm happy to know I haven't disappointed.

This chapter is a bit of a stick in the mud for me, not exactly my best work as I seemed to be wading waist deep in a swamp, struggling to pull together enough inspiration to keep it going, which is difficult to do when you're writing about nothing.
Nonetheless, here I am and here it is.

Hope you enjoy it!
-RollieMcFly27

They were back at it again.

Goofy sat silently with a smile, completely unaware of where they were going, but he didn't care, he got to hang out with his neighbor.

Pete sighed, he couldn't believe he was doing this again, but he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.
He was pretty close to wishing he could just bring his mother-in-law along instead of his neighbor because at least he had to get along with her despite her verbal abuse and the constant smacking with her small purse. The woman was smaller than him, but she packed quite a punch.

Pete looked over at Goofy who was just quietly watching the town go by. Things were good now, but he knew it was just the calm before the storm as he also knew his mother-in-law wasn't a walking catastrophe.

Like he said, pretty close.

"Hey, Goof uh, thanks for comin' with me again." Pete hesitated to say, not even looking Goofy in the eye as the situation was the same as last week, just that this time, Pete had told Peg he was going to be working late, even though he was really going to take Goofy out someplace again to have a chat with him.

"Gawrsh, well, thanks fer not bein' so forceful! A-hyuck!" Goofy laughed, which prompted Pete to stifle a weak smile.

While it was true, the major differences is that Pete managed to stop Goofy at the parking lot and this time, let the man get into the passenger side door on his own pace this time.
"Well, don't think this is gonna be a regular thing, Goof, I'm tied between PJ's sleepover and now it's Peg's turn to host a book club meeting. I gotta tell ya, it's a headache and a half when the women outnumba ya six to one."

Pete sighed and leaned his head into his hand. Life wasn't exactly difficult, but you could see how annoying the situation was. Goofy couldn't relate this time, but he simply nodded and agreed, which seemed to suit Pete just fine.

They weren't heading to Joe's this time, as Pete mentioned that there was usually a very large crowd on Mondays to show up for the Monday Main Event, which would be loud but Peg would undoubtedly kill Pete if she ever caught wind of him being there.

Besides, the place was expensive, and Pete was already on a budget as it was.

What they did pull into instead, was a coffee shop.
Apparently, it was new, and Pete felt it wouldn't hurt to try it out, just have a nice cup of coffee with his neighbor and stay out of the house until at least 7:30.

Goofy looked around in awe as they entered the place. He had heard of it before, but it was on the deeper side of town so he couldn't exactly go out of his way to make a stop before or after work. Besides, he liked the mall's coffee just fine.

The entire place seemed to be a faded brown color that resembled tree bark and it wasn't helped by the sunlight shining through the entire establishment, giving it a proper glow within the dining area.
There were plants everywhere, long vine-like plants hung from the ceiling and dangled their leaves towards where the customers ate, some potted plants at the windows and a few that decorated the table. Not all the plants were real, there was a fake tree that had an even faker bird sitting in a nest with its beak open, chirping a tune that no one could be able to hear.

They both eventually sat down at a booth near the window with their coffee in hand. and just soaked in the environment, which seemed to be as good as the coffee they were drinking.
Both were good, but not great, they felt.

After some time sipping their drinks, Pete decided he'd better get this affair over with, so he cleared his throat to get Goofy's attention, a task proven to be more difficult than anticipated because Goofy was so mesmerized by the cute decorations scattered about. After some unsuccessful attempts, Pete groaned and decided to just talk, if not to scratch his already tired throat with all the clearing he was doing.

"Goofy, are ya even listenin'?"

"H-Wha? Oh, right! Yessir, I'm listenin', Pete!" Goofy sat up at attention, even to the point of making a little salute.

Pete wasn't amused and only rubbed his eyes out of stress. He couldn't believe what he was going to do or what he had already done, better said.

But, after that night they talked, he couldn't get it out of his mind. It seemed to bother him like an annoying flea, pestering him during his entire weekend as he watched the games on TV, mowed the back yard, listened to Peg talk about her day and the final straw was that it even seemed to keep him up at night.

He had thought about talking to Peg about it, but he felt like Peg would make a HUGE deal out of it and it wasn't even her business to begin with.
Sure, maybe she might know a few friends that would be willing to date a guy like Goofy, but Pete wasn't sure if Goofy could handle that kind of pressure, if not torture.
Pete really wanted to help Goofy out for the sake of his own guilty conscience just so he could sleep again, but he wasn't sure how he was going to do it, it wasn't like he knew anyone like Peg did or that he could do anything about it at all.

But it still bugged him, and it wouldn't leave him alone.

So, tired from a near sleepless night, he took an extra-large travel mug of coffee to work and decided there wasn't any harm in telling his employee, another car salesman, about the situation. The man excitedly said he had the answer, which was why Pete had brought Goofy here with him

"Look, Goof, I've been thinkin' bout yer problem and I gotcha a little something."

Pete pulled a folded wad of paper out of his jacket, unfolded it and slid it over to Goofy, who looked at it curiously.

The note was very simple, it read:

"cupidsbow login

U: MisterCasanova
P: carschicksbabes123"

Nothing was said between them as Goofy picked up the note and studied it closely.
Eventually, he had to ask, "What's this here, Pete?"

The answer that the salesman had was online dating, it was a new fad that was sweeping the nation as computers grew and were becoming more popular and common everywhere. He boasted having 4 dates in the past 2 weeks alone, each one with a different girl.

Without even asking Pete, they began using the company computer to set up a new profile for Goofy. The salesman was putting in all the details that he was so sure was going to nail Goofy all the dates he would need to get him out of the spunky mood.

Pete sleepily watched the entire ordeal happen in front of him like a dream as the information was placed in, occasionally inputting some bits that he knew about Goofy.
At some given point, he must've fallen asleep because when he came to, the salesman was gone, and the computer was back at the desktop.
But that note was placed right in front of him, so he decided that it would be a good start to getting a better night's sleep.

"It's some... well, it's a thing for an online dating website," Pete stated as he cleared his throat, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about this now and unsure of what to say in this sort of situation.

"Online datin' website?" Goofy repeated, looking around the note for anything else written on it.

"Hmm... yeah, if you want, give it a try." Pete sleepily said as he took another swig of the coffee that didn't seem to wake him up. Annoyed, he decided to down the whole thing and see if that could do the trick.

"That's real nice of ya, Pete, but... I think I already met someone."

That woke Pete up, he choked on his coffee and began coughing loudly, which caused a couple of baristas to come over and worriedly rub his back and offer him some water. Goofy offered to help, but the shop owners were being very fussy, apologizing left and right and even offered to give him the special on the house.
At one point, they began arguing with each other about whether this treatment was necessary, one insisting it was fine while the other was convinced that if they didn't do this, they'd go out of business. Coffee shops were big overseas, but not where they lived.

Pete took a swig of the water and eventually calmed down. He was so busy, he hadn't noticed what the two bumbling baristas were even saying at all and once the chaos had died down, one of the baristas quickly and quietly served him another cup of coffee, uttering a quick apology before retreating.
Pete was very confused, but he wasn't going to turn down a free cup of coffee, which he drank more carefully this time and shot daggers when he noticed the baristas watching him intently to make sure he wouldn't choke again.

Goofy said nothing as he watched his neighbor, who was now wide awake, look down at his cup as if lost in thought, trying to remember what Goofy had said.

"Ya... found someone?" Pete finally broke the silence that lingered in the air.

"I found what-now?" With all the commotion, Goofy had forgotten what they were talking about. Pete sighed and made sure his coffee was nowhere close to him before leaning forward and asking again.

"I said... you said you found someone?"

Goofy stared and furrowed his brow as his mind tried to understand what Pete was asking him for a bit, then remembered with an exclamation.
From there, the blushing storm invaded his face, and he couldn't help gushing and sputtering. So much information was flashing through his mind, there was so much he wanted to say, but he had no idea where to start or where to begin, questions, questions, oh garwsh..

Pete just stared silently.

Unbelievable.
How was this guy even a friend of his, if he dared to call him that?

"W-Well, ya see. I-a-hyuck-had a... well, I, uh..."

"Goof."

"Y-Ya-huh...?"

Pete put a hand on Goofy's shoulder and stared him intently in the eye.
"What's her name?"

Goofy blinked and it was like his mind suddenly calmed. Yeah, that was an easy question, one he could answer.

"Um... Clarabelle." He answered simply.

Pete seemed satisfied with that and with an amused grunt, he relaxed, leaning back in his chair and taking another swig of his coffee, which was pretty good if he did say so himself.

"Sounds pretty. Ya gonna ask her out?"

Goofy began to sputter and blush once more, which prompted Pete to put a finger on Goofy's muzzle as to shut him up. He really needed to stick to smaller questions, or he would have a headache that wasn't going to be caused by the coffee.

"Lemme try again." Pete sighed, leaning back once more. He scrambled his brain for a question that wouldn't cause his bumbling neighbor to start reciting the French alphabet. Goofy blinked and watched quietly, unsure of what to do next.

After much thought, Pete finally spoke up.
"Okay, got one. So... what's she like?"

Goofy blinked as he processed the idea and blushed as he began to conjure an answer. He looked down at the coffee table and began to make circles with a finger.
"Gawrsh.. well, she's the prettiest girl I've ever seen... and she's real nice."

Pete simply grunted in response and downed his coffee.

"And, oh! And she's real strong too! I could just stare inta her eyes all day and listen to her talk..."
The big man tried to listen, giving Goofy a chance to really talk it out because it was a nice change of pace to see his friend happy again after what happened last time they met.

And so he could get an idea of this new girl that suddenly had him so tongue-tied.

But that turned out to be a mistake as 20 minutes had passed and Goofy didn't even seem to pause to breathe. Pete wasn't even listening anymore, he just let the man go on and on like a broken record player as he detailed how they met and how she helped him when he messed up with the janitor.

Pete didn't even realize that much time had passed until he lifted the coffee cup to his mouth and realized he had already finished his cup while Goofy's was just getting cold now because he didn't seem to remember he had it in his hand.

"... like a flutterin' of butterflies, she really showed herself off like that! She's just so wonderful and, and beauti-!

"Ah, alright, alright, already! I get ya, Goof!" Pete interrupted the sappy talk as it was getting on his nerves faster than the stuttering was.

"Oh, sorry there, Pete." Goofy winced apologetically.

"No, no, I'm actually happy for ya. Congrats, hope things work out fer you two," Pete cleared his throat as he replied, genuine with his words. Goofy smiled and chuckled and both men returned to a silent moment of respite, just resting and enjoying the scenery of the café.

Pete got a devilish idea and decided he would try it.
"So, Goof. When are ya gonna ask her out?" He smirked as he asked, prepared to watch the man become another sputtering mess.

But, instead, Goofy blinked a few times and looked to the side.
He replied so quietly, it was almost a whisper.

"I've got no idea."

Well, I'll be darned, Pete thought and examined Goofy closely like he was an extraterrestrial.
Albeit even more so than he usually did.

Time to pull out the salesman pitches, he grinned as he hatched another devious plan, preparing the sweet talking he usually did at work, reserved for when he really wanted to make a sale

"Ain't that the next logical step, Goof? If ya like this girl, ya ought to ask her out! It's only natural!"

"Sure, I'd like to, but... I dunno if she'll say yes."

"Aw, come on! Ya gotta be more confident, Goof! Yer a real catch, even with a kid in tow. What woman wouldn't be lucky to have a sappy fella like ya?"

"Well, gawrsh, Pete, I don't know..." Goofy did know. It wasn't just Max he had to worry about, but that he wasn't that confident in himself because by all means and accounts, Goofy wasn't a normal, everyday joe that did whatever normal everyday joes did. Though he did try, you had to at least give him credit there.

Pete was grinning even more so now, he had him on the ropes, now it was time to take out the bait and seal this deal.
"Alright, how about this?" He asked as he leaned forward and pulled out his wallet, taking out a wad of bills from within and presented them in front of Goofy.

"I'll even give ya some money to treat her someplace nice! Ladies love a man with a lotta dough! Come on, whattaya say? Ya knows this is a good deal, Goofy." Pete sweetly said as he tried to make this offer as enticing as he could make it. A glimmer shone through his eye as he waited to hear those words.

Goofy was surprised and flattered that Pete would want to help him out, but something within him told him not to go for it.
"Gawrsh, Pete, that's really nice of ya.. but I don't think I can take it."

Pete's smile dropped fast, that was not the answer he expected at all.
"B-But hold on, think 'bout what yer passing up on here! Ya takes her someplace nice, she's bound to go fer ya!"

"And I appreciate ya, Pete, really! A-hyuck! But... it wouldn't be honest, ya know? If I'm gonna do it, I'd like to do it how I am. I can't go on pretendin' to be someone I'm not." Goofy laughed, then turned serious, which was pretty uncharacteristic of him. Pete was floored, he had always managed to sell his deals to even the toughest clients.

"Alright... if ya say so, Goof," Pete replied as he put his money away. Goofy simply smiled and took a sip of his coffee, which he hadn't noticed was already cold.

So much fer makin' him owe me, Pete grumbled to himself.

The following week saw Goofy working at the studio once more, it was the same old business as usual. The only difference being that Goofy was in a much happier mood, especially considering that when he was just sitting out on the front, waiting for his clients to arrive, he could see Clarabelle working just across the alley in the law office.
She looked as beautiful as ever, sitting at the front, typing up reports and greeting her own clients as they went in. Goofy made a note to not stare for too long, not because Clarabelle would find him creepy, but because he tended to zone out and clients that came in had to yell at him to get his attention.

Don't ask him how he came to know that.

After taking a photoshoot of an older mother and daughter, Goofy came to the front and realized it was time to eat lunch. He closed up as usual and made his way over to the food court with his sack of lunch in hand. Goofy whistled cheerfully as he walked, feeling so happy and content with the events of the day.

When he arrived at the food court, it didn't take long for him to notice that Clarabelle was here as well, happily munching on a sandwich of her own. Goofy felt his heart soar and immediately began making his way over to her.
Clarabelle also noticed Goofy once she opened her eyes and actually began to choke on her food, which only made the man hurry over to her. She felt her panic rising and for the first time in a long time, had to resist the urge to bolt out of there like a stampede.

Great, how could anything get more embarrassing than this?

"C-Clarabelle! Are you-?"

Clarabelle held up a finger and took a long swig of her water. One reason was to clear the lodged piece of sandwich from her throat, while the other was to steady her nerves.

Okay, Clara, old girl... ya got this, he won't trip ya this time.

She sighed and caught her breath before speaking to Goofy, who was patiently waiting for her with a concerned look.
"I'm okay, thank you, Goofy. I just... wasn't expecting you." Clarabelle smiled and laughed, hoping to make Goofy forget the sorry state he just saw her in.

"Oh! Well, gawrsh, I'm really sorry there, Miss Clarabelle," Goofy apologized and scratched the back of his head. He had messed up again, it seemed. He needed to be more careful.

"It's okay, Goofy, it wasn't your fault."

They both smiled and said nothing, which warmed Goofy's heart as he gazed upon the beauty of the woman in front of him and made Clarabelle increasingly uncomfortable as she thought he was waiting for her to say something else. Did she forget something? Did her bow go out of place? Why did he come here again? Maybe he said something, and she forgot?

She felt silly for asking, but it was either that or ignoring his presence, the latter of which was going to be near impossible for her to do.
"So, um... did you need something, Goofy?"

"Hmm... mm? Huh? Oh, gawrsh, sorry!" Goofy snapped back from his trance and got himself in order.

"Guh... what was I here for...?" He muttered to himself, trying to remember why he even approached Clarabelle in the first place, but it made the cow sigh softly in relief. Somehow, it made her feel better knowing she wasn't the only one that forgot.

"Um... are you here to eat lunch?" Clarabelle offered, noting the sack in Goofy's hand. The Goof looked at it and then to the food court before turning his gaze back to her. A lightbulb appeared out of nowhere as Goofy exclaimed, putting the two and three and four together... or was it the one and one? Two and twenty? Never mind, we're getting off-track here.

Point is, Goofy had remembered.

"Hey, I remember! I was gonna ask if ya wanted to eat together! A-hyuck!" Goofy laughed as he held up his lunch. Clarabelle blinked, seemingly at a loss for words.

Who was this guy?

"Well... sure, I don't mind the company," she replied, gesturing to the seat in front of her.

"Great!" Goofy happily exclaimed and sat down, pulling out his own sandwich that looked a lot simpler compared to Clarabelle's, the cow only watched as Goofy said a small grace and began to dig in while she carefully ate her own.

"Hey, ya want some?" Goofy spoke, albeit with food in his mouth, and held out some potato chips, offering them to her.

"No, thank you, I'm quite alright. I brought something from home," Clarabelle politely declined, though she did want some chips as it would be a nice change of pace from what she was usually eating.

The two quietly ate for a while, not saying much to each other.

Goofy was perfectly content to just be with Clarabelle and sit in silence. She, on the other hand, grew nervous and felt like she had to say something, or he would think she was boring.

"So... what's it like? Working in a photo studio, taking pictures of people?"

Goofy halted his chewing and swallowed his food before replying.
"Well, gawrsh, I never thought about it before. I guess it has to do with the science of it all and the angles and the-the... backdrops?" He decided it would be a good time to try and impress Clarabelle, considering he really wanted her to like him, and he was doing good so far.

She listened intently as she ate, showing her interest by nodding and exclaiming.
"I see... that's interesting."

"What about you? Do you like yer job?"

"I guess so, I'm just working there until I finish up my time in college so I can pursue the job I actually want."

"Hey! Sounds excitin'! What do ya wanna do?"

Clarabelle hesitated before saying anything further. As far as she was concerned, most of the people she talked with never really paid too much attention to her when they talked. Seeing Goofy give her his full attention made her blush a bit.

"A... I want to be a hair stylist." She looked away and rubbed her arm, half expecting him to tell her she could do better. That she should go for something better.

But it never came, instead she heard Goofy laugh in a gentle way.
"Well, shucks, that's pretty great, Clarabelle! Some people might not think it but havin' someone to do yer hair is somethin' we take fer granted sometimes."

This time, Clarabelle actually did blush as his words seemed to mirror her own.
"That's... that's right." She waited for a bit before going on to see if Goofy would add anything, but before she could, she surprised herself by continuing to talk.

"No one really appreciates the people who do things like that. I think it's really interesting... the styling and the idea of creating a little bit of art out of someone's hair. But, not just that, I also enjoy talking with them, getting to know them as I freshen them up. It's a good feeling to have the same person come back and we pick up where we left off... like we were more than just a stylist and client, but... friends..." She trailed off, noticing that Goofy watched her, waiting for her to say more.

She quickly grabbed a napkin and moved away to blow her nose, which was unladylike, and it wasn't that she needed it, but she was losing control again.

Goodness, she couldn't remember the last person that not only talked actively with her, but actually LISTENED to what she had to say that wasn't her parents or other family members. She had come to accept that people were more interested in talking about themselves than listening to others, but she always wanted to listen and learn, which was something her pop told her made her special.

And for the longest time, she felt she was the only one who did so.

But, somehow, Goofy was proving her wrong and she wasn't sure if he was doing it on purpose or not. She was even more unsure which of those made her even more nervous. It didn't help that she felt more comfortable to open up to him than she realized, a move that terrified her once she realized just how much information she had let spill.

"Ya okay, Clarabelle?"

At hearing him call her name, she cleared her throat and turned back to him like nothing had happened.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine... just had something. Did you say something?"

"I said, it's real swell that you're doin' that. But I guess I should've guessed, seein' how nice you are and all." Goofy said with a warm smile, one that absolutely made Clarabelle go beet red. She quietly excused herself and ran for the nearest restroom, leaving Goofy to wonder if he said something to make her leave.

Nah, it's probably nothing, he shrugged as he moved to finish his lunch.

Clarabelle washed her face, absolutely exasperated.

She was usually in better control than this, even around guys she thought were cute.
But darn it all, he was pushing all of her good buttons by paying proper attention to her and even complimenting her, two things she wasn't exactly used to having outside of her family.

And since him, if you could say that he did.

Curses, why was she like this? It wasn't like she was drooling at the first person to give her such treatment, she could remember the last guy who did that and she definitely didn't get all flustered up like this. Maybe she actually liked this guy more than she cared to admit?

Or maybe... she finally found her soulmate.

Clarabelle forced herself to splash more water on her face. No, no no, none of that childish thinking, there was no such thing as a soulmate, she had believed that so long ago and paid the heavy price for doing such a thing. She was an adult who knew how the world worked and it wasn't going to be like a fairy tale where she would meet a dashing prince in shining armor that would sweep her off her feet, carry her to their forever home where they would have a family together and live...

Happily...
Ever...

After.

Clarabelle forced herself to look at her reflection and noticed she looked horrible. She couldn't go back out to face him looking like this.
Without thinking twice, she pulled out an emergency makeup kit she kept on herself at all times for situations such as this. She was careful to place a little more blush (fake ones, mind you) apply the mascara and even put on a newer coat of lipstick just in case.

Once she was done, she stood back to admire her handiwork and was a little proud that she now looked like nothing had happened.

Just the way she liked it.

Goofy had finished his lunch when he saw Clarabelle returning, which was a pleasant surprise.

"There ya are! I was beginnin' to worry about you," he stated with a smile that forced Clarabelle to look away instinctively out of fear that she would lose herself again.

"Anyway, enough about me, why don't we talk about you?" She replied quickly, sitting herself down to finish her own lunch. She had reasoned with herself that her mistake with him was that she talked a little too much about herself while she didn't even know the first thing about him other than the fact, he was working at a photo studio across the way from the law office she worked at, which struck her as odd because experience told her guys LOVED to talk about themselves.

Goofy, however, was taken aback with the sudden and drastic change of the subject, but he got over it as quickly.
"Okay? Well, gawrsh, I don't remember where I was last." He muttered as he scratched his head, trying to remember.

"I just wanted to know... why are you doing photography?"

"Oh! That's easy! I got into it because it seems pretty easy enough."

"Easy enough? That's not something you want to do?" Clarabelle raised an eyebrow at this, considering that it wasn't a job most people would choose, quite unlike hers. And she knew she was probing just a little too hard, but she had to make sure she stayed in control.

"No, no, I do want to do it! It's just..." Goofy panicked a bit, realizing that his real reason for choosing this job was because of his infamous Goofy luck that made him get fired out of most jobs and this was the one job he could have that paid well enough without having him be around other people for too long. Not to mention, he was his own boss in the studio so there wasn't really anyone to disappoint, but himself.

"It's just...?" Clarabelle leaned forward as she sensed his hesitation and wondered if he had something to hide.

"Well, the thing is, it's a well-meanin' job, Miss Cow. It-it may not pay much, but it's a job I do my best in... especially for my son." Goofy hesitantly replied, deciding he wasn't going to lie to Clarabelle, but he wasn't going to tell her his real reason... not yet at least.

This, however, peaked Clarabelle's interest and curiosity.
"Wait- your son?"

"Y-Yeah! My son, Maxie. It's been a rough couple'a years back then for me and him, but this job saved my hide. It doesn't pay much, but it covers most'a it." Goofy secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glad they could get off the subject.

The cow blinked, processing this newfound information.
One look at Goofy would've never told you he was a father or that he was even married. Was he married? Clarabelle wanted to ask, but decided it was too soon to be going there. If he wanted to tell her about his wife, if he had one, he would tell her.

But she was surprised at the fact she felt... disappointed at that idea, but she shooed those thoughts away.

"And not just this job, Maxie's been my light in my darkest moments. I'd give the world ta' him if I could, but so far, all I can give him is my best which is enough for both of us. A-hyuck! I love him a lot, he's the greatest thing to ever happen to me." Goofy smiled wistfully at his reflection in his water, seemingly seeing Max in them.

Clarabelle felt her heart melt a bit, she thought it was so sweet to see Goofy have such a soft side to him. That fact alone told her there was more to him than met the eye and made her curious to learn more about Goofy.
She found herself wondering how old Max was and what he was like, but if she knew anything at all, it was that his wife was a very lucky woman to have such a sweetheart like Goofy for a husband.

Some people just have all the luck.

A small beeping was heard, and Clarabelle immediately reached for her bag and pulled out a pager that served as her alarm to return to work.
"Oh! I gotta head back!" She said as she rounded up her empty Tupperware dish and threw out her trash as to prepare to leave.

"Gawrsh, a-hyuck! Time flies when you're havin' fun!" Goofy laughed as he checked his watch, noting that he should probably go back to the studio as his appointment was due in five minutes.

"Well, thank you for keeping me company. See you around?"

"Sure! Let's do this again, sometime!"

Clarabelle blushed a bit, her heart quickened its pace upon realizing that didn't sound like a bad idea.
"I'd... I'd like that. Yes, let's eat together sometime."

"A-hyuck! Then, it's a date!" Goofy stated until his brain caught up with his mouth and his previous confidence was quickly replaced by flustering blushes upon his own words. "Wait... no, sorry, I didn't mean it like that, no, I just..." He was suddenly reminded of Pete's words of when he was going to ask her out, to which his already fast-beating heart told him he wasn't entirely ready to do that just yet.

Clarabelle simply giggled, glad it was him and not her doing the slipping.
"It's okay, silly. I'll see you later!"

With that, she was off, glad she handled that well. Though she couldn't stop thinking about what Goofy had said and it made her muzzle take a pink tone.
A date with him didn't sound like a bad idea, but she'd have to take the time to get to know him first.

Yeah... that'd sound nice, if he wasn't married that is. Clarabelle knew she'd have to find out sooner before she made a big fool out of herself and it wasn't like anything was going to happen, they were just going to meet up as friends, that's all.

Her fast-beating heart told her otherwise.

Meanwhile, at that exact same moment, but in a different place, Max and P.J. were chatting, heading towards class after lunch was over.
They had grabbed the books they needed to tackle the science quiz that was due today, though P.J. seemed to be carrying more books than Max was.

Even if you were a total stranger to these boys, you could already tell which one was nervous and which one was more laid-back.

"Hey. *huff* Do you think Jessica likes me? I noticed she was *huff* giving me looks during lunch." P.J. stifled out as he struggled to carry the books in front of him and his backpack behind him, his enormous size didn't seem to help him either.

"Sure. If you count the looks of disgust at how you eat the looks of love." Max replied sarcastically, completely aware that his best friend had a tendency to devour his food and come out looking like a pig, even when the lunch was something small like a salad, P.J. always found some way to make it a massacre.

P.J. shot him a glare, but as usual, didn't have a proper comeback. It was something he liked to say was... what was it? "Being quiet saves many a friendship"? Though, Max knew that P.J. couldn't come up with a comeback, even if his life depended on it.

Before they turned into another hallway, Max felt a cold chill run down his spine and he quickly looked back, feeling like something wasn't right.
There wasn't anyone else in the hallway, everyone had already gone to class, but Max was so sure something bad was about to happen.

"Hey, Max! You coming or what?" P.J. leaned over and called out.

"Yeah, I'm coming, P.J." Max stared suspiciously, wondering what it could be that would make feel such a way.

"Well, I'm not sticking around. Old man Gruff'll come for a tardy sweep and I'm on a no-detention record." P.J. said as he turned around to leave, heading towards the open door down the hallway.

Max said nothing as he continued to look around suspiciously, suddenly his thoughts turned to his dad and he wondered what he was doing at that very moment, though it struck him as odd.

He turned and began to run to his classroom, just as the teacher was about to close the door.

Maybe it really was just nothing.

Who knew a stick in the mud could turn out to be the longest chapter in this story to date?

It seemed that once this was in the hands of the site, the inspiration came running back and I added a lot more than what was here previously. But, hey, more wins for me, I suppose.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, feel free to get in touch with me by reviewing or just sending a message, my door is always open and I'm always happen to have a nice little chat with someone.
Maybe I'm going to jinx it, but I think the next chapter will be easier to write out than this one, it should be out a lot quicker than this one.

Thank you for reading, I'll see you all soon!
With love,
-RollieMcFly27