Chapter 42
Mimi bounded down the hallway and slowed down near her door, biting her lip. It was a Friday night, the annual Girls Night. However, Mimi had a feeling this one wouldn't be as giggly and carefree as the usual ones. First of all, Chloe left for Maine the other day, and secondly, Belle was still coping over what Sam tried to do to her.

Mimi sighed and bumped her door open with her hip. "Okay, I've got Twinkies, chips, white cheddar popcorn, and tons of other stuff you shouldn't be letting me eat," Mimi joked as she piled the food in front of Belle. "It should be a fun bathing sui season," she muttered.

Belle opened the bag of popcorn and immediately started munching on the snack. Mimi sat down next to her friend, curling her legs underneath her. "How are you holding up, sweetie?" she asked, placing her hand on Belle's shoulder.

Belle shrugged. "Better, I guess," she said, looking down. "I just--"

"It's not your fault," Mimi interrupted, knowing Belle was about to place the blame on herself once again.

Belle exhaled in frustration and plopped her head down on the pillow. "Meems, I'm too nice! I let him take advantage of me..."

Mimi plopped down next to her friend and laid her head on Belle's shoulder. Belle rested her head on top of Mimi's. "Belle, he was stronger than you, what--"

"No," Belle said. "I mean, Shawn knew there was something up with Sam. And so did I, actually. But, NO, I just have to go and be nice to the kid. I totally led him on, Mimi."

The brunette sighed. "No, you didn't. So you're nice. That's a good thing! Besides, Sam thought you liked him way before you even talked to him," Mimi pointed out. Belle let Mimi's words sink in. "He was a sick loser, Belle. That wasn't your fault."

Belle looked away, knowing Mimi was right. Mimi decided to take Belle's mind off of Sam for once. "So, you haven't told me yet what incredibly adorable things a certain Shawn Brady told you to make you feel better," Mimi teased.

Belle giggled, grateful for Mimi's lightheartedness. "That must be some record for me. That's like, what, two days of not mentioning Shawn?" she joked. Belle smiled to herself as she remembered the other night.

Shawn sighed, finally done talking with his father, Abe and Roman in the office. He approached Belle, who was sitting next to John. She still had Shawn's leather jacket on and Shawn grinned at how it looked so huge on the petite girl. John caught Shawn's eye, whispered something to Belle and walked into Roman's office. Belle looked up as Shawn took John's seat. "Hey," he said.

"Hi," Belle replied quietly. Shawn looked down...he couldn't believe just a couple of hours ago, she was underneath some other guy, probably expecting the worst. Shawn's body shuddered with anger as he thought of the boy who tried to take away Belle's innocence. Shawn shook away the memory and turned to Belle.

"How're you feeling?" he asked.

Belle met Shawn's eyes. "I'm okay," she whispered. She slowly laced her fingers with Shawn's.

"You want me to get you something?" Shawn asked, his concern still evident. "Water, Coke?"

Belle shook her head and tightened her grip on Shawn's hand. "I just want you to stay."

Shawn smiled. "Well, that'll be an easy one for me to do." The couple sat there for a few minutes before Shawn cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Belle."

Belle looked up at Shawn in surprise. "Sorry? Why?"

"For not getting there in time," he explained in shame. "I should've been there, I shouldn't have let anything like that happen."

Belle shifted in her seat to face Shawn better. "Shawn, stop. You were there. You did stop something from happening," she reminded him gently.

"Yeah, but...he touched you, Belle. He scared you."

"But it's okay," Belle assured him. "You had no way of knowing he was there. And you saved me anyway, Shawn," Belle said with a small smile.

Shawn smiled back and broke their hand-holding to put his arm around Belle's shoulders. "I'll always be there for you, baby. No one's ever going to hurt you again."

Belle nodded, snuggling deeper into Shawn's hold. She knew Shawn meant his words. "Thank you, Shawn," she said, for good measure in case Shawn still felt guilty. "For being so sweet and being at my side."

"Always," Shawn agreed. They sat in silence until Belle giggled. "What's so funny?" Shawn asked with a curious grin.

"You let me call you sweet."

Shawn chuckled. "Well, cherish it, cause now you're not allowed to ever say it again."

"Hey!" Belle protested, laughing.

Mimi let out a giggle. "Well, now you know he's whipped. He actually let you say the s-word."

Belle smiled and a picture grabbed her attention. Between a frame of Belle, Mimi and Chloe posing as Charlie's Angels, and of Mimi, Belle, Shawn and Philip playing kickball in 5th grade, was a larger wooden frame. In it was a picture of Jason kissing Mimi on the cheek.

"Speaking of whipped," Belle said in a mock-scolding tone. "I see the picture of you and me in 8th grade has been replaced."

"Hey! Jason does not have me whipped," Mimi protested. "Besides, you hated that picture."

"Yeah, I know," Belle laughed. "You know, you and Jason are, like, dangerously cute together. I didn't know that it was possible for a couple to be so cute."

"It's fun being dangerously cute, though," Mimi joked.

"I still can't believe you two are together. I mean, first you hated each other. Then, you just, like, made out a lot. And then you were best friends. And now..."

"He's my boyfriend!" Mimi squealed happily.

The two girls giggled at their silliness as all unhappiness and bad memories were erased for at least the moment by the most refreshing thing a girl could have...friendship.


"K.O.!" Jason declared, pumping his fist in the air. Shawn threw his game controller on the floor and rolled his eyes.

"You wouldn't have killed me if you didn't smash the buttons like that," Shawn grumbled.

"Well, Brady had his serving of sour grapes today," Jason joked. "All right, all right, rematch," he said as Shawn and Jason picked new fighters.

"You play winner?" Shawn asked Philip, looking over his shoulder.

Philip sighed unhappily and fiddled with Shawn's stereo until he found a familiar slow melody. Perfect.

The sky has lost its color, the sun has turned to gray
At least that's how it feels to me whenever you're away
I crawl up in a corner, as I watch the minutes pass
Each one brings me closer to the time when you'll be back
You're coming back

I can't take the distance, I can't take the miles
I can't take the time until the next time I see you smile
I can't take the distance and I'm not ashamed
That I can't take a breath without saying your name
I can brave a hurricane and still be standing tall when all the dust has settled down
But I can't take the distance

I still believe in feelings...but sometimes I feel too much
I make believe you're close to me but it ain't close enough
Not nearly close enough

I can't take the distance, I can't take the miles
I can't take the time until the next time I see you smile
I can't take the distance and I'm not ashamed
That I can't take a breath without saying your name
I can brave a hurricane and still be standing tall when all the dust has settled down

And I can't take the distance
The distance

When the song died down, Shawn and Jason shared a glance. "Phil, she's only been gone for, like, two days," Jason said, returning to the game.

"And why are we listening to a station that plays Evan and Jaron?" Shawn asked.

"And why do you know that was Evan and Jaron?" Jason shot back with a grin. Philip ignored his friends and closed his eyes to imagine running his hands through long, silky beautiful brown hair.

Shawn reached into a nearby bag of chips, never breaking his gaze from the game screen. "You seem to forget who my girlfriend is: Teenybopper of the Century."

Jason laughed. "Yeah, well, my girl is pretty fierce competition for that title, so, I feel ya, man."

"Chloe likes opera," Philip muttered softly, his mind full of Chloe's singing as soon as the guys started talking about music.

Shawn and Jason glanced at each other again and sighed, pausing the game. "Philip, don't you think it's a little soon to be acting like Chloe died? I mean, I hate to see you when she's still gone two months from now," Shawn said carefully.

Philip whined unhappily at the reminder of two and a half summer months without Chloe.
Jason scratched the side of his head as he and Shawn stared helplessly at their miserable friend. "Dude, what do chicks do when crap like this goes down?" Jason whispered to Shawn.

"Um...eat ice cream and watch Pretty Woman?" Shawn shrugged.

"That's it?" Jason said, crinkling his nose. "That's kinda boring. Don't they, like, watch porn or something?"

"No, that's what we're supposed to do."

"Well, do you have any?" Jason asked, looking at Shawn's tapes.

"No, I'm not you, remember?" Shawn answered, rolling his eyes.

"Chloe says porn is for disgusting losers," Philip murmured as he traced a circle on Shawn's window with his finger. Shawn shot a bemused look towards Jason who cleared his throat uncomfortably. Suddenly, Philip pounded his fist against the windowpane. Shawn and Jason flinched as Philip winced at the pain. "I hate this. This is going to be the worst summer ever!"

"Hey, you always have us," Shawn offered, patting Philip on the back reassuringly.

"Yeah, great," Philip muttered.

"Hey, thanks a lot," Jason said. "Look, we may not have Chloe's boobs and we may not wanna make out with you, but we're your best friends."

"Right," Shawn nodded. "We'll be here for you. We know you're gonna miss Chloe, but we'll help you out. That's what we're here for you," Shawn said as Jason nodded encouragingly.

Philip looked over his shoulder and grinned. "Thanks, guys."

The three friends stood there awkwardly.

"Are we supposed to hug now or something?" Jason asked uncomfortably.

"Actually, I think it's time for me to kick your ass at that game!" Shawn shouted as Philip laughed. Jason and Shawn dived for the controllers.

"Don't forget, you play winner, Phil!" Jason said. "Meaning me!"

Philip forced out another smile as Jason and Shawn yelled names at each other while they pounded on the controllers. Philip turned his attention back to the window and frowned. Sure, he cherished his friends but...how was he going to get through the summer without his Chloe?

Chapter 43
Mimi slowly lowered her foot into the cool water and instantly yanked it up, crinkling her nose. "It's a lil' cold," she called over her shoulder.

Jason walked onto Mimi's deck with his clothes in his arms. "Hey, your parents installed this pool for a reason."

"Yeah, for me to feel like I'm rich," Mimi joked, turning to face Jason. She felt her breath catch in her throat. She had seen Jason in a bathing suit before but he looked...perfect. He had definitely been working out and his skin looked even tanner than usual. Mimi wrapped her towel tighter around her as she reminded herself that this was her boyfriend. Whew, Mimi thought. I owe you one, God.

Jason looked up at Mimi with an amused smile. "See something you like?"

"I...um...well, I--" Mimi stammered.

Jason grinned and stretched his arms over his head, yawning. His shorts slipped down a little to expose the area she called the "v"--a little below the belly button. Mimi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What was this, Temptation Backyard? Sure, they were dating and all, but she had to fight taking him right there. Not ready, not ready, Mimi chanted to herself.

"So, are you gonna go swimming in that?" Jason asked, pointing to Mimi's towel.

"Oh. Yeah, I better take this off," she muttered.

Jason wrapped his arms from behind Mimi just as she slipped off the towel. "Hmm, I love hearing that come out of your mouth," he murmured.

Mimi tilted her head back. "Well, Jase, sorry to disappoint, but you're not gonna be hearing it again anytime soon," she teased, stepping out of his embrace.

Jason threw his head back dramatically and groaned when he saw Mimi's baby blue string bikini. "Woman, you are killing me!"

If you only knew how much you were killing me, Mimi said to herself as she tested the water again with her toes. "Gosh, it's freez--"

"WIMP!" Jason shouted, suddenly lunging forward and wrapping his arms around Mimi. He pushed them both over the edge of the pool and splashing into the water. Mimi emerged first, coughing. "Jason, I'm gonna kill--Jase? Jason?" Mimi spun around, her eyes darting over the surface of the water. A second later, she felt something brush by her leg and Mimi screamed when the something pulled her under.

She came up again, spitting a mouthful of water out. Jason jumped up and laughed, brushing Mimi's wet hair off of her forehead.

Mimi playfully swatted his hand away. "Jerk," she kidded, sticking out her tongue. Jason's eyes twinkled and he captured her tongue in between his lips. Caught off-guard, Mimi blushed and backed away. "Jason," she giggled nervously.

"Sorry," he said, lightly splashing her. "When I see tongue, I can't be held responsible for my actions."

Mimi rolled her eyes and laughed. "Wanna play volleyball or something?"

"Actually, since we're out here all alone, let's ditch the bathing suits," Jason suggested, a wicked grin spreading over his face.

"You mean skinny-dipping?" Mimi whispered.

"Yes, that would be the definition of skinny-dipping: naked people in a body of water."

"I--well, um..."

"Ah, come on, Lockhart," Jason said, leaning closer. "Don't be a coward."

Mimi smirked. "Ah, come on, Welles," she mimicked. "I thought you could do better than that. If you're gonna get me naked, you'll have to be more creative."

Jason's eyes lit up. "So there is a chance to see you naked?" he asked hopefully. Mimi shook her head in defeat before dipping under the water. She quickly came back up, throwing her head back and smoothing her hair down with her hands. "Oh, please don't say no, 'cause I feel like I'm in the middle of a personal Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shoot," Jason said lowly, wading closer to Mimi.

"What is it with guys and one-track minds? I bet I could say anything and you'd turn it sexual," Mimi said, rolling her eyes.

"Mm...sounds like a fun game to me!"

Mimi sighed. "Hmm...grass."

"Sex in a public park on a freshly cut lawn," Jason said without hesitation.

"Public?!" Mimi squeaked. "Why would it have to be public?"

"Ah, young Grasshopper," Jason said in a horrible mock-accent. "You have much to learn from Master Welles."

"Master Welles, huh?" Mimi asked with a mischievous glitter in her eyes. "Now that could be interesting."

Jason expression changed immediately to intrigue. "Now whose mind is in the gutter? Not that I'm complaining, of course..."

Mimi threw her arms around Jason's neck. "You know, for a sex-crazed guy, you sure do talk a lot."

"Well, do me a favor and shut me the hell up," Jason growled.

Mimi obliged immediately, bringing her lips up to Jason's. It didn't take long for Jason to slip his tongue over Mimi's mouth and she parted her lips at once. As they deepened the kiss, Mimi wrapped her legs around Jason's waist and pressed herself closer. Jason moaned loudly into Mimi's mouth. The feeling of Mimi's thinly covered breasts pressing against his bare chest and the fact that he was rubbing her silky thighs made Jason feel like he was going to lose his mind. Mimi moved on to Jason's neck, her hair sending water droplets running down Jason's body. She nipped Jason's skin and soothed it instantly with a slow flick of her tongue. Jason threw his head back, encouraging her, and his breathing grew faster as Mimi shifted her weight. Her body rubbed against the bulge in Jason's shorts, causing him to close his eyes and groan deeply.

Jason let his hands wander from her thighs and make a trail up Mimi's body. Mimi felt herself shiver as she found Jason's lips again. Jason's hands continued to move up until they reached Mimi's chest. She pulled back slightly, allowing Jason to reach under her suit and cup her breast. Mimi whimpered against Jason's lips. She had never been this far with a guy before and she never knew it would be this intense. Mimi rocked her hips towards Jason and he squeezed her gently, making them both lose even more control as they kissed each other frantically.

BRING!

The harsh ring of Jason's cell phone from his pants' pocket snapped Mimi back to clear thoughts. The couple pulled away, breathing heavily. Mimi hopped off of Jason, turned her back to him and adjusted her top as she cleared her throat uncomfortably. Jason closed his eyes. He was definitely disappointed in the interruption. But deep down he knew they needed to stop before doing something Mimi wasn't ready for. In her pool.

Jason spun her around and lightly kissed her forehead. "Baby, I'm sorry that went so far."

Mimi looked up and bit her lip. "I-it's ok."

"Is it?" Jason asked, ducking a little to meet Mimi's gaze.

"I...I just...it scares me, I guess. I mean, everything about it," Mimi mumbled, her blush getting deeper. Jason must think I'm such a dork, she said to herself.

"The thought of me naked is that frightening, huh?" Jason joked, hoping to get Mimi's mind off any insecure thoughts he knew she was having.

Mimi laughed and gave Jason a hug. "Trust me, that's the thing I'll look forward to the most."

Jason pulled back and placed a stray lock of hair behind Mimi's ear. "When the time comes. I won't push you, all right? I promise." Mimi nodded with a grin, thankful that Jason was so understanding. "By the way, no need to be scared, because I can assure you that I look hella fine naked," Jason said, raising one eyebrow in an attempt to appear debonair.

Mimi shook her head with a giggle. "Good, thanks for setting my mind at ease," she said sarcastically. The phone continued to ring and Jason sighed in exasperation. He gave Mimi a quick kiss before pulling himself out of the pool.

"Damn cell phones. Good for nothing excepting interrupting my game," he half-joked to Mimi before digging his phone out of his pile of clothes.

"Hello?"

"What the hell took you so long to pick up?"

Jason closed his eyes. "Hello, Jan."


"We're only going to dotCom, you know," Shawn said, plopping down on Belle's bed. "No need to get all glammed up for some mochas."

Belle tugged at a stubborn strand of hair. "I just wanna try--" Belle pulled a handful of hair back. "A new hair--ow! Ow!" Belle let go of her hair in frustration, letting it fall over her shoulders. She glared at her reflection in the mirror and started again.

Shawn sighed, not bothering to rush his girlfriend. She worked at her own...very slow...pace. He flipped her buddy bear around a couple of times until a thin blue book on Belle's shelf caught his eye. Their middle school yearbook. Shawn grinned and pulled it out, flipping to the seventh grade pictures section. Belle, of course, was the only one of her page at least, who didn't look like a dork. Her hair was swept up in a ponytail and she had on the cutest smile. Shawn looked a row down and his eyes widened at his picture. Well, the memory of pre-rebel Shawn--Shawn-D with a bowl cut and braces--was a surprise enough. But the big red heart drawn around his picture was certainly unexpected. Above the heart, Belle had written "S.B. + B.B. = 4eva!"

Shawn smiled and shook his head. It was still unbelievable that they had wasted so many years denying their feelings. Of course, it seemed Belle gave up denying a lot sooner than Shawn did. Shawn flipped through the pages. Next to both Mimi's and Philip's pictures were the letters, "B.F.F!" Some things never change. A big X was drawn over Jan's face. Another X was over Jason's and in Mimi's handwriting, it said below it, "Major Buttface!" And some things change a lot. Shawn finally reached his yearbook signature to Belle, written in his spot that he used every year--the back cover.

Belle,
I never know what to write in these things. I know you'll have a good summer, cuz you're gonna come sailing with me, Mom and Dad. I know you'll do good next year, cuz you always do. So, what else is there? Well, anyway, I'm glad you're my best friend, even if you do spend too much time doing girl stuff. Well...see ya later!
Sincerely, Shawn-D

Shawn grinned at his awkward entry...thankfully, he had grown more eloquent since then. Belle would kill him if he tried to write something like that to her now. Shawn's grin widened when he saw he had started to write "Love," but crossed it out and replaced it with a sadly spelled "Sincerely,". Jeez, if he wasn't so pathetically clueless, Belle would have gone with him to the Moving Up dance...and all the dances after that.

"Do you know Belle's going to the dance with Danny Larusso?" a seventh-grade Philip asked, leaning against the wall as they waited for Shawn's mom to pick them up.

"What?" Shawn asked, his eyes flashing angrily.

"Yeah. I guess she got tired of waiting for you to ask her, Shawn-D," Philip said knowingly.

Shawn pushed his jealously down and turned away. "Whatever, loser. Belle and I are just friends."

Shawn smiled to himself. And that was his mantra for years until he finally woke up. He looked up to see Belle staring at him. And thank God he did.

Belle averted her gaze and blushed. "You weren't supposed to see that."

Shawn closed the yearbook and rose his eyebrows. "Ah, come on, 'B.B.' It was a very beautifully drawn heart." Belle glared at him and jumped on the bed. "So, we're gonna be together 4eva, huh?" Shawn asked with a playful smile, holding up four fingers.

"Shut up, Brady!" Belle squealed, swatting his shoulder.

Shawn grabbed Belle's hand and pulled her on top of him. "I like you better here," Shawn decided softly.

Belle smiled and lowered her head to kiss Shawn. Shawn felt the familiar tightening in his pants that happened whenever Belle touched him and he played with the hem of her shirt. Shawn's hand slowly found its way up Belle's shirt and she pulled away instantly. "I'm s-sor-sorry," she stammered.

"Hey...Belle, it's ok. If anyone should be sorry, it's me," Shawn assured her.

Belle swore she saw disappointment in his eyes and she bit her lip guiltily. Here she was, leading another guy and being a tease, just like with Sam.

Belle sat up and buried her head in her hands. Shawn scooted up behind her. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing. Let's just go to dotCom, ok?"

"We're not leaving until--" Shawn's cell phone began to ring and he rolled his eyes. He reached over the side of the bed and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Brady?"

Shawn frowned in confusion. "H...Henderson?"

"I found your number on young Philip's desk." Shawn jumped up. Don't say it, oh, no, don't say--

Henderson cleared his throat. "He's gone."

Chapter 44
Philip gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. According to the address that Chloe gave him on her quick phone call before she left so he could write to her, Philip was only five minutes away from the house.

He couldn't believe he was actually in Maine. Philip had never done anything this spontaneous in his life before, but, then again, he never had anyone like Chloe in his life before. Philip had just been sitting in his room, wishing that he could run his hands through her gorgeous long hair at that moment. Then he had remembered that his dad's credit card was still in his wallet, and before he knew it, Philip was driving at record speed to the airport. One ticket and rent-a-car later, here he was.

His dad was going to murder him.

Philip shook his head...he could get him to understand. It wasn't fair that Nancy had taken Chloe away from him the way she did. Philip just needed to see her, even if it was only for five minutes. To know that she missed him at least half as much as he missed her. Philip made a sharp left and felt his stomach knot in anxiety. He was so excited that he was making up his own speed limits as he went.

Philip sighed when he saw the number on the mailbox. This was it. He pulled to a stop and took a deep breath as he imagined the look on Chloe's face when she opened the door. Surprise. Happiness. Excitement. Relief. Philip cheerfully thought of more expressions as he climbed out of his car and up the driveway. Suddenly, he heard a familiar laugh a few feet to his side and Philip walked back down the pavement. He peered onto the neighbor's front lawn and immediately felt his face tense.

Chloe was running away from some kid their age on the grass. They were both laughing as the boy tackled her to the ground and began tickling her. Chloe squealed and playfully tried to push the guy off of her. Philip felt his eyes narrow into little slits and he clenched his jaw. This was not what he pictured. He was expecting Chloe to be as depressed and lonely as him...not frolicking with some boy band member wannabe on his front lawn.

Suddenly a hand clamped onto his shoulder and whipped him around.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Nancy demanded.


"When are we going to have the engagement party?" Heather called to Brady, who was trying to fix her sink dials in the bathroom.

"God, Heather, when did you turn into Amazon Woman? You nearly killed this damn thing," Brady grunted.

"Or maybe you just can't fix it," Heather retorted. Brady mimicked her comment in a whiny, high-pitched tone and she sighed. "I am getting married to a six-year-old," she muttered to herself. "Let's focus here. I'll make it simple for you. Party. When?"

"Oh, you're just on a roll tonight, Heather," Brady said, rolling his eyes.

"Look, I'm tired and I'm crabby and I just want to figure out the damn date of the party," Heather said.

"Why don't you just go take a nap?" Brady asked, throwing down the dial in frustration.

"Because I need to figure out when to have the party. Your dad and Marlena wanted to throw this thing as soon as possible, and we need to give them the best time for us," Heather repeated more gently.

"Okay, okay...well, why don't you figure out your work schedule and we'll arrange it around that?" Brady suggested, picking the dial back up.

Heather nodded and reached for her planner. "Good call." She thumbed through the pages and scanned the month's work times. Suddenly, a red dot on the page caught the corner of her eye.

Late. She was late.

"Holy shit," she murmured.

"What's wrong?" Brady asked, entering the room. Heather looked up at him in surprise and slammed her planner shut. "Heather? What's the matter?"

Heather bit her lip and took a shaky breath. "Brady, I think you better sit down."

"What the hell took you so long to pick up?" Jan repeated.

"Why the hell are you calling me, Jan?" Jason demanded, ignoring her question. Mimi waded slowly to the edge of the pool. Jan was calling Jason? This was not good at all. What if she wants Jason back? No, Mimi told herself firmly. Confidence, girl. Jason wants you, not her.

"Miss me, sweetie?" Jan cooed.

"Oh, yeah. Cause, you know, I care about you as much as I care about a huge pile of elephant shit," Jason responded. Mimi rolled her eyes...where the heck did he come up with this stuff?

"Thanks for the visual, Jase," Jan muttered.

Mimi decided to get closer and raised herself out of the pool. However, her foot slipped and she toppled back into the water, causing a huge splash. Jason whipped around and Mimi resurfaced with a sheepish grin.

"What was that? Where are you?" Jan demanded shrilly.

"I'm with my girlfriend," Jason said cheerfully, enjoying the power over Jan he had to make her squirm. Mimi winced as Jan's loud voice roared over the phone.

"YOUR WHAT?!"

"My girlfriend," Jason repeated, winking at Mimi. Mimi slapped herself dramatically on the forehead. Sometimes Jason forgot the brain was a thing to be used. Well, as long as he didn't say her name, Jan wouldn't slip into permanent PMS.

Jan struggled with words in disbelief and Jason continued. "Yes, you heard me right. Girlfriend. Mimi Lockhart-style."

Mimi closed her eyes as she mentally start to make her list of things to do before Jan Spears murdered her.

"MIMI!?" Jan screamed.

"Yes, Mimi. Now, if you'll excuse us, you interrupted some serious making out and I'd really like to get back to it. See ya, Jan!" Jason said, hanging up his cell phone proudly and dunking it onto his pile of dry clothes. "Three points!" he shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

Jason jogged back over to Mimi with a grin as she pulled herself out of the pool and held out his hand for Mimi to slap. "How awesome was I?!"

Mimi glared at him and punched him hard on the arm before storming into the house. Jason stared after her in confusion...that was way too much like I-Hate-Jason Mimi from a few months ago.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me we have to start all over again!" Jason called after her.


Mimi sighed shakily and leaned against the wall. She probably didn't have any right to be angry at Jason, since Jan would have found out that they were dating sooner or later. It's just that later seemed a lot nicer and safer than sooner. Jan was like Satan's teenage daughter with ugly shoes. Still, she knew that she had to apologize for being bratty to Jason. Mimi pushed herself away from the wall and bit her lip. Maybe Jan wouldn't care and would leave her alone...

Who was she kidding? Mimi was going have to find the nearest flight to Guam before Jan got her claws on her.


Jan punched her pillow and screamed in rage. "Enjoy him now, Meems," she muttered. "This is going to the shortest relationship in history."