"Look what has happened with just one kiss," Elizabeth sang, in a terrible falsetto way too high for her voice. "I never knew that I could be in love like this…"

"If you keep singing Dusty Springfield, I will put you in a box and send you to Peru. On a bus," Gordie growled.

"You can't get from Oregon to Peru on a bus," Elizabeth said, a touch of arrogance in her voice. "Boy, you know you're unsmart when…"

The two of them, along with Elizabeth's dog, as well as Chris and Ren, were walking through the park, foliage tattooing shadows on their arms and faces. They hadn't told Chris and Ren that they were kinda secretly more than just friends. It wasn't like they didn't trust them. For some reason they just didn't want to tell anyone yet.

"A swing," Ren observed, pointing to the swing set about fifty feet away.

"Hey, I'll race you," Elizabeth said.

"No, I don't race. I walk," Ren told her adamantly.

"Fine, have fun walking while I get there before you do," she giggled, and took off, Nakoma racing along beside her, barking madly.

"I'm going to kick your scrawny ass, you freaking midget," Ren grumbled and chased after her.

"Hahaha, girls running," Gordie said.

Chris looked at his friend and shook his head. "You surprise me in the most shocking ways sometimes, Gordo."

They watched, amused, as Elizabeth caught her foot in a gopher hole and fell. "Run, Nakoma, rip her ankles off!"

Ren dove onto the seat of the swing, and squawked as Nakoma barked at her. "Elizabeth, get it away from me!"

Gordie held Elizabeth by the elbow as she got to her feet. "Wow, thanks, I was scared the little gopher monsters were going to gnaw my foot off." She looked up and saw Ren trying to get as far away from her dog as she could. "Nakoma, come here! Leave the stupid girl alone!"

"Hey!" Ren cried, although she was relieved that Nakoma listened and was bounding towards his owner. "I'm not stupid!"

"My condolences."

His sneakers sinking into the loose sand, Chris walked to Ren, and without any words, gently pushed her. Ren clutched the chains tightly and let herself soar through the air. She loved the feel of Chris' hands on her back.

"My mom wants to meet you," Chris said quietly.

"Me?"

"Aren't you Ren?"

"You've told your mom about me?"

"What is this, answer a question with a question day?" he laughed. "Of course I've told my mom about you."

"I told my mom about you last night too," she told him. "I'd love to meet her."

"You have to come over tonight though, okay?" He had to reach up to push her now; she was going too high. "My dad won't be home. Is that enough notice for you?"

"Yeah, I think so," she replied. "Thanks for inviting me, Chris."

"Sure."

"Guys, we gotta go," Elizabeth called. "Nakoma just crapped on the merry-go-round."

"Oh, that's very nice, Elizabeth," Chris said sarcastically. He watched as Ren dragged her feet through the sand to stop the swing. "I sense a pattern with that dog, what with it always ruining fun and all."

"Well, I'm sorry, it's not like I asked him to do it," she shot back.

For a moment by accident, Gordie clasped his hand around hers. They both giggled nervously and shoved their hands in their pockets, blushing. Chris and Ren looked at each other and smiled. He took her hand.

Ren giggled and, to piss Elizabeth off, began to sing, "Gordie and Elizabeth sitting in a tree, f-u-c-k-i-n-g…"

And then to piss Gordie off, Chris said, "First comes Gordie--"

"Hey!" Gordie yelled and whirled around. "I do not ejaculate prematurely, that's a LIE!"

It was always nice to twist an innocent song around into a dirty, sacrilegious monstrosity.

[AN: sorry for the shortness and not too much important happeningness of this chapter, guys, there will be more later, I've started writing the next chapter, which is more interesting, but it's not done. So please bare with me :)]