"Gah! Ahh, ow!" Alan complained as I led him by the hand through the house.

"Shh," I hissed. I looked around, trying to spot where my family was so I could sneak Alan up the stairs without getting caught and like sent to a nunnery or something.

He tiptoed silently beside me, a huge grin ready to dissolve into laughter on his face. "I like you playing the secret agent," he snickered. "It's cute."

I didn't see anyone, so they were probably in the TV room. Sky was probably in his room as usual. "Coast is clear!" I whispered. We crept up the stairs like cat burglars, Alan giggling the entire time. I pushed open my door and looked inside to make sure Summer wasn't in there. I went in and gestured for him to follow.

"So this is your room," he said quietly, his eyes roaming over the two unmade beds and the dresser spilling out clothes.

"Mm-hmm," I murmured. Then I realized I hadn't put away my unmentionable and they were sitting in a pile on the foot of my bed. I dove for them and quickly flung them under the bed, smiling casually at Alan.

"I prefer boxer-briefs myself, but those were quite fashionable," he said, laughing at my blush. "It smells way better than my room in here."

"Oh. That's because you're a smelly boy, Alan."

"Not all boys are smelly," he told me indignantly, and sat down next to me on the bed.

I hit me that I didn't feel uncomfortable with him so close to me on my bed. As his hand traveled up my leg and around my waist, I parted my lips and looked up at him.

He met my eyes and gave me a shy, impish half-smile. His face inches from mine, he murmured, "Hi."

I laughed breathily, and he nipped my smiling lips with his. When I didn't pull away, he kissed me again, this time longer, with more fire.

I was falling hard for him. And I think he knew it as his hands found my face and he stroked my cheek with his thumb.

"It's amazing," he muttered, his lips close to my ear.

"What is?"

"Kissing you," he replied. "You're…it's just…" He laughed. "I don't know."

I kissed his cheek. "Me too, Alan."

He smiled gratefully at me and brushed my hair away from my face so he could kiss my forehead.

"LYRIC!!!! I SWEAR TO GO IF YOU STOLE THAT MONKEY AGAIN I WILL CHOP YOU UP INTO LITTLE TINY PIECES AND FLUSH YOU DOWN THE TOILET!!!"

I flew back from Alan when I heard my brother come storming upstairs.

Sheryl yelled, "Sky, don't you dare clog the toilet again!"

"Should I hide?" Alan asked.

"Yes please!"

He dropped to the floor and was about to slide under my bed, but I scrambled to the ground to stop him. "Panties!"

"Ahahahaha!" he laughed loudly, then clamped his hand over his mouth. His shoulders shook with violent laughter as I shoved him into the closet.

Sky charged into my room and tackled me to the floor.

"Where's my monkey!" he yelled.

"I'll smother you with underwear if you don't get off me," I warned.

He did roll away from me. "Monkey?"

"I don't have the monkey."

"There where is it?" he cried.

"I don't KNOW!" I shouted. "Get out of my room!"

"Why, are you doing drugs?"

"Yes! And I would like to trip out on my own if you don't mind!"

"if you find my monkey…"

"If I find your monkey I will return him for a price, Sky, yes, of course."

"Thanks. That's all I ask."

"Now get out," I pleaded.

I breathed a sigh of relief when sky left, closing the door behind him. "Okay, Alan, it's safe."

He pushed his way past all the clothes and emerged, wearing a flowery hat.

I laughed. "Flattering!"

"You think so?"

"Definitely. You can keep it. It's Summer's."

He grinned and placed it on my head. "Looks better on you." He lowered his voice. "What about a monkey?"

I adjusted the hat, glanced in the mirror and shrugged. "We're both afraid of the dark."

"So you have a monkey stand guard against the boogey man?"

"It's a nightlight!"

The shocked O of surprise that his mouth formed turned into a wide smile as he started to laugh.

"It's really not that humourous."

"Well he's a football player!"

"Hahahaha I know, that surprises me too," I giggled.

"It's cute that you're scared of the dark though," he said, slipping his hands around my waist. "Does that mean you need someone to protect you at night now that the monkey is missing?"

I stretched up to kiss him. "Nice try. But the monkey is hiding in my sock drawer."

After I had snuck Alan out the back door, I went into the kitchen to see what the fridge had in store for me. I poured myself a glass of milk and had just sat down at the table when Summer walked in.

"Want a cookie?" she asked.

"That's a silly question."

Grabbing two cookies for each of us, she pulled up a chair next to me. "You're glowwwwing, Lyric."

"You saying I'm radioactive?" I dunked a chocolate chip cookie into my milk.

"I'm saying you look like you just had your first kiss."

"Eh?"

"Oh come on, Lyric. I know you smuggled Alan to your room.

"Yes, and we made wild passionate love on your bed," I said dryly.

"Yeah. Sure." She shoved a whole cookie in her mouth. (My sister, the automatic garborator. I didn't see how she could stay thin) "I think it's sweet. Your first kiss and all."

"Oh please. I've kissed many."

"Yeah right."

"Listen, Miss Tongue Happy--"

"Relatives and other girls don't count." She paused, deep in thought. "Neither do dogs."

"Cats?"

"Nope."

"Well then," I muttered.

"Aww," she giggled. ""Woo, look at you blush."

"Shut up."

She smiled, then wolfed down her other cookie. "Um, so I broke up with Ronnie."

"WHY!" I hollered. "The Summer-Sunshine thing is too perfect to pass up!"

"I don't need a boyfriend," she said quietly. "I know guys notice me for what I look like, and that's probably why I can always get a boyfriend."

"Ronnie's not like that. He actually liked you for some reason."

Without raising her head, she glanced up at me with a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "He's good to me and I just need a friend right now."

"And he understands that?"

"Yes, I think so." A sad cloud fell over her pretty face. "I wish I could fall in love, Lyric."

"Then don't look for it. That's what happened to me. I've never wanted to fall in love with anyone before and now I'm all giddy and blushing and nauseating."

"Teeheehee you're in love," she laughed delightedly.

"Hey, it's Alan. How can you not fall in love with Alan?"

Summer smiled.