[KIM'S HOUSE]
Kim slowly picked up the three cups of hot cocoa she made from the kitchen. "Who could that Melanie possibly be?" she asked herself. She shrugged onto Josh's jacket, took a deep breath, and proceeded to the living room where Josh and Ron were. She faked a smile and sat down beside Ron. She gave a cup to Ron and placed another in front of Josh. "So, uh... what's the sitch?" Kim asked.
Josh stared into nothingness. Ron--a little bit annoyed--gently took the cup and gently shook it in front of Josh. "Hello? Earth to Josh. This is Ron Stop-a-able," he said. Josh still stared into thin air. Finally, Ron decided to go to drastic measures. He held Josh's shoulders and shook him, literally shaking him out of his unlikeliness. Josh came to his senses.
"Sorry. What were you saying Kim?" Josh asked. Ron tapped his shoulder and gave him the cup. "Oh... thanks." he said.
Ron crossed his arms and glared at Josh suspiciously. He cleared his throat. "Kim was saying that, what's up with that Melanie issue?" he asked.
Josh took a sip from his cup and looked beneath him. Then he looked at Ron and Kim. Kim was still forcing a smile on her face, and Josh couldn't help but notice. "You sure you guys wanna know? It's a pretty long story," he eplained, lacing his cup on the table.
"Uh, sure! No big," she said, removing Josh's jacket from her body. "But... let me just ask. Why is her get-up just like mine? I mean; the hair, the jacket and stuff," she continued, handing the jacket to Josh.
"That get-up thing is just coincidence. She's been sporting that look since we were kids, and the jacket thing is another story," he explained. He took a deep breath as he was about to start the story. "We've known each other since kindergarten in San Francisco. My parents and her parents--well, not actually parents, her mother died in labor--were really good friends. Eventually Annie and I became best of friends,"
"Excuse me; Annie?" Kim asked.
"That's a nickname we made for her. Mine was Josh man," he replied. "As I was saying, we became best of friends. We've been in the same pre-school, mid-school and high school..."
[FLASHBACK: WHEN JOSH AND MELANIE WERE AT MID-SCHOOL]
"That coach should be sued!" Josh yelled, supporting Melanie who was limping and badly bruised. "Imagine; letting you play football, soccer, running, swimming and basketball in the same day? That's obviously teenage abuse!" he yelled, walking his and her way home.
Melanie sighed. "It's not abuse unless I do it with my own will, and I did, so please don't blame coach Hallidon," she asked, tripping on the sidewalk. Josh quickly caught her and decided to carry her piggy-back.
"But you're all bruised, not to mention another sprained ankle? Isn't that the fourth time this week?" he said, grabbing Melanie's right hand. Melanie squealed and held her hand back. Josh stopped. "Please, don't tell me that's a broken wrist..." he said.
Melanie rubbed her wrist section. "It... it is," she slowly said. She leaned her head on Josh's back and cried. "I'm sorry Josh man..." she weeped.
Josh felt guilty. "No. I'm supposed to be the one sorry," he said. "I shouldn't be harsh around you. I mean, it's your choice right?" he asked. Melanie nodded. "Annie, I'm sorry. Whatever you do, I'm right behind you... remember that. Best buddies for life?" he asked, turning to Melanie.
Melanie suddenly opened her lips and kissed Josh. "Yeah..." she mumbled.
[END OF FLASHBACK]
"By the time we were at her front door I asked her to be my girlfriend, offering my jersey jacket to her. I had another one at home. Basically, it served just like a ring. She said yes, and we were very happy about it. Nobody else knew we were hooked," he said. He leaned on the couch. "Suddenly one day a fight broke out between her father and my parents. Annie's father told her that I was seeing someone else, which persuaded her to move to Vegas with him. I eventually made my parents move to Vegas, too; but weeks after we arrived I found out that they didn't really move to Vegas, they just moved to a new village in San Francisco. Then my parents decided to move here at Middleton, and you guys know from there," he said.
Kim held her chin and thought. "So... both of you are still hooked after all this time?" Kim asked, picking up her cup from the table.
"Since we didn't break up, I guess we're still hooked," Josh said, lowering his head. "All I want to do is talk to her, make her understand that she's my only one my whole life..." he mumbled.
"Hey hey hey, let me get this straight..." Kim bolted. "If she's your one and only all this time, why were you asking me out and stuff?" she asked, eagerly observing Josh's every move.
Josh smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Don't hit me because of this, but..." he said, chuckling a bit. "See, you look like her. I mean; the hair, the attitude, the physique... the only differences are the hair and eye color and other minor stuff. You reminded me of her," he continued. "I'm sorry, Kim." he apologized, stretching out his hand to shake.
Kim forced back her tears, shaking Josh's hand. "I... understand." she said.
Josh smiled once again, letting go of Kim's hand. "Hey Ron," he said, glancing over at Ron who was playfully drinking his cocoa with Rufus. "Melanie's enrolled at Middleton High, right?" he asked.
"Uhuh," Ron replied, wiping the cocoa from his lips. "Howd'you know?" he asked back.
Josh smiled as he walked towards the door backwards. "It's the only decent high school at Middleton," he answered. He smiled at Kim and Ron as he slowly opened he door. "Remember me today; tomorrow I'm a new man." he said, as he walked out the door.
Kim waved lightly as a tear escaped her eye. Ron cheerfully tapped Kim's shoulder, showing her the box of Nachos. Kim was immediately reminded about Ron's birthday, and they went on to their tree house.
[IN TREE HOUSE]
"Alright Ron, make a wish," Kim said, lighting a small candle on top of the box. Ron closed his eyes and smiled, and then blowed the candle afterwards. Kim and Rufus cheered. "Hooray! Happy birthday, Ron!" Kim cheered. She hugged Ron and gave his a quick kiss on the cheek. "So, what did you wish for?" she asked.
Ron blushed. "If I tell, it won't come true..." Ron said.
Kim smiled and covered her mouth. "Oh! Right; sorry," she said, putting one leg on the treehouse ladder. "Well, let's celebrate more tomorrow. It's been a busy night," she said, slowly climbing down the tree house.
Ron smiled. "I wished that..." Ron whispered, staring at the beautiful stars. "...i'd be with you forever." he continued.
"Ron, c'mon!" Kim yelled from below.
Ron quickly came to his senses and answered back, "Coming, K.P.!" Kim and Ron walked back home; their minds filled with so much emotion. They may have gone through very shocking events that same night, but there is surely two emotions spared throughout the evening... love and care.
Kim slowly picked up the three cups of hot cocoa she made from the kitchen. "Who could that Melanie possibly be?" she asked herself. She shrugged onto Josh's jacket, took a deep breath, and proceeded to the living room where Josh and Ron were. She faked a smile and sat down beside Ron. She gave a cup to Ron and placed another in front of Josh. "So, uh... what's the sitch?" Kim asked.
Josh stared into nothingness. Ron--a little bit annoyed--gently took the cup and gently shook it in front of Josh. "Hello? Earth to Josh. This is Ron Stop-a-able," he said. Josh still stared into thin air. Finally, Ron decided to go to drastic measures. He held Josh's shoulders and shook him, literally shaking him out of his unlikeliness. Josh came to his senses.
"Sorry. What were you saying Kim?" Josh asked. Ron tapped his shoulder and gave him the cup. "Oh... thanks." he said.
Ron crossed his arms and glared at Josh suspiciously. He cleared his throat. "Kim was saying that, what's up with that Melanie issue?" he asked.
Josh took a sip from his cup and looked beneath him. Then he looked at Ron and Kim. Kim was still forcing a smile on her face, and Josh couldn't help but notice. "You sure you guys wanna know? It's a pretty long story," he eplained, lacing his cup on the table.
"Uh, sure! No big," she said, removing Josh's jacket from her body. "But... let me just ask. Why is her get-up just like mine? I mean; the hair, the jacket and stuff," she continued, handing the jacket to Josh.
"That get-up thing is just coincidence. She's been sporting that look since we were kids, and the jacket thing is another story," he explained. He took a deep breath as he was about to start the story. "We've known each other since kindergarten in San Francisco. My parents and her parents--well, not actually parents, her mother died in labor--were really good friends. Eventually Annie and I became best of friends,"
"Excuse me; Annie?" Kim asked.
"That's a nickname we made for her. Mine was Josh man," he replied. "As I was saying, we became best of friends. We've been in the same pre-school, mid-school and high school..."
[FLASHBACK: WHEN JOSH AND MELANIE WERE AT MID-SCHOOL]
"That coach should be sued!" Josh yelled, supporting Melanie who was limping and badly bruised. "Imagine; letting you play football, soccer, running, swimming and basketball in the same day? That's obviously teenage abuse!" he yelled, walking his and her way home.
Melanie sighed. "It's not abuse unless I do it with my own will, and I did, so please don't blame coach Hallidon," she asked, tripping on the sidewalk. Josh quickly caught her and decided to carry her piggy-back.
"But you're all bruised, not to mention another sprained ankle? Isn't that the fourth time this week?" he said, grabbing Melanie's right hand. Melanie squealed and held her hand back. Josh stopped. "Please, don't tell me that's a broken wrist..." he said.
Melanie rubbed her wrist section. "It... it is," she slowly said. She leaned her head on Josh's back and cried. "I'm sorry Josh man..." she weeped.
Josh felt guilty. "No. I'm supposed to be the one sorry," he said. "I shouldn't be harsh around you. I mean, it's your choice right?" he asked. Melanie nodded. "Annie, I'm sorry. Whatever you do, I'm right behind you... remember that. Best buddies for life?" he asked, turning to Melanie.
Melanie suddenly opened her lips and kissed Josh. "Yeah..." she mumbled.
[END OF FLASHBACK]
"By the time we were at her front door I asked her to be my girlfriend, offering my jersey jacket to her. I had another one at home. Basically, it served just like a ring. She said yes, and we were very happy about it. Nobody else knew we were hooked," he said. He leaned on the couch. "Suddenly one day a fight broke out between her father and my parents. Annie's father told her that I was seeing someone else, which persuaded her to move to Vegas with him. I eventually made my parents move to Vegas, too; but weeks after we arrived I found out that they didn't really move to Vegas, they just moved to a new village in San Francisco. Then my parents decided to move here at Middleton, and you guys know from there," he said.
Kim held her chin and thought. "So... both of you are still hooked after all this time?" Kim asked, picking up her cup from the table.
"Since we didn't break up, I guess we're still hooked," Josh said, lowering his head. "All I want to do is talk to her, make her understand that she's my only one my whole life..." he mumbled.
"Hey hey hey, let me get this straight..." Kim bolted. "If she's your one and only all this time, why were you asking me out and stuff?" she asked, eagerly observing Josh's every move.
Josh smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Don't hit me because of this, but..." he said, chuckling a bit. "See, you look like her. I mean; the hair, the attitude, the physique... the only differences are the hair and eye color and other minor stuff. You reminded me of her," he continued. "I'm sorry, Kim." he apologized, stretching out his hand to shake.
Kim forced back her tears, shaking Josh's hand. "I... understand." she said.
Josh smiled once again, letting go of Kim's hand. "Hey Ron," he said, glancing over at Ron who was playfully drinking his cocoa with Rufus. "Melanie's enrolled at Middleton High, right?" he asked.
"Uhuh," Ron replied, wiping the cocoa from his lips. "Howd'you know?" he asked back.
Josh smiled as he walked towards the door backwards. "It's the only decent high school at Middleton," he answered. He smiled at Kim and Ron as he slowly opened he door. "Remember me today; tomorrow I'm a new man." he said, as he walked out the door.
Kim waved lightly as a tear escaped her eye. Ron cheerfully tapped Kim's shoulder, showing her the box of Nachos. Kim was immediately reminded about Ron's birthday, and they went on to their tree house.
[IN TREE HOUSE]
"Alright Ron, make a wish," Kim said, lighting a small candle on top of the box. Ron closed his eyes and smiled, and then blowed the candle afterwards. Kim and Rufus cheered. "Hooray! Happy birthday, Ron!" Kim cheered. She hugged Ron and gave his a quick kiss on the cheek. "So, what did you wish for?" she asked.
Ron blushed. "If I tell, it won't come true..." Ron said.
Kim smiled and covered her mouth. "Oh! Right; sorry," she said, putting one leg on the treehouse ladder. "Well, let's celebrate more tomorrow. It's been a busy night," she said, slowly climbing down the tree house.
Ron smiled. "I wished that..." Ron whispered, staring at the beautiful stars. "...i'd be with you forever." he continued.
"Ron, c'mon!" Kim yelled from below.
Ron quickly came to his senses and answered back, "Coming, K.P.!" Kim and Ron walked back home; their minds filled with so much emotion. They may have gone through very shocking events that same night, but there is surely two emotions spared throughout the evening... love and care.