Author's Note: *does happy dance* I have never updated this quickly!  WOO HOO!  Less than 24 hours and I'm back again!  This chapter is probably gonna confuse people, just because it's not about Bumlets at all.  Don't worry, there's gonna be like three plotlines going on that will tie together in the end.  Oooh, just talking like that sends shivers down my spine!  *smiles happily* I feel like a real author with an actually COMPLEX plotline!  WOO HOO!  *continues happy dance*

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  *cries*

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It certainly wasn't love at first sight.  It was more like LUST at first sight--- except it wasn't at first sight.  I'd known Skittery for almost as long as I could remember.  I guess one would call it "finally discovered lust" or something complicated and screwy like that.  Yeah, that sounds about right.  Finally discovered lust for an old friend.

Except Skittery's not really anyone's friend.

What I mean to say is, maybe the fact that Jack dumped me turned out to be beneficial to ME in the end.  Talk about irony.

It was Monday night.  He dumped me on Sunday.  Sunday bloody Sunday, eh?

Of course, Monday night I dreamed about Jack.  And I mean seriously, how could I not have?  He had this way about him when he touched me that sent chills down my spine...

I woke up from my dream, sweating like hell and wondering when I was going to get over that bastard.  My digital clock told me it was 3:00 in the morning.  Perfect.  Just damn perfect.  I decided to get out of bed before I knocked my pillow out or something.

The neighborhood was dead silent, save for the crickets in the swamp in my house.

Chirp.  Chirp.

Shut up, dammit.

Silence for a second.  Then—

Chirp.

I shoved my hands in the pockets of my sweatshirt and started walking, not really thinking about where I was going or what I was doing.  The image of Jack curled shirtless at the end of his bed kept appearing in my mind.  I'm over him, I'm over him, I'm—

I stopped abruptly.

I had felt it, more than seen it or heard it.  It was as though my subconscious mind could sense it— someone was standing silently just around the corner.  Leaning against Mrs. Gulliver's brick wall, no doubt.  I could almost taste the faint hint of body heat in the air.

Or else I was just going insane.

I turned the corner.

"Man, you really have to get to bed," said Skittery.  "You do realize that we have less than three hours of precious sleep left."

"Yes, Skitts, I am quite aware of that," I answered easily.

Skittery grinned.  I think I almost fell over.

I had never realized how...

Beautiful he was?

I couldn't believe I was thinking this about Skittery, this grumpy, pessimistic kid I'd known for ages, but...

Man.

I had been right.  He was leaning against Mrs. Gulliver's brick wall, fingers tapping absently against the rough surface.  His profile looked absolutely flawless because of the way the glow of the streetlamp was shining on him.  His hat cast a shadow over his eyes, and the light outlined ever curve on his body from his lips, over his chest, where his shirt was slightly open, to his legs and down to his feet.

He was chewing on a plastic straw, God knows why, apparently unaware that I was gaping at him openmouthed.

"So, ah ... you and Jack broke up, eh?" he said finally.

I looked away real fast.  "Yep."

He didn't seem to have anything more to add to the subject.  It was as though he was just confirming that his data was accurate.

I chewed on my lip, pretending I was chewing on his.  Then I realized what I was thinking, and quickly stopped chewing my lip and looked over to stare at his.  Then I realized what I was looking at, and covered my face with my hands and groaned.

"Ya really miss him, don't you?" said Skittery, still looking dully at the pavement beneath his feet.

Jesus.

"Ya know, Skitts, I really have to get to bed."

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Shoutouts!!!

Buttons14: Yeah, my Bumlets is crazy.  That's how I like him, though; confused and paranoid.  :-D I have such a sick sense of humor ... Thanks for reviewing!

studentnumber24601: It's short because it's more affective, alright? Lol, jk, I dunno where the hell I'm going with this story ... Thanks for reviewing!

Dakki: lol!!  I can't raise one eyebrow either, but I've been working at it ... I think I'm just going to end up with a billion wrinkles on my forehead or something ... I'm sorry I left you in cardiac arrest, I shall send you flowers. ;-) Thanks for the review, I love ya!

Repeat: lol!  That was HORRIBLE, Reps, I got like a three sentence review!  (Okay so it was like seven sentences, but half of them were like "yup" and "buh-bye".)  Ah well.  In any case, I updated (extremely quickly ... abnormally quickly, as a matter of fact...) and now you are condemned to write a longer review!  MWAHAHA!

Scout73: Yeah Bumlets!  WOO HOO!  I love him.  I'm going through a Bumlets phase.  I went through a Skittery phase and a Kid Blink phase and a Mush phase and now I'm on to Bumlets.  Don't ask why.  (Oh and by the way, I found the "Welcome Race Fans" thing extremely amusing.  You are not alone in your easily amused ways.)  Thanks for reviewing, I love ya!

Sapphy: lol!  Don't worry, no anthrax.  I would never do that to my dear Bumlets.  :-D  Thanks for reviewing!

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Author's Note: There it is, ladies and gents.  And never fear, you will find out what was in that envelope on Bumlets' table (but I swear it's not half as exciting as I made it out to be).  Thanks to all reviewers! :-D

-Saturday, the compulsive writer