Steven entered the news-room with the others wide eyed and open mouthed.

            "You are magnificent! Awesome! Brilliant! I bask in your greatness," he reeled on. Of course the crew had been watching the entire lunch room act, from a safe distance of course. "How do you do that?" he marveled.

            "It was no big deal," Jason replied modestly.

            "No big deal? NO BIG DEAL? Are you nuts? We are doing great! That whole come-with-us-to- drama-club-and-buy-that-CD was totally unplanned, and you once again NAILED the performance! I couldn't ask for greater! And that whole innocent-boyish thing was perfect! If you didn't have her before, you definitely have her now," Steven couldn't be happier.

            "Ah, really man, it was nothing. I've had to sit with my sister through countless chick-flicks over the years, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's how to deal with women," Jason leaned back in his chair and put his feet up as he took a sip of his Coke. His High-and-Mighty persona was evident to everyone in the room.

            "Well, lets hope that your master skills with girls are as great as you say, because here comes Lisa, and she doesn't look to happy," Dan warned as Lisa was about to walk in the room. Jason's feet dropped off the table, his eyes grew wide, and his soda went out of his mouth- all over Dan's face. Dan wiped his face off with his hand. 'Sorry,' Jason mouthed as Lisa walked through the door.

            "Hi guys," she greeted.

            "Hi Lisa," the guys replied in unison, except for Jason.

            "Hi Jason," she turned to him. She always called him Jay, so he knew he was in trouble when she called him by his full name.

            "Hi Lisa," he replied with his head down in a childish condemnation.

            "So what were you and that girl talking about at lunch?" she inquired.

            "Oh, that?" Jason replied as if it was nothing.

            "Yes, that," she said.

            "Oh well…" he started to say.

            "Well, uh, Jason ran into her a yesterday," Steven, Dan, and Andrew tried to reply at once. No, it wasn't obvious they were hiding something…not.

            "Literally," Andrew mumbled. Steven elbowed him. 'Ow,' he grumbled.

            "And, uh, he got her book by mistake, and, uh, Jason?" they turned to him.

            "Yeah, and I was just giving it back to her, I was only being nice." he finished.

            "Are you sure?" She leaned closer.

            "Of course," Jason leaned back farther.

            "But then how come…" she turned to Dan and noticed him wiping off his glasses with his soda stained shirt. "Weird," she mumbled. She seemed to have forgotten about Jason for a second, they all noticed. But they didn't have that much luck.

            "Anyway, are you sure nothing was going on?" she turned to Jason again.

            "Of course I'm sure," he replied. "Have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?" he put on an innocent look and that was enough to convince her.

            "No. That's sweet that you took the time to talk to her. You probably made her day," her tone was sweetly.

            "More than you'd know," Andrew mumbled. Steven kicked him. Andrew winced. Lisa pretended that she didn't hear it.

            "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" Jason nodded and she leaned in and kissed him.

            As soon as she left, the boys let out a huge sigh of relief. "Saved by the smile, once again," Dan shook his head.

"Why do you go out with her?" Steven asked in wonder.

            "Yeah, I mean, she sounds like my mom," Andrew added.

            "You don't kiss your mom," Steven replied.

            "Oh, gross!" Disgusted looks swept their faces.

            "Alright, let's get off this subject."

            "Thank you!"

            "Yeah. Alright. On to business. What are you going to do for two hours tomorrow?" Steven asked Jason.

            "I have no idea," he answered. "But one thing's for sure. There's no way I'm letting Lisa know what I'm up to. If this thing is going to work, she cannot know about it, alright?"

            "Absolutely. Besides, there is no way I want her mad. She's scary," Andrew shivered.

            "You can say that again. Did you see the look she gave Dan? Cr-eep-y," Steven added.

            "So it's settled. Lisa does not find out. Understood?"

            The boys shook their heads in agreement.

            "If she finds out, she'll have our heads for this." Jason assured them. It didn't seem that assuring.

            "A true-femme fatale," Andrew finished.