~*A/N-So sorry about the long wait. But it's April vacation for us folks
now, and thus I have more time to update. Hopefully I'll have another
chapter up and running before the whole vacation ends. Don't worry, I won't
get too wrapped up in having fun that I'll forget to write more! Anyways,
plz R+R, cause I'd really appreciate it, but ABSOLUTELY NO FLAMERS! If you
haven't already got the message because I don't feel those are necessary.
Instead of wasting your stupid energy typing about how I suck, you should
write constructive criticism so that I may improve. Tsk tsk. Flamers just
don't believe others have feeling...oh well, on with the chappie!*~
Disclaimer: Much as I wish I did, I do not own anything SOR related, or anything other than what was previously mentioned. What I wouldn't give for Kevin and Joey. I swear I'd even give up music, but that wouldn't make much sense...
Oh yeah, and I was watching the DVD for the billionth time...ok so what's new. But anyways, I realized halfway through that Zach's name was spelt Zack. SO...I have made all necessary adjustments. Boy do I feel relieved that I'm correct now, it was one of those moments. I had never really paid attention to the spelling until that particular viewing. -_^
**Chapter 6**
"Hey Summer! Wait up!"
Zack pushed himself to run even faster to catch up with the girl ahead of him. Summer turned and glanced inquisitively back at him, smiling all the while when he finally did manage to arrive at her side.
"What's up?" She asked, waiting for him now to catch his breath.
"Not that much. You?"
"Same old, same old."
Zack ran a hand through his hair nervously, wondering where he was going to find the courage to pull off what was probably the hardest thing in the world for him to do. "That's good. Uh..."
"Yes?" Summer followed his stride as he began walking again, trying to regain his composure.
"Well I was wondering...would you want to go...see a movie sometime? Or even...I dunno, go to grab a bite with me?" Sheepishly he grinned.
Summer studied him for a moment before her face broke into the most brilliant smile Zack had ever seen. "Are you asking me out on a date?"
"Uh..."
"Cause if you are, I accept." She nodded, blushing a little.
"Cool." Zack grinned in return. "Are you free today? We could go bowling. I'm The Gutter Man."
Summer laughed airily. "Sure, why not. Sounds like a lot of fun, even though I'm not that great of a bowler."
"That's not important. What is important is that you have fun."
"That sounds like one of those cheesy pep talks the coaches give the teams. They always say winning is not important, but then they get all stiff when you do lose."
"Eh. You got a point there."
"I always do." She smiled graciously with a tilt of her head. The day had never looked so wonderful. The blue sky overhead with wispy white tendrils of clouds dotted about, and the warm rays of the sun really surprised her. Sure with the wind it was a little nippy, but what counted was that there was still sunlight out.
"So I'll pick you up later?"
"Definitely."
Zack felt that his little burst of courage really made the difference. It also made him wonder why it had seemed like such a hard prospect before. Well, maybe it was because he really liked Summer, and was afraid of rejection. She was known for having really high standards, and not just of herself, but of others as well.
A small laugh escaped his lips as he thought about the times he and Freddy had talked about how hard it was to land a decent girl, and comparing how many girls fawned at their feet. Looking back on that now, he found that it really did amuse him.
"What are you laughing about?" Summer inquired, elbowing his ribs with a good natured humor.
"Something Freddy and I used to talk about."
"I'm guessing it's your sorry states of love lives." She deduced cannily. "Or now it would be Freddy's lack of love life. He's trapped in the middle."
"You can say that again. I hope that stupid fool finds a way to dig himself out of the hole." Zack sighed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Freddy nervously tapped his foot, wondering if she was even going to show. The second hand of the clock slowly worked its way around the face, signifying another minute lost to waiting. Then another, and another.
Too wrapped up in watching the clock, he didn't notice the girl standing in front of him studying his face and rapture with the clock with a growing interest.
"Freddy Jones." Arin finally broke the silence.
Startled he glanced up, seeing her for the first time. "Arin! You came?"
"Yeah, I did. Couldn't leave you hanging." She grinned, adjusting the strap of her bag.
"I'm...sorry about being insensitive." He admitted uneasily, he usually didn't like apologizing to anyone sincerely.
"Nah, it's my fault. I blew everything out of proportion and that wasn't fair of me." Arin felt relieved when Freddy's charming smile resurfaced.
"You're too nice and noble. Obviously I've taught you nothing, and barely corrupted you." Freddy joked. "So you ready to rock out?"
Her smile was demure. "I was hoping we could do things a little differently and go for a pickup hockey game or something, even the arcade."
"Good ideas..." Freddy paused to think them over. "But I have something even better in mind..."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"That's another strike for The Gutter Man!" Zack pumped his fist into the air and turned expectantly to face Summer. Suppressing a giggle, she brushed past him tossing a sheet of dark hair over her shoulder expertly.
Honestly she disliked bowling with a passion, but heck if it allowed her to spend more time with Zack and see that wonderful smile of his, heck she was all for it.
Summer glanced skyward to the scoreboard, smiling to herself at how badly she was doing. Her grin widened when she reread the title Zack had insisted he have put up there in place of his name. It was his belief that going by the bestowed title was good because it acted as a sort of...reverse psychology. And so far it had been working.
The green bowling ball left her hand, beginning its voyage down the lane. She watched as it started out straight, but veered left, striking only the ones farthest to the side.
"Yes! 3 pins! An all time best!" Summer declared ecstatically jumping up and down before accepting the bowling ball Zack was offering her.
"And you still have two more turns." He informed her, sharing Summer's enthusiasm. She was really awful, but he wasn't going to tell her that. Besides, he had the feeling she knew how bad she was. Two turns later, and she hadn't hit another pin following that one shot.
"Look who's still in the lead." He teased.
"Look who's got a big ego." Summer countered with a smug grin when he stuck his tongue out at her playfully. He lined up for his shot, but just as he was drawing his arm back, Summer's hands shot out and grabbed the red bowling ball out of his hand, his fingers slipping out of the holes. "Jeez Summer."
"Yes? You were saying?" She winked cheekily and began to hand it to him, but when he grabbed for it, she tore it from his reach. "Too slow."
"Too short." He responded, easily taking it from her and going back to the line, knowing that she was pretending to be hurt. Another good turn, and he pushed her up to the line, this time following her.
"I told you I'm a terrible bowler." Summer sighed with a faint smile. Zack shook his head.
"It's not that hard. Look, I'll show you something." He stood behind her and placed his hand over hers on the bowling ball. Summer's heart was beating madly against her ribcage like a trapped beast. He was actually standing so close to her, and was even cuter at this short of a distance. " If you let go at about this height and put some muscle to it, the ball should roll easily off your hands and down the lane."
She wasn't sure if she had processed the information like she usually would, but Summer took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll give it a shot." She attempted to go by what little advice he had given her, and this time the ball didn't go straight into the gutter. Instead it stayed mostly center, and knocked down half the pins in a gusty swoop.
"Oh my gosh! That's more pins down than I ever knocked down in my life!" She bounced up and down before hugging Zack tightly. "Thank you so much for the help."
Taken by complete surprise, Zack was speechless for a few moments. "Hey, no problem. That's what friends are for, right?"
"Right." The cheeriness was fading from her voice rapidly. He wondered if it was something he said, and quickly ran through his words in his head.
"But...it would be more...I don't know, pleasant, for me if you were...more than just a friend." He said after a pause. A silence settled over the two of them for a bit, with Summer trying to make sense of the words and not believing what he had just said, and Zack wondering if he had actually said those words out loud.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Summer squealed and hugged him once more, surprising the guitarist with the strength of her bear hugs.
"You do not know how happy this makes me." She said after pulling away. The faint trace of tears was apparent in her eyes. "I've been wondering this whole time if you liked me as a friend, or as more. This ends all that questioning. Of course I say yes!"
"Seriously?"
"Why wouldn't I?" She challenged.
"Cause you don't take anything less than the best."
"Then I guess I had my work cut out for me the whole time." Summer said shyly, picking up another bowling ball, watching Zack blush beet red out of the corner of her eye.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Are you sure about this Freddy?" Arin asked hesitantly as the blonde drummer rang the doorbell, jammed his thumbs into the belt loops of his sagging pants and waited.
"Course I'm sure. Besides, Trent already invited me, and I was thinking of dropping by later anyways."
She did not look relieved or gratified. "That's just it, they invited you, not me."
"Aww, come on Arin, they'll love you. Heck, I even brought Marta one time."
"I'm not going to even ask her about her experience." She remarked snidely, shrugging to demonstrate her uneasiness.
"Well, you know Frankie, and he's going to be here." Freddy said offhandedly before the door opened and a brown-haired boy appeared.
"Hey Jones." The kid drawled lazily. "Thought you were swinging by at a later time."
"Change of plans. This is Arin, and Arin, this is Trent."
Trent glanced her up and down before nodding and letting the both of them in. Music was blasting from a radio in the corner, and a number of figures were dancing around the dimly lit room. Arin's eyes flickered about the dismal state of the place. Beer bottles and cans littered the floor and lay strewn haphazardly over table and counter space, some with their labels peeled off. Cigarette butts were piled in ashtrays, poor tribute to their users.
In the living room she could see people still going at the drinks, competing in an almost feral and barbaric manner over who could drink the most.
"This way, follow me." Freddy whispered in her ear, surprisingly being heard over the voices and music. Upon her nod, he took a hold of her arm and dragged her through the crowd. Whistles and catcalls followed them, but Freddy shook his head to discourage it.
"Do you come to a party like this often?" Arin demanded.
He grinned back to her as they went down the hall, heading for a backroom. "Once in a while."
They passed by a door from which laughter and other noises were coming out of as they neared their destination.
Arin wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I don't even want to know what's going on in there." She stated bluntly as she waved a hand about her face because of the cigarette smoke tendrils that curled about her like vines on a wall.
"You're right. You don't." Freddy agreed pushing open the door to reveal a group of teenagers huddled around a coffee table. One of which was Frankie, Freddy's friend.
"Hey guys, deal me in." He greeted with a grin, pulling up a chair for himself, and one for Arin. Accepting the beer offered to him, Freddy took a swig and winked at the blank face of the girl beside him.
"You want one?" Frankie offered a newly opened bottle to Arin who eyed it tentatively.
"I'd rather no..."
"Come on chickie. Don't go all wussy on us." A tall redhead commented. Arin's blue eyes flashed dangerously.
"I'm not a wuss. I'm just not a fan of getting wasted."
"You're so going motherish. Go back to the G-rated world you came from if you're that scared." The same boy threw down his cards, his lips curling in satisfaction as Arin's hands tightened into fists.
"G-rated, hah. And for you're information, I'm not scared. Give me the damn bottle Frankie." She demanded, taking it and downing some of the liquid. It burned as it slid down her throat, but settled comfortably. "If you don't keep that frigging mouth of yours shut, I will personally make sure you never have kids." Arin snapped.
"Ouch man, don't think she wouldn't." Freddy backed her up, a delighted but devilish look on his face.
Half and hour, and a few more bottles later, Arin calmly brandished her hand. "Read 'em and weep boys!" She declared, successfully wiping the smirk off even Freddy's face. He finished off another bottle and added it to the collection of empty can and bottles that was rapidly multiplying with alacrity.
All of the guys were teasing each other that no one noticed Arin blink in a pained manner before keeling dangerously. The room spun crazily and she blinked again, trying to clear her head. Everything was out of proportion, and the now concerned faces of the guys seemed unclear, even distorted.
"Arin? Arin, are you okay?" Freddy asked, wildly worried. He had not intended it to go this far, or this badly. He got his answer when she passed out and slumped onto him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Darkness had fallen a while ago, but Summer's face was illuminated by the glow of the window in her house.
"That was really nice of you to offer to drive me home." Her eyes flicked upward to meet Zack's and she graced him with a soft smile.
"Not a problem." He assured her with a casual wave of his hand. "It was a blast for me, despite the fact that I won. I guess I never did learn the lesson 'Always let the girl win' too well. But even if I tried, it would be kind of hard to pull off."
"Are you saying I'm that horrendous?" She mocked insult and sniffed dramatically before breaking into a peal of giggles.
"No. I'm just saying that I would be too busy watching you instead of focusing on the game."
"You probably say that to all the girls." She teased, "But I still think it's sweet."
"That's what I was aiming for." He grinned, feeling more confident now. "Goodnight."
"Yeah, I'd better get inside before mom flips out on me." Summer lifted a hand to brush back a straying lock of hair, but Zack's hand got there faster, moving the offending strand with a gentleness that surprised her. Before she knew what she was doing, Summer had pulled his face down to her and kissed him. She felt the shock that rippled through him before he responded, an arm wrapping around her back to steady her. It was nothing like what she had imagined or fantasized, which could either be a good thing or a bad thing. Summer thought the former was a better choice.
"Goodnight." She whispered not daring to meet his gaze when she broke it, and slipped into her quiet house. Zack watched her go, a bemused smile playing about his lips. Taking the steps down from her porch two at a time, he made sure he was out of earshot before shouting triumphantly. In the same sense, Summer waited until he had left before she let out a squeal of delight and excitement.
"This day has proved very interesting." She muttered to herself as she lay back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Wonder what tomorrow has in store. Hopefully something as wonderful as today."
With a sigh she dragged herself up off the comfort of her bed and went to the bathroom to get ready to go to sleep, but god only knows how futile that might prove. Summer wasn't sure she was going to be able to get any sleep after that experience with Zack. Shutting her eyes, she replayed the scene over in her mind, taking her boldness into account, and basking in the glory that the particular boldness that was a part of her had brought. It definitely paid to walk in the shoes of Summer Hathaway for that day and moment in space, or so she thought to herself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunlight pierced in shafts through the curtain in the room, waking Arin out of her slumber. She groaned, her eyes getting used to the new light, and the fact that she felt like her head was made of lead and she had a nauseated feeling in her gut didn't exactly make the morning any better.
Plus her muscles were cramped and sore from lying in the same position the whole night. It registered that she wasn't in her room, or even in her aunt's house. Her walls were blue, not white and covered with...posters, but not as numerous as the posters on these walls.
She then became aware of the weight and warmth on her shoulder and the vice-like death hold around her stomach. Freddy lay next to her, his head buried in her shoulder and his arms hugging her to him like she was some sort of stuffed animal that a child would hold and cuddle with. His slow, shallow and even breaths suggested that he was still asleep.
Not wanting to wake him, Arin stayed where she was, pulling the sleeves of her shirt over her hands once again in the act of a habit. It wouldn't hurt her to remain that way for a while longer. Freddy stirred a little before mumbling something, yawning into her shoulder.
"S'morning already?" He asked, not wanting to release her, but knowing that he had to eventually. Arin sat up, stretching her muscles, and surprisingly regretting the loss of warmth. Her stomach turned once again, and she groaned, grabbing her middle.
"Are you okay?" In a flash he was next to her, a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Nah. Jeez I feel like shit. What happened?" Arin responded weakly, feeling a little better, but the feeling that she was going to puke was still there.
"You passed out yesterday, and I had to carry you back to the car. I didn't want to bring you home in that state to your aunt, so I...brought you here instead." He didn't smile, which was a first. "My parents are a little more used to seeing me with a hangover, so they were quite surprised when I brought you through the door in your unconscious state."
"I hope I didn't cause too much of a hassle." She said dejectedly, worrying about the problems and tension she might have caused between his parents and Freddy.
"You didn't. My parent's were more concerned about what I did to you, what I might do to you, and if you would be okay rather than if I was okay and if I was still alive and present in the room." Freddy finally did smile, but it was cynical, and bitter.
"That's really sad Freddy." Arin's blue eyes sought out his brown ones, and she sighed. "Your parents do love you. It's just that you keep pushing them away. Then again, I would hate parents that force me to do stuff that I don't want to do. But you're lucky you have parents."
An uneasy silence filled the room. Freddy just studied her face, knowing that he should appreciate the fact that his parents were still alive, but at the same time wishing they weren't because they caused so much stress and discomfort to his own life.
"I know it is." He paused hesitantly, "But I have you to look after me."
"True that." She smoothed wrinkles out of her shirt. "But next time Fredrick Jones, can we go with my ideas? I don't like to wake up in the morning with hangover the size of Asia."
"If that makes you happy, then okay, we won't go to another one. But face it, you do enjoy waking up in the morning with me next to you." He nodded his head slowly with the biggest smirk known to humankind. Arin rolled her eyes.
"Whatever you say." She suppressed the smile that threatened her face with its plans of world domination and folded her legs underneath her. " Hey Freddy, I wanted to ask you about something."
"Hit me." He stretched out lazily once more, his hands behind his head as he took her in her ruffled state.
"You sleep all curled up. I noticed when I woke up this morning, and my legs were cramped from being in that position all night long."
"So?" Freddy grinned, catching her by the belt loop of her jeans and pulling her slightly closer.
"May I ask why?"
A pause met her question as Freddy speculated about that. He wasn't all that sure when that started, but it definitely was the only way he could fall asleep. But he had a guess. "I think I sleep like that because...when I was younger I used to cringe and stick my head under the pillow when my parents argued late at night. I was always afraid that I had made them angry, so I always curled up...defensive-like. I usually don't think about the way I sleep. Unless you're talking about the other kind of sleep." His cheeky grin made Arin roll her eyes once again and purse her lips to show that she wasn't kidding around.
"You know I'm not Freddy. I was just wondering if there was a reason behind it. Some people sleep like that because it's more comfortable to them, but given your background and...unhealthy relationship with your parents it had me wondering if it was due to them abusing you or something."
"Nah, not to me. They wouldn't even deem me worthy to lay a hand on me." He joked, but the cheeriness was fading from his voice quickly. "They didn't think I was worthy of any attention whatsoever. I think they thought I was a mistake of some sort or something."
"You would never be a mistake." Arin's smile was genuine and compassionate. "Don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"
"Aight. Damn, this place is a shit box." Freddy glanced about his domain, smiling ruefully. Arin watched as he got up and went about the room, trying to clean it in a whirlwind. But he didn't notice the skateboard in his cleaning spree.
"Freddy! Watch ou..." Arin tried to warn him, but she was too late. Freddy stepped on it, flying forward and knocking his guest onto her back with him sprawled on top of her.
"Frederick! Is something wrong?" His mother yelled from the bottom of the stairs. She sounded a little vexed by all the crashing.
"Nothing mom!" Freddy called back.
"Um...Freddy? Little hard to breathe." Arin mumbled from underneath him. Blushing scarlet, and realizing the position they were in, Freddy reluctantly pushed himself off of her.
"Sorry about that." He held out a hand to help her up.
"No problem." She smiled shyly. "Next time give me warning before you decide to fling yourself on top of me." Her words made Freddy blush an even deeper shade of red, if that was even possible in its own, and he uttered another sorry.
"I was just joking." Arin assured him. "But you really shouldn't keep your skateboard lying around like that." She kicked it up into her hands and placed it in a corner so that it wouldn't present any more problems.
"You hungry?" Freddy asked brightly after composing himself. "Cause I'm starving."
"Not really. I feel more nauseous. So I think I'll pass." She patted her stomach and smiled faintly. "Remind me never to even look at another bottle or can of beer again in my whole life."
Freddy gently grazed her cheek with his knuckles. "You're too funny. But you're dealing pretty well with it. Come on, I want something if you're not going to eat. Just because you're turning anorexic doesn't mean I'm going to!" He teased, quickly opening the door and scooting out.
"Freddy Jones!" She cried, chasing after him. "I'm going to get you for that! May I remind you that you are the one that brought me to that party in the first place!"
He grinned as he slid down the banister. "Yep! I know I did. And I know you're not turning anorexic either."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For everything. And not just the sarcastic apology."
"Well wake up and smell the coffee hun, I'm Freddy. What do you expect?"
"A lot more cynicism, a lot less wit, and even less chivalry. Of course, you have to be a hell of a lot more cuter to impress too." Her smile lifted his spirits.
"We know I'm the hottest guy around." Freddy responded back. "Bow down to my sexiness."
"Well I wouldn't know about that. Zack is pretty high up there..."
"Don't tell me you like my best friend over me!" He pretended to be hurt, clapping his hand over his heart and dramatically bringing a hand to his forehead. Arin bounded down the stairs as fast as she could, ignoring the pounding in her head with each step she took.
"Of course not. Who wouldn't love a prickly cactus?" She teased, tapping his nose with her finger.
"A lot of people. Satan to name one, and then...Lawrence, Zack, Marco, Gordon, basically all the guys that we hope are straight, otherwise that might seem a little...strange. I don't like wearing glittery stuff." He screwed up his face in recollection of the gaudy outfit Billy had made him wear in the fifth grade, was it?
Arin laughed. "I'm sure glitter looks very stylish on you."
"You know it."
*A/N~ So there you have the chapter. Now hit that shiny button in the corner and review! A big thanks to all those who have done so in the past, you guys rock my world, next to Kevin and Joey of course, oh, and can't forget music either. But anyways, I hope you liked it, and since this chapter wasn't all that great. (See, I admit it myself, so thus I have no need for flames) And I'm hoping the next chapter will be tons better. Especially since we get into the angsty nitty-gritty.
sk8erpunkgcpnay: I can't believe it! Your review really made me blush and feel all happy. Thanks so much for all the kind words, cause they really inspire me to try to write and update faster, but on a negative note...well not really negative for you, more for me, it makes me all that more critical of myself because I want to put my best work out there, and sometime I believe I fall short. But then your reviews really brighten my day considerably. Thanks again!
Jewelkitten: Freddy at the moment is a little confused with what he's feeling. He's not sure if he likes Katie as a friend, or if he's leaning towards more. But everything will eventually smooth out, and next chapter we have Lawrence with a big appearance again, and large hints to what might be on his horizon.
Dolly( who is cool for being lazy): Lol, procrastination and laziness rules. I'm so thankful to have a reviewer like you since you really make me want to update the second I read your review, and maybe the next time I will. Probably not, (seeing as I'm me...uh...let's not go into that, but I'm sure my teachers and friends, and family would be more than willing to go into that. Ex, room that needs to be cleaned...and I put that off to update...hmmm.) but I'll try to update as soon as I can following the receiving of your review. They never fail to make me smile, and I appreciate your consistency. Makes me feel special. -_^
Princess642: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm always so worried and practically covering my eyes when I open up my inbox and read the reviews I got cause I'm hoping that I didn't do so bad a job. Thanks again for reviewing!
The Two Otakus: Okay, let's see...now how am I going to respond to this...ok. I TOTALLY AGREE THAT KEVIN IS DAMN SEXY! Always good to find a fellow Kevin obsessor. Who me? Nah, I'm not obsessed...who am I trying to kid? I'm beyond obsessed! But no one really needs to know that now...And yes, Lawrence has a crush. Hard to believe, but yes it's true. Robert Tsai is kind of...a stereotypical Asian nerd if you ask me. Which is not the best thing if you're Asian cause then you're pretty much lapsing into saying that your race/culture is like that...which let's face it, a lot aren't like that, but then again a lot are....and look at me. I'm rambling again. But thanks a bunch for reviewing!
Midnite Smile: Thanks a ton for reviewing! I'm so glad you like it. I can't begin to say how much opening my inbox and finding your review really became a sunspot in my cloud of a horrible day of tests and quizzes.
Black Mistress: LMAO! Totally had me in fits of laughter. Which bumps you up to sub-god on my rate-everyone-around-and-humanely-possible list. And yes, I know it should be sub-goddess, but the whole rank is known as sub- god. Sorry, but you can't have the title god because Kevin already fills that position -_^. And sorry if I made you frustrated about cutting it short again. I find it keeps the readers intrigued. Either that or they get majorly pissed. Ehehe ^_^'. And I'm totally honored to be added to your favorites list!
LeigH 143: Ahhhhh! Can't forget that moment! And he's drawing flames on the desk too! AHAHAHA! Neva fails to crack me up. He's just a wonderful character...and your reviews make me laugh too which is a good thing. Watched the DVD again today for the billionth time, and couldn't contain my laughter when Summer is talking and he's making those hand movements in the back. You pointed that out too, and it's because of that I don't believe he likes her that much, and therefore Freddy/Summer ficcies don't exactly float my boat ^_^. But don't worry, it's not just you with the movie theater thing...I feel like that all the time with different movies. It's quite frustrating sometimes, but you gotta love confused feelings and teenage hormones gone awry, Lol.
Saxaphonebaby: Can't let him bang his head too hard. Don't want him to hurt himself, or lose precious brain cells! Don't worry about being slightly crazy. The stupid men-in-white-coats have been after me for quite some time...and my anger management counselor has become too stuck up and thinks he understands me...jk. Just let me tell you, if they do go knocking at your door, RUN AWAY!!! Hehe. JK on that one.
orlando's-hun: I hate cliffies too, but they seem to keep readers interested (no matter how much they hate 'em) I know I hate them when I'm reading a ficcie. And you're probably going to be a little frustrated with this chapter ending so abruptly. But that's cause I'm leading into the angsty ground, and right now cliffies are my best friend. Not really, I'm just kidding. Thanks for reviewing though!
Meg: Idk about Freddy and Summer. They don't really seem to like each other in the movie if you take a good look at the scene when she's talking and he's making all those funny hand motions in that back and looks seriously pissed. But Freddy and Marta are quite cute together...probably going to go into another ficcie that I'll write if I find the time. Thanks for reviewing though!
Disclaimer: Much as I wish I did, I do not own anything SOR related, or anything other than what was previously mentioned. What I wouldn't give for Kevin and Joey. I swear I'd even give up music, but that wouldn't make much sense...
Oh yeah, and I was watching the DVD for the billionth time...ok so what's new. But anyways, I realized halfway through that Zach's name was spelt Zack. SO...I have made all necessary adjustments. Boy do I feel relieved that I'm correct now, it was one of those moments. I had never really paid attention to the spelling until that particular viewing. -_^
**Chapter 6**
"Hey Summer! Wait up!"
Zack pushed himself to run even faster to catch up with the girl ahead of him. Summer turned and glanced inquisitively back at him, smiling all the while when he finally did manage to arrive at her side.
"What's up?" She asked, waiting for him now to catch his breath.
"Not that much. You?"
"Same old, same old."
Zack ran a hand through his hair nervously, wondering where he was going to find the courage to pull off what was probably the hardest thing in the world for him to do. "That's good. Uh..."
"Yes?" Summer followed his stride as he began walking again, trying to regain his composure.
"Well I was wondering...would you want to go...see a movie sometime? Or even...I dunno, go to grab a bite with me?" Sheepishly he grinned.
Summer studied him for a moment before her face broke into the most brilliant smile Zack had ever seen. "Are you asking me out on a date?"
"Uh..."
"Cause if you are, I accept." She nodded, blushing a little.
"Cool." Zack grinned in return. "Are you free today? We could go bowling. I'm The Gutter Man."
Summer laughed airily. "Sure, why not. Sounds like a lot of fun, even though I'm not that great of a bowler."
"That's not important. What is important is that you have fun."
"That sounds like one of those cheesy pep talks the coaches give the teams. They always say winning is not important, but then they get all stiff when you do lose."
"Eh. You got a point there."
"I always do." She smiled graciously with a tilt of her head. The day had never looked so wonderful. The blue sky overhead with wispy white tendrils of clouds dotted about, and the warm rays of the sun really surprised her. Sure with the wind it was a little nippy, but what counted was that there was still sunlight out.
"So I'll pick you up later?"
"Definitely."
Zack felt that his little burst of courage really made the difference. It also made him wonder why it had seemed like such a hard prospect before. Well, maybe it was because he really liked Summer, and was afraid of rejection. She was known for having really high standards, and not just of herself, but of others as well.
A small laugh escaped his lips as he thought about the times he and Freddy had talked about how hard it was to land a decent girl, and comparing how many girls fawned at their feet. Looking back on that now, he found that it really did amuse him.
"What are you laughing about?" Summer inquired, elbowing his ribs with a good natured humor.
"Something Freddy and I used to talk about."
"I'm guessing it's your sorry states of love lives." She deduced cannily. "Or now it would be Freddy's lack of love life. He's trapped in the middle."
"You can say that again. I hope that stupid fool finds a way to dig himself out of the hole." Zack sighed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Freddy nervously tapped his foot, wondering if she was even going to show. The second hand of the clock slowly worked its way around the face, signifying another minute lost to waiting. Then another, and another.
Too wrapped up in watching the clock, he didn't notice the girl standing in front of him studying his face and rapture with the clock with a growing interest.
"Freddy Jones." Arin finally broke the silence.
Startled he glanced up, seeing her for the first time. "Arin! You came?"
"Yeah, I did. Couldn't leave you hanging." She grinned, adjusting the strap of her bag.
"I'm...sorry about being insensitive." He admitted uneasily, he usually didn't like apologizing to anyone sincerely.
"Nah, it's my fault. I blew everything out of proportion and that wasn't fair of me." Arin felt relieved when Freddy's charming smile resurfaced.
"You're too nice and noble. Obviously I've taught you nothing, and barely corrupted you." Freddy joked. "So you ready to rock out?"
Her smile was demure. "I was hoping we could do things a little differently and go for a pickup hockey game or something, even the arcade."
"Good ideas..." Freddy paused to think them over. "But I have something even better in mind..."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"That's another strike for The Gutter Man!" Zack pumped his fist into the air and turned expectantly to face Summer. Suppressing a giggle, she brushed past him tossing a sheet of dark hair over her shoulder expertly.
Honestly she disliked bowling with a passion, but heck if it allowed her to spend more time with Zack and see that wonderful smile of his, heck she was all for it.
Summer glanced skyward to the scoreboard, smiling to herself at how badly she was doing. Her grin widened when she reread the title Zack had insisted he have put up there in place of his name. It was his belief that going by the bestowed title was good because it acted as a sort of...reverse psychology. And so far it had been working.
The green bowling ball left her hand, beginning its voyage down the lane. She watched as it started out straight, but veered left, striking only the ones farthest to the side.
"Yes! 3 pins! An all time best!" Summer declared ecstatically jumping up and down before accepting the bowling ball Zack was offering her.
"And you still have two more turns." He informed her, sharing Summer's enthusiasm. She was really awful, but he wasn't going to tell her that. Besides, he had the feeling she knew how bad she was. Two turns later, and she hadn't hit another pin following that one shot.
"Look who's still in the lead." He teased.
"Look who's got a big ego." Summer countered with a smug grin when he stuck his tongue out at her playfully. He lined up for his shot, but just as he was drawing his arm back, Summer's hands shot out and grabbed the red bowling ball out of his hand, his fingers slipping out of the holes. "Jeez Summer."
"Yes? You were saying?" She winked cheekily and began to hand it to him, but when he grabbed for it, she tore it from his reach. "Too slow."
"Too short." He responded, easily taking it from her and going back to the line, knowing that she was pretending to be hurt. Another good turn, and he pushed her up to the line, this time following her.
"I told you I'm a terrible bowler." Summer sighed with a faint smile. Zack shook his head.
"It's not that hard. Look, I'll show you something." He stood behind her and placed his hand over hers on the bowling ball. Summer's heart was beating madly against her ribcage like a trapped beast. He was actually standing so close to her, and was even cuter at this short of a distance. " If you let go at about this height and put some muscle to it, the ball should roll easily off your hands and down the lane."
She wasn't sure if she had processed the information like she usually would, but Summer took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll give it a shot." She attempted to go by what little advice he had given her, and this time the ball didn't go straight into the gutter. Instead it stayed mostly center, and knocked down half the pins in a gusty swoop.
"Oh my gosh! That's more pins down than I ever knocked down in my life!" She bounced up and down before hugging Zack tightly. "Thank you so much for the help."
Taken by complete surprise, Zack was speechless for a few moments. "Hey, no problem. That's what friends are for, right?"
"Right." The cheeriness was fading from her voice rapidly. He wondered if it was something he said, and quickly ran through his words in his head.
"But...it would be more...I don't know, pleasant, for me if you were...more than just a friend." He said after a pause. A silence settled over the two of them for a bit, with Summer trying to make sense of the words and not believing what he had just said, and Zack wondering if he had actually said those words out loud.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Summer squealed and hugged him once more, surprising the guitarist with the strength of her bear hugs.
"You do not know how happy this makes me." She said after pulling away. The faint trace of tears was apparent in her eyes. "I've been wondering this whole time if you liked me as a friend, or as more. This ends all that questioning. Of course I say yes!"
"Seriously?"
"Why wouldn't I?" She challenged.
"Cause you don't take anything less than the best."
"Then I guess I had my work cut out for me the whole time." Summer said shyly, picking up another bowling ball, watching Zack blush beet red out of the corner of her eye.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Are you sure about this Freddy?" Arin asked hesitantly as the blonde drummer rang the doorbell, jammed his thumbs into the belt loops of his sagging pants and waited.
"Course I'm sure. Besides, Trent already invited me, and I was thinking of dropping by later anyways."
She did not look relieved or gratified. "That's just it, they invited you, not me."
"Aww, come on Arin, they'll love you. Heck, I even brought Marta one time."
"I'm not going to even ask her about her experience." She remarked snidely, shrugging to demonstrate her uneasiness.
"Well, you know Frankie, and he's going to be here." Freddy said offhandedly before the door opened and a brown-haired boy appeared.
"Hey Jones." The kid drawled lazily. "Thought you were swinging by at a later time."
"Change of plans. This is Arin, and Arin, this is Trent."
Trent glanced her up and down before nodding and letting the both of them in. Music was blasting from a radio in the corner, and a number of figures were dancing around the dimly lit room. Arin's eyes flickered about the dismal state of the place. Beer bottles and cans littered the floor and lay strewn haphazardly over table and counter space, some with their labels peeled off. Cigarette butts were piled in ashtrays, poor tribute to their users.
In the living room she could see people still going at the drinks, competing in an almost feral and barbaric manner over who could drink the most.
"This way, follow me." Freddy whispered in her ear, surprisingly being heard over the voices and music. Upon her nod, he took a hold of her arm and dragged her through the crowd. Whistles and catcalls followed them, but Freddy shook his head to discourage it.
"Do you come to a party like this often?" Arin demanded.
He grinned back to her as they went down the hall, heading for a backroom. "Once in a while."
They passed by a door from which laughter and other noises were coming out of as they neared their destination.
Arin wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I don't even want to know what's going on in there." She stated bluntly as she waved a hand about her face because of the cigarette smoke tendrils that curled about her like vines on a wall.
"You're right. You don't." Freddy agreed pushing open the door to reveal a group of teenagers huddled around a coffee table. One of which was Frankie, Freddy's friend.
"Hey guys, deal me in." He greeted with a grin, pulling up a chair for himself, and one for Arin. Accepting the beer offered to him, Freddy took a swig and winked at the blank face of the girl beside him.
"You want one?" Frankie offered a newly opened bottle to Arin who eyed it tentatively.
"I'd rather no..."
"Come on chickie. Don't go all wussy on us." A tall redhead commented. Arin's blue eyes flashed dangerously.
"I'm not a wuss. I'm just not a fan of getting wasted."
"You're so going motherish. Go back to the G-rated world you came from if you're that scared." The same boy threw down his cards, his lips curling in satisfaction as Arin's hands tightened into fists.
"G-rated, hah. And for you're information, I'm not scared. Give me the damn bottle Frankie." She demanded, taking it and downing some of the liquid. It burned as it slid down her throat, but settled comfortably. "If you don't keep that frigging mouth of yours shut, I will personally make sure you never have kids." Arin snapped.
"Ouch man, don't think she wouldn't." Freddy backed her up, a delighted but devilish look on his face.
Half and hour, and a few more bottles later, Arin calmly brandished her hand. "Read 'em and weep boys!" She declared, successfully wiping the smirk off even Freddy's face. He finished off another bottle and added it to the collection of empty can and bottles that was rapidly multiplying with alacrity.
All of the guys were teasing each other that no one noticed Arin blink in a pained manner before keeling dangerously. The room spun crazily and she blinked again, trying to clear her head. Everything was out of proportion, and the now concerned faces of the guys seemed unclear, even distorted.
"Arin? Arin, are you okay?" Freddy asked, wildly worried. He had not intended it to go this far, or this badly. He got his answer when she passed out and slumped onto him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Darkness had fallen a while ago, but Summer's face was illuminated by the glow of the window in her house.
"That was really nice of you to offer to drive me home." Her eyes flicked upward to meet Zack's and she graced him with a soft smile.
"Not a problem." He assured her with a casual wave of his hand. "It was a blast for me, despite the fact that I won. I guess I never did learn the lesson 'Always let the girl win' too well. But even if I tried, it would be kind of hard to pull off."
"Are you saying I'm that horrendous?" She mocked insult and sniffed dramatically before breaking into a peal of giggles.
"No. I'm just saying that I would be too busy watching you instead of focusing on the game."
"You probably say that to all the girls." She teased, "But I still think it's sweet."
"That's what I was aiming for." He grinned, feeling more confident now. "Goodnight."
"Yeah, I'd better get inside before mom flips out on me." Summer lifted a hand to brush back a straying lock of hair, but Zack's hand got there faster, moving the offending strand with a gentleness that surprised her. Before she knew what she was doing, Summer had pulled his face down to her and kissed him. She felt the shock that rippled through him before he responded, an arm wrapping around her back to steady her. It was nothing like what she had imagined or fantasized, which could either be a good thing or a bad thing. Summer thought the former was a better choice.
"Goodnight." She whispered not daring to meet his gaze when she broke it, and slipped into her quiet house. Zack watched her go, a bemused smile playing about his lips. Taking the steps down from her porch two at a time, he made sure he was out of earshot before shouting triumphantly. In the same sense, Summer waited until he had left before she let out a squeal of delight and excitement.
"This day has proved very interesting." She muttered to herself as she lay back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Wonder what tomorrow has in store. Hopefully something as wonderful as today."
With a sigh she dragged herself up off the comfort of her bed and went to the bathroom to get ready to go to sleep, but god only knows how futile that might prove. Summer wasn't sure she was going to be able to get any sleep after that experience with Zack. Shutting her eyes, she replayed the scene over in her mind, taking her boldness into account, and basking in the glory that the particular boldness that was a part of her had brought. It definitely paid to walk in the shoes of Summer Hathaway for that day and moment in space, or so she thought to herself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunlight pierced in shafts through the curtain in the room, waking Arin out of her slumber. She groaned, her eyes getting used to the new light, and the fact that she felt like her head was made of lead and she had a nauseated feeling in her gut didn't exactly make the morning any better.
Plus her muscles were cramped and sore from lying in the same position the whole night. It registered that she wasn't in her room, or even in her aunt's house. Her walls were blue, not white and covered with...posters, but not as numerous as the posters on these walls.
She then became aware of the weight and warmth on her shoulder and the vice-like death hold around her stomach. Freddy lay next to her, his head buried in her shoulder and his arms hugging her to him like she was some sort of stuffed animal that a child would hold and cuddle with. His slow, shallow and even breaths suggested that he was still asleep.
Not wanting to wake him, Arin stayed where she was, pulling the sleeves of her shirt over her hands once again in the act of a habit. It wouldn't hurt her to remain that way for a while longer. Freddy stirred a little before mumbling something, yawning into her shoulder.
"S'morning already?" He asked, not wanting to release her, but knowing that he had to eventually. Arin sat up, stretching her muscles, and surprisingly regretting the loss of warmth. Her stomach turned once again, and she groaned, grabbing her middle.
"Are you okay?" In a flash he was next to her, a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Nah. Jeez I feel like shit. What happened?" Arin responded weakly, feeling a little better, but the feeling that she was going to puke was still there.
"You passed out yesterday, and I had to carry you back to the car. I didn't want to bring you home in that state to your aunt, so I...brought you here instead." He didn't smile, which was a first. "My parents are a little more used to seeing me with a hangover, so they were quite surprised when I brought you through the door in your unconscious state."
"I hope I didn't cause too much of a hassle." She said dejectedly, worrying about the problems and tension she might have caused between his parents and Freddy.
"You didn't. My parent's were more concerned about what I did to you, what I might do to you, and if you would be okay rather than if I was okay and if I was still alive and present in the room." Freddy finally did smile, but it was cynical, and bitter.
"That's really sad Freddy." Arin's blue eyes sought out his brown ones, and she sighed. "Your parents do love you. It's just that you keep pushing them away. Then again, I would hate parents that force me to do stuff that I don't want to do. But you're lucky you have parents."
An uneasy silence filled the room. Freddy just studied her face, knowing that he should appreciate the fact that his parents were still alive, but at the same time wishing they weren't because they caused so much stress and discomfort to his own life.
"I know it is." He paused hesitantly, "But I have you to look after me."
"True that." She smoothed wrinkles out of her shirt. "But next time Fredrick Jones, can we go with my ideas? I don't like to wake up in the morning with hangover the size of Asia."
"If that makes you happy, then okay, we won't go to another one. But face it, you do enjoy waking up in the morning with me next to you." He nodded his head slowly with the biggest smirk known to humankind. Arin rolled her eyes.
"Whatever you say." She suppressed the smile that threatened her face with its plans of world domination and folded her legs underneath her. " Hey Freddy, I wanted to ask you about something."
"Hit me." He stretched out lazily once more, his hands behind his head as he took her in her ruffled state.
"You sleep all curled up. I noticed when I woke up this morning, and my legs were cramped from being in that position all night long."
"So?" Freddy grinned, catching her by the belt loop of her jeans and pulling her slightly closer.
"May I ask why?"
A pause met her question as Freddy speculated about that. He wasn't all that sure when that started, but it definitely was the only way he could fall asleep. But he had a guess. "I think I sleep like that because...when I was younger I used to cringe and stick my head under the pillow when my parents argued late at night. I was always afraid that I had made them angry, so I always curled up...defensive-like. I usually don't think about the way I sleep. Unless you're talking about the other kind of sleep." His cheeky grin made Arin roll her eyes once again and purse her lips to show that she wasn't kidding around.
"You know I'm not Freddy. I was just wondering if there was a reason behind it. Some people sleep like that because it's more comfortable to them, but given your background and...unhealthy relationship with your parents it had me wondering if it was due to them abusing you or something."
"Nah, not to me. They wouldn't even deem me worthy to lay a hand on me." He joked, but the cheeriness was fading from his voice quickly. "They didn't think I was worthy of any attention whatsoever. I think they thought I was a mistake of some sort or something."
"You would never be a mistake." Arin's smile was genuine and compassionate. "Don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"
"Aight. Damn, this place is a shit box." Freddy glanced about his domain, smiling ruefully. Arin watched as he got up and went about the room, trying to clean it in a whirlwind. But he didn't notice the skateboard in his cleaning spree.
"Freddy! Watch ou..." Arin tried to warn him, but she was too late. Freddy stepped on it, flying forward and knocking his guest onto her back with him sprawled on top of her.
"Frederick! Is something wrong?" His mother yelled from the bottom of the stairs. She sounded a little vexed by all the crashing.
"Nothing mom!" Freddy called back.
"Um...Freddy? Little hard to breathe." Arin mumbled from underneath him. Blushing scarlet, and realizing the position they were in, Freddy reluctantly pushed himself off of her.
"Sorry about that." He held out a hand to help her up.
"No problem." She smiled shyly. "Next time give me warning before you decide to fling yourself on top of me." Her words made Freddy blush an even deeper shade of red, if that was even possible in its own, and he uttered another sorry.
"I was just joking." Arin assured him. "But you really shouldn't keep your skateboard lying around like that." She kicked it up into her hands and placed it in a corner so that it wouldn't present any more problems.
"You hungry?" Freddy asked brightly after composing himself. "Cause I'm starving."
"Not really. I feel more nauseous. So I think I'll pass." She patted her stomach and smiled faintly. "Remind me never to even look at another bottle or can of beer again in my whole life."
Freddy gently grazed her cheek with his knuckles. "You're too funny. But you're dealing pretty well with it. Come on, I want something if you're not going to eat. Just because you're turning anorexic doesn't mean I'm going to!" He teased, quickly opening the door and scooting out.
"Freddy Jones!" She cried, chasing after him. "I'm going to get you for that! May I remind you that you are the one that brought me to that party in the first place!"
He grinned as he slid down the banister. "Yep! I know I did. And I know you're not turning anorexic either."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For everything. And not just the sarcastic apology."
"Well wake up and smell the coffee hun, I'm Freddy. What do you expect?"
"A lot more cynicism, a lot less wit, and even less chivalry. Of course, you have to be a hell of a lot more cuter to impress too." Her smile lifted his spirits.
"We know I'm the hottest guy around." Freddy responded back. "Bow down to my sexiness."
"Well I wouldn't know about that. Zack is pretty high up there..."
"Don't tell me you like my best friend over me!" He pretended to be hurt, clapping his hand over his heart and dramatically bringing a hand to his forehead. Arin bounded down the stairs as fast as she could, ignoring the pounding in her head with each step she took.
"Of course not. Who wouldn't love a prickly cactus?" She teased, tapping his nose with her finger.
"A lot of people. Satan to name one, and then...Lawrence, Zack, Marco, Gordon, basically all the guys that we hope are straight, otherwise that might seem a little...strange. I don't like wearing glittery stuff." He screwed up his face in recollection of the gaudy outfit Billy had made him wear in the fifth grade, was it?
Arin laughed. "I'm sure glitter looks very stylish on you."
"You know it."
*A/N~ So there you have the chapter. Now hit that shiny button in the corner and review! A big thanks to all those who have done so in the past, you guys rock my world, next to Kevin and Joey of course, oh, and can't forget music either. But anyways, I hope you liked it, and since this chapter wasn't all that great. (See, I admit it myself, so thus I have no need for flames) And I'm hoping the next chapter will be tons better. Especially since we get into the angsty nitty-gritty.
sk8erpunkgcpnay: I can't believe it! Your review really made me blush and feel all happy. Thanks so much for all the kind words, cause they really inspire me to try to write and update faster, but on a negative note...well not really negative for you, more for me, it makes me all that more critical of myself because I want to put my best work out there, and sometime I believe I fall short. But then your reviews really brighten my day considerably. Thanks again!
Jewelkitten: Freddy at the moment is a little confused with what he's feeling. He's not sure if he likes Katie as a friend, or if he's leaning towards more. But everything will eventually smooth out, and next chapter we have Lawrence with a big appearance again, and large hints to what might be on his horizon.
Dolly( who is cool for being lazy): Lol, procrastination and laziness rules. I'm so thankful to have a reviewer like you since you really make me want to update the second I read your review, and maybe the next time I will. Probably not, (seeing as I'm me...uh...let's not go into that, but I'm sure my teachers and friends, and family would be more than willing to go into that. Ex, room that needs to be cleaned...and I put that off to update...hmmm.) but I'll try to update as soon as I can following the receiving of your review. They never fail to make me smile, and I appreciate your consistency. Makes me feel special. -_^
Princess642: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm always so worried and practically covering my eyes when I open up my inbox and read the reviews I got cause I'm hoping that I didn't do so bad a job. Thanks again for reviewing!
The Two Otakus: Okay, let's see...now how am I going to respond to this...ok. I TOTALLY AGREE THAT KEVIN IS DAMN SEXY! Always good to find a fellow Kevin obsessor. Who me? Nah, I'm not obsessed...who am I trying to kid? I'm beyond obsessed! But no one really needs to know that now...And yes, Lawrence has a crush. Hard to believe, but yes it's true. Robert Tsai is kind of...a stereotypical Asian nerd if you ask me. Which is not the best thing if you're Asian cause then you're pretty much lapsing into saying that your race/culture is like that...which let's face it, a lot aren't like that, but then again a lot are....and look at me. I'm rambling again. But thanks a bunch for reviewing!
Midnite Smile: Thanks a ton for reviewing! I'm so glad you like it. I can't begin to say how much opening my inbox and finding your review really became a sunspot in my cloud of a horrible day of tests and quizzes.
Black Mistress: LMAO! Totally had me in fits of laughter. Which bumps you up to sub-god on my rate-everyone-around-and-humanely-possible list. And yes, I know it should be sub-goddess, but the whole rank is known as sub- god. Sorry, but you can't have the title god because Kevin already fills that position -_^. And sorry if I made you frustrated about cutting it short again. I find it keeps the readers intrigued. Either that or they get majorly pissed. Ehehe ^_^'. And I'm totally honored to be added to your favorites list!
LeigH 143: Ahhhhh! Can't forget that moment! And he's drawing flames on the desk too! AHAHAHA! Neva fails to crack me up. He's just a wonderful character...and your reviews make me laugh too which is a good thing. Watched the DVD again today for the billionth time, and couldn't contain my laughter when Summer is talking and he's making those hand movements in the back. You pointed that out too, and it's because of that I don't believe he likes her that much, and therefore Freddy/Summer ficcies don't exactly float my boat ^_^. But don't worry, it's not just you with the movie theater thing...I feel like that all the time with different movies. It's quite frustrating sometimes, but you gotta love confused feelings and teenage hormones gone awry, Lol.
Saxaphonebaby: Can't let him bang his head too hard. Don't want him to hurt himself, or lose precious brain cells! Don't worry about being slightly crazy. The stupid men-in-white-coats have been after me for quite some time...and my anger management counselor has become too stuck up and thinks he understands me...jk. Just let me tell you, if they do go knocking at your door, RUN AWAY!!! Hehe. JK on that one.
orlando's-hun: I hate cliffies too, but they seem to keep readers interested (no matter how much they hate 'em) I know I hate them when I'm reading a ficcie. And you're probably going to be a little frustrated with this chapter ending so abruptly. But that's cause I'm leading into the angsty ground, and right now cliffies are my best friend. Not really, I'm just kidding. Thanks for reviewing though!
Meg: Idk about Freddy and Summer. They don't really seem to like each other in the movie if you take a good look at the scene when she's talking and he's making all those funny hand motions in that back and looks seriously pissed. But Freddy and Marta are quite cute together...probably going to go into another ficcie that I'll write if I find the time. Thanks for reviewing though!