Gomen! Gomen! I was so busy over the weekend that I didn't have any time to do another chapter. I also have SO much homework and readings for my Japanese and Arthurian legends classes O.o so much work!!! I've also started illustrating my story. First pic is on deviantart.com my sn is Bunny715...if you're interested. OK, on with the chapter!

That Friday...

Danny tossed his backpack on the kitchen table. Tucker pulled out his Spanish and geometry books while Sam took her history book out of her own bag. Danny grabbed three glasses from the cabinet and filled two with juice from the refrigerator. The third he filled with a bottle of organic fruit juice, then brought them to the table and took a chair.
"We're doin' Spanish first, right? I think I'm gonna fail this quiz Monday. Uh, school is...escalu?" Tucker opened his book to the vocabulary page, which they were being tested on.
"No," Sam interjected, "We need to go over the timeline for our history test. That first chapter was thirty pages long! We're going to be studying all weekend!" She pointed to her opened textbook.
"Sam, I don't care if I don't remember who the king was when the pilgrims first came over to America. But if I get behind in Spanish now, I'll never catch up!!" He looked down at the page. "Escuela! See, I need to study Spanish!!"
"Tucker, if you do bad in Spanish, you can drop it. You can't drop history!! You need to start passing classes!" Tucker ignored her, and passed his book to Danny. "Quiz me, Danny." Sam threw her history book on top and added,
"Yeah, quiz him on the first mayor of Plymouth! Which Indians greeted the settlers?" Danny took a gulp of his juice as his two friends bickered back and forth about what to study first. Danny heard someone come in the front door, and assumed it to be just Jazz, until he heard talking.
"So he practically told me I was going to go out with him."
"Well, I warned you. He isn't very intelligent, but he's very sure of himself."
"Full of himself, more the like. It's against my religion to date guys like that." Jazz and Mel walked into the kitchen, arms filled with grocery bags.
"Really?" Jazz inquired as she put down the bags on the counter and started unloading the contents.
"No," Mel started emptying her own, "but wouldn't that be an interesting religion." Sam grabbed her book from in front of Danny and closed it.
"Fine, Tucker. You guys study Spanish. I'll just get Mel to look over my Japanese."
"No way! Mel's gonna help us study Spanish! She doesn't have time for your crap!" He grabbed his own book. "Mel, quiz me!"
Sam stood up and yelled even louder, "No! Quiz me!" Mel turned around slowly.
"Gee, guys, I'm flattered, really, that you'd fight over me like this. But I already promised Jazz I'd help her make dinner. Maybe later."
"Great," Danny breathed. "Why don't you just take my room while you're at it? You've got everything else of mine, Miss goody two-shoes." He slammed his glass on the table and headed for the den.
"Danny!" Jazz yelled angrily. She started after him, but Mel stopped her and went quietly into the next room, where Danny was slumped on the couch, angrily flipping through channels.
"Is that what you think?" she asked.
"Leave me alone," he snapped back bitterly. She sat down next to him, which made him flip off the tv and jump up to go upstairs.
"Why don't you like me?" She followed him. He turned around halfway up the stairs.
"I said leave me alone. I don't wanna talk to you. You think you're better than me? You wanna make me more like you? You don't even know me!" Mel stopped.
"Danny, I..." she started quietly. "I don't want to change you."
"Well, then, what was all that talk about making me a model student? I'm not just some charity case to you?"
"I didn't mean for it to come out like that. That's not what I meant by it. Danny, you're my friend's sister. Jazz talks about you all the time. You mean the world to her and she's worried about you. I thought, because we were in so many of the same classes, that I could help you, you know, study and get better grades, give Jazz a reason not to worry." Danny paused and looked at Mel's hurt expression. Maybe he was too hard on her. Maybe he should give her a chance. Jazz really cares that much? He shuffled back down the stairs and fell into the couch, eyes downcast. He didn't want her to see how bad he suddenly felt.
"Jazz is always worried about me," he sighed. "You're not going to make it any better."
"You'll never know unless you give it a try," Mel was behind him now, and as he turned around, she smiled hopefully. She's not mad at me? "Will you give me a try?" Danny smiled weakly.
"I dunno, if you start hanging out with me, Dash will label you a geek. You'll be a social outcast, too." Her smile brightened.
Really? Oh, great, finally, I've been looking for a way to get him off my back!" Danny chuckled. Is that a 'yes?'" He nodded his head. "Let's get back into the kitchen. I'm making gyros. You like gyros?"
"Never had them."
"I think you'll like them."

Is it just me, or do Tuck and Sam quarrel a little too much? Foreshadowing, much?