There were a few reasons as to why Chris didn't want to take Molly home with him. Firstly, he barely knew her. For all he knew, she could carry a machete under her jacket. Secondly, he wanted her to like him. That probably wouldn't happen if she saw what kind of home he came from. And lastly, he wanted ice cream.

"Anything else?" the server asked with perky, carbon-copy politeness.

Chris smiled, reserved. "Nuts, please."

"Okay. That's it?"

"Yes. Please don't be stingy with my nuts."

Molly, who already had her ice cream and was standing quietly at his side, looked up abruptly with shocked amusement at Chris, and had to cover her mouth to keep from spewing vanilla.

Raising an eyebrow, Chris gave her a smiling, questioning look.

"That came out wrong," she giggled.

"I'll say," he laughed, wiping his sleeve.

"Gauh! Did I spit ice cream on you?" she demanded.

"No. But I thought it would be cute to worry you. And I was right."

She grinned. "A man's intuition never fails, eh?"

"Not this man's." Chris paid the server, took his ice cream cone from her, and said thank you quietly. Then he led Molly to a corner booth where they sat down across from each other. "I like my nuts."

Molly nodded in agreement, staring at his ice cream. "You certainly have a lot of them."

"Are you gonna eat your cherry?" he asked.

She had barely even touched her food, whereas Chris was already about a quarter done, and she was therefore astonished. "Um, no, but I think you are."

"Damn straight." He reached across the table and grabbed the maraschino cherry. "Oh. Sorry. Is damn bad?"

"Huh?"

"Are you one of those girls that don't like it when guys swear because they have delicate ears?"

"Fuck no."

"No, I don't want you to meet him," Teddy snapped, taking his hand away from Lorelei and shoving it in his pocket.

"That's fine," she sighed exasperatedly. "But this is stupid, Teddy. Don't leave me out in the cold. I'm trying to help you."

"God, Lore, did I ask for your help?"

"No! And that's why I'm trying to!" she cried. "You're so scared to go home to this man that it almost makes you cry, and you know, it's not fair to make me so helpless."

"'Helpless,'" he snorted.

Lorelei shot him a pissed off look.

He returned it.

The two of them had been walking home from school, and Lorelei had been unsuccessfully trying the entire walk to persuade Teddy to talk to her about what was going on in his head. Every innocent question she asked was cut off with a cheap backfire that was meant to hurt. Now, the pair, their cheeks angrily pink and their eyes blazing with defiance, stood together at the corner of Adelaide and Maple Street. This is where they would part, if Teddy didn't always walk her home. But today, it seemed as though Lorelei would be walking alone, with the rate they were going at.

"If you want to camp out or something at my place--you're welcome, you know," she muttered.

"I can take care of myself," he replied.

"You can not, Teddy." She glared at him disbelieving and hurt. "You are still such a little kid, and you know it."

"Stop it, Lorelei," he pleaded. "Stop trying to fix me, because you can't. Don't get tangled up in this whole mess. This is my life to deal with; not yours. Stay out of it."

"But if you'd just talk to me--"

"I said stay out of it," he barked. "If I wanted to fill you in on my innermost feelings, I'd let you know. But that's not what you're here for, now is it?"

A look of confusion touched her eyes. "Oh. What am I here for, then?"

"You're my girlfriend. Not my shrink. I don't need you for this, okay?"

"Really," she muttered. "I'd inquire as to what you do need me for, but I'm supposed to be staying out of your life." She shook her head, and then turned to walk away.

"Lorelei--" he sighed, taking long steps to fall into stride with her. "Let me walk you home."

"Oh, I don't think I need you for this," she said sarcastically.

"Fuck, Lore, stop making such a big deal out of this!" He stopped following her and just stared at her retreating back.

"Okay. How's this?" She never once looked back at him, but she may have quickened her pace slightly.

"I should go home now…"

"Yeah, I should go inside…

"Okay…"

"Bye…"

Totally ignoring any thoughts of parting, Cassie and Vern stood on her porch, making out for several additional minutes. They were doing their bests to get their arms around each other fully, but it was a difficult task to accomplish because of their bulky winter jackets.

"Cassandra, what are you doing out--"

Vern flew back away from Cassie, stumbling on the porch steps and sticking his hands in the air, palms open, upon seeing Mr. Grey suddenly appear in the doorway.

"I didn't touch a hair on her head!" he exclaimed. "Please don't say you have a shotgun!"

Mr. Grey's jaw dropped.

"I can't run very fast!"

Cassie covered her face with her hand.

"I have to go home now and study!" Vern took off running down the street, slipping on a patch of ice but not falling.

Cassie looked at her father fearfully. "Hi?"

Mr. Grey stared at his daughter, resentful affection for her in his small smile. "It takes you seventeen years to discover the opposite sex, and then when you do, that's the one you pick?"

"Meh. He picked me, actually."

"Well, naturally, but--"

"But nothing, Daddy, he's so amazing you wouldn't believe it." She hugged him. "But don't worry," she giggled. "You're still the number one man in my life. I didn't mean that in a child-molester type of way, either."

"Oh, Lord. What has this boy been teaching you?"

She laughed, realizing how weirdly happy and giddy she was as she soared on the best feeling in the world.

"I feel weird," Brooke murmured, still able to distantly feel the pressure of Gordie's lips on hers.

"Good. That means I'm doing something right," he muttered back.

"I don't mean in an orgasmic way, you fuck ass," she laughed, sinking deeper into his arms as they sat on her bed. "Cat just walked in the room, you see, and, well…it's weird that she just sits there and watches us make out."

"Brookeson," he sighed, abusing the maddening nickname for her he'd recently made up on his own. "It's a cat. A non-sentient creature. What do you think she's doing, taking notes?"

"It's still weird."

"You're weird. Shut up." Smiling, he leaned back in to kiss her again. Judging by her receptiveness, she didn't seem to object.

Brooke broke away just long enough to inform him, "I'm falling off the bed."

"Sorry." He made more room for her, and as Brooke readjusted herself, he studied Cat, his eyebrows deepening. She was definitely watching them. She was watching them quite intently, in fact. When Brooke kissed him again, he drew back from her. "You're right. It's unnerving. What if we emotionally scar Cat for life?"

Brooke leaned back on her elbows, laughing. "What do you propose we do?"

"Well, you know how I'm always proposing sex?"

"Don't cause me to beat you with a pillow again. You didn't like it last time."

"That's because you made my lip bleed."

"Then stop proposing sex."

"Never." He watched in horror as Cat slowly slunk her way under the bed. "We are leaving. That's just weird."

Somehow, Ginny suckered Reese into letting her drive his car. Every bump they went over made him hold his breath and clutch his seat.

"Ginny…?"

"Yeah?" she asked eagerly with an evil, adrenaline-filled grin on her face.

He tried to calm his breathing. "You're only supposed to use one foot…"

"For what?"

"The pedals. Just use your right foot. You're kinda making me nervous with both of your feet hovering over the pedals."

"Sure, but when I have both feet ready, this way if I see a child or elderly person, I can really accelerate."

"Yes. Please don't break my car."

She reached over, taking her eyes off the road, and messed up his hair. "It's surprising. That you don't have a girlfriend, I mean."

"I had a girlfriend," he muttered with a shrug. "For four years. Look at the road, Ginny."

"Why'd you break up?" Ginny grinned. She never really smiled--she just had this feverish grin that made her features less toughened and worldlier yet innocent. "Tell me about your love life."

"Trying to set me ablaze hardly qualifies for knowing me well enough to request a heart to heart."

"True, but I could total your car."

Sighing, Reese shrugged. "You know who Anya Berkowitz is?"

"Happy cheerleader type?"

"Yeah. She's great."

"Sure. You went out with her?" She snorted. "Doesn't surprise me. You two would make the perfect homecoming king and queen."

"Yeah, we were together since grade eight." He attempted to change the station on the radio, but she deftly slapped his hand away. Giving up, he continued, "But then this year, she dumped me for Chris Chambers."

"Really." She kept taking frequent looks at him, interested. "Wow. You gotta give her credit--at least she's not as closed-minded as the rest of the stupid fucks in our school. Most people take one look at that kid and figure he's some low-life, but he's actually freaky-smart. Plus he's one tough little mother."

"Yeah, I know," Reese lied. What was with Chris and him having a positive impact on the female folk at Castle Rock High? Or at least the girls that he liked, anyway. "Wait--are you calling me closed-minded?"

"No, why?"

"Chris Chambers is a low-life."

"Oh, fuck, Aarons, don't give me that. That guy's got a spine. He's got balls. He's a lot more man than anyone at our damn school, and he doesn't have to prove it by telling everyone how big his dick is or bragging about how many chicks he can nail per night. Just because some bubble-head lost interest in you and started liking him doesn't mean you can submit yourself to popular belief." After delivering her speech, she ran a hand through her hair and looked at him again. "Then what happened after your teeny-bopper dumped you?"

"Well, I tried to go after her best friend," he said, his voice resentful, but his face sporting a sly smirk.

"Oh, I love you," she laughed.

"That didn't work, because fuckin' everybody was telling her that I was using her. Then she discovers she's got the hots for Chris Chambers' future cell-mate, Teddy Duchamp, and everyone forgets about Reese."

"Teddy Duchamp?" She asked. "I know him. Actually, I was making out with him when your little girlfriend discovered her hots for him. It pissed me off. But I like her. I never did catch her name."

"Lorelei."

"No. I'm Ginny."

He burst out laughing. "Her name was Lorelei."

"Ohh. That's a weird name. Hey, your name is Reese. That's weird too."

"Yes, Virginia."

"Don't call me Virginia. I'll murder your dog."

"I don't have a dog. My sister kinda has a cat. It suddenly appeared when she and Lachance started being buddy-buddy. I think it's their love child."

"Well I'll kill that."

"They'll kill you."

"I'll kill your car."

"NO!" He gripped his seat tighter. "That better just be my imagination and my car is not speeding up!"

"Oh, it's the car, not your imagination," she cackled. "You're going to get a speeding ticket."

"Like hell I am! Stop driving!"

"Weeeeeee!"

"Ginny!" he yelled. "You just passed a donut shop! Now there is a FUCKING cop trailing us!"

"What?"

"Donuts--! Equals cops--!" He tried to reach for the wheel, and shouted, "--Equals I hate you!"

She pulled over safely to the side of the road. "Don't worry. I have experience with cops."

"I'm sure you do, you stupid felon."

She rolled the window down calmly. "Hi!"

"Ginny, what are you doing driving?" the officer demanded before he even got to the car. "Your mother told me that the last time you were allowed to drive, you chased first-graders for three blocks."

"Oh, memories," she sighed wistfully.

"Who's car is this?"

"His," Ginny said, jerking a thumb at Reese.

The officer leaned against the car to get a look at Reese. "This your car?"

"Yes, sir."

"Is this your boyfriend, Ginny?"

"YES."

"You know the rule about dating in my house! No dating until you're--"

"I'm not in your house, I'm in his car!"

"Um, excuse me, but could you charge her on the grounds of a double kidnapping?" Reese asked meekly.

"I kidnapped nothing. You offered to drive me home," she said.

"Yes. But then you kidnapped me. And my car."

"Oh, we had FUN," she laughed.

"Come on, Ginny, I'm taking you home now," the officer said gruffly.

"I must go now." She stepped on the gas pedal.

As they sped away, skidding slightly on ice before she regained control, Reese stared at her in awe. When she said nothing, he yelled, "Are you fucking out of your MIND?"

"Oh, that was my dad. The worst he can do is take off my door."

"Your door?"

"Yeah. When he's mad, he takes off my door. It's weird. One time, when my folks were still together, I accidentally walked in on their anniversary sex and my dad just fucking chased me downstairs--once he put some underwear on, that is--and then he removed my door. He's kept up the tradition ever since."

"I don't get it."

"Neither do I."

"Hey, wait a second. Who said I had to be your boyfriend?" he demanded.

"Wanna be?"

"Can I drive now?"

"No."

"Can I have my car back sometime?"

"Sometime."

"Then of course I want to be."