A/N: Al right, this chapter is a little bit longer. The name stinks cause I couldn't think of anything so...yeah. And to XxXCocoPuffXxX: that's what I wanted to write, but I don't think that would be in keeping with the current rating so...I didn't or I would have to change it, and I don't want to. (Just Kidding, I do that a lot, so don't take everything I say at face value, unless I happen to mention to do so.)

Chapter Nine

It was the last Friday in May and their project was due. The previous night he had talked to Lil and she was going to bring in the poster. That was good cause he really didn't feel like having to carry that thing. He planned his arrival time at the bus stop so that he would be too late to offer his assistance. His plan worked. He was notorious for being late to the bus stop so no one suspected anything. On the bus, the poster was so large that he couldn't sit next to Lil so he sat next to Phil. "So, Phil, when are you gonna come clean about you and Kimi?" Tommy asked.

"What are you talking about Tom? Why are you making stuff up like that?" He asked, trying to cover his anxiety.

"I know about you and Kimi. So when are you going to come clean?"

"Listen" he said lowering his voice. "You keep quiet about this."

"So when are you gonna come clean? I came clean a long time ago."

"All in due time."

"And when will that be?"

"When ever Kimi and I are good and ready. You promise that you will keep this to yourself?"

"K, but I told Dil, so Chuckie is the only one who doesn't know."

"What??"

"Yeah, that is why it isn't worth it to keep it a secret anymore."

"Oh well, we are still not ready to tell Chuckie yet."

"Have it your way then." Just then the bus pulled into the school. He helped Lil carry the poster into the history room and left it there. That allowed them to go through the day without having to cart their poster with them. History was the last class of the day. The day was rather boring but at lunch things got interesting. "Hey guys, how about we all get together tomorrow and go to the mall?" asked Phil.

"Sure, Lil and I were planning on going together but we can all go." Said Tommy.

"Yeah, we'll all go." Said Lil.

"Yeah," said Chuckie and Kimi.

After they all agreed to meet at Tommy's house at 4 to go to the mall. Tommy also agreed to ask Dil if he wanted to come with his girlfriend.

When Tommy arrived home later that day he asked Dil "Hey D, you and Amanda want to come with us to the mall tomorrow?"

"I would love to go, but I would have to call her and ask her."

"Then call and ask damn it."

"Ok, I will go call now."

"You better." A few minutes later Dil came back and told him that it was ok and she would meet us here as well.

Tommy woke up the next day and saw that Lil was running late again. She was in a rush and was running around her room, nude looking for come clothes to wear; she had just come out of the shower. Tommy fumbled around in his night table for the camera, but she caught him. She threw on a towel and yelled out the window. He couldn't hear what she said, so she opened his window and yelled "What?"

"Perv!" she yelled.

"I'm a guy, what do you expect. You run around your room nude, I'm gonna look."

"If you wanted to see me naked Tom, all you had to do was ask."

"Didn't know that I could."

"Well, now you know. And you had better not be trying to take pictures of me!"

"I would never do a thing like that!"

"Anyway, see you in a few minutes." And for a few brief moments she let her towel fall before she closed the blinds. "Wow" he thought. "She just flashed me." He quickly for dressed and ran downstairs knowing that soon people would be arriving and that he had not eaten yet. Tommy was always hungry.

They still had about ten minutes before everyone would be here and Tommy could tell the Dil was anxious. "What are you so worried about D?" He asked.

"I just hope that today goes ok." He replied.

"Dude just chill out, be yourself and everything will be ok."

"Ya think so?"

"I know so. Now shut up and finish getting ready damn it. Preparation is everything."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The other part is to just act normal, like you would anywhere else. If people don't like you for who you are then it's their problem not yours, now get out of my sight. I don't want to see you until you are ready to go!"

"What about you, are you ready?"

"As ready as I can get. Now get out!"

"Ok ok." Those were Dil's final words before Tommy shoved him into the bathroom. After, he went into the kitchen and quickly scarfed down three muffins. Dil then walked out of the bathroom and Tommy ran in to brush his teeth. As he finished, the first of his friends began to arrive. It was Kimi and Chuckie first. "Hey guys he said as they walked in.

"Hey Tom." Said Chuckie.

"Hey" said Kimi.

"Kimi, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" He asked.

"Sure." They walked into the Kitchen. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing I just want to know when you and Phil are gonna stop this foolishness and tell everyone."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't give me that bullshit. I know exactly what is going on and so does everyone else. We just want you to confirm it."

"When did you find out?"

"I had suspected it but Lil confirmed it for me when I asked her."

"I want to tell you guys but its Phil who keeps saying that we should keep it quiet."

"Well, it has gone on long enough. Spill it or I will. I am done keeping your secret. Besides Chuckie deserves to know about this." And then he just walked out to talk with everyone else. Just then Phil and Lil arrived. "Hey" he said. And he kissed her. "Tommy, keep your hands and lips off my sister when I am around!" Ordered Phil.

"Sorry dude, I just can't help myself." He said, with tongue in check.

"Tom, more than you needed to say. Just don't do it again." And with that he stalked off. "Tommy, don't aggravate him." She jokingly chastised him.

"What, what's the point if you can't have a little fun?" He asked.

"You are very mischievous."

"I know." They than walked into the TV/family room hand in hand, which drew dirty looks from Phil. A few minutes later the doorbell rand and Dil went to answer it. "Hey Amanda." He greeted her at the door.

"Hey Dil." She replied.

"Everyone else is in the TV/family room. Now that you are here we can leave."

"Excellent." They walked into the TV/family room together and Dil announced that it was time to leave. "Dil, aren't you gonna introduce us all?" Tommy asked.

"Oh yeah. Amanda that's my older brother Tommy. Next to him is his girlfriend Lil, next to her is her twin. Phil. Next to him are Kimi and her brother Chuckie. Guys, this is Amanda." He said.

"Hey" they all said at once. After the introductions they all got up and piled into Chuckie's parents van. Everyone just grabbed a seat since the mall was only about five minutes away. When they arrived at the mall everyone piled out again. Chuckie said good-bye to his parents and they all walked into the mall. In the mall, Phil and Kimi agreed that it was time to come clean about their relationship. "Hey guys" Kimi said in general, to the whole group. "I have something to tell you."

"What?" Chuckie asked.

"Phil and I are going out. We have been for sometime now."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Chuckie asked.

"We were afraid to tell anyone."

"You didn't need to be afraid. I think that it's a good thing that you two are together. Just that everyone else here has someone, and I don't."

"Don't worry Chuckie you'll fine someone someday."

"I can only hope."

"With that attitude you most certainly won't. It's all up to you. No one else is gonna find someone for you."

"Guys, can we stop talking about me and my love life?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." They wandered around for a few more minutes and then Chuckie asked "What are actually gonna do. I'm starting to feel kinda weird cause everyone else, well, you know. I mean, even Dil!!!! I am kinda feeling like the odd man out."

"What is 'even Dil' supposed to mean?" asked Dil indignantly.

"Nothing, its just that I feel kinda left out is all."

"Then don't take it out on me. If you wanna go home Chuck, no one is stopping you."

"If that's how you feel, then maybe I will."

"Guys, stop this nonsense. Chuck, you don't have a car, license, permit, or a cell phone to call home with, or any money to use a pay phone and no one is giving you their phone. You are stuck with us so just come to terms with it and deal." Said Tommy as he took control of the situation. "And Dil, he didn't mean anything, he was just using you as an example how you are younger and stuff. So lets take this whole 'odd man out' thing and shove it. Enough! Now everyone is gonna get along or there is gonna be hell to pay."

Since Tommy was kinda of the leader in crisis situations, no questioned what he said. "Now, the next order of business is to decide what to do with our time. We can just roam around, go to a movie or eat now or later. Its all up to you guys." Tommy said as he offered them a list of options.

"I thing that we should eat." said Lil.

"Yeah I think so too," said Tommy, he was always hungry.

"We will eat," said Chuckie.

"Agreed then. Now our next task is to decide where to eat. Everyone will eat where they want to eat. I will find us a place to sit. Lil, I think that you know what I want." Said Tommy.

"Of course I do Tom, Pizza." She said matter of factly.

"Ahhh, you know me so well. You are the perfect woman for me."

"And you the man for me."

"Enough of this mushy shit!!" Yelled Phil. "Can we please just get some damn food God. Why does everything have to be like that with you two?"

"Cause we are in love Phillip." She said, trying to contain her anger. To control herself she walked off to get her and Tommy's food, and Tommy followed suit, looking for tables so they all could sit together. "Come on Phil, let's get something to eat before you piss anyone else off." Said Kimi dragging Phil off to one of the food places. "Lets go guys." Said Chuckie.

"You are lucky to have so many friends." Said Amanda. "But is it always like this? You know, you guys arguing and stuff?"

"Nah." Dil replied. "Normally we all get along fine. But, I don't know today's different somehow. I guess its cause Chuckie feels left out cause he's the only one who doesn't have a girlfriend."

"I guess. Anyway, I guess that it would be really cool be friends with you guys."

"Really? I guess you never realize what a good thing that you have until it's gone. I like all my friends and it would be cool to have you as a part of our circle too."

"Come on lets get something to eat."

"Yeah, I'm starving. I could eat a whole pizza by myself, come lets get one and we can share, I promise that I will leave some for you."

"Why thank you. How many slices?"

"One or two."

"Thanks."

"What, I said that I was hungry."

"Ugh. Come lets go get some pizza."

"Yeah!"

After all was said and done, they all ended up having pizza. Its one of those universal foods that everyone likes. Tommy felt strange they had never argued like that as a group before. Sure they all had their moments with each other, but usually it was between two people, not everyone. Phil is mad at me. Lil is mad at Phil, Chuck and Dil are mad at each other. Chuck is kinda mad at Kimi and Phil. What a tangled mess. He had to do something, though what could he do? He could try and talk to Chuckie and make sure that he accepted the fact that he was the only one who wasn't in a relationship. But that wasn't anyone else's fault. It was his own. It was all just a huge tangled mess. But, this is a matter for another day. For now I should just focus on having a good time.

Whenever they ate pizza, they always had a competition to see who could eat the most pizza. Dil won, he had eaten an entire pizza by himself, just like he said he would. He was the reigning champion for the past three months, he had dethroned Phil. After every one had eaten their fill of pizza, they agreed to go and see a movie. Watching the movie, LOTR: ROTK, had taken them til 10. It was time to go home. Tommy called up Chuckie's parents on his cell phone and 15 minutes they were all home. He walked Lil to the door. "I had an ok time tonight" he commented.

"So did I, but I wash that we hadn't gotten into that big fight" She replied.

"Well Chuck has no one to blame but himself. Anyway, don't worry about it. All those problems will solve themselves, eventually."

"I hope so. Don't forget the formal next weekend."

"Don't worry." He kissed her good night and then walked away. "Shit" he thought to himself. "I completely forgot about that dance. I have to actually buy a suit now. What the hell was I thinking?" Tommy quickly made a mental note to tell his parents in the morning that they had to go to the store and buy him a suit for the dance on Saturday. But for the time being he was too tired to think about that. He dragged himself home and decided to have some ice cream. He noticed that Dil wasn't anywhere to be seen. After finishing his ice cream he walked upstairs and checked in Dil's room. He wasn't there either. "Oh well" he thought. "I'm sure D will be back in the morning. He probably just went to walk Amanda home." Tommy changed his clothes and threw himself into bed.

When he woke up the next morning he walked into Dil's room. He still wasn't there and his bed looked like it had never been slept in. Tommy then walked downstairs and found Dil sitting at the kitchen table, asleep. "Dude, where were you all night?" Tommy asked his brother.

"I wasn't anywhere. I walked Amanda home and then came here. I must not have made it up stairs." Dil answered.

"Ok then. Next time dude, why don't you just ask Mom or Dad to drive you."

"Next time I'll do that."

"Anyway, how was it last night? Did you have a good time?

"You mean in spite of Chuckie making cracks at me?"

"Yeah."

"Well then I did have a good time."

"Good. Anyway, we have to go to the mall and pick me up a suit. Got that big formal dance next Saturday."

"Oh yeah, good luck with that."

"Thanks I guess. Better go tell Mom and Dad." And with that he walked off to go and find his parents. They were watching TV in the TV/family room. "Hey Mom?" He asked.

"Yes Tommy?" she replied.

"Can you guys take me to the mall? I need to buy a suit for the big dance on Saturday."

"Sure Tommy. But we can't go today. We will have to go tomorrow after school."

"Thanks." He then joined them on the couch to watch TV. That was how they spent the rest of their Sunday. Tommy had already finished his homework and was all ready for school the next day. He went to bed early that night so he would not wake up late in the morning.

A/N: This is the longest chapter so, after this they'll be about half this length. Anyway, review please!!!