a/n: Thanks, starrydreamz!

7:33 a.m. (Phil's view, finally!)

I waited at the bus stop alone for the first time this year. After Lil's head injury yesterday, she blacks out too much to focus on school, so Mom's letting her stay home for the rest of the week. Tommy and Chuckie, my best friends from infancy, were sitting at the bench while I leaned against the stop sign. I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see an almost unfamiliar girl. My brain turned upside down. My heart rate increased rapidly. Think, Phil! The boots looked familiar...and she's still got the same poufy hairstyle...no...it can't be...

"KIMI?"

"What now, Phil?"

"Oh, nothing, didn't see you coming."

"Duh, I was behind you!"

"Oh, yeah."

The perky footsteps of Trisha raced behind. "Kimi! You know I'm not a runner!"

"Sorry, Trisha. I just HAD to catch up..." She winked at Trisha, then they both giggled. Tommy and I looked helplessly at each other. What the heck were they talking about? The bus pulled up to our stop, and the five of us shuffled on. Tommy and Chuckie sat next to each other. I took the seat behind Tommy, Kimi surprisingly sat next to me, and Trisha sat behind us with Angelica, who was sitting in front of Susie, who was listening to Angelica's Emica CD. The bus finally moved after an eternity. I checked my watch. OK, it was five seconds. It seems much longer when you're in my situation. For those five seconds, I'd been staring at Kimi.

"What is it, Phil?" she asked.

"Nothing, just looking out the window."

"Can't you look out that one? I keep thinking that you're looking at my awful hair."

"What is it with you and your hair, Kimi?"

"I dunno, maybe I just have SUCH low self esteem!" she said fake dramatically. My heart rate went WAY up again when she looked at me and smiled. Angelica ruined the moment by talking (loudly) to Trisha about the next Emica album. Emica IS, of course, Trisha's older sister.

7:41 a.m. (Chuckie's view)

Tommy and I started to talk. Well, let me rephrase that. He started the conversation, I responded, then he spaced out and looked out the window. I saw by the faint reflection in the window that he'd been either crying or having an allergic reaction. "Is something wrong, T?"

(sniff) "No."

"Come on, shape up. Lil's going to be fine."

(sob) "It's not that, Chuck. Those girls are going to keep getting away with this. Your sister could be next." (sniffle)

"Tommy, this is the first time since Camp Everwood that I've seen you crying. Come on, dude! You're Tommy Pickles! You're supposed to be the brave one! Don't let me or Phil down! Or anyone, for that matter!"

(sniff) "I guess you're right. I have been stressing over Lil a lot, I guess. Ever since the Valentine's Day dance, I get really weak whenever she walks by. And now that THIS has happened, what next?"

"What next? WHAT NEXT? We get back at What's her name!"

"You mean Joy?"

"Yeah, her! You with me on this one?"

"OK."

9:33 a.m. (Kimi's view)

All through science class, I stared at the hideous mass of greenish-yellow hair in front of me that belonged to Joy. Time after time, I kept having strong urges to stab her in the neck with my pencil. I worried about Lil. How's she going to get through all this? Chuckie told me during homeroom that he and Tommy wanted me in on a plot to destroy Lil's attackers. I refused. "It's called healthy competition! We'll kill 'em after the show next week. Just wait till Alien Planet gets first prize!" I'd said. Truth is, I didn't want us to get disqualified right before our big break. Right after the show, I'd promised, we'd corner Joy and annoy her to death! MU HAHAHA!

a/n: OK, Kimi's kinda going wonky...sorry...next chapter soon. Now it's confirmed that Phil and Kimi definitely have something going on, but I'm saving all the serious stuff till the final chapters. I dunno why.