January 7

Ring…Ring…Rin—

"Hello?" Mush mumbled, snatching up the phone. He glanced at his clock. It read 11:30.

"Hiya, Mushy. Did I wake you?" Kid Blink asked, worriedly. Mush shook his head, sleepily, and then remembered that he was on the phone.

"Yeah, I slept in," he said around a yawn.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I figured you'd be up by now!" Blink exclaimed. Mush chuckled into the phone.

"Chill, Blink. I should have been up by now anyway," he said sitting up. He pinned the phone between his ear and his shoulder and began to get dressed, pulling a tee shirt with a million holes, and a pair of jeans out of his drawers.

"I figured you were an early bird. Why'd you sleep so late?" Blink asked, calming a bit.

"I was up last night fretting about the audition. I think that Asian guy got the part," Mush sighed, sullenly. Kid Blink snorted.

"Mushy, he didn't even try out for Fagin! You dork, you'll get the part. Trust me, no one was better than you!" Kid Blink assured him. Mush rolled his eyes but was pleased at the praise.

"Thanks, Blink. So, what's up?"

"Well, I was thinking you might wanna take me up on that rain check? We could go to…uh…some…place…" Mush snorted.

"Wow, you really think these things through, doncha?" Mush snickered. "Any place in particular?" There was a pause.

"Well…I was thinking we could go see a movie together. There's this one that Two-Bits and Snitch are going to, and it looks interesting," Kid Blink said. Mush laughed.

"Sure thing. Matinee?"

"Yeah. We can go to lunch, and then see it," Kid Blink replied, eagerly. "What time should I pick you up?" Mush crawled out of bed.

"Eh…Soon. I'll grab a shower and then call you, okay?" Mush replied, stepping into the bathroom.

"All right. See you."

January 7

"Morning, Dutchy!" Specs exclaimed, pouncing on Dutchy's bed. Dutchy groaned and buried his head in the pillow; he'd stayed up late last night, thinking about their semi-date.

Actually, Dutchy wasn't completely sure what movie they'd seen, even. He hadn't been paying attention at all. Specs had put up the armrest and curled into Dutchy's side, immediately causing him to blush. But, of course, it was dark in the movie theatre, so hopefully Specs didn't notice.

He'd actually liked Specs for a long time. Since November, perhaps, but who was counting? He'd talked with Dodger a lot about it. It certainly wasn't a question of whether Specs was gay; he'd come out as bisexual in their freshman year. But it was a question of whether he returned the feelings.

But Dodger had dropped hints to Specs, and she said that Specs was responding the way he ought to; that he had never thought of liking Dutchy, but that if he were to consider it, he would.

Of course, what do girls know anyway?

…Well, a lot, considering Dutchy had spent the night before with his arms around Specs' waist.

Dutchy sighed happily and climbed out of bed.

January 7

"So, where're we going?" Spot asked, climbing into the passenger seat of Racetrack's '69 Mustang convertible. Racetrack grinned at him.

"Movies. We're going to see Un long dimanche de fiançailles." Spot raised his eyebrow at Race.

"Uh…Translation, Frenchie?"

"A Very Long Engagement." Spot's eyebrows rose higher, but Racetrack offered no explanation.

"Riiiggghhhtt…"

Ten minutes later, they were in the movie theatre, armed with a large popcorn and two giant slurpies. Racetrack led the way to the back of the rather empty theatre and sat next to…

"Two-Bits? Wow! Fancy meeting you here! Snitch! Blink! Mush! Wow! What are the odds?" Racetrack said, cheerily.

"Zero," Spot muttered. Racetrack sat down next to Two-Bits, which meant Spot had to sit next to Snitch, on the end. Blink and Mush were in the middle, looking suspicious. Spot eyed them as he sat down, then leaned over to whisper to Snitch, "What's up with them?"

"I'm not sure," Snitch hissed back. He noticed the giant slurpie. "Can I have some of that?" Spot chuckled.

"Yeah. It's good shit." He was very satisfied as he indirectly swapped spit with Snitch for the next couple of hours. Oh, and the movie was good, too.

January 7

"So, did you have fun, Snitchy?" Two-Bits asked, climbing into the driver's seat of her car. Snitch pulled his seatbelt across his lap and nodded.

"Uh-huh. It was a good movie. But where were Dutchy and Specs?" he asked as the old 1938 Plymouth pulled out of the parking lot.

"Dodger says they saw a movie last night; she wanted to let the fact that they went on their first date sink in," she explained, grinning. She always grinned when she was driving, because she adored her car.

"They're going out?" Snitch asked, surprised. She nodded.

"I thought they were going out when we first met them at the mall, but Dodger says they've been like that since ninth grade." Suddenly, Two-Bits' cell phone began ringing to the Star Wars theme. Chuckling, she snatched it up and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Bits. It's Racetrack."

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"I need your help with something."

"All riiigghhtt…"

"It's about Spot."