A/n: I know, super slow update, but I've had quite a few exciting things happen in the last month including:

1) Seeing Aly & AJ play at Disneyland, getting to meet them and get their autographs (if you see the Disney 411 thing on the concert, you can actually see me in the crowd at one point)

2) Annual road trip to San Francisco with my best pal to visit friends (during which I actually wrote a good deal of this chapter)

3) Being sick but still having to suffer through work with every other Disneyland guest being irritated at the lack of fireworks.

And, to make up for not updating in a good while, this is actually a pretty long chapter, so with out further ado, on with the show...

"Poprocks and Coke"

April 17th

I am so stupid. Really, really, really stupid. Sometimes I'm amazed by my own stupidity. I know I've done stupid things before and will probably do stupid things again but nothing I've ever done or ever will do, will ever even come close to what I did today. Today I almost ruined the most amazing thing that ever happened to me because today, I almost broke up with Keely Teslow.

It all started last night, just before dinner, with a normal, everyday conversation. Dad was sitting at one end of the kitchen table, working on something time engine related, Pim was at the other end, typing away on her laptop and laughing maniacally to herself every so often. Mom was in the kitchen cooking and I was sitting at the counter, watching her. As bad as Mom's cooking had been when we first got stuck in this century, the longer we're here, the better her cooking gets and while she'll never been the best cook in the world, I've always appreciate her efforts because I know she only does it for us. That's just the kind of person Mom is.

Anyway, as I was sitting there keeping her company as she finished up dinner, she said, "So, Phil, how are things with you and Keely?"

I smiled. I never passed up an opportunity to talk about Keely. "Terrific, Mom. I've never been happier. I thought it was great when we were just friends but dating is a thousand times better. I am so in love with her, Mom. I really think she's the one, if you know what I mean."

She smiled and said, "That great, sweetie. Keely's a wonderful girl."

That's what I love about Mom; a lot parents would probably tell me I'm too young to be talking about finding "The One" but not Mom. I think she realizes how special what Keely and I have is.

I grinned at her. "You don't have to tell me, Mom, I know how wonderful Keely is. After all, I'm the one that gets to kiss her."

Mom laughed until Dad spoke up. "Phil, don't you think you're getting a little too serious with Keely?"

I was a little caught off guard by that comment. I had figured Dad had been around enough to realize how Keely and I felt about each other. "Dad, I'm in love with her, how can I be anything but serious?"

"Phil, as much as you think you love Keely, its never going to work, you don't belong here. I told you when we first got here not to get too attached to anyone in this century."

"Dad, we've all gotten attached to people in this century! You have friends, Mom has friends, even Pim has friends!

"Yeah, but none of us decided to get involved in a 'serious' romantic relationship."

I opened my mouth to reply but Mom intervened by calling us to dinner.

Later that night, I couldn't stop thinking about what Dad said. I kept telling myself that he was wrong, that Keely and I were supposed to be together but a nagging voice in the back of my head keep telling me that he might be right.

The more I thought about, the more I started to think about what would happen if we ever did end up leaving. I kept picturing telling Keely I had to leave and seeing her heartbroken face and knew I wouldn't ever be able to bring myself to hurt her like that. I figured-rather stupidly-that if I broke up with her now, I wouldn't have to deal with all that if it ever came up.

I knew I couldn't break up with Keely in person, considering my lack of will power when in comes to her and those gorgeous eyes of hers, and I knew I'd probably lose my nerve if I tried to do it over the phone so I figured a letter was the best way to do it.

So I sat down to write the hardest letter I've ever had to write in my life. It took me a good two hours to write it (and it wasn't even a page long) because I just couldn't find the right words to break up with the most amazing, wonderful person in my life.

Today, I gave Keely my letter. I tried to avoid her all day, rather unsuccessfully, but by the time we were on our way home from school, she knew something was up. Sometimes she can read me so well it's scary. Anyway, I just gave her the letter and took off.

After that, I figured it was all over. She wouldn't ever talk to me again. Or at least not for a really, really long time. As much as that hurt, I just had to keep telling myself that it was better than getting way too involved with her and having to one day break her heart by leaving.

The funny thing about most of my plans, however, is that they rarely work. Keely was certainly not never talking to me again. In fact, she was over here making that perfectly clear only a few hours after I gave her the letter.

I was lying on my bed, a book open on my chest since my concentration was way to shot to read, when Keely burst in without knocking or anything.

"PHILIP DIFFY!" She shouted causing me to jump.

I sat up and said, rather stupidly, "Oh, hi, Keely." I really couldn't think of anything else to say, I was so in shock. I'd never heard Keely yell like that at anyone, especially me, in all the time I'd known her.

But she didn't stop there. She brandished the letter at me like a ninja with nun-chucks. "Phil, how could you do this to me? You can't just break up with someone out of the blue like this and IN A LETTER none the less! ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PERSON DOESN'T DESERVE IT! I thought things were going great for us then you go and pull this on me! I can't believe you!"

All I could was sit there and stare at her. It was all so out of character for normally level headed and even tempered Keely. It was a little disconcerting, really, to see the one person who always keeps me grounded when I overreact going all Howard Dean on me.

"Keely, I-" I started but she cut me off.

"And that's not even what I'm most upset about! What really hurts is that

something's going on with you that you're not telling me! And don't try telling me you're fine because I know you too well to know you're not. I can see it your eyes." She stopped yelling, sat down next to me, took a deep breath and continued in a much more reasonable voice. "If you can't tell me what's wrong as your girlfriend, you should at least be able to tell me as your best friend. Whatever you're going through, Phil, I'm here for you, you know that."

I looked into her eyes for a brief moment and read only the familiar sincerity and concern. I knew I couldn't be anything but straightforward with her, she only wanted to help me. That's Keely for you, always thinking of other people.

"I know, Keely. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, I just...I just didn't know what to do."

"What happened, Phil?"

It was my turn to take a deep breath. I knew I had to tell her everything because she was right, she wasn't just my girlfriend, she was my best friend too. My best friend who I don't keep any secrets from.

"Last night I was telling my mom how great things were going for you and me and how happy I am and everything My dad overheard and started talking about how I shouldn't get too attached to anything in this century, people included. He said that as much as I think I love you-his words, not mine-it would never work between us because I don't belong here and so on. I started thinking, what if he's right? What if we end up leaving? I figured if I broke up with you now, I wouldn't have to think about it any more. I guess I just let Dad get to me, and I panicked."

She looked at me for a long moment without saying anything. Then, catching me off guard in that way only Keely can, said, "Phil, do you love me?"

Now there's a no-brainer if I ever heard one. "You know I do, Keel."

"And I love you. That's all that should matter. Whatever happens, we'll work through it because we love each other. I'm totally committed to this relationship, no matter what. If you end up having to leave, well, we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it. If you ask me, that's a pretty big 'if' to break up over. I mean, you've been here for three years now and it looks as if you guys might not ever go back."

What she said made sense but there was still that slight chance that I might have to leave that was bugging me. "I guess."

One of the many things I love about Keely is that she never gives up. She slipped her hand into mine and kept going. "Phil, you've always told me that everything happens for a reason. Maybe the reason you got stuck here was so that we could meet and fall in love. I hate to sound cliche and all, but maybe we were meant to be together."

I looked at her as I let her words sink in. She was right, of course. Once again, I'd let my tendency to over-think things get in my way. It had never mattered before in our friendship that I was from the future and it certainly shouldn't matter now that we were dating. I love Keely and want to be with her, and like she said, that's all that matters.

"You right, Keely. All that's important is that I love you and despite what my dad thinks, we belong together. Listen, Keely, I'm really sorry about all of this. I just freaked out, you know? We're all entitled to a freak out every now and then, right? I swear it won't happen again. I love you and I want to be with you and I..."

She cut me off again. "Phil ?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you shut up so I can kiss you?"

I laughed. "Of course."

She leaned over and we shared a long kiss...only to be interrupted by Pim. "I heard yelling so I thought, I'd...SWEET CLAM CHOWDER! I DID NOT NEED TO SEE THAT!"

Keely and I must have jumped four feet apart, both of us blushing like mad. Pim didn't look too happy. "There's an image I'll be stuck with for awhile. I hope you two are happy." She turned on her heels and left.

Keely and I both started laughing, which felt really good, considering what I'd just put us through. "I think we scarred her for life, Phil," she said.

"Good. Traumatizing my sister is one of my favorite hobbies."

Keely laughed again, checking her watch. "Well, its getting late. I'd better get home."

"Okay." I leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you in the morning. I love you."

"I love you too," she said and, after flashing me one last smile, left.

Watching her go, I felt really good, and I still do. Keely really laid all her cards on the table tonight. She said she was committed to our relationship and wanted to be with me no matter what. Its' a really great feeling, knowing that she's always going to be there. As crazy and unpredictable as my life and the future may seem, it doesn't seem nearly as bad with Keely there by my side.

A/n: Leave a review, would you? I'll be your friend if you do. Oh, and stay tuned for the next chapter: "She's Everything."