OK! AlyRaven, thanx 4 reveiwing all of my chappies!

Chapter Twenty-four: "'Ead over 'Eels"

"Maybe we should go look for him," said Gar, finally.

"He needs to work this out on his own," said Rach in her metreone voice.

"But what if he gets hurt?" said Kori.

"He's big enough to take care of himself," said Dick.

"Look!" said Terra. "Here he comes!" Just then, Vic walked in, smile on his face.

"Hey, ya'll," he said, lightly.

"Where have you been?" asked Dick.

"And why are humming Glen Miller?" said Rachel. For, indeed, he had been humming "In the Mood".

"Oh," he said, slyly, "no reason…" And he walked over to the kitchen, now singing the song in "la la's".

"Is he – ok?" said Kori.

"Dude!" said Gar. "I know what happened! The real Victor got sucked up into an alien spaceship and is being dissected as we speak! And, so we wouldn't get suspicious, the aliens gave us a robot Victor who's half man-half record player! And their coming for us next!" Everyone stared at him. "What? It's possible!" Then, Terra through a pillow at his head.

"Retard"

Just then, Juan came in carrying a tray of dishes from the kitchen.

"Hey, Juan," said Dick. "Can I ask you something?"

"Si, senior?"

"Well, do you know what's wrong with him? The last time I saw him it looked like he was gonna end it and now…" He made a helpless hand gesture in Victor's direction.

"Honestly, senior?" Dick nodded. "Well, I believe 'e is 'ead over 'eels." And Juan left.

"'Head over heals'?" Dick repeated.

"Victor?" said Terra.

There was a pause and then Gar laughed.

"Sweet!" he said, and he rubbed his hands together evilly. "Let the interrogations begin!"

Then, another pillow hit him this time square in the face.

"Retard," said Rachel.

------

"I'm not sayen' anything," Vic said, as he packed his suitcase.

"Aw, come on, man," said Gar, watching him from the bed. "Just tell us her name."

"Yeah," said Terra, sitting cross-legged on a chair. "Don't hold out!"

"Please," said Kori, who was practically floating around the room. "We just want to know a teensy weensy bit about her…" She held her forefinger and thumb two millimeters apart.

"I said no." But Gar could see a creeping smile on his face.

"Just tell me this much," he said. "Is she hot?"

There was a pause, and Vic said, "Oh, yeah…"

"Sweet! Score!"

The boys laughed and gave each other a high five as Terra rolled her eyes and Kori giggled.

------

The sun set and a small crowd listened to the flowing beat of a sax on the corner. When the song was done, coins made their own melody as they clinked into on old case.

"Thanks, thank you, God bless, thanks…" said Bumblebee as the crowd put in their money.

"Where did you learn to play like that?" asked a voice. Bee looked up.

"Oh, hey Sparky," she said as she packed up.

Victor walked over to her and helped.

"You hungry?" he asked. "'Cause I heard about a burger place 'round the corner. My treat!"

"Sounds like fun."

They walked together like the night before, simply enjoying one-another's company.

"So," said Vic, "you still didn't answer my question."

"Huh?"

"Where'd you learn to play like that?"

"Oh, picked it up, here and there…"

He lifted an eye-brow. "You've never taken a class or anything?"

"Well, not really… Oh, wait! There was this one time where I went to this academy when I was living in Steel City. Didn't really work out though."

"Why not?"

She sighed. "Well, I was going there on a scholarship for being a 'gifted musician' at the age of twelve. It was an academy for the musically talented or something. Well, let's just say that I wasn't really welcomed. What with coming from a poor background and with me being – well…" she sighed and looked at the back of her hands. "I wasn't really 'accepted' by the other students. But I moved and I'm much happier now."

She smiled weakly as he looked at her, mouth slightly open.

"That's horrible!" he said.

She laughed. "It's ok. Is this the place you were talking about?" She pointed to a 50's style diner and he nodded. They went inside and got a booth in the corner. A waitress came by and gave them two menus to order from. Vic ordered a double cheese burger with everything and Bee ordered a hamburger with no onions. They both ordered chocolate shakes.

They started their usual conversation about nothing, as a waiter came by with a steaming pot of coffee. Suddenly, he tripped, and the pot came down on Vic's left arm. The waiter began to apologize, and started cleaning up.

"Vic, are you ok?" Bee said, moving over next to him.

"Yeah, fine," he said, trying to cover up his arm.

"Here, let me see." she extended her arm for his. He blocked her.

"I'm fine"

"But that coffee was scolding"

"I'm good"

"Will you just let me see?"

"Look, I'm –"

"Will you just –"

"I'm OK!" Then, she finally grabbed it.

"Will you just let me –" Then, she stopped as she saw his hand. She gently let go and said softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Well, now you do," he said in a quite voice.

There was a pause.

"So, what happened?"

He sighed. "I was born with a bad arm. I was, I think, 11 when I got this." He pointed to his left arm. There was another pause. "I never made the football team because of this. And I've always felt – different – you know?" He hung his head, when Bee lifted it back up with her long, delicate hand.

"Hey," she said softly, "I was a young black girl from the ghetto goin' to a rich, white man's school. Of course I know." They locked eyes for a moment, and then –

"Here you go! One hamburger, no onions; one double cheeseburger with everything; and two chocolate shakes. Enjoy!"

The waitress left, leaving their food on the table.

No tip for her! Vic thought as Bee blushingly went back to her seat.

OK! R&R!

Tprinces