Author's Note: What a treat, two chapters in a day! j/k. In this chapter, they're in eighth grade now (duh.) and they cuss a little, but it's nothing that bad anyways.

"Bye, Nanc." Catherine said as her little sister entered the fifth grade classroom. Nancy waved and ran to her friends. Catherine walked up the stairs to the eighth grade hallway. She saw a familiar figure at the water fountain and ran towards the shadow. The figure stood up, a messy head of dark curly hair on top of a tall frame.

"Gil!" Catherine exclaimed and jumped towards him.
"Cath! I haven't seen you in weeks!" He looked down at her and smiled.

"Yeah. We went on an epic journey back to Montana with Sam." She said and rolled her eyes.

"Well, good to have you back, then." He said and they slapped hi-fives. "You got your hair cut."

"Thanks for noticing, Gil. You're very observant." She said sarcastically as she shook her short, layered hair out of her eyes. "Is George still alive?"

"Trust me. You would have heard if he wasn't." Gil said seriously and she laughed.

"Ready for big, scary eighth grade?"

"Oh yeah." Gil said and they both laughed. "Let's see what crappy teachers we get this year."

"Yeah, won't that be fun?" Catherine said as they walked into their new homeroom. They took two seats in the back row and shoved them together. Catherine threw her messenger bag underneath the desk on the right and sat down sideways on the chair. Gil sat down next to her.

"I guess we could go find our lockers?" Gil suggested.

"Or we could get a can of pop." Catherine replied with a sly smile.

"I vote for that one." Gil said as they both jumped out of their seats.

"Race ya there." Catherine dared.

"You're on."

Catherine and Gil picked up their bags and hurried out of English.

"Well. I hate that class already." Catherine mumbled.

"Yeah… that teacher sure loves us. Not!" Gil said angrily. "I mean, she had no right!"

"You're telling me."

"What's she got on us? Saying 'Mr. Grissom! Would you please pay attention to what we're learning and stop flirting with you girlfriend?' GAHHH" Gil yelled and pounded his fist against the nearest locker. Catherine ran up behind him and grabbed his arm. He looked over at her.

"Gil! It's not going to get any better by yelling about it and denting school property!" She yelled, and then slammed her fist into the locker. She closed her eyes for a second, and then opened them. They stared at each other.

"Ok, so punching the locker helps a little." She said with ragged breath.

"I guess we should get to… whatever class we have next."

"Spanish." She said. They both stood up. "We'll get over this freaking whack-job teacher. Right? Hell, we'll probably end up with some stupid co-worker just like her. ECKLIE!

"Yeah… ok. Let's go, I guess." They started walking down the hallway.

"I've never seen you so angry before." Catherine said as they turned the corner.

"Likewise. But when someone messes with my best friend, I get pissed." He said and they smiled at each other as they entered Spanish I.

Catherine threw her bag on top of Nancy's blue backpack in the corner.

"What do we have for a snack?" Nancy asked as she walked into the kitchen. Catherine pulled a note off the back of the front door.

Catherine & Nancy,

Working late. Went to

the store. See if you can

find something.

Love,

Mom.

"Aren't you always working late." Catherine sighed and crumbled up the note. She walked into the kitchen and threw it away.

"Um… let's see what we have." Catherine said and rummaged through the cabinets. Nancy climbed onto a bar stool.

"Why are you so mad?" Nancy asked.

"I'm not mad!" Catherine yelled and stood up, hitting her head on a cabinet door. "OW! Now I'm mad!" Nancy pulled up a chair for Catherine and she slumped into it.

"Ok… so what's up?" Nancy asked as Catherine slammed her head on the table.

"Weh ahve deesh teech-"

"Put your head up!"

"We have this teacher whose sole purpose on this earth has to be just to piss Gil and me off."

"Why? What did she do?"

"She made fun of us the whole class! And she kept saying stuff to Gil about 'flirting with his girlfriend!'" Catherine slammed her head on the table again.

"Well, it's not like you don't like him." Nancy said slowly.

"What?" Catherine lifted her head and glared at Nancy through her hair.

"You. Like. Him. Duh." Nancy said.

"Who?" Catherine asked. Nancy glared at her.

"GIL!" Nancy shouted.

"I do not!" Catherine shouted back.

"I'm ten not three. Yes you do."

"No, I do not."

"Whatever. Look, call when you find some food." Nancy walked out of the kitchen and down the hall, leaving Catherine staring after her…

Author's OTHER note: So, doesn't Nancy just know everything! lol. Gil's so protective. Sort of. I based this off a stupid teacher of mine who always teased me and my friend Ben like that through our whole religion class. What a &$#. Ok. Done.