Author's note: Wow, delay and a half, sorry work life has been so busy. Big thanks to B.

'It's Like That'

Chapter Two

By the time they had left the Mall, it was getting dark. Tommy walked down the streets kicking a lone can across the road followed by Chuckie and Phil who had managed to get into a debate over Phil's new item of clothing.

"Why?" Chuckie quizzed.

"Would you believe me if I said impulse buy?"

"Nope, Impulse buy is a deck of cards to a pair of lady red high heels!" He emphasized the word 'heels'.

"It's not like they're for me!" He explained blushing slightly.

"Tommy what do you think?" Chuckie asked bringing Tommy back from his daydream.

"Oh no, I'm not taking any part in this debate"

"See Tommy hasn't got a problem with buying items"

"I didn't say that" he whispered.

"Well you basically did, you hinted at it!"

Dill appeared from the house, perching on the steps.

"What up fellow brothers?" he said hitting his hand against his chest.

"Hey Dil" Tommy joined Dil on the steps.

"So what's the purchase?" Dil asked pointing to the bag that Phil was holding onto.

"Shoes"

"Red heels" Chuckie corrected him.

"Very snazzy" Dil replied, "Would go with your coloring"

"Thanks, but they're not for me"

"As much as I would love to spend the evening with you guys, I have to get the It Girl to work"

"Good luck man" Tommy replied.

"Yeah I'd better get these to my lady friend" Phil replied following Chuckie down the path.

"Just you and me, bro"

"Sorry" Tommy shrugged in response, " got a date with Rachel."

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A couple of blocks away, Angelica was complaining out loud to herself as she dragged her purchases out of her car.

Then her cell phone started to ring and Angelica started to search for it, dropping all her bags.

"Finster" she growled as she answered the phone, her bags surrounding her feet.

"Pickles" he replied coolly on the other end.

"State your business"

"Study session around mine, tonight"

"Aw no, come on, it's a Saturday night!"

"Yeah well I would rather be else where too, on a Saturday night"

"Watching Star Trek doesn't count as a social life" she responded as she picked up the remnants of her shopping spree and threw the bags onto the living room floor in a huff.

"Good one Angelica, glad to see you have your sense of humor with you. 6pm, don't be late" he told her as he hung up.

"Yeah... whatever" she muttered to herself.

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Phil appeared at Chuckie's later that evening.

"Er Phi" Kimi said sounding quite shocked as she opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll be quick, just wanted to give you something" he said as he nervously fidgeted.

"Oh okay, come in" Phil followed Kimi to the sofa and took a deep breath.

"Here" he handed her a small box; she opened it carefully to revealed a pair of shoes.

"Oh wow! Thank you Phil" she said as she hugged him quickly and then pulled away to leave a blushing Phil.

"They're beautiful."

"Yeah well, I saw them and thought of you" Phil stood up "I'd better be going..."

"Thank you again" She replied as he headed out of the door.

She placed the shoes on her feet and stared at them, she was brought back to life by the knock at the door.

"Did you forget something Phil?" she asked as she answered the door, surprised to see Angelica standing there.

"Expecting someone else?"

"Oh hey, Angelica" she smiled.

"Nice shoes" Angelica commented "where you off out then?"

"Just 'Blue'" she smiled grabbing her coat, "Oh and Susie says she has fallen for a guy she met at the supermarket."

"He wasn't a bagger was he?"

"Don't know but she says he is cuter than that guy she met at the ATM."

Angelica rolled her eyes.

"You going to join us later?"

"I'll try, saying that only IF your slave driver of a brother lets me go..."

Kimi laughed, "have fun" she said as she left the house.

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Angelica walked into Chuckie's room to find him lying on his bed playing loudly the latest Hard-Fi tune.

"Don't get up or anything" she said condescendingly, throwing her bag onto his desk and sitting in his chair.

Chuckie sat up, "Nice to see you too" he replied, "I'm going to get a drink want anything?"

"Just cola" she sighed, looking bored.

Angelica started to take her books out of her bag, when her diary fell on the floor and slid under Chuckie's bed.

"Urgh!" she complained looking for the book, at last finding it and shoving it straight back into her bag.

"Here you go" he grinned when he came back, handing her a can, "we're in for a long night"

"Super" she said casually.

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It was nearly half past eleven when Kimi reached her block after she had been out all evening with Susie and the random guys that she had picked up...

Kimi had left Susie early as she was bored of talking to these guys.

Kimi reached Tommy's house and stood outside his window, dialing the number on her cell phone.

She saw his lights turn on.

"Come outside" she said as he looked out the window at her and nodded.

Tommy appeared wearing his PJ bottoms and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"I need to see you."

He walked towards her cupping her face with his hands and leaned forward to kiss her.

Kimi pulled back slowly.

"You like the shoes?" She flashed her ankles.

"Phil brought them huh?" he replied.

"We have to tell them."

"Not this again, Kimi, what about Rachel? And Lil?"

"Tommy" she pleaded with him, "Oh I've got to go."

Kimi turned and started to walk off.

"Kimi wait" he grabbed her hand pulling her back into a kiss.

"I've really got to go Tommy"

"Okay I'll see you tomorrow" he told her, heading back inside.

Angelica who had just witnessed through the trees her cousin and Kimi kissing, couldn't believe it.

Not only was this a hot piece of gossip but Tommy was dating one of Angelica's friends, Rachel and it was also common knowledge that Lil had a major crush on him.

She drove away wondering what she should say, still pondering it up until the point where she sat on her bed laying on her stomach.

Griping with her morals, she flipped open her diary and read.

--------------------------

March 5th.

I don't know why I let people talk me into things like this.

"Oh, yeah, Chuckie. This'll be a great idea..."

"It'll guarantee you a reference post school"

And I listened!

Now I find myself following little miss priss around a shopping mall for an afternoon while she tries on shoes. Yeah, I have all the luck... NOT!

I feel bad for the other guys. It's not their fault that Angelica prances around without a care in the world without realizing that her exam results are gonna reflect back on me.

No, they had to miss out on a perfectly good afternoon, thanks to the queen

of selfishness.

Now I'm going to have to organize another study session. Why me? I'd take

triple shifts at the Java Lava over this.

Guess I don't have a choice.

Well listen up Miss Angelica Pickles - you're going to ace that exam, Whether you WANT to study or not.

Maybe I'll tell her that next time I see her.

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"What? This is Chuckie's"

It hit her and suddenly Tommy was the furtherest thing from her mind...

To be continued.