I don't own these characters or profit from them.

Sometimes Love Hurts

By, C.D. Overstreet

Barbie smiled nervously into the camera and said, "Okay so as you know this is my blog and I usually start out by showing you a video I've shot, but this time I have a video that… wasn't made by me. In fact I was literally the last person to see it…" She took a deep breath, a tear in her eyes. "Because my friends hid it from me and kept me from looking it up. I mean I don't look myself up online as a general rule so I might never have seen it, but apparently all the people I care about did and… well they did their best to keep anyone from telling me." She took another deep breath. "So um, here we go." She hit play.

000

The scene came up and they could hear her neighbor Trey's voice. "Oh my god when she sees this Barbie is going to freak."

Off camera as he fiddled with the phone and one of his friends was saying, I don't know Trey do you think maybe we should just stay out of it?"

"Are you kidding? Look maybe we'll regret this later... happens more often than you would think… but this is a once in a lifetime moment that will never happen again. If I don't post this I will definitely wonder about it forever." The camera moved and then focused.

Two people sat at an outside café eating with one hand and holding another. It could have been a friend thing, except every third bite or so they leaned in and gave each other a long lingering kiss which left them grinning goofily. Obviously deeply in love. They were even wearing matching shirt.

It was Ken and Daisy.

000

"My friends were totally avoiding me for a week. So were my sisters, my parents, and even Trey was ducking away whenever he saw me, rather than saying something nasty. So I knew something was up. The only two acting normal were Daisy and Ken. Then Nikki finally cracked…"

000

"KenandDaisyaretotallydatingandeveryoneissuperworriedthatyoumightfeel-badaboutitorfreakoutorsomething!"

000

"It's not a great feeling when your friends don't trust you to handle bad news. I mean first of all I sometimes maybe go a little overboard, but I've always thought my friends could tell me anything.

"And second of all I, well… I didn't think it was bad news. I mean I've told everyone time and again that Ken and I are just friends. And did I think maybe one day we might have something more? Sure. I mean we've known each other our whole lives and we've got the boy girl thing sure, but… well it never quite clicked. I feel like we've known each other for longer than my parents have been alive, but… well there is always a 'but'. Ken's like the brother I never had. So if he and Daisy connected, why wouldn't I be happy for them?" She sighed. "I just feel like... I don't know. I always thought my friends knew me pretty well and understood me, but now it's like they just saw the person they expected me to be? And apparently they expected me to be some super jealous freak out queen?"

000

(A Day Earlier)

Barbie was walking sadly down the street, stopping to pick up a wrapper and put it in the recycling bin when she saw Ken and Daisy walking down the street holding hands. She waved and they both lit up as she approached.

"Hey Barbie," Daisy said. Then she paused. "Are you okay?"

"I guess. I just… I don't know."

"What's wrong?" Ken asked. So Barbie told them. "Gee, really? That's bad. If I'd known it was going to be a big deal I would have brought it up."

Barbie shook her head. "Hey, it's literally none of my business. I know when the time was right you both would have told me. It's not like you need my permission to go out with whoever you like."

Daisy said, "But you do approve?"

Barbie hugged them. "Of course I do. You guys rock and it's always great when friends get along even when they become more than friends." She smiled and stepped back. "I totally want to know what you two are up to when you feel like talking about it and I won't say I'm not a little jealous, but it's the whole being single thing, not that I think you are taking Ken away or anything."

"Good to know."

Ken said, "It sounds like maybe the girls aren't thinking the worst of you, but maybe they were worried about the worst." Barbie and Daisy both looked at him confused. "Of things went perfect then things would be perfect. And admittedly Barbie you do perfect pretty much all the time. So when things don't go the way people think they should with you it's… kind of weird. And once you start thinking of it that way it's easy to get bogged down in the worst case scenario."

"I get it," Daisy said. "I mean ken's a great guy too and for a while I thought you two might have a thing, so when he asked me out I was flattered and maybe a little worried that you might like him, but I figured you always say you're just friends so why not? I mean I thought maybe I should ask but… he's really cute and fun." She smiled at him.

Barbie laughed. "I know that. And if you liked him and I liked him, I'd actually expect you to do the same."

"You would?" They both asked.

"You can't give up something you really want just because someone else wants it too," Barbie said. "It's one thing if you both just like a guy or think he's cute, but if I thought you were bad for Ken or were going to hurt him, or that I couldn't live my life without being his girlfriend, I'd crush you into the dirt." She narrowed her eyes. "And if you did hurt him I'd do the same." She turned and looked at Ken. "Ditto if you hurt Daisy." They shared a nervous look and she smiled. "But I know you both really well and I know what great people you are so I also know whatever happens, you'll do what's right for you and I can trust you."

She sighed. "The problem is everyone avoided me for days because I somehow made them feel like they had to. And I don't know why, so I don't know if it's something I can even fix. I mean was it a 'me' thing or a 'them' thing and what was it?" She added, "Plus it's still kind of going on."

Daisy said, "Well that's easy then. I've heard your side of things. So now I'll just ask them and help out."

"You don't have to… it' not your fault this happened."

"I know I don't and it isn't, but maybe if I'd been paying attention more I'd already know what this was about."

Ken said, "I guess we've been a little distracted lately. And they are our friends too… by which I mean I intend to stay out of it and let you two figure this whole thing out."

Daisy smiled and patted his cheek. "You're even a good coward."

"Thanks dear." He smiled. "Just call me Ultimate Boyfriend Ken. You tell me what to say and I'll repeat it back to you in my own voice."

Barbie said, "Hmm, maybe I should steal him away. If I liked boys that would be a pretty sweet deal…"

Daisy and Ken turned to her and Daisy said teasingly. "Do you mean if you liked a specific boy or… boys in general?"

Barbie grinned and blushed just a little. "I don't know. Maybe. I mean I've been thinking… well there is one of our friends in particular that I might have sort of liked for a while, but now…"

Daisy held up a hand. "Hold that thought. I am so not letting you ruin a chance at romance just because our friends aren't talking to you. By that logic you might have something wrong too. Remember when I was secretly freaking out about my first big live show and instead of talking about it I…"

"Hid your turntable in the freezer and waylaid us into a bat cave."

"Yeah, that." Ken snorted and then turned quickly away as Daisy glared at him. "Hey, I don't remember snorting, so don't you go doing it."

He saluted. "Yes ma'am." Then he winked at Barbie and the two girls giggled.

Barbie said, "I just feel like I should maybe do something myself."

Daisy said, "Barbie, trust me. You didn't do anything to cause this mess, so why should you have to do anything to fix it? You don't have to fix everything. Let me handle this one and if I need your help I'll ask. In the meantime why don't you go to that neighbor of yours and do some goat yoga or something while I try to work out why our friends are upset that you aren't dating my provisional boyfriend."

"Provisional?"

"Ken we've been out on three dates."

"No, good call. No pressure on either of us."

"You take Barbie to yoga; I'll go deal with whatever this is. Deal?"

"Deal."

000

"So there it was. Ken and I went off to do yoga and Daisy went to talk to everyone and figure out what exactly was going on. Let me tell you, you'd think not taking responsibility for stuff would be easier than shouldering all the problems, but somehow it's just as worrying not doing anything. Maybe Skipper is right and I am a control freak."

Skipper stuck her head in. "Seriously Barbie, you're going to be like an Olympian gold medalist in between working as a doctor and running your own company that does like, everything but you're totally going to have an ulcer before you're twenty-five."

Barbie smiled. "Maybe but at least I'll have a medical degree so I'll be able to cure it."

000

Daisy looked around her living room at all of her friends and found out exactly how Barbie felt because none of them could meet her eye. Nikki, Renee, and Teresa just looked uncomfortable.

"Okay, so the way I hear it you guys are upset with Barbie because I'm dating ken?"

"What? No we're not."

"Yeah," Renee said.

"Not… exactly," Teresa said.

"Well that's how she feels. You guys have been avoiding her and cutting her out. Are you mad at me? Ken?"

"No," they chorused. Then fell silent again.

"Then what's the problem?"

Suddenly the door opened and Tammy walked in, typing on her cell phone. "Hey guys sorry I'm late."

Daisy blinked. She had been the one to call the meeting. "I didn't know you were coming."

She looked up. "Renee sent me a text." They all looked at her.

"What? Barbie said we should try to include Tammy more since she's been better lately. You didn't tell us this was some weird intervention."

"Intervention?" Tammy said. "Oh, is this all about how you guys have been snubbing Barbie lately?"

"We have not," Nikki said.

"Uh, yeah, you have. I mean hello, I have alternatively dissed, stalked, copied, ignored, and tried to destroy the über-blond. I've noticed you guys basically dancing around her and turning to go the other way in the halls. I just figured you all had gotten tired of coming off as her sidekicks or whatevs and needed some space."

"We're not avoiding her… exactly," Teresa said. "Just… a really awkward conversation."

"About what?"

Daisy sighed. "About me dating Ken."

Tammy blinked. "What about it?"

"You knew?" Renee asked.

"And you weren't like, throwing it in our faces?" Nikki was surprised and Daisy had to admit, so was she.

"Uh, what am I missing here? Because as far as I know it's not like Barbie and Ken were dating… or were they?" She turned to Daisy. "Oh my god; did you like, sweep in and totally steal Barbie's boy-toy? Am I out of the loop? Is Barbie… pregnant?"

"No!" The whole group said Daisy brushed a lock of pink hair out of her face. "Ken just asked me out a while back."

"And? I mean I'm pretty sure I saw you two kiss outside school like, two weeks ago. And Trey sent me a video the other day… looked super romantic." The others were staring at her. "Wait; is this a friendship thing I don't get? Because I don't even discuss who I'm dating with my mom until we've been together like three months. Otherwise it's like discussing everyday things with your doctor. You know size, color frequency… you don't bring it up unless something serious is going on."

Daisy giggled. "Well aside from the visual, that's how Ken and I felt. We've only been on a few dates."

Tammy rolled her eyes and looked down at her phone again. "Sheesh, is that all? I have to say the quality of the gossip around here is very low."

Clearing her throat and turning to grin at the others, who looked embarrassed, Daisy said, "Well?"

Nikki said, "I don't know, I guess it's a bunch of little things. Not that you didn't tell us the second it happened, but I guess we just were surprised. I don't know about you but I always got a vibe off her and Ken." The others nodded. "Nothing against you Daisy but…"

"No, I get it," Daisy said. "I mean I thought they were sort of together too until he asked that other girl out to the dance and Barbie played Cyrano and sort of messed the whole thing up for him."

Tammy shrugged, "I actually thought he might be gay until that little incident." She looked at Daisy. "No offence. He's a great guy. Too great. I mean all you on the Barbie squad or whatever gather round the she-ninja and you are all amazing skaters or musicians or gymnasts or whatever and every time I've met a guy with Ken's fashion sense who was as perfect, it is like, all the boys feel the same way, you know? Too good to be true."

Daisy smiled. "Thanks. You aren't the first to wonder about that. Barbie's sister once wrote a fan fiction story… well she didn't use his name, but…" She shook her head. "Anyway kens' exactly as great as he seems."

"Lucky."

"Actually I was a little hurt I heard about it from Trey," Renee said. "I didn't want to butt in but at the same time you two are our friends. Honestly I wondered when it started and what I missed, but I didn't want to bring up the details and at the same time it's all I could think about…" She breathed a little heavily like she was having a panic attack. "How do you talk about something like this?!"

Tammy said, "I just say whatever I feel like."

"We know." Teresa said, "And I was worried about our whole dynamic. Honestly I kind of always thought Ken and Barbie were a couple all along and just sort of dancing around it." Tammy snorted, still typing. "What?"

"Nothing," she said eyes on the screen. "It's just when I first got here I kept trying to figure out which of you four she was dating."

"What?" The other three asked. Nikki said, "I kind of always wanted to talk about boys with Barbie but she and Ken just seemed so solid…"

Renee nodded. "And he's really the only guy Barbie hangs out with besides her dad and her neighbors."

"Exactly," Tammy said.

"Barbie's not gay," Teresa said.

Daisy fidgeted. "Actually…" They all turned to look at her. Should she say? Well Barbie had been pretty open about it. "Barbie admitted to me that she kind of doesn't like guys and might like…" No, she should leave the part about Barbie liking one of their friends to Barbie. "Women."

"See," Tammy said. "I have a cousin who is totally married to a swimsuit model. She was just like Barbie growing up. Super nervous around boys everyone thought she should like because she thought she should like them too and didn't know what was wrong. The obsessive behavior because she's trying to distract herself. The way she hugs you guys and sometimes keeps her hand like an inch away so you can see her shadow under it."

"Wait, what?"

Renee shrugged. "No big. I like both myself."

"You do?" Nikki said.

She nodded. "I'm all about the person within. And the butt." She giggled.

Nikki shrugged. "I guess I get that. Personally I like guys. Actually if I hadn't thought she and Ken were a thing I might have made a play for that boy myself." Daisy glared at her and she raised her hands. "Hey, I'm just saying. Hands off, I know. But like you said, he is pretty great."

Daisy smiled. "Yeah, he really is and we're having a good time. Barbie was just telling me she's happy for us."

"And you think she meant it?" Teresa asked. "She wasn't like, hiding anything?" Daisy frowned. "I mean you're great, I just… Barbie really does like girls?" She shook her head. "I've known her since junior high. She used to design wedding dresses for her and tuxedos for Ken."

"No surprise there," Nikki said. "Barbie fashion designs everyone and Ken's the only guy she knew and liked. I think she has a whole portfolio of things she drew up for her mom and dad that were pretty good for a three-year-old with crayons. You can't design if you don't understand good looks."

Tammy nodded. "It's totally the same with me." They looked at her. "I mean I'm not an idiot. I'm hot, I'm smart, talented, and guys look at me like a dog looks at a t-bone. I'm sure ken and even Barbie's dad have checked me out. But we all know they're not going to do anything about it. One's too old and way too married and the other… I'd crush Ken's soul. Among other things."

Renee asked, "Do you like boys?"

"Actually I see a date as an accessory. Rich, good looking, popular… but romantically I'm not sure I like anyone. I can appreciate good looks, but that's about it as long as I look good. I can ship others and I love gossip but I just don't feel that way about anyone. So it doesn't matter to me. I'm talking straight A I guess and I don't mean my grades. Maybe I'm just a late bloomer, like my mom is always saying, but I doubt it."

Nikki shrugged. "Hey, I am not going to complain. More boys for me."

"Minus one," Daisy said pointedly and everyone but Teresa laughed.

She put her face in her hands. "I am such an idiot." She stood up. "I have to go."

"Where to?"

"I have to talk with Barbie…" She rushed out of the room and outside to her car.

The room was silent for a minute and then Tammy said, "So Daisy is Ken a good kisser or what?" Suddenly the pink haired girl was the center of attention.

"He's alright," she said with a smile.

Nikki patted Teresa's seat, still warm. "get over here and dish girl. I have to hear this."

Renee said, "I always think it's not a real kiss unless you go for the booty grab while doing it."

"Do not say that in front of Barbie's sisters," Daisy said, taking a seat.

"Or her mom," Tammy added perching on the arm of a recliner. "Mrs. Roberts is great and all, but have you seen their house? I could totally see her installing a virgin alarm like in Spaceballs."

000

Barbie got home and waved goodbye to ken as he headed for his house. Then she stretched and said "Ah, nothing like goat yoga to relieve the stress." She was just stepping inside when Teresa drove up and hopped out of her car. Barbie turned as her friend rushed forward and then backed into the house until Teresa was right in her face and she was backed up against the wall.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa! Teresa, what's wrong?"

"Barbie I…" She took a deep breath and stepped back a pace. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Do you… I mean I always assumed you and Ken were a couple this whole time sort of. So is it true that you're okay with him dating Daisy? You're not just saying that to be a good friend?"

Barbie sighed. "No, I'm not just saying that. I'm super happy for them. Actually it's almost a relief. Like a huge weight is off my shoulders."

"What do you mean?"

"I love Ken, I do. But like I love my sister or my parents. He's a big part of my life and I never want that to end. And yeah, I've sort of thought we might get together some day. Or rather I thought maybe we should. Were supposed to? Like if we didn't we might drift apart and like everyone else expected it of me. Like getting an A on my report card or dressing nice for the opera. And I am sure he felt the same way.

"The thing is that between us it's always been a lot of work and a little uncomfortable. If I was a princess or something and ken was a prince and there was some sort of obligation we'd be a perfect match. Politically. And I could definitely see living with him forever." She shook her head. "But if I was a peasant girl I'd rather just go back to some flower farm in the middle of nowhere and stay friends. I have choices and romantic love isn't supposed to be like that. I shouldn't have to work my way through a lot of awkwardness or look for the good parts of the person I'm with. I want to work on it and be worthy of the person I care about, but I shouldn't wonder about it or feel like I'm unsure that I'm doing it for the right person. Do you know what I mean?"

Teresa slumped in place. "Actually I totally agree with that. But suppose… suppose you liked someone just like that for a really long time, but you thought they were married or something to a great person and you did not want to mess that up?"

Barbie shrugged. "Then I guess I'd put it off and go on."

"And then that person told you that you mistook the whole relationship. Because maybe you just automatically assumed you never had a chance and didn't want to think about how it could have gone because that was too painful? Like maybe you really love them and never could move on."

Barbie said, "Well in that case I'd make a move anyway. I was telling Daisy that if I really wanted Ken I would have fought for him. You know how competitive I can be." She paused. Unless of course I had this whole unspecified 'thing' with someone really close I was dealing with and I was wrestling with that while trying to admit to myself that I liked someone else. Then that person I had a thing with started dating someone else so I could finally move on, only the person I do like sort of stopped talking to me and made it all super awkward." She paused. "Hypothetically speaking."

Teresa bit her lip to hold back a grin. "Are you talking about Nikki?"

"Yes."

"What!?"

Barbie laughed. "Just kidding. And I don't mean Renee or Daisy either."

"Tammy?" Barbie stared at her. In the same tone Barbie had used she said, "Just kidding. But seriously, I need to know. Do you um, like girls?"

Barbie shook her head. "Not really. But maybe…" She saw the disappointed look on Teresa's face light up again. "Maybe I like one girl in particular."

"Me?"

Barbie rolled her eyes. "No, the other Latin goddess with a gorgeous body, high intellect, and Olympic level gymnastic skills who I'd spend every waking moment with if I could." She reached out and grabbed Teresa who made an "eep" sound as Barbie pulled her into a hard kiss, raising her knee and caressing Teresa's thigh.

Teresa melted with a deep moan and began kissing back, holding the blond to her tightly light she would never let go. but they both needed to breather and were doing it harder than their noses could accommodate so they broke apart and Teresa began kissing her way down Barbie's chin and to her earlobe and then her neck where she could not help using her teeth. Now Barbie moaned, back arching, and ink nails digging into Teresa's back as the other girl sucked on her neck.

"I knew it, you are a vampire!"

Both older girls jumped and stared. Looking down they saw the adorable face of Barbie's younger sister. "Chelsea!"

"That's my name. Don't wear it out. And Teresa why were you trying to drink Barbie's blood?"

"I wasn't!"

"She wasn't."

"Can't fool me this time. Look, teeth marks." Barbie slapped a hand over her neck, which was still damp and she knew she was getting a hickey. "hey don't look at me like that. I was sitting over there watching cartoons when you two started making out and Teresa tried chewing on your neck."

"Chelsea, that just means that I like girls, not that I'm a vampire. Besides I'm out here in the middle of the day."

"Never stopped Dracula or Blade." The girl gave her a skeptical look and pointed a remote control she was still holding at the TV and hot play on the DVD. They looked at saw it was an episode of Adventure Time: Distant Lands. It showed Princess Bubblegum, whose hair and shirt were the exact same color as the one Barbie was currently wearing, and her vampire girlfriend Marceline telling each other that they loved one another and then kissing. "And the liking girls thing isn't helping your case."

Seeing the teasing gleam in her sister's eye, having gone through this at Halloween, Barbie raised a hand to her head and pretended to faint against the wall. "You're right Chelsea. Teresa has bitten my neck and made me her vampire slave for all eternity. Run, save yourself."

"Cool! She can live in your closet!"

Teresa smirked and rubbed her hair. "I think I'm done staying in the closet. That causes nothing but problems."

"Then how about the secret room?"

"What secret room?" Barbie asked.

"The one where mom and dad his our Christmas presents with the hidden pnel and the laser grid security system."

(Flashback to last Christmas Eve)

The girls' parents opened the secret panel in the upstairs hallway and Mr. Roberts said, "We'd better get these downstairs before one of the kids comes looking for Santa."

"Let me deactivate the security grid," his wife said, punching in a code on a wall panel. The glowing lasers checkering the floor turned off and they stepped inside.

Mr. Roberts reached for the presents and then stopped. "What's this?" She looked over and saw him pick up a Christmas card and flip it open. "If I wanted them I'd have them. Merry Christmas, Love, Chelsea."

They both stared and finally she said, "You know honey, sometimes our children scare me."

(Now)

Both older girls were staring at Chelsea's cherubic grin when the door opened and Barbie's parents and other two sisters walked in. Tapping her phone Skipper said, "Hey, what's going on?"

"I caught Barbie and Teresa making out in the hallway!"

"Chelsea!" Barbie gasped. Then to her shock they all just walked right past her.

"About time," Stacie said.

Teresa blinked. "You aren't surprised?" There was a group snort as the adults began putting away their groceries.

Stacie said, "Please. 'Teresa's so pretty. Teresa's so amazing. I wonder if Teresa would like this outfit. I don't know what I'd do if Teresa can't make it to the party. Teresa's going to spring break in Mexico! I'm going to die!'" Her impression of a despondent Barbie was pretty spot on.

Barbie looked at her parents who just smirked back. Finally her dad made a sarcastic shocked face. "You like girls? I'm shocked."

"Shocked we tell you," her mother put in.

She turned to Skipper who looked up from the phone. "Don't look at me. Mom and I talked this over when she found out I'm part of a seven person poly-group with four other girls and two guys." Barbie blinked. "Don't worry; we're just dating, nothing serious. I am way too young for that. It's just what feels right to me. And I don't want to hear any jokes about my flannel shirts."

"Hey no judgment here." She glanced at Chelsea and Stacie.

Chelsea said, "I've read Heidi, Matilda, the Wizard of Oz books and that Love and Pompoms comic. I get the gist. Two girls can be in love, no problem. I'm still planning on marrying the prince of the fairies when I grow up."

Stacie said, "Good luck with that. And I don't know if I like boys or girls yet, but I'm going to have twelve kids and then I'm going to pay Skipper to be their nanny while I'm out climbing Mount Everest so I can play basketball with a team of Bigfoots against a team of yetis." Chelsea gave her a high five.

"I'm charging you triple rates and if you die on the mountain, I want it in the will that Barbie gets your kids."

"Deal. Go Team Shaq-Squatch!"

Everyone laughed and Teresa looked sheepishly up at the Roberts parents. Barbie's dad gave her a thumbs-up and her mom said, "Teresa, are you staying for dinner?"

"Sure Mrs. Roberts, I just should probably call my parents. I got a little distracted."

"I'll bet."

Barbie took her hand. "Come on you can call from my room."

"Leave the door open," her father called.

"All four on the floor," her mother added. The three younger sisters laughed.

"Guys," Barbie whined but was yanked upstairs by Teresa.

000

"Well that's about it, at least anything I'm posting on the web," Barbie said. On the desk beside her we can see a picture of her and Teresa dressed up as Asami and Korra from the Legend of Korra series at Comic Con.

Four smaller in screen images appeared on her screen.

"We're sorry Barbie," Renee said. I think we just made something about you too much about us."

Nikki nodded. "Feel free to meddle in my relationships all you want. Especially now that I know I don't have to compete with you for boys. Whew."

"Darn right," Teresa said. "Mine!" Barbie smiled and shook her head.

"No offense to you, Ken," she said to where Ken and Daisy shared a screen.

"None taken," he said putting an arm around Daisy in a hug making her giggle and lean into him.

Tammy said, "Don't look at me. I was avoiding her because she's Barbie and I can only take so much of that. No offense."

Barbie laughed. "none taken. The feeling is mutual. I'll see you girls at school tomorrow. Rumor has it I missed out on a dishing session about how good a kisser Ken is and I want the deets."

Ken blushed, "Uh…"

"Fine, if you promise to tell us if Teresa's any good. Your sister told me she slobbered all over you."

"I did not!"

"Little bit," Barbie said then winked. "Apparently she thinks I taste better than my brownies. Not that I'm complaining…"

"Ooo!" The others all said as Teresa sputtered and blushed, but could not stop grinning.

Nikki laughed. "You should also put a band-aid over that mark on your neck." They all laughed and logged out.

Barbie turned and looked at the camera. "I guess sometimes even your best friends can have a misunderstanding. Especially when it's about things you never actually came out and told them. If I had been a little more forward about what I wanted instead of dancing around what I thought everyone expected, I'd have been much better off. On the other hand I guess it worked out for the best. Ken and I didn't hurt each other's feelings and once everyone understood where we wanted to go with it they were right along for the ride, just like always.

"Of course when they start dating I'll have to have a little fun with them, and especially my sisters, but in the meantime I have a great girl, good friends, and a loving family. Add in a plate of s'mores and…" Somewhere a microwave dings. "And I've got it all. See you late alligators!" She reaches up and turns off the camera, the screen going dark. Credits roll to the song "Barbie Girl" by Aqua.

Author's Note

Yep, Barbie likes girls I knew it as a kid when I saw my sister's Barbies all ended up together in a bucket while the single Ken sat alone and unplayed with. I saw it when watching Jem and the Holograms on the USA Cartoon Express. I see it in every movie where they force Barbie to date ken and the few where she and Teresa really hit it off like the Diamond Castle, that Christmas Carol, and Rockin' Royals, just to name a few. The girl to guy ratio is about the same as My Little Pony (See: Lyra and Bon-bon… among others).

As for the Dreamhouse series, Ken and Barbie seem to have this underlying feeling that they should get together, but it never seems anything but Awkward. Heck, the guy actually asked Barbie to help him ask another girl to a dance. Take a hint people.

Meanwhile Barbie and Teresa seem very close. Like when they went to Wisconsin and Teresa was in Mexico, I got the feeling she called to show off her swimsuit in the beach to Barbie, but chickened out, from the angle she held the camera at. A little more concrete would be the episode "Close Knit Friendship" where the two of them were working on writing a school song. Boy did they hit it off. Not only did both of them seem to agree that a fully choreographed song about "colors" and "pride" was a song high school kids would sing at a football game (Would you believe 905 of their school are professional singer-dancers? Who knew?), but aside from their lover's tiff the two kept hugging, saying how much they cared for each other, and then performing a song an dance that A: involved a lot of romantic imagery including them making a heart with their bodies while lacing their fingers together with none of the awkwardness you see with Ken and B: should have been a very romantic Teresa X Barbie season finale. (mostly because the video montage behind them apparently included scenes from the last three episodes that come behind it on the DVD. Honestly it's kind of creepy that someone apparently recorded not only all those scenes, but stuff that had not even happened yet).

Even her family sees it. When Chelsea was picturing mermaids it was Barbie and Teresa she mentally turned into fish girls and had them swimming off possibly in search of a giant pink clam among a bed of seaweed and a large pink pearl… nope, no symbolism there.

Frankly I also don't see Barbie as raising any kids except maybe her sisters. Pregnant Barbie won't be sold any time in stores near you.

Now for Ken and Daisy, I just saw them during the series, particularly the Halloween episode, and they struck me as a good couple. They share a fear of clowns, look good in pink hair, and I can see them as just a couple of Barbie's long time friends when she and Teresa get married, but I don't see either of them keeping up with Barbie forever. Teresa yes, she could go on all Barbie's adventures as a partner, but everyone else pretty much screams sidekick. Maybe it's the fact that the two girls were sold together with the bedroom set…

Oh and yes Ultimate Boyfriend Ken was a real toy I saw at K-mart once while buying some Yugioh cards. Push a button, say what you wanted, and he would repeat it back in his own voice. All I can say to that is: YIKES. There have been worse… the one with the mesh shirt I saw online once comes to mind… but… yikes.

Will they ever do a Barbie movie or series where Barbie and Teresa are an official couple instead of just implied? Well the recent Jem comic with Stormer and Kimber comes close. And there are dolls to that effect. But it's a close call whether mattel will go for it or Disney will do it or both will punk out like those wusses who refuse to release the last two seasons of She-ra or Friendship is Magic.

Ah well. Please review this story and my others, both Barbie an others, available online and check out some of my books like the recently updated "How to Be an Anime Character", "The Complete Lesbian Storybook" or the "Lesbian M.I.L.F. Seduction Manual" which are available on Amazon.