AN: Well, here's another chapter. Actually, it's more like half a chapter. (It's cough tiny.) Wellll, next update will be longer P. -Oh, and these days, I might not reply to every single review, but, never fear, your opinions are still being appreciated. So, have a nice little 30-second read!

The walk to Billy's house lasted far too long. For one (Mandy grudgingly admitted to herself) she was starting to look forward to going there; secondly, Sperg had recovered and was following them from a distance.

Billy was skipping about like a mad second grader. "I'm gonna fight Mandy, I'm gonna fight her, I'm gonna fight-" Here, he stopped directly in front of her, stuck his face inches from hers, and smiled foolishly, "-you."

Mandy glared and drew away. "Stop. Stay away. Walk faster." She started to jog down the sidewalk, and Billy trotted beside her.

"Duheeheehee. Where's the fire Mandy?" he babbled.

"No fire, dimwit." Mandy managed to slap him and keep jogging at the same time.

"But yer- oof!"

Mandy glanced behind her. Sperg had also increased his speed, and Billy, unaware, had tripped over something and was sprawled on the ground a few yards away. He sat there, dazed. Out of instinct, Mandy turned around and ran back to him. "Get up," she snapped, lifting him to his feet by his collar. "Come on, hurry it up- can't you run any faster? Come on, Billy."

Billy looked strained. The expression was odd on his usually smiling face. "I guess so, Mandy." He sounded pitiful and ashamed, and Mandy pushed away a tiny grain of guilt. "My ankle kind of-"

"Too bad," Mandy said sharply. She grabbed his forearm and half-led, half-dragged him as she continued to walk. She cursed under her breath. Billy gave her a startled look. He's slowing our- my progress, Mandy thought... what really irked her was that she couldn't help him any. All she had was cruel words. "Walk faster, please Billy, can't you see how important it is? Yeah, don't give me that look. I know you're in pain, and frankly, I don't care. I've dealt with worse pain than a stupid twisted ankle, so hurry it up."

Billy gave a small nod. At least he's smart enough to look worried, Mandy thought. She glanced at him as he walked. "I guess that's all I'm going to get out of you," she said grimly.

"I'm sorry, Mandy." Billy looked ready to cry, but was walking at a decent clip.

Mandy shot him another glance. He was so pitiful right now- pitiful in ways that he never was, pitiful because he wasn't coming up to scratch and because he knew he wasn't coming up to scratch. Mandy looked away, trying not to feel too miserable. She almost wanted to tell him he was doing alright.

Mandy bit down on her lip. Now was the wrong time for angst.

"There's your house, Billy," she said, almost kindly.

"!Hola, mi casa!" Billy shouted, forever the idiot, and Mandy raised an eyebrow at him.

Billy arrived at last on his doorstep. Mandy let go of his arm as he rang his doorbell, once, twice, three times.

Mandy peered at him and decided he'd never get it by himself. "Just go inside."

Billy obliged cheerfully, flinging the door open so hard that it smashed a door-sized hole in the wall. His mother was visible through the new "door." Her eye twitched, but she continued to smile mechanically as Mandy stepped inside the hole. "Harold?" Gladys called, voice cheerful and quavering. "Did our son just knock another wall down?"

"Relax, babe," Harold said smoothly, as his arm snaked around her waist. "We have that set of revolving doors you've always wanted now."

"So we do, aha, so we do!" Gladys answered, looking disturbed.

Mandy ignored them both. "Billy, I'll be waiting to fight you in your bedroom."

"Let's do it," Billy replied, ridiculously intensely.

"Son!" Harold bellowed. He looked shocked. "What have I told you about sex?"

"We aren't gonna do that, Dad," an unphased Billy replied. "We're just gonna fight!"

"Oh, okay. Just don't get sketchy about it. I remember once, your mother and I had a fight and we were butt-naked! Have a blast, son."

Billy grinned and turned towards his friend. Mandy was looking back at him, her cheeks scarlet, her glare deepened very much. Billy swallowed nervously and his grin faded a tad. For once, he knew when to be afraid. Rather than leaving her to her misery, he grabbed her wrist and limped up the stairs, dragging her behind. "Golly," he said quietly, "you don't gots to be all sad about it. It's just making babies. Dad says it's fun like pie!"

Mandy said nothing. She jerked her wrist away and entered Billy's bedroom, leaving him behind to stare at her, perplexed.

Billy limped into his room after her. "But, Mandy, I- ow!"

Mandy sank her fist into his bulbous nose. "That was for humiliating me-" she hit him again- "that was for being stupid-" she hit him again- "that's for annoying me-" she raised her fist- "and this- hey!"

Billy raised his hands and caught her fist easily. Mandy struggled to free herself. Billy held on, watching her strain and struggle against him and feeling something curious arise in his chest that hadn't been there before. He stared at her, and for a few moments, he stood still, looking into her eyes confusedly. He didn't know what he was feeling, but... "Um, Mandy? I kinda don't wanna fight anymore..."

Mandy slid her hand slowly out of his. "Of course not. You're injured." She felt drained suddenly, and disgusted with herself. She sat heavily down on the edge of his bed. She'd been mean to him today- no, cruel was more apt to describe it- and he'd done nothing. Absolutely nothing. The wheel of abuse, she thought simply. He was still there with her. However, she'd taken him for granted, something he didn't deserve. Why was she so bent on hurting him? He was as sweet as he'd always been.

It was Mandy who had changed.

She'd changed where she didn't want to change. Her feelings toward Billy had shifted very much since she'd met him. She was growing ridiculously fond of him- maybe even to the point of... actual friendship.

A weakness, she thought bitterly. It was a weakness. For Billy.

And in attempting to discipline herself, she was hurting him.

"Billy," Mandy said, trying for all she was worth to keep her voice detached.

"Yep?" he said blithely, collapsing down next to her.

"I may owe you an- apology. I've been extremely vile towards you today, and I think you should know that- that I didn't mean any of it." Mandy's vision blurred, and her heart thudded with... shame. Or something. "So, I owe it to you to say... I'm sorry."

Billy wrinkled his brow. He tilted his head in confusion, running a hand through his floppy orange hair, and gave her a sweet, uncertain smile. "Thanks. You don't gots to 'pologize, though."

"Then what do I have to do?" Mandy asked.

"Nothin'. You're all good right now, mmhmm! Nope, I ain't goin' nowhere." He placed his hand on top of hers and gave his classic giggle.

Mandy had never apologized to anyone before; doing so left her feeling miserable but quite a bit cleaner. "That's... great," she said, struggling to voice what she felt. There was something beautiful and very fragile about her thoughts; she couldn't place it or name it or even tell if it was happy or sad, but it didn't annoy her as mysteries usually did. It was great. Mandy had chosen the right word. And it was a relief, especially the last part of what Billy had said, because-

Because you can't live without him?

Mandy shook her head, her glare back in place and her thoughts purged of any more mushy feelings. "Good. I'm glad that's out of the way. Now, go tell your mother to bake a double batch of cookies. I feel like chocolate. Oh, and tell her it has to be dark chocolate, or she'll be cooking for... quite some time."

Billy gave a cheerful salute and began to limp out the door.

Mandy rolled her eyes. "You know what, cripple? Forget it."

Billy gave a sigh of relief, sitting back down and smiling at his friend.