Thank you SO much for all of the sweet and very encouraging reviews of the first chapter! I really, really appreciate it! This is my first time writing IQ/Tammy, so I hope that I do them justice. I also want to thank Tracy immensely for being SUCH a big help with this (and with all) of my writing. This is for you, babe! :)

Also... just a little fun note: this chapter has/had a comedic alternate ending, but, obviously, it's not included. It was more for mine and Tracy's entertainment, so we decided not to go with it, in the end, lmao.

"No Air" - Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown

if I should die before I wake,
it's 'cause you took my breath away.
losing you is like living in a world with no air.

Tammy couldn't help that she was shy. She always had been. Amber, Lou Ann, and Becky had all tried numerous, even countless, times to help her, to try to make her less introverted and more dynamic and outgoing, but to no avail. It was just who she was. Every crush she had ever had was always in vain, if only because she was just too shy to pursue it. Some other girl always ended up taking advantage of the open opportunity, thus rendering Tammy in the same position she supposed that she would always be in.

The stakes had changed, though, when a certain boy first joined the Corny Collins Council just a few months after she had. It took her much longer than the other girls to learn his name; although, granted, the other girls didn't even have to try, as they appeared to have little to no interest in him. In their eyes, he was a square. He was awkward and undesirable. However, in Tammy's eyes: he was magnificent.

His name was IQ Collins, and, to Tammy, he was an angel in disguise. They had become instant friends at fourteen, when he first joined the Council, and had been happily at that status ever since. Though, now they were seventeen, and still, not a single Council Kid could deny the palpable chemistry that radiated from the pair whenever they were even within twenty feet of each other.

It was infectious. The smiles that would creep onto their faces when they were around each other sometimes managed to even wind up on others'. They were two good, honest kids, probably some of Baltimore's finest. Now all they needed was all little push. Or, at least, one of them did.

"Tammy," Amber spoke somewhat quietly as she glanced over at her friend. They were sitting on the floor of Amber's room. It was one of theirs, Lou Ann's, and sometimes, Becky's many and recurrent sleepovers; however, at the moment, it was only Tammy and Amber in the room. Lou Ann and Becky were busy rummaging in the downstairs cabinets for alcohol, since Velma was out. Clearly, it was Becky's idea.

"Huh?" Tammy blinked her blue eyes and turned her head from where she was eyeing Amber's vanity blankly.

"Tell me you've finally talked to… you-know-who?" Amber felt silly talking in code, but she knew that it would probably make Tammy feel better, some way or another.

Tammy paused and licked her lips nervously.

"Who… what do you mean?"

Amber's eyebrows furrowed as she eyed her friend. Without a doubt, Tammy was her best friend, and had been for years, but Amber had yet to crack the code on how Tammy's mind worked, particularly when it came to the boys that she liked.

"Tammy."

The brunette sighed and curled her hands in her lap tensely. She always felt so uncomfortable talking about the subject, mainly because others always seemed to say the same things to her: 'Come on! All you have to do is say something! You're wasting your time just sitting around. You're going to lose him that way, you know.'

"I know I should, but I…" Tammy trailed off, her eyes raking the floor pointlessly.

"But, you what?" Amber countered, trying to coax her to continue. Tammy was the only friend that Amber had ever really cared for, or made efforts for. She actually cared how to help her. She wasn't just an accessory. She was fragile, and worth holding onto as a friend, which was almost like a breath of fresh air for the blonde.

"I guess I'm just nervous, or scared, or… something," Tammy shrugged her shoulders and forced her gaze upward. She expected to see a look of disappointment on her friend's face, or something, but, instead, she saw something else, something that not even she could explain, and that Amber most likely couldn't, either.

"Tammy," Amber rolled her eyes somewhat, though in a way that clearly showed she was just playing with her. "You already know that he likes you. You and the rest of the studio, anyway." Pursing her rosy lips slightly, Amber looked on as Tammy nodded silently.

"Yeah, I mean… I guess so."

"Tammy, come on," Amber sighed in what appeared to be frustration; however, a faint hint of a smile could be traced upon her lips. "Promise that you'll at last act more interested around him?" When she didn't reply right away, Amber let her eyebrows crease against her forehead.

"You don't want to lose him, right?"

"No!" Tammy countered quickly. See. There was again, those same words. Yet, Tammy knew they were true.

"Then do something," Amber began again, as she pulled her own legs beneath her and leaned against the side of her bed. "I would help you more, Tammy, but I really think you can do this on your own. I think it'd be good for you, you know? I know you can do this."

"Yeah," Tammy swallowed hard, and then sighed again. This whole situation made her a nervous wreck. She couldn't help herself. She knew that this was more than just some high school crush; that was precisely why this was so difficult.

"Tammy?" Amber narrowed her eyes a little.

"What?"

But Amber didn't say anything back. She produced a small, knowing half-smile, half-smirk. Instantly, Tammy found herself smiling, if only slightly.

"Thanks, Amber."

At that moment, both Becky and Lou Ann returned, a single bottle of vintage wine in hand. Turning her head from the brunette, Amber regarded the other two girls with a dull grin, and then glanced back at Tammy for just a moment before obtaining a petite glass from Lou Ann.

"Mmhm."

i'm here alone, didn't wanna leave.
my heart won't move, it's incomplete.
wish there was a way that I could make you understand…

"You must be stupid."

"Gee, thanks, Shelley," IQ rolled his eyes, though he know this was just Shelley's 'tough love' complex.

"No, really. You're an idiot."

"I got it the first time."

"Apparently, you didn't," Shelley said, as she began to primp in front of her dressing table, which was near where IQ and she were talking.

"What are you talking about, Shelley?" IQ asked flatly, his eyebrows lowered.

"Why is it that you and Tammy have yet to go out on one single date? It's a little mind-blowing, to tell you the truth, and not to mention slightly obnoxious."

IQ rolled his eyes. Shelley and he had been good friends since he arrived on the Council, but she had a knack for being too blunt and abrasive… pretty much all the time.

"It's none of your business."

"It is."

"What makes you say that?"

"Brenda," Shelley spoke dully to the passing girl, as IQ looked on, relatively confused. Immediately, Brenda turned her head toward the two.

"If it's about Tammy, I'd really rather not get involved," Brenda curled her fingers against her hips and pursed her lips in discontent.

"How did she—"

"It's not exactly rocket science, Ian Quinn," Shelley rolled her eyes and continued to study her reflection in the mirror for another moment. "You just so happen to be an open book."

Brenda, who had remained in her posed and sassy position, merely smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

"Shelley, he's a lost cause."

"Perhaps," Shelley rolled her shoulders and stared over at her dance partner.

"Well, thanks, girls," IQ replied sardonically, clearly readying himself to leave the area. Friends or not, he wasn't about to take all of these unnecessary hits. Shelley and Brenda exchanged glances, before Shelley neatly sat herself in a chair in front of her dressing table. As she was crossing her legs, she made a point to sigh heavily, an obvious sign that she was wordlessly demanding IQ's attention again.

Allowing his shoulders to fall, IQ abruptly turned back around to face Shelley. He knew that sigh anywhere.

"What?"

"Nothing."

IQ narrowed his eyes in her direction, and then glanced over at Brenda, who appeared to be attempting to control an onset of giggles.

"Well," Shelley began, as moved her fingertips over the back of her own hand. "it's only nothing if losing Tammy to someone such as, say, oh, Fender? is nothing."

Brenda chuckled once, and leaned her left side against the edge of the dressing tables as she looked on.

"Yeah," She started, her gaze moving over to the redhead. "Really tragic."

Shelley rolled her eyes at Brenda's response, knowing full well that her friend had slept with that particular Council Boy so many times that even a hooker would be intimidated and throw up the white flag.

"That wouldn't happen," IQ said quietly, as if to convince himself.

"It could," Shelley said indifferently.

"It does," Brenda chimed in after her.

Shelley sucked her breath in sarcastically and furrowed her eyebrows at IQ.

"Ouch."

IQ frowned suddenly, and then ran his hand over his hair in frustration. He wasn't sure what to do. Of course he liked Tammy; he had for years now, but he just didn't know where to go from there. Though, at the same time, he knew that if he lost her to someone else, he would regret it incessantly.

"She is a really pretty girl," Shelley continued, after a moment, as she studied her newly done fingernails with feigned interest.

"Really pretty," Brenda echoed, only to gain a sharp and annoyed glance from Shelley. In an attempt to counteract the obvious reproach, she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest in forced silence.

"I get it," IQ breathed, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Brenda scoffed, breaking her extremely fickle façade of silence.

"Clearly, you don't, because—"

"Brenda," Shelley narrowed her pale eyes and reprimanded the dark-haired girl with a prickly stare.

"Whatever," Brenda straightened her posture, tipped her nose up slightly, and then stalked off toward where a small group of Council Boys were chatting nearby. The practiced sway of her hips was still ever-so apparent. Shelley couldn't help but to roll her eyes again. What a performance.

"Ian Quinn," Shelley willed herself to stand. "Do us all a favor," She leisurely smoothed out the front of her darkly colored dress with her fanned-out fingers. "and stop acting as though you're a hormonal eleven-year-old, and just tell her. It's only been three years now," Shelley paused, a look of revolted incredulity on her face. "If you were Brenda, you would have already, not only passed home base, but run off the field, collected child support on your way, and landed a swarm of men in prison."

IQ's expression melted from thoughtfulness to utter disgust in less than half a second.

"Shelley!" He cringed, suddenly feeling a nagging case of nausea in the pit of his stomach. "That's horrible."

"I know," She said, as she effortlessly moved past him, out of the rows of dressing tables. "So, unless you want to wind up as one of those lowly guys that Brenda wears around her pinky finger for a day and then tosses in the garbage the next, I would suggest making a move now, and quickly."

"I would never be—"

"That's what they all say," Shelley smirked darkly. "Believe me, I know."

IQ shifted uncomfortably, swallowed, and then nodded.

"Yes," He stopped at that simple reply, knowing all too well that tacking on an 'I guess' in agreement intended an irate retort from Shelley for some unintentional accusation of her questionable… personal life.

"Well?" Shelley said aloud, after IQ had been silent for several moments. "I'm not going to just waste my day harping to the mirrors. I have things to do."

IQ wanted to roll his eyes again, but, quite frankly, that was getting old. Shelley, Brenda, and even Amber, did it enough for everyone else. Letting his eyes fall to the ground, he sighed. His heart had been heavy for such a long time now, and it was getting to the point of being unbearable. The thought of losing Tammy was unimaginable, and he didn't want that to even have the slightest chance at reality.

He needed her to know. He needed to tell her. He needed her.

"I'll…" He paused, collecting his nerve and his thoughts. "I… I'll do it."

Shelley produced an almost questionable smirk as she turned her back to him, her hands at her sides as she began forward.

"I would hurry, then, if I were you," Shelley spoke faintly, her eyes narrowed as they usually were. With one, final smirk of satisfaction, she ventured off backstage to attend to other things.

IQ lifted his head after she had gone and glanced over to where Tammy was smiling and talking vividly with Amber, Lou Ann, and Becky. She looked so happy and bright and, of course, remarkably beautiful. His heart was pounding in his chest and in his ears, but he knew that there was only a matter of time that he could successfully evade fate. Either he told her, or he risked losing her.

And losing her wasn't an option.


but how do you expect me,
to live alone with just me,
'cause my world revolves around you,
it's so hard for me to breathe.

"Later, Tams," Lou Ann said over her shoulder as she and Becky wandered out of the studio. Amber had already gone, claiming that she had some business, or other, to take care of. Tammy had merely smiled and nodded. She wasn't about to question her best friend's motives, however vague or sketchy they were.

"Bye, Lou Ann! Bye, Becky! See you guys tomorrow!" Tammy called, her lips curled into a bright smile. She was virtually the last Council member in the studio. Everyone else had either moved elsewhere, or had simply left. She had chosen to stay behind, though, to pick up a few items to take home from her dressing table.

As she made her way over to the dressing tables, she was surprised to find IQ standing there, nervously shuffling his feet.

"IQ?" She said gently, her eyes blinking in confusion. "Are you all right?"

Nearly jumping out of his skin, IQ snapped back to reality and glanced up at him, his face instantly stained a light shade of red. He had almost left the studio earlier out of nervousness for the situation, but he had since come back, deciding that it was now or never.

"Oh, hey, Tammy."

"I'm sorry… did I scare you?" She wondered, her voice soft with concern as she made her way over to him.

"No, it's all right," He ensured her. Whether she scared him or not wasn't the issue.

"Oh," Tammy smiled reassuringly to him. "Okay. If you say so."

Turning toward her dressing table, she began to gather a few things here and there: a magazine, a tube of mascara, a hairbrush, a paperback book. All the while, IQ simply stood there, trying desperately to pry his eyes off her. She was just so beautiful, and the words were suddenly lodged in his throat. He could feel the beginning of panic rising within him.

"IQ?" She spoke aloud again, and much to IQ's surprise, she was suddenly in front of him. He felt choked.

"…Yes?" IQ hesitated, abruptly overtaken by the concerned look in her perfect blue eyes.

"You've just been standing there. Am I in your way, or something?" Tammy tilted her head a little. He was really beginning to worry her.

"No, no! Ah… sorry about that. I'll," He paused all of a sudden. He would what? Move? Leave her alone? No. Not now. Now when he was so close to finally letting her know how he felt.

"IQ, are you sure you're all right? You've been acting so funn-"

"Tammy, I love you!"

Tammy's mouth was open and poised to say something more, but at an instant her breath was stolen from her. The butterflies in her stomach intensified tenfold, and she barely had any feeling left in her legs as she tried to keep herself upright and standing. She could hardly believe it! Her lips were suddenly dry, and she had to move her tongue across them for a moment before she could even consider replying.

She had waited so long to hear those words, and even longer for this moment with him.

"IQ…" Tammy's eyebrows furrowed slightly against her forehead. He looked like a wreck right now, if only because he knew that every last one of his nerves and insecurities had just been recklessly thrown on the table.

"I… I'll understand if you don't—"

"I love you, too," Tammy replied very softly, her brilliant, blue eyes gleaming so happily up at him. She felt like crying, to be honest, and she didn't even know why. She felt as though she was about to explode from utter bliss. Her stomach was swarming with those pleasant butterflies, and her heart was beating heavily with excitement in her chest.

"You… do?" He asked, after a moment, in disbelief.

Tammy giggled quietly, and then nodded.

"I wouldn't've told you that if I didn't mean it, silly," She smiled sympathetically at him, knowing that he must be crawling with nerves, or that he was about to collapse from shock, or perhaps even both. Twining her fingers in front of her waist, she continued to watch him with a look of indescribable delight.

"I've been wanting to tell you that for a really long time," IQ stated in a hushed voice, after a long fit of silence. His nerves were beginning to fade, and he could feel the sudden smile on his face beginning to grow.

Tammy's heart fluttered again.

"That makes two of us, then," Tammy responded cheerfully, her eyes locked with his, as she dropped her hands to her sides again. He smiled fondly to her, and then gently brushed his fingertips against the back of one of her hands.

"Tammy," He started to speak again, though this time, with a new and, in essence, foreign sense of confidence. "Will you… go steady with me?"

"I would be honored to," She replied delicately, as she felt his fingers very loosely wrap around her own. Leaning up on the tips of her toes, she smiled as she placed a soft, extremely gentle kiss on his cheek, before moving back to watch his face again. At once, IQ's face turned a dark shade of red, much more prominent than before. This, unsurprisingly, drew a quiet giggle from Tammy, as she still loosely held onto his hand.

"So…" She trailed off, unable to conceal the huge grin on her face. "Does this mean I get to call you Ian Quinn finally?" Tammy was, of course, just kidding with him. He had offered that liberty to her long ago; she had just never really exercised it.

"Of course not," He smiled at her playfully.

"Hey!" Tammy laughed, catching on just as quickly. "Well, I see where I stand, a step below Shelley… even now. You let her call you that!" She was trying her hardest not to burst into a fit of giggles.

"That's because Shelley scares the life out of me," IQ cringed jokingly, and then gave Tammy's hand a little squeeze.

"Yeah? Well… all right, I guess," She pretended to sigh hurtfully—even while there was an obvious smile on her face—as she finally released her gentle and slack hold on his hand. "I see how it is."

It was silent for a brief period, before IQ slowly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist in a light, tender embrace. Tammy was initially surprised, but she soon allowed her arms to make their way around his neck.

"Thank you," He whispered softly to her, as he reluctantly released her.

"Thank you," She countered affectionately, as she curled her lips into another warm smile. Returning her smile, he gently took her hand again, and then glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Gosh, it's later than I thought," Tammy beat him to it, as she had followed his gaze.

"I'll walk you home, if you would like," IQ offered with a somewhat shy smile.

"I would love that," Tammy, still grinning ear-to-ear, grabbed her bag, and then walked toward the exit with him.

She held onto his hand still, savoring every moment of the feeling of their perfectly twined fingers. Her heart and head felt so light. She felt completely at ease and safe. At last, she finally felt a sense of wholeness in her heart.

tell me how i'm supposed to breathe with no air.
can't live, can't breathe with no air.
that's how I feel whenever you ain't there.
there's no air, no air.
got me out here in the water so deep.
tell me how you gonna be without me.
if you ain't here, i just can't breathe;
there's no air, no air.

i walked, i ran, i jumped, i flew,
right off the ground to float to you.
there's no gravity to hold me down, for real.

but somehow i'm still alive inside.
you took my breath, but I survived.
i don't know how, but i don't even care.