A/N: Short chapter is short, but I wanted to clear the air with this one, since I figure Timmy would be the kind of person to let something like what happened between him and Tootie get to him.


His phone rang.

It wasn't the first time. It had to be... "Lucky number thirteen..."

BEEP

"Alright, if you don't pick up this time, I'm gonna come over there and kick your ass."

Vicky had been trying to reach him for the past week now. And he was too much of a coward to answer his phone when she called. The one time he had answered was because he thought it had been Tootie calling, but he answered to hear Vicky's voice instead and immediately hung up.

Timmy groaned and picked up his phone. "Yeah?"

"The fuck's your problem?! I've been trying to reach you for almost a week! Where've you been?!"

"I've been... around. Just... got caught up with schoolwork and stuff."

"Oh yeah? What exactly?"

"Just... schoolwork... y'know, projects and stuff."

"Don't you lie to me."

"I'm-"

"Yes you are! If you're gonna break up with me, at least have the balls to tell me, rather than try to sneak away!"

"I'm not trying to break up with you! I just- ...I screwed up."

"Then why not call me and tell me about it? I can't exactly help you if you don't tel me anything!"

"You're the reason I can't tell anyone about it..."

"Why? What'd you do that has you acting like you're ten again?"

"I can't-"

"I'm coming over."

"Wait! I-"

Vicky had already hung up.

"Great, I'm dead." Timmy placed his phone on his bedside table next to his fishbowl.

The two goldfish looked at him judgmentally.

"Shut up. So I screwed up, I'm already kicking myself over it, I don't need you two giving me those looks."

The two goldfish didn't respond.

"Hmph." Timmy grabbed his phone and put it in his pocket, then left his room to go and wait for his imminent death in the living room.

True, Tootie was the one that kissed him, but he didn't exactly push her away... But... he didn't really feel anything either, that was how he tried to convince himself that he wasn't at fault. He didn't particularly enjoy the kiss, so he wasn't the bad guy, right?

Not quite. As the days went by, Timmy felt more and more guilty. He wasn't sure if he was afraid of Vicky killing him for what he did, or if he simply couldn't face her for his screw up. Not that what he was currently doing was any better. Avoiding Vicky and making her think that he wanted to break up with her was exactly what he didn't want to happen.

"Dammit! Why does she have to make things so weird and screwed up between us?!"

Okay, that wasn't fair. At least, not entirely. He couldn't blame Tootie for what happened... Well, he could, but he was just as much at fault as she was. He had been contemplating kissing her when Trixie confronted them, even if it was only to stay in cover, but he still shouldn't have thought about it. They were both pretty smart for their age, couldn't they have thought of something that wouldn't make him feel guilty?

Other than his not talking to Vicky, Timmy's week had been unusually uneventful. He still helped Tootie with her tailing of Trixie and Veronica, and Tootie's potion had worn off on Tuesday. The two still seemed to harbor some feelings for each other, but had apparently decided to be significantly less pubic about it. They had also(thankfully) either forgotten about Timmy and Tootie being together, or had decided it wasn't worth gossiping about. Whichever it was, Timmy was thankful for it, he didn't want to have to deal with all the knowing stares at school while still dealing with the guilt he was feeling over the quick little kiss between him and Tootie.

A knock came at the front door, signifying Vicky's arrival.

Timmy stood up slowly, hoping to stave off his death for as long as possible. Sure, he had said himself that Vicky was a lot nicer and more understanding than he thought, but that was because he had yet to cross her. Now she was mad at him for avoiding her, and he was about to admit to kissing her sister, and shortly after she had asked him to keep an eye on Tootie! So what did he do but keep his lips on her as well!

"I suppose sixteen years is a full enough life." Timmy went over to the front door and answered it.

Vicky didn't speak as she walked past him with her arms across her chest and sat down on the couch, then beckoned him over to sit next to her.

Timmy gulped as he shut the front door and went over to sit next to her. He didn't feel like he could meet her gaze now, almost as if he was unworthy to do so.

"I didn't come over here to sit in silence. Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I haven't-"

"Yes you have! I'm here in person now, so if you're going to break up with me, let's not dance around it, just get it-"

"No! It's not-" Timmy moved raised his hand to try and comfort her, but stopped himself and returned it to his lap. "I don't want to break up with you..."

"Then what's the matter? I've been worried about you all week..."

"Really?"

"Yes. Tootie's told me about how depressed you've been lately, but she also said that you seemed happier since we started... dating. But with you not returning my calls, I was afraid that you might be getting depressed again, or that you might hurt yourself..." Vicky looked at her hands in her own lap now. "Did- did I do something to upset you?"

"No! Nononono! It's not you... it's... I screwed up, big time."

"Okay... Well how 'bout we talk about it instead of you avoiding me?"

"I like living, see, that's why I don't want to talk about it."

"So what? You're afraid I'm going to kill you once you tell me what you did? What could you have done that would make me pissed off enough to kill you?"

"Remember how you took me and Tootie to the mall about a week ago so we could work on that little project of hers?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, everything was going fine, we were following Trixie and Veronica around the mall, no problems. But then Veronica came over to us when she saw us and ask what we're doing, so Tootie makes the brilliant decision to tell her that we were on a date."

"Yeah, that sounds like something she'd do."

"That seemed to be enough to satisfy Veronica, so she went back to following Trixie and we went back to following them..."

"I still don't see what exactly has been bothering you."

"I'm getting there. We eventually caught up with them near a photo booth, and we sat down on a bench to wait for them to come out when Tootie starts getting all... I don't know. Maybe nostalgic, maybe sentimental, but definitely more affectionate than she has in a while. She tells me about how she's been feeling kinda depressed since Chester and AJ left, and how she was worried that I'd pack up and leave one day too."

"But... I thought you planned on staying in Dimmsdale?"

"I do. Trust me, I'm not going anywhere... Anyway, Trixie and Veronica noticed us again, and Trixie said she didn't believe that we were together, that she wanted some proof. I know Tootie wanted us to stay in character so we could observe them, but..."

"But?"

"Trixie wanted us to kiss."

"Ah... so now it all makes sense. Why you've been acting weird and avoiding me."

"I was afraid of what you'd think if you found out, but I also wanted to hold up my end of my deal with Tootie, since she helped me out with... well, you. I felt torn, between my relationship with you, and my friendship with Tootie. I was gonna kiss her, then tell you about it when I felt... safe... But she kissed me! Agh! I've been so stupid! Look, I'm really sorry that it happened, and I'm sorry I haven't been returning your calls, I just... I didn't know how to face you after I did that..."

"Wait. The whole reason you've been ignoring my calls and not talking to me... Because Tootie kissed you?"

"It's not just that! I could've pushed her away and I didn't! I just sat there like n idiot and let her kiss me! Even if it was for only a second..."

"Jeez. For someone who's apparently fairly smart, you can be really stupid sometimes."

"Huh?"

"You. Are. Dumb. Do you really think I'd hold some kind of monster grudge against you because my sister kissed you? All it really means is that you two got it out of your systems. And the fact that you've been beating yourself up for nearly a week because you were worried about how I might feel shows me that you really do care about our relationship."

"So..." Timmy scooted a bit closer to Vicky. "You're not mad at me?"

"Not really. I'm more mad that you avoided me than I am about Tootie kissing you." Vicky pulled him closer and rested her head on his shoulder. "Don't make me worry about you like that..."

"Huh... This is going... better than expected..." Timmy rested his cheek against the top of Vicky's head. "Sorry..."

"Damn right you are."