Disclaimer: Same.

A/N:) Review, review, and review some more!

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The week seemed to crawl by even slower than it usually did for Greg and James. Greg would sidle up to Allison in the hallway, and she would always smile, blush, and when he tried to hold her hand, whisper, "Two more days, Greg. You should be able to wait until then."

"But, I can't!" he would whine. So she'd smile slyly and walk away.

Wednesday, he followed her down the hallway even as the late bell rang. "Just talk to me, Allison! Please, just talk to me. That wasn't part of the deal. We said no making out. We didn't say no talking."

Several heads turned, but kept walking. She blushed and grabbed him angrily and dragged him into the preschool hallway. "You want to talk? Well, guess what. I DON'T. I'm tired of talking. All my other relationships have been about talking. I want…both. But I don't want to ruin what a good relationship we could have my starting something way too soon."

"So, the movies Friday isn't too soon?"

She smiled. "No. It's not. Friday at the movies is a perfect time for our relationship to start. This'll have to tide you over until then." She placed her lips softly on his and watched as he slowly closed his eyes. She broke off the kiss too soon for both of them and left him standing in the preschool hallway.

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James, on the other hand, wasn't talking to Lisa. He wasn't following her around. He wasn't doing anything. Lisa kept trying to talk to him, but he would just smile and politely excuse himself. Greg was furious at him for it.

"You've got some girl who WANTS you and you're saying no?!" Greg yelled at him Thursday at lunch.

"She doesn't want me like that, she just wants to talk to me. And it's complicated." He bit into his tuna.

"How's it complicated? Allison doesn't even wanna talk to me."

"Look…if I tell you why I'm being a bit distant with Lisa right now, do you promise not to make fun of me?"

"Duh, Jimmy! Best friends wouldn't do that to each other!" he said mockingly.

"I'm serious, Greg…" James said, setting down his sandwich.

Greg adopted his serious face and said, "OK. I'm ready. I'll be good." He even folded his hands.

"I've never…had a girlfriend before. So I don't really know what to do…" he muttered. "And I don't want to make a complete ass of myself."

He regarded Greg for a few minutes. "Well?"

Greg burst out laughing. "Are you kidding me? You've never had a date? That means you're still a…virgin, then?" He said too loudly.

James' face colored and he hissed under his breath. "You are an asshole!"

"Aw. Yeah, I know. I know. Seriously? You've never had a girlfriend??"

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Luckily, Friday came the next day and both Greg and James looked forward to the night. After sixth hour, (and another day of trolling) Greg said to James, "Come to my house at about seven. We'll meet them at 7:30. Movie's at eight. Tell Lisa to meet us at Princeton Cineplex." He handed James a piece of paper. "My address. Seven o'clock."

Greg then went over to Allison, while James went over to Lisa.

"Um, hey Lisa." James muttered softly.

"Hey, James." She said quietly with a semi-frown.

"Um, will you meet me, Greg, and Allison at the Cineplex at about 7:30?"

"Sure!" she said happily. "You know, after the way we've been talking to each other, or well the lack of talking to each other, I was worried you might not want to go out with me." She looked down.

"No! Trust me, it's not you. It's all me! You're…amazing, Lisa, and I'm surprised you haven't broken our…date." He grinned at her.

"James, I like you. And I'm going to give you a chance."

He smiled a big smile. "Good! I'll see you at 7:30 then." He smiled once more, and turned and left the room to catch his bus.

Greg, meanwhile, was standing close to Allison. He said, "Meet me and James and Lisa at the Cineplex at 7:30." Then he leaned closer and whispered, "Don't be late."

"Trust me." She leaned closer to him and said, "I will not be late."

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At exactly seven o'clock, James knocked on Greg's front door. He answered shirtless and with wet, rumpled hair that was sticking up in 40 different directions.

"Hey. I'm not ready yet. Wanna come in for a few minutes while I get ready." He held open the front door.

James stepped in and said, "Sure, no problem."

He saw a man with black hair sitting on the couch in the living room, wearing reading glasses and reading the paper. He saw a woman sitting in the chair in the corner reading a novel.

When she saw James standing there in his dark blue jeans and navy blue sweater, she put down the novel and said, "Oh! Hello, there. You must be James." She stood up and went over to him and shook his hand. "Greg told us you were coming over. My name is Blythe House. This—" she led him over to the man on the couch, "Is my husband, John House. John, this is Greg's friend James."

"Don't you think I could gather that from your speech, Blythe? John House." He removed his glasses and held out his hand.

Timidly, James went over and shook it. He had a feeling based on the last three and a half seconds of conversation, (and Greg's prior statements) that this man was not a force to be reckoned with. "Nice to meet you, sir." He said quietly.

"So, where are you and my son off to tonight?" Mr. House asked.

James stood up straight and said, "Oh, we're just going to the movies." He almost felt like a boyfriend getting grilled by his girlfriend's father. He was obviously protective of Greg.

"That's fine. Just fine."

James looked at the ceiling and mentally wished for Greg to get down here so they could get going.

Five minutes of awkward conversation later, in which Mr. House grilled James about his career plans in the future, family life, and classes, Greg came downstairs, a rock and roll t-shirt covering his long slim frame.

"Hey, James, are you ready to go?" he asked innocently.

James was a bit shocked. Could this be…polite Greg?

He walked over to his dad and stood there for a few seconds, waiting for him patiently to finish the article he was reading.

"Yes, Gregory?" he asked, setting the paper down next to him. "And stand up straight."

Greg straightened up and said, "Permission to use the car tonight, sir?"

His father said, "Where are you going, when will you be home?"

"James and I will be going to the movies. Then I will be dropping him off at his house. Back at home at 11:30." He said solemnly.

"I suppose that's fine, Gregory. It isn't a school night. But be home exactly at 11:30. You're even two minutes late, and you're grounded for two months. Got it?"

"Yes, sir." He nodded and said goodbye.

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Greg stuck his keys in the engine and looked at James, whose mouth was gaping open.

"What?!" he yelled.

"What was that?!" James yelled back.

"Trust me, you speak to my dad any other way…let's just say you don't speak disrespectfully to John House." He sneered angrily.

He looked at the shocked look on James' face.

"Just drop it." He growled. "We're almost there, anyways."

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A/N: R&R! Next chapter, the movies… :)