Boo-ya! Double digitals baby. (They like me, they really like me) Well here's the next chapter. I have nothing to say here but thanks and keep R &R-ing. The more you do that, the more I would update. Maybe even faster, because it makes me a happy panda when I see the review number go up, so keep it going, please. Okay, I say I didn't have anything to say and I'm talking too much. There we go, chapter four.
4. Birthday
I woke up the next morning totally stressed. Or should I say, got out of bed totally stressed. You can't wake up if you never went to sleep. And that's what happened to me. I never went to sleep. I wasn't not sleepy and I wasn't having nightmares about what happened. I was actually having good dreams. But at some point, they turned from random dreams that had nothing to do with anything, to dreams about him, to out of control, totally freaky sex-dreams. That's probably why I wasn't sleeping, I was afraid to have them.
Stressed on top of confusion on top of low sleep didn't make a good combination for me. I have no idea what to do. I didn't know how I would make it through school today. I have to see him in class. Even afterwards, I would see him in the halls. What if he asks me about what happened? What if he thinks I'm crazy and need to 'talk' to someone? And what's worst, what if someone saw and got the wrong idea? Oh, my gosh, his life would be ruin. Why did I have to kiss him? Gosh, how could I be stupid?
I don't think I could face all that today. I thought about faking sick. That wouldn't work; she would check my fever and catch me in a second. But if I say my stomach was hurting, it might. But then she'll expect me to throw-up. Either way, I would have to go to school tomorrow and facing him then won't make it any better.
When my mom opened my door, I was seriously going back to the 'faking sick' idea.
"Bella. What are you still doing in bed? Get up; you're going to be late for school."
"Mom…" I said in a weak voice. I started a fake cough, but chickened out mid-way and turned it into a yawn. "I was just think and last track of time." I said truthfully. I decided not to lie. People say I suck at lying, so it wouldn't have worked anyways.
She left when I got of bed. I got in the shower and took a while to get out. I was moving slowly. I don't know if it was purposely or not. Either way, I didn't want to be early again.
I was finally out of the house and in the car. When I got to school, somehow, I was still ten minutes early. That might not seem like a long time, but it's like a year when you're in awkward silence. And that's exactly what would happen if I went class early again. So I sat in the car until I saw more people going into the building. I made sure I saw Alice before going in. I saw her and we walked in together.
Even through we walked in the building together, we didn't walk into class together. I told her I have to spend more time at my locker to 'organize' it. She brought that with ease.
I made sure I was the last one to come in the class. I made even surer that I was the first one to leave. Even outside of the out of class. I stayed away him anyway I could. Alice said I had to talk to him, but not today. It will be just too weird.
This when on for about two weeks before Alice said something about it. "I know what you're doing" she said one day, as I exchanged my books out of my locker.
I shrugged as I closed my locker. "I don't know what you talking about." I lied.
We started walking towards our next class. "You're avoiding him" she response.
"I am not." I argued. "I'm just…" before I could finished, my eyes caught something that stopped me. The person we were talking about just happened to be walking towards us. "Quick, let's go this way." I urged. Before she could respond, I grabbed her by her sleeve and pulled her into the closest door.
"Bella, what the…"
"Shh!" I cut her off.
"Why did you put me in the bathroom?" she said more quietly
I was glad I pulled her into the girls' bathroom and not anyway else. No need to be embarrassed as I was getting away from him. "I have the sudden urge to go." I lied as I peeked around the wall. She peeked too to see what I looking at. "Get back." I pusher her back so he wouldn't see her.
I pressed against the wall until I saw him walking pass without a glance back. I let out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding.
She gave me a look that told me she knew what I was doing. "Shut up." I said to it.
"if you're not avoiding him, what was that?" she referred to what I just did. I peeked around the corner one more time before slipping out. "And everything else you've been doing these past weeks." I gave her a confused look as she continued to walk to class.
"You come in just as the bell rings, making sure you're the last person. You're the first one out. And when we see him in the hall you have the 'sudden urge to use the bathroom' or just happen to find a poster that's been up for years just so interesting." She answered the look.
"I call that good planning." I winked at her. She looked back to say she wasn't joking. "I'm not avoiding him." I said honestly. "I'm avoiding the situation. If we ever come in contact longer that's considered necessary, we both know we're going to have face each other and I don't think I can handle it."
"You're going to have to face it sooner or later. You can't dodge it forever." She countered.
"I wasn't planning on forever…just until I graduate next year." I said, although I knew she was right and I was wrong.
When I got home, my mom was sitting on the couch, like everyday.
"Hey mom." I greeted her as I walked to the kitchen to get something to eat.
"Hey. How was school?" my mom didn't know about the situation with Mr. Masen. She didn't need to know. She would probably blow it out of proportion or not proportion enough. Plus, I already had a mom for this, I didn't need to have another telling me what I did was wrong. I already knew that, that's why I haven't talked to him about it.
I shrugged. I took a gulp of my soda as I walked in the living room. "Hey, can I borrow the car for another week?" I asked.
She sighed hard. "Bella, you still haven't gotten to truck fixed?"
I rolled my eyes. I was about two seconds from taking a bat to the damn windshield of that thing. "I told you, I'm not driving that death trap. So until I save enough up to get a new one, I'm carless."
She sighed hard again. I could tell she was getting annoyed with me asking for her car all the time. It wasn't my fault. If it was anyone's it was hers. She should have trashed that damn thing a long time ago.
She threw her magazine on the coffee table before getting up. I watched her as she walked to an end table and pulled a drawer out. I wondered what she was doing.
"I was trying to wait until your birthday, but since you can't wait a few days… here" She reached in and grabbed a set of keys and tossed them at me. I gave a questionable look. "Go see Jacob, he's got a surprise for you." She smiled and sat back on the couch.
I put my pop down and tossed my bag by the stairs before leaving the house.
I took her car. Jacob lived in La Push. It wasn't a long trip, but not short enough for my truck to make it. I couldn't take it even if I wanted to. I was slowly taking it apart so it didn't have tires or an engine.
When I got to his house, he was already sitting on the pouch, reading a comic book and drinking a grape soda.
I got out of the car without him noticing. "You know, one day, you gonna to have to put down the comic books so you can pick up a girl." I called to him. That had him finally look up. I smiled at him because of my joke.
He put down the comic book and stood up. "Sure, sure, you weren't saying that during the summer." He was referring to the little thing him and I had at the end of last year and was off and on during the summer.
Everyone always said we'd make such a cute couple. So we gave it a shot when he transferred to Forks High School near the end of his freshman year. He said he transferred because "the people at La Push was obsessed with legends and were freaks." His words, not mine, although I won't say I totally disagree with him. I just weren't put it so bluntly.
He wasn't a bad guy. In fact, he was border line sexy; especially since he cut off his hair that was so long, he could be mistaken as a girl. Seriously, that was a good choice. And he was fun. He always made me feel younger than I am.
But, we both realized we saw each other more as brother and sister and were better off friends. So we broke up for good midway through July.
"I told you, I don't know what I was thinking." I joked as I closed the door.
He walked over to me "yeah, that's what they all say."
I rolled my eyes. He offered his fist to me and I bumped it with mine "what's up Black?"
"Nothing much Swan, just enjoying one of the very few days of good weather in this place." Since he lived close to the beach they had a lot of cold days, but when they did get hot days, they got hotter ones then Forks got. But, he was still right. It was rather warm for September. "What brings you by?"
"Nothing. I thought it's been a while since I last kicked your ass." I gave him a light punch in the chest.
"Kicked my ass. Really, Bella? You couldn't win in fight with me even if I let you." He gave a smug smirk.
"Oh, whatever. I so could." I was lying to myself and we both knew it.
"Oh, it that right?" he quirked an eyebrow at me. I nodded. I guess he took that as a signal to prove me wrong. He picked me up with ease and tossed me over his shoulder. He started spinning around in a circle as fast he could.
"Okay, I give, I give." I laughed out loud.
"No, I want to hear you say it."
"I can't beat you. You're the king. Now put me down. I'm getting dizzy."
He laughed and did what I asked. I still didn't understand why he does that. He thinks just because he hit a freakish growth spurt at the age of thirteen, he could bully me. I should be bullying him, not vise versa.
If you didn't know any better, wouldn't think I was the oldest. He easily had a foot on me in height and muscles for days. When we were dating, people thought he was like three years older than me, when actuality, I was a year and a half older than him.
"Didn't I tell you to stop abusing the girls, Jake?" we turned around and saw his dad sitting in his wheelchair in the doorway.
"Bella loves when I hold her like that." He joked and he hugged me tightly from behind. I elbowed him the stomach for the innuendo. Even though we never gotta as far as sex, his dad didn't need to hear that.
"Hi Billy." I said as Jacob still held me.
"Hi, Bells. I never understood what you saw in that knucklehead."
"Me either. " I looked back at his son. He gave me a sad pout. I laughed and he let me go. "Jake knows I love him." I gave him a kiss on the cheek and he pertained to faint at my touch. I laughed at him.
I turned back to Billy and saw him rolling his eyes at his son. "So what brings you Bells? Have you come to taken him off my hands for a while?" he guessed.
I shook my head. "Nope, sorry. I actually came because my mom said he has something for me. In speaking of which…" I turned back to Jacob, who was still on the ground, so I kicked him in his side. He gave me a look.
I squatted down next to him. "Get your lazy ass up." I said in a low tone so his dad would hear me swear at him. "My mom said you have something for me." With that, he popped on his feet with a big grin. He grabbed my hand and leaded me to his own personal garage.
"Tell your mom, I said hi." I heard his dad called after us. I gave him a thumbs-up. I was running trying to keep up with Jake, so that's all I could do.
When we got to the garage, there was something parked in the middle of it. It was covered, so I didn't get to see what it was. By the size of it, I could tell it was a car so I was already excited.
He dragged me to a side wall and signaled me to stay. He moved to the side of the covered object. He gave a fake throat clear like he was presenting gold.
"Isabella Swan, are you driving an ugly car. Are all you friends laughing at you because of it? Well, if so, today you're in luck and do you know why?" he was talking like a voice-over from a game show.
I decided to humor him. I crossed my arms and shook my head. "Because your best friend, the greatest, the best mechanic in the world. I mean this guy is good. He's so good; they should have a whole week decanted to him. One day for his skills and the others for his looks alone."I rolled my eyes at him. I knew who he thinks he's referring to. He wasn't as great as he was making it out to be.
"And that guy is…"
"Jake." I cut him off.
He touched his heart as if he was faltered. "Thank you, Bella."
"Shut up, you jackass. Are you going to show me what's under the sheet or not?"
He smirked. "Okay, dang touchy." He turned away from "try to have fun with people" I heard him mumbled as he took the sheet off.
I was right about what was under in. He revealed a red rabbit.
"What's this?" I was a little confused
"This is a car Bella" he stretched out the word like I was slow at understanding or something. I had to restrain myself from slapping him.
I rolled my eyes." I know that, I mean why are you showing me it?" I said, clearing up my question.
"Because it's your." He smiled. I stared at him in disbelief.
"No way, really?" I gasped.
He nodded. "This what your mom wanting me to show you. This her birthday gift to you." He explained.
I never been the one to squeal, but when I founded out I had a new car, my squeal was so high pitch, I could have cracked a window if it was louder. He cinched at the sound.
I walked up to the car and walked around it to get a good look at. It was a nice looking car, in its own way. I didn't care. All I cared about was I did have to drive that goddamn truck anymore. I could finally trash it for good.
"How did she get the money for this?" I looked over it again. You can tell it was used, but not much.
"No where, since she didn't pay a dime for it." I looked at him as if I misunderstood. What did that mean, I wonder.
But then I remembered something that would answer my own unspoken question. "Jake, is this the rabbit you were building for the past year?" I asked in amazement.
He nodded with a big grin. "Yeah, it took some time, but I finally got it done."
He was working on a car for about year or so. I helped a few times. I helped with little things like holding a flash light and passing him tools since I didn't know the first thing about anything to do with cars, beside the obvious need of gas. That's the reason I use to bring the truck to him to fix.
But even doing little things, I managed to hurt myself. I was tripping over tools I didn't notice or cutting my hand on wires I see. He asked for me to stop 'helping' him because he was spending more time treating me than actually working on the car.
One day while he was putting a banged on my hand, he said, "maybe you should let me handle it and you just sit here and look cute." I was actually okay with the plan until he had the nerve to said "just like you're going to look when you wash it in a wet t-shirt when it's done." He smile and winked. He turned away before he saw my face, so he didn't know how mad and shock I was when he said that.
I grabbed the closest tool next to me, which happened to be a ranch, and throw it at his back. I throw it so hard that he need to go to the exigency room to get stitches.
I didn't feel bad when I was sitting in the waiting room with his dad, hearing him screaming in pain. I still don't feel bad when I see the bruise on his back it left. I felt I shouldn't have to feel bad. He deserved it for allowing those words to come out of his mouth with a good conscience. He could be such a sexist pig sometimes.
When I was done looking at the car, inside and out, something came to my mind. "if you're giving me the rabbit, what will you be driving?" I couldn't help but ask. I didn't want to take away his only means of transportation.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head about that." He ruffled his hand in my hair. I pushed his hand away from me then combed through my hair with my fingers to get it back to the way it was before he rudely messed it up. One of these days, I'm gonna get him back from treating me like I'm the child.
He went over to a corner where there were something else covered. I couldn't make out the shape because it was too small so I wasn't sure what it was. He ripped off the sheet and my jaw dropped. He was showing two shiny motorcycles. My eyes shined like the freshly looked paint job with excitement.
"Cool!" I ran over to them to get a better look. "Where did you get these?"
Sometime during the summer, when we were on, he used to borrow a motorcycle from a friend of his that lived down the street. We would take down to the beach and ride on it all day. One day when we were driving, he taught me how to use it. I crashed in a few brunches a few times, but once he told me it was just like riding a real bike, I got a better handle on it. I wasn't as good as Jacob, but I was better than I was when I first started. Since then, we've been in love with them. It's that one special thing we share together.
"I found them at the junkyard one day when I was looking for parts. They said they were going to trash them anyways, so I thought they would have a better home if I took them. They weren't that hard to fix, so it worked out."
"Wow, a car and two motorcycles, you do realize that's pretty kick-ass, right?"
He smiled. He breathed on his nails and wrapped them on his shirt. "yeah, I know. I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself." He faulted. I should have seen that coming.
"Shut up. But, seriously, Black, I'm impressed." I smiled. I ran my fingertips across the painted body. I love the feeling of smooth car paint. "But wait, why are there two?" I looked at him with a confused frown on my face.
"Because, one's yours."
"Shut up, are you serious?" I cheered. I felt like a little schoolgirl. I was getting a new car and a motorcycle, this was unbelievable. "But, I thought the car was my gift."
"That's your mom's gift, this…"he gestured to the bikes. "is mine." A smile brighten my face. "so, which one you want?"
"Well, you know how I feel about red." I smiled, if I was smiling any hard, my face would have cracked in half.
"Then that one's yours." He went to a drawer and took out two set of keys. "Wanna take them for a spin?" he asked with a devilish smile, jiggling a set at me. Neither one of our parent liked us driving them. They thought they were, quoted, "too dangerous." But what they don't know won't hurt them.
"Umm… hell to the yes!" I cheered in excitement. I held up my hand as he tossed a set of keys at me.
We took the bikes down to La Push beach. We drove around the edge of the forest and cliffs. It was dangerous, but it was the only place on the beach without sand where we could ride. Plus, the danger was part of the fun.
We race up and down the beach until the sun started to set. We had to stop because the sun was our only light and since it was doing down, we wouldn't be able to see. We stopped at the top of the cliff. It was the highest point in La Push. The guys use it to jump off it into the water. I tried it once and almost drowned. They had a field day with that one.
At the top of the cliff, we watch the sun finish going down and completely set.
The whole time I was with Jacob. I completely forgot about the situation back at school. That what Jacob Black does. No matter what's going on in my life, he can always me laugh and forget about all my problems and make me feel…happy again. That was one of the main reasons I loved having him as a friend. I mean Alice was great, but she had nothing on Jake when it came to the laughs department.
I could have stayed there all night. Looking at the stars until the sun came back up was fine just fine with me. Anything from going back to school in the morning and playing another round of the famous shell game with Mr. Masen. The only thing that stopped me from doing that was the ringing in my pocket.
I pulled my phone out saw that my mom just texted me.
Bella, I know you'll have fun with Jake, but it's getting dark. Time to come home.
I sighed hard. "Gotta go?" he guessed. I nodded.
"Come on, let's get the bikes back to your place." We got up and whipped the dirt and sand off our pants before walking back to the bikes that were leaning against some trees.
XXX
I woke up to my mom singing Happy Birthday to me. I should say screeching it. She was never the best singer.
I put the pillow over my head to block out the noise. She pulled it away and continued to sing in my ear.
"Please stop." I begged.
"Bella, get up." I sat up in my bed and pushed my tangled hair out of my face. I looked down and saw what I guess was supports to be pancakes. My mom was never the best cook either. Come to think, neither was my dad. I don't know where I got my abilities from.
The pancakes had a single lit candle in it. I humored her as I smiled and blew it out.
"How does it feel to be seventeen, sweetie?" she asked as she sat on the side of my bed. I shrugged. I felt no difference than I did when I turned sixteen. I stopped caring about my birthdays when I turned twelve. I didn't always use to be like that. I use to love it; counting down the days to the next one from the very second the last one was over. I don't know what changed. I just didn't find it that interesting anymore.
I took the fork and decided to take a small bit. Maybe she's gotten better. I found out I was dead wrong when it hit my taste buds. I grabbed the napkin and spit into. "no better." She guessed. I shook my head as I wrapped my mouth.
"I can't believe my baby's growing up. It since like just yesterday you were learning now to walk. Now you're in high school, driving. You'll be out of the house and really to go to college next year." I saw her eye water up with each passing sentence.
"Mom, please don't" I started. She's been doing this since my thirteenth birthday. She knows the day's coming. It's the same day every year. She really needs to prepare herself more.
She ignored me "Soon, you'll be getting married with kids of your own. You won't need me anymore." She was in full on waterworks mode at this point. She grabbed a napkin and started crying into it.
I hugged her tightly. "Mom, I'll always need you." I told her. That was the only thing she wanted to hear when she was like this.
"Really?" she looked at me.
I nodded. "Yeah, in college when I run out of money or need some clean clothes, I'll need you." I joked. She stopped crying and lightly hit me on the top of my head.
"Get really for school, smart-alecky."
I laughed. "I love you mom." I kissed her on the cheek.
"Love you, too, baby." She got up and let me get dressed.
I just got dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. I didn't dress up because I didn't find a point to it. Everyone else didn't know it was my birthday, they just thought it was just another day. That's kind of how I wanted to keep.
I went to my new car. I loved this thing. Mainly because it wasn't that same old truck anymore. I was so happy when the towing company came to pick it up over the weekend.
When I got to school, no one said anything to me. That's the way I wanted. And I thought I was getting that until I got to my locker. It was covered with pink paper and two balloons attached to it. I only knew one person who would even think of something like that. "oh, Alice." I sighed hard.
I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I turned around and saw the person I was just thinking of. "Speak of the devil, and she appears." I smiled.
She gently pushed my shoulder. "Happy Birthday, Bella." she cheered and hugged me.
"Thank you." I hugged her back. "but I told you not to make a big deal about it."
She pulled away so I could see her rolled her eyes. "You should have known that was an empty suggestion. Besides, this is not that big." She had a point. She lived for things like this. I was actually surprise that was all she did and not something bigger like have everyone spell out 'Happy 17th Bella' in front on the school.
I walked up my locker to open it, careful not to rip the paper. She lean against the locker the next to me while I got my things out.
"So have you talked to him, yet?" she said in a serious tone.
I shoot me eyes to her. "Will you stop asking me that?" she been asking the same question every day since two days after it happened. I keep tell her I'll do it the next day and would never do it. I didn't what to face him nor did I know how. She knew that yet she kept pushing it.
"Bella, you need to talk to him." She lectured.
"I know that, and I'm going to." I avoid her eyes as I pick up one my books.
I thought what I said will give her to stop, for now at least. But it didn't. "When?" she pushed again.
"I don't know, but I'm going to." I told I closed the locker. "it's my birthday, can't you put that on hold for today?"
"I thought you didn't want to make a big deal about it." I didn't but anything to get her to shut up.
I ignored her and started walking towards the room. It went from the room I love the most to the one I now hated the most. I tried to change teachers, but they said I couldn't because it wasn't early enough in to the year anymore and all the classes were full.
"Good morning, ladies." Mr. Masen greeted us as we enter. I just gave a small wave just like any other time I did when he greeted us now. I slipped in to my desk and immanently started doodling in my notebook, any reason to keep my head down.
"You know, Mr. Masen, today is Bella's birthday." Alice announced. I let the pencil dropped out of my hand.
I looked her with wide eyes. Why the hell did she just do that? Out of everyone she could have told, she just felt the absolute need to tell him. I thought she was dropping that for today.
"Really?" he said as if he's was really interested.
I looked up at him. "yeah." When our eyes met, I quickly looked away and saw that my pencil had fallen on the floor.
"So how old are you?" he asked as I lean down to pick it up.
"seventeen." Once the pencil was in my hand again, I fixed my eyes on my notebook again.
"Really?" he repeated. This time there was something in his voice that I couldn't make out. I nodded.
"Aren't you going to give her something, it is her birthday after all." Alice said. I looked at her again. I was about two seconds from slapping her if she didn't stop.
I turned my head when I heard him chuckle. I wish he would stop encouraging her.
"Yeah, homework." He joked as he turned away from us.
"Wow, that's wrong." Alice commented with a small chuckle. I gave a light laugh as I look at my notebook again. Lucky, more people came in and the bell rang, stopping her from saying anything else. I had to remember to talk to her about that after class.
When class was over, I tried to hurry and get out of the class but Alice was taking her sweet time.
"Hurry up, before I leave you." I threatened. She just rolled her eyes. We both knew it was an empty threat. But, she did need to hurry up.
"After a hundred years." I said when she was finally ready.
"See you girls tomorrow. And happy birthday Bella." he called after us as we walked out. I gave another small wave before pushing her out of the class.
I pulled her into the girls' bathroom. I needed to talk to her about what she did.
"Why the hell did you do that?" I urged when we were in the bathroom. She gave a look that said she didn't understand. "Don't do that, Alice." I said to the look. "You know exactly what you did. You said you'll leave it alone for today." I reminded her.
"Okay, first off, I never said I would. You asked me and walked away before I responded." She corrected me. Damn her and her stupid ass loopholes. "Secondly, why are you so bended out of shape? I just told him it was your birthday."
"Because I didn't want him to know" I stomped my foot in frustration. "It would just be another reason for us both to know what I did was wrong"
"And, to be honest, that's exactly why I did it." She said. I started to ask what the hell was she talking about, but she continued before the words could come out. "Ever since that day, there has been awkward tense between you two, just like I predicted. I was trying to break it."
There was a good reason for what she did; I still had to know something. "And, what you thought we would just start talking about what happen out of the blue or something? In case you forgot, he doesn't know you know. No one supports to because it wasn't supports to happen."
She shook her head. She didn't seem move my tone of my voice. "No, I didn't. But I was hoping you would at least talk to him and not give him those small waves you keep giving him. You know, you're hurting his feelings?"
"I am not."I argued. Yeah, I stopped talking and joking with him and was staying away from him, but it was a good reason for that and he knows it. She was just saying that to make me feel bad; to finally talk to him.
"Yes, you are. Didn't hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes when you finally made eye contact and actually said something to him?"
"There was nothing in his eyes or voice, Alice." I refuse to believe he actually missed his 'favorite' student.
If he did, he was really taking what I said about forgetting what happened seriously. How would he forget, though? Our fucking lips were together. How could he forget that? Was it not good enough to remember or something?
Wait, I shouldn't be thinking like that. It should be good that he forgot. But I just couldn't feel relived about it. Why the hell did all this have to happen to me? Out of thousand people in this town and millions of people in the world, I had to be the unlucky pick from the damn love hat.
"Bella." Alice snapped me out of my thoughts. "You really need to talk to him and soon."
"I'm going to, but not today." Probably, not even for the next week. If what she was saying was true, I was really going to push back the date I traded my lost of sanity in exchange for an embarrassing conversation with my teacher. "Seriously, drop it today, Alice." She actually agreed this time that she wouldn't bring up anymore. She made point in letting me know that it was only for my birthday.
"Think of it as your present." She said
I gave a false smile alone with a fake thank you. Her dropping something that she had no business continue to pick up, but only for a day; that was some present.
I turned her towards the door. "Come on, we're going to be late." I started pushing her out of the restroom.
I hated to admit, but like always, she was right. I needed to talk to him. But I had an awful feeling that only bad could come from it.
You know, since you guys are so nice to me, I'm going to be nicer. To celebrate my double digits, how about double update this week. see good things come to those review. X). so, parting words. R AND R! PLEASE!