Disclaimer:

Do not own Ant Farm

Chapter 16

For two days, Fletcher was completely on Cloud 9. The other night, he had spent a whole evening with Chyna, and he couldn't stop thinking about it. He couldn't remember the last time when it was just him and her, without any Olive, and no awkwardness whatsoever.

Maybe in the early days, when she was completely oblivious to his crush. But this past year he couldn't hang out with Chyna without also having Olive with. It just felt super weird and awkward with her. And that surprise date that he and Olive had tried to arrange was a complete disaster; it made things so much worse that he hadn't got to see her all summer.

But now he was finally on the right track with Chyna again. He didn't know what exactly brought it on, but he didn't really care.

He liked it when Chyna talked to him and she didn't have to think about what she had to say. It felt comfortable, relaxing, and he enjoyed it.

A thought came to him. He realized that he'd rather have Chyna as just a friend than a stranger. Maybe if he'd stop making his crush so obvious with her, that she'd continue to open up with him, and then they can just chill.

That was better than nothing. It was obvious that she wasn't into him anyway. But then, there was that look she gave him back at the airport, and then that smile she had after he finished making a portrait of her on the garden concrete.

Ok. Now he was confused again. Argh, he thought. Girls are just confusing, period.

His stomach started growling, interrupting his thoughts. It was time to stop thinking, and start eating. He stopped walking around absentmindedly in the hotel hallways, and made a conscious effort to remember where he was in relation to the nearest food shops.

Aha, he knew where he was. If he would just go straight down this corridor, and around the corner, he knew there would be a sushi – to- go place right there. He strode briskly to the corner, picking up speed as he got nearer. Food waits for no one.

He bumped full head on with this unsuspecting girl. She almost flew off her feet, but he caught her in time. He had her by the hands.

It was that girl again. The Asian girl that he kept seeing around the hotel. This time, she was right here. Right in front of him.

He smiled a goofy smile. Already his brain was turning to mush. He was going to have to concentrate so he wouldn't look like a complete goofball, in front of a pretty face. Again.

The girl appeared to recognize him instantly. "So it's you again," she purred.

"Oh wow, you speak English," he blurted.

The girl looked mocked offended. "And why wouldn't I be able to?" She smirked.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I figured you were from around here – "

"I am from around here," she teased in perfect English. She sounded completely American. "But I also grew up with my dad's American friends. He's a diplomat so he spends a lot of time travelling between the US and Japan."

"Oh. Of course."

"I'm Janice."

"Oh! Nice name. I'm Fletcher."

"Fletcher," Janice tried the name out slowly. "Fletcher. Oh! Fletcher! Do you know Chyna by any chance?"

That ball she threw him was completely out of left field. "Chyna? Chyna Parks? Yea, of course I know her. She's one of my best friends."

"Oh, are you now," Janice's voice was extra slick. "So why is it she hadn't mentioned the gala tonight?"

"Gala?"

"You know, Haru Toriyami's wedding reception. He married this heiress Claire Debutante, and they're going to throw the biggest party this Tipton Hotel has ever seen. It's the party to be at. I invited Chyna. And I told her to invite her friends. So, why is it…that she hasn't mentioned it to you?"

"That's, a good question," Fletcher answered dully.

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore, at any rate. You're invited, and your friends are invited too. Everybody is going to be there, and we'll have a blast."

Fletcher nodded. "Ok, that sounds cool. So I guess, I'll go and tell my friends right now."

"Not so fast," she stopped him with her hand on his chest. "Do you have a suit?"

Fletcher was about to answer yes, he'd brought one just in case for fancy hotel dinners when Janice declared: "You and I are going shopping."

Fletcher was finding it hard to keep up with his new friend, even though she was wearing heels and he had sneakers on. She walked in medium, quick strides with her shoulder bag trailing behind her like a flag on a sports car.

He was an artist, not an athlete. He was used to moving in sprints, but this girl just kept going and going and going…

He tried hard not to make it seem like he was gasping for breath. He looked at Janice with forced casualness, like walking at this speed was really no big deal. But really, inside, he was counting the seconds until they'd reach the destination of wherever it was Janice was taking him.

After what seemed like an eternity, Janice finally stopped. But it wasn't exactly the store he had in mind. He was thinking dress suits, not wet suits. Janice was standing right in front of a swimwear store.

"You and I, are going swimming," Janice announced.

"Really?" He blushed. "I dunno. I don't exactly t-tan well," he stammered.

Janice admonished him with a raised finger. "Don't spoil the party," she ordered.

"Uhm. Ok."

It wasn't before long that he found himself outside, in swimming trunks, in the water with Janice. They were in the shallow end for now. But the pool was huge, and he was sure that the water got real deep by the far end.

The sun was high in the sky, and the water felt right for swimming. Still, there weren't many people at the pool right now. Just a few families playing around with each other at their end of the pool.

Janice was armed with swim paddles, and she looked to him expectedly. "Ready to hit the deep end?"

Fletcher nodded hesitatingly. He was ok with swimming, but not the best. And he tired easily. But this really pretty girl wanted to spend time with him in the pool, so he might as well give it a shot.

"Ready when you are," he said. He had to laugh at Janice who seemed to clutch to her swimming pad like a life preserver.

"Don't laugh!" She defended, with a smile on her face. "I can't swim well. These," she brought his attention to the paddles, "are the only way I can get to the deep end."

Fletcher wasn't going to mock her anymore. "Sure, ok." Then he added, "Race you there."

And he was off.

He felt like it was taking forever to get to the deep end. He made good headway at first, but then he started tiring, and the going got slower. He needed to stop, take a break for now. So he broke the surface of the water to take a breath, and check how much longer to the far end of the pool. It turned out he wasn't even halfway.

Great. He felt like just walking out of the pool and meeting Janice at the far end. But then, he looked around the pool. There was no one swimming to the far end.

He looked behind him to see splashing. Lots of splashing. Then he realized, oh wow, it must be Janice! She was drowning; she must've lost her grip on the swimming pad!

He swam toward her as fast as he could. She was still splashing, which was a good sign. It meant that she was keeping her head above water. He grabbed his one arm around her body and paddled with his other arm to the wall.

She relaxed into his arm as they made their wall to the wall.

"Thanks," she said.

Her face was really close to his. They were still in the water. They each had one arm draped on top of the pool wall to keep themselves above water.

Janice was the one to make the first move, and leaned in.

The kiss was quick. It was over before Fletcher knew what was happening.

That was Fletcher's first ever kiss. He decided that he liked it.

Little did he know, two pairs of eyes had seen the whole thing from on top of the London Suite.