Me and my friendz r playin a game where we see who can last a dai without complaining. LULZ! XD It's so much fun! Lulz again! 3

Next day: Ugh, I'm done talking that way. Why was I even attempting to do that? That was traumatizing.

Beware: Warm Bodies spoilers up ahead.

Jamie, in short, was very disappointed at the lack of violence Warm Bodies left behind. For all he cared, R was a complete sap. "That was a total letdown! How can a zombie boy just rapidly turn human once he falls in love! It's so stupid!" he griped as he and Jack entered his (their?) front door.

Jack shrugged. "Hey, you were the one who wanted to watch it. Besides, I personally liked it."

"But-But-" Jamie sputtered. "But it's so dumb! It was so cheesy! What kind of zombie just snaps out of his zombie trance because he lays his eyes on a girl?! It's Romeo and Juliet all over again!"

"I thought the movie was supposed to be loosely based off of Romeo and Juliet," Jack remarked. "Even their names show it. R and Julie. Anyway, weren't you paying attention? R already was out of his 'zombie trance' before he even met Julie. And frankly, boys hopelessly chasing girls is very common in real life. You and Pippa, for instance."

"Please don't bring that up," Jamie muttered begrudgingly, as they both sat down on the couch. "It hurts enough as it is. She has an innocent crush on this high school guy."

"Do I know this guy?" Jack asked curiously.

"...You could say that."

"Who is it?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Jamie snapped moodily.

Jack scoffed. "Wow, tempestuous much? But I get how you feel. Remember Ariel?"

"Oh yeah, I do." Jamie grinned goofily. "She was the one who turned you into a lovesick fool. How can I not remember her?"

"Are you trying to get on my bad side? 'Cause you don't want that," Jack threatened.

"I'm your first believer. I'll never get on your bad side, no matter what."

"True."

"But honestly," Jamie continued, becoming serious again, "I don't think you and Ariel could be counted as one of those 'boys hopelessly chasing girls.' You snapped back to your senses in the end, so you aren't exactly classified as hopeless."

"Good point," Jack agreed. "I think Spencer and Cici suit that category way better."

Jamie stared, his full interest piqued. "Spencer Anderson? From across the street? And the same Cici from that time when we went over to her house? They're together?"

"Not exactly," Jack sighed. "Or at least, not yet. Spencer's a wuss, and I have a feeling that Cici isn't too willing to take it to the next level with him."

"Why not?"

"I don't know, she closes herself up and won't give me an answer whenever I ask," Jack sighed again. "It's like she has this deep, dark secret she doesn't want anyone to know. But I really don't see how that fits in with simply asking out a guy."

"Look, if a girl doesn't want to ask out a guy, then it usually means she's afraid," Jamie explained. "I know that because I watched a bunch of soap operas. Don't ask."

Jack asked anyway. "Did your mom force you to watch them with her?"

Jamie hesitated, then nodded his head slowly. "Yeah..."

"Thought so. Anyway, what's this about Cici possibly being afraid of asking Spencer out?"

"If a girl's unwilling to get a boyfriend and 'closes up' whenever someone asks why, there's a chance that something huge happened to this girl in her past that makes her think that love is useless," Jamie informed him. "It could also have something to do with her parents, which is often the case."

"Come to think of it, remember that time we both went over to her house and you asked about her dad, but she didn't answer?" Jack recalled.

Jamie nodded. "Yeah, I remember that. She suddenly got all silent."

"She's exactly like that when it comes to asking her about Spencer as well, so maybe these two things are tied together after all..." Jack mused. After a second, however, he only cast an unimpressed glance at Jamie. "'Love is useless'? Really? I think those soap operas must be rubbing off on you."

"Hey, I helped you figure out her motives for her quietness, didn't I?" Jamie defended.

"Yeah, but you never know. You could be wrong," Jack pointed out. "I mean, not that I don't have faith in you, but sometimes things are the least you would expect. Who knows, maybe she isn't bothered by her parents at all."

Jamie looked at him incredulously. "That's deep, considering it's you."

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed, offended. "I can be smart!"

"...Right." Jamie was clearly unconvinced.

Jack growled menacingly. "Do you want the monsters that are my fingers to tickle you again?"

Jamie got up in a flash. "No!" he shouted fearfully, then ran up the stairs, trying to save himself from giggling uncontrollably.

Jack shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Kids. When will they catch on that their high school elders are superior over them?" he muttered to himself as he went after Jamie.

Jack had thought about what Jamie had told him, and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. If Cici really was affected by her parents like Jamie had predicted, then it was clear how this was possible. Obviously, there was the mysterious absence of her father. But now that Jack really thought back to that day he had hung out at her house, he remembered that he had thought that her mother seemed younger than most moms when their children reached their late teens.

That was it. If he waited for her to tell him her secret on her own, then she might never get a chance to. He needed to go over to her and demand an answer from her.

Which was why he was currently standing outside her house, taking one last deep breath before he had to storm in. Okay, so maybe not storm in. More like politely go up to her front door and ring the doorbell.

...Same thing.

He did exactly that. None other than Cici's mother answered. She seemed surprised to see him. "Oh! Jack! I didn't know you were coming."

"Cici doesn't either," Jack simply answered, stepping in. He looked around. "I need to talk to her about something. Where is she?"

"Up in her bedroom." Mrs. Sanders looked in the direction of the stairs. "Cici!" she called. "Jack's here to see you!"

A few seconds later, Cici emerged from her bedroom off to the side and peered down at the other two. "Hey Jack. Do you need something?"

"Uh, yeah. Can we talk? In private, I mean. In your room or something."

Cici raised her eyebrows. "Sure, I guess. Come on up here."

Once they were up in her bedroom, just the two of them, Jack cut straight to the point as he always did and told Cici firmly, "I want to know more about you."

Cici blinked in confusion. "What?"

"I want to know more about you," Jack repeated.

"Is that a confession?"

"Huh?! No!" Jack frowned. "I don't like you! I mean, I like you, but not like...romantically!" He shuddered. "I'm still sore over what happened the last time I liked someone!"

"What happened?" Cici asked curiously.

"We're straying away from the original topic here," Jack redirected their conversation back on track somewhat nervously. "Look, I realized that I barely know anything about you, even though you know pretty much everything about me. And it's usually the other way around. We're friends, and you're the only one who I've told my secret to. Shouldn't you at least return the favor? For me?"

Cici stared at him for a moment before sitting down on her bed and sighing. "What exactly do you want to know about?"

"Your family," Jack delivered it straightforwardly. "'Cause I've noticed that whenever someone asks you about your parents, you end up closing yourself up. Like there's a huge secret you have that you don't want anyone to know."

Cici looked at him disapprovingly. "Isn't this just prying into my personal life?"

"You know my personal life." Jack wasn't about to give up on this.

"Yeah, but you don't have anything to be ashamed of! It's easier for you to admit your secret because it isn't something that'll make someone look at you and think, 'Wow. I never thought this person would be like that.'"

Jack smiled grimly. "I wouldn't be too sure about that." He was certain that people would look at him differently if they knew his true identity.

"Well yeah, I guess knowing that you're Jack Frost would have some sort of effect on the opinion they have of you," Cici relented. "But you get my point. It doesn't have a negative...feel to it or whatever it's called."

"So? Cody Gray has a deceased sister," Jack argued, "and he's still okay."

"I heard he attempted suicide."

"Yeah, he did. But he's fine now. He's joined my group of friends, and he and Anton Suzuki have formed a truce...sort of. They didn't really explain it very clearly." He furrowed his brows in thought. "But they're getting along better, even though there are still a few fights here and there."

"Jack..."

"Come on, Cici!" Jack remained persistent. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

"If it wasn't that bad, I would have said it already," Cici mumbled just loudly enough for Jack to hear. She spoke in a clearer tone, "You probably think that I'm one of those cheerleaders who's perfect at everything and is happy all the time."

"What?" Jack exclaimed with fake disbelief. "What are you talking about? You're nothing like that!" However, the back of his mind whispered, Mary Sue.

Cici was not to be fooled for one second. She halfheartedly glared at him. "You blatant liar." Her unimpressed expression faltered. "Not that I'm really mad or anything. I know I do seem like it. But I can't help but act like that, because I don't know how people would feel about me if I let my perfect character down, and let everyone see what I'm really like. But what makes this so conflicting is that I know people don't like perfection either. We humans are so picky in choosing who we like, and it scares me. I shouldn't care so much about what people think of me, but I just can't help myself."

"Why are you so stressed out about this? Someone not liking you isn't the end of the world," Jack comforted gently. "There's nobody in this world who isn't disliked by at least one person. It isn't a big deal."

"I know deep down it's not a big deal, but I just can't help but think that it is," Cici murmured miserably. "You probably think this is ridiculous."

"No! No, I'm still listening. Keep on venting, I'm still here."

"It's just that...this secret you keep on trying to make me reveal is the reason I think all that. I'm not carrying a secret alter ego like you are, which is why I'm so hesitant to share it with you," Cici explained. "I just...don't know what to do."

"Cici..." Jack pressed. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm an accident, Jack," Cici confessed. "I wasn't supposed to exist. The reason why I don't like talking about my dad is because I don't have a dad."

"What are you talking about, that doesn't make any—" Jack caught on. "...Oh... That explains a lot."

And it did. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. It didn't just explain her reluctance to talk about her dad, but it also explained why she was so unconfident in giving Spencer a chance. Growing up without getting to know her own father didn't exactly give very much faith in the possibility of having a happy relationship, after all.

But there was still one little thing that bothered him. "But wait, what about you still believing in the Guardians? How does that contribute to this? Or does that involve something else?"

Cici exhaled audibly as she lay down on her bed. "No, it also involves this. Even I'm not too sure about the answer to that. But I was a lonely girl growing up. The only person I could consult with was my mother. So as a child, I found fascination with people like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. They weren't just legends to me, they were the ideal heroes I always wished really would exist. And I guess I let that wish get to me, and I really started believing." She laughed dryly. "Little did I know, I was right to start having true belief."

Jack nodded. "Seems justified enough."

"But honestly, considering how my mom was a teen mom and broke up with who's supposed to be my father, I feel sad sometimes," Cici continued, as if she didn't hear him. She sat up. "I wasn't meant to end up being conceived. And just knowing that makes me wonder why my mom didn't simply abort me once she found out she was pregnant."

"Cici, don't say that." Jack gingerly laid a hand on Cici's shoulder. "Listen, just because you weren't meant to happen doesn't mean your mom doesn't want you. If she didn't want you, she would've gotten rid of you a long time ago. She loves you, I'm sure of it."

Cici looked unconvinced. "That doesn't really change things," she mumbled.

"Hey, you shouldn't focus on what's accidental," Jack reassured. "At least, not too much. And I don't know if you realize this, but there are two different kinds of accidents: happy accidents and regretful accidents. You're a happy accident and if someone tells me otherwise, they're gonna wish the apocalypse happened to them first, because I know martial arts and some certain people will find themselves roundhouse kicked in the face."

Cici laughed despite herself at the unusual threat. "Thanks, that's comforting."

Jack grinned his signature grin before becoming serious again. "I'm serious though, quit being so down on yourself. It's not healthy, and being the Guardian of Fun, that makes me uncomfortably itchy. I want to see you have more self-confidence. I mean, I'm over three hundred years old. My own parents are dead. At least you still have your mom ready to have your back." He removed the hand on her shoulder and pushed her on the side playfully. "And ask out Spencer, will ya? If you don't, the poor boy will never rest."

Cici rolled her eyes. "Are you seriously still on that? I don't like rushing relationships."

"Come on, you don't have to officially begin dating or anything. Just one date will make him overjoyed. It doesn't matter how big or small it is; he's just looking for one outing with you."

Cici still looked skeptical. "Are you really that insistent?"

"Do you really expect me to answer that?"

Cici sighed. "Fine. Maybe. I'll think about it."

Jack whooped and did what Cici assumed was a cannonball to the bed. "Yes! He so owes me and Zander better be on his knees calling me the expert hooker-upper the next time he sees me!"

Cici raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Ecstatic, aren't you?"

"Shut it, I get overly excited sometimes," Jack defended with a huge smile on his face.

Little did they know, a dark figure was watching both of them in the shadows. Inspecting them quietly, he murmured softly to himself, "So he seems to have let one person in on his little Jack Frost secret..." A sneer broke out on his triangular face. "Now this is fun. This girl might be the gates opening up to my opportunity..." With an evil snicker, he disappeared.

Jack, thinking that he heard something, turned around to face where Pitch just was a mere second ago. "Did you hear something?" he asked Cici.

Cici followed his line of eyesight and didn't see anything. "No. Maybe you were imagining it."

Jack frowned, but let it go. Even though he didn't bring it up, he felt like he should be worried—like he really wasn't imagining the Boogeyman's presence after all.

...Oh, suck it up, it's only been almost two weeks. That isn't the longest time I've been gone. The sole reason why this chapter, which has been the shortest chapter in a long time, took so long is because I don't like the content in it. And the reason why I don't like the content is because I don't like Cici very much, due to her seeming like a Mary Sue so far. ((Don't worry, I'll be giving her some character flaws later on))

But I'm on summer break already, so updating faster shouldn't be too hard. For the people who still have school, have fun, I wish you luck.

I'm sorry, I couldn't help but say that. I can be a little shit sometimes.

But seriously, I promise a faster update next time.

Replies (Plenty of people reviewed this time):

DarkBlueCloudAngel: Ship them all you want, but Cody's still getting a love interest in the sequel XD

RandomKrazyPerson: Nope, they're not questioning Jamie. They don't have any evidence that Jamie knows anything. Baby Tooth was forgotten again in this chapter :P And I don't get JackRabbit either, but I've read this story where they both made tiny frostbunny babies. I have no idea, don't ask.

Lovepuppy316: Warm Bodies doesn't have too many guns... I'm sure you could handle it.

feathered moon wings: Sure, I guess Jack's a gossip girl XD Cody's adorable. He's the best OC I have ever created.

Guest: According to my spell check, intenseness is indeed a word XD And sure, I guess I could ask her to make a comic.

dude: ...Coton. That sounds more efficient XD And yeah, Anton's red hair was only brought up once when he was introduced, so I didn't expect anyone to remember that.

Ocracoke0Island-Dreams: I hope you weren't disappointed by the content in this chapter then.

naien543: You know, having Cupid as a hermaphrodite seems more interesting than having two of them. I praise you for the original idea.

akizaki14: Ooh, Friends! I spend my free time searching up Friends crack videos featuring Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons :D And as for the yaoi and yuri thing, I hope I don't sound like I'm lecturing you or anything, because that's the last thing I want to sound like, but I personally believe that your friend shouldn't say mean things to a person just because they share different opinions. 'Cause really, what's so wrong with that? Hating it is one thing, bashing a person who likes it is just a whole other level. I hope I don't sound too reprimanding.

rantingsarah: asdfghjkl fanart I want it link it please :D

Anonfangirl: Remember, they may have caught on to most of it, but they still haven't suspected Jack to be Jack Frost yet. They've linked a lot of it together already, but they shouldn't figure everything out at once.

Frosty3.0: ...Happy belated birthday... I'm sorry I didn't update in time D:

JustAnotherWritingNobody: I picture Zander having brown eyes like his brother. Nice username, by the way.

Shift: Oh stop it, I'm not that good XD Hatsu Yukiya is way better. Anyway, Pitch will appear first, but Immo will definitely come up again.

Lamae Martin: It's reviewers like you that keep me going :D You are amazing. And luckily for you, you didn't have to wait long at all, unlike all these other people :P

I actually find it really amusing how everyone expected a certain confrontation with Jack but then I pull this out of my sleeve. Anyway, review!