Disclaimer: I own no credits or rights to this. It all goes to Warner Bros!

Hope you enjoy!

After I had a serious talk with Michelle about listening to me, I walked into D.J.'s room. "Hey, um, Deej? I need to talk to you."

She put down the book she has been reading and looked up at me. "What's up, Steph?"

I played with my hair, contemplating telling her why I was acting so weird earlier. "Well, it's about Rusty."

She got this weird look on her face. "That's what I thought. I knew something was up with you today when you didn't want to play baseball." She smiled. "So, what'd he do?"

"Well, uh, he tried to kiss me. Then when I actually confronted him, turns out it was all a big joke."

D.J. looked at me with pity written all over her face. "Ok, so I also have something that I need to tell you."

I looked over at her. "What is it?"

"Ok. So, when I walked home from Steve's an hour ago, I went through the park. Because, you know, it's a shortcut."

"Yeah, I know." I said, wondering where she was going with this conversation.

"Well, I came upon Rusty, who sitting on a bench. But as I got closer, I realized that he was crying." She looked at me and gave me THE LOOK.

"Why was he crying?"

"I didn't know until I asked him and he told me it all." She stared at me. "Turns out, he really does like you. But when you came up to him, he didn't know what to say. And he said that. Anyway, he told me to tell you that he was sorry."

"Wait," I was having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that he actually likes me. "He actually said this? That he likes me?"

"Yeah. Why? Is that hard to believe?"

"Um, well, yes! I remember back to the first time we met and he gave us that fake gum. Remember that?"

I thought back to New Years Eve, when I kissed him, after eating an onion. I chuckled, remembering how he ran to his mom, Cindy. Man, was that ever funny.

"Yes, I do, Steph, but I think since that time, that Rusty has grown up a lot. You both have." D.J. said, and like always, she was right. Rusty doesn't play as many practical jokes as he used to.

"You're right. You're always right." I said, just as the phone rang. "Do you think it's..." I looked at her.

"Only one way to find out. Answer it." Was all she said.

I slowly walked to the phone and lifted it from the receiver. "Hello?" I asked, my voice a little wobbly.

"Hi, is Steph there? This is Rusty." And just like that, BOOM!

"Hi, Rusty. This is Stephanie." I said.

"Oh, Steph. I had to call you to apologize. I'm sorry for what I did today. Not the trying to kiss you part. I'm not sorry for that. I'm sorry that I said what I said." He said. "I have something I need to tell you. Um, uh, Steph, I think I like you. Bye." Then he hung up the phone, leaving me staring at the phone, in shock.

"Wow. I guess you were right. He does like me." I said, as I put the receiver back in its cradle.

"Told you so." D.J. laughed.

"What am I supposed to do now? Date him? Kiss him... again?" I giggled at the again part and so did Deej.

"Don't know. You and Rusty have to figure that out on our own. I can't tell you what to do." D.J. said, smiling at me.

I walked out of her room and downstairs to the kitchen. I looked at the stove clock as I passed it. Huh? It's 2:30 in the morning?! How did time fly by that fast?

I opened the fridge and reached for the milk jug. It slipped from my fingers and fell on the ground. The entire jug burst.

It made really loud BOOM! I looked around the room, then sighed when I didn't hear thundering footsteps from the basement stairs.

But I didn't expect this. I turned around and my dad jumped from around the corner, screaming like a damn banshee with a plunger in his hand. What the hell was gonna do with that?

But I screamed and tripped. "Oh, Steph! I'm sorry I scared you, but why are you up? You aware of the time, I assume?" Dad said, as he helped me off the floor.

"I am. But I got hungry. I was just going to make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I'll just go to bed. Love you dad." I shut the fridge and walked back upstairs.

I went into the room that I share with Michelle and fell into my bed. "Was that dad?" Came Michelle's sarcastic voice.

"You bet. I just want to know one thing." I said.

Michelle sat up in her bed and stared at me. "What do you want to know?"

"Why in the hell he had a damn plunger in his hand. What was he going to do with it? He makes no sense."

Michelle burst out laughing. "Wait, wait. What?" She giggled. "Dad had a plunger in his hand? That makes no sense."

"That's what I said." I responded, giggling.

Our dad is all about some cleaning, though. I mean, we don't even have a gun to protect ourselves from robbers. So I'd had actually been a robber, he would've died, using a plunger to hurt somebody.

He cleans our fridge out, weekly. He used to do it daily, but he stopped. Thank God.

I got under my covers as Michelle shut off the light and I fell asleep to the sound of the rain on our window.