MakeMeCrazier: OOC means "out of character" :) and as to your second question...read on ;)

Thank you for all your awesome reviews! Particularly today I need the reassurance. :)

Sorry it took so long to produce only one meager chapter...I was gone all day today. SORRY FOR THE WAIT and thanks for your patience.

Chad

December 21st, I awoke alone again in my room, wondering why I had bothered to drive all the way back to my home at three in the morning. Already I wanted to see Sonny. Admit it, Chad. You like her, something said to me. I shook it off. That couldn't be possible, I didn't like Sonny Munroe! Not like that, at least. Right?

Once I was in the shower, fully awake, I thought to myself, Of course I don't like her…my mind was just messed up because I had just woken up. Stupid, tired mind.

The entire day reminded me of Sonny, and the entire day kept my mind on guard for those stupid sneaking suggestions that we should be more. I second-guessed everything, denied everything, on defense the whole day.

Until Sonny actually came to the door that night.

"Hey, Sonny," I said, leaning casually on the doorframe. "Kinda weird inviting you in when we've practically spent every night together lately. Uh…well, you know what I mean."

"Yeah…heh…" Sonny looked at me uncomfortably, as if she felt I was in dire need of medical attention.

I stepped aside to let her in. "If I get too crazy, I have a jacket in the closet that makes me hug myself…just in case," I joked, winking at her. She laughed.

"So…Christmas is like…four days away."

"I know! It's scary!" Her expression instantly displayed a feeling of anxiousness. "I haven't found Tawni a gift still…"

I rolled my eyes. "Just get her like…a bracelet or something, come on. I mean, she's Tawni. She probably won't give you anything anyway."

She rolled her eyes. Well, of course she did. She was Sonny, she was always serious about these things. "I keep thinking I'll wake up the next day and just know the perfect thing to give her."

"Sonny," I said in as stern a voice as I could manage, starting some hot chocolate. "It'll be fine. Come on, settle down. Put in a movie. Put on some music, something."

"Well…but I need to think…"

"No, you need to rest your brain. You know, like the puzzle epiphany thing." Wait, how was she going to know what that was? I glanced up to a correctly guessed pondering gaze, and launched into a quick explanation. "You know what I mean. When you worked on a puzzle when you were 12, or something. You'd have a really hard time after getting the edges together, right? And you'd fill it in, and then you absolutely could not put together any more of it, until like a half hour of TV."

I watched her think about this, her lips hesitating but finally resolving to form into a smile. She reached over to the small table in the corner and tuned to some Christmas music. Once I had finished the hot chocolate I sat beside her, just admiring the way her hair fell over her shoulders when the station played All I Want For Christmas is You.

Sonny beat me in switching stations to one playing Feliz Navidad. "Songs are starting to get on my nerves…" I heard her mumble.

"What do you mean?"

She studied my face for a moment, thinking with her mouth open. "It's just…I feel like they're trying to control my feelings. I mean, it's been suggested a thousand times that we have feelings for each other. But we're barely just friends."

I began to say something.

"We…I mean, we are friends, right?" she stumbled.

"We—uh, yeah. I mean, totally. Obviously."

"Yeah. I mean, someone would have to be an idiot to think I had feelings for you. I mean really. Something would have happened long ago, right?"

I don't know why, but it kind of hurt a little to hear her say that. Well, I mean, of course I would! No one in their right mind could resist Chad Dylan Cooper. "Right. Well, I wouldn't say that you have no feelings. But it can't be helped…it's just a part of my natural Chadness."

She rolled her eyes yet again, this time with a smile on her face, taking a sip of her steaming beverage. "You have got to tell me what you do to this to make it the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted."

I smirked and nodded. "No, don't think so."

"Come on! Really!"

"All I'm going to tell you is that it doesn't just take warm water and a packet of chocolate powder with condensed marshmallows." Just thinking about those gritty little white puffs made me cringe. "It requires much more work."

She gave me a look both inquisitive and intrigued. "I didn't know you'd lift a finger…especially for some hot chocolate."

"Ha, yeah…I don't trust anyone to make it as well as I do." I shifted uncomfortably, unsure if I should elaborate. "Except my mom…she showed me the recipe."

"Aw…"

"Don't start, Munroe."

Hey! I was being serious! Why was she laughing?

---

"So, uh…I know you weren't prepared or anything but, you wanna stay the night? It gets pretty boring waking up alone every morning." I quickly regretted my words, realizing I had come across as desperate.

"You know, Chad, I really shouldn't. I'd…I don't know, kind of like a night alone." I must have looked hurt, because she added, "Well, I mean…I like staying with you. But I really should get going."

"Well…I guess…"

She leaned over, less sure this time, and kissed my cheek in rising to get her things. "Goodnight, Chad."

I couldn't come up with a good enough mental excuse as to why I didn't want her to leave.