This could be really lame. I am sorry.

Disclaimer: No-owning over here.

"I dunno, Bart," Cassie said warily. "Doesn't Jaime seem a little... Odd?"

Bart froze in the middle of inhaling his lunch. "What?"

Cassie tugged at a lock of her golden blond hair. "You know he... Like in class, he'll do that thing... Right Tim?"

She elbowed him in the ribs, making him cough up half his cafeteria milk. "Oh right. That thing."

Bart's eyebrows pinched in a frown. "What are you talking about?"

Tim cleared his throat. "Well, like in Honors Chem, he'll- I dunno. Mutter to himself."

Bart's eyebrows rose, and Cassie shook her head. "No, it's more than that. It's not just muttering, it's like full-out arguing. With himself."

"I didn't notice him doing anything like that yesterday," Bart said, his heart fluttering at the memory. Yesterday had been filled with nervous smiles, chatting too excitedly, and several strawberry smoothies.

It had been perfect.

Tim and Cassie exchanged a glance.

"Um, you sure you just didn't notice this because you were..." Tim searched for the right word. "Distracted."

Bart's eyes widened in exasperation. "Oh come on, Tim. I might not be the son of a master detective, but I'm not dumb."

"Coulda fooled me!" Gar's voice chimed in, ruffling Bart's hair and sliding beside him. Bart sighed with irritation as he fixed his hair hurriedly and Gar's vivid green eyes gleamed with mischief.

"Hey, Gar," Cassie said.

"Be honest, do you think Jaime is weird?" Bart said quickly.

Gar blinked. "Jaime... who?"

"Reyes, sophomore, honors student, tutors you in Spanish," Tim rattled off.

"Oh Jaime!" Gar nodded. "Yeah, he's cool!"

"But does he seem weird?" Bart pressed.

"Um..." Gar said, slinking down slightly. "Well... He sort of does that... You know, talking to himself thing."

Cassie gave Bart a pointed look. "See?"

Bart scowled. "Well so what? Who cares if he's a little different?" He thrust a pointed finger at Tim. "This guy never takes of his prescription sunglasses. Gar dyed his hair green. And you can bench more than I weigh. What's a little talking mean anything?"

Cassie sighed and shook her head. "Never mind. Nothing I guess."

It was at that moment that Jaime walked into the school cafeteria, holding a paper sack, and rubbing the back of his neck with a worried expression. Bart brightened at the sight.

He stood up. "You just think it's strange because you haven't met him yet, Cass. He's totally crash. Here I'll call him over. Jaime!"

Gar gave Tim a questioning look. "Crash?"

Tim waved the question off. "Another one of his new words."

Jaime couldn't hear Bart over the low rumble of the school cafeteria.

"I'll be right back," Bart said, stepping over the bench and dashing toward his friend.

Jaime blinked at Bart in surprise when he ran for him. "Hey, hermano."

"Hi! I-want-you-to-meet-my-friends," Bart rushed, grabbing his wrist.

Jaime went pink. "Your friends?"

Bart nodded, smiling. "Yeah, they're just over there. You'll love them I promise."

Jaime looked excited, but anxious. "Um. Okay, I guess-"

"Outta the way, meat." A voice boomed as he shoved Bart aside, slamming him straight into Jaime's chest. Jaime's arms flew around his lithe form to support him, and Bart might've been pleased if he hadn't been so angry.

"Hey, watch it!" Bart yelled after the hulking senior, who ignored him as he trudged onward.

"You okay, Bart?" Jaime asked, eyes wide with worry as he looked down at him.

"Yeah," Bart said, pulling from. "Michael Mode has been pushing me around since I was a kid. I'm used to it."

Jaime glared after the bully. "Douchebag."

Bart nodded, rubbing his back where he'd been shoved. "So not crash."

Bart lit up with realization. "That's it!"

"What?"

"Mode! That's what's not crash!" Bart exclaimed. "Moded! Feeling the Mode!"

A small smile quirked up on Jaime's lips. "New word?"

"You like it?" Bart grinned.

Jaime laughed. "Sure. Totally crash."

"Come on." Bart reclaimed Jaime's wrist. "You can help me tell everyone else."