DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR

CHAPTER 8: A CHINK IN HER ARMOR (Part 1)

A/N: Sorry for the wait. I'll admit it, I'm not really warming up to this story like I'd hoped I would. I don't feel like I've done a particularly great job with it so far; I feel like it's mostly filler stuff, moreso than I'd intended. I still like the idea, but now I'm pretty sure it wasn't the best way to start the series. Guess that's bound to happen when you publish stuff chapter by chapter instead of writing the entire story first. lol Ah well, I'm committed, I will see this through. Don't worry, you haven't stuck with me this long for nothing.

"Maaayyybe I'm just an amateur, but I don't think that's how prank calls are supposed to go."

"Aw, shaddap."

Abby didn't mind Kuki's joking. It was the Fulbright girl who was grating away at her nerves. Abby could understand a little shyness; the girl was pretty far out of her usual element, no doubt about that. But she didn't seem to be loosening up at all, and Abby was starting to get a little curious.

"Want some popcorn?"

"Huh?" Abby blinked, and stared at Rachel's offering for a second. "Uh, no thanks. So, hey, uh, Fanny... mind if Abby asks you somethin'?"

The look on Fanny's face was reminiscent of a puppy about to be reprimanded by its owner. "Uh, s-sure. What is it?"

Abby took a deep breath. She'd never imagined trying to get personal with Numbuh 86 before. "Are you... you know... okay? Like, fo' real? Abby knows you're nervous bein' here, but you really ain't yo'self at all tonight, except fo' when yah yelled at the boys on the phone a couple a' minutes ago." She paused a moment, before deciding to add, "We won't make fun of yah or tell anyone or nothin'. Right, girls?"

Rachel and Kuki nodded and glanced at Fanny, who was a little pink in the face.

"What is it, Fanny?" Rachel asked, making her voice as soft as possible.

"I… It… I donno…"

"Is it about a person?"

"Er… yeah…"

"Someone in your family?" Kuki guessed.

"No…"

"Someone on the Moonbase botherin' you?" Abby suggested.

"No… Well, yeah, but that's not it…"

"A friend?" Rachel asked.

"Uh, n-not really…"

Kuki leaned in closer to Fanny, her eyes wide. "Is it… a boy?!"

A burst of laughter, and Abby was flat on her back. "Girl, you serious?!" She sat up, trying to control her laughter. "You really think that Fanny Fulbright would…?" She trailed off, noticing Fanny's checks were almost the same color as her hair. "Oh…"

No one spoke for a moment. No one knew what to say. Fanny was upset because of feelings for a boy?

Abby almost couldn't believe it. "So… a boy, huh?"

"Heh… Yep…"

"Who is it?!" Kuki asked excitedly. "Do we know him?!"

"Er... I'd rather not say…"

"No problem," Rachel said, offering a friendly smile. "You don't have to tell us who he is. But, you do have to tell us about him!"

"Oh, uh, okay… Like what?"

"Weeell, how long have you known him?" Kuki asked, her face expressing her keen interest in the topic.

"Uh… a few years, maybe?"

"Wow! Is he cute?!"

Fanny rubbed the back of her neck, blushing and looking away from Kuki at the yellow Rainbow Monkey she saw in the corner earlier. "Uh… yeah... heh heh… he is really cute."

Rachel and Kuki smirked at each other, and Rachel asked, "Does he know you like him?"

"Ah, no."

"No?! Why not?!"

"I just… haven't told him."

"Why not?"

"Because we're not…" She sighed, drooping her head. "We're not even friends."

Abby cocked an eyebrow. "Y'all ain't even friends? How does that work?"

"I'd like to be friends with him, but... I guess I'm not exactly the easiest person to get along with..."

"What? Naw..."

Kuki shot Abby a mean look before turning to Fanny. "What do you mean?"

Fanny sighed. "Whenever I try to talk to him, he always says somethin' stupid, or blows me off... unless I do somethin' stupid and ward him off first."

"Like what?"

"Like, yell at him for bein' a stupid boy."

"So why not, uh, not yell at him?" Rachel asked, seemingly oblivious to her hand resting in the popcorn bowl.

"Yeah! Not every boy is stupid!"

"I used to believe that, Kuki." Fanny looked down at her feet. "But... that was a long time ago."

Abby scratched her head, perplexed by Fanny's disheartenment. It was almost as if Fanny had a story to tell. Wait, could it be there was an actual reason behind her temper toward boys? Abby just had to hear this!

"What happened, girl?"

"I don't want to talk about it..."

Oh no, she wasn't getting off the hook that easily!

"Fanny, you're doin' so well so far. Abby promises you'll feel a lot bettuh once you get this off yo' chest! Besides, how can we help yah if we don't know what we're dealin' with?"

Fanny glanced at Rachel, then Kuki. "I... uh..."

Kuki smiled and gave a reassuring nod. "Abby's right. We want to help. Besides, I wanna hear this!"

A/N: I know, that wasn't exactly the smoothest transition into the "what's wrong with Fanny" conversation, but I got tired of wasting time. Ha

Please note, I won't be able to update for the next couple of weeks. I should still be able to write, but I won't be able to upload. I'll try to have the rest of this ready by then.

Apologies again for the long wait. I know the story has been almost entirely dialog lately, but they're literally just sitting there talking, and I didn't wanna cheapen it by including every menial detail. I do hope you're enjoying it anyway.

Thanks for reading,

- Marty