A/N: I have Starbucks. I have my phone. I have music. And my idea is sitting in my lap. Hehehehehe. This is gonna be a longer one, folks. Sky is on a roll today. So now all I need is a werewolf to make my day… I've got a book for that and it's not Twilight!!

This is a real book I found in my library and I have to give the author credit. Thank you so very much to my librarian's for finding this and H. Jackson Brown Jr. for writing it.

"Life's Little Instruction Book"

Ben jumped in the backseat, throwing his backpack on the floor where it loudly crunched as it hit some of the random alien tech Kevin kept around. The definition of his car was trashed. Or at least on the inside. "Mr. Smoothie, Jeeves."

"I'm not your chauffer, Tennyson," the older snarled, looking over his shoulder. "And I'm only picking you up because Gwen asked me to. And we're not going to Mr. Smoothie. Don't forget this is my car. Not yours. Mine. Not yours. Mine."

"Whatever." The brunette rolled his eyes as the car rolled onward to a private school on the far side of town. A quick flash of his memory and he remembered what he wanted to show his teammates. "Guess what?"

"You grew a brain?" Kevin guessed, keeping his dark obsidian gaze on the solid black road in front of him. "Huh. I never would've thought." He let his eyes wander to the rearview to see Ben's hurt expression.

"Funny," Ben sighed. He had thought he and Kevin were finally getting along better. Apparently, it was only when Gwen was around. He shook his head, a little disappointed. "No. I've had a brain. How else would we win every fight against the DNAliens?"

"Oh, sorry," the other laughed sarcastically. The road kept rolling under the car. The driver watched the yellow lines on the road flash past with boredom. "So what? We got some alien butt to kick? Julie dump you?"

Ben rifled through his backpack for a while. He pushed his homework aside and a few of his textbooks. "I found this really cool book at the library."

Gwen looked over her shoulder. "Since when have you ever gone to the library?" she asked.

"I don't even know where it is," Kevin confessed with a laugh.

"Julie and me were over there studying." Ben looked up, realizing that his cousin was in the car. "And when did you get here?" he said, shocked by her sudden appearance. He grabbed the tiny, worn book out of his bag. It's plaid cover shone with the lamination although the corners were bent out of shape.

"You were looking for that book and she got in the car. Do the math, Tennyson. You were trying to find it for like ten minutes or something."

His cousin reached back and took the tattered item. "Life's Little Instruction Book," she read. "Why in the world would we need this?"

"I already come with an instruction book," Kevin joked. "Feed. Water. Let sleep. Give car and license." He let his eyes wander over to Gwen to see what she thought of his humor.

Her face was concentrated as she stared at the cover of the book in Ben's hands with serious intrigue and curiosity in her eyes.

Apparently, she didn't think much of him. Books rank over friends, Kevin thought, making a mental note to himself.

"We made up this really cool game you can play with it," Ben continued. He had already read a little bit of it. Only like half of the first page, but that was still considered reading. Right?

"Please tell me it's nothing stupid," the redhead groaned. She thought of the hundreds of different things her immature cousin could do with a tiny book. Shove it down a poor, innocent dog's throat. Play Frisbee with it. Use it as a baseball. Hide it in some random person's car. Put it in a bare room to see if it spontaneously combusts. Some of these ideas made no sense to her, but she wouldn't put it past Ben. He was never the brightest of the bunch.

"No! You flip it open to a random page and read the first thing you see. It's actually pretty fun. And some of the things in there make no sense at all. Watch." Ben opened the book to the first random page he found and read it. "#225: Never tell anyone they look tired or depressed." He closed it again, careful not to have it collapse to a million pages. "See. Fun."

Kevin rolled his eyes, not finding the joke. "Gwen's turn." He reached back and snatched the book from Ben before throwing it to the girl.

Catching it, she shrugged and closed her eyes. It could've spontaneously combusted. So it wasn't a terrible game. Her fingers found the cover and she flipped it open. "#34: Learn to identify the music of Chopin, Mozart, and Beethoven." Closing it again carefully, she said, "I already can do that."

Ben took the beat up object back and put it in the driver's lap. "Kevin's turn."

"But I'm driving!"

"We're at a stoplight, Levin," Ben pointed out, using his last name to lash out as the dark teen always used for him. "Just hurry before it turns green."

Sighing, Kevin opened it. "#139: Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have." He tossed it back at the brunette just as the light turned green again. "There. Happy now?" His deep brown gaze fell on Gwen. If only you knew what I'm hoping for, Kevin thought. Don't deprive me of it. And his eyes flickered back on the road again. Gwen never noticed the change.

The rider in the backseat smiled, seeing the desperate look on the elder's face. Kevin was hoping for another good one next time. Ben flipped to a page and read, "#249: Hire people smarter than you." He let out a short chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Gwen asked as she took the book from him.

"I have Julie for that, but then why do I even bother with Kevin?" he said, still trying to contain his laughter. Julie was the one who helped him study. But Kevin was only there to help save the world from alien scum even though he was alien scum and still is on most occasions.

Gwen rolled her perfect emerald eyes and took her turn. "#361: Never eat the last cookie." She looked up. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"And how are we going to finish the cookies if no one eats the last one?" Ben asked, actually wondering about the possibilities. "I mean, where are we going to get the cookies anyways?"

Kevin took the book with a grin on his face as they slowed to another stoplight. "Okay. Mine now." He flipped to a page. "#421: Take care of your reputation. It's your most valuable asset." And it was his turn to laugh. "And you guys doubt me!"

A hand reached from the backseat to take the item. "Now me," he said and opened it. "#62: Use your wit to amuse, not abuse."

"Yeah, Ben!" Kevin snickered. "Quit abusing me with that stupid wit of yours! You're not actually funny!"

Gwen smiled warmly as she took the book. "#43: Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday." She looked to the boys. "Yup. I'll need a miracle to get you two to ever get along."

And I'll need a miracle to get you to love me, Kevin thought regretfully.

Miracles happen everyday, Gwen thought with a cold ache in her heart. If only a miracle would get him to tell me the truth I've been waiting to hear since we met again. I want him to tell me, not just Ben.

Ben saw the look they both wore on their faces. He was getting really sick of this. The lying. The ignoring. The avoiding. The abuse their feelings for each other took on. Finally, he wrapped his mind around an idea. Now it was just a waiting game. Waiting for his turn to come again.

Kevin felt the book rest on his leg again. "Hold on. I gotta focus on the road." He knew there wouldn't be a light for a while yet. "You guys can go on. Once we stop again, I'll go."

Ben took it. He'd wait another turn. Opening the book, he read the page. "#160: Use seat belts." He looked over his shoulder, tugging on the fabric holding him to the leather seats. "Already done."

"Oh darn," Kevin said, his hands resting on the steering wheel as the green and black car moved along the quiet road. "You won't die now even if I do crash."

The redheaded girl took a deep breath. "Mine now. #188: Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know."

"Too late!" Kevin laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Gwen passed the book to her cousin again as the car kept rolling along. Sometimes Kevin could be so sweet and incredibly amazing. Other times, she just wanted to kill him.

"#209: Observe the speed limit." He looked at Kevin and put his hand on the driver's shoulder. "Told you it's an instruction book, Kevin."

"Still driving," the dark boy answered coolly. His black gaze fell to the speedometer. The needle wasn't going much past sixty. "I am going the speed limit."

"If we were on the highway," Ben snorted.

Gwen got the book from Ben's hands, vaguely remembering the pile up of speeding tickets in Kevin's glove compartment. She let her fingers find a page, the memory fading. "#292: Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river." A little smile spread across her face. "I guess it's a good thing we don't have many rivers around here." She reached back and dropped the item in Ben's open hands.

"#186: Be insatiably curious. Ask 'why' a lot." And Ben looked up. "Why?"

His cousin smiled. "I guess that's a start." She felt the car slowing and she saw a red light hanging from wires above the intersection. "Kevin."

The dark teenager took the tattered object from her. He flipped it open randomly. "#125: Know how to tie a bow tie." His eyes moved up the page a bit. "And #124 is know how to change a tire."

"You can't do the first, considering I've had to do it for you, but you're an expert at the second," Ben snickered, remembering the time before Gwen's spring formal. It was so awkward, but hilarious to see Kevin so miserable in a tuxedo.

"Funny, Tennyson. I'll just remember that when you have a flat tire in the future."

Gwen took the book and gave it to Ben. "You're right. This is kind of fun." Especially since they weren't fighting as badly as they sometimes could.

"Told ya," Ben said before he read his number. "#362: Know when to keep silent."

Kevin held back a laugh. "Okay. Instead of listening to the ask why a lot, listen to that one. Keep your mouth shut for once in your life."

"Why?" Ben asked out of spite, still remembering what the instruction book had said before. He probably should ask why more. Like why did he even trust Kevin? And why wouldn't Gwen just tell Kevin that she loved him? And why hadn't he just commenced Plan Get-Gwen-and-Kevin-Together? Dang.

The girl took the book quickly as Kevin tapped on the steering wheel, waiting for the light to change again. It was still red. Gwen cleared her throat and read, "#511: Call your mother." She laughed softly. "Now why in the world would I ever do that?"

Kevin grabbed the book out of Gwen's hands, ready to take his two missed turns quickly before the light changed again. "#68: Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference." His gaze fell to Gwen. Being brave with her around is so much harder… "#388: When undecided about what color to paint a room, choose antique white."

Ben took it quickly and flipped it open. "Why would you paint a room white, Kev? You'd paint it green with black stripes."

Gwen smiled, staring out the window. She had noticed Kevin go stiff for a moment. "And we are officially at Mr. Smoothie," she announced, seeing Ben's favorite place in most likely the whole world.

"One more round," Ben suggested. The other two nodded quickly in succession.

The driver started. "#356: Be there when people need you."

Gwen took the book and opened it to her page. "#296: Accept disappointment as a part of life." Her eyes fell to Kevin briefly before she passed the torn item to Ben.

And the page he found actually had something he was looking for. Part of his plan. "#456: Send your loved one flowers. Think of a reason later." He looked up, seeing Kevin tense for a moment. There was something behind the blackness of his eyes that showed him thinking hard.

With his turn over, the leader jumped out of the vehicle, dropping the book in his seat, and started towards the shack, leaving Kevin and Gwen alone.

Surprisingly, Kevin got out too. He disappeared with Ben.

Gwen reached back and flipped through the whole book in thirty minutes, soaking in all the lessons to be learned. When she looked up again, flowers were sitting in the driver's seat of Kevin's car. The girl hadn't noticed them being put there. Or the door opening. Or anything else. She reached over and grabbed them. A little tag was on them. Gwen, it said. I'm supposed come up with the reason later. Remind me in about an hour. Or tomorrow. I'll need a lot of time to think of one. Love, Kevin.

The boys were standing outside laughing to themselves. A smoothie in Ben's hand. A piece of alien tech in Kevin's.

The redhead sighed. Finally.

A/N: Not exactly an argument, but I found this book and this idea just came. I love how it came out considering I would've put more in. But my mom wanted me to get off, and I only had like three hours. Hope you liked it! R&R

Here are some more of my favorites from 'Life's Little Instruction Book':

#254: Keep it simple.

#360: Be prepared to lose once in a while.

#453: Keep a note pad and pencil on your bedside table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 A.M.

#119: Put a lot of little marshmallows in your hot chocolate.

#305: Learn to handle a handsaw and a hammer.

#434: At the movies, buy Junior Mints and sprinkle them on your popcorn.

#505: Be a leader. Remember that the lead sled dog is the only one with a decent view.

#509: Marry only for love.

#354: To explain a romantic break-up, simply say, "It was all my fault."

#484: Steer clear of restaurants that rotate.

#324: Don't delay acting on a good idea. Chances are someone else has just thought of it, too. Success comes to the one who acts first.

#99: Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.

#11: Sing in the shower.

#13: Learn to make great chili.

#26: If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.

#54: Surprise loved ones with little unexpected gifts.

#216: Don't discuss business in elevators. You never know who may overhear you.

#175: Give people a second chance, but not a third. (A/N: Kevin had better watch his back…)

'KAY BI NAO!!