(A/N: Sorry this one took so long! I was just so stumped until today. Enjoy! I hope...)

High School Daze

Ch. 3

During school on Monday, Shenzi and Chaz kept the interview a secret from Chuckie; The former wanted to surprise him with the results. As she changed into a black tie-front cropped tank top, black pinstripe punk shorts, originally meant for guys, black Converse leather flats, black ankle socks with white organza lace ruffles, black rhinestone bow earrings, and ivory extensions before breakfast, she tried to think of a way to keep it from him until a certain time. As the day went on, she was able to keep her mouth shut about the news for him, although he was confused on why she was so quiet.

On the bus ride home, she decided to break the news. "Hey Chuckie?"

"Yeah?" He smiled at her, happy that she was finally talking to him.

"I'll see you at the Java Lava later," She winked, although it looked like both of her eyes were closed.

"You got the job?" His smile grew, "That's awesome! It's going to be great working together! Uh I mean, volunteering together. If you need any help, just ask me. I'll ask Dad if you can work at the same time as I do."

"Thanks Chuck, but we actually already settled that. He thought that I'd be more comfortable volunteering with you."

"Oh okay; Well, I'm very glad that Dad hired you."

"Thanks, I am too," She kissed his cheek, "It's going to be fun. Chaz said that I can bring an apron from home, but I don't have one of my own, so Frankie's going to let me borrow hers until I get one."

"Sounds good."

When they were home and done with their homework, it was time for Chuckie's shift, and Shenzi's first day on the job. Keeping her same clothes on, along with a cherry cupcake printed apron borrowed from Frankie, Chaz picked her up and drove her to the Java Lava. "Um, th-this apron is fine, right?" She nervously asked him on the way, "It's my sister's."

"Don't worry, it's fine," He assured her, "I know you're nervous, but you'll be fine. Chuckie will be there, and so will me and Betty. Just go to any of us if you need help with anything."

"Thanks, Chaz."

"It's my pleasure."

Soon, they arrived and after they entered the building, Chuckie rushed in. "S-sorry I'm late!" He exclaimed while panting.

"Hi, Chuckie," Shenzi greeted him.

He then regained his composure upon seeing his girlfriend. "Oh, um, h-hi Shen. I wasn't late."

"You just said you were," She giggled.

"You're not late, Chuckie," Chaz assured his son, "The clock in your room is a few minutes fast, remember?"

"Oh yeah," The teenage redhead smiled sheepishly, "So, you ready to blend some fruit, co-volunteer?"

"I-I think so," She stuttered. "Have you ever used a blender before?"

"Honestly, no, I haven't."

"Well here, I'll show you how it works."

Before long, Shenzi learned everything she needed to know for her volunteer work. Whenever her back was facing the windows, she had that "someone's staring at me" feeling again, but whenever she'd look, there'd be no one there. It was unsettling, but she kept it to herself. "Shenzi?" She jumped at Chuckie's sudden voice, and accidentally threw the cup she was holding in the air, spilling a strawberry smoothie on the floor. "S-sorry about that," He apologized sheepishly as he gave her a hand towel, "You seemed to be in a daze. You alright?"

"Y-yeah," She nodded as she cleaned the mess, "I-I've just been having that uncomfortable feeling."

"You mean from... you-know-who?"

"Yep."

"O-oh. Well, you're alright." He knelt down next to her, and kissed her temple. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"What's all the whispering about?" They were startled by Betty's voice, before she looked down at them from behind the counter. "You crazy kids cuddling already?"

"N-no," Chuckie blushed, "Shenzi was just feeling a bit uncomfortable; She hasn't recovered from Pangborn... you know."

"Ah," Betty nodded, "Well, he'd better not run into me, if he knows what's good for him," She punched her opposite palm with anger. "That peeping Tom will pay for eyeballing a minor like that."

"Uh huh," The redhead nodded, "He won't get away with it."

Luckily for them, the rest of the day went smoothly. Shenzi was a nervous wreck when a customer came in; She tried to let Chuckie take over, but he insisted on her getting experience in communicating with customers professionally, so she mustered up courage and took his order. She was actually pretty disappointed when their shift was over. "Today was fun," She remarked from the back seat of Chaz's car, "I can't wait until our next shift, Chuckie."

"Me neither," He smiled back at her, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was fun volunteering with you, Tuck."

"You too, Finster."

Chaz slowly stopped the car in front of the Tuck residence, and turned to his son's girlfriend. "Here's your stop."

"Thanks for driving me, Chaz," Shenzi stepped out of the car, but stopped at the passenger side, so her boyfriend opened the window. "And thanks for helping me, Chuckie." She held the edge with her face inches away from his.

"My pleasure." He kissed her cheek, and she headed for the front door. He sighed dreamily as Chaz headed for their own house.

"You really like her, don't you?" He asked his son with an amused smile.

"Oh yeah," He nodded, "She's pretty, smart, funny, sweet, you name it." He sighed deeply with his hands on his cheeks. "She's perfect."

"Hey sis," Frankie greeted Shenzi, "How was your first day?"

"It was great," She replied, "I have the same shifts as Chuckie, so that helps with my nerves."

"I bet it does. Oh, Tommy wanted to know if you guys want to hang out at the town pool. Mom and Dad said we can if we wanted to, after you and Chuckie finish working."

"Sounds good to me. It's pretty warm out, anyway. I'll ask Chuckie."

"So Shenzi, how was working at the Java Lava?" Lil asked her as the group sat either on lounge chairs, or on the ledge of the pool. Some were even in the water.

"It was fun," The emo teen replied. She was in a white and black BKE tattoo bikini with a triangle halter top and basic bottoms, with a purple extension in her bangs to match the roses, ivory ones in the rest of her hair, and black rose earrings. Her shoes were next to her tote bag, which held her casual clothes from earlier, and her black skull beach towel. "Chuckie helped me a lot."

"That was nice of you, Chuck," Kimi smiled at her brother, "I hope that someday, I'll work on the same day as you guys." She was in a black, turquoise, and purple camo bikini, black star earrings, and basic ponytail bands. She had acquired a new hairstyle for high school: Only some of her hair was up in two high ponytails. The rest was down on her shoulders. Plus she started wearing blue waterproof eye shadow casually.

"I bet that'd be fun," Shenzi agreed.

Chuckie flinched when his girlfriend suddenly whipped her head around to look behind her back. "You okay, Shen?" He asked her with a hand over his heart. "You still feeling... discomfort?"

"Y-yeah," She nodded, "Sorry, guys."

"Don't be; It'd perfectly normal," Lil assured her, "If that happened to me, I'd feel the exact same way."

"Pangborn won't bother you again," Maxie assured Shenzi, "We won't let him."

"He'll have to kill all of us before he can even think of making you uncomfortable again," Chuckie gently held her closer by her shoulders, and everyone agreed with his statement. "The only one messing with you will be... me!" At "me", he poked her ribs.

"Eek!" She squeaked and giggled, trying to shield herself, "Chuckie, don't!"

"Still ticklish after all these years?" He teased her, "That's good to know." After slightly tightening his grip on his girlfriend, he started tickling her sides, ribs, belly, anywhere between her bikini pieces.

"Eeheheheahahaha!" She laughed and squirmed, but his grip was too strong, "Guhuhuhuys, hehehehehelp mehehehehehe!"

"AACK! Hahahahaha!" Chuckie yelped and burst into a fit of laughter when Kimi scribbled her long nails on his sides and back. When his grip loosened, Shenzi quickly crawled away from him. "Hehehehehey! Kihihimihihihi, stohohohop ihihihit!"

"You're still ticklish after all these years?" She teased him. She then grabbed him around his waist, and carefully pinned him on his back on the pool deck.

"Jeez, it's cold!" He yelped when his bare back touched the tiles.

"Get him!" Kimi exclaimed after holding his arms up with her legs.

And with that, Chuckie was bombarded with playful tickles by almost all their friends. And he was only wearing swim trunks, so there was almost no protection for him whatsoever. "Gyaahahahahahaha!" He burst out laughing, "Guhuhuhuhuys, stohohohohohop!" His eyes squeezed shut when Kimi wiggled her nails in his bare armpits, and Shenzi tickled up and down his sensitive sides. "Stohohohohop ihihihihit!" He tried to command them all, but his laughing fit diminished his efforts. He tried to kick his legs and his toes curled when Lil tickled his surprisingly small feet with her own long nails. His cheeks flushed red when Dil brushed one of his hat's tails on his stomach like a feather, and tears welled up when Frankie teased his sides. "Guhuhuhuhuys, IhIhIhI meheheheahahahan ihihihihihit! Stohohohohohop! Tohohohomyehehehe, hehehehehelp!"

To help the redhead, Phil tackled Lil off his legs, but they ended up rolling in the water. Tommy sat on Chuckie's legs, and gently squeezed Shenzi's sides. "AAEY!" She squealed and fell back on the younger boy's chest. "Tommy!" With some struggle, he grabbed her wrists and pulled them up.

"Go for it, Chuck!"

"No!"

"It'll be a pleasure." Chuckie sat up after his own wrists were released, and tickled his girlfriend's armpits.

"Eek! Heheheheahahahahaey!" Shenzi burst out laughing, "Stohohohohop ihihihit! Lehet mehehehe gohohoho!"

"Everyone, get her!" Chuckie exclaimed to their friends.

"Nohohoho!" She tried to protest, but like her boyfriend, she was bombarded with tickles. Frankie grazed her nails down her sides, Kimi teased her ribs and belly, and Dil poked at her belly button. Phil and Lil were still at it, starting their own tickle fight in the pool, while Maxie watched them all. Tears filled up Shenzi's eyes as her boyfriend's short and sharp nails tickled the sensitive skin on her armpits. "Guhuhuhuhuys, stohohohohop! Pleheheheahahahase!" She begged them, "IhIhIhI cahahahan't tahahahake ihihihit!" Tears fell, and her laughter began straining when Dil flattened his hat tail and wiggled it in her belly button like a feather. "IhIhIhI cahahahan't breheheheahahathe!" She squealed.

Just as she started feeling light-headed, Chuckie spoke up, while stopping his torment. "Okay guys, we'd better let her breathe."

Shenzi sputtered and gasped for breath as Tommy let go of her wrists, and the others backed off. After she was better, she turned to her friends with a devilish grin. "I'll get to you later, Pickles. But Finster..." She stood up and tackled Chuckie, so they both landed in the pool, narrowly missing Phil and Lil, But since she tackled him from the side, neither of them were hurt. After they emerged from the water, so it was up to at least Chuckie's lower shoulders, Shenzi playfully hugged him with her arms around his neck. "Okay, I forgive you, Chuckie." She kissed his wet cheek. "I can never be mad at you."

"What if I kissed another girl?"

"Don't push it, Finster," She smirked, "I have my limits."

"Don't worry, I won't even think of doing anything like that with another girl," Chuckie assured her, "You're the only one for me."

"Aww," She laid on his shoulder, "And you're the only one for me." She blushed at how... hot he looked with his hair wet; It actually reached the middle of his shoulders.

After a while, it was time for the teens (plus Dil and Matt, who were 12) to head home. They all took a bus to their respective houses, took showers to wash out the chlorine, ate dinner with their families, and went to bed with fun-filled memories.

The next day, while changing into a black Toki Doki Mermicorno dress, turquoise fishnet tights, black combat boots, a light pink single extension, multiple extensions fading from blonde, pastel pink, light teal, then purple, and black bow earrings, Shenzi was unaware that it was going to be a very special day. After eating breakfast with Frankie, and grabbing her black mezzanine bolero, she boarded the bus by routine, sat snuggily with Chuckie, and they rode to school. After setting the proper textbook in her backpack, she put her bolero in her locker. When the first bell rang, Shenzi started walking to the math classroom, but her boyfriend's voice stopped her. "Shenzi, wait."

She walked up to his locker. "What's up?"

"Well, there's um, there's something I want to give you." Chuckie took a short, but wide cardboard box out of his backpack. "Here," He gently set the box in her hands.

"Thanks Chuckie," She smiled, "What's the occasion?"

"No occasion," He shrugged, "I just saw this, and well, I thought about you."

Now blushing, she carefully pulled the lid off and saw a lime green button-up t-shirt neatly folded up. "Ooh, a new shirt?" Her smile grew, "Thanks." It was then when she realized something. "Is... is this...?" He nodded. "... Y-yours?"

"It was," He replied, "I've officially outgrown it. Dad suggested that I take it to Goodwill, but when I saw it after taking it off... I just thought of you, from you saying you liked it before, so... it's yours now."

Her blush deepened at his story. "W-wow, I uh," She stammered, "I don't know what to say."

"Just say you'll take it," He smirked.

"I most certainly will," She nodded, before carefully holding the box to her side, and hugged her boyfriend with her free arm. "Thanks, Chuck." She pulled away after a few seconds. She held out the box again, and smiled at his surprise present to her.

"Let's see how it looks," Chuckie took it out, and she put the box in his locker, so he gave the shirt to her. After undoing all the buttons, she pulled her arms in the sleeves, and left it open. The sleeves almost reached her elbows, and the shirt overall was almost as long as her dress, but she admired it anyway. "Perfect," He smiled down at her, with his hands on her shoulders.

"Thanks," She smiled timidly, with her own hands on his upper arms, just above his elbows.

They stayed silent as their eyes locked together. They were oblivious to the fact that the hallway was completely empty, save for them. They both leaned in, and their lips connected in their first kiss as an official couple. Several seconds passed, before their need for air forced them to separate. "C-come on Shen; Let's get to math before we're deemed absent."

"Okay," She nodded, and they headed for the said classroom, hand-in-hand.

(A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! You know the disclaimer. I didn't think of adding Kimi's hairstyle and eyeshadow mentioned until this chapter was in progress, so I decided that they came at the first day of high school.)