Our break zipped by fast. After our heart to heart in the dark I attempted to just level things out. Chris spent his entire stay on the couch and I slept in my bed and that was that. We played cards and did chores for my mother; I tried to not to worry about what would happen when we were back in school.

Girls whispered in the hall as we passed by. We weren't overly friendly towards each other. We just drifted along. However I couldn't ignore the pats on the back or the "Man I can't believe you did that." From all the kids that were in shock that I would jump Chris Chambers and 'win'.

Slowly it happened, girls smiling at me, batting their lashes like they did for Chris. They'd buzz around my locker and ask to borrow my notes or ask how I did on my geography quiz. I didn't think much of it I just answered the questions. Then I caught his look from across the hall. That look of jealousy that I know had been lurking in my eyes.

The tables had turned with him and I. We sat together at lunch. Him on the other side of the table, "So I hold my own against you in a fight and I instantly gain some popularity. I should've done it ages ago." I laugh. Chris scowled at me from behind his milk carton. Just as he was taking a drink Teddy slapped him on the back sending milk all over his tray. Chris twist back staring daggers at a grinning Teddy, Vern was cowering at his side. I assumed his girlfriend was out of the picture if he was palling around with Teddy again. Teddy took a seat next to me.

"I can't believe scrawny little Lachance got one over on you Chambers." Teddy laughed. I smiled into my hand. Vern eased next to Chris eyeing him cautiously.

"What the hell is this, so Gordie gets in a few good punches on me and now he's Mr. Popular? I didn't realize I was such a big deal." Chris huffed.

"M-maybe it's just a change, you know?" Vern piped up. All of our eyes on him, Chris clapped him around the neck and shook him.

"I made Gordie look good, that's all it is." Chambers flashed his smile right at me. "So what the hell have you two been up to?"

After hearing about Teddy and Vern's shop classes and how Vern was caught with a hicky from somebody else ended his relationship lunch was over and we all shuffled to class. I was in math when I familiar jab to my shoulder caused me to turn around. Marlene, sitting there smirking at me. If she had a note I was going to seriously tear it apart and throw it at her.

She didn't have a note; no she just asked me in a low voice what I was doing after school. I shrugged turning my attention back to the board. She whispered in my ear, "We should get together." Marlene giggled slightly backing off. I didn't know to think, but I was pissed off.

I gritted my teeth until the end of class. She didn't want Chris because he was a hood, and then what was I? I started the fight. Did I just knock Chris out of his status or something? I was still a skinny kid, lanky and uncoordinated. If anyone knew the real reason we were beating the snot out of each other in the bathroom, girls wouldn't be flirting with me. I'd really have the snot beat out of me.

Chris and I were walking home from school, January had faded away and we were so close to spring I wanted to reach out and grab it. "So Marlene wants to get together with me." I said more to the sidewalk than Chris. He was quiet for a while.

"So she dumps me, so she can chase you?" He finally said chuckling at the idea. Things had cooled off between us, no more sneaking around at night, kissing, or him sleeping in my bed. Those things had to stop before our friendship ripped itself apart.

There were those occasions in the dark of my living room where his hand would find mine near the popcorn bowl or I would tease him in a flirty manner about his grades. We had toned it down, because it wasn't worth hating each other in the end.

"I don't think she wants to chase me, she wants me." I winked at him, trying to act sly; I ended up slipping on some slush and landed on my ass. He helped me up while trying to hold back tears of laughter.

My mom noticed us falling back into our habit of being friends. "I'm just so glad you two fixed the problem." She told me one night after dinner when I was helping her with the dishes.

"I am too, we were fighting over stupid things." I said, putting plates back where they belonged. Even if that wasn't the truth, it was. Fighting over girls, fighting each other, hating each other. It was stupid.

"Well at least you two can finish out the year with it behind you." She was right; we were so close to the end. I didn't know if I should be excited or not.

Girls were still giving me the eye, chatting me up, trying to get me to go somewhere, especially Marlene. She persisted with cookies and notes and I politely declined accepting them. Teddy and Vern called me crazy at lunch; they'd become a usual occurrence at our table, where Marlene would buzz about like an unwanted fly.

She shot looks at Chris and then would pretend he didn't exist, the same thing I went through when they were a couple. When she got the hint to go away, Vern would dive into whatever bake good had been left. Even if his baby fat had melted away with age he still didn't pass up sweets. I let him and Teddy split it.

After school studying at my house Chris finally piped up, "Now I know how you felt." He said quietly. I looked up from my novel and frowned. "I can understand why you were so pissed off at me and you don't even play into it."

"Feels pretty awful don't it?" I asked quietly. He nodded.

"I didn't think I'd be so…jealous." He stammered over the word. We just stopped talking about jealously, love, and relationships that night I cried. Here it was weeks later poking it's way back into conversation. "Girls just drape themselves over you." Chris huffed.

"Like they did to you are parties." I chimed in.

"I'm sorry for being such an asshole." Chris said, coming over to sit on my bed.

"I was an asshole too, don't worry about it." I focused on my book once more but he was too close. Too close not to notice, sitting there looking at me like that. I slowly lifted my eyes from the page. He wasn't going to surprise attack me like he did in the woods, he wasn't going to force me to. Chris just looked at me, with kind eyes. So I did it, I leaned over and kissed him.

So much for holding out in simplicity.