I always end up bashing Flynn in my stories for some reason. I hate it! I love him too much but I just don't like him with Rapunzel enough so I always make him to be the bad guy. So then I think, hey, Celeste, why don't you just write a story in which Rapunzel and Flynn aren't dating and then she falls for Jack? Well- because a part of me is still a Flynnpunzel fan, the Jackunzel fan in me is just far, far stronger. And I always wanted to write a story in which she has a special place in her heart for him, but that she loves Jack. That never happens. Ugh. So, this chapter does nothing plot wise except bring in a few more characters and stuff. Plus, I've been considering working on character designs such as outfits for the lot- you know, some drawings on how they look in the fanfiction. Should I?

Jack sat by himself again, in a table pushed into the corner of the cafeteria. It was not a big deal, he was used to being alone. And his friends, that he wasn't usually used to talking to, left him alone most of the time. How were they friends, then, anyway?

He sighed and looked down at the tray of food he had gotten. A flat sandwich that reeked of fish- tuna- an apple that had lost its shine, a carton of cold milk, and a pudding cup. Reminded him why he avoided eating at the school.

"Hi Jack!" a girlish voice called. It was the same thing Rapunzel had told him, but it sounded different coming from Tooth. It sounded- much more forced.

Jack looked up, and let his eyes settle on the colorful girl named Toothiana. She wore a deep purple dress that swished all around her legs, and had cocoa colored skin that was brought out by choppy shoulder-length hair that had once been dark brown but was now a mess of gold, blue, and green streaks. This was one of Rapunzel's cheerleaders, and Jack's sort-of-friend.

"Hey, Tooth," Jack forced a smile on his own face.

"Okay if I sit here?" Tooth asked, just to be polite. She had already taken the seat opposite him, making herself right at home.

"Be my guest," he shrugged. Tooth set down a sack lunch, one she had taken from home, presumably. Her parents were dentists and paranoid that she might eat too much sugar if they didn't give her lunch to take.

"Aster said he's coming, too," Tooth said cheerfully, unpacking her lunch. A salad in Tupperware, a plastic bag of carrots, a juice box boasting about 100 percent fruit juice, a box of toothpicks, and a small travel container of floss.

"Oh, joy," Jack rolled his eyes, mainly for Tooth's amusement. She tittered delicately, opening her salad and taking a silver fork to pierce the lettuce with.

"He's our friend," Tooth said primly, but a blush stained her cheeks.

"He's your boyfriend- and my enemy. That doesn't equal out to him becoming a friend to both of us," Jack said. Tooth laughed again, sticking her fork into a tomato and letting it pause right before her lips.

"North and Sandy said they'd come, too. It's been a while since all of us sat together for lunch, huh?" she said, popping the red sphere into her mouth.

"A while-" Jack mumbled, and opened his carton of milk. Tooth examined him carefully as she chewed, sadness sparking in her violet eyes.

"We don't mean to leave you out, you know," she said once her mouth was free. "Aster's busy with the football guys, me with the cheerleaders, and North usually helps Sandy out with his extra work."

"And you guys can't be seen with a loser like me, huh?" Jack said, more venomously then he'd intended. The sad look returned to Tooth's face.

"Jack, that's not it. You know that if I invite you to sit with the cheerleaders, or if Aster invited you to join the team's table, we're violating some sort of invisible code," Tooth said. "A stupid code. But we live by it."

"Yeah," Jack grunted. Thinking of himself, Rapunzel, Hiccup and Merida. They were his friends too- maybe actual friends. Because while Tooth was great, she just didn't seem as open to him as Rapunzel tried to be. It really frustrated him sometimes.

Tooth could tell she had hit a nerve. She quietly went back to eating her salad, shooting Jack sad eyes every once and a while. Jack stabbed his sandwich with the spoon intended for his pudding, keeping his eyes stuck to the table.

Aster chose that moment to appear. A tall, Australian exchange student with blueish hair that played on the football team. Much cooler than Jack could ever hope to be.

"Hiya, pretty sheila," Aster leaned in and gave Tooth's blushing cheek a kiss.

"Her name's Tooth, not Sheila," Jack piped up just to be annoying. Aster's smile turned into a glare as he looked at Jack's smirk.

"Frost," the taller boy growled, sitting next to his girlfriend.

"Bunnymound," Jack replied with the boy's last name as well, still keeping his grin.

"I forget that you sit with him," Aster frowned towards Jack.

"He's our friend," Tooth said, taking Aster's hand and cocking her pretty head. "Be nice?" She batted her eyelashes, which were thick with pink mascara.

Of course that sealed the deal for Aster. Who could honestly say no to her? Especially if they were dating.

"Alright," Aster grumbled.

Jack coughed a word that sounded suspiciously like "whipped" and Aster turned to glare at him.

"Rack off, Frost," Aster snapped. "What would you know? You've never had a girlfriend."

"There's lost of things I don't tell you, Cottontail," Jack grinned. Cottontail was a stab at Aster's unfortunate last name, which was Bunnymound.

"Do you want to go at it now, mate?" Aster stood up angrily, his bulky frame towering. Tooth's small hand clamped over his large one, pleading with him with her unique eyes again. Reluctantly, Aster sat down again but still seethed.

"But Aster does bring up a valid point!" Tooth said excitedly. Jack looked up from where he had begun to mash his sandwich in confusion.

"Since when does Cottontail make any sort of point?" he snorted. "Surely there's too much football in his head to leave room for brains."

"Oh, you're going to go there, are you, Frost-" Aster was starting to stand up again, but another clutch of fingers from Tooth and he simmered.

"I mean the fact that you don't have a girlfriend," Tooth said. "Now, Jack, I know I shouldn't get into your own personal business, but there's this girl on the cheerleading team that thinks you're kind of cute. In a bad boy loner kind of way. What do you think?"

"No," Jack mumbled.

"Oh, come on, Anna's a total sweetie. And she's single since her last boyfriend, Hans, ditched her for her older sister Elsa," Tooth said. "Poor girl needs a great guy like you. Would you consider?"

Aster snorted, finding her sentence funny. "That clumsy sheila's on the cheerleading team?" he asked. "I swear I saw her trip over her own toes one time."

Ignoring her boyfriend, Tooth leaned in closer to Jack.

"Well?" she asked.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Tooth," Jack said. "I prefer to be single. No girls anytime soon, in fact, you're the only one I-"

"Move over, stupid," Merida plopped herself into a seat next to Jack. "Are ye goin' tae eat yer puddin'?" Without waiting for a response, she had taken it off of Jack's tray and opened it, digging her spoon into the chocolate mass.

Aster and Tooth just stared at her. Jack sighed. Well, wouldn't Tooth love this.

"Hi!" Tooth practically cooed, seeing Merida as a perfectly normal girl in Jack's midst. Merida looked up, spoon dangling from her mouth still.

"Hey," she managed around the plastic utensil.

"Jack didn't introduce us, I'm sure," Tooth began, but Aster cut her off.

"Merida, right?" he said. She nodded. "You're that sheila from the soccer team!"

"Oh- I thought you looked familiar," Tooth said. "Y'know, we cheer for you guys sometimes. It's much different from cheering on boys' sports, of course. It's mainly the guy cheerleaders that enjoy cheering on the girls' sports. Those who aren't gay..."

"Tooth, love, you're chatting her ear off," Aster smiled fondly at the smaller girl.

"Sorry, it's a habit," Tooth rolled her eyes whilst giggling, drawing attention to their violet hue yet again.

"Erm, ah don't care," Merida said. "Ye two are-?"

"Friends of Jack's," Tooth offered a hand to Merida. Merida took it somewhat reluctantly.

"Ah'm... Uh..." Merida was at a loss for words.

"His girlfriend?" Tooth asked hopefully. It took Merida about two seconds to crack up.

"Him?" she snorted. "Ha!"

"Not helping," Jack sighed.

"She's not dating him, Tooth," Aster rolled his eyes. "She's dating some bloke I know."

"You know, guys, this has been so fun, but I can't stay-" Jack began.

"Hi, Jack!" Rapunzel plopped herself on the other side of Jack. Jack sighed again. It just kept getting better. "Sorry I'm late. I was with Flynn for a little bit, but he..." She trailed off as she noticed Tooth and Aster.

"Rapunzel," Tooth sounded surprised, and her eyes flickered from Merida, to Jack, then back to Rapunzel.

"Ana," Rapunzel said stiffly, her eyes going from Aster, to Jack, and then to Tooth.

"You know, we ought to be going, Aster, Jack's rather busy at the moment," Tooth's tone was hard to understand as she stood, taking her boyfriend's hand.

"Sure, love," Aster stood up, and his own voice had turned rather odd. "Er.. See ya, Frost."

"Uh," Jack began, but Tooth had already pulled Aster away from the table.

"Somethin' up with ye and that girl?" Merida asked, gesturing to Tooth's retreating figure.

"No," Rapunzel replied, wide-eyed. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Ah dunno," Merida shrugged. Perhaps it was the way Rapunzel coldly answered to her, or the slight narrowing of Rapunzel's green eyes towards the girl's back, but something wasn't well with the two.

For Rapunzel's sake, she dropped it.

"Hurtin' again?" Merida was waiting for Hiccup when he was leaving the gym.

"You could say that," Hiccup groaned, rubbing his sore shoulder. "Astrid almost knocked my glasses off this time."

"Figured," Merida said, smiling as the two of them traveled towards the parking lot. "Want a ride? We're heading tae my house anyway."

"Sure," Hiccup said. "I'll just call my dad, tell him not to stop by the school."

The parking lot was mostly empty, save for a few cars that belonged to faculty or students with after school activities.

Merida unlocked her own car, something Hiccup marveled at. He didn't even have his own car- but if he tried to borrow one of the three his dad owned, Stoick was sure to find a sudden need for all three of his cars.

"Gettin' in or what?" Merida was already sitting in the driver's seat when Hiccup snapped out of his thoughts.

"Sorry," Hiccup hopped into the passenger side. Merida merged into traffic smoothly, as if the car were an extension of herself rather than machinery. Hiccup admired the easy, relaxed way she drove.

"Ye can put on some music, if ye like," Merida gave a quick nod towards her radio, never taking her eyes off of the road.

"Alright," Hiccup said, and glanced through the stack of CDs she had. All of them had scary punk-looking guys with weird band names. He opted for a Beatles CD, one of the few bands he recognized and was not scared of.

Merida's eyes are focused, her hands steady, her arms loose. With a quick movement, she put the windows down without ever loosing concentration. The wind whips her red curls all over, a few brushing Hiccup's shoulder, but Merida has such a large smile that Hiccup can't help but smile back at her, seeing the redhead in her element.

After a while, Merida pulls into a driveway. A large stone house- more of a mansion, really- greets Hiccup's view. Hiccup didn't realize he was gaping until Merida unlocked the car doors.

"Comin'?" Merida laughed at his expression. Reddening, Hiccup followed Merida into the house.

"Mum!" Merida yelled loudly. "Ah brought a friend!" Hiccup looked around; they appeared to be in a dining area. A large wooden table that was neatly set took up most of the space.

"Merida, I've told you before," a woman walked out of the kitchen. "Let the Maudie wash your sheets. She is our housekeeper-" She stopped as she noticed Hiccup. Hiccup took in her appearance: tall, with brown eyes and long brown hair that was starting to gray.

"Mum, we're just goin' tae use the weight room," Merida explained. "This is my friend Hiccup. Hiccup, my mum Elinor."

"Pleasure to meet you," Hiccup stuck out a hand, but Elinor didn't take it. Instead, she surveyed him.

"Do you have any sort of piercing?" Elinor asked. It was such an odd question, it took Hiccup a few seconds to answer.

"Uh-no."

"Do drugs?"

"No," Hiccup was staring to get anxious.

"Ever been in juvie?"

"N-never," Hiccup said quickly. Elinor made a noise of contentment.

"Alright. It's very nice to see that Merida has normal friends," she said.

"Mum!" Merida groaned. "We're leavin'."

"Alright, go on. Nice to meet you, Hiccup," Elinor said pleasantly.

"You too-" Hiccup began, but Merida was already yanking him towards a room upstairs.

"She's crazy," Merida sighed, once she and Hiccup were safely inside of a room. "She thinks all my friends are mental or somethin'."

"From the sounds of it, you've had a few delinquents in here-" Hiccup teased her lightly.

"Oh, ah met this one dude durin' a soccer game and brought him over for dinner," Merida chuckled. "He had a few piercings- a couple tattoos- and a nice record with the police. Mum freaked after him. That's when she matched up me and Macintosh."

"So you're dating him- because she wants you to?" Hiccup said slowly.

"Yeah," Merida looked distraught, but shook herself out of it. "Er- what's your weakness?" She looked around at all the machines and weights in the room.

"...Everything?" Hiccup said weakly.

"Wow," Merida scoffed, but moved towards a twenty pound weight. Picking it up, she thrust it towards Hiccup. "Here. Start with this." Hiccup took it and nearly dropped it.

"Oof!"

"It was sweet of you to give me a ride, Flynn," Rapunzel smiled at her boyfriend from the passenger seat of his car.

"Hey, no problem babe," Flynn said. "Your mom expecting you still?"

"Um, not just yet," Rapunzel said. "She's coming home from work in another hour. But I said I'd cook something for her, so I have to go."

"Aww, can't you stay?" Flynn gave her a look that made her insides melt. His hand crept up to Rapunzel's face, brushing a strand away from her eyes.

"I can't," Rapunzel sighed. She looked up at the house she lived in: an old fashioned brick structure with two stories and an outside that looked like a tower. "Mother will worry."

"Fine," Flynn sighed, and leaned over to kiss his girlfriend's lips. Rapunzel returned it eagerly, closing her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she clutched the sides of his face awkwardly. When his hands strayed a bit too far south, she squeaked and pulled away quickly.

"Flynn," she said, eyes wide. "I've said it before. No."

"Blondie," he sighed, turning away and looking ahead. "I can't wait forever."

"I'm sorry-" Rapunzel said quietly. "But no. I told you. I'm not ready." Flynn gave a curt nod.

"Figures," he said.

"Flynn-" Rapunzel exhaled. "I- really like you, but I can't. I just can't."

"Okay," Flynn said, and turned his eyes towards the windows. When he spotted someone outside, his lip turned into a snarl. "Great."

Rapunzel followed his gaze to spot Jack skateboarding on an a curb, flipping expertly on his board.

"It's just Jack," Rapunzel said.

"You didn't tell me the stupid prick lived by you," Flynn said angrily.

"Because that doesn't matter," Rapunzel snapped back. "He happens to be my friend."

"Your friend?" Flynn looked thrown for a loop. "You're fucking kidding, Blondie. You've got to be. That kid- he's a total reject."

"He is not!" Rapunzel was growing angrier by the second. "He's a great guy if you'd just listen to him-"

"Oh, so now you two talk?" Flynn raised his voice as he continued. "I don't appreciate my girlfriend talking to some jerk-"

"You're the one being a jerk, Flynn Rider!" Rapunzel cried out. Flynn stopped. His face softened.

"Rapunzel, I'm sorry," he said. "I just-"

"I know," Rapunzel said back, and unlocked the car doors. "Thank you, Flynn. But I have to go."

She left her boyfriend parked in the driveway, with the sounds of Jack's wheels against the concrete ringing in her ears.