How is everyone? Doing good I hope.

I had fun with this chapter for the numerous references in it. One in particular is my favorite, and it'll be blatantly obvious to you all. Trust me.

Read On!

Journal,

I actually had a good time with Ashley A. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I'll even say it was fun enough to go on a second date.

I think I might ask her out again.

~*~V~*~

Dear Freckles,

I know of all people probably don't care about what the hell has been going on in Tommy Gun's life, but I thought I should let you know 'cause he did torture you.

He was getting on my nerves. We go transferred to the same prison. He was giving me trouble and need to be put in his place. I told everyone why he was in jail in the first place. I said I wouldn't 'cause we used to be friends back in juvie way before you, Specs, or Bandit came along. But even convicts have their standards.

I told everyone the reason he was sentenced. He guy's a pervert. A fucking sex offender. He raped his little four year old neighbor. People don't take that shit lightly in prison. Not even five seconds after I announced it, his ass was getting beat by everyone in reach. They had to get him taken to some other prison. You don't have to worry about him ever showing up. He had some mental issues too. I think he was a sociopath.

Anyway, I haven't heard back from the judge about the tape, but my lawyer said to give it some time. How much time? I'm trying to get out!

You better be looking out for your brother like I you said, Freckles. That the only job you have right now and you better do it right. But no pressure.

When one of you guy get a car you all better come see me. Miss you guys.

-JoJo

Reading the letter he had received from JoJo, TJ chucked at the lines that were distinctively his best friend's. Not having talked directly to his friend for two weeks, the letters they were writing back in forth was the only contact they had. That little amount of contact reassured him that they were still a part of each other's lives. He folded the letter and put it back in his pocket. He didn't write back as soon as he read the letter, rather, he thought about what he wanted to say before doing so.

But now he knew what was Tommy Gun's problem. He was fucking crazy, that was it. Knowing this, TJ was more relieved that he was far away from him. There were times where just one look from him sent chills down his spine and was unsettling.

"Glad I don't have to deal with him anymore," He mumbled, paying half attention to the lecture in his Trigonometry class. Things were beginning to calm down, and he wasn't getting nearly as many stares as he had been when he had first arrived. He swapped the red contact lenses he wore the day before for a single blue lens for his blind eye to hide the discoloration of his iris from the blindness.

Sighing, he chose not to pay attention to the lecture in front of him. He thought back to the day before. After Ashley A. left, he was left with the burden of coming up with what to do with her. He had never taken a girl on a date (or cared to), partially due to being locked away with limited access to things to do. The closes thing he came to a date with anyone was sleeping with them for money.

'How about the movies? That's what people do for dates, right? Going to the movies?' He thought, pondering over ideas. 'Seems cheap. We wouldn't be talking to each other. What am I saying? I don't want to talk to her more than I have to. Maybe one of the girls have an idea….' Not only was he's stuck with the task of coming up with his own date, he had to schedule Zack's 'date' as well. He wanted to force his little brother to focus on his bucket of Lego's, coloring, playing tag, and making mud pies, and not on 'dating,' but thought that it would better to let this phase run its course.

~*~V~*~

When lunch came, TJ waited outside of the lunch from, looking for Vince. His brother was trying to go out with his sister, and he was in charge of orchestrating the event. The fastest was to do so would to be to talk it over with Vince and to come up with something. That was about to be put on hold when someone wrapped their arm around his. He turned to see who it was who grabed him and saw that it was Ashley A.

"Yes, Ashley?" He asked, not sure to whether to be tired of her persistence, or just her presence. "What is it?"

"Have you figured out what we're doing on Friday night?" She asked, smiling and batting her eyelashes.

"No not yet," TJ said, spotting Vince and the others going into the lunchroom. "Can you hold on for a minute? Can you hold on for a minute? I have to take care of something." He saw the questioning look on her face. "I'll sit with you when I get back, okay? Relax." She slowly eased her grip until she no longer was holding onto him. TJ gave her one more reassuring look before going after the others. After he caught up with Vince he tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"My brother wants to go on a date with your sister," TJ said.

"Yeah I heard. She wouldn't shut-up about it all day yesterday," Said Vince. "What's with this whole thing? Shouldn't they be playing tag?"

"That's what I said. But they're only little kids. Zack wants to take her roller skating. Can your sister roller skate?"

"Oh yeah. She knows how to roller skate faster than any toddler I know. Just like her big brother," He said with a proud smile. "Are you taking them?"

"Looks like it. Listen, Zack wants to act all grown-up and call her to make the date. Are you going to be home at 6?"

"No, but I'll be home by 7."

"Okay, I'm going to call around that time to let Zack talk to her. Make sure you're close to a phone. This is sort of a big deal to them."

"Got it." TJ left just as he spotted Ralphie approaching. He went back over to Ashley who was already sitting at a table waiting for him. "I said I would tell you when I come up with something." He said sitting down. "How about a movie?"

"A movie? That's it?"

"I don't think you're in the right to complain….Don't you want to go to see that one movie that all the girls are crazy about? What's it called? Twilight I think. I pasted you in the hallway talking about it with your friends."

"Ugh. Can you keep a secret?" She asked. He nodded. "I can't stand Twilight. I thought it was okay at first, but Bella is like, totally fake. I act like I like it in front of my friends 'cause if I don't, I wouldn't fit in. And besides, Edward is a complete freak. Who watches people when they sleep?"

"Heh. I guess so. So is there any movie that you DO want to see?"

"Hmm….oh! I know! Toy Story 3."

"….Are you serious?" He asked in disbelief. "I mean, if you want to, I'll take you, but why?"

"I always loved the series. I hear that this one is really good."

'If she's so rich then why hasn't she seen it yet?' TJ thought. "Okay, that's what we'll do. I'll take you to the movies. To let you know, I don't have a car. I don't even have a driver's license. I don't mean to sound rude or imposing, but can we use your driver?"

"Huh? Oh, sure. Whatever. Do you have a cellphone?"

"Yeah."

"Then let me give you my phone number." TJ took out his cellphone, a device that he found to be needlessly complicated and added Ashley A's phone number to his contacts. For the rest of lunch, he sat with her, listening to Ashley A. talk about one thing or another. His attention dipped in an out as she talked, not wanting to get too involved.

~*~V~*~

"Are you ready, Zack?"

"Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Call her! Call her!"

As he dialed the phone, TJ watched his little brother bounce happily in his seat next to him. It was obvious by the ear to ear smile on his face that he was anxious to ask his friend out on a 'date.' Put the phone to his ear, TJ waited as it rang until it was picked up on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Hey Vince. It's me, TJ. I'm calling about what we talked about earlier."

"Right…hold on." TJ could hear in the background Vince calling for his little sister.

"Okay, she's coming, Zack. Just listen on the phone," he said, handing the phone to his brother. For the first time since he had gotten home, Zack at still as he held the phone to his ear.

"Hello?...Hi Valarie! What'sha doing?...'kay. I want to ask you a question…Do you want to go on a date with me on Friday?...Roller Skating…..Really? Thank you!...'kay, see tomorrow a daycare…..bye-bye." Zack handed him he phone.

"How'd it go?"

"I got a date! She said yes!" He cheered. "I got to go pick out what I wearing!" Getting off the bed Zack went into his own room. Closing his phone, TJ lay in his bed and rubbed his eyes. He wasn't halfway through the week and his weekend was already booked. On Friday he had to take Zack on his little date. Then on Saturday he was taking Duracell to the vet, going to the doctor himself, and lastly the eye doctor. He didn't get a break on Sunday either, because he promised to help his former principal clean out his attic.

And Ashley and their 'date.'

On Friday.

Friday….Friday….

"Shit! I'm supposed to take Zack on Friday!" He yelled, realizing the time conflict. There was no way he could do both, unless…. "I don't know how willing Ashley would be to go on a double date…especially with toddlers…" He grabbed his phone, found Ashley's phone number and sent her a text.

TJ: Hey Ashley A. do mind going on a double date instead?

Ashley A.: With who?

TJ: My little brother and his friend. They won't be much trouble. I'll take you roller skating too

Ashley A: I haven't been roller skating in forever! Yeah I'll go on a double date

"Hey Zack," TJ called for his little brother.

"Huh?" Zack asked as he came back in his room.

"How would you like to go to the movies as a part of your date with Valarie?"

"Can we see Toy Story 3?"

"That's perfect. We'll go see it right after we go roller skating."

~*~V~*~

"Wow, Zack! You got me a limo!"

TJ watched as the small couple run towards the parked limo in front of his house. It was Friday, and his date was starting to begin. Ashley A. had stepped out of the back just in time to move as Zack and Valarie to get in and make themselves comfortable.

"Thanks for understanding me bringing them along," Said TJ. "I didn't know that I said I would take them and you out on the same night. They'll be too busy paying attention to each other to bother us much."

"Aren't they a little too young to be dating?" She asked.

"Yeah, but it'll wear off," He said. "It's nothing."

~*~V~*~

"Since you've been out here and involved in his whole social media longer than I have, can you tell me what this Facebook thing is all about?"

"Oh my God! Facebook is like, the greatest thing ever! You get on it, and you make all these friends and you can, like, see their statue and updates and pictures and everything! You can even find your friends from like, forever ago!" Listening to Ashley ramble on and on about the wonders of Facebook, TJ did know whether to take her seriously or not. The two little kids were out roller skating, while they sat at one of the nearby tables. He took this opportunity with the more popular girl to work out the wonders of the internet that he had not had the exposure to in the last few years. He could believe how much the internet ad changed in the last few years, but he was trying to catch up on everything, starting with Facebook. Even if he decided that it was useless for him (and everyone else) he still wanted to see what everyone was fawning over.

"And you have it on your phone too, so you can like, update where ever you are!"

"But why would you want to? Wouldn't you be too busy enjoying yourself in what your trying to tell other people about to get on it?"

"When you have a Facebook you find a way," Said Ashley A., showing him her phone.

"I just don't see the big deal about it. Isn't having your friends phone number enough?"

"Not anymore. If you had one, you'd know what I'm talking about."

"No thanks. I think I'll stay any from that sort of thing. It seems like one big giant fad to me."

"Fad's don't last for this long! Do you know anything about the internet?"

"I'm not completely illiterate of the internet, Ashley. I know about it," He said, peeking over at his little brother. "Give me a break, I have four years to catch up on. I even found this one website. It has all these stories that people had written about books and movies and shows. I found this one story that I really like. It's about this kid who was nice and sweet before but then he went batshit insane and set his school on fire. It's long as hell, but it's good. I hope it gets updated soon; I want to know how it ends. But enough about that…what do you do for fun? I think that's the sort of thing you're supposed to talk about on these dates."

"I'm head cheerleader. Rightfully so, I might add. I have to maintain the social status quo. I enjoy it too, but it has another purpose than to like make me happy. As you may already have noticed, I'm the most popular girl in school—"

"Then shouldn't you be dating the most popular boy to keep that status quo?" TJ asked her. "Sorry…continue…."

"And I'm like, totally into fashion. After I get done with this whole college business, I'm going straight to the top. I'm going to be more famous than CoCo Chanel! I have this sketchbook in my room filed with designs I have. Most of it looks better than what you find in a store. I'd make it if I had the time between being popular and all."

"Being popular, you know everyone in our school, right?"

"Yep, it's part of the job."

"What do you know about this Ralphie guy?"

"Ralphie? I dunno, he came to Third Street almost as soon as you left and went to juvie. Your old friends because friends with him like that," She paused to snapped her fingers. "Most of us thought he was creepy because he looks SO much like you. None of us would go near him and first, but we all warmed up to him after a while. Me and him dated for a month or two our freshman year. It shouldn't have lasted that long. He's got a bigger ego than Vince and Lawson put together. He thought he was a hotshot because he was dating me. That warranted a break-up in public in front of everyone to bruise his little ego. And then he had the nerve to ask on of my friends out. Like he had the chance! Us girls stick together and he was promptly rejected in front of everyone.

"I pride myself in being able to read people easily, 'cause you know, I HAVE to be able to in my social standing, and there is something off about that guy. I don't know if anyone else can feel it, but I can. I can't put my finger on it, but there isn't something right with him. And don't you think it's weird that this guy, looking like you of all people, comes to town right after you leave? I don't trust that. That didn't stop me from dating him, but I kept it in the back of my mind."

"Damn, that's a lot. If it makes you feel better, I think there's something off with him too, so you're not alone," TJ said. "You've surprised me Ashley."

"How?"

"I thought that you and your friends would only aspire to marry rich men to leech off of, but you're not. You're trying to do your own thing. You surprised me with your independence."

"Thanks for holding me with such high regards," She said sarcastically.

"No, no, it's not like that! The only opinion I have of you is base of what I knew years ago. I didn't know if you have changed between then and now. I didn't mean to offend you."

"TJ!" He looked up to see Zack and Valarie skating over to them. "Can we go to the movies now?" TJ looked at his phone to check the time.

"Thanks for reminding me, Zack. The movie starts in ten minutes. We have to go."

~*~V~*~

'This is the most depressing movie I have ever seen,' TJ thought as he sat in his seat and watched the movie in front of him. Ashley A. sat next to him on the left and they were sharing a bucket of popcorn, while Zack and Valarie were on his right and were small enough to share a seat. He watched as the movie continued and the toys were soon to be burned in the incinerator. The movie was scary enough to make them all jump when Big Baby turn its head as the toys tried to escape, dramatic enough to almost make him scream at the screen when they were mistakenly thrown in the garbage, and now it was threatening to bring tears to his eyes. 'Pixar is getting dark these days.'

He sat back in his seat and braced himself for the upcoming death of toys as Ashley A. held onto his arm. He tried to enjoy the first movie he'd seen in ages, but it was getting harder as it progressed.

Meanwhile, his brother and his date were watching it without a problem.

Once the movie ended, he and the others left the theatre. While the two toddlers were happily holding hands, the two teenagers were wiping tears from their eyes.

"It's so sad. I'm happy they got new owners, but it's still so sad! I wanted Andy to still be there!" Ashley A. cried as they all rode home.

"It's okay, it's just a movie," TJ said, trying to reassure her. "it's better than being at the daycare with those kids that didn't play with them right."

"I don't play with my toys like that!" Zack protested.

"Me neither!" Said Valarie.

"Good, because toys have feelings too," Said TJ. "Ashley, please stop crying, it has a happy ending."

"More like bitter-sweet," She said. "It's still a better love story than Twilight."

The rest of the car ride was filled with TJ trying to get Ashley A out of her slump about the ending of the movie. It only worked once they arrived at his house. The door to the limo opened and Zack and Valarie ran out and to the front door. TJ stepped out and turned back to Ashley A.

"You had fun with me didn't you?" She asked teasingly.

"I hate to admit it, but yeah. I had fun. It was better than I expected."

"Fun enough for a second date?"

"…..Hmmm..Maybe. I'll call you this time, okay?"

"You better. I'll be waiting for a phone call."

"No problem," He said. "I'll see you later." The window of the lime rolled up and the car rolled away. He walked back to his house and went inside.

I'm going to end it here. Anymore and I'd feel like I'm rambling on.

I have a story to tell! Today was my first day of work, and I have my own little cubicle. And the guy across from me just so happened by some extremly strange circumstance has the name Theodore Detweiler. I'm serious. I triple checked his name plate outside his cubicle and was like =D the rest of the day. But yeah. Strange.

Donna Nnov: I have a nephew, and I got the idea for Zack's whole involvement in dating from his behavior. He had a girlfriend and everything. They even got 'married.' :3 It was so cute. But I only lasted about a month before they forgot all about it. Kids copy what they see, so they're just trying to be like their parents, I suppose.

Reviews are highly appreciated!