The drive home was… Well.. The best way that Rocky could describe it was.. Odd. It was an odd drive back to their neighborhood. Emily held his hand. He's driven with one hand on the wheel before, but it was his dominant hand holding onto it while his left hand dangled casually by the lean of his elbow out of the open window.

So, to have his right hand enclosed in Emily's with her thumb brushing against the backs of his fingers was disrupting his stability to function. The movement was all he could feel, not the need for a break, the instinct to hit the turn signal, the cautious eye for the cars around him. No. All he felt was the touch.

He looked at her, a silent plea to stop. Let him go. Allowing him to get them home safely, was met with the most charming smile he's ever received from her. The sun through the windshield played in her hair. She glowed in the light's aura.

"Is it hot in here? I'm sweltering."

Emily looked confused. "It's Spring."

The window was rolled down and a blast of California high winds jumped in like a buddy ready for a road trip. That was a nice relief.

"Umm, not that I'm not enjoying this, but.." Go on! He nudged his words. "I'm not good at driving with one hand."

Rocky's heart broke when her hand snapped away from his like she'd touched a hot stove. "Sorry. I didn't know."

"It's ok."

"Right. I probably just didn't remember." She said, her gaze turned out of the window beside her. She watched the scenery quietly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Right…"

"Am I a good driver?" She asked.

"You're great! You actually helped me to pass the driving test."

"I did?" A smile was given to him. A playfully boastful smile. "I can see that."

Rocky excluded the part where she has ended three of their first lessons with: "Wow, you're bad at this. Minus 20 points." It egged him on to do better. And that had helped him to improve. It was like school or ninja. Anything his brothers did better than him, he worked at it until he was better. In school when one of the other students did something amazing in science class, he'd strive to do better until he accomplished just that.

To be honest, it's tiring but also rewarding. After all, being good at things gives you a lot to work with in life. Work initiative being one of them. He's not afraid of a bit of hard work.

"So, I've been thinking," when he showed he was paying attention to her with a quick glance, she went on. "I might cut my hair."

Rocky was sure that had he been drinking something, he'd have had a comical spit-take. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I mean, I've been looking at all these old photos in the family albums and.. I've had this look for some time now. I think I should change it up."

"I think it's a great idea to change things up. But, maybe not as long lasting as a cut." He pulled into the Farmer's driveway. "You got it dyed not long ago, remember the sun highlights?"

"Yeah, but, they're so light you can't really see them." She looked in the mini mirror in the sun visor. "I want something bigger." She played with her hair trying to make shortened lengths by folding it, unsuccessfully against itself. "Maybe I could get it as short as your mom's and but I'll do a curl on top."

Rocky tried to envision it. He couldn't. He swallowed down his opinion and instead stared out the front window.

"Maybe a mullet?" She tucked her hair thin in the back.

"A mull.." The word failed to finish coming out.

"I need a whole new me, in celebration of us." She wrapped her arms around Rocky's torso, resting her head on his shoulder. "I feel like I'm really gonna love us."

The other half of that "us" was having small heart attacks because of their closer-than-friendship contact. "Ye.. mhm."

"Were we a good couple before?" She asked.

"Um.."

"Because I feel like we were."

"Ssssure." He closed his eyes trying to think of unpleasant things. It wasn't working. He was going to have a heart attack. It was racing.

"So, about our date," she, to her boyfriend's relief, straightened up in her seat. She kept one arm around his torso. "I was thinking we could go to the observatory."

"That sounds great." He was glad his pulse calmed down so he didn't squeak.

"Maybe a trip to the museum after that. And a cooking class!" Her excitement escalated.

"A cookie class?"

"So we can trade." She smiled at him. "Just make sure it's as sweet as you."

Before Rocky could respond he got the shock of his life. Emily leaned over and placed a kiss on his shoulder. He jumped out of his skin, reaching for the knob on the door. Emily watched the flurry her boyfriend became as he tried to flee the vehicle. He was momentarily stuck and held back from leaping - or rather falling - out onto the driveway because of his seat belt holding him in place. But once it was popped from the latch, the spooked ninja spilled onto the ground like a bag of groceries that had been leaning against the closed door just waiting to fall free.

Emily looked at the odd scene playing out right now. Did she do something wrong? He is her boyfriend, why act so spooked? She checked her breath. Chocolaty, but not offensive. And anyway, she kissed her shoulder not his mouth.

When she saw him scramble to his feet, she called out to him. "Rocky, the car!"

He said something she couldn't make out, but he didn't stop running across the street to his house. She shook her head. Men. She moved over to the front seat and started the engine. The car backed up until it was in Douglas's driveway. The front door closed just as she climbed out of the car with the keys.

"Rocky?" She called after him from somewhere inside the home.

Emily debated putting the key in the mailbox then decided against it. Walking to the front door she reached for the fake rock where the spare was, but stopped herself from putting it there as well when she noticed the cute things dangling from the keys. There's a little gold frame that housed a photo of the Douglas family, a little disco ball, and a turtle charm. Or maybe it's a monster?

"Rocky," she knocked on the door. He didn't answer or so much as call through it. Just as she turned to leave she got a pleasant surprise. "Colt, glad you're here." She held out the keys to the approaching Douglas home resident.

He was about to make a bawdy comment about Emily giving Rocky keys to her home for a night visit, but stopped when seeing the familiar decal of his mother's keys. He smiled seeing that she still has the one that he made for her when he was 8. A cute beaver. She thought it was a ninja turtle. What ninja turtle is brown?

Colt took the keys from her. "Where's Rocky? Did you drop him off somewhere?" He cracked the front door to enter, but paused to hear the reply.

"I wish." It would have spared her of the odd sense of rejection and embarrassment she's feeling. "He fled."

"He "fled".. why?"

She shrugged. "Ask him yourself. I'm heading home." She waved good bye then hurried across the street.

"Okay." He entered his home. His eyes scanned the living room, then roamed through the open kitchen doors where movement caught his eye. Rocky was downing a glass of water. He dropped the keys into the dish startling his brother. "Emily says you "fled" from her?"

"Because..." He stopped himself. "Stay out of our business."

"I'm not trying to be in your business. I'm just letting you know that your girlfriend looked miserable because you went all Sonic the hedgehog on her." He walked to the table and dropped his backpack onto a chair then he moved to the fridge grabbing a bottle of Pom.

Rocky looked wounded by those words. "Was she really?"

"Yeah. So.." He shrugged out his hands.

Rocky slumped onto one of the stools at the island. Face in his hands he blew out a breath before dropping his hands to his lap. "I thought I could do it, ya know, that it would be easy, but.. I really feel like I'm lying to her."

"So come clean. I think you're deranged, but it's better than hurting her feelings."

"You're right. But, if I tell her that I lied she's gonna run right back to Darren."

"Or, she'll think it's sweet that you would be so embarrassingly in love with her to go to those lengths." He took a drink from his juice. "Either you tell her, or I will. But I'm tired of you losing your mind over one girl."

"She's not just any girl."

"I know. I know. She's the one. But Rocky, you're never gonna be her number one if you keep acting like an idiot. What happened to the strong and solid?"

Rocky pulled his hands back through his hair. "You're right. I need to be honest with her. I need to lay it all out there."

"Right." He's back at the table unloading his notebooks and school books.

"I love her."

Colt's brows rose at the bold term. But if that's what Rocky feels, he can't stop him. He took a seat, expecting more motivational rambling, but Rocky walked out of the kitchen on a mission. He shook his head. This was not going to end well.

Rocky spotted his mother's car in the driveway. He wondered if Emily moved it or had his brother? 'Another embarrassing spectacle I hope she forgets about when her memories return.' He wondered if it worked like that. Will Emma Farmer be not even a memory once Emily Farmer returns? He hopes so. He can't imagine the trauma she'll have knowing she went on a date with Darren.

He rang the bell when he reached his girlfriend's home. It didn't take long for the door to be answered.

Emily smiled at him, but then her arms crossed over her chest. "I brushed."

"Huh?" He thought about what that meant then it dawned on him. "Oh, I didn't think your breath was bad. I just.. wasn't expecting a kiss." He left out that least of all was he expecting one on his shoulder. "I came to apologize, for that, and to talk. If you have time?"

"Come in." Her smile turned into a flirtatious grin. "I have all the time in the world when it comes to you, honey-muffin." She walked upstairs, missing Rocky mouthing "Honey-muffin" before following after her.

He was about to sit beside her on the bed but decided against it and took the chair at the desk.

"Afraid you're gonna crowd me. Come sit over here." She patted the bed.

"That's a bad idea. I'll stay over here."

"OK, then I'll just have to join you." She got up from the bed and walked over to him.

Rocky was frozen like a statue when she sat down on his lap. But when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and started nuzzling her face to his he was frozen like solid diamond. She can't do this! They're friends.. Well, technically a couple, but not, but.. THIS is too soon!

"Emily," he was finally able to move a bit, and with that tiny window he crooked his head away from her little kisses upon his cheek that are aiming dangerously for his lips. There would be no forgiveness then. She'd hate him. And rightly so.

"Emily, please, don't.."

"Don't what? Why are you so shy?" She was forced to stand because he was standing. "My parents aren't here. We're a couple. Why can't we do, what couples do?"

He jumped back when she reached for him. "We can't."

"Why can't we?"

"Because!"

"Because, why?!" Now she was beginning to lose her patience too.

"Because I... I lied, about.. us."

Emily placed her hands on her hips, and with all the smugness she could muster said. "I was wondering when you were gonna tell me."