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Chapter Text

It was a fine summer day in Atlanta, where the birds were singing, the sun is bright, and… Andrea- I mean, Andy Miller was grumbling under her breath as she stormed down. Why? Well, that's because today she was wearing a white blouse and a blue maxi skirt with a lime-green corduroy jumper, with a yellow-beige sun hat and white gloves. And to top it all off, she was wearing pearl bracelets and a pearl choker. Otherwise known as clothes she wouldn't be caught DEAD in. And yet, here she was.

Now before you get any ideas, she would like you to know that she didn't choose this ensemble. No, it was forced upon her by her mother. Apparently, some relative was coming to visit, and she had to "look her best". And that's the whole story. So now, while she was waiting for them to arrive, she just hoped that no one else had to see her like this. Not long after, she had arrived at her destination: The house of her best friend, Evan Ross.

She knocked on the door. Sounds like footsteps and barking became louder and clearer before the door swung open, and Evan came into view. The ginger was currently focused on Trigger, trying to calm him.

"Trigger, it's okay, boy! It's probably just Andy!" He laughed at his dog, before shifting his attention to her. "Oh hey, Andyyyyyyyyy…."

Once he got a good look at the girl, whatever else was on his mind trailed off. He never knew how… good-looking Andy looked, but… he kind of liked it-

"Hey, Evan?" He was snapped out of his thoughts as his best friend adopted a more bashful stance. "Can I come in?"

Evan practically stumbled over himself to let her in. Andy made sure to close the door behind her, and as soon as she sat down on one of the couches, let out a huge sigh of relief as she took her hat off to ruffle her dark brown hair. Trigger took this opportunity to leap onto her lap.

"Thanks, Trigger." Andy cooed as she scratched the Cocker Spaniel behind his ear. Trigger immediately surrendered as his mistress showered him with all the love he could ever need.

Evan took this time to clear his throat. "So, um, Andy… what's with the… new get-up?"

"Ugh, don't remind me!" Groaned the brunette as she continued patting Trigger. "My mom made me wear these stupid clothes because some relatives I barely know are coming over to stay."

"You serious? Again?"

"Yeah, something about "looking my best for them" or some crap like that."

"That sounds rough." Evan winced as he joined her on the couch. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry, I'm used to it."

You see, this isn't the first time Andy had to wear such stereotypically girly clothes. Whenever she did, she would storm over to Evan's house and complain. And Evan always listened. It felt like the safest place to vent out her frustrations, and Trigger was just the best support animal.

"So… when you're done, are we still up for biking around the neighborhood? Or do you still wanna piss off Conan again?" Evan tried to change the subject, but for some reason, he looked a bit nervous, even averting his gaze. Andy was confused, but shook it off with her signature grin.

"What kind of question is that?! Count me in!" She responded, reaching over to playfully shove his arm. The ginger's face had an odd shade of red as he turned his head slightly. Now Andy knew something was up. Then she caught it. His green eyes very briefly looked her up and down. A small, devious smile found a way on her face as she scooted closer to him.

"Soooo~" She started as she lazily slung an arm over her pal's shoulder. "Is that all?"

"H-Huh?" Was the blank reply from Evan, both from the question itself and trying to process the fact that Andy's arm on him!

"Is riding around the neighborhood and pissing off Conan all? Because I feel like we could a lot, LOT more around town. You know," she inched her body closer, "like going to the mall, playing some games, anything else?"

"O-Oh! Got it, my bad. Uh… yeah, sure. We can do that."

"Excellent~" Andy purred, her caging him in a side hug. She couldn't help it. Now that she knew that she's flustering him, she's gonna be milking it for all it's worth.

"Well…" Evan started, suddenly looking at her with a mischievous glint in his green eye. "Should start calling you Andrea now?"

Aaaaaand all the wind was taken out of the brunette's sails. Her sputtering was music to his ears, and the grumpy pout she had on her face looked even cuter with the clothes (GAH! He said nothing!)

"D-DON'T call me Andrea!" She yelped.

"Are you sure, Aaaaaaandreeeeeeaaaaa~" He dragged the name out, grinning like a madman. Andy shoved him, but it was totally worth it.

Evan snickered, and soon enough, Andy was cracking up, before their laughter died down. Their eyes gazed into one another, and Andy didn't exactly know why, but her body was burning up. It looked like Evan was sharing the same problem. His skin was getting slightly red…

Trigger barked, snapping them out of whatever trance they were in. The Cocker Spaniel continued barking and pranced around in circles. 

"Looks like Trigger wants to be walked." Evan mused. He got up to go get his leash, then turned to his best friend and extended a hand. "Would you care to join me? In walking him, I mean?"

Andy giggled (Holy crap, she giggled!) and took his hand in her own. "I would."

Chapter Text

Shari loved Doug and Michael, she really did. But sometimes, they can be so, SO STUPID. This was one of those times. Ugh, she wished she could forget about it. I won't bother you with the details, but let's just say that they all had to deal with tumbling down a ditch into the waters, and now the next talk of the town's kids will be a new cryptid.

Shari had enough of the two's shenanigans, and made it clear by giving them the silent treatment. Evidently, so did Greg. Because he was avoiding them entirely. He only spoke to them when it was absolutely necessary. While a part of her found it funny, and felt a little bit of catharsis, another part of her felt this sinking, hollow feeling in her chest. She doesn't know why, but the idea of Greg not speaking to her saddens her way more than it should.

Of course, Doug and Michael tried to call Greg, but either he wasn't there, or he was intentionally ignoring them. (Probably the second one)

"Any luck?" Doug asked, as the trio sat down near the playground, Michael on the phone.

"Nope." Michael sighed, before letting out a grunt of frustration. "It's been a week now! How long is he gonna keep this up?! Is he still pressed about that time?!"

At this point, Shari couldn't keep it in her, and bit out. ""That time" led to him nearly spraining his ankle. Which, in case you didn't know, is perfectly justifiable to be miffed about."

"Well yeah, that's kinda true." Michael conceded. "But it doesn't mean he has to give us the cold shoulder for like a week now!"

"Alright, Michael. I think that's enough." Doug tried to step in to deescalate the situation, probably because he knew Shari would flare up, which would lead to Michael getting uppity like he usually would, and they would start arguing for the day. 

"Alright then, I'll call him myself!" Shari declared, whipping out her own phone.

Michael scoffed at this. "Me and Hawk tried talking to him and we got zero contact! What makes you think you can-"

He was cut off when her phone beeped.

"Oh hey, Shari! What's up?"

Greg's voice led everyone into a stunned silence. Then Shari regained her composure and IMMEDIATELY took this opportunity.

"G-Greg! Hi!" She squeaked, a wave of happiness washing over her.

As she was speaking, she shooed the other boys away. They just shrugged and left as she continued talking.

"So, did you need something?"

"O-Oh! No, nothing! I was just worried, you know, since you've kind of been absent in the group for the week…"

"Ah, that. I… don't kind of wanna face Hawk and especially Michael after their little stunt. At least until my arm doesn't hurt anymore. They're awesome dudes, but… their plans kinda screw us all over, you know?"

"No no, I totally get it! It’s just that… since you were also kind of avoiding me… I, um, kinda thought you didn't want to talk to me either…"

"Is THAT what this is about?!" A laugh broke out, but there was a bit of concern in his tone. "Don't worry about it, Shari. I'm not mad at you or anything."

With those words, the noirette felt like a million weights were lifted off her shoulders. She didn't know why, but she got some strange feeling in her chest, like a miniature sun was shining inside it. And her heart started beating ever so rapidly.

"Oh, thank God…" She breathed out. It was only until she heard his teasing voice that she realized she said that on the line.

"Aww, don't tell me you miss me!" He cackled, and Shari could just see the blonde's trademark smile. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Of course I did! The group was so DULL without you, Greg! And by the way, how dare you have the nerve to leave me with those two?!" She was joking, obviously. But she couldn't miss a single chance to make him squirm. It was something between the two, you see.

"Alright alright, I'll tell you what. How about we meet up today? I'll make it up to you then."

"Alright! See you there! Don't keep me waiting!"

With that lighthearted note, the phone call was disconnected. But for Shari, she felt that their connection was stronger than ever. Now if only her damn heartbeat can slow down.

Chapter Text

Max adjusted the couch cushions and plopped them back down. He swept his gaze around the living room. Perfect… assuming Lefty didn't mess it up, of course. Why was he doing this, you may ask? Well, that's because his friend Erin was coming over… alone. If you questioned him about this, he'll just say that Zack was a pain in the ass to deal with, and April probably couldn't handle the activities that he has planned. While true, it was pretty obvious that it fooled no one.

Yes, he has a crush on Erin. But he couldn't help it! He found her fast talker tendencies kind of endearing, and her blonde hair made her look cute (by his standards, at least). Anyways, he couldn't get worked up. Last thing he needed was to chase down Noah and undoubtedly make a fool of himself… again.

He was cut off from his thoughts when he heard the doorbell ringing. He didn't expect her to be this early, but he supposed that a fast talker would also move pretty fast as well. Regardless, he zipped over to the door and opened it. Lo and behold, the soft features of one Erin Murphy greeted him with a smile and a wave.

"Hey there, Max~!" She trilled, folding her hands behind her back as she leaned forward ever so slightly. "So, can I come in?"

"Yeah sure, step right in." Max stepped aside, and Erin walked in.

Erin flopped down on the sofa, turning her gaze over at the brunette. "So, you didn't tell me what we were doing today! And now that I'm here…"

Max laughed "Oh boy, do I have a day planned out for us! Since my parents are gone for the day, we can do whatever we want! First of all, we're watching…" He whipped out some DVDs. "These bad boys!"

Erin's eyes sparkled as her eyes skimmed over the titles: The Terminator, Jurassic Park, Jaws, even ones like Alien and The Predator!

"Now I see why you didn't invite April." She spoke, eyes still on the DVDs. Then, her gaze turned to his blue eyes. "Where'd you even get these?!"

"Turns out, my parents kept these in their room. Must've been quite the nuts for these movies." He shrugged. "Anyways, that's not important right now. What is important is what we're watching first! So… take your pick!"

Erin placed a finger on her chin. "Hmmm… you drive a hard bargain, Mr. Thompson. But if you insist, I'll take…" her hand hovered over each one of them, like a guessing game, before... "The Terminator!"

"Perfect! Take a seat!" Max guided her to a spot on the sofa while he popped the disc in the player.

After the film was done, they decided on what to choose next. Soon enough, the day passed by as the two kids watched classic after classic. After exhausting all their films, the next thing activity came around, and that was…

"Baseball time!" Thanks, Erin.

"Ready to bite the dust with my baseball skills, Erin?!" Max hollered.

"Ohoho, keep running your mouth, dude! 'Cause pretty soon, I'll be using it to wipe the floor!"

With those fighting words, both of them went up to bat. Each and every time getting a respectable amounts of wins and losses with every game, all while sharing some (only slightly funny) conversations, just like this one:

"Hey, Max!"

"Yeah?"

"You think we should let Zack join in games like this sometime?"

"Hmmm… hell no! He'll make it a competition where the only winner is him!" Max joked, getting a laugh from both kids.

"True, true!"

With their heated game of baseball at an end, and with nightfall coming around after playing Spec Ops with NERF guns, the two decided the only other way to end this day together: Eating pizza! As they sat down and ate the Good Stuff™️ for dinner, Erin laid eyes on her friend. The blonde couldn't help but find his dorky enthusiasm watching movies, his care for a little brother as annoying as Noah, and his slight bashfulness towards her in particular endearing.

"Max?" Erin suddenly called out.

"Yeah?" Max replied.

"I'm really glad you invited me over for quite the day together."

"Oh, it was no big deal. Really." Max rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, but…" She leaned closer to him and gently rested her hand above his. She could feel his arm- no, his whole body tense up, before gradually relaxing. "I don't get the feeling you'd do something like this for Zack and April."

"Well, we all know what Zack is like…" Max mumbled. "A-And something tells me April wouldn't be able to handle the movies…"

"Well, I still appreciate the gesture." She leaned even closer. "And the invitation." She gave a half-lidded stare as Max looked everywhere but her. "And the pizza." A teasing smile escaped her lips.

It was all silent for a couple of seconds, a red-faced Max nervously stammering as Erin's little smirk deepened. Finally deciding to just man up and tell her, Max opened his mouth…

And obnoxious laughter rang out. Both their heads whipped around to see Lefty, pointing at his brother with a teasing grin.

"Oh man! What was taking so long for you guys to kiss?! I was waiting for it the whole time!"

Another beat of silence. Then…

"I'm going to plan a murder case." Max's tone was flat, but his eyes blazed with fury. Noah's time today was numbered, and he knew it. He squeaked, turned tail and bolted as his brother leapt off the couch and chased after him, all the while Erin tried (and failed) to stifle her laughter. 

"YOU STUPID LITTLE-!"

"Max, calm down-!"

"GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE-!"

"It was just a jo-!"

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Neighbors would later recall hearing two screams from the Thompson household. One of fear, and one of rage.

Soon enough, Max got Lefty to apologize, and saw her out. But as Erin walked back to her house, she kept thinking of Max, and Lefty's words echoed in her mind. Damn it! Why didn't she take the opportunity to kiss him? Then she shrugged. Ah well. Maybe next time.

Chapter Text

Lucy has never ceased to amaze Aaron, and today was no different. That's because the two were hanging out together as usual, playing Frisbees, when Lucy got hungry. Aaron has since gotten used to the noirette's… rather powerful cravings, so they decided to eat at the local diner. No big deal, right?

See, that's what Aaron thought too, and yet here he was, watching in a mix of shock, awe, and slight concern as his best friend started devouring what could essentially feed a family of four. Well, he supposed it made sense, she IS part-monster, after all (believe me, his massive "What?!" was heard throughout the neighborhood). But still… sometimes it gets to the point that whenever Aaron was full, he would give the leftovers to Lucy.

"Wow." He chuckled, shaking his head, Lucy finishing her feast. At least she had the decency to eat with proper manners… and look sheepish. 

"Sorry." She giggled, rubbing her head awkwardly. "I guess the saying's true: You tend to not be yourself when you're hungry…"

"No no, don't apologize." He smiled, his dark hand patting her on the shoulder, which rewarded him with a perky smile from the horror fan. "Can't disobey the beast inside your stomach." Which got a laugh out of her.

After some time passed and enjoying the sights and smells inside the diner, Aaron then made a move to get up. "Welp, it's time we go." He extended a hand to her. "Can you get up?"

"Sure I can!" Was her reply as she leapt to her feet and accepted the hand. Aaron has also deduced very quickly that Lucy's metabolism was super fast, because she was walking ahead of him like she hadn't eaten like 4 times her body weight, as her quick pulling of his hand out the diner and down the street quickly proved. As the cool night air hit them, Aaron didn't know why, but he just knew deep down that Lucy was a regular at that diner.

Their little walk together ended at the bench near the Messer household, where all their hangouts (and Randy-sitting), activities and late-night movie watching are held. Lucy was writing in her notebook about the latest idea she had about "horror", while Aaron listened, helping her iron out the details.

As she continued talking animatedly, he began to get lost in his thoughts. He couldn't exactly understand why other kids, especially the girls, in the neighborhood disliked Lucy. Sure, she liked to scare people with her monster stories, and is a tad TOO interested in horror, but if they got to know her like he did, they'd find she was a great person to be around.

He was cut off from his thoughts when he felt a small, but rather annoying pressing sensation on his shoulder. At first, he could shrug it off, but as it persisted, he got more confused as to what the hell is making it. So he turns his gaze behind him… and had to take a few seconds to process that Lucy was nibbling down on his shoulder.

"Uh… Lucy?" He tried to speak, but what could he say? This was the first time she'd ever done something like this. He'd seen her feast on a whole Thanksgiving turkey (and that is NOT an exaggeration, believe him), but this? This was a whole new behavior from the noirette.

Lucy hummed in acknowledgment, before she seemed to realize what she's doing, as she quickly let go of his shoulder. "O-Oh my God! Aaron! I-I'm so sorry! I… I don't know what came over me and…" as Lucy stammered over herself trying to explain, Aaron took this opportunity to calm her down.

"What, the meal wasn't enough? Do you want to eat me, too?" Aaron quipped. It was a joke, obviously. But Lucy seemed to have stopped and stared at him with wide eyes, a hint of panic in them.

"N-NO! NEVER! I'd… I would never do that to you." She mumbled the last part. The African-American boy slung an arm over her shoulder as he sat next to her on the bench.

"Hey, it's okay, Luce… I know you'd never hurt me. And that's a fact." He gave her a gentle smile, one that rewarded him with a smile of her own.

"Thanks… but I still don't know what got over me. It just felt… natural, you know? Like, a NEED to do it." Lucy said, more to herself, really.

"Say, how about you ask Mr. Mortman? Doesn't he know more than your folks about these kinds of things?" Aaron offered, which caused the noirette to perk up.

"Great idea! Let me ask him!" She got up on a one-way beeline to the Library. Aaron rested on the bench during that time, turning his head at footsteps. "Hey, you find out anything?" He asked as Lucy walked back. But her face was… slightly odd, like she learned a secret she shouldn't have.

"Yeah… turns out, it IS natural." Was all that came from her mouth. Aaron just shrugged, accepting that as an answer. And thank God for that, because there is no possible way she could tell him the real answer, when Mr. Mortman laughed heartily and told her:

"Ah, Lucy. It's perfectly natural to do such a thing. You see, you're marking Aaron as your own, basically telling others that he's yours!"

The African-American grinned, oblivious to her inner crisis, and mused out loud "Maybe I should start making some food for you so that I can give them to you whenever we meet, hehe…"

And just like that, Lucy perked up, stars in her eyes. "Holy crap, you would?!" and he had to admit, the excited and almost childlike look on her face kinda melted his heart a little.

Aaron watched as Lucy acted like a quarter of her age. "Man, I've heard of people saying they're so hungry they can eat a horse, but you, Lucy… not only can you quite literally do that, I'm POSITIVE you'd want more!" He smirked.

"Awww, Aaron~ You know me too well!" Lucy teased, playfully shoving him. Their shared laughter and chatting were all pleasantries throughout the night.

"H-Hey…" She asked shyly, twiddling her fingers. "That whole shoulder thing… can I… do it again?"

Aaron was taken off-guard, especially with what she's asking about. There were a few seconds of silence, Lucy squirming uncomfortably. Just when she was about to tell him to forget it, he shrugged and said "Sure, I don't mind."

Lucy felt her entire soul lighten up in relief as she scooted closer and gently began nibbling down on his shoulder. She didn't care if anyone was watching. Let them watch. Her friendship with Aaron was something no one else could understand, and this little… interaction was proof of that.

Chapter Text

Today was a beautiful, cool night in Ohio, where not a sound broke through the quiet commotion, and-

"NO!"

…I guess today is not that day.

"Come on! Please try it at least once!"

"Are you crazy, woman?! No way!"

What is going on, you may ask? Don't worry, that's just the voices of the quartet who faced off the Haunted Mask. Currently, Sabrina was on her knees in front of a half-incensed, half-mortified Chuck and Steve.

The reason? Sabrina was watching TV the other day, and came up on the group's favorite show when they were young: "Pet Palace". I won't bore you with the details, but the main plot was that it stars a bunch of animals having adventures in their pet store / home.

Of course, being the more stereotypically girl she was, rang up Carly Beth and made up two sets of outfits based on one of the show's main characters, a cat named Callie. It fit like a glove, and the girls had so much fun taking pictures. Then came the problem: Now Sabrina needed someone to try on the outfits based on the OTHER main character, a puppy named Duke. So she had the idea to call their guy friends over and… Well, you know the rest.

"Pleeeeaaaaaase? I'm begging you two! We can't do this without you!" Sabrina tried to convince the two brunettes.

"Sabrina! Listen to yourself! You're asking us to wear costumes inspired by a kids' cartoon!" Chuck argued.

"I don't blame you two. Really, I don't." Carly Beth giggled as she sat on the bed. "If I was in your shoes, I'd probably be super reluctant to do it, but it's actually kinda cool!"

"And what a great help you are!" Steve shot back, causing the brunette girl to snicker while smiling sheepishly.

"Sure, it's KepLine's most popular cartoon, maybe even one of the most well-known, but forgive us for not wanting to look like a kids' show character." Steve grumbled, while Sabrina perked up, clasping her hands together.

"Okay okay okay! I promise I'll make it up to you two. Whatever you want for the rest of the day- hell, the next two days, we'll do whatever we want! Just this one time!"

"Guys…" Carly Beth's soft, gentle voice came through, directing their attention as she hopped off the bed. "Like she said, we can do this just this once. And we'll never ask you to do this again if you don't want it. If not for Sabrina, then can you do it for me? And just let her have this?"

That did it. Doing things for Carly Beth's sake was something neither of the two boys could ignore. After a few seconds of silence (and looking at Sabrina's puppy-dog eyes and both girls' pleading face), Steve sighed. "Alright, fine. We'll do it."

Chuck looked over at the smaller brunette in slight confusion. "Steve?" before he lifted a finger up.

"But only if this isn't made public or that people think we're furries or any crap like that." He added. The disastrous 7th Birthday Incident was more than enough humiliation for him.

Sabrina immediately stood ramrod straight, her face nothing but serious. "That I can guarantee, don't you worry about that. Not a single soul outside this room will know."

Steve smirked. "Alright then, so do we start wearing them now?"

Sabrina leapt up, hugging both boys and chanting a million thanks in their ears. While this whole thing had both boys physically retract into their skeletons, the gratitude in both girl's eyes had them popping right back out.

Steve looked at himself in the unnecessarily large vanity mirror Sabrina owned. He had to admit, he didn't look half-bad. As the former prankster stared at his reflection, taking in all the details Sabrina put in her designs, he heard footsteps approaching, and turned to see Chuck. Didn't expect anything less from Sabrina.

"Hey, dude. Looking great." Steve grinned with a finger-gun gesture.

"Same. Sabrina really knows her stuff, doesn't she?" He laughed.

"Hey, boys! Wow, cool clothes!" Came the voice of Carly Beth. Steve turned, and was greeted with Carly Beth, dressed in her own outfit. She… actually looked kind of cute. (I mean- he didn't say anything! You're just hearing things!)

"Thanks. I can imagine that you love these get-up you're wearing?" Chuck asked, and Carly Beth's blue eyes lit up. "Of course!"

Whatever tangent she was about to go on never happened when she (and the others, actually) heard a loud, excited squeal. In walked Sabrina, the noirette changing into her outfit.

"Oh my God! You boys rock the clothes! Like, what?!" As Sabrina gushed, she gave a little pat to Steve's head. Then she beelined straight to Chuck and practically lunged on the poor boy, caging him in a vice-like hug and nuzzling their cheeks together.

"Wha- HEY! Sabrina, stop! Are you serious, this again?!" Chuck's cries were futile, because Sabrina only giggled, but didn't let go.

"'Again'? This happened before? Oooooh, Chuck~ Why didn't you tell us about this sooner?" Carly Beth's smile was wide, enjoying the look on his face that just screamed "Oh Crap!".

"Way to go, man!" Steve chuckled as he playfully punched his best friend's arm.

"Hey, come on! It's… it's not… like that…" Chuck's complaints died down to a mumble, while Sabrina still kept nuzzling him. "Can we get this photo over with now?!"

Steve shrugged. "Alright. Come on, Brie. Let him go. And one other thing, you might need to bring a stool for Carly Beth." As he said this, he grinned at her indignant squawks.

"HEY!"

"Well, it's true!"

"Doesn't mean you have to point it out!"

"Well clearly, you've forgotten who I was!"

"And YOU'VE forgotten that I can whoop your butt, Steve!"

"HA! Maybe when you grow a couple inches, you can!"

"GAH! You little-!"

As the two bickered, Sabrina finally decided to let go of her crush- I MEAN, her friend and managed to set the camera up, bringing them all together.

"Smile for the camera!" And with a flash, it was done. A photo of the four together, smiling and happy. Carly Beth and Steve were fist bumping, while Sabrina and Chuck side-hugged. Sabrina is definitely keeping it in her album.

Speaking of which, after going through the album and reliving childhood memories, it was time for the others to leave.

"Bye, Carly Beth!" She hugged her bestie. "Bye, Steve!" She patted his head, earning a grumble that fooled no one and a halfhearted smile. "Bye, Chuck~!" She blew a kiss to him as she closed her door. There was silence for only a few seconds…

"She TOTALLY likes you, man." Carly Beth laughed behind her hand. "Don't worry, dude, me and CB will set you up together." Steve whispered with a wink, and the two laughed and slapped a high five as poor Chuck collapsed into himself.

"Why me…?" He cried.

Chapter Text

Samantha groaned as she flopped down on her sofa. Another day, another hellish existence in school enduring all the comments of her tall, unnatural self. God, she already got a migraine just thinking about it.

She was grounded back to reality when she hear her door knocking. "Come in!" She called out to whoever it was, probably Mom or Ron. So imagine her pleasant surprise when Cory entered with a grin.

"Oh, hey Cory!" She greeted, and, it could have just been her, but he looked kinda shy, before he responded with his usual charm. "Hey, Sam."

As Cory helped himself to joining her on the sofa, Samantha ran a hand through her blonde hair.

"Jeez, school today was such a drag." Grumbled Cory as Samantha's dog came up to him, demanding pets that he was all too happy to give.

"Tell me about it. But at least the people around you are saying that YOUR tallness is just "growing up" and "puberty" or some crap like that. Me?" Her question was rhetorical, but they both knew what she was referring to.

"Say, speaking of which, I haven't seen Judith around all day, either nagging to me or messing with you. What's up with that?" Cory asked. The blonde had actually noticed it as well, but since nobody was talking about it, she figured she should just move on with her life.

"Don't know." She replied as much with a shrug.

Clarissa kept an eye on Judith's every move to see if she was being sincere that she wouldn't bother Samantha anymore, and if she didn't? Well, she'll have to enjoy people staring at her constantly - as a statue. So far, it all looked good.

"But enough about her. Wanna vent about life's struggles again?" Cory offered. One she immediately took. And so, both kids talked and shared their frustrations out, patting the other and taking turns holding Punkin and petting him. With all their problems aired out, they decided on the next best thing: Watching a movie! With snacks!

Around when the two were invested into the movie, Cory twiddled his fingers. He wondered if now was the right time to tell her? He looked at Samantha, her blonde hair and blue eyes made her look really cute. Well, he supposed now as good a time as any.

"Uh, hey Samantha?" He got her attention. She turned to him and smiled.

"Yeah, what's up?" She replied.

"Um…" Damn it, why was he chickening out now?! He cleared his throat. "Well, what if I were to tell you…" His mind drew a blank. But he couldn't afford to look like an idiot in front of her. Not now. "that someone at school has a crush on you?"

It was silent for a few seconds, then a sound came from Samantha. A short snicker. Then it became louder and clearer, before she laughed. Cory looked at her like she'd gone mad.

Samantha's laughing lightened down to giggling. "I'm sorry, Cory! But that's a great joke! Someone is into ME?! Tall, gangly Samantha Byrd? Nice one, I needed that, dude!"

Cory awkwardly laughed, trying to hide the clear mortification. "Y-Yeah, funny joke…"

As the blonde kept laughing, she took a look at Cory's face. Forced laughter, total embarrassment, and a hint of… was that sadness? The more she stared, the more her laughter died down, until she stopped completely.

"C-Cory…? Is it… you? Do you… do you like me?" Samantha stuttered. There was no way…

The brunette looked totally embarrassed, causing Samantha's heart to rise with hope, before nodding. "Ye… Yeah. I do."

Samantha blinked, and the realization fully hit her as she clasped her hands to her chest. "Cory… are-are you serious?"

Cory nodded slowly, painfully. "Yeah… you know what? Never mind, it was-"

He never finished his sentence as Samantha lunged forward and embraced him in a tight hug. "Oh Cory…" Her tone was soft, as the brunette numbly returned the hug. "I… I didn't think you'd feel the same way."

Cory was stunned. "Wait, you like me too?! So this whole time, we just… never said anything about it?!"

Samantha giggled. "I guess so." before she just remembered something, and laughed. "Oh man, is Judith gonna FLIP when she hears about this! Oh God, what about Ron?!"

"I'm pretty sure your poor big bro is gonna have to deal with having ANOTHER kid taller than him is gonna be close to him, a dude no less." Cory joked.

Both kids laughed at that as Punkin barked and got between the two kids. Both of them smiled before obeying the dog's request and scratching his sweet spots, the brown mutt rolling over in bliss. Looks like Montrose is gonna have a new power couple... if they could work out the kinks, that is, haha.

Chapter Text

Kim listened intently as Jerry's fingers glided over his mother's piano. If there were any mistakes he made during his impromptu performance, then she didn't hear them.

A few seconds later, and Jerry's performance finished. As soon as the last note played, her clapping was the next sound that filled the room. Jerry breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that he didn't play like a noob in front of his friend.

"No matter how many times I hear you playing, it's INFINITELY better than any of the kids at the Music Club." Kim smiled. Okay, now he was certain she was just saying that.

"Oh, come on. It wasn't THAT good." He said as much, averting his gaze sheepishly.

She gave him a deadpan stare. "Jerry, I swear to God, if you start thinking of yourself as lesser again, I will-"

"Okay, okay!" He immediately put his hands up in surrender. "So, maybe I saw my mom playing that song, and I wanted to copy her. I guess I did perfectly, judging by your words."

"You did!" She nodded, switching back to excited, followed by her leaning on the sofa's armrest. "You know, I didn't quite believe you when you told me that you had a natural talent with instruments."

Jerry grinned. "I didn't believe myself either. Until I actually tried it. And now I have a devoted audience in the form of you". He glanced at her as he joined her on the couch.

"And don't you forget it, mister." Kim jokingly pointed a finger at him, which made him laugh. And that made Kim's heart rise up a little, like when it usually did when he laughed. She found the sound of it cute.

Amidst their laughter, Jerry's ears caught the faint sound of something hitting wood. It was faint enough that he could have chalked it off as nothing, but just in case…

"Uh, Kim? You… heard that right?"

In what must be a massive coincidence, the film playing on his TV - a horror movie, by the looks of it - had the male lead asking the female lead almost the exact same question.

He was expecting a "Nothing", which was why he was surprised when she nodded, with nervous written on her face.

Another sound came out, this one louder than the last. Both kids were on edge as the sound continued, growing in volume. The film continued, having the leads inching closer to unknown sounds coming from behind a door.

The duo felt something cold run down their spines, as the noises kept going on. They didn't even know their breathing was speeding up a little. The noises grew. The realization came to Jerry that the sounds came from the piano itself. The film's leads inched closer to the door, their weapons at the ready.

The brunette's eyes widened as a bone-chilling thought entered his mind. There was no way. Was he… back?

Just as the film's leads opened the door, the monster lunged out with a roar-

BANG!

The piano's lid came crashing down. The thunderous noise triggered both kids' primal instincts. Neighbors would recall hearing two very loud screams as the two embraced each other for safety. A dark shape rose from the top of the piano, the house's dim lighting revealing it to be…

"Bonkers?! WHAT THE HELL?!"

Jerry's (and Kim's) heartbeats, that were pounding like a timpani, were gradually quieting down as Jerry's cat stared at his owner curiously, before returning to his little hobby of scratching on the wooden lid of the piano.

And of course, because the universe seems to love screwing over 12-year olds, there were three knocks on the front door, and the voice of Jerry's mother came out.

"Jerry, honey! I'm home! How was your day…?"

Mrs. Hawkins trailed off as she was greeted with the sight of her scared son and equally frightened friend hugging each other tightly. One quick glance at the TV, and a teasing smile graced her lips as she (seemingly) connected the dots.

"Oh sorry, honey. I didn't know you were you were in the middle of something with your friend." She laughed.

The brunette looked confused, as his brain was processing how he was tightly holding on. Once he did, a world record of someone's face turning red so quickly was born.

"No-NO! I-It's not like that, Mom! I swear!" He squeaked, immediately getting off his taller friend, whose face was just an amazing shade of red.

Laughter having died down, his mother decided to cut the poor kid some slack. "Sorry, sorry." Her laughing died down as she directed a kind gaze to Kim. "Kim, dear, would you like me to make you some dinner while you're here?" She asked gently.

"N-No thanks, Ma'am." She stuttered as she got up. "I-I was actually going to leave now. See you later, Jerry."

She and Jerry locked eyes, then quickly turned away with an "eep!" and a redder face as she left the Hawkins household. As she closed the front door behind her, Jerry turned to his cat. "I hate you. You know that, right?"

The cat simply stared at him, because he was a cat.

Jerry grumbled childishly as he crossed his legs on the couch, but he couldn't stop thinking about Kim. Her smile, the way she listened intently to him playing his music, and her concern for him.

As for Kim? While she was walking home, her mind couldn't wander off from Jerry. His cute laugh, the way he masters instruments, and the way he humbles himself with such. (That kid REALLY needs to be selfish for a while)

What do you know? Maybe they DID like each other.

Chapter Text

Grady's smile was forced as he was practically dragged by the arm, courtesy of Cassie. She was excitedly rambling on about their day today, watching bears, gators, otters and such, or more specifically, their "nature walk", as she so eloquently described it. He needed to get out of here.

And who could blame him? As it turns out, werewolves have the super cool ability to tell if the next moon is full or not. And wouldn't you know it? Tonight was a full moon. He just didn't want to hurt her. A-And anybody else, he just wanted to make that clear!

Speaking of which, the redhead jostled him, bringing him back to reality.

"Grady, hey! Are you listening to me?" She pouted adorably. Grady laughed nervously, immediately averting his gaze.

"Yeah, sorry. I zoned out a little bit. I-I was just focused on how beautiful the swamp looks here. I gotta thank you for bringing me here."

Cassie's face made a O.O as Grady offered his excuse. Luckily, she seemed to take it as she smiled sweetly, holding both his hands to help him up a log. "Well, I'm glad you've started to grow on this little swamp! And you're welcome!" She giggled, which was music to the brunette's ears.

"If I remember correctly, it was a certain duo of local kids who helped in that regard." Grady snickered, before it morphed into a smile. "And I gotta thank you and Will for that."

"And thank YOU for helping me find Will in the first place." Behind Cassie's jesting tone was something far more softer, and appreciative that he wouldn't have been able to pick up had he not got enhanced senses now. "Even if he was as stubborn as a mule in not coming back."

He remembered the memory quite clearly. It had been a few nights after the while werewolf debacle, but both kids ventured out into the swamp every night in search of Will. And trust me, convincing him to come back was far easier said than done. It took Wolf, the MVP, and his puppy-dog eyes, which was the deciding factor in having Will come back to the town. Wolf got milk bones for dinner ever since. Grady laughed, which spurred his recent friend to do so too.

Wait.

Grady's laughter stopped immediately. Warning bells were ringing in his head, immediately bringing the redhead closer to his chest. He ignored her little "eep!" as his enhanced senses worked overtime. There was danger, right now. He just knew it.

Oh God, what possessed him to not bring Wolf along with him?

"Grady…? What's wrong?" Cassie asked, her eyes wide with confusion and a little fear. It wasn't like him to be so… tense.

"…There's something here… with us."

Grady's ears picked up the sound of something foreign amongst the sounds of nature. A loud, thumping rhythm, but quiet enough that a regular person couldn't hear it. If he wasn't here, this would have been the last time poor Cassie ever walked into this swamp.

There. His eyes caught the lighter shade of a figure. Its cover blown, the figure ambled out of the shadows, the matted brown fur of a bear glistening in the moonlight. It was sniffing the air. Grady didn't wait another second so they could end up on its menu.

"Cassie, hide!" He urged through his teeth, and that was all the incentive the redhead needed. She grabbed his hand and ran until they found a sufficiently-sized rock and crouched behind it, her grip never letting go on the brunette. She peeked out, catching the bear pawing the ground. It didn't look like it was leaving anytime soon. She hid behind.

Grady looked grim, weighing his options. He didn't want to do this. He promised himself he wouldn't do this to Cassie. But with their lives on the line, what choice did he have?

"Cassie…" he finally spoke up, causing her to look at him. "Hold on to me. Tightly."

"Huh?" The redhead was confused. "H-How is this going to help us-?"

"Please!" Cassie looked into his dark eyes. He was serious, but there were hints of concern and even fear. With an "okay", she draped her arms around his neck.

Grady stared at the silvery sheen of the moonlight. He aimed his body just enough that his arm was basked in the light. And that was all he needed.

Feeling the power surging through him, Grady began to change. Once again, he felt himself getting stronger, taller, his senses expanding the world around him. Cassie gawked as her friend's clothes merged into his body, cool silvery fur coating his warm body. Despite this form being able to accomplish MUCH more than if he was a human, Grady knew it wasn't enough. He needed to be more. Growling, the brunette got on all-fours, his body (and size) adjusting to such, growing and growing. Pretty soon, Cassie was holding on to the back of a large, grey-colored wolf.

Grady's blue eyes snapped backwards, and Cassie shrieked as he leapt over the rock, snarling at the bear. The stocky mammal raised itself up high and roared, but the boy-turned-wolf let out a howl that reverberated through the swamps, shattering its silence.

The bear stopped in its tracks. It has heard of the Lone One. Every creature has. And even it knows not to cross the Lone One. That was why, with one more howl, it turned around and ran away.

Grady did not want to spend another second here. He sprinted off to where he knew home was. His powerful legs spearheading him through the dark forest. As he reached the familiar trees near his house, he began to morph back into a boy. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God that was over. But he didn't dare face Cassie as she stared at him.

"Grady…" She breathed out.

He winced, looking like a kicked puppy.

"You…" he was expecting a lot of things. Fear, anger, maybe even disgust. What he wasn't expecting was Cassie's arms wrapping around him, one hand snaking upwards to ruffle his brown hair. "are SO FLUFFY as a wolf!"

"H-Huh?" Grady stuttered dumbly. "Y-You're-You're not mad or something?" He asked hopefully.

"Mad?! Is that what you were thinking?! Grady, you just saved my life! I could care less if you're a werewolf!" She pulled him in closer to her chest, resting her chin on his head. "I don't think there's anything I can do now or ever to repay you!"

Then she looked thoughtful. "Unless…"

"Huh? What did you sa-?"

His sentence died in his throat when Cassie leaned forward, softly planting her lips right on his cheek. She could feel Grady's entire body freeze up. When she was done, she giggled sweetly at his dumbstruck expression. She could feel his face burning up like a volcano. Man, she didn't want to leave his side, but all good things come to an end.

"Well, I'll be seeing you! Bye, Grady! I had fun!" She waved as she skipped away.

It would be quite a while before Grady was pulled out of his catatonic state. Courtesy of Emily, who brought Wolf out to find him.

"There you are! God, do you have any idea how worried I was about you?! You-!" The 14-year old cut herself off when he was barely focused on her, seemingly staring off into nothing. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" He questioned, before fully coming back to his senses while Wolf was assaulting him with licks. "O-Oh, yeah! Yeah! Never better!" He inwardly winced at his voice cracking.

His sister just sighed. "Well, alright. If you insist. Now come on, that Will guy won't stop bugging me about you." She sighed, running a hand through her blonde hair. Then she grabbed her brother's hand and led him back to their house.

Tomorrow, when Grady finally got the feeling of getting kissed by a girl out of his system, he found Will Blake was nearby, leaning on a tree. And Cassie.

"Hey, dude!" He grinned.

"Hi, Grady!" Cassie smiled, walking up to him and playfully ruffling his hair.

"Hey, Will." The brunette returned the greeting with a fist bump. Then he smiled awkwardly at Cassie. "And, uh, hello to you too, Cassie."

Will raised an eyebrow, confused at the sudden change in demeanor. "Uh… did I… miss something?"

Both kids stared at the 13-year old, before laughing awkwardly.

"Oh, boy." Grady muttered, before turning to Will and grinning. "Let me tell you what happened yesterday."