| Chapter Three �Hey, do I know you?� Kelly asked sweetly as she pulled a chair at the table and practically forced Ubrina to sit down. �You seem, kinda� oh, I don�t know� familiar?� Kelly glanced at Ubrina as she spoke, and smiled when she saw the way Ubrina�s eyes darted frantically around the room, looking at anything but Chris. �Hmm� you�ve probably seen us on the cover of our latest album � N�sync. Or possibly you�ve heard of the band?� Joey replied, with mock politeness, as Chris began fiddling with his coke nervously. And suddenly, looking at Kelly�s huge grin and both Ubrina�s (as the nametags read) and Chris� nervous expressions, he realized just who he was talking to. A grin appeared on his face and he giggled. �Oh yeah, you DO look familiar� where have you been, all my life, my sweet?� Joey began flirting with Kelly for two reasons � one, they needed to get out of Chris� and Ubrina�s way and two, she was HOT. Kelly laughed, her eyes twinkling. The cuddly good-looking friend with Chris hadn�t escaped her notice. And she was beginning to like him already. He had caught on quickly, thank goodness. �Oh, actually, I was just looking around for a delicious pancake or two, but something more appetizing kinda caught my eye,� Kelly smirked when she saw Joey�s eyes widen appreciatively. This is a girl who knows what she�s got and how to use it, Joey winked at her. �Hey, you look pretty yummy yourself.� Kelly felt the blush rising to her cheeks but she shook it off impatiently. You�re here to make sure the two meet, now your job�s over. Get the hell outta here with the guy. Stop flirting. �Well, I�m just about hungry now. There�s only so much space in my stomach that my eyes can fill, you know?� Kelly grinned. Then she turned on her heel and walked off, whistling tunelessly. She was SURE the short skirt she was wearing would turn the guy on, as it often did with other guys. Her long tanned legs sauntered a few steps away from the table, before she turned her head in an inviting gesture, �You coming?� she asked, directing her eyes and question at Joey, who looked taken aback. In a good way. �I�m gonna go with that babe. She�s actually hitting on me! I mean, can you believe that? Incredible! Finally, a girl with attitude! You look after yourself, man,� Joey said to Chris out of the corner of his mouth, nodding slightly at Ubrina as he did so. �Don�t do anything I wouldn�t do.� �Yeah, whatever!� Chris growled impatiently, raising his mug of coke to his lips, the foam leaving a trail as he drank deeply from it. �Go get her, bud.� �Now THAT�S what I like to hear!� Joey giggled, nodding apologetically (for Chris� less-than-friendly behaviour) at Ubrina before running towards Kelly and setting off to get some breakfast. Ubrina could hear them laughing as they went on their way � congratulating each other on a job well done, she was sure. �Um�� �They�� �You first,� they chorused then turned away from each other, Chris licking his lips and Ubrina sighing nervously. �Okay,� Ubrina finally said, forcing a laugh. �This tongue-tied thing is not exactly going to get us anywhere so� I�ll talk first. I, um, I want to apologize for the way I acted day before yesterday. You know, at the-� �Pool,� Chris interjected then blushed. �Yeah, I know, I�m sorry about that. It was, um, a total accident and I just kinda lost my balance.� He coughed to hide his embarrassment. �It�s okay�� Ubrina said slowly, though her brain was screaming no, it�s not! She cleared her throat before continuing, �So like I was saying� we sorta got off on the wrong ass, uh, FOOT, and, um, I guess I was hoping we could� make up and start on a clean slate?� �Sure,� Chris grinned, his mood lightening. He hadn�t felt this happy in days. And just this morning I was grumpy about being old. He thought to himself, before having the sudden urge to ask for Ubrina�s age. �Um, Ubrina (Ooh-bree-na), right?� Chris asked, studying her badge. �Well, actually, it�s Ubrina (YOU-bree-na).� �Oh, sorry,� Chris blushed again before regaining his composure. �That�s three times I�ve made an ass, uh, FOOL out of myself in front of you in three days. That�s gotta be a record or something.� Ubrina laughed; a cute, tinkling sound Chris couldn�t help smiling at. She had an infectious laughter and even the sound of her voice could put a smile on Chris� face. �It�s fine,� Ubrina assured him, once she had gotten over her laughter. �I have people calling me weird names all the time. Oobrina is one of the more common ones. You should hear the stuff I�ve been called. Like there�s Oobrani and once someone even called me **Calebena! I have NO idea where she got that from, though.� Chris laughed. Ubrina was funny and easy to get along with. He could hardly believe they had been avoiding each other till a few moments ago. It was even harder, though, to believe that they had been able to forgive each other as quickly and simply as that. It was weird � one minute they were embarrassed and cold, the next they were all buddy-buddy. �Hey� are you okay? You�re spacing out on me. Am I THAT boring?� Ubrina waved her hand in front of Chris� face, amusement clear in her sparkling brown eyes. Chris was surprisingly� NOT surprised. Somehow, Ubrina didn�t seem the type to be self-conscious or easily embarrassed. Sure, she let Kelly push her around a bit, but that didn�t mean that she was a pushover. Chris was sure it took quite a lot to rile her up, so he must�ve acted like a real jerk that day. With a capital J. Wait, he HAD acted like a jerk. And he knew it. �Nah, you�re not boring. I�m just checking out the babes over there,� Chris lied, the words slipping easily from his mouth. Ubrina just smiled knowingly and looked to where Chris was pointing. She saw nothing but a queue of men waiting to use the toilet. �Riiiggghhttt� somehow, I didn�t think you were the type, y�know? I didn�t think you swing that way. I mean, check it out. The guys over there are just, ugh! I mean, I�d take one look at them and pass out there and then.� There was a hint of a smile on Ubrina�s face as she continued talking like it was everyday she looked at guys with gays. Chris� face grew hotter and hotter till he didn�t think it was possible to burn any redder. �I guess it figures, though. I mean, guys are DEFINITELY more your type, aren�t they?� Chris mumbled something unintelligible and swallowed painfully. �What did you say?� �I SAID I don�t like guys, Ubrina.� �Ohhhhh�� Ubrina pretended to be amazed by her �newfound� piece of information on Chris� sexual preference. �So you�re saying you were just checking those guys out� but you don�t LIKE guys. Hmm� I think I�m missing something here, Chris.� �You know EXACT� hey, how do you know my name?� Ubrina smiled, �I have my ways.� �Oh no, you�re kidding me, right? Jace told you?� Chris� eyes were bulging. He was going to KILL JC. How come he hadn�t supplied that bit of information when they were mercilessly teasing Chris that morning? Ubrina just shrugged, and Chris knew he was right. She shook her head, �You know my name, and I know yours. Fair trade, right?� �That means you�re gonna shove your ass up my face?� Chris retorted, before he could stop himself. Then he shot to his feet and stared down at the bemused Ubrina, stuttering incoherently. �I didn�t� it was� not� mean� you shouldn�t� can�t� ass� face� no.� Ubrina burst out laughing. The look on Chris� face was too much. The guy had a look of absolute horror on his face. It clearly said I-so-cannot-believe-I-just-said-that. Ubrina laughed even harder when his expression popped up in her mind. Chris sat back down slowly, calming himself. He studied Ubrina carefully. �So you�re not mad?� �Why should I be?� Ubrina stated matter-of-factly. �I DO owe you an ass rubbing, if you want it.� She added with a wink. �Uh� I think I�ll skip it, thanks.� Chris laughed as well, finally seeing the humour in the situation. �Hey, that�s your loss,� Ubrina laughed that infectious laugh and Chris found himself laughing along. He paused for a breath, taking in her crinkled eyes and smiling mouth and knew her laugh was the most beautiful thing he had heard in his life. And suddenly, it clicked in his mind, he was falling. For Ubrina � a girl he barely knew. And yet he was falling fast. And hard. �Do you think we did the right thing? Just leaving them like that?� Kelly whispered to Joey as they watched Ubrina and Chris laugh from their corner booth. �I mean, we shouldn�t-� �Don�t worry about it,� Joey reassured her, smiling. �I�m sure they�ll do just fine on their own.� He inched closer to Kelly, grinning even wider when she didn�t protest. �They�re allowed to do whatever they want, you know.� Kelly raised her eyebrows playfully. �And your point is�?� �They�re not the only ones with that entitlement.� Kelly smiled, giving her best I-am-innocent-and-I-don�t-get-a-word-you-say look. �So that would mean�?� �It can mean whatever you want it to,� Joey gave Kelly as sexy, lazy smile, shrugging suggestively. Kelly ALMOST blushed but she caught herself. �Hmm� I�m not so sure I like the sound-� � (I�m just playing around a little, trying to see what I can do. From here on out, it�s all just dialogue; hope you guys find it interesting.) � �Whoa.� �Oh I agree� whoa.� �Joey, that was� wow. How many girls have you kissed like that?� �Are you sure you wanna know about my ex-es right now?� �On second thought�� �I thought so.� <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> �Mmm� gosh, Kelly.� �Thank you. That�s a rare compliment, I�m sure.� �I�m� I�m stunned� wow.� �That�s what you get for trying to be a smart aleck.� �Then I should try it more, shouldn�t I? <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> �Okay, I should DEFINITELY try it more.� �Honey, I really don�t care what you try now. Just�� �What, Kel?� �Get your hand off of my ass.� �Hey, no one said we couldn�t catch a little romance of our own while those two chatter away.� �Oh yeah?� <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> �Whoa� okay, I�m not complaining.� �And what about my hand?� �You can leave it where it is.� �I thought you�d say that.� <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> �You know Kel, I�m starting to like this whole punish-the-smart-aleck-with-a-kiss-routine.� <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> �Mmm� I�m enjoying it too.� End. *The comment about Ubrina being called Calebena is not made up. You can find it on her website � www.geocities.com/ubrina |