(cut to the Bloom basement)

"So I take it it went well," Jesse said, looking up from his guitar.

"Swimmingly," I replied, taking a bottle of water from the bar fridge in the basement, "And I didn't even have to touch him. I mean we hugged and stuff but we're just friends,"

"How come?"

"He's got a girlfriend," 

"Ohhh...Disappointed?"

"No, not in the least. I mean there was definitely physical attraction, but it's not like I wanna be his girlfriend, so we're just friends,"

Jesse nodded, "So...Are we talking Dawson and Joey friends or Joey and Jen friends?"

"Um....Ok so maybe there is a remote chance that I want him to be more than a friend, but I have to ignore that until he's single, ok?"

"Alright...Do you think he'll leave Reilly alone now?"

"I think so....I hope so,"

"Well I'm glad it went well,"

"Yeah, so am I. Through all this I've made a friend...It's a bit weird though, after three hours I felt as though I'd known him since childhood,"

"Curious,"

"Very,"

"Excuse me Kirby Bloom, where the hell have you been for the past three hours?" My Dad asked from the top of the staircase.  

"Uhhmm, at a friends house?"

"Right well dinner's in the oven if you're interested...Remember to tell us where you're going from now on, ok honey?"

"Yes Daddy," I grinned cheesily and Jesse scoffed. 

"Right well I'm gonna go eat, what are you gonna do?" I asked.

"I dunno, play down here for a little longer. Maybe another all nighter,"

"Sounds fun...I'll leave you to it then. Night Jess,"

"Night Kirb,"

-    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -   

(cut to Kirby in the kitchen)

"HEY!"

My head nearly touched the ceiling when Reilly scared me senseless, appearing like a ghost when I closed the refrigerator door. 

"Hi dork, thanks for that, at least I know my heart's in working order,"

"No problemo. You know I've hardly seen you at all lately, where have you been?"

"I've um, I dunno, I've been busy,"

"So busy that you don't have time for your best friend?"

"I have been pretty busy,"

"Right well you're coming to the movies with me tomorrow night whether you like it or not, ok?"

"Rye, it's not like going somewhere with you is a chore,"

"Well it seems like it is these days!"

"You're such a queen! Now are you gonna watch a video with me or not? It's past nine and all, but it is Friday and we're not nine anymore..."

"Now that I know what a loser I am, I'm going to say sure, I'd love to,"

-    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -       

(cut to the movies the next day) 

"Are you for real? You want me to see Monster's Ball?"

"Yeah..."

"Dude, are you blind? It's rated R!" 

Reilly looked annoyed and grabbed a few of the free pamphlets advertising movies. 

"How about Lord of The Rings again?" I asked, spotting it on the movie times. It had been out for so long that it was only on three times a week, and we happened to be there just in time to catch it. 

"You just wanna drool all over that Elf guy, what's his name?"

"Legolas, thank you very much,"

"Well yeah, you'll be drooling everywhere,"

"But you gotta admit, it's a good movie!"

Reilly rolled his eyes and took a twenty out of his wallet, "Fine, you go get ice creams,"

I clapped my hands in triumph and took off down the stairs towards the candy bar. Cinemas have always intrigued me. They use all these bright colors, stars and soft fabrics but the people who work there always look so bored and unhappy. The particular guy serving at the candy bar was so bored that he had his back turned to us and decided his cell phone was far more interesting. 

A tall blonde guy was beside me, trying desperately to get his attention. He was clearing his throat, tapping his change on the counter and whistling. 

"HEY YOU! THIS GUY NEEDS TO BE SERVED!" I called out to the guy in the loudly patterned vest. He turned around and huffed so hard he blew the hair out of his face. Just then I dropped all my change, and I think the guy thanked me, but I wasn't paying any attention. I ordered the two ice creams and two chupa chups and waited for Reilly. 

"Kirb, I gotta take a piss,"

"Charming,"

"Just wait there,"

So there I was, standing outside the guy's toilets with my hands full of candy. 

"Kirby??"

My head cocked when I realized I'd been spotted. Who the hell knows me here? Is it Jesse?

"Zac!" The big blonde came over to me with his typical cheek-to-cheek smile. 

"How are you??" He asked, pecking me on the cheek.

"Not bad, just uh, waiting,"

"Oh cool! We're going to see Lord Of The Rings, what about you?"

Noooooooo!!

"I'm seeing that too," I smiled, "Who are you here with?"

"Taylor, he finally had time off work, all expenses paid by him of course," He laughed and pointed to the guy that was walking towards us. It was the guy from the candy bar! Well I'll be. 

"Jesus Zac, he's gorgeous,"

Kill me now, please. Kill me now. 

"Oh god, why did I say that out loud?" I pinched my own leg hard until I flinched. 

"Don't worry Kirb, pretty much everyone reacts that way when they see him," Zac said in an almost sad tone. 

"Hello," Taylor said politely, handing Zac his candy. 

"Hi..."

"Tay, this is Kirby, she's new at my school,"

"Oh, cool,"

Oh shit, I forgot about Reilly....

"Hey since we're seeing the same movie, why don't we head off to the cinema," I suggested, Taylor and Zac agreed. The cinema was tiny and I cringed. Reilly is bound to see Zac...

"Sit with us, Kirb," Zac said. Soon I was sandwiched between Zac and Taylor. Usually I wouldn't mind, but right now...

"What the hell is going on here?" Reilly stood at the end of the isle, hands on hips, unimpressed.

"Uh, I well, you see..."

"Reilly, nice to see you man," Zac said. My jaw dropped.

"Take a seat, man,"

"Uh....."

"Oh come on, I'm not gonna hurt you, that's all in the past now,"

Reilly looked cautious, but I nodded at him and he reluctantly sat down. 

"So," Taylor said, trying to break the weird moment, "You all go to the same school?"

"Yeah, Reilly's my twin brother,"

"Oh, that's cool,"

For the love of god, this guy is absolutely beautiful. Thick blonde hair in layers just past his ears, creamy skin, crystal blue eyes....

I felt totally inadequate for the whole movie, knowing someone as good looking as Taylor was beside me made me nervous. And the weird looks from Reilly certainly didn't help. 

-    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -   

(cut to after the movie)

"So what are you guys doing now?" Zac asked once the movie was over. 

"Well, um, we don't really know,"

"We were gonna get something to eat, do you wanna come?" Taylor asked.

Dear lord, if you're gonna be there, then I'm there.

"Sure, we'd love to," I said, I whimpered like an animal when Reilly pinched the back of my arm. Luckily, it went unnoticed. 

We all decided on Mexican and headed for the food court.

"Don't you go thinking I haven't figured out what you've been up to," Reilly whispered into my ear as Taylor and Zac walked ahead of us. 

I played dumb, "What do you mean?"

"You. Him. Acting all chummy. I can fight my own battles you know, I don't need my sister to fight them for me!"

"Reilly, I haven't fought any battles, I simply made friends with Zac,"

"Yeah, right!"

I rolled my eyes, "There you go acting like a queen again....I helped you, other wise you would have looked like a sore loser. Did you seriously think you'd win in a fight against him?" 

"I don't care about that, it's the fact that you went behind my back," Reilly separated himself from me and ceased all eye contact, as well as conversation. 

Dinner was twice as tense. Zac and Taylor tried to make idle conversation but otherwise Reilly and I just stared at our food, picking at it every now and then. It had gotten to the point where it was very boring. 

"I have to go now," Reilly said, setting his serviette over his half-eaten nachos. 

"What? Mum and Dad gave us until 12...Even later, you know what they're like,"

"My friends are having a party, I said I might stop by,"

"And I can't come?"

"I don't think you'd like it very much,"

"You're being stupid Reilly,"

"Goodbye," He said to the group and disappeared in a matter of moments. 

Taylor coughed.

"I'm sorry about him....He's not great with new people," I lied through my teeth. 

"It's alright, I can understand the hostility," Zac said.

"Well I'm glad that you're so nice, if I were you I'd be beating his head in anyway, he's such an ass,"

Zac laughed and shook his head, "Do you wanna come over to our place? Have a drink maybe, it's only 10,"

"Sure, that sounds good," 

-    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -       

(cut to the Hanson house)

Once again, the Hanson house was empty of its army of children. Most of the lights were out, apart from the single light streaming down the staircase. 

"Is anyone home?" Tay asked Zac.

"Didn't Ike say he was having people over?" 

"I dunno,"

"Ike...?" I asked.

"Oh," Tay chuckled, "That's the eldest brother,"

"He just turned 21 a little while ago so he's a goddamn alcoholic!" Zac laughed, picking up one of the several empty beer bottles on the kitchen counter. 

"Let's go crash his party," Tay said evilly.

"Party? I'm sure!" Zac laughed. 

I shrugged to no one in particular and followed them up the stairs. Once we got to the hallway, we could hear giggling in several tones of voice and a 112 CD playing in the back ground. 

"Ike?" Taylor nudged the door open and stuck his head in.

"TAY! Come in man!" Came a loud and very cheery voice, most likely belonging to Ike. 

At least 12 kids sat in a disorganized circle in Ike's room, all drinking and talking, a few were even dancing. In the middle of the circle were as many drinks as the group could accumulate. 

"Here Kirby," Taylor passed me a beer and I accepted it, even though I really didn't care for beer. He smiled and I sat beside him in the circle.

"Aimee!" Zac shrieked across the room and a tiny girl with Nicole Kidman hair cocked her head up.

"Zac!" 

"I had no idea you were coming, why didn't you tell me?"

"Well I thought you were busy or something,"

I leaned towards Taylor, "Is that Zac's girlfriend?"

"Yeah, her name's Aimee,"

"Cool,"

Zac retired to that side of the room for the rest of the night, but other than that, nobody moved very much. I was quickly forgotten by Taylor who became caught up in a very lively conversation with a boy who looked fresh off the farm. 

I nursed the same half-gone drink for hours, observing, half asleep. Possibly dozing at times. I struggled to keep my eyes wide open long enough to notice half the group was gone, and the other was preparing to leave. Isaac was speaking slurrily to Zac who sat in a complicated knot with his girlfriend. He held onto two drinks at once and belted out a goofy laugh at the end of every sentence. He looked like a dopey cartoon character, like Yogi Bear or something.

"Are you awake, Kirby?" Taylor's face peered in front of me, my stomach churned madly. 

"Ah, yes, I think so," I rubbed my eyes, cursing inwardly at the mascara smeared over my fingertips.

"I'm really sorry I just abandoned you like that, once I get into a conversation like that I just can't get out," Taylor looked particularly gorgeous with his hair flicked in front of his face, crouched over me in the corner like that, palms resting on his thighs, so this gave me the incentive to forgive him.

"What time is it?" 

"Just past one," He held out a hand to help me up.

"Oh, that's not too bad," I meekly brushed the creases from my clothes and made sure my fingertips was the furthest my mascara had spread. 

"Where is everyone going?" I asked, my eyes following the small crowd headed out the door, Ike's suede covered back, still holding those drinks. Zac and Aimee still sat intertwined on the sofa. 

"To a club or something, knowing Ike,"

I nodded, too tired to offer an intelligent or humorous comment. 

"I'll be going with him one day," Taylor sighed, "In two years,"

"Cheer up Charlie, you'll have plenty of chances to get shit faced in any club you like,"

Taylor's whispery laugh was loud in the large and empty cement-walled room. Aimee looked up from Zac for a moment with the slightest hint of annoyance, then turned away again. 

I was almost completely oblivious that Taylor left the room, but followed after him soon enough so as to avoid embarrassment. He weaved through the biting cold and empty darkness of the house and stopped at a smaller room. Vertical blinds in the window, hard oak disk and swivel chair. A setting with the intention to be serious and assertive, but it was turned silly with lava lamps and crazy posters advertising Barbados and the south of France. 

"This is my favourite room," Taylor mused, shutting us off from the darkness outside with the flick of the chord until the window blended in with the wall. 

I gave a half-hearted grin, not really seeing why this would be a favourite room, but understanding that everyone is different. 

"I come in here all the time cause there's a lock on the door, but also cause, well, the computer's here, my drawing books are here, everything important is in here,"

"Ah, an artist," I said, plunking down on the chair that turned with the weight. 

"Artist? Hardly. I just like to get what's in here down on paper,"

On a normal day, I would have given my right arm to see those drawings, but my eyes were fighting their own little war to stay open, and my mind had shut down a while ago.

"My god you look tired,"

"Mmm..."

"I'll drive you home," He offered, but it went unnoticed. He took my slowly wilting head as a yes and nearly dragged me to the car. 

-    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -   

(cut to school on monday)

"Kirby!" 

I spun in a circle before Zac came into focus. He came up the rest of the stairs and smiled.

"Oh hey Zac,"

"I haven't seen you around all day!" 

I brushed the hair out of my face, "I've been so busy, I should really learn to do my homework on the weekend,"

He laughed and nodded in understanding, "How did you end up getting home on Saturday?"

"Taylor drove me, I was basically asleep so I was no fun, the poor guy,"

Zac laughed and looked at me from the corner of his eyes, "Next time we'll have our own 'party' and you won't fall asleep, not if I can help it," 

"Sounds good," I unlocked my locker and sorted out the books for second last period. 

"Is Reilly talking to you yet?" 

"No...I swear, he's such an actor. He sat beside me in English and Literature and didn't say a word. At home he just keeps away from me,"

"I'm really, really sorry,"

"Why are you sorry? I'm the one that did his dirty work for him,"  

Zac paused and tipped his head to the side, "His dirty work? As in what?"

"Becoming friends with you!.......Oh shit...."

"What? You only became friends with me for him??"

"No, Zac, I wanna be your friend-"

"I can see why Reilly is so angry with you. That was really cruel of you Kirby," 

Zac walked away. His Chuck Taylor's scuffing on the shiny plastic floor, shoelaces tapping and the hurt in his voice still ringing in my ears. 

-    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -   

(cut to the main street in town)

And back to square one I went. No friends, no brother, just the loser Aussie again. If I'm going to be hanging around with no friends, I may as well find something constructive to do. A job would be ideal...

Music shop, dream on...Mc Donald's, wouldn't do it if I was barefoot and pregnant....Ice cream shop...hmm...

"Hello, my name is Kirby Bloom and I was wondering if you need to hire any casual workers,"

"Uhm..." A guy with a mono-brow who was barely tall enough to see over the counter looked stumped.

"How about I just talk to the manager?"

"O-Of course,"

I repeated my question to a lady in her mid-forties with big hoopy earrings, "Well, you know, I could actually do with somebody else to carry a little of the responsibility," She said as she looked over at Mono-Brow who had just dropped a ball of mint ice cream into the change water.

"Have you had any experience?" She asked me.

"I had a job back in Australia at the milk bar on the corner,"

"The what on the what?"

"Milk bar...on the curb,"

"What's that?"

"Um, kind of like 7-11, only not as cool,"

"Oh,"

"I was just serving customers there, stocking shelves,"

"Right," She nodded, "That sounds alright. I'll tell you what, come in here tomorrow after school, you can work for a couple of hours and I'll let you know if you have the job or not,"

"Really?" I asked, wanting to come across as a little more enthusiastic. 

"Yes, really," She smiled her crooked but cheerful smile, "So I'll see you after school?"

"Definitely!"

-    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -       

(cut to the parlour the next day) 

The moment I walked into the ice cream parlour after school, I knew I had the job. The manager, whose name turned out to be Rita, was rushing around behind the counter on her own, trying to refill the ice cream and serve the customers at the same time. I rushed over and took the bucket of ice cream off her and fit it neatly into its respective place. Rita served the small rush of customers and re-pinned her hair. 

"Thank you Kirby, you really run rings around Peter, who, might I add, is not even here," She rolled her eyes and wiped the counter down.

"Well, I do what I gotta do,"

Two and a quarter hours later, after cleaning out the ice cream fridge, serving 30 customers and mopping the floors, it was confirmed that the job was mine. A label was placed over a jacket hook with my name on it and I even had my own pigeon hole for my pay checks to go in. 

"So, I'll see you tomorrow after school!" Rita smiled, her earrings jingling as she locked the door. 

"For sure," 

-    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -   

(cut to work...again)

The rest of my week seemed to be filled with ice cream making, avoiding Reilly and sitting alone at school. Zac had skilfully managed to avoid me completely at school, probably going out of his way not to cross my path. 

"Kirby honey, doesn't your shift end at 6? It's already 7," Rita said, realizing I was still behind the counter, wiping down every bit of glass.

"Yeah...I don't mind staying late..." I cringed at my loser-soaked tone of voice, groaned inwardly and continued wiping.

"Ok sweetie, I'll pay you over time, you deserve it,"

I smiled broadly at Rita who returned the gesture, then once again, continued wiping. The bell on the door jingled and I heard the customer enter, not bothering to look up. 

"Ahem."

"Taylor!"

Taylor smiled his cotton-candy smile, "Hey Kirby. Look at the lengths I have to go to just to see you, I mean, coming into an ice cream shop! This just means I'll have to buy some,"

I smiled back at Taylor and turned around to look at Rita as Taylor perused the flavours. Rita gave a big wink and went into the back room.

"So how have you been?" I asked, incredibly happy to see him. His wind swept hair and flushed cheeks made him look even better than I'd remembered. 

"Working day and night, basically. But other than that, I'm fine. Yourself?"

"I'm alright. Working day and night too," I grinned, "So what'll it be?"

"Um......How about...Maybe...I'll have one scoop of strawberries and cream, and another of...uhhh...chocolate ripple."

"Excellent choice," 

"So what's up with you and Zac these days? I haven't seen you at our place for ages,"

I looked up from scooping the ice cream for a second then looked back down, "We're...I guess you could say we're fighting."

"Why?"

"I said something kind of stupid...It's nothing. I just hope he'll get over it soon cause I'm pretty lonely,"

Taylor frowned in sympathy, "I'll talk to him."

"No, please don't,"

"I'm going to."

"Don't!"

"What do I owe you for the ice cream?"

"Nothing, it's free,"

"Oh come on, let me pay you,"

"No, it's policy, free for friends."

Taylor smiled, "So I'm a friend now?"

"Of course you are,"

He smiled again, this time with his flattery shining through. 

"I'll call round some time and take you to a movie, ok?"

"That'd be cool,"

"Thanks for the ice cream Kirby, see ya later,"

"Bye Taylor."

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