Chapter Nine: Impossible.As.It.May.Seem

    "Where's Chin?" AJ popped his head into Julie and Cathy's room, finding Cathy and Howie talking.
    "Dunno," Cathy shrugged.
    "I think she went to buy something about half an hour ago...not sure," Howie said.
    "Oh...k. Thanx. I think I need to be going out too. Can I borrow a car?"
    "Sure...what about the rental van?" Cathy chucked him a set of keys.
    "Dunno...I think Julie and Nick took Roky to the vet or sumtin, for Jenny...but, gratsi." AJ bowed and went downstairs.
    "Where you going?" Brian caught him going to the garage.
    "Out," AJ replied.
    "Descriptive, huh?"
    "Very. If Chin asks where I went, tell her I'll be back soon."
    "But I thought she's out-"
    "If she gets back before me."
    "Oh. Gotcha," Brian saluted.
    "Bye."
    "See ya, man."

    "Why are you constantly out here?"
    "Am I not allowed to be?" I turned around, basketball in hand.
    "Not 24/7, you're not." Kevin tried to grab the ball from me.
    "It's my house, I can do what I want."  I stuck out my tongue and dodged out of his way.
    "Maturity prevails," he commented.
    "Of course. Now lemme alone!"
    Before Kevin could reply, the garage door opened and startled me. He made a face of mock disgust when I screamed.
    "Sor-RY if I'm skittish!" I yelled at him. A honk from one of the cars made me scream again. Kevin covered his ears.
    "Remind me to bring earplugs the next time we visit," he said as we moved out of the way of the reversing car. AJ waved to us before leaving.
    "Wonder where he's going," I said, ignoring Kevin's comment.

(30 minutes later)
    Chin came home and ran up the stairs with two packages. She headed for her room and set them both down on her table. The smaller one she opened, and took out two bottles. She took one down the hall and chucked it to Julie, who was now sitting on her bed.
    "What's this?" Julie called at Chin's retreating figure, picking up the bottle.
    "Allergy medicine," Chin called back, heading back to her room. She threw out the trash from the first package, and proceeded to peek into the second, to make sure it was okay. "Now, where's Alex?" she asked herself. "ANYONE KNOW WHERE ALEX IS?" she yelled to the house.
    "HE WENT OUT! HE SAID HE'LL BE BACK SOON!" she heard Brian yell back.
    "THANKS!"
    "NO PROB!"
    "STOP YELLING!!!!!!!" Cathy screamed from her room. Chin smiled.
    She sat on her bed with the package, not knowing what to do while she waited. She fiddled with some bows, but gave up with the whole presentation deal. She reminded herself she had to take her medicine. She popped a tablet in her mouth and then decided to find Sprite. She asked Jenny, who was with Brian and Nick in their room, if she knew where her kitten was. Jenny said the last time she saw the kitten was when I was playing with her in our room. Sure enough, she found Sprite in our room, crawling on our boom-box.
    "Oh, no you don't." She picked up the mischievous fluff-ball and took her back to her room. Just as she sat back down on her bed, she heard the garage door. "HEY, ALEX! COME HERE FOR A SEC!" she yelled.
    "COMING!" he replied. She heard him bounding up the stairs, humming some tune.  He popped his head into her room.
    "Yes?"
    "Come, sit." She motioned to the spot beside her. "I have something for you."
    "Oh, really?" AJ wiggled his eyebrows.
    "I hate that mind of yours!"
    "Naw, you know you love it," he smiled. "Anyway, I have something for you, too," he sat down beside her.
    "You first."
    "No, you...you're the lady."
    "Fine." She turned and grabbed the box from behind her. "Here." She placed it on AJ's lap. Out of nowhere - well, from her spot on the bed - Sprite pounced on the package.
    "Feisty little thing, eh?" AJ smiled, prying her off the box and setting her on Chin's lap. "Now, what do we have here?" He gently opened the box.
    "Mew." A small, brown kitten looked up at him. Immediately, Sprite jumped from Chin's lap, in an attempt to join her new friend in his box. She underestimated the distance, and ended up landing on the end of the package. AJ smiled and helped her in.
    "He's yours," Chin informed him. "At first I didn't know what to call him, but how about Coke?"
    "But, Chin-"
    "No buts." She put a finger to his lips. "If you're protesting to his name, well, you think of one. And I don't care if Panda and Bear don't like him just because he's a cat."
    "Why did you-"
    "Because I wanted to. I also realized I never gave you a birthday present."
    "But you didn't know me-"
    "So? I'm making it up to you," she explained, interrupting him again.
    "What about-"
    "Allergies? Well, Julie and I are gonna take some allergy medicine, so I can keep Sprite."
    "You've got all the answers, don't you?" AJ mused. "So...Sprite and Coke, huh? Cute," AJ grinned, looking down at the two playful kittens. "Chin?"
    "Yeah?"
    "You think you could keep Coke here, for me?"
    "You scared your dogs will kill him?"
    "That, yes...but looking at the two right now, I couldn't bear to tear them apart."
    "Sure, Alex," she smiled, looking at the two new playmates. "...So what'd you have for me?"
    "What? Oh...nevermind."
    "Alex!"
    "What?"
    "You told me to go first, and I did. It's your turn!"
    "You'll find out later."
    "But-"
    "No buts." It was his turn to put a finger to her lips. She frowned.
    "Pleeeease?"
    "Alright, alright, fine...How can I say no to that face?" He laughed, and pulled something out a pocket in his cargo pants.
    "This was supposed to make up for getting you a present you couldn't keep," he motioned to Sprite, who was wrestling with Coke, "So I don't know if you deserve it," he smiled.
    "Alex, stop playing with me!" Chin punched his arm.
    "OW! Just watch, these kittens'll scratch me next!"
    "Funny."
    "Anywayz...here." He finally handed her the tiny box. Chin opened it to find a simple silver ring. She gave AJ a questioning look. "It's a friendship ring." He took it out of the box, and showed her the inside. The word "forever" was engraved in it. He took her hand, and slipped it on one of her fingers.
    "Now don't I feel bad?" Chin laughed and gave him a hug. AJ closed his eyes and tried to stop himself from sighing in her warm embrace. She pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "Thank you, Alex."
    "It was nothing," AJ sheepishly smiled and broke his gaze. "I think it's about time the rest of the household met their new roommate..." he mentioned, changing the subject. He stood up, picked up Coke, and offered an arm to Chin. "Don't you?"
    "Why, of course," Chin smiled, picked up Sprite with one arm, and hooked the other with AJ's, as they left the room.

(later that day)
    "Get your OWN noodles, Kevin!" I whined, as he attempted to eat some more of my soup.
    "Are you bothering Sarah?" we heard a voice from the couch. We were all scattered around the kitchen and patio, having impromptu-lunches. I had made a cup of Instant Noodles, and Kevin seemed too lazy to make his own.
    "Yes, Jenny. Hit him or something," I complained, trying to shove Kevin away again.
    "Sorry, but I'm too hungry. Maybe later," she continued munching on her sandwich.
    "So is this how we're gonna spend our last day?" Nick asked, coming inside from the patio with an empty plate.
    "What do you mean?" AJ looked up from the newspaper comics.
    "I mean...we gotta DO something!"
    "Is our house inadequate in entertainment, Nicky?" I questioned.
    "No, I never said that," he corrected himself as 5 girls eyed him with suspicion. "But how's about we go out to do something?"
    "Movie?" Chin asked, leaning against the door to the patio.
    "Beach?" Julie suggested.
    "Park and picnic?" Cathy added.
    "But we've done all that...I was thinking, I dunno. Ice Skating? Bowling? Something we never do!"
    "Bowling?" I choked on my noodles.
    "Why not?" Brian seemed to like the idea.
    "I don't know why you guys even bother...I mean, I did win last time..." AJ scuffed his nails on his chest and blew on them quickly. "Not to brag or anything," he smiled. Jenny chucked a pillow at him.
    "And that was when, the Disney concert? Brian LET you win!"
    "Thank you, Jenny," Brian smiled.
    "Oh, yeah? Well - I could win AGAIN!" AJ exclaimed.
    "I think we should see if this holds true...who wants to go bowling?"  I asked. All hands shot up in the air. There already seemed to be a competition between Jenny and AJ, who pretended to glare at each other and psyche the other one out.

    The ten of us split up between the Boys' rental van and Cathy's car. There was even a race to get to the bowling alley. It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon when we got there, and most of us were blinded by the sun as soon as we stepped out of our respective vehicles.
    "Okay, who's on whose team?" Kevin asked, as we put on our bowling shoes. We had gotten two lanes, so it had to be five on a team.
    "We need team captains," I stated. " ...or we could just have girls against guys."
    "Let's show them Boys that us girls can kick their butts ANY day..." Cathy laughed.
    "Girls against guys, it is." Julie sat down and set up the scoreboards.
    After an hour, both teams were tied. AJ and Brian held the high scores on the guy's team, Jenny and I got the most strikes on ours. Howie kept complaining that we were deliberately making the guys mess up (so what if Cathy decided to randomly sing off key when the guys went to roll?) Nick kept whining about his shoes not fitting. Kevin complained that his hands were to big for the bowling balls.
    "You know what big hands mean..." Jenny elbowed me and smiled.
    "OW!...yes - big gloves," I sweetly smiled back at her.
    The game was almost over, and Brian was on his last turn.
    "C'mon, Rok! SHOW YOUR STUFF!"  AJ yelled. Brian grinned and stepped up to bowl. Jenny shot up out of her seat, ran, and poked him in the sides. He yelped when she hit his ticklish spots, and threw the ball the wrong way. It rolled into another lane, and collided with another ball that was going for a strike.
    "Opps," Jenny muttered, trying not to laugh.
    "CHEATER!" AJ yelled.
    "Hush up! You did the same thing to me!" Chin screamed at him.
    "Now, missy, look what you've done. Excuse me while I go get the ball," Brian grinned at her.
    "Way to go JEN! We're in the lead!" we all gave her high fives. The Boys scowled at us.
    "If only Hannah were here...then it'd be 6 to 5-" Julie began.
    "Then that'd be too unfair!" Howie complained.
    "All you guys DO is complain!" Cathy yelled at him.
    We bickered on for awhile and continued to take our turns. The girls won, but of course the guys said it didn't count. We signed up for another game. All this while, Brian had been gone. Nobody noticed, except Jenny, until it was his turn to roll.
    "Rok, go up there! Rok?" AJ looked around. He spotted Brian a few lanes down, talking to someone. A few minutes later, Brian returned, trying to stop himself from smiling.
    "Uh-oh...I know that face. Did my cuz meet a nice lady?" Kevin joked.
    "Actually, yes."
    The guys leaned in to listen to Brian as he spoke of her. Music was booming and other people were around, so it was hard for the girls to hear. We didn't care too much, and continued to play. We screamed at the guys for their turn, and reluctantly, they each rolled, before getting back to listen to Brian. Jenny caught a few words, and the ones that she heard tore her heart apart.

(later that evening)
    "Lemme guess, you wanna go to sleep?" Howie asked me when I yawned. I shrugged. We had gone out to dinner after a few more games of bowling, and now were relaxing in the family room.
    "Sorry if I'm a bit tired...but you guys gotta get up early tomorrow and I don't wanna be a zombie."
    "What time's the flight again?" he asked.
    "Uh, around 6:30 AM," Jenny answered.
    "Which means you gotta be there by 6:00 at least," Julie added.
    "Which means we gotta leave at 5:30," Chin figured.
    "Which means we needa get up before 5:30!" Cathy whined.
    "Which means...I get the POINT!" AJ grumbled.
    "When's Hannah getting back?" Kevin asked.
    "Um...I think 7:30," Julie answered.
    "So we're gonna miss her...that sux," Nick pouted.
    "Don't worry, we'll tell her you said 'bye'," Jenny smiled.
    Conversation began to lag as we each got sleepier. One by one, we headed up to our rooms, and by 11:30, all lights in the house were out.

~*~*~*~

    Brian rubbed his eyes, opened them, and looked at the ceiling for a few moments. He was about to turn over and go back to sleep when he noticed AJ sitting up, staring out of the window.
    "What's wrong, J?" Brian whispered quietly, as not to awake a snoring Nick.
    "Nothing...just couldn't sleep..." AJ sighed. Brian was a bout to turn over, but decided AJ's sigh meant something.
    "No, really...what's keeping you up?" Brian pressed. AJ sighed and looked at his friend who was trying so hard...
    "Just thinking..."
    Both heads turned as Nick let out loud snort and rolled over.
    "Can we go outside?" AJ gave a weak smile that Brian returned. The two Boys quietly left the room, walked down the hall past the kitchen and dining room, and went outside onto the patio.
    "Some guard dogs, eh?" AJ snickered, pointing at the three dogs asleep on their respective beanbags scattered about the kitchen. The guys stood outside, silent for awhile, leaning on the posts that held the patio up. They had been careful not to turn on any of the lights in the house.
    "So what IS wrong?" Brian asked quietly, braking the serene silence.
    "I dunno...I just can't seem to stop thinking..."
    "...about Chin?"
    AJ looked down at his bare feet in the moonlight and nodded.
    "I told you about her fears...and I told myself I would respect them and let nothing get in the way of our friendship. I promised myself that I'd stop this..."
    "You can't stop something that's this, this strong..."
    "What strength do you see, Brian? I don't see any. I don't know what you're talking about-"
    "There's strength on your side, that's what I see. And if she ever felt or does feel the same, it'll be the same-"
    "No, she'd push me away."
    "AJ, look how close she is with you. How could she push you away?"
    "But that's as friends."
    "We've been over this a billion and one times. You have to tell her."
    "I can't, I just can't...I don't want to be the one to hurt her..." AJ shook his head and sighed.
    "Are you planning to hurt her?"
    "No, but-"
    "So what's the problem?"
    "It's just-" AJ began. Brian looked up behind his friend.
    "BOO!" Two arms wrapped around AJ's waist. "Hey!" Chin laughed.
    "Hi...you scared us."
    "Us?" Brian snickered.
    "What are you guys doing out here? Its so cold," Chin shivered, and hugged herself.
    "We couldn't sleep," Brian replied. AJ stayed silent.
    "You guys thirsty? I was originally going to get a drink, but then saw you guys. I'm gonna go in, get it, and then go to sleep."
    "We'll come with you." Brian got up from leaning on a post and shoved AJ forward.
    "Actually, I'm going to try to sleep...g'nite."
    "AJ!" Brian hissed quietly. AJ ignored him, gave Chin a kiss on her forehead, and headed inside. Chin sighed and looked up at the stars.
    "Anything wrong?" Brian asked Chin, wondering how many times he'd have to ask that question that night.
    "Hmm..." Chin murmured, acting a bit distant. "Wha...? Oh, no, sorry. I'm just not fully awake," she smiled.
    "Uh-huh, I've heard excuses like that before..."
    "What? It's not an excuse."
    "Just kidding...nobody seems to like humor at night! Let's go get the drinks."
    "Okay..."

Chapter Ten: If.Your.Words.Had.Meaning
.If.I.Don't.Have.You. Index
~FanFic Index~
*Home*