\n I walked the floor of my room nervously. I was trying to clean up for Haley. She was coming over tonight, and I knew things would end up down here. I mean, nothing would happen, but it's not like I wasn't gonna get some alone time with her. I looked around at the mess that was my room. Underneath all the clothes somewhere was a floor. I had to pick up everything and figure out what was dirty, what was old, and what was clean. I had a pretty simple way of knowing. If it smelled good, I wore it, if it smelled like detergent, I hadn't. Most I wore, so it became pretty easy for me to figure it out.

\n With my room in order, I started to concentrate on what to wear. I had a lot of ideas, but wasn't sure. I knew I'd have to ask someone I told myself I wouldn't ask for help unless I was desperate. But I was desperate.

\n "Sophie!" Sophie bolted down the stairs, knowing I was gonna need her help. She sat on my bed as I tried on clothes for her. We were having disagreements. Mostly, she was liking things I found terrible for the occasion, and I was not being peppy enough for her liking. We agreed on jeans with a button up shirt. Sophie then got to work with my hair. She was demanding, and bossy and brilliant. I've never seen someone who could tell me exactly what I had to do to fix myself up.

\n "Alright, so we're gonna spike it a little, and then mess it up."

\n "Doesn't it make more sense to just mess it up first."

\n "Sh! Don't interrupt my genius." I rolled my eyes but allowed her to do her work. She was very good at what she did. Then she told me what colognes not to wear. "That'll smell too... powerful. Think subtle. And not too much. Put it farther away then spray, that way she has to get closer to you to smell it. She'll want to stay next to you to smell it the whole time."

\n "Sophie, first, you're evil. Second, where did you learn this stuff?" Sophie shrugged a little.

\n "Internet." I sighed slightly but listened. Haley led me upstairs so I could help Mom set the table. "It'll make you look better." Sophie assured me. Why am I taking the advice of a seven year old? The room smelled of delicious meat loaf that mom was making, and the afternoon was beginning to wane into evening. Dad had been doing home improvement tasks, begrudgingly mind you, all day. Mom was pretty much doing nothing until she started dinner. We normally didn't do much for holidays like this. I placed the plates down and put all the forks and knives down in their respective places and whistled. Sophie was following me, still giving me advice, which was starting to get a little annoying.

\n The door rang and I rushed to answer it. I opened it up and there stood Haley in a nice halter top that almost looked like a dress. She wore a skirt that matched in an overlap that almost seemed to appear that it was attached. Her hair was wavy and it looked really great. Her eyes seemed to light up when she saw me.

\n "Hey handsome." She pulled me closer by the shoulders and kissed me lightly. "You look great."

\n "I had a little help." I admitted.

\n "Really, from who?"

\n "Me!" Shouted Sophie from the window that overlooked the porch.

\n "Sophie, what did I tell you about snooping?"

\n "Don't give away your position."

\n "No."

\n "Don't do it to you?"

\n "That's right." She walked away and I turned to Haley.

\n "So your parents didn't have a problem with you eating here?"

\n "They think I'm at Brittaney's."

\n "Your friends have no problems with covering for you?"

\n "Not really."

\n "Do they like me? I mean, I get the impression that they don't really."

\n "They think it's just a phase or something." Haley wrapped her arms around me a little. "But they have no idea." She kissed me harder then. Mom appeared in the doorway and coughed. I was mortified, and I could tell Haley was just as embarrassed.

\n "Brent, won't you introduce me?" Mom asked.

\n "Mom, this is Haley, Haley this is my mom."

\n "Nice to meet you." Haley reached her hand out, and Mom smiled, taking her hand.
\n "I've heard so much about you."

\n "Hope it's good." Haley said.

\n "Oh it is." Mom led Haley inside and introduced her to Dad. Dad kissed her hand in a gentlemanly fashion. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. It was just a little... personal.

\n "So you're the d-" I coughed and Dad caught himself. "Er... girlfriend Brent's been so excited about."

\n "Yes I am." She wrapped her arms around me.

\n "How long have you two known each other?"

\n "A few years."

\n "Brent's never really talked about you before." Dad pointed out.

\n "We just kinda started to get to know each other this year." She explained.

\n "Ah... Can I get you anything?"

\n "No, I'm fine." Haley smiled and then Sophie came up. "Hey you." Haley reached down and patted Sophie on the head.

\n "Wanna see my room?" Sophie cried. Haley laughed and allowed herself to be led by the kit. Dad watched Haley go up the stairs then turned to me.

\n "She seems nice."

\n "She is... Dad... what was that?"

\n "What?"

\n "You were totally about to say something just mean."

\n "I don't know what you're talking."

\n "Dad, look I know that Haley is the enemy of your nemesis or whatever, but she's not what you think she is."

\n "Oh really?"

\n "Yeah. She's beautiful, smart, funny. And... accepting."

\n "Accepting?"

\n "Dad... she cares for me. Not for what I am, but who I am." Dad opened his mouth and then shut it again. "Just... please be on your best behavior." I shouldn't even have to ask...

\n "Alright."

\n "Oh, and don't even mention her dad." I added for good measure.

\n "Brent I'm no-" He stopped when Sophie came bolting down the stairs. Haley was on her tail, well not really but, she was following her okay? Haley grabbed Sophie and picked her up.

\n "I got you now!" Haley laughed. Sophie squirmed and fought back, but gave up. Haley was giggling her innocent giggle and put Sophie down. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but Haley rolled her eyes.

\n "You two seem to get along well." Dad commented on the sight before him.

\n "Yeah, she's a lot of fun." Sophie was playing with Haley's hair. I knew that Haley was used to it, with her younger siblings. She turned around and grabbed Sophie.

\n "Let's give you a makeover." Sophie started screaming and I couldn't help but laugh. Mom came in and broke everything up, saying dinner was served. We sat down and Haley waited for me to sit down so she could be next to me. Sophie sat in the chair that left her feet about an inch from the ground. Mom started asking Haley what she did outside of school, classes she was taking, always straying away from her family life.

\n Dad was silent the entire time. No doubt soaking in what she was saying, and analyzing it all. He ate slowly, contemplating. It made me uneasy because I was just waiting for him to say something mortifying.

\n "Haley, what's your view on Mr. Roberts?" Dad asked. I had gone to Dad several times complaining about the jackass.

\n "He's a crack who really needs to lay off furs."

\n "Why do you say that?"

\n "Well he tries to make every lesson plan specifically anti-fur. And it's just a total crock of shi-" She caught herself with Sophie there. "Crap. And he's toning himself down, by a lot. He calls my dad a lot. He's always talking about how the furs are behind everything. He calls drunk too, complaining about the 'monstrosity in the white house' completely ignoring the fact that it was because of him that he was allowed to buy his vacation home because of the Education Bill." Haley and Dad really started talking about these now, politics, science, even religion. I was actually surprised to see how alike they could be. I wondered if Mr. Arnold and Dad were that similar too.

\n We finished dinner and I was about to tell Haley that we should go downstairs when Sophie kicked me. I looked up and she looked at me, then at Mom who was clearing dishes and I knew what she wanted.

\n "Let me help you with that." I told Mom. I picked up some plates and helped clean up. Sophie was really pushy, but I figured it might pay off later. I really wanted it to pay off later. I put the dishes back in the sink and then grabbed some stuff from Mom. She smiled at me and said in a hushed voice.

\n "I know it was only for appearances, but thank you."

\n "No problem." I walked back into the dining room. Dad and Haley were discussing music, and lo and behold... they had the same taste. "Don't steal my girlfriend from me Dad."

\n "I've got someone better." He looked at Mom as she came into the room.

\n "You're pathetic." She taunted him.

\n "You're erotic." He said right back.

\n "Oh God. Oh. My God. Really? I think I'm gonna be sick." I started to walk out of the room, holding Haley's hand, when I turned around. "In front of Sophie too? Ugh!" I walked down and led Haley downstairs to my bedroom. She looked around and then I started to see all the little flaws about the room, the nerdy posters, the unmade bed, the trash around the trash can. I thought it was fine before... man was I wrong.

\n "I'd like to say that this is where the magic happens, but there's not much magic in this house." Haley laughed and followed me to my bed. I sat down on it and leaned against the wall. She was absorbed in the room, soaking it in and trying to analyze everything about me just from the room. She looked at the small TV on a packing crate and the game system. Something caught her eye.

\n "You have Burn Zombie-Pirates?"

\n "Yup." I said casually.

\n "That is my absolute favorite game of all time."

\n "That doesn't seem like something your dad would let you play."

\n "What he doesn't know, won't hurt him." I smiled.

\n "You're so naughty."

\n "That a turn on of yours?"

\n "You're a turn on of mine." She just laughed.

\n "You're a dork."

\n "That's your favorite part about me."

\n "Right. Anyways, we should totally play some Zombie-Pirates."

\n "You begging to be owned?"

\n "Oh hohohoho. You did not just."

\n "Oh yes I did."

\n "Give me a controller."

\n *****

\n Haley wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but I'm not gonna say that she was so amazing that I never got a kill. We each had our fair share of owning each other, and it was really fun. Haley got a little bored by the game after a while so she asked if we could pop in a movie. We eventually agreed on a pretty decent action movie from even before Dad's era. We kinda tuned out around the time that the terrorists were taking over the building. Not because the movie was boring, but because Haley found my lips a lot more interesting.

\n About now, you might be thinking that all Haley and I would do was kiss, but there was a lot more than that. It's just that towards the beginning there was a lot more kissing than big soul-bearing moments. And I guess a lot of that dealt with our instincts and hormones. But don't get me wrong, I still felt really happy around her, and was in better spirits with her around than I was without her. Haley lay on top of me contently for a little bit and inhaled deeply.

\n "Mm... You smell good." She told me. Thank you Sophie for that wonderful choice in cologne.

\n "You smell better." She went back on my chest and we lay there.

\n "I really like your family."

\n "They seem to like you. I'm surprised you and my dad get along so well."

\n "Well... he's a lot like my own in some ways."

\n "Um..."

\n "Not like that. I mean, they both have the same kind of personality."

\n "Oh." I still felt a little offended. My father was nothing like the brute she had. "I wish I could meet your parents."

\n "That'd be nice. I mean, I'm sure that you and my mom would get along really well. You treat me well and my dad would like that. My brothers would probably wrestle you to the ground..."

\n "Haley?"

\n "Yeah?"

\n "Why does your dad hate furs?"

\n "Brent..."

\n "I mean, it's just... something I feel that I have the right to know."

\n "It's complicated."

\n "I don't care. I really want to know."

\n "Well... My dad was imprisoned for a murder he didn't commit. He was put in prison, and in prison he saw a lot of violence. And ferocity."

\n "That doesn-"

\n "He also listened to a lot of biased reports on them. And that's the thing that's really interesting, it's why I want to study psychology."

\n "Why's that?"

\n "If you start to hear that something is true, even when it's not... your brain suddenly thinks it is. It's horrifying... but so cool."

\n "So he was brainwashed?"

\n "No... he just heard this so much, that it became true for him. Even though he was best friends with one as a kid." It dawned on me that Haley didn't know that my dad and hers were best friends as a kid. He edited his story to better fit what he wanted.

\n "That's almost... evil. I mean, that's awesome... but still."

\n "Yeah." Haley looked at her phone. "Ugh. I gotta get home."

\n "Aw..."

\n "I know, what will you do without me?"

\n "I'll be all depressed."

\n "You'll see me tomorrow."

\n "Not soon enough."

\n "Well here's this." She kissed me really deeply and I felt the pressure of her hands almost crush my face. "That should hold you over." I was seeing stars when I led her outside and to her car. "Night Brent. I had a really fun time."

\n "So did I." I kissed her again and she turned her car on and pulled out. That went pretty well.

\n *****

\n School passed with the same boring ability it always had. It was a Wednesday, and Jake was sitting at lunch, staring at Logan, who he'd been stalking recently. Not really stalking, more staring at him in the halls and pretending he had the courage to go talk to him.

\n "C'mon Jake. Don't be a wuss."

\n "But what if-"

\n "Jake, c'mon, you've been drooling over this guy since Haley told you about him."

\n "Because he's deamy."

\n "Did you really?"

\n "Yeah..."

\n "Jake, he's just a person, you like him, what's the big deal? Go over there and talk to him."

\n "And what do I say?"

\n "Ask him about the GSA. Say that you want to join."

\n "But I don't want to-"

\n "If you do that, at least you'll start conversation."

\n "I'm just nervous. I mean, what if he doesn't like me?"

\n "You're not a hard person to like Jake. Just need to work on the confidence. And if you don't go over there and talk to him, I'll do it for you." I did that for him once before, years ago. Needless to say, I was very blunt and Jake was mortified, and furious at me.
\n It was so worth it though.

\n Jake finally sucked up his fears, after I started chanting 'do it and you're cool', and went over to Logan. He said hello and I wasn't hearing the awkwardness that Jake normally could manage. Jake was actually handling himself pretty well. He sat down across from Logan and started talking.

\n Wouldn't you know it if he didn't flash a slip of paper at me, that I knew, had digits on it.

I'm very productive with the story the past few days, so I keep just writing more and more and more. I should really just... do a big updatebut I don't really feel like it, so you get a lot of average size updates instead. Kergiby says thank you to all the fans that make him feel all squishy inside, and hopes you all have a fantastic Labor Day.