Courtney felt a sense of deja vu when she left her classroom following the swarm of students and she spotted Max. Max had the same I'm-waiting-for-you-but-not-really-waiting-for-you-and-trying-to-seem-like-I'm-not-waiting-for-you vibe as the previous day. Which was a vibe Courtney rarely found could be repeated with such accuracy.

Oh, please don't tell me I'm living the same day over and over. Yesterday was a fine enough day but not one I'd like to relive.

The girls' night at Lynn's after freshman homecoming, the hide and seek game with Miguel when they were little kids where they weren't found for hours and scared the bejeezus out of their parents. Those were days she'd want to relive.

The shopping trip with Micah. That would be a nice one as well. Though maybe not for him since he saw Max with Blake. Though technically he wouldn't know he was seeing it over and over again so maybe that would make it better... Or worse?

"Uh... Hey," Max said.

Oh good, not reliving the same day over and over. That's a relief.

"What's up, Angry Biker Girl?" Courtney said.

"I wanted to- Wait, what did you call me?"

"Angry Biker Girl. You know your official title in my head. I'm guessing you had one for me as well. Pompous Princess. Stuck-up Cheerleader. Brainless blonde."

Oh, an embarrassed flushed. That's new.

"Let me guess," Courtney said. "You weren't actually that creative, were you?"

Ah, and the flush deepens. Why can't anyone give me creative insulting titles? Bitch is so basic and overused. And an endearment to some, so that doesn't make sense and complicates it. Is it an insult or not, gosh why can't it be clear? Maybe it depends on the tone.

"No worries," Courtney said. "You can use one I suggested or come up with a new one yourself. Now, what's up?"

Max folded her arms and shifted her weight. Ohhh this should be interesting. I tingle with anticipation.

"Were you serious? About what you offered yesterday. You know, with the whole coaching...thing?"

"Yeah. Do you want to come over after school today and we can start?"

Max stared at Courtney and Courtney smiled back. I know, it's hard to believe I'm this cute in pink but believe it, sister! A blonde in pink is classic.

"Just like that?" Max asked. "You really can put everything aside like that?"

"Yeah, again life is too short to hold grudges," Courtney said. "Besides, grudges mean you're focusing your thoughts, energy, and attention on a person who shouldn't mean anything to you. Do you plan to hold a grudge against Brie even though the chances of running into each other again are slim?"

Ah, by your surprised expression and renewed red cheeks, I'll take that as a yes.

"You are free to do that but wouldn't it be better to focus on you and something you want to do for yourself? Just a thought."

Max nodded and unfolded her arms. "So...today? After school?"

"Yup. You can follow me home."

Nodding again, Max turned and headed off.

"This will be fun, Angry Biker Girl," Courtney called out.

Max twisted around. "You never called me that before when I was being mean, why now?"

"Because it can be used as a term of friendship instead of antagonism. Progress."

Ha! I see you fighting to smile. I know, I know, I win over the haters eventually. Or don't and let them be. Haters gonna hate. Ain't nothing I can do to stop that.

Courtney followed Max's path towards the quad, but with a decidedly slower pace. Which wasn't because it would be awkward walking next to each other, nope, Courtney didn't do awkward. Okay, she did it on occasion but this day was because you know, slowly recovering ankle and everything.

By the time she arrived at the quad, the tables were packed and voices invaded the air like protester signs. Which if you think about it said a lot about how loudly people were talking because who could ignore a sign with angry letters on it. Maybe that was the wrong vibe, maybe it was more the excited chatter of fans preparing for a concert. Not sure why this train of thought was so long. Were trains even in use anymore?

She needed to sit down and be surrounded by rational human beings right then.

As she approached her normal table, Lynn scooted over and Courtney carefully slipped in beside her and Kimber.

"What are we talking about?" Courtney asked.

"Debating the merits of crunchy cereal vs mushy cereal. Ted is pointing out the end result of sugary milk in defense of mushy cereal."

See, rational human beings.

Before Courtney could input her thoughts on the topic, Aubrey appeared with Nathan in tow.

"Nathan has agreed to join us today. Everyone say hi to Nathan," she said, nudging people aside so they could both sit.

"Hi Nathan!" the group yelled.

Nathan smiled but looked like he'd never had this many people acknowledge him at one moment before and wasn't sure he liked it.

"That's done," Aubrey said. She slapped the table and turned her gaze on Rosa. "Now. Can we please discuss what Rosa pulled in her story."

This instantly brought other side conversations and lunch eating to an abrupt halt. Forget the cereal issue, Aubrey had brought up something more riveting.

"Yes!" Courtney said. "I think it was brilliant."

"No," Aubrey said. "I love you Rosie but seriously? The story was going one way." She gestured forward with her hand. "Then suddenly it completely changes. The two people that we all agreed to hate until the end of time we are now supposed to be okay with? How does that work?"

"I think it made complete sense," Kimber jumped in. "I mean look at all the ways it was actually set up. We should have seen it coming."

"That they turned out to be undercover spies?!" Aubrey asked.

"I liked it!" Courtney said. "Especially the part with the helicopter. I inspired you, didn't I?"

"A little," Rosa said, bumping her shoulder with Courtney's.

"I honestly was surprised," Lynn said. "I did think Xander was a jerk and planned to always hate him." She shrugged. "But if he was doing it because he was undercover, I guess that makes sense."

"No, it doesn't," Aubrey said. "Rosie, come on."

Rosa sighed. "Look, Raymond Chandler once said if he got stuck in a story he had someone walk in with a gun. I got inspired by that and went with it."

"Alisha's entrance was pretty amazing," Kimber said.

"Agreed!"

"Also the way Xander took out those two bad guys. I mean it had my heart racing."

"I feel like he definitely changed him in my eyes."

"Also Alisha knowing how to speak Farsi was cool."

"How'd you know Farsi?"

"Google."

"It was unexpected but wonderful in my mind."

At the statement, Courtney couldn't help but search the area. She found Micah at a table with his friends, a wide grin on his face. Beside him, Max said something and he laughed.

Even with the noise between them, Courtney could imagine she heard it. Max smiled in return. Can't really hate her now after I said I didn't. Bummer. It would be so much more convenient.

"Oh! Look!" Aubrey called out.

Courtney quickly broke away from her weird staring and found what Aubrey was excited about. At the center of the quad a group of guys formed up and music began to play.

"The first Homecoming flash mob," Lynn said. "How many do we think we'll see this year?"

"We saw twelve last year," Kimber said.

Courtney watched the group perform a half-decent routine before the main guy slowly walked toward an excited girl and asked her to be his date for Homecoming. She squealed and kissed him. Courtney guessed that was a yes. Or the politest no she'd ever seen. As the scene finished up, everyone turned back to the table and now the only thing to talk about was Homecoming.

"Cory," Kimber said in a low voice. "What are the chances Miguel would say yes if I asked him to go with me?"

"Slim to none but I can make it happen," Courtney said.

Kimber eyed her doubtful. Yes, I know, getting Miguel to do anything he doesn't want to seems impossible but I haven't been his cousin all these years to have nothing to show for it.

"Just watch," Courtney said.

Which was a more foretelling statement than she'd thought when she spotted Miguel heading across the quad. She waved him over. He stared at her for a long moment as if he was truly debating whether to completely ignore her summons or not. Eventually, he made up his mind and came over.

"What have you been up to?" she asked. "You look like you got out of a meeting."

"I did, with Principal Rice. Starting next week I'll be approaching businesses and families about the athletic sponsorship program."

Miguel, the man who can casually make everyone else feel like slackers. Why did she hang out with him again? Right, his personality amused her, their familiar relationship, and the fact that she was the only person he seemed to be attached to at the school.

"Well you missed the flash mob," Courtney said.

"I'm devastated," Miguel said, flatly.

Watch and learn, Kimber. Watch and learn.

"What's wrong with a flash mob?"

"You mean a flash mob to simply ask someone to Homecoming? Everything."

Courtney crossed her arms, pretending to be defensive. She couldn't care one way or another. To each his own, and whatnot.

"You know girls like it. It shows that a guy really cares about going with her."

"So if he'd asked with a simple and sincere request, she'd reject him?"

That's it, Miguel, fall for the one thing you love: an argument.

"No, but a little showiness doesn't hurt."

"What if a guy doesn't have that personality? What? Is he supposed to be rejected for not being someone else? That sounds like it's the girl's problem."

Next to her, Courtney could tell that Kimber was listening intently all while acting like she wasn't listening. Which was a harder thing to pull off than most people would think.

"Okay, you make a point there. That means you believe that if the girl is the right one she'll simply accept a sincere proposal without any preamble?"

"Yes."

Courtney cocked her head. "I don't know. Nowadays I feel like it's hard to show sincerity in a way that would be easily accepted."

Miguel rolled his eyes. "It's not hard. Watch." He tapped Kimber's shoulder and she twisted around to gaze up at him with her soulful brown eyes. "Kimber, will you be my date to Homecoming?"

"Yes," she said, smiling.

Courtney clapped. "Yay! I'm happy you two are going to Homecoming together."

"What! Kimber and Miguel are going to Homecoming together?"

"Wait, seriously!"

"They are!"

"Aww they will look so cute together."

"Oh, are you two going to match colors?"

"Kimber, how did you manage that?"

"Miguel, I thought you were single for life?"

Miguel took in the torrent of comments then slowly lowered his eyes to Courtney. She could see his denials mounting.

"Were you not sincere in your request?" she asked. "You just said that you could show sincerity in a way that it would be accepted."

Miguel stared at her so hard she imagined he was trying to set her ablaze, but as every book character had ever discovered that could not happen. Besides, she was a cute, blonde cheerleader, if a person could create such a reaction she'd been set on fire ages ago.

"What color corsage do you want?" Miguel asked, still glaring at Courtney.

"I don't like corsages," Kimber said.

"Fine. I'll pick you up." He pointed to Courtney but she cut him off before he could talk.

"Let me guess? I'm dead to you?"

She smiled mockingly at him and Miguel strode away.

"Well," she said, watching. "That's your date, I hope he's worth it to you."

Kimber squeezed Courtney's arm. "Yes. Definitely is. Also, that was impressive."

"You grow up with someone and you learn what it takes to change their minds. I can't say I have control over him but..."

At Courtney's wicked grin, Kimber burst out laughing. That's right, this blonde does have an evil side but only with relatives that will eventually forgive you. Turn this power on anyone else and the blonde stereotype would be proven right. You know what they say, with great power comes great responsibility. Probably didn't mean that for this situation but whatever.

"Thank you," Kimber said.

"You shouldn't expect anything to come of this dance."

"I'm not. I'm just happy to have him as my date."

"I'll remind you of those words after the dance."

"Deal."

As Kimber turned back to the revisited debate of Rosa's story and its plot twist, Lynn slid her container of carrot sticks closer to Courtney and Courtney responded by sharing her trail mix.

"How are you feeling about yesterday?" Lynn asked.

Courtney picked up a carrot stick. "I'm not reliving the day like Groundhog Day, so I'm doing good."

"Yeah, yesterday wouldn't be a fun day to have to relive. Homecoming night freshman year, now that is a day to remember."

"That's what I thought."

They beamed at each other. Lynn held up a carrot stick and Courtney tapped hers with it in a silent toast.

"What do you say we recreate it?" Lynn asked. "Go stag to homecoming and have a girls' night afterward."

"You don't have anyone you want to go with?"

Lynn waved her carrot stick carelessly. "Ever since Jack and I broke up, I don't know, I haven't been interested in anyone."

"He was the love of your life, the one that got away, the tattoo on your heart that will never be removed."

At Lynn's bright laughter, Courtney smiled. Time does heal wounds and dry tears. Three months ago that would not have been Lynn's reaction to her ex-boyfriend.

Absent-mindedly, Lynn leaned her head on her fist and stole the M&Ms from the trail mix.

"At least it wasn't a bad break, just an inevitable one."

"College does have that effect. And you did pretty well with it."

Lynn gave her a strong side-eye. Okay, might have been generous with the 'pretty well' statement. But a bestie has to do her best to make her bestie look the best.

"I clearly remember a lot of junk food deliveries from you," Lynn said.

"True. But that's mainly because I make an adorable delivery girl."

"I think the outfit was overkill."

"True."

Lynn straightened. "Anyways, do you want to recreate freshman Homecoming this year?"

Courtney glanced at Micah and saw his easy smile aimed at Max.

Nope, not going to be pathetic about this. He has His Girl and I'm just a girl he has around.

"Yes, let's do it," Courtney said.

"Great! Though if someone asks us and we want to say yes-"

"Then we will betray our friendship at the drop of a hat. Bros before literally anything else! We are not independent women, we totally need men to complete us."

Their shared laughter acted as a comfort to Courtney.

"I have to say," Lynn said. "I like Rosa's plot twist. So many times it feels like that a character is created only to be hated but how rare is that in life."

"Agreed. And the fact that they are spies just spices up the whole plot. What's more natural than spies in high school?"

"I had the same thought!"

For the rest of the lunch period, Courtney and Lynn spoke complete nonsense. Something every one with a bestie knows is the most entertaining thing to talk about. When the bell rang, Courtney couldn't remember the random tangents they'd ventured down but it didn't matter, what was left were the smiles they both wore as Lynn headed off.

As Courtney reached down to grab her crutches, another set of hands appeared and picked them up for her.

"Hey," she said, softly as she looked up at Aiden. 

Aiden tucked her crutches under his arms and leaned on them, bringing himself a little closer to her and creating a small bubble for them. And with how many people were around and how most bubbles would be popped a second after creation, it was an impressive feat.

"Hey," he said.

He rocked back and forth for a second then peered down at the ground as if it held his thoughts. Courtney could relate, sometimes her thoughts fell to the ground and she had to go searching for them.

"I wanted to say... About yesterday." He rocked again and met her gaze. "Thank you for being real with me. It... Just thank you."

Courtney tilted her head. "So you really don't hate me?"

He let out a low chuckle. "I admitted to loving you yesterday, that would be a quick change of emotions if I did."

"A coin easily flipped."

He shrugged. She'd been right, that gesture did look weird with crutches and should be avoided. 

"No," he said. "I don't hate you. But... I thought we should, you know figure out...us."

Hold up, cowboy.

"Us?" she asked.

"Yeah, we both share Lynn."

"And you don't want her divided in this divorce?"

"It would be hard on her. She might even think it was her fault."

"Having to act as a go-between."

"Alternating holidays."

"And the trauma it will cause later on in life. You're right. We can't do that to her."

Aiden laughed and Courtney forgot how much she liked his laugh. Easy and infectious. How long had it been since she'd heard it? Maybe there was hope for them.

"How about we take it a day at a time," Courtney suggested. "I don't want you to have to put up with being around me if it's too hard."

Aiden held her gaze, his laughter gone. "It's never hard being around you, Cory. But that's part of the problem." He ducked his head and began rocking again. "I don't know. I don't know how to do this."

"Me neither."

"At least that's something we can be together on." He nodded. "I guess we'll do one day at a time, whatever that means."

"Okay."

Aiden straightened and held out her crutches to her. As she took them, Micah approached them and Courtney caught his eyes flicking between the two of them. Aiden spotted Micah and Courtney saw as he flexed his jaw once but relaxed.

"Hey, man," he said. "I'm sorry about Friday. I was worried about Cory and got defensive. We cool?"

Aiden held out his hand and Micah stared at it as if he'd never seen a hand before. After a second, he took it.

"It's okay," Micah said.

Aiden looked back at Courtney. "See you, Cory."

As Aiden walked off, Courtney couldn't help but watch him go. Full of surprises that one.

"He makes it hard to dislike him," Micah said.

"Yeah, he does," Courtney said, smiling.

"So... You two?"

Courtney nodded. Them two. Talking. Communicating. Figuring it out. They'd been like two trains on parallel tracks, riding side by side but not knowing their destinations were different.

If that was true then that meant they'd jumped the tracks and were forging their own path. But trains couldn't go off-roading. They'd crash and burn, there'd be explosions, scorching metal, and screams of agony. Not a good image. She'd definitely taken this analogy to a weird place.

Courtney laughed quietly. "Yeah, we're figuring it out. But I think we're going to make it."

And not crash in burn in a fiery train collision that would be worthy of a cinematic experience with Hans Zimmer doing the music.

"That's... That's good," Micah said.

"Is that what you came over for? To make sure Aiden wasn't being aggressive? My hero?"

Micah flushed. Oh, he hasn't lost it! What a relief. Bashful, adorable Micah still lives.

"Uh, no," Micah said.

Ah well, a girl can dream just this dream was wrong.

"We both have classes in E building I thought I'd walk with you since I didn't see you this morning."

Not a bad tradeoff for my mistaken dream. Gotta take what I can get. Beggars and choosers and all that stuff.

Before she answered, Courtney directed them to class since the second bell had rung and they were already late. But lateness could be excusable when with someone worth it. Hopefully, Micah felt the same way when he was handed a tardy slip from his teacher.

"Ah," Courtney said. "I didn't see Sophie and Juan today since I had a Council meeting. We were discussing whether we should have a dessert truck or ice cream truck for Homecoming."

"There's a difference?"

"A huge one. A dessert truck can have ice cream but not many flavors. An ice cream truck will have a ton of flavors but nothing else."

"What was the final decision."

"Dessert truck."

"A good choice." Micah looked down at Courtney's feet. "I was going to offer to be your crutch but it seems like you don't need me anymore. You're back on your feet."

Courtney laughed. "I am. But I would have to say, you're the one that doesn't need me anymore. You're able to pick your outfits and we solved your brother struggle. You don't need your Wise Ole Sage."

Micah ducked his head. "I still think I need my Wise Ole Sage. My mom didn't have to have conversations with me about comparisons for no reason."

They reached Courtney's class and she paused. "Then I guess you do still need me. I can keep reminding you what a wonderful person you are."

When Micah flushed again, Courtney bit her lip to keep her smile contained.

"Thank you," Micah said.

Courtney felt her smile recede. Say it. You're already helping Max. Remember where the line is. Remember why this all began.

"Of course," she said. "That's what friends are for."

**********************************************************************

Freaking packing peanuts!

*sits in the belly of the ship and sticks finger in the hole gushing water, trying to ignore the water rising around me*

It's fine. Totally fine. I mean water is supposed to be in ships, right? Or else we would all die of dehydration. So this water that's slowly rising is totally normal. Totes norm. Norm is our ship's name now because that's what it is, normal. 🙂

So...thoughts about the chapter? See how calm my typing voice is. That's how calm you should be too. So no freaking out in the comments. If you freak out the there's not telling where the panic will end. 🗯💭💬🙂

🙂 Am I nervous about the ship sinking knowing I'm the captain and a captain is supposed to go down with the ship? Psssh! Ha! What a bucket of laughs!

*clears throat* Speaking of buckets you wouldn't have one handy, would you? Maybe you should, you know...dump some of this water overboard just to be safe. Also my pants are getting wet and that's just going to be embarrassing later on.

*watches as you furiously shovel water out of the ship* Talking while you work makes it go faster, right? So question for crazytwentythrees (that you should answer as well): What's one topic you could talk about for hours.

(Cause let's face it at the rate of water coming in and how slow it's going out, we are going to be here for hours... Or at the bottom of the ocean... KEEP DUMPING WATER OUT! *breathes* I mean, do you mind continuing your great work? Thank you very so kindly)

Oh grumpymood has a question back to me, that's nice. If you could be the mc of any book ever written or movie ever made, which one would you choose ??

Answer: It's going to sound conceited but Carter. Why? Answer: Donovan. Bam! Nothing else needs to be said because he said it all by being him. Also Mason as a bestie, yes please!

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