One! Two! Three! Four!

One!
I'm biting my tongue.
Two!
He's kissin' on you.
Three!
Oh, why can't you see?
One! Two! Three! Four! -black kids

It was cold, but the heat was on in Amanda's car. They were waiting what seemed an eternity for chicken sandwiches from the Burger King drive through. At least they had their drinks. Although, Kyle had it on the tip of his tongue that they should switch seats so he'd look like the driver instead of Amanda.

Yet he couldn't complain much. They had the house all to themselves. Derrick was off with a friend so of course they had to take advantage of that. All that silence. Just couldn't help themselves not to be as loud as possible. Of course, Kyle knew Amanda had to be exaggerating some when she decided to yell out yes what seemed to go on for an epic movie at a certain moment he wished she'd kept quiet. But her laughter and her giggling just made him feel quite right on the status that she definitely enjoyed his company. That moment with Ellie, just a passing thought that didn't mean a thing now.

And now they were hungry. Once they ate, they could go Christmas shopping. They wolfed the sandwiches down quickly. They were ravished.

"Don't buy me anything," she told him right before she pulled into the mall parking lot.

"What? Is this a trick question?" Kyle didn't think she could be serious.

"I don't have any money to really buy you anything. You know, like a video game. I couldn't even buy you a World of Warcraft game card if I wanted." She shrugged.

"I don't need anything, anyway," Kyle told her, holding hands. "Besides I don't even play." He had. He went in bouts. World of Warcraft was just a far away land to him, and it could stay far away.

"I'll make you something," she shrugged as they walked into the colored lights of Christmas.

"Good, then I'll do the same." They walked around in a daze for a good long while. Made a trip through Hot Topic but decided it was all too expensive.

"So how is Ellie?" Amanda looked at Kyle. He didn't know what to say.

"Fine, I guess. I think she and Eric made up. She was with this other guy."

"What? How could she? Eric is the sweetest? Why would she do that?" Amanda questioned.

"Who knows? She says it wasn't like that. She didn't know Eric was going to pick her up and this guy she worked with took quite a while taking her home. She went back to his place."

"Do you believe her?"

"I guess." Kyle would rather not discuss this. "Ellie isn't my favorite person right now, OK. You are."

"Is Eric OK?" Amanda seemed concerned.

"Do you have a crush on him or something?" Kyle looked at her feeling a twinge of guilt for asking.

"No." Amanda rolled her eyes. "Its just, you know, they seemed so into each other and I just wondered." She sighed then. "See I have this friend Liz, who...well, she wants to be my best friend when she has no one else, but as soon as a guy looks at her, goodbye me. Its just nice to be around other couples. I guess." She smiled.

"Yeah." Kyle gave her a quick grin. His fingers intertwined with hers. "So how would you feel if you had a friend who was gay?"

"Gay? Like on Will and Grace?" She winced.

"I guess." Kyle shrugged.

"We don't have gay people at my Catholic school," Amanda said.

"Really?" Kyle bit his lip from laughing. "But there everywhere, Amanda?" He made it sound as if bats were flying overhead and they'd get her as soon as possible.

"Quit making fun of me," Amanda frowned, but she didn't let go of his hand instead she brought her hand up to her chest so he could sense his wrist so close to the real thing. The curve of her bosom just gave him happy thoughts.

"I'm not. I don't mean too. Its just you wouldn't go bonkers or anything if-"

"Just what are you talking about." Amanda snapped, dragging him along to the fountain.'''

Kyle could see a clear shot of Cory from the bench where he sat down at, and he plopped Amanda beside him. Cory was with a guy, and it wasn't Dylan. There was a tickle in Kyle's throat as he watched them down the way. He stared at the skinny guy with the funny hat.

"Just don't lose it, if somebody comes over, you have to act natural," he whispered.

"Natural?" She whispered back. He thought she might bite his ear that time.

Kyle saw Cory walking toward him. His hands in his jean pockets. There was Roger right next to him.