"Strange." Tootie breathed the word out, accompanied by a sigh. The word was the best she could come up with to describe the recent events that had befallen her normally oh so boring life. This was not to say that she disliked the change. On the contrary, some excitement was exactly what she needed in her life.

Of course, you had to take into account just how much excitement had recently come into her life, and the answer was: quite a lot. Forgetting her sister's birthday, throwing said sister her first ever birthday... or so Vicki claimed, she could be melodramatic at times. Tootie was six years Vicki's junior, so it's entirely possible that their parents did indeed throw her birthday parties before Tootie was born, and the red-head had simply forgotten out of convenience to make their mother and father sound worse. She didn't like to make her sister sound mean, but... This was still Vicki, after all.

Regardless, Friday had been a strange day, and that was putting it mildly. Chester's advances, AJ almost catching them, then going for Trixie?! Tootie had always figured Veronica to be more his type... "Shows what I know about matchmaking..." Then there was her sister actually acting nice? What could've brought that on? She still hadn't gotten a chance to ask Timmy what was up with that hug, nor what brought on making Vicki act normal in front of Chester and AJ! And Vicki being okay with her dating Chester?! "Argh! It doesn't make any sense!"

"...Tootie? Honey, are you okay?"

The raven-haired girl looked up at her mother, now remembering where she was. "Yeah, it's just been a crazy couple of days..." Currently, they were on their way to the mall, Tootie and her friends' favorite place to hang out.

"Crazy enough to make you talk to yourself?" Nicki looked at her daughter with a playful smirk. She was in a relatively good mood herself after the past few days' events, mostly Friday, in regards to her reconciliation with Vicki. Obviously she didn't expect things to even out overnight, there were several years of healing that still needed to take place, but her eldest daughter had called her on Saturday, and they talked fairly amicably for a few hours. During that time, Vicki sounded like she was in relatively good spirits, though she wouldn't elaborate on why...

"Mom, I talked to myself long before last Friday, you know that." Tootie stated matter-of-factly.

"True, but usually you talk to yourself about some evil plan to win the heart of... What was his name again? Tommy?"

"Timmy. Timmy Turner." the girl looked at her mother almost in annoyance, remembering that Trixie used to make the same mistake, before shaking the thought from her head. She was nearly positive that Trixie did that on purpose, while her mother more than likely didn't know. She wasn't particularly keen on sharing information about boys she liked, after all. "Anyway, they say talking to yourself is something that geniuses do, so...?"

"Uh-hum... You know what else they say? That there's a fine line between genius and crazy. Be careful you don't cross it like that weirdo teacher of yours."

Tootie rolled her eyes, realizing her mom was teasing her again. "You think I'd get crazy-obsessed over Timmy, like Crocker is with fairies? C'mon, gimme a little credit, mom..."

"So I should just ignore the fact that when I was cleaning your room, I found your trash bin filled to the brim with memorabilia from the Timmy Turner gift shop, right?" Nicki glanced at her daughter out of the corner of her eye and grinned slyly.

"...Y-yes, yes you should." Tootie flushed red and looked out the window, opting to watch the passing scenery, rather than meet her mother's(likely amused) gaze.

"Tootie." Nicki began in a knowing tone. "You don't have two boys on the hook, do you?"

"No!" Tootie exclaimed as she turned to face her mother. "I really like Timmy, but I've gotten over my crush on him... Mostly. But I really, really like Chester."

"Based on...? Aside from you two being friends for about four years now, how do you know this isn't just a passing crush like with Timmy?"

"Mom, long-term relationships are based on compatibility. I've been friends with Chester for a while now, so he and I are a natural fit. We like a lot of the same things: Video games, comics, scary movies..." "Then again... that's also true for me and Timmy... Huh." Tootie glanced over at her mother, seeing the now glazed-over look in her eyes. "I'm... Actually boring you right now, aren't I?"

Shaking her head and refocusing her gaze on the road, Nicki spoke. "Sorry, you were beginning to sound like your little friend there... Um... AJ, was it? At any rate, if you really like this boy, I'm behind you one-hundred percent. Just... no more shrine building, okay?"

"Ugh! Mom!" this brought out another blush from Tootie, making her turn away from Nicki again. "And you wonder why I told you I'd clean my room!"

The pink-eyed woman giggled at how flustered her daughter had become. "I'm just teasing you, Tootie. So... When are you planning on formally introducing your father and I to your boyfriend?"

"Oh... I was thinking maybe... Never." Tootie smirked, feeling like getting in a bit of teasing herself.

"Never, huh? ...You're such a brat." Nicki rolled her eyes at Tootie's behavior, finding it oddly similar to Vicki's when she talked to her over the weekend.

"If you really want to meet him, stick around today. He's meeting me at the mall." While she was trying to tease her mother right back, she was also dead serious. Her, Timmy, Chester, and AJ were all meeting up today, on account of them having the day off from school, so if her mother really did want to meet Chester, now was her chance.

"Argh..." Nicki growled, surprising Tootie, since she'd never heard her mother actually growl. "Figures that it'd be something like that. You may have the day off, but I'm not so lucky..."

The car stopped as they at last arrived at the Dimmsdale Mall, much to Tootie's relief. She loved talking to her mom, and that she and Vicki were trying to be a normal family, but the girl wasn't so keen on being grilled for information regarding her and Chester's fledgling relationship. "Ooh... That's too bad... Well... Love you, Mom! See you tonight!" the bespectacled girl opened the door and leapt out of her mother's car.

"Okay Honey, say 'Hi' to that cutie Timmy for me!"

"Alright Mom, I wi-" Tootie paused as the door slammed closed. Had she heard her mother right? Before she could open her mouth to speak, Nicki sped off out of the parking lot, not unlike her red-headed daughter. Shaking her head, the girl spun around to face the mall and made her way towards its entrance. Her own crush on Timmy at least made sense, he was sweet, kind, stood up for people, and was her best friend, of course she liked him. "Just like nearly every girl in Dimmsdale does..." But her own mother? She didn't even know him! The only thing that made sense was that her best friend must've had some sort of animal magnetism that he had no control of, what else could it-

"Heehee! Guess who...?"

Tootie froze upon feeling cool fingers slide under her glasses and over her eyes, and the accompanying voice did little to calm the girl. Even without adding 'like' unnecessarily, Tootie knew exactly who was covering her eyes. That playful-sounding voice, tipped with a hint of deviousness, how overly happy it sounded... This meeting shouldn't have surprised her in the least, really. Not hearing from the blonde all weekend meant that she'd see her eventually, though this did bring about an interesting question... "How'd you know I'd be here today?"

"You think that's my name?" the question was followed by another light round of giggling. "C'mon... Try a little harder..."

Tootie felt her not-so-unknown assailant slip their right hand over both of her eyes as they took her glasses off with their left. "What do you want?"

"Wow! You're practically blind without your glasses, huh?"

Tootie sighed, annoyed at being ignored, and by this little game. "Veronica, if you saw a handicapped person in a wheelchair, would you launch them out of it, sit down, and roll yourself around in it while saying 'Wow! You really can't walk without this, huh?' Do you see the problem with what you're doing now?" She turned around as the blonde girl moved her hand. "I- What-What are you even- Heheh... Ahaha!" Tootie covered her mouth with her hand(which did little to muffle her laughter) as she looked at Veronica, who, with the Tootie's purple horn-rimmed glasses on, now looked as though she was sporting eyes that were too big for her head.

"What? I can't look that funny..." the blonde quirked an eyebrow up in confusion as she took out a pink compact mirror to see herself. "Oh... I look like... a dork!" this revelation sent Veronica into her own fit of laughter as she took Tootie's glasses off and handed them back to her.

"I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you... Okay, maybe a little!" Tootie tried to catch her breath as her giggling began to wane. "Oh... Seriously though-" the girl paused as she put her glasses back on and adjusted them. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"I didn't." Veronica shrugged.

"Bull. You just happened to be at the mall as the same time as me? Sorry, but I don't buy that." Tootie crossed her arms and smirked at Veronica with a knowing expression.

"It's true. I didn't have anything to do today, with school being out, so I got my mom to drop me off. Was that your mom in the car just now?" the blonde looked at Tootie, just now noticing the girl's body language, and needing to stifle a giggle from it. Clearly she thought she looked tough, but a slightly short girl with pigtails, glasses, and some sort of schoolgirl outfit wasn't all that scary, especially when she wasn't getting right in Veronica's face and threatening her.

"Yeah, she dropped me off here since I'm meeting Timmy, Chester, and AJ... And- H-hey! Don't change the subject!" Tootie blushed at having almost been fooled. "Where's Trixie, huh? You two are always hanging out together!"

"Whoa! Ease up..." the blonde teen stuck her hands up in defense as she smiled innocently and closed her eyes. "Did I do something to piss you off?"

"Oh... I dunno... Maybe blackmailing me and Chester?!" Tootie shouted, growing even more annoyed at Veronica's light-hearted demeanor. It would be one thing if the girl was fully aware of what she was doing, and was acting accordingly, but right now... She was being friendly, something that earned her immediate distrust from Tootie.

"Blackmail? Who said anything about blackmail?" Veronica asked, genuinely confused.

"You did! When you caught me and Chester making out on the couch!" the raven-haired girl's blush darkened at having to even mention what her and Chester had been doing. "I asked that you not tell anyone, and you asked me what it was worth to us!"

In response to this, the blonde scratched her chin. "Um... Oh yeah...! I almost forgot! ...That wasn't blackmail." Veronica stated matter-of-factly.

"Y-yes it was! When you threaten to expose information about someone that could be detrimental to how people see them, then ask for something in return, that's blackmail!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you were the one to say you'd do 'anything' in exchange for my silence-"

Again, Tootie found herself shocked at how intelligent the blonde girl really was. Not to say Veronica gave off an air-headed vibe, she just seemed to be more of a follower than a leader... "W-well it doesn't matter anyway! I already told Vicki about Chester and I, so you lost your ammo against us!" she interrupted her, still shouting rather loudly.

"Good... for you?" Veronica shrugged, feeling confused all over again. "I never said I'd tell Vicki, or anyone for that matter... Or did you forget that I said I was happy for the two of you?"

"Then... What about that text you sent me? 'Don't forget about our deal'? Certainly seemed like you planned on blackmailing me!"

"That? I was joking! If I was seriously gonna tell Vicki, I'd have done it at the party. Anyone else? Why wait this long to do it? I don't have anything to gain. And finally, I. Am. Happy. For. You. Is that really so hard to believe?" The blonde girl asked, now feeling somewhat taken aback that this girl thought she was really this... Evil? She supposed evil seemed to be the right word here.

"You... You're happy for me? And it was..." On the one hand, Tootie couldn't help but feel like she was letting her obsessive, overprotective tendencies get the better of her sanity. Veronica seemed to be speaking to her quite honestly and genuinely, and she was right. If she was going to take advantage of her and Chester, it would've made sense to do it by now, rather than wait until some unknown date, by which point Tootie might've already spoken to whoever she was afraid would find out. It certainly wouldn't be the first time she was wrong...

Yet on the other hand... This girl was the same one that had been her(admittedly less outward) competition for Timmy's heart. Who could say that there wasn't still some animosity between them? Maybe this really was some elaborate blackmail plan that Tootie couldn't even begin to wrap her head around. Sure, Vicki was out of the picture, but maybe Veronica could use the fact that Chester used to like her to her advantage... Or the blonde could use Tootie's waning affection for Timmy to break up her and Chester... The raven-haired girl looked up at Veronica, whose expression had gone from confused, to something decidedly more concerned... "Why would she be concerned? For me? Why, because I look like a crazy person?!" As this thought graced her mind, Tootie did the one thing that made sense and facepalmed. "Ugh... I'm... sorry." Releasing a sigh, she continued. "I'll be honest, this whole time, I've thought that you were this... Horrible person that was more manipulative than Trixie, so I didn't want to risk trusting you. That's why I thought you were gonna try and break Chester and I up when you found us like that, I made the mistake of thinking that you're just like Trixie, despite the fact that Trixie isn't nearly as bad as I gave her credit for, and you're your own person."

"Okay, so-" Veronica began-

Only to get cut off as Tootie continued once more. "Trying to get over Timmy has been tough, I'll admit that. I'm still nowhere near over him, and I'm terrified that I'll either get rejected by Chester because of that, or I'll get so obsessed over Chester like I did with Timmy that I'll scare him off, even with him telling me it'll be okay and that I won't scare him away... Then there's Vicki's weird behavior, suddenly acting nice, being okay with me and Chester dating, and acting all friendly toward Timmy, and what's more, my mom might have a crush on Timmy, and you know what they say about 'like mother like daughter'. I mean, what am I supposed to do if it's like, my genetic destiny to be with Timmy? I can't even begin to think about understanding that-"

Veronica stared at the raven-haired girl, mouth now agape, feeling like her head was spinning one way, and her brain spinning the opposite. All this information being unceremoniously dumped on her was sending her speeding into the beginnings of a mental coma! Stumbling forward, the blonde's hands fell on Tootie's shoulders. "Tootie!"

Being momentarily shocked by her name being shouted in her face, Tootie's eyes focused on the blonde girl, now significantly closer to her face. Enough conscious thought came to the girl for her to mouth the word "What?"

"You. That's what. You need to see a therapist or something. All these thoughts and worries? They're wearing you out, girl." Veronica reassuringly patted her hands on Tootie's shoulders, then spun her around to face the mall entrance and moved next to her, looping her arm around the shorter girl's shoulders. "Lucky for you, you've got me! C'mon, let's talk."

"O-okay...? Where are we going?" Tootie felt... strangely at ease. Odd, considering she usually felt wary around this girl... But it may have been Veronica's touchy-feely way of showing she was on her side... Or maybe it was nice to just have someone her age that she could talk to...

"Hm? We're gonna find somewhere to talk... Maybe get something to eat... Wanna get some pot?" the blonde teen flashed her new friend a devious smirk.

"W-what?!" Tootie practically shrieked, an offer of drugs being completely unexpected from the blonde's mouth.

"Just... Kidding." Veronica winked, the devious smile remaining on her face.

Meanwhile...

"Uh... Dude? You... Alright?" Chester broke the silence that had pervaded the table he(along with Timmy and AJ) sat at in the mall's food court. He and AJ had arrived some time earlier, followed by Timmy, who, upon arriving, collapsed into his seat and wordlessly laid his head down on the table. The first thing that came to the blond's mind was that Vicki must've immediately gone back to her old ways once it was only her and Timmy in the house. That would explain why he seemed so exhausted...

The only noise from the brunet was an unintelligible mumble.

"Is... Is he asleep?" AJ glanced over at Chester, a small hint of worry evident in his voice.

"Maybe?" Chester shrugged his shoulders, then leaned over the table and tapped on Timmy's elbow, now being used as a pillow by the teen. "Yo, Timmy? You look kinda... Dead."

Apparently 'dead' was the word that could bring Timmy Turner back to life, as upon Chester speaking it, the brunet sat up in his chair and stretched out his arms, releasing a yawn as he did. "...What's up?"

"That's a good question, man. You feeling sick or something?" AJ leaned forward, evidently trying to see if Timmy had a fever, but stopped as the brunet leaned away from his friend's outstretched hand.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." Timmy rubbed at his eyes, trying to will himself out of being fatigued.

"Vicki?" Chester and AJ asked in unison.

"Hm? No, I told you guys, Vicki's not all that bad, she really is trying to-"

"Timmy, seriously, I get that she's probably got a network of spies all around here watching our every move, but you don't have to lie to us, we're your friends." AJ attempted to reassure his friend, assuming the worst must have happened over his weekend with the red-head.

This attempt at reassurance only annoyed the brunet, as it proved that, despite his best efforts to prove Vicki's reputation to be undeserved(y'know, for the most part), AJ still held a fair amount of distrust for the woman. "What can I possibly say that'll get through his thick skull?" Timmy pinched the bridge of his nose, he was still too tired to deal With AJ's over-cautiousness in regards to Vicki. "I-" He paused, then sighed. How exactly could he tell them why he was tired? Telling them he was in a relationship with his babysitter was completely, one-hundred percent off the table, not only because she had told him so herself, but also because he really didn't want to talk about it.

"Seriously Timmy, you can tell us what happened-" Chester began.

"Ha! No, no I definitely can't!" the brunet thought to himself.

"That's what friends are for! I don't exactly agree with everything Brainiac's said, but you are Red's-"

"Vicki's." Timmy cut in.

"Right, Vicki's favorite person to torture. I'm willing to admit that her hug on Friday might've just been another strange way to mess with our heads, pretending she was nice just to catch you off guard. Although... She did seem really cool with me and Tootie dating-"

"You're dating Tootie?!" Timmy and Chester's bald compatriot practically shrieked, his voice echoing through the mall. "S-since when?! And why didn't you tell me?!"

"Because we knew this is how you'd react..." Timmy rubbed his temples as he felt a headache coming on.

"Oh yeah... I guess I forgot to tell you... Hm." Chester replied nonchalantly.

"Wait! You knew before me?!" AJ turned his attention to the brunet, now grimacing at how loud his friend was getting.

"Yeah, I did. Chester told me about it on Friday, while I was at the mall with Vicki." Timmy stated boredly with another yawn.

"Wha?! Why am I always out of the loop when it comes to things like this?!"

"Again, because this is how you react to things like this." Timmy glanced around, hoping AJ wasn't drawing too much attention to them, last thing they needed was to get kicked out of the mall... "Again." In addition, he was also looking for the nearest coffee shop.

"I- You- And him- And... Argh! Anything else that you two are keeping from me?" AJ asked, his tone at last lowering to semi-acceptable levels.

Chester scratched his chin in thought. "Hm... Let's see, dating Tootie, got permission from her sister, might be getting blackmailed by Veronica -have to get back to you on that one-, um... Nope. I think that's it!" the blond smiled at his friend cheekily.

AJ facepalmed in response. "And you?" The teen peeked out between his fingers at Timmy.

"Hoo boy, let me see... Found a shrine dedicated to me, saw how Vicki looks in a dress, snuck out of a restaurant without paying... Oh! And I'm dating my evil babysitter! So, y'know, crazy couple of days." During this string of confessions, the brunet spoke in a deadpanning tone and with an expressionless face. An admittedly difficult feat, but one he pulled off flawlessly.

"Ugh... You could at least take this seriously!" AJ yelled, then shook his head.

"Sorry, couldn't resist messing with you!" Timmy chuckled as he stood up. "I need something to wake me up, you two want anything?"

"'Wake you up'? You're not telling me you drink coffee, are you? You never drink coffee!" Chester looked at his friend incredulously.

"First time for everything." Timmy yawned once again. "You two want anything or not?"

"Yeah, get me a blueberry muffin." AJ spoke up first and took out a five dollar bill, turning to Chester as he handed the money to Timmy. "You want anything, Chester?"

"You buyin'?" the blond asked hopefully.

"That would seem to be the case, yes."

"I'll have what you're both having!" Chester smirked at AJ, who now shot him a mildly annoyed look.

"Freeloader." the bald teen shook his head and chuckled as he took out another five, handing this one to Timmy as well.

"Right. Two muffins, two coffees." the brunet noted as he added the two five dollar bills to his own wallet, then took out a ten, earning him a couple of angry looks from both of his friends. "What? You offered!" Timmy pointed at AJ. "I never asked either of you to pay."

"Wha- That's- Just go..." again, AJ facepalmed in exasperation.

"Well, as long as I have your permission." the brunet spun around and made a beeline for 'The Coffee Shop', a little place that seemed to be exclusive to the Dimmsdale mall, but(according to a passing comment made by Vicki) they made really good coffee. He sidled up to the counter and loudly sighed in relief, now that he knew he was far enough away from Chester and AJ. "I can't believe I just told them everything!"

The two remaining teens watched their friend walk off, and the blond of the duo spoke up once he was sure Timmy was out of earshot. "You... don't think any of that stuff was true, do you?"

"Hm?" AJ looked at Chester quizzically. "What stuff?"

"Timmy seeing Vicki in a dress, sneaking out of a restaurant without paying..."

"And dating Vicki? C'mon man, he's screwing with us. Wanted to say something that he hoped would shock us, that's all. Let's be real here, if he really had seen or done any of those things, there's absolutely no way he'd tell us. You and I both know Timmy's got a weird sense of humor sometimes."

"Maybe- Maybe you're right." Chester looked toward Timmy, seeing that he was now drumming his fingers on the counter of 'The Coffee Shop'. "Still, that was a frickin' odd thing to say..." The blond took a moment to consider the closeness that his friend and their babysitter had exhibited on her birthday, at the time, he wasn't serious. Timmy and Vicki had simply been acting like... Well, like people who were in an anime that liked each other... "Ugh... No way. Dude's nuts, but he's not that nuts..."

Meanwhile, Timmy was becoming slightly impatient now. He didn't want to seem that way, but five minutes had passed without him seeing hide nor hair of an employee. "Hello...?"

A fluttering of paper startled the brunet into looking behind the counter, causing him to meet the top of a familiar blonde head of hair. "I'm on break."

Timmy grimaced. The blonde hair, the bored tone, the distinctly womanly figure sitting cross-legged behind the counter, and the scent of bubblegum, the pink kind. "You can't be serious."

"Well I am. Y'ever try running a jewelery store for half the week, then a coffee shop for the other?" the woman stood up and turned around, body language showing clear annoyance, though it was marred by her wearing a plain, non-threatening brown visor and apron, likely the store uniform. "It's hard fucking work-"

"Hey Heather." Timmy waved, a mix of emotions now flowing through his head. Annoyance, for having to wait; mirth, at the blonde's trying to be intimidating while wearing her 'Coffee Shop' uniform; and an odd bit of nostalgia at finding a familiar face, the same one that had played such a vital role in winning Vicki's heart.

"Lion! I remember you!" Heather exclaimed happily and smiled.

"That's not my name..." the brunet crossed his arms and pouted.

"I'm sure it isn't, but you never gave me your name when you came into the store. The way you were jitterbugging around, along with you running out like you did... Well, it reminded me of a certain cowardly lion." Feeling quite proud of her deductive skills(and not bothering to wait for confirmation), Heather leaned on the counter and stared at Timmy smugly. "So, things work out between you and Dorothy? ...Or maybe the Wicked Witch is more your speed?" Her grin quickly morphed from smug to evil.

"Wha... How-how did you even know?!" Timmy contemplated taking a few steps back, then breaking out into a full sprint and leaving, but his curiosity kept him rooted to the spot. "How did you know any of it? The necklace, my getting it as a birthday present, me liking a girl that might be called a witch by some? How?"

"Simple. For the necklace and how I knew it was a birthday gift, your body language. You're too obvious. Nervous? Check. Getting flustered when I assumed -with no evidence, I might add- that it was a present for someone's birthday? Check. And the simple fact of it being a necklace meant it was more than likely for a girl." Heather popped her gum triumphantly.

"And as for how you know about the... Girl?" the brunet asked nervously, worrying that he must've been too obvious, that had to be it! If a complete frickin' stranger could figure him out, what hope did he have in hiding this secret from his friends?!

"Oh, well that I just assumed." the blonde woman remarked nonchalantly as she pushed herself up off the counter. "And I might be friends with a certain red-headed customer of mine. Who may have texted me on Saturday that a guy she's known for a while gave her a pink, square-cut crystal for her birthday." Heather quirked an eyebrow up at the teen.

At this, Timmy could do little but stare in disbelief. To some extent, he almost felt like he'd been played, like events had been orchestrated so far ahead that it all had to be some elaborate master plan by the red-head herself, and this woman he'd never met before Friday was a collaborator!

"And! Judging by the look on your face... You must be the Twerp I've heard so much about! ...Oh! Hold that pose!" Reaching below the counter and clearly looking for something, Heather stood up upon finding it. The 'it' being a digital camera, with which she quickly took Timmy's picture, then spun it around to look at it. "Hm... Yep! This expression is somewhere between 'It's a small world after all', and 'What the actual fuck is going on'. That's a keeper!" The blonde returned the camera to its spot under the counter, then looked at Timmy expectantly. "I imagine you have questions."

"...So. Very. Many. But right now, I'll just take my coffee."

Meanwhile...

Veronica jubilantly kicked her legs as she sat at a bench on the second floor of the Dimmsdale mall, her new best friend sitting next to her, in a significantly less enthusiastic mood. "I think you should stop worrying so much."

"That's like a doctor treating people by asking them if they've tried not being on fire... While they're on fire!" Tootie glared at the blonde sitting next to her.

"It's really not... But I think I get your point." "Ugh... This is getting us nowhere. If only an apology could solve all the world's problems!" She was, of course, not referring to herself now. Veronica had no need to apologize... Well, except maybe for her mildly mean-spirited blackmail joke. But she'd already told Tootie that she wasn't mad at her for how protective she got when it came to her and Chester's relationship. As someone who once held an obsessive crush on a certain mutual, brunet-haired friend, she knew what it was like to be vastly overprotective of someone. She also knew some part of her still felt like this for Trixie, though that was mostly platonic. "Right, just keep telling yourself that, V... Maybe I'm the one who needs a therapist..." Veronica again glanced over at Tootie, at last having a degree of understanding for what made the girl tick, and why she was... Unhinged, to put it politely. The blonde girl supposed that, if she had grown up with an older sister like Vicki, she too might be a little crazy. And that wasn't even mentioning her constant, multiple rebuffs from Timmy, it allowed Veronica to take some solace that she'd never admitted her feelings to the brunet like Tootie had, she'd never been able to handle rejection particularly well. "So... Feel a little better?"

Strangely enough(to Tootie, anyway), she did. Maybe talking to someone who could relate to her was what she really needed. Sure, she had Chester, but they'd only been together for a day and a half, it was difficult for the raven-haired girl to imagine him as someone who could really sympathize with her like Veronica did, likely because the blond wasn't a girl. Then there was Timmy, but she wasn't entirely sure what was going on with him right now. Chester had mentioned that her sister might like him, but... It had to be just him messing around, right?

"Yo, Tootie? Earth to Tootie, come in Tootie?" the blonde at lat tapped her on the shoulder, making Tootie focus her gaze on her. "It's worse than I thought, you just drifted off there, huh?"

"Uh... N-no, I'm fine. Just remembering something Chester mentioned on Friday..."

"Uh-huh? Well, what is it? Or does it fall under girlfriend-boyfriend confidentiality?" Veronica grinned at the bespectacled girl, an interested glint in her eyes.

"He's not my-! ...I mean..." Tootie cut herself off and looked away. She'd grown so accustomed to saying Timmy wasn't her boyfriend(though this exclamation was usually followed by 'yet') that she apparently now did it out of habit, even though Chester most certainly was her boyfriend this time. "...We haven't quite gotten that far-"

"You two seemed to have gotten that far when I caught you both on the couch..." the blonde chuckled as Tootie's face turned beet-red.

"Would you-! Th-that's different! He... Caught me by surprise-"

"And you were more than happy to go along with it." Veronica attempted to finish Tootie's sentence for her.

Realizing he blonde girl was simply teasing her again, Tootie facepalmed and shook her head. "You're starting to remind me of someone... Look, I told you, I want to take things... Moderately slow with Chester. The whole reason things didn't work out with Timmy was because I was too forward. I was so focused on thinking that there was no way he couldn't like me that I was blind to him not liking me... Like that. I don't want to risk a repeat of events with Chester, so..." Tootie lowered her hand away form her face, but still hung her head worriedly.

"So, somehow you think that passionately making out with Chester is fine, but referring to him as your boyfriend is going too fast?" Veronica asked skeptically.

"Well... When you put it like that..." the raven-haired girl sighed in defeat.

"Have you maybe considered asking Chester what he thinks?"

"Agh... I can't... If I screw this up... I don't know what I'd do if I scared him away like I almost did Timmy. It's only by luck that Timmy and I are still friends... But Chester isn't Timmy, I doubt things between us would be cool if I screwed up..." Tootie stared up at the mall skylight and sighed.

"See? This is your problem right here. You're letting a relationship that never happened define the one you're in! You already told me that Chester said you'd have to try really hard to scare him off, so you ever think that maybe he wants the version of you that you're suppressing?" Veronica leaned in and placed her hand on Tootie's shoulder, getting her to turn her eyes from the skylight to meet the blonde's.

"You... think so? He... He hasn't said anything..." Tootie looked away again and brought her index finger to her chin in thought.

"Well, to be fair, it's just a guess, but I doubt he'd have feelings for you if he really was bothered by that more obsessive side that you're hiding from him. He hasn't told you that he disliked that side, right? ...Oh, and just so you know, most guys aren't going to ask you to change who you are for them... Well, the ones worth dating."

Tootie looked back at Veronica with a smirk. "This coming form a girl who just has so much experience under her belt when it comes to dating."

A light pink blush bloomed across Veronica's cheeks and nose at this comment. "Well I- I'm waiting for the right guy to show up."

"And just what characteristics does the 'right guy' have that you're looking for?" Tootie, seeing her opportunity to turn the tables on her new blonde friend, did just that.

"I... Um- Y'know... He needs to be... able to stand up for both himself, and me... Oh! And kind... Sweet at times, too... I guess I'd want him to be funny too..." Veronica shrank back, unprepared for the conversation to be turned around on her in such a way.

"You pretty much described the most generic guy in the world. You realize that, right?" Tootie, feeling far more confident, smirked at Veronica. "What about Timmy? He's all of those things, and a few more..."

"Timmy? ...I don't think so. Er... Not that I'm disagreeing with you, he's just... Not really my type." Veronica had made the discovery a few years back, right around when she stopped emulating Trixie. Some part of her did like the brunet, but that part was only there because he liked Trixie, rather than her. Veronica had tried so hard to be Timmy's ideal girl, that she nearly lost what made her, her. After that, she forsook the idea that she needed to be like her best friend, and the affection for the buck-toothed teen along with it.

"Not your type? Then... Oh... Oh! You mean those rumors about you and Trixie-!" Tootie was cut off by the blonde's hand shooting out and slapping itself over her mouth.

"No." Veronica shot the raven-haired girl a death glare of her own now. "I know exactly what you're thinking. Trixie and I have both heard the rumors... And I've had this conversation with AJ! ...Ugh..." the blonde pinched the bridge of her nose with her left hand as she moved her right off Tootie's mouth. "It certainly doesn't help that Trixie has not only not denied the rumors, but she also likes to add that, if she were... Like that, I'd be her first choice."

Tootie considered this for a minute, before another revelation came to her, making the bespectacled girl giggle rather girlishly. "But you didn't deny it either~!"

Veronica's hand never left its position on her face, though she now bore a nearly scarlet blush beneath her hand. "My relationship with you was easier when you thought I was gonna steal your boyfriend..."

Tootie jumped to her feet. "Just think of this as some good-natured payback for your text on Friday. C'mon, Chester's gonna start worrying about where I am if we take much longer."

"And? I told you, I came to the mall to go shopping, and we just happened to run into each other." Veronica stood up in turn, shooting Tootie a quizzical look. "Unless you want me to come hang out with you guys...?"

"Oh now that isn't fair. You're really gonna play it like that? Like I'm the one that needs company? You're the one who came here alone... Speaking of which, where is your other half?" Tootie chuckled as the term 'other half' made Veronica glare at her again.

"She's not my-!" The blonde paused, realizing Tootie had once more turned the tables on her, catching her in the same trap she'd caught the raven-haired girl in a few minutes earlier. "Oh, you're evil, aren't you?"

"You should see how my sister really is. Anyway, just come with me, it'll be nice to not be the only girl in the group for once."

"...Fine." Veronica finally gave in with a heavy sigh, having every intention of going with Tootie, but wanting to make the girl work for it.

"Oh yeah, like it's just the worst thing ever that you have to come hang out with me and my friends!" the raven-haired girl laughed as she reached for and grabbed Veronica's hand, then began pulling her along as she walked toward the food court.

The blonde teen slowly followed after Tootie, just barely keeping pace with her. She was more interested in the fact that Tootie had grabbed her hand in the first place. "Girl is so weird. First she's acting chummy, then she thinks I'm gonna blackmail her, so we talk, she tells me about her life, and we go back to being chummy..."

"So... You never did answer my question." Tootie spoke without looking back at Veronica.

"What was the question?"

"How come you're here by yourself? Trixie sick or something? ...Oh! Look! There they are!" the bespectacled girl excitedly pointed over the railing that overlooked the food court. Veronica sidled up next to her to get a better look, seeing that she was pointing at a table that held Chester, AJ, and a decidedly dead-looking Timmy. From what she could tell, the three had already gotten something to eat.

"Well, looks like we're too late. Timmy's already died of boredom." the blonde deadpanned, earning her an approving giggle from Tootie. "And, in answer to your question, Trixie and I really aren't joined at the hip, contrary to popular opinion. There are some days where I feel like doing one thing, and she another. She told me she wanted to get her hair done today, and as much fun as it would be to sit in a hair salon for three hours, I opted to come here. Satisfied?"

Tootie looked at Veronica skeptically. "I still think you have a thing for her." With that, Tootie released the blonde's hand and descended the nearby staircase to the food court.

"Hah..." Veronica sighed loudly again as she followed after her new friend. "It's gonna be a long day..."

At the food court...

Timmy sat back down at the table, handing AJ his muffin, and Chester his coffee and muffin.

"I saw that y'know." Chester stated rather slyly as he pulled the paper off the muffin.

"Saw what?" Timmy looked at his friend quizzically.

"Saw you chattin' up that fine barista lady." the blond teen took a self-satisfied sip from his iced coffee, and promptly fell into a coughing fit. "Agh! What- What did you put in this coffee?!"

"Hm? Why? There something wrong with it?" The brunet stared at his friend in genuine confusion, then looked at his own coffee. "I got what you asked: same as mine."

"So why's it so sweet?!"

"Is it?" Timmy took a sip from the straw in his own coffee. "Hm. Tastes fine to me."

"M-my vision's going... Dark..." The blond teen dramatically held his now shaking hand in front of his face and looked at it fearfully. "I think I'm... going into... Insulin shock... Urk!" With one last groan, Chester fell face-first onto the table.

"...How do you know what insulin shock is?" AJ asked after taking a bite of his muffin.

"Oh that's easy." Chester sat up, clearly fine and not in any danger. "My dad once ate an entire apple pie after dumping a whole carton of vanilla ice cream on it. Had to call the paramedics cuz he went into insulin shock. Guess your body does that when you put too much sugar into it too quickly, pancreas overcompensates and that can happen."

"Well, that was probably the smartest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth." AJ remarked, clearly impressed.

"Yeah, screw you too, Brainiac." Chester spoke in mock-offense. "So anyway, you got a thing for older women, dude?"

"And right back to me 'chatting up' Heather..." Timmy thought to himself in annoyance, thinking that the topic had been dropped. "I wasn't 'chatting up' anyone. She was taking my order, there is a difference."

"Yeah, 'cept you were over there for nearly fifteen minutes. Doesn't take that long to make a couple of coffees and bag up some muffins." the blond took another sip from his coffee, grimacing at the sickeningly sweet taste.

"I can't make small talk with the person who's making my coffee?" the brunet asked as he laid his head down on the table, face-first.

"C'mon, Timmy. It's pretty obvious that, since Tootie and I are an item, you're starting to realize that you're gettin' up there in age. 'Fore you know it, you'll be middle-aged, sad, and alone, like..." Chester took a few seconds to think, then snapped his fingers. "Oh! Like Vicki!"

"'Up there in age'?! I'm only fourteen!" Timmy exclaimed.

"Uh-huh. That's what I'm sayin' man! Your teen years are nearly half over, and you've never even had the beginnings of a meaningful relationship... Or a relationship, for that matter!" Chester took another sip from his coffee, this one unaccompanied by his earlier disgust.

"So... Is there actually some point you're trying to make?" the brunet looked at his friend flatly, having quickly grown annoyed at being called 'old'. "I am not old!"

"Yeah, as I said before, the reason you were having such a long and extended conversation with that fox at the coffee shop, is because you've got a thing for older women. Probably brought on by that little hug from Vicki. Tell me I'm wrong." Chester shrugged as he finished.

"I think you should keep your eyes off foxy baristas, and trained exclusively on Tootie." Timmy narrowed his eyes at Chester threateningly.

"Hey, I never said I had any intentions there. I'm a one woman man, and Tootie is my woman... Doesn't mean I can't appreciate a fine piece of art from time to time, though. From a distance, of course."

"Of course." Timmy rolled his eyes. "And Vicki isn't- ...Nevermind." The brunet caught himself. Sarcastically(if truthfully) saying he was dating Vicki was one thing, openly defending her in front of his friends was another. "Look, I'm not interested in Heather-"

"Oh! You got her name?! Damn, dude, you work fast!" Chester stuck his hand in front of Timmy's face, obviously expecting a high-five.

"She's wearing a nametag." Timmy remarked exasperatedly.

"I didn't hear a denial that you like older women~..." the blond lowered his hand back down to the table and grabbed his muffin.

The buck-toothed teen opened his mouth to speak, then, upon seeing Tootie pop up behind his two friends and silently shush him, opted to simply say: "Finally."

Earning him a quizzical look from his blond friend. "Finally-Gah?!" Chester nearly jumped out of his seat at the table as Tootie wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her chin come to rest on his left shoulder.

"Hey." The bespectacled girl spoke in a mildly husky tone as she nudged the side of her head against Chester's, doing her best to mimic the actions that she always imagined she'd do with Timmy, had they ever started dating.

"What's got you feeling so affectionate today?" as he said this, Chester shoved AJ into the next seat over, opening up a spot for his girlfriend to sit down next to him.

This earned him a glare from AJ. "'Least we know you're thinking with your di-"

"Hey AJ!" the other, female blonde sat down on the other side of the bald teen. "So how'd things go with Trixie?" Veronica smiled at AJ deviously.

Upon hearing this, the table went deadly quiet, and all eyes fell on AJ and Veronica.

"Things? What things?!" A wide grin broke out across Chester's face. "You mean... Brainiac finally made a move?!"

"Hm? You... Oh! Whoops!" Veronica dragged her thumb and finger across her lips, mimicking a zipping action, realizing that AJ hadn't told anyone about his asking Trixie out, and probably didn't want her telling his friends before he did.

"To be fair, nobody asked." AJ said smugly as he looked at the table's other occupants, then turned back to Veronica. "I suppose I have you to thank, Veronica."

"I wouldn't go that far. Trixie can just be... a little ditzy at times. I think it would be safer to say that I just... nudged things along. You're the one that actually asked her out."

"True, but had you not explicitly spelled things out to her, I might still be trying to work up the courage to ask her out in the first place. You have my thanks for your assistance." AJ smiled at Veronica.

"Oh come on... You're giving me way too much credit... And you're being too formal, loosen up!"

"That's AJ for you." Tootie spoke up as she reached over and grabbed Chester's drink.

"Uh... I wouldn't do that-" The blond tried to warn his girlfriend, but he was just slightly too late.

"Guess when you've got an IQ of- Ugh! What- What the Hell did you put in this coffee?! Corn syrup?!" Tootie grimaced at the coffee, then glared at Chester, thinking he'd played a trick on her.

"N-no! I asked Timmy to get me the same thing he got when he offered to go to that coffee place over there-" Chester nodded at 'The Coffee Shop'. "And he came back with... That!"

"It tastes like Diabetes!" the raven-haired girl exclaimed, but took another sip regardless. "Eugh! Timmy! Did you do this?" Tootie at last turned her attention to her ex-crush, who until now had been quietly enjoying his drink. It was only now that she also noticed the prominent bags under his eyes.

"Don't get mad at me." Timmy shrugged and took another sip of his drink, now more than half-gone. "Chester told me to get him a muffin and the same coffee I was getting for myself. If he didn't want it-"

"I didn't know you drank liquid cane sugar!" Chester quickly interjected.

"Then he should've asked for something else."

"Alright, so what exactly is in this?" Tootie lifted Chester's drink up and shook it around, revealing a fair large reservoir of sugar in the bottom of the cup.

"Um..." Timmy thought as he stirred his drink with the straw. "French Vanilla flavor, five creams... And... thirteen sugars-"

"Thirteen?!" Chester and Tootie exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yeah. Thirteen. Why? Is there... something wrong with that?" the brunet stared at his friends like they were the weird ones, not him. "If you don't want it..." Timmy reached over toward Chester's and Tootie's coffee, only for the couple to both yank it away from his grasping hand.

"No! I paid-"

"I paid for it." AJ corrected the blond.

"AJ paid for this for me, I'm drinking it, even if it kills my pancreas." Chester stared at the mound of sugar that collected at the bottom of the cup. "And it very well may..."

At this, Tootie took the drink from Chester and had another sip, slowly becoming accustomed to the overly sweet taste. "So... Why do you look so tired?"

"No reason. Just... Stayed up late last night, since we have today off. A lot of gaming, followed by even more internetting..." Timmy yawned again, though he wasn't feeling quite as tired as he was when he first got to the mall.

"Maybe Vicki riding you for most of the weekend?" Tootie asked, showing genuine concern at the possibility that Vicki was still being mean to Timmy, even after all he'd done.

Unfortunately, the question sounded less concerned, and more accusatory, especially considering Tootie's particularly interesting choice of words. "Wha?! U-um... R-riding me? What- What do you mean by th-that?" The brunet immediately felt the coffee take effect... Or maybe it was the sudden onset of fear at having been found out? The situation certainly wasn't helped by the brunet's face turning a shade of scarlet comparable to the one Tootie had caused Veronica's to.

"Y'know...? Riding you? Giving you a hard time? Making you do chores with no end in sight, and not giving you a break? I'm running out of metaphors here." Tootie quirked an eyebrow up at Timmy's nervousness.

"Like she won't get off your dick?" Chester said over a mouthful of muffin.

"...Thank you for that... Wonderful mental image, Chester..." the bespectacled girl spoke in a mildly disgusted tone.

"Oh... Oh! Um... Heheh... I... N-nevermind..." Timmy stumbled over his words as he tried to calm down and come up with an acceptable response.

Tootie, being fairly intelligent, and significantly more perceptive than the resident genius, AJ; now took notice of her friend's flushed face, and, coupling it with his nervousness and how tired he looked, came to an interesting realization. "No... No way!" The raven-haired girl glanced out of the corner of her eye at Chester. As eventful it would be to tell her boyfriend that he was right about their mutual friend and her sister, it was pretty clear to Tootie that revealing that information... Wasn't really in anyone's best interest. "Hey, Timmy? Can I talk to you for a minute? In private?"

No, she wasn't going to tell anyone that she believed her best friend and Vicki were dating, assuming they really were, she knew it was best to keep it on a need-to-know basis. At the same time, she did want to know, if only to stroke her own ego.

"Shit." Timmy thought to himself. Just that look she was giving him was enough for the brunet to know that he'd been caught, the girl was always too perceptive for her own good, and being friends with her only made her more in tune with Timmy and his problems. It was nice to know that, as his friend, he could count on her for just about anything, he just wished this was one of the few times that she'd let alone, rather than offer help. "Uh... Sure?" Timmy finished his coffee and stood up from the table, followed by Tootie.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna go off and have a last minute fling with Timmy." the bespectacled girl placed a quick kiss on Chester's cheek.

"...Well now that you've said that, I'm kinda worried." the blond flashed her a grin, indicating he was joking.

"You're an ass." Tootie chuckled as she left the table, moving ahead of Timmy and toward the stairs leading up to the second level that overlooked the food court.

"You sure that's a good idea, dude? Tootie and Timmy have had some serious sexual tension for years, even after they agreed to be 'just friends'." AJ took another bite of his nearly forgotten muffin.

"They're gonna be within eyesight anyway, relax Brainiac. I'm really not all that concerned about Tootie cheating on me, especially since she's with my best friend; Timmy wouldn't do something like that. Finally, I trust Tootie, so there." Chester nodded and crossed his arms, satisfied with his justification of Tootie and Timmy going off together.

"Hm. You two seem like you've been together for years, not days." Veronica remarked, clearly impressed.

"Well, we've been friends for years now, and... I guess I just trust her." the blond shrugged. "I'm not gonna act like a jealous ass who thinks his girlfriend is his property... Speaking of jealous asses... How'd things go with Trixie?" Chester quirked an interested eyebrow up at AJ.

"Very funny." the bald teen rolled his eyes. "Well, if you must know..."

Meanwhile...

"You know, don't you?" Timmy asked hesitantly as he leaned against the railing next to Tootie, and both watched the table the rest of their friends were sitting at.

"Are we talking about you and Vicki? 'Cause if we are, then now I definitely know." Tootie glanced over at Timmy, who hadn't turned his head, eyes still trained on the table they'd been sitting at.

After several more seconds of silence, the brunet sighed. "Of course you know... Dunno how I thought I could hide something like that from you... What gave it away?"

Tootie had to take a deep breath to keep from bursting into a fit of laughter, both at being right, and that her former crush was dating Vicki. "Quite a few things, to be honest-"

"Ugh!" the brunet facepalmed in frustration.

"Relax, I doubt any of them are gonna figure it out. The only one who thought you might like Vicki was Chester, and since I didn't really support him in that assumption, he'll probably forget about it soon enough." Tootie reached her hand out and gave Timmy's right shoulder a reassuring pat. "That being said, you might want to calm down, you were really blushing when I asked if Vicki was riding..." The raven-haired girl trailed off and looked toward their friends as her brain put the pieces of the puzzle together. "You... You thought I meant...!" Another quick look at her brunet-haired friend caused her to find that he wasn't looking at her, or their friends, now he was looking completely to his left, hiding his whole face from her. "You thought I was saying you and Vicki did... that?!"

"Well... Your choice of words does fall in line with... Um... That." Timmy added nervously, though he kept his face turned away from the girl.

"But... the only real reason you'd have to get all embarrassed like you did is..."

"So what do you think those three are talking about?" the brunet suddenly looked at Tootie, trying to sway the conversation as far away from himself and Vicki as possible, though this only ended up revealing how beet-red his face now was. "My guess is something along the lines of how you and I still have some unresolved sexual tension, heheh... R-right? ...Tootie?"

The raven-haired girl turned to face her friend, seeing the very obviously pleading look in his eyes. "...Are... Are you okay?" That was the first question to enter the girl's mind, wanting to try and skirt saying a certain word.

"Seriously, AJ seems to think that you and I are destined to end up together, I mean, we're good friends, but... Have- Have you- Um... Told anybody else about you and Che-"

"Timmy." Tootie interrupted the brunet in a low but rather forceful tone. "Are you okay?" She repeated her question, now showing genuine concern.

"I-I'm fine... Why do you ask?"

"Because you don't sound fine. You're clearly on edge, you look like you've been up for over a day and a half, and you..." Tootie glanced around nervously, then mouthed: "And you had sex with my sister?!" Even mouthing the word made her cheeks turn a light shade of pink.

"Oh. That. Right... I just... I'm supposed to be keeping... her and I on a need-to-know basis. Not that... that's been very easy, it's kind of stressful, to be honest. Just found out that the lady who owns that coffee place over there is friends with Vicki, so she knows. That I'm dating her. Not- Not the other thing." Timmy fumbled with his words, but the blush on his face was beginning to fade. Tootie was, for the most part, a fairly reasonable person, so her finding out-

"So... Did she like... have her way with you?" Tootie asked hesitantly as she tapped her index fingers together.

"Wha?! No! You think she-" the brunet caught himself and covered his mouth, realizing he'd been shouting. "No... Nothing like that. It was her idea, but I... just went along with it..." Timmy scratched the back of his neck and blushed again. "Several times..."

This earned him a glare somewhere between disgusted and annoyed from Tootie. "Too much information. Way too much."

"Right, sorry... Um... Can we keep this between us? You knowing is already too many people..." Timmy glanced down toward the table their friends sat at for effect.

"Tempting a prospect as it is to use this against you, I'm Tootie, not Vicki. Secret's safe with me." Tootie shrugged at last, not being all that bothered by the idea of Timmy and her sister dating. There were stranger couples in the world, after all. "I end up an aunt before twenty though, and it'll be the last kid you have, got it?"

Taking note that there were a multitude of forms of bodily harm that Tootie could be implying, Timmy nodded. "...Fair enough."

"Good! Now, let's get back down there and never speak of this ever again. Ever." The raven-haired girl again moved ahead of Timmy to return to the food court, only for the brunet to fall into step next to her. "...So... How was it?"

The question prompted Timmy to stop on the stairs and lean on the railing. "How was... Oh... No. No way am I going into that. You can stow that line of questions right now." The brunet's face again shifted to a beet-red color.

"Fine, fine... 'Least I know you were smart enough to use a condom..."

"...A what?"

A loud slapping sound echoed through the mall as Tootie facepalmed hard enough to leave a mark on her face. "God Damnit."