The next morning, I'm still at Kate's apartment, sound asleep on the couch.
      There's a knock at the door. I open my eyes half way.
      "Go away!" I said, fairly loud, without caring who it was.
      There's a few seconds silence, then I hear the sound of the door being unlocked. 'Great, I probably just told Kate to go away...' I thought.
      "Hey, lookit that, Kate never changed her locks," Lewis said, closing the door.
      "What're you doing here?" I asked. "I'm trying to sleep."
      "I thought you might wanna do something today," he said, then sat on the end of the couch.
      I shot up so fast and grabbed the pillow. "So help me, I'll beat ya senseless with this pillow!"
      "I meant like how we went to the ball game yesterday," he said.
      I looked Lewis right in the eyes, then put the pillow down. "Sorry, still half asleep, I guess." I paused. "Movies?"
      "Sure," he agreed.
      'This is really weird,' I thought. "I'll just go change then," I said, got up, and went in the bathroom.

      Hour 5 at the theater. I couldn't believe it! An entire day's marathon of Bowery Boys movies. *1* | *2*
      Hour 8 and 2 leg cramps later... Drew, Kate, and Oswald came into the theater, but didn't see us and we didn't see them.
      "I wish I had no life and could've been here all day for this marathon," Oswald commented.
      Drew starts looking around. "What? Is Lewis here?" he joked.
      "He's over there," Kate said, pointing. "Isn't that Lauren with him?"
      "Hey," Oswald said.
      "Is it just me or does he have his arm around her?" Drew asked.
      "Please, let it be just you!" Oswald said, quickly. Wishful thinking on his behalf.
      The 3 of them just keep watching, as we started making out. (*author fans herself*)

      About 15 minutes later, Drew, Kate, and Oswald get to Drew's house and all just plop on the couch with blank looks on their faces.
      "Wow," Drew said, plainly.
      "Who knew?" Kate said.
      "I'll kill him," Oswald said.
      Drew and Kate look at him.
      "Well, she's my cousin!" Oswald said.
      The door opens and we come in.
      "Hey, Lauren," Drew said. "So, what'd you do today?"
      Kate nudged him.
      "We went to see the Bowery Boys marathon at the movie theater," I said, then sat in the chair.
      "Didja do anything else?" Oswald asked.
      "No, that was it," I answered.
      "Are you sure?" Kate asked.
      "What is this? The third degree?" I said, wondering what's with the 20 questions.
      Drew looked at me. "We were at the theater."
      "Oh..." I said, then sat back.
      "I think I'll get a beer now..." Lewis said, then went into the kitchen.
      "Wait a minute..." Oswald said, got up, and followed him.
      "This is all too weird... but none of it involves me, so take this to your apartment, Kate," Drew said, got up, and went upstairs.
      Kate looked at me. She tried a coupla times to say something and couldn't, then finally... "Why? The last time you were here, you barely even talked to Lewis, and when you did, well..."
      "I've been tryin' to figure it out myself," I said. "The thing is, is that when I came, I never actually intended to find you guys. I just wanted to get away. Then yesterday with the ballgame and today with the movies.. I think it's just that he actually wanted me to be happy even with all the crap I've given him."
      There's an eerie silence.
      "I thought they went into the kitchen?" I said. "Oswald didn't kill him, did he?"
      Kate looked around me. "Nope, they're outside. Oswald's trying to be a samurai with the cue sticks."
      "I gotta see this," I said, got up, and went out back. "This is interesting. Oswald, put the cue sticks down."
      "Oh, alright," Oswald said, "I didn't know what I was doing, anyway." He paused. "Did I miss somethin' here?"
      "Listen, all that happened was that we found we liked some of the same things. Lewis was just trying to be nice. And I'm glad cuz otherwise I'd've been bored outta my mind!"
      "Really?" Oswald asked, looking at Lewis.
      "Really," Lewis replied.
      "Oh. Well, what about at the movies, huh?" Oswald asked.
      On the 2nd floor of the house, Drew stuck his head out the window. "I thought I toldja to take this somewhere else? I gotta work in the morning!" he goes back in and closes the window.
      "Well, I've gotta work, too, so I don't want it at my apartment," Kate said, then left.
      "I don't hafta be there till 9:20," Oswald said.
      "But I've gotta go in a half an hour," Lewis said.
      "I guess I can wait till tomorrow," Oswald said, then left.
      "Well, that was really weird," I said, then paused. "Oh, great. I just realized something."
      "What?" Lewis asked.
      "I should've left with Kate," I said.

      The next morning, Oswald came out, and stumbled around half asleep, trying to get some breakfast. He sat down at the booth and started eating. He looked over at the window and saw me sleeping on the bench where they usually yell down for beer.
      "Hey, Lauren!" he said, loud enough to startle me.
      I rolled off the bench and onto the floor. "Normally, I prefer waking to the radio... but I guess that'll do," I said.
      "How'd you get up here?" Oswald asked, then came over and helped me up.
      "Lewis..." I started.
      "I'll kill him," Oswald said, then turned.
      I spun him around. "Listen, okay? I realized I wouldn't be able to get in Kate's apartment so Lewis asked if I wanted to go with him to DrugCo. Well, basically, that place gives me the creeps so he dropped me off here and gave me his key. Right now, he's probably sleeping on Drew's pool table."
      "Oh," Oswald said, "but how'd you get through the Warsaw to get up here?"
      "I just walked through. I stayed near the wall," I explained. "Hey, I'm five foot, I doubt anyone saw me."
      "Atleast you got some practice cuz youll hafta do the same to get outta here now," Oswald said, "and I gotta go to work so I can't help ya." He left.
      An hour later, I finally made it to Drew's backyard. I went and knocked on the door. No answer. I decided to go to Kate's apartment. I started to leave and suddenly I heard this rumbling noise. I turned back and looked around the yard. It gets louder and I looked at the garage... er... the brewery. I just stood there stunned like an idiot as the sound got louder.
      The back door of Drew's house opened. Lewis stepped out, heard the noise, and saw me standing there like a dofus. Before I knew it, he ran over, picked me up, and practically dragged me into the house, slamming the door behind. There's an explosion and beer everywhere. I just sat there on the floor.
      "That's the third time that thing's exploded like that." Lewis said. "Good thing Drew gave me his key earlier. I guess he knows how uncomfortable that pool table is to sleep on."
      Meanwhile, I was still in a daze.
      "Lauren?" he asked.
      "I'm goin' home," I said, sorta surprising myself. I got up and went into the living room to go out the front door.
      "Wait," Lewis said and followed me.
      "I'm leaving, this is just getting too weird," I said.
      "Weird? We've almost come to expect explosions now," he said.
      I opened the door, he spun me around, and kissed me. You want awkward? Just think about the height difference.
      "That's the other thing," I said.
      "But it didn't do anything," Lewis said.
      I started chuckling. "No, I meant since when did we start getting along?"
      "Change of heart?" he asked.
      Okay, now he's just stalling. I closed the door. "So much for a straight answer."
      The front door opened.
      "I just closed that!" I said, exasperated.
      Drew came in. "Well, I'm sorry, but it's m house and my backyard is covered in beer again!"
      "How'd you know it exploded again?" Lewis asked.
      Oswald came in. "Everybody okay?"
      I turned to Lewis. "He had a spy."
      "Hey, I'm not a spy!" Oswald said. "I was following you because Drew asked me to. I didn't even know why."
      "Wait a minute. You asked Oswald to follow me? Why?" I asked.
      "Kate called me this morning and said you weren't at her apartment, so I called Oswald because I knew Lewis was outside sleeping on the pool table. I called Oswald when I got to work and he said you snuck through the Warsaw and... ah, crap. I just wanted to make sure you and Lewis didn't loot my house," Drew said.
      I was about to say something, but changed my mind.
      "You do something once and they never forget," Lewis said.
      "I gotta go look at my backyard," Drew said, then left the room and went out back. "Oh, crap!"
      The 3 of us just stood there in an awkward silence. I hate that.
      "I think I'll go help Drew clean up the backyard," Lewis said, then left.
      Oswald crossed his arms. Crap. He's about to get smart on me.
      "What's going on?" he asked.
      I went over and sat on the couch. "I don't know."
      Oswald came over and sat next to me. "It's gotta be something. I mean, you and Lewis never got along, and now..."
      Why did I get this sudden feeling he might start hyper-ventalating? "That's the thing. I just don't..." I paused. Now, I knew. "I think he had a crush one me and picked on me to hide it."
      "No, that can't be it..." Oswald said. He wasn't listening to me.
      Lewis came back in. "That was it."
      I looked over at him, then stood up. "You could've just told me... instead of giving me all those nugies and indian burns."
      "Hey, it was the only way I could touch ya and not get in trouble," Lewis replied.
      "All ya had to do was ask," I said.
      "Can I have a hug?" Lewis asked.
      "Sure," I said and went over to him. We hugged.
      "Hey, what about the other person in this room getting grossed out here?!" Oswald complained.

THE END :)~