Nicole sat in the middle of her floor, Indian style, couple weeks later with packets and color pages scattered around her.  She was planning and working on ideas for what to do with her class for the next month.  New pictures in frames were set on tables and on her wall of her, Chris, and also with her and the guys.  It still amazed her on how they all along so fast and so well.  From the first time meeting each other at Chris's house for the BBQ, the Halloween party, and the couple movie nights and dinner/lunch outings with them for the past couple weeks.  Grabbing her hair tie, she pulled her hair up into a messy bun as her cell phone sat next to her, her best friend on speaker phone, chatting away.

After two more hours of chatting with Kara, they hung up.  Nicole raised her arms over her head and stretched.   She winced when she heard her back pop.  Glancing at the clock she decided it was time to go to bed.  Assembling her papers, she picked them up and sat them on the table and made her way to her room.  Setting her cell on her nightstand, she dropped her body on her bed and slid under the covers to drift off to sleep.

~~~

What am I supposed to do
With all these blues
Haunting me, everywhere, no matter what I do
Watching the candle flicker out in the evening glow
I can't let go
When will this night be over

Chris blinked as the beverage burned his throat making his eyes water slightly at the bitter taste. Shaking his head, he sat the glass down, letting the glass clink against the counter top.  Picking up the Whiskey bottle, he poured himself another shot.  He brought the glass to his lips before tipping his head back feeling the same burn in his throat as the alcohol glided down roughly.  He shook his head again, forcing it to hit his stomach and he hit the glass to the table.  He gripped his glass tightly as images of his ex, Karen, prancing around him with the guy she had been cheating on him with.  Out of everyone to run into at the club, it had to be her.  Pouring himself another glass, he tipped his head back and let the alcohol burn down his throat once more.

He had been doing so well.  It had been couple months since the nasty broke up.  His family and friends had been there greatly for him.  He didn't know what he would do without them.  Sure, the topic of Karen had been brought up but it never gave him a huge distraught until he saw her with...him tonight.  Karen acted like she didn't even see him, when he knew she sure as hell did.  She had herself all over the guy every time she was in Chris's bird's eye view.  Karen acted like didn't care that she tore his heart up, shattered his world into pieces.  Moving his index finger along the smooth rim of the shot glass, he shook his head when he felt the tears burn his eyes.  Pushing the shot glass away, he walked out of the room and towards the family room, stumbling slightly.

He hastily stopped when his eyes saw the picture that sat on the table next to his couch by the lamp.  His brown eyes studied the picture of him and Nicole from the Halloween party he threw.  They both stood there with their arms around each other as they hugged, smiling, with Nicole's head resting against his chest.  She was dressed up as a black cat; long sleeve black shirt, black leggings, black leather boots with her nose colored black and whiskers on her cheeks.  She even had black cat ears on her head and a black tail.  Chris was Mario, decked out in a red shirt and blue overalls while Justin was dressed up as Luigi.  He remembered the jokes that he threw about instead of having Yoshi as his sidekick; it was now a black cat.

"Nicole." Chris muttered.  He dug in his pocket and pulled out his cell before sitting down on the couch.  He ran his hand over his face with the palm of his hands, running his fingers through his hair before he brought the cellular device to his ear.  He listened to the sound of ringing that flooded his ears.  Nicole can always put a smile on my face.  He thought.

~*~

Nicole flung her arm over, swatting her hand against her nightstand while her phone rang, pulling her out of her sleep.  Groaning, she grabbed the device hastily and flipped it over, not even bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Hello?"  She spoke, her voice heavy with sleep while she rubbed her eyes.

"Hi."

Nicole crinkled her brows in confusion at the sound of the soft voice that she heard.  She pulled back her cell and saw Chris name on the screen.  What the hell...

"Chris?"  She questioned.  She looked over at her clock and rubbed her eyes when she saw the bright red lights telling her it was three in the morning.

"Yeah..."

Nicole yawned and ran her hand over her face.  "Why are you calling me at three in the morning?"

"I..I-I need you."

Nicole's eyes opened when she heard the pain in his voice.  Using her other hand, she pushed herself up on her bed and leaned her back against the head bored.  "What is wrong?  What happen?"  She asked concerned.  "I thought you were going out with the guys tonight?"

"I did...I saw Karen tonight."

Nicole felt her heart twist from the pain in his voice.  Couple times they had talked about Karen, but he never sounded as hurt as he did right now.  Nicole pulled her legs up to her and rested her arms on her legs.  "What happened?  Did she try to pull some shit?"

"She acted like she didn't see me, yet I know she did.  Every time she was in my view she would be all over him."  Chris confessed.  Nicole nodded her head as she picked at her blanket while he took a deep breath before he continued.  "I thought I was okay, Nicole.  I thought I was over her.  I had a couple drinks but I couldn't stand to see the show she was putting on anymore so I told the guys I wasn't feeling good and came home.  Had a couple shots and thought to call you."

"How much did you have to drink?"

Chris hesitated before he answered her.  "Not a lot."

Nicole sighed while continued to pick at her blanket.  "I can tell you are not one hundred percent sober by your voice."

"Tipsy stage."  He mumbled softly in the phone.

Nicole pulled the blanket off and climbed out of her bed.  "I'm coming over."  She told him.  Slipping on a pair of flip flops, she pulled one of her sweatshirts over her head and reached for her purse.

"It's late.  You don't have to.  Go back to bed.  I'm sorry I called I just---"

"Don't worry about it."  She interrupted him.  "That is what friends are for hun.  I don't have anything tomorrow so it's fine.  Go get a bottle of water and sit on the couch, watch TV or something just...Don't do anything stupid okay?"

"But..."

"No buts."  She shook her head and closed her apartment door behind her.  "I'll be here as soon as I can, alright?"

"Okay..."  He said softly.  Hearing the sound of melancholy his voice made Nicole take quicker steps toward her car.  "Thanks Nicole."

"Don't thank me."  She tossed her purse in the passenger seat and got into her car.  "That is what friends are for.  Just, don't do anything stupid, okay?  No more drinking unless its water or juice."

"Okay."

"Good."  Nicole started her car.  "I'll be there soon Chris."

"Drive safe."

"I will.  You be safe."  She warned him.  "Bye."

"Bye."

And even though my feet are trembling
Every word I say comes stumbling
I will bare it all
Watch me unfold
Unfold, unfold

Nicole got out of her jeep after pulling up in front of Chris's house twenty-five minutes later.  She grabbed a plastic bag and walked to the front door.  The floor light blinded, and startled her when she walked past it. 

"Stupid light."  Nicole mumbled to herself as she rubbed her aching eyes.

She ran the doorbell and ran her tongue over her lips.  Nicole ran her free hand over her arm when the cool breeze seeped in from her sweatshirt.  She looked up when she heard the sound of locks on the other side of the door.  She walked in and wrapped her arms around him before he closed the door behind her.  Chris sighed when he felt her in his arms and closed his eyes.  He held her tightly to him, taking a deep breath and taking in how she smelled.  He loved how she always smelled of a faint aroma of vanilla and a hint of spice from her perfume.  He looked back at her when she pulled back.

Nicole smiled softly all while holding up the plastic bag in her hand, waving it in the air.  Chris gave her a uncertain look and looked in the bag.  A smile appeared on his face when he found a gallon of Rocky Road ice cream from Haagen Dazs in the bag.

"Go to the family room."  Nicole ordered him.  He looked up and watched her walk into the kitchen.  "I'll get us some spoons."

Nodding his head even though she couldn't see him, he walked towards his couch, scuffing his feet against carpet floor the whole way.  Chris turned his head to look toward the kitchen while sounds of cabinets opening and closing could be heard.  Soon Nicole appeared from the kitchen and took a spot next to him on the couch.

"Okay, I don't think guys do the same thing every time they are upset but," Nicole shrugged her shoulders and handed him his spoon, "I thought it couldn't make it worse.  Who doesn't like ice cream, anyways?"

Chris smiled.  He watched her pull the top of the container off and setting it down on the table in front of them.  Nicole rolled up the sleeves on her sweatshirt before digging her spoon in the ice cream and putting it in her mouth.  Copying her same actions, he slid down in his couch with the ice cream in his mouth.  He watched as his friend turned around on the couch, sitting Indian style, looking at him with a spoon sticking out of her mouth.

"How did you bring this from your place to here without it melting?"  Chris asked as he got another spoonful of ice cream.

"I didn't."  Nicole reached over and scooped ice cream onto her spoon.  "I got it from the gas station right by your house.  Only place I knew I would be able to get ice cream at three in the morning."

"I'm sorry."  Chris apologized; feeling horrible about waking her up at three in the morning and her traveling.

Nicole waved her hand at him as if it was nothing.  "That is what friends are for."  She looked up at his eyes.  "When we say we will be there for you no matter what, we mean it."

After swallowing the ice cream that was in his mouth he leaned over and gave her a kiss on her forehead.  Nicole shivered slightly when his lips, which were cold from the ice cream, touched her skin.  Chris pulled back and looked at her.  "Are you cold?"

"N-No."  Nicole slightly stuttered.  She brushed her side bangs behind her ear while she tried to ignore the feeling of butterflies in her stomach.  "I'm fine.  Are you okay?"

Chris let out a deep sigh and sat back against the couch.  After setting his spoon in the ice cream container, he rubbed his face with his hands and let out a breath.  "I thought I was.  I just, I dunno.  The way she was acting like everything we had was just nothing like..."  He dropped his hands on his lap as he tried to think of a perfect word to illustrate what he was talking about.  Nicole reached over and set her hand on his thigh.

"I know what you are trying to say."  She gave him a slight squeeze with her hand before patting his thigh.  "Heartbreak isn't something you get over in days, weeks, heck sometimes months or years.  Don't think of this as a step back, but as a step forward."  Puzzled, Chris turned his head and looked at her.  Nicole held up her hand before he could say something.  "It's a step forward because it's helping you.  Sure, you got upset, sad, came home and had some drinks to numb the pain but you could have taken a different way.  You could have walked up to her and go crazy or scoop down unto her level and find some random chick and hook up in front of Karen."  Nicole sat back and continued to hold his gaze.  "I bet you couple months ago if this happened, you would have done one of those actions."

Chris nodded his head slowly while let the words Nicole was saying sink into his head.  She was right; he could have tried to find a girl in the club and play the games Karen was playing but he didn't.  He took the highroad instead of scooping down to her level.

"Sometimes I wonder why.  Why did she cheat?"  Chris coughed and cleared his throat when his voice cracked.  "Why didn't she just break it off?"  He closed his eyes and cursed himself for letting his emotions get the best of him.

Nicole shrugged her shoulders and swallowed the ice cream she had in her mouth before she answered.  She rubbed his arm as a remembrance that she was there for him.  "Who knows?  She might not even know.  Love can make you do crazy shit."  Nicole held up her hand when she saw him open his mouth.  "I'm not saying she did what she did because she loved you.  When people cheat, more than half the time their brain isn't one hundred percent clear."  Nicole shook her head in disgust.  "People say they were bored, needy, or sick of that person they were dating, but deep down, after all the excuses they pull, I'd bet you more than half of them would confess to saying that they don't know why.  It's easier to make up excuses to try and cover up your dirty tracks then to tell the truth."

Nicole looked over at him.  "I'm not sticking up for her and making up excuses.  I'm just saying my option.  If she didn't love you anymore, why didn't she just break it off before cheating on you?  Who knows.  Nevertheless, who knows if she isn't still in love with you?  I'm not her to state those kinds of facts.  I can't speak for her, but I can say that when you truly love someone; the last thing you want to do it hurt that person.  Yeah, when you are fighting and yelling at each other you try to think of that one line or word that could make them crumble in seconds but that's different.  Cheating and saying one hurtful thing is not in the same category."

Nicole leaned over the ice cream container and kissed his cheek.  "I can say in deliberation that she was stupid on letting you go.  The next girl is going to be lucky to grab hold of you."  Nicole sat back on the couch before a smirk tugged against her lips.  "Or stupid."

Chris rolled his eyes and chuckled.  "You were being all sweet and had to slip in something like that, didn't ya?"

Nicole flashed him an innocent smile.  Chris gave her a look before looking down into the ice cream container while spooning up some more.  "Damn, we have already gone though half of the gallon container."

Nicole leaned over, tilting her head to the side as she examined inside the container.  "Ice cream can do that to you.  One minute you open it, and next thing you know, it's gone."  Nicole patted her stomach before taking another bite.  "Ice cream can fix almost anything.  If not, sure as hell tastes good!"

 "Anyways," Nicole said, bringing his attention back to her with a smirk on her lips.  "If it helps or anything, I think she is a whore."

Chris laughed.  Nicole giggled along with him and dropped her spoon in the ice cream container next to his spoon.  "But on the serious note.  If she is throwing herself out like that in front of you than I think she is insecure with herself.  She is just flaunting around like that it will get a rile out of you and make her feel better about herself."

Chris sat back in his couch while lost in thought over what Nicole just said.  He felt the wheels turn in his head while the words she had said repeated over in his brain.  If she is throwing herself out like that in front of you than I think she is insecure with herself.  Was Karen trying to rile him up?  Make him jealous?  He sat down farther in his couch while he thought over the situation.  He watched as Nicole had another piece of the ice cream. 

Nicole looked down as the Pug jumped up onto the couch and made himself comfortable in her lap.  Placing her spoon back down, she brought her hands to the Pugs' ears and scratched them gently, smiling when Busta closed his eyes and tilted his head back; the sign that he was enjoying it.

"Sometimes I think that dog likes you more than me."

Nicole giggled while she continued to rub the dogs' ears.  "What can I say, I'm irresistible."

"Whatever makes you sleep at night."  Chris joked.  He gave her a wink before bringing a spoonful of ice cream to his lips. 

Nicole made a noise of interest before looking back down at the Pug.  Chris watched her delicately.  She was still adorable; sitting there in a sweatshirt and sweatpants with her hair up in a messy bun.  Even though she didn't wear a lot of makeup, she still had a radiant glow even without makeup on her face.  Her green eyes still sparkled although he could tell she was tired.  His brown eyes watched her while she fixed her hair, spoon hanging out of her mouth with the Pug in her lap.  She didn't care how she looked like in front of him.  Most girls would of put on tons of makeup, change into some kind of outfit before coming over to his place if he called them for the same reason.  Chris tilted his head a little.  Would any other girl come at three in the morning to be with his miserable ass?

She would be silly along with him and he loved that.  Countless times they sang in the car together, busting out ridiculous dance moves that would bring Wade, his choreographer, to a heart attack.  His eyes carefully watched her as he continued to eat the ice cream along with her.  He licked his lips; the faint taste of almonds from the ice cream hit his tongue.  As she licked her spoon he swallowed the lump in his throat.  Realization hit him like a ton of bricks.  It was the last thing he thought would happen.  He was falling for his friend.

~~~

Chris woke up the next morning on his couch.  He stretched his legs and arms out, feeling the sensation once he heard his back pop.  Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he stopped his movement when he saw the familiar tan sandals next to his couch.  Nicole?  Chris asked himself.  Rubbing the back of his neck, he slowly sat up from the couch while he thought about last night.  I saw Karen, got upset, came home, had some shots, called Nicole, she came over, ate ice cream, talked....  He rubbed his left arm and noticed for the first time how it was still faintly warm.  We must have fallen asleep on the couch on each other.  Chris started to chew on his nail until a faint noise from the kitchen disturbed him from his thoughts.  The sounds of cabinets opening and closing with a soft sound of someone singing rang threw his ears.

Slowly he pushed himself off the couch and walked toward the kitchen, dragging his feet underneath him.  Suddenly he stopped in his tracks when he saw the sight in front of him.  There stood Nicole, in the same sweatpants and sweatshirt she appeared in last night, standing in front of the oven with a pan in her hand.

"Sometimes I run, sometimes I hide.  Sometimes I'm scared of you, but all I really want is to hold you tight."  She swayed softly while singing softly to herself.  She poked the sizzling bacon with the fork and shifted it around in the pan to make sure it cooked even.  Leaning over, she flipped the pancake over in the other pan.

Leaning his hip against the frame, he rolled his eyes.  He wasn't surprised she was singing a Britney Spears song.  He knew how much of a fan she was of her.  Hmm...Maybe I should have her meet her.  He thought.

"Good morning."  Before he could start planning, Chris looked up and found her green eyes looking at him with a smile on her lips.  "Did you sleep alright?  I hope you're not in any pain from not being able to move around with me falling asleep on you."

Chris nodded his head and made his way toward the table.  "Morning.  I slept fine, you didn't wound me."

"Sure?"  She looked over her shoulder at him while flipping the finished baking pancake on the other pile of finished pancakes.  "Coffee or Orange Juice?"

He nodded his head.  "Coffee.  Did you sleep okay?"

Nicole nodded her head and placed the mug of coffee in front of him.  Nicole made her way back toward the oven and brought the plates of pancakes and bacon to the kitchen table.  "You woke up just in time."

"How long have you been up?"  Chris asked while filling his plate up with pancakes and bacon.  He felt his stomach leap with joy once the sensation smell of the cooked food hit his nose.

"Mmm."  Nicole hummed.  "And hour?"  She walked past him and rubbed the top of his head.  "How's your head?"

"Why didn't you wake me?"  He looked towards her way as she poured herself a cup of coffee.  "And my head is fine."

"Just making sure you didn't have a hangover or anything after all you drank.  I sure as hell would if I had as much as you."  Nicole sat down in the chair across from him and sat her mug by her plate.  "You needed the sleep.  I know my way around your place so I was fine."

"That is because you're a lightweight."  Chris teased over the hangover comment.  Nicole waved him off with her hand and poured syrup over her already buttered and cut up pancakes.  Nicole looked up when she felt him starting at her.  Chris looked at her with a bewildered look on his face while she sprinkled white powder over her pancakes.  "What?"

"What is that?"

"Powder sugar."  She said as if well known fact.

"I didn't even know I had that in my house."

"You didn't."  She picked up a piece of her butter, syrup, powder sugar cover pancake and smiled when her tongue tasted the marvelous flavor.  "I went to the store after I found out you didn't have any."

"You...you went to the store?"  Chris asked in disbelief.

"Yeah."  She rubbed her piece of pancake on her fork around in the syrup pile that formed on her plate.  "I don't know how you can have pancake batter but not any powder sugar.  It should be illegal; a crime.  I can't eat them without powder sugar."  She leaned over the table and speckled some over his pancakes.  "Oh, Justin called you this morning."

"Really?"  He looked up from his pancakes with a shocked look on his face.  "What was he doing up so early?  How did the house phone not wake me up?"  He looked over to his cordless phone.  "Did he leave a message?"

"He didn't call the house phone."  She answered and took another bite of her pancake.  "Your cell was right next to mine and both were on vibrate.  I wasn't paying attention and I thought it was my cell vibrating and I answered it.  Say to lest, he was shocked to hear me answer and not you.  He was seeing if you were okay because of late night.  He snickered and proclaimed you have something to tell him under his breath before I hung up."  She shrugged her shoulders.  "Don't know why.  You never know what is going on in that little brain of his."  Nicole brought up one of her legs and leaned her leg against the side of the table.  "Which, are you okay?"

"Better."  He brought up the fork full of pancake and took a bite.  He nodded his head in approval toward Nicole when he saw her watching him.  "Thanks again.  You really didn't have to drive all the way out here and bring ice cream than make me breakfast."

"Anytime."  She smiled sweetly at him before taking a sip of her coffee.  She looked down toward the floor when she felt something rub against her leg.  "Hey sleeping buddy."

Chris eyes dropped to the floor towards his pug before looking back up at Nicole with a brow raised.  "Sleeping buddy?"

"Yeah."  Nicole rubbed her toe against Busta's stomach.  "He was my cuddling buddy last night."

"Trader."  Chris pointed his fork toward his dog.  "Leaving me for her."

"What can I say, I'm irresistible."  She giggled, repeating the answer she gave him last night when they talked about it.

Chris rolled his eyes, softly chuckling, all while eating more of his pancakes and pieces of bacon.  After finishing, he placed his fork on this plate and sat back in his chair. "Ahhh, that was good."  He rubbed his stomach with his hand.  "You're right about the powder sugar."

"I told you!"  Nicole exclaimed.  "I know what I'm talking about half the time."

"Half the time."  Chris mocked with a teasing glint in his eyes.  He sat up and picked up his plate with hers and walked toward the sink.

"Whatever."  Nicole muttered and started to clean up the table.  "I was right, and that is all that matters."  She stood next to him and set the empty mugs next to him.  She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a look.  "Anyways, I'm always right."

"Right."  Chris said sarcastically and rinsed the plate before setting it in the dishwasher.  "When you are behind the wheel you are not."

"I am not bad behind the wheel!"  She protested and smacked his arm.  Chris glanced at her while he rinsed another plate and placed it in dishwasher also.

"Hunny, when you get behind that wheel, your brain shuts down."

"Does not."  She protested again.

"Like the time you were meeting up with us at Justin?"  Chris raised a brow and looked at her with an amused look on face.  Nicole scuffed and shoved his arm.

"That was my first time going to Justin's."  She rolled her eyes and let out a small huff.  "You give horrible directions!"

***

"Where are you?"  Chris asked over the phone as he relaxed in a chair on Justin's deck.  She was supposed to meet up with him and the guys over thirty minutes ago.  She was rarely ever late, and if she knew ahead of time she would have called.  He was surprised when thirty minutes past and she didn't show or called.  Getting worried he called her cell to see if something was wrong.

"I dunno."  Nicole.  Chris smirked when he heard her huffing into the phone.  "That is a damn good question.  I think I'm lost."

"You're lost?"  Chris chuckled.  Soon the rest of the guys laughed along with him.  "Where are you?"

"I told you, I dunno!"

Chris got up from his chair and motioned with his hand to the other guys that he was going to the other side of the deck so he could hear her better.  "What street are you on?"

"I dunno."

Chris rolled his eyes.  "Look at the next street sign you pass and read the one you are on."

"I haven't seen a street sign in a long time."

Chris brows knit in confusion and he rubbed the bridge of his nose.  "Uh huh...What do you see?"  He asked, hoping he would know where she was at and help her.

"Umm...Trees."

Chris paused in his movement.  He smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand and groaned.  "Trees?!"

"Shut up Kirkpatrick, that is all I see!  Trees, trees, and more trees!  You asked and I told you!"

"You know if you followed my directions correctly you would be here right now."  Chris said slightly annoyed, yet amused.  He could picture the frustrated look on her face and smacking her hand against the steering wheel on the other side of the line.  The image of that brought a smile on his face and he held back the chuckle that tried to escape.

"You know," She mocked him from before.  "You give horrible directions!"

**

Nicole eyed him in question when he started laughing.  "What are you laughing at?"  She pulled her hair tie out of her hair and shook her hair down.

Chris chuckled and set that last piece of silverware in the dishwasher.  "I was thinking of the time you got lost going to Justin's."

Nicole rolled her eyes and sat down on the bar stool.  "Maybe if they were clear directions-"

"You turned left instead of right!"  Chris tossed the towel on the counter in front of him with a laugh.

"Whatever."  Nicole rolled her eyes and rested her chin on her palm.  She narrowed her eyes at him when he continued to chuckle.  Chris looked at her and gave her a childlike smile.  His brown eyes locked into her green ones.  He couldn't help but notice how cute she looked right at the moment.  Her black hair down, framing her face; her side bang brushed against the corner of her left eye.  Her green eyes sparkled like it had specks of gold in them.  For the first time he realized that every time she looked at him, her eyes took his breath away.  I need a serious talk with Jace.  He told himself.

Clearing his throat; he shook his head to knock him out of his trance and hopped up on the counter behind him.  "So uh," he rubbed the back of his neck while his eyes looked onto the floor underneath him, "What do you have planned for the day?"

Nicole shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.  "Don't have anything planned.  Was going to be a bum today since I rarely have them."

"Nothing with Kara?"  Chris asked in surprise.  They more often than not did something every weekend.

"In Tampa visiting Taylor's parents."  Nicole responded.  She picked at her rosy-pink nail polish on her nails and looked back at up at him.  "What are your plans?"

"Notta.  We can be bums together?"

"Sounds fine to me."  Nicole pulled her sweatshirt off and reveled the red t-shirt she had underneath it.  "You can try to teach me again to play your guitar."

Chris laughed and pushed himself off the counter.  "I remember the first time I was trying to teach you."  Chris said towards her with a teasing glint in his eye.  "At the rate that was going, it will take years for you to learn.  I don't think I have all that time and energy for that.  I do have a life missy."

Nicole threw her sweatshirt at him and stuck her tongue out at him.  "Maybe it's because you're a bad teacher."

Chris wrapped his arms around her shoulders while they made their way toward the studio where his guitars were held.  "Come on young grasshopper.  I shall try to teach you my amazing ways."

Nicole pinched his side.  "Just teach me, stupid."

"I'll try."  Chris joked and looked at her.  Kissing her temple, he opened the studio door open and walked in.  "Just try and learn it before I die.  That would be great."