After remembering that he was supposed to cook, Terry reluctantly abandoned his moment with Kiley, which they understood. At least, that's what they said, but Terry knew he would never be let down for it. Kiley, that bastard.

When he got back inside and to the kitchen, he saw Jesse and Mark on the couch eating pizza. "Um!" He started, stomping towards them, "What is this?"

"Food," Jesse answered. "why?"

"I was supposed to cook!"

"Oh yeah. Maybe another time."

Terry had NEVER in his life been disappointed about not having to do something, but honestly, he NEEDED to prove Jesse wrong.

He walked over to the stove and suddenly realized how much work cooking actually took. Nevermind. Jesse could have this one.

Terry just walked back over and plopped onto the couch beside them. "Yeah. Maybe another time." He took a bite of some pizza as Caren walked into the room. She had this big grin on her face like she had just witnessed a guilty pleasure. Maybe that was too accurate of a description.

"Hey, guys." She sat beside Jesse. "So. You know Brice Winter?"

Oh no. Terry thought. Not again.

Her arms twirled around her legs as she smiled. "I bumped into him today."

"Woah. Terry bumped into Lars!"

"No, I didn't, Mark, you dragged me-"

"Oh really?" Caren replied, cutting off Terry. He responded by pouting and putting his legs on Mark's lap to annoy him. Take that! Stinky Terry feet! The worst scent!

"Well..." Caren did this cute little cough-like-laugh into her hand, almost like she was trying to hide happiness. Huh. "I read his latest post on Insta..."

"And it said 'Caren Shepard, will you marry me?', or 'Draw me, Caren- DRAW ME!'" Jesse posed to accompany this theory.

Caren gave Jesse a friendly glare. "No. He said, and I quote: 'Bumped into a cute girl today on the beach. I might have myself a kitty crush!' Can you believe it!?"

Terry sighed. "No." He said. "You're lying."

She smirked at him. "Nope."

Terry sighed again, a twin with the last. "But... You don't like him THAT way... Right?"

"I could if I wanted to."

"I don't think it works like that."

Mark was currently resting one hand on Terry's leg, and using another to look at his phone. "She's not lying." He said.

"No fucking way." Terry grabbed the phone out of Mark's hand and looked at the post. Accompanied by a picture of the beach, it said just what Caren had said.

"Well then." Terry handed the phone back. "Well, from the queerest one here to the least queer one... Congrats." He had zero emotions.

Caren laughed. "Thank you!" She reached over and pat the top of his feet. "Don't worry, Lars will notice you."

Mark sighed. "Yeah." He said.

Terry turned away, his face shifting to a light pink. "I don't know... That would be nice."

Jesse looked over and smiled at him. "Don't be a baby!" She said. "The straight girl might have got her guy- so what?"

"Am I the villain in this scenario?" Caren asked.

"But-" Jesse continued, "YOU still have a chance! Just believe!" Jesse's motivational speeches were always filled with amazing intent, but GOD did it make Terry feel small. He coughed into his sleeve. "Maybe." He replied.

Mark lifted Terry up onto his lap and smiled at him. "And if Lars doesn't want ya', you still have me!" His face had a plastered on shit-eating grin.

Oh, I see. Terry thought. "So you put yourself on the same level as Lars Penderson?"

"Um...? Duh?"

Terry laughed. "Love you, Mark, but uh... I'm good." Mark noticeably sighed at that. "I know." He said. "Just kidding!"

Terry looked at Mark with some form of concern but brushed it away. Jesse was holding back laughter on the other end of the couch. What was so funny?

Jesse bent down to Caren and whispered something, making Caren turn red and cover her face. "Jess!!" She cried. That was when Terry realized he was still on Mark's lap. As he attempted to move, Mark held him in place, and wrapped his arms around Terry's waist, laying into him. "You're warm." He said.

Terry laughed. "So I'm just your heater?" He asked.

Mark turned and looked back up at him. "Yup." He smirked, making Terry scoff. He could be such a brat. His eyes turned back to Caren, who was a bright shade of red. Just WHAT had Jesse said to her?

"Caren?" He asked. "Did Jesse make a rape joke?"

"N-no! It's nothing! Just being a goofball! Ha ha!" The laugh was so obviously forced that Terry decided it was somehow indecent to pry further.

Not that it was hard to get Caren flustered, but why was she being so weird about it? Jesse... What did you do?