"So, obviously things are going well, then?" Laura's Mom said into the phone.

"Yeah, pretty well," Laura said, pausing to take a drink of juice. "Except..."

"What? 'Except' what?"

Laura sighed. "It's nothing, really. I just don't get along with one of the group members, that's all. No big deal."

"If it wasn't a big deal, you wouldn't have said this was an exception. Tell me, what's going on that you don't get along with him?"

Laura rolled her eyes. "I don't know, Mom. I just find him arrogant. Ever since I laid eyes on him, I've not liked him. He irritates me to my very core, Ma... Just something about him that gets under my skin. He's never cooperative with me. Needless to say, I annoy him too. I think it's 'cuz I told him I want to cut his hair," she said with a laugh. "Must be like a security blanket for him, since he can't necessarily get away with sucking his thumb or dragging around an actual 'blankey.'"

"Lauralee, stop that! I think you should give him a chance, you're being too critical," Laura's mom said sternly. Also, she called Laura by her given name, Lauralee, and when she got called that, she knew her mother meant business. She was just thankful she didn't throw her middle name in there, too!

"First of all, Mom, don't call me 'Lauralee,' you know I hate that, and second, you don't know how he is. Me telling you how he acts is far different from actually seeing it. And anyway, I kind of enjoy tormenting him. Makes my day all the more meaningful," Laura said with a playful giggle.

"OK, OK, I'm not going to lecture you, Laura. You torment the poor guy all you want. Your Father's going to be home soon for lunch so I gotta scoot."

"OK Mom, I'm glad I got to talk to you. Tell Daddy I say hello and that I love him," Laura said with a smile. "I love you too, Momma. I miss you!"

"We miss you too, sweetie. We'll see you at Thanksgiving! Bye, Laura!"

"Bye," Laura echoed as she hung up the phone. She looked up at the clock. "Eleven o'clock," she said aloud as she grabbed her tennis shoes and put them on quickly. "Enough time to go shoot some hoops at the arena before soundcheck." Laura picked up her bag and hotel room key and ran out the door.

"Carter shoots... he scooorrreees!" Nick said, giving the play-by-play of his one-man basketball game. "And the crowd goes wild!" Nick got the ball as it passed through the hoop and bounced it a few times. "The ball's been passed to Carter again... he's lookin' for an open man..."

Laura walked up to the court in the middle of Nick's "show" and watched him silently. She didn't want to interrupt his delusions of grandeur, not just yet. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, an amused grin on her face, as she watched Nick go for the shot.

"...Carter can't make the pass... he goes in, right up the middle, turns and shoots..." Nick threw the ball, and after bouncing off of the backboard, it passed through the hoop. "He scooorrreees! The crowd's on their feet!--"

Nick was interrupted by the sound of clapping. He turned to see Laura, walking toward him. "Bravo, Nick, bravo! Very impressive, indeed," she said, winking at him.

Nick's face turned sour as he turned away from her. "What are you doing here?" he asked, looking down as he stood at the free-throw line and bounced the basketball.

Laura walked up behind Nick, and snuck the ball away from him by reaching around him and dribbling it away from him. Nick turned to face her, a half annoyed and half amused look now on his face. "Care to actually play against someone, rather then just yourself?" Laura asked, still dribbling the ball as she looked between the ball and Nick.

Nick sarcastically chuckled. "You're kidding, right??" he asked, crossing his arms and shifting his weight onto one foot. He squinted slightly as he looked at her, the sun bright in his eyes.

"I don't 'kid,' Squinty," Laura replied. "Let's do this... I mean, unless you're afraid to be beaten by a girl," she challenged, smiling sweetly at him as she brushed a piece of her hair out of her face.

Nick lunged forward to bounce the ball away from her, but Laura was ready for him as she grabbed the ball, running down the court, dribbling as she ran. Nick chased after her and ran in front of her, his arms out and looking at her eye to eye. She continued to bounce the ball, right hand to left hand, never breaking eye contact. After doing this for about thirty seconds, she dodged quickly around Nick as she ran up to the basket and threw the ball. "SWISSHH!" she said, punching him in the arm as she walked by, waiting for him to get the ball.

"Lucky shot," Nick said, bouncing the ball back onto the court, Laura quick to guard him. She wasn't going to let him believe for one second that he had this game bagged.

"Lucky, huh?" she asked mockingly as she pivoted on her right foot and stole the ball with her left hand and bounced it to her right. Running back down to the other basket, Nick tailing her closely, she sunk the ball in the hoop as effortlessly as the first time. Laura winked at Nick as she grabbed the ball and threw it at him. "It has nothing to do with luck, Carter... just boils down to who's smarter," she said, taking her place guarding him.

Nick fumed at that comment and he now decided he was going to play like he had never played before, harder then he had ever before. He ran past Laura, dribbling the ball as he ran. Laura closely followed and soon was in front of him, her arms up attempting to block his shot. How'd she DO that?! he thought to himself, looking once again eye to eye with her. Chick's got rockets in her shoes or somethin'. Nick attempted to gain control of his thoughts, attempting to exude an arrogant confidence, which Laura, of course, picked up on.

Look at him, Laura thought, tilting her head slightly as she waited for him to make his next move, his problem is that he's way too confident for his own good. Laura's thoughts were interrupted as Nick moved to dribble the ball past her left side. She hooked her left arm around his waist and swung herself around to grab around him with her right arm. Her feet slipped, and her left arm was now reaching down to brace herself from the fall she was about to take. Unfortunately, she wasn't about to take it alone. Laura fell down, pulling Nick down with her right arm, still wrapped around his waist. He landed across her arm on the pavement, both of them groaning as they hit. Out of air, they huffed and puffed as they attempted to regain their composure.

Still out of breath, Laura spoke first. "Ya wanna get off my arm, turdwipe?" she muttered, attempting to get her arm free. Much to her dismay, this only made Nick hold her arm down harder. He repositioned himself over her arm so that he was leaning on his side, propping his head up with his own arm, as he smiled self-righteously at her.

I've got you now, Evans, Nick thought as Laura struggled to get up and away from him. "Which arm are you referring to?" Nick asked, giving her a wink. Laura just groaned at him as she attempted to pull her arm out from under him, but he just put more of his weight on it and grabbed it with his free hand. "This arm? This one right here?" he asked, brushing his fingers up and down her arm.

Laura flinched, for she was very ticklish. She let out a gentle giggle. "C'mon, Nick, you've had your fun, let me go," she pleaded with him. Probably in the most friendly tone she's ever spoken to him in, mainly because she wanted her arm free.

Nick was thoroughly enjoying the predicament Laura had gotten herself into, and even more enjoyed that she depended on him to get her out. He smiled at her demurely. "Why should I let you go, Laura? What's in it for me?" he asked, now moving from just touching her arm to pinching the underside of it.

Laura's body twitched as she attempted again to get away from Nick. Smacking him playfully with her free left hand, she again pleaded with him. "Please let me go, Nick."

"No!" Nick replied defiantly, now moving from pinching the underside of her arm to running his fingers up and down her side to her hip and back up again. Once again she laughed, even harder then before, for she was way more ticklish there then her arm. And, once again, she swung her free arm over to hit Nick, but he was ready for her this time. He pushed himself up, pinning both of her arms up by her wrists and above her head, hovering over her body. He looked into her eyes as he watched her attempt to break free, his face now serious.

Laura was now getting very frustrated. "Nick, you let me go NOW, or I'll swear I'll--"

Laura never got to finish her threat. Nick silenced her by leaning down and putting his mouth on hers, kissing her softly at first, then becoming more passionate. Realizing she was getting caught up in the moment, and that Nick had released her arms somewhat, she pushed him off of her and got up. Nick got up also, now looking at her with a more gentle look on his face--something she's never seen before. Laura turned from his gaze, glancing at her watch. "It's almost 12:30... you gotta go do soundcheck..." Her voice trailed off as she picked up the basketball. Nick's eyes never turned from where she was. Laura looked at Nick one last time before heading back into the arena, with Nick following.