A/N: Yello, readers! ^.^ *sighs happily* So, this is the first story I've written thus far that actually gets to the part where my heroine falls in love. It took me a bit to realize why that HUUUGE chapter was such an accomplishment (besides the size and the time it took and the soreness of my /heels as I sat/stood during the week that it took to finish chapter 17) and then I realized, 'Oh. None of my main characters in any of my abandoned stories got to the being-smitten part yet.' ^^;

Anyway, I have the next few chapters lined up again, and, hey, now that the duty of getting Starr in love is done, I'm going to throw in conflicts and drama and 'bad guys' . . . but no matter how much Shipper (baekren08) praises my writing skills, I'm still not a famous, amazing, known world-wide author so my drama may be a bit, um, undramatic at times maybe, and the conflicts are probably going to be problems that I see as a horrible obstacle - but then Alice will point out that if Starr did this and Amber said that and if JR smiles right here the problem will be solved.

The romance couples in my head aren't really in the real world so the only problems they have is, like, someone's jealous or something else cliche.

SPEAKING OF WHICH, I DON'T WANT THIS PRECIOUS STORY OF MINE TO BE ALL CLICHE! The tampon thing . . . well, yah, how many fanfics have that scene? BUT I LOVE IT! XD The different variety of stories for that scenario has me laughing.

Um, yah, I've been getting carried away with my note's lately, haven't I? ^^;

PLEASE CONTINUE ADVERTIZING BT!!! ENJOY THE CHAPTERRRR!!!~~

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"Ugh," I groan. "It's raining so hard. I don't want to run through that."

"Well, I could run and bring the car around," Aron tries to compromise. "Then you wouldn't have to run through the rain that long." I smile at him, appreciative. "That would be nice, yah. If you don't mind."

"Of course he doesn't!" Amber hoots. "Go on, Aronnie, Starr's like a cat – always afraid of getting wet." Like she's one to talk. She's cowering against Ren, tucking herself under his jacket, his arm around her loosely. Amber doesn't want to get wet as much as me. And we're still inside the double set doors! I roll my eyes in her direction and Aron and BaekHo dash off into the rain to get the SUV, letting in a blast of cold, humid air. I shiver. JR touches my arm (making me shiver again) and asks, "Are you cold?" I briefly remember this morning; he asked that same question. I smile reassuringly and shake my head. "Actually," I say, tilting my head, "I want to stand right outside, under the overhang. Then I can smell the rain and not get wet." He opens the door for me and we both step outside. I try not to shiver again. It is really cold out here. I pull my short jacket around me tighter.

Then I start to sweat. But I rather survive the heat than the cold. I hear rustling and then JR pulls out his white Abercrombie sweater that he bought earlier today and puts it around my shoulders. I blush: it kind of has his scent from the five minute time span that he'd worn it. I smile up at him in thanks . . . but I'm sure it looks a hint sad, too. It's painful to be close to him but not be able to have him hold me like Ren's holding Amber.

I sigh through my nose. How long has it been since I realized? Twenty minutes? Fifteen even? It's ridiculous how much more he makes my heart falter with every smile, how much more he makes me stumble when he looks me in the eyes, how much freaking morrre I want to push his bangs out of his eyes again. Struggling to ignore my feelings is pointless because I think about WHAT I'm trying to shove away – and then I get pink all over again considering about being in love with JR and my adrenaline kicks up and I start talking too fast and getting flustered and laughing nervously and –

My blood pressure's going up just with these thoughts.

"Do you really like the headband?" JR asks suddenly. I automatically raise my hand to my hair, where the tiara is tucked snuggly around my bun. I giggle lightly and look into the sky. "Yah. I really do, Oppa." I turn to him, hoping that my face is revealing all the thanks I'm feeling (and maybe the fact that I have feelings for him . . .? I don't know if I want him to know so early, though), but when I look at him, instead of just smiling like he would, his eyes widen a bit and he leans back a little, blushing. He looks at the sky like I was a second ago and says, "Um, uh, th-that's good. That you like it. . . ." His voice trails off awkwardly. I wince mentally and look anywhere but at him. Did my expression reveal too much feeling?! Did I just bombard the guy with my true thoughts??

I lean against the glass window behind me. My sigh produces a faint cloud. I wipe the sweat from my forehead. At last, Aron's car swings around the curb and stops in front of the entrance. We have to run about twenty feet to the car and the rain was coming down fast and heavy. The door next to me swings open as Amber, MinHyun, and Ren come out. I pull the hood of JR's new sweater over my head and we run to the car. I avoid all the puddles I can (not many =_=) and yank the back door open, hurtling into the backseat. I'm still sprawled across half the seats before JR's body crashes onto me . . . and then MinHyun onto JR and Amber onto MinHyun and Ren's left standing in the rain screaming at us to shove our butts in the car. I struggle to wriggle out from beneath JR but he's pressed into me from the weight of two other people. My leg's bent between his and I'm kneeing MinHyun in the stomach; one arm is pinned absurdly so it's hanging off the side of the seat and the other's between me and JR; and the tiara is digging into my skull. I twist my head around and I find myself nose-to-nose with JR. I can taste his breath, dammit. God! I'm going to explode right here and now and JR's just going to be left lying on the seat covered in my innards.

But then I hear Amber grunting and complaining and a big whumph and her groaning, "Ughhh . . ." She had squeezed her body between the seat's headrest and the car ceiling and tumbled into the last row. With at least a hundred pounds taken off from on top of me, JR, MinHyun, and I find a way to shift and scoot without taking out someone's eyeball or kneeing someone in the sensitive parts. When we're FINALLY situated, I glance past the boys to see Ren standing outside the car, SOAKING WET, with a blank, hooded look. His blonde ponytail's weighed down by the water it absorbed and his bangs are sticking to his face.

There's silence. Then JR snorts – he couldn't contain his laughter anymore – and then we're all sniggering and giggling and covering our mouths and avoiding Ren's sudden murderous look. MinHyun sits on JR's lap while Ren folds the seat down and climbs into the back silently. I chuckle even more when I hear Amber fussing over him.

"Well, I hope that's everyone," Aron declares, "because I'm ready to go home." We all agree. Soon everyone's quiet and closing their eyes. I glance back and almost squeal at the sweet picture: Ren's half turned in his seat so that Amber can sleep on his chest. His arms are around her protectively and his wet jacket's laid over her body.

I'm leaning my head against the window, but it's uncomfortable and I have to keep shifting my head or else it will start to actually hurt. I sigh inaudibly in frustration.

JR'S POV

Starr pulls away from the window sighing and rubbing her temple. JR stares at her for a second. She looks so pretty. She's still in his damp, oversized sweater, the sleeves hanging past her hands, making her appear small. Her brows are furrowed, her hair's clinging to her face, she's slightly pouting – but the new sparkly tiara makes her appearance a bit humorous. But it also makes her really stunning. JR blushes. He remembers the feel of her hand on his forehead, the chill that shot through his body, and how entranced he was with her at that moment. He keeps denying that anything really happened, but he fails every time. He hasn't been able to shake off the feeling since. The way her big eyes widened slightly when she pulled his hair away and was able to see his eyes. When she had broke the contact by dropping her hand, he automatically moved forward to reconnect them.

Thinking back on it now while sitting next to her (staring at her and pondering about how cute she looks) has him berating himself for the immediate response. It was too forward – and she probably thought so too. But . . . as he watches Starr rub her head, he can't help it: he wants to connect them again.

JR taps Starr's knee. She looks at him, startled. He whispers, "You can lean against me if you want." Was it just him or did her eyes light up? "Are you sure?" she whispers back, shyly. JR blinks before answering. She's so cute. "Yes, of course." JR's heart picks up as she scoots close and rests her head on his shoulder. The smell of her hair is sweet, like honey. Without really comprehending it, JR presses his cheek on Starr's head, being careful not to poke himself with the tiara. For a second she stops breathing – he can feel it. Then she relaxes her body and presses her arm along his.

STARR

I can't believe that I'm leaning on JR – and he's resting his head on mine. It can't be because he feels the same way; he's just tired too. He figured that if he lets me use his shoulder, he could use my head. That's all. That's all this is, just a friendly favor.

That's all this is . . .

JR'S POV

The car is silent, filled with half-sleeping teenagers. BaekHo's got the passenger seat tilted all the way back so that it's on MinHyun's lap and MinHyun is resting his head in his arm against the door. Ren and Amber are still cuddling in the back row. JR gently shifts, letting his head become heavy on Starr's. She fell asleep ten minutes after he lent her his shoulder. JR's beginning to drift off when Starr moves. She wraps her arm around JR's and cuddles closer so that her head is slightly on his chest, too. JR's lips twitch in a sleepy smile. Before he closes his eyes he notices Starr's hand lying right beside his.

He falls asleep with their fingers loosely entwined.