Mac paced the linoleum tiles of the foyer restlessly, his sneakers squeaking as he walked from wall to wall, and to wall again. He checked his watch anxiously. One hour, six minutes, forty six seconds. Goo was always prompt, and never was she late one entire hour six minutes and forty six seconds without good reason. He would've very well driven a dent into the floor had Frankie not stopped him.

"Mac? Something wrong?" She asked, quirking a brow. She shifted her laundry basket to her hip and leaned down to make eye contact with the distressed eight year old.

Mac shook his head fretfully. "Goo's always here at three thirty. It's now," he checked his watch, "four forty seven. Goo's an hour late. She's never an hour late. I'm afraid that she's gotten herself in trouble." Mac waved his small arms to acentuate his meaning. His brows knit tightly and his face scrunched into a scowl, he let out a frustrated groan. "Argh, I hope she's alright."

Frankie smiled and rested a hand on Mac's shoulder. "You worry to much, pal. Especially for an eight year old. Goo can handle herself just fine. Now I haven't seen Bloo all day. That's the real nerve wracker..." With that, Frankie picked her basket of fresh pressed clothes back up and walked up the stairs. Mac grumbled. Bloo was probably in the arcade or family room goofing off and not worrying about Goo, which, Mac stressed, was way more important that playing games at this moment in time.

Another ten minutes passed. And then an hour. And Mac couldn't take it. Something was definitely wrong, and he had to find out.

"Are you still waiting for your girlfriend to show up? I mean jeez, it's been like, two hours and even I know she's at the playground with Jason Finch!" Bloo quipped, rolling his big cartoony eyes and pouting. Mac stopped in his tracks.

"Wait, she's where?" He shook his head obnoxiously, "and she's not my girlfriend!"

"Duh! She's at the middle school playground with this kid named Jason Finch! I literally just said that! Are you even paying attention to me?" Bloo threw down his stubby arms in dissatisfaction and glowered at his creator like a brooding housecat does his owner when he wishes to be pet.

"How do you know she's at the playground?"

"I was like, just there three seconds ago when I went to throw toilet paper rolls at the school, duh! Really, Mac, I thought you were smart," Bloo frowned. Upon seeing the curious look in Mac's eye, he continued. "So I was there and she came up to me and I was like, 'Hey, what are you doin' here? My favorite guy and bestest buddy Mac'll be worried!' And she said she was hanging out with this guy she liked since like, the fifth grade named Jason Finch. So I said, 'But Goo, that's like, cheating on Mac since he's so totally in love with you! Follow your moral compass, my dear woman!' But she left to go play with Jason anyways so I walked up to him all heroic and buff and-" it was about this time the Bloo realized that Mac had taken off and abandoned his exaggerated story.

He grumbled and walked to the lounge. Wilt would probably like to hear about it...

Mac raced down the sidewalk as fast as his small legs could carry him. Jason better not have done anything to her. He found himself muttering his name over and over under his breat. He wasn't sure why he was so spiteful at the moment. It could've had a lot to do with jealousy, but he brushed the possibility off. All he cared about was stupid dumb Jason probably doing stupid dumb cute boy things with not stupid and not dumb Goo. Probably holding her hand and swinging on the swing with her and- and- Mac growled and shook it off.

He landed himself at the middle school park and there sitting on the swings was Goo. Funny, he didn't see anybody else there. He wondered for a moment if Jason filch was actually just an imaginary friend, but then rationalized with himself. Why would Goo have a crush on an imaginary friend? But if it wasn't am imaginary friend, then where was he? Mac walked through the gate and on to the pebble-floored playground, eyes darting about warily in search of Jason. He found himself feet away from the typically exuberant girl, who was now just hardly rocking herself on the chain link swing with her toes.

"Goo? Are you alright?" He questioned softly, walking around to face her.

"Do I look alright to you, Mac?" She snapped back. She had a point- her face was red and tearstained, and her nose oozed snot. She wiped her face with a rainbow colored sleeve and sighed.

"Sorry, sorry. Dumb question," Mac absolved. "But really. What happened?" He took a seat on the swing next to her and frowned.

She took in a long, shaky breath before responding. "There's this guy in my class named Jason Finch? Yeah, I kinda sorta liked him since like, all of last year. He has really nice black hair and blue eyes and stuff so I was like, totally in love. Or so I thought because Jason's actually a super huge jerk. I finally picked up the courage to ask him to hang out after recess and he agreed, and I was so excited that he agreed that I already like, started picking out names for our future kids and stuff, but when we got here Jason told me he didn't even want to be friends with me, not to mention like, girlfriend and boyfriend."

Goo gnawed on her lower lip and choked out a weak sob. "He told me I was ugly and weird and too loud, which I thought was kinda stupid since he was basically screaming it at me, or maybe I just thought he screamed it but anyways- he said my hair was too frizzy and my tooth gap was gross and my laugh made him wanna barf and you know what he told me? He told me he'd- he'd rather kiss a hamster than hold hands with me! I know I'm kinda obnox-cus and stuff but I'm not lower-than-a-hamster obnox-cus."

Mac felt rage boil in the pit of his stomach. "How dare Jason! How dare that jerk make a mockery of his best friend! And all those insults were just unessecary! Goo may have been loud or a tad annoying sometimes, but never in his life would Mac say she was ugly of all things! Nor would he nitpick like that. If he was in Jason's place, he would've told Goo how not-ugly she was! Like how her frizzy hair was actually really soft, or how her tooth gap was kind of cute and it was really cool how she could whistle the entire 'Yankee-Doodle-Dandy' theme through it. Her snort and hiccup riddled laugh was just as spontaneous and wonderful as she was, and if Jason couldn't see that, then he was just a horrible, mean, jerkface!"

Goo raised a brow and then broke off into a giggle. And then a full fledged laugh. Mac realized in horror that he had just said all of that. He blinked and his face flared deep red.

"I-I mean the word- the word you were uh looking f-for is obnoxious. Like uh, when you uh, said 'o-obnox-cus' the uh, word is actually obnoxious," he floundered, spluttering like a lawnmower that just wouldn't turn on.

Goo glanced up with a smile on her face. "Didja really mean all that, Mac? Huh? Huh?"

Mac tried to word out a lie, but he relented upon seeing the hopeful look in his friend's eyes. "Yeah. Yeah I did."

Goo blushed softly and played with her hands. They had somehow grown sweaty. "Um okay, I'm gonna do something and you gotta promise promise promise to close your eyes, okay?"

"Oh-kay...?" Mac drawled out.

"Promise! And you gotta keep 'em shut!" She exemplefied with a wild hand gesture. "Like, no half-lid peeking either, 'cause I'll know!"

Mac nodded furiously and closed his eyes, bracing for the slap that was sure to come. He had just insulted her crush after all and made totally weird comments about her. He bit his lip, and only then did he realize that his teeth had pressed against a lip that didn't belong to him. His eyes shot open and his assumptions were confirmed. Goo- his crazy and slightly annoying best friend, was kissing him. On the lips.

She bounced back with a grin. "Wow I thought I would have to ease you into it but you like, used your teeth right away! You know you're a really good kisser, Mac and- hey! I told you not to open your eyes!"

"Um, uh sorry, but I, uh- well- I mean- that was my first kiss and I so wasn't expecting it and, uh, um. Do you like, wanna, I don't know, like, try again?" Mac stammered, mentally slapping himself after each stutter.

"You sly dog, Mac! You're like that famous model guy my mom likes to watch on television! I think his name is Fred Flintstone or something..." Mac didn't have the heart to correct her, and instead was trying to keep himself from smiling like a complete idiot.

Goo trailed off on her rant as she seen a gang of boys approach. "Oh gosh! That's him! That's Jason! Yikes, oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh, Mac! Hold my hand, quick!" Mac didn't question it and grabbed her palm quickly. It was a little bigger than his own, and rather sweaty as well. He winced- he'd definitely have to pick up hand sanitizer if this was going to be the norm from now on.

Jason approached them. He had black floppy hair and blue eyes that peered out critically. His underbite was a dentists's worst nightmare and his ears were pieced with fake studs. He was followed by two cronies of which were whispering to each other deviously.

"This is her, guys. This is the stupid girl who asked me out," he showcased Goo, who subsequently gripped Mac's hand tighter.

Mac steeled his glare. He had to do something. "And this," he sneered, pointing to Jason angrily, "is the stupid boy who turned her down because he can't realize what a great person she is! He was also lucky, because she's probably the only girl that would ever like his judgemental face anyways, and he's an idiot for not realizing that he just got asked out by the prettiest, coolest, most creative girl I know!" Mac hissed, tugging Goo away from the group of boys. Jason snorted a snide whatever and claimed there were too many losers at the playground anyways to hang here.

"Thanks, Mac," Goo hummed, finding her shoes to be unusually intruiging.

"No problem. If that guy ever says something mean to you again, I'll get Bloo to make him regret the day he was born," Mac promised, still holding her hand tightly.

They arrived at Fosters just after six, and Frankie practically tackled them as they walked through the door.

"Where were you Mac? I was worried sick! What, were you out kissing your girlfriend?" Frankie joked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Mac shrugged and nodded. "Yep, pretty much."

They walked up the stairs hand in hand, leaving Frankie flabbergasted and wide-eyed, holding a basket of fresh laundry in the parlor.