"Was not!" Lyneya protested. "I read it to a little boy once at a homeless shelter! And also at a foster house. So there!"
Jen giggled. "She got you there, Peter."
Lyneya picked up the bastketball that had been abandoned and shot the it through the hoop smoothly. "You wanna play? Girls against boys!"

Peter smiled faintly. "Well, I really dont like guys against girls. Um, let's see how we can divide the teams. There's you, me, Jen, Brian, Ryan, Zach and Justin. Who wants to be captain?"
Justin said, "I will. You can be on my team."
Smiling Peter rushed to his nicer cousin, Justin's side.

"Okay, that's fine with me," Lyenya said.
"Can I be the other captain?" Jen asked. She made her best puppy-dog look, making her eyes soft and pleading. "Pretty please?"

Peter really wanted his girlfriend to be on his team, but didn't want to make her mad. "Sure." He didn't want to play against Jen, but it looked like there was no choice.

Lyneya saw Peter's look. Slyly, she said, "Jen, I think I want to be captain. I hardly ever get to pick!"
A little disappointed, Jen shrugged, but she also agreed to Lyneya's idea. "Okay."
"Thanks. I pick Zach!" Lyenya called.

Justin, who also picked up on his cousin's look said, "I pick Jen!"

Peter's eyes lit up, giving Jen a hug.

Lyneya winked at Justin, then said, "Brian, you're with me!"

Justin chuckled at the fact Brian and Ryan sound so alike. "Ryan, our team. Okay. So, who gets the ball first?"

"Jeez," murmured Johnny to himself. "I didn't realize that he was so touchy about his hair and kitchen appliances."

Well, they obviously didn't wait for him to explain himself... considering that little girl had rammed into him.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~

Zach shifted, uncomfortable. "But now this team is bigger than that team."

Justin noticed what was wrong, then decided to go ahead and let Johnny play. "Johnny, you can be on Lyn's team. Explain yourself first."

Brian noded, Justin really was a Captain. He knew how to be a leader. "Ready yet guys!?"

"No...no..," Johnny looked at Justin, and placed his hand on the wall. "All I know is that I came home, observed that Peter had a new haircut, and was met by a Hate Committee."

Justin nodded. "Okay...well, maybe you should have just stopped at 'did you cut your hair.'" He felt a little weird telling hsi older brother what to do, but knew it was a good suggestion. "You're on Lyn's team with Zach."

Then, Justin checked the ball to Brian.

"I didn't know!" protested Johnny, sticking his hands in his pockets. Sorry for intruding." And then he became acutely aware...

That they all had changed. Peter was next to Jen, looking at Johnny through little slits. That other girl... everyone was blowing him off.

"Have fun," Johnny called as he stepped out through the clear doorway. "Tell Peter I don't hate him," he whispered to Justin before he left.

-------
"Is something wrong?' Zach hissed to Peter. "Besides Ally peeking at us through the arcade room?"

Peter snapped out of the shock of Johnny making fun of his hair when Zach mentioned Ally peeping at them. "She's what?" He turned and looked at the window to the arcade room. Sure enough, there she was. Peter turned to Zach. "Let's duck until she goes away."

Justin rushed after his brother, following him out the door and into the excersise room. "You really can stay and play basketball with us. I don't hate you."