Jarra sat on the couch in her living room of her apartment. The television was on, but she wasn't even looking at it. She just had it on because she liked to have some noise in the house when she was trying to work on her art projects. She had a drawing in her lap that she was desperately trying to finish, but she found it very had to concentrate on anything lately. Ever since Peter had told her about his girlfriend two days ago, she hadn't been able to do much of anything.

Jarra had been avoiding Peter and going to the pad since then. Peter had called about three times each day making sure she was okay. She had told him that she was very busy with her artwork and needed to get some sketches done. He had accepted that excuse, but she knew she couldn't avoid him forever. After all, they were best friends.

She looked down at her sketch of a man, playing guitar under a tree, only to see that the man bore a strong resemblance to Peter. "Argh!" she shouted, throwing her sketchpad across the room.

Jarra was so mad, not at Peter, but at herself. She couldn't be mad at Peter. How was he supposed to know that she had feelings for him if she hadn't opened her mouth? She sighed and rose from the couch, making her way to the kitchen to get herself a soda. Just as she reached the fridge, the phone rang.

_Please don't be Peter,_ she thought as she walked over to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jarra!"

"Oh, hey, hotshot. What's up?" She said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible, which wasn't very cheerful at all.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. I haven't seen you around much lately."

"I've just been kinda busy Peter. I've got a lot of paintings to finish and I'd like to get them done."

"Oh," he said, not able to hide the disappointment from his voice. "Well I was just calling to see if you were coming to practice tonight, but I guess you won't be, huh?"

She was about to decline like she had the last two nights, but she finally heard the disappointment in his voice. "I guess I could drag myself away for a little while, Peter. I'll be there," she reluctantly told him.

"You will?!" he asked, very excited. "That's great! I'll see you later tonight!"

"Okay, hotshot. See you tonight." And with that she hung up the phone. "Well Jarra, you couldn't hide in your apartment forever, no matter how much you wanted to."

She walked back in the living room and picked up her sketchpad. As she settled back down on the couch, she silently hoped that she wouldn't be there, but she had a strong feeling that she would be.

~*~

Jarra walked up to the pad later that evening and hesitated before knocking on the door. She felt very awkward, unsure of how to act around Peter now. She didn't want him to know about her true feelings, but she felt weird acting like they always had, especially since he had a girlfriend now. She glanced over at the driveway and saw another car behind the Monkeemobile and assumed it was hers. Jarra didn't even know this person and she was already feeling resentment towards her.

She shook her head. _No, she told herself. You can't hate her just because she got Peter's attention first. You can dislike her, but you can't hate her._

She smiled, accepting that. She raised her hand to knock on the door, only to have it open as she brought her fist down where the door had been. Jarra's fist hit the person in the face.

"Oh my gosh!" Jarra said, jumping back. "I'm so sorry!"

A girl Jarra didn't recognize was holding her nose where she had been hit. She was slightly shorter than Jarra, but she had the same dark hair, only longer. Her eyes were a deep brown and she had very tan skin, unlike Jarra. "That's okay. It was an accident," she said.

Peter came up behind the girl. "Lyssa, what happened?" He saw Jarra at the door and waved quickly, then turned back to the girl.

"I did it, Peter," Jarra said, which got a shocked look from him. "By accident!"

Lyssa nodded. "I opened the door as she went to knock, so I got her fist in my face."

Jarra looked at the girl with concern. "I'm really sorry."

Lyssa shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

Peter took her by the shoulders and guided her back into the pad. "Let's get some ice for that nose before it swells up too much." He sat the girl down at the kitchen table then went to the icebox to get some ice. He took some out and wrapped it in a towel. He handed it to Lyssa and she nodded in thanks.

Jarra walked in the door and shut it behind her. She walked into the kitchen and sat down next to Lyssa. "How is it?"

Lyssa removed the towel from her nose so Jarra could see. "I don't know, how does it look?"

Jarra tried not to gasp at how swollen it was already. The area around the girl's nose was already beginning to blacken. "Uh, it looks okay," she muttered.

"Does it Peter?" Lyssa asked, turning to him.

Peter got the same look on his face that Jarra had when she first saw it. "Uh, yeah Lyssa. Looks okay."

"Really?"

Peter looked at Jarra then back at Lyssa. "Well it is a bit swollen."

"Oh man," she said, getting up and making her way to the bathroom. She walked in to go look in the mirror. Peter and Jarra jumped simultaneously as she cried out. "It's huge!"

She came back out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. "It's not okay, Peter. My nose is black and blue already!"

"But it'll get better in a few days. Just keep the ice on it to keep the swelling down," he instructed, handing the toweled ice back to her.

Lyssa took it an applied it to her black and blue nose as Jarra walked up to her. "I'm really sorry about that, Lyssa."

"That's okay... I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't know your name."

"Jarra Williams," she said, extending a hand to shake.

The girl took her hand and shook it vigorously. "Alyssa Jacobs, nice to meet you. You're Peter's friend from Connecticut right?"

Jarra nodded and laughed a little, which resulted in Lyssa giving her a confused look. "Sorry, just thinking about what a great first impression I'm making."

"Well I know you've got a great right hook," Lyssa said, chuckling.

Peter and Jarra broke out laughing too. The three of them walked into the living room, Peter and Lyssa sitting on the couch, Jarra on the coffee table facing them. Peter draped an arm over Lyssa's shoulders reflexively, and Jarra became very uncomfortable. She seemed nice enough and Peter really seemed to like her. Yet, she couldn't help shifting in her seat because of the awkward feeling she had. None of them spoke for a minute, which only made Jarra's uneasiness increase.

"So, uh... where are the guys Peter? Isn't it about time for rehearsal?" Jarra asked finally.

"They all went for a swim before practice. They should be back in a few minutes," he explained.

"Oh," she said, rising from the table. "I'm gonna go say hi to them." She started towards the back door of the pad, glad for a reason to get out of there. As much as she wanted Peter to be happy with his new girlfriend, she couldn't stand being around her. She reached for the doorknob, only to have the door come flying back at her. If she hadn't jumped back, she probably would've suffered the same swollen nose fate that Lyssa had.

Micky came barreling in the door wearing the loudest pair of swim trunks Jarra had ever seen and nearly ran her down. He stopped short only inches in front of her. "Hey Jarra! Where have you been hiding?"

She smiled at him. "I wasn't hiding. I had some work to do." She was lying through her teeth, but Micky couldn't tell.

"Oh, well glad you could stop by. You staying for practice?" When she nodded, he broke out into a grin. "Great! I'm gonna go change," he said, running up the stairs and into the bedroom.

Mike and Davy came up in the door a minute later. Davy was wearing a pair of blue swim trunks, Mike in black. Mike was toweling is wet hair but stopped at the sight of Jarra.

"Hey Jarra, how's it goin'?"

"Okay, I guess. Can't complain. Well, I could, but that would take too long so forget it, I don't want to waste your rehearsal time."

He chuckled a little and walked past her towards the upstairs bedroom. He walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. "Micky? Let me in, I have to change." When the door didn't open, Mike pounded on it. "Micky!" There was snickering heard from behind the bedroom door, so they all knew Micky was changed, but he was doing this deliberately to annoy Mike. Mike repeatedly pounded on the door. "Open this door now if you'd like to survive the day!"

With that, Micky opened the door. "Well, if you put it that way."

Mike squeezed in the door next to Micky and gave him a good whack on the back of the head before closing the door in his face. Micky rubbed the back of his head. "Ow."

There was an eruption of laughs from downstairs and Micky leaned over the balcony, sticking his tongue out at everyone. He skipped down the stairs and went to the bandstand to prepare for rehearsal.

Davy finished drying off from his swim and walked towards the downstairs bedroom to change. As he passed by Jarra he gave her a quick hug. "Good to see ya again, luv." He flashed a great smile at her then proceeded to the bedroom to change.

Mike came out of the bedroom and walked down the spiral staircase. "Come on, Pete. We better start gettin' ready for rehearsal."

Peter nodded and rose from the couch, leaving Lyssa there with the ice on her nose. Mike stopped at the sight of Lyssa. "What happened to you?"

Lyssa pointed to Jarra. "She did."

Mike turned around and looked incredulously at Jarra. "It was an accident!" she exclaimed. "She opened the door as I went to knock and I hit her in the face."

Mike snickered a little and was accompanied by Micky's giggling from the bandstand. Mike and Peter walked to the bandstand and began tuning as Davy walked out of the bedroom. With all four on the bandstand, Mike started rehearsal.

"What song first?" he asked the members of the band.

Jarra went to sit in her usual spot on the couch, only to find it occupied by Lyssa. She sighed angrily and decided to sit on the floor in front of the bandstand. She brought her legs in the lotus position and looked up at the guys to watch them play. During the rehearsal, Peter kept grinning at Lyssa. Jarra found Davy doing the same to her, but then again, he did that every day. She envied Lyssa, but at the same time, she despised her. She knew she had to be nice for Peter's sake, but she knew that was going to be hard.

_Very hard,_ she thought.

When rehearsal ended, Jarra immediately said her goodbyes to all of The Monkees. Peter had tried to get her to stay and Lyssa tried to do the same, but she insisted she had lots of work to do. Finally, Peter relented and she walked out the door.

"Damn it," Jarra muttered to herself, as she made her way back to her apartment.

~*~

Jarra made her stays at the pad very short and very scarce. The fact that Lyssa was over there everyday didn't make her want to stay anymore than she had to. The Monkees had begun to notice the change in her behavior, though none of them could figure out why. None of them knew about her feelings for Peter, and she planned on keeping it that way. Peter was her best friend, and she would never say anything to upset him, and telling him that she had strong feelings for him while he was involved with someone else would definitely upset him.

Jarra occupied herself by spending extra time at the studio and the rest of the time locked up in her apartment working on her paintings. She walked up to her door one night after work with her portfolio stuffed under her arm while her other hand fumbled for the keys in her pocket. It had been a disastrous day, and she couldn't wait to curl up with a good book and pretend it never happened. Her sketches weren't coming out the way she wanted and she had a terrible headache. She finally managed to pull her keys out of her pocket without dropping any of her materials just as she reached her door. She went to unlock the door, but she noticed an envelope taped to it. She reached up to remove the envelope only to drop her portfolio, allowing her artwork to spill everywhere.

"Great," she muttered. "Just great."

She took the envelope off the door and tucked it into her portfolio folder before crouching down on the floor to gather up her other papers. She reached for the sketch of the man under the tree that she had been working on a few nights ago, but a set of feet stepped on it before she could pick it up. She looked up, keeping her hand on the sketch.

Towering above her, a young man of about twenty stood grinning. He had dark hair and sky blue eyes, much like herself. He gave her a flashy grin. "Need some help?"

"Well you could get off my sketch for starters," she replied bitterly.

He looked down at his feet and realized he was standing on her drawing. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, unfortunately, he hadn't picked up on the bitter tone of her voice. He crouched down beside her and helped gather up her paintings. He picked up one of her abstract paintings and looked at it. "These are really good."

"Thanks," she mumbled, snatching the papers he had picked up for her. She slid them into her folder. "Thanks for your help."

"Matthew," he said, extending a hand to shake. "Matthew Diorio."

She shook his hand briefly, then stood. "Thanks for your help, Matthew."

She tucked her portfolio under her arm as he spoke. "Not a problem... what's your name?"

"Jarra Williams."

"Jarra? What a lovely name," he commented, grinning.

She sighed internally. This was not what she needed right now. "Well Matthew-"

"Matt," he interrupted.

"Well, Matt," she corrected herself, "I thank you for your help, but I really have to go." She turned to the door to her apartment and placed the key in the lock.

"You live here?" he asked and she groaned.

"Yeah," she answered hesitantly.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "That's groovy, I live in the apartment next door, so I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

"Terrific," she muttered under her breath, not turning away from her door. She struggled with the lock, cursing at it silently. Of all the times to not open, now it had to give her trouble. She finally jimmied it open. "Yeah, I guess so," she finally answered.

"Great! Well, it was nice meeting you, Jarra," he said as he backed towards his apartment.

"Bye," Jarra said, not even attempting to match his enthusiasm. She walked into her apartment and closed to door, leaning against it. She walked into the kitchen and placed her portfolio on the table. She began to walk away when she remembered the envelope that had been on her door. She opened the folder and rummaged around inside until she found it. Jarra tore open the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. She read it to herself.

Jarra,
We need to talk. A.S.A.P.
Peter

Jarra moaned. A great ending to a perfectly horrible day, she thought, sinking down into a kitchen chair. She had no way of talking her way out of this one. She had to face Peter, and she was most definitely not looking forward to that.

~*~

Jarra woke up the next morning and rose from her bed, knuckling the sleep from her eyes. She stumbled out of the bedroom while slipping a bathrobe on over her pajamas and walked to the kitchen. She got out a kettle and filled it with hot water before placing it on the stove and turning on the gas. She had decided on Earl Grey tea instead of her usual cup of coffee. She needed something to soothe her nerves after her day 24 hours ago. She hoped this day would be better, but for some odd reason, she had the sensation that it wouldn't.

While she was waiting for the water to heat up, Jarra grabbed two pieces of bread and placed them in the toaster. She pushed the lever down, and sat down at the table waiting for her breakfast. She looked at her untouched portfolio on the table and the note on top of it. She reached for the note and read it over again. She sighed, tossing it back on the table as the kettle began to whistle indicating the water was boiling.

Jarra walked over to the stove and turned off the burner, grabbing the kettle and pouring the water into a waiting mug. She replaced the kettle on the stove and dunked the teabag in the water while adding a spoonful or two of sugar into her tea.

She walked over to the table and sat down again, sipping her tea. She began thinking about what she would say to Peter when they talked. She obviously couldn't tell him the truth about how she felt. While she wasn't too fond of Lyssa, the girl had done nothing to Jarra but be extremely kind and she made Peter happy. She couldn't ruin that for the two of them.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the smoke coming from the counter. She wasn't snapped out of her thoughts until the toaster burst into flames.

"Shit!" Jarra exclaimed, jumping up from the table. She ran over to the toaster and ripped out the plug. She grabbed the kettle of water on the stove and dumped it over the flames, dousing them. "It's going to be another one of those days," she sighed.

~*~

Jarra showered quickly and wrapped her hair in a towel as she dressed. She pulled on a pair of loose fitting jeans and the orange shirt she had borrowed from Peter but had forgotten to return. She removed the towel from her hair and combed it out, letting it dry naturally. She grabbed her portfolio off the kitchen table, only glancing at the charred countertop briefly, before heading towards the door. Just as she reached the doorknob, the telephone rang. She had a sneaking suspicion who would be on the other end. She walked over and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jarra, it's me."

"Hi Peter," she said, this time not even attempting to sound cheerful.

"I was just calling to see if you got my note."

"Yes I did."

"Well?" he asked, as if she was supposed to know what he wanted to hear.

"Well what Peter?"

"Well, when are you available to talk? Do you think you could stop by before work?"

She shook her head as she answered. "I can't this morning, Peter. I'm already running late."

Peter sighed. "How about tonight? You busy?"

Jarra was about to decline again, but she knew she couldn't put this off forever. She sighed as she considered they way her morning was going, her day was going to horrible, so she might as well compile everything into one day, hoping the next would be better.

"Sure Peter," she said. "Tonight will be fine."

"Great!" he said. "I'll pick you up at 7. I found this great little café I'd like to take you to. You'll love it." And with that, he hung up.

She dropped the receiver and picked up her portfolio again, heading for the door. She opened it and stepped outside. She turned back to the door and stuck her key into the lock, turning it to lock the door. As she pulled with all her strength to get her key out of the lock again, she heard a familiar voice. "Hey Jarra!"

She closed her eyes, groaning and banging her head against the door. This definitely was not her day.

Matt walked up behind her and smiled. "I didn't expect to see you up this early."

Jarra turned around and did her best to fake cheerfulness. "I have to get to the studio."

"The studio?" he asked, giving her a quizzical look.

"The art studio downtown," she explained. "It's where I work."

"Oh!" he exclaimed, understanding washing over his face. "I work right around that area, would you like a ride?"

"No thank you, Matt. I have my own car," she said, hoping that would be the end of it.

"It would save on gas," he said, still grinning at her.

She sighed loudly. This guy just wouldn't give up. "Thank you anyway, Matt, but I'd prefer to take my own car. I don't really work set hours there, so I wouldn't want to be a burden to you."

"Nonsense," Matt said. "You're no burden."

"Thank you anyway," she said, clinching her teeth, emphasizing each word. She was indicating that this conversation was coming to an end. "I'll take my own car." She stepped around him and darted down the stairs before he could stop her. She bounded out the door and dashed to her car. She raced down the road in her car to the studio, and once she got there, Jarra ran inside, eager to begin work on a new idea for a painting.

She spent the entire day deeply immersed in her artwork, trying desperately not to think about what was to come that night.

~*~

Peter hung up the phone with Jarra and sighed. He didn't know what was up with her, but he knew he had to find out. As he hung up the phone, Mike came sleepily stumbling down the spiral staircase. He walked into the kitchen and looked at his blonde friend sitting at the table.

"Mornin' Pete," he said.

"Hi Mike," Peter said, staring off towards the bandstand, not even looking at the dark-haired Texan.

Mike stopped in his tracks and gave Peter a concerned glance. "You okay, Pete?" He was afraid Peter was having an emotional flashback about his voice.

"I'm fine," Peter said with genuine sincerity, which filled Mike with relief. "But I'm not so sure about Jarra."

Mike realized what had his friend so tense. Jarra had been acting very peculiar since their last gig, and none of them had any idea why. She rarely stopped by anymore, and when she did, she'd stay for an hour at the most and then be dashing out the door once the hour was up.

"We're going out tonight, and hopefully I'll be able to find out what's going on with her," Peter told Mike.

"Well when you do find out, let the rest of us know. She's our friend too, and this behavior just isn't like her."

Peter nodded. "I will, Mike."

They heard both bedroom doors open, as Micky and Davy walked out, rubbing their eyes. Both migrated towards the kitchen table as Peter set out cereal bowls for them.

As he sat down, Davy looked at his cereal bowl. "'Ow come we can't evah 'ave something 'ot for breakfast?"

Mike laughed. "You wanna cook it shotgun, go right ahead. I ain't cookin.'"

Peter smiled. "I could try to whip something up."

Micky jumped up from his seat. "Uh-huh, no way big Peter. I am not letting you cook us breakfast."

Peter gave Micky an injured look. "Why not?"

"Because I am not eating cream of root beer soup in the morning, nor ever for that matter."

Davy and Mike chuckled as Peter put out his bottom lip, pouting. "My cooking isn't that bad, Micky."

"No Peter," Micky said, sitting back down and pouring himself some cereal. "It's worse."

"Hey!" Peter exclaimed as the other three began laughing.

After breakfast, the four settled into their daily routines, each going their own separate ways. At six o'clock Peter began getting ready to go pick up Jarra, hoping to find out what was bothering his best friend.

~*~

At exactly seven o'clock, Peter walked up to the door of Jarra's apartment and knocked on the door. He was wringing his hands nervously as he waited for her to answer the door. He wanted to find out what was bothering Jarra, but he knew he would not be able to get her to talk about it easily. When it came to her feelings, Jarra had always been shut off, she never talked about them openly or willingly like him. Sometimes he practically had to use a crowbar to force her feelings out. In a way she was worse than Mike. At least if something was really bothering him, he'd come out and say something with enough coercion, but not Jarra. She'd bottle it up until she exploded.

Peter sighed and knocked on the door again. "Just a minute!" came a shout from behind the door. Peter stood there wringing his hands, contemplating what to say that night, until Jarra ran up to the door and flung it open.

"Oh, hey hotshot. Come on in," she said, turning back into her pad.

Peter followed her inside and closed the door behind him. "I'm not early am I?"

Jarra shook her head as she made her way back to the bathroom. "No, I'm running late as usual." She walked in the bathroom, but left the door open so he could still hear her. "You know Peter, I've told you a hundred times you don't have to knock here. I let myself in to your pad, the least I could do was extend the courtesy here."

Peter shifted on his feet nervously. "I know, but I always feel like I'm going to walk in on something."

Jarra stuck her head out the bathroom door. "Hotshot, even if I were changing or something, it's not like I'm going to be doing it in the middle of the living room."

Peter blushed. "I know."

"Then if you know," she continued, going back into the bathroom, "stop knocking." She walked back out of the bathroom. "Okay, I'm ready. How do I look?"

Peter looked her over. She was wearing the orange shirt he had lent her- he made a mental note to ask for it back- and a pair of loose fitting jeans, the outfit she had had on all day. For once she didn't get paint on her at the studio so she decided this outfit must be somewhat lucky. Well, she didn't really believe that, but she had to do something to change the way her day had been going, and this was the only thing she could think of.

"You look great Jarra," he grinned.

"Thanks, let's go." At this point, she'd normally link arms with him and walk out, but she felt awkward doing that. Instead she just motioned for him to leave the apartment first and she followed closely behind. She closed the door to her apartment, and after much struggling, locked the door.

The two walked to the waiting Monkeemobile and got in. The car ride to the little café was short and silent. Each of them was sorting through his and her own thoughts, Peter about how to ask her questions and Jarra about how to avoid answers.

Peter pulled up to the small restaurant that was only about a mile from Jarra's apartment. They got out and walked inside. Neither spoke as they waited to be seated. Finally when a waitress came over to seat them, they followed just as quietly as they had been before and sat in a booth. The waitress took their order for drinks and hastily left the two alone.

Jarra was glancing around, studying the surroundings. "Nice little place," she commented.

"Yeah, it is. But I didn't bring you here just to show you this place."

Well, here we go, she thought. She knew he was going to do this sooner or later, but she had been hoping for later rather than sooner.

"So why did you bring me here, hotshot?"

Peter took a deep breath, and when he did, she realized this wasn't easy for him either. "What's with you lately? You've been avoiding me and the guys, but you haven't said two words about what we did wrong." She opened her mouth to say she'd been busy, but was interrupted by him. "And don't say you've been busy because I'm not buying that anymore. I may be gullible, but not that gullible."

She sighed. "Well, first of all Peter, it's nothing you or the guys did. It's me. And second, I don't think you're gullible."

"Then why have you been feeding me the excuse that you've been busy, if it isn't true?"

"But I have been busy, Peter. I just finished a few paintings last night so my workload will be a lot less, so it hasn't really been an excuse. It's been the truth."

"But why do I get the distinct feeling you're avoiding me?"

"I don't know Peter because I'm not. You're my best friend and I wouldn't do that. You of all people should know I wouldn't."

"Is it because of Lyssa?"

_Uh oh,_ she thought. She had been hoping he wouldn't bring her up, but now that he had, she had to answer. But how to answer without making her true feelings obvious? She had to answer believably, because Peter was not as gullible as people sometimes thought. When it came to emotions, Peter was much more perceptive than most.

"In a way, Peter, yes it is Lyssa. She is your girlfriend now, and I feel a bit uncomfortable acting the same way we always have around her. I don't want to make her feel awkward around me, so I figured that if I just stood back for a while, it would be easier."

"Jarra, you're my best friend, you always will be. I want Lyssa to get to know you like I do. I'm sure you two could become great friends."

Yeah, terrific friends, she thought sarcastically.

"Maybe," she said instead.

Peter studied for a minute, as if looking her over. "There's something else, isn't there?"

Jarra froze. She didn't know how to answer that. If she said yes, she'd have to tell him about how she felt. If she said no, he'd know she was lying and he'd force the words out of her. He always had a way of doing it.

"Well... uh..." she began, but was interrupted.

"Peter!"

Peter looked over Jarra's head to the door of the café while Jarra turned around to look. Lyssa was standing at the door waving to them, and then she made her way over.

Jarra leaned over close to Peter and whispered, "You invited her?"

Peter leaned in close as well so he could whisper back. "I figured it'd give you two a chance to talk."

Before Jarra could answer, Lyssa approached the table and grinned at both of them. "Hi!"

"Hi, Lyssa," Peter said. "Have a seat." He scooted over so she could fit next to him on the bench.

"Well, hotshot," Jarra said, rising, just as the drinks arrived at the table, "thanks anyway, but I really should be going."

"But Jarra-" Peter protested.

"I'm sorry, but I have an early day tomorrow and I need to get some rest." She turned to Lyssa. "It was nice seeing you again." And with that, she walked out of the café.

Lyssa turned to Peter. "What was that all about?"

Peter just stared after Jarra, having no answer to Lyssa's question.

~*~

Jarra ran into her apartment building, furious. How could he invite her? What was he thinking? She stomped up the stairs to the second floor and down the hall to her door. She kicked the door in frustration. Suddenly, she realized who she was mad at- Peter. She couldn't be mad at him. All he wanted was for his best friend and his girlfriend to get along. She sighed. But how could she get along with Lyssa when she resented her for intruding on her life with Peter? Jarra leaned towards her door and landed against it with a thud. She remained that way for an indeterminate amount of time until a voice spoke up softly behind her.

"Jarra? Are you okay?"

She remained with her forehead against the door when she replied. "I'm fine, Matt."

"Are you sure?"

She whirled around and glared at him. "I said I'm fine!" she shouted angrily.

Matt involuntarily stepped back at the strength of her voice. "I'm sorry Jarra. I just wanted to make sure."

Jarra's expression softened immediately, regretting her tone. "I'm sorry. It's been a really long day. I didn't mean to shout."

He smiled. "That's okay. I had a pretty long day myself. Anything I can help you with?"

She shook her head. "No offense, but it's personal."

"None taken. I understand. At least let me make you a cup of tea to calm your nerves."

She sighed. She had a strong suspicion that he would not take no for an answer, so she agreed. He grinned happily and led her to his apartment. He opened the door and gestured for her to go in first.

Jarra walked inside and looked around. The apartment was full of tacky furniture and outlandish posters. His walls were covered with weird signs and she spotted a Beatles' poster on the far wall. This place was even tackier than The Monkees' pad, if that were possible.

Well, she thought to herself, obviously it is possible, because this is the tackiest pad I have ever seen.

He led her over to the kitchen and motioned for her to sit down. "I've got peppermint tea, green tea, Earl Grey..."

"Earl Grey will be fine, thanks," she interrupted him.

"One Earl Grey, coming up," he said cheerfully and turned to the stove to make the tea.

Jarra leaned her elbows on the table and placed her chin in her hands. She stared off at the ceiling, trying to set her mind straight. This thing with Peter was getting out of hand, but she had no way of making it better without hurting someone. If she told Peter how she felt and Peter felt the same, Lyssa would be hurt, but if he didn't feel the same, their friendship could be put in jeopardy. But if she didn't say anything at all, she'd be the one suffering. Jarra sighed loudly unable to come up with an answer.

Matt silently walked over to the table and placed a cup of tea in front of her. She felt the steam rise and warm her face. He sat down in the chair next to her, holding a cup of tea between his hands, as if warming them with it. Perhaps he was because Jarra then realized how cold it was in his apartment.

"Anything you want to talk about?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh?" she replied, finally looking over at him.

"Obviously something is bothering you Jarra, would you like to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "I'd prefer not to." She grasped the steaming cup of tea in her hands and slowly brought it to her mouth. She sipped the tea, savoring the warm feeling it gave her.

Matt sat in his chair smiling, watching her drink her tea. When she had taken the last sip from her mug, she rose. "Thanks a lot Matt, I needed that, but I really should be going."

He rose from his chair and led her to the door. "Anytime Jarra."

She opened the door and walked out, looking back at Matt standing in the door and waved. She walked to her door and struggled with the lock until it finally relented and allowed her to enter her house. She made a mental note to talk to the landlord about that.

Jarra walked into the living room and turned on the TV. She walked over to the couch and flopped down. While over at Matt's apartment, she had momentarily forgotten about what had been troubling her, but once she was alone again, the thoughts flooded her mind. She was still no closer to solving her problem, but she felt a little better anyway.

Maybe Matt isn't such a bad guy after all, she thought. Jarra curled up in a ball in the corner of the couch, hugging her knees to her chest. She watched the news, but about half way through, she fell into a deep sleep.

~*~

Peter walked up to the pad not long after Jarra had stormed out of the café. He was still in shock of how abruptly she had left. At least he now knew that Lyssa was a big part of her problem, but he didn't know how big. Jarra always acted as nice as possible to Lyssa, and Lyssa did the same to her, so what was the problem? He reached for the doorknob and opened the door. Peter stepped inside quickly and turned to shut the door, only to be surprised by a voice behind him.

"How'd it go, shotgun?"

Peter let out a cry of surprise and jumped around. "Mike, don't do that!"

Mike grinned. "Sorry, Pete."

Peter smiled slightly at Mike to show he was forgiven, but then it immediately faded at the thought of the answer to Mike's question. "It didn't go anywhere Mike. She didn't say much at all." He let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know what else to do."

Mike looked at his watch. "Date didn't last very long, did it? You did pick her up at seven, right?"

Peter nodded in confirmation. "Actually it ended about twenty minutes ago."

"Twenty minutes ago?" Mike said in disbelief, looking at his watch again. "Pete, you left here less than an hour ago!"

Peter nodded. "I know." He walked over to the kitchen to the icebox and opened it. He grabbed a soda and sat down at the kitchen table. Mike followed close behind, waiting for Peter to elaborate on what had happened that evening. He sat down at the table across from Peter, throwing Mr. Schneider out of the chair. Mike folded his hand on the table.

"You gonna tell me what happened shotgun, or am I gonna have to force it out of ya?"

Peter shook his head. "No need for that. Well, when I got to her pad-"

His voice was cut off by a loud crash from the door. Peter and Mike both jumped up from their seats, only to see Micky come somersaulting through the door. He jumped up and raised his arms above his head proudly. "Ta Da!" he shouted. Micky looked at his friends and noticed the solemn expressions on their faces. "What's wrong guys?"

Just at Peter opened his mouth to talk again, Davy walked in the pad and looked at the door. "'Ey, 'ow did this crack get in the door?"

Micky raised his hand proudly. "I did it when I somersaulted in the door."

"Again?" Davy asked, glaring. "'Ow many times do we 'ave to tell you not to do that? Every time you break the door, Mr. Babbitt is on us about it." Davy closed the door, finally able to see Mike and Peter in the kitchen. "Oh, 'ey guys."

Both Mike and Peter waved slightly in greeting then sank back into their chairs at the table. Davy knew what this meant. "Didn't go well, did it Petah?"

Peter shook his head. "No, I'm even more confused than I was before."

Micky snickered, unable to pass up the chance at a joke. "Is that possible?"

Davy jabbed Micky in the gut with his elbow. "This is serious Micky." He walked over to the table and sat on Peter's right. Micky followed and sat in the only available chair at the table.

"Pete was just startin' to tell me about what happened tonight," Mike explained. He then nodded to Peter to continue with the story.

"Well, when I picked her up, everything was fine. We drove to that little café I was telling you guys about. Man the food there is excellent. Maybe the four of us should go there together sometime."

"Peter..." Mike said, warning his friend to get back on topic.

"Sorry, well anyway, once we were seated, I decided to just outright ask her what was wrong. At first she tried to insist she was just busy, and she stuck to that story, but I still don't believe it."

"None of us do," Micky added.

"Well, I found out one thing, Lyssa is part of the problem. Jarra said she doesn't feel comfortable acting the way we always have around her."

"That's understandable," Davy said.

Peter looked at Davy quizzically. "It is?"

"Sure, Petah," Davy explained. "You and Jarra are best friends. You guys have been around each othah all your lives. You've gotten so used to being around each othah that if we didn't know any bettah, we'd think you two were a couple. Now that Lyssa is your girl, Jarra doesn't want to impose. I don't blame 'er one bit."

Peter nodded slightly in understanding. "I guess you're right, but what can I do to make her feel more comfortable?"

"Give her time, big Peter. She'll come around," Micky told him.

"Okay. Well after we were talking for a minute, Lyssa showed up at the café. I told her Jarra and I would be there so she and Jarra could talk."

"You invited 'er Petah?" Davy asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Petah, Petah, Petah..."

"What?" Peter exclaimed, not understanding.

Mike stepped in on this one. "Big mistake ol' buddy. You had Jarra thinkin' this was just gonna be you and her, and you brought Lyssa without discussin' it with her first. She said Lyssa was part of the problem, so maybe she wanted to talk to you first, and deal with Lyssa later."

"So I shouldn't have pushed her then, huh?"

Mike shook his head. "No, Pete."

Peter looked down at the table. "So I guess that's why she left right after Lyssa got there. She said she had an early morning tomorrow."

"That may not be the only reason she left, Pete," Mike continued. Peter looked up at him, befuddled. "What do you mean Mike?"

"Did you ever consider that Jarra might be jealous?"

"Jealous? Why would she be jealous?"

Micky took over at that point. "Well Peter, you two have been growing up together and your entire lives, she's never had to compete with anyone for your attention. Now she does. You spend everyday with Lyssa, not that that is a bad thing, but you're making less time for her, and she may feel a little hurt by that."

Peter looked at his friends. "I never thought of that. Man, how could I have been so stupid?"

Micky clapped Peter on the shoulder. "Don't worry Peter. Just give Jarra some time to snap out of it. She'll come around, don't push her."

The blonde bassist sighed. "I guess you're right. I just hope she comes around soon, I miss having her around."

"We all do, Petah," Davy said.

Peter rose from the table, stretching. "I'm exhausted guys, I'm gonna head to bed a little early tonight."

"G'night, Peter," the three said in unison. Peter headed to the downstairs bedroom and shut the door.

Davy, Mike, and Micky sat at the kitchen table silently for a few minutes, trying to gather their thoughts. They all glanced at each other and finally Mike spoke.

"Do you really think that's the whole story about Jarra?" Davy and Micky both shook their head in response. "Me neither. But I have an idea about how to find out."

The three Monkees leaned to the middle of the table as Mike whispered his plan to them. The night was full of giggling and plotting at they planned out how to find exactly what was bothering Jarra.

~*~

Jarra knocked on the door of the pad loudly the next morning and rushed inside. She looked around for signs of anyone, but saw nothing.

What the hell? Where is everyone? she thought. "Hello? Micky? Mike? Davy? Peter? Where are you guys?"

Jarra ran over to Peter's bedroom and opened the door, poking her head inside. No one was there. She went to his bed only to find it empty. "What is going on?" she asked herself. She walked back out into the kitchen just in time to see Micky come sliding down the banister of the stairs.

"Hey Jarra! It's about time you got here!"

Jarra dashed over to him and grabbed him by the shirt collar, pulling his face down to hers. "What is going on here Micky? Where is Peter?"

Micky pulled against her stone grip on his shirt and finally managed to break from her grasp. "Hang on a minute Jarra. We'll explain everything."

"We'll?" she asked, looking up at the stairs. Mike and Davy made their way out of the upstairs bedroom and down the stairs. Jarra gave them the same glare she had given Micky and crossed her arms across her chest. "I'd love to hear this explanation. Where is Peter?"

"'E's not 'ere," Davy told her.

"So I'm assuming he's not sick again, then."

Mike shook his head. "Nope, but we needed some way to get you here, and that was the only reason we could think of."

Jarra reached out to the closest Monkee, who happened to be Micky, and gave him a good whack. "Don't ever do that to me again! I was worried sick!"

"Ow!" Micky cried, rubbing his upper arm. "That hurt!"

"It was supposed to hurt! Don't ever call me first thing in the morning telling me Peter is sick when he's not!"

"Jarra, calm down. We had our reasons," Mike said calmly.

"Oh, I'd love to hear them, but I've got things to do today." Jarra went to step around Mike to get to the door, only to have him sidestep to block her path. "Mike, move. I'm in no mood for games."

Mike drew up to his full height, crossing his arms across his chest and shaking his head defiantly. "No way shotgun."

Jarra once again tried to step around him only to have him move again. An idea popped into Jarra's head. She began stepping to the right, faking Mike out then quickly ran around him. She dashed for the door, praying to get out of there as fast as she could. A pair of hands grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her back into the living room. Micky had grabbed her and dragged her over to the couch. He pushed her down onto it.

"Not so fast. You're not going anywhere until you give us some straight answers," he said.

Jarra glared up at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes you do, shotgun," Mike stepped in. "For a while now, you've been avoidin' us and Peter. What's buggin' you?"

"I don't have to answer anything, now excuse me," she replied, rising from the couch.

Davy placed a firm hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down. "No luv. We're all worried about you."

"Well you shouldn't be because there is nothing wrong. I've been busy with my artwork. Y'know some of us do have a steady job," she said harshly.

"Now hold it right there, shotgun. No need to get mad at us. We know something is wrong. Even Peter doesn't believe that 'I've been busy' story. You're purposely avoiding us."

"I have every right to be mad Mike!" she shouted. "You guys trick me into coming over here and then won't let me leave! I went over this with Peter last night, there is nothing wrong."

Micky nodded. "Uh huh, and he is as unconvinced as the rest of us. So why not just tell us?"

Jarra crossed her arms defiantly and leaned back. _If you can't leave, it doesn't mean you have to talk,_ she thought. _If you just keep quiet, they'll give up and let you leave. Or at least Peter will come home and save you._

Mike and Micky sat on either side of her on the couch while Davy sat in front of her. "We have all day, Jarra. We can wait," Mike told her. "We sent Pete out on a long list of errands, so he shouldn't be back for a couple of hours at least. We've got nothing to do today, so we can wait."

"All right!" she exclaimed. "You win! I'll tell you what's up, but you have to promise not to breathe a word of this to Peter. If he finds out, I'll know it was one of you, and when I attack, I won't care which one it was. I'll find each one of you."

Each of them nodded so she continued. "Peter and I have been best friends for a long time, but I didn't realize I wanted more than that until I came out here. We almost got involved back when he was still in New York, but I wouldn't let him. I told him it would be too complicated, but I regret telling him that every day of my life. I didn't have the guts to tell him how I felt, especially now because of you guys, and I was afraid his feelings for me had changed, and they obviously have because now he's going out with Lyssa. And now with her around, it just makes it worse. That's why I haven't been around. Okay? Are you happy now? Now that I've poured my guts out and made a complete fool of myself, can I leave?" She rose from the couch, but Mike grabbed her elbow and made her sit back down.

"Jarra, we had no idea you felt that way, and neither does Peter. You should tell him," Mike told her.

Jarra gawked at Mike. "Are you insane? And ruin what he has now? Mike, as much as I feel for him, I'm NOT going to ruin his happiness with Lyssa. I'm too good a friend to do that to him. Now excuse me."

Jarra rose from the couch and dashed for the door before any of the three Monkees could stop her, but none of them attempted to. She opened it and ran outside, slamming the door behind her. The three Monkees looked at each other and sighed.

"Well, this certainly adds a complicated twist to things," Davy said.

Micky nodded. "Do we tell Pete, or do we keep quiet?"

"We can't tell Pete. We don't have the right to. That's up to Jarra. I just hope she does tell him. She can't keep avoiding him forever," Mike added.

"But as long as Petah and Lyssa are togethah, she won't speak up," Davy stated.

Mike shrugged. "There's nothin' we can do. She has to do this, we can't push her."

"I just hope Peter comes to his senses and realizes how much Jarra likes him," Micky said.

Davy and Mike nodded in agreement. The three sat there in silence for a long time, not knowing what to do now. Their best friend was as happy as they had ever seen him with his new girlfriend, but his happiness was causing another friend pain. For once, none of them could come up with a plan or scheme to maneuver their way out of this jam.

~*~

Jarra ran back to her pad at lightning speed, feeling the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She didn't want anyone to see her so upset. She dashed in the door of her apartment building, not caring at the noise it made when it slammed at her heels. She ran up the flight of stairs to the second floor and up to her door. With shaky hands, it took her four tries to get the key in the lock, but she finally managed to get it in. She struggled to turn it, but the lock refused to give.

"Open you stupid thing!" she shouted, kicking the door repeatedly. She kept trying to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "ARGH!" she cried, kicking harder and ramming the door with her shoulder.

The noise had alerted most of her neighbors and most were peeking their heads out their apartment doors, but she didn't notice. Matt came dashing out of his apartment and ran over to her.

"Jarra, what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" she shouted, not stopping the attack on her apartment door. "Go away!"

Matt grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Something is wrong, Jarra. What is it?"

She avoided his look by staring at the floor. He placed a finger under her chin to make her look up at him. As she looked into his eyes, she felt herself beginning to crumble. A stray tear fell down her cheek and she collapsed against his chest, crying. He wrapped his arms around her in a friendly embrace. He felt eyes on him and turned his head to see the people still looking at them from their apartments.

"Do you mind?" he asked the people staring. The people began going back into their apartments, compelled to do so by the tone of his voice and the glare in his eyes.

Matt guided Jarra into her apartment after briefly struggling with her lock. He walked her to the couch and sat her down on it. He crouched down across from her as she wiped the tears off her face.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, but he had a feeling she was lying. "I'm kinda tired. I think I'm gonna take a nap." She lay down on the couch, and he grabbed a blanket to cover her. He tucked it around her and she rolled over to face the back of the couch.

Matt walked to the door to her apartment, only to stop and glance back at Jarra. He knew something was really bothering his new friend and was going to find out so he could help her. Even though he didn't know her that well, he considered her to be a very nice person and didn't deserve to be in so much pain. Matt quietly opened the door to her pad and made his way back to his, wishing there was some way he could help.

~*~

Jarra was startled out of her sleep by the ringing phone and nearly fell off the couch. She steadied herself then got up to get the phone. She stumbled over to it and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" she said sleepily.

"Hi Jarra," came the quiet reply.

Jarra was instantly snapped out of her dream state. "Hey Peter, what's up?"

"Well," he began. Jarra could sense the uneasiness in his voice. "I was wondering if you'd like to come over tonight for rehearsal. We're trying a new song and we want you here to give an opinion on it. Think you can make it?"

"I don't know Peter," Jarra answered.

"I'd really like it if you were here," Peter pleaded.

Jarra sighed. She couldn't argue with that sweet voice. "Okay, Peter. I'll be there tonight."

"Great! See you then!" he said, hanging up the phone. Jarra slowly put down the receiver. She really didn't want to go back over to the pad, not after what had happened earlier that day. Could she trust the others not to tell Peter what she had said? Did they tell him? She felt the sudden compulsion to call Peter back and cancel, but then she got another idea.

Jarra walked out her apartment door and to the one next door. She knocked on the splintered door, silently praying he was home.

Matt opened the door and smiled at the sight of Jarra. "Hey Jarra, how you feeling?"

"Better. I have a question. Are you busy tonight?"

"No, why?" he answered.

"I have a favor to ask of you."

~*~

Peter sat on the bandstand, tuning his banjo. Actually, he gave the appearance of tuning his banjo, but his mind was miles away. He was thinking about the night before, the "dinner" with Jarra and the conversation he had had with his friends afterwards. Mike had been right, he was spending a lot of time with Lyssa and hardly any time at all with Jarra. He felt the guilt deep in his stomach and realized that he hadn't been a good friend to Jarra at all lately.

"Peter!"

The cry broke his train of thoughts. Peter turned around to face Micky who was sitting at the drums behind him. When the drummer finally saw that he had Peter's attention, he continued. "That was only the fourth time I called you, Pete. You're really out of it today."

"Yeah, a little," Peter agreed. "What is it Micky?"

There was a knock on the door. "That," Micky said. "I figure that's Jarra, so why don't you answer it?"

Peter nodded and jumped down from the bandstand. He walked over to the door carrying his banjo and opened it. It was Jarra all right, but she was with another guy. Peter was caught by surprise by the other person and stared for a minute before turning to his friend.

"Hey Jarra," he greeted her, giving her a quick hug.

"Hey hotshot," she said, returning the hug. She stepped back from Peter and gestured to the man behind her. "This is my friend Matt. He moved into my building a few days ago. I hope you don't mind that I brought him along."

"No, not at all," Peter said, still a bit surprised. "Come on in." He stepped out of the door allowing the two to walk inside. He closed the door behind them and walked over to Matt.

"Nice to meet you, Matt."

"You must be Peter. Jarra told me a lot about you," Matt said, taking his hand and shaking it.

"All good stuff I hope," Peter remarked, smiling slightly.

Jarra grinned. "Of course."

Micky walked over to the three standing in the middle of the living room. "Hi!" he greeted Matt, extending a hand. "Micky Dolenz, pleasure to meet you."

Matt took his hand and shook. "Matt Diorio, nice to meet you too."

"Oh stop your whining and get out here," Mike called back into the downstairs bedroom as he walked out. He turned and started at the sight of Jarra and a person he didn't know. "Jarra, you're here early," he said, trying to cover his slight jump back at the sight of Matt.

"I am?" she asked, looking at her watch. "Oh, I guess I am. Mike, this is Matt Diorio. Matt, Mike Nesmith."

Matt walked over to Mike and took his hand into a firm handshake. "Pleasure to meet you Mike."

"Likewise," Mike answered, looking over Matt curiously.

"I'm telling you, Mike, I know I left it in there," Davy said, walking out of the bedroom. "Oh, 'ey Jarra," he greeted her, but stopped in his tracks at the sight of Matt.

"Davy," Peter said, gesturing to Matt, "this is Jarra's friend Matt. He lives in her apartment building."

Davy slowly approached Matt and shook his hand. "'Ello."

"Nice to meet you, Davy," Matt said.

There was an awkward silence when no one had the slightest idea what to say. They all stood there looking at each other for a moment. Micky, Davy, and Mike exchanged worried glances. How did this guy play into all of this?

Peter was the first to speak up. "I guess we should start practice, huh?"

"Where's Lyssa, Peter?" Jarra asked.

"Oh, she couldn't come tonight. She was having dinner with her folks."

Jarra nodded in understanding as the Monkees went to the bandstand to finish setting up for rehearsal. Davy found what he had been looking for in the bedroom, his lucky tambourine, under Peter's bass. As they finally finished tuning, the four looked at each other.

"What song first?" Mike asked.

"Why not that new song you wanted me to hear?" Jarra piped up from her usual spot on the couch. The odd thing was the person seated next to her.

The four agreed, but Peter walked off the bandstand and over to the piano that was tucked away in the corner. He sat down on the bench in front of it and cracked his knuckles. Jarra cringed at the sound. She had always hated how he did that.

"Ready Pete?" Micky asked from behind the drums. When Peter nodded to him, Micky counted it off. "1...2...3...4..."

Peter began the piano solo, and Jarra could tell already that she would like this song. Davy began the lead vocal. "When the world and I were young, just yesterday..." As the chorus began, Peter and Micky added their voices to it, harmonizing, and it sounded beautiful. When it ended, Peter took over the lead vocal. It was the first time Jarra had heard him sing since his illness, and she melted in her seat. He sounded great, better than ever. She smiled and listened to the song intently.

When it was over, she broke out into enthusiastic applause. Matt clapped along with her, but did not match her enthusiasm. "That was beautiful! I loved it!"

The four Monkees beamed with pride as Peter returned to the bandstand. They ran through their usual list of songs after that, beginning with Clarksville. Micky began singing as the four played along. During the song, Peter kept glancing at Jarra and Matt on the couch. At one point, Matt leaned over and whispered something in Jarra's ear, which made her break out into hysterics. Peter watched and felt this deep burning in the pit of his stomach, but he had no idea what it was. He felt the burning increase when Jarra reached out and punched Matt playfully in the arm.

_Oh my,_ he thought, finally realizing what was wrong. He was jealous. He was jealous of this Matt person. Jealous for getting along with Jarra like he did after only knowing her for a few days. It had taken years of friendship for he and Jarra to get their relationship to where it was now.

"Hey, Pete. You okay man?" Mike leaned over to ask.

Peter was violently snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh?"

"Are you okay man? You've been staring at those two and I was just wonderin' if you were okay."

Peter nodded quickly. "I'm fine Mike."

Mike shrugged. "If you say so."

As the Monkees completed their last song for the night, For Pete's Sake, Jarra and Matt rose from the couch. They said their good-byes to the Monkees and headed back to their apartment building together. Micky, Davy, and Mike put their equipment away and headed off in different directions, leaving Peter alone on the bandstand.

Peter sat down on the edge of the rising, contemplating what had happened only an hour ago. Why was he jealous of Matt? Jarra and he were only good friends, nothing more. She could be friends with whomever she wanted or date whomever she wanted. It was none of his concern. Why should he be jealous? He had Lyssa and was very happy with her. Or was he?

He stood up from the bandstand, shaking that thought out of his head. Of course he was happy with Lyssa. She was funny and kind, everything he had ever wanted in a girl.

Peter walked into the bathroom and began getting ready for bed, trying to shake the feeling of jealousy out of his mind. He and Jarra were only friends, weren't they?

~*~

Early the next morning, Jarra stepped out of her apartment, letting out a gaping yawn. She hadn't slept much the night before because she had way too many things on her mind. She took a sip of the coffee she had in her hand as she turned around on her heel to lock her door. She managed to get it locked with only a short struggle and she hoped that was an omen that she would have a better day. The entire week had been disastrous and she needed a break. She turned to leave only to nearly crash into a tall person that was standing behind her.

"Oh geez!" she cried, trying desperately not to drop her cup of coffee or portfolio she had tucked under her arm, but failed. Her folder slipped out from under her arm, only to be caught by the gentleman in front of her.

"Morning, Jarra," Matt said, grinning at her.

"Hi Matt," she replied, reaching for her portfolio.

He handed it to her. "Heading to the studio?"

She nodded and took another quick sip of her coffee. "I'm running a little late this morning."

"Why don't you let me give you a lift?" he asked.

"Thanks anyway, Matt, but I'll drive myself," she said, using a softer tone than she had when this scene had occurred only two days earlier.

"Are you sure? I mean, it'd be no trouble and I'd really like to give you a ride."

Jarra sighed and opened her mouth to decline again, but remembered how nice he had been the night before. He had gone to the pad with her as a favor even though he had no idea who the guys were, or why she had asked him to come. He seemed to really want to give her a ride, so why not? "Okay, Matt," she answered.

The two walked down to his car, and he opened the passenger side door for her. Jarra smiled in thanks as she stepped in the car, placing her portfolio in her lap. She sipped her coffee as he made his way around the car to the driver's side. He hopped in the car and started it up. Matt glanced backwards over his shoulder as he pulled out of the driveway and then headed downtown.

They drove in silence for a few minutes before Jarra finally spoke. "Thanks for going with me last night."

Matt shrugged. "It was no problem. Your friends were really nice."

Jarra smiled to herself. "Yeah, they are great guys."

"I have one question though."

"What?"

"If they're such great guys, why did you want me to go with you?" Matt asked, glancing over at her.

Jarra looked down at the portfolio. "It's kinda personal, Matt," she answered hesitantly.

Matt turned his eyes back to the road, apparently accepting that answer, for now. They spent the rest of the ride in silence. When they reached the studio, Jarra hopped out and turned back, ducking her head in the door.

"Thanks for the ride, Matt."

"Anytime Jarra. Do you need a ride home too?"

Jarra shook her head. "No thanks. I'm gonna walk home. It's gonna be a nice day and I need some time to think."

Matt smiled. "Okay, I'll see you later."

"Bye," she said, standing up and closing the door.

Matt drove off to his own job while Jarra turned to the studio and walked up to the door. She pulled it open and walked inside, taking the final sip of her coffee. She walked up a flight of stairs and said greetings to her friends as she saw them. Once she got to her own studio, she sat down on her stool, hoping she could concentrate enough today to get some work done.

~*~

Peter had gotten up early the next morning, planning to do something special with Lyssa. He was in the kitchen packing a basket full of food when Micky came stumbling down the spiral staircase. He slowly made his way over to the table, then unceremoniously dropped into a chair and let his head flop down on it with a thump.

"Morning, Micky," Peter said, placing some sandwiches in the basket. "You're up rather early."

"I know," Micky groaned. "Isn't it horrible?"

Peter smiled. "It's not the end of the world that you're up early, Micky."

"To you maybe not."

Peter stopped packing the basket and turned to his friend at the table. "If it's that bad, then go back to bed."

Micky shook his head. "I wish it were that easy. I've been up for a good hour now. I couldn't sleep."

Peter ran over to Micky and placed a hand on his forehead. "You can't sleep? Are you okay Micky? Are you sick?" he said through chuckles.

Micky pushed Peter's hand away from his face. "I'm glad you find this amusing."

"Oh, I'm just kidding around with you Micky," Peter said, making his way back to the basket on the counter. Peter placed the last sandwich in the basket and closed it up.

"Hey Pete," Micky said, turning around in his seat to face him. "Whatcha doin'?"

"I'm taking Lyssa on a picnic lunch today."

"Anything wrong?" Micky asked hopefully. He mentally slapped himself for asking. It was none of his business, and he certainly shouldn't hope anything was wrong. As much as he cared for Jarra, he wouldn't want anything to happen between Peter and Lyssa. She was a nice girl and she made Peter happy.

Peter shook his head, not even registering the hope Micky had placed in his voice. "No, I just thought it'd be nice for the two of us to go out together. I'm taking her to the park and we're going to have a picnic."

Micky nodded and walked over to Peter, peeking inside the basket. "Whatcha got for lunch?"

Peter slammed the lid down nearly catching Micky's fingers underneath. If Micky hadn't pulled them back at the last second, they most certainly would've been crushed. "None of your business," he answered, grinning. "The last thing I need is you following along to get something to eat."

Micky gasped and gave Peter the most innocent look he could muster. "Who me?"

Peter just laughed. "Yes, you. When it comes to you and food, Micky, I never know what to expect."

Micky laughed and rubbed his hands together maniacally, playing along with Peter's game. He eyed the picnic basket on the counter and grinned. Peter rolled his eyes.

"Don't even think it, Micky."

"That won't be a problem," a voice from the downstairs bedroom replied. "Micky doesn't think at all."

Micky whirled around and glared at Davy, who was leaning on the doorframe of the bedroom. "Be quiet, shorty."

Davy smiled and made his way into the kitchen. He sat down at the kitchen table, catching sight of the basket. "What's in there?"

"Food," Micky said, rubbing his hands together again.

"Food that is off limits," Peter said, putting a protective hand on the basket. "I'm taking Lyssa on a picnic this afternoon."

"Oh," Davy said, looking disappointed. "Can't we just 'ave a taste? Just to make sure the food's all right?"

Micky nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

Peter grinned slightly, an idea dawning on him. "Are you sure you want to? I made everything in here."

Micky and Davy looked at each other then slowly looked back at Peter. "We'll risk it."

"Cool it guys," Mike called from the balcony. "It's for Pete and Lyssa."

Micky and Davy glanced up at Mike and slouched down into the chairs at the table. They settled on simple bowls of cereal instead of trying to rob Peter of his picnic lunch. Mike walked down the stairs and sat down at the table, taking the paper. He opened it and began browsing the headlines. Peter settled in the last open chair, making sure to keep a close eye on the basket and the other two who were watching it just as closely as he was.

~*~

At quarter to noon, Peter grabbed the basket he had been guarding all morning and dashed out the door to go get Lyssa. He tossed the basket in the passenger side window, which was thankfully open, and skipped around the car, hopping over the door of the driver's side with the top being down. He started the car and backed down the driveway, heading down to Lyssa's house. He merrily whistled "Your Auntie Grizelda" on the way, his mind quickly giving thanks that he could it sing again. He pulled up in front of Lyssa's house and jumped out of the car. Peter practically skipped up the walkway to her front door and gave it a quick knock. He rocked back and forth on his heels, whistling. Just as he was about to knock again, Lyssa slowly opened the door and peeked out.

"Hi, Peter," she said, opening the door the rest of the way. "Come in, I'm almost ready."

She stepped back, allowing Peter to walk in the door. He stepped into a large lobby at the entrance of her house and looked around. The ceiling rose far above him and was decorated with a chandelier. An elegant set of stairs stretched out in front of him, leading to the second floor of her house. The room was beautifully furnished, and he was amazed that a place this nice could be so close to a pad like his.

"I'll be right back," Lyssa said, running towards the staircase. "I'm just going to get a sweater." She ran up the stairs two at a time until she was out of Peter's sight.

Peter stood in the front room, nervously grinding the toe of his foot into the floor. He had no idea she lived so luxuriously. He began to feel a bit ashamed of the pad and his lifestyle. He couldn't compare to this.

Peter was brought out of his thoughts when an older gentleman came into the room, startled a little by his presence. He glared at Peter for a moment, then his look softened in slight recognition. He walked up to Peter, hand extended.

"You must be Peter," the man said, grabbing Peter's hand and shaking it.

"Uh, yeah," Peter responded confusion evident in his voice.

"I'm Alyssa's father."

"Oh!" Peter exclaimed, straightening up, returning the handshake firmly. He had hoped meeting her family would happen later, but since it was happening now, he had to make a good impression. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Likewise," Mr. Jacobs said, smiling. "Alyssa has told me a lot about you."

Peter smiled nervously. "Nothing bad, I hope."

Mr. Jacobs smiled and was about to say something, but was interrupted by his daughter coming barreling down the stairs.

"Ready!" Lyssa cried, slipping a crimson sweater on. "Let's go Peter."

Lyssa's father took Peter's hand again and shook it firmly. "It was nice meeting you, Peter."

"You too," Peter replied.

Lyssa linked her arm around Peter's elbow. "Come on."

"Be careful you two," Mr. Jacobs called after them as Lyssa led Peter to the door.

"We will!" Lyssa called to her father as she and Peter left the house. As soon as the door had closed behind them and they were walking towards the Monkeemobile, Lyssa turned to Peter. "Sorry about that."

"About what?" he asked her.

"About my father."

Peter smiled at her. "Don't worry. He seems really nice."

Lyssa stopped in her tracks and turned to Peter. "My father? Nice?"

"Yeah, why?" Peter asked, genuinely puzzled.

She laughed. "Usually he grills any of my boyfriends about his background, his life, his plans of the future, that type of stuff. I guess he didn't get to it with you yet."

"Yet?"

Lyssa laughed at his worried expression. "Don't worry Peter. I'm sure I'm over exaggerating, but I just wanted to warn you now."

"Thanks for the warning," Peter said, flashing her a dimple framed smile.

The two walked arm and arm to the Monkeemobile and when they reached it, Peter opened the passenger side door for her, tossing the picnic basket into the back. Lyssa stepped into the car, allowing Peter to close the door for her. He practically skipped around to the driver's side and hopped in the car. He started it up, heading for the park, smiling at the anticipation of spending a romantic day with the one he loved.

~*~

Peter pulled a small blanket out of the back of the Monkeemobile and walked up a hill arm in arm with Lyssa. He spread the blanket on the ground under a tree and gestured for her to sit down on it. Lyssa smiled at him and sat down on the blanket. Peter placed the basket down and knelt down beside it, emptying the contents onto the blanket.

The two spent the next hour sitting side-by-side, smiling and cooing at each other in a way that would have put Davy to shame. They finished their meal and Lyssa soon found herself wrapped up in Peter's arms. She sighed contently, snuggling deep into his arms.

Lyssa lifted her eyes to meet his, only to see the same happiness in his eyes that was shining in hers. Peter closed the small distance between their lips and engulfed her in a deep, passionate kiss. The kiss was long and full of desire, but Peter stiffened when he found his mind wasn't here in the park, but was somewhere else.

Oh shit, he thought, thinking a word he would never use out loud. He was thinking about Jarra. He couldn't get his mind off how happy he was when she was around, and how lonely he had been since she had been away. He was thinking of her deep blue eyes and how they lit up when she flashed him a dimpled smile. In the depths of a passionate kiss with his girlfriend, he was thinking of another girl, and not just any girl, his best friend!

Peter pulled away abruptly, his face as white as snow. Lyssa gave him a concerned look. "Peter? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Uh... nothing...I-I just thought of something important I was supposed to do today," he stammered.

"Are you sure you're okay, Peter? You look like you're scared out of your wits."

Peter nodded in response. She wasn't far from the truth. He was scared out of his mind. Here he was with his girlfriend on a romantic outing and he was thinking of his best friend! He felt ashamed, confused, embarrassed, and completely unsure of himself. He quickly rose to his feet and extended a hand to her, offering to help her to her feet. Lyssa took his hand, and Peter pulled her up.

"I really need to get back to the pad," he explained, hastily gathering everything into the picnic basket.

"Anything I can help with?" Lyssa asked, helping him put everything in the basket.

"No!" he cried a bit louder than he had wanted to.

Lyssa was taken aback by the volume of his voice. "I'm sorry, Peter. I just thought I'd offer."

"Thanks anyway, Lyssa," he said, lowering his voice. "I know you just want to help, but it's just real important I get back to the pad."

"Okay," she answered, putting the last of the materials into the basket.

Peter quickly picked up the blanket and the basket, forcing himself not to run back to the car and drive off as fast as he could. He wanted to be alone right now, but he couldn't abandon Lyssa. He led her to the Monkeemobile, tossing the stuff in the back and opening the door for her. She stepped in and he shut the door, running over to the other side and hopping in. He started the car and drove back to her place, as fast as he could without getting pulled over.

When he reached her pad, he placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "Sorry about cutting the date short, Lyssa."

"That's okay Peter, maybe some other time," she smiled.

"Yeah, maybe."

She gave him a quick kiss and got out of the car. She closed the door and leaned back in the window. "I love you."

Peter smile awkwardly at her. "Thanks," he said, not sure that if he returned the saying he would mean it.

It was not the response she had been looking for, but she stood up and walked towards her house, giving Peter one more concerned glance. She waved and walked in her door.

As soon as her door had closed, Peter took off towards the pad. His mind was racing. What was going on? He knew he cared for Jarra with all his heart, but he cared for Lyssa as well. The two were complete opposites. Jarra was so independent and headstrong, while Lyssa was kind and quiet.

He turned into the driveway of the pad and shut off the car. He was still trying to figure out what was going on in his own head as he got out. He ran into the pad, hoping his three friends were home. He crossed his fingers, silently praying his friends had some advice that would get him out of this jam.

~*~

Peter sat on the bandstand, staring out the window at the ocean waves crashing on the beach below. His friends hadn't been home as he had hoped. They had all gone out together to the Vincent Van Gogh Gogh. Micky and Mike had reluctantly gone with Davy, which had been very much stressed in Mike's note. They promised to be back in a few hours, but Peter hoped it would be much sooner than that.

He sat with his knees curled up under his chin, silently staring out at the water. He sighed deeply trying to sort though the mess of thoughts that tumbled through his mind. He was so confused and nothing he did helped him figure out what was going on.

Peter stood up and wandered over to the piano in the corner of the room. He sat down and absently tapped at the keys as he thought. What had happened at the park? He knew the answer to that one, he was with his girlfriend, yet thinking of Jarra. But why?

_Because you have feelings for her, stupid,_ he thought to himself. _Oh, great, now I've resorted to calling myself names._ He sighed again and let his head unceremoniously drop down on the piano keys.

Peter knew he had feelings for Jarra, he always had. His mind went back to that night in New York and he smiled at the pleasant memory. See? He did have feelings for her. So this was normal.

No, this wasn't normal. He was with his girlfriend, Lyssa, but was thinking about Jarra. That most certainly was not normal. Lyssa was a great, great girl. She was pretty, nice, and very loving. Most guys would kill for a girl like her, so why was his mind on Jarra? She was like a sister to him.

No, more than a sister. She had always been there for him when he needed her, which ended up being quite a bit during childhood. He had always been the shy kid in the class and was often picked on, but he could always count on Jarra to be there for him. She was independent and never one to keep her opinion to herself. But she never was hurtful in her opinions. Not once did she ever purposely say something hurtful, unless she lost her temper, which was a temper that could rival Mike's, but that was something completely different. Jarra tried to keep her temper in check and be kind, and often succeeded. She always looked out for Peter's best interest, always putting him before herself. The night in New York was a perfect example. He knew she was feeling what he was that night, but she had pulled away, seeing that his career was important. He smiled, knowing that he still felt as strongly about her as he had that night, but he had never known it. His feelings for her hadn't changed.

But what about her? Had her feelings changed? And what about Lyssa? He cared for her deeply too and he couldn't just abandon her.

Unsure of what to do, Peter picked his head up and inch or two above the piano keys and let it slam down on them again. He remained that way for several minutes, letting the sound of the banging keys ring in his ears. The chaotic sound matched the mess that was swirling around in his head.

Peter sat there at the piano, occasionally lifting his head and banging it back down on the piano for quite a while. He had completely lost track of time, nor did it really matter to him.

"Peter?" a quiet voice said as a finger poked his shoulder.

Peter didn't move from the position he was in, leaving his forehead on the piano keys. "Yeah Mike?"

"I don't mean to intrude, but is this a new technique, or is something wrong?"

Peter might've laughed at Mike's joke if his mind wasn't in such turmoil. He knew he must look like a complete idiot, but at the moment, that was the last thing he cared about.

Mike sat down on the piano bench next to Peter, regarding his friend silently. He went to ask Peter what was bothering him as Peter began to pick up his head. Peter abruptly dropped it back down on the piano keys, causing Mike to jump. He hadn't been expecting Peter to do that. Mike laid a comforting hand on Peter's shoulder.

"What's buggin' ya ol' buddy?"

"I'm just..." Peter began raising his head. "So confused," he finished, dropping his forehead back down on the piano.

"Well first thing, shotgun. You gotta stop doin' that. Makin' a dent in your forehead and breakin' the piano ain't gonna help you none."

Peter sat up slowly and looked down at the keys, putting his hands on them. He began tapping away at them unconsciously as he sighed.

"Pete, what's eatin' ya?"

Peter stopped playing and turned to face Mike. He opened his mouth to tell his friend what was wrong, but no words came out. "I-I don't know where to start."

"The beginning is usually a good place," Mike said gently.

Peter took a deep breath, trying to use the time to gather his thoughts, but it helped very little, if at all. His mind was still going a mile a minute and he had no idea where the story began. "Well, I guess I'll start with the picnic. I picked up Lyssa at her house, and man, is it a gorgeous pad too. Anyway, we got in the car and I drove to the park. We parked the car and made our way to a hill for lunch. We set up and it was great! We sat there together for a while, but when we kissed... I..." he broke off, looking down at his hands that he was wringing his hands in his lap to the point where they were white.

"You what, Peter?"

"Well, I-" His face reddened in shame. "I was thinking about Jarra."

Mike stared at his friend in shock, and at the same time in joy. Peter had finally come around! He had realized that Jarra liked him and he liked her the same! His happy thoughts were cut off by one other thought: Lyssa. What about her? There was no easy way out of this one for Peter.

Peter looked up at Mike, confusion swirling around in his tawny brown eyes. "What do I do, Mike? I really like Jarra, I've realized that now, but what if she doesn't feel the same way? I don't want to risk our friendship."

Mike stopped himself before saying, "She feels the same way, shotgun." He remembered the promise he had made to Jarra and the threat she had made to make sure he kept it. But wasn't this different? Peter did like Jarra a lot, and she liked him, but does he have the right to say anything?

_Man, I hate being caught in the middle,_ Mike thought. "Did you ever think that maybe you were just jealous of that Matt fella, and you don't really have these feelings for her, Pete?"

Peter nodded. "That's what I thought at first. Maybe I'm just jealous, but it's more than that, Mike. I just know it."

"What about Lyssa?"

Peter frowned. "I don't know. She's a great girl, and I like her a lot..."

"Just not as much as Jarra," Mike finished for him.

Peter nodded. "I'm so confused. I don't know what to do, Mike. I don't want to risk my friendship with Jarra or hurt Lyssa, but I know what I'm feeling. I love her, Mike, and I don't have the foggiest idea how to tell her without risking hurting someone."

"This is your decision, Pete. None of us can make it for you," Mike told him, clapping him on the shoulder.

Peter sighed. "I know."

"There is no easy way out of every problem, Peter," Mike said, rising from the bench. "You've got to do what you think is right."

With that said, Mike walked away, feeling for his friend. Mike knew that Jarra felt strongly about Peter and he desperately wanted to tell him, but what right did he have? He was about to walk up the stairs to his bedroom when he stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

_Aw, hell,_ he thought. He couldn't leave Peter like this. Mike walked back over to Peter, who hadn't moved an inch, and cleared his throat.

"Hey Pete," he began.

Peter turned his head to look up at Mike. "Yeah?"

"Jarra told me not to say anything, so if she asks, you didn't hear this from me. Or from Davy or Micky for that matter. In fact, you didn't hear it from anyone."

Peter gave Mike a puzzled look. "What are you talking about, Mike? When did you talk to Jarra?"

"Yesterday morning."

"Yesterday morning? I was out on errands all morning," Peter said, confused. Then the confusion was washed away, replaced by a look of understanding. "You guys sent me out on purpose, didn't you?"

Mike nodded. "We thought if we could get her over here, we could get her to talk about what's up. Man, was she one tough cookie to break."

"So you found out what's wrong with her?"

Mike nodded again.

"What? What's wrong?"

Mike jabbed Peter in the chest with his index finger. "You."

"Me?" Peter asked, shock evident in his eyes. "What about me?"

Mike sat down next to Peter again and sighed. "Isn't it obvious, man? She digs you."

"If she digs me so much, then why has she been avoiding me?"

"Lyssa."

Peter sat there for a moment, contemplating what Mike had just said. Jarra felt the same way he did, but at the same time, she felt she had to stay away because of Lyssa. Of course! It all made sense now! Jarra wanted to be more than friends, probably for a long time now. He had been to blind to see it. Now that he did realize how she was feeling, was he too late? What about Matt?

Peter sighed as he thought about Lyssa. How could he let her down easily? He knew he cared about her, but it wasn't the same as what he felt for Jarra. His love for Jarra was much deeper. He felt bad about dumping Lyssa, but Peter knew he couldn't keep up the charade of loving her when he felt his heart belonged to another.

Peter turned his light brown eyes to Mike and looked up at him, confusion written all over his face. "What do I do, Mike? I love Jarra, I know that now, but what if I'm too late?"

Mike shrugged. "You should tell her, shotgun. At least then she'll know you love her. Whether or not she accepts that, I don't know, but at least you won't be bottling it up. That's what she did, and look where it got her. She's been a wreck lately. At least you could get your feelings out in the open."

Peter put his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. "Maybe you're right."

Mike smiled reassuringly, placing a comforting hand on Peter's shoulder. "You'll think of something, Pete. Whatever you do, I'm here for you man."

"Thanks, Mike. I appreciate that."

"Anytime, Pete," he said rising. He walked back to the spiral staircase, giving his friend one more concerned glance. Peter didn't have an easy decision to make, and Mike didn't envy his position one bit. Mike walked up the stairs and into the bedroom, giving Peter the time he needed to think.

When Micky and Davy returned home from the Vincent Van Gogh Gogh an hour later, Peter was nowhere in sight, having left for Jarra's apartment a few minutes earlier.

~*~

Jarra walked up to her apartment door, jabbing the key into the lock. She had just spent the last hour walking all around the town, trying to sort through her feelings and thoughts. The time alone didn't do much except confirm what she had known all along. She loved Peter, but there was nothing she could do. He was with Lyssa, and her heart was breaking to see him so happy with someone else. She sighed heavily as the lock on her door finally gave way, giving her entrance to her pad. Just as she went to step inside, she heard Matt calling out to her from behind.

"Hey Jarra!"

She turned around and smiled. "Hey Matt."

He ran up to her, grabbing the portfolio from under her arm. "Let me help you with that."

"Thanks," she said, turning to walk in her pad with Matt following closely behind her. He closed the door to her apartment then followed her into the kitchen. He walked to the table and placed the portfolio on it, then sat down.

"Would you like something to drink?" Jarra asked as she started some water for tea for herself.

"Sure," he answered. "Got any cola?"

Jarra nodded and went to the fridge, pulling out a small bottle of soda. She walked over to Matt, stopping at a drawer under the counter for the bottle opener, and handed both to him. He nodded in thanks as he took them.

Matt popped the top off of his soda and took a long sip. He let out a soothing sigh as he quickly lowered the bottle to the table. His drink hit the bottle opener sending it tumbling to the floor and Jarra bent down to pick it up. As she put her hand down on it, another hand fell on hers. She looked up at Matt, who had reached for the utensil at the same moment she had, and she found herself truly seeing how handsome he was for the first time. She saw his dark brown flowing hair and how wonderfully it framed his face, making his gorgeous blue eyes stand out like wildfire. She felt her gaze swimming deeper into his blue eyed stare, but she couldn't bring herself to look away. The two remained there, crouched down, hand on hand, for several minutes, staring at each other. Neither moved, not wanting to spoil the moment. Jarra could feel the passion he had for her radiating from his gaze. She knew what Matt was going to do, and as he moved in closer for a kiss, she found herself not wanting him to stop.

~*~

Peter looked down at his outfit, giving himself one last look over as he walked up the stairs to Jarra's apartment. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he was certain the entire building could hear it too. He took a deep breath, trying to sort through what he was going to say to her. He had spent the entire car ride to her apartment talking to himself as if she had been in the car with him, playing out the entire conversation before he got there. He made a brief stop at a local flower shop to pick up some daisies for her, knowing they were her favorite. He cradled them in the crook of his right arm as he brushed his hand over his hair. Peter approached her apartment door and stood in front of it, staring as if she were standing in front of him. He took another deep breath and swallowed, finally ready to meet her. He raised his hand to knock on the door, then remembered her words to him a few nights ago, telling him that the door was always open for him.

Peter reached for the doorknob and opened the door slowly and quietly. He peeked his head in the door, ready to greet Jarra if she were sitting in the living room, but he was not ready for the sight before his eyes. His heart sank as he saw Jarra and Matt crouched down next to the kitchen table, his hand on hers. He felt himself gasp at the affection he saw exchanging between the two. The pain of seeing her with someone else stabbed him deep in the chest. The ache was unbearable, tears beginning to form in his soft brown eyes. He was too late. He had been blind to her affection, so she had turned to another for the love she wanted.

Peter watched silently as Matt began moving towards his best friend, but found it too agonizing to see. He abruptly pulled his head out of the doorway, closing it silently behind him. He stood outside the door to her apartment, too shocked to move or even think. He tried to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat, but he found it to be impossible. He brought his hands to his face, wiping away the tears that began spilling down his cheeks. The daisies dropped from his grasp, petals shattering off their stems as they hit the floor, but the embarrassment of the moment wouldn't allow him to care.

Peter could not longer keep the ache in his heart under control. He let out a cry of pure agony and dashed out of the building, never once looking back.

~*~

Matt reached up with his hand, caressing Jarra's cheek as he kissed her. His kiss was full of passion, letting his true feelings for her be known. He moved his hand around to the back of her head, pulling her closer to him. Jarra wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss with equal intensity. She found herself being lost in his embrace, but started when she realized the passion she was feeling was not directed towards the man she was with, but towards another. She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him back gently. She rose from the floor quickly, walking around the table, positioning it so it was between them. Matt rose and gazed at her, completely confused.

"Jarra? What's wrong?"

"I... I can't, I'm sorry," she replied shakily, staring down at the table.

Matt made his way around the table, only to have Jarra move away, keeping the table in the middle. He felt his heart wretch as he tried to comprehend what had happened. "But... I thought..." he began.

Jarra shook her head violently. "I just can't. You're a great guy, Matt, but I just can't. I'm sorry."

Matt sighed, finally understanding what was going on inside her head. "It's Peter, isn't it?"

She took a deep breath, not wanting to confirm his suspicions, but she knew he was right. She nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Matt. I never meant to lead you on."

Matt was speechless for several minutes, and Jarra looked up at him. She was afraid she had hurt him deeply, forever ruining their friendship. He stared at his feet, trying to regain his composure before speaking. "You didn't. I knew from the first time I saw you two together there was something there. I guess I was just kidding myself, thinking I could win you over."

Jarra walked around the table and wrapped her arms around his waist in a friendly hug. "I'm sorry, Matt."

"Don't be," he told her, returning the hug. "It just isn't meant to be." Jarra pulled back from the hug and he looked down at her, smiling. "I should get going."

Jarra nodded, keeping an arm around his waist as they walked to her apartment door. He pulled the door open, but didn't exit before looking into her eyes once more, hoping there was some chance for him to be in her life. She returned his gentle smile, and that look in her eyes told him she wouldn't ever regard him as more than a good friend. He could feel his heart breaking as he walked wordlessly out of her apartment and back to his own.

Jarra leaned against the doorframe and sighed heavily. She felt horrible about what she had done to Matt, but she knew her heart belonged to Peter. She cared for Matt and her heart went out to him, but she loved Peter. She couldn't pretend to love him, nor would she want to. He had turned out to be a great friend and she couldn't be so cruel to him. She sighed again as her gaze shifted down to the floor where something caught her eye. There on the floor was a bouquet of flowers that had been hastily abandoned.

Jarra walked over to where the flowers lay and picked them up. Most of the petals had fallen from the flowers and now littered the floor. Tucked in the wrapping around the stems, a small card lay. She pulled it out, wondering who these flowers belonged to. She removed the card from the small envelope and read it silently.

To a girl whose beauty could not be surpassed, not even by these delicate daisies,
All my love,
Peter

Jarra gaped at the card, jaw falling open. Peter? He had left these for her? But why? And why hadn't he brought them inside...?

Oh shit, she thought as the implications of the affectionate note hit her. He had come to see her and he had come inside to give them to her, but she hadn't seen him. He must've seen her with Matt and left. She closed her eyes, her heart aching for her best friend. She jumped up with the card still in hand and was running towards the stairs before she could stop herself. This had gone on long enough. She had to find Peter and tell him the truth, no matter what the cost. She burst through the door to her apartment building, not even acknowledging the old man she nearly tackled on her way out. She ran down the street to the pad in search of her friend.

~*~

Jarra ran up to the pad and pounded on the door to announce her arrival before swinging the door open quickly. A person, who had been behind the door walking to open it, unluckily got caught behind it as she slammed it open. She ran in the door and looked around the pad in search of Peter. Davy, who had been the one caught behind the door, closed the door, clutching his nose, which had been hit with the door.

"'Ello to you too, luv," he said, walking to a mirror to inspect the damage.

"Where's Peter?" she asked following him to the mirror.

"I dunno, why?"

"I need to talk to him. You don't have any idea where he is?"

Davy shook his head as she heard another voice respond. "I thought he was going to your pad."

Jarra looked up the spiral staircase to see Mike walking down. He stepped off the last stair and walked over to the two. He gave Davy, who was still closely inspecting his nose in the mirror, a curious look before turning to Jarra. "By the way he was talkin', I thought he'd be goin' to your pad."

"The way he was talking? What do you mean?"

"Well," Mike began, "I came home from the Vincent about two hours ago and found Pete here. He was pretty upset. Seems that he has feelin's for you too, but he figured it out the hard way when he was with Lyssa this afternoon."

Jarra frowned and looked at the floor. She had known she had feelings for Peter all along, yet she had turned to Matt, trying to get the love she desperately wanted from Peter. She thought Peter had found love with Lyssa, so she had given up, but when Matt had kissed her, she knew her feelings for Peter were not going to go away so easily. She loved him with all her heart and no other could ever take his place. She finally looked up at Mike who was studying her, a confused look on his face.

"You mean he didn't go to your pad?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, he was there."

Davy had finally torn himself away from the mirror. "Wait a sec. Mike, you didn't tell us about Petah bein' upset."

"I'll tell you later, Davy." Davy huffed in frustration, tired of being left in the dark, but he didn't press the issue because Mike continued. "What happened?"

Jarra let her eyes fall to the floor again, this time in shame. "I-I don't know. I didn't see him."

"Then 'ow do you know 'e was there?" Davy asked, very much interested in finding out as much as he could.

Jarra held out the card and Davy snatched it from her grasp before Mike could. He read it to himself and his mouth fell open, finally understanding what Peter had been upset about.

"Give me that," Mike demanded, pulling the card from Davy's hands and reading it. "If you didn't see Pete, where did you get this?"

Jarra sighed, not wanting to get into the details, but she knew she would have to tell all to satisfy their curiousity and their concern for their friend. "They were out in my hall. Peter must've dropped them when he left." Mike opened his mouth to ask a question, but Jarra silenced him by raising her hand. "Let me tell the whole story. I came home from the studio today and Matt greeted me. He came into my apartment for a drink, but it ended up being more than that." She began wringing her hands, a nervous habit she had seen Peter do a hundred times before. Mike crossed his arms, indicating her to go on. "Matt and I... well, we kissed," she blurted out.

"You what?" Davy exclaimed.

"You heard me, we kissed. It was a heat of the moment thing, I don't know..."

"But I thought-" Davy began, but was halted by Mike.

"Davy, let her finish."

Mike turned back to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Jarra took a deep breath and swallowed. "At first I thought it was what I wanted, but I realized I wanted to be with Peter, not Matt. I feel horrible about it, but I know that's what I want. I have to tell him how I feel. I can't bottle this up anymore. That's why I need to talk to him."

"Wait a sec. If Pete was over there, why didn't you see him? He really wanted to talk to you. He wouldn't just leave like that," Mike explained.

"He would if he walked in on the two of us. At least I think he did. I found the flowers dropped on the floor outside my door. I didn't hear him come in. I can't believe of all the times for him not to knock it had to be today."

Davy and Mike regarded Jarra for a moment. She stared at the floor, wringing her hands, unsure of what to say. She finally looked up at them, tears beginning to sting her eyes. She swallowed them back, not wanting to let her composure abandon her in front of Peter's friends. "Well if he's not here and he's not at my place, where could he be? I need to find him."

Mike and Davy thought for a moment. "'E sometimes walks in the park when 'e's upset. We should check there," Davy said.

"Good, let's go," Jarra said, dashing out the door, not even waiting to see if they were following. Of course the two were right behind her, Mike a bit further behind because he had paused to leave a note for Micky, both wanting to find Peter just as much as she did. The three ran down the street to the park and began searching for Peter, hoping that he was okay.

~*~

After hours of futile searching, the three returned to the pad, hoping to be greeted by Peter, but were welcomed home by Micky. They had searched every possible place Peter could've been with no luck. He had not gone to the park, the music shop, or any of his other hangouts. He wasn't along the beach anywhere, so the three had given up, hoping he'd return home soon.

Mike and Davy sat on the couch with matching looks of concern on their faces. Micky sat down on the floor facing them, having no idea what was going on. He had been out and Mike hadn't offered any information on his behalf. He finally cleared his throat.

"Mike?"

"Yeah Mick?"

"Would you please tell me what the heck is going on here?" he exclaimed. "Where is Peter and why are we all so concerned?"

Mike looked to Jarra and proceeded to tell the story when she nodded. He explained about his talk with Peter and how Peter had gone over to Jarra's to tell her. Jarra rose from her seat on the bandstand as he spoke, not wanting to hear the story another time. She walked to the back door and let herself out without the others even noticing she had gone. Both Micky and Davy were intently listening to Mike talk, and she didn't want to hear about her mistake again. She replayed it over and over in her mind so she really didn't need to hear someone else tell the story as well.

Jarra closed the door to the pad behind her quietly, not wanting to attract their attention with slamming the door. She slid her hand along the wooden railing of the stairs as she made her way down to the beach. She walked along silently, kicking the sand as she thought. The sand began filling her shoes, but she was too caught up in replaying that moment with Matt in her mind. She mentally slapped herself for being so stupid. She had known she loved Peter so why had she done it? What had she been thinking?

Jarra knew jealousy had played a major part in it. She had been jealous of Peter and Lyssa. She wanted that kind of love, but she thought it would be impossible to get it with Peter.

Jarra sighed and kicked a rock into the water. She walked up to some large rocks that had gathered on the shore and climbed up on them. She thought this would be a good place, if any, to think. She climbed to the top, only to notice a small opening below, that was surrounded by the large rocks. She jumped down from her perch into the small clearing. She fell into a crouching position from the momentum of the fall, but immediately pushed herself up.

"Fancy meeting you here," a quiet voice said from behind.

Jarra screamed in surprise and whirled around. She grasped at her chest, trying to keep her heart from leaping out of it. Behind her, sitting next to a rock with his knees huddled to his chest, was Peter.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, his voice muffled because his face was leaning against his knees.

"Peter! What are you doing here? Mike, Davy and I have been looking everywhere for you!" Jarra cried.

"Well, you found me. I like to come here to think sometimes."

Jarra carefully approached him and sat down next to him. She took a deep breath, not knowing how to begin. She wanted to tell Peter everything that had been going on, but she had no idea where to start. Jarra took a chance and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close. He leaned his head against her, just sighing in response.

Jarra took a deep breath and said, "Peter, I'm so sorry."

Peter looked up at her. "For what?"

"For everything, this whole mess. If I hadn't come out and told you in the first place, none of this would've happened."

"Told me what?"

Jarra swallowed, gaining the courage to finally divulge her true feelings. "I love you, Peter. I always have. I... I just never had the guts to tell you. I wasn't sure if you felt the same way, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship if you didn't. And then Lyssa came along... I don't know Peter, I just wish I had told you sooner."

Jarra let her eyes fall to the sand, unable to look him in the eyes. Peter pulled out of her embrace and knelt down in front of her. He pulled her chin up to look him in the eyes. "Jarra, I love you too. I wanted to tell you, but when I saw you and Matt...." his voice trailed off at the thought of the sight that had greeted him in her apartment.

"Peter, nothing happened. I-I thought I loved him, but deep in my heart I know you're the only one I love. I told him that, and as much as it hurt him, he's accepted it. I just had to tell you, Peter. I can't hold it in anymore." Her voice cracked on the verge of tears, but she swallowed them quickly.

Peter stared at her for a moment, and she was unable to read him. He moved towards her and before she knew it, he had pulled her into a passionate kiss. It was long and full of desire, both finally letting their feelings for each other be known. All the weeks of bottled up emotion flowed from Jarra in that one kiss. When he finally pulled away, Jarra was speechless. She could only stare at him, unable to put what she felt into words. She was about to kiss him again when a thought entered her mind.

"What about Lyssa?"

Peter sighed. "I don't know. I'm going over to her place tomorrow to talk to her."

Jarra rose from the sand and began brushing it off, Peter repeating her actions. "We better get back to the pad. The guys are going nuts with worry about you."

Peter grinned. "They worry too much."

Jarra climbed up and over the rocks with Peter following close behind. She jumped down into the sand and waited for Peter to come down before continuing to the pad. The two walked hand-in-hand back to the pad and Jarra could feel the heavy weight released from her shoulders. She had finally gotten her true feelings out and Peter had accepted her. She felt terrible about Lyssa, but she found her true happiness with Peter, and nothing could take that away from her.

~*~

The next day, Peter walked up to Lyssa's front door slowly. He was not looking forward to this, but he knew he could not put it off. He had to tell her. It would be cruel to both her and Jarra to keep his feelings hidden. He cared for both of them too much to do that.

Peter swallowed audibly before giving her front door a quick rap. He rocked back and forth on his feet, wringing his hands nervously. His mind was racing, his heart practically bursting out of his chest with nervousness. It seemed like hours, but was probably only seconds, before the front door to her house opened. Peter was greeted by Lyssa's smiling face.

"Peter!" she exclaimed embracing him. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Hi Lyssa," he said quietly.

Lyssa pulled out of the hug and held him at an arm's distance. "Peter? What's wrong?"

"Uh," he squeaked. He cleared his throat, not wanting for his voice to crack. "We... we need to talk."

Lyssa eyed him warily. "Sure, Peter. Come in."

She stepped back, giving him enough room to walk through the door, and once he had, she closed it behind him. She guided him to the living room and he couldn't help but gawk at the elaborate furnishings. The two sat down on the couch and Peter refocused his attention back to the reason he had come.

"Is something wrong, Peter?" Lyssa asked, concern etched in her eyes.

Peter nodded and took a deep breath. He hated doing this to her, but he knew it was for the best. "I-I don't think we should see each other anymore."

Lyssa stared at him for a moment, unable to comprehend what he had just said. "What?" Peter repeated himself, but it was still no clearer to her. "I don't understand Peter," she finally managed to say. "Why?" She could feel the tears beginning to surface.

"It's for the best Lyssa."

"How can you say that?" she cried. "I love you Peter!" She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately, hoping to convince him to stay. To her utter disappointment, Peter pushed her away and rose from the couch.

"No Lyssa. I can't. You're a great girl, but this just isn't working."

"It's because of her, isn't it?" Lyssa said angrily rising from the couch to face him. "You love her more than you love me!"

Peter gripped her around the shoulders gently, wanting to calm her anger. "No Lyssa, that's not true. You're both very special to me."

Lyssa pulled out of his grip and stepped back. Peter was slightly taken aback by the anger than danced around in her eyes. "Just go, Peter. I don't need your pity. You want to be with her? Fine. Just a word of warning Peter, you haven't seen the last of me." With those words said, she dashed out of the room and up the stairs.

Peter watched her go and sighed. He felt horrible, but there was nothing he could do. Head bowed, he walked to the entrance of her house and let himself out. He walked back to the pad, her last words ringing in his head. "You haven't seen the last of me." He hoped she hadn't meant those words as maliciously as they had sounded.

~*~

Later that night, Jarra poked her head in the door to the pad. She had just returned from the studio so she had her portfolio tucked under her arm as she stepped inside. All four of the Monkees were sitting on the bandstand, whispering amongst themselves, not even having noticed her arrival.

"Ahem," she said, trying to get their attention, but it got no response from the group. "Ahem!" she tried again, a bit louder this time. Finally the four looked up at her.

"Hi Jarra!" Peter exclaimed, jumping up and running over to give her a hug and a quick kiss. "We didn't hear you come in."

"Obviously," she replied, poking him in the stomach playfully.

He giggled in response. "Don't do that!"

Jarra grinned mischievously, ready to go into a full tickling attack when someone else spoke up. "Hello? Other people in the room here."

She looked up at the bandstand and stuck her tongue out at Micky which resulting in him doing the same.

"Cool it you two," Mike said. "We gotta rehearse."

Jarra glared at Micky again as Peter jumped back up on the bandstand. She walked over to the couch and took her customary spot, ready to watch the usual set of songs. The four looked at each other and smiled, immediately signaling Jarra that something was up. She was about to ask when the four broke out into the first number. When she heard the first few notes, she recognized it immediately. When the vocals began, she expected to hear Micky's voice, but instead Peter had stepped up to the microphone, belting out the words in his soothing baritone while Micky adopted the backing vocals.

People come and people go
Movin' fast and movin' slow
I'm in a crowd, yet I'm all alone
The road is long; the road is rough
I do believe I've had enough
I'm gonna turn around, head for home

And I hope you're there
And you still care
And if you do
I'll spend my life with you

I've had all the time I need
To rearrange my mind and lead
The life I thought I wanted yesterday
I played a game that couldn't last
And now some memories from the past
Have turned my thoughts around a different way

And girl I find
You're still on my mind
And if you want me to
I'll spend my life with you

And girl I find
You're still on my mind
And if you want me to
I'll spend my life with you

Jarra could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes at the sweet gesture by the entire band. She couldn't speak as the song ended, nor did she want to, afraid to spoil the moment. Peter smiled at her, biting his lower lip, awaiting her response.

Jarra swallowed the tears of happiness in order to reply. She couldn't find any words to match what she was feeling, so she jumped off the couch and ran up to him, pulling him into the tightest hug she could manage. He returned her embrace with equal measure, only causing the tears flow down her cheeks.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

"Awwwwww...."

Jarra briefly glanced over Peter's shoulder at the three remaining Monkees, who were watching the two. They smiled at the sight, all three with their arms crossed across their chests proudly. As Jarra pulled back from Peter's embrace, she looked him in the eye, seeing that she could look forward to a very long and happy future with him.