Stiff upper lip (Liby/Lemy)

> As calculating and analytical as Liby could be, Technology was not her friend. Especially when it came to tinkering anything more complicated than a door lock.
> Luckily she has a little brother with magic fingers. What would have cost her 40 bucks for a new set of Walkie-talkies, he was willing to fix for free.
> "So who'd you piss off?" Lemy said carefully replacing the broken receiver with a new one.
> “Daryl Burgerman”
> “Okay... who's he?" She had to remind herself sometimes that not everyone kept a mental catalog of everyone in her school.
> "Highschool Linebacker, his girlfriend hired me to see if he was cheating."
> “Was he?”
> “Well he certainly liked to make out with a lot of girls by the riverfront.”
> "So you're telling me he got caught and busted your stuff over it? Prick." That was putting it lightly. His girlfriend certainly had a more colorful set of words to describe him. And when Daryl found he had some words for her too.
> The day after she broke the news to her client, Daryl broke open her locker and wrecked everything inside.
> “Its nothing." Some books she could replace, files she could rewrite, it's all apart of the job.
> “It's not, nothing." She watched him put carefully replace the lid of the walkie-talkie. "I oughta kick his ass for it.”
> “Thanks for the thought but he's 5'11 and you're in middle school." She appreciated the chivalry though.
> "I was talking about the stupid rumors he’s been spreading." Lemy said. Ah yes, the rumors… as if breaking her stuff wasn’t enough, Daryl had claimed that the only reason Liby had investigated him in the first place was because he had rejected her.
> 'I mean c'mon, can you blame me, who'd date a spiteful little uggo like her?'
> That rumor evolved into the idea Liby only took jobs from girls who got rejected in order to thin out the dating pool.
> “He doesn’t know jack shit. The guy wouldn’t know a cute girl when he see’s one.”
> Liby didn't see the point in arguing against the rumor, it would wither away in a week or two like most rumors and her business wouldn't suffer. Besides Daryl was a known egotist, even people who bought half of the rumors at school wouldn't buy- wait a tick.
> "Uh... did you just call me cute?"

> Lemy froze, shit he did didn't he? Damn it Lemy, think before you talk.
> “Uh well yeah, you know. I mean- your not ugly.” Nice recovery, dumbass.
> “Thanks. But you don't have to sugar coat it for me. I'm not what most guys would call attractive.” He noticed Liby fidgeting with her head brace.
> “I wasn't lying. You are cute.” Could have said that better. but sure, let's be blunt.
> “Look I'm not putting myself down. But let's look at the facts. I have Braces, I'm not exactly fashionable, and I'm a bookworm with a lot of love for fantasy. I'm not cute, I'm just a nerd.”
> “Well yeah, but nerds can be cute." quick move on before she noticed you said it again. "You're smart, your passionate about your job, and your laugh is adorable.” You could have just stop at passionate, but this hole to deep climb out of now, so why not go deeper?
> “Lem' I appreciate it, I do." She rubbed the top of his head like everyone does, seriously why do they keep touching my hair? "But you don't have to worry about me. I might not be cute but I got thick skin.” Liby picked her now fixed radio smiling absentmindedly at it. Lemy was happy to help but still didn't buy it. He wasn't as articil- Articuig- he didn't talk smart enough to get his point across to her.
> That's when he was reminded of something his mom once said. 'Play the way you feel it.'

> Luan was no chef, especially compared to her dad or her niece. But what kid didn't love PB&J with banana slices?
> She was worried about her little detective. One of her cases got her in hot water again.
> Liby put up a good front. Something she picked up from trying to be a comedian like her. But she knew it still got to her, some nights she'd walk in her to find her whimpering into her pillow.
> But she wasn't the only one to see through the act. Every other day one of her many siblings would come over to spend some time with her.
> Not an hour after she mentioned to Luna that Liby's walkie-talkie was broken. Lemy was already at their door with a backpack full of tools and radio parts.
> She walked up to Liby's door but before she could knock she heard yelling.
> “Wha da hel’ a’ Yu doing!”
> “Ah Wa’ tyin’ to Chee’ yo up!”
> “Ged Off!”
> "I'cant I'm stuck!"
> Luan opened the door to Liby’s room.
> “Kids are you oka-PfffHahahaha!” Luan nearly dropped both plates. Taking in the sight.
> Lemy had his lip caught in Liby’s braces.
> “Ma', pWease s'op laffing and Hewp.” Liby begged more out of embarrassment then pain.
> "Haha, I'm sorry, this is just too adorable." She pulled out her phone for a second. "Just let me get a picture of this first."