Dexter hasn't been Dexter much lately. He's been skipping school, coming home at all hours of the night, and neglecting his chores around the house. Not that he's been home to do them. While they didn't mind him staying out late, because they assumed he had finally gotten a life, they did mind the school calling to let them know about his lack of attendance. Mostly because that meant they were in trouble too. Presently, the Douglas's waited for the fourth night in a row for their youngest son to return home.

"Where in the world could he be?"Mrs. Douglas sighed leaning tiredly against the wall in the darkened room.

Sitting on Dexter's bed Mr. Douglas yawned then said,"The boy better have a good reason for keeping us up for four nights in a row."

They both waited quietly, listening to the hypnotic hum coming from Dexter's computer tower. glanced around the room that she had spent her time neatly tidying on the first night of their parental steak out. Her eyes settled on an old pile of scientific magazines that were illuminated by a sliver of light beaming in from the hall. Looking at them brought back an old memory of when Dexter was ten years old. She remembered how excited he was when he got his first issue in the mail. She had thought him cute then. Mrs. Douglas smiled sadly. A sudden inclination of maternal instinct hit her and she finally wondered, "Do you think we should call the police, dear?"

"Huh?"Mr. Duncan flinched and stared at his wife. He could only manage an empty gaze after being startled out of his tired daze. He drew a deep breath and pinched his chin with his index finger and thumb, looking thoughtful. "Well,"he murmured,"I suppose he has been gone an awful long while."

"I honestly can't remeber the last time I saw Dexter. I do hope he isn't in any trouble."Mrs. Duncan said in an oddly subdued voice.

Just then there was a jostling at the window. They both froze as the window was worked open behind some cheap eggshell aluminium blinds. Before slipping in they could hear Dexter forcfully, but quietly curse,"Freak-in!" before he quieltly slinked in from behind the closed blinds. He sighed, handling the rackety slats very carefully to minimize any sounds then halfway shut the window before Mr. Duncan loudly coughed once to get Dexter's attention. Dexter and his mother almost jumped out of their skin at the loud sound.

Dexter spun around, his eyes wide like a deer in headlights.

"We'd like to have a word with you son." Mr. Duncan said and stood up.

Dexter looked dumbfounded. He just stood frozen, calculating what he should say. Then his body language went slack and relaxed. He sighed as he shut the window completely. "Okay. What about?"he asked.

"We got word from your school that you haven't been showing up for classes at all since October, Dexter."Mrs. Duncan said hugging her arms.

"Care to explain?"Mr. Duncan huffed and crossed his arms.

Dexter brushed his hair back with one hand and sighed again. "No, not really."he said wearily.

Mrs. Duncan blanched,"Dexter, you're failing all your classes and if you don't start attending class again they are going to expell you!"

Dexter sat on his computer desk. He lifted his glasses up off his nose and pinched his bridge between his eyes. "Can't we talk about this...in the morning?"Dexter groaned.

"No. You have school in the morning." Mr. Duncan said gruffly. Mrs. Duncan just frowned at Dexter. "It's really great that you finally found some friends that enjoy spending time with you, but it is very important that you finish school. We would also like for you to spend some more time at home now, sweetie." Mrs. Duncan said sweetly.

Dexter's countenance darkened. If looks could wound, then the look he gave his mother was the equivalent of grinding out a lit cigarette on someones wrist. "Why? What's the freakin' point?"he asked her darkly from his pertch.

Both parents were taken back. Mr. Douglas slapped loudly on his knees the pointed an accusing finger at him,"Because that's what we want you to do and golly gosh you're going to do it, son!"he barked. Dexter looked at the floor and sneered. "Fine. Whatever."

"Good." Mr. Douglas said then walked out into the hallway while rubbing his lower back.

Mrs. Douglas made to follow her husband but paused in the doorway. "Is everything okay, Dexter..?"she asked feeling a pang of concerned.

Dexter gave a sarcastic laugh and slid off his desk. "Would you really care?"

Mrs. Douglas fell silent. She didn't know what to say. In all honesty she had always felt disappointed in Dexter for some reason she couldn't express. It always seemed to make everything that Dexter did,good or bad, appear trite, uninteresting, or plain annoying. All the same, she was aware of how she should feel twards her youngest child and she was remorseful of her lack of intrest. It wasn't as though she hated him, it was more an indifference she couldn't overcome. Right now, it was apathy and guilt that motivated her feelings of sudden concern. Looking at her little boy now, she could see and feel the rejection she had built up like a wall all his life finally being pushed back at her. There weren't any loving words that she could arbitrarily pander out to him now. He knew she wouldn't mean them. He was aware of the real relationship they had now. How long he'd known she wasn't sure. So she said the most honest and loving thing she could think of. "There's meat loaf and mashed potatoes in the fridge if you would like for me to make you plate and warm it up. If you're hungry."

Dexter stared at her from across his room in a gap that might as well have been the grandcanyon. He looked away. "No,mom...goodnight."

"Goodnight Dexter."she said more like an apology than a plesantry, then slipped out the doorway, then down the hall. As Mrs. Douglas opened her bedroom door she heard Dexter's bedroom door shut.

ooooo

"Well that was awkward."a voice said from behind Dexter's eyes.

"It doesn't matter."Dexter said dismissaly. He kicked off his shoes and flopped onto his bed in exhaustion.

"You sure are thinking about it hard, Dexxy."

"I said it doesn't matter,Freak." Dexter stated strongly. He rolled onto his back and stared unfocused at the ceiling. "It doesn't matter, because I'm almost dead anyway."

"What!?" Freakazoid shrieked from the back of Dexter's mind.

Dexter smiled. It was nice to have somebody care if he lived or died, even though Freakazoid had an intrest in the matter. "I'm giving my body over to you, Freakazoid."he said peacefully.

Freakazoid was speachless.

"I love being you, Freakazoid. I love the insane, crazy, fantastic things that we do. For me it's like I'm always dreaming. It's really wonderful, you know?" Dexter sighed with a feeling on contentment settling in his chest. He slipped his glasses off and gently tossed them indiscriminately into the darkness of his room. "I won't be needing those anymore."

"I um, can't say the idea of being in the drivers seat of the ol' Dextermobile all the time isn't a tempting offer,"Freakazoid said feeling uneasy," but...I mean...are you sure? About this?" Freakazoid really didn't have to ask. He could feel Dexter's resolve all around him, which worried him. "I mean..what do you mean by being dead?"

Dexter worked his cargo shorts off and dropped them on the floor. "There's no reason for me to even exist when you could take my place. What am I compared to you? Nothing, I'm nothing but another miserable nerd. But you.."Dexter breathed crawling under his sheets,"..you are amazing. You're strong, charming, handsome, and a hero. Everybody loves you."he said curling up on his side and closing his eyes. "I love you. It just makes sense."

Freakazoid chuckled nervously,"Dexter..sheesh. You're making me blush."

Dexter just gave an indiscriminate grunt.

"I don't know if this is right or not...but if it's what YOU really want, I'm going to have a hard time telling you no, Dex."Freakazoid said as his friend drifted into a dreamless sleep.

ooooo

In the dimness of the Freakazone Freakazoid was slumped over on the ricketey couch. He turned off the television. "Is this okay..?" He wondered aloud. "I mean...it's already like..I mean I'm the one..."Freak scratched his cheek.

"Man, I wish I could talk to Cosgrove. Being stuck in here stinks." He sighed,"I really do want this, but I think it might be wrong. A little. Maybe not. Yeah,probably. Well, maybe not..." Freakazoid groaned in frustration and sprawled out on the couch. "Nutbunnies."