[Into My Lair]

[Here's…Lori!]

Midnight at Pleasantville Highschool, a short cloaked figure walks out of the D hallway and mysteriously disappears into the darkness without a trace.

[Narrator (Tommy): It's been a week since Chloe and Merton bonded, they have been together almost every moment since. I try not to be jealous but hey, she's Chloe. Another thing you should know is that she quit the cheerleading squad, and she's showing her dark sides in her clothing. I guess social status isn't more important than true love]

The bell rings and the hall is flooded with students, the body of students part like the red sea as Tommy Dawkins walks to his locker. He nudges Merton whom was taping a small picture of Chloe on his locker door.

"Merton don't you think you are going a little overboard about this Chloe thing?" Tommy asked watching his spiky haired friend stare at the picture. Merton sighs wisely and turns to Tommy.

"My little Tommy, I wish you could understand the strengths of the bond that Chloe and I have. Its amazing." Merton smiled putting his hand onto his nonexistent locker door, falling into his locker.

"Amazing, riigghhtt." Tommy said with a laugh. He caught a glimpse of Chloe, her hair was teased and she was wearing a black and red corset style dress with long sleeves. She wore a spiked collar and black boots. As she walked closer Tommy could see the color of her lipstick; its black color became more visible as a dark red as she got closer. Not that he was staring at her lips or anything.

"Hi Tommy. Hi Merton." Chloe chimed as she got stopped beside the guys, it was incredible. This girl that looked dark and depressing on the outside, had an amazingly sunny disposition.

"Hey sweety." Merton smiled kissing Chloe on the cheek then turning to close his locker. Tommy stayed silent.

"So I don't get a hello?" Chloe asked poking Tommy in the arm, playfully.

"Hello." Tommy said with a fake smile.

"Anyway, Merton I'm running a little late. I just came by to see if you wanted to verify our date for lunch today." Chloe said as Merton turned to face her. He propped himself up against his locker and looked at her.

"Sure, just come by the locker before lunch." Merton smiled in a cool manner, trying to keep the suave image for more than a minute or two.

"Ok, see you then." Chloe said with a smile, she waved to Merton then to Tommy and walked off.

Tommy got his books and then started walking down the hall beside Merton. They walked by the trophy case but something didn't look right.

"What is that?" Tommy asked as he stopped and examined the case. Merton crouched down and examined it closer.

"It looks like a cloak, and it's under Lori's karate trophy. That's weird. The case doesn't look like its been disturbed." Merton said in a serious tone, just then T. N. T. walked up behind them and started making scary noises causing to Merton to jump up quickly.

"What's the matter, Dingle? Scared?" T. N. T. laughed in sync. Tommy pulled on Merton's arm and they walked to their classes, not even acknowledging the bullies.

::15 Minutes Before Lunch::

"Well I got a lunch date to take a cute cheerleader off campus for some fast food. So I'm gonna be going." Tommy said putting his books away and closing his locker.

"Ok well see ya Tommy." Merton said waiting up against his locker. Tommy walked off and passed someone he thought looked like Lori.

"Hey Lori. What are you doing here?" Tommy said stopping, Lori walked right past him not even acting like he was there. Tommy shrugged and continued walking. Merton scanned the hall for Chloe, he then saw Lori right beside him.

"Lori. Hi." Merton said with a nervous and excited tone.

"Hi Merton." Lori said smiling.

"What…What are you doing here? I thought you transferred."

"I completed my studies for this week early. So they gave me some time off."

"Wow well, its great to see you."

"I missed you, Merton." Lori said slowly getting closer to Merton. Chloe started walking down the hall but stopped when she saw Merton talking to a girl, she hid behind a picture case and watched. The girl seemed to forcing herself on Merton, flirting with him. Chloe looked down, hurt from what she was seeing.

Lori turned and saw Chloe, her eyes glowed red for a second and she got an evil look on her face. She then turned back and gave Merton a big hug. Merton stood there frozen, not knowing what to do he stayed still.

Tears started to form as Chloe watched she got up and ran off crying. Merton pushed Lori away.

"I am actually waiting for someone, Lori." Merton said as he started to scan the halls again.

"I know Merton. I have been waiting for you too." Lori said leaning in for a kiss. Merton pushed her away again.

"Lori, I'm sorry. Maybe if this were in the past I would want to take this further. But I am actually waiting for my girlfriend, Chloe."

"Girlfriend? Oh."

"Ya, I'm sorry. Listen maybe we could catch up a little later or something. I really have to go find her." Merton said with a smile, he then left and started looking for Chloe.

"Girlfriend." Lori smiled softly, her smile turned evil again and she walked off. She passed the trophy case that the boys were looking at, as she did the cloak disappeared and reappeared on her.

::Outside of the highschool::

Chloe sat on the steps of the D building, crying her eyes out. She heard Merton's voice calling out her name. In fear of him finding her like this, she ran into the D building and hid in a bathroom stall. As the sound of Merton's voice diminished Chloe exited the stall, she stopped and looked at the wall to the left of her. A huge portal like opening was placed in the center of the bathroom wall. It glowed purple then red then pink, she examined it closer. Just then all of the sudden a hand protruded out of the portal and grabbed Chloe, dragging her inside before she could even scream for help. Chloe took one look at the thing that pulled her in and passed out.

The figure picked Chloe up and threw her over its shoulder; it took her down a long dark hallway to a stairway. It descended up a ladder and walked a small ways, and then the figure laid her in the middle of the hallway.

A little later Chloe wakes up to see a small cockroach walking by the wall; she gasped and sat up. She seemed to be in her school but it seemed very weird. The D building hadn't been used in years due to a weird explosion that was visible in the hall. This hallway was perfect; not even a trace of an explosion was to be found. She slowly got up, holding her head. A bell rang and she waited for the halls to fill up like usual. Instead she saw perfect lines of students walking towards their lockers. The boys were dressed in polo shirts and slacks, and the girls wore blouses and skirts.

Chloe sighed with relief when she saw Merton, or what looked like Merton.

"Merton, It's you! I'm so happy to see you. What is going on here?" Chloe asked hugging Merton tightly. He pushed back aggressively.

"Do I know you, freak?" Merton snarled. Chloe looked him over, his hair wasn't spiked, he was dressed preppy and he had a normal cross around his neck. Chloe looked at Merton, disgustedly and walked away. She then couldn't believe her eyes; Tommy Dawkins dressed in a black shirt, black pants and a long black coat. She turned and looked down, trying to piece together what happened.

Meanwhile back at the real Pleasantville High, Merton sat at the steps of the D building with his head in his hands. Upon getting a good idea he looked up and smiled. He turned and looked behind him and wondered if Chloe was in the D building.

"She has been known to run off and hide." Merton said to himself thinking of previous happenings. He walked into the D building and walked around, examining the hallway. He shivers a little when he look sees the smoke stained areas.

"Spooky." Merton said walking up to a locker; he fell into a portal. He shook it off and got to his feet, looking around. He went down the hallways and up the ladder, he found him self in the duplicate of his highschool. He smiled happily when he saw Chloe, he ran up to her and hugged her tightly

"Chloe, you changed your clothes. Its cute I like the school girl look." Merton smiled as he pulled away and looked at her.

"Who are you? And why are you even approaching me, geek. Oh wait. I don't care." The Chloe clone said with a smile then proceeded walking off. Merton sighed and decided to explore.

::Principal's Office At Evil Pleasantville High::

Lori sat in the Principal's chair staring into her computer screen that was a 'looking glass' into the regular Pleasantville High.

"Oh this is bad. Tommy is returning from his lunch." Lori sighed staring into the screen.

"Guess I have to send the cloned Chloe and Merton into the other world." Lori said snapping her fingers, the cloned Chloe and Merton disappeared from their places and were placed in the regular school.

"Now lets see how my little subjects are going." Lori said with a laugh. She noticed that Chloe and Merton were getting close to discovering each other.

::Hallway::

Chloe walked around the corner and passed the fake Merton and kept walking searching the place.

Merton turned the corner, catching a glimpse of the fake Chloe and without even acknowledging here like she said, kept walking.

At this time Merton and Chloe realized that the person they saw were the real deal. They turned at the same time and smiled at each other, then ran and hugged one another tightly.

"Merton, I missed you. I'm so scared." Chloe cried.

"Shh, it's ok Chloe. We will get out of here." Merton said letting Chloe cry on his shoulder.

"I feel like I am in a bad episode of the twilight zone."

"Ditto. But we will be ok, we just have to stick together."

Merton let go of Chloe and held her hand tightly, they began walking together.

"Wait. Let's go check the main offices." Chloe said sharing her idea.

"Why?" Merton asked looking at Chloe.

"I don't know. Just seems like a good thing to do if this was a movie." Chloe said shrugging.

"I think I am in love! Let's go Kitten." Merton smiled and began to jog to the office, pulling Chloe. Chloe giggled and ran along side him.

::The Real Pleasantville High::

"Merton my man, I had the worst time. Where's Chloe?" Tommy said jogging up to the cloned Merton. Tommy stopped and continued, "And what is up with your clothes?"

The cloned Merton didn't say a word; Tommy raised a brow and walked off. He found Chloe and pulled her over to the corner.

"Chloe something is wrong with Merton." Tommy said staring into Chloe's eyes.

"Nevermind." Tommy gasped and walked away. He noticed that Chloe's eyes were brown, he stopped suddenly and remembered that Chloe's eyes were green. Tommy turned and looked at Chloe then at Merton and ran outside to the football field.

"Hey Tommy. Great game last night!" Izzy said from the bleachers. Tommy walked up to him and sat beside him.

"Izzy, have you seen Merton or Chloe?" Tommy asked.

"Ya, I saw Chloe this morning. She was pretty upset." He explained.

"Where was she?"

"The abandoned D building."

"Thanks man." Tommy said getting up and leaving for the D building.

"No problem man!" Izzy said shrugging.

Just as Tommy walked in he fell into a portal, he used the same route that Merton and Chloe used and ended up in the Halls of the strange school.

"Hello?" Tommy called out.

"Tommy?!" Chloe screamed excitedly. Tommy turned and saw the real Merton and Chloe. Chloe let go of Merton's hand and ran for Tommy, he hugged her tightly then realized that he was and let go.

"So, how do we get out?" Tommy asked as he watched Merton walk up to them.

"We were on the way to the Principal's office." Merton said taking Chloe's hand in his. Chloe felt Merton hold her hand and blushed because she let go earlier.

"Lets go team." Tommy said taking Chloe's other hand, Merton looked at Tommy evilly. He squeezed Chloe's hand causing her to shock Tommy with her other hand from the surprise. Tommy let go and wolfed out.

"Thanks, Merton." Tommy growled.

"Hey, I'm just doing my job." Merton smiled putting an arm around Chloe. Chloe looked at Tommy then at Merton and walked ahead on her own.

"Chloe, wait." Tommy said jogging to catch up with her.

"Don't even say it Tommy. I can't take you guys fighting over me like this. And even when I am Merton's." Chloe said looking at Tommy, Merton ran up beside her.

"Lets go." Tommy said walking to the Principal's door followed by Merton and Chloe. They walked in and saw Lori.

"Tommy. Merton. And who might you be?" Lori asked looking at Chloe.

"That doesn't matter. Why are you doing this?" Chloe asked.

"Do I need a reason? Maybe I like ruining Merton's relationships with girls. Maybe I just like making Tommy jealous."

Chloe looked at Tommy and then Merton.

"So you had feelings for her?" Chloe asked Merton.

"Ya. I did. But keyword did. Ever since she wants to keep me here she's not on my list anymore," said Merton.

"Oh but Merton, you were all over me today." Lori cackled.

"No he wasn't." Chloe said shooting a beam of ice out of her fingers, Lori moved.

"Chloe!" Tommy said pushing her down. She looked up at Tommy, hurt.

"Tommy, what are you doing?!" Merton exclaimed going to help Chloe up.

"I still have feelings for you Lori." Tommy said with a smile.

"Oh, you poor thing." Lori said getting close to Tommy, she had a knife in her hands behind her back.

"TOMMY WATCH OUT!" Chloe yelled. Tommy dodged a swipe and twisted Lori's arm behind her back.

"Freeze her Chloe." Tommy commanded, Chloe shot ice beams but Lori dodged again and they hit a flower vase.

"Ha!" Lori said getting free and punching Tommy.

"My mom told me not to hurt girls. But honey, you're no girl." Tommy said kneeing Lori and pushing her down. Chloe saw the chance and froze Lori, Tommy looked at Chloe and Merton whom were speechless.

"Chloe, I'm sorry." Tommy said from the heart.

"It's ok I guess." Chloe sighed.

"How do we leave?" Merton asked.

"The way we came." Tommy said as he began to lead the trio out of the portal world. They got out and Chloe froze the portal closed, as she did the clone Merton and Chloe disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

[Narrator (Tommy): That day I was proud of my friends, but I had acted like a jerk. Good thing my friends were there for me, I would have been in a lot of trouble with out them. How are Chloe and Merton? Never been better, and I am happy to see my best friend happy that's all that matters]