CASEY'S POV

My heart was hammering in my chest as I steered my Jeep along the deserted road. When I had first started my little five-hour road trip, I had been fine. But now I was having second thoughts.

Then I saw it. A little sign with SANTA MARTINA written in fine print.

I pulled over, my breathing hard and fast, hands jerking away from the wheel. I couldn't do this! How did I expect myself to do this?

I looked out the rearview mirror. I couldn't go back to Vegas. I obviously wasn't welcome there anymore. There was only one place left to go, and it was only a few miles away.

I should have been excited to go back to my original home. Everyone I loved was there. Of course I would be happy to see my family and the gang! That wasn't the problem. The problem was, would they be happy to see me too?

I took a deep breath. I can do this, If they hated me for the rest of my life, I deserved it. I just wouldn't be able to bear seeing their faces…

I revved up the Jeep, feeling a little more calm. I'd overheard Holly talking about her previous life before Sammy found her. I'd just take the tips she had given and I'd be fine.

Hopefully.

I drove through the mostly empty streets. The town hadn't changed much over the years. Including the population. Nobody was out. That could've been because it was midnight.

Finally, I arrived at the place I was looking for. Thank goodness he hadn't moved out.

I gulped and knocked on the door. It opened up a crack and a familiar face popped out. He didn't recognize me at first, but then his eyes widened. "Casey?" He whispered.

"Yeah, I-"

"Shut up!"

"I'm sorry, I,"

"No seriously, shut up! She'll hear you!"

"Who?" I asked, whispering this time.

Billy looked quickly back into the house, then grabbed my arm. "Hurry!"

He dragged me into a random room. "Stay quiet! I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Then I heard a very, very familiar voice.

"Billy? Who was that?"

I inhaled sharply. I wanted to burst out of the room and tell her everything, but I knew it would be suicide.

"Nobody," Billy replied, closing the door as he walked back to wherever he had come from. "It must have been a ding-dong-ditcher."

Sammy sighed and continued with whatever conversation they'd been having before I interrupted. "I just don't understand what's going on with her recently! I've tried to tell her that being a high-school dropout won't change anything, but she just keeps moaning and groaning about her parents being stupid!"

"I know. Maybe I should talk to her."

"And then Danny had the nerve to-"

"OH, look at the time!" Billy said quickly.

I frowned. High-school dropout? Parents being stupid? Who were they talking about? And what had Danny done?

"The time?" Sammy asked. "What are you up to?"

"What do you mean? Dad wants you out!"

"He's not home, doofus. And he's changed. Right?"

"He will be any minute!"

"It's 12:27. You said he be home at 2:00."

"Look, I'm just really tired, okay?"

There was a tense second of silence, then finally "I feel you. I better get home."

"Uh, don't forget your coat."

"Thanks."

I began to relax as I heard footsteps echoing past me and towards the door, when they suddenly stopped and Sammy says, "Billy? Can I use the restroom before I go?"

"NO!"

"Huh?"

"Erm, I mean, can't you hold it?"

I did a mental facepalm. Billy was a terrible liar. Sammy was definitely going to suspect something's up. I wasn't even in the bathroom!

That's when I realized the house had changed just before I had left. The bathroom was on the other side of this room.

And connected with the room I was hiding in.

Knowing Sammy, she would prefer taking a short cut. Especially when I heard her cry "BILLY I REALLY HAVE TO GO!"

So there I was, sweating it out in my t-shirt, thin jacket, (all I could afford besides the below-freezing temperature here), and my very, very, worn and tattered jeans.

So I did the only thing I could think to do. I rolled under the bed. Just in time too, as Sammy yelled, "What is wrong with you! Let go!" and flung the door open. I peered from under the bed. Billy let out a little squeak of terror before realizing I wasn't in sight. His face crinkled up in confusion as he looked around, wondering where in the world I had disappeared to.

And there was Sammy. Her expression was all business. Loose strands of brown hair floated everywhere out of her slightly squashed ponytail , her green eyes flashed with determination.

My eyes slowly went from her face to her shoes, scared of what I would see at her feet.

High tops.

A horseshoe was tied in with the laces.

I would have been perfectly happy just to curl up and die under that bed.

I saw her only for a second, though, as she ran towards the restroom, whimpering.

She slammed the door shut, and I let out a little sigh of relief.

"Casey?" Billy hissed, looking around.

I peeked out from under the bed. "Here!"

He crouched down. "I don't know what to say to you. I'm glad you came back, but I'm mad at you for leaving!"

I blinked at him. 'You're glad I'm here?"

"Yes! I thought you could be dead!" Then he eyed me. "I don't know if the others will be glad."

I winced. "That's why I need your help!"

"Because you want them to be all: Good for you Casey! Let's continue with the life we had two years ago and pretend you never ruined anything!"

"I ruined stuff?"
"Yes, you idiot! Did you ever think about how we would feel?"

I moaned. "I've thought about it. That's why I'm here."

Billy squinted. "Or is it because you're broke?"

"How-"

"It's -20 degrees out there and you're wearing that skimpy thing? You struck out, man."

"It's because of both! I missed you guys!"

He rolled his eyes. "We've missed you too."

I bit my lip. "Everyone?"
He nodded. "Except Danny, but that's pretty much it. I don't know exactly what happened because I'd been out sick, but Marissa and Sammy kept coming home in tears because there was a rumor you'd been murdered or something."

"What?"

"Don't kill the messenger."

I heard the toilet flush, and quickly shot back under the bed. I was just pulling my feet back in when Sammy came out.

"Who was that?"

Billy's eyes widened. "Who was who?"
"I'm not stupid Billy. I could hear you talking to someone, but I couldn't hear what you were saying."

"I was sending a message with the audio thing-a-ma-jigger."

"Where's your phone?"

Billy's eyes darted back and forth as he tried to come up with a quick excuse.

Sammy wasn't buying it.

"Billy, you've never kept secrets from me before!" She laughed. "Not for long, anyway!"

He moaned, then simply walked out of the room.

WHAT THE CRAP! I screamed mentally. For the billionth time, I cursed myself for leaving. I was the only reason Billy didn't do everything Sammy said. Something that I liked yet hated about her. She looked around the room. "Hello? Marissa? I'm sorry for getting upset about your decisions, okay? Maybe you're right, I don't know. Could you come out?"

Silence.

I was panicking, panicking! I dug my fingers in the carpet. Why, why, why me?

Sammy walked to the closet. "Heather, I thought we agreed you'll never be able to spy on me! I know you're here!" She swung the closet open. I squeezed my eyes shut.

Casey Acosta, died at age 17.

Sammy moved over to the dresser.

"Very funny, Cricket. I apologize for the condor crack. You're seriously freaking me out."

Killed by an unknown source.

Sammy turned towards the door. "BILLY! IF HOLLY'S HERE, I'M GOING TO FLIP OUT!"

"WHAT! HOLLY IS NOT HERE!"

Holly?

"GOOD BECAUSE I TOLD YOU-"

"I SWEAR SHE'S NOT HERE!"

She let out a shaky breath. I felt bad because this was obviously reminding her of Oscar. Which of course made me feel like screaming again. I'd risked Sammy's life by moving to Vegas. I was a pretty rotten friend.

I remembered something Hudson had always told me.

"Young people are always doing strange things to 'discover' themselves, and they often get in a ton of trouble because of it."

"Dot?" Sammy squeaked, even though I could tell she knew Dot would never be hiding around and spying on people.

Hooray, I'm about to die. She's walking towards the bed…

I quit looking and roll over and press myself flat against the wall. I grabbed the edge of the sheet and covered myself as best as I could. I held my breath, wondering how long I had to write my will. I didn't even have five seconds. 'It can't be, it can't be," Sammy chanted. There were a few seconds of painful silence and I heard Sammy call, "BILLY? WHERE IS THE PERSON YOU'RE HIDING? IF ITS DANNY I AM DONE!"

Billy poked his head in, looking tired. "Of course it isn't Danny. I'm still you're friend!"

I don't know exactly what happened after that, but I heard a loud THUNK!, and a gasp, and then finally Billy whispered, "Oh no… CASEY, RUN!"

I've never heard Billy that scared since his dad had drunk fits. So, I wriggled out from my hiding place. Billy grabbed my arm and shoved me and Sammy out the back door. "Get out of here! Run, run, run!"

I listened. I ran.

Well, I grabbed Sammy's arm first, and I looked behind me plenty of times, but I ran.

"CASEY! STOP!"

I ignored her, but she finally got me to stop.

"What?" I gasped, even though I knew she was going to start laying into me.

Instead her eyes got kinda shifty and she whispered, 'We're in the West Side!"

I gulped. I'd heard about Sammy and Marissa's near death experience with Snake Eyes. I did not want to experience something like that!

She put a finger over her lips, than led me over to the side of a house.

"This is Ray Ramirez's house!"

"Are you crazy?!"

"Nah. He's in prison."

Then she switched gears and turned to face me. The next thing I knew, I was in a bone-crushing hug.

She took a step back and surveyed me quickly.

"What happened?!"

"Um."

"Nevermind. I don't want to know."

Then she gave me a death glare and socked me a good one in the nose. Blood spattered my shirt.

"OW! By dose!"

"Oh, shut up. You deserved that."

I will never understand girls. I was just happy she wasn't shredding me to bits.

She peered around the corner, checking around to make sure no creepy guys were going to pull a switchblade on us., then grabbed my arm and ran.

And ran.

And ran.

We were out of gang territory, but she was still running. Eventually we reached a very familiar house. I shook my head and pulled back. "I'b dot ready yet!"

Sammy glared at me. "Yes, you are! You should've gone here first!"

"Sabby! I cad't do this yet!"

She dragged me to the porch and knocked on the door anyways. Figures.

Heather answered. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!"She fluttered around for a minute then grabbed me and pulled us inside.

My eyes teared up as I looked around my home. It hadn't changed in any way.

"MOM! DAD!" Heather called. "CASEY'S BACK!"

Dad got there first. He looked different… he hadn't shaved recently, so there was a little stubble on his chin. Mom looked the same, her fiery red hair pulled up in some fancy twist and her colorful, zany clothes matching my crazy sister's fashion sense.

I noticed Sammy was standing in the corner, looking kinda awkward.

"Samantha! Did you find him?" Dad asked, his grin looking like it would explode.

"No sir. He came knocking on Billy's door."

"Ah!'

I looked at my shoes. "I, uh, wanted to come home."

Mom let go of me and looked me over. Then started with the yelling.

"TWO YEARS! NO WARNING, NO NOTE! WHY IN THE WORLD DID YOU JUST DISAPPEAR?! WHERE DID YOU GO?!"

"Uh… Vegas?"

Sammy's eyes popped out of her head. "Don't follow my example!" Heather snickered and gave her a high-five. "Oh, yeah! That's a trip I won't forget!"

Mom shook her head. "Why?!"

"Bob? Cad I wash up?"

Heather giggled. I hated how my 'm's sound like 'b's when my nose bleeds.

I made my way to the bathroom, knowing tomorrow would be a very long day.