"Give me the remote!"

"No!"

"Yes!" This defiant shout was followed by an array of grunts and giggles. I was sprawled out on top of Dani, my hand trapped underneath her, trying to gain control of the remote. She glared up at me with her brown eyes, my dark brown hair falling in her face. I heard a laugh from behind me and turned to see DG pointing her camera at us, recording. Dani took advantage of this distraction and flipped over, dumping me from the couch onto the floor.

"Ha! I win!"

"Well, mleh!" I stuck my tongue out at her.

"And Jaz is on her back once again!" DG said, laughing as she stuck the camera in my face.

"Her favorite position!" Dani joined in the attack.

"Hey!" I yelled, swatting at the camera. "I'm not on my back that often!" We all laughed and I crawled back up on the couch, next to Dani.

"DG, turn that off," Dani said in a warning tone.

"You're gorgeous. Deal with it," DG shot back, but turned the camera off anyway. She plopped down on the couch next to me and Dani turned the movie on. We were watching Twilight. Not because we liked the movie, in fact we hated it, but just for the joy of making fun of it. As the atmosphere calmed a bit I took the time to just look at my friends. Sometimes you need to slow down and take stock of the things you take for granted.

I started with Dani. She had her feet propped up on top of the stool and was watching the screen though I doubted she was seeing any of it. She was always thinking. Always had an opinion to share. She was harder on me than anyone else, but it was okay. It hurt sometimes, the things she said, but I knew she was only looking out for me. If she didn't scold me, that's when I would be concerned. She reached up to push a piece of her brown hair away from her face. She just had it cut again. I don't think I've ever seen her hair past shoulder length. She was strong. Physically and mentally. It made the rest of us rely on her more than we should, but hey—that's what stability does to people.

Then I turned my head to the right to look at DG. Her blond hair was pulled back in two pigtails, making her look even more child like. She was always bubbly and happy, our literal sunshine. Although she was the oldest of our little group, we treated her like the youngest due to her sometimes infuriating naivety. She was so creative, I realized again as looked down at her pajamas. She had made them out of a soft white cotton and then created something beautiful by painting them all over with faeries.

This was what I lived for; being with the people that I needed the most, including the stubborn, black and white cat that curled up in my lap. Dexter was my favorite pet, only a month old when we rescued him back in August. That made him about six months now. I finally settled in feeling oddly content as I watched the movie. That is until my mother came in.

"Hey, hun, can you please go over to Prignitz's and pick up some cream of mushroom soup?" she asked me sweetly.

I sighed. Sixteen years old and still my mother's gopher. "Yeah." I slipped into my winter boots, not bothering with a coat. I don't mind the cold and it wasn't that far of a walk; just a few houses away.

Almost there, almost there, I repeated to myself. The experiment was going smoothly. The last few had shown improvements. Sure, they were still dead... technically. But it was starting to become more preserved around the brain. I took a needle and filled it with the new serum I had created, adding a new compound that should form a success.

"Shaak!" I sighed and turned to face the director of my facility. His face was grim.

"Yes?" I remained calm.

"You've killed three people. People! This can't go on. You're fired." Interesting, I thought distantly through my tunnel vision. He's almost purple.

"But it's almost—"

"No! Pack up your things and leave! You are no scientist. You're merely an insane freak!" The director then turned on his heel and left me in silence. I turned back and capped the needle, ignoring the faces and stifled laughter of the other scientists. I will make him pay for that. I will make them all pay. And eventually they will see...