No Place Like Home – Chapter One – A Rose By Any Other Name…

It was morning…but it was still dark. It would never be as bright as it was there, even on the sunniest of days. She knew it…she felt it in her heart. She knew that the night was the brightest time…the sun just hurt her because it MADE her see. As usual, she woke up. Humans had to wake up…but she had the next night to look forward to. Pulling on a simple long-sleeve grey shirt and a pair of cargo shorts, she sighed and rubbed her arm. With the lights off in her room, the sunlight filtering in from the cracked blinds made it look almost orange. She liked that color. But…she liked red better. It was her…her friend's favorite color. Stretching, she looked to the side and curled her body forward suddenly, seeing the time was nearing seven thirty. But this time, there wasn't a slam. Not a shout. It almost worried her that there was such silence now…almost. She had about twenty minutes before she had to catch the bus, so she sat down at the desk by her door and flipped open her laptop, expertly typing in her password. Breathing quickly, she slipped on a pair of new headphones she received as a gift not too long ago. One good thing about the holidays.

Scrolling through her music, she looked for something that would set the mood of this quick scene. Metal? No, it won't be violent. Rock? Nah, she didn't feel like anything heroic…Maybe Pop? Well…sure, she could do sentimental. Grabbing a mechanical pencil off the desk in front of her, she brushed some of her hair out of her face. Attempting to write something in the notebook on her desk, she sighed and put her pencil in her pocket. After flicking her hair back again, she sat her hand on the desk and searched for a couple ponytail holders, pulling her hair back and up into a ponytail on the side of her head. Better. She decided, looking at the clock again and realizing that a couple minutes had passed…and still, no commotion from the rest of the house. Pursing her lips, she slowly opened the door to her room, peeking out into the hallway. Nobody there, all the other doors closed. Letting out another light sigh, she slipped out of her room and shot into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her and locking it. She rested her hands on the counter, her head hanging. Closing her eyes for a second or two, she opened them again, looking up at her reflection. Shoulder blade-length light blonde hair, now pulled into a side ponytail. Drawn face, not looking starved or insufficient in any immediately noticeable way, just…tired. Tired as evidenced by her slightly hunched style of movement when no one was around, and the purple streaks under her eyes. Her blue eyes. She felt like those were the only things about her that anyone could like…she didn't like a lot about herself, but she did have those bright, crystalline eyes despite everything else. Were they hereditary? She didn't know. She didn't know half of her family history.

Putting a hand on her face, she pulled her fingers down between her eyes and around her nose, resting them on her lips. If she personally owned any makeup that wasn't meant for the stage, she probably would have been covered with it. Shaking her head, she opened the door and shuffled out of the bathroom, wondering if she had the time to make toast or anything. Stretching and glancing at the watch on her wrist, her eyes widened and she ran to the front room of the house. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder, taking one last look at the doorway leading to the dining room, seeing a couple tall, empty bottles strewn over the table, accompanied by two five dollar bills. Putting her hand on the front door's knob, she considered, for a split-second, the idea of not going to school, but instead throwing away everything that tied her to the place and packing her pack with the things she'd need to survive for a week or more on her own until she could find…

Before she got any farther in her fantasy, she was already on the bus and in the first seat with a sixth grader poking the back of her head with a pen. Narrowing her eyes more and more with each touch, her arms shook…but she couldn't do anything. She wondered what kind of punishment she would get for hitting a kid. She WAS a junior in high-school. Letting out a growl from deep in her throat, she turned around and grabbed his arm tightly, tight enough to hurt him, and he dropped the pen. "You think it's funny? Do you?" She asked, tilting her head a different way with each question. "Let me SHOW you HOW FUNNY IT IS!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, grabbing the pen and stabbing it through his eye. She could feel it pierce all the way to his brain…she twisted the pen and yanked it out as he fell down, blood gushing from the…

Blinking twice, she shook her head and looked behind her, seeing all of the little kids snickering as they got off at their stop, the middle school. The little boy that was poking her acted macho as he left. Figures…boys of all ages are idiots. Resting her chin on her fist, she looked out the window until the bus stopped outside the high school. Closing her eyes, she pulled a strap of her bag over her arm, supporting it with the other one as she got off the bus. Standing still as it drove away, she took a breath and walked forward with her head down, completely alone outside. She was the only high school student that rode that bus to or from school, and since she was the last one off, she had a bit of time to talk to the driver. He was interesting…not ancient, but old enough to know how to be observant. He had a pair of glasses, and his favorite color was green. She liked talking to him, because he always had a bit of wisdom to give her. He was the only one besides her friend that didn't treat her like nothing…or below that.

Opening up the door to the school, she walked to the right side of the main hall, away from all the traffic. She also kept her eyes tight on her shoes, so as not to draw any unwanted attention to herself. She picked a spot on the wall between the two side hallways of the school, sitting down on the tiled floor and putting her back on the smooth wall. Resting her head back, she rummaged through a pocket on her backpack, her hand closing around an mp3 player with a pair of earbuds wrapped around it. Pulling it out and unwrapping the cord, she put the buds in and cycled through her music, looking for something that would block out her thoughts, not cause them to come. Shuffle it is.

Halestorm.

She liked Halestorm.

"…"

Huh? Could've sworn I…heard something.

She thought, keeping her eyes closed. Well, they were closed until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Then, they flew open and she went rigid, her eyes darting back and forth in search of exit points. Shifting her head slowly to the side, she was prepared to do something drastic when she saw that it was just her friend trying to get her attention. Slumping, she pulled the earbuds out and waited, looking at the floor.

"Oh, THERE you are, Weiss! I was starting to think that you crapped out on me." Her friend said, tapping her on the head lightly. "I figured you were going to come to the cafeteria. I guess…I was wrong, huh? Well, that's okay. I'm just fine sitting here too."

"Ruby, you…don't have to do that." Weiss retorted. She guessed that the tone of her voice sent the OPPOSITE message, though, because Ruby was right beside her in a fraction of a second. Weiss always wondered where she got her energy from.

Leaning over Weiss to peek at her mp3 player, Ruby tilted her head to look her in the face. "Of course I do. You're my friend…it's my job to be here for you, whether you need it or not." She stated with a wide smile, which Weiss weakly returned.

Yeah, that's right…She thought, holding down the mp3's power button and wrapping the earbuds back around it. It is, isn't it?

"Well, classes start in a few minutes. I'll catch you later, Weiss." Ruby said, helping her up and giving her a quick hug and a wave, adjusting her backpack straps and zipping up her hoodie. Leaning against the wall, Weiss put her head against it and closed her eyes. Crossing her arms, she pulled them close, looking down at her chest, the dull grey of her shirt boring into her eyes. She liked what Ruby was wearing today…she didn't really have anything like that. Nothing special. Closing her eyes a little tighter, she tilted her head down.

Ruby was two years under her in age, 15 and a freshman. She hadn't known Weiss for that long, but it was long enough. They met during the summer of last year, and it was totally by chance. It was actually at a convenience store when it happened, and it was nothing big. Weiss was just trying to buy a few things and she was short a few cents…Ruby heard the cashier, and before Weiss could put anything back she stepped up and paid the rest for her. That was like a good morning wake-up call to Weiss…it was the last thing she expected to get any kind of help from anybody. In fact, she didn't even consider it. When Ruby did that for her, she wanted to know more about that girl…she wanted to be around her. Maybe she could learn a couple things. So, she hung around in the store until Ruby was done inside, expecting her to get into one of the cars parked outside and ride off. It was a SECOND surprise when the girl started to walk past the cars and towards Weiss' road. Hesitating for a moment and making a short noise in the back of her throat, she shook her head and walked after her a ways.

"You know, if you're going to follow someone you could at least let her know first." Ruby said plainly, not stopping or turning around. That stopped Weiss dead in her tracks. Stumbling over her words, she looked to the side and then tilted her head and looked at Ruby's back.

"Why did you help me back there? I could've handled it just fine." She said as a verbal counter-attack, albeit a weak one. At least it made the girl stop and turn around…although her face wasn't much help in telling what she was thinking. "I had some extra money, and you needed it more than me. That's that." She retorted calmly with a smile. "Besides, I like helping people out. It's what makes me happy."

Happy.

Happy?

"Well…what's your name?"

"Ruby."

Weiss looked down for a moment. "We're…going the same way." She forced out through clenched teeth. She didn't need help. She didn't WANT help. And she sure as hell didn't want to make a perfect stranger, of all people, happy. Then, Ruby walked over to her, her short black hair bobbing along. Flicking her bangs out of her eyes, she took Weiss by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Everyone needs help from time to time." She said with a smile. Stopping in her tracks yet again, Weiss blinked a couple times and held her mouth open, looking down slowly. Standing still with her, Ruby let go of her shoulders and crossed her arms. "So, we're going the same way, right?" Ruby asked, Weiss nodding in response. Starting to get her feet moving again, Weiss slowly made her way up the right side of the street, with Ruby matching her pace. "You never told me YOUR name." She said, putting her hands behind her head.

"Well…it's…Weiss…" Weiss answered quietly. Nodding, Ruby smiled and turned down a street Weiss wasn't familiar with, but she went ahead and followed along. After a few more minutes of silent walking, Ruby stopped and let out a breath. "Well, this is it. Nice to meet you, Weiss." She said, holding out her hand for a shake. When Weiss just looked at it, slightly confused, she drew it back and laughed lightly, shrugging. "Ah…are you new in this area? I haven't seen you in school or anything." Ruby asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Ah, no…" Weiss said, shaking her head, "I've actually been here all my life." She finished, looking at the door to what she assumed was Ruby's house. "Oh, that's weird. You must be homeschooled then…what are you like…fourteen?" Ruby asked with a tilt of her head. Pursing her lips and getting slightly red, Weiss clenched her fists and shifted her eyes to Ruby's in an instant. "No, I'm not FOURTEEN! I am SIXTEEN, thank you very much. I'm going to be a junior next year too." Weiss barked at her, crossing her arms and huffing. Putting her hands up, Ruby took a step back and awkwardly smiled. "H-hey, I didn't mean anything by it, Weiss!" She pleaded, shaking her head.

Pursing her lips and looking away, Weiss 'Hmphed'. "Fine. You're off the hook THIS time." Breathing out in mock relief, Ruby laughed and waved. "Well, for the record…I'M fourteen." She said with a wink. "See you around." She continued as she opened the door to her house and slipped inside. Sighing and letting her arms drop, Weiss nodded slowly. "Yeah…see you around."

Settling in her seat, Weiss unzipped her backpack and pulled out an off blue notebook, laying it on the desk in front of her. Glancing from side to side, she observed her surroundings. Students were slowly filing in as the warning bell rang, the teacher standing at the head of the class and chatting with the teacher from across the hall. She couldn't care less what they were talking about. Putting her head on the desk, she rested before slowly sitting up after a few seconds, opening the notebook and flipping five pages till the back. Clicking her mechanical pencil, she breathed out before putting the point to the paper.

Another combat exercise. Wonderful. Of course I would go out there with the team, no doubt being paired with Ruby. I wish she would slow down every once in a while. Making my way to the equipment lockers, I checked all of my supplies, and they were right where I left them. Nothing changed. Letting out a breath, I wrapped my fingers around the hilt of my rapier, Myrtenaster. I could practically feel the energy surge through my hand and up my arm as the skin of my palm made contact with the metal. I closed my eyes for a moment, just to get my bearings. Tilting my head and glancing to the left, I spied Blake getting ready herself. I was beginning to wonder where Ruby had gotten off to all of a sudden. It wouldn't be any good if she got started somewhere else…

But, pushing THAT out of my mind, I straightened up and carefully pulled Myrtenaster from its aluminum prison, swishing it in front of the locker in which it was being held. Letting a light smirk pull up the edge of my mouth, I also grabbed the small grey pack which hung on a hook inside, attaching it above the edge of my combat skirt. Satisfied, I slid the blade between the belt and my side, surely securing it. Wh As I

"Schnee…"

"SCHNEE!"

Jumping and throwing her pencil to the ground in surprise, Weiss closed her eyes tightly. "BIPLANAR INTERCEPT!" She yelled, hoping that it was the right answer. It…WAS what they were studying right now, right?...Judging by the incessant laughter and fiery glare the teacher was giving the ones doing it, she assumed that it was…not the right answer. "The teacher's calling roll, dumbass!" Some random guy yelled at her, causing her to flip around the other way, intending to use one of her brilliant comebacks but instead coming up short as she froze up. Her jaw shaking uncontrollably, she opened her mouth to quietly say "Here", but instead it came out as a stuttering mess. Sinking down and laying her face on the table, she pulled her arms up to cover her head. Luckily, she sat in the middle of the back row so she didn't get noticed much by the teacher. The trade was instead being bothered non-stop by anyone else who felt like it.

Clearing his throat, the teacher got up to the front to address the class to begin giving a…history lesson. That made Weiss sink even deeper into her seat. She felt almost like she was melting a hole through the floor…through the ground, and into the pits of fire that were miles below the dirt…

She couldn't hope to pay attention now, she just spent the period trying to be as inconspicuous as she could, pressing down against the desk. She heard whispers, snickers. She knew they were talking about her…if there was nothing else to talk about, they would talk about her. The passed around rumors, ninety percent of them not even true and the remaining ten percent twisted out of context. Regardless of their truth, however…they all just sent her deeper into a hole. The one thing she didn't understand was what she had done to them…she couldn't come up with any comebacks, and even if she did she never got one out of her mouth, so she couldn't have made any of them mad that way. She'd never gotten into a fight with anyone before. To tell the absolute truth she was…afraid of it. Very afraid. All she had ever been was a girl who wanted to keep to herself and stay under the radar…it seemed like in doing that, she just got herself embroiled even deeper into the mess.

She wondered what they were talking about today. Her clothes? Her hair? Her mistakes? It could have been anything. Anything at all. Keeping her cheek flat against her notebook, she clenched her fists and closed her eyes tightly. Feeling a tap on the top of her head, she snapped her eyes up, glaring at the girl sitting in front of her. Rolling her eyes and laughing slightly, the girl reached out to hand the paper to her, slightly surprised when Weiss snatched it from her hands. Putting her head back down immediately, Weiss wasn't surprised at all when she heard the girl start snickering. She'd about had it with that prep…

Slowly, she clenched and unclenched her fists, sitting up in her seat and grabbing the other girl's ponytail in both hands, pulling back as hard as she could and smiling as the nape of the girl's neck made a sickening crack as it connected to the edge of the desk. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Weiss screamed as she continued to push and pull the girl's head until her neck was nothing but a casing for her shattered vertebrae and fleshy tubes. Standing up slowly, Weiss watched as blood began to run from her nose…then her ears…

Sitting up with a start as the bell signaling the end of class sounded, Weiss sighed as she watched all of the students pick up their things and evacuate the room. Of course, that idiot in front of her kept on stealing glances even as she was walking out the door, giggling like she was 10 years younger. Steaming, Weiss shoved the notebook back into her bag and looked at the paper, all of the blanks and passages foreign to her eyes. Deciding to carry her notebook to make a bit of room, she slipped the paper in and put her notebook under her arm, zipping up her pack. Slinging it over her shoulder with a sigh, she shuffled towards the door, glancing at the teacher who had a slightly sympathetic look on his face. She didn't need sympathy. She would rather have apathy. Sulking out the door, she almost didn't notice the girl leaning on the doorframe. Walking down the hall and hoping to be simply left alone, she felt a touch, but this time…it wasn't threatening. She'd gotten used to how the palm of Ruby's hand felt. She knew how it closed, how warm it was…

Turning around, she met eyes with a smiling Ruby and couldn't help but stop scowling. She might not have smiled, but that girl's mood was contagious. She didn't say anything, and neither did Ruby, but they didn't really need to. They had learned how to handle each other's company over the year they'd known each other. They understood that sometimes words would just get in the way. Putting her hands in her coat pockets, Ruby looked ahead and walked along with a thoughtful face. Standing up a bit straighter, Weiss breathed out and glanced at her notebook, looking back up at Ruby. It was…a LITTLE unsettling that she was shorter than a girl two years younger than her. It made sense though…Weiss suspected that Ruby was a much taller person than she was. She was just fine having a taller person beside her. She hoped that some of that tallness would rub off on her someday.

It was that moment when she realized that they had been walking aimlessly. They were both far from their next class, and the warning bell was getting ready to ring. The hall was all but deserted. Looking down at Weiss, Ruby raised an eyebrow and started to jog the right way. Huffing, Weiss held her hands in front of her for an instant before following at her own pace. The bell rang and they split paths, Ruby going up the hall and Weiss taking a side hall to get to their classes. Arriving safely, Weiss leaned on the wall briefly before stepping inside and trying to regulate her breathing, taking her seat at the far edge of the class. Letting out a sigh of relief, she looked at the door, taking a breath and shifting her eyes back to her desk after a second or two.

Rooting through her backpack, she pulled out the paper from last class. Looking it over, she pursed her lips, closing her eyes and putting it back. I don't have the first clue about this…I even LIKE history and I don't know. She lamented, looking out the window. A smile slowly growing across her face, she closed her eyes again and put her head on her desk. At least today is Friday…it's Friday. She thought, making sure to pay attention to the roll call.

Slogging through three more classes, she was relieved when the bell for lunch rang, allowing her to get a bit of time to herself. She decided to skip eating today and go to the school library for as long as the lunch period lasted. Getting up out of her seat and pushing into the herd of students outside, she eventually made her way to the center hall, and it was only a few steps to the library doors. Pulling one of them open, she slipped inside and breathed out, walking over to the front desk. It wasn't at all an impressive room, only about the size of three and a half classrooms sandwiched together, but it was plenty room for books. Weiss had tried asking the librarian about ordering more, but she could never get the words to come out right. She hated asking things of people…it was just a natural phobia she had, or so she had eventually accepted. Leaning on the desk, she breathed out before looking to her left and noticing another student sitting in the librarian's chair. She assumed it was the PA, as this was also the lunch period for some of the staff and teachers. Tilting her head, Weiss examined the cover of the girl's book as discreetly as possible, but…failing. Flicking her eyes up, the girl slowly spun around in the chair.

Making a quiet noise and straightening up, Weiss ended up faced with the girl's back, sighing. She was about to turn and go to the other side of the library when the girl tilted her head to the side and rested the book on her lap. "Um…do you need something…?" She asked, her long black hair falling back as she turned. Putting up her hands, Weiss shook her head and turned around quickly, flexing her fingers. Blake is the PA? Well…I guess I'm not surprised. But…where she is, someone else isn't far…She thought before hearing a sort of high-pitched whine from under the desk.

"Blaaaaaake, I'm THIIIIRSSTYYYYYY." The voice cried. Putting her finger and thumb on either side of the bridge of her nose, Blake closed her eyes and turned around, shaking her head. "I'm not stopping you from getting a drink…" She almost spat at the person hidden under there. Crawling out, she stood up and stretched. "But…I don't want to walk all the way to the cafeteria…"

Shooting a look at her, Blake picked up her book. "I can't help you, Yang." She sighed, flipping the page. Puffing up her cheeks and crossing her arms, Yang mumbled and walked out of the door. Watching her go for a second or two, Weiss narrowed her eyes and turned back to Blake, who was already looking at her. "Sorry about that…she INSISTS on following me everywhere when she's out of a class…" Blake confirmed with a deep breath. "Was there something you wanted…or…?" She began before Weiss shook her head and held up a hand. "No, I'll…just go sit over there…" She said quickly, pointing to the back of the library. Shrugging, Blake looked back down at the book and leaned in her chair, pulling up her legs and crossing her ankles on the desk.

Dragging herself over to the comfortable chairs in the back of the library, Weiss dropped her backpack and sighed, settling into one before setting the notebook on her lap. Retrieving her pencil from her pocket, Weiss clicked it twice and felt the tip subconsciously, opening the notebook and flipping to a blank page in the back. Putting her pencil to the paper, she glanced to her sides, looking back down to concentrate, writing the first letter.

No matter how many Beowolves I kill, I KNOW I get the same marks! It's heresy, I tell you. I don't know what they're trying to do, but it isn't working. In any event, the exercise ran smoothly, as they generally do, and I could finally get a bit of rest, away from everything. Luckily, the rest of team RWBY was out of the room, probably meeting with JNPR across the hall about the next big stratagem. Personally, I preferred to let my own brain do the working. Pulling off my uniform, I settled onto my bed without bothering to change into my gown. It didn't really matter much now, as I was too tired to do much of anything and I highly doubted anyone unwanted would just waltz in. I actually felt like I was about to drift off into a light sleep when the door opened…not to my prior knowledge…and a figure slipped in. Still half-unconscious at this point, you can expect that the thing that I LEAST expected was to feel a hand on my back. Now, I had a lot of reactions in store for all sorts of different situations, but this…was something else. That hand was warm. I would know that hand anywhere…

So when I realized who exactly it was, I was sure my face began to turn a color comparable to her namesake. It made me very glad that I was curled on my side so she couldn't see it. I didn't know what she intended to do, but I was…willing…to find out. Hearing the door close, the click unmistakable from anything else, my mind began to run through the possibilities, until I heard something that sounded like a ribbon coming undone. When the dull and almost silent thump of fabric on carpet met my ears, I…couldn't know what was happening until I felt her torso press against my back. Her knees went into the crook of mine, and her arms went around my sides.

My mind going into overdrive, I didn't know what to do or how to react, all I could do was sit there, helpless, as she…laid with me. I could feel her breath on my neck, the rise and fall of her chest systematically pressing and receding from my back. I got a strange feeling deep in my gut that was almost…a pain. But it was something I wanted to keep feeling. In fact, it almost brought a tear to my eye the way it felt.

"Whatcha' writin'?" A peppy and familiar voice whispered in Weiss' ear. Her face instantly turning dark red, she could feel her teeth clacking inside her mouth as she slammed the notebook shut, her pencil falling to the ground. "N-N-N-Nahha…n-no-othing…at all…" Weiss feverishly answered, feeling a tug on her notebook. "Come on, let me see.~" The girl whispered playfully, knowing she could easily get the notebook away from her friend if she wanted to in her current state. "R…R-Ruby…it's really j-just same ol' you know!" Weiss said with a weak laugh, trying desperately to ward off Ruby's advances.

"Uh-huh, so is this same-ol' the same same-ol' that involves…rOmAnTiC situationssss?~" Ruby teased, letting go of the book. "A…aha..a…I don't know…" Weiss whispered with dwindling volume, looking down more and more with every noise. "Fine, fine, I'll leave you alone. I promise you someday you'll let me read those things, Weiss. I REALLY like the way you do it!" Ruby praised, crossing her arms and leaning on the chair. Releasing a deep, pent-up breath, Weiss looked at Ruby's back for a good minute, on the edge of asking something that would have a fifty-fifty chance of either making or breaking both of them, she assumed. Of course, however…no words would find their way out of her mouth. Looking at the floor, Weiss slowly closed her eyes for a second and looked back up, tugging on Ruby's jacket sleeve.

"Yeah?" She asked, tilting her head. "It's Friday…" Weiss said quietly, keeping her eyes fixed on a ceiling light across the library. "So it is…" Ruby agreed, putting one hand on the arm of the chair and the other on the wall beside her. "Well…do you think I could visit today?" Weiss asked, her tone matching her previous one. Nodding, Ruby smiled. "Of course, Weiss. I thought I convinced you that you didn't even need to ask me that. My house is yours." She answered, straightening up. Looking at the floor and pursing her lips, Weiss swallowed and let out a shaky breath. My house is yours.

I shouldn't be so worked up about this…it's such a good thing…am I feeling this way because I AM happy? Why do happy and sad have to be so close to each other…I hate emotions…

I could feel my body temperature rising from being this close to her. I could feel the way her stomach moved every time she took a breath or subconsciously flexed her muscles against my back. The way she was pressing against me, I didn't doubt that her bra would leave an imprint in my back. It didn't matter…just the fact that she'd randomly decided to do this…it left me..

Tearing the page out of her notebook and balling it up, Weiss hurled it at the wall and it bounced off, hitting the wall and then the trash can but not quite making it in. Holding her legs up to her chest, Weiss sat on her bed and put her head on her legs, breathing out shakily. I've got to get it together before I go over there…what would she think if…I…I don't know…why do I have to think such weird THINGS?! What would she have said to me if she DID read it? There are so many others in my two separate notebooks that it's past the point of being a joke…is this how I have fun? Mentally monopolizing my only friend…in a world where she has no say in anything, no less. What kind of sick…girl am I…Putting a hand over her face, Weiss shuddered a few times before dragging it down and feeling her neck. Within a second she was at her door, bag in hand. She was intending to spend at least one night there, and it didn't matter how it went. At least she would be there in the first place. Walking out of her door and into the hall, Weiss shuffled quietly down and out into the dining room which was directly adjacent to the kitchen and living room where the front door was. The table was slightly different than it was this morning, but not much. Now there was a comb laying there in place of one of the five dollar bills. Sighing, she stepped out of the front door and into the evening, speed walking to cross the street. Taking in a deep breath, she made her way down the road ahead.