Borrowing Janet's Characters. :)

Chapter 1

"Got me looking so crazy right now, your love's got me looking so crazy right now. Got me looking so crazy right now, your touch got me looking so craz-" Stephanie Plum flipped open her phone whilst letting out a gruff growl and silently cursing. She hoped that whoever was interrupting her peaceful sleep was either Tom Cruise himself or her best and extremely gorgeous friend Ranger. "What?" Stephanie yelled sleepily into her crappy phone. "Steph" came a quick and confident response. "Its Jade. We've got a problem." Stephanie abruptly sat up, finding herself more awake and on alert.

"We?" Stephanie replied. "J, I haven't heard from you in years. What could possibly be the problem that involves both of us?" Stephanie replied shakily. Past events involving Jade Maliton had been buried for a long time in Stephanie's mind, and she had no intention of revisiting them.

"Steph please. I know its been a while, and after what happened..."

"No!" Stephanie screeched, pushing the blankets down and bounding off her bed. She began pacing around the dimly lit room, and taking glimpses out the half covered window. "You ran from me, and left me in pain. It took four months for me to leave my house. I needed a friend, needed you by my side." Steph began to rant on but was cut off by her old friend's stinging voice.

"Steph!" came Jade's angry voice from the phone. "They found his body." Stephanie froze. Time stood still and her mind focused on his name. Eric. The only sound that she heard was the creak of Rex's wheel. "Steph? Are you still there? Dammit. -Beep, Beep-". Stephanie felt the phone slip from her sweaty hands before hearing it shatter on her hard wood floor.

Minutes passed before Stephanie began to function properly. They found his body? No. No, no, no. "Why!" Steph screamed, enraged. She immediately ran to her closet and began pulling out clothes in search of the box. "Arrgh! Where is that stupid box. F***!" Tears started streaming down Stephanie's cheeks as she furiously yanked out shirts, scarves and pants. Stephanie gulped as she reached for the velvet box and brought it to her chest before crumpling to the ground.

Stephanie opened the lid and pulled out Eric's picture. So handsome. She thought. "And so perfect" Steph muttered. Next, Stephanie leafed out the photo Jade took of Eric kissing her, and than the crumpled photo of them on the beach. Stephanie kept sobbing, her tears soaking the glossy paper memories scattered around her. Putting off the thing she feared the most for last, Steph's shaky hand finally lifted a delicate white slip of paper. Cursing to herself she read it.

Today with deep sorrow, we will mourn the death of Eric Maliton.

Eric lived a vivacious and noble life, one which he shouldn't have left so quickly.

Please join us in commemorating the life Eric did live, as he was a great man.

Eric Jackson Maliton

1974 - 2002

"He's suppose to be dead!" Stephanie screamed. "Why are you doing this to me? I can't relive it again!" Stephanie grabbed the photos laying around her and ran to the bin. She madly threw all her past memories in the trash, yelling, crying and thrashing about.

Finally Steph snapped back into her regular world read the green numbers on her microwave. 2.26. Wiping away her tears and sniffing, Stephanie limply walked back to her bed. She was soon faced with darkness and nightmares.