Gregor awoke with a start to the sound of his parent's hushed voices. He looked at the alarm clock on his bedside table. It was 12:42. What could his mom and dad possibly be talking about at this hour? His mom especially had hardly gotten any sleep at all in the past six months since they had returned from the underland. No. Gregor refused to ever think of the underland or Regilia again. But no matter how hard he tried pictures flashed across the back of his mind. The giant ants that attacked Gregor and his friends, the awful flesh eating mites that killed Howard's bat, the mice dying in the pit of gas, and Ares' neck breaking in the Bane's monstrous teeth. Just the thought of those awful times made his stomach churn.
Gregor rolled onto his side and tried to go back to sleep, but his parent's voices were growing louder and louder. He couldn't help but eavesdrop.
"No. We can not continue living in New York any longer. The kids just don't fit in anymore. It would be best for them if they could start over in Virginia. That way no one will know, or care that they missed a lot of school, or that they haven't acted the same in quite a while. People will just assume that that's how they've always acted, or looked." Gregor's mom said firmly. "But sweetheart!"
"No buts! With both of us out of a job and grandma in the hospital, I just don't think I can handle any more stress right now."
Gregor had long since stopped listening. They couldn't move. So what if he didn't fit in? He had to stay near Luxa, even if it meant being an outcast. Gregor still clung to the slight chance that he and Luxa were meant to be together. He sighed and tried to go back to sleep. But his mind wouldn't stop spinning. Eventually he fell asleep to the sound of the traffic outside his bedroom window.