Authors Note: Hey guys! Oh gosh, award for the worst ever updater goes to...me. I am so, so, sooo sorry for the long wait. But I actually have some good reasons, which I will explain below to anyone who cares to read them. First, though, I just want to give a MASSIVE thanks to everyone who favorited this story and, especially, left a review. THANK YOU. You have absolutely no idea how much those meant to me. Seriously, the positive reaction I got to this story keeps me smiling. I hope you all like this chapter as much as you liked the first.

As for the reason this chapter is so late, I have just been crazy busy with school. I'm literally lucky if I get the chance to write once every two weeks. And then, a couple weeks ago, when I was about half way done with the chapter, I lost a friend to suicide. I don't tell you that for sympathy or anything, I just want you all to know that as much as I care about my readers and I really want to give you the best updates I can, I honestly just...haven't felt much like writing lately. So I know last chapter I said this was probably going to have two parts, but now I'm splitting it into three because I wanted my wonderful readers to have something, even though I'm not done with the story yet and probably won't be for a while.

So there you go! I'm done with the super long authors note now, I just wanted to let everyone know what was going on. I PROMISE that part three is on its way. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy part two of Innocent!

"Are you sure it's ok, Mara, dear?" Trudy grabs her purse and edges towards the door, keeping her eyes trained on my back as I sit facing a dimly lit vanity. "I don't mind waiting a little longer, if you don't want to walk back alone." But her hand is resting lightly on the rusted doorknob and I can tell how much she wants to leave this dingy, small backstage.

I turn around to face her, plastering on my best, most reassuring smile. "Don't be silly, Trudy, of course I don't mind. Go home, I'll turn the lights off and lock everything up when I leave." We are the last two people in the auditorium.

"Well, if you're sure... You'll go straight back to Anubis House, yes? And, please, return before 10. Victor will have a fit if you aren't back."

I sigh. Trudy is such a mother duck sometimes. Its endearing, but all of her unecessary worry could be a bother. "I know, I know. Don't worry! I'll be fine, I just have to collect a few more of my things."

"Alright then." I can hear the relief that colors her voice. She twists the doorknob, opening her escape. The dressing rooms are more of a hallway, really, a box of a room in the middle of two narrow passageways that stretch behind the stage. The walls are black, paint scraping over the textured cement blocks that soundproof the area. The floor, a light, rough wood, is scuffed with many years of feet and the door makes an almost unearthly sound as it screeches open. Flourescent lights, placed in the ceiling, wash the room with a slightly blue glow.

"You were amazing, sweetie. I'm so proud of you." Trudy's parting words float through the open door as she steps outside, letting in a temporary rush of cool night air. My house mother, my second mother, walks away into the darkness and the door swings shut. I am completely, desperately alone. Finally.

Wonderful silence settles over me like a blanket. I get up from the overturned crate I was using as a seat and flip a switch, turning off the lights and bathing the room in a muted darkness. The only source of light now comes from the vanities, backed against the walls, bulbs around their mirrors lit up like Christmas trees. I return to mine and sit down, feeling for the first time all night as if I can honestly, properly breathe.

The minutes that have passed since the talent show ended (75) went by in a blur. The minutes that passed since I was left alone with Trudy (17) went by more slowly. And the minutes that have passed since I last saw Jerome Clarke (105)...well, they crawled. He was the only housemate that did not come to visit me after the show. Ironic, since his absence was the only one I would truly notice.

I was bombarded as soon as the last act left the stage. First came Patricia, beaming like a proud parent. ("I told you you could do it, Mara." She said as she punched me good-naturedly on the shoulder. "Only because you forced me." I teased.) Even if I played it off, her support meant a lot to me. Patricia was probably my best friend at Anubis house, and I yearned for her approval the same way any girl feels the need to be validated by her friends. Stupid, maybe, but I would be lying if I said the fact that I had impressed her didn't leave me with a satisfied feeling. If only because she is frank and real and, sometimes, rude, I know praise from Patricia is not to be taken lightly. Plus, she is the whole reason I performed, the only person stubborn and persistent enough to push me so completely out of my comfort zone. Well, maybe not the only person. But he didn't even care enough to show up.

Next came Fabian and Nina, their intertwined fingers swinging back and forth between them, their smiles so big I was afraid their faces would split in two. When Nina saw me, she ran over and gave me the biggest hug, squeezing me tight. "That was really brave, Mara." Fabian had come up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as soon as she let me go, as if physical contact was necessary at all times in order for them to function. Don't you dare think about how much you want a certain dark blonde's arms to wrap around your waist. Fabian peaked over her shoulder, looking impressed. "Seriously, Mara, I had no idea that you could play guitar! But it was amazing, we'll have to play together sometime." I smiled and thanked them, and another rush of warmth swept through me. No matter how distant I had felt from them the past few months, these were my friends. These were the people who loved me, and wanted me to succeed. I wished that this epiphany was enough the calm the rapid beating of my heart, and that the warmth was enough completely chase away the icy feeling that had taken hold of me ever since I walked backstage and felt Jerome Clarke's eyes leave my own.

Alfie came, of course, although his visit was fleeting. I attribute this mostly to the fact that he was towing a reluctant Amber behind him. "Mara!" He cried, enveloping me in a bear hug and almost knocking me over. "That was great! Wow, I didn't know you sang. And to think, all the times I called you a braniac or a nerd, there was secretly this whole other rock star side of you just waiting to break free!" He pulled back and held me by my shoulders, surveying me intently, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Are you sure you haven't been overtaken by aliens?"

I laughed. "Charming, as always, Alfie." I looked over his shoulder, biting my lip, feeling almost shy. And there she was, arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. Amber Millington. I shrugged off his hands and walked over to her, cautious, a lamb approaching a lion. Seeing her standing there brought back all the memories of the past, good and bad, and I was surprised by how much I wanted her forgiveness. "And what did you think, Amber?"

She didn't say anything for a moment, just contemplated me, gathering her long blonde hair and placing it over one shoulder before letting it fall loose again. Then she sighed. "You were, like, so amazing." Her tone was earnest, and I knew she meant it. And maybe it wasn't all I had hoped for. She didn't jump up and down, or squeal, or embrace me. But the look in her eyes gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, she would one day forgive me for stealing Mick Campbell. Then she opened her mouth again and said something that completely took me by surprise. "I always thought Jara would make a cute couple."

I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped to the floor. She knew? How on earth did she know? I realized that Amber was a lot more insightful than most people, including myself, gave her credit for. For his part, Alfie looked majorly confused. "Jara? What the heck is a Jara? Is that some kind of...girl code?" Amber rolled her eyes.

"Boys," she said, directing her words towards me. "So clueless." And then she grabbed Alfie by the arm, yanking him towards the exit. "Come on, I'll explain everything on the way back to the house." Oh God. If Alfie found out and told Jerome before I had a chance to speak to him, I was so, totally, and utterly screwed.

The last of my visitors, besides Trudy, was none other than Mr. Ex-boyfriend, Mick Campbell himself. "Hey, Mars," he said, calling me by my old nickname that only he ever used. He walked backstage slowly, approaching me like I was some sort of wild animal that could snap at any moment. Well, at least in his mind, I was a teenage girl nursing a broken heart. So I guess his fears weren't so unreasonable. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, flipping his mop of shaggy hair out of his eyes and offering a sheepish grin. "That was a cool song you sang back there. I didn't know you could sing." What was that, the third time someone had said words along those lines to me tonight? I was better at keeping secrets than I had thought.

Funny, isn't it, how a person could be so central to your life for so long and not know something so important. He finally reached me, looking as awkward and, I hated to admit it, adorable as ever. "I was hoping we could talk."

I sighed, plopping down on the crate/seat in front of my vanity, completely exhausted. "Didn't we already talk, Mick? Two weeks ago, when you said you wanted to break up with me?" As if either of us needed to be reminded of what had happened.

"Well, yeah, but I was hoping we could talk again." He grabbed a seat from the abandoned vanity next to mine and pulled it over, sitting down as well. I took him in. His warm brown eyes, his friendly smile, his muscled arms, everything that used to make my heart race, everything that used to feel like home, now just left me slightly empty. Completely emotionless. With a jolt, I realized that I really was over Mick Campbell.

"What else is there to talk about?" I didn't mean it cruelly. But Mick had been a chapter in my life, a wonderful chapter, sure, but a chapter that had ended. There were no more words left to our story, and I was ready to turn the page.

"See, the thing is, I've been thinking a lot lately. About our break up? And I just wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings. I've actually been meaning to speak to you for a while now, and I guess I just never got around to it." He looked at me, grinning almost embarassedly. "You know me, I've never been really good with feelings." No kidding. "But seeing you up there on stage," he continued, "I guess it just really hit me how much I missed talking to you. And if we could go back to being friends, I would really like that. And, I mean, you're probably the best personal trainer I've ever had."

I laughed a little bit, leave it to Mick to bring up sports. He looked relieved that I hadn't started sobbing yet. With the realization that I harbored no traces of feelings for Mick came the freedom to truly admire our relationship for the first time since the dreaded words 'We need to talk' came out of his mouth two weeks ago. I remembered how sweet he was, how honestly good he had been to me before everything turned sour. Before tonight, I never would've thought that I could be friends with the boy who had broken up with me. Now I wasn't so sure. Mick may have broken up with me, but he hadn't broken my heart. Not by a long shot. So what was the point in harboring grudges?

"Mick," I made my voice as gentle as possible, "I hate to break it to you, but you aren't as much of a heart-breaker as you seem to think. I'm not mad at you."

He looked shocked. "You aren't? But...I broke up with you." He honestly looked so confused, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, you did." I agreed. "But you were right. We weren't good for each other." As the words came out of my mouth, I realized how true they were. Mick was the best boyfriend anyone could ask for. He was supportive and sweet. He brought me flowers for no reason and never broke a date and kept all of his promises. But he could also be spiteful and insensitive, and I can't deny that I never, ever felt good enough for him. In our relationship, I never felt equal. And as a result, I became a person I am not proud of. I was jealous and clingy and I questioned every 'I love you'. Mick never did anything to deserve my distrust, but he received it anyway. I couldn't help it. My world began to revolve around him, and that's never how it should be.

We brought out the worst in each other. "I guess you bring out the best in me, Mara Jaffray." A silky smooth voice echoed in my memories.

"I'm not mad at you." I repeated.

He studied me closely for a minute, I guess checking to see if I really meant it. When my face remained neutral, he broke into the biggest grin I had ever seen. "Well that's awesome, Mars!" He lept out of his seat, pulling me out of mine and embracing me in a huge hug, lifting me off the ground and spinning me in a circle.

"Mick!" I wheezed, squirming to remove myself from his death grip. "Can't breathe!"

"Oh...right." He put me down, looking around the room as if realizing for the first time that we weren't alone. His eyes returned to my face, his face still split in a grin. "So, friends?" He looked so hopeful, I knew what my answer would be before he had even finished the question.

"Yes, Mick, we can be friends." We had been a pretty good team, before a relationship had turned everything sour. Besides, like it or not, Mick had been the center of my universe for 6 months. When someone knows you that well for so long, its hard to cut them out of your life completely. I would be lying if I said I hadn't missed Mick, at least a little bit.

Above all else, though, I just didn't have enough fight left inside of me to care anymore. I wasn't hurt or angry, I was just empty. Hollow. And too busy wondering where the last member of Anubis House was hiding to really give a damn about anything else.

"So," I tried to make my voice casual, "did everyone else go home?"

"What?" He sounded distracted. Now that he had gotten what he wanted from me, his mind was already wandering. "Yeah, I think so." He stopped eyeing another performer, a pretty cheerleader who had performed a dance routine, over my shoulder long enough to glance curiously at me. He saw through my nonchalance, picking up on the eagerness that lay beneath. "They all came to congratulate you, didn't they?"

I sighed, forcing half a smile. "I suppose they did." I gave him a small, playful push. "Now go! I know for a fact that the cheerleader has been pining after you for weeks."

"Really?" He gave a small laugh. "Cool. I'll see you later, Mars. You did great, tonight!" And then he was gone, off to flirt with his latest conquest. Leaving me to wonder why the only person who's presence I most desired had been the only one to remain absent.

It seemed performing at the talent show had tied up every loose end in my life except the one I really wanted it to.

The chiming of the clock brought me back to the present, bright lights and laughter of earlier today fading into the dark silence of the dressing room. 9:45. I guess he really isn't showing up.

Angrily, I throw the moist cloth I had been absentmidedly using to remove my make-up against the mirror. It lands with an angry thump, sticking for a moment before sliding down, leaving a trail of distorted images and water droplets in its wake. I gaze at the crumpled cloth in angered disappointment, focusing on the streaked white in an attempt to bite back hot tears.

"My, my, don't we have a temper today." A voice, an oh-so familiar voice, sounds from behind me. It is cruel and taunting and sends shivers down my spine. My head snaps up, and for a minute I'm unsure if the voice is real or a figment of my whishful thinking.

"OH!" I almost fall off my seat in alarm, my heart rate accelerating to the point where I'm afraid its going to beat right out of my chest.

I can hear the smile in his voice. "Feeling a bit jumpy?"

"JEROME!" I'm caught between rage and excitement. Cold sweat breaks out on the back of my neck and my heart catches in my throat and he came, he came. "Don't you EVER do that again."

"What, can't take a joke? Come on, Mars," he twists the name into an insult, "I thought you were tougher than that."

I still haven't turned to face him. My face is flushed and my chest rises and falls with the heavy labor of each breath, and its all I can do not to leap out of my chair and slap him and smother him in kisses all at the same time. Neither would be a good idea, though, so I just listen to the rapid beating of two hearts in the unearthly silence as I slowly raise my gaze to look into the mirror. There, staring back at me, distorted by the drops of make-up remover that still cloud the glass, is the unmistakable figure of Jerome Clarke.

He smiles that calculating smile that I have come to know and love. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long."

Well, there you have it! Innocent part two! With a cliffhanger and everything. Eh, not my best work :/ I am so sorry guys, I promse you that if you just stick with me a little longer part 3 will be everything you hoped for.

Well, you know what to do! Review! Tell me what you loved, tell me what you hated, constructive criticism makes the world go round and all that. I'll give you a cookie :)
-Moments