I'm not really satisfied with this chapter. I enjoyed the first part, but the rest was forced. Also, this story has taken a turn from the road it was supposed to be on. And although I no longer have an end in sight, I did actually take the time to create some story notes, so I'm starting to plan ahead, which is good. Anyways, enough of my rambling.

I do not own Homestuck, as always.

-shadowyLearner~

The rest of Terezi's day was spent with a confused wreck of a John and an under-enthusiastic Karkat.

It took a long time for Terezi to get all of what John knew of the threatening out of him, and then afterwards, she dragged Karkat with her and John to the emergency room. There it was confirmed that Vriska was indeed the one that had been picked up in the ambulance. In the waiting room, they sat for who even knows how long. Of course, Karkat wanted to leave as soon as possible and, after making arrangements with John to take her to his house after they were done, left the two.

Terezi was not enjoying having her well-being put in the hands of John, but the last thing she wanted to do was leave.

No, wait. That was exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to go home – not her room in Karkat's house, her childhood house. She wanted to curl up in her old bed – which was probably too small for her now – and just sleep, leaving her blindness and confusion behind.

The air between her and John was full of tenseness. Any time the two had been left alone together, they had ended up fighting verbally. But this was different. Terezi had been friends with Vriska for as long as she could remember, and John was most likely Vriska's closest friend now, if not her boyfriend.

Yes, this was different. And maybe this time it would be different. Maybe they wouldn't fight this time.

Terezi hoped not. She had wanted to get back at Vriska for blinding her, but...she didn't want this, whatever this was.

The voices of friends and families of others rang out around them in a nervous chatter. Terezi wondered if John would try to strike up a conversation with them to help break the awkwardness.

Apparently, John had the same idea, because as soon as she thought that, he said, "So, um, were you born blind?"

A deep feeling of hatred and anger bubbled up inside Terezi. Biting back a comeback, she replied, "Vriska never told you?"

"Um...no?"

Terezi shifted uneasily. She hadn't expected this.

"I ruined her good mood one day, and she forced me to stare into the sun. It doesn't sound like much, but...I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh." John was obviously uncomfortable. "That's different than what I thought."

Terezi sighed loudly, obviously frustrated. "Everybody thinks I was born blind."

"Normally friends don't blind other friends," he pointed out.

"Vriska's different. Did she ever tell you about Tavros?" asked Terezi.

"I don't think so?"

"Let's just say he used to have a crush on her, and Vriska didn't really like him like that. She devised a plan to destroy this little crush of his, and it didn't end well for him."

"Did he live?" asked John, obviously getting more and more uncomfortable by the second.

"Yes, but he ended up moving away, for his own good," she answered.

By this time, John was fidgeting nervously in his seat, which Terezi could hear. She took the opportunity to change the subject before it got too detailed.

"How did you and Vriska meet?" she asked.

"What? Oh, well, we actually first met through the internet! We would IM each other, and we became internet buddies! We found out we lived in the same state, and well, you see how things turned out!" John replied, his tone picking up his usual light-hearted mood.

"And how exactly have things turned out?"

"I-I think we're together, like, as a couple?"

Confusion riddled John's voice, which had yet again undergone a sudden mood transformation. The current event was definitely affecting him emotionally. Whether or not he was dating Vriska, he obviously cared for her.

After a few moments of silence, Terezi asked, "What time is it?"

"It's dark out. The clock over the desk says ten."

"Are you going to stay?"

"Probably. At least until they kick me out," the boy replied.

Terezi nodded. "Same." This definitely wasn't a normal conversation for them.

Silence again. The apprehension in the air had faded a bit, and the two seemed calm, for once, in each other's presence. Terezi could just make out bits and pieces of others' conversations, and she could dimly make out the faint click-click-click of the nurse on her computer.

She wasn't sure if she enjoyed the silence or if it was making her nervous. It definitely allowed for her to think, and she didn't really want to do that right now.

They were there for what felt like a few more hours before they were forced to leave. Terezi overheard the nurse say something about the two of them "looking terrible" and "obviously needing some sleep."

They were at Karkat's house within a half an hour, which was pretty fast, considering they were tired as hell and walking across town. On the walk, both of them had woken up considerably, and they shared a small chat. John obviously didn't like the idea of being left alone in the house, exclaiming, "What if they come back?"

"They were after Vriska, not you," retorted Terezi, her mind still foggy. "If you find any clues, tell me in the morning."

And that was that. Terezi ignored Karkat's sleepy muttering (he had been asleep when the pair arrived) and eventually got into her bed. She expected to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but surprisingly she laid awake for what felt like hours but was probably only ten minutes.

Thoughts and questions drifted in her sleepy mind, and even her dreams were riddled with the promise of mystery.

Terezi slept late again, her third day since she had met Karkat.

Only three days, and it already felt like an eternity. How can time go so slow and yet feel so fast?

This time, instead of waiting for Karkat to come storming up the stairs, yell up at her, or some shit, she reached out for her cane, which was sitting perched up against the nightstand. Sitting up and summoning all her strength to her arm, hand, and wrist, she smashed the bottom of the cane against the floor. An obnoxious way to get the attention of Karkat, yes, but it was currently the most convenient way of doing so.

Right on cue, stomps sounded from the steps down the hall from her room.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" asked Karkat sarcastically, as he helped Terezi out of her room and down the stairs.

"Stop complaining Karkles. I'll be able to navigate by myself once I learn the layout," replied Terezi.

"Whatever. Egbert's here," informed Karkat.

The hair on Terezi's neck stood up. Why was he here? Had he discovered something?

Karkat went on to tell her that John was currently sitting in the kitchen, on edge. Terezi sat herself down at what she hoped was the opposite side of the table – it would make things feel like it was out of a movie or something. Almost like it wasn't real. But it was.

"Um, hey Terezi," began John."

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

"I don't know if you'd count it, but last night...I-I heard voices, which I'm pretty sure were from ghosts, since I don't have a disorder or anything."

"Hm..." The gears in Terezi's head began turning. Could it be possible that Vriska had gone through with her death threat after all, and this was Aradia's ghost, getting revenge?

"I don't really believe in ghosts, but that can change, if what I'm thinking is correct." Settling herself in her seat, she asked, "Could you make out what these voices said?"

"I couldn't really make anything out, but I think they said something about revenge?"