Author's note: I don't have anything to say. I'm slowly phasing out ANs.

The doughboys.

They grinned meanly up at him, as if to say, Here we are, Nny; didn't forget about us, did you? Didn't think you could get away from us? Nooo, surely not. We're your, Johnny. We're your friends. We're your real life.

"They talk to you?" he rasped, wheeling around. He stared at Squee, bug-eyed.

Squee giggled. "Don't be silly, Johnny. I know they're not real. I was only kidding. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Johnny said, relearning how to breathe. Looking back in the closet, he saw that they were indeed only Styrofoam, sinister-looking though they were. Still, he decided, he would be getting rid of them as soon as possible. He had been glad enough to see Squee, but this was a familiarity he could do without. "I'm fine," he said, and closed the door sharply. "So hey, Squee, what's been up with you?" As his little brother rattled on about his life, Nny leaned back on the bed, sinking into pure normality.

Dinner that night was an interesting affair. They ate tacos, which apparently were Nny's favorite food in this life as well. He was getting better at participating in conversation, but it was still difficult given that he didn't even really know who he was. He got the sense that this was a talk-about-your-day-around-the-dinner-table sort of family, but what was there to say? "Today I woke up from a year-long coma. So, how was work?"

Soon the subject of skool came up. "Your junior year is nearly over," Maggie said, "but we can talk to your counselor and see if there's a way you can still graduate with the rest of your class. Maybe you can take summer skool and an extra class during zero period."

"Okay," Nny said, having no idea what she was talking about.

"We should get you re-enrolled as soon as possible –"

"Maggie," his father interrupted, "give him a break. He needs to get some rest."

"No, it's okay," Nny said. He was filled with an interesting mix of conflicting emotions at the thought of going – returning – to skool. Curiosity, dread, anticipation. "I'm fine. I've been resting for a year, haven't I?" Even though the past few hours had been the most restful he could remember. "I can go back to skool."

His father eyed him, obviously assessing his physical condition. Nny looked the same as he ever had – too skinny. Had he always looked that way? Probably, he decided. Similar, at least. He couldn't image himself as some muscle-bound dude. Anyway, his clothes fit fine.

"Okay," his dad finally decided. "But you're staying home for a few more days, at least. Your mother can go find out about enrolling you." Ah, parental authority. Wasn't it supposed to suck? Nny didn't mind too much. Actually, it was sort of nice, having someone else in charge. Sort of…secure.

Nny excused himself from the table, saying he thought he'd go to bed. He was tired, not to mention emotionally drained. He climbed the stairs, went into his room, and shut the door behind him. Perching on the desk chair, he thought over the events of the day. He did like it here. He was confused half the time, but he supposed that would go away soon. Especially if all this really was real, and his memories started returning, like the doctor had said. But, he thought, standing and beginning to pace the room, what if it's not real? He wasn't quite sure what that would do to him. After only one day, he had grown more attached to this life than he knew. The thought of waking up tomorrow in his old house… No sleep, he decided. That seemed a bit too much like his old self, but he didn't care. He couldn't deal with the uncertainty of sleep. He stopped in front of the bookshelves. Maybe he could read something, catch up…he remembered being fascinated by the biology paper on his computer. Maybe the textbook was here.

There was a knock on the door. "Johnny? Mommy sent me up to see if you're okay."

"Yeah, Squee, I'm fine," he said, mentally cursing himself. Of course he couldn't just sit up all night. His parents would never allow it, and they would surely see the light under the door and hear him moving around. Fine then, he thought as he heard Squee's tiny feet pounding down the stairs. He would go to bed, but that didn't mean he had to sleep. Rummaging through the drawers, he found a pair of pajama pants and a loose tank top. He raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and changed into them. Looking in the mirror over his dresser, he had to snicker at the sight of himself in the tank. Still, it was comfortable. Switching off the light, he climbed into bed. The days events, along with thoughts of the future, once again swirled through his head, and despite his best intentions, he was fast asleep within minutes.