Was...Was I still asleep? Or was Coraline Jones standing in the doorway? I stared at her, she stared back. Then she stared at the Other Mother. For the first time, I saw real fear in her hazel eyes. I've seen anger in them, I've seen compassion, but never fear. Not true fear.

It scared me. If Coraline was afraid of this woman...why wasn't I afraid of her? I should've been afraid, but all I could do was roll up my coat sleeve and pinch my arm.

"Ow!" I mumbled. Okay, I WASN'T dreaming. Good to know. Then I looked back over at Coraline and the Other Mother. They weren't paying any attention to me, they seemed to be having a staring contest. Kinda hard to lose when you have button eyes though.

It was a VERY tense, awkward silence, until the Other Mother spoke up.

"Coraline, darling, glad to have you back."

Coraline narrowed her eyes, her fear forgotten. I had a feeling I was going to see The Wrath once again.

"Don't call me 'darling.' You aren't my mother." Then she turned her attention to me. "Get up Why-Were-You-Born. We're getting out of here."

I started to stand up when the Other Mother smiled evilly. My scars were tingling again. "If only it were that easy..." She hissed. Was it just me, or did she look...taller? In fact, she rose from her chair and started to grow. Looking more and more evil.

Oh God. Coraline and I watched in horror as the Other Mother grew taller, and taller, her hair becoming greasy and her lip curling in a confident smirk.

"I think you two need a little...time-out." She said, the usually sweet tone in her voice gone. What happened?

"T-t-time-out?" I asked, trying to back away a little. Jonesy grabbed my hand, stopping me. Wait-she was holding my hand? I looked down at our linked hands and blushed like crazy. I swear, my cheeks were gonna catch on fire. Coraline Jones was holding my hand.

This was so much better than sitting by her on the bus.

I didn't have much time to think about it though, because our hands broke apart as the Other Mother grabbed my ear in one hand, and Coraline's nose in the other. We both screamed in unison.

"Owww!"

"That hurts!"

"S-stop!"

She didn't listen, however, just dragged us, screaming and kicking, to the giant mirror in the hallway. What was she going to do?!

The Other Mother shoved Coraline through first. The mirror rippled like waves as she went through.

I was next. When she pushed me through, I landed on something soft, thankfully.

"Get off of me Why-Were-You-Born!" Coraline growled. My eyes widened and I scrambled off her. We both looked up at the Other Mother, who had stuck her head through the mirror. "Some time in here might do you insolent children good." She said, her black buttons glaring daggers into us as she disappeared through the mirror's entrance, the wall shimmering green.

"No!" I called, gasping and started to beat at the wall. It was solid and cold. I turned my head toward Jonesy, her head was bowed, blue hair over her face.

"Coraline, help me!! We need to-"

"There's no way to get out."

"Wha?" I was surprised at how feeble her voice was. It sounded worn out...defeated.

"There's no way out," She repeated. "Only someone from the other side can get us out."

"B-b-but..." No. Just, no. We couldn't be stuck in here. "N-no..." I put my back to the cold wall and slowly slid down it. I couldn't stay here.

"No," I repeated. "No...no..."

Coraline looked up at me, and crawled over, sitting beside me. "Wybie...It's okay."

"N-no..." I started shaking. "No, no, no! I-it's not okay..."

Coraline's eyebrows furrowed. "Wybie. It's fine. Nothing's going to do anything to you...I'm here." She pulled out something crinkled and folded. A piece of paper. She unwrapped it and handed it to me.

"Do...do you mean it?" She whispered.

"Huh?" I asked, taking the piece of paper. My eyes widened as I realized that it was one of my love notes.

"Do you really mean what you wrote?" She pointed to the three words in my untidy handwriting, and even though it was dark, I could read them.

I love you.

The three words I've been too scared to tell her. I sighed. "I...I...yeah. I mean that." I pulled out my journal and opened to, showing her all of the other love notes.

Coraline's mouth was slightly open as I read each one out loud. There. I did it. I told the girl I'd loved for over a year the truth. No more hiding.

"W-wow..." She stuttered. "I mean...Wybie. I never knew..."

I smiled a little at her. "Sorry I never told you...I guess I was afraid that you'd punch me or something."

Coraline smiled even larger. "Really? Well, this is what you get for not telling me all this time!" She slugged me in the arm, smirking.

"Oww!" I yelped, rubbing my arm.

Jonesy's smirk turned into the smile I've always loved. "And this is what you get for telling me at all." She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.

A goofy smile spread across my face. She KISSED me! KISSED ME! Coraline Jones, kissed Wybourne Lovat! History was being made here! I blushed as I put my hand up to my cheek, but then stuck out my bottom lip in a pout.

"What about the lip-kiss?"

Coraline raised an eyebrow. "...What?"

"Y'know...that kiss that the girl and the guy always have when they're stuck somewhere...Like...oh, I dunno, behind a dark and scary mirror?"

She punched me gently in the arm again. "This isn't one of those cheesy romance shows that are on every Saturday, Lovat." She stated.

"Right..." I mumbled, rubbing my arm again. "But you still need a Prince Charming to cuddle up on when things get ugly!"

"...I was the one who saved you."

"...Oh. Well, you didn't save me yet! We both need saving!"

"How do you propose we do that, Mr. Plan Man?"

"I-I don't know!" I threw my hands up.

Coraline eyed my right hand, the one without a glove, and pulled something from her pink handbag.

"Here Wybourne, I found this by the well." She grabbed my hand and slipped the glove into it. I smiled and flexed my fingers.

"Thanks Jonesy." I said, before standing up. I started pacing, my hands placed behind my back.

"What are you doing...?" Coraline stared at me. I turned and faced her.

"Well, if we're gonna get outta here before buttons-for-brains comes back, we need a plan don't we?"

A smile made its way across her face, making my heart skip a beat. "Right." She replied, standing up. We then started pacing in unison.

A/N: Well. Here you go. :P

I promised my friend a bit of fluff in the mirror, since I needed to meantion the letters again anyway. Isn't that right Autumn?

Anyway, there's more to come! :D R&R!