He couldn't take his eyes off of her in school the next day. Nor did he try. She was so beautiful. He imagined kissing her again. In his mind, his own face changed to Sam's. Sam kissing her. Her looking that way at him. What if they were… oh, god. He focused on her and tried to send her telepathic messages. I love you Gaia I love you love me not him… He was half hung-over, but he never had gotten any sleep last night. How long had it been since he had slept? Or eaten? Oh, who cared. He had tried to approach her at lunch, but he had seen a little red dot on her forehead. In the cafeteria. Of the school. A laser gun.

He gazed at Gaia all through class. Eventually he realized that his name was being called. "…gave you an easy one. Maybe if you stopped staring at your girlfriend and started looking up here, you'd know that the answer was…"

There was a tittering from the students. Before Ed could completely process what had just happened, Gaia's voice cut through his thoughts. "I'm not his girlfriend."

The world was spinning in a disorienting way. Voices were sounding from all sides. Ed got up and left. He needed more fresh air. This time, he wouldn't meet up with Gaia and her little… puppy. She was inside. "What do you want from me?" he asked out loud. The voice answered him. That's on a need-to-know basis. "I think I NEED TO KNOW!" he exclaimed. Then he remembered to whisper when he heard the door open. The voice said something he couldn't hear. He started to ask it to repeat itself, but suddenly heard Gaia's voice.

"Hey, Sam."

He whirled. Sam could not be here. He was at school! A Sam-free zone! Oh. Gaia was on a cell phone. He whispered into what he assumed was a listening microphone. "She just walked up behind me. I've gotta go."

"I can't wait to see you," Gaia was saying cheerily. "Let's go out tonight." Oh, shoot me, Ed thought. She continued being bubbly and sweet. She had to be faking this, right? This couldn't just be what Gaia looked like when she was in love. Because she'd never acted like this with him. Which would mean that she'd never… "I love you." Ed turned to look at her, for a moment certain that she was talking to him. She was even looking at him. "…Sam." The word was a stake into his heart. He knew she had meant it that way. But that would mean that she knew he'd be jealous. Which would mean that she knew that he loved her. Which would mean… what? That she knew that he hadn't betrayed her but just didn't care? Ed started to walk away, but she was still talking. "And you don't have to bring anything. Especially not something stupid, like cheese." Ed stopped dead. It was true. That had been aimed directly at him. She was trying to hurt him. He'd… he'd thought she'd liked the cheese… she'd laughed… But then, she'd said she loved him, too. He started to turn towards her, then stopped. His vision blurred. Maybe it was better that she didn't love him. Didn't miss him. He walked away. Home.

When he got there, he once again found himself with nothing whatsoever to do. He talked to Mr. Microphone. "She hates me, doesn't she?"

Oh, yes, Eddie, said what he assumed was the microphone and not his subconscious. She loathes you.

Ed hit his head against the wall. "What is your plan for me?"

You'll find out.

"Please. Just do something. Anything. Kill me. I can't live like this any more."

Oh no, Eddie. I won't kill you. I promise.

"Great…"

He sat and did nothing for a few hours. He couldn't go outside and risk seeing her, with or without Sam. He couldn't stand it. He thought about Gaia. A lot. After about three hours of sitting, Mr. Voice talked to him again. Eddie?

Ed didn't respond, but it continued regardless. You still got that gun?

It waited for an answer. Ed sighed. "Yes." It was on his nightstand. Maybe the voice would ask him to kill himself. Or better yet… kill Sam. But he couldn't really kill Sam. Not if Gaia… not if his Gaia… cared about him. Bastard. The voice told him what he was really supposed to do. Oh. Oh, god. He stood by Palma and waited. After somewhere between an hour and forever, he saw her. Alone. And so beautiful. She'd prettied herself up and everything. For Sam. Great. He rushed her from behind, as per his instructions, and pushed her into an ally. Did she feel the sparks where his hands touched her arm? She had to. She felt so good. He pulled out the gun. It was shaking. No, Ed was shaking. That made sense, given what he was about to do.

"Oh, what now, Fargo?" she asked, sounding bored.

"I'm here to—to kill you," he managed to squeak. Kill his Gaia? Never.

"Why?"

He let the script he'd been given take over him. "Because, Gaia, like every sane person on Earth, I hate you."

"You loved me once," she said, sounding… what? Hurt? Did this mean that she had loved him once, too? But he couldn't think along these lines now.

"Yes, when you were different. When you were special. Now you're just like everyone else."

It took her a moment to respond. Had he really hurt her? No, Gaia, I didn't mean it. You're still special. You'll always be special! You're my little Gaia… "Being like everyone else is hardly a reason to kill me," she said, getting her voice under control.

"No, but everyone around you continues to die. To get hurt. The world is a better place without you in it, Gaia." Now came the fun part. The voice hadn't really told him to kill her, of course; he'd never do that. It had told him to miss. He missed by as much as he possibly could while still looking like he'd tried. He didn't want to actually get her by accident while his hands shook.

She opened her mouth to speak, and while his eyes were transfixed on her lips, she reached up, still looking bored, and knocked the gun into the air, catching it easily.

"What, you gonna shoot me now, Gaia? You wouldn't. You loved me. You still love me. You know it." This was still scripted. He knew perfectly well she didn't love him any more, if she ever had. This, he knew, was how he would die. His little Gaia, the love of his life, would shoot him.

She pointed the gun at him and said, "I loved the man I thought you were. He doesn't exist. You, I don't mind killing…" There was complete silence for a moment and a sudden "BANG!" Ed jumped before he realized that it had just been Gaia. "Coward," she spat. His vision blurred again. He'd known he would die soon dating Gaia, but he'd never thought it would be like this. He'd thought he would die because Gaia loved him. He'd never even imagined he would die because she hated him. "Are you crying, man?" She sounded disgusted.

"No, I—" he began. Then left off. This part wasn't scripted. "Oh, screw it, I'm about to die. Give me a break."

"Oh, give you a break?" she mocked. "Why?"

"Fine, don't, either way." Just kill me already. End this.

"Gaia, what's going on?" Oh, please, no. Sam. He was suddenly filled with visions of Gaia kissing Sam while shooting Ed. He wanted this to end. "I saw someone push you into the—oh… it's him. Are you… are you going to shoot him?"

"No," she answered positively.

What? "You're not?" asked Ed, shocked.

"I know you're not the Ed I loved, but you look just like him. It's too hard." Oh, god! Gaia! Beautiful Gaia. She wouldn't kill him. She loved him! "Sam, how about you do it?"

Ok… that wasn't quite how he'd hoped it would go, but it would be better than Gaia killing him…

"No, Gaia," Sam said. He looked directly at Ed and smiled slightly behind Gaia's back. "I promised I wouldn't kill him."

Promised he wouldn't… Promised… Oh no, Eddie. I won't kill you. I promise.

He looked back and forth from Sam to Gaia, shocked. Sam… Mr. or Ms. Creepy was Sam Moon. Sam kissing Gaia. His Gaia. Sam making Ed hurt Gaia. Leave Gaia. Sam pointing that gun at her head. Ed's exhausted brain turned off. He lunged at Sam. A shot sounded and pain coursed through him. He laughed incredulously. He'd been so prepared for death until this moment. The pain. He managed to open his eyes long enough to take a last look at his love. He managed to get out one last whisper… "Gaia…" And then everything went black.

Wait wait! Only stop now if you actually like this as an ending. If you plan to stop reading before the next chapter, read this sentence backwards.

.moor latipsoh sih otni gninnur iaK draeh eh nehw pu ekow eH