A/N: Sorry to keep you guys waiting! I wasn't quite sure what to do for a while, and I recently started my other RC9GN fanfic, so I'll be working on that too. Check it out when you get the chance!

Also I'm looking for a beta reader for this and/or my other RC9GN fanfic, "The Elemental Ninjas". If you're interested you can PM me :)

I know Randy's a little OOC in this… yeah sorry…

Thank you to RCIB and ViVi89 for reviewing my last chapter.

Enjoy! :)

(Rachel's POV)

That day was pretty uneventful. Well, in the monster/robot department at least. McFist must've taken the day off. Yup, Randy told me everything. About McFist, about the sorcerer, and about how the robo-apes are normally complete and utter shoobs. Now I understood why he had been so freaked out yesterday.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean nothing happened.

Before that, it seemed like an ordinary day. Other than the fact that Howard wouldn't talk to Randy anymore. Whatever they fought about must've been pretty bad. Randy and I sat alone together at Shangri-lunch while Howard sat with Der Monster Klub, as I have been informed that they're called.

"So…" Randy began. I looked up at him expectantly. "Do you want to talk about the nightmare? I remember how the last one affected you, and if you want to talk about this one, I mean, you can go ahead… I mean, it's not like you have to, I just thought it might help…"

"It won't bother you, will it?"

"Why would it?"

"Do you remember yesterday morning? When you asked me if I had a boyfriend?" His eyes went wide with shock.

(Randy's POV)

Crap. I knew what she was going to say. "You do… don't you?"

"Well-"

"I know, I know. You're choosing him now. You don't even have to say it." I got up, knowing I wouldn't last much longer.

"Randy! I don't have a boyfriend." I breathed a sigh of relief, sitting back down. At the same time, I felt embarrassed that I had jumped to conclusions so quickly. "Well, apparently I liked someone… who was taken. But don't worry about him, I like you now. The thing was, I wasn't sure if they were actually dating or not."

"How could you not be sure of something like that?" I interrupted.

"Well look at us," she said grinning.

I smiled back. "I stand corrected."

"That was different, though. It was as if I didn't know him in real life…"

"Oh, great. You were one of those girls, weren't you? The kind who crushes on celebrities they don't even know, are too old for them, and have girlfriends anyway,* weren't you?" How the juice was I supposed to compete with that? She said I was the only one now, but if she remembered…

"No, I don't think I was. And I can't believe they do that! I mean, they have to know on some level that it's never going to work, right?"

"I know right? But if that isn't it, then what is?"

"I… don't know. But I remember a girl named Samantha, and I didn't like her because she might've been dating the guy I liked… but there's a possibility that she wasn't even a real person."

(Rachel's POV)

All of a sudden, I got an image. Of… glowing yellow eyes.

But was that even possible? To be honest I wasn't sure what was anymore.

I heard a faint humming, and I heard a noise. I felt like I was being transported to another dimension, and it was dark, and I couldn't see anything. "Sssstttaaaayyyyy… iiiinnnnnn… obbbliiivvvvvviiooonnnn…" I heard a hissing voice say. "Thhheeerrrrrre… is a prrrriiiccccce… for being… rrreesssttleesssssssss… for deefffyyyyyiiinnnggggg… mmeeeee… Just keep your reeewwwwwaaaaarrrrd… and nooottthhhhiiinnngg eeelllllllssssse…"

"Who are you, and what do you want with me?"

I heard a low chuckle. "I would tell you… but that would cause the destruction of all the work I've done for the past two years. We were slowly tearing the old you down… but if you want to live to see the summer, you will stay in oblivion. Ignorance… is… BLISS…" I felt myself being released. I was shocked, not to mention scared as hell.

"Rachel?" I heard Randy ask in the background. "A-are you ok?"

"Yeah… sort of… not really… why?" He held out a hand to help me up- wait, why did I need to be helped up? What the juice was going on?

"Well- how should I put this- you got this weird look on your face, and then you fell out of your seat. Your mouth was wide open and you looked absolutely terrified. Rachel… who are you?"

"That's the one thing I should never know if I want to live."

...

(Randy's POV)

Rachel and I had walked home alone together, as in without Howard. He was still mad, but who knew why, I mean, what the juice did I do?

"I still don't get why he's mad," I vented to Rachel in my room, sitting on the couch while she sat on the beanbag. "I mean, I didn't even do anything! Why does he even care? He didn't give a squirt last time, in fact he even told our 'friends'. I guess they weren't really my friends since they told her."

"Maybe he doesn't want to see your heart break again. Not that I would ever hurt you, but he doesn't know that," Rachel tried to reason some logic into my head.

"Yeah that's what he said, but I should be the one who's afraid to fall, but…"

"But what?" Rachel said softly, coming over to the couch and sitting next to me.

She looked right at me, and I looked back. I opened my mouth, wanting to finish but I just couldn't. I always felt so insecure around her, and we had said we were just going to be friends anyway and it probably wasn't a good idea to keep mentioning it if we were going to stay that way.

It never really occurred to me to wonder why it had to be this way until that moment.

"…Nothing," I finally responded, turning forwards and looking down at my feet.

Rachel and I stayed like that, consumed by the awkward silence until my phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey, Cunningham. Listen, we need to talk," I heard Howard's voice on the other line. "Meet me at my house, and don't bring Rachel. This needs to be a 'bro talk', if you know what I mean."

"Ok, buddy. See ya there," I said hanging up. "Ray, I gotta go talk to Howard. Will you be ok by yourself?" Rachel nodded. "Ok, I'll be back before too long." I left my room and headed over to Howard's house.

...

I knocked on the door, and Heidi answered again.

"Oh, hey Sandy. Howard's in his room."

I rolled my eyes. "Heidi, it's Randy," I said making my way to Howard's room. I opened the door to find Howard playing one of the Grave Puncher games. "Hey Howard, what's up?"

He shut off the game. "Hey Cunningham."

I was confused. "Why'd you turn off the game?"

"We need to talk, Cunningham. As in not play Grave Puncher."

"Wow, this must be serious, Howard. What's going on?"

"Look, dude, I'm sorry. I was being a shoob. I should've let you make your own decisions. I guess I still feel guilty for what I did in 6th grade. I never should've told…"

"It's not your fault. Stella would've never loved me the way I did. It didn't really make a difference that you told the guys."

"No, Cunningham… I didn't just tell them."

I felt a chill go over my body. "Howard… what are you talking about?"

"Oh, you've dragged it out of me! Fine. I admit it. I told Stella."

*Mainly referring to the Beliebers/Directioners... XD (if you are one, sorry if I offended you)