Eleventh Chapter of the Prequel for:

"Where's the Excitement?"

"Where we've been"

Melissa Hunter:

I looked at my ruby eyes in the mirror and sighed. This was what I had wanted a year ago today, and now that I know about this life, I have had my fill.

In the beginning, it was like I had awoken from a long and painful slumber, to be met with the greatest feast ever known. Every part of me was filled, gorged, and satiated beyond my wildest dreams. When it came to the blood, I had everything I wanted. I was completely whole for the first time in my vampire existence. But, those feelings, they only quenched my thirst for blood, not the longing that I held deep inside my heart for my Andrew.

I was completely unprepared for the difficulties of being so far from my mate, and even though it had been my choice… the burn in my chest was a constant reminder of my betrayal to my family and my love. As time passed, the pain became stronger, and made me weaker, even with the constant imbibing of human blood.

Andrew and I had been married for almost twenty-two years in a few weeks, and if I stayed any longer, I would miss our anniversary.

I knew the time had come; I can't bear the thought of staying away any longer. I had to leave and I did not keep it a secret; I made sure to let everyone know that I would be leaving when I had to.

And this was it.

I looked over myself in the mirror one last time, and pulled my robes tighter around me. I stood up, collected my bag, and I walked out of my room. I headed towards the throne room to make my last goodbyes to my mentor.

When I entered the great hall, the stench of fresh blood of feeding time hung in the air like a menacing farewell. One last reminder of what I was giving up…I knew Aro was sick, but that was just rude.

I pushed open the doors of the throne room to see Marcus standing by the window in the far left corner. The sun peaked through the clouds, shining in through the small rounded window, and caused his marble skin to sparkle. He heard me enter, turned toward me, and sighed sadly as he saw that I was prepared to leave momentarily.

"My daughter, can it truly be that you are departing?" He asked with a deep pain etched into his voice that made me want to weep for this man and cure his broken heart.

I sighed, "I'm sorry, but it's time I made my way back home. Andrew needs me and we have been separated for far too long. You know how much it hurts for mates to be away from one another."

"Yes, I certainly do my child. I only wish that there were a way for me to join you. I have grown tired of the bloodshed and malice inside these cold walls and if there were a way for me to depart with you, I would leave without a moment's notice. I hope you will be safe without me to protect you. You have learned a great deal from our way of life, and I hope it serves you well." He kept his eyes downcast, not wanting to see the pain in my eyes.

"I hope you know Marcus, without you, I never would have had the courage to admit that I am broken. You made me understand that I must take what God has given me and live my life to the fullest despite the circumstances. I may be greedy and mean but I need my family, I really do. Thank you father, I will never forget you." I smiled sadly. I could feel the venom coating my eyes, but I would not let anything fall.

Marcus moved toward me and pulled me into a tight hug; he sighed and kissed my forehead. "My dear girl, you have indeed pushed the limits of your relationships within your family, but I trust they will accept you once again. However, I would not recommend confronting them with your new eyes." He snickered lightly.

"I have time for them to change back before I return, please don't worry."

"About you? How could I not worry about you? I do not doubt Isabella will take you back, but please be careful, and try not to get into any trouble. I will miss you dearly and think of you often." He said with a shaking voice. The sadness was prominent and I felt myself doubt my decision to leave him here.

"I want to promise you something," I took his hands into mine and looked into his eyes, "I promise you will survive when this government goes down, you will be saved by the kindness of Isabella, she will not let you suffer for something you did not do. She may seem evil now, but I know that she will change and you will be happy again. I know it seems impossible to see right now, but you will, in time find love again." I could see it when I touched him, and I knew that my words would give him some amount of hope to continue on in this hell.

"Go, now, before my brothers' return." He said suddenly worried. I smiled and kissed his cheek.

I turned from him, grabbed my bags, and left the room.

Demetri was waiting at the gates and with a sad smile. He opened the door to the car that was waiting for me.

"You know, I'm gonna miss you and I… I really liked having you here. I know this won't make Izz happy, but if you ever need anything, you know you can count on me. So have a good trip home and be safe." He sighed and pulled me towards him, his stone arms crushing me into his chest.

My breathing turned to sobs in his arms and he shushed me and kissed my cheek. He looked at me with such admiration and care. I would miss him and I knew I could never tell him that, but I still felt it.

"Thank you and I appreciate all that you've done for me, really I have. I will be seeing you, I am sure. Goodbye Demetri." I smiled and got into the car.

He waved as I drove off and I felt the tug of my heart as the car moved through the gates.

"L'aeroporto di favore." I said. The driver nodded and drove towards the airport.

I knew that leaving was the right thing to do, I just never figured it would hurt this much.

Through everything, I had actually learned a lot and not just about savoring the blood, and about family. I learned every moment of a person's life is important, and being able to live in our world and not make mistakes, is a hard goal to accomplish if not truly impossible.

My awe of Isabella had grown over time, her ability to control and keep all of us from making mistakes and getting in trouble, is unbelievable.

The strength she has to accomplish the impossible made me feel small in comparison. Isabella is a hell of a woman, and for her to be able to contain us and protect us the way she has been, it truly astounds me.

I was wrong to question her and I know that now.

Now, I can see what she was doing and I can understand why she changed us. She had the strength to damn us and the courage to save us. It was harder for her to bring us here than it was for us to accept the change. She had actually committed the act, and I was the one bitching about it.

I could admit now that I was wrong, but I don't think I could ever tell her how right she was. Before now, I saw her as the enemy, and I believed that every single thing she did to us was wrong. I thought she didn't know what she was doing. But really, I was the one in the wrong. It wasn't her that didn't know what she was doing, it was me.

I had absolutely no control over myself and she had too much control, no real heart, no real fun, and no real love.

However, that wasn't true, that was just me. I was the one who couldn't see straight, I was the one who was broken beyond repair.

I was the one who ran away from my life instead of fighting.

VvVvV

I walked the streets of New York City, around Time Square, through Bryant Park, and back to Central Park. The loudness was a welcome change after being locked up in a castle for so long. I welcomed the sights, the lights, and the presence of the people around me.

The streets were alive with people and the happiness that I craved, but the answer to my pain was not here. The answer was far away from here, at home, with Andrew.

No, here I was just trying to find the courage to go home.

Sitting on a bench in Central Park in my new outfit and cellphone, I looked at the stupid piece of plastic with distaste and resentment. I didn't want to have to call them; I didn't want them to know I was coming. I wanted to have the advantage this time, letting Isabella see my weakness would only give her more reason to taunt me. At times, I knew I deserved what I was getting when she would scold me, but what was I going to do? I was the one who screwed up and always looked down on our situation, so I couldn't blame her.

I felt that for some reason Isabella already knew that I was coming, and she was waiting for me to have the strength to do this on my own. I knew that I wouldn't be able to move on without some help and support from my family. I also knew that I didn't actually have the courage to call. I couldn't bear to hear their voices.

I knew where they were, we had already made a plan before I left.

The family would move to Denver, Colorado, and I was expected to join them, which I would...eventually.

Now that my eye color had changed back to loyal gold instead of betrayal red, I was ready to go home. Yet the feeling that I needed to stay just a little bit longer lingered in my wake.

I walked through the park in silence, looking at the lights and at the people… the happy people and the happy lights…

I walked toward the North Meadow where I knew the outdoor stage was. I looked up at the grand vision in front of me with awe and amazement. I slowly moved toward it and up onto the stage.

I had always thought of what it would be like to perform here and as I looked out at the meadow, I quietly sang to myself…

Chances are when said and done,
who'll be the lucky ones?
Who make it all the way?
Though you say I could be your answer,
nothing lasts forever,
No matter how it feels today…

Chances are we´ll find a new equation.
Chances roll away from me.
Chances are all they hope to be…

Don't get me wrong I'd never say never,
Cause though love can change the weather,
No act of God can pull me away from you…

I´m just a realistic woman,
A bottle filled with shells and sand,
Afraid to love beyond what I can lose when it comes to you,
And though I see us through yeah…

I held down the sob as I thought of Andrew…If only he could hear me, or see me, feel the sorrow that I held inside for the things I'd done. I wished for forgiveness…

Chances are we´ll find two destinations.
Chances roll away from me.
Still chances are more than expectations.

The possibilitiesOver me

Chances lost are hopes torn up pages.
Maybe this time,
Chances are we´ll be the combination.
Chances come and carry me.
Chances are waiting to be taken,
and I can see
Chances are the fascination.
Chances won't escape from me.
Chances are only what we make them,
and all I need…

I looked up at the night sky and let my venom tears fall slowly down my cheeks.

"Time to go home." I said to myself and slowly made my way back off the stage.

An odd feeling of being watched came over me as I began to walk away. My senses heightening and my nerves stood on end and I knew someone, not human, was near me.

"Who's there?"

I felt the wind change, moving around me slightly, and the scent of violets, lavender, and the smell of rain hit my nose. I inhaled deeply, marking the scent and committing it to memory. I turned around towards the stage and looked up at the rafters.

A female figure was standing there, hidden from sight by the shadows of the night. The next second, she leapt from the rafters and landed silently on the stage, and a few seconds later she vanished!

I knew my mouth was probably hanging open in shock. I couldn't believe my eyes…I had never seen a gift like that. Her form had melted into the background and faded away. She was gone.

I felt the wind change again and then she was in front of me, looking at me with scrutinizing eyes. The sudden movement shocked me again, and I even stumbled backwards slightly. Even vampires can trip sometimes.

At first glance, as she moved closer to me, I took in her striking appearance. She looked a little out of time, with her pale green fifties styled dress, and crops of voluminous raven curls closely hanging by her shoulders…but the most strange thing about her, was the color of her eyes. She had bright violet almond-shaped eyes, starkly contrasting her creamy skin and dark hair. The way she looked screamed movie star, but she had a demure stance, careful and calculated.

Her smell was unlike anything I had ever sensed before, the purity and strength of it was amazing…but it was confusing my senses. She was not fully vampire, but not completely human. She was an anomaly.

"Who are you?" I whispered as I stood taller and put a hard face on.

She tilted her head to the side and looked at me in wonder. She seemed a little immature, not completely adult, but somehow not really a child.

"You know her…" Her voice was sweet and just above a whisper, but I heard the faint sound of bells in the air and I knew that she had spoken.

"Who?" I asked this strange creature, but she didn't answer she just circled me in awe. She lightly touched my shoulder and moved my hair to the side revealing my neck. I knew she could see my marks, but I let her. She seemed incredibly intrigued and I did not have the courage to stop her.

"You smell of blood and sorrow…You are alone here? Why did you leave? Is she not a good mother…?" She began to pace as she asked me questions I did not understand. "I was told she was the best mother, she would not have let you go…You are heart broken and alone…I don't know who you are, but you know her, you have lived with her …I am alone…No one is like me you see, so I live in solitude without actually being alone…You are confused?" She turned to me and asked abruptly. Her words were mainly statements, nothing accusing, no questions, it was ramblings. I was very confused. Who the fuck was this girl…

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand…" I wanted to help, but she seemed sort of mentally unstable and I knew nothing of how to help her.

I was about to say more, but I was cut off by a man running towards us and calling out to this stranger.

"Lizzy! Lizzy! There you are sweetie! Your mother has been so worried about you!" The man was tall and had dark curly hair and golden eyes, a vampire.

"She knows her…I can smell it!" She seemed possessed and confused; the man pulled her to him and shushed her. He looked at me with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry Miss. My daughter must be confused, I am really sorry we bothered you." He pulled her away before I could say anything and I watched as he was joined by a group of vampires. One looked at me, another one who was not normal, her brown eyes were locked with mine, but then they vanished from sight as if they were never there to begin with.

I couldn't understand what had just happened. New York had turned out to be much more interesting then I had originally planned.

I sighed, pulled my purse closer to my chest, and walked back onto the streets to call for a cab.

The feeling of defeat hung in the air, the sadness washed away with my resolve.

I was going home.

VvVvV

I walked out of the terminal in Denver and tugged on my new winter coat. I was glad to have made it here under the cover of darkness; it would have been a pain to try to sneak out of the airport during the daylight.

I knew I still had to keep up the appearance of being human, so I wrapped the new scarf I'd purchased securely around my neck. This was one of the things I never forgot through all my years and experiences while being a Hunter. Appearance is everything. While we may be more open than other vampires, we still knew the importance of looking the part.

Once I was guarded by the trees of the forest, I took off towards our new house.

As I got closer and closer, the scents of my family grew stronger, pulling me toward my mate and my home.

About a mile out from our home, I stopped and hunted to calm my nerves. I knew I needed to be strong and prepared for anything when I finally made my way to the house.

I cleaned up and buried my kill. I felt sad at the loss of the animal as always, but knew that this was the life I truly wanted.

I walked forward and followed the scents of my siblings.

I came to the back of a large red brick house, two stories high with large windows in the back. There was a deck attached to the master bedroom. The doors hung open casually, and I could hear the chatter of my family stop as my scent came through the open air.

I waited with my head down.

I heard the heels of Isabella walk across the hardwood floors and to the back door. She opened it and scoffed. I kept my head down, knowing I had no right to look at her.

"So, you are finally home I see?" The harsh tone of her voice did not go unnoticed by me. I winced at the malice there, but knew she had every right to be angry with me.

"Yes, Sir."

In the house I could hear a door slam, and the banging of things being pushed around. The smashing of glass came next and I knew it was my Andrew in a fit of rage because of my return.

Oh Andrew…

"Are you done prancing around then? No more murdering humans?" Isabella asked sternly and directly.

I used every ounce of strength I could muster to lift my head and face her angry eyes. There she was with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. She was beyond pissed at me.

"I swear to it." I whispered, trying to keep my eyes unwavering from hers.

"Are you sure? If you are not, you can leave and never return."

"This is where I want to be." I promised.

"Good. I will not be so forgiving if this ever happens again. Do you understand me?" She questioned me sternly. I felt the air around us prickling with her anger.

I fell to my knees in regret, "Yes! God I am so sorry, I should not have betrayed you…" I whimpered.

She scoffed at me again, as if I were pitiful and worthless. I looked up at her, her rules and stature had never been questioned before now and yet I went ahead and had the nerve to betray her and the family.

"Go get cleaned up. You look like a mess Melissa." She turned away from me and walked back into the house, through a door leading her down into the basement.

I stood up slowly, brushing my knees, and cautiously entered the house. I headed for the staircase and went up the stairs. I followed the stairs and hallway to the second door on the right, where I could Andrew's scent was centralized.

I lightly knocked on the door and waited, but he didn't answer. I took an unnecessary deep breath, and opened the door slowly to see the room in disarray. Every personal item in the room was knocked over, smashed, or torn apart, but there he was. Andrew was sitting on the bed reading a history book, like he wasn't in the middle of a disaster zone. He kept his face in the book and didn't acknowledge me as I came in and quietly shut the door behind me.

I looked at the man I had abandoned so easily and felt so much remorse, I felt as if I was drowning. In my own regret.

I glanced at him once more and headed for the bathroom. Not saying a word as I did so.

I turned the hot water on as hot as it would go and stripped my clothes off my sore and cold body. I slipped inside the glass shower and stood under the spray. I felt my venomous tears fall from my eyes and my body shaking with sadness.

He didn't want me…

I had hurt him too much…

I am such a failure…

I collapsed in on myself and slid to the ground of the shower. I pushed the palms of my hands into my eyes and screamed silently. The pain enveloped me.

Andrew wouldn't look at me…how could he…I am a monster.

I felt the world closing in on me as I lay there. Feeling the beads of the water falling over my marble form curled up on the floor.

I'm all alone…

"Oh baby…" Andrew's voice cracked as he saw me broken and crying on the floor of the shower.

As I felt the coldness of the stones on my skin, but it was nothing compared to the warmth from my mate's hands on my body as he crawled into the shower behind me and pulled me to him.

"Please, honey, stop crying, I love you. I'm sorry." He pleaded with me. He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms tighter around me. I lifted my own arms and greedily grabbed him, yanking him underneath me. I clenched my thighs around his, holding him down, as close as I could get.

I instinctively growled at him and felt him return my growl. The need for him to be close to me bubbled over the surface, pushing away my sorrow. Andrew looked at me with pleading eyes as he brushed my hair away from my face.

"You are so beautiful, god I missed you…" He whispered.

I smiled and leaned down to touch my lips to his. A sigh escaped me as I made contact with him. I pulled his face tightly to mine, brushing my lips fervently against his, and gripping his beautiful locks in my hands. He whimpered as my tongue found its way inside of his velvet mouth. As I straddled his hips, I could feel him hardening against me in response to my kiss and my naked body against him.

I smiled against his lips and let my hands trace his face, making sure nothing had changed. His marks were all there…He was still the same.

He was still mine.

"Always, I am always yours." He whispered and flipped me under him, "Now I'm going to remind you that you are mine!" He growled as he positioned himself at my entrance and sunk deep into my desperate core.

I moaned loudly at the fullness. This is what I had been missing… this is what I had fantasized about every day since I left. I didn't know how I had lived without feeling my mate this close to me. He made everything feel right. He made me whole again.

The pressure of him sent a shock through my system and made pure pleasure course through me. He growled again and wrapped my legs around his hips, digging into me deeper than before. God I loved it when I heard his growls. The sounds made me purr in response. I felt his rushed thrusts and gripped him as he reminded me who I belonged to. The moans that fell from my lips only spurred him on, making him quicken and thrust himself harder inside of me. I felt like I was coming apart and coming back together all at the same time.

"Say it! Say it god dammit!" He grunted into my ear as he pumped furiously into me. His hands were gripping my hips, and I could almost feel the skin breaking from his tight grasp, but it never did.

I could barely find words as my motor functions had seemed to shut down as soon as he touched me, but I knew he needed those words, the proof of our connection. He was desperate to make me his once again, the distance had hurt him the same way it had me.

I whined as he pulled away and looked down at me with a smirk.

"No no, you will get nothing until you say it Melissa, now tell me, who do you belong to?" He hissed. He was impatient for my response, so he went back to his assault on my body. I still could barely form the words, I wanted to say them, but he kept distracting me.

He stroked his hands down my body, rubbing and tugging at my breasts with fascination and love. He kissed my neck and licked my skin with pure earnest and need. He was doing too little… I needed more than these little touches. He moaned as I grabbed at his cock, trying to pull him back inside of me, but he pushed my hands away and moved my arms above my head against the shower wall. He pinned my legs down with his and kept me trapped underneath him.

I moaned as he brought his fingers to my core, slowly moving my juices around with his fingers and bringing them to his mouth. He moaned at our mixed taste and turned his blackened eyes to me. He stared me down as if I were his prey and I suddenly felt the pressure of our mating come crashing down on me.

"You, Andrew. I'm yours." I purred in complete love and honestly.

I felt the courage I needed to break his hold on me and flipped us over. He smirked and let me think I had the control, but I knew I would never fully be in control when it came to this, to us. He was always in control when it came to me. He owned every part of me, my heart, my soul, and my body.

I hovered over him for just a second before I slammed down on him, causing him to roar at the pleasure. He grabbed my hips and pulled me up off him and back down over and over again. He quickened his pace with each new thrust, and I soon felt the tightening in my lower stomach as I began to lose control of my noises. I knew he loved it when that happened because he would always start growling at me. I screamed his name as he bit down on my shoulder and spilled inside of me, but he didn't stop pumping in and out until I was exploding right along with him.

"Don't leave me." He whispered as he licked my new mark, closing it with his venom. I winced at the familiar burn but I knew it was worth it. I knew it meant a lot to him. He stayed inside of me, and held me close against his chest. I rested my head on his shoulder and relaxed as his fingers ran up and down my spine.

"I don't think I could ever leave you again, it nearly killed me to be away. Happy Anniversary Andrew." I kissed his neck and held onto him tighter.

"Oh god, I love you so much." He whispered as he squeezed me back.

VvVvV

Trisha Hunter:

I stayed downstairs in my studio with Isabella as Andrew and Melissa loudly reunited in their bathroom. We sat on the couch across from my bed, casually reading and flipping through magazines.

I was very happy to have my own place in the house, somewhere I could be me and be left alone. I didn't mind not having a room upstairs; having the entire basement to myself was more than enough to compensate for that. Isabella was very generous with me and I couldn't be more grateful for everything she had done to make me feel a part of the family.

There were still many things that I was curious about, being new to this life I didn't quite understand a lot of what went on and how I was supposed to act, but with Stephanie and Isabella's help, I had begun to comprehend this lifestyle a bit more easily.

Yet there were still things I was clueless about, such as mates…

"Is that how all mates are?" I asked quietly.

Isabella looked me and smiled.

"Well, when they have been separated for a long time, yes. The male tends to need to dominate their mate, to reassert their connection. This includes some of what you heard and marking each other. No matter how long they have been apart, it's easy for mates to fall back into step with each other. Andrew and Melissa will always be completely devoted to one another, as all mates should be." She explained.

I thought Melissa was mean the first time I met her and she didn't look like she deserved her mate with the way she treated him… but I guess there was more wrong there than anyone thought in the first place.

Mating didn't seem that complicated, but I didn't get how you found your mate.

"Would you like me to explain that?" Isabella asked. I nodded mutely and a little embarrassed, but she just waved it off as me being inexperienced. "Well, if you are ever near your mate you will feel the pull on your soul and heart to find them, but when you first see them you will have an extreme attraction to them, and you will probably want to touch them immediately. Some mates take longer to develop and that can happen if a male and a female don't act on the attraction, or if one of them is already with another vampire. Sometimes vampires can be very stubborn, not wanting to change their ways."

"Wait, if the vampires are not mated, why would they be together?" I asked.

"Well being a vampire can get lonely, and vampires tend to take companionship in others even if they are not soul mates. It's common for unmated vampires to fornicate if they come across each other like nomads, but in covens, it can be a bit different. For me, I was with Demetri from the Volturi because I was attracted to him, but I was human so that was a bad example…but Henry. With Henry, I was with him because when we met, something clicked; we were attracted to each other."

"So if I meet a vampire and we're attracted to each other…I can have sex with him? That is…kinda wrong to me, I mean do I have to? What if he's lying to me and trying to hurt me? What then?" I began to worry about ever meeting another vampire outside of the family. I understood her relationship with Henry, he was nice, but I knew that not all male vampires were nice like him.

"Whoa calm down, no you do not have to do anything you don't want to do. If someone is trying to hurt you, I'll kill them before they have the chance to come anywhere near you. The mutual attraction will be obvious, don't worry about the sex part, when you are older and if we meet other vampires, then we will worry about this. Okay?" Isabella could always calm me down in just a few seconds. I am so lucky to have someone like her as my leader.

God, what would we do without her…

"Okay, yes I get it, but umm I have a question…" I didn't know how to ask about this, but I knew I needed to get it out there and get an answer...

"It's okay, don't be afraid, I won't judge you, you can ask me anything." She reassured me.

I decided not to voice my question and instead used my mind to ask her.

What if I'm…attracted to women…are there gay vampires…?

I cringed silently as I waited for her answer.

I knew I had feelings for Stephanie and she had returned those feelings. At first I was afraid of Ethan and what he might do to us, but he saw how nervous I was when Stephanie was telling him how we felt. He seemed to take it well. I didn't want to steal her away from him or anything, I just wanted some comfort and I knew she would be able to give it to me. With his approval, he had allowed us to have free reign of whatever I wanted, he even allowed me into their bed.

I had been afraid of men because of how I was turned, but Ethan made sure I felt secure with him before anything happened. I had never guessed that anything like that could ever happen with mates, but for some reason he let me into their life and I was so very grateful.

Isabella looked at me with kind eyes and smiled.

Trisha, sweetie, it's okay, you don't have to be afraid. I know what happened, so you don't have to hide anything from me. I assure you that it is very possible for there to be homosexual vampires out there, and even if you end up with a male that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you. I'm happy for you, you've been able to branch out and bond with your family.

I sighed in relief and smiled, "Thank you so much."

And, if you ever need anything, anything at all from me, you can just ask. I'm here for you too; I would be honored if you ever wanted me like that as well. She winked at me and got up from the couch.

"I'll talk to you in a bit. I think I'm going to arrange for us to go to school starting next semester, will you be okay with that?" She asked.

I was still shocked by her admission and her suggestion that I just nodded my head and watched as she pulled me up with her and gave me a small kiss on the mouth. She smiled at me and brushed her fingers across my jaw. I felt a little scared and a lot worried that someone would hear us, but I just smiled and nodded and let her walk upstairs pulling me right along with her.

As we entered the family room, everyone was situated in their own spaces, doing their own things. Melissa was telling Stephanie about Italy, Andrew was still reading that darn history book, and Ethan was playing video games on the Xbox.

Isabella cleared her throat and everyone turned to her, giving her their full attention.

"I think we should go back to school, are you all up for it?"

Everyone seemed to agree one way or another, not really caring, or just looking for a distraction from our constant boredom.

"Good, I'll make the arrangements."