What looked like a dark shadow across the floor turned out to be a sleeping Rebecca. The figure stepped over her carefully and crouched low next to her to get a better look at her face. Sleep had erased all painful memories from the girl's mind and her expression was a mask of perfect peace. Lying on her side, her shoulders rose and fell in time with her breathing. A gloved hand swept a fallen lock of hair from the sleeping girl's face causing Rebecca's eyelids to flutter. Silence gripped the room as the snoring ceased and the figure held its breath.

"Whassat?" grumbled Rebecca turning over. Attempting to open her eyes and rouse herself from sleep, she propped herself up on an elbow and peered around the room. Reluctantly, the darkness and shadows revealed their secrets as Rebecca's eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light. Her gaze drifted over the normal furniture: a bed, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, before resting on a suspiciously dense shadow. She stared at it for several minutes before letting sleep take her back. The carpet was and soft and the girl's head fell gratefully against it.

Crash!

Rebecca started at the sudden noise and sat up straight staring at the doorway leading to the kitchen. She could hear nothing but silence but it was the sort of silence filled with the sound of someone trying very hard not to make any noise. Eventually it seemed as though the doorway wilted under her gaze and there was a second crash. This time, Rebecca recognised the noise of saucepans being knocked to the floor. She scrambled to her feet somewhat uncertainly and staggered into the kitchen.

The figure blinked in the sudden light and froze on the spot. Rebecca's hand hovered over the light switch and, very slowly, rose to her open mouth.

"Oh," she gasped as she took in the mess around her. The intruder had obviously tried to sneak out the back, instead finding themselves in the utility room and now pots and pans littered the kitchen as evidence of their attempted escape. Rebecca's eyes left the mess and met those of an old friend. Rose ventured an apologetic grin.

"Oh. Hey Becca. Um," She bent a picked up a wok, replacing it on it's hook above the stove, "Sorry, did I wake you?" Rebecca seemed to shake and nod her head at the same time whilst opening and closing her mouth. At last she managed:

"Rose?" Rose smiled broadly and offered an awkward wave. Rebecca continued to stare at her friend again before rushing over and enveloping her in a tight hug. Rose blinked in surprise and patted the girl on the back, waiting patiently for her to let go.

"Where have you been? What happened? We were so worried? I thought you'd gone with them! Why didn't you contact us?" Her words came out in a breathless rush before Rebecca finally ceased, watching Rose's expressions with a mixture of concern and anger.

"I, I didn't think I could, should come back," she said. Her sentence was met with a sharp intake of breath.

"You, you what? Why on earth...?" Rose hesitated. Had Rebecca not heard about what she'd done? If not, should she risk telling her and making another enemy? The look of concern was wearing thin on Rebecca's face and Rose relented.

"Didn't you hear what I did? I killed someone Rebecca. I killed a completely innocent freak!" To her surprise, the monkey-girl did not back away. Instead she reached out and held Rose's hand.

"You didn't kill him," she said.

"But I did! You don't- "

"Yes I do," cut in the girl firmly, "There were witnesses. People saw that Vampaneze boy kill him." Rose sighed.

"But I was the one who drank his blood. I promised Mr Tall and Craps- Crepsley, that I wouldn't!"

"You can't help what you are Rose, you couldn't have prevented yourself," came the sad reply, "but I know who you are Rose, and you're a good person."

"How do you know?" said a sulky Rose in disbelief.

"Because you feel guilty."

The two girls picked their way through the kitchen and perched on the sofa in the living room; both were deep in thought. Finally, Rebecca spoke.

"Darren and I have split up." Rose decided to take a more tactful approach, so rather than point out that she hadn't even known the two were in a relationship, she placed an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Sorry," she said.

"Everyone says that," mumbled Rebecca sitting up. She smiled weakly and dabbed at her eyes.

"You're upset," stated Rose glancing sideways at the girl slouched beside her, "Anything I can do?"

"Can you turn back time?" muttered Rebecca, "Sorry," she added. Rose frowned.

"For what? Listen, do you want me to say something? I can be very persuasive..." Rebecca paled as she considered this.

"Yes. Yes, I'm positive you are but I have to say no. Thanks anyway..." Rose pitied the girl who looked so defeated and sad. And she hated the boy for making someone as caring as Rebecca feel that way.

"He didn't deserve you anyway," she said lightly. Rebecca looked up at her in surprise but then smiled gratefully.

"Anyway I bet Darren's crying his eyes out as we speak, realizing what a stupid mistake he made!" Rebecca looked as though she wanted to laugh but it looked as though the mention of the boy's name had upset her again. Rose sighed and stood up, taking in the room around her. It was girly and pink with bright coloured photos placed carefully around the room, many of them showing Darren and Evra. Rebecca followed her friend's gaze and as she locked eyes with Darren's photograph, her lip began to tremble and hot tears sprang to her eyes again.

"Ohh R-Rose!" She wailed, " I b-bet he isn't! I b-bet he's j-just laughing-ing ab-about it w-with Evra!" The rest of her sentence was incomprehensible as she broke down sobbing. Rose watched her, unsure what to say. Nothing she could say would make her feel any better anyway. She decided the best thing she could do for her friend was to let her cry.

"Get some rest," she suggested, moving toward the door. She paused as her hand touched the handle to glance back. Rebecca was folded up on the sofa, weeping into her pillow. Rose left as silently as she had entered muttering curses on Darren under her breath.