Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from The Simpsons.

I wasn't paying attention to what Mom said, until I heard something about money.

I looked at Mom, and was handed five dollars. She said something else, but I figured Lisa heard her, and if it was important, she would fill me in. I just said "Sure Mom." If I hadn't said anything, she would have known that I didn't hear anything she said.

I said bye to Lis, and headed to the arcade. I went to the change booth, and handed in my note, getting back loads of coins.

I looked around, and the arcade was swamped. The only game free was that Bible Conversion game I played at Rod and Todd's. It was cheap to play, so I figured I could kill some time. Besides, that game was better then no game at all.

" Zap! You're days of not believing in God are over! " I got the highest score, which I couldn't help but be proud of. Until I saw the high score list............

I was the only on it. I thought that Rod and Todd would be on it at least a few times, but then I remembered that Ned doesn't let them in the mall by themselves. Actually, he doesn't let them go anywhere outside the house by themselves.

I wonder what they'd be like as fathers. They'd probably be like Ned, not letting the kids have sugar, or watch cartoons, or play violent games, or go on skateboards, or do any fun stuff.

I saw someone about to leave Alley-Raider, so I ran over to try and bags the game before anyone else did. Luckily, it turned out to be Milhouse playing it, and he'd do anything for his best buddy. So when I put in my coin and pressed the red start button, everyone groaned, all expecting to get a turn.

The game started, and after a minute, I shut my eyes, just for a second, and when I opened them, my score was really high, and everyone was cheering for me! "Go Bart! Go Bart! Go Bart!"

I felt great, until I suddenly opened my eyes and realised that they had been closed the whole time. I saw my score, and it was really low, and the game was just about over. The cheering I heard was Mom. But she wasn't cheering, she was yelling.

"Bart! Come over here right now!"

"Hey, don't have a cow Mom-dude. I was just playing Alley-Raider."

"I've been calling you for ages and you only heard me now."

"Sor-ry." Why does she freak over the tiniest things?

So, we went to get Lisa, and she was whining about wanting to stay for longer. Something about a turtle, I think. I tend (as I've mentioned before) to not pay much attention to anything.

When we were almost home, I noticed loads of smoke coming from somewhere. Cool, a bombfire!

I wanted to see where it was coming from, so I opened my window, stood up on the seat, and stuck my head out the window. It wasn't a bombfire, though, it was a house.

I could tell whose too. I could tell because I saw the used fire work, and the toy rocket I threw up there last year burning on the roof. I could tell because I could just about make out the jazz posters through the smoke on the wall of Lisa's bedroom.

The others luckily couldn't see it yet, and I didn't want to tell them. They needed to hope for a few seconds at least.

Maybe, if I rub my eyes- like on T.V.- this'll all be a terrible dream.

It didn't work. I sat back down just as we rounded the corner. Mom saw, stopped the car and tore off down the road. I wanted to run too, but Lisa pulled me back. I was really worried about Dad. If anything happened to him, I don't know what I'd do. I don't know what any of us would do.

I swallowed a lump in my throat. I didn't want to cry around Lisa. Not to prevent myself from looking like a scared-y cat, but she looked to me for reassurance. And when the person you look to for reassurance breaks down, the situation tends to look pretty hopeless.

Please R&R, the next chapter is coming soon.