Losers. But I have a soft spot. I'm going to post this anyway. But I'm leaving town in a week, and unless I get five reviews, I'm not going to post until I get back in either early (I'll be home four days before leaving again) or late July.

You can't have a story without a nice passionate fight! It was Performance Week for Sleeping Beauty, and I was ticked at my director and one of the leads in the play when I wrote this. Enjoy!

— — — — —

She was swimming as a whale again. Except, this time, there was no rush, no sense of impending doom. Louis was beside her, also a whale.

That's strange. Nita thought.

She wasn't sure how or why Louis was a whale, or how she even knew it was him, but that lack knowledge didn't seems to matter. They were having fun.

"Come to the surface." he said, "Let's go fluke the ships. It will be fun!"

Nita laughed. This was so much fun! She forgot her problems, her complications, her identity.

She and Louis broke the surface and flashed their flukes, then quickly dived back down. They both laughed and fluked again.

This time, when she broke the surface, she heard something odd.

Nita! someone called.

What was this interference to her jovial time?

Nita! came the voice again.

What did it want? Who did it think it was, bursting in like this? It needed to go—

Nita!

Suddenly Nita sat straight up. At first she didn't recognize her surroundings. Then, she realized were she was. She was sitting next to Louis's sleeping form, only moments before, laying next to him. It was silent, save for the post-movie fuzz of the television. The clock on the VCR glowed 11:15.

Nita! the voice demanded again. Nita realized it was Dairine.

Oh, crap. Nita responded, I'm screwed.

I really hope not literally. Dairine responded tartly. Nita was insulted and inclined towards inflicting great physical pain upon her sister.

Definitely not. Are Mom and Dad ready to strangle me? Nita winced.

They are going crazy here. At first they were ticked that you missed Dad's imposed curfew, now they are worrying to death. They finally decided to get me to try and reach you. I didn't tell them that you were asleep when I checked; they would have freaked. Now, if you are okay and ready to come home, tell me so I can tell them and get back to bed. Dairine sounded more than a little cross at having been dragged out of bed to track Nita down.

I'm fine and on my way home. I.. I fell asleep watching Moulin Rouge, and apparently, Louis did, too.

Have fun explaining to Mom and Dad, I'll leave that part up to you. I don't really envy you, but good luck; I'm going back to bed.

***

"Louis, get up, I gotta go."

"Mmm.." moaned Louis. Then he sat up as abruptly as Nita had a few minutes before. "What hap— I fell asleep. Oh, crap, now you're in trouble. I'm sorry Nita, you fell asleep and looked as if you needed the rest. I was going to wake you up.. I'm really sorry." Louis rambled.

"It's okay. It's my fault, too. I shouldn't have fallen asleep. I've really got to go, though."

"I hope I haven't got you in trouble." Louis repeated.

"Don't worry." Nita said, flashing a small smile. "It'll be okay."

"You want me to walk with you?" Louis offered.

"No, it's okay. I'll see you tomorrow?" Nita asked.

"Certainly. Hope it all goes okay with the parents." Louis said.

"Me, too."

***

Nita practically flew on the walk from Louis's house to hers. She didn't use wizardry; Louis hadn't walked her back, but had seen her off to the door, and by the time she was out of his sight, not only were there no private places that she could transport from, but she was halfway home anyway.

She continued her flight on the porch and in the house. She was greeted by her parents' faces, anger quickly replacing relief at her safe return.

"I'm sorry." she started.

"Explain." her father said pointedly.

"I've been working that wizardry with the trees all week." Nita started to explain. She could see in the looks her parents' faces that they were both wondering, What does this have to do with anything? She continued, "I was supposed to go after school, but Kit and I had to work again, so, as you know, Louis and I postponed our plans until this evening. I was exhausted, and would have liked to reschedule, but he's already skeptical because of what happened Saturday. We had dinner and started to watch the movie and we both fell asleep. Then Dairine awoke me and I hurried home. Nothing happened, I promise. " she finished.

"Oh, like you promised to be home at ten?" her father shot at her."

"I'm sorry. Anyway, why is ten such an important curfew time? I can stay out until two arguing with trees, but I make one little mistake to exhaustion and you guys freak? It was an accident. It's not like I intended to go to Louis's to sleep with him." Nita immediately winced at her choice of words.

Nita's father's eyebrows shot up and her mother's hand flew to her throat.

"That's not what I meant!" Nita insisted. "I meant 'fall asleep.' Nothing happened! Nothing! At all!"

Both her parent looked skeptical. Nita was outraged at their lack of trust.

"Why don't you believe me? I swear on my Wizard's Oath that nothing happened. Go on, have me swear on my Wizard's Oath." Nita dared.

"It's not that we don't want to believe you, dear." Nita mother spoke for the first time, "We just have a bit of reason to doubt."

If Nita was upset before, she was livid now. "'A bit of reason to doubt?''" Nita repeat, each word dripping with anger. "I do something worthwhile for the universe and tire myself out, and when I take a night off to relax, and end up accidentally falling asleep, you accuse me of being some type of.. of demimondaine?" She threw Louis's word into their faces.

"Do you recall the last time you accused me of similar activities?" Nita inquired. "Well, do you? I was busy trying to save the East Coast and eventually the world, while trying to avoid being eaten by a shark for the sake of humankind, and all you guys could do was accuse me of sleeping with Kit, who was also trying to make sure I wasn't killed." One glance at their faces reminded Nita she had never told them about Ed. Oops, her mistake. She repeated, "Have me swear on my Wizard's Oath, and you will know I am telling the truth right now. I couldn't lie then."

"Fine, do it." snapped her father, determined not to give in to Nita without being positive she wasn't lying.

Nita took a deep breath and spoke several words in Speech, words calling for a witness to adhere that she swore on her Wizard's Oath. If she lied, or broke the promise she made under it, the results would be disastrous for her.

"Now ask me what you want." she demanded momentarily.

"Why were you late?" he father asked.

"As I've said, I fell asleep watching Moulin Rouge."

"Did you do anything with Louis that we would displease of?"

What an odd way to phrase the question. Nita thought to herself. She was cautious in her answer; just because her father was referring to one thing in particular, didn't mean Nita could only answer that unsaid question. Had she done anything at all concerning Louis, whatsoever, that her parents would displease of? They probably wouldn't have been to fond of the whole throwing-popcorn-and-getting-kicked-out-of-the-movies thing. Was there anything else?

"Other than lying to him about where I've been when I've been doing wizardry with Kit, no." Nita answered carefully.

"That's not what I was asking about." Nita's father said, eyes narrowing.

"I know, but you did say 'anything'. I didn't and haven't slept with him or anyone else." Nita said frankly.

"Do you know how worried we were when you didn't come home on time?" Nita's mother surprised her by asking.

"I can only imagine." Nita said honestly, "But it was only an accident and I am sorry. Do you have anymore questions, or can I drop this?" Nita asked, referring to being held under her Wizard's Oath.

Nita's parents looked at each other, then her father said, "Go ahead."

Nita glared. "Do you believe me now?"

"Yes. But, that doesn't rid the fact that this was a very irresponsible thing to do." her father lectured.

"But it was an accident!" Nita insisted yet again.

"Be as that may, it was still your fault, and you should have been more responsible. For the rest of this week, you have to be home by 6:00."

"What!?" asked Nita, outraged. "But what about the trees? I have to finish that or I'm in more trouble than being grounded."

"Do it in the afternoons. You were done by 6:00 to go with Louis."

"Yes, because both Kit and I needed a break. We planned on working extra tomorrow to make up for it. Exactly how long is 'the rest of this week'?"

"Until," he glanced at his wife, "Sunday."

"That's not fair!"

"And your leaving us here to worry ourselves to death was fair?" he asked.

Nita, knowing the power of words even outside swearing on her Wizard's Oath, stormed angrily away and up the stairs to her room, before she said something she'd later regret.

"Nita!" her mother called after her. Nita ignored it, and slammed her door.