Here's a little happy chapter for all those people threatening me if I didn't write one otherwise. Anyway, I live to serve so enjoy!

()()()()()()()

A cloudy casket welded itself to the sky early the next morning as Eva lazily made her way downstairs. As she witnessed her mother's face the obvious trauma of the night before had clearly taken a toll on her: deep dark circles laced her eyes. And it was pretty clear that she hadn't received much sleep the precious night.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Eva asked as she took an anxious look at the microwave clock.

"Figured you needed the extra half an hour of sleep." She said offering her a weak smile as she handed her an empty glass and pointed to the pitcher of orange juice at the table.

"Where's Dad?" She asked looking around at the empty room.

"Went into work early." She said while at the beginning of buttering a piece of toast. Eva nodded un-surprised, But rejected the piece of toast her mother sat in front of her.

"I better get going...I'll probably be late for school as it is." And grabbing her backpack she straightened her collar that was becoming dreadfully tight when her mother suddenly placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Eva...evreything will be OK. Try not to worry too much." She turned to meet her Mother's heartbreaking face.

"I can't help it..."

"I know sweets. But being the parent and all it is my right to worry the most around here so...don't go taking credit away from me." She said with a playfully raised eyebrow.

()()()()()()

Two silent figures walked briskly down a crowed hallway. Keeping their eyes acquainted with the ground alone to keep from noticing the many faces looking in their direction.

"I can't believe people are still talking about this." Said Jainy as she and Eva finally reached their lockers.

"I know, don't they have anything better to talk about?"

"Well I guess it's mostly because that news station caught a glimpse of you in the middle of a "family moment" and they showed it about a half a dozen times before the day was through."

Eva pondered that silently for a moment before she mentally agreered. Everything had gone back to their normally insane routine at home, but thanks to that damned news station just about the entire city knew of her familles ordeal and it was basically the only thing anybody could talk about.

Even the previous day after it had happened she was bombarded with questions before she even got to her homeroom.

"Was it true you almost died? Did your father really get eaten alive by a cannibal mutant..." So on and so forth was driving her insane. But that wasn't the worst part about her week so far. She couldn't concentrate on anything but a sad and hurt face that she had left behind that day.

"Hey Eva, earth to Eva!" Yelled her friend as she waved a hand in front of her face attracting more attention than necessary.

"Whoa? Oh yeah sorry I'm still here..." She said shutting her locker and adjusting the books that threatened to fall out of her hands.

"Still thinking about that guy?" Asked Jainy with a whisper so others around couldn't hear.

Eva shrugged silently. "I guess I kind of overreacted...but...what if I wasn't you know?"

Jainy placed a conforting hand around her friend's shoulder and in an attempt to cheer her up said. "Hey what do you say you and I have a girls night! You know rent movies, binge on popcorn, massive amounts of ice cream?"

"I don't know..."

"Oh come on it'll be fun..." Said Jainy with a tempting smile on her face.

"No offense Jain' but last time you promised me fun...it kind of ended up in disaster."

Jainy folded at this remark and pouted like a child as they entered their adjoining classrooms. And unable to resist at the look Eva chuckled slightly and forced a smile.

"OK...Why not?"

()()()()()()

Trails of smoke clouded the gray and depressing ceiling as his last cigarette burned itself into nothingness. Toad shifted his head over to the chipped ashtray that was filled to the brim with ashes and twisted buds.
It was funny how quickly he had taken up the unhealthy habit of chain smoking. But hey it did pass the time.

The unfair, slow, miserable time.

He forced himself to shift to a sitting position on the side of his bed and twisted his neck as he did so. He didn't actually realize how long he had been there but from the lack of light in the room he probably would of guessed that it was indeed late in the evening. He moved his unwilling legs to the ground and stood up to hear the sound of his entire lower torso crack at the weight beneath him.
He needed to get out.

But more importantly he decided: he needed more cigarettes.

()()()()()

Ten minutes later he wasn't sure how he ended up in her neighborhood. He sighed as he walked along the freshly conceived sidewalk. Shifting unforgettably as he concealed his face and hands as every walker passed by, he stopped as he reached the front of his house.
A nearby tree tempted him...It wouldn't hurt to just check up on her would it? He cautiously approached the tree.

It was after his job right?

()()()()()()

Eva huffed nosily as she landed on the sofa in the center of the family room. She couldn't freaken believe it! After she had gotten herself all excited about it, and after they picked out the movies, and ice cream flavors and everything Jainy had the nerve to cancel? What was the matter with her? She swore every time she let herself depend on that girl she found a way to let her down.

She sighed and threw her head back as she instinctively kicked Bruno off her mother's prized throw rug. She pushed play on the DVD remote as she dug into the large bowl of buttery popcorn and began wallowing in the quickly on coming bad mood.

As the movie continued on Eva shivered. Why did she voluntary pick out something scary? Grabbing a blanket and molding her form to it she covered her eyes as the main character in question pulled back the shower curtain only to find...

()()()()()()

A earth shattering scream rang through his ears as he fell from the oak tree he had become so accustomed with. And after quickly spitting out several pieces of grass that made it's way into his mouth as he landed face first onto the ground he followed the sound of the cry only to find himself at a large bay window toward the back of the house. The scream had stopped but was followed by several whimpering sounds, and to his horror was only followed by another.

Not wasting any time he ran to the back door reaching for the doorknob but then it began turning on it's own. And by the time the door slid open he was greeted with a quivering, averted face.

"AHHHHHHH!" Shouted the girl as she took in the form of the stranger.

"What are you doing here?" She shouted nearly as she grabbed the place where her heart was and gripped her forehead accordingly.

"I..heard you scream..um..." He said suddenly feeling very stupid and out of place.
He groaned in frustration as her eyes remained widened and her heart still pounding in her chest.

"You scared the hell out of me!" She reasoned as she grabbed his arm and began cautiously looking around. "Get in here before my neighbors think I'm being attracted or something..." And with that she pulled a firm grasp on his arm and swiftly pulled him inside and shoved the familiar dog outside.

"What are you doing here?" Ask asked again but with a calmer tone as her wrapped her arms around herself like she was suddenly cold.

"I..I was in the neighboorhood...um...I heard you scream..." He said stuttering under his own stupidly. And apparently this answer was enough because the frightened look on her face softened as she noticed his nervously shaking hands and she sighed at the sad eyes.

"Well I was watching a movie...a scary one when Bruno came up behind me and kind of freaked me out. I guess I got a set of lungs on me huh?" She said with a somber smile that he had been dying to see for days. He nodded silently watching her unchanged expression as he headed for the door.

"Well.." He said as he turned around to make his leave.

"Wait-" His hand paused on the cold door knob as he silently prayed in the root of his mind.

"I should explain about the other day..." She turned away as she said the beckoning him to follow her. He cautiously obeyed and stayed several steps behind her as he entered the same room he had slept in a few nights earlier and noticed the still screen of a dead man on her t.v. As she turned it off and fell to the material of the couch.

"I kind of freaked out because I thought my parents were in danger...I realize that's no excuse to of thrown wild accessions at you and everything. But I thought it over, and it seems unlikely that after all the times you've seemed to come to my rescue you would betray me now..." A pang of something he didn't recognize filled his heart.

Guilt.

"I'm sorry."

He looked up to her eyes that held a lot more anguish than they probably deserved. That lovely face of hers sculpted to make others laugh, to make other people see her for this person she was always expected to be. He saw her in that moment. In that first apology he had heard directed at him in a very long time.

"Would you forgive me if I offered you a wide variety of ice cream and the entertainment of some very lame horror movies?"

He smiled at her offer and pulled his hands from his pockets, suddenly forgetting the cigarettes he left behind.

"Sure."

()()()()()()

Awwwwwwwwwwww! And all's right with the world once again...but not for long! (evil laugh)