Disclaimer: Me? Own this -think of own chipper adjective? –bursts out in hysterical laughter-

"Stop fidgeting," Christine murmured. She was nestled next to Erik in a booth, facing Meg and a menu. Behind the menu was Raoul, doing his best Statue Man impersonation.

"I can't help it," Erik murmured back, moving his fingers against the tabletop. "It's a reflex."

She covered his hand with her own. "You look nervous. Calm down, take in some air. Have a drink of water or something."

"I am nervous." His leg drummed against the floor, rubbing against her thigh; she drew in a breath and gripped his fingers more tightly.

"Are you okay?" Meg asked, directing the question at Christine.

"Fine. Why?" both she and Erik said together.

"Creepy," Meg comments with a lift of her eyebrows. "Christine, your leg just sort of shot out and nailed me in the shin. Regularity though that is, I thought I'd ask."

Erik chuckled. Meg's eyes widened as if she hadn't thought him capable of laughter, then giggled as well. Raoul brought his menu up to better conceal his face.

"So, Erik….what's up?" Meg asked, clearly ready to attempt a full conversation. He shrugged, brushing his shoulder accidentally against Christine's. She bit her tongue.

Control, Chrissy, control…you can do it…just another hour or two, come on…you can do it—

The hell I can.

Christine fumbled across the table and grabbed Meg's sleeve. "Bathroom," she rasped, pulling the other girl bodily out of the booth.

"What's your hurry?" Meg asked as they sped across the restaurant. "Did you spring a leak or something?"

"No." Shoving her friend into the restroom, Christine cried, "I think I'm going insane!"

"Insane…how? Like, talking to the monkeys in your head insane?"

"No!" Christine shouted. "Like there's something in my head that just won't shut up and—"

"So…it is about you talking to the voices in your head," Meg teased.

"No! I'm serious, Meg! I'm sick or something!"

"Fine, fine. Symptoms?"

"Head voices, nausea, clammy palms—," Christine listed, ticking each off on her fingers.

"Stop." Meg lifted a hand with the command, giggling to herself. "You are so extremely dense sometimes, my friend."

Christine scowled. "Stop teasing me, Meg, this is—"

"Serious, yeah, I know. It's called lust, hon. You've got a terrible case, by the sound of it."

Heart plummeting, Christine moaned, "That's just what I was afraid of."

"Oh, it's perfectly normal. I deal with it at least once a week." Meg waggled her eyebrows. Christine closed her eyes.

"I hate my life."

"Christine, it isn't a big deal!" Meg exclaimed.

"It isn't?" she replied blankly.

"He's a very hot young man!"

"He is?" Christine's left eye twitched.

"Absolutely! And he's a fantastic football player, so it's only natural—"

"Ew!" Christine cried, catching on to her friend's thought process at last. "Not him, you sick freak! I meant Erik! Erik's the one making me all sick inside!"

Meg's smile dripped away like the egg drop soup she'd been so messily consuming only three minutes ago. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Yeah, I did. Are you completely…you spaz! First you befriend the town pariah, which I could have dealt with. But then you go and fall in love with him!"

"Woah, woah, love? Who said anything about love?" Christine demanded. "Who loves in high school?"

Meg smirked. "You know, denial is the first stage of healing."

"Healing?" Christine coughed. "What healing is this that you speak of?"

Meg shook her head. "Okay, relax. Breathe. Hell, take your own advice and go find some water to gulp down."

"What am I supposed to do about Erik?" Christine asked helplessly. "You're supposed to give me advice of your own, not reuse what I told…Erik. Oh, damn it."

"What? What?"

"I left him with Raoul! We left him with Raoul!" Christine babbled, horrified. "Oh, damn it, damn it, damn it!"

"Relax! Christine!" Meg grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "What is the big deal? It's just Raoul."

"Yeah, Raoul. He with the major grudge from hell."

Erik was beyond nervous. Both legs were spasming madly under the table, both hands were playing a phantom keyboard and he hummed the quickest tune he possibly could.

Raoul smacked his menu against the table, meeting the other boy's eyes to the best of his abilities. "Would you calm down?"

"Sorry, am I throwing off your preening or something?" Erik smirked. Inside, he knew that this was not intelligent; mocking the football player would only get him into trouble. Still, he couldn't seem to stop himself. Sarcasm was the only thing protecting him these days.

"Yeah, that's exactly what you're doing," Raoul joked back unexpectedly. "You might want to stop or I won't even look like myself tomorrow in school."

Erik blinked. "You…actually have a sense of humor?"

"Do you?" Raoul's smirk rivaled the other boy's.

"Of course."

"Really? Well…you won't mind if we test that, will you?"

The back of Erik's neck tingled slightly. "Test how?"

The jock smiled secretively. "Follow me."

He got up and jerked his head toward the door. Erik didn't move.

"What about the girls?" he asked uncertainly.

"Oh, they'll be fine for a couple of minutes," Raoul told him with amusement. "Come on. Unless, of course, you're scared."

"Scared of you?" Erik glowered. "You don't have a snowball's chance in Hell of getting me to admit to that."

"Is it true?" Raoul challenged. When Erik failed once again to answer, the young man shrugged. "Fine. I won't push you into something that frightens you…"

"Oh shut up and lead the way," Erik snapped, springing up from the table. "And make it fast; I don't want Christine to think I left her or something."

Grinning, Raoul moved stealthily through the building to a secluded back door and slipped out. Feeling massively uncomfortable by the entire situation, Erik followed.

"What are we doing out here?" he asked, frowning at the alley and the piles of trash. "Raoul…"

"Testing your sense of humor," the jock replied cheerily, reaching out and grabbing Erik by the collar of his jacket. "Tell me, Erik, do you enjoy the dark and dank as much as your appearance would suggest?"

"Beg pardon?"

"Oh, you'll be begging for something." His features took a shocking turn for the angry as he shoved the thin boy hard against the wall. "You did something to Christine, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Erik demanded, struggling to break Raoul's hold. "Let go of me!"

"You drugged her, is that it? Or hypnotized her? Something really screwed up. To get her to hang around with you. Why else would she spend so much time with such a freak?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Erik insisted. "Put me down, Raoul. I'm not kidding."

"I couldn't give a shit," Raoul sneered, releasing Erik's jacket with one hand long enough to haul back and punch him in the face. The thin boy reeled backward, smacking his head on the brick hard enough to make him see stars.

Groaning, he tried to throw up a hand to protect himself, but Raoul worked past his block instantly. Again he hit him; this time, Erik dropped to the ground, grimacing at the blood that trickled down his face. Like I don't have enough problems in that area already…

A kick in the ribs. Another punch. Erik closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate: he would either die right here or end up being found by some idiot policeman in the morning who would pull back his hood and cuff him for the hell of it.

Fantastic. I knew I should never have believed this jackass…

"Erik!" Christine screamed, rushing to his side. She shoved past a surprised-looking Raoul and leaned down, lightly caressing his face. Erik jerked away from her curious fingers, curling into a ball and whimpering quietly.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" she screamed at Raoul, getting up and pushing him. "Huh? What did you think you could gain from this?"

He yanked back. "Christine, he's a freak. A dangerous freak. You're going to figure that out some day, and I'm going to be here when you do. And I'll be forgiving. Because, unlike some people, I don't hold a grudge."

"Don't you?" she cried, bending down beside Erik again. "What the hell was this, if not a grudge?"

Raoul shook his head. "Whatever. Fine. Hang out with him. When you realize what a…freak he is, I'll be waiting. Come on, Meg."

The blond stepped away from him. "I think you'll be riding home alone tonight, Raoul," she said coolly and Christine felt a burst of warmth for her friend.

"Whatever," the football player repeated, shaking his head once again and walking away. Meg watched him go, then said quietly, "I'm going to go call my mom for a ride, okay?"

Christine nodded, turning her attention back to Erik. "Are you all right?" she asked gently.

He made a strange little noise. It took her a moment, but she recognized it all the same.

"Are you…are you laughing?" she asked, incredulous.

He was, hard as it was to believe. He was lying there, coiled in a little ball, giggling like a madman. For a moment, Christine couldn't figure out what to do. Then instinct took over and her fingers were running oh-so gently across his cheek, his nose, his lips…they lingered there on the softness, feeling the faint bruising that Raoul's fists had left. His giggles ceased and she felt his breath quicken against her fingertips.

Suddenly, he yanked away. "Stop that," he told her hoarsely. "Please. Don't touch me, Christine. Trust me, you don't want to go there."

"I don't?" She stared at him as he sat up. "Why not, Erik?"

"Because…look, it's complicated. Let's just say that I don't want to lose you."

"Lose me? Erik, what are you—"

"Look, I don't want to talk about it," he snapped. "I just want to go home and get some ice, all right?"

Right on cue, Meg poked her head into the alley. "Mom's here, guys."

"Yeah? Good." Erik climbed to his feet, swaying slightly. Christine got up as well and pulled one of his arms over her shoulders, working as a crutch to keep him balanced.

"What happened?" Mrs. Giry demanded. "Erik, are you all right?"

"I've been better," he answered. "But I think I'll be okay after a little bit of rest."

The teens piled into the old Sedan in silence, one that reigned until they pulled up in front of Erik's house.

He gave a quiet curse. "Shit…he's here."

"Who?" Christine asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he answered instantly, almost as a reflex. "Forget it, it isn't important. Listen, thanks for a really…memorable night. I'll see you tomorrow, all right?"

"Yeah. Erik?"

He turned back, frowning. "What?"

"I'm sorry. I know it doesn't mean much—"
"It wasn't your fault." He gave the ghost of a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night." Christine felt a bit stupid saying what she did, but what else was there? 'I'm sorry' just wouldn't cut it any more.

Meg glanced back at her as she watched Erik move silently up the driveway. "Why would Raoul do something like that?" she asked.

Christine slowly shook her head. "Jealousy?" she guessed. "I don't understand it. He's really changed since our childhood…"

A/N: Kay, that was a bit longer, hope you all don't mind. The plot is most definitely on its way, no worries. I'm just really slow on this sort of thing. –quirky expression-

Review Replies:

SmileVampy- lol, after this one, what do you think?

Maeve Of the Nile- You ask, I offer.

erik'sangel527- I love my Erik too. I wish he were real…-wishes on nearest star-

flamingice- Yeah, I know they're OOC. That was sort of on purpose; AU fic, you know, they can't be perfectly in character and still be normal teens.

Devilishly Pure- I know, I wanted to cry too! Poor Erik…

MadameAngel- lol, I'm instilling rambles now? Coolyness!

Chibi Hime- Nice? My Raoul, nice? –laughs- That's a good one. –pause- Wow, he got kind of mean, didn't he?

Totschafe- Ooh, I get cookies now! All right!

Alixy- Yeah, you'll see in a few chapters. It'll mostly be for curses and violence and drama and such. Some make-out sessions, but you won't have to worry much. And that's all I'm tellin'. –zips mouth shut-

EmailyGirl- Depends on your definition of 'disastrous'. –grins-

Rowin- Here ya go, a longer chapter.

dark-shade-soul- Another fan! I love fans…never thought I'd have any. –tear-

I-LUV-ILC- I guess not just yet, but I plan on some fluff, never fear.

Angel-of-Music1331- lol, it's a-comin', hold your horses.

AFireInside-xx- Um…well, I don't know about surgery…-amused expression- Although that kind of would fix his problems, wouldn't it?

Aki T- Yeah, well, procrastinator, that's me. –grins-

ENTR'ACTE- I usually update two or three times a day. Yes, I'm that sad. –sigh- A support group would be nice…