Not paying attention to where he was going, nor really caring, Sheen kept staring at the floor. It wasn't interesting..it never changed. Always the same white, linoleum, the only difference between the practically identical squares was the number of cracks in them. "Watch were you're going!" Someone snapped at him, as he and the other person were thrown onto the floor. He muttered a low sorry and picked up the other person's books.

When he looked up, Libby had already gotten to her feet. She extended a hand to help him up, which he accepted gratefully. "Thanks..sorry about knocking you ever." "Doesn't matter." Libby said simply. "What are you doing back at school?"

"Well, I haven't been in a month..what's wrong with being here now?" Sheen asked, staring at the lockers. It was odd, but he didn't like talking to Libby right now. She was one of the others that was always along for those adventures..he couldn't talk to her, definetly couldn't talk to Carl, and he always felt guilty about even looking at Cindy when he saw her out in the street, staring at Jimmy's house..because he had had all those horrible thoughts about her..

About how if she had lain off Jimmy for once, Jimmy wouldn't be in the hospital. Cindy was so proud, she refused to admit she loved Jimmy, even though the others knew it was true..in a way, even Jimmy had known. But she was suffering the worst out of all of them, so Sheen always felt terrible about thinking badly of her.

"You all right?" Libby asked, then instantly repremanded herself - how dumb of a question was that? To ask him if he was all right..Jimmy had been in a coma for a month now, and still showed no signs of getting better. All news about Carl suggested he was going to be moved to a higher security hospital.

"Uh..yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

There was an awkward pause. Both knew Sheen had lied, and it felt so..dumb, really. It echoed through the halls, mocking him. He had tried to fool someone that knew all too well what he was going through, knew all too well the way he was feeling. The only person who might truely understand...

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, frowning. "That was stupid of me.." She shook her head. "No, no it wasn't. I think you were just trying to keep me from feeling worse..but Sheen, it's all right to hurt, you know. It's all right to show that you're in pain. You can't let it overcome you, but you can show it."

"You don't." Suddenly, Sheen's tone was harsh, one that he had never taken with Libby before. "You're the only one who can stand being back here..you came here even the day after the accident..tell me, how many times did you visit Jimmy in the hospital, huh? When did you visit him? When did you see him lying there? When did you ever see the one who always helped us looking helpless!"

Libby closed her eyes, and let Sheen vent his anger..it stung so terribly, mainly because it was true. She had seen her grandfather die hooked up to those infernal machines, becoming a vegetable before it was all over...Seeing Jimmy in that state pained her too much. He was a great friend...even back when Libby was always helping Cindy tease him.

He would still help them with anything.

And now he wasn't there..Jimmy couldn't help them with this pain..