AN: How ya'll doin'! I'm doin' just fine for those of you who bothered to ask! I get to go to my bestest buddy's house all day today and some of tomorrow! And then she probably gets to come over to my house later this week! (If you're wondering why I'm ditching school to go to my bestest buddy's house, that's because I wrote this during spring break…)

Anywho… I hope you enjoyed my last chapter and the poem, for thoses who cared to read it. I told you it wasn't worth it. Pretty lame if you ask me. I love poetry, but I was having an anti-romance week right around then. I was mourning over Adam Abeyta moving…

Oh, and a side note, Luke Calabro is a complete idiot and I can't believe I ever liked him! Guys are all jerks! I can't imagine why girls choose to like them! … OK, I admit it, I've done my fair share of guy obsessing, but the only one's I still love are the ones that aren't real. (Actually, Legolas is quite real! He resides under my bed!) Legolas, Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Borimir, Yuhi (Shadow Hearts), Toya (Ceres: Celestial Legends), Koga the Wolf Demon (InuYasha), Haku (Spirited Away), and Auron (Final Fantasy X)! At least, that's all I can think of right now. And maybe if Allen (Xenosaga) wasn't such a complete loser…

Lots of Love,

Rusty

Ps- OK, how many of you actually read the author's notes? Just curious…

Pps-Sorry it's taken me so long. We're moving, so our internet's been down for the past three weeks…

Chapter Six: Back to the Home from Hell

"You aren't even out of bed yet! I can't believe you!"

Alexus was too shocked to say anything.

"Hello! We have to be at school in 30 minutes!"

"Wha-"

"Don't tell me you forgot what day it is again! Honestly, I can't believe they let you in AP English and Math!"

"B-b-but-"

Nikhila grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of bed. She opened her closet and rummaged through it as Alexus sat in shock on the floor. Clothes flew threw the air and hit her in the face, but she just tossed them aside.

"What is going on here!" she cried out, throwing her knee-high socks against the wall.

Nikhila turned around and looked at her, a navy blue pleated skirt in her hand. "What do you mean? It's Thursday and we have school to go to. Man, did you stumble into you dad's beer stash last night?"

"My…dad…?"

"Yeah, your dad! The one who beats the shit out of you everyday!"

Alexus stared at her in shocked horror. "You mean… I've come back?"

Nikhila's eyebrows furrowed and on her face was a look of utter confusion. "What are you talking about? You've been home the whole time! Man, I'm really starting to think you stole some of your dad's Tecate!"

"But I've been gone for years!" Alexus protested.

"Gone where?" Nikhila asked, getting annoyed but deciding to play along with her little joke.

"I've been in Middle Earth! You were there too, don't you remember!"

Nikhila laughed. "You loser! You seriously had me going there for a minute. Now hurry up and get dressed!"

She closed the closet door and left to wait for Alexus in the living room. Alexus still sat on the floor, feeling very lost and alone. Doesn't she remember! She was there with me! And Ben too! What's going on!

"Ben! That's it! She'll have to remember now!"

Alexus quickly dressed into her old school uniform. As she pulled her shirt on, she glanced down at her figure. Wait a minute… Something is totally not right here… Instantly she snapped.

"Aaahhh!"

Nikhila ran into the room, thinking perhaps her father had been lurking close by and waiting to catch Alexus alone. She found her standing in the middle of the floor staring down towards her feet.

"What's the matter!"

"My boobs shrunk!"

Nikhila rolled her eyes and suppressed a laugh. "Geez, Alexus! You really are a loser! I can't believe you!"

"No! I'm serious! I-"

She left the room again to wait for Alexus. Figuring they were probably going to be late anyway, she took the liberty of getting out the eggs and quickly scrambling them in a skillet, knowing Alexus wouldn't remember to eat anything.

Alexus, still having no clue what was going on or how she ended up her, soon appeared in the doorway to the kitchen in her pleated skirt, navy blue coat, knee socks, and a tie to match. Suddenly realizing how hungry she was, she grabbed the steaming bowl of eggs from Nikhila's hands.

Nikhila handed her a grey shoulder bag and slung her own over her shoulder. She pushed Alexus out the door, still thinking she might be a little drunk because she seemed to have no clue what was going on.

"What happened…" Alexus mumbled to herself as the two girls headed towards the bus stop. "Why am I back here… Legolas… Where are you…"

At the same time, Nikhila was tugging at her own skirt, wishing it didn't have to be so short. "Man! I hate going to private school! These stupid uniforms suck! I look like Kagome! … Did you say something, Lex?"

"This isn't right, Rina! I'm not-"

"Rina? Who's Rina?"

"So you really have forgotten? Alexus asked sadly.

"You're not still going on about Middle Earth are you! What, did you marry Legolas too or something!"

"…"

"Look, you better get your brain in gear because you've got midterms all week and if you flunk them… Well, it won't be pretty!"

Suddenly a thought struck her. "What happened to Ben!"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard! Well, you were sick yesterday, so I suppose you wouldn't have…When we were over at Jessica's the other day, he said he was going to run over to his house for a few minutes to get something and he…well…he just never came back… His mom called the police and they searched the area, but no one's seen him since then…"

"What!"

"Yeah… I feel terrible though. One of us should've walked him home."

"But-but… he was killed! By that god awful elf Ivellios!"

"Come on Lex! This isn't something to joke about!"

"But I'm serious! Come on Rina! You've got to remember! We were all there! In Middle Earth! We met in Lake Town and went on to Lothlorien and Isengard! And Ivellios…he…he killed Ben! And then you left through a portal in the basement of Isengard and I stayed with Legolas!"

Nikhila rounded on her. "Just stop it, OK! It's not funny to joke around with people like this! Especially about the death of a close friend!"

The bus pulled up in front of them before they could say another word.