A/N: Yay, like I said, I'm posting more chapters. And two people reviewed, I'm so happy. Even though a handful of people did apparently read it and didn't take the time to review, which hurts my feelings slightly...but oh well.

Thanks for the reviews:

TwistedSister1962: I'm taking it your a huge Z fan. I like the actor, I thought it was sooooo cool as Cubby on The Famous Jett Jackson. I'm glad you approved of my portrayel of the characters. I had a very hard time with it. And here's more, I hope you review again!

Jenna's Rules: I'm so psyched that you like it! I'm kind of dissapointed that you haven't posted your new story yet. I've been checking my e-mail everyday wishing and hoping that there's an author alert or a new story alert from you, and there never is. And then I think maybe the email system isn't working, so I go to the site and check the fandom, and it turns out the email system is working and I get a little depressed. I don't want to rush you or anything, but how are things looking with that new story and posting it?

ENJOY!

Chapter 4:

For the students at Blake Holsey, the next couple of days passed blurrily. Most of the students lazed about their rooms, enjoying the time off. Professor Z had seemingly disappeared from campus, though in reality he was simply hiding in his room. The lunch lady would bring food up to him at meal times. Marshall had called his parents, discussing the idea of him coming home, finishing the rest of the semester online. They sensed the desperation in his voice, though he offered no reason for his wanting to leave Blake Holsey, and agreed that they would be able to get him home by the end of the following week. Arrangement had to be made. Vaughn spent the long class-less days outside with the football team, running drills and scrimmages. If he wasn't practicing, he was training. Running laps, weight lifting, calisthenics. Corrine spent her time in the girls' shared room, mostly staring listlessly at textbooks which left the impression she wasn't really seeing them. Sometimes she would break into tears. And Josie played mediator back and forth with them all. Going from room to room to field offering comfort. All day she walked around the campus to each of her friends, only to collapse in her room at the end of the day and watch the clock tick away the time. She didn't know what to do.

Lucas felt lazy. He felt impeccably restless. Guilt-ridden. And the worst yet, hopeless. He was beginning to think there was nothing he could do. That he would be stuck in that limbo for the rest of his life, or as it was starting to look, the rest of eternity. The idea was horrifying. He would watch them rebuild the science lab, and classes resume there. See his friends grow older, graduate and leave. Professor Z grow older, leave or die. He would watch students of all shapes and sizes pass through that room, new teachers who would become old, leave or die and be replaced by other new teachers. He would have no connection to the outside world, though maybe picking up on a tidbit of news here and there in passing conversation. The thought of it all was enough to make him sick.

Time passing by endlessly as he watched lives he would never partake in again.

"Why is this happening to me?" he demanded of the room. It offered no reply.

Lucas shuddered, the sound of thunder pounding recklessly outside. He supposed, that would be his only answer. With it so dark outside, possessed by storm clouds, he couldn't tell if it were day or night. He frowned, remembering Professor Z's madness, swiping up the Oubliette and raging from the room. He wondered if the professor had already destroyed that one key to fixing everything. He remembered Corrine and Marshall acting and behaving nothing like the two friends he'd known since he'd first entered Blake Holsey High as a scrawny freshman, with large glasses and hand-me-down clothes. He realized, this is the thing he questioned not too long ago. The reactions of his friends to him being gone. Would they care, he'd wondered. Of course they would, he returned, if I'm dead, of course they would. And suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

"I get it," he announced to the school, which creaked and groaned against the storm outside in response, "I understand, alright? I know you did this to me…to teach me a lesson or whatever. I get it. They miss me…it's…tearing them up inside." He hung his head, sighing, "Can I go back to normal now? Hello! I know you're behind this you stupid…idiotic…miserable…goddamn school!" he was yelling now, "I'm sick of this! Put me back to normal! Fix this! Make it all better! I learned my stupid lesson, now I just want…I just want…my friends to see me. I don't…I don't want them to keep thinking I'm dead. I don't want…I don't want to hurt them anymore."

Lucas jumped when the door to the lab creaked open. He took a deep breath as a darkened figure stepped in and the light was flicked on. Lucas wasn't sure he was seeing right. What could Vaughn Pearson possibly want in the science lab? He frowned, a thousand ideas as to why running through his mind, each one more sinister than the last.

Vaughn cleared his throat, looking about the room. For a moment, his eyes lingered in Lucas's direction, but before Lucas could even think that it was possible Vaughn could see him, the other boy turned away, stalking towards the large gaping hole and peering down into it. Lucas jumped from the table, starting towards the larger boy.

"Lucas."

The hair on the back of Lucas's neck stood on end. He stopped, narrowing his eyes at the other boy, hands clenching into tight fists.

"What are you doing here, Vaughn?" Lucas demanded. But Vaughn, of course, couldn't hear him.

"I know…" Vaughn began again, sighing heavily, and turning from the hole, "We didn't always get along. You didn't trust me…" It was then that Lucas was taken aback, seeing the grief-stricken look that had settled across Vaughn's features.

"You've got to be kidding me," Lucas muttered, "Vaughn is upset that I'm gone?"

"I guess I didn't always give you a lot of reason too. But I did like you, Lucas, I thought we were pretty good friends…"

Lucas shrugged. He really couldn't argue with that one. They got along alright. Even if Lucas didn't trust Vaughn in the least and considered him an "enemy". They'd still had a few good times together. But that didn't change that it still surprised him slightly to see Vaughn there so choked up and to hear those words come from the other boy's mouth.

"You shouldn't of gone out that way, man," Vaughn conceded.

"What way?" Lucas questioned, his brow scrunched together. What had happened?

"I…don't know why I came here," Vaughn continued, "Maybe to say good-bye…yeah…to say good-bye I guess. You were a good guy. You always did your best, and I guess…I guess that was what mattered. I want you to know, that I'll take care of Josie…and all of them…"

"Yeah, I bet you will," Lucas scoffed, flaring up at the mention of the redhead, "I know exactly how you'll take care of Josie." He stepped up to Vaughn, standing face to face with the boy oblivious to their close proximity, "You stay away from her. Stay away from all of them."

"I know," Vaughn went on, turning away towards the door, "We were probably never going to become the best of friends. And I know sometimes you resented me…maybe even…didn't like me…a lot."

"You got that right."

"But…that doesn't mean I won't miss you."

Lucas couldn't say he wasn't touched. He watched as Vaughn, with a heavy heart, turned, exiting the room.

"That…was the weirdest," Lucas admitted.

Vaughn was startled as he almost ran into Josie on his way down the hall. He gave a slight yelp, but settled upon seeing her inquiring look.

"Josie."

She peeked behind him at the science lab door.

"What were you up to?" she asked. He ran a hand through his hair sheepishly, shrugging.

"I thought…" he started, searching for the right words, "It might help…if I said…good-bye." He lowered his eyes, trying to hide the tears welling in them. Josie smiled somewhat sadly, placing a hand on his arm. He glanced at her, "Josie," he began again, "I…I'm sorry."

"For?"

He took a step forward, boring his gaze into hers.

"Everything. I don't know. Whatever you're mad at me about this time," he answered carefully, his voice fading into a whisper, "I know you're having a hard time trusting me, but I want you to know, I…I care about you, Josie."

"I know, Vaughn," Josie replied quietly, as Vaughn stepped forward, slowly beginning to close the gap between them, "I care about you, too." He bent at the waist, his lips close to brushing hers. She almost leaned in, but at the last minute pulled away, turning from him and he jerked up, startled.

"Josie…I…"

"I can't, Vaughn. I do care about you but I don't know if I can feel that way about you now," she said carefully, "And…you're not thinking straight. After Lucas…"

"This isn't about Lucas."

"Yes. It is," Josie told him sharply, her eyes meeting his. It wasn't hard to pick up on the subtle message. He nodded.

"I understand," he murmured, though it was clear he didn't. He was about as far from understanding as one could get, "I'll…see you later, Josie." He brushed by her and she didn't bother to watch him leave.

Josie counted to fifty before glancing over her shoulder to make sure Vaughn was really gone. And then she turned to the science lab door, taking a deep breath, realizing she was shaking.

"This isn't so hard," she told herself, sighing deeply, "Then why can't I open this door?" She rubbed her hands over her face, "You can do this, Josie. You can do this." She reached forward, pushing the door open and stepping through.

The room was eerily silent, and there was an almost solemnity to it. She couldn't even see a glimmer of the old science lab. Nothing seemed familiar. The black covered walls, singed and ashen, the gargantuan dent in the floor, the upturned cinderblocks that were once tables and chairs. She entered quietly, her heart fluttering rapidly, butterflies sprouting in her stomach. She let the door close behind her. It smelled of dust, she noted, coughing slightly, her eyes trailed about the room before coming to stop on that hole. She took a step towards it, taking a deep breath, and working up the courage to peer inside.

Lucas rose from behind the desk where he'd sat down to mull things over. His eyes landing on red hair and a somewhat familiar backside. He hadn't expected a visit from Josie. But then, Vaughn had come, so the world was apparently ending.

"Okay," Josie breathed, "I'm okay." She shuddered, wrapping her arms about herself, looking to the ground, "This is…this is where Vaughn and Professor Z…" she closed her eyes, a lump forming in her throat, "I can't do this."

Lucas stepped up behind her, smirking somewhat and nodding his head.

"I'm real popular today. Everyone wants to talk to me," he muttered, "I didn't expect to see you here, though, Josie. But I guess you can't see me either."

He looked away, shaking his head, disappointed. He didn't notice, how Josie froze. And how slowly, she turned to face him. It was when she screamed, that he spun his head back to her, meeting her wide eyes looking directly at him. He glanced over his shoulders, before he was satisfied there was nothing behind him that she could be looking at. He turned back to her. Josie had fallen silent, though her mouth still hung open. Lucas felt his heart leap, but he had to keep himself composed. He stepped forward, wagged a hand in front of her face. She gave him an annoyed look. "You…you can see me."

"Lucas? Is it…is it really you?"

"Yeah. Who else would it be?"

"How…how is this…possible?" she stammered, gaping at him. Lucas grinned.

"Well…I have this really good theory involving aliens…"

"Okay," Josie rolled her eyes, "You're definitely Lucas. How long have you been here?

"I don't know…ever since the blast I suppose. How long has it been since the blast?"

"Three days," Josie answered. She started towards the door, "We have to go talk to Professor Z. This is big. Really big. Everybody thinks you're…" Josie was cut off by the door shutting behind her. Lucas shifted his weight, crossing his arms over his chest and rolling his eyes up. After a brief moment, the door reopened and Josie's head peeked in. She looked expectantly at him, "Are you coming…or not?"

"Josie. Think about it for a moment. If I've been here all this time, don't you think I'd have gone to see Z?"

"I suppose…"

"So do you think maybe there's a reason I haven't gone to see Z?"

"…um…" Lucas shook his head and she gave him another annoyed look, "Alright," she snapped, moving back into the room and placing her hands on her hips, "Why haven't you gone to see Z?"

"Because," he drew his breath in, "I can't leave this room. And believe me, I've tried." Josie gave him a strange questioning look.

"Explain."

"Every way that I try to leave this room, and - hun - believe me, I've tried a lot of ways, I just end up back in here."

Josie raised an eyebrow.

"You can't leave this room," Josie repeated. She pursed her lips and Lucas nodded. "Alright, I'll just go get Professor Z and bring him down here." She spun around, heading out the door once more. Lucas reached out to try and stop her, but his hand went through her arm. She didn't even notice.

"Josie, wait!" the door slammed shut in his face. He sighed, exasperated, and shut his eyes, taking a few steps back.

Josie could see him. That was not a bad thing. He wondered if maybe whatever had happened was wearing off. Maybe Professor Z would be able to see him. He was closer to getting back to normal. He wondered if maybe…

Lucas attempted the doorknob first. But like with Josie, his hand went right through. So he stepped through the door. Only to find himself once more in the science lab. He scowled, stalking over to the table and taking a seat. All he had to do was wait for Josie to return.

END A/N: Curiouser and curiouser...what could possibly happen next, right? Read on to find out!

Please excuse any grammatical and typing errors, and REVIEW! I love REVIEWs, it's the greatest form of appreciation a reader could give an author on this site.

Moving on...Thanks for reading!