Water was dripping into my eyes, and with a sudden jolt I realized it was rain. It was pouring out, and even though it wasn't very cold, I was chilled to the bone, like I'd been out there for a long time. Then my stupefied mind grasped the true puzzling factor. I shouldn't be out there. I should be inside, sleeping in the guest room (while my room was in the middle of its little makeover) warm and comfortable. Not standing outside in the pouring rain at god only knows what time in only my pajama pants and a tank top.

"Where the fuck am I?"

As panic started to overwhelm me, I looked around fervently. Through the debilitating darkness and sheet of rain, I made out the shapes of a swing set and playground. The park? What was I doing in the park?

I urged my stiff legs to step forward towards the street light I saw at the far end of the park. I knew roughly where I was going, but it was really hard to see through all that rain. While I was walking, I thought about how I ended up here. The last thing I remembered was shutting my light off in the guest room, and falling asleep almost immediately. So how the hell did I end up at the park, almost all the way across town?

I stopped, my heart filling with dread as a possibility occurred to me. Could my dad have done this? Was this his way of screwing around with me? What if he kidnapped me and dumped me here? I started walking again and reasoned with myself. He wouldn't have kidnapped me just to leave me somewhere. My mother had made it quite clear that there was some reason to it, even though she absolutely refused to say what. The panic receded and I focused on finding my way back home.

About a half an hour later found me standing on my porch, shivering badly and knocking on my door as loudly as I dared. I didn't want the whole street to hate me. Not that they'd probably hear it through the mask of pounding rain.

After a few minutes of this, I started to curse my mom for being a heavy sleeper. Instinctively I went to my bedroom window, which was always unlocked in case Chris ever needed it, when I remembered I had locked it, and covered the sill with tape to paint my room. And of course the guest room window was locked.

"SHIT!" I exclaimed vehemently. I was locked of my damn house! So I stood there shaking like a leaf, hugging myself to get warm, while the rain continued to drench me. What I was gonna do now?

"Callie?"

I could make out someone saying my name through the racket of rain. I turned around stiffly, and saw Chris staring at me from his open window, a look of confusion and incomprehension on his face. I was suddenly grateful my tank top wasn't white, but dark blue, if you catch my drift.

"Callie? I thought I heard someone…What the hell are you doing out there? It's two in the morning, not to mention it's raining!"

I blinked and made my cold, bluing lips move. "I'm locked out."

He frowned at me and told me to get myself inside his room before I died of hypothermia. I was so out of it I couldn't get my numbed mind to remember what that word meant, but I obeyed, and within seconds Chris had a towel around me.

I stood there shivering until Chris threw me one of his shirts and a pair of shorts. "Change into those. I'll wait outside the door," and he left, closing the door gently behind him.

I managed to peel off the wet clothes and shrug into the dry ones. Chris came in and took them from me, hanging them up somewhere to dry while I snuggled into his bed, on his orders of course.

I hadn't realized just how cold I was until I got under the covers. My mind was all fuzzy and I could barely recall my own name.

(Chris' POV...My first POV change!)

I quietly opened the door to my room, trying desperately not to wake up Eyeball in the next room. I didn't have to worry about my dad; he was on one of his "drinking trips" again. Good thing too. I looked over at Callie, on my bed, and at the rest of my room. It was pretty messy, but I doubt she neither cared nor noticed in the condition she was in.

Sitting on the bed next to her, I took a good look at her. Her eyes were closed, and her was real white, except for her lips, which were tinted a pale blue. I reached for her hand, which was resting on the top blanket limply, and was shocked at how icy it felt in mine.

"Callie," I whispered. I didn't want to wake her up, but I had to let her know where I'd be if she woke up.

"Mmm?" She didn't open her eyes, but I could tell she was awake.

"I'll be on the couch in the living room if you need me, okay? My dad's not here, so you don't have to worry about him."

She squeezed my hand and pulled it towards her. "No, don't go," she pleaded, her voice thick with sleep. "I'm cold…so cold."

I don't know if she knew what she was doing or not, but I did as she asked. She didn't look so good, so I thought maybe my body heat would warm her up. Don't take that the wrong way, I'm not one to take advantage of a girl who's almost freezing to death! Even if she's as beautiful as Callie is. That's more up Ace's alley.

I lifted up the covers and slid in beside her, and she immediately huddled up to my warmth. I put one arm around her protectively and she uttered a small sound of contentment. I couldn't help but smile at that. It quickly faded as I thought back to the reason she was here. How had she been locked out of her house? Her mom wasn't like my dad, she wouldn't lock you out and tell you to come back in the morning. So it must have been an accident. Maybe her mom thought she was inside and locked up for the night. But why would Callie be outside that late, in her pajamas for that matter? I promised myself I'd ask her in the morning, and fell asleep.

(Back to Callie's POV)

When I woke up the light streaming through the window was very pale, like the sun hadn't quite risen yet, and I guessed it was about 6 o'clock. Glancing around the room, I saw that Chris had a little alarm clock beside his bed and that it was 5:43. I was pretty close.

Looking over at Chris, I saw that he was still asleep. His arm was tucked softly around my waist, and he was facing me. I turned slightly so I was facing him as well, and debated a moment on whether I should wake him up or just leave and let him sleep. I decided he'd worry too much if he woke up and I was gone. And I wanted my other clothes back, but didn't know where they were and didn't really wanna go looking for them in his house.

"Hey, Chris," I whispered softly in his ear. He stirred but didn't wake up. "Chris, wake up!"

He opened his eyes and groaned. "What time is it?"

"Quarter to six."

He closed his eyes again and muttered, "It should be made illegal to wake up this early during summer break."

I giggled softly and sat up, dragging him with me. "I know, but I need to get back to my house not long after my mom wakes up, or she'll worry to death when she finds I'm not there. She should be awake by now, she has to work. And Chris?" He opened an eye to look at me. "I'm really sorry to make you get up, but I need my other clothes."

"Yeah yeah I'm going." He yawned and stood up, tip-toeing out of the room. He returned a few minutes later with my clothes. "Those are still a bit damp so you can just keep wearing the clothes you've got on and give them back later." He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at me. "So you wanna tell me what last night was all about?"

I flopped back down on the bed beside him. I'd forgotten I hadn't told him last night, so I'd better explain all I knew now. "I'm not sure exactly what happened. I woke up to find myself standing in the park, soaked to the skin in the middle of the night. I found my way back to my house but I couldn't get in because everything was locked, including my window because of the painting. Then you woke up and made me come in. Everything after that's kinda fuzzy. But how did I get there? Am I going crazy?"

Chris gave me a fiendish smile. "Aw, I don't think you have to worry about that. You've been crazy for a long time!" I smacked him with his pillow and he became thoughtful. "You know, after Gordie's brother Denny died he started to sleepwalk. At first it was just little things, like waking up in his hall or in the kitchen. But one time he found himself in his backyard. His parents finally took notice and took him to the doctor, and he said it was just the stress and trauma of Denny's death. Maybe you're too stressed."

I had been worrying a lot lately, about my dad obviously. "Will it happen again?"

He shrugged. "Gordie's stopped a little while later. It might happen again, it might not. Try not to stress as much."

"You sound like one of those psycho doctors."

He laughed and pushed me off the bed, but I grabbed his wrist and pulled him down with me. "It's not psycho, it's psychiatrist," he corrected me, impersonating a chiding teacher.

"I know that! I was just being stupid."

"Yeah we all know you're good at that."

One short pillow fight later, I decided I should go home and talk to my mom. Before I left I told him I'd get his clothes back to him soon and gave him a kiss, whichhe turned intomaking out for about five minutes.

"Okay Chris, I really gotta go! My mom's gonna be worried to death!"

He pretended to pout but gave in, giving me one more peck before he let me leave. I climbed through his window and quickly made my way to the front door. My mom let me in right away, with an anxious look on her face.

"Where were you?" she questioned after she'd closed the door. She eyed me up while she was at it. "And whose clothes are you wearing?"

"I was locked out, Chris let me stay at his house, and the clothes are his."

She looked at me strangely, but gave me a relieved smile. "We're going to talk about this more after you've had a hot shower and are wearing your own clothes, okay?"

God I loved my mama. She was dying for a proper explanation, I knew, but she'd let me get myself straightened out and cleaned up first. Afterwards I told her everything. How I'd woken up in the park during the storm, found myself locked out, and Chris let me stay at his house. I didn't tell her we slept in the same bed; there was no reason for her to know, right? I also told her Chris' theory of sleepwalking. My mom was concerned about this and made me a doctor's appointment for the next day, despite my insistence that I'd be fine. She apologized for not hearing me knocking, but I didn't really hold it against her anyway in the first place.

When she left for work, I hunted around the kitchen for something to eat. My mom hadn't been keeping a very good inventory on how much food we had, since she was working so hard, and I found that we were out of a lot of things. I decided against my better judgement to make a quick trip to the store, which was a few blocks away from my house. Now why was that against my better judgement? Because I decided I didn't want to go bother Chris again, seeing how it was still only 7:00 and he'd probably gone back to sleep. I figured I was only bending my mom's rules; a little trip to the store couldn't hurt.

Unfortunately, my little trip was not as problem-free as I'd imagined. Luckily I didn't ran into my dad. But I did run into Ace Merrill. I was very surprised with what took place.

I was maybe half way there when I realized he was walking towards me, a cigarette between his lips and a strange look on his face.

"I need to talk to you." Before I could say anything he grabbed my arm and pulled me into an alley. I tried to fight him off, but he just tightened his grip and said, "Stop it, I'm not gonna hurt ya, I just wanna talk."

Reluctantly I stopped thrashing and he loosened his grip. "What about?" I asked suspiciously. I trusted him only a little more than I trusted my father. And believe me, that's next to nothing.

"Why the fuck were you climbing out of Chris' window this morning wearing his clothes!"

I was not expecting that, to say the least. "How the hell do you know, and why do you care?" Yep, I was treading on dangerous territory to be talking to Castle Rock's most dangerous hood like that, but I just didn't feel like he could hurt me after that day at the paint store.

And he didn't. If looks could kill though, I would have died gruesomely. He stepped forward, his face close to mine. "I couldn't sleep and I was driving around in my car and saw you! Now answer the damn question!"

I glared back at him just as hard, but answered him anyway. "We didn't sleep together, if that's what you're talking about! I was locked out of my house last night because I sleepwalked, and Chris let me stay at his house! And I was wearing his clothes because mine were soaked from the rain! I probably would've died of hypothermia if it wasn't for him, so lay off!"

He let go of my arm roughly, throwing his cigarette on the ground and promptly lighting a new one, looking anywhere but at me. "Sorry," he grumbled, and started to walk away.

I got over the shock of being apologized to by Ace Merrill quick enough to ask him a question before he disappeared around the corner. "Why do you even care?"

He slowed to a stop and turned around. "I don't care, I was curious is all," a tough look on his face as he replied in an equally tough voice. What was this guys problem? One minute he's acting all over-protective and the next he's shoving me away as hard as he can.

"Don't play that one on me, I saw you looking at me the other day from across the road in front of the tavern you were at. What's up?"

He looked away, scowling, but answered me, his voice harsh and unwilling. "You remind me of my sister, Becky. She was only twelve, but you remind me of her." He paused, seeming to have to beat down his pride before starting again. "You look a lot like her, and she was feisty too. Only twelve, and still wouldn't take no shit from nobody."

So this was the Ace I'd had a glimpse into. "What happened to her?" I asked quietly, almost fearing he would lash out at me for asking.

Ace stared at the ground hard for a moment. "When she was six she was diagnosed with a heart disease. She took four pills every day, and it was under control. She could do normal things just like everyone else, but one day when she was twelve her heart just stopped. Quit on her right in the middle of one of her damn soccer games."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he replied gruffly, turning away again. "And if you tell a word of this to anyone, I'll kill you and your little boyfriend!" Well, Ace was back, that's for sure.

I went to the store, bought all the needed goods, and walked back home, all the while thinking of what Ace had told me. Becky had been twelve four years ago…That means she would have been the same age Chris and the rest of boys. Maybe they knew her from class back then. I'd ask Chris later. I'd tell him about the conversation, but no one else. Ace obviously didn't want people knowing he'd been softer with me, and that was fine by me.

A couple hours later I was bored out of my mind. I had made myself breakfast, and then I sat absently watching those early morning cartoons on our tiny TV. Then I got bored of that and kicked a soccer ball around inside the house. I found out that was a bad idea when I hit a glass on the table and it fell, shattering. And then I had to clean it up! I cut my finger in the process. Ugh, today was just not working for me.

I decided Chris should be up by now, I mean come on it was 9 o'clock! Who was still sleeping at that time? …Okay fine lots of people, but it seemed like it was two in the afternoon to me. So anyway I wandered my way over to his house, and knocked meekly on the door. I knew Mr. Chambers wasn't home, because Chris had said last night he was away and the truck was missing from the gravel driveway. But I didn't want Eyeball answering the door. Or worse, Eyeball answering the door after I had woken him up with my knocking.

I needn't have worried. A tall woman with reddish blond hair that had been thrown up in a hasty ponytail answered the door, a tired smile on her face and creases on her forehead. Wait a minute! This was Marianne, the woman that helped me at the paint store! No wonder I had thought she reminded me of someone. She was Chris' mother, and I hadn't seen her before then, but she had his exact eyes. Only Chris' didn't look so worn out.

"What can I do for you?" she asked me, not seeming to remember me. "Oh! You're that nice girl from the store a couple days ago. How are you?" So she did remember me after all.

"I'm fine, thanks. I was wondering if Chris was up yet?"

Marianne smiled at me, saying, "You must be Callie, then. Chris talks about you all the time." She frowned suddenly and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry I haven't gotten over to greet your family yet. I've been so busy lately." I told her there was no reason to apologize, and she went on. "Chris is just in the shower, but you're welcome to come sit in the kitchen and wait for him."

As I followed her into their house, I looked around discreetly. I had only seen Chris' room, believe it or not. I think he was sensitive about me seeing the state his house was in. Yes, it was messy and rather cluttered, with junk just laying about, but none of that mattered to me at all. I'd stayed in cheap motels with cockroach infested bathrooms when my mom and I were just stopping for a few days before running off again. I wish he'd understand more that I knew what it was like to have almost no money. My mom worked almost all the time too.

I was sitting at the kitchen table carelessly braiding and re-braiding my hair as I waited. Marianne had left just a minute ago, claiming she had to go to work and apologizing again. I almost didn't notice when Eyeball sat down across from me and started shoveling a bowl of cereal into his mouth.

"Chris takes long showers, get used to it," he said, as he poured himself another bowl. He smirked at me and added, "But I guess he needed an extra long one after last night, huh? Ace told me earlier, ya know."

My face burned, and I replied icily. "You don't know what you're talking about. I've already cleared that up with Ace. Maybe you should go talk to him again."

Eyeball clearly was surprised by this. "You were talkin' to Ace? When?"

I was about to answer when Chris walked into the kitchen, his golden hair damp and skin slightly reddened by the hot water. "Hey, Callie. Eyeball been hassling ya?" His eyes looked slightly troubled as he spoke, and I wondered why.

I shook my head. "We were just talking."

"Well, c'mon then, let's go."

Chris nodded and grabbed my hand as headed for the door. We hadn't gotten farther than the end of his driveway when I asked him where we were going anyway. "We need to talk," he said grimly, his eyes looking more troubled than before.

My heart started to beat faster in my chest, and I swallowed hard. That sounded awfully like what my only friend (when I was thirteen)'s boyfriend had said, right before he dumped her. Was Chris breaking up with me? What had I done?

A/N: Yep…yet ANOTHER cliffy. Callie and Chris' first fight! Oh by the way, Ace is 21 in this, so he was 17 when Becky died, and when that whole Brower thing happened, and it's kind of significantinfuture chapters. Explains a bit aboutAce back then.I hadn't planned a cliffhanger, to be honest. It just happened. I really am sorry, but I'll have the next chapter out sooner than this one. The reason this one took so long was that I was in a car accident on two weeks ago, on the 8th. A car cut us off and braked, and we swerved off the road and hit a tree twice, and the carcaught on fire after we got out. My dad was fine, but my neck hurt so the paramedics had to put me on a backboard and take me to the hospital as a precaution, to make sure it wasn't fractured. Turns out I just had a bad case of whiplash, I'd be very sore for the next week (it was hell!), but ultimately fine. Our car was totaled though, and we got a new, cherry red one. The police didn't catch the people that caused the accident because the car just drove off, and we didn't see the license plate. So anyway I'm pretty much better now (except I got a nasty cold the weekend after and fluid built up in my ear, and I get dizzy all the time now lol) and my shoulder and neck don't hurt when I type anymore, thank god. So I hope y'all understand why I took so long! Terribly sorry, but I'll update quicker this time, unless of course I get into another accident! Please review! Oh, and there's still more with Ace and Marianne, I didn't justput inthat stuff for no reason. You'll see!

Screaming666: I'm sorry you dislike cliffhangers so much lol, cuz I just gave you guys another one! I really don't like them either and really didn't think I'd leave off with one, but what can you do? I'm a slave to my pen (or in this case keyboard) and it told me it was a good place to stop, or else I'd have to drag everything else I had planned for the next chapter into this one. So if you read the thingy above you'll know why it took me forever to update. I'll have the next one out sooner, I promise!

StormShadow21: They'll be making out less for a bit, as you can see how this chapter left off. I've got to get their first fight just right, though. I'm a movie junkie too! Especially for horror, but really everything else too. I just bought 4 DVDs off Amazon.ca that Rob Lowe (plays Sodapop in The Outsiders) stars in! He's just so hott. And my mom really liked two of the movies so she agreed to get them. Now I just have to wait until they get shipped! I check the mailbox everyday lol. I'm obsessed, I know. I should really get a job at a movie store or something, cuz I watch so many. But I'm lazy, and I have to wait until AFTER the summer because I'm going away too much. I want a job now though, so I can save for a car! Except I can't even drive yet, I'm only fifteen lol. Plus I'm kinda nervous about driving after my car accident. You're gonna have to wait impatiently again for the next update, sorry bunches! I still love reading your reviews, they always make me laugh, especially with that last BLAHHGSJADA!...Whatever that was, lol. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter! If not the cliffhanger lol. See ya later!

Lovelynsweetsaml: Haha, thank you! I'm glad you liked it. I hope you read this chapter and like it too!

Lisa14: I'm glad you liked the story and all! Yeah, Chris' mom had an appearance in this chapter, even if it was somewhat short, and you found out her identity lol. There will be a chapter sometime with her in it more. Thank you for reviewing!

OTHlover4: Thanks for reading and reviewing, and liking it of course! Hope I hear from you again!

Icy-dropletz: Don't worry about how long it took for you to review, lol. It took me much longer to update! Awwe, I'm so glad you're excited about my story! Don't give up hope about me finishing this, because I'm definitely going to! I've given up on some Stand By Me fics too . And thanks soo much for the email, I was really surprised and thrilled to see it! I'm really flattered you love my work! Feel free to review or email me anytime! Byes!

MJ: I'm glad to see that you think I've kept them in character and everything! I was worried that I'd make them too different from the characters we've all come to love. I'm also happy you like the character of Callie. I really try not to make her a Mary-Sue. Thanks for the great review!

Oh wow, I'm tired now. Replying to reviews really takes it out of ya, eh? But since you guys are nice enough to review, I'll try to be as nice and reply! Thanks for everything, and keep lookin' for updates! Buh byes!