Chris and Fred dropped by to talk to Andi later that night. "Look, I'm really sorry about tonight," said Fred. "Maybe I can make it up to you somehow."
"Really, it's alright. It was a red dress anyway."
"Yeah," he insisted, "but it's the principal of the thing. Besides, I'm offering to buy you dinner at the best sushi restaurant in Tokyo. How can you pass up an offer like that?"
"Like this: No thanks, Fred. I have...things I need to do. I'm sorry."
Chris stepped forward, almost timidly. "Do...do you want help?"
"No," she said firmly, "Thank you, but it's personal. It's something I need to handle by myself."
"Oh...Alright then, come on Fred, we should go."
"No. Not yet, Chris. I want to make sure she's alright. Are you?" A cold shiver ran up her spine as he turned back to her.
"I...Yes, I'm fine Fred. I'm just really tired. Please go."
"Are you sure, love?"
"Yes, I'm sure and please don't call me that!"
"But Andi...I thought you were my girlfriend."
"I never said I was your girlfriend. Get out."
"Come on, Fred, seriously, let's go."
"Alright fine. But let me know if you change your mind. I really like you, Andi."
"If I change my mind, I will. Now leave me alone."
"Alright then. Au revoir, ma cheré." He kissed the back of her hand and took off. Chris stayed for a moment and looked at Andi as if he were going to say something, but then thought better of it and followed Fred out of the temple.
A few hours later...
Rei rose up out of her bed and glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It was 3:26 A.M. Andi was probably fast asleep by now, and Rei had rested long enough to regain her energy.
She stepped into her slippers to quiet her footsteps and slipped out of her room into the hallway. It was dark, but she knew the temple well enough not to have any accidents, and she knew exactly where to find her grandpa's keys and a hammer. With both in hand, she approached Andi's door.
She managed to unlock it quietly, without waking Andi, and left it open in case she did wake up and a quick exit became necessary. She crept up to the bed and looked beneath it for her book bag where she kept the orb. Upon locating it, she pulled it out and raised an eyebrow at Andi, muttering under her breath, "How can one person snore so loud?!"
Presently, she raise the hammer, ready to bolt out the door, knowing this would probably be very loud, but when she struck, there was no sound as the orb shattered into a hundred pieces beneath the blow of the hammer, and the silver dust that spilled all over the floor vanished.
Suddenly a blood-curdling scream split the night as Andi sat up in bed. Rei tried to run, but she felt weak, and her legs were like jell-o.
Andi screamed and writhed, shrieking like a banshee as if in agony. Looking up, Rei saw that Andi was still unaware of her presence, as whatever pain she was experiencing held her eyes shut tightly. With a sigh of relief, Rei rose shakily to her feet and started toward the door, when she heard an all-too-familiar voice. "Andi?! Andi, are you okay?! What's going on?!"
Oh great! Apollo was coming! With a burst of strength, she surged forward and sprinted out the door just as the little yellow cat appeared in the window and leaped onto Andi's bed.
"Andi? Andi, come on, answer me, you moron! You're scaring me!"
"A...Apollo? It hurts! Help...me! Make it...STOP!"
"Okay, easy, calm down...lie back down on the pillow, take slooow deeeep breaths and try to relax."
She did as he instructed until she could once again bring herself to open her eyes. "What's going on? What's happening to me?"
Apollo looked from the open door to the shards of glass on the floor. "Um...Ya think maybe that has something to do with it?"
Andi looked down at the remains of the orb and the hammer beside them, and her eyes widened. "No!" she cried and scrambled out of bed, not noticing nor caring that the shards of glass were cutting into the bottom of her bare feet. "Kirk...Justin..."
Her eyes began to sting as turned to face the open door, knowing that this was no accident.
"Really, it's alright. It was a red dress anyway."
"Yeah," he insisted, "but it's the principal of the thing. Besides, I'm offering to buy you dinner at the best sushi restaurant in Tokyo. How can you pass up an offer like that?"
"Like this: No thanks, Fred. I have...things I need to do. I'm sorry."
Chris stepped forward, almost timidly. "Do...do you want help?"
"No," she said firmly, "Thank you, but it's personal. It's something I need to handle by myself."
"Oh...Alright then, come on Fred, we should go."
"No. Not yet, Chris. I want to make sure she's alright. Are you?" A cold shiver ran up her spine as he turned back to her.
"I...Yes, I'm fine Fred. I'm just really tired. Please go."
"Are you sure, love?"
"Yes, I'm sure and please don't call me that!"
"But Andi...I thought you were my girlfriend."
"I never said I was your girlfriend. Get out."
"Come on, Fred, seriously, let's go."
"Alright fine. But let me know if you change your mind. I really like you, Andi."
"If I change my mind, I will. Now leave me alone."
"Alright then. Au revoir, ma cheré." He kissed the back of her hand and took off. Chris stayed for a moment and looked at Andi as if he were going to say something, but then thought better of it and followed Fred out of the temple.
A few hours later...
Rei rose up out of her bed and glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It was 3:26 A.M. Andi was probably fast asleep by now, and Rei had rested long enough to regain her energy.
She stepped into her slippers to quiet her footsteps and slipped out of her room into the hallway. It was dark, but she knew the temple well enough not to have any accidents, and she knew exactly where to find her grandpa's keys and a hammer. With both in hand, she approached Andi's door.
She managed to unlock it quietly, without waking Andi, and left it open in case she did wake up and a quick exit became necessary. She crept up to the bed and looked beneath it for her book bag where she kept the orb. Upon locating it, she pulled it out and raised an eyebrow at Andi, muttering under her breath, "How can one person snore so loud?!"
Presently, she raise the hammer, ready to bolt out the door, knowing this would probably be very loud, but when she struck, there was no sound as the orb shattered into a hundred pieces beneath the blow of the hammer, and the silver dust that spilled all over the floor vanished.
Suddenly a blood-curdling scream split the night as Andi sat up in bed. Rei tried to run, but she felt weak, and her legs were like jell-o.
Andi screamed and writhed, shrieking like a banshee as if in agony. Looking up, Rei saw that Andi was still unaware of her presence, as whatever pain she was experiencing held her eyes shut tightly. With a sigh of relief, Rei rose shakily to her feet and started toward the door, when she heard an all-too-familiar voice. "Andi?! Andi, are you okay?! What's going on?!"
Oh great! Apollo was coming! With a burst of strength, she surged forward and sprinted out the door just as the little yellow cat appeared in the window and leaped onto Andi's bed.
"Andi? Andi, come on, answer me, you moron! You're scaring me!"
"A...Apollo? It hurts! Help...me! Make it...STOP!"
"Okay, easy, calm down...lie back down on the pillow, take slooow deeeep breaths and try to relax."
She did as he instructed until she could once again bring herself to open her eyes. "What's going on? What's happening to me?"
Apollo looked from the open door to the shards of glass on the floor. "Um...Ya think maybe that has something to do with it?"
Andi looked down at the remains of the orb and the hammer beside them, and her eyes widened. "No!" she cried and scrambled out of bed, not noticing nor caring that the shards of glass were cutting into the bottom of her bare feet. "Kirk...Justin..."
Her eyes began to sting as turned to face the open door, knowing that this was no accident.