More reviews! Yay! I love all your reviews! They're so much fun to read! You guys can't complain, I update twice in one day, so, yeah, but I keep my word, ten reviews per chapter and I update. I always keep my word... unless I have no more chapters to update, but whatever, that won't happen anytime soon. Okay, here is chapter twenty-six:

Movie Night

With the flashlight in her hand, she moved forward, weary of what lay ahead. She had never been so scared in her life.

"Hello?" she said softly. "Is someone there?"

"Oh, hell no," Dustin said loudly. "She knows he's there and she keep going? He's gonna get her!"

Christine threw a handful of popcorn at him. "Shut up, you're ruining the moment."

They all sat on Christine's couch, watching a scary movie in her apartment. Dustin was in the middle with the popcorn while Christine and Maria sat at the sides. They were all scared witless because of the movie.

Not that Maria would show it, she was too proud.

"I can't watch," Dustin said cowering behind Maria.

"Stop being a sissy," Maria said shrugging him off.

Christine continued watching, absently placing popcorn in her mouth. "Oh, she is so gonna die."

The girl continued down the hallway, her hands shaking as she grasped a doorknob.

"John?" the girl asked quietly.

"Bitch, what's wrong with you? Don't go in there," Maria said to the television.

She clutched the doorknob and turned it just as-

A knocking at the door made all three scream in fear. Dustin efficiently spilled all the popcorn –bowl and everything- all over the floor.

"Way to go, tough guy," Maria said punching him in the arm. "Spilled all the damn popcorn."

Christine glanced at the clock over the television, no one was supposed to come over today. It was almost seven, too late for anyone to get her. Christine groaned and paused the movie. "It's probably Señora Fernandez. I can't deal with her drama right now."

"Then I'll get the door," Maria offered. "And I'll tell her to go to hell in Spanish."

"Ouch, hurricane Maria, watch out," Dustin said jokingly.

Maria smiled at him and turned on the lights as she disappeared into the small hallway that led to the kitchen and front door.

She loved that Dustin and Maria got along so well, it was great. Christine stretched lazily making her UCLA sweater rise over her stomach. She was dressed comfortably in her gray sweat pants and sweater. She was barefoot and her hair was loose for the first time in months. "You better be cleaning this mess up, Dustin."

Dustin sighed. "Damn it."

Christine laughed sheepishly and when she heard the door shut, Christine shouted, "Maria, come on! You're taking too long!"

"Christine," her voice came from the dark hallway. "There's a young man here to see you."

Christine groaned. "You're not setting me up with one of the Boy Scout troopers again, are you?"

When she turned to see who it was, she wished she could take the comment back.

"Erik!" She stood up quickly not looking at what she was doing and successfully dunked her foot in the empty bowl of buttered popcorn. It was empty except for the butter.

She looked at her wet foot and sighed.

She could see Maria snicker behind Erik. Then she spoke through her fit of giggles. "He…was… asking for you. So I let him … come inside." Maria held herself against the banister of the bar, hardly able to contain her laughter.

Erik only smiled, she could bet that Dustin was laughing too.

Christine didn't turn but spoke to the laughing boy behind her. "You remember that time we went to the beach, Dustin?"

After a couple of seconds of laughter, "…yes…"

"This isn't nearly as funny as that, is it?"

Dustin efficiently shut up.

Christine looked at Erik. "Hi. W-what are you doing here?" She desperately tried to ignore the butter between her toes.

"I was in the neighborhood and decided to give you a visit."

"Liar."

"We seem to have that in common, then," Erik said quickly.

Christine felt horrible because of the other day, so she didn't answer him instead she introduced her friends, who had been dying to meet him. Especially Dustin, Christine thought he had a crush on him.

"Erik, I want you to meet my good friends, Maria and Dustin."

Erik shook both their hands. Dustin seemed to break out and dance with glee but Maria just stayed silent, keeping her cool.

Christine hopped over to her bathroom to the wash her foot. "What are you doing around here?"

"I came to see you," he said to her as he leaned against the door frame. "We haven't spoken since you left the recording studio three weeks ago and I wanted to see if you were okay, considering the way things were left off last time."

Christine sighed. "I'm really sorry about that."

Erik shook his head. "I didn't come to talk to you about that."

Christine dried her foot off with a nearby towel.

"I just came to see what you were doing, to talk to you about something else. But it can wait," he said glancing back at the living room at Maria and Dustin, "I can come back tomorrow."

He turned to leave and Christine thought of an excuse quickly. She really didn't want him to go. "D-do you want to stay?"

Erik turned.

"To watch the movie, I mean," Christine finished lamely. "It's almost over but we got another one after that."

Erik smiled. "I'd love to."

Christine smiled and passed him, directing him to the living room.

She picked up the popcorn bowl and began to go to the kitchen. "I'll get more popcorn."

She went to the kitchen and started preparing the popcorn when Maria came in.

"Where have you been hiding him?" she whispered harshly. "I've been wanting to meet him ever since you said you loved the guy."

Christine's eyes widened and she clamped a hand over Maria's mouth.

Maria looked at her confused at her act.

Christine pressed her hand against her harder for emphasis. "He doesn't know," Christine whispered. "He can't know. Please don't say anything."

Maria mumbled something but she knew she had asked her why.

Christine sighed softly. "He has a girlfriend."

Maria's eyes widened also and when Christine let her go she started cursing in Spanish. "Damn, doll. I'm so sorry."

Christine shrugged. "He's a damn rock star, it would be obvious that he has a girlfriend or at least groupies."

Maria looked at her compassionately. "What are you going to do?"

Christine had often asked herself that question for the past three weeks. She loved him. So what? He had loved her once and what did she do? She left with Raoul. She left him to wallow in his sorrow for the rest of his life. He didn't know that she was in love with him unlike the last time. He hadn't consciously broke her heart, he wasn't at fault at all.

She had decided to suck it up and ride it out. He was most likely in love himself with Lucy if they were sleeping together. He was obviously happy in his new life. Who was she to mess it up by saying she was in love with him when he was with someone else?

And she wasn't the type of girl to be pining away for a guy that wasn't available.

Christine smiled at Maria sadly. "He's happy with her, who am I to break that up?"

"What about what you feel?" Maria urged her.

"I value his happiness more than I do mine."

Which was true, at last he had found happiness in a life full or torment and horror, he deserved, she couldn't mess it up.

Maria patted her on the back. "Wow, doll, if it were me, I'd be fighting for the man with teeth and nails."

Christine smiled and hollered to the room. "You boys want something to drink?"

Dustin voice spoke up but it was deeper than usual. It seemed as if he didn't want to make his tendencies obvious. "Any scotch will be fine."

"Fruit punch, it is then," Christine told him. "And Erik?"

"Water, please."

Maria snickered. "I think Dustin is trying to act straight."

Christine smiled and started reaching in her refrigerator.

"But a girl can dream, right?" Maria asked her, whispering again. "Let me tell you, Christine. That man is hot. Scorching hot."

Christine laughed "If you think so."

Maria rolled her brown eyes. "Oh, please. You don't find him hot?"

"Dropping the subject, can you get the popcorn?"

"Before I do," Maria told her. "What were you and Dustin talking about the beach?"

Christine smiled at the memory. "Once Dustin and I went to the beach and while I was catching a tan, he went into the water. A small boy started yelling shark and he ran out of the water as fast as he could. A wave dragged him under and when he got out his swimming trunks were gone."

Maria laughed hysterically, turned beet red and spoke loudly. "You-you mean he got out naked?"

Christine nodded firmly and laughed also when she heard Dustin yell from the living room. "Hey!"

Maria got the popcorn and they both went back to the living room. Maria was red from laughing and Dustin was blushing. "Christine, you promised!"

Christine shrugged. "Sorry, I never could keep a secret."

Christine gave Dustin his fruit punch and Erik his water. They both thanked her and Maria turned off the lights trying to unsuccessfully stifle her giggles.

All four could not fit on the couch so Maria pulled up the butterfly chair from next to the TV and set it next to the couch next to Dustin. Erik, Christine and Dustin sat on the couch in that order.

Christine un-paused the movie and as soon as she did, the psycho killer caught the protagonist.

Dustin giggled. "I knew it."

As they watched the movie, Dustin began to whisper in her ear. "The man is gay."

Christine looked at him shocked.

"He doesn't like football."

"So?" Christine whispered back so that Erik wouldn't hear her over the suspenseful music. "You don't like it either."

Dustin looked at her as if she were a small child. "Exactly, proving my point."

Christine shut her eyes for trapping herself in that one.

"Why don't you give him my num-"

He didn't get to finish because in the next moment, Christine had elbowed him in the stomach as hard as she dared. This had efficiently made Dustin groan and hold his stomach, making both Maria and Erik look at them.

Christine smiled innocently. "The popcorn is making him sick." She took the bowl from him and placed it on her own lap. She offered some to Erik who just watched her with a sly smile.

Somehow, she knew he had been listening.

She tried to cover it up by offering him popcorn. "Popcorn?"

He smiled and took only a couple.

They all watched the movie and halfway through the second half started to really freak out. Dustin was as pale as a ghost and Christine kept covering her eyes.

Maria looked bored and Erik just watched interested.

Christine watched disgustedly as the movie continued, covering her eyes, she began to ask, "Why is he cutting his leg off! Ugh! Stop it!"

"Scream a little louder," Maria said. "I don't think he heard you."

Dustin laughed and Erik snickered. The man started screaming because the gag he had in his mouth had come off.

This made Christine cover her ears and shut her eyes. "Can we watch this on mute, please?"

"No way," Dustin said.

Christine looked at him and saw that he was cowering behind Maria. "Coward."

"Look who's talking."

Christine shut her eyes again after seeing the blood puddle on the screen. She let out a little yell and placed her knees in front of her on the couch. "I don't like this movie."

She could still hear the guy's shrill screaming and the saw hacking away at cartilage and bone. Christine peeked a bit and saw that the saw only had a bit to go.

She yelled again and fell back against Erik. She placed her head against his chest and asked, "Is it over?"

"Not yet," he told her.

"Will you tell me when it is?"

"Yes, of course." He put one arm over her shoulders to make her comfortable and she nestled against him.

If he did tell her, she wouldn't hear him, because in the next minute she was falling asleep in his warm embrace. She hadn't meant to do it, but she found her eyes wouldn't open and her arms fall to her side, tired.

She breathed in his scent and smiled contently, knowing that she was in the safest place she knew. In her dreams she could hear him speak to her sweetly which made her smile and only want to get closer to him.

Needless to say she slept comfortably.

This is one of my favorite chapters, I find it very sweet. :) Take care everyone! Remember, ten reviews! Coming up: Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Morning And What It Brings