You know what's awesome? I have a fan! And I got a lot of chocolate for Easter! Whaa-hooooo!

PS. I realized Sam's birthday is off, so forgive me, anyone who cares or even noticed.

First, I heard a murmur of voices. It wasn't really loud at all, kind of like a radio turned way down low. I could hear snatches of conversation, but I couldn't move, or respond. It was really creepy actually. Like being caught between being asleep and being awake.

Anyway, when I open my eyes, I see a white ceiling. At first I'm a little freaked out, because, hey. This is definitely not my dark-and-candle-filled room. But then my mom's worried face leans over me, and I groan, realization (and pain) hitting me.

"Oh, honey! We were so worried. We got a call from the hospital, telling how you were run other by a car-"

I lick my lips. "I didn't get run over." I state matter-of-factly. "I got bumped. By a teenage guy." I try to sit up, but my back feels painful and weird. I give up and sit back down. I turn to my mom, resplendent in fluorescent pink. "I hope we're suing him."

My father speaks this time. "Sue that poor boy? He was so kind, apologizing and everything. He was nearly in tears himself." He chuckled, leaning over a little. "Oh, no. But he said he's going to apologize personally later." He grins. "We invited his family to dinner next Friday!"

I attempt to turn over and curl up, but I can't. Instead I roll my eyes. "Fine. What's wrong with me?"

My mom's smile droops a bit. "Well, honey you needed to get twenty stitches on your back and three on your cheek. Mainly you got a little scraped up. Oh! And you sprained your ankle."

I groan, feeling the full force of the pain hit me. I slowly turn and throw my legs off the side of the side of the bed. One of my ankles has an air cast on it. Great. Just great.

My mom looks extremely worried. She cocks her head to the side. "Honey, what are you doing?"

I growl, reaching for the crutches someone has so kindly propped near the bed. "Going to the library. I need to explain to Lisa."

My mom follows me to the door. Luckily, I have had a lot of practice walking with crutches. You wouldn't believe how many trees I've fallen out of in the past. My mom looks at me dubiously. "Well, I suppose if you feel well enough. But let Alfonzo drive you."

I call breezily over my shoulder as I swing on my crutches down the hall. It turns out the room was in my house. My house is so huge; it's not surprising I didn't recognize it. "It's okay, mom. I can walk."

"But, honey-" Is all I hear before I slam the front door shut. I sigh, feeling the cold wind on my face. I'm wearing pajamas, but luckily, they can easily pass for regular clothes.

It takes about ten minutes for mom's chauffer to catch up with me. Alfonzo rolls down the window closest to the sidewalk I'm walking down. "Miss Manson, I fear your mother will be vehemently angry if you don't let me-"

I turn to him. "Alfonzo, there's a fifty in it for you if you circle the block a few times and tell mom you couldn't find me."

He takes off. Being rich has many privileges.

A few things I learned on the walk:

10 minutes on a bike ½ hour on crutches

The standard sympathy performance is running your eyes up and down the victim and giving a tight-lipped smile

Crutched really hurt your armpits after a while

I have to hop up the stair in the library. Lisa runs up to me, looking worried and wringing her eyes.

"Sam, honey! Are you okay?" She reaches out a hand to touch my hurt cheek. "You look terrible…"

I laugh a little, wincing from the pain in my cheek. "I'm fine, Lisa. I'm sorry about the books."

Lisa waves it off. "No matter, Sam honey. I'm sure the person who ran you over will pay it off." She gives me a worried look. "Shouldn't you be at home?"

I sigh. "My mom's being all over-bearing and sticking up for the jerk who ht me. Do you think I could stay here?"

Lisa's face softens. "Sure. Why don't you sit in the Young Adult's section? I'll bring some of the book that were delivered yesterday."

I smile at her. "Thank you." I hobble over to my green chair and sink into it. I reach behind me and grab the first book I feel. Vivian Vande Velde. Somebody's being kind. I settle in and sink into Companions of the Night.

OoOºOoOºOoOºOoOºOoOºOoO

Somebody's standing in front of me. Darn them! I'm at the part with the vampire hunter. "Whaddya want?"

I hear a male cough nervously. "Well, I wanted to apologize."

This makes me lower my book. Yep, it's him. Scruffy black hair, huge blue (guilt-filled) eyes. He's a bit taller than I remember, but my brain was probably addled from pain. He's about my age

I put the book down on my lap. "Okay."

He looks confused. "What do you mean, 'Okay'?"

I smirk. I love confusing boys. "Well, you said you wanted to. Does that mean you are going to, or did you change your mind coming here? Or was that he apology? I said, okay and was waiting for you to apologize." I cock my head to the side and mimic my mom, grinning.

He gives me a very odd look. Then his face clears. "Oh, I get it. You're still mad at me."

I answer him simply this time. "Damn straight. Now please leave before I start throwing books at you." I lift the book to my face, but I'm not really reading. Who can read when they have a guilt-crazed stalker?

He persists. "Look, I'm really sorry, okay? If it makes you feel any better, my permits been revoked and my sister's license has been suspended."

I snort. "Serves you right. You did hit me with a RV."

"Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle." He answers automatically. I give him a weird look.

"Ghost Assault Vehicle?" I ask.

He blushes. "Yeah, my parents are ghost hunters."

"Ah." This helps me place his face. "Good for them. Please leave."

He still doesn't leave. "Look, can I buy you lunch or something?"

I look at him confused. "Are you kidding? It's like, ten or something, isn't it?"

His turn to give me an odd look. "No. It's One p.m."

"Oh." This explains some things. "Well, I don't really feel like eating with my attacker." He plonks himself down on the armrest of my chair, and starts reading over my shoulder. "Do you know how annoying that is?" I inquire, shutting the book.

He grins at me and nods. "Yep. So, what books would you recommend?"

"Why don't you go ask Lisa?" I ask him.

"Because I'm trying to annoy you into letting me buy you lunch. So, do you find Gossip Girl a good book for guys my age?" Before I can warn him, he flips open the book. His eyes widen and he shuts the book. "I don't think I will ever be able to un-read that."

I laugh, but then look at him seriously. "You're not going anywhere?"

He turns to me, grinning. "Nope."

I shut the book. "Fine." I stand up and grab my crutches, wobbling.

He winces as he sees the effects of his actions. Serves him right. "I'm sorry." He says again.

I glare at him annoyed and stalk out of the library. Or do something as close to a stalk as one can get while on crutches.

He catches up to me right outside the library. We walk next to each other towards the Nasty Burger, side by side.

He gets uncomfortable first. HA! "So…" He says, not looking at me. "You work at the library?"

"Yep." Give them a simplistic answer and they will be forced to ask another question.

I'm right, of course. "Where do you go to school?"

I roll my eyes. Yes, I'm invisible, but that was idiotic. "I go to Casper High, with you."

He looks at me, for the first time since we left the library. "How do you know where I go to school?" He looks scared. Good.

"I know a lot about people. You're Danny Fenton, and you're sixteen years old. You managed to make it into regular Math this year, which surprised you, but you're favorite subject is astronomy. You dated Valerie for a little while, but broke up because of reasons unknown. Your best friend is Tucker, your parents are ghost hunters, your sister, Jazz wants to be a brain surgeon."

He gulps and holds open the door for me. "Thank you." I say, smiling at him sweetly. I slide into a booth. He sits opposite me.

"Do you stalk everybody at the school, or are you just the center of the gossip pool?" He demands.

I can't help it. I crack up. I sputter. "Are you kidding? Me, the Goth girl at the center of the gossip pool?" He looks worried, but then blushes and smiles.

I calm down and answer. "I'm invisible. Nobody sees me, so I get to listen in on a lot of conversations without people noticing."

He reaches out and pats my hand. "You're not invisible." He tells me kindly.

I point out. "I'm in four of your seven classes and you didn't realize I was there until you hit me with a car."

He winced. His hand is still on mine and I'm a little weirded out. I look pointedly at his hand and then at his face. He blushes and removes it.

Then an African American boy in our grade, the aforementioned tucker slides into the booth. "Hey man, who's the chick?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

I stick out a hand. "Sam Manson. Goth girl. I'm in six of your classes and I was recently the victim of a car accident." Danny winces again.

Tucker turns to him, astonished. "This is the girl you've been agonizing over?" He turns to me, laughing. "You should have heard him last night."

Danny clenches his teeth. "Tuck, shut up."

I turn to him and say, "Danny, can you get me a diet coke and a Double-veggie-veggie." I rub my ankle and put a pained look on my face. He immediately looks guilt stricken and gets up, running for the cash register.

Tucker snickers. "Good one."

I grin at him. "Thank you. What did he say?"

Tucker's face lights up. "He was going on and on about how he ran this beautiful girl and all these books over. He kept saying, "I felt so bad, I mean, I hit her, Tuck!"

I turn and raise an eyebrow at Danny's back. He thinks I'm beautiful? He could tell I'm looking at him and turns around. He gives me a small crooked smile. I immediately turn back to Tucker. The smile makes me feel weird, and I'm not sure I like it.

Tucker raises an eyebrow at me. I touch my hair self-consciously. "What?"

Tucker grins slowly. "I think you like him."

I look shocked. He's so wrong. "I do not like Danny. He ran me over with a freakin' RV, for crying out loud!"

He shakes his head, still grinning. "Whatever."

I run one hand up and down my arm and lean against the plastic red cushions. "What is he going to do about the books?"

Tucker rolls his eyes. "Right after he dropped you off at the hospital, he dragged into the nearest Barns and Noble, with all the battered copies of the books. He made the employees find all of the books and bought them to repay you."

Okay. Danny earns a few karma points in my mine. Okay, maybe a ton. He's definitely a cool person. A lot of people would have just given a lot of money to pay off all the books. He actually went out to buy the books.

Danny slides into the booth on Tucker's side and slides me the tray. I mutter, "Thanks." And sip my coke.

Tucker raises an eyebrow at my vegetarian meal. "What's with all the rabbit food?" He asks.

"I'm ultra-recyclo vegetarian." I say.

"What?" Tucker asks, looking disgusted.

"It means she doesn't eat anything with a face." Danny says.

I feel a jolt and look around at Tucker and Danny. They have the same shocked look I know I'm wearing. I giggle nervously. "Did anyone else get an extreme case of deja-vu?" I ask, my eyes wide.

Danny nods. Tucker shakes his head, as if trying to clear of thought.

I panic. It's just too weird. After taking a huge bite out of my sandwich and drinking my coke, I say, "Well, this was nice, but I've got to go back to my job."

Danny stands up. "I'll walk you back."

I look him in the eyes. He still looks guilty, but now it's more desperation. "No. I'm fine."

As I walk out of the restaurant, I can still feel him looking at me, confused and upset.