I get it, 4 months is a long time. Very busy, very very busy. On scholarship probation. Not good.

The next 3 or so chapters will have to focus more on Tina, as right now there's some plot points coming up that are more central to her. I'll try to include plenty of Jamie, but let's remember Tina just went through her first Flower Bud hurricane, so it's a milestone for her life here.

On a way better note, Upside Down has reached 5,000—yes, that's right—FIVE THOUSAND hits! I am completely over the moon, and I could not thank you all enough. Here's to 5 thousand more!

Double note: I know this is long—but for anyone interested in sneak peeks of new chapters, drabbles, head-canons and other tidbits related to these two, I highly suggest you check out my tumblr account every now and then. There's already two drabbles there that haven't appeared in this story, which isn't much, but I plan on changing that. I have also recently acquired a drawing tablet, and have drawn a few meager sketches of these two! More to come in later months. :3

Summer 15th

By sundown, Jamie found himself once again holed up in his house, this time catching up on some laundry. He'd hoped for a moment that this year's Firefly Festival would still be held (after all, he'd taken the time to donate plenty of moonstones just as the Mayor asked, and he'd be damned if his effort was going to go to waste), but Theodore had come by earlier with the irritating news that it would be cancelled this year due to effects of the hurricane. With a sigh preceded by a lavender scented inhale, courtesy of the dryer sheet buried in a warm load of darks, he lifted the now full basket and walked to his living room. Putting the news on was useless—the cable reception was out all over town. The few phone lines they had running through town were also cut during the storm, which meant most people were still outside wandering the village, checking up on their neighbors. Jamie himself was vaguely interested in how the other's had faired, though he certainly didn't care enough to personally check. If something had gone horribly wrong, there would be more commotion.

Come to think of it, Sky Ranch didn't have any noticeable damage, at least nothing beyond some missing steaks or shingles and some general debris that even Jamie fell victim to. His rival's farm ('If it could be called a farm,' he snorted to himself) didn't seem to have any extensive damage either. Which brought to mind the question of why his rival was so, well… Why she looked as though she'd been hit by a bus. And why she apparently spent the majority of the day locked up in her tiny, rickety chicken coop. After seeing her emerge from the surprisingly study structure, the girl had simply sauntered to her house, saying, "I'll explain later," and shut the door before he could protest. With the clothes in front of him forgotten, he crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch.

Jamie couldn't help but frown at the entire scenario. It was getting ridiculous how she could throw him off so easily. He'd even gone and asked why in the world she was in the position she was in. If she didn't know any better—and she probably didn't, the idiot—it would almost look like he cared about her or something! Things like this made having a rival, admittedly, more challenging than he'd thought. No, that wasn't right. Having a rival wasn't necessarily harder than he thought, there were just different challenges he hadn't thought of before. But he could certainly handle them with ease; once he figured out how to, that is. A great way to break down a rival would be to find out what's going on in their lives, and then use that knowledge against them. So what struggles did she face due to the storm? How many crops were torn into nothing? How badly prepared had she been for it? He was confident he could use her misfortune against her, but how could he figure out the things that he, as a proper rival, needed to know without sending the wrong message? It wasn't like he could just waltz over and ask if she was alright.

Shaking his head, he picked up a shirt and began folding it.

'It doesn't matter anyway. That girl's such a chatter-box she'll probably tell me more than I need to know without even being asked,' he reasoned. If anyone were to ever challenge Jamie to name one good thing about the girl, it was her naive nature. Constantly sharing everything about herself, often without prompt, never stopping to think that no one cared or that it could be used against her. The only thing she was concerned with was "making friends". How blind of her. How weak.

It was truly impressive, Jamie praised himself, that he was much more careful with the details of his life.

Halfway across the village, Tina ran through town, her bright red shoes slapping against the dirt pathways. Sunset was draping itself over Flower Bud, painting the skies in oranges and pinks that seemed far too soft and gentle to be hanging in the sky after the kind of storm that had just blown through. So far, Tina had had a trying day, to say the least; being stuck in her not too-sturdy chicken coop for a handful of hours that stretched on to eternity, all while covered in grime, and almost losing the few animals she had was taking quite the toll on her. Interestingly enough, Jamie was the first person she saw after emerging from the shack, though she hadn't given it much thought. Who knew what that guy spent his time doing all day? Instead of wasting time bantering with the irate rival (which was likely the reason he was there, as Tina was starting to learn Jamie liked to start a fight just about whenever he could), she opted to stagger into her house and take a much needed hot bath and nap. Unfortunately, the nap ended up being much longer than she anticipated, and Tina found herself waking just as sunset came.

As she took in the sight of all of the wreckage around her, she found her mind wandering to the new friends she'd made in the village. Did they get damage like this, too? Were they okay? Within minutes, she knew that waiting until the next day wasn't an option- she had to know now.

And that was how Tina found herself not ten minutes later, jogging through town on a quest to ensure her friends' safety and to quiet her buzzing nerves. First was Ellen and Blue's Ranch, where she found Blue standing in their pasture, gathering up branches that had been blown every which way. She stayed for a few minutes chatting with the quiet young man, and Ellen joined soon after. It seemed they were doing pretty well, other than the fact that their roof would need some minor repairs. Much like Tina, Ellen and Blue were worried about the others.

"We've been so busy trying to calm the animals down and clean up that we haven't had time to go visit anyone," Ellen said glumly. Tina nodded along, all too familiar with the struggles of managing a ranch and having a social life. It was such a wonderful thing that the people of Flower Bud were all so caring- in the city, most people looked out only for themselves. But in a place like this, everyone could band together and help one another, and it was a large part of what made Flower Bud so special.

Tina blinked in surprise as an idea flew into her head. "Hey, why don't you come with me? I'm going around town myself to see everyone, so we might as well stick together. Or are you guys still really busy?" she asked, not-so-secretly eager for company.

Blue shook his head in reply, his low, steady voice cutting the silence. "There's a little left, but I can handle it. Ellen, just fill me in later."

Relief filled her features as she turned to her cousin. "Really? Thanks, Blue! Tell Dad I'll be back for supper," she replied joyfully. The two girls shared a smile, and took off for the south area of town. Ellen advised that it would be quicker this way, since they would be able to make a circle around the village and not miss anyone.

Their first stop was Joe and Kurt's home, which, to the dismay of the girls, had accumulated a good amount of damage. By the looks of it, there seemed to be a significant hole in the roof, as well as a broken window or two. The area surrounding the shop/home combination, which was previously a thickly wooded area, was now littered with broken tree trunks and giant wooden splinters everywhere. Various holes decorated the shop where flying debris had cracked the boards, and stray leaves and uprooted plants were splattered every which way.

Too stricken to do anything but gape, Tina stood helplessly before the damaged building. Beside her, she heard Ellen's sharp intake of air. The pained sound brought Tina's senses back to life, and she turned to her fellow rancher.

"It's... This is terrible," Ellen croaked, her face pale. Tina grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I know," she said softly, "But we can't just stand here. They might be hurt! Let's go!" Before Ellen had the chance to agree, Tina dashed for the doorway. Only a second behind, Ellen reached the door just as Tina began to turn the knob.

"Wait!" Ellen interjected, pointing to a slip of paper taped to the door. "What's that note say?"

Tina reached a hand up, pulling it off the door with a faint snap. She brought it closer to her face, trying to make out the messy scrawl.

"We are all okay... Gone to- sporuig?- Oh, Spring Farm! To help out." Tina glanced up from the paper at Ellen's worried face.

"Help out?" Ellen repeated. "Oh, I hope it's not too bad..." Tina went to to shove the note into her pocket, then stopped and stuck it back onto the door, pressing down on the tape for good measure.

"I'm sure everything is fine," Tina said, more to herself than Ellen. "But let's hurry over anyway." They walked back to the pathway, this time moving faster than they had before. Nervous energy swirled around with the wind, clamping an icy hand of fear around Tina's heart. Everything would be fine- probably just some minor damage. It had to be. And when they finally made it to Spring Farm, they would find Nina and Liz walking through their fields and picking out the ruined crops. Nina would wave and coming running to meet them, while Liz would smile serenely at them just like she always did.

Anything else... Well, she didn't want to think about it. 'Just think positive!' she told herself. 'There's nothing we can't fix if we try hard enough!' Lifting her head up, Tina noticed Ellen was a few paces ahead. She broke into a brief jog to catch up, deciding that she wouldn't waste any more energy worrying. Worrying wouldn't help anyone.

The minutes ticked by into what seemed an eternity. The walk from the woodcutter's shop to Spring Farm was only supposed to be about 20 minutes or so. How long had they been walking? Taking the map from her back pocket, she traced the direction they came from. According to it, she and Ellen would be approaching Spring Farm from diagonally behind. She lifted her head, almost thinking to ask Ellen if she was sure they hadn't passed it up, when she saw it.

In the distance stood Nina and Liz's home, the roof ripped straight off. Leaning inward precariously, the jagged walls stood, lifted from the foundation of the building in numerous places. The yard was littered with furniture- or at least, what was left of it. Beside her, Ellen drew in a trembling gasp.

"No!" she cried, and tore off towards the ramshackled home. Not a second later, Tina joined in, both girls running as if it were their own lives in danger. Muddy and uneven, the ground beneath their feet shifted with each step. Droplets of water were flung up from the heels of their shoes, splashing against their legs. Twice Tina almost fell, but her stride never broke for a second.

"Nina! Liz!" she yelled, praying for them to answer. 'Please, please I know you can hear me. I know you can't do much right now, but please, just let them be okay!' After what seemed like an eternity, they were finally rounding the back of the house. As they turned the corner, a familiar and much welcome voice yelled, "We're over here!"

Nina and Liz stood on the cobbled road near the mailbox, each of them wrapped in a heavy blanket with the Mayor, Maria, and the resident carpenters not too far away. Tina didn't think she'd ever been so relieved in her life to see that mop of bright pink hair. Ellen stopped in her tracks, doubling over with arms propped up on bent knees. Still chock full of adrenaline, Tina continued her sprint right until she was at Nina's side, slowing just enough not to knock the poor girl over.

"Nina! Oh Nina, we were so worried!" she cried, holding onto her friend for dear life. Nina, though pale and haggard-looking, managed a smile.

"We're fine, just a little shook up. We're okay," she nodded, almost more to convince herself than her friends. Liz wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders, feeling her child's pain as her own. "Oh, it'll pass, Flower, you'll see," she cooed, rubbing up and down on Nina's shoulder. Ellen appeared from behind, enveloping Nina in her own hug.

"Your Mama's right, Nina. Everything's gonna be alright," she sniffed. The four women stood there for a silent moment, each drawing strength from the love they felt between each other. The Mayor, who had been standing silently to the sidelines before, took this moment to step forward with a few words of his own.

"Quite right, Ellen," he agreed. "While Woody and the boys are working to fix your home, I'll see to it personally that you and Nina are provided with a place to stay and whatever else you need. Now then, Nina, you and Maria have always gotten along so well, and we're all like family. How about you two stay with us until you get back on your feet? We've got more than enough room!" he proposed, a jolly smile stretching across his face all the while.

Liz let out a relieved sigh, her hand on her chest. "Oh Mayor Theodore, that's so kind of you! Are you absolutely sure it's alright?"

The portly man laughed. "Of course, of course! Wouldn't have it any other way." The tension and grief in the air began to ebb away as Nina and Maria began chatting excitedly, thrilled at the prospect of being under one roof together. Maria was unusually talkative, speculating about how they would fix each other's hair, and how she would show Nina her private library, and let her tend her garden in the back yard.

Nina laughed, finally feeling like herself again. "It'll be like one big, super-long sleepover!" she squealed.

Ellen's eyebrows shot up. "A sleepover? Now there's an idea!" Maria shook her head. "Yes, that sounds like just the thing we need! We can have a sleepover, tonight. Ellen, Tina, you come too, please?" she implored.

Tina pumped a fist into the air, completely rejuvenated. "Are you kidding?! I haven't been to a sleepover in forever!" Ellen grinned, promising to come over as soon as she could. "I just have to tell Blue and Dad that I'll be with you guys, then I'll head over."

Maria pointed a finger to her chin. "Oh, but wait! Just the four of us seems a bit sparse. What do you say we make it a real party and invite all the girls in the village?"

Tina almost screamed, but opted to jump up and down instead. "That sounds awesome! Ellen and I can go round everyone up."

Ellen was incredulous. "Is your house big enough for all of us?" she asked. The young women turned to look at the Mayor, who laughed yet again.

"Are you kidding? We've got plenty of room! I think it'd be wonderful for you girls to have a sleepover. You look like you need some fun tonight," he answered.

Maria slapped a fist to her palm. "It's set, then. Tina, Ellen, you guys go grab Eve, and Nina and I will get Ann and Katie."

"All right," Tina cheered. "See ya there!" And like that, the four girls split, each one much happier than they had been before. Woody, Kurt, and Joe laughed from where they were at the side of the house. "Never seen such a lively bunch of girls," Woody mumbled, amused. Joe frowned, something that hadn't gone unnoticed by his brother.

"What is it, Joe?" he inquired. The young man crossed his arms. "How come us guys never have sleepovers? We can eat food and watch movies all night, too!"

Kurt slapped a hand to his forehead, fighting back a snicker. "Wanna paint each other's nails, too?" he snarked. Joe pouted, "I'm serious!

On the upper side of town, Tina was rushing back to her house. Just moments before, Ellen and she split ways, the short-haired girl insisting that she could see to Eve herself. "You just run home and pack some overnight stuff, and wait on the road between your place and mine. I'll grab my own stuff, and we'll all meet up there and head to Maria's," she explained. That was one really good thing about Ellen. She was always prepared, always thinking ahead.

She rolled her eyes to the sky. "Man, I wish I had it together like that," she groaned.

"You're never going to get anything together if you don't stop talking to yourself, freak," taunted a sudden intruder to her thoughts. Tina skidded to a halt, spotting Jamie at the bank of the river.

"Jamie, hey!" she chirped. He turned up his nose at her, looking back to the river. "I mean it, you know," he continued. "If you think you're going to save the Goddess, you'd better get serious. Well, do the best you can. Not that it'd amount to much."

She crept up behind him, smirking over his shoulder teasingly. "You haven't been waiting around here for me all day, have you?" she taunted, ignoring his provocations.

Jamie startled, flushing ever so slightly. "D-don't kid yourself, idiot! I'm here because I'm fishing! It's not-"

'Oh boy,' she griped to herself, 'Another lecture.'

"Yeah, okay, that's great Jamie," she drawled, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" he shrieked, shrugging her hand off roughly.

"But I really don't have time for this right now," she finished, as though he'd never interrupted her in the first place. He sneered, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" he threw over his back, "And where are you going?" He turned, taking one last glance at his rival as she ran towards her front door.

She giggled, trademark smile plastered on her face. "A sleepover!"

Jamie turned back to the river, still flushed. 'The nerve of that girl! Ruining my concentration, touching me with those filthy hands... Ugh!' he grimaced.

With that idiot constantly agitating him, well, it was no wonder his blood pressure rose like that!

In a matter of minutes, Tina's home went from looking relatively normal to looking like the hurricane had been inside rather than out. Running almost the entire time, she stuffed pajamas, toiletries, toothbrush, and a myriad of other items into a back, as well as slinging a sleeping bag over her shoulder. Mocha pranced after her, earning a few scratches behind the ears. Tina stopped, smiling down on her brave dog.

"Mocha, you've been such a good boy today! Yes you have, yes you have!" she fawned. Mocha's tail wagged vigorously, shaking with excitement. Reaching into a box adorned with cartoon bones and pawprints, she grabbed a handful of doggy biscuits. Filling his food and water bowl, she headed for the back door, Mocha trailing behind. After scattering the biscuits on the ground, she turned to her faithful companion.

"Now I don't want you trapped inside all night, so tonight you're going camping! I'll be back in the morning, okay sweetie?" Picking him up one last time, she held him and pet him to his heart's content. "The bad weather's all gone now, so you'll be just fine. Watch the house for me!"

He let out an excited bark, almost as though he understood his important task. "You're the best dog in the world, Mocha. I love you!" she called. Mocha stared longingly at the door for a moment, then trotted off into the fields, probably looking for a nice stick to chew on. Without missing a beat, Tina grabbed her things, shut off the lights, and ran out the door. No need to lock it, not in Flower Bud, which was another thing she loved about the village.

"Took you long enough," taunted a sophisticated voice. Eve stood next to Ellen, each girl carrying bags of their own. Tina waggled her head, feigning snobbishness.

"Well, you know what they say, can't rush beauty!" Ellen rolled her eyes. "I swear, you two! Let's get to Maria's before the other girls eat all the food." Tina skipped forward. "Oh, if it's about food, you don't have to tell me twice!" Her eyes wandered down the road, to the bank of the river. It seemed as though Jamie had gone home. 'He sure got tired of me quick, didn't he? Weirdo.'

"Tina, what are you waiting for? Come on already!" shouted Eve from up ahead. Tina blinked. "Huh?... Oh, yeah, coming!" she answered. The three girls walked and talked, a starry night sky glittering contently above them.

As soon as they opened to door to Maria's home- which was really more of a mansion, now that Tina got a proper look at it- music from a radio could be heard floating from upstairs. Mayor Theodore, who was still wearing his tomato red suit, answered the door. "Oh, girls! Maria was just wondering where you were. Come in, come in!" he bellowed, ushering the girls into the cool, luxurious home. Eve and Ellen, who had been numerous times before, discarded their shoes near the doorway and headed for the stairs.

"Oh!" Tina piped up, tapping Theodore on the shoulder. "Where's your bathroom?"

"It's right this way. Here, I'll show you," he answered. They walked down a hallway, and then turned, walking down another hallway. Tina marveled at the large home, and all of the shut doors they passed. "This place is huge! I didn't know being Mayor had such a good turnout," she gawked.

Theodore laughed. "Ahaha! Well, most of this first floor is my office, the kitchens, and some rooms with files as well as a place where I sort the town's mail. The upstairs is where the bedrooms are, though it's just as large." He slowed down a bit, his face growing a bit sad. "When Maria's mother and I first married, we planned on raising a large family. But then she fell ill, and, well..." Tina frowned, her heart going out to the man.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't realize," she murmured. He turned to her, a pained smile on his face. "It's all right," he said encouragingly. "Besides, I still have Maria, and she's more than I could ever want in a daughter."

Tina gave a nostalgic smile, Theodore's praise making her miss her own family. "You're a wonderful father, Mayor. I'm sure your wife is happy looking down on you."

"Thank you," he said bashfully. "And please, call me Theodore if you like. We're not so formal in Flower Bud. The bathroom is right here," he said, gesturing to the door next to them. "If you have trouble finding your way back, just shout," he jested.

"Alright, I will!" Tina chortled. When she finished, she navigated her way back to the main room, trotting up the stairs. As soon as she stepped onto the landing, she spotted Ann with an armful of DVDs. "Tina, there you are!" she said. "We're about to start the movie marathon, come on!"

The room they were lead into was a room with a large television, state of the art, surrounded by a large, plush couch and two armchairs flanking each side. Ann hopped into an open armchair, grabbing a bowl of popcorn next to it. Maria was sitting in front of the television, shifting through the movies. Ellen, Nina, and Eve were all sitting on the couch, Nina holding a bowl of snack mix in her lap. Katie sat on the floor, a glass of pink lemonade in her hand. Tina waved hello and sat down next the the waitress, who tossed her a pillow to sit on. Grunting her thanks, she sat down.

Picking a movie took a while; there were tragic movies, romantic movies, suspenseful mystery movies, and many more that Maria had to chose from. In the end, the girls decided unanimously that what they all needed was something happy and lighthearted, which they all agreed fit Spellbound perfectly.

"I've never seen that before. What's Spellbound?" Ann asked. Nina leaned forward, her eyes alight with enthusiasm. "Only the best movie ever! It's all about a princess who finds her prince charming and lives happily ever after!"

Ann screwed her face up into a frown. "Blech! It's totally sappy, isn't it?"

"No, no," Katie corrected, "It's not like that at all! Well, it kind of is- but it's not like other fairy tales. It's a great movie, trust me!"

Ann lowered back into her chair, still skeptical. "Yeah, I guess I'll try it." The opening music played, lilting and pretty, as cartoon birds flew across the screen. Ann became even more wary, and hoped she wouldn't suffer too much throughout the film.

Roughly two hours later, the girls clapped as the credits rolled and the epilogue played. Ellen turned to Ann, who avoided her gaze. "Soooo?..."

Ann looked away, blushing. "So what?" she asked, feigning ignorance. Eve smirked. "Oh give it up, Ann, you liked it too." Ann cast her gaze to the floor. "I guess it was... okay. You know, for a girly princess movie."

Nina bounced up and down, giggling. "She liked it, she liked it! We got Ann to like a princess movie, yaaaay!"

"Aw, be quiet!" Ann pouted, flushing still. A soft knock sounded at the doorway where Nina's mother stood at the frame. "Girls?" she asked. "Do you need anything?"

Nina glanced around at her friends, then shook her head. "We're fine Mom, thanks for asking." Liz smiled, glad to see her daughter in better spirits. "Alright. Don't stay up too late, now!" she warned in a motherly tone, and disappeared down the hallway towards the room that would be hers for the next few weeks.

Nina rolled her eyes. "I swear, she thinks I'm still a kid!" Katie scoffed. "You're kidding me! People think I'm about 14!"

Tina popped a pretzel into her mouth. "Well, yeah, but that's because you are, isn't it?" she asked smartly.

Katie responded by whacking her with a pillow. "Ah, shut up! You know I'm 18! Besides, you're one to talk with those pigtails. How old are you, anyways?" she pushed.

Tina grinned smugly to herself, cracking her knuckles. "That's a secret!"

"Well, this is a sleepover," Ellen challenged. "And when you're at a sleepover, you're supposed to tell secrets. It's a rule."

Tina scoffed. "Oh really? Well, I'll tell you guys if you tell me how old you are."

"I'm 19!" said Nina proudly.

"22, here," replied Ann.

Maria's cultured voice called out, "And I'm 21."

"I'm 21 too," piped Ellen.

Eve frowned. "Aw, you guys are making me feel old! Well, the cat's out of the bag, then. I'm 26." The girls turned to the barmaid, mouths hanging open.

"You're 26?!" Katie gaped. "No friggin' way!" cried Ann. Eve growled. "And just what," she quipped, "Is that supposed to mean?"

"We thought you were like, 20 or something," Nina said. Her scowl immediately dissipated, followed by a flattered smile. "Ohhhhh, really~?" she oozed.

"Yeah," Tina said. "So, what kind of regimen do you have for taking care of your face?"

Eve folded her hands in her lap. "Well, first I wash it with cold water every morning, and then I-"

"Hey wait a minute! Tina, you didn't say how old you were!" Katie accused. Ellen laughed. "She's right. Fess up. It's no big deal, right?"

An awkward silence filled the air.

"W-what?" Ellen said nervously. "I mean, it's not like you're some really young looking 30 year old, right?" Tina stayed silent, eyes on the carpet.

"Oh my gosh, you're thirty?!" she screeched.

Tina lifted her head up suddenly. "Gotcha!" she shouted, pointing at them all. Katie whacked her with a pillow yet again.

"Alright, alright, I give!" she laughed. "If you guy's really care so much, I'm 18, just like Katie."

"Well, why'd you keep it a secret?" Nina asked. Tina readjusted her pigtails and shrugged. "Oh, just to mess with you."

WHACK!

"Katie," Eve groaned, "If you keep hitting Tina with that pillow she's going to get brain damage."

The waitress glowered. "Not possible," she said simply.

The night grew older, but the girls weren't getting tired yet. They watched more movies, talked about their dreams, and played silly games they hadn't played since they were kids (in which they found out Tina was absolutely terrible at telephone and that Maria's house was perfect for hide and seek). They ate food that they would probably regret eating in the morning, and painted each one of their toenails a different color, just because. Well, all of them except Ann, who refused to go anywhere near something so frilly. Maria showed everyone her private library, which sparked a conversation on literature, which lead the the question of why they didn't have a school in Flower Bud yet. Tina, Eve, and Katie spoke about the city, while Ellen and Nina spoke about how the village used to be even smaller than it was now, though it seemed almost impossible.

Sooner or later, even though there was so much more talking to do, one by one the girls could no longer keep their eyes open. Staggering through the hallways, they said their goodnights and crawled into the guest rooms. Tina and Ann decided to room together, as did Ellen and Eve. Maria retired to her own room, and Nina to the one that she now shared with Liz.

Tina lay in bed, Ann snoring away next to her, staring out at the sky through the window. She was lucky, she realized, to make so many wonderful friends so quickly. Just before sleep took her, she made herself promise that when she woke, she would find some way to help Nina and Liz.

How she would help them, she wasn't sure. She couldn't build things, she wasn't very strong, and she was pretty broke. But she'd find a way.

If it was for the sake of her friends, she'd do anything.

So you won't believe what happened while I was writing this the other week. I get a lot done, okay? It's wonderfully written stuff, inspired, the best I've done in a while. But I need to wind down some and think, so I go open up a tab and browse the net some. Now, I used to write these chapters on a Word Document and then upload them when I was finished, but this time, I thought, why not skip the middleman and just write the chapter on the document in my Doc Manager on fanfic?

Well, I spent a while on the internet and got sleepy. I figured, I'll finish this tomorrow. And before I know it, my hand pulls the mouse over to that little red x and clicks it. Bye bye chapter I spent so much time and effort on! I got super bummed, and then classes got busy this week.

Thank goodness for snow days, or I'd never get this done! I hope to get the next chapter out soon as well, because I know exactly what I need to do. Since I've been gone so long, you guys get an extra long chapter this time!

And for anyone confused, Liz uses the term "Flower" to refer to Nina in an affectionate way. Hope I didn't confuse you too badly.

I'm so proud of this chapter *single tear*

Just a warning: next chapter will not be pretty. Muahahahahaha!