A/N: The dreaded night! Dun dun duun!

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It was a beautiful night; the sky was a dark milky blue, scattered with glittering stars. The large moon that hung overhead had a faint greenish tint; it looked seasick to Keira.

Obnoxious zoomer motors punctured the night, along with the chorus of drunken gangs beating each other up outside. She groaned and shoved her pillow over her head, trying to block out the noise of Haven City. She closed her eyes as tightly shut as she possibly could, imagining the sounds of Sandover: mystical blue waters lapping pale sandy shores, the rustling of palm tree fronds in the wind, the distant mooing of Yakkows in their pens.

Keira sighed contently, then nostalgically.

Sandover was, of course, a bad thing to think about, because 1) she could never go back as far as she could see, 2) it reminded her of her father, and 3) it reminded her of You-Know-Who.

The sounds of sheets rustling nearby alerted her to the present. She cracked an eye open, glimpsing fiery hair in the gloom. She quickly shut it again, her cheeks turning the color of Tess's nail polish. She couldn't believe she was sleeping with a guy. Sure, it was completely platonic and all, but what would daddy think? Tears leaked sideways down her pale face. She missed him so much. She had gone into this alien world by herself too early, unprepared, reluctantly. Keira sniffled.

"Keira?"

Silence. Erol sighed. He knew she was awake. He couldn't sleep either. Of course, he didn't dare scoot any closer to comfort her; as it was, he was so close to the far edge of the bed that he was on the brink of falling off. It wasn't that he wouldn't prefer to be a bit closer, but he sensed that she was already uncomfortable.

So he waited. One hour went by. Two hours. Then three. His pointy ears pricked; all he could hear was regular breathing, that of a sleeping person. He waited just to be sure. Then…he carefully scooted one inch closer. He counted 5 minutes on the glowing digital watch on his bedside table, then scooted another inch. The night progressed like that, until he was a hair's breadth from her back.

'Now what?' he thought to himself. He shakily looked down at her sleeping face, his heart smacking itself against his rib cage. His amber eyes trailed down to her slightly-parted rosy lips. Would she notice if he brushed his lips against hers? 'Probably…' he answered mentally. He didn't even want to comprehend what would happen if she woke up in that situation. It would mean instant death by wrench for him, and that was bad enough.

Agonizingly slowly, he draped an arm over her slim waist.

'This is what it will feel like,' he thought contentedly. He stayed like that for a while, then, ignoring his previous thoughts, cautiously brushed his lips against her cheek, then down to her lips. He was instantly elated; it was truly real, a taste of his dreams. He raised his head and admired her. She was glamorous, even in a baggy t-shirt and cotton shorts.

"I love you," he whispered barely audibly in her ear. Her eyelashes fluttered, and he quickly rolled away from her and onto his back. He sneaked a fleeting glance at her, just to make sure she was still asleep.

Maybe he should just crush his lips against hers andtell herhow he felt. But Erol could never do that to her. She still loved Jak, a broken man in his eyes; now was not the time, quite possibly the worst.

He closed his eyes, figuring that there was always a tomorrow to do whatever he wanted to do. Listening to the sound of Keira's steady breathing, he gradually drifted off to sleep…..

xXIXx

"I was awake, you know."

Erol awoke with a start.

"Wh-what?" He searched for the source of the voice, and his eyes met the sea-green of Keira's.

"I said that I was awake." She leaned closer to him, her nose touching his. He blinked in surprise.

"I-I'm sorry Keira, I was-"

"Shhh." She pressed a finger to his mouth, then all of a sudden she was kissing him, combing her fingers through his orange hair. His eyes widened in shock, his heart thumping wildly. He felt like he was in a semi-trance, and without a thought, his hands were roaming up her shirt, and-

"EEEEEEEEEK!"

Slap.

"Fu- OW!"

"What the hell, Erol!"

Erol opened his eyes. Daylight was shining in his eyes through the window. He blinked in confusion, and immediately noticed his hands were up Keira's shirt.

'Crap.'

Keira grabbed his wrists and shoved them back at him. She then sat up and glared at him.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…

Erol rubbed his cheek. Keira cleared her throat.

"Explain yourself, please."

Something about Keira was creeping Erol out. Might it be the unseen boiling anger that raged beneath her? Or maybe the way her fingers were twitching murderously?

"Oh, um, er, Keira, listen, it's not what you th-"

"IT'S NOT WHAT I THINK!" she screeched. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Erol, I should let you give me your excellent reason on WHY I found your hands up my shirt. 'It's not what I think.' Do go into detail, Erol."

'Think Erol, thinkthinkthinkthink! You can't say you were dreaming, that would just sound completely wrong! Um, let's see…'

Keira drummed her fingers on her arm. Waiting.

"Keira, I'm so sorry, I wasn't trying to feel you up, it was an accident!"

"Oh, so I'm supposed to believe that they just walked themselves up there! Do I look like a moron to you!"

Keira was enraged. It was all clicking now. ALL of it. Her friends' strange behaviors. Of course, Torn was going to warn her that Erol was a pervert with little self-control! She should have listened more carefully at what he was going to tell her. But Tess…Tess! Tess had practically sent her off to live with this creep! Was this her idea of a joke! Well, Keira thought it was a pretty sick one. And a mean one! Some friend SHE was! And Erol! Ooooh, if she didn't get away soon, she might be arrested for murder! And the mysteriously dirty COUCH! She could tell when Erol was lying. Why that sneaky, stinky little ottsel!

"Don't you trust me, Keira?" Erol was twiddling his thumbs nervously.

'Don't try the cutesy act on ME, Erol!' she thought venomously. 'What an absolutely stupid question!'

"Well, obviously, not anymore! We're just FRIENDS, Erol! Now, I'm going to change, so get out!"

Keira's words stung him. He sat there, stunned at her explosive fury.

"I said, 'GET OUT!"

Erol gave her one last apologetic look, then left the room.

Keira fumed. She grabbed some fresh clothes and quickly changed, so angry that she almost ripped her shirt trying to put it on her legs. Once she was changed correctly, she started thinking about what she was going to do.

'Talk to Torn, what else,' she eventually concluded. After all, he was the one who was going to warn her. She grabbed the phone and quickly punched in his number.

xXIXx

Erol was sitting on the trashed sofa, nervously waiting for her to come out. He was still trying to figure out what was a dream and what wasn't. Obviously, Keira hadn't really kissed him. That was totally too good to be true. Or plausible. Whatever had happened, he was nevertheless screwed. He had completely blown any chance of somehow winning her over.

Erol walked over to a drawer and fished out a pad of paper and some colored pencils. He began to sketch Keira's outline.

All of the artwork covering the walls was done by him. He didn't tell his friends, just because his artistic side was something he preferred to keep to himself. When he was younger, he had wanted to become an artist. There were a few in the bazaar, and he would spend most of his time watching them. Of course, his parents thought it was a stupid and useless career and persuaded him to sign up for the Krimzon Guard.

They were dead now, of course.

Erol buried his head in his hands. He was over all that. But what was ironic was that they were killed by Krimzon Guards. There was a crime or whatnot going on in the market section, and they just shot whoever was in the immediate vicinity. Luckily, they overlooked himself.

Erol added blue/green hair to his depiction of Keira.

He still remembered his father being shot in the back, and then his poor mother, who wasfeeling the fruits. He heard all the screams, the groans, and afterwards, the crying. He himself was too shocked to cry.

He wrenched his thoughts away from his parents and the Krimzon Guard. He added eyes to Keira, but wasn't satisfied with them. He erased them and tried again, but the new pair still didn't capture her.

Eventually, he grew frustrated with trying. Somehow, he couldn't draw her eyes right. He heard rummaging coming from his room. He figured that she was packing her stuff. Erol sighed and crumpled the paper.

xXIXx

Keira held the receiver to her ear.

"Hello? Torn?"

"Who is this!"

"It's me, Keira."

"Hey, how was it, staying at Erol's?"

Silence.

"Don't tell me, he messed with your toolbox." There was a raspy chuckle on the other line.

"…I should have listened to you, Torn."

"What?...Oh. What happened, Keira?"

"Not now, I'll tell you later, somewhere else. Are you free to meet at the café in Sectre 7 in ten minutes? I'm really hungry."

"Uh, sure, I think so. I'll meet you there. Bye."

Click.

Keira grabbed her stuff and searched for a pen and paper. She quickly scribbled a note to Erol explaining that she no longer wanted to stay with him and that she was going out. Once that was done, she exited through the back door.

xXIXx

Torn was waiting at the grungy café. Well, that was an unnecessary adjective, seeing as the whole of Haven City was coated in grime. He sat down at one of the tables outside and ordered a drink. As he was drinking it, Keira ran up, out of breath, carrying her things in a bag.

"Hi Torn, sorry I'm late, my zoomer was stolen while I was away from the garage, so I had to walk." She plopped down on the seat across from him.

Torn took a sip of his drink. "So, what's going on?"

Keira fumed. "I can't believe Erol's such a pervert. I'm surprised he had it in him to stick his hands up my shirt! Why didn't you or Tess tell me earlier?"

Torn spurted his drink. He was quiet for a moment, then shook his head, his dreadlocks swaying.

"He put his hands up your shirt?" Torn was disbelieving. "Erol!" He almost laughed, but kept it in. "How would Tess and I know he would do something as outrageous as that?"

"Tess winked at him, and you pinched him. I saw."

"So? All I knew was that he had a bit of an obsessive crush on you, and Tess probably thought that too."

Keira pondered that for a moment. Torn nodded.

"So that's why you called me instead of Tess." Keira blushed.

"That's not it at all! It's just that I always talk to Tess, so I needed a change of pace."

"Tell me you're joking about Erol."

Keira sighed explosively and leaned forward across the table, her hands splayed on the surface.

"Erol. Put. His. Slimy. Hands. Up. My. Shirt."

Torn shook his head. "He didn't mean it, Erol's too wimpy to try something like that."

Keira raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Oh yeah, Torn? Well, get this. He ruined his couch just so that I would have to sleep with him. He had it ALL planned out!"

Torn snorted. Then, he couldn't help it; he broke out laughing.

Keira glared. "What is so funny!"

"Eh-heh…nothing, nothing, Keira."

"Lately things have been getting so screwed up. And I thought that the fight with Ashelin Praxis was bad! But this-"

"Wait up, Keira! You had a fight with Ashelin!" Torn's eyes widened.

"Only because she was getting all hoochie-whorie with Jak. You should have seen what she was wearing!" said Keira defensively.

Torn didn't respond. He was to busy choking.

"What, Torn."

"Ahem. I'm alright. But are you jerking my chain?"

"I'm completely serious. I'm glad that you see how awful it is. I mean, who goes around dressed like that and starts touching another girl's guy's leg?"

"WHAT!" Torn looked scary.

Keira cringed. "It's not really that bad, Torn. But I guess I got really jealous and threw a mug of beer at her."

Torn was in shock.

"But you understand, right, Torn?"

Torn was silent.

"Torn?"

Silence.

"Torn…is there something…you're not telling me?"

Torn sighed.

Keira tried to catch his eye.

"I think there is."

Keira was intrigued.

"Might it have something to do with…Ashelin?"

Torn looked up, his ice-blue eyes unreadable.

"If what you're telling me is true, what does it matter anymore?"

Keira rolled her eyes. "Geez Torn, just tell me what your big problem is."

"I thought that Ashelin and I had something."

Keira hid her surprise. What would a smart guy like Torn see in a slut like Ashelin? She re-phrased that to Torn.

"Honestly, Torn, what do you see in her? Boobs?"

Torn blasted her with an icy look.

"For your information, she's very smart, has a sense of humor, and knows how to fend for herself."

"And is irresistibly sexy," added Keira. But inside, she was crushed by what Torn had just said. How would she stand a chance against Ashelin? What if Jak saw it too?

"You're just bitter," he said flatly.

"Ah, but I think you are too, Tornie-boy. Looks like we're in the same boat."

Torn smushed his palm against his tattooed forehead. "Why aren't you losing it yet, Keira? Just let it out! Or at least warn me when you're gonna explode, because I know it's coming."

Keira looked him straight in the eye. "Okay, Torn." She took a deep breath. "WHY THE HELL DID THAT STUPID SLUT-FACE HAVE TO COME ALONG, WHY! JAK IS MINE! MINE! AND WHY IS EROL SUCH A PERV?" Keira looked around to make sure nobody else was watching.

Torn grinned. "Wow, I feel better already. You should do that more often, Keira. Otherwise it'll all build up inside you, and it'll be even worse than that."

"Hmph. What about you?"

"I don't do it in public."

"I see. So what're we going to do?"

"'What're we going to do?' What could we do, Keira? Nothing! There's absolutely nothing we can do! If that's how it's going to be, we'll just have to move on!"

"Did I just hear Torn say that? Hmm. I must admit, I'm disappointed."

Torn stared at her for a while. "Why don't you talk to Jak about this? And report back to me."

Keira laughed. "You're so silly, Torn. Why don't you go talk to Ashelin?"

"But you're the one who's making such big deal."

"You are too, but I'll go do it, Torn. At least I have guts. Some soldier you are!" she teased. Keira always liked talking to Torn. It was very different that talking to Tess, because Torn brought out her competitive side. Like a brother. But Keira knew that she would talk to Jak about Ashelin. Again. Their conversation in the bathroom hadn't satisfied her.

"Alright, Torn, I'm going toorder something to eat. Do you have time to stay a bit longer?" she asked.

Torn shook his head. "Sorry, Keira, I have to go on duty in ten minutes. I have to get going," he answered in his gruff voice.

"Oh, okay, bye," she said, waving as he got up.

"Bye. Oh, and good luck with Jak." He hopped onto his zoomer and drove away, leaving Keira feeling a bit lonely. She ordered her food and ate thoughtfully, thinking of what to say to Jak. He'd probably just deny any feelings for Ashelin, which would get them nowhere except maybe an argument. She didn't want that. So maybe she'd just have to follow him around and catch him in the act! Because she was so sure Jak would eventually meet up with Ashelin again. It wasn't the greatest plan, but it would have to do. Better than being helpless.

xXIXx

Erol was sitting on his bed, too bummed out to make breakfast. He had gotten Keira's note. He felt so sick with himself. He needed to change. How could he ever attract any girl with the person he was now?

He went over in his head what needed to change. First of all, he needed to be more in control of himself. No more embarrassment, which meant no more tripping over air pockets. He also needed to start up his job again. Though he loathed serving the Krimzon Guard, he'd just have to show up. Then he'd have to think of something that would personally appeal to Keira.

He thought hard. Keira's passion was mechanics ('and Jak,' he thought sourly), and she had put up an ad for her racing team. It was currently empty, unless Jak had joined. Maybe starting up racing would help him out.

Erol blanched of the thought of himself on a zoomer hurtling at 100 miles per hour.

'It's just a risk I have to take,' he told himself. 'I can totally do this. I will be a new person! I'll give myself a chance. Good-bye, clumsy pushover Erol!'

He grinned.

----O----

A/N: A longisher chapter! Yay! I know it's pathetic, but it's actually hard for lazy old me. This story is finally starting to take shape. Please review, especially if you faved it. Yes, I can tell. I'd like to know what readers want, so that I don't completely blow this thing. ;)