CHAPTER SEVEN
(chapter title - Will I Wake Tomorrow From This Nightmare)

The next day, Sara was sitting in her American History class - her final class of the day when someone threw a note at her. Picking the note up, she smiled to see that it was Peter's handwriting.

Meet me after school by the bench nearest the art wing. I have to tell you something.

Peter

Sara turned around and smiled at him to let him know that she would be coming.

"Ms. Cohen-Davis, maybe you could answer the question for us." Mr. Wright, the teacher told her.

"What was the question?" Sara inquired.

"In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?" Mr. Wright asked.

"That's easy - July 4th, 1776." Sara answered just as the bell rang. Mr. Wright nodded and told everyone what chapters to study for that weekend. Sara picked up her messenger bag and started to head towards the bench outside the art wing when Carolyn pulled her to a quiet corner of the school.

"Caro! What are you doing?" Sara hissed, watching for Peter.

"I wanna know something." Carolyn started, her tone serious.

"What?"

"Did you write to Ask Alice?"

"Yeah why?"

"Because there's someone out looking for you."

"Caro, what do you mean?" Sara was starting to get frightened.

"Caro! Come on!" Kristen called to her twin. Carolyn looked at Kristen and then back at Sara.

"Watch yourself, Sar." Carolyn warned her friend as she went off with her twin. Sara sighed and walked to the bench where she was supposed to be meeting Peter, but she didn't see him.

"Hey Sara!" Mark called, motioning for Sara to come to the car. She kept her face hidden from view as she climbed into the front seat.

"Hey Daddy." Sara greeted him as they drove back to the house.

"How was school?" Mark asked. Sara shrugged her shoulders and looked out the window.

"Did that person threaten you again?" Mark inquired. Sara shook her head and rested her head against the window - she was exhausted.

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"I'm gonna take a nap. If anyone calls for me, take a message." Sara called into the house as she climbed the stairs to her room. Opening the door, she put her messenger bag on the floor near her bed and climbed into bed, holding her pink stuffed unicorn close to her as she slept.

Meanwhile downstairs, Mark and Roger were getting dinner ready and quietly talking to each other when the phone rang.

"I got it." Roger whispered to Mark, drying his hands on a dishtowel and went to answer the phone.

"Is Sara there? It's Peter." the voice said on the other line.

"Sara's taking a nap right now. Can I take a message?" Roger asked, getting a pen and paper.

"No, I'll call back later." Peter said and hanging up. Roger shrugged his shoulders and hung the phone up.

"Who was that, babe?" Mark asked as Roger walked over to him.

"A friend of Sara's." Roger told him, kissing him on the lips. Mark smiled against Roger's lips and kissed him back.

"I love you." Roger whispered in Mark's ear, gently nibbling on it a bit.

"I love you, too." Mark whispered back, waving the wooden spoon in his hand like a sword. Roger laughed and picked up a purple handled spatchula and waved it in Mark's face. The men laughed and had a little 'swordfight' before putting down the utensils and walked to the living room couch and ended up making out, completely ignoring the phone.

"SPEAK!" Mark, Roger and Sara's voices sounded when the answering machine went off.

"Sara Cohen-Davis I'm gonna fucking kill you. I know that you have HIV. I know you have two dads. I'm gonna fucking kill you." Roger's ears pricked up as the person hung up.

"Mark." Roger shook Mark awake. He had fallen asleep on the couch.

"Whaaat?" Mark groaned.

"That anonymous caller called again." Roger told him, sitting up and getting off of Mark. He looked at the clock - 5:00 - time for Life Support.

"SARA! LIFE SUPPORT! NOW!" Roger called up the stairs. Sara came out of her room wearing a plain tight fitting gray T-shirt and jeans. Her hair was in a ponytail.

"I'm ready to go, Dad." Sara told him, jogging down the stairs. Roger smiled and took her hand in his.

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"Welcome to Life Support everyone." Paul greeted everyone.

"We're glad to be here, Paul." The group chorused back to him.

"It's a pleasure to see familiar faces." Paul smiled at Roger, Sara, Collins. "And unfamiliar faces." Paul indicated to Jeffery, a man with spiky red hair, a girl with long brown hair and a black man.

"Why don't we go around and introduce ourselves." Paul suggested, nodding for Sara to start.

"Sara."

"Roger."

"Collins – Tom Collins."

"Jeffery."

"Anthony."

"Idina."

"Martin."

"And I'm Paul." Paul introduced himself. The group smiled at him.

"Is there anything anyone wants to share? Anything that you say in the group, stays in the group."

"I have something to say." Sara spoke up. This was the first meeting that she had anything to say. The others looked shocked that she was going to say something.

"Yes Sara?" Paul asked as Sara stood up.

"I've been receiving anonymous calls from someone who says-" she gulped and blinked back tears.

"Says what?" Paul inquired.

"It's okay, baby." Roger whispered, taking Sara's hand in his.

"They say they're going to fucking kill me." Sara blurted out and sat down next to Roger, crying her eyes out. Roger wrapped an arm around her and held her close, too afraid to let her go.

"I'm sorry that you're receiving those calls. Is there anything the group can do?" Paul asked. Sara shook her head and continued to cry.

"How many times has this person called?" the girl named Idina asked.

"Twice." Sara managed to choke out.

"You should tell somebody." The man named Anthony piped up. The group nodded in agreement.

"She's already written to the advice columnist in the school newspaper about it." Roger told the group, holding Sara close to him. She cried into his shirt as the group continued to talk about what happened to her at school. Roger was happy that everyone in Life Support was supporting Sara in the best way that they could.

"Will I lose my dignity? Will someone care?
Will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?" Anthony sang. The others stood up and sang along with him, their voices getting louder with each group that joined in the round.

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After Life Support, Sara and Roger headed home.

"What'd you think of Life Support, Sar?" Roger asked, putting an arm around Sara's shoulders and drawing her close.

"I liked it, Dad." Sara answered, smiling up at Roger.

"I'm glad." Roger kissed her cheek as he hailed a taxi to go back to the brownstone house he shared with the two people he cared about most in his life.