"Did you wash it with soap and water? I got some bandaids from the office so we can cover your hand. Are you listening, Kyle?"

Kyle smiled a little at his sister's rambling. Yes. He had washed his hand with soap and water. No, he did not need a bandaid. Yes, he was listening.

His hand's wound stung slightly as he dried it off on a brown paper towel. The cut wasn't that bad, really. There was only about an inch of open skin. The rest of the cut didn't even break the skin, only the thin line up his hand.

"Kylie, calm down. Really. It'll heal. I'm not gonna die," Kyle responded back with his wide optimistic smile. She simply sighed and leaned against the wall, placing her crossed arms over her chest. Smiling still, he walked to his sister and put his hands on top of her shoulders.

"I know. Its just. . . If something happens to you, I don't know what i'd do," whimpered Kylie as she looked at him weakly. What he was looking at was not the tough water polo player his sister was, but the younger of the two twins. The one that wasn't allowed to feel the heartbreak of a breakup, or have the life they did. It was true, though. All they had was eachother. The Hernandez twins were the result of hard liquor and a free spot in the backseat of a car. After their mother found out she was with child (or with children!), she tried her best to have a miscarriage. She'd overwork, she'd drink this liquid that was supposed to kill the child, and she'd jump off elevated areas. By the time she realized it wasn't doing anything, it was too late to perform an abortion. So, she hooked up with some alcoholic man whore and popped out the twins, determined to ruin their lives the way they did unto her.

To them, sports wasn't just a way to have fun, but to break away from the horrors that they called home. It would also give them scholarships and make it easier to pay for college. It was their way out of the deep hole of poverty and pain.

"Nothing will happen. I'll be fine. We'll get out of here and not have to worry about anything. I promise," Kyle encouraged. Kylie now smiled and her eyes brightened.

"Thank you," was all she could manage before tears started to trickle down her cheeks and she hugged him.

It'll be okay. I promise. I won't let anything hurt you, Kylie. And i'll be damned if something does.

Lilian sat on the blue couch with her legs pulled up to her chest. Her long arms wrapped around her legs as her chin rested on her knees. There had to be a reason why this was happening. Or, maybe, it was all a nightmare.

Okay, Lilian. Time to wake up now. I don't like this dream. Make it go away. . . Please?

She closed her brown eyes and sighed heavily. This was insane. It wasn't normal. Maybe this whole thing was some weapon the terrorists had acquired and unleashed upon their enemies with cold smiles. She could just picture them, laughing and saying "Whose the best now?" in heartless voices. The thought made Lilian shudder.

Was this event, if it pleases you to call it that, a weapon of some sort? Was it the newest weapon, taking the place of the atomic bomb? Whatever it was, Lilian didn't like it. She wished it would just go away and leave everyone alone!

Something light weight hit Lilian in the head and when she looked down at it, she saw a piece of wadded up paper.

"I've been saying your name for, like, five minutes, man. You must have been thinking something heavy 'cause you didn't even budge!" the deep voice belonging to Tom said out of the blue.

"So you threw a piece of paper at me?" Lilian asked in mild confusion.

"Got your attention, didn't I?" Tom answered back with a grin, and sat back in the teacher's chair with his spread out legs crossed and his hands behind his head. Lilian didn't know why, but she laughed.

"Yeah, I guess you did," Lilian said with a small smile. "Why'd you need my attention?"

"Well, I want to get your opinion on all this. Do you think its some disease in the noggin or do you believe the blonde? That zombies came back from the dead to get our brains," Tom asked and when he sat back a bit further, the chair creaked in protest.

"I don't know."

"Of course you don't know, man, but you must have opinion! Thoughts! Something!"

"Well, I guess it could be a weapon. Someone is always bent on world domination. How do we know this isn't their attack plan?" answered Lilian with a shrug.

"Oh. I like that. Thats original!" Tom grinned.

"What about you, Mr. Calm Guy?" Lilian asked, smiling as well.

"It has to be mental. Television is finally catching up. Video games, computer, all that shit, man! Maybe this whole thing is just some crazy game!" Tom answered.

"Thats a different idea! Your idea is pretty original too!" said Lilian with a laugh. "But, its got holes. For example, how can we be all having the same thoughts and visions?"

"How do I know you aren't in mine. Or, I am in yours and just giving away the plot?" Tom said with a wink.

"Aren't you worried at all?" Lilian asked curiously, after a second to laugh at Tom's answer.

"Not really, man. They are slow from what we've seen, so I don't really worr- SHIT!"

Tom immediately jumped from his seat and onto the desk, a look of sheer terror on his face.

"What?! Whats wrongs!" Lilian shrieked as she jumped up in surprise. She looked to where he was looking and saw nothing there except -

"SPIDER! Ew! Oh man!" Tom whimpered and when she looked back at him, he looked close to tears.

"Its just a spider. Its a daddy long-leg, Tom. Thats a - "

"Its got long skinny legs and bites you with its fangs! Its small and . . . ahh! Its a flippin' spider!" Tom whined and his eyes filled with tears as his bottom lip trembled.

"Again its a - "

"Kill it! Move it! Do something! I BEG of you!"

Lilian couldn't help but smile and she got up. She put a piece of paper from the desk under the spider and the spider scurried up quickly. Then, Lilian walked over to the room where the balls, nets, and ropes were kept and put the paper down.

"Whats wrong?!" Jessica panted as she ran into the office.

"Tom saw a spider," answered Lilian after she closed the door to the storage closet.

"A spider? Tom screamed like a girl because of a spider?" Jessica asked in disbelief as she cocked an eyebrow and looked at Tom.

"Shut up. It was big. Probably a black widow. I did you a favor," Tom whimpered, gaining his tough attitude back slowly.

"Don't worry though. The threat of the daddy long-leg is abolished," Lilian joked and sat back done on the couch. As Jessica left the room, she said "a spider" while chuckling. Lilian smiled at Tom as he sat back down on the chair. He mumbled something that sounded like "Thanks for eliminating the enemy" and looked up at her. There was a carefree spirit about him again, and for some reason, he felt distant. As if he was in a land where only he could go. His "Special" place.

"Tom, can you tell me something?" Lilian asked, killing the silence.

"Hm?"

"How do you get your hair to stay like that? My hair doesn't do that."

Tom chuckled as he watched Lilian try to put her hair in a faux-hawk, similar to his. Lilian grinned widely at him.

"Funny. Your a funny chick, ya know that?" he said and Lilian could see him relax again. That cheered her up!

"I try. Now, would you care to educate me in the hair styling of a punk rocker?"

"Lil, Sheena is a punk rocker. Not me."

"Who's Sheena?"

Tom just laughed again.