... I'm back! With an update that should have been up a while ago. But hey, better late than never.

Uh... I'm having computer problems at the moment and can't come up with a divider. Dammit.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

I thought that I was starting to get a view of how far Soda would go trying to win me over. Really, it was endearing. He was treating me better then anyone I ever remembered. However, there was one thing that I hadn't anticipated, and it happened on March 4th, 1969.

A knock at the door roused me from my sleep.

"Mom, you get it." I called, placing my pillow over my head. I heard Sodapop's eager voice.

"No, Mrs. Sterling, it's alright, I'll answer it."

Did I mention he was even starting to grow on my mother? Now that was talent.

"Hi," he said, "Come... in..." I noticed his voice trailing away. I silently wondered who could possibly be at the door that would make him take on that tone of voice.

"Hi, I'm looking for Naomi," I sat bolt upright as I recognized Adam's voice, "Are you her...cousin?"

"No, I'm her friend."

"Oh... well, I'm Adam."

"I know who you are."

There was a silence, which was, for me, filled with my own thoughts... Go away, Adam, go away, go away, go away...

"Well... what's your name?"

"Sodapop."

"Oh... Naomi told me about you."

"Did she?"

"Yep."

"Alright then."

"Okay."

"Nay," My mom poked her head in my door, "there's a boy here to see you."

I resigned myself to walking downstairs to see Adam. His eyes lit up when he saw me.

"Hey, Naomi!" He rushed forwards to hug me, and over his shoulder I could see Sodapop raising an eyebrow. I responded by shrugging.

"Hi, Adam." He stepped back for a minute, and furrowed his brow, "Are you sick?"

"Yeah, I'm getting better, though." Not as though he needed to know about everything.

"Okay, and - hey! I almost forgot, why didn't you tell me you went to LAPA?"

"Didn't I?"

"You mentioned a British performing school, but not which one."

"Oh, sorry... hang on, how did you find out?"

He laughed, "My cousin goes there!"

"And... you were talking to your cousin about me?"

"No, no, I saw the program from one of the productions, and you were in it!"

"Oklahoma?"

"Yeah, that!"

"Cool. So... who's your cousin?"

"Jon Harris."

Now Sodapop laughed freely, and just as it seemed he was done... he started up. I don't think I've ever heard him laugh like that.

"You know him, Naomi?" Adam asked, ignoring Soda's hysterical laughter.

"You could say that," Soda quipped, leaning against my shoulder.

"Hey, is he home?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Why don't you invite him over? I'd love to talk with him again."

Here Soda stopped laughing.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hey, Jon!" I was genuinely excited to see him. I had thought alot of things about him over the past few years, but now I considered him an old friend, the same way I looked at Hannah and Ashley.

"Hey, Naomi!" He semi imitated my greeting, but I didn't mind. "Hi, Sodapop," They shook hands, and the maturity of their greeting really got to me. It was funny. He nodded briefly at Adam, and sat down on the couch.

"So, how were things at LAPA since I left?"

"Pretty good, we put on Orpheus Descending, Annie Get Your Gun, and Kiss Me Kate. You remember Charlotte and Joanne?"

"Uh, yeah, they were my roommates, not to mention Pony and Soda incarnate. What about them?"

"Well, Charlotte was Lady in Orpheus Descending, and Joanne lead in Annie Get Your Gun."

"Uh... okay, here comes my Opera knowledge, and if I'm mistaken there, then it could be my bookwormish ways from my early teens... is Orpheus Descending, like, the Orpheus story?"

"Uh... I guess so..."

"Well, then, couldn't they have just used Eurydice instead of Lady?"

"Uh..."

"I mean, Orpheus and Eurydice sounds so much better than Orpheus and Lady -"

"Actually, it's Val and Lady-"

I groaned. "What are they trying to do, make us Opera buffs kill ourselves?"

"More than likely."

"I mean, they even made the cute little 'Dicey and Orpus' legend!" I covered my face with my hands, and then looked up, "So, Jon... any girlfriends?" I grinned wickedly.

"Uh... well... me and... Joanne..."

"Are going out? Jon, that's great! Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! Oh, I'm so happy for you-"

"It was two dates, don't get crazy-"

"OH my GOSH! Jon and Joanne! That's AWESOME!"

"Whoa, girl." Sodapop commented, "Calm down."

"So, Naomi, any plans for the future?"

"A few," I admitted, "I've recorded an album, which should be out soon, but after LAPA, I'd kill to perform on Broadway, but part of me still wants to be an Opera star... and if none of that works, I'll teach music in school."

"It'll work," Soda said confidently.

"Thank you, Soda." I said appreciatively. He grinned proudly, and Adam glared at him. Jon took in the exchange, and looked at me, then looked at Adam, then, Soda, and at me. I looked at Soda, and back at him, and he looked at Adam, and at me, and I scrunched up my nose. He nodded.

"I see." He said wisely.

"See what?" Adam and Soda chorused.

"Nothing." Jon and I lied.

"You want help?" Jon asked.

"For what?"

"Getting rid of bugs that you don't need."

"Could you?"

"Yep."

"Please tell me what's going on!" Soda sounded desperate. I smiled.

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"Great."

"I'm serious, don't worry. Trust me."

"Alright... you're an angel, Naomi."

I smirked. "So they tell me."

"Well, I mean it."

One look at Adam told me that if looks could kill, Soda would be dead on the spot.

"Well, I'm a little tired. I need some rest. See you guys later."

I was at the bottom of the stairs when a sudden flashback overcame me.

Brilliant, I thought, Just perfect...

It wasn't long before I began to scream. My mother was at my side in an instant... I think that the acid trip convinced her to be a better mother, althought most parents don't need drug complications to realize they love their kid.

"Naomi," She called, "Honey, no!" She held my hands away from my face, and I tried desperately to pull them back. It seemed that every time I had a flashback, I tried to scratch my face again. No one had let me so far.

Soda came flying into the room, where my mother was getting hysterical.

"She won't snap out of it! Oh God, she's sick! I'm a horrible mother!"

"Calm down, you're a great Mom, she just needs time!" He took me from my mother's arms, and spoke quietly into my ear.

"Calm down, Naomi... it's alright..."

I slowly began to calm. I was still nervous, but my common sense overcame it. Hellish though the flashback was, my mind was clear.

"What the hell?" Adam and Jon were at the doorway.

"Nothing," I said, my voice shaky, holding on to Soda for dear life.

"Naomi-"

"Listen, man," Jon said, tapping Adam's shoulder, "She said nothing. If she wanted to tell you, she'd tell you. Otherwise, it's none of your business. She has people to take care of it."

Adam looked desperately at his cousin, and shook his head.

"Alright. I have to go. Jon, you need a lift?"

"Do I ever," Jon grinned, "See y'all around."

"See you guys." Adam said, heading out the door.

"Bye, Jon!" Soda and I said in unison, waving.