Ghaahh.. I know, my last update was centuries ago and I'm sorry! Talk about your writer's block. I'm also sorry that this chapter is kind of short.

I hope so much that all my readers are still reading this, I really do. I hope you guys haven't abandoned me yet!

I'm also blank when it comes to an update for 'Defiance' as I too still have no idea what to do with Sophie and the gang.

So you guys please comment, and don't be afraid to voice out a couple of ideas and suggestions. I really need them. I hope you enjoy this little update. You guys deserve it.

-crosses fingers for comments-

-deaselene

Chapter 5

Early morning was like hell for Faith as her alarm clock buzzed loudly from her bedside table. She tried to wake up but her eyes felt like anvils. Thick, hazy, warmth had surrounded her. It felt extremely uncomfortable.

She kicked off the sheets that blanketed her but that didn't help one bit; it still felt stuffy. Unable to open her eyes, she felt around her bedside table for the annoying contraption and pounded it off.

Finally forcing her eyes open was a mistake, it only made her feel drowsier. She fell back onto her soft pillows but violently jerked back up when a sneeze erupted from her followed by a loud crashing noise across the room.

Startled, she searched her room for any signs of danger. It took her some effort, but she crawled over to the edge of her bed to find her Japanese vase strewn all over her carpeted floor in pieces.

She sneezed again, her face falling onto the mattress drowsily. There was a loud crack then it sounded like numerous objects falling unto the floor. She struggled to lift her head and saw her small bookshelf broken and her books scattered everywhere.

Then there came the sound of frantic footsteps bounding up the steps and soon enough, Hannah burst through her door. "Nadine!" she cried, running over to her limp body on the bed.

"Haddah," Faith sniffed wearily. Her nose felt clogged and heavy. It made it hard to speak properly.

"What's wrong? What happened?" her hands rolled Faith on her back and her palm shot forward to weary girl's forehead.

"I'b sick," she coughed then sneezed violently. Her pillows whizzed by both of them across the room and fell to the floor as they hit the wall.

"And it looks like your flu is messing with your mental control," she heaved Faith back to her headboard and summoned the pillows back beneath her. "You are definitely not going to school today."

"Thank God."

"How about I whip up some waffles and bacon with some freshly squeezed OJ and some nice hot chicken soup afterwards?" Hannah said all at once. She was such a mother to Faith sometimes; she loved getting the attention.

"Rebid be to get sick bore often." She laughed, all the while trying to suppress a cough.

"I don't think that would be ideal if you're going to rip the place apart." Hannah rose from her place beside Faith and hurried out the door to prepare breakfast.

--

History was just that: history; and it bored Tyler to death sitting in class. The professor explained little 'tidbits' of her topic to the class before instructing them to take out their books and flip to page ninety-five. It was the assigned reading Tyler had forgotten to do.

He consciously bit his lip then turned to the page mentioned. His eyes widened.

Scribbled in the margins of page ninety-five was a phone number in Faith's intricate-looking handwriting. He chuckled to himself, obviously amused at her daringness.

He looked around the classroom in search of her but oddly, she wasn't there.

Where could she be?

He looked behind him at the other students just to make sure. Then, he felt someone jab at his ribs. He twisted around to see Reid giving him one of the widest smirks he'd ever seen.

Instinctively, Tyler put his palm over the number so his friend wouldn't see but he knew that it was too late. Reid flicked off his hand from his book and made a grab for it. He inspected to handwriting and lit up at the signed name.

"Ooohhh.." he purred mischievously. "I didn't know the girl had it in her. You gonna call her?" he winked. Obviously, he was enjoying his friend squirm under his interrogation.

"No! I mean, I… well…" he snatched his book back from him. He held the book protectively in his hands, partly afraid that Reid might try to make a grab for it once more.

Reid just snickered overtly which drew some unneeded attention from the professor to them.

"Mr. Simms, Mr. Garwin, find something amusing, I see." She patronized better than any teacher at Spencer could. She spoke in a tone that made any student feel insignificant. That's just what she did to them.

Both boys fell silent.

"I was just telling everyone here, gentlemen that Ms. Branwen had been reported sick and was looking to find some volunteers to bring her today's homework." Her eyes bored down both of theirs and a hint of smugness sparkled, too.

"Professor Turner?" Reid gingerly raised his hands looking innocent. "Tyler here's just been telling me that he'd love to volunteer."

Tyler's eyebrows shot up at the mention of his suggestion. So did the professor's. Everyone else laughed.

"He would?" she asked, breaking into a smile.

"He would," Reid confirmed. "I would have done it myself but he beat me to it. 'Course he was being kind of shy when it came to actually volunteering so I did the next best thing and told you."

His smirk was unbearable. He was pleased with himself for smoothly getting out of a sticky situation once again.

"I'm so happy that Mr. Simms here is so enthusiastic about volunteering himself."

At her compliment the entire class erupted into a new wave of suppressed giggles.

Just then, the school bell rang and the professor smiled. She handed Tyler a few papers and sent them on their way. Calling back, "Mr. Garwin, you'd do well to follow Mr. Simms' example."

"I'm sure I would, Professor!" he replied smugly.

Immediately after stepping out of the classroom, Reid burst out into laughter.

"Dude, what the hell?" Tyler questioned, annoyed.

"I'm sure you'll do great, Casanova." Reid winked. He elbowed Tyler's ribs once more before zooming off in the other direction.

"Where the hell are you going?" Tyler shouted after him.

"Sorry, man, got stuff to do this afternoon. Besides, you've got her number!" he stuck out both hands into the air, his pinkies, index fingers and thumbs forming an 'I love you' sign at him.

"I'm proud of you baby boy!" he wore an expression of mock pride and continued running, laughing as he did so. His voice faded away in the distance as he rounded a corner and disappeared. Tyler was left helpless in the hallway. He oddly had no idea what to make of his situation.

Why was that?

--

Havoc had transpired all over the house. Bookshelves, vases, chinaware and other items periodically whizzed past every time Faith would let out a sneeze. Hannah had managed to scathe her palm on a couple of rouge glass fragments.

She was forced to contain Faith in her room, only letting her out for bathroom breaks but nothing more.

All throughout the entire day objects kept whirring around hither-thither. Luckily neighbors weren't a problem where they lived. The houses were a good distance away from each other; enough for most people not to hear all the crashing noises but close enough to be considered neighboring houses.

Faith lay slumped over her pillows; her hair bedraggled and frizzy, her nose as red as a tomato and her eyes sullen and droopy. She felt stuffy, unbearably weak and her head was slowly contracting and expanding painfully.

Hannah had fallen asleep beside her, clearly tired from dodging all the objects that had zoomed her way.

Wads of mucous filled Kleenex lay all over the floor, completely missing the waste basket by her bed. Medicine bottles, syrups and a glass of water were situated by her bedside table.

When she was better, she was going to do a lot of repairing.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door-bell below. Someone was down there.

Faith hesitantly woke Hannah and her guardian groggily rose from her bed.

She patted her patient on the head and coaxed her to continue sleeping. She followed without protest.

Down in their front porch, Tyler stood with Hannah, a polite smile on his face.

"So what brings you to this place?" Hannah asked cheerily after the introductions had been made. She inspected the boy subtly. Maybe this was the boy her Nadine had bumped into at that party.

The boy had said his name was Tyler and explained that he was merely delivering homework for her from their history teacher. But why did he seem so tense when she first opened the door?

He was a polite boy, Tyler. A handsome one, too. A little jumpy, but pleasant nonetheless.

Hannah smiled at him with a sparkle in her eye. She couldn't help but indulge in his thoughts just for this one time.

She crept into his thoughts as charily as possible and gently sifted through his memories until she found the ones she was half-expecting to find. There, she saw the first time they had met and how odd he had thought her Nadine was. Next, she saw the subsequent days that followed their encounter and how often Faith would crash into him accidentally.

The boy was actually beginning to grow fond of Faith.

Hannah let out a small chuckle as she left his thoughts, forgetting that he was standing right in front of her. When she realized this, she took the papers from his outstretched hand and thanked him for dropping by. He looked at her oddly, as expected from her behavior, but was still polite nonetheless.

Their encounter was interrupted by a loud crashing sound from inside the house, followed by another and then another. Tyler avertedly looked from Hannah to inside the house searching for the source of the loud crashing noises. "What was that?"

"Oh my," Hannah stammered and began making her way inside the house. "You better go ahead, Tyler. Thank you again for dropping my Nadine's – I mean, Faith's – homework." she whipped around behind the door to stop him from following her inside.

"Are you sure? Something could be up in there." He asked concernedly. He was sweet.

"Oh it's nothing, I'm sure. Probably the cats up to no good again." She laughed.

Satisfied with her answer, Tyler bade her goodbye and turned to leave. Hannah watched him as he got into his hummer and drove off without one glance back at the house. She hoped she hadn't scared him away.