...Guess what? That depressive mood swing came, but writing this made me feel better for some reason.

I just realized this is the first story where I've used Arabic numerals rather than Roman numerals to number chapters.

Chapter 2: More Introductions

Colette found some more miscellaneous people to talk at. They were in the middle of something.

"OW! DAD!"

"Sorry Lloyd."

"Hi!"

Colette walked up to the group who were standing around a tractor that seemed to be broken. One of the group was clutching their head.

"I did tell you to get out from under it," said a man with auburn hair that stuck up at every angle possible and many that were impossible.

"Yeah... well..." pouted a brown-haired boy. His hair just stuck up at one impossible angle. He still had much to learn.

"Hi Kratos! Hi Lloyd!" said Colette, waving her arm, Noishe trotting behind. "How are you two?"

"Hey! What about me and Presea?"

Colette looked down at a silver-haired midget and an equally tiny pink-haired girl.

"Sorry Genis, I didn't see you down there," apologized Colette. "I'm sorry."

"You said sorry twice."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"...Nevermind."

Noishe whined.

"Oh, Miss FujiFilm was mean to Noishe!" said Colette, with resolute indignity.

"Perhaps if you trained him to leave her lawn alone," Kratos the Sane One started. "Then she might, in turn, leave you and Noishe alone."

"But she's mean!"

"..."

Kratos knew Colette well enough to give up.

Colette, growing bored, wandered off. Specifically, she wandered back into the house, presumably to do some kind of homework type thing.

That was, until the doorbell rang.

When Colette and Noishe went to investigate, they saw the last person they wanted to meet that day.

The mean neighbor lady was standing at the door, a basket under her arm. There was a crash of thunder and a flash of lightning as she walked inside the house.

"Oh, Miss Fujibayashi," said Phaidra politely. Colette swore she heard the horses outside whinny. "How nice of you to come over."

Miss Fujibayashi looked like the kind of woman who could have the male population of any given area eating out of her hand. She had the proportions for it, but not, obviously, the personality.

"I've come for the fleabag," she said severely.

Noishe endeavored to become invisible. He did this by closing his eyes.

"NEVER!" cried Colette, wrapping her arms tightly around her pet.

"He's a public nuisance!" Miss Fujibayashi pointed an accusing finger at the green dog.

"NOOOOO!" Colette yelled.

"Just be a good girl and give the nice neighbor lady the annoying dog," said Phaidra, not helping at all.

Miss Fujibayashi grabbed Noishe by a large ear and started to drag him away, the dog whining piteously, and Colette sobbing hysterically. She dragged him out to where she had left her bike. Miss Fujibayashi then tried to shove Noishe into her tiny basket. As Noishe wasn't a small black dog, but rather a large, green, vaguely canine critter, she gave up, and tried to make him sit on her bike instead. She tried to peddle away, but Noishe just fell off the bike and landed on the ground, on all four paws, apparently without attracting Miss Fujibayashi's notice. He trotted over to Colette, who had gone outside to wave goodbye to her pet, panting happily.

"Oh Noishe!" cried Colette, wrapping her arms around her faithful pet. "You're all right!"

Noishe gagged.

"We must run away, to where no mean ladies can ever take you away ever again!" Colette proclaimed. But, as if a higher power thought this would be a waste of time, Colette spotted something else that held her attention.

"Neat! I found a quarter!"

Noishe whined.

And then came the deadly swirly tornado of DEATH.

A/N: Time to go and work on one of my real stories now...

Please review.