More than 50 reviews! I know 100 reviews is supposed to be the one you celebrate, but 50 is awesome! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! And thank you also everyone who has been reading my story silently. Even if you're not reviewing, I'm still glad you like it enough to read. :D

This is sort of a filler chapter. Nothing particularly exciting happens…

xxxxxxx

"Mom, what's going on?" Bradon asked, sitting at the kitchen table with the rest of his family.

Mrs. Frome sat down next to her husband and looked at each of her children in turn. "Something has happened. Now, I don't want any of you to worry. It's just…there are going to be some changes around here, temporarily."

Bradon was starting to get worried. Whatever was going on, his mom was beating around the bush to avoid saying whatever she needed to say. Robin looked equally bothered. Chase just looked confused.

"You all know your Aunt Kristy?"

Well, duh. Kristy was Bradon's mom's younger sister. She lived in Minnesota with her five-year-old son, Noah. She's a single mom, so she has this little apartment, but since it's just the two of them, it works just fine. They always come to visit for Christmas and Thanksgiving and whatever.

Robin nodded in response to Mrs. Frome's question.

Mrs. Frome took a deep breath and put on a brave front. She said in a controlled voice, "Aunt Kristy is very sick. She has breast cancer. Apparently, she's had it for a long time now, but she never told anyone because she didn't want people to worry about her. When the doctors first caught it, it was already spread too far for them to get rid of completely. Now, it's advanced to the point where she can't handle it on her own anymore. She called me last week and told me all this. So, I am going to stay with her and help take care of things, lighten her load."

"What?!" Bradon blurted. "You're going to live with her?"

"I'm going to take care of her," Mrs. Frome said. "I'm her sister, and there is no one else for her to turn to. My plane leaves on Thursday."

"She's really that sick?" Robin confirmed, her voice small and concerned. "She needs you with her full time?"

Mrs. Frome nodded. "Unfortunately. Cancer is a scary thing. It's not something you should go through on your own. She needs support more than anything, and I'm going to give it to her."

Mr. Frome took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Bradon couldn't help but be a little grossed out by his parents' public display of affection.

"But, how long will you be gone?" he asked.

"I can't predict that now," she replied. "Until she doesn't need me anymore."

"Will she be okay?" Robin choked.

Mrs. Frome said, "Right now, it doesn't look good. She's undergoing treatment, and that always helps, but…there's only so much doctors can do. She's still sick."

Robin became very interested in the table top, blinking hard.

Shit, don't cry Robin! Bradon communicated telepathically. And then the reality of what was happening sunk in. Aunt Kristy had cancer. People died of cancer. And Mom was leaving to go to Minnesota while the rest of them stayed here and just…what? Waited for her to come home? It could be months!

"So, what? You're going to ditch us, just like that?" he snapped, harsher than he had intended. "What about your job? What about us?"

Any other day and she might have called him out on his tone of voice, but today she allowed it to slide. "That's all been taken care of. Your father will still be here. There is nothing I regret more than leaving you all to fend for yourselves, especially with Artemis here. That's just one more kid for my very understanding husband to be in charge of on his own. The timing of this was terrible."

Mr. Frome smiled. "Don't let that keep you up at night. I can run a house on my own. I am an adult, you know."

Mrs. Frome laughed halfheartedly. "The point is, I'm needed there more than I'm needed here, right now. I promise I'll call every night. And I will come home as soon as humanly possible once Kristy is back on her feet."

Back on her feet? Bradon didn't recall too many cancer patients who made miraculous recoveries. Maybe they did. He was no expert. But earlier his mom had said Aunt Kristy was in an advanced stage. If she were going to get better, wouldn't it have happened in one of the earlier stages?

"Are there any other questions?" Mrs. Frome asked.

There weren't.

xxxxxxx

Monday Artemis sat alone in the cafeteria. This had become a sort of tradition. He liked sitting by himself. It gave him time to think. The first week people kept coming up to him asking if he'd like to join their table. By now they knew better. Artemis wanted to be left alone.

Robin sat down next to him with her Literature book open. She held a pencil and paper.

"Hi," she said tentatively. "Sorry to bother you, but I know you're in AP English, and I'm having trouble with this story, so…"

Artemis carefully, and deliberately slowly, put all his food aside. He peered at the page she had her book open to. It was a story his class had read only a few days ago. He still remembered his teacher going on and on, pointing out everything Artemis already knew. It had been painfully easy.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" he asked with a hint of annoyance.

Robin picked up on the hint and blushed. "You don't have to help me. I just thought I'd ask."

Artemis sighed. "You know what your problem is? You have absolutely no confidence whatsoever. If you want my help, you need to assert yourself."

"I don't want to force you. I'd feel bad."

That was the most pathetic statement Artemis had heard all day. He tried not to show it on his face. "Robin, tell me what it is you want me to do."

"Well," she set the book out so they could both see. "We have to write a summary on this story. Have you read-"

"Yes."

"Okay, um, the teacher said something about symbols. I guess it's very symbolic or something. We're supposed to describe the symbols and what they mean in the story. Except, I don't know what the symbols are. To me it's just a confusing, creepy story."

"You obviously don't understand what is being told here," Artemis said. "There is so much meaning and depth beyond the surface."

"That's what I don't get," Robin mused. "Why do all the stories we read have to have depth? Who says they weren't just written for fun, to be taken at face value. There always seems to be some deep meaning behind everything."

"But there is meaning."

"Then what is it is this story?" She pointed to her book.

Artemis organized his thoughts, which took about two seconds. Then he said, "Clearly, the two house owners represent the two sides of the mind, the spiritual and the material. In order to be content, one cannot let one half overcome the other or else it causes insanity. It needs to be balanced. Anyone can see that is what the author expected his readers to get out of it."

Robin blinked, uncomprehending. "What? How-?" She turned her book sideways as if expecting the words to be easier to decipher at a ninety degree angle. "How did you get that?"

Then, Tyler showed up out of nowhere. He made himself comfortable in the chair across from Artemis and set his lunch bag on the table. Artemis wasn't pleased. Any more people joined his table and he might be mistaken for being part of a group. "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you, too," Tyler responded without a trace of sincerity. "My friend I usually spend lunch with is absent today. I wasn't about to sit by myself." He nodded to Robin. "Hey."

"Hi," she waved, even though you could tell they didn't really know each other and were only doing it to be polite. She stuck her piece of paper in the book to save her page then closed it. "Thanks, Artemis. I think I get it now," she lied. "Sort of."

"English?" Tyler asked. "Aren't you in my class?"

Recognition lit up in Robin's eyes. "Oh, yeah. You sit a few seats behind me. Did you get the symbolism in today's story?"

He laughed. "No way. I'll probably just make something up."

Artemis was very tempted to depart without a word and let these two talk it up. Couldn't they go somewhere else? Was it really so much to ask?

As if reading his thoughts, Robin stood, hesitated while she said, "See you later," to both boys, and left.

Tyler opened his lunch bag and pulled out a frosted cupcake treat wrapped in plastic. Quite unexpectedly, he tossed it onto the table and gave it a look like it was the most disgusting thing he'd ever seen in his life.

"Not a fan of desserts, I see," Artemis commented.

"I love cupcakes," Tyler said with loathing.

"Obviously."

"I do," he insisted. "But not that one. I refuse to eat it."

"Why?"

"Because," Tyler made himself very busy taking an apple out of his bag. "My dad…he sort of took it without permission from this one market." He paused. "You know the saying 'the best things in life are free'? My dad likes to take that to the extreme."

"He stole it," Artemis confirmed.

"It's wrong," Tyler said. "I hate it so much. But I can't even get mad at him, because he does it for me."

Artemis wondered if Tyler's father knew how his son felt. Probably not. Otherwise he wouldn't be venting to Artemis. It was almost surprising the morals Tyler had. Where did he learn them from. Usually children followed in their parent's footsteps, whether it is right or wrong. Artemis was a perfect example of that. He was a criminal (ex-criminal now…mostly), just like his father.

"Are you really struggling so much financially that you cannot afford a one-dollar cheap snack?" Artemis asked.

Tyler took a big bite out of his apple, conveniently enabling him unable to answer.

xxxxxxx

Mrs. Frome's plane left Thursday afternoon, so her kids were unable to see her off to the airport. Instead they had to say goodbye before the left for school in the morning. Artemis felt very out of place during the whole ideal. He almost felt bad for being there while they were going through their family problem.

Anyway, Thursday afternoon, when Artemis, Bradon, and Robin got home from school they had the whole house to themselves. Mrs. Frome was on a plane to Minnesota, and Mr. Frome was still at work and wouldn't be home until the evening.

Bradon dropped his suspiciously empty backpack on the living room floor. "This is going to be sweet."

"What do you mean?" Artemis questioned.

Bradon leaned against the arm of the couch. "Don't you get it? Mom's gone! She was the only one enforcing any rules around here. Dad's a pushover. We can get away with anything."

"How can you say that!" Robin exclaimed, aghast. "Don't you even care about Aunt Kristy at all? You're already thinking about taking advantage of the whole situation. You are so selfish."

"Am not!" Bradon retorted defensively. "But, seriously, think about this. We have three hours every day after school where there will be no parental supervision. The possibilities are endless!"

"You're a jerk," Robin retreated to her room emotionally.

"Girls," Bradon mumbled.

Artemis, never one to voice his own opinion, kept his mouth shut.

Yeah, right.

"I don't believe you've comprehended the seriousness of the situation," he said coolly.

Bradon shifted uncomfortably. "I know cancer is serious. How stupid do you think I am?"

It took all the willpower Artemis could muster not to answer that last question. Instead he said, "This is no joking matter. I'd have to say I know how Robin is feeling. My own mother has fallen deathly ill before."

"She has?"

"Yes, and it was a very difficult time. Don't push your luck, despite the opportunities that might arise in the upcoming weeks."

Bradon frowned. "Your mom, is she okay?"

"She made a full recovery," Artemis said. He would leave out the details.

"You see," Bradon pointed out. "Aunt Kristy'll be fine." He fell down onto the couch, lazily.

Artemis made his way to his own room, closing the door behind himself for privacy. He did his homework, which took less than half an hour total. Then, he checked his e-mail. One was from his father, talking about one of the new businesses he opened. Another was from Butler telling him to keep his guard up and to call him at any signs of suspicious activity.

Suddenly, there was frantic knocking on Artemis' door. "Yes, what is it?" He was irritated.

Robin opened it asked nervously, "Do you know where Chase is? He always gets home from school before us, and he's not in his room."

Robin, Artemis, and Bradon made a quick sweep of the house and backyard to make sure Chase wasn't around.

"Is it possible for him to be late?" Artemis asked, not particularly worried himself.

"It's been half an hour," Robin said. "I'm going to walk to his school to see if he's still there."

She was out the door before Artemis could respond. So much drama in this family, he thought.

xxxxxxx

Sorry if this chapter was rushed. Did I say that last chapter, too? Ah, well. It's 10:30 p.m. on a school night, and my dad's been bugging me to go to bed, so I was hurrying so I could get this done. I wanted to post it tonight.

Yeah…more stuff will start happening next chapter. Stay tuned.