Isn't it amazing? I'm not dead! I was off work for a month, I had a major depression break down. But luckily, I'm back and ready to start updating again. They put me on anti-depresants and everything. :P But seriously, sorry for the lack of communication. I have such an awesome idea for the rest of this story, and I totally just abandoned it.

You have my word so that as long as I am breathing, I wil be updating.

Here's the next chapitria! Enjoy!

Episode 20 - Plot

Ed managed to compose himself and get back to his feet. "That bastard." He brushed himself off.

"Now you see what I mean." Leo folded his arms as he looked at the section of the parking lot that Roy pulled out of.

"He's aweful. We only dated for a little while, but he got really pushy and tried to make me do things I didn't want to do." Aria stared off in the same direction as Leo. "Drugs, heavy drugs."

"That's some scary shit. Yeah, we never did get around talking about what happened between you and Roy." Russell put a hand on Aria's shoulder. "Park?"

Aria nodded.

"He's a sweet talker, you saw him." Aria pulled her knees in close and rested her chin on them. "I'm so cute and I'm so sweet, there's no one else like me. He was a dumb decision and I nearly got in a lot of trouble because of him." She spoke to the rest of the group.

The normal spot to talk was at the local park, was a clearing amidst some trees where they set up some logs and a little fire pit, about a foot and a half around. It had to be big enough to heat them up, but not big enough so that anyone outside the trees cold see it. The tree tops were high, so it dispersed the smoke nicely. Though there was no fire tonight, it was the perfect temperature.

"I met him in a chat room. We started hanging around and eventually started dating. It only lasted three months and then he started taking me to all these house parties, frat parties and even a rave. Everytime we went, he always got me drinks, which I never drank, and throwing pills around like they were candy. Weed's one thing, but acid, meth, cocaine? Nah, no way."

"Speaking of which." Russell stood up and walked a few feet away from the group. They looked at him. "Continue." He flagged them on.

"...Thursday, right. But yeah, the last time we went out, we were in a bar in town. He got the bouncer to let me in. We stayed there for a while until he got fed up at the fact that I wouldn't drink, then he tried to take me to one of his buddies places in the inner city, a big apartment building. I got to the front door and that was it, I saw Leo up the street. I sent him a text while we were in the cab to where we were going and to come and save me. Leo got there in enough time to watch him throw me down the stairs. Then, he grabbed a tin trash can from the top step and smashed me in the head with it." She played with the bangs hangnig over the right side of her face. "That's actually the reason I started wearing my hair like this, to cover the bruise. Also, the reason why I wasn't in school the first day you were there."

Ed nodded. "Leo said you were sick...I understand why he didn't disclose any more information. So we get to deal with him again. Well, I do."

"Nah, we'll help out, I will at least. He's a big guy, and I think you'll need the back up." Aria supported him.

"Thanks." Ed seemed a little helpless.

"We should totally take a sledge hammer and beat the fuck out of his car." Russell said from behind the group.

"A little violent, don't you think?" Ed smirked.

"Eh, high hopes." Leo shook his head.

"Right." Ed setteled back down and then it hit him. He examined his stomach for a bruise, ultimatly coming up with nothing. "It just occured to me. He's twenty."

"And?" Paninya inquired. "That just means he's older, not a big deal."

"Sure it is." Ed smirked. "It's a shame no bruise showed up. I'm still a minor, if he hits me, he could go to jail."

"That's right." Leo snapped his fingers. "So we just have to find some way to get him caught in the act."

Russ shook his head. "He won't do it again. He did it descreatly before because he knew he could get away with it. He won't make the same mistake twice. He knows you have the upper hand, I mean, you were pretty saucy with him despite the strength difference. He knows you know...ya' know."

"Thank you Rajin." Ed joked. "But seriously...how can we end this? He's going to keep harassing Winry if something isn't done."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so concerned about Winry?" She spoke in an inquisitive manner.

Ed became sheepish. "Well, I just...she's nice and all...and...yeah. She's a good person."

"You are so full of shit." Paninya blurted out. "You have a crush on her!"

"You're from two different worlds Ed, there's no point." Russell said as he exhaled smoke. "Pointless."

"Regardless if I have chance with her or not, that still doesn't make me not want to help her." Ed defended his reasoning.

"Ah, chivalry isn't dead. How poetic." Russ comented.

"Would you cut that out." Leo snipped at him. "Sit down before you fall down."

"Fine, fine." He sat down next to Aria and Paninya, holding the embers away from them. "Maybe a challenge."

"What?" Ed questioned.

"You ever seen Grease? I think it was the second one, that whole 'car race to win the girl over' routine." Russ nodded. "I think he might go for it."

"Yeah." Leo began. "But I don't think Winry's the type of person to be 'won as a prize'. Damsel in distress doesn't seem to be her strong suit."

"And he's got a mustang, good luck beating that in the van." Aria elaborated. "Racing turtles, remember?"

"No, I mean, take him to the tunnel, race him and then get the footage on camera. We could blackmail him to leave us alone." Russ seemed to start to make sence. "We don't need to win the race at all. We just have to pretend to for a little while, then BAM! Hit the breaks. He rides out the end of the tunnel, we get it on tape and he's left holding the bag."

"...that's not bad." Ed made eye contact with the rest of the group. "Yes?" The group nodded. "You know what? I think Winry might actually enjoy this one too. I'll call her tonight."

Ed then had a bunch of wide eyes locked on him. "You have her number?" Aria said in disbelief.

He couldn't help but turn at least a little red. "Well, yeah. She gave it to me and I gave her mine, just in case she needed help with Bio...or soemthing."

"Maybe you've got better luck than expected. Strong with the plastics, young Edward is." Russell stood up flicking the butt part of the roach away in a puddle. "No point in sitting here, let's hunt down a camera."

Winry stood at the smoothie shop in disbelief. "And you think this'll work?"

Ed nodded. "Yeah. We talked it over a little more on the way here and it would look better on us if it looks like we were trying to do a project for school, we were recording it and Roy just happens to zoom by in the middle of the whole thing."

Clause, who was standing next to Winry waiting for their order, turned around and smiled. "Well, he does do drag racing out the country side, so I don't see it as impossible to try and convince him. It's really only getting him into the city that you need to figure out."

Winry looked a little surprised. "Really? Seems luck's on your side. All you need is a camera after all that."

Turning around with her and Winry's drinks, Clause smiled again. "I could help out. My folks just bought a new digital camcorder. I could lend you that."

Ed nodded in suspission. "Forgive me, I appreciate this and all...but I thought you didn't like us." He brought up a very good point.

She shrugged. "I promised I'd make up for what I did to Al, I want to prove to him that I'm better now. You'll have my full support for this mission."

He smiled. "...Thanks Clause." Wowed at the whole thing, he bid his goodbyes and headed back to the group.

The taller blond girl eyed her friend suspiciously. "You better have meant that."

Clause nodded. "You'd better believe it." She said, handing Winry her tropical smoothie, keeping the orange one for herself. "I really mean it."

Clause was really anxious to get this whole thing up and running that she dropped the camera off at Aria's house after coming back from the mall. She did only live a little up the street from her, so it was no long walk.

Out in Aria's back porch, the group stood in awe over the expensive looking piece of equipment. "This things got more bells and whistles than a swiss army knife." Russell said as he went over the user manual for Clause's camera. He had the camera in one hand and a 'special' cigarette in the other hand; fortunatly for everyone else, they had migrated out to the back step so Russell could have another and not choke out everyone else in the bacement. The night was upon them now so there wal less chance of someone noticing Russell and his habit.

"A wet burning pine tree..." Aria said, her nose slightly in the air.

"What?" Russ said, exhaling in the other direction.

"That's what it smells like...kinda. There's really no other sent like it. Why do you do something that smells so 'blech'." Aria did her best to describe the smell.

"It's for the effect." He turned the page. "Oh...that's what that's for." He was off in his own little world. If there was one thing Russell was good at, it was electronics.

"Well, at least your habit hasn't dulled you any." Leo hopped up on the railing of Aria's back step and looked at the book over Russell's shoulder; briefly catching a little second hand, he coughed. "How does this thing work?"

Russ held the camera up and pushed a couple buttons. The little machine whirred to life; a few lights came on and then the lense focused out. "Like that. Dulled by my habit, as if. Hold this." He handed the rest of his joint to Leo.

"..." He held it gingerly in his left hand.

"We have slow motion, zoom, headlights." Russ said as he pointed to all the different buttons all over the video camera.

"Headlights?" Paninya questioned.

"Headlights." Russell poked a button on the top and a very bright light shot out from the front of the little machine, catching Ed in the eyes.

"Ah!" He averted his gaze. "Now I know what deer feel like."

"Sorry dude." The faux-green haired boy tilted the camera away so he was no longer blinding Edward. "We have the option over here for videotaping scenery or low motion scenes and the option for captureing high motion scenes. The example they gave in the book was a car race, so I think we may be set."

"This is awesome." Aria beamed. "Finally, I'll get him off my back, Winry's too."

"It seems now that the only thing that we're riding on is getting Roy to agree to race us."

"Might have a little difficulty with that. I'm sure you can do it though Ed." Paninya pat him firmly on the back.

Ed became startled. "What? Why do I have to ask him? Who's idea was this in the first place?"

"T'was mine, but you backed me up." Russell pointed out, still while he messed with the functions on the camera. "Besides, you're the one raching him dude, I'm ganna' be doing the camera work."

He sat there in disbelief, he shut both his eyes. "...I guess if I'm the only one tough enough..." They fell slient as Ed peeked out his right eye ever so slightly to see if anyone was going to say anything. No one tried to defend their pride, they just looked at him and smiled. Ed then gave up. "...sonofa'...Fine." He folded his arms.

Here's hoping I haven't been dulled by my absence. ;P Tell me what you think guys, do I still have it?