There's one thing I would like to say before I start the chapter.

If someone says my work is OOC, I don't give a crap. It's not going to critique me or anything. This is my fanfiction, so whatever I say goes. Also, the way I see it, since this takes place in the future, it could possibly be character development. It works in real life, too. After all, I used to be pretty immature and somewhat idiotic. Now, I'm usually on the honor roll.

I own Scott and Penelope…and apparently the druggie. Maxwell House…I mean, Atoms…owns any characters I don't own.

-4-

"Wait…so…how did you and Dad get together?" Scott asked.

"Ugh! Maybe I should tell you my entire life story while I'm at it," Mandy snarled.

"This is the last question, I swear! I really wanna know!" Scott said excitedly.

"Yeah! Me too!" Penelope cheered.

"Oh, alright…" Mandy groaned. "If it gets you two to shut up…" She cleared her throat. "It all started one day in college. My roommate…well, let's just say she wasn't the best role model…"

-X-

Mandy woke up yet again to a fog of smoke. "Dang it, girl! You know that crap's bad for you! Take it outside!"

"I'll do whatever I want! It's my body!"

"Well, I have a body, too, and I don't want to die from second-hand smoke!"

"But it's not a cigarette; it's…"

"Marijuana, I know," Mandy said, getting up. "And your point is? And why do you smoke that crap? It's not even legal!" As she expected, her roommate didn't listen. Mandy sighed and left the room. What the heck happened to me? I used to strike fear in everyone's hearts, and now I can't even get a druggie to listen to me! Ugh…whatever happened to the good old days, where everything was my way or the highway, and it was just me, Grim, and…

Mandy stopped in her tracks and sighed again. Just thinking about him made her feel somewhat depressed. She tried denying it, but she couldn't: she missed him. Bad.

Later that day, her roommate died of drug and alcohol overdose.

Of course, Mandy didn't know it at the time. She was in class taking notes for a big test coming up. Finally, the bell rang, and she left, books in hand.

She walked up to her dorm. Before she opened the door, she heard some voices.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into bringing you here."

"Aw, come on! I wanted to watch you take another one again! Think of it as…uh…Bring-Your-Best-Friend-to-Work-Day!"

"Since when do YOU t'ink?"

Mandy gasped. Of course, she didn't know who was in there. She thought there were thieves or kidnappers or…even WORSE in her dorm room.

Slowly, she opened the door. Not much: just enough to see what was going on.

All she could see was the back of a black robe.

"Drug overdose," the one in the robe said, checking his list. "What de heck's da matter wit' people deez days, Bill?"

The other one made a noise that sort of sounded like how someone would say "I dunno".

Mandy was shocked. "No…it couldn't be…"

She opened the door wide enough to confirm her answer. She now saw the owner of the other voice: red-orange hair, white dress shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes. She could see the side of his humongous pink nose.

The red-head heard the door creak. He turned to the door and gasped.

"Did ya say somet'ing, Bill?" the robed figure asked.

The red-head poked him in the shoulder and pointed toward the door.

The robed figure turned to the door and groaned. "Oh, you've got to be ki--"

"Mandy!" Billy cried as he ran toward her. "What are yous doin' here?" he asked, embracing her in a hug.

Mandy rolled her eyes. "This is my dorm."

Billy let go. "Oh…uh…sorry about your…uh…roommate…"

"That's okay," Mandy said. "She got what was coming to her."

"Oh…okay…" He paused for a moment. "Say…do yous have anymore classes today?"

"No. Why?"

"Well, do you wanna hang out with us then?"

Grim groaned again. "What?"

"Sure, why not?" Mandy shrugged. "It'll be just like old times..."