AN: OMGS guys, my best friend Rina got me Allegiant as a late birthday gift! BEST FRIEND EVERRRRRR RIGHT!

Ok, so, I know that some of you probably think that it's annoying that these first five chapters are all practically the same story from different points of view. Well, I just wanted to write the day where they got their power rings from each point of view. In retrospect, maybe it wasn't such a fantastic idea. Oh well. So, anyways, next chapter will be from alternating points of view, and from then on I think I'm going to do one POV per major event, except perhaps when they're training with their new lantern corps (how do you pluralize that anyways?). So, yeah. Here's Roy's chapter.

Chapter 5: Red

Hi. I'm Roy. Alex didn't tell me what I was supposed to say here.

I get up and for a moment, I can't remember anything. And then all my memories come crashing down on me like a black tidal wave of depression. "Mom." I whisper, as I have every morning since it happened.

I get up, get dressed and then head downstairs. Officer Black, the police officer who was assigned to live with me in my mom's and my apartment until Mom's condition is determined, is sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee, as she has been every morning of this week.

Matching her last name, Officer Black has black hair, black eyes, and when not in uniform, usually dresses in black. It's alright with me, as it fits my current mood.

"Good morning Officer Black." I say wearily. "Good morning, Mr. McEntire. There's been no news about your mother's condition yet." She replies. That is basically how all of our conversations go.

I'm eating my cereal in silence, when Officer Black turns to me. "Listen kid, the lawyers working your case say that you have to go to school. Apparently, if the unthinkable happens, it'll be easier to keep you out of your dad's hands if you aren't moping around your apartment."

I stare dejectedly at my Multigrain Cheerios as I comprehend what she's saying. "So, I have to go to school?" I ask her. She nods. I sigh and go back to my room to get my bag. I wonder if the fact that my mother is dying will get me out of trouble for not doing any homework.

I pull on my shoes and take the rickety old elevator down to the ground floor of the building, dialing Alex's number along the way. I take a deep breath and hit the call button, holding the phone up to my ear.

Alex answers as I'm waving to one of the neighbours. "Roy! Are you alright? Where have you been?" Alex asks me urgently. I sigh, and decide to just tell her. "He shot her." I know she'll understand. Alex and I were best friends even before junior high or high school, and she and my mom are the people I most trust in the world.

"Oh Roy. I-" "I'll tell you." I say, knowing that that's the first thing she's going to ask. I'm surprised at how easy it's become to not let my emotions leak into my words.

"I came home from school a week ago and he was there, outside the house. All he said was, 'When she's gone, know you have a place with me.' I ran inside and called the police. She was there. Lying in the kitchen, blood pooling around her. It was terrible. She's in a coma, and the doctors say that she probably won't make it." I finish, noting that bitterness has crept its way into my voice.

By then I've made it to the bus stop and I'm sitting on the bench, waiting for Alex. "Roy, are you okay?" Alex asks me. "Probably not, Lexis. But it doesn't matter. I have to be strong. For Mom." I tell her, talking half to her and half to myself.

I notice that I've called her Lexis, which I've been trying to stop doing. I feel like it's childish and selfish to call her that when everyone else calls her Alex and it's obvious that pet names are stupid since we'll most likely never end up dating.

"Are you coming to school today?" Alexis asks me. "Yeah. See you at the bus." I say, and hang up as I see the Flaming Dragons, the local street gang, approaching, not wanting them to steal my phone.

Alex seems to randomly appear in the crowd that's streaming to the bus stop. "Hey." I say weakly. "Hi Roy." She says. I notice that I sound hoarse. She notices too and grips my hand tightly in her own.

Soon we board the bus and manage to get seats. Alex's phone starts singing Counting Stars. "Hi mom." I hear her say and immediately tune out the rest of the conversation, pain shooting through my chest at the thought of my own mom, lying in a hospital bed. I notice that Alex hasn't let go of my hand yet, and that I don't want her to let go.

When we get off the bus I lose Alex, but I know that she would go to meet with Alex, Johnny, and Silena. I go to our usual meeting spot just as Silena cries "Roy!" And tackles me in a bear hug. "Hey." I whisper, meaning it to be louder. Silena looks at me worriedly.

"Hi." I say, louder. "What's wrong man? Are you okay?" Johnny asks. That's what tears it. My vision turns red and I turn on the short Latino boy.

"No, Johnny." I snarl, all the work I did masking my emotions in a neutral tone disappearing. "Nothing's okay anymore. My mom was fucking shot. The bullet didn't hit her heart but it came pretty damn close. She's in the hospital and there's a good chance she won't make it. My bastard of a father has the nerve to say that if she dies, he'll take me in. He's the one who fucking shot her in the first place! No, I'm not okay. And if she dies, nothing ever will be ever again."

By the time I finish my rant, I've calmed down a lot, though everyone is staring at me like I'm crazy. "Roy, I-" "Save it." I snap at Silena. I doubt even Alex can make me feel better right now.

Soon the school bell rings and Johnny pulls me into the school, Silena on our heels. Johnny cracks jokes all the way to homeroom, trying to make me feel better, but it's not working, and he can tell.

At the end of the day, Johnny tells me to wait at the bench. The aforementioned bench is a popular make out spot, so I immediately know that he's not going to be the one meeting me there.

As I sit there, Alex approaches me. "Hey." She says, sitting down next to me. "Hi." I say back. I can clearly see Johnny hiding behind a tree.

"You know that, whatever happens, we'd never let you end up with your dad, right?" She asks me. I look at her, confused. She takes my hand. "We'd stash you in my attic among the dangerous weapons and the floating siblings. I'd never let you go there." She tells me, grinning. I laugh.

I then make the biggest decision of my life and turn to her. "Lexis, look. I know that Johnny put you up to coming over here and talking to me. Remind me to thank him later. I really, really like you, Alexis Walker." I get up. "I'll just-" She interrupts me by getting up as well and pressing her lips to mine.

My brain explodes into confetti and I melt into the moment. The girl I've been crushing on for years kissed me! When Alex pulls away from me, I can tell that I'm grinning like an idiot, but my smile melts away when I see her expression. She flees the scene and I collapse onto the bench, the adrenaline rush of the moment gone.

Johnny approaches me now. "Dude, she kissed you! You've had a crush in her for ages, that's epic!" He tells me, his perpetual grin spread across his face. "She ran away." I state plainly, and then I turn and head for the bus stop, feeling more depressed and confused than before.

When I get to the hospital, the nurse says hello and hands me a visitor's pass, not even asking who I am this time. She knows me by now.

My grandmother is leaving my mom's room when I go inside. "Anything?" I ask. She shakes her head. Even so, I go inside and sit by my mother's bedside, talking to her even though I know that she can't hear me.

"I know that she likes Alex, and that Johnny put her up to kissing me, but it felt so... so real. And then she ran away, which should discourage me, but I still like her. What should I do?" I ask, even though I know I won't get an answer.

I sigh and look at my mom, lying motionless on the hospital bed, IVs stuck into her skin all the way up her arm, a ventilator plastered over her mouth. The heart monitor beats randomly, and when it does, it's not very strong.

"What am I doing, complaining to you about something stupid like my love life when you're like this?" I ask, more to myself than to my mother.

I get up and open a window, looking up at the stars. My mom loves looking at the stars, and when I was younger, she taught me about the constellations. I remember that that was one of the first things I found that Alex and I had in common.

Suddenly, colored stars appear in the sky. I wonder for a second if they're fireworks, but it soon becomes obvious that they're not. A red star approaches me quickly, and before I could back away, the star, which is actually a ring, spoke.

"Roy McEntire. You have great rage in your heart. Join us in our quest for ultimate control." And before I could decide whether or not I wanted to join a quest for ultimate control, the ring slid itself onto my finger.

What the hell Alex? I'm just getting to the good part!