Just to let you guys know, this chapter sucks. Yeah.

Enjoy it you must! (You must)

June 13

"Why haven't you been eating?" I asked.

He whipped around so fast, he nearly dropped his coffee. He eyed me bewildered-like. "What're you doing up? It's three in the morning, Alex!"

I crossed my arms. "Don't change the subject, Justin. Why haven't you been eating?"

"Alex, you need to go to sleep." He placed a hand on my back and began to turn me around.

I grabbed his hand and shoved it back at him. "Answer me, Justin."

He sighed and placed the mug on the edge of the ledge. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I rolled my eyes. "That's BS, and you know it."

He raised his arms to stretch. "I've been eating just as much as you have."

I slammed my hand on the ledge. "This is serious, Justin! You've been giving me and Max some of your food for weeks now!" I stared at him intently.

He scratched the back of his head and squinted at me. "So? What's giving away a little food?"

I glared. "Half is not a little! You're gonna look like a friggin' skeleton by the time Halloween comes!"

He didn't respond.

I started, "You also haven't been sleeping either."

He shook his head. "Have you been keeping records on me or something, Alex?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off.

"You know, I have enough to worry about besides you nagging on me right now. Did you ever stop to think about that?"

"I'm just worried about you, Justin!" I shouted.

He rubbed his face with both hands. "Alex," he stressed my name out. " There's nothing to worry about!"

"You're so stubborn, Justin, you know that? Can't you just tell me why you're not eating all of your food or why you're not getting one, damn minute of sleep?" I demanded.

"Whether mom and dad are even alive, they're counting on me. They'd want me to protect you guys," he stated solemnly.

"They wouldn't want you to starve yourself, Justin." I looked at him sympathetically.

He stated frusteratedly, "I'm not starving myself!"

"Well, you're getting there," I stated meanly.

He looked away and placed his forearm on the ledge.

I grabbed his free hand. "Justin, please. I know I can't stop you from giving your food to Max, but can you at least just eat more?"

He yanked his hand away. "I can do whatever I want with my food. This is really a stupid discussion anyway."

I backed away. "What's the matter with you?" I asked heatidly.

He lifted his forearm from the ledge and placed his head in his hand. "Can you just... leave me alone?"

I scowled at him. "Whatever."

I left.

June 13

The power came on around noon today. Since neither of my brothers were in the presence of me, and Harper and Zeke were helping out with the laundry, I set up the laptop on the kitchen counter and went on the internet to check my e-mail. All I had was spam for flood insurance. In pure curiosity and time wastement, I decided to check our family e-mail. It was mainly for sub conventions and special offers, but we did use it for other things also. There was one e-mail that struck me.

To the parents of Maximus Russo,

Concluding that you even check this due to the recent incident involving the moon, we are here to inform you that your check of $150.00 was transacted to us easily on the day of May 10. Your son is still elligible to join our baseball camp this summer. If you are still willing to come, there will be a brief bus stop for your son and hopefully many others at the church of St. Julius on the day of June 14. There is no need to contact us back with a response, but if you do decide to send him still, please be at the location at 10:15 a.m. We will be providing your son with fresh produce at the farm where the camp is stationed if he is willing to help out with the farming. There will be another camp stationed around the same area for girls who are hoping to follow a religious path. We hope this does not cause any inconvienence.

Administrators at Four Bases Camp

My heart began to beat rapidly as I ran up the stairs to Max's room. I banged on his door and screamed, "Max! Open up!"

The door opened, and Max glared at me. "What?"

I ignored his attitude and asked, "Did you and mom or dad talk about a baseball camp this summer?"

He crossed his arms. "Why do you care?"

"They're still open!" I smiled like I hadn't in forever.

"Yeah, right, Alex. You said the world's flooded and everything. I'm pretty sure a camp isn't going to be open."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "No, seriously! They're picking up kids at ten at our church tomorrow," I stated.

He just stood there scowling.

"Give up the attitude, dude. I have proof if you don't believe me."

He didn't. So we walked downstairs to the computer, and he read the letter over again.

For the first time in weeks, he smiled genuinley. "Can I go?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "No, I just wanted to show you that the internet was on," I stated sarcasticly.

He started to get a confused look.

"Yes! You can go. You might actually have fun for a change," I stated optimisticly.

"Where's Max going?" a voice asked from the top of the stairs.

I looked up and saw Justin. "Max is going to a baseball camp tomorrow."

He walked down. "What?" he asked.

I sighed. "Do I really have to repeat it for you?"

Max backed away with his hands spread out in front of him. "I'm gonna go pack and not get involved." He raced past Justin up the stairs to his room.

Justin grimaced. "Do you have to have everything told twice to you?"

I squinted. "Well, this is the first time I'm hearing about this, so no?"

He walked over to the counter and stated, "I don't want Max going to the camp."

I shook my head in confusion. "Why? I see absolutely no problem with him going. Plus it'll get him out of the house. He needs it."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm trying to protect you guys."

"And a camp isn't protective?"

"Something could happen to him, Alex."

I laughed. "Anything could happen to him, Justin. Whether he's here or there!"

Justin glared. "He's not going."

"I'm not going?"

Justin grimaced again and looked up at Max from the stairs. "No, you're not."

Max dropped his mouth. "But Alex said!"

"Well, she lied." Justin looked at me.

I glared at him intensly. I looked up at Max and got up from my chair. "You're going."

Justin gripped the side of the counter. "I'm in charge here, Alex -"

I opened my mouth is disbelief and walked towards him. "Who made you?"

"Nobody needs to!" I walked closer.

"Well somebody apparently did! He's going to the freaking camp!"

Harper and Zeke walked into the room holding hands. "What's going on?" she asked.

Justin shook his head. "He's not going!" We were about three inches apart. I could see the outline of sweat on the top of his forehead.

"Fine!" I swiveled on my heel and ran up the stairs to my room.

June 14

"Max!" I whispered.

It was four in the morning. Justin was in his room, but I could tell he was awake because of the light coming out at the bottom of his door.

"Max, open up!" I whispered more urgently. I wouldn't knock on the door, because I was sure Justin would be able to hear.

I pressed my ear to the door and heard a slight yelp. Next, I heard the sound of footsteps coming closer. I stepped away from the door just as it opened.

"Wha d'you want?" Max mumbled. He raised his hands to rub his eyes.

"You're going to the camp," I whispered.

He dropped his hands and asked loudly. "What?"

"Shhh!" I raised my index finger to my mouth. "You're going to the camp. Did you finish packing?"

He shook his head. "Alex, I'm confused. Justin said I couldn't go -"

I sighed. "Look, forget what Justin said. It doesn't matter. What matters is if you still want to go the camp."

He brought his hand up to his mouth and yawned.

"Max!" I whispered quietly. "Do you still want to go?"

He squeezed his eyes then opened them again. "Well, yeah. Totally. But Justin said I can't."

"I don't care what Justin said!" I whispered. I sighed. "Pack. Tomorrow you're leaving. Justin will not know. I'll distract him while you leave. You can get there by yourself, right? I mean, it's like two blocks away -"

He glared at me. "Yes, Alex. I know perfectly well how to get there; we go every Sunday."

"Fine." I looked at him more closely. "Are you sure you want to go? There's no pressure at all. But if you do, you have to be sneaky. I'm gonna get in a lot of trouble for this."

He smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks, Alex. And..." He hesitated. "I'm sorry for being... well, you know. Really mean and rude and -"

I ruffled his hair and whispered, "It's okay, Maxie. Just don't do it again, or there will be consequences, got it?"

He laughed. "I promise."

I glanced toward Justin's room. His light was still on. I turned back to Max. "Good. Now get some sleep; you'll need it."

He shut the door and I began to walk back towards my room.

Even though my room was close, it was still one room after Justin's. I quietly rose to my tippy toes and stalked across his room.

Pain struck through my ankle as I began to cramp. "Frick!" I yelled. I placed my hand on the nearest surface which was coincidentally the wall between my and Justin's room. I hadn't been in ballet since I was three. I slid down the slight piece of wall and grabbed my hurt ankle to try and soothe the pain.

I mentally cursed myself when his door creaked open. The light was blinding.

"Alex?" he asked. His hair was messy and his eyes looked vibrant and glossy.

I bit my tongue. "Mhmm?"

"Are you okay?" He scratched the back of his head.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm amazing!" I said sarcasticly.

He raised his eyebrows. "Do you want help up?" He offered a hand.

I grabbed it. He pulled me up, but he didn't let go. Instead, he brought me into his room.

"I'm actually pretty tired right now, so I need -"

"Look, I just want to say this quickly, but I'm sorry for blowing up at you yesterday."

I sat down on his bed. I heard a slight buzzing noise.

He looked at me intently. "Aren't you going to say something?"

"You're forgiven." I smiled up at him.

"Alex -"

"Fine! Gosh, Justin, take a joke, will ya?"

I sighed. "I'm sorry for 'blowing up' at you, too." The annoying buzzing noise continued.

"It's okay." He walked over to his bed and sat down next to me.

I held up a finger. "But I don't think you want to apologzie fully yet."

"Why?"

I lifted my shoulders in a shrug. "Oh... You know... I'm probably up for some more devious plans sooner or later." Preferrably tomorrow, I thought. "And what is that noise?" I asked annoyed.

He pointed to his old CD player. "It's the radio. I know I shouldn't, but that's why I've been staying up. They've been occasionally broadcasting a list of who's dead. So far, mom and dad haven't been on it. I've just been waiting for anything bad to occur, but so far it hasn't."

"Well, that's a good thing, though." I thought for a moment. "They only state this in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah," he stated. His face became hard.

I grabbed his hand. "Justin, I know you're scared but -"

"Didn't you say you were tired? I think you should get some sleep. What were you even doing in the first place?"

He obviously didn't want to talk. "Uhh, I was going to the bathroom," I lied.

His expression became confused. "The bathroom's in the opposite direction."

Oh. "I - I um... I went to get some water after." Yeah. That should do.

He lifted his eyebrows. "Whatever." He laid back on his bed and closed his eyes. He stretched his arms back, and a little bit of his shirt came up to reveal his abs.

I looked away quickly in case he saw me. "Um... I should get back to bed. Like you stated before..." I trailed off. I got up and headed for my room.

You thought I lied? Well, now you know I didn't! Suckish, suckish chapter... *shakes disappointedly*

Review? For me? :)