Author's Note: This chapter is a little important, but I'm not too happy with it. But really, when am I ever happy with a chapter? Thanks for the reviews though, I'm incredibly lucky to have readers who actually seem quite excited to read this story. Sorry this took a little while to come out, I'm in the middle of making and selling some of my art, so things have been a bit busy. Hope you enjoy it though.

I was elected the designated driver because I wasn't intoxicated like Jude, and didn't seem to walk everywhere like Seth. My car lurched down the wet roads, rain sprinkling noisily against the car roof, as the thick canopy of forest passed us. Seth, although useless at giving directions, eventually led us to a small wood panel house, painted a cheerful yellow.

It was perched on the edge of the woods, which, wild and untamed, threatened to swallow the house. Similarly to my house, the porch was littered with pot plants and ferns, which, unlike mine, appeared to be well cared for.

"Quaint, isn't it?" Seth said with a wink as he caught me admiring it.

I shot him a smile, reminded of our second encounter, and climbed out the car. It was typical Seth lived so close to the forest, he did seem to enjoy trees an awful lot.

Jude, seeming completely at home, kicked off her shoes at the front door and let herself in. I watched her in disbelief, wondering if she actually knew Seth's family that well, or if she was entirely informal on all occasions. I was almost surprised she was wearing shoes in the first place. Seth, following my gaze, gave me a slight shrug.

"Can you really expect any differently when Jude is involved?" He asked.

"You're right, actually." I said thoughtfully. "I'm really quite surprised she hasn't taken her clothes off yet."

"Don't say that too loudly," Seth told me, a frightened look on his face. "We don't want her to actually take her clothes off."

"Speak for yourself." I said, giving him a suggestive wink when he turned to me with a horrified expression.

Like Jude, Seth pulled his shoes off at the front door, only clumsier. While jumping around on one foot, he ended up bumping into me, which only exacerbated things. When his mum emerged through the front door, she gave Seth a worried expression as she eyed us both sprawled on the ground.

"At least wait until you're inside to do anything like that." She said, although she was smiling.

"Hello, I'm Ginger." I said, trying my best to seem charming as I awkwardly picked myself up off the floor.

"I know. Call me Sue." She said, shaking my hand. "Come in and make yourself at home."

The inside of Seth's house was warm and had a sense of welcoming that my house seemed to lack. The walls were all painted brightly, and photographs of Seth and a girl, who was presumably his sister, were hung on almost ever inch of the wall. The furniture was worn and mismatched, which only seemed to add to the character of the house.

"You used to be quite cute." I told Seth absentmindedly as I peered at a photograph of a younger him.

"Used to be?" He said, clearly offended.

I gave him an apologetic grin as we made our way further into the house, continuing our search for Jude who had apparently disappeared. We eventually found her rummaging through the fridge in the kitchen, predictably.

"Don't eat all the good stuff." Seth moaned at her, looking genuinely upset.

"You don't have any good stuff in the food department." She told him, emerging empty handed. "I was looking for something in the way of alcoholic beverages."

"We have wine in the cupboard above the fridge." Sue said helpfully, unconcerned by Jude's apparent alcoholism.

"Wine?" I said. "That's so adult."

"You are an adult." Jude told me, an eyebrow raised.

"Not really." I muttered.

Being an adult was something I couldn't entirely comprehend. Owning a home and paying taxes wasn't something I was particularly looking forward to, and, if possible, something I would like to avoid entirely. I rarely brushed my hair regularly, and would not be able to take care of myself. In fact, I would be completely happy if I could spend the rest of my life hopping hedges and waking up at midday.

Jude was pouring wine into cups, because Sue did not entirely trust us with her wine glasses, understandably. She handed one to me and the other to Seth.

"To adulthood." She toasted. "And bowling."

"Right." Seth said uncertainly before taking a sip.

"I don't want to be apart of this." Sue said, with a sigh. "So I'm heading over to Charlie's for a while. I'll see you tomorrow, Seth."

Seth allowed his mother to kiss his cheek, which would have been quite nice if Jude wasn't draining her glass of wine and pouring another at the same time.

"I can't wait until Jude passes out." Seth muttered to me, after his mother had left.

"Is this apart of your master murder plan?" I said back to him.

"Obviously." He told me, rolling his eyes. "What did you think of my mum?"

He looked quite anxious, as though he genuinely wanted me to like his mother. I gave him a reassuring smile because obviously Sue was great, but also because he was looking at me with his big brown eyes that could never let you disappoint him.

"She's lovely." I told him. "Plus, if anyone gives me free alcohol, I'm bound to like them."

"Shall we take this party outside?" Jude interrupted, leaning on the kitchen bench.

"You do realize it's raining, right?" I asked her.

"Obviously." She said, staring at me as though I was mentally deficient. "How else would we have a mud fight?"

"A mud fight?" Seth said, incredulously.

"Yes, a mud fight." Jude explained slowly, as though she were talking to children. "What's the problem? Ginger is apparently not an adult, I'm quite intoxicated, and you're meant to be the fun one. Also because I can smoke outside."

"Can't argue with that." I told Seth with a shrug, already understanding that it was best to just go along with Jude's strange shenanigans.

In what appeared to be the most eventful and bizarre day of my life, I followed Jude and Seth to the backyard. The ground was soft and wet between my toes, the rain making my shirt cling to my back, and I was reminded of my childhood where there was a constant rain and I never wore shoes. The sky was dim, the setting sun swallowed by the clouds, making it difficult to determine the indistinct outlines of Jude and Seth. This, however, was resolved when one figure, presumably Jude as I could see the faint glow of a lit cigarette, sent a huge pile of mud flying towards my face.

I was able to avoid it hitting my face, but it still ended up clumped and matted into my hair. I let out a shocked squeal, and scooped up two handfuls of mud, aiming at Jude. Some of it hit Seth, who looked quite offended that I had been the one who had hit him.

"Accidental?" I offered.

Seth, however, did not seem to take kindly to being splattered with mud for some reason. He was already digging up a large amount from the ground, so I took my chance to sprint away, as much as I disliked physical activity. Like all my attempts at exercise, however, it ended terribly when I managed to slip and fall face-first into the mud.

When the cold evening air began to sting with coldness and none of us could see properly, we decided to retreat to the house. We were all exhausted and covered in mud, but agreed that throwing things at each other could be quite enjoyable.

"Mum will probably kill herself if she sees the mud inside." Seth said a little worriedly as he looked at our muddy footprints staining the kitchen tiles.

"I am quite good with a mop, as I discovered today." I said helpfully, feeling a little guilty as I looked at the floor.

"That's alright." Seth told me with a grin. "You and Jude can have first shower. Also, feel free to borrow a shirt or something, seeing as your clothes are covered in mud and smell pretty bad."

"Great." I told him. "This will be the first shower I've had in months."

"I'm going to presume that's a joke." Seth said a little anxiously.

I gave him a wink as I followed Jude down the hall to the bathroom. The hallway, like almost every other surface in the house, was covered in photos of Seth and his sister. It was quite unusual seeing a functional family, as my own wasn't. The bathroom was quite small, but I could see all of Seth's belongings scattered along the bathroom counter, making it seem even more cluttered than it really was.

"Shaving cream." I muttered to Jude, sounding surprised as I examined it.

"Facial hair tends to grow." She told me mockingly before disappearing somewhere and returning with two shirts.

She turned on the taps and hopped under the water, fully clothed. I joined her, the warm water stinging as it touched my cold skin. I watched the layers of mud, caked to our clothes, retreat down the drain.

"You and Seth make quite a good couple." Jude told me conversationally as the water drenched her. "Especially when you're throwing mud at each other."

"I'm sure that was quite picturesque." I said sarcastically as I washed the mud off my feet.

"Are you dating yet?" She asked quite bluntly.

"Well, we have been on a date." I said thoughtfully. "So technically, I suppose so."

She made an effort to wash a majority of the mud from her hair, but eventually gave up and got out of the shower, leaving it to me. I heard her peel the wet clothes off her skin and get changed into one of Seth's shirts. She paused at the doorway, however, and lowered her voice to speak to me.

"I think he is definitely in love with you." She said quietly. "And you should be definitely in love with him."

The door shut behind her, and I stood in thought, the water running down my back. I doubted Seth loved me, as it was hardly possible to watch someone catapult out of a window and fall in love with them. Just as impossible it was to listen to me talk and fall in love with me. I did have an incredibly obnoxious mouth after all. I suppose he liked me, seeing as jumped off a cliff with me and threw mud at me. Although, those weren't promising signs. I did wonder why he liked me though, it wasn't like I was clever, or attractive, or even really that nice. In fact, I wasn't even able to get into college, and I work at a frozen yogurt store. Additionally, I had never had a boyfriend before, seeing as I was too busy convincing myself I was in love with my gay best friend. If those weren't warning signs, I didn't know what was. However, I was here, and he had invited me, so that had to count for something.

After turning off the taps, I climbed out of the shower. I peeled off all my soaked clothes, except for my underwear, and hung them over the towel rail. I dried myself off as well as I could and pulled Seth's shirt over my head. It came down to my mid thigh, and smelled all woodsy and boyish. I couldn't help feel a little giddy and pleased that I was wearing an actual boy's shirt.

Walking to the kitchen, I couldn't help but glance at all the photos of Seth again. I had the strange urge to steal one and keep it.

I found Seth alone, glumly mopping up the last of the mud. His head shot up as I walked in, and I noticed his eyes travel up my legs and hesitate at my thigh. Usually, I would feel uncomfortable by something like that, but Seth's eyes seemed so innocent. As though it were the first time he had seen bare skin. I simply cocked an eyebrow and grinned when he blushed. He was like a schoolboy.

"Where's Jude?" I asked curiously.

"Pretty sure she passed out in the spare bedroom." He said.

"Well," I said, trying not to think that we had the house to ourselves. "The shower is free."

"You can hang out in my bedroom while you wait." He said self-consciously as he put away the mop. "There's music and that sort of thing, if you're interested in that."

"Who isn't interested in music?" I asked him.

"Deaf people, presumably." He said as he led me to his bedroom. "I won't be long."

Like Magus's room, Seth's had that recognizable boy scent. It was kind of musky, but Seth's room also had that strong woodsy smell, just like his shirt. It was painted a deep green, and gave the impression that it was usually messy, but had been hurriedly cleaned. Clothes had been hastily shoved into draws, books stacked into uneven piles, and CDs and records were scattered across the floor. Seth's walls were almost completely covered in drawings, posters, and pictures. There were photographs of when he was little, one arm around his scowling sister, and more recent photographs of him and whom I vaguely recognized as his friends from the party. I even found one of a younger Jude, Seth, and his sister, Jude had less eyeliner and was actually smiling.

I flicked through Seth's records and eventually put on one by The Smiths. I was surprised that we had such similar music taste, my favorite artists were all there; The Smiths, Sonic Youth, The Velvet Underground, Radiohead, The Pixies, and The Moldy Peaches. I sat on the edge of his bed and picked up the book on his bedside table, a John Fowles book I was particularly fond of.

"I love this song." Seth said softly from the doorway as 'I Know It's Over' played.

"You have decent music taste." I told him approvingly as he sat down next to me.

"My dad got me into The Smiths." He said thoughtfully.

"Oh." Was all I said because I didn't want to pry.

"You can ask about him if you'd like." He simply told me.

"Where's your dad?" I asked him, without seeming too desperate to know.

"Died of a heart attack when I was about fifteen." He told me looking at his hands. "It was pretty hard on everyone, especially my sister. She was quite different after that, withdrawn really. She still is on the few times I get to see her."

"What about you though?" I asked, placing a hand over his fidgeting ones.

"Obviously I miss him." He said thoughtfully. "But my mum and I were able to adjust after time. Mum is quite strong in that sense, but I'm glad she has Charlie, her fiancé, now."

His expression was very soft and emotional, and I had the strongest urge to kiss him, just to see his smile turn up in that grin he always seems to have.

"Who do you have?" I asked him quietly.

"My friends." He said before hesitating. "And you, I hope."

"You do have me." I told him reassuringly.

That was all it took for him to shoot me a grin, but I still wanted to kiss him anyway. I didn't though, because I doubted talking about his deceased father really got Seth in the mood for something like that. He eventually turned off the light and we crawled under the covers, talking about whatever came to mind. He asked me questions, as though he were interested in every insignificant detail about me, and I asked him about his family, his friends and his habit of leaping out from behind trees.

I felt myself drifting into the arms of sleep eventually, Seth's soft words fading as my vision blurred black and my breathing became deeper. Before I was completely out, however, I could have sworn I felt a warm hand brush the hair off my face.

I woke early, and was reminded of waking up next to Magus, only a few days ago. The sky was still dim, and filtered its shadowy light through Seth's curtains. I could make out the gentle expression and soft features that shaped Seth's face. His face, inches from mine, seemed almost child-like when in slumber. I could feel his warm breath tickle my cheek, and his large hand, inches from mine.

Slowly rising into a sitting position, I clutched my head, and shot a glance at Seth. He had not stirred, and seemed still deeply asleep. I made my way across the room to find a spare scrap of paper and a pen, where I hastily scrawled a note of apology, thanking him for allowing me over and promising I would return his shirt at some point. I retrieved my almost dry clothes from the bathroom and quietly made my way out the front door, the cold air stinging against my bare legs.

Still barefoot, I hopped awkwardly through his garden to my car, where I turned on the outdated heating immediately and pulled out of his driveway. The drive back was quiet, with a sprinkle of rain pattering against the roof, and the green scenery never fading from sight. I arrived home just a little past six, when the rain had reached a downpour.

I entered my house, closing the door quietly and attempting, but failing, to avoid tripping over the clutter of shoes at the door. The living room, cast in a shadowy light from the early morning sun, seemed strangely ominous, as though something was not right. I paused at the entryway, cautiously glancing around the dim room.

My eyes caught on the armchair, positioned in the corner of the room, looking too bumpy and slumped over to be an armchair, causing the it to seem surreal and indistinct. My feet took tentative and unwilling steps closer, enlarging the odd shape, until my eyes adjusted to the dim light. I crouched down beside the chair, hands shaking, eyes out of focus, as I stared at the unmoving figure next to me.

The figure, slumped over, stared into its lap, heavy eyelids drooping downwards. Its chest did not rise and fall, its hands lay still, limp.

"Gran?" I whispered.