A/N: I got a pitchfork, ha-ha! But don't worry people; I'll update more!! It seems that the story has been directed around Mona, but you can't blame me, it's fun torturing her! But don't worry; this chapter will hold a bit more of Roxy's feelings.

Chapter 4:

The lights flickered on almost immediately. It was Mona, who was so suddenly shocked at Roxanne's cry backed against the wall where the switch of the light was. There was Max, instantly at the redhead's aid. She was clutching her ankle, refraining from giving contact to her injured leg. She let out a moan and sniffed to suppress her tears.

"My…" she dug her upper teeth onto her lower lip and the last word, which was obviously 'leg', failed to escape her orifice. Max didn't know what to do.

"Um—uh—wuh—" he stuttered. She grabbed onto the front of his pajama top and he held her hand. "I-I guess it's at the point of healing… don't give up, just keep fighting… endure it… um…"

Mona didn't know whether to feel happy at the fact that her rival was in so much pain, or to feel upset at the fact that her presence was once again forgotten.

It was a long night. Or maybe not long enough; none of them had gotten enough sleep. Mona never needed to worry about the two hugging in their sleep. Once in a while they bathed her leg. Their guest was unable to sleep, and because of this, Max didn't either. Obviously, Mona wasn't just going to let them get intimate while she snoozed.

That morning, the three downed mugs of coffee, bathed, and got ready to take Roxanne for a check-up. Max paced at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for the two females to finish. He stopped every now and then to adjust his collar, then another to smooth his sweater under the blue striped polo. It wasn't long before they came down the stairs, Roxanne limping slightly.

Max's eyes widened.

"Like my idea?" the latter grinned widely and placed a hand on her hip. "I got the one with the bandages bear this time for the check-up, but I'll be cutting the others, too." The creative brunette had her injured leg bare—but her other leg was completely covered. Roxanne had taken a pair of flared pants and cut the other one even shorter than the extent of her old shorts. Max lit up.

"It's great! Man, you look… amazing." His blush quickly faded as he offered to help her climb down the rest of the steps.

Meanwhile, Mona stood at the top of the stairs, looking disapprovingly at them all. Her royal blue skirt swept her knees as she took a step down, her brown boots with fur trim thumping on the wooden step. Mona was dressed maturely, as usual, but it seemed that her look was the opposite of Roxanne's, which was casual and gave that girl-next-door-on-the-roller-blades air.

"Mona? You ready?" Max called as he picked out a brown leather coat from the coat hanger.

"Yes." She shot him a candy-like smile, but he had already turned away to help Roxanne with her jacket. Mona gave an inaudible snort and adjusted her fur collar. This day was going to be directed towards Roxanne, but keeping in mind the possibility of Max staying in the waiting room, Mona had prepared for a line of flirting sessions.

--

The sun beat down on them through the cold morning mist, and Mona was beginning to regret pulling on her foreign fur coat. Max took her hand and Mona started to feel even hotter, though glad with the sudden attention.

"You hot?" he asked her. She nodded anxiously in reply. "Well, there's a vending machine on the left wing of the hospital over there. You can get a drink and join us again. Hey, could you get me a drink too?" he added sheepishly, giving her a bare-toothed smile.

"I want chocolate milk!" Roxanne said enthusiastically, smiling warmly.

Mona gazed toward the direction of the west wing. She didn't like having to leave them alone, but the thought of getting a drink was tempting. And she could always 'forget' to get Roxanne's drink. She grinned at the two, said okay, and went to leave. Maybe she could get a disgusting drink instead?

"So, uh, are we going?" Roxanne interrupted Max as he stared at his girlfriend leave.

The recipient seemed to snap out of his distant thoughts. "Ah! Oh, oh yeah." He gave her a faint smile and took her elbow. He seemed to get distant again. Roxanne noticed, looking suspiciously at him, but she didn't say anything as of yet.

Her facial expression changed from suspicious, curious, and then downhearted. Come to think of it, the two of them haven't been alone for a long time since they met again when she moved near them. Now he was being distant. Did he really feel that uncomfortable when he was without his girlfriend? The redhead's face seemed to darken with this thought and all the other possibilities of what he does when alone with Mona and what they did that made him so accustomed to her presence.

But that can't be. He barely even gets involved with her! Those two are practically next-door-neighbors! Roxanne thought ponderingly, frowning.

Next-door-neighbors who live in the same apartment together, a voice in the back of her head added.

Well, that is true, Roxanne thought grudgingly.

Why such in a bad mood? Are you jealous?

Jealous? Of those two? I'm not thinking of getting in any other relationship.

Jealous of Mona. Ever since you broke up with Max, you refused all relationships. You're a pretty girl. Surely you've had even handsome suitors, and you rejected them, too. You still like Max, don't you?

What?! Who are you?

Your conscience.

You mean you're the one who told me to give my favorite rubber ducky to my cousin?

Yup. You felt good right after, didn't you? I've been helping you with your life.

But consciences help people do good things, and here you are, encouraging me to get Max to commit adultery!

Aha! So you admit that you like him? No, no, don't talk yet. It's true. And don't feel guilty. After all, cheating on Mona isn't a very big deal, it? I mean, think of bloody Mona… she isn't very special, is she? In fact, she's just a clumsy…a clumsy klutz.

These words made Roxanne stop her protesting thoughts. Hey… that is sort of true, isn't it? She accidentally spilled that pepper in the soup, and accidentally gave me this wound, too! She's a klutz! A klutz! A klutz!

Atta girl! But don't wear it out… Hey, is Max looking at you?

W-what?! Roxanne's head wrenched to the side and her orbs met with Max's glowing ones. They stopped in their tracks for a while before Max looked away quickly, covering his mouth. He stumbled several steps away from her, and promptly banged onto a garbage can, tripping over.

"Ah! Sorry!" he said clumsily when she helped him up, giggling. "I'm a bit clumsy this morning."

"So I see," said Roxanne grinning, as the voice in her head cheered, See! He likes you! He's clumsy around you! Did you see that? Did you see his reaction when you looked eye to eye?

The last three words of her conscience made Roxanne's lips curl into a smile. Eye to eye. Like the song.

And as she and her ex-boyfriend walked to the clinic, him holding her protectively by the arm, her head turned with memories of the first time she saw her crush—the first boy she had ever kissed—on television. It seemed that is was dedicated to her, and the thrill she felt—that expressed itself through the wild beating of her heart against her ribcage—when he grinned, dancing next to one of her favorite celebrities, was suppressed as she hugged her thighs to her chest. Then all she could do was grin goofily, hoping the drum in her chest cavity would match the beat of the song.

--

"Oh yeah, that's a lot of weight," Mona muttered as she pushed her way between a fat man and a chubby doctor who was telling his patient that he had lost lots of extra weight. "…that you should've lost," she added scathingly. Mona had always been bitter with obese-looking people who were proud of their so-called lost weigh. No matter how many pounds they say they lost they were all obese to her. Another reason why she was bitter this hot day was the fact that the crowd was blocking her view from the vending machine.

And what a bunch of ugly people too, she thought critically, glancing around at the unique people around her. Why couldn't there be only beautiful people in the world? Like her? And Max?

And him, the two words popped into her head as her eye caught a brunette in a tan pair of pants and a purple, cool-looking vest. His mature style matched hers exactly. The guy rubbed a thumb against his firm looking chest, and his posture was perfect—it showed the fact that he was tall in height and refined in character.

"I am telling you, Lawr, there IS a difference between elbow caps and kneecaps!" he practically shouted above the crowd at a guy in a diamond patterned sweater, his cheeks dusted with freckles. Mona's heart melted; his voice sounded dignified, too.

And now, she thought, forgetting completely about Max, time for flirt plan one.

"Oh!" she cried dramatically, bumping into him. She pretended to fall sideward and regained her posture, but as she planned it to, her purse did not. She had purposely opened it hallway, and consequently, half of its contents poured out, too. She looked up at him with a most angelic, yet apologetic facial expression. To the recipient's widened eyes, stars shone and a glittery background framed her. "I'm so dreadfully sorry for having bumped into you," she said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh—no, not at all," he replied, giving her a smile. "Allow me to help you." He bent down and started to pick up her things. Their hands touched momentarily, and neither of them seemed to notice that they did not pull away, surprised. He helped her up by taking her hand.

"You are very kind," Mona thanked him.

"Why, it is my pleasure to do service to such a beautiful female," he said, kissing her hand as if they weren't in a crowded area with a vending machine behind them. "I don't believe I know your name?"

"Mona," she said, and before he could ask, smirked and said, "My last name's not very important, is it? Mona is what I'd like you to call me. May I know your name?" She tried not to sound desperate. What she had just done was an excellent flirting tactic.

He smirked. "Despite the fact that you have refused to reveal your last name to me, I shall reveal mine, to you, a very beautiful creation of God. It's Uppercrust. Bradley Uppercrust." He was a smooth talker. Mona instantly had fantasies of growing into a Mona Uppercrust. "Corny, I know, or should I say crusty?"

Mona giggled. "It may be, but that joke sure isn't."

"Uh…" Bradley's freckled companion interrupted after waiting impatiently for several minutes, "can we finish our little talk about kneecaps?" he crossed his arms.

"Shut your trap about kneecaps, Lawr, or I'll have to break yours."

--

The doctor leaned over Roxanne's bare leg, then adjusted his lenses over his nose. After several seconds of probing and scrutinizing, he straightened and looked at Max. "May I know how this happened?"

"Well, it was knife accident," Max began.

An accident… Roxanne's conscience suddenly came to bother her once more as she lay motionlessly on the flat white bed, the doctor and Max talking in front of her. Well that may be true… if she didn't do it on purpose.

What are you talking about? Roxanne hissed in her mind. I know Mona's clumsy—you've convinced me of that—but you must have seen how surprised she was when it happened.

Perhaps… most probably…

"Well, it doesn't seem to be so serious, miss." The doctor suddenly grinned down at her. "Just take a bit of this ointment and it should be gone after over two weeks. It won't even leave a visible scar."

"Two weeks?" said Max enthusiastically, thinking of the ugly wound on Roxanne's leg gone completely. "We'll take it."

"That'll be 20 dollars…"

Max reached for his wallet, but before she could stop him, she realized something and waited until he handed over the money, then reached for his arm. "I'll pay you back on Monday. And don't dare tell me that I don't need to do it."

He grinned at her and nodded. After a few minutes of instructions from the doctor on how to use it, Max took Roxanne by the waist to help her down and the two left the clinic.

--MEANWHILE--

"Sorry, Lawr, or as we can call him, Lawrence, is a bit snappy and attention-hungry most of the time," said Bradley as he handed her a treated can of soda. "I don't know what he means by it."

"Well, at least he's gone now." Mona smiled, thanking him gratefully for the free soda, then suddenly remembered. "Oh, could you get me an extra soda, too?"

"I've got one already," said Bradley as he pulled the can out of the vending machine. "So whose is this for? Don't tell me it's for Lawrence."

"Nope," said Mona, hiding her excitement of wanting to see his reaction. "It's for my boyfriend."

Bradley nearly spat out all the soda from his mouth. Mona dodged expertly and turned her guffaw into a chuckle. "You have a BOY—I mean boyfriend?" he instantly turned his bulged eye shout into a regal question.

"Yes…" she hung her head. "But the reason we're in the hospital is because his ex-girlfriend is injured."

His eyes widened in interest. "Oh, do tell me about it."

After explaining the first few moments of how they met, and even exaggerating a bit, emphasizing things like Roxanne obviously wanted Max back and that Mona's 'misery' gave Roxanne the 'accident', she looked pleadingly at her companion and said, "All I want is to get rid of the witch. And I could really use some help."

He grinned down at her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Service to such a beautiful lady is my pleasure," he said, grinning devilishly.

--

"Is that Mona?" Roxanne looked up and caught sight of the brunette. "Who's that with her?"

Max's eyes widened. "Bradley!"

"Wha—that's your boyfriend?" he hissed at the female beside him when she gave him the sign. She nodded and narrowed her eyes at Roxanne. "W-well," Bradley straightened and regained his composure. "I'll keep him busy, then."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you." Turning back to the approaching couple, she said, "Why, see who I bumped into at the vending machine line! It seems that you know each other, Max."

"Why, how could I forget?" he started off politely, then ending the sentence with a teeth-grinding scowl.

"Same here," said Bradley, smirking.

"What happened to the knees your fellow Gamma broke?" Max said. "You still check it every week, Uppercrust?"

The latter turned red, because, unfortunately for him, what Max just said was true. While they spoke the hard conversation, Mona took Roxanne roughly aside, suppressed the redhead's "Hey!" with the palm of her hand, and shoved her into a dark broom closet. Roxanne fell on her butt, moaned, and looked up weakly at the fierce look on her captor's face with she could dimly see.

"Look, wench," Mona snarled scornfully, shoving her index finger into Roxanne's chest, "I see what you're trying to do. You're trying to steal Max back. Selfish and obnoxious, thinking that you can get Max back while he's still with me! I've tried what I could with the knife and the soup, but it seems you still can't get the picture, can you?"

"You did those on purpose?" Roxanne gasped.

"Yup, and this time I'm giving you an official warning. Go near Max again, and I will assure that you will regret it. So much worse that that ugly scar on your leg, my dear." Then before shutting the door locked, she turned and added, "And don't ever call me 'Mo' again!"

Sbam.

--

Annoying A/N: REVIEW! I gave you this long chap (though imperfect TTTT), didn't I? I need your opinion. Should Roxanne fight for Max's heart against Mona or try to let go?