WHEW! So glad you guys leave reviews. I was beginning to worry the whole castle angle was verging on cheesey...

I know you say you don't like Vivi, but she's kind of there to keep the story moving...and admit it, you love obstacles. How boring would the world be if not for them? However, reassessing my decision and my lack of time due to nearing finals, I would have been far better off trying to end the story...

W: tfpotandncaptswac (ACRONYM!)
I hope I'm not boring or annoying anyone with the Fablehaven talk...if so please bring it up and I'll try to lighten up on it.

Joker236 - As to your suggestion, I have not entirely ruled out Warren...Seth's a bit young but I admire his character...however I am NOT giving up on Raxtus! I will get to Wyrmroost or die trying. And 1 Chronicles is a book in the Bible...I'm following a plan of how to finish it in a year. Of course, reading the whole bible includes Leviticus and the Chronicles. Hah...
Thanks for reading my Fablehaven oneshot, by the way! Yeah, I kind of wondered about his whole liking her thing too, and I thought, maybe Mull just thought up the plot twist on the spot. Sometimes authors will do that...no surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.


Sonny

"Like, check it out, my boyfriend hasn't called in like, forever!" I said exaggeratedly. How true it was…

"Check it out, I can't believe you didn't tell me you even had a boyfriend." Tawni glared at me. What? That wasn't in the script! And it was completely out of character.

"Check it out…I have like noooo idea what you're talking about!" I improvised, making a ridiculous face and receiving an appropriate laugh from the audience.

"Check it out, I think you do." She advanced toward me and Zora half-entered uncertainly.

"Um…I'm trying to check out items here. Can you check me out?"

"Check it out, shut up. I'm having an important conversation!" Tawni snapped, holding up a finger to Zora and completely turning her back on the audience. "And I think his name is Brad Kylan Shooper."

I stared at her in disbelief and my eyes flickered to the confused audience behind her. One person left and another coughed. "Like, check it out, that is the most ridiculous name I have ever heard."

"Check it out, stop trying to cover it up!"

"Check it out…I'm not hiding anything."

"Hah! I never said you were! Uh…check…it out!" Tawni stumbled.

The audience felt awkward, as did I, and of course Zora. It stayed that way for a while, with Marshall whispering Tawni's first line loudly and desperately. But no one else did anything…until Grady tripped out onto the stage in a "Check-It-Out" costume, and Nico tossed him a gold slinky.

"Like, check it out," Grady shouted, stretching the slinky out and pretending to be fascinated with it. "This slinky is more interesting than them!"

The audience chuckled awkwardly, apparently full of people not buying it. The theme came on and Tawni and I danced it, her throwing me hard looks the whole time until the curtain fell. All eyes were on the blonde.

"What was that about? Our first show in forever and you blow it completely!" Zora shouted, throwing her whole body into her rage. Then she turned to me. "Wait, are you dating Chad?"

"No," Grady cut in. "I'm pretty sure it's some guy with a suspiciously similar name…"

"Yeah, Brad, right?"

Tawni gave Nico and Grady "are you serious" glares. "You two are unbelievably stupid."

I pushed Tawni by the shoulder, forcing her to look at me. "That's the pot calling the kettle black! You only made yourself look like an idiot out there?"

She gave me a sly smile, like she knew something I didn't. "Did I, Sonny? Did I really?" she taunted. How much did she know? "I know a select few people who watch this show, people I definitely don't think would be okay with you and Chad."

My jaw dropped in horror and I mouthed the word "Mom".

She just smirked and placed a hand on a protruding hip. "That'll teach you to keep secrets from me," she said casually as she strutted off the set.

---

When I got home, I wasn't lectured. I wasn't yelled at, I wasn't grounded, I wasn't sent back to Wisconsin, and I didn't get my car taken away. I got something much worse: a mother's distrust.

Trust takes a long time to build up. My mom always told me I was the most trustworthy, down-to-earth teenager she'd ever heard about. It was a trust I had built up from the moment I knew right from wrong.

Would it take that long to get it back?

"Mom, I'm so sorry…"

"Leave me alone." She got up from the couch the instant I sat down and I followed her into the kitchen.

"I didn't mean to keep it from you! It seriously just like…happened!"

"How can I believe you?" she asked for the millionth time. "You could be lying right now. How do I know you were telling the truth before?"

"Test me!" I finally shouted as she walked back into the main room. She paused and turned around.

"Alright." Mom crossed her arms and I was instantly aware that my words might not have been the best to use. "Were you really at Tawni's on Christmas Eve?"

I winced and looked anywhere but at her. "Well technically I said a friend. And it wasn't a lie! Chad and I were still just friends at that point."

She shook her head in disappointment and looked at the wall she was leaning against. "And here I thought I had a teenage daughter I could be proud of. One that I could leave alone without worrying if I would come back and find her pregnant!"

"Mom!" I shouted resentfully. "I may have taken a risk by sleeping over at a guy's house but I'm not an idiot! Chad is perfectly honorable…"

"How could you know that, Alison? You hardly know him! You've been together four days? I was with my first boyfriend for four months before I found out he'd been cheating on me!"

"Well I guess that means you're just an IDIOT!" I screamed, storming over to the door of the apartment without a key and slamming the door behind me. I tried to open it back up but the automatic lock had engaged.

I spent an hour that night on the floor with my back to the door, face in my hands, crying, until she finally opened up for me.