Hey. I have returned. Enjoy. :)

Of all places to end up, I was surprised to find myself back at my aunt's place. I wanted to figure out how my life could have been, but thinking about it, I don't know how she'd be able to help me. It was worth a try, especially since I was already there.

The answer to the soft knock was immediate, which meant an escape was redundant. The same woman from the day before answered and didn't seem surprised about my return. "Hi, Ally. Are you returning?" The exact same thing she said the day before. Returning. I had a choice, to leave or to stay and the choice was clear. Stay, return, come back. For all I knew, it could change some things. Things that needed to be changed, more importantly, gotten rid of.

Just because I wanted to come back didn't mean I had to say it. But my voice was four hundred steps ahead of me when it said, "Yes."

"Uh, I think. " I added, to sound less eager. She invited me in and told me to sit on the couch.

"So. How have you been?" she asked, sitting across from me.

Terrible. "Good."

"We never got a chance to connect after you ran away. I know when your parents were alive I never visited or called."

"But?"

"Well, I never visited or called. I'm sorry."

"Whatever. It doesn't really matter now."

After silence, the only thing I could think of to spark up a conversation was, "Uh, I forgot your name."

"Oh. That's okay. You can just call me Mom."

"Yeah, no thanks."

She bit her bottom lip. "Perhaps I should call the social worker."

This caused me to gasp. "Did you tell her I ran away?"

"Of course I did, but it was a few years ago. She will be thrilled to move a step forward in the adoption process."

"Wait. Adoption process? Like, adopting me?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

"Yes, there is. I'm seventeen; I don't need to be adopted."

"Well, where would you go?"

"Where I've been the past three years."

She sighed, too busy dialing a number on her cell phone, and then put it up to her ear and started talking business-y.

After an hour of staring at the wall, there was a knock on the door. A woman who looked and sounded like the Grace lady from Annie walked in and smile. "Hello. Is this Allyson?" I cringed at my real name.

"Yes, it is."

They sat down across from me. The woman's clipboard and papers and folder looked threatening. "Hello, I'm Diana. You must be..." she stopped and looked at a sheet of paper. "Allyson, but prefers Ally. Well, hello. You may be surprised at how soon I showed up. I was in the neighborhood. You've grown."

"You mean since I was fourteen?"

She nodded. "I take it that you do not want to live here."

"Well, then, coming back would illogical." my aunt says. Or should I say Mom?

"I just... hate living... no where." That would have been true with or without the 'no where'.

More nods, some whispering, and writing on a paper. "Is there anything we should know about your records? Have you been arrested or instituted or hospitalized?"

"What do you mean by 'instituted'?"

"I mean, sent to a mental institution, which is unlikely knowing your background." She meant the 'goody-two shoes' background.

I could say yes, I could say no. The real situation was where either answer would get me. Saying yes would lead to her writing down some more stuff and then me being sent to mental-person school. I wasn't mental, so saying no wouldn't be a lie. Saying yes would mean that my 'new life' was no different than my old life. My throat became dry and I couldn't find the voice inside of me to say yes or no.

"Um, our files say that you were instituted." First, how did they know that? Second, why did she ask me if she already knew the answer?

"Well, that's not important, is it?"

"Actually, it is. If you are going to be adopted or to have the thought even considered, we need to know everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything." she repeats.

I sighed. "Look. Just because I came back doesn't mean I want to be adopted. I can vote next year, which is in, like, two weeks." December 18th. I had thirteen days left, less than two weeks.

"Well, would you like to be emancipated? That is an option."

Emancipation. Did I want to be emancipated? "Yes. I would like to be emancipated. So, this talk is pointless now, right? We sign a few papers and then I'm free?"

"No, not exactly. You need an adult's signature and approval. This is only after you've proven that independent living is something you can handle. You'll need a job and a place to live. Perhaps a place of your own. After that, we can sign some things and you're emancipated."

"Sounds pretty easy."

"But it takes four to six months. The adult approval can be from Pamela, which I suppose is your first choice." Pamela. That was her name. Pamela and Penny. Sisters. I always wondered what it'd be like to have a sibling. Someone you hated but loved. I had that type of bond with Trish, but we didn't even playfully hate each other. I had that type of bond, no, communication, with Austin. I hated him but I loved him. I wonder if he was emancipated. Or had thought about it.

Speaking of him, I had a place to be and it wasn't a place where I was practically being interrogated by two women with clipboards and papers and business looks. "Will you sign it?" I asked... Pamela.

She thought for a second. "I'm sorry, but... no," I didn't even need to ask why, she continued, "You ran away. You're not ready to be on your own. You need to be accompanied by someone who loves you. Someone who loves you can melt that ice cold heart."

"A comment like that should be recorded." I tell Diana, who does not write it down.

"Ally. You should probably stay here."

"No! I-I... you said from an adult. I know other adults than my aunt... Pamela." I said, saying her name with hate and disgust.

"Well, that's great. Names?" Diana asked.

I really didn't know that many adults. "Uh, one of my teachers."

"Ally, I probably forgot to mention this, but the adult has to be or have been your legal guardian... which actually only leaves Pamela."

"But she won't sign it! And my mom would want her to."

"Not if she knew the path you were going down." Pamela retorts.

"What path?"

"The same path leading you to hell." Diana writes this down.

"The path I'm going down is fine." I tell her.

"Well, this path already led you to a mental asylum."

"It was a hospital, not an asylum."

"Yeah because that's way better." Pamela said sarcastically. She was making jokes while her name was Pamela.

I sighed again. "You don't even know why I went."

"I do. You attempted suicide." Diana jumps in.

"You did what?!" Pamela asks in surprise.

"Perhaps Ally belongs in a mental institution. That's where you can make sure she doesn't hurt herself and turns out okay."

"How many people do you know that went to a mental hospital and turned out okay?" I asked.

It occurred to me that this whole conversation was literally going no where. The more we talked, the more sanity that was lost from all of us. "I'm going to go."

"Wait, Ally. I expect to see you tomorrow. How's here at three?"

"Whatever. I'll be there."

You need to be accompanied by someone who loves you. Someone who loves you can melt that ice cold heart.

I wasn't going to debate the truth on that, but I was going to take it up. The only problem was finding someone who loved me. Automatically, Austin came to mind, but I settled with Trish instead. When I thought I was walking to her house, I was going to Austin's.

The door was unlocked, like always. I wonder if he was just stupid or if he didn't want it to be locked if I came back. Or when I came back.

I shut the door behind me. Austin was asleep on the couch. He left the television on. He was watching cartoons. How mature.

He looked really peaceful and I didn't want to wake him, but nevertheless, "Austin." I called.

He blinked his eyes open. I wondered if he was really asleep. "Hi. Why are you always asleep?" I asked.

"I'm hibernating. That way, when we have to go back to school, I'll never be tired."

"Then you can't fall asleep in class."

He sat up. "You're right. Maybe I should stay up all night. Want to join?"

It wasn't that late, but that meant more hours with him, which was a good thing, right?

"Stay up all night doing what?"

"Watching movies or something. You could never go wrong with that."

"Unless you choose the wrong movie." I said and sat down on the couch.

"Any suggestions?"

"What movies do you have?"

"All of them."

"All of them? How?"

"Netflix, dummy. Now what movie?"

"There's so many to choose from. I think I'll take extra long to decide." I crossed my arms and pretended to be thinking.

He rolled his eyes and chose a movie.

"Life of Pi? Seriously?" I asked.

"Hey, I'm hungry." he said, like it made sense.

"I've seen this movie and I don't think it's about what you think it's about."

"Well, it says pie in the title. It's obviously about a day in the life of a pie."

I sighed, giving up on trying to correct him. "This is going to be a long night."

"He's making a big deal out of nothing. It is just a stupid tiger."

"The tiger has a name and it is Richard Parker."

"What about his family? What happened to them?"

"Austin. They died."

"What? How?"

"When the boat sank. Remember when Pi was lost at sea? It's because the boat sank. Did you even watch the movie?"

"Yeah. Sort of."

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea. Next thing you know, we'll watch The Breakfast Club and you'll ask me why-"

"Do not spoil it." he tells me slowly.

"Fine. I won't, but let me tell you, it is not about breakfast."

"Why is it called The Breakfast Club if it's not about breakfast?"

"Same reason you made it to high school." I said playfully and ruffled his hair.

He fixes it. "I kind of have a look going and having ruffled hair is not apart of it."

"You know, if there were a movie called 'Ruffled Hair', I'm pretty sure it would not be about ruffled hair."

"Why do they make movie titles that aren't relevant to what happens in the movie?

"That's actually a good question."

"I know."

"But it came from the guy who didn't know that there was a West Virginia?"

"Is West Virginia even west of Virginia?"

"Yes, it is. Hence the west."

He didn't say anything after that and I said something that I didn't even think about before saying. "What are you doing after high school?"

"I am going to be musically famous. But don't worry, I'll mention you in my speech at the Grammys." he said, very confidently. When I don't respond, he asks, "What about you?"

I started to mess with the hem of the shirt I was wearing. "Uh... I don't know. I want to be a songwriter, but I know I have a one in a zillion chance of making it. And I have that stage fright I told you about. It would never work out."

"You never know unless you try." How sweet.

"You're right."

"I know." And he ruined it.

Then it was silent. We were just staring at each other after that. "Austin." I said, even though I knew he was listening because he was looking right at me.

"Yeah?"

Here goes everything. "I have something I want to tell you." He responded with a very unsure okay. "Yesterday... or the day before or something... oh, forget it. I'll just say it. I mean, it's stupid. I don't know why I even thought it."

"What is it?"

I let in and released a deep breath. "I want stop ignoring the sexual tension between us. I mean, it's obvious that it's not going anywhere, so maybe we should test it out. What am I saying? I mean, obviously-"

"Ally." he says.

"Yeah?"

"I want to stop ignoring it, too."

I felt as if my heart and mind and conscience were yelling at me saying 'I told you so'. Relief and happiness were ricocheting through me. I wasn't completely insane. "It doesn't mean we have to date or anything. At least it's... a breakthrough."

"I have a proposition for you."

"Okay."

"If we think something, like something about the chemistry between us, we tell each other. Okay?"

"Not a proposition, more of a promise, but okay."

We were silent. "Don't you have something you want to say to me?"

"Uh, don't you have something you want to say to me?"

His face said yes, but he looked like he wanted to say no. "I asked you first."

"Whatever. Just... turn it to the next movie. I'm thinking we watch The Grapes of Wrath. It's an interesting tale, really. It's about-"

"We're watching Jaws. You in or you out?"

"In. Apparently out isn't cool."

"You know, once you're in, you can't get out."

"Okay. I don't like those kinds of movies, so I think I'm out."

"Don't worry. If you get scared, I'll hold you. I promise."

"You think I'm scared? I am not and to prove it, don't turn it to Jaws. Turn it to the alien-zombie movie. We can watch all of them."

"Really? All twelve? Oh, and it's called Zaliens." he said, like he really knew what he was talking about.

"You know that, but you don't know that there's a West Virginia?"

"Don't judge me. At least Zaliens is about what the name suggests."

"The name suggests that it is for ten year olds."

"Oh, please. 14 and up. I started watching them when I was six. Now that's a hardcore life."

"Are you being sarcastic?"

He ignored me and still put on Zaliens. And made me watch all twelve. "So. What do you think?"

"I think... that we spent countless hours of our lives, that we will never get back, watching... that."

"Did you see that ending coming?"

I give him a look. "I didn't see anything coming. I was much too busy trying to get the image of that zalien eating the puppy out of my head."

"Get over it, Ally. It happened in the first movie."

"It's still traumatizing."

"The dog isn't complaining."

"Well, I am. I'm tired. Why did I agree to this? Oh, yeah, I didn't."

"You had no movie suggestions except for the one about the grapes. It's probably not even about grapes, is it?"

"No, it's about the Great Depression. An important part of American history."

"Well, I think I'm going back to hibernating. You can keep talking about grapes."

I sigh and watch him lay back on the couch after turning the TV off. Based on what he just said, TV may actually rot brains. I stared at him as he tried to go to sleep. A small smile formed on my face before I laid next to him, if not on him. I felt warm and safe. And a little like the sexual tension was saying 'This is nothing, but it will have to do'. The sexual tension having a consciousness may be apart of my imagination, but it was right. Since clearly nothing was happening, what was happening now would have to do. And it did just fine.

This chapter took longer than I had anticipated, but oh well. It's longer. Also, I really really REALLY REALLY wanted them to kiss in this chapter, but I knew I had to wait. I was rooting for it but I guess that didn't happen. You don't know it yet but it would mess up so many things if they did. Well, actually it would mess up, like, four things. I will now force myself to stop writing this author's note. Review?