PEOPLE DO NOT USUALLY GO OUT FOR TEA AT 8AM, BUT AFTER A SPENDING THE REST OF THE NIGHT CONSOLING KILLYOU, FINDING TED AND WILLIAM AN APARTMENT ON THE EAST SIDE, AND HELPING CROW CLEAN UP THE BIKESHED, IT WAS ALL THAT CARLY AND JACK HAD LEFT TO DO (ACCORDING TO JACK THAT IS, CARLY THOUGHT SLEEPING MIGHT BE A BETTER IDEA BUT APPARENTLY IT WASN'T).

"WHAT A WEEK IT'S BEEN..." SAID CARLY, AFTER A WHILE

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SUMMARISE YOUR FINDINGS AGAIN ARE YOU?" SAID JACK "I THOUGHT IT WAS AGREED THAT WE WERE JUST GOING TO DRINK OUR TEA."

"OH, OH YES THAT'S RIGHT. BUT IT HAS BEEN QUITE A WEEK..." SHE TRAILED OFF INTO SILENCE. AS THE TWO OF THEM SAT IN THE SILENT SILENCE, CARLY FELT NERVOUS. WHAT EXACTLY WAS GOING ON HERE? JACK WAS EITHER BEING VERY BOLD OR NOT BEING VERY BOLD. AND SHE KIND OF GOT THE FEELING THIS "JUST DRINKING TEA" LARK ACTUALLY MEANT SOMETHING MORE. SHE HAD TO ASK.

"JACK, I-" SHE BEGAN

"AH." SAID JACK, HIS MOUTH DROPPING OPEN.

"EH? IS SOMETHING WRONG?" SAID CARLY

"TH-THAT CRAB GUY... HE NEVER TOLD ME IF I WAS ALIVE OR NOT" JACK SAID "AND NOW I'LL NEVER KNOW."

"W-WELL THERE ARE MANY WAYS OF TELLING WHETHER YOU ARE ALIVE OR NOT" SAID CARLY, SHEEPISHLY, HOPING SHE WASN'T IMPLYING ANYTHING SEXUAL OR RUDE WHEN IN FACT SHE TOTALLY WAS.

"CARLY." HE SAID VERY SERIOUSLY, TURNING TO HER "WHAT IF I'M A ZOMBIE."

TURN-OFF. "A Z-ZOMBIE. I DON'T THINK I LIKE THAT IDEA AT ALL." SAID CARLY, FROWNING.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" SAID JACK, SUDDENLY VERY CONCERNED "YOU MEAN YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO BE WITH ME IF I WAS A ZOMBIE? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?"

"D-DON'T BE RIDICULOUS JACK." I WANT TO BE WITH YOU NO MATTER WHAT, SHE THOUGHT - BUT WAS TOO AFRAID TO SAY. ALSO, DID HER "BE WITH HIM" MEAN THE SAME AS HIS "BE WITH HIM"?

"I DON'T THINK I CAN BEAR NOT KNOWING. I'M JACK ATLAS. I SHOULD KNOW IF I'M A ZOMBIE OR NOT." SAID JACK, LOOKING VERY ANNOYED BUT CARLY THOUGHT IT WAS SORT OF HOT.

THEY WERE SILENT FOR A WHILE

"WHAT DID YOU MEAN…" SAID JACK "…WHEN YOU SAID THERE WERE WAYS OF TELLING WHETHER I WAS ALIVE OR NOT. WHAT WAYS ARE THERE?"

"U-UM." CARLY SAID, BLUSHING FURIOUSLY "I JUST MEANT THERE ARE THINGS THAT ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE ALIVE CAN DO OR FEEL. LIKE HEAT, COLD, HUNGER... AND THINGS LIKE THAT"

"I SEE. THAT MAKES SENSE." SAID JACK, NOTICING THAT CARLY WAS ALL FLUSTERED ABOUT SOMETHING.

CARLY'S OWL-LIKE CURIOSITY GOT THE BETTER OF HER. SHE COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. SHE WAS GOING TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE WHEN SUDDENLY A HAND APPEARED IN HER LINE OF VISION, TURNING HER HEAD INTO THE KISS. THE KISS TO END ALL KISSES. IT WAS BOLD, DRAMATIC, UNSKILLED, ROMANTIC - I THINK THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME VIOLINS PLAYING SOME RISING MUSIC OR SOMETHING, AND -

"AWW. THAT'S SO SWEET." SAID TED, SILENCING THE MUSIC.

"TOLD YOU THEY WERE IN LOVE." SAID WILLIAM "WHY'D YOU THINK IT WAS SO EASY TO TRAP YOU ALL ON THE BOAT? AH, THOSE WERE GOOD TIMES."

"YEAH, WELL, IT'S STILL SWEET." SAID TED. HE GAZED INTO THIN AIR FOR A MOMENT "I SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT I WAS IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ONCE."

"YOU WERE? BET IT WAS A WHORE." SAID WILLIAM, SMIRKING "AND SOMEONE WAY TALLER THAN YOU WITH BROWN HAIR. THAT'S SO YOUR TYPE"

"YEAH I SEEM TO REMEMBER SOMEONE LIKE THAT." SAID TED "I THINK SHE WENT TO MY SCHOOL."

"WE CAN HEAR YOU, YOU KNOW." SAID CARLY, FROWNING, THE MOOD COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THE PRESENCE OF THE OLD MEN AT A NEARBY TABLE. SHE COULD TASTE BLUE EYES TEA ON HER LIPS.

"HEH, THANKS FOR SHOWING ME THIS PLACE, JACK." SAID WILLIAM EVILLY "LOVING THE BLUE EYES TEA."

JACK CURSED HIM WITH THE CURSE OF A THOUSAND BROKEN PROMISES BEFORE SITTING BACK DOWN TO THE AWKWARD SILENCE.

"W-WELL, DOES THIS MEAN YOU'RE... STILL ALIVE?" SAID CARLY, WHO ACTUALLY FELT LIKE DYING HERSELF.

"I GUESS SO." SAID JACK, WHO WAS ACTUALLY BLUSHING, BUT JUST A BIT - HE STILL LOOKED PISSED OFF.

CARLY WANTED TO ASK MORE. SHE WANTED TO ASK IF HE JUST KISSED HER AS A TEST TO SEE IF HE WAS A ZOMBIE, OR IF THIS WAS THE ACTUAL START OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP OR WHATEVER. BUT SHE DIDN'T. SHE HAD A FEELING THERE WOULD BE FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE.

AND WITH THAT, THEY SAT AND FINALLY DRANK THEIR TEA. AND CARLY KIND OF UNDERSTOOD WHAT JACK WANTED.

ELSEWHERE, TWO MAIDS HAD COMMITTED SUICIDE BECAUSE THEIR BOYFRIENDS WERE NOT AS COOL AS JACK.