We went to bed early to get some good rest. The next day I had to be waken up by Val so I didn't sleep in. When I sat up in bed I discovered another body under the covers. Ugh, Pete! I didn't care and I didn't wake him up either. Secretly I admitted to myself I was glad he was back but I wanted to deny it with all my heart. I just really hated him and loved him at the same time. The hate was my fire and his air. His air could blow me out or feed me. So I hate him and I depend on him, as well. Perfect match... Oh wait. I have to focus on today's performance. I had all my moves in my head. I perfected all of them yesterday. We went out to the main square where news is presented. I'm not going to say what happened because Val already described what happened in our talk yesterday. The other Creatures were cheering so I guess we put on a good show. We descended the fire/water/air/earth stairs and waited our judgment. Pam fixed the platform with a weird finger snap. The movement had to be jerky. I couldn't describe it. The crowd finally told us what our fate was. We were going to live and they would help us! We cheered with them and hugged each other. Mick and Pete came rushing out of the crowd. Mick kissed Pam. Pete picked me up and twirled me once. Then he kissed me. I was so relieved to be kissing him again. His kisses were like no one else's. Sweet, fiery, and just all around awesome. I hugged him really hard. He did the same. We were on good terms again.

I just realized I was playing Missing You from A Very Potter Musical by Starkid Productions. I did miss Pete. I could live without him but everyday I would think of him. Anyway to get away from the sappy, lovey-dovey junk I went with everyone. We went to a party. There was flashing lights and loud music. No solid lights like lamps or whatever. To the left was a dance floor and to the right was two Rockband stations and two Rockband 2 stations. I grabbed Val and Pam and Lona and ran over to a Rockband 2 station. I wanted to be singer. I was good but not great like Pam. We played Our Truth by Lacuna Coil. That was my favorite song on the original list since you can buy songs. Then I switched with Pam to be bass guitar. I was on hard. We rocked like that almost all night. We finally stopped and hit the dance floor. I don't dance but tonight I will, I thought. I jumped up and down like everyone else. Did the line dances which I usually did. Three slow dances came on. A lot of Creatures asked to dance but I only danced with Luke and Mick. Mick asked all of us to dance so that was okay. Luke didn't want to dance with me but I made him. I was looking for Pete when someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was Pete.
"May I have this dance?" He asked putting out his hand.
"Yes you may." I gladly took his hand. He put a hand on my hip and I put a hand on his shoulder. Our other hands were clasped gently in the air. I put my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist.
"I'm so sorry." He said. Clearly he was.
"I forgive you but do you forgive me?" I asked quietly but I could be heard over the music.
"Of course, kid." Haha jerk! I joked.
"Cool." I said. We danced through the song into another more upbeat song. He took my hand and spun me then we danced even though I hated it the whole time. We went back to the house together. I didn't know if Val or Lona or Pam or Mick went back but we did. We went to bed after I took a shower. I said he didn't have to sleep on the couch but he said he preferred it. I don't know if that was an insult but oh well. I dreamed of that night. It was so much fun to live it over again.

The next day we packed up and left. In secret I shared one last kiss with Luke. But other than that, it was a usual goodbye. We put everything in the trunk. We waved bye to Luke and I drove away. It was raining but not heavily. We went back to the airport. Onto the plane. We sat down for take off.
"That was a really fun place to be." Lona said sadly.
"Yeah very, very fun place." I said teasing Pete.
"We have to go back and visit sometime." Pam said.
"And have a party." Mick chipped in.
"It's like we're planning already." Pete said.
"You guys could go back in a year." Lona said.
"You?" Val and Pam asked simultaneously.
"Explain Nicki." Lona told me.
I sighed, "Lona will die either in Philadelphia or in the great battle back in Philadelphia." Everyone was shocked.
"You can't be... But Lona is... Oh my gosh." Val stuttered. She doesn't curse either.
"I'm sorry I kept it from you. You would be sad. Like now." Lona said quietly. "I've already dealt with the sadness of knowing I'm going to die. It was kind of easy as long as I can make you guys happy. But there is still one thing I want to do..." She said suspiciously.
"And what's that?" Pam asked.
"Well, I would like to learn how to skateboard." She said dreamily. That wasn't really Lona but okay.
"I thought you already knew how." I said. "You had lessons."
"Yeah well. I quit those because they didn't teach me anything. I went shopping after my parents dropped me off." That was the Lona we know and love. I couldn't help but laugh.
"I'll teach you in Philadelphia." I said. She said that was great.
We didn't know when she was going to die so I wanted to make her happy. Val and Pam can't or won't skateboard. I wasn't sure of the boys though. Once that was settled we talked about the night before and how great Pam's singing was and how awesome Val could play guitar on hard. They loved that I could go into Bass Groove and keep it there on hard. They also loved how fast Lona could hit the drum pads. They talked some more while I thought about things. We had 2,928 miles to go so it would take one day and 22 hours. What to do in that time? I don't care. Everything will be different without Lona. No more making me excited to go shopping. No more sleep overs with her. No more Rockband! Oh crud. I have to stop thinking about that. I told myself I wouldn't be sad until she actually died. Okay... Phew! How am I going to teach her to skateboard? No tricks because she would hurt herself. Just riding down the street. I guess she needs to learn how to stand on it first, then... My thoughts were like this. I couldn't think about her dying. I would break down. Val was never in control of her emotions. I wonder why she isn't crying right now? Well, I would like it to go back how everything started. Just me in my normal life with Cristy, Dok, Pop, and Fran. They were nicknames. Except for Cristy's and Fran's. They weren't really close friends with me but girls are like that when you only knew the person for only a year. Dok was the smart guy but was still funny and cool. He was the doctor out of all of us. Instead of Doc we use Dok. The 'k' represents his real name Kovart. His mom's different, but likeable. Weird, I know. Pop loves anything that pops or has pop in the name. Bubble wrap was his all-time favorite. Soda was his second. His real name was Joe but since there were other Joes we call him Pop. But they turned out bad. All of them stopped talking to me. It was the Creatures and Dok had a thing for me. Once he found out I was going out with a Creature he just ignored me but I saw him sneaking peaks at me over his notes in Health. He was an average guy. Not too good looking and not too bad looking. I was going to go out with him but I decided not to. I didn't want our friendship messed up. But it did get messed up anyway. It was awesome back then. Nothing to worry about... Just school work and thongs like that. But then this trip came. Thank goodness Pam was rich. It seems weird but in all stories about traveling, someone has to be rich. It's turned out for the better that she is, though. Lona wanted to help. She is always helping people. I couldn't deny her because she is too nice to me. Val had to come because we are sisters. We don't leave each other behind. I went because I had to do something. I can't sit and watch things happen without doing something to help. Only in a good way not a bad way. This journey turned out okay. But I know the worst is to come. I fell asleep listening to the drone of the engine.

I woke up 10 hours later. Geez, it's going to be hard going back to school. Even if we have to take summer school. I was the only one awake. I really had to go to the bathroom. I went and came back. I needed to do something. I started playing solitaire with myself since it was only a one player game. Then I played War with myself. It was easy but the other me won. I thought a bit. Then I went to the car and got a book to read. Sieze the Night by Dean Koontz. It was a new book. I picked it up in Salem. I read the whole book in 9 hours with breaks. By then everyone was up. We played cards for 3 hours then I slept again. I woke up 12 hours later. I started walking around the inside of the plane. I discovered a radio. I took it back to our seats and cranked it up to max and played a station I loved. Everyone woke up. Pam yelled a bit, Val jumped up, Pete was still sleeping..., Mick jumped in his seat, and Lona just yelled at me after she fell out of her seat. I was cracking up. I got yelled at a lot but everyone relaxed once I turned the sound down. We listened to music, played cards, listened to music, read, and listened to music for 12 hours. We landed and thanked Pam's dad's friend. I drove us to Pam's house and we crashed there. It was night so we could sleep normally. Lona and Pam slept in Pam's room. Val and I slept in the living room. Mick and Pete slept in the attic. We had to go to Philly the next day. I couldn't sleep right away but did eventually. I called everyone to my dream room. That's what I decided to call the dream connection even though Val said it was just called dreaming. That's boring.

"Okay, guys. This is the plan. Tomorrow we teach Lona how to skateboard-"
"After we go shopping for the right clothes." Lona cut in. Ugh!
"Fine, we go shopping then teach her to skateboard. Then we gather all of the forces we need to help and we fight. The great battle will be in 2 days." I said.
"How will they arrive?" Pam asked.
"Well, if I'm right, they will get here by magic which we could have done ourselves but Redd didn't tell us that." Val was annoyed. I would be too if I wanted to know everything in the world but I thought it was a good experience.
"Chill, Val. You know you always wanted to travel the country." I said. She gave me a look. The Val look. It was a mix of hatred and knowing I was right.
"Still..." Val said. I looked at everyone else. Pam and Mick were talking to each other but Pete was listening to us.
"What?" I asked him.
"It's just that you two are like... You guys pretend to hate each other but then you know you love each other." He said a bit awed.
"What can you say?" Val started.
"We're sisters." I said. We did this a lot to everyone. Pete laughed a bit.
"Oh you guys. I love you. All of you." He said to Pam and Mick too.
"Well, we love each other. That was kinda already explained." I said. I don't like saying I love you to someone. I show them I love them, I don't need to tell them. It's kind of the same reason for saying goodbye. I hate it. Your not leaving them for good so why say it. I just wave but I do say goodbye to be polite to people I just met.
"Okay. So we know what we are going to do. I'm going to cut the dream connection." I thought I heard Val murmur dream under her breath but I didn't care. I cut the connection only for Lona.

"Look guys, just because the prediction said that Lona would die doesn't mean that she could be the only one. You have to be careful on the battle field. I don't want to lose anyone."
"Don't worry, Nicki. We hear you. Good night." Val said. Val, Pam, and Mick left but Pete stayed.
"What's up?" I asked him.
"You. Always you, kid." He stepped closer to me. I put my arms around his neck.
"Always? What about you, Hun?" I pecked him on the nose.
"I don't mean anything important. But you, you are mine."
"I am yours." I finally said. He kissed me so fiercely that I was out of breath just five seconds after. I think maybe two years passed before we broke apart.
"Whoa... That was... something." I gasped.
"I thought... you'd... like it." He said smiling. His smile set something off in me. I looked at him. He probably saw what was in my face. We kissed. I ripped open his button up shirt. Buttons flew everywhere. Nice six pack, I thought. Not too defined but still there.
"We shouldn't." He said.
"I need you." I kissed him again.
"We can't."
"We can. It won't happen in real life." I took off my shirt. He slipped out of his pants.
"Just once." We were tangled in clothes. I imagined a king-sized bed. One appeared and he threw me down on it. I slipped out of my shorts and underwear. My bra was ripped off of me. ***

I gave him one last kiss on the mouth that was filled with passion then I put my ear over his heart and we just laid there. I imagined that we were scrub clean and that cool blankets were on us. The blankets felt good.
"I love you." I said. I don't have trouble saying it to him.
"I love you, too." He said sleepily.
"I'll let you sleep now if you want."
"Please." I brushed my lips against his then cut the connection. I just slept afterward.

We woke up early and drove to Philadelphia. First we needed to buy clothes then we drive back home and go to the skate park. Lona took us everywhere while Pam bought everything even though I said I would buy my own things. She bought a black t-shirt with a gray zip up hoodie. Then gray skinny jeans and skater shoes. Of course, she had to buy glasses. She said we all should look like that but I don't like skinny jeans or to wear jeans in the spring almost summer (it's been that long). I picked out my usual tan khakis and a black shirt with a gray zip up hoodie. I already wore skater shoes and I like my own pair of glasses from the 80's.
Everyone else was, if not the same, similar to her. We went back to the car and drove back home. We went to a park and in the park was a skating park. I parked the car and we grabbed our stuff. Pam, Val, and Mick don't want to skateboard so they said they'd rollerblade. We put on helmets and I started Lona on lessons while everyone else skated. Four hours later, two broken nails, and eight bumps and bruises and scratches, Lona turned out really well. She couldn't do tricks but she could courageously take on the pool and not get hurt.

At lunch we went out to eat. I kept thinking about last night... And what tomorrow will bring. I was so nervous. I couldn't think of what I would be doing. I would be carrying two handguns, two throwing knives, a wooden baseball bat, and my magic implements. It won't be fun at all. The last time we had to kill, I got sick. I didn't want that experience to happen again and yet it has to. I plan on only using magic because I could have a shield to deflect bullets and have an offensive spell to kill everyone with. I wonder what we will do with James once we catch him? Would we hold him prisoner or kill him on the spot. I had Butterflies in my stomach. That reminded me of Bon. What would happen to him. I totally implied that we could still be together. Crud.

"You okay, Nicki?" Val asked. I jumped.
"I was thinking."
"Yeah, I could see that. What about?"
"What we will do with James when we get him. And what will the government do?"
"We will kill James. That's the least we can do." Pam snarled.
"Oooh, chill. But yeah. That's what I want to do." Mick said.
"I think the government will put up attacks after this big one but will give in, in about 3 years." Pete said.
"Reasonable. Or if we lose they'll kill all of us which is expected. Those people wouldn't know remorse for our kind if it smacked them in the face." Val said.
"Lovely, Val. It does sound reasonable but what will they do? I mean the Creatures." I asked.
"Well, they, us, we, will go back to regular life." Lona said.
"But that's not what we've been fighting for. We fought for their freedom. Why can't they have it, Lona?" I asked.
"I can't see that far into the future. You have to make things fit."
"But that's like walking into a maze blind folded." I complained.
"Nice simile." Val said.
"Thanks."
"Well, I'm sorry but I can't help you there." Lona said holding up her hands, palms out in a surrender. We went to the skate park. Lona said she had to go to the bathroom and I said I'd go with her. We walked into the bathroom. It was a one stall so she could go and I could stand outside but still be in the room. It was also a public bathroom for women and men. She was silent on the way there. She was going to ask me to do something that she thought I wouldn't like or wouldn't usually do. I locked the door when we went in. Then I turned around so my back was to the door, walked a few paces up, and I asked her what was wrong.
"Well, there is one more thing that I really wanted to do and usually people don't do this but I was curious and I just wanted to know what would happen and how would it feel." She said really fast. She was nervous.
"Dude, calm down and tell me what you want."
"Will you promise to do what I want and not tell anyone else?" Ooooh, that's hard. It could be bad and I would regret it or it could be normal but she wouldn't be so nervous if it was normal. She's my friend and I do not want to hurt her.
"I promise." I said a little reluctantly.
"Okay, well, you know I've been with boys my whole life and I've dated them and kissed them and, in general, I know them pretty well but-"
I cut her off. "You want me to do something sexual?"
"No it's not that bad. Just a kiss."
"Not that bad? I have a boyfriend!" I almost shouted but I caught myself.
"You promised. Look I just wanted to know what it would be like to kiss a girl. How will it feel? I was curious. But please, Nicki."
Now, I have to admit I wondered the same thing but I wasn't planning on actually trying it. I did promise and I didn't want her upset with me. Peer pressure. Teachers always say never give in to it but these circumstances are different.
"Put your arms around my neck. I'll be the 'boy'." I told her. She did that and I put my hands around her waste. I closed my eyes and imagined she was Pete but shorter. Then we kissed. I'm straight, through and through and this act was for a friend who was going to die the next day. But I have to say, she was a good kisser. Then I though of I Kissed A Girl by Katy Perry. Weird but good song. This is a weird but good(?) moment. I moved my hands to her face and put them on her cheeks. This is really long, I thought.
Then something that was only in my worst nightmares happened- Pete turned the handle and came in. I thought I locked it? (Turns out that the lock was broken.) He saw us kissing. I shoved Lona gently away.

"Pete, its not what-"
He cut me off, "It looks like. Right? That's just-just-" He couldn't think of any adjective to fit this moment.
"Don't tell anyone. Please." I said desperately.