"I can't believe you Alex. Bug has enough problems in this school with out you talking him into sneaking into the girls bathroom. You know I try my best to get Fang to keep Brandon off both of your asses. But Alex you're making that a really hard job recently. It kills me to know that not only is Brandon hurting you two, Quint is constantly beating the shit out of you, and Fang is constantly pushing Bug around and soon will probably beat the shit out of him. I just can't believe you. Know I'm gonna have to deal with the fact that Brittany will probably tell the whole FUCKING school that Bug's a pervert. Damn isn't it bad enough that not only do I have to take beatings from my mom. I have to worry about you two!" I yell at him. I'm so mad that I forget that Bug is right behind me. "Ricki?" Bug asks quietly. Calming down immediately I turn to face Bug. "What is it Bug?" I ask him sighing. "Don't blame Alex. I wanted to know what Brittany thought about me" he says fiddling with the bottom of his shirt. "Bug" I sigh then turn to Alex. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. Can you wait for us at the courtyard?" I ask him smiling slightly. He nods and walks off. I turn back around and walk to stand directly in front of Bug. "Bug what all did you hear Fang and the other girls say?" I ask him looking up at his face . "That Alex thinks imp a monkey. That imp a lump of coal compared to Brandon. That I've been in institutions and that I've killed people. She also said..." Bug trails off looking at his feet. Gently taking bugs chin I lift his face back up "what else Bug" I ask him. "She said you didn't really care about me" he says looking everywhere but at me. Without a hesitation I pull Bug into a tight hug. "Bug you know none of that is true. Alex loves you like a brother. You couldn't hurt a fly much less kill somebody. You're also ten times better than Brandon could ever be. You're sweet, kind, fun, & loving" I pause and hug him tighter burying my face in his chest. "& I love you more than anything else in the world" I finish my rant, mentally noting to slap Fang later. I faintly hear Bug murmur " I love you too" I pull back and smile at him smile at him. He smiles sadly then asks "Ricki what if I actually did kill somebody would you still be here?" I look up and see him staring at me with a look I've never seen on his face before. "Bug what's wrong. Are you okay Hun?" I ask him my voice barely above a whisper. When he answers his voice is deep again. "Nothings wrong I'm perfectly fine" he says in a deep gravely voice taking a step closer to me. I instinctively take a step back but am pushed against the lockers as he steps even closer. "What's wrong Ricki you aren't scared of me are you?" he asks smirking down at me. "Um no" I say sounding unsure. He smirks then without warning smashes his lips against mine. I forget what's happening for a minute and actually kiss him back. I feel him push me against the lockers harder. I realize what's happening when I feel him rest his hands on my hips. "Bug stop it" I say against his lips. He ignores me and kisses down my neck. "Bug please stop" I all but beg. I freak out when his hands slip under my shirt and glides over my stomach. I put my hands against his chest and push him off. "Adam Stop!" I yell and watch him snap out of it. "What happened?" he asks the notices my swollen and probably busted lips. " Oh my god ricki what happened to your lips and neck?" he asks stepping towards me. My hand flies up to cover my lips. "Nothing. Bug I'll se you at your house later" I say and take off running out the school doors

I run to Bugs house thanking god that neither May or Fang were home. I climb onto the roof and through his open window. "Something's not right. I have a bad feeling that Penelope might be right." I say to myself. I hear the door downstairs slam and hear Fang yell "I'm home." I walk out into the hall and wait for her to come up the stairs. "Nobody's home yet. But I need to talk to you" I tell her when she comes up the stairs. She nods and walks to her room I follow her. "Something is really wrong Leah" I say using her real name. "What do you mean?" she asks me. " Something happened to Bug today and to tell you the truth it was so bad I was scared of him" I tell her not even bothering to hide the fact that I had been scared of Bug. "Tell me what happened" she demands immediately. I sit down at her desk and explain leaving out the phone part. "Me and Bug we're talking and he asked me if he had killed people would I still be with him. When I looked at his face he was staring at me like I was food or something. I asked if he was okay and when he said he was his voice was really deep and gravelly. He stepped towards me so I stepped back against the lockers. Hr asked if I was scared of him and I said no. Then he kissed me that's why my lips are swollen. I told him to stop but he didn't listen he started kissing my neck. I tried telling him stop again but he didn't listen and he put his hand under my shirt on my stomach. I finally pushed him and yelled Adam stop. He shook is head and was back to normal. He had no clue what had happened he started freaking out about my lips and neck" I tell her quickly afraid Bug or May would be home any minute. My head snaps towards Leah after she's quite for five minutes. "You can't tell Bug that's what he did. He'd be completely shattered if he knew he hurt you. Even though you would've liked it if it was the regular Bug" she says after a minute. "I know and there's the normal Fang..always with some witty remark" I tell her smiling. I stand up then remember something. "oh and Fang." I say standing there looking at the ground. "Yeah?" she asks me still sitting on her bed. "I do care about Bug no matter what he's done or will do" I say looking her in the eyes. Not waiting for a reply I go back into Bugs room and wait for him. About an hour goes by before I hear Bug come in the front door. I know its Bug because May had came in earlier. I listen to their muffled voices. I hear Fang go down the stairs, then back up, then back down again. She's down there for five minutes before I hear May yell at bug to go to his room. I hear him run up the stairs. He opens the door and is holding the rocking horse his dad made him. "Bug where did you get that!" I ask loudly. He doesn't seem fazed by the fact that I'm here and simply says "Leah gave it to me" I storm by him and am about to yank the door open when he pulls me back. "Please don't go down there mad at Leah" he says holding my wrist. Sighing I go and sit back on his bed. Just then Leah comes storming back up stairs before I can stop him bugs out in the hallway. I decide to let him talk to her until I hear a thud. I run into the hallway and see Bug on the ground Fang looming over him." Why?" Bug asks her. "Why. I will tell you why maggot. From the moment you were born everything went to shit for me. You were the miracle baby and I was the painful reminder. You've been living in this dream and I GOT SUCKED INTO A FUCKING NIGHTMARE!.I am sick to death of your innocence it is an insult to me" she screams at him. I look at Bug and he has blood down his face. My head snaps towards Leah when she says "Do you know who Abel Plenkov is?" "Leah don't do it" I warn her stepping closer and kneeling by Bug. "He needs to know" She tells me then continues. "Do you know?" she asks Bug. He nods and says "The Riverton Ripper" Bug answers her. "Who else was he?" she asks again. "I don't know" Bug says sounding like a child. "Take a look in the mirror Bug" She says then slams her bedroom door closed. "You knew?" Bug ask looking up at me. "Bug I'm so sor..." I'm cut off b may coming up the stairs asking "Is Leah okay I heard screaming?" "Leah's fine" Bug says standing and walking to his room. "Are you okay?" She asks him. "I know you're not my mom. But like it or not you're stuck with me" Bug tells her. I look at May and see the tears in her eyes. I slip beside bug and into his room. He closes the door and leans against it. "Bug I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about Abel. I just didn't know how and I guess I didn't want you to know." I explain looking at my hands. Ignoring my explanation her pulls me off the bed and pushes me in the closet "stay until I come get you" He tells me, I do as I'm told. I'm in the closet for five minutes before i hear Alex come through Bugs window. "Have you heard?" Alex asks him. " I've heard. I've heard a lot ." Bug says. "What do you mean Bug?" Alex ask him. "the Riverton ripper Abel Plenkov was My father" Bug tells him. "I know" Alex says sounding extremely guilty. "You do?" bug questioned him. I quietly sit down on the floor of the closet. "the parents of all the seven know. i think me and ricki are the only kids. My mother told me the day she died." he explains to Bug. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" Bug asks. "Sorry we thought you were to..i don't know" he trails off. "Innocent." Bug supply's. "I guess" Alex says sounding nervous." well I'm not anymore" Bug says. I tune them out for minute until I hear Bug pick something up. "what is that." Alex asks sounding a little scared. "The biggest knife I could find in the kitchen..." he pauses and Alex's says bug But Bug keeps talking "What would you say if I told I was going to kill you Alex?" I put my hand over my mouth to keep from gasping. "Id say you weren't" Alex tells him. "Why not?" bug asks him. "Because you're my best friend. you're Bug" Alex says confidently. " now you ask me" Bug says. I quietly sigh in relief. Then Alex asks him "you don't think I can kill somebody?"." No" bug says confidently. "You'd be wrong Bug. Dead Wong" Alex says. Bug gasps the asks something that almost brings me to tears. "You killed Penelope and Jay and the others?" he asks. Oh no he's back is all I can think before I hear Alex slam the knife down on Bugs desk. "Of course not ...I killed my stepfather." "You killed Quint?" Bug asks. "He was drunk He hit me and for the first time in my life I hit him back. He fell down the stairs and broke his stupid neck" Alex says sounding close to tears. "Alex Its okay, okay" Bug says trying to comfort him. "NO IT'S NOT OKAY. WHAT I DID. ITS NOT OKAY FOR EVERBODY TO BE KILLING EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME!" he yells. Bug reverts back to his always caring self. "Do you want something to drink?" Bug asks him quietly. "You got rat poison?" Alex asks him. "Nope we just ran out of rat poison I'll go get you some water" Bug says then I hear him leave. I hear somebody else come through the window. I stand up and crack the closet door just in time to see the ripper stab Jerome. I gasp and he spins around. I take my chances and rush out of the closet and almost make it to the bedroom door. He grabs me and spins me around. "Where do you think you're going you bitch?" he asks plunging the knife into my stomach. I pretend like I pass out. He hears something and drops me to the ground behind the bed and runs out. I hear fighting down stairs. Ten minutes later I hear somebody come through the window. I open my eyes and see Jerome. "Jerome" I whisper. "Ricki?" he asks walking towards my voice. He bumps into the chair and it falls to the floor. "get in the closet" I tell him and he quickly makes his way into the closet. I move a little so it looks like I tried to move and bleed out. I close my eyes as soon as the ripper runs in the door. He assumes I'm dead and jumps out of the window when he hears Bug run up the stairs. I crack my eyes open just in time to see Bug walk back out of the bedroom. He goes down the hall then comes back in the bedroom. "Bug the closet" I say trying to prop my self against the wall. He opens the door and Jerome comes out swinging. "Jerome jerome it's me" Bug says making Jerome stop swinging and feel of his face. Jerome then falls to the floor. I don't here what either of them are saying because I'm to busy trying to stay awake. I look up when I hear Bug punch the floor. "Bug" I say my voice just above a whisper. He stands and walks to me. Kneeling beside me he says "You'll be okay Ricki helps coming." I reach my hand up and touch his cheek "Bug you know who it is now" I tell him letting my hand fall to my side. I close my eyes right before Alex climbs in through the window. "Ricki? Wake up! WAKE UP!" he yells shaking. I have to make them think I'm dead. "What happened to Jerome and Ricki. They're dead?" Alex asks Bug. Bug gently touches my cheek as he says "The Ripper got them. Alots happened since you've been gone. Where'd you disappear to?" Bug asks. "I saw Patterson pulling up outside I ran. I hid in the woods. then I heard gun shots so I came back I was afraid he shot you or something. where is he anyway" Alex says. "downstairs dead" "what. What happened?" "The Ripper happened he killed mom too" "I can't believe this you went to get me a glass of water and now your mom, patterson,ricki and Jerome are dead. Where were you?" "I ran into Penelope" "Penelope is dead bug" "I saw her in the bathroom mirror. She brought me Rippers knife and she made me take it. Then I heard something downstairs and I went to come check on you and you were gone. Patterson wasn't after you he was after me. He thought that I killed Brittany and my mom. It was the Ripper." Bug says. "and where's the ripper now?" Alex asks bug. "I guess he got away out my window or went out Leah's hers is open too. Then he tried to stab me to death with his..." "stab you with what" "With his knife" "I thought you had his knife" "I did but.." "Did you kill them bug" "What! No I didn't kill anybody" Bug starting to forget who the killer is. Alex is confusing him. "not that you remember" he pauses "Bug I gotta tell you something. Don't get upset. Your father was first diagnosed with Schizophrenia when he was sixteen just like you are now" Bug interrupts him " What are you saying" "Its hereditary plus you were in your dead mom forever oxygen deprivation can make you crazy too maybe all of this stuff you've been describing didn't happen exactly the way your saying it did" "you think I'm crazy?" "No I don't know what I think. But I'm not walking away. I've stuck by you through everything. Though nightmares and migraines hell puking vultures. When everybody else was calling you a ticking time bomb. So if you're not innocent anymore that's okay. But I killed my step father tonight I'm no angel either"

"I'm not innocent anymore Alex. Not with all of them inside me now"