~*~Chapter Nine : Don't Give Up on Me~*~

Two months had passed and Marty had not seen Todd. She hadn't felt his presence since that fateful night when Peter Manning had appeared next to her bed. It broke her heart. Todd may have saved her from the apparitions in the house, but in the same process, he'd made the heart-wrenching decision to disappear. The house stood still and quiet ever since Todd vanquished Peter.

Marty hoped that Todd was at peace. The sorrow she had seen in his eyes continued to tug at her heart. She couldn't help but wish that things could be different and somehow she and Todd could have a chance together. Knowing that wasn't possible, she had no other choice but to move on with her life.

One day Marty talked Jason into coming over and studying with her. She stood in the kitchen, baking a pizza. It was cooking in the oven when the doorbell rang.

Marty rushed to the back door and opened it, inviting Jason inside. She gave him a smile. "I am making us a yummy snack for our study session," she told him as she lead him into the kitchen.

"Something smells like pizza," he said with a grin. "I love pizza."

"That's great," Marty said. "Because I made plenty for the both of us."

The timer on the oven rang, and Marty withdrew the pizza. She placed the slices onto two plates. She and Jason grabbed a couple of root beers from the fridge and proceeded to head up to Marty's room.

"I've never studied with a guy in my bedroom before," Marty giggled as they made their way up the staircase while carrying the plates of pizza.

"There's a first time for everything," Jason said. A devilish smirk settled on his features.

Marty opened the door to her bedroom and suddenly let out a horrified cry. Her room was in shambles. The bed was tore apart; it's mattress hanging half-way off it's frame. All of her clothes had been tossed out of the closet and the dresser drawers had been dilapidated. There wasn't one single inch of her bedroom that hadn't been destroyed.

"What the hell!" Jason said with huge eyes. "Your bedroom looks like a cyclone hit!"

Marty slammed her bedroom door shut so Jason could no longer see it. As she stood in the hallway with him, she was shaking her head in disbelief. "I- I didn't do that, Jason. I swear."

"Who did it then?" he demanded.

*Todd,* she was thinking but she didn't say a word. Todd had done it.

When Marty didn't answer, Jason got scared. He set his plate of pizza and the cold can of soda aside. "So you're telling me that some freakin' ghost came in here and ripped apart your room?" asked Jason.

Marty nodded as tears filled up her eyes. "You were right, Jason. My house is haunted," she said in an almost-whisper.

"I can't believe it! This is crazy! I'm getting the hell out of here!" He turned on his heel and headed down the hall toward the staircase. He nearly ran from the house, screaming in terror.

"Todd!" Marty cried out as she burst back into her bedroom. To her utter shock, everything was neat and clean. Every single item was back in it's place. Her room looked absolutely perfect; as if the incident had never occurred.

"I know you did this, Todd. I KNOW it was you!" Marty yelled out into the empty room.

A faint image of him appeared near the window seat and Marty asked, "Why did you do it, Todd?"

"You can't give up on me," he suddenly whispered as if his voice came from behind her. "You're mine, Marty."

Marty could feel the distinct sensation of his breath as it moved against her ear. She shuddered in horror. She realized it was true.