A/N: Hallo, ich bien Allie Pierson! If you've read this stuff you should really already know that, but I was watching Jeff Dunham last night and I'm sorta obsessed with German, so... Yeah. Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 4: Mind ! #&s Galore

After the events of Keaton's return, and the days following, everyone was still shaken up a week later. Well, Rudy and Lindsey were absorbed with each other, but I was relatively sure that was their way of dealing with it. In fact, I envied them.

Rajan wasn't avoiding me, per se, but we weren't as close as I would've liked. Yeah, I'm clingy. Sue me. He's like the only person I've ever had a serious crush on that wasn't completely fictional.

Anyway.

Ritchie and Rajan continually checked up on me over the days after Keaton and I clashed again. Ritchie was much more thorough about his checkups, and he was there much more often. If Rajan could tell his sudden distance bothered me, he either didn't care or thought I was acting.

My entire personality crumbled just a little bit when he was around, my usual cheeky grin just wouldn't come, and I couldn't even joke properly with him. It was actually damaging me that he was being so weird, even though I'd managed to be happy just being his friend. But something had changed, and he was just being so freaking weird.

It was a serious mind fuck.

•^• •^•

I know Sophie thinks everything was all hunky dory between Rudy and I while we dealt with the tike after Keaton came back, and for the most part it was, but both of us were keenly aware of Sophie's growing depression. Rudy moreso than me, of course, but I could definitely tell.

And it didn't take a genius to figure out it was becauee of Rajan, although at first I wasn't sure what he had done. But then I started seeing the walls he was putting up. The distance he was trying to put between them. I could tell it was killing her.

Rudy was getting increasingly angry with our resident tiger, and I was barely keeping him from beating every kind of anything he could out of him.

"I'm sure if it really bothers Sophie enough, she'll speak up or ask you to kick his ass."

His expression clearly told me that she wouldn't, but he sat back and simply glared. I got the feeling Rajan would only be safe so long as Sophie didn't get to the point of depression she'd been at during la Grand Keaton Caper. Then, Rudy would have his head on a silver platter - well done.

With the way Rajan moped during that fight way back when, you'd think he wouldn't be rejecting her like that, but he was.

Talk about screwing with someone's head. Poor Sophie.

•^• ~•~

Lindsey does have a point. I was going to kill Rajan.

~•~ *-*

I know everyone thought I was being a dick by distancing myself from Sophie, but I didn't want to screw us up again. If we weren't even friends, I didn't have a reason to be near her. If I didn't have a reason to be near her, I couldn't be tempted. And if I couldn't be tempted, there would be no chance of me fucking things up.

Yeah, my logic is bullshit, in hindsight.

Oblivious to all my other friend's musings, I found myself falling into depression again. Ritchie came to check on me again. Like the others, he had noticed my growing depression. He sighed before he left.

"I told you a year ago, and I'll tell you again, I don't like Rajan." He said, "I don't like his attitude, I don't like his shifty little eyes."

And then he left.

All I really have to say on the matter is as folows, and I quote: mon coeur était comme il était joué comme une harpe à mains faite d'ombre, dont des clous étaient sharp comme crystal tessons, probable à couper droit grâce à mon sternum. J'ai été en douler constante.