Saturday:

Shaggy lay awake before dawn. Every day after school his parents had brought him to counseling where he did nothing except engage the doctors in an hour-long staring contest before he was brought home and forced outside where he eventually saw Christina working in her garden. He could only handle a few minutes before his heart felt like it was being torn to pieces.

It was simply torture. But even now, in the early morning silence, he wondered what was going on in the manor next door.

,,,,,,

Chase stood over Christina. Waiting silently for her to wake up. She'd started climbing into their mom's place in the middle of the night.

"Morning, Chase," Christina greeted sleepily.

"Why are you in here?"

"Because I feel better in here"

"But this is Mom and Dad's room"

"I know, Chase"

"Your room is down the hall"

"I know"

"Then why-"

"Because maybe I wanted to cry in here for a change!" Christina snapped.

Chase ran scared back to his room where he slammed and locked the door while biting back tears of his own.

Christina was kicking herself.

Well isn't this just a peachy way to start the day? She scolded herself as she sped downstairs to make breakfast. Throwing herself into the task of making perfect french toast she wondered if Chase would benefit from a day at their Uncle's considering how rottenly the day had started, she could still hear her brother stomping about, picturing his quivering lip and hunched shoulders.

After the meals had been set on the table Christina slumped into her chair with a long sigh.

What was she going to do?

…...

Rather than eat breakfast with the rest of his family later that morning Shaggy sat on his bedroom floor, eating pop tarts from the food stash in his closet. His entire being felt leaden, sleep-deprived as he was Shaggy refused to sleep. Sleep brought nightmares, horrible ghastly images that made him want to vomit. Wiping the last of the crumbs from his lap he went to the window dropping onto the window seat.

Christina's garden below was a rainbow of carefully cared for roses that defied the changing weather remaining vibrant and healthy.

"Shaggy!" Sugie knocked on the bedroom door, "Mom wants you to get out of the house for the day"

"No thanks"

"She isn't going to give you a choice," Sugie flatly replied, "She found your student guides, they're already in the living room"

"What?" Shaggy looked at his sister, "Like, you aren't serious"

"Do you think I'd joke about this?" Sugie replied, "Come on before Mom comes up here herself"

Shakily, Shaggy rose to his feet with one last look out the window he followed behind Sugie.

…...

"Hi, Shaggy," Duncan greeted with a smile.

"Norville," Stacy turned to look at her son, "I think it would be best if you got out of the house today, I'm going to be cleaning"

Shaggy knew better than to argue with his mother in front of company still he found himself biting his cheek to keep from lashing out at her.

"We're going to the Maul," Clawdeen said to Stacy, "we'll be there for a while"

"Good," Stacy pressed cash into her son's hands, "Go have some fun Shaggy," she patted his shoulder before guiding them out the door.

"Like, how are we getting there?"

"We're carpooling with Christy," Clawdeen replied pointing to where Christina was waiting in her driveway.

"Hey," she greeted, "Ready to go? Laura's already there with the others, you should see the pictures they're sending me,"

"Let's hit the road," Duncan agreed, "We have a long day ahead," he looked teasingly at Clawdeen who swatted his arm with a giggle.

"Where's Chase?" Clawdeen asked as she slid into the back with Duncan.

"Grandmother's," Christina replied, "We both agreed a day at the castle would be better than the mall, I promised to get him a new book or three"

Since Clawdeen, Duncan and, Scooby was in the back, Shaggy took the passenger seat, silent except for yelping when Jade hunkered down onto the floor in the back.

"Sorry," Christina apologized, "Jade loves the maul they're very pet friendly"

Once everyone was settled they were off, Shaggy turning to look out the window. How could the world be so happy? So colorful? So deceiving? The leaves that still clung to trees were shades of red, yellow, and orange while the sky was still blue as could be. There were humans and monsters alike strolling along, talking, laughing, having a grand time while his heart was still in pieces. It was so wrong, so very, very wrong. Why couldn't the world just stop?

Everything needed to stop.

"Shaggy?"

Pulled from his thoughts, he glanced at Christina, "Yeah?"

"I asked if you would mind me turning on the radio?"

"No, like, go ahead"

"Is there any specific station you guys want?"

"No,"

"Nope,"

"I'm good" came the responses.

"Alrighty then," Christina turned on the radio, keeping it at a reasonable volume as not to damage their ears.

(Had she been alone there would have been a full-blown concert)

Shaggy yet again, had to bite his cheek when he realized that music led to Christina's singing. While beautiful it also tortured him.

"And I know it's long gone and

There was nothing else I could do

And I forget about you long enough

To forget why I needed to

'Cause there we are again in the middle of the night

We're dancin' 'round the kitchen in the refrigerator light

Down the stairs, I was there

I remember it all too well

And there we are again when nobody had to know

You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath

Sacred prayer and we'd swear

To remember it all too well, yeah

Well, maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much

But maybe this thing was a masterpiece 'til you tore it all up

Runnin' scared, I was there

I remember it all too well..."

His heart was breaking all over again.

…...

"Daphne, slow down, please?" Fred laughed, hauling his girlfriend's purchases.

"Why would I slow down?" Daphne giggled, "There are so many good deals here, Freddy," the cheerful redhead backtracked, dividing the load with Fred before grabbing his now free hand with a smile.

"Are you guys coming?" Fred called looking over his shoulder at the food court table where Shaggy, Velma and, Scooby were still seated.

"Go on," Shaggy smiled, "We'll catch up,"

…...

Well, the end of the chapter is here. How was it? Honestly asking here, I struggled through it LOL.