Chapter 17: Dance with the Devil Part 2

(Well it would seem the email situation has been fixed for now so all I'm waiting on is the traffic graph. Hopefully, this new chapter finds you all well and that you enjoy it!)

"Well, here it is!" Lisa exclaimed as she presented her house. "Mi casa la Simpson!"

Issac studied the building closely. "Well, it certainly is...retro."

"In a good way, right?" Lisa asked.

"But of course. Are you sure your parents won't mind having me over for dinner?"

"Are you kidding?" Lisa asked. "Mom's been wanting to meet you forever!" She took her boyfriend's hand and gently led him toward the front door. "Come on! Let's head inside."

"Whatever you say," Issac responded as he struggled to match his footing with Lisa's. Once he found it, however, he followed her confidently to the front door. Lisa opened it and as she stepped into the living room, she called out. "Guys! I'm home!"

There was no response which didn't surprise Lisa. Although she had told her family during breakfast that she was going to bring Issac over today, she could already tell from the listless look in their eyes and grunting responses that they didn't care. Only her mother showed any enthusiasm for the news and even then, she was a little too preoccupied with keeping the pancake batter from overflowing from the pan at the time to fully show it. Lisa groaned and pulled her boyfriend into the living room where her brother was already helping himself to a Squishee and some good-ol unspoiled Krusty.

"Hey Bart! Where's Mom and Dad?" Lisa asked.

"Mom's in the kitchen cooking dinner and Homer's gone off to Moe's" Bart answered without so much as taking his eyes off the screen.

Lisa groaned as her ideal vision of her family meeting her boyfriend properly slipped between her fingers. Then again, she should have known better. "Um, Bart. You've met Issac before right?"

"Third biggest nerd in school next to you and Martin," Bart responded before taking another sip of his Squishee. Lisa growled but forced the anger away as she turned to Issac. "I'm sorry, my family's usually a lot more engaging than this."

"No, we're not," Bart corrected.

"Shut up!" Lisa shouted. She intended to yell at her brother more but stopped as she felt a familiar hand grip her bare shoulder. She turned her head as Issac pulled her close, his soft gaze calming her like her Waves of the Ocean CD her brother had broken some time ago. "It's alright Lisa. I'm just happy to be here with you."

"Issac," Lisa felt herself blush slightly and softly gripped Issac's arm.

"Ugh!" Bart shuddered at the young couple. "Get a room you two! Preferably Lisa's room."

"Bart!"

"What's all this commotion about?" Marge suddenly popped her head out of the kitchen. Her eyes spotted the young boy almost immediately and recalling what her daughter had told her this morning, she was all but excited to see him. "Oh hi! You must be Issac! Lisa's told me so much about you!"

"Likewise, she's told me about you as well." Issac walked up to Marge, grabbed her hand, and gently kissed it, causing her to giggle.

"Oh my. What a gentleman!"

"Gross!" Bart cried. "Can you guys please take this cootie-fest somewhere else? I'm trying to watch Krusty!" Bart turned up the volume of his show.

"Why don't you two step into the kitchen and let Bart watch his cartoons?" Marge suggested. The young couple shrugged and followed the blue-haired woman into her personal domain. On the stove was a pot filled to the brim with a rich stew, the aroma of which filled the kitchen. To Issac, it was a sweet and savory smell that made his mouth water a little while with Lisa, it caused her nose to crinkle in disgust as she was all too aware of what exactly was making that smell. Thankfully, she spotted a bowl next to the stove filled with salad. Just a few more add-ins and seasonings and it would be done.

"We're having stew tonight," Marge said. "It should be ready as soon as my husband gets home." Marge took a few seconds to stir the stew a little so that it didn't burn, allowing Issac to take in even more of the rich aroma.

"Your mother's an excellent cook," Issac commented. "I can already tell by the smell."

"Just wait until dessert," Lisa responded with a giggle.

"So, how are things at school?" Marge asked as she placed the top back on the stove. "You guys learn anything interesting recently?"

"Not really," Issac said. "Just the basics. Math, science, history. That sort of thing."

"There was that whole incident with Tyrone last week," Lisa added.

"Huh? What happened?" Marge asked.

"Well, that's just it. No one really knows." Lisa said. "Tyrone just limped into the nurse's office, saying he was attacked. Apparently, someone stomped on his leg so violently he had to be taken to the hospital."

"Oh my god!" Marge exclaimed. "Did they know who did it?"

Both Lisa and Issac shook their heads. "Allegedly, the culprit turned out the bathroom lights shortly before attacking so Tyrone couldn't see them. There were also no witnesses around at the time. Grizzly business all around."

"That's so awful!" Marge whimpered. "I hope he's ok."

"He'll be fine," Lisa assured her mother. "Last I heard, he was slated to come back to school next week."

"Hopefully, with a better personality," Issac added.

"Huh?" Marge asked in a confused voice.

"Oh it's just that Tyrone was, well, kind of a bully so there aren't too many students that actually feel bad for him. Some of them are even calling it Karma."

"That's terrible!" Marge said. "Even if someone isn't a kind person, that's no reason to pop the champagne and party!"

At that very moment, the sound of a cork popping filled the room. All eyes fell on Bart who was currently standing in front of the open fridge, a bottle of champagne-shaped soda in his hands. He stood there like a deer in headlights for a few moments before finally saying, "I finished my Squishee." and nonchalantly walking back to the living room, taking a huge chug out of the soda along the way.

"Ur...um...oh Issac!" Lisa suddenly beamed. "Why don't I show you my room?' She grabbed her boyfriend's arm and pulled him back to the living room.

"It was nice meeting you, Issac! Dinner will be ready soon!" Marge called out as she returned to her shimmering pot roast, her gaze drifting toward the salad for Lisa. "Hmm, Lisa's salad could use a little ranch." Marge walked over to the fridge and pulled out a brand-new bottle of Thousand Island Ranch. Once she had gotten back the protective packaging, she squeezed the bottle over the salad but only got a small whine for her troubles. "Huh?" Marge squeezed even harder and harder until finally, the ranch escaped its containment in a great messy explosion, covering not only the leafy greens but the counter they were sitting on and the woman who had prepared them in the first place. "Oh my!

Meanwhile, Lisa and Issac were already halfway up the stairs when the latter forced the former to stop. "Lisa, is something the matter?"

"Huh?" Lisa let go of Issac's hand. "What do you mean?"

"You seemed a little...iffy back there."

"Oh, no. I just...Mom doesn't like that kind of talk, you know. She abhors violence."

"As I'd imagine," Issac walked up to Lisa and placed a hand on her forehead. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine," Lisa said. "Come on, I'll show you my jazz collection." She grabbed Issac's hand again and off to her room they ran.

"Oh joy," Issac said with a forced smile as he was led through the hallway.

Of course, there was more to the situation than Lisa was saying. She hadn't told anyone. Couldn't tell anyone but the fact that such a violent crime had happened around her and to someone who before that time had made it a point to hurt her, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, she was responsible for Tyrone. Perhaps she blacked out so her mind wouldn't have to shuffle the heavy burden or maybe there was some evil side of her personality that was taking over (as silly as that seemed at the time) but as the culprit had yet to be found, Lisa wondered if perhaps they were hiding in plain sight, right inside her skin.

It wouldn't be the first time she'd gotten away with something awful.

The block of ice, which up until that point had been reduced to slush, was starting to form again.

The young couple burst into her room, startling the sleeping cat on the bed. "Sorry, Snowball II!" Lisa apologized. "I forgot to tell you we'd have company today."

"So this is the Snowball II you've been talking so much about," Issac said in a somewhat annoyed tone. He walked up to the feline and reached out his hand to pet her. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

Snowball II hissed and swatted at the boy, startling him back into the arms of his girlfriend. "Oof! Issac! Are you alright?" There was a small giggle in her voice, clearly amused with what just happened.

"I-I'm fine." Issac hissed as he pulled himself straight, a slight blush creeping on his face. He stared daggers at the black cat as she groomed herself, looking somewhat pleased with herself.

"What's gotten into you, girl?" Lisa asked as she walked up to the cat and pressed her open palm against her head. Purring loudly, the cat pressed its head against her owner's palm and curled up in her arms. "You don't need to be jealous, Snowball. Issac's just my boyfriend. He'd never replace you, right Issac?" Lisa asked

"Yeah," Issac replied flatly as he looked around the room. His expression brightened a little upon noticing the saxophone leaning against Lisa's nightstand. "Hey Lisa, why don't you play some tunes for me?"

His expression soured again as he saw that Lisa didn't hear him, she was too preoccupied at the moment with playing with her cat, burying her face into its tummy as the creature playfully struggled to get away.

"Um, Lisa?" Issac asked a little louder.

"Yeah?" Lisa looked up, allowing Snowball II to jump off the bed and dash past Issac, bumping into his leg hard enough to hurt. He growled in annoyance but sharply inhaled and gestured to the saxophone. "Please play," He asked.

"Ok," Lisa chirped, more than happy to play for her boyfriend. While he didn't share her love of jazz, Issac always seemed to enjoy it when Lisa would play for him. It was a relaxing experience for both of them. And so for the next 20 minutes, Lisa played on, not following any particular song or pattern but rather allowing the groove to flow through her soul and bring forth what it may. She felt weightless and for that briefest of moments, the block of ice inside of her felt miles away. At last, her lungs called for a break and so with one final note, she set the saxophone aside and sat on her bed, tired but calmer. Issac seemed calmer as well, his eyes reflecting that same secure look that Lisa had come to fall in love with.

But the block of ice was back and with it, a burning question that Lisa just had to ask.

"Issac, do you have any idea who might have attacked Tyrone?"

"Hmm?" Issac uttered.

"I mean, I know it's stupid and to be honest, it's not like I feel bad for him or anything," Lisa confessed. "But for some reason, I can't help but feel...guilty somehow. Maybe it's just my empathy acting up or something. Heh heh." Regret bored through Lisa as she turned her gaze away from Issac. "I'm sorry."

Issac stared at Lisa quizzically for a moment then smiled. "There's no need to apologize, my love," He got up and sat next to her on her bed. "There's far too little empathy around these days you know? It's a good thing you have it. Even if it is wasted on an ingrate like Tyrone."

"Still..."

"There's no need to trouble yourself over it, Lisa." Issac continued. "Tyrone's on his way to a full recovery and from what I hear, the school will be tightening security to prevent this kind of thing from occurring again."

"You know how to handle a chainsaw, Wille?" Skinner asked as he handed the growling power tool to the already drunken groundskeeper.

"The real question is, will any of the bastards that sneak into this school know how to handle it!?" Willie laughed manically as he swung the chainsaw around.

"The point is, some people are just not worth troubling yourself over." Issac took Lisa's hand. "Besides, it's not like you had anything to do with it."

Lisa cringed as her boyfriend said this and looked away again. "But what if I did?" She thought. "What if I...no...I can't think that way." The memory of the evening in the PETA van tried to run through Lisa's mind but she fought back with all her might. "No! I'm not some manic! I'm Lisa Marie Simpson! And I am a completely normal human being." Yes, that incident with the van was tragic but it was a freak accident, a one-in-a-million chance occurrence. She would never allow herself to be put in such a situation ever again and as far as she knew, that horrible bloody day would forever stay in the past.

"I need to leave it alone." She thought. "It was self-defense and it's over. That man...that monster...I'll never understand why he did what he did but he brought it on himself. But that was then. That was then," Lisa looked into Issac's soulful eyes, allowed herself to get lost in them, to follow them to the present. "And this is now." She kissed him

"My now."

"What a fucking stupid kid I was."

Lisa groaned as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. It was 4:00 in the morning, at least two hours before she had to get up for school but Lisa was wide awake and had been since 2:00. Her skin was peppered with sweat from her blanket yet when she had tried to take it off earlier, she found it to be freezing. Try as she might, the middle child of the Simpson family just couldn't get comfortable enough for the Sandman to work his magic and so she had given up and decided if she couldn't sleep, she could at least rest for a few hours.

That's when the memories started. The memories of Issac on those last few weeks he was with Lisa. The last few days of what remained of her normal life.

She was too exhausted to fight against them this time, so she let them play out in her head, hoping that doing so would somehow allow her to fall back to sleep. Of course, it didn't work and Lisa forced herself to stop thinking about it, unable to bear the weight of that final memory.

"Hey," She whispered. "Are you there?"

"I'm here." The Beast said. "You were just so caught up in your little trip down Memory Lane that I thought, you'd want some alone time."

"The one time I don't want you to shut up," Lisa croaked as she covered her hands with her face. "What do I do?"

"I don't know but whatever it is, it better be soon or your mind will fall into even greater disarray."

"I know," Lisa thought. "I know."

Lisa stayed in bed for as long as she could, not sleeping, not even resting. Just lying back and trying to understand why Issac wouldn't stop tormenting her even from the grave.

As always, the schoolyard for Springfield High was swarming with its student body that morning. Talk about the Animal Avenger's video was starting to die down while talk of the prom swooped in to take its place. Couples were going over their plans, while those who were still single were trying to hook up with each other for that coveted night. Not among that part of the rabble was Milhouse Van Houten who leaned against the railing for the entrance of the school, his arms crossed and his face forlorn.

No one would ever guess he would be going to prom with Janey Powell, one of the most popular girls at school until very recently.

Most would have probably gotten a hint when she approached Milhouse, her bright purple dress clashing with his plaid shirt and blue jeans. "Morning babe!"

"Huh?" Milhouse jumped a little, calming down upon seeing that his new girlfriend was by his side. "Oh Hey, Janey."

Janey frowned upon Milhouse's tone of voice. "Milhouse, what's wrong? You look even more glum than usual today."

"Oh, it's nothing," Milhouse replied.

"Milhouse, come on!" Janey grabbed his shoulder. "You can't hide emotional turmoil from a teenage girl. We can smell it from a mile away."

"Heh," Milhouse's lips curved into a small smile. "You always find the most interesting way to put things."

"Just one of my God-given talents," Janey purred with a hair flip. Her catty smile was short-lived as she forced the conversation back to its original path. "Now tell me what's wrong."

"Well," Milhouse began. "You remember how Jessica and Nelson broke up at the Rattlesnake Roundup right?"

"Yep," Janey tried to shake the uncomfortable memory of her last encounter with the former Goddess of High School from her mind.

"Well, ever since then, Bart and Nelson have been fighting like crazy. I tried to defuse the situation but I got knocked out." He rubbed the bandages on his forehead, still somewhat bloodied.

Janey pushed her fingers into his hair, recalling that incident as she had visited him yesterday. "Poor baby. All that because of Jessica, huh?"

"Yeah," Milhouse said. "It's ironic." He looked down at his slightly muscular arms, clenching his fist. "I've built up all this strength and none of it can help me get my friends through this!" He choked up a sob and buried his face in his hands. "I'm so useless!"

"Hey now, hey now!" Janey pulled him close. "It'll be okay." She patted his shoulder a few times. "Listen, not every problem in life can be solved with big muscles. Sometimes, you gotta use words."

"Words?" Milhouse asked. "What words do I use?"

"Not you, them." Janey leaned into her boyfriend's ear. "Here's what we're gonna do..."

"Alright class, today we're doing Ludwig van Beethoven's 5th Symphony and I better hear some violin!" Ms. Wallace tapped the side of her stand and the foreboding sound of one of Beethoven's classics filled the room. As there was no room in the number for her saxophone, Lisa found herself sitting this one out. She drank in the cacophony around her, letting herself become lost in the music. It was quite a helpful distraction from the mental anguish she had been suffering all day from the moment she had woken up. The memory of Issac was still fresh in her mind and combined with the conundrum of two people wanting to take her to the prom, it served to weigh her head down like a lead block. The Beast had kept her snarky mouth shut for most of the day, perhaps taking pity on Lisa, perhaps drowned out by the unwelcome memories and turmoil but for either, Lisa was grateful. She would be willing to take any kind of reprieve from her internal torment.

Especially with one of the unintentional causes of that torment playing the trumpet right next to her.

Clementine noticed Lisa's downtrodden face and as soon as her part in the 5th Symphony was over, she leaned over to ask what was wrong.

"I-It's nothing," Lisa lied. "Really."

"Are you sure? Because you really seem out of it."

The memory of Issac intensified and Lisa felt the urge to yell at Clementine for her nosyness. Thankfully, within her scrambled mind, she recalled the day she had snapped at Milhouse, the Beast egging her on, and stopped herself. She wasn't going to let that copycat win. There was simply no need for such aggression in this situation and they both knew it.

"Lisa...Lisa...Earth to Lisa!" Clementine shouted.

"Huh! Uh...yeah?"

"Damn girl! I thought we lost you for a second there." Clementine said as she patted Lisa's back. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Lisa blushed as Clementine continued to soothe her, remembering the kiss they shared at the park before the Roundup.

Near the same pond she...

"Dammit!" Lisa got up from her seat. "Ms, Wallace, I'll accept any penalty you give me but I have to go to the restroom now!"

The elderly music teacher shot Lisa a grim look as the 5th Symphony came to an abrupt stop. "Are you absolutely certain this can't wait, Ms Simpson!?"

"Positive. My," Lisa briefly reconsidered if she should say what came to her mind next, decided her need to remove herself from the situation outweighed any potential embarrassment and said. "My period's started."

A few of her classmates turned away from her, some of them even blushing. Clementine herself turned scarlet, never expecting in a million years that meek little Lisa would say something like that out of the blue. Ms. Wallace, on the other hand, was hardly moved but nodded with a grumble. "Alright, but you owe me a Jazzman solo after the bell rings to make up for lost time here."

"Deal," Lisa put down her saxophone and ran out into the hallway, leaving a confused and somewhat unnerved Clementine behind.

"Gosh," Allison whispered loud enough for Clementine to hear. "I've never seen Lisa act like this before."

"I know," Clementine looked down sadly. "You...You don't think she's trying to avoid me, right?"

Allison opened her mouth to rebuttal but found that nothing left her lips. With a sinking feeling of horror, Allison realized that she couldn't tell Clementine that it wasn't her because...she wasn't certain that was the truth. Instead, she looked back at the door her best friend of eight years just ran through and pondered just how much she knew her.

Meanwhile, Lisa was dashing toward the library. She wasn't exactly sure why. Maybe it was because ever since she was a child, the library had always served as a place of comfort for her, a refuge she could rely on in even her darkest of hours. Maybe it was because she wanted to make absolutely sure no one was around when she had her inevitable breakdown from the sheer amount of stress she was under and it would be easier to accomplish that in the library than in the bathroom. Or maybe it was just closer. Regardless of the reason, Lisa practically flew through the library doors.

There was hardly anyone else there. Even the librarian, who seemed to have her eyes trained toward the opening of those doors, was currently in the film room, reorganizing the documentaries starring the late Troy McLure. Lisa took advantage of her absence to flee to the back of the library and hide behind the fantasy shelf. She curled up into a corner and sank her face into her knees. "What the fuck is wrong with me?" She whispered. "Why can't I stop thinking about Issac!?"

"Because he's a part of you now, just all your victims are." The Beast replied. "I showed you, didn't I?"

Lisa winced as she remembered the bodies hanging in the slaughterhouse. To think such a horrid place really existed in her head. "Can't...Can't you just get rid of it?"

"Not unless you get amnesia and knock the memory out. Face it, Lisa. Issac is part of you now. Part of what makes you the Animal Avenger."

"I'm not trying to be the Animal Avenger right now!" Lisa whispered, burying her face in her knees so as to muffle her voice. "I'm just trying to be me."

"When will you accept it?" The Beast asked in a disappointed tone. "The killing, the Slaughterhouse, me. All this is who you are now. You can't just separate it from you whenever it's convenient."

"But I'm not just the Animal Avenger! I'm Lisa Simpson!"

"Who is the Animal Avenger," The Beast cut in.

"No!" Lisa gripped her head and fought the urge to scream out loud. Her fingernails dug into her scalp hard enough to draw blood.

"This is tiresome to watch," The Beast moaned. "Fine. Keep living in denial about who you are if it makes you feel better. But sooner or later, you're going to have to accept the truth, and don't expect me to be there with a comforting blanket and hot cocoa when it smashes onto you like a falling rock."

Lisa looked up to make sure no one else was around, that no one had heard her breakdown. Yet, for the briefest of moments, in the furthest back of her mind, she wished someone had. She wished someone could have overheard her, gotten her to confess, and allowed her to relieve herself of this burden, the consequences be damned. She wiped the tears from her eyes, looked forward...

...and saw no one else there. Not even the librarian at the front desk.

After a few seconds of silence, Lisa choked up, curled into a tiny ball, and wept until lunch.

Woodshop was one of Bart's favorite classes. Not only did he get to handle all sorts of tools that decidedly were better off in the hands of someone else, but every so often, he would feel compelled to actually make something useful like a small seal figure for Marge on Mother's Day last year. On this particular day, however, all Bart felt was empty inside and thus the only work he could bring himself to do was the bare minimum of today's assignment which was to build a stool.

A stool he was sure Mr. Castellaneta would break with his big fat ass as he did the others. No chair could seem to survive that man's girth. It almost rivaled Homer's.

Of course, Bart would never say such things out loud, not in a class he enjoyed most of the time. And so he continued to shave down the top of the newly-born stool completely oblivious to his surroundings. He didn't notice the boy to his right mutter "dammnit" under his breath when a large crack formed on his stool. He didn't notice the goth twins Sherri and Terri acting unusually giddy as they discussed their prom dates. And he certainly didn't notice Milhouse peeking at him through the doorway.

"I...I don't know about this Janey," He whimpered. "Bart and Nelson are really high-strung at the moment. This could turn real ugly."

"But it'll stay ugly if we don't do anything!" Janey whispered in his ear. "You want them to patch things up as soon as possible, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then you gotta take a few risks. Now get out there!" Without warning, Janey shoved Milhouse into the woodshop. The only person to acknowledge the sudden appearance of the dorky teenager was Mr. Castellaneta who only offered a small grunt in reply before turning back to his tablet. Milhouse yanked on his collar nervously and made his way to Bart. He tried to take a seat on the stool next to his best friend only for it to break under his weight. "Shit!" He grunted as he picked himself back up, rubbing the bruised bottom of his back. "Bart, we need to talk."

"Huh?" Only then did Bart turn to his friend, lifting up his goggles for a better look. " Milhouse. What do you want to talk about."

"Not here," Milhouse looked around as if to make sure no one else was eavesdropping. It became clear that everyone else was far too busy with their own musing to notice or care about him. Milhouse continued. "Can you meet me in Room 216?"

"216?" Bart asked. "You mean the club room that was closed off because of that huge war the clubs fought to get it?"

Milhouse nodded. "So many heinies wedgied!" He sniffed. "So anyway, what do you say?"

"I don't know," Bart said. "I was kinda planning on some intentional loitering later on today."

"Please! It's important!" Milhouse begged.

"Alright alright!" Bart relented. "But if some freaky paranormal shit happens to us in there, I get to say I told you so."

"Deal." Milhouse shook Bart's hand and limped away as his friend resumed his uninspired work. Once Milhouse had left the room and was out of earshot, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright. First mission accomplished. Now let's just hope Janey has the same luck with Nelson."

"A surprise? For me?" Nelson asked. The Captain of the Springfield Pumas was sitting in Study Hall, paper and pencil before him. By some miracle and despite everything that had transpired over the past few weeks, he had managed to finish Animal Farm and was now working on the report. For the first time in his life, such a task came easy to Nelson as the words practically bled from his hands onto the paper. Maybe it was because he somehow found himself connecting to the animals and their struggle. Maybe he just felt like putting his back into it given that it was one of the final assignments of his school years. Or maybe, just maybe, a certain star-haired bookworm had inspired him to take academia seriously.

He just hoped he didn't scare her off with yesterday's inquiry.

But right now, that was neither here nor there. Janey Powell, one of the girls on his ex's beck and call was leaning in front of him, asking if he would come to the forbidden Room 216 for a "surprise." Now, Nelson was not the sharpest tool in the shed, especially with all the concussions he had suffered over his football career. But he was not nearly the idiot some people made him out to be. Understandably, he was suspicious.

"Wait, this isn't some ploy to get back at me for breaking up with Jessica, is it?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

"No! Of course not!" Janey waved her hands defensibly. "In fact, to tell you the truth," She rubbed her arms nervously. "We sorta stopped hanging out with Jessica recently."

Nelson's eyes bulged in surprise. "What? Why? Just because she took a hit to her popularity?"

There was an accusatory tone in Nelson's voice and to Janey's surprise, she gulped in response. "So this is what it feels like to be judged for things besides popularity!" She thought grimly. "No wonder Jessica's going crazy!" She shook her head and forced herself to look Nelson in the eye. "No, That's not it! She's just been...well...difficult since you guys broke up. You understand!"

"Unfortunately," Nelson agreed.

"Look, the point is, there's something really important you need to see and you can only see it in Room 216," Janey said. "So what do you say?"

"Well," Nelson rubbed his chin. "I do like surprises." Then his face darkened. "Wait a minute. How do I know this is a pleasant surprise? Because by definition, a surprise doesn't have to be pleasant! It can also be unpleasant!"

"Damn, you've really been hitting those books lately." Janey thought before shaking her head again. "Look, I'll tell you what! Come see the surprise in Room 216 and if you don't like it, I'll...buy you a Squishee?"

There was an awkward silence that followed for a good long while as Nelson weighed Janey's words carefully in his head. Finally, he replied with a small smile. "Hmm. The certainty of a treat definitely beats the uncertainty of a surprise." Nelson realized that he sounded very much like Marsha Prince, shuddered, and finished with "Alright, you got yourself a deal!"

Janey brightened up. "Alright! See you next after class!" With a spring in her step, Janey practically skipped out the door, leaving Nelson to his report. "This is great!" She thought as she slowed her pace and walked down the hallway toward her own class, taking the bathroom pass out of her purse. "So far, the plan is falling into place! All that's left to do now is-

Janey stopped talking. She stopped thinking. And despite how badly she didn't want to, she had stopped moving.

Before her on the opposite side of the hallway, drinking her fill from a rusty water fountain, was Clementine Foster.

Janey felt a streak of wetness trickle down the back of her neck, wiped it up in her hand, and gasped in horror as she saw it was sweat. She felt more beads of the stuff trickle down her face but paid them no mind. Instead, she placed all of her focus on willing her legs to move forward, to walk past the girl who had somehow snuck a pig fetus into her purse when she wasn't looking and return to the safety of Spanish class. "Come on..." She thought. "Move dammit!" Finally, after what felt like an eternity to the poor girl, she was able to force one foot forward. The clack her high heel made against the marble floor echoed throughout the hallway like a falling body.

Clementine, who seemed to have been ignoring Janey if she was even aware of her presence until this point, glanced sideways toward the scared girl. There was no malice in her eyes at the moment, only quiet curiosity but seeing that pupil gravitate toward her at that moment was more than enough to send Janey into full-on panic mode "Shit!" Janey sprinted, falling on her face as she tripped over her high heels, one of them falling off her left foot. Too much in a panic to care, Janey scrambled back to her feet and continued to flee. The imbalance caused by the single high hell she wore caused her to stumble but she forced herself not to fall a second time. It was as if she was trapped in a nightmare, the hallway yawning endlessly ahead of her, forever and ever. The only sounds she could hear were the clack and slap of her feet as they hit the floor and the sound of her own ragged breathing.

Finally, the door to her Spanish class appeared within her sight. She practically cried in happiness as she reached for the doorknob. This happiness, however, would be short-lived as when she turned the knob, the door refused to open. Janey gasped then grunted with effort as again and again she pulled on the door knob. She banged on the door and wailed, begging to be let in. "Open up! Please open up!"

Then she felt it. The cold presence behind her back. She froze up as a single finger tapped her shoulder and with a gulp, Janey forced herself to turn around, to meet the gaze of the girl who planted nightmares of pig fetuses in her brain.

Clementine was smiling. Not in a sadistic or insane way but the kind of pleasant smile one would greet a friend with. Lifting up her hand, Clementine brandished the high heel that Janey had lost. "Dropped your shoe." She said as she handed the footwear over to Janey.

"Oh, uh, Thanks?" Janey uneasily reached for the shoe, almost certain that the crazy bitch in front of her was going to slash her arm as soon as she grabbed it. She gripped the shoe and pulled it out of Clementine's grasp. No cutting. No shouting. Just a warm smile. With a nervous chuckle, Janey fixed the high heel back to her foot, her balance restored.

"Those are some nice shoes," Clementine said.

"Um...yeah..." Janey was scared. Somehow the sudden helpfulness that Clementine displayed only seemed to make her that much more menacing. Janey wanted nothing more but to run into Spanish class and lock the door behind her.

"I wonder...you ever crush any bugs with them?" The strange girl asked nonchalantly.

"I...what?" Janey asked, taken aback by such a question.

"Oh I was just thinking out loud." Clementine waved her hand in playful dismissal. "Well, anyway, I got to head to class, let someone else get some water you know?"

"Y-Yeah."

"See you later," Clementine winked as she waltzed down the hallway, turned the corner, and vanished from sight. Then and only then did the teacher open the door, startling Janey

"What the heck is going on here?" The teacher said. "Janey? What's with all the ruckus?"

"Umm...it...it was nothing." Janey sighed. "Just some other students having a fight, the Principal already dragged them off."

"Very well. Get in and remember, leave the English at the door."

"Si." Janey walked inside without hesitation

"So what exactly do we need to talk about, Milhouse?" Bart asked.

"Nuh-uh! Not until we reach the room." Milhouse said.

Bart sighed. "Come on man! What's so important that you can't tell me until we reach the stupid room?"

"Just trust me on this!"

Bart groaned but decided to cease his complaining for the time being. The two friends were walking down the hallway in which the infamous Room 216 resided. Because of the reputation the room had garnered over the years, not many students or staff made it a point to come down this hall unless absolutely necessary. Not even Groundskeeper Millie liked to come here and as such, the entire hallway had a dingy, abandoned look to it, despite being attached to a still active school.

As Bart neared the dreaded room 216, his mind raced from theory to theory of why Milhouse had brought him here. Were they going to do some drugs? Were they going to sell some drugs? Was Milhouse going to come out to him? That lost thought made Bart shudder and then feel guilty for shuddering. Whatever else he was thinking at that moment, it was silenced by the sudden appearance of Janey Powell standing right outside the room.

"There you are! We've been waiting for you!" She greeted.

"We?" Bart gulped as he considered the possibility that he was being led to a death trap by one of Jessica's minions. Panicked, he grabbed Milhouse's shoulder and forced his blue-haired friend to stop in his tracks. "Milhouse, just what the hell's going on here? Are you leading me into some sort of trap?"

"Come on, Bart!" Milhouse pulled away and continued walking. "Since when have I ever been clever enough to do something like that?"

"Um...good point." Bart relented. "But still! This whole thing smells fishy to me!"

"Well, I am the blobfish." Milhouse chuckled as he entered the infamous room.

"Quit saying that!" Bart followed his friend through the doorway. "Alright, we're here so make with the answers! Are you guys making me join a cult? Is that it? Because you should know I already signed an agreement with...

As Bart was talking, his eyes took in the sight of the room before him. Perfectly placed desks sat empty before a chalkboard with a single word written on it: R. Between that was a teacher's desk with two teens next to it. One was Milhouse who was already inching away from the table and the other, sitting at it and looking up in shock and horror at Bart was.

"Nelson?"

"Bart!?"

The two boys stared at each other, eyes wide as dinner plates and all matter of various thoughts filling their minds. They were so preoccupied with wondering what the other was doing here that they failed to notice Milhouse slinking out the door. It was only when they heard the door slam shut with a lock that they snapped out of their stupor.

"What the fuck?" Both of them shouted at the same time. Bart rushed to the door and pulled on the knob with all his might. Nelson grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him away before trying it himself. While the door struggled a little more against the Football Captain, it still refused to budge. "Shit!" Nelson backed away, bent his knees, and prepared to tackle the door football style. Before he could take off, however, he heard tapping on the door window.

"Nun-uh-uh!" Milhouse said. "Remember what the Coach said about you destroying school property!"

Bart rushed to the door again and slammed on the window. "Milhouse! Let us out!"

"Not until you guys talk it out!" Milhouse replied. "I know there's a lot of beef between you but when life gives you beef, you make hamburgers!"

"...What?" Bart asked.

Milhouse's face was suddenly shoved to the side by Janey's "He means that until you two bury the hatchet, you're not coming out of that room."

"Are you crazy?" Nelson asked. "It's almost last period!"

"Then you better get talking or you're gonna spend the night in there!" Janey taunted.

"But it's chili Frito night!" Bart complained. "Grr! This is your fault. Nelson!" He pointed a finger at his former pal as he said this.

"My fault!?" Nelson turned around. "I'm not the one who's going around seeing my friend's girlfriends behind their backs!"

"Hey! It's not my fault women are attracted to my animal magnetism!"

"I'll show you animal magnetism!" Nelson grabbed Bart by the neck and began to strangle him. Bart flailed about, trying to tear himself away from the former bully's grasp. He even once again went for another kick to the crotch, only to be reminded of the cup underneath Nelson's pants.

"Dude, you seriously need to stop doing that," Nelson said.

"Bite me!" Bart choked out. "Better yet," He suddenly sank his teeth into Nelson's hand, forcing the Quarterback to let him go. Seizing his chance, Bart punched Nelson in the gut. This, however, only served to agitate Nelson as he responded with a knee to Bart's face after grabbing his head.

"This is bad!" Janey shouted as she and Milhouse watched from the door window. "This is all wrong! They're trying to kill each other! We should abort!"

She reached for her purse for the keys only for Milhouse to gently grab her wrist. She uttered a quiet gasp in surprise. "Milhouse."

"Just watch and listen," Milhouse said, his gaze focused on his two fighting friends. "This is how men settle their feelings. First the beatings, then the healings."

"Huh?" Janey asked, genuinely confused.

Milhouse pointed to the glass, gesturing for his girlfriend to keep watching. By now, Nelson had knocked Bart against one of the student desks, knocking it and its neighbor down to the ground. It was a short tussle to be sure but both boys bore its marks. Nelson had a bruise on his right cheek from where Bart had got a lucky hit in and his hair was ruffled. Bart was even worse, with a black eye, chipped tooth, and blood leaking from his crushed nose. The two boys sat against the fallen desk, panting heavily. Their pants unintentionally synchronized with the rapid movements of the ceiling fan above.

"E-Eat my shorts." Bart breathed in defense.

"I already did dingus," Nelson muttered. "Don't you remember that game of Truth or Dare back in 5th grade?"

"Oh yeah," Bart responded thoughtfully. "I honestly didn't think you had to do it. Had to go home in newspaper like Chicken Little."

The shared memory of that event seemed to lighten the mood as both Bart and Nelson laughed. Bart's laughter quickly turned into coughing from when he had been strangled. It had been quite a while since he'd put up with that. Nelson stopped laughing as well if only because it was causing his bruised stomach to hurt. The two boys sat in silence, now listening directly to the gentle hum of the fan above.

"I'm sorry," Bart finally said.

"For making a Chicken Little reference?" Nelson asked.

"Well, that, and for seeing your girlfriend behind your back." Bart continued. "The truth is, I still have a thing for Jessica. Had one since we were kids. I know it's stupid and dumb and all she did was con me but, I think she was the first huge love in my life. And after so many failed relationships, I guess part of me figured I would only click with the one who came first." Bart sighed and turned to Nelson. "But she was your girl and I had no right to interfere. "I'm sorry, Nelson. For everything."

To Bart, it seemed like Nelson would not accept his apology as his face remained stern and studious. But after a few moments, and much to Bart's relief, it softened. "Nah, It's alright. Besides, dating Jessica Lovejoy's not all it's cracked up to be."

"Really?"

Nelson nodded. "Sure' she's hot and smells like roses but she's also real self-absorbed and shallow. She just wanted me because I'm the Captain of the Football team. Hell, she never even asked to see my deformed toy car collection."

"No!" Bart said shocked. But deep down, he wasn't that shocked. Jessica's behavior last week when Alex had spied on them and at the Rattlesnake Roundup convinced Bart that Nelson knew exactly what he was talking about. And yet, there was a part of him that still pined for her, still wanted to give it another shot. He mentally pushed that side down without mercy.

"Maybe she's had a bad homelife or something but I...I just don't need that kind of negativity in my life, you know?" Nelson's mind turned to Bart's sister Lisa and how she had run away yesterday when he had asked her to prom. He couldn't know it but he felt the same pang of longing for Lisa that Bart did for Jessica. He forced those pangs away, turned to Bart, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "If anything, you did me a favor by giving me an excuse to dump Jessica." He said. "So, in a weird way, thanks, man."

Bart was speechless. Nelson was actually thanking him for seeing his girlfriend behind his back? What was going on? Had the world gone crazy? As if this bizarre chain of events wasn't uncomfortable enough, Bart felt a wetness underneath his cheeks. He swiped it with his fingers and gasped to see it was a tear. Was he crying?

"Hey, what's with the waterworks?" Nelson asked. "You wussing out on me or something?"

"N-No!" Bart scrambled to wipe the tears away. "You just punched me really hard, man!"

"Bullshit!" Nelson declared. "You're fucking crying, just admit it!" It was at that moment that Bart noticed tears seeping from Nelson's eyes as well.

"N-No way! You admit it!" He retorted.

"No you!"

"No you!"

This exchange continued for a few moments, more and more tears flowing from the two boy's eyes as they each tried to get the other to confess to the waterworks. Finally, neither boy could hold it in anymore and the both of them started openly weeping as they embraced.

"I love you, man!"

"I love you, too!"

Both of the boys continued to blubber into each other's arms their friendship rekindled. From outside the door, Janey and Milhouse watched on proudly.

"Let's stop for Squishees on the way home." She suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," He interlocked his fingers with hers.

"Maybe...Maybe I can take both?" Lisa thought as she squeezed some soap into her hand. It was after the final bell and Lisa had spent the better part of the last period hidden in the bathroom. All day, she had been in and out of total disassociative despair brought on by her episode in the library. As a result, and because Nelson had conveniently gone missing, she had failed to give him or Clementine an answer like she planned to which only served to make her feel worse about the situation. The Beast seemed to be keeping her mouth shut again but that did little to comfort the middle Simpson child as she racked her brain for the answer to her dilemma.

"Part of me always wanted to be in a three-way relationship and if Nelson and Clementine agreed," She stopped herself. "What's wrong with me? Even if that somehow worked," Lisa temporarily let herself get lost in a daydream where she was at the prom with Nelson and Clementine, all three of them dressed like red carpet royalty. As they slow danced, both Nelson and Clementine kissed Lisa on the opposite cheek, causing them to flush bright red in real life. Lisa snapped herself out of her fantasy and retraced her thought pattern. "Even if it worked, it still doesn't solve the Issac problem. I can't so much as speak to Clementine without triggering those memories and it's tearing me apart! What do I do? What do I do?" Lisa sobbed quietly as the bathroom sink continued to run, drowning out her muted crying. After a few moments, she turned it off, went to the end of the bathroom where the paper dispenser was, and claimed a brown sheet for herself. The paper tore through her still-wet fingers as she tried futilely to dry her hands with it. Why public schools insisted on such shitty paper, Lisa would never know.

Once she was done with that, she tossed the useless wad of paper in the trash and returned to the mirror. She studied herself closely. The face staring back at her was a teenage girl. No doubt about it. Slowly, she brought her hand to her face and pressed it against her cheek. It felt warm, especially after her little fantasy. Yep, blushing and fantasizing. That's what teenage girls did. The thought made Lisa smile. She was a teenager, after all, just a completely ordinary teena-

blood

It was only for the briefest of moments but even that small window of time was enough for Lisa's spine to shiver. For the briefest of moments, she felt a new kind of warmth on her cheek, the wet and sticky warmth of blood, all too familiar to her, even if she had never had it on her cheek before. It wasn't a dream or a fantasy but a memory, a memory of all the times she had felt the sensation of warm blood against her skin. The blood of scum like Wolfe, Tobias, Richard,

Issac

She pulled her hand away from her cheek and gripped her hair tightly. "No, no, no!" She cried. "Just stop it!" She dug her fingernails into her scalp again, almost deep enough to draw blood but she stopped herself before it went that far. She forced her arms to fall to the sides and with a choked sob, gripped the porcelain front of the sink. She panted for a few seconds, her head scalp stinging from where she had practically cut into it. As she fought to recapture her breath, Lisa's mind once again fell astray, images of Nelson and Clementine flowing through her head.

And with those memories of Clementine, came memories of Issac.

"It's no use," Lisa thought. "I like Clementine. I really do but she just...she just keeps bringing him back up without even trying. I don't know why but I can't feel safe with Issac in my head like that. I can't feel normal." She thought back to Nelson, realized Issac didn't follow him and sighed as she knew she had her answer. "I'm so sorry, Clementine, I really am but I want to leave the past in the past. I know it's not your fault but somehow you just keep reminding me of him." Lisa lifted herself away from the sink, staring at the mirror, staring at the girl on the other side who everyone else in her life saw as just that, a normal teenager.

And she wanted to see herself as that too.

"I've decided. I'm going to the prom with Nelson."

"Ah ha!" I knew it!"

Lisa nearly jumped through the ceiling as she heard the other voice announce its presence. Zipping around, she found herself staring face to face with the former Queen of High School, Jessica Lovejoy.

"I knew it! That was your evil plan all along, wasn't little Miss Bookworm!"

"J-Jessica? Wait I-

Jessica swiped at Lisa, intending to slap a tooth or two out of her mouth. However, the most she was able to accomplish was leaving a tiny red mark on Lisa's cheek and causing her own hand to go numb from the impact for a few seconds. Lisa backed away but Jessica moved forward, tears stained with her runny mascara running down her cheeks.

"You think you're so smart, do you bitch!?" She screamed. "You turned Nelson against me with your wordy mumbo jumbo so you could have him all to yourself!"

Lisa felt her cheek and winced at the pain she felt as her fingertips touched the reddened skin. "Jessica! Listen!"

Jessica went for another swipe, this time digging her fake fingernails into Lisa's cheek. One of them fell off as she pulled her hand back but she was so consumed by her own fury and malice that she hardly registered it. "Well, I'm gonna make you pay, you bitch! You hear me! You will pay!" She reeled her hand back.

Lisa held her cheek again, felt something wet, and gasped quietly as she took a look at the blood on her hand. Just like her fantasy but a few moments ago."Jessica, Please! Let me explain!"

Jessica clenched her hand into a fist.

"Jessica!"

She went for another swipe at Lisa.

"Enough!"

Lisa grabbed Jessica's wrist, the movement of her arm nothing but a blur to the former Queen of High School. Jessica yelped in surprise as Lisa stopped her attack and stared at her with mouth agape and eyes wide with fear. She let out a low whine as pain shot through her arm. "You bitch! Let me go!" Jessica tried to deck Lisa with her free hand, only for the star-haired girl to grab that wrist as well. Now trapped, Jessica tried to break free from Lisa's grip but it was no use. It was as if she were trying to pull her arm away from iron vices.

"What's wrong?" Lisa asked grimly. "Nothing left to say."

"Let me go!" Jessica cried. It hurts! It hurts!" She kicked Lisa in the stomach, which caused her to groan in pain.

Jessica felt a small sense of victory which vanished the second Lisa looked up at her, her eyes staring daggers at the former high school superstar. With what almost appeared to be a snarl, Lisa headbutted Jessica and pushed her toward the section of wall near the sinks. Jessica hit this wall with a thud and slid down, groaning in pain. Her head was spinning from the impact and she could smell blood from within her nose. She felt a sharp pain as she moved her head forward and pressed her hand against the back of it. She winced in agony as her hand made contact with something wet and she examined it.

Blood. Her blood.

Jessica cried out in horror at the realization that she had been injured to the point of bleeding. It was at that moment that she felt a shadow loom over her and, while trembling in fear, she slowly forced herself to look up into the hateful gaze of one pissed-off Lisa Simpson.

"Look, Jessica. I don't know what this is all about and frankly, I don't fucking care." She stated. "But whatever you were hoping to do or say to me right now, you can just keep it to yourself because I'm not in the mood for anyone's bullshit right now." Lisa bent down on one knee so she was at eye level with the frightened Jessica Lovejoy. In her mind, for the first time in hours, she could hear the Beast braying for the other girl's blood.

"kill her"

"Do it now!"

"KILL THE LITTLE WHORE!"

Lisa sighed and shook her head, the only semblance of an answer she was going to give to her killer instincts. She had already made up her mind that she was going to be a normal teen for this week and she wasn't about to break her vow of only killing animal abusers now. The Beast was sure to chew her out later tonight within the Slaughterhouse but right now, Lisa couldn't care less. She looked back at Jessica who whimpered as Lisa continued to speak.

"I'm sorry that things didn't work out between you and Nelson but he asked me to prom and I've decided to say yes."

"No," Jessica whispered. "Y-You can't do that."

"I can do what I want, Jessica." Lisa answered coldly. "It's my life and last I check, you're not the one in charge of governing it." She got back up and started walking out of the bathroom. "Farewell, Jessica. Hopefully, you can find someone else to take you to prom."

"W-W-Wait! Wait a minute!" Against her fear, pain, and common sense, Jessica forced herself back to her own feet and shouted behind Lisa. "You can't do this to me! I am the Goddess of High School! If you don't come back right here and apologize to me I'll...I'll...

Lisa snapped back around. She said nothing. She did nothing. She simply turned her head and glared at Jessica.

But that was enough. What little resistance, bravery, and foolish pride was still left with the reverend's daughter evaporated like water on the sidewalk on a hot summer day the second she was caught in Lisa's gaze. At that very moment, she knew one thing deep within her heart. Where it came from, she had no clue but it was there nonetheless, and try as she might, she knew it to be the cold, hard truth.

That the shy nerdy girl she had looked down upon in the past was a lioness that could and would tear her apart at a moment's notice. Whether the killer instinct radiating off of Lisa had always been there or not, Jessica didn't know nor did she care. It was there and because of it, Jessica was painfully aware that all the pain she had just been put through was a kindness compared to what could have been.

She was afraid. Completely and utterly afraid.

She stepped back a few times before falling on her ass, whimpering and blubbering all the while. Lisa continued to glare at her with an almost pitiful expression of anger, before turning around and walking out of the bathroom.

Jessica Lovejoy spent the next hour in that bathroom and then another 30 minutes within the closing school before finally making her way home. She needed to be absolutely sure that she didn't run into Lisa again that day. As she walked back home, her pride shattered and her eyes wet with tears, she periodically took the cross around her neck and kissed it gently.

(It would seem Lisa had made her decision. But will it be the right one? And what will be the repercussions of it? Stay tuned to find out! Btw, this story is now also on AO3, just FYI.)