"I don't understand how food can taste that incredible." Stan still not getting over that fact, Henrietta couldn't resist herself from the same happiness overflowing out of Stan, an with how he's been down lately, she didn't want to make him paranoid, about looking out for the police along with something else bugging her. Hearing a notification, she pull out her phone to check for a text message, one from Karen; Replying to her message that they would be there soon, turning around making sure Stan was alright, not expecting him to invade her personal space as she almost bump into his face. "Whoa! Raven can you not do that?!" Stan backing away from her immediately as he realize what he did. "Sorry, I notice you got a text. Didn't mean to get nosy." Trying to walk ahead, Stan given no warning from her, being grasp by her hand to pull him into her direction as the two bump into each other, almost distracting his attention away from the bright screen revealing what he been wanting to know.
A text from Karen saying they're waiting for them inside Henrietta room. "They been waiting for us this whole time?" Henrietta look at him, "Not the entire time, few minutes." As they made their way back to her home, they went inside hearing their friends loudly chatting away upstairs . Stan still not use to being friends again with those he had abandoned as they walk inside her room, wondering why they quickly accepted him back, never forgetting how when they took him under their wing, they kept him from caring about Wendy in those weeks of pain and loss of sanity. "Let's us express ourselves of our darkness, no holding back and speak our mind." Michael looking around as the rest seem to agree as Stan and Henrietta sat across from each other, taking out their phone to search for their poems, Stan taking out his phone noticing Karen next to him. "I have a couple that I have already save." The shock reaction they gave him, thinking Stan would have given up on what he acquired during the time he spent with them, slightly amusing him.
They each took a turn listening to each other expressing themselves, knowing no judgement would be found from each other as Stan notice subtle change to a few poems from the group but mostly Henrietta, who seem to stop talking about hating her family. Each turn making it obvious, he could tell each of them didn't lose passion for making poetry, slowly it got to be his turn, it's been a while for him reading to anybody becoming self conscious. "You can start whenever Raven." Michael putting the focus of the group toward him as he made sure to prepare himself mentally in expressing his inner thought. "My life change when I was ten. I change that day, I haven't been the same. I ask myself why am I not me? my friends see me different and I want to say I am not but it's like life switch up the plot. Have I forgotten myself? I use to enjoy life now what I do is annoy, I have to drink to stay coy, I'm than back to Stan the football jock they deploy," Stan pausing noticing Karen expression changing before continuing. "I became a image lost to the constant flow of time, does it matter as I lost those close to even be happy, some took parts to what I gave, the one who took my heart didn't care as she left my soul filthy, looking on at my resting place wondering the question of my return, being when could I be myself again as I was before I was ten." Once he was done the reaction wasn't what he would expect as Karen got close to him wanting to read more of his poetry.
"Is this why you drinking more Raven?" She stare at one specific poem, realizing she was scrolling into his more personal poem's, not thinking about the both of them getting enough contact that would push her older brother Kenny to his limit, he push the mental frown of his friends face aside to answer Karen question. "It's hard to explain Karen," Stan knew better than to give the typical answer most people would give when not bothering in explaining themselves, as he turn unconsciously giving her a serious face. "I'm having trouble enjoying life to the point I'm near the edge." Karen seem to be analyzing what he said, trying to find reasoning to whatever is on her mind as Stan silently watch her get closer to his face, the sensation of Karen hand touch his forearm squeezing as he saw her forming sadness, the two turn to a certain someone clearing their throat, Stan turning to look at Henrietta giving a look of annoyance, which she direct more toward Karen. A sort of cue for them to leave, everyone getting up along with Karen exiting out feeling the warmth of her body disappearing from his own, waving at Stan with the last being Henrietta saying something quietly to her, as he follow behind their friends watching her escort them outside.
Stan thoughts about leaving echoing silently in his head, slowly the idea fading out his mind. "Are you leaving Raven?" Caught in between his contemplating, Henrietta had a glimpse of his face to understand with a shake of his head. "I have nothing plan unless you do." Shaking her head, confirming a no as she went inside her home with Stan following behind, she search for something in a cabinet of her bathroom, Stan watch curiously as she brought a Visine bottle. "You'll definitely need eye drop." Sitting next to him handing him the eye drop bottle as the glow of her phone from her left hand grab his attention while doing his best to focus on placing the eye drop correctly. "You know, I haven't ask but what is your number?" Her face the definition of a poker face as raise her hand.
"Let me see your phone." complying with her demand, Stan not checking his phone as when Henrietta put her contact information she seem to almost break the expression she kept. Finally receiving it back from her, Stan saw a new message feeling a rapid of different emotions. "No way." What to do with this chance as Henrietta face seem to speak louder than words, clearly displease with him wanting encouragement to his current situation. A dark voice in his head let itself loose agreeing, giving Stan goosebumps the way it seem separate from him. Taking a deep breath from the experience he began deleting the message and blocking her number to make sure he didn't have to deal with a girl he's avoiding. Didn't stop what his mind warp into not repeating, almost forgetting about his surroundings.
"You want to go for a walk?" Concern from Henrietta as he felt a soft material wipe at his eyes. "Sure." As he got up, it didn't take long to see the darkness of outside again as Henrietta staying by his side said, "I loathe Wendy." Stan quickly turning his head toward her direction listening as she look behind them, before returning her attention to him. "I seen how she treated you. Dating your friends until she regretted leaving you. Coming back with such a coincidence, she's a devious planner" the moonlight becoming a spotlight. He notice her more than ever with how her features stood out in the natural light, he also took in what she said. "She's probably trying right now to take you Raven." His heart rate increasing as her hand grab his, "What do you mean by devious planner?" leading them quickly until it was apparent she was rushing him back to his home, what seem to change her mood Stan wonder.
"You don't remember Ms. Ellen, what happen to her cause of Wendy?" Stan of course knew who that was and thinking about what Henrietta is hinting at, arriving in front of his house and now accepting that, not understanding why the rush from her, "Good night Stan." Henrietta walking away from him as he's left alone to his own thoughts. "Good night Henrietta!" He watch her wave good bye, reality versus his fantasy proving nothing from their interaction had meaning, only her kindness for when he felt low. Entering his home, hoping a greeting at least from his sister, nobody seem to be around as he saw an empty living room, he let his presence be known to no one particular. "I'm home!" Going up stairs, heading to his room to prepare himself for sleep, as the day playing back in his head. "Henrietta..I don't understand." He grab his phone to notice a message from another number, "Hey, it's Karen. I ask my brother for your number. I want to text if that's okay with you?" Recently he had been dealing with life pressure, keeping it to himself now he felt better than before at the way life is going, thinking it was the right choice as he respond to Karen and sleep becoming harder from the constant messaging between him and Karen, he reason he couldn't be the only one to experience what he had, he sent a message a good night message to Karen as he finally felt his eyes closing.
As he doze to slumber, outside of his window two familiar Silhouette standing at a distance facing each other held his remaining focus, they seem to be having a conversation, at least Stan guessing by the waving of a hands by someone wearing pink. 'What is going on out there?' being his last thought as he fell asleep to the shouting happening outside.