Standard disclaimer applies. This is NOT a songfic. This story is dedicated to all the authors out there that have taken a chance and refused to be bound by the traditional rules. It's for those writers who've crashed through barriers and put out fanfiction that is just a little bit different. For all of you, I offer this humble piece of work. I hope one day, I'll be more like you. It's also for Moon Senshi, our fabulous editor. Thanks for your help, girl! The end result was well worth the time it took you to finish. This story is rated PG-13 for language, and sexual references. -------------------------------------------- Time is never Time at all You can never ever leave without leaving a piece of youth And our lives are forever changed We will never be the same The more you change, the less you feel Believe, Believe in me, Believe That life can change, that you're not stuck in vain We're not the same, we're different tonight. Tonight, so bright. Tonight. And you know you're never sure But you're sure you could be right If you held yourself up to the light And the embers never fade in your city by the lake The place where you were born Believe, Believe in me, Believe In the resolute urgency of now And if you believe there's not a chance tonight. Tonight, so bright. Tonight. We'll crucify the insincere tonight We'll make things right, we'll feel it all tonight We'll find a way to offer up the night tonight The indescribable moments of your life tonight The impossible is possible tonight Believe in me, as I believe in you tonight. Tonight, so bright. Tonight ~Tonight, Tonight The Smashing Pumpkins -------------------------------------------- Altered State, book one "Tonight, Tonight" by Mercury Blue and Fire Goddess Raye -------------------------------------------- Part One- The First Month Chapter One- Silent Motivation Time is one confusing sonovabitch. Believe me, I know. The way it wraps itself in such intricate circles, creating lives even as it ends them; building love, and then taking it away. I cannot even begin to understand it. And yet... as confusing as it is, Time is also a relatively simple thing and can be screwed with so easily- or stopped in the blink of an eye, if one possesses the information I do. Or, if one has such an inclination. Time can be halted forever. Forever. I hate the word. Because, after all, what does forever mean? Is it until the end of my lifetime? Yours? Or is forever until the day I grow weary of this job, and stop Time, and Space entirely? Yes. I am capable of that. After all, I am Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time. Oh! You've heard of me? How nice. But even if you hadn't, well, that is of no importance. I am not here to talk about myself, but rather to reveal to you why my job is so valuable to humanity and why no mortal, ever, should be given the opportunity to view their future. To teach the lesson I had to learn the hard way. I should never have sent them to the future, I know that now. For when a person sees their future, they often try too hard to ensure, or prevent, that future from happening. They can grow cocky, or nervous, and perform one small act which permanently alters the future in some way. This story is about one such happening; about a group of young people who become so certain and so expectant about a future they've seen that they unwittingly change it... ahem... *forever*. Now, how shall I begin? Shall I start my story like a fairy tale, with words of, "Once upon a time..."? Or perhaps you would prefer it to be a little more unique, jumping into the action straightaway, like a diver into the cold ocean water. Ah well. Neither of these seem appropriate to me now. Because, my dears, this is not a fairy tale, or a script for an action film. It really did happen, you must believe me. For believing the story is the only way to prevent it from happening again, in another time. In another place. So I shall start straight-forward, from the beginning, as it happened. That is really for the best, don't you think? -------------------------------------------- Amy Mizuno cupped her chin in her hands and stared intently into the blue eyes looking back at her. They were intelligent eyes; a little sad-looking, but intelligent still. They rested in a pretty face, surrounded by short, blue hair. It was a smart haircut, or so her mother used to say. Worn by girls with careers. Smart girls. Smart. Amy sighed and leaned back away from the vanity mirror. Her entire life, she'd been thought of as nothing but a brain with legs. Someone who would rather sit around and discuss quantum physics while other teenagers her age went shopping, had sleepovers, or dated. Dating. It wasn't something she was unfamiliar with. She'd had a boyfriend for the past four years, though not all at once. His name was Greg. She'd met him about five years ago, when he transferred to her school temporarily. Though she'd soon learned that he was a rainbow crystal carrier and a strong clairvoyant- and even despite the fact that he'd soon figured out she was Sailor Mercury, they'd developed a bond, and had later began seeing each other. The relationship was strained, however. Between his father's constant job transfers and Amy's many extra-curricular schoolings, they seldom saw each other. Not that Amy minded much. After all this time, the relationship had finally hit a roadblock. Her mind wandered to their last date. Dinner and a movie. The same thing they had done the date before, and the date before that. If it got any more redundant, Amy didn't know what she would do. Sometimes she just wished she had the courage to end it. To throw the ring he had given her in his face, and scream at him that it was over. To do something, anything, that would make her feel less boring. Less ordinary. Less smart. But she knew she wouldn't. She had seen how it would be- how her future would feel. She would be alone forever in that future. She would never feel the warmth of a husband's body next to her at night, or experience the happy glow of a child's love. This was the only time she would get to feel anything like that. The only time she would be able to share trite intimacies with another person, before that dreaded future hit. "Is this all I get?" Amy said aloud (but softly, because she was, after all, a smart girl, not a lunatic), "A boring boyfriend, then an eternity of loneliness?". The smart girl who looked back at Amy from the mirror didn't respond. The smart girl made a very stupid-looking face. Amy straightened her hair with the palms of her hands and walked out of the small bathroom of her apartment, into the larger, more spacious living area. From the arm of the black sofa, she picked up her purse and car keys. She'd promised her friend Raye earlier that week that she'd stop by for a while if she had time, and now she did. Raye had said she wanted to sit down, have some nice green tea, and "catch up". Amy chuckled to herself as she thought about that. It had been only a month since they'd seen each other last, when Amy had more or less boarded herself up in her apartment to study for her finals. But after having seen each other almost every day since the beginning of their friendship over five years ago, Amy could understand how a few weeks could seem like an eternity. She almost felt that way herself. Amy sighed and smoothed her long blue skirt over her thighs, grimacing to herself as she realized that this was a smart girl's skirt. Something those career women would wear- something her mother would like. Well, there was nothing to be done about that, she thought to herself. May as well go over to the shrine and have a nice afternoon with Raye and try not to think about it. * * * It was near dusk when Amy pulled her blue civic into the parking space near the entrance of the Cherry Hill Shrine. Stepping out of the car slowly, she took in the beauty that surrounded her. The sky glowed gold, bright and warm. Leaves- red, gold, yellow- littered the cement steps that lead towards the shrine. Nearby, on the stone signs with the beautiful kanji writing, the familiar forms of Raye's two crows, Phobos and Deimos, perched. Behind them, the graceful outline of the shrine itself could be seen. With a soft gasp of awe, Amy tilted her head back to take in the sight behind the shrine. Several tall cherry trees, black in the lighting, seemed to hold the orange orb of the sun between their finger-like branches as an offering to the pale moon that rested across the sky from it. It was like an omen, or a subtle reminder of the past that followed her and her friends around. It had been well over a month since she'd been there last. Ever since she'd moved to her apartment across town, the hour-long commute to Raye's home had become something she didn't do often. Rather, they would meet in the middle and have lunch in the city or meet up for a movie. Raye had only been to her new place once. But the beauty of the shrine never ceased to amaze Amy. Even when she'd lived walking- distance away and had visited constantly, Amy had always been stunned by the peacefulness and serenity of shrine life. At times, she'd almost wished she could live there, too. Smiling to herself, Amy took the cement steps one at a time, feeling the familiar texture even through her tan sandals. Stray leaves brushed up against her ankles and floated on the warm autumn breeze. She bent to pick one up and held it in her fingers. "Amy." It was Raye's soft voice she heard, and she stood up quickly, dropping the dry leaf and smiling in the direction of the voice. "Oh, hi, Raye." Amy laughed. Raye waved at her. In her other hand, she held an old and rather scruffy-looking broom. As she always did while she was working, Raye wore her red and white Shinto priestess garb. Her raven hair hung long and to the back of her knees. Behind her, Chad, looking even scruffier than the broom, emerged from inside. He too waved, his brown hair falling into his eyes as always. "Hi, Chad!" Raye handed Chad the broom, and walked down towards Amy. "What took you so long?" she asked, with a smile. Amy didn't have time to reply before Raye enveloped her in a warm hug. "It's been a while." "Not that long," Amy laughed, returning the hug and then pulling back. "It's only been a month!" The two walked up towards the shrine. "So, how have you been keeping occupied, lately?" Raye shrugged, stopping to sit on the sun-warmed stairs in front of the shrine. "Oh, nothing new. Since Grandpa went on that training trip, I've kept busy filling his shoes, but it's nothing I haven't done before." She stopped. "Of course, finals kept me pretty busy for a while, but that's over with now, isn't it?" Amy nodded, and sat next to her friend. "Yes. Mine *were* rather difficult. I was concerned for a while that I would score below a ninety-eight." Raye rolled her eyes, but Amy pretended not to notice. "I was really relieved when I saw I'd received a hundred. I was worried I might need to attend summer school." Raye sighed. Amy hadn't changed a bit since she had met her. She was still a perfectionist, as always. "Raye, I'm going to use the phone. I'm supposed to call Lita." It was Chad's voice that broke the brief silence. "If you need me, give me a yell." With a wave, he jogged down the steps that Raye and Amy were sitting on, the blue fabric of his shrine pants brushing against Amy's knees as he passed. She waited until he had disappeared into the living quarters of the shrine before she turned to Raye. "What did he mean, 'he was going to call Lita'," Amy asked in a soft, but shocked tone. Raye sighed and leaned against a wooden beam that stood beside her. "That doesn't mean that he's..." Amy's voice trailed off in wonder. Raye tucked of strand of hair behind her ear. "Seeing her? Yes, that's exactly what that meant." She closed her eyes briefly and turned to look at Amy. "In fact, that's partly what I invited you over to tell you. You've missed a lot this past month." Amy's expression betrayed the shock she felt inside. For over three years, Chad had mooned over Raye. Lita was a friend of theirs. Their hooking up made absolutely no sense. "How did this happen?" she asked. Secretly, she wondered if Raye was upset. She'd never shown a lot of interest in Chad, but then again, neither had Lita. "Finals. Lita asked him to help her study, and everything sort of fell into place from there. When I asked her about it, all she told me was he reminded her of her old boyfriend." "What about him?" Amy asked. "I didn't even think he knew her that well." "I haven't talked to him about it," Raye admitted. "You know how he used to..." *like me*. Raye didn't have to finish her sentence. Amy knew too well. "Well, you said I've missed a *lot*," Amy pointed out. "What else has happened?" Raye laughed. "Here's one that won't surprise you a lot: Serena and Darien broke up again." Amy didn't respond. Over the past couple of years, their two friends had broken up about a dozen times. Ever since they'd come back from that trip to the future, four years ago. They didn't take those breakups too seriously anymore. "What else?" Amy got the feeling that wasn't everything. "Not much. Mina's still in the hospital, but then, you knew that." Raye wrinkled her forehead in thought, and Amy's eyes widened. She leaned towards Raye. "Mina's in the hospital? Why?" Raye raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me Serena forgot to call you!" she exclaimed. "That meatball head! She didn't tell you?" "Tell me what, Raye? What happened to Mina?" Amy grew concerned. Mina was a good friend, pretty, with long blonde hair and huge blue eyes. She was nice to everyone and never had anything bad to say. "She was in a motor-bike accident with her boyfriend almost a week ago. A car side-swiped them. Jeff's fine, but she did a flip in midair and landed on her right arm. She fractured it in two places and gave herself a concussion, poor thing. When I visited her yesterday, she was just *covered* in bruises." "That's terrible!" Amy gasped. "Will she be alright?" Raye nodded and stood up, brushing off the seat of her pants and offering a hand to Amy, pulling her up as well. "She'll be fine, I promise. The doctors say there'll be no permanent damage. But, hey, if you want to stop by to visit her, I don't mind postponing our little get-together. What time is it?" Amy glanced at the watch on her wrist. "It's quarter to seven, why?" Raye smiled at her. "Visiting hour starts in fifteen minutes. Why don't you stop by and see her?" "But I'm here to see you," Amy protested. "I'd feel awful about leaving you here alone." Raye waved her hand in a 'forget about it' gesture. "Don't worry about it," she assured. "You go visit Mina. I'm sure she's wondering why you haven't stopped by yet. Then, when you get back, we can finish our conversation, and you can stay over until tomorrow." "Are you sure. Raye?" Amy asked, placing her purse-strap over her shoulder. "Of course I am, silly!" Raye laughed. "Now it's settled. Go- go on. I'll see you in a bit." She gave Amy a playful shove towards her car. "All right, all right. I'll see you soon." Amy walked to her car, stopping to wave good-bye. "Bye!" Raye acknowledged the wave with a thumbs-up sign. "Ciao, Ames." Amy laughed, and unlocked the door. "Oh! Hey, Raye?" "What now?" Raye sighed. "Which hospital?" "Tokyo General. Now, shoo,". Amy opened the door and got into the car, turning on the ignition right away. A glance at the clock radio told her she'd only been at the shrine for twenty minutes. "I'll have to bring her back some coffee to make up for this," she said to herself, and she pulled the car out of it's space. Tossing a final wave in Raye's direction, she drove away. Behind her, standing at the bottom of the shrine stairs, Raye's smile faded a bit. * * * "Mmm-hmm. Yeah sure, that sounds fine. Yeah, okay. I'll see you in a half hour. Yeah... you too. Bye." Chad was just hanging up the phone when Raye entered the room. "That was Lita. She's coming over," Chad explained. "Oh." Raye's reply was quiet. "That's... nice." She walked past him, and headed towards her bedroom. "Raye, wait." Chad's voice beckoned her. "What's wrong." It wasn't a question. Chad knew something was up. "Nothing." She turned around to face him. "What makes you say that?" "Ever since I started... with Lita... you've been shutting me out. What's going on?" His tone begged for a reply. She was, after all, his best friend. "I already told you, nothing. This has nothing to do with Li- with her. Or you," she added. "Just leave me alone, alright? Please." "I can't leave it alone," Chad pressed. He ran a hand through his long hair, moving his bangs so she got a rare view of his eyes. "Something's got you down. I wouldn't be your friend if I didn't-" "Didn't what, Chad? Hurt me?" Raye was worried she would start to cry any moment. "How could you? With my *friend* of all people." She turned to walk away again. She'd been walking away for the past month. "I know what this is about," Chad said quietly. "You're upset because I've found someone, and you haven't. Because I'm not around waiting for you." Slowly, his tone was creeping up. "I couldn't wait around forever." Chad's words infuriated Raye. "You think you're so smart!" Raye raged. "That has nothing to do with it, and you know it!" "Doesn't it? It doesn't bother you a bit that all of you're friends are happy, they all have someone... but you? You're so blinded by jealousy, you can't see the truth right in front of your face,". This time the tears did come, and Raye brushed them away with an angry swipe from the back of her hand. "How dare you!" she spat. "You don't know anything!" Chad's volume rose to match hers. "I don't, do I? Then how do I know what a spoiled brat you are!" Raye grew deathly silent. Her eyes pierced him with a fury he'd never seen in her before. "Fuck you." With a glare, she spun on her heel, about to storm out of the room, when Chad grabbed her arm. "What?" she growled. Chad's tone was remorseful. "Raye, I... I want things to go back the way they we between us. Please. Why can't we be friends?" When she spoke, her voice was thick from the tears that rolled down her face. "That can't happen," she sobbed. "Not ever." She looked up at him, then looked at the hand that held her arm so tightly. "Please... let me go." Chad's grip loosened, but he didn't remove his hand. She tore her arm free angrily. Wiping the tears off of her face, she ran to her room. Chad sighed, and rubbed his left eye. "Christ," he muttered. "What have I done?" * * * "Mina?" Amy knocked on the door to the hospital room and poked her head in. "Amy," Mina's voice called to her from the hospital bed, "How are you?" "I should be asking you the same thing," Amy said with a smile. "I brought you flowers!" she held up a bouquet of yellow daisies. "I'll just put them over here, okay?" She placed them on the nightstand. "I'm sorry I haven't been here sooner," she said once she had finally sat down. "I guess there was some sort of- misunderstanding among the girls... I wasn't even told you were here until about a half and hour ago." Mina chuckled to herself. "Let me guess, it has something to do with Serena." "You hit the nail right on its head,". The girls laughed and talked happily for several minutes. Finally, Amy's expression turned serious. "So, tell me what happened," she said, nodding towards the cast on Mina's arm. Mina sighed. "To tell you the truth, I don't remember much of it," Mina began. "One minute Jeff and I were cruising along the highway on his bike, and the next thing I knew, I was here. Apparently, a car caught us from the side, but I don't remember that. I don't remember any car...". She smiled at Amy shyly. "I know how stupid that sounds, but-" "Not at all," Amy assured, "I'm just glad you're all right." "Oh, I'm fine. The doctors are only keeping me here to make sure my brain doesn't explode or something." She giggled, a tinkling bell of a laugh, and smiled at Amy. "Yeah, well you're lucky to be alive. What kind of a guy is Jeff? I've never met him. Was he driving recklessly?" Amy's tone betrayed her concern for her friend. "Oh no, Jeff's not like that at all. He's really great. Nice, sweet, cute, funny... you'd love him. I met him three weeks ago, when I was getting some pictures developed. He's a photographer, you know." "That sound's great, Mina. And I'm really happy that you're feeling better today." Amy nodded towards the several bouquets of flowers that were already placed around her bed. "Well, you've certainly been cared for, that's for sure." She got up to read the cards attached to them. There was one from Lita- a large sunflower with a short stem, in a glass vase. Tigerlilies from Raye, baby's breath and carnations from Serena, a large assortment from Jeff. And a dozen roses without a card. "Darien?" Amy asked. Mina nodded. "Yeah, he's been here as much as the others. He's lonely, you know." "I've heard. When did the break-up happen?" Amy felt really bad for him. "Right after I got together with Jeff. He ended it over a fight they had when Serena caught him looking at another girl," Mina sighed. "I'm worried they're serious this time. You know they can't break up." "I know, I know. If they do the future..." "...might not happen. Why don't you talk to him, Amy? You've always been the voice of reason for the Sailor Scouts. Convince him to take her back. She's more than eager." "She always is," agreed Amy. "And I do agree they can't separate. Heaven knows what will happen to Rini- or us- if they do. But what if he doesn't listen? He's almost as stubborn as Raye at times..." Mina laughed. "Assuming that's possible, of course. But seriously, I know he will. He's just got to listen to you... And if he doesn't, well, at least we can say we've tried. Please Amy, you've got to do it." "All right, I'll talk to him. I'm staying at Raye's place tonight, so I'll go over there tomorrow." "Really, Ames? That's great, thanks. Who knows, maybe someday the whole world will have reason to thank you." Mina's smile was so wide Amy was worried she'd crack her face. "Oh, Mina, don't be so melodramatic," Amy teased. "I hardly believe it would go that far. But now," she added, changing the subject, "It's getting almost time for me to leave. So," she rose, and gave Mina a hug, "I'll say goodbye. When are you getting out of here?" "The doctors say tomorrow," Mina said happily. "I can't wait." "Well, give me a call then. I'll see you later." Amy picked up her purse and turned to leave. "You won't forget to talk to Darien tomorrow, will you?" Mina called after her. "It's really important you do...". "I promise, Mina. Goodbye." * * * It was after nine when Amy got back to the shrine, holding three steaming cups of cappuccino from a nearby cafe. "Raye? Chad?" Amy called from the doorway. "I'm here. Hello?" "Hi, Ames. It's been a while." Lita came out of the kitchen to greet her. Amy's eyes widened. "Hey, what are those?" She was looking at the cups in Amy's hands. "Huh? Oh," Amy looked down. "They're, ah, cappuccino. I brought them for Raye... and Chad." "Hey! Speaking of Chad, did you hear?" Lita's faced positively glowed with happiness. "Oh, yeah. You're... seeing each other." Amy said. "That's... great. How did it happen?" "Well, you see, it was *really* romantic. I was feeling really stressed about studying for my finals, especially the botany part. Chad mentioned that he'd aced botany, before he'd graduated and come here, so I asked him if he'd help me." Lita's eye's sparkled as she told the story, and Amy could tell that she was getting in way over her head. "That is nice, really," Amy said, "but at what point did it escalate from a study session to a relationship?" "That's the great part," Lita grinned. "We were sitting there, you know, studying, and I suddenly noticed how much he looks like my old boyfriend. You know, how his hair hangs into his eyes, and the way he bites his lip when he's thinking? Well, right about then I asked him out." "What did he... do?" Amy asked. She didn't really want to know, but maybe Raye would. "He said no!" Lita laughed. "What a kick! He said he was already kind of seeing someone, and the timing was bad- then he looked out the window, and I don't know what he saw there, but he changed his mind quicker than us dusting a droid, and said yes. We've been seeing each other ever since." "That's great," Amy forced a smile. "But to tell you the truth, I always thought it would be Raye he wound up with. He *was* in love with her for a couple years." "That's ancient history," Lita said defensively. "He's with me now." "So it... seems," Amy ventured. "I hope you two are... happy." The cups were burning her hands. She handed two of them to Lita. "Here, give one to Chad," she said. "I need to talk to Raye." She brushed past Lita quickly, and rushed to Raye's room. * * * "Raye? Hi!" Amy stepped into the bedroom cautiously. Raye lay sprawled face-down on her bed. "I brought you a cappuccino." "Aaheutim," Raye muttered through her pillow. At least, that's what it sounded like to Amy. "Pardon me?" Amy asked. "Would you please repeat that?" Raye sat up sharply. "I hate him." Her voice was bitter with rage. "I wish he would die." Amy sat on the end of the bed. "Now, you don't mean that." "Yes I do. He's a jerk." "What did he do?" Amy sighed. "What did he do? What did he *do*?! He went out with my friend, that's what! He stabbed me right in the back!" Raye's voice was coarse, and Amy knew she'd been crying. "How did he do that, Raye? I don't want to sound like the bad guy here, but it seems like all he did was..." Raye ignored her. She jumped off the bed and began pacing angrily. "Do you know what he said you me? That- that *jerk*- said that I was jealous. He said that I was mad because I don't have anyone, like my friends do. He said... he said I'm a brat! He's a jerk! Thank you." Amy had handed her the cappuccino. "He's just a big old jerk. A stupid jerk!" "Now Raye, you're starting to repeat yourself," Amy said calmly. "Let's try to put things in perspective-" "No...no." Raye shook her head. "The bottom line is, Chad pretended to like me. He acted like he wanted to *be* with me. And then, when someone else showed interest, he bailed. He never wanted me!" A tear rolled down her face. "It's like my relationship with Darien all over again." She sat on her bed and cradled her face in her spare hand, sobbing. "Raye, Raye listen to me." Amy said, reaching for her hands. "Listen." Raye lifted her tear-stained face to look at her. "This isn't like with Darien. Chad *did* love you; he probably still does in some ways. He never dragged you along, and was always there for you when you needed him. But Raye, you waited too long. You pretended you didn't see it, and he gave up." Raye lowered her head, tears streaming over her cheekbones, onto her lips, down her throat. Amy lifted her chin so Raye was eye-level with her. "You waited too long, Raye." Raye sniffled, and wiped her face dry with her sleeve. "I know, Ames. Maybe I'm not so much angry with him as with myself." She looked down at the cup in her hands. "But why couldn't he wait just a little longer?" A tear rolled down her face. "Just a little bit?" * * * "Well, I'd better go," Lita yawned, getting off the couch. They'd been sitting in the living area for a while, watching old reruns. "It's getting late,". She grabbed her coat off of the edge of the sofa and stood up slowly, casting Chad an expectant look as he lay spread comfortably in an old armchair. "Uh, yeah," he murmured, getting up himself. "I'll, um, walk you to the door." He walked towards her, and gave her a lop-sided smile. "Thanks..." Lita trailed off. She had something on her mind. "Chad?" "Hmm?" He did too. He'd been thinking about Raye- about their fight. "Can I- ask you something?" her smooth forehead was wrinkled in apprehension at what she wanted to say to him. "Of course," he laughed reassuringly. "What?" He just couldn't get Raye off of his mind. Was she still angry? "We've been sorta- seeing each other almost a month," Lita said slowly. Chad nodded for her to go on. "Well the thing is-" she inhaled deeply, "are you ever going to kiss me?" She looked so uncomfortable. Chad felt awful. True, it had been a while since he'd started dating Lita- ever since he'd looked out the window that fateful day and seen Raye flirting with a handsome delivery boy right in front of his window. When he'd completely given up on her. But in all that time, he'd never once thought about kissing Lita. It had simply never occurred to him to be something he would have to do. "Um, well...". He leaned forward and kissed her. Briefly. Butterfly wings against her lips. He smiled gently, not knowing what else to say. He didn't have to say anything. Lita put her hand on the back of his head, and pulled him towards her, finding his mouth with her own. She kissed him firmly and passionately, drawing the breath out of him. His mind went blank. His feelings were mixed, and he didn't know what else to do. So he kissed her back. * * * They were kissing. Amy couldn't believe the sight in front of her. She'd only just convinced Raye to go to the kitchen for a bite to eat, only just calmed her down enough for her to be able to do so. And now they were standing in the doorway to the living room, and Lita and Chad were kissing. She felt sick- and it wasn't nausea from the sight of the couple in the living room. It was concern for Raye, it was disgust with Chad, it was the nagging feeling she couldn't shake that it was just *wrong*. Lita had been Amy's friend for a while. Nothing was going to change that. But Amy was angry at Lita's behavior. Angry that she would ask out Chad when it was blatantly obvious to anyone who watched that Raye and Chad were attracted to each other. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Raye and Chad should have been the ones locked in that embrace. They should have been the ones in the relationship. Raye should have been the one with Chad's arms around her waist. Not Lita. Amy closed her eyes to the sight. The gods only knew what was going on in Raye's mind at that moment. She looked over at Raye, her face pale. The feeling in her stomach wouldn't go away. Raye just stared at them, her eyes glassy. Suddenly, before Amy really knew what was happening, Raye turned sharply and stormed into her room again. Amy didn't follow. She turned back to see if Lita and Chad had even noticed. They hadn't. With a sound akin to disgust, Amy turned and followed Raye's path. -------------------------------------------- The End, Chapter One