The big city.

Abby disappeared. "RUNT!"

~!!~
Amson followed silently.

~!!~
"Yes something did." Lance said. "You met me."

His words stuck with her, but she didn't let him see that. She slowly turned around, and saw that he was gone. She just hoped Robert wouldn't come back.
~!!~
Lenora shook her head, sighing.
~!!~
Ashlyn soon had a room at an old motel, hardly any better than her apartments back 'home'. She opened the door, and the first thing she saw was a roach crawling across the floor. She sighed and shut the door behind her, throwing her bag on the bed.
~!!~
Laurinda was putting the food back in her bag, and she slowly turned to face him as she heard his words. "Yeah," She said quietly, nodding. "I guess that's something." And it was. He had shown her that not everyone in the world was as bad as she thought they were.

Mason wrinkled his nose, but said nothing.

~!!~
Lance smiled. "What do you want to eat, then?"

Ashlyn looked around the small room. "If you're here, Mason, stay out here!" She shouted, and walked into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She turned on the shower, ignoring how gross it was.
~!!~
Laurinda smiled at him. "Food," She said.

Mason sat on the bed.

~!!~
Lance smriked, and walked to the freezer, and pulled somthing out. He kept it out her sight. Moments later he handed her a bowl of icecream.

~!!~
James walked down stairs.

Lenora followed him.
~!!~
Laurinda stared wide-eyed at the bowl in front of her.

"Oh, my god," She said. "I---I haven't eaten this since I was 6..." She mumbled. It looked good. Really good.
~!!~
Ashlyn felt fresh tears coming to her eyes, but held them back. Soon, however, they made their way out. She was glad she was already wet, however, so Mason couldnt' tell when she got out. Soon, she stepped out and got dressed in a pair of jeans, a black tank top, and a grey sweatshirt that she pulled over her head. She combed her hair and stepped out, grabbing her wallet out of her bag before heading back outside. She was hungry.

James picked up his phone. "Alice called?"

~!!~
He hand her the bowl, and gave the spoon. "Then eat it."

Lenora frowned, following close behind him, yet reamining silent.
~!!~
Laurinda nodded, and began to eat. She ate slowly, however, not wanting to forget how good it was.
~!!~
Ashlyn walked down to the main floor and out the door. She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe of the fresh air. She walked down the street slowly, stpoping at the first fast food place she saw. Soon she was sitting outside with a burger and a drink.

"Here's to a fresh start," She said, moslty to herself. "No more dad, no more worrying about anything. I can start over."

Mason smiled. "You will be better off." He said, still invisable

~!!~
Lance smiled and ate his own.

~!!~
He put the phone to his ear, listening to the message.

Ashlyn closed her eyes tightly as she heard Mason's voice.

"And no more opening up," She whispered, low enough that she hoped he didn't hear her. Then she ate silently.
~!!~
Laurinda kept glancing up at Lance as she ate, smiling but not speaking. Finally, she did.

"How old are you?" She asked curiously.
~!!~
Lenora stood silently behind him.

"Seventeen." He said. "I truned seventeen just before Heather died. Why?"

~!!~
Mason sighed. But said nothing.

~!!~
James frowned, and called her back.

Laurinda shrugged. "Just curious," She said, and went back to eating silently.
~!!~
Ashlyn heard the sigh, but ignored it. Soon she stood up, threw away her trash, and bought a newspaper off a stand on her way back to the motel. She tucked it under her arm and walked faster.
~!!~
Lenora smiled, glad he was finally doing something about her.

James wait for Alice to pick up.

~!!~
Lance nodded, and finshed his bowl.

~!!~
Mason followed her quietly.

Soon Ashlyn was back in her room, the newspaper spread out in front of her, a pen in hand. She twirled the pen cap around in her mouth, frowning. She circled another ad for an apartment, then crossed out another. Her phone rang, but she ignored it.
~!!~
Laurinda did soon after. "That was really good," She said, and found herself laughing. "It's amazing how good little things can be. Even a shower made me feel good," She said.

Bailey was walking by Alice's room, when she heard her phone go off. She walked over to it and picked it up. "hello?", she said.

Alice had gotten into the shower, a few minutes before James had called.

"Bailey?" James asked.

~!!~
Mason wacthed silently.

~!!~
Lance smiled. "You can come anytime you need to." He said. "I don't mind."

"You know, Mason," Ashlyn said, but her voice was muffled by the pen cap. She spit it out into her hand. "Sitting there invisible is kinda creepy. If you're there, you might as well let me see you," She said. She kept her eyes on the newspaper as she spoke.
~!!~
Laurinda nodded slowly. "Right," She said quietly, spinning the spoon around in the bowl. "Um....thanks," She said quietly.

"Hi James", she said happily rocking back and forth on her heals, like she sometimes did when she talked to people on the phone.

~~~~
Layla was downstairs with James but was sitting down watching him.

Mason appeared, he was on the other side of the room .

~!!~
Lance smiled and nodded. He took the bowl from her, and started washing them.

~!!~
"Where's Alice?" He asked.

"She's in the shower", she said still rocking back and forth on her heals.

"Long time no see," Ashlyn said, still looking at the paper. Her phone ran again, and she looked at the coller Id. It read 'home'.

"Not home," She mumbled, and stood up off the bed, still hodling the ringing phone in her hand. She forced open the window of the motel and threw it outside as hard as she could, watching as it shattered on the street below.
~!!~
Laurinda was silent for a moment, smiling as she watched him.

"What was she like?" She asked suddenly. "Your sister. Heather."

Mason said nothing.

He stood up.

~!!~
Lance dried his hands, and smiled. "She was sweet, ahd could always make me smile. She always got mad and worried when I got hurt. She has, had this annoying habit of truning the radio down in the car. We would go back and froth with it. She also had a habit or tring wreck my room when I got on her nrevers." He was smileing fondly at the memories.

~!!~
"Tell her I called." He said and hung up.

"o-", she started bu the hung up befor eshe could say anything. She looked a tthe phone but then shrugged and closed it and put it on Alice's bed.

Ashlyn shut the winodw, ignoring the upturned faces. She sat back down on the bed with a sigh.

"You'd think it'd be easier to find a cheap apartment," She said, mostly to herself. She circled another one, then crossed it out again a few minutes later.
~!!~
Lenora was watching James silently.
~!!~
Heather was standing next to Link, and grinning from ear to ear.
~!!~
Laurinda smiled slightly as he did. "She sounds nice," she said quietly.

Mason sighed, and pointed to the phone on the bed-side-table. "I bet Lance would help if you call him. He may sound mean, and he is, but he is also a big softy."

~!!~
James put the phone down.

~!!~
Lance sighed. "It's my fault she is dead." He said. "I promised her I would protect her. I failed."