Dreams are an amazing tool to forget about ones existance. Nothing could beat a dream where their crush accepts their proposal for a date, or maybe even something more outlandish as being the first person to enter another galaxy. Someone could also dream about the things they wish they had, but due to the tragedy of life, never got to experiance it.

For John Galleway, his dreams fell into the wish he had category. He would constantly dream of his beloved person asking him out on a date. Sometimes he would dream about the little things he never had, like the taste of those fancy cakes on the food channel. Anytime they would come on he would practically drool from his mouth.

However, dreams could very easily drift from standard happiness into nightmares. Sometimes a dream and a nightmare can be so intertwined that it was impossible to distinguish a dream from a nightmare. Fifty percent of John's dreams were these kinds.

As he slept in a restless abandon to the inner workings of the tortuous sludge inside of his skull, the sun began to rise outside. The sunlight hit the deep blue of his curtains, the type of curtains he and his friends always made jokes about their English teacher for. The contact of sunlight and a blue obstacle cast the room in an ominous blue hue, as if something terrifying was about to happen and a stagecrew was setting up an atmosphere.

John tossed and turned causing the remaining parts of the blanket that was left on his bed to fall completely onto the floor. The blanket made no sound as it folded in on itself to keep John in the last stages of his torment. He was now completely exposed to whatever temperature his room felt like, and since it was around a cool sixty degrees farenheit outside, inside his room a chill flew about the place.

The cold wind whispered in John's ear telling him to get up for the day. John's head moved much more erratically either by the dream or the outside interference. It didn't really matter since his alarm was scheduled to wake him up in three seconds. Two seconds. One.

The sound of an incessant bird squalling out from his phone made John's eyes widen themselves instantly. His erratic movements ceased as he stared at the brown wall that matched his eye color. Not like it was so easy to tell at the moment since if anyone were to look at his eyes, they would remark to how bloodshot red they were first before anything else.

He slowly turned over and grabbed his phone off of his drawer. He flipped it open and immediately pressed to disarm it. The bird quieted and his room returned to an atmospheric blue that definitely meant to set up a scare. John looked at the time and saw it was six-o-one in the morning. It was Sunday and the last day for him to spend at his home before going back to school tomorrow for an eight hour waste of time.

John sharply closed the phone with a snap of his wrist and set it back on the drawer. He could just sleep in, but in the off chance the bitch caught him he'd be met with the fury of a million demons. However, with it being Sunday she had to be off at whatever her job was. John never found out and never bothered to ask. His bastard of a father was also off with his friends probably smoking some stuff before heading out to the hunting lodge.

John pondered all of that in his head. To make sure he was right about all of that he took a small step out of his room. The hallway outside smelled of dirty laundry and indeed one of his Dad's tank tops were on the floor of an opened door bathroom. John could see the fresh beer stain from there and didn't even take a second glance to it. To him this was life. This was whatever a fake dude floating in the sky said John was going to live as. Not like there was one there to begin with.

Indeed both bitch and bastard were not around. No one in the living room, not a soul in the kitchen, and no one anywhere. John scratched the back of his head as he made his way back to his bedroom. He fell straight down on his bed facing toward the ceiling that was stained with leaks that bastard refused to fix. If John knew how to do it he would, but he didn't and had no access to any internet to learn how. He couldn't even learn it at school where the computers were only used by high standing clubs.

Before he closed his eyes and went to bed, John's phone lit up and dinged for his attention. His eyes shot wide open from the noise, but he decided to ignore it for now and just sleep. However, before his eyes closed once more his phone dinged a second time.

Frustrated by all the interruptions, John grabbed his phone and rubbed his eyes. His eyeballs were already stinging from his disruptive sleep and the shine of the phone only made it worse. He recieved two text messages from one of his friends, Violet Rose. He couldn't count how many times he made fun of her name, but before he would accidently go too far with it he would stop his mockery before he said something nasty.

The first text she sent out was just a simple call for a meeting. Apparently she wanted to meet up at Camden's and was about to head to church to ask his parents if they could. The second text was just a good luck to get through the day. John couldn't help but smile as he placed the phone back on the drawer. Out of all the days were he was wished good luck it had to be the easiest day of his life.

He closed his eyes slowly remembering the dream he had before he woke up. He knew these nightmares weren't for the best for his mental health, but he always fell for the trap at the moment when his eyes closed. The sight of everything he wanted stood in front of him as soon as he closed his eyes. The source of all his nightmares and dreams in both reality and fiction stood in front of him with a warm smile.

His mother, his real mother, stood alive and well, waving at him, welcoming him into the clouds and sparkling gates of gold.

...----------------...

Kassie quickly left her home and shut the door behind her. She could hear her father yelling at her on the other side as she stood at her front door crying. Her face was in her palms as the realization of what she had done finally hit her. There was no going back from this. Whatever happened now she had to deal with since she no longer had a home to go to.

She wished she could say more to her father, but remembering the final moments before she walked out, her throat tightened. Everything she wanted to yell about him and how he and her mother mistreated her was choked in her own throat. She was too scared to stand up to her father so what did going back even matter anymore.

Kassie pulled out her phone to look at the text Violet sent out. Her ginger hair got in the way and she had to push it out of her eyes in order to see properly. She could barely see the text through the wetness of her eyes, but she already knew what was there. Why did she even do this for a meeting that was most likely just them going to watch some show at Camden's home.

Something snapped in Kassie that morning, and she had no idea what but the consequence was obvious. As she walked away from her home she didn't even look back. She had to figure out where to go from here and fast. It may be spring, but it still got cold at night and even though the sun was out the forecast called for rain sometime in the afternoon that would last throughout the night.

It seemed as if everything was leveraged against her that day. Then again she got herself into her predicament. If only she kept her mouth shut. Kassie shook her head. No reason to feel bad about it now. She just had to deal with it. But it still hurt.

She took out some earbuds she kept stashed in her pants pocket. Wearing primarily men's jeans came handy in situations like these. She plugged them up to her phone and vibed with whatever sad music she could find at the moment. She wasn't all for the sad stuff, but listening to a song about despair kind of made it seem like she wasn't alone.

Then again Kassie already knew she wasn't alone. After all she had three friends that she could share her troubles with. The only problem with that though was that one of them was just a jackass. They kept John around anyway mainly because Violet felt sorry for him. Still Kassie kept a smile and gave both him and herself false hope that everything would be alright.

Kassie sat on a bench at a bus stop. She looked at the schedule of the bus and saw the next bus should arrive in half an hour. Thinking of some time to kill as well as wanting advice, she scrolled through the limited list of names on her phone.

Once Kassie found John's number she looked at it for a while. She took in several deep breaths preparing herself for anything he threw at her. She wished she could call Violet or Camden, but they'd be at church around this time and their phones would be off. With no other number on her phone besides her parents, John was the last option.

With a slight tap she hoped to not regret, Kassie held her phone to her ear as the buzzing began. It went on like that for a few more seconds. The hole that was already in her gut began to widen extraordinarily. Out of all the times for him to be MIA this wasn't the time.

The automated message began to play and she immediately hang up and tried again. Tears began welling up in her eyes again as the call was left unanswered for a second time. This time she let the message play out as a sense of hopelessness began to fill her.

She needed someone to talk to right at that second. She couldn't wait until church was over and there was no guarantee that Camden's parents would allow them over. They were usually more relaxed then Kassie's and the other's parents but they were still bad people at the end of the day. She could very well have to sleep on this very park bench she sat on.

The wind picked up blowing Kassie's hair into her face. It happened so out of nowhere that some hair got in her mouth in between her cries. She moved her hair out of her eyes and looked up. The sun was still out, but she could see approaching storm clouds off in the distance. Their darkness was only vaguely illuminated by lightning that struck the ground at thousands of degrees.

Kassie shivered as she imagined herself sleeping out in the open during that. Doubt began to worm its way into her head. She thought that she should go back and apologize to her parents and hopefully they'd forget about everything that had transpired that morning. She instantly cast it out, but it still managed to make its way back somehow. With each time it came, it only made her doubt her own decisions more and more.

...----------------...

Camden walked into the church following behind his parents. He had dressed himself up in an azure polo shirt and baige pants for the occasion. His attire made him look as if he prepared for a country club rather than church.

His shirt hugged him the wrong way at his shoulder so anytime he moved his arms he could hear his shoulders rub against the fabric. Any time he complained that his shirt was getting too tight to his parents they would always say they would get him a new one but never do. This was the end result, an uncomfortable experiance for him that he could only describe as infuriatingly irritating.

As soon as he walked in, on the far end of the church, above the pulpit, hang a Jesus statue as long as the church wall. It stared down at Camden with it's eyes colored of copper and screaming of falsehoods. Camden couldn't help but look down at his feet. The eyes of a man calling himself the son of God wasn't one Camden could condone. Funny how modern days people calling themselves the messiah was looked at like an egotistical clown, but yet here stood hundreds of people praying to one that did the same thousands of years ago.

Camden took his seat next to his parents in the second row of seats in the middle group of three groups of long seats. An elderly couple sat at the right edge of their row. He knew them well since they always talked to his parents anytime they were near. Again the same occured this visit as well. As soon as his parents sat down they striked up a conversation that Camden didn't very much care about.

It didn't take long for them to try and talk to Camden though. Anytime they asked a question to him, he would listen just enough to know what they were asking him and he answered with little interest and ability to care. Camden didn't want to be there at all. He contemplated all the stuff he could have done if he wasn't trapped here.

"Hey Camden."

Camden looked to his left and saw Violet sitting next to him. Her parents slowly sat next to her as they talked about what they were going to eat for supper. Camden lightly nodded showing he was at least paying attention to her.

"What do you have to do today." Violet asked.

All the things Camden thought of as he was bored went straight out the window. Anytime she asked Camden if he had anything to do that meant she needed his help with something. He always tried to oblige to the best of his abilities considering who his parents were.

"What exactly do you need?" Camden asked.

Violet smiled and leaned slightly near him. He backed away a bit as she reached out and lightly tapped Camden's Mom's hand. She turned and saw Violet putting on the most pleading of faces she could muster.

"Miss Gast, is it alright if me and my friends come over to your house?" Violet pleaded with her hands grasped like a prayer.

Camden's Mom looked from Violet to her son. She smiled and turned toward her husband. They talked for some time all the while Camden's heart was beating a mile a minute.

His parents were people that always reacted extremely to anything in particular. It didn't matter if it was good extreme or bad, they would act like children. One time they nearly had to delete their Facebook because they accidently made a huge internet mob attack them. That is what they get for intentionally going to an atheist's post and calling them so many names and phrases that Camden wouldn't even dare to repeat in his mind.

Violet looked calm enough as she smiled patiently waiting for their answer. She looked over and saw Camden staring, which immediately led to a moment of pure, long, and awkward eye contact. At least for Camden it was awkward, but Violet smiled smugly when she caught him. It was almost as if she figured out a secret he had been keeping and was planning to share it with everyone.

Of course he had no real feelings for her, but that smile always gave him so much confusion as to what he wants. Did he just want to stay friends or did he want something more. Even if he did given his current circumstances its not like it would even work out. Her parents wouldn't mind too much, but his on the other hand would flip out.

"Sure you can." Camden's mother answered Violet.

That came as a shock to Camden. They weren't at all keen with him hanging out with people, especially if said people involved any woman. This time they made an exception which Camden tried to wonder why. Could they have been planning something that he never knew about?

Violet's smiled brightened even more to the point Camden was sure he would have a heart attack. Her purity in this world gave some form of light to both him and his friends. Kassie saw Violet as a sister, and John liked spending time around her. However one day, both John and Violet just started talking less and less to each other. John would stay around but he would always hang in the background unceremoniously.

Violet sat back in her seat and stared at the pulpit beaming with victory. Her demeanor was so happy and exhuberant that it almost seemed fake. It was as if at any point that smile would be ripped off her face and all that would be left was a blank husk. He knew Violet for years now and knew that wasn't the case, or he hoped it wasn't.

Violet was in a similar boat to John, Kassie, and himself but she always wore that smile with pride and would never let the world beat her down. It made him jealous in a way, but he also admired it. To Camden, Violet was the light that shined in a bleak existance. She brightened the day of all three of their members to the point where if she one day disappeared there would be nothing to keep them all together.

As the preacher came out and began giving his sermon Camden could only imagine what his life would be like now if it weren't for his friends. Maybe he would have been just fine living day by day. Maybe he wouldn't be here at all.

...----------------...

Afternoon came and with it so did the rain. People brisked by from place to place with their windsheild wipers on and umbrellas out. Conversation didn't last long among friends out in the streets since they were so busy trying not to get wet to have a talk, and people indoors tried to keep themselves awake from the patter of the rain making a pattern of sound that sent them into a doze. The only thing that kept them awake was a brief strike of lightning and thunder that jolted people's eyes wide open.

As for John he walked into the garage and inspected his motorbike for the last time before heading out. He was wanting to take it to Camden's but found it as a bad idea at the last minute. Not only did it start raining far earlier than his phone told him, but since he was going to Camden's place it probably wouldn't be best to stand out.

He knew Camden's parents were goody two shoes that stuck by the rules - unless the rules hurt them - then heading their via motorbike wasn't the best of ideas. He put on his best outfit that he could find which was a wrinkled plain gray shirt and dark blue sweat pants. It wasn't anything fancy but it was the only things he had that didn't have a swear on it and was completely intact with no holes.

Grabbing an umbrella, John exited his dilapidated home. He put his umbrella up until it grew firm and the rain bounced off of it with a splash and thud. The rain was almost intoxicating to the point he would yawn and drop the umbrella a slight amount. Once he felt rain on his back he stood to attention and walked with a steady pace. He paid attention to the sound of his footsteps to keep out of the rain but it was almost impossible.

He heard someone yelling to his right and turned toward the commotion. A kid with an umbrella stood under a tree outside his home. He was yelling up at a cat that John could just about see in the tree. The cat was somewhat young and pretty obviously irritated by the rain. Any time it would try to climb down it would immediately get cold feet and retreat back up the tree. The mother was watching the kid through the kitchen window most likely making sure nothing bad happened to the kid.

None of this was John's business so he just shrugged it off and headed his own way. After all, if the mother was watching then there would be no reason for him to even worry. Still though something in his brain told John to look back. He sighed and obliged to whatever mysterious workings his brain decided to want him to do

This time the kid was silent and stared up at the cat crying. The cat looked down at him annoyed that it wasn't being saved and it's only hope was a pathetic crybaby. However, a twinge of sympathy made John feel something for that crybaby. He sighed once again and rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes.

He walked back and made sure the boy's mother could see him through the window. He waved his free hand out until the mother saw him. Once she did John pointed a finger at himself then pointed one at the tree. The mother, getting what John was offering, smiled and put her hands into a prayer and nodded.

A good look at her and he could see the black bags under her eyes clearly. John could imagine how the situation went down to end up in this situation. The mother tried to keep the boy inside but he wouldn't listen. She gave up and let him try to save his pet but still looked after him from a distance. John couldn't help but respect the hell out of that woman even if the only thing he could respect her for was a head cannon he came up with.

John walked up to the tree and the boy automatically spotted him. He shouted at John as soon as he saw him.

"Get away from Muffles!" The boy shouted.

"Don't worry kid I'm going to get him down for you." John retorted.

John looked up and knew straight away this was going to be a two hand job. Grunting annoyed, he sat his umbrella down and let the rain dripping from the tree splash onto him. The tree thankfully wasn't too large and he could reach the first branch with ease. Before putting his weight on it he tested it to see if it'll hold him. When it didn't crack he pulled himself up and onto the branch. The branch creaked under his weight but it didn't let up. John laughed slightly and set his eyes upward.

He did the same thing for the next few branches as he climbed up. One cracked and fell causing the boy to yell in shock. John found a new branch and climbed his way up from that. It didn't take long to reach the cat and when he did they stared at each other with annoyed faces. The cat looked at him with slight joy. but it was hidden under a bunch of ungrateful thanks. It was almost as if the cat were mocking him for how long it took for him to be saved.

"Yeah Yeah cat, shut up." John muttered under his breathed as he scooped the cat under his arms.

Now the cat looked at him as if he were a crazy person that thought he could tell what cats were thinking. Then again John may as well be crazy if he put himself in this situation in the first place. He was supposed to be the edgy kid with a traumatic backstory, not a good kid with a traumatic backstory.

Still John climbed down quickly wanting to just move on with the day. He moved down so quickly that he wasn't testing the branches anymore. The obvious outcome of such a blunder happened as John put all of his weight on the final branch. It gave way and snapped under his feet sending John yelling to the ground.

He fell flat on his back and grunted as some air exited his lungs. He opened his eyes only to see the cat somehow landed on all four of its legs on his chest. It meowed and sauntered off under the boy's umbrella. The boy cried the cat's name as it nuzzled against his legs. John got up soaking wet and dirty but otherwise unharmed.

John looked through the window at the mother who mouthed both "sorry" and "thank you" through the window. John mouthed back with a "no problem" as he watched the boy and cat head back inside their home. It was somewhat heartwarming until he saw the branch that broke under him also smashed his umbrella. It wasn't completely broken, but one side was bent so the rain wouldn't be able to protect him from that side.

John moaned and hesitantly picked up the umbrella. A broken umbrella was better than having not having one at all. At least one side wouldn't be too wet. He lifted it over his head and froze as he saw someone important on the sidewalk.

Kassie Dewinkle, a name that he only heard of in fantasy land where last names where absolutely shit lived, stood on the sidewalk. Then again he had no base to stand on picking on her name since his was equally as garbage. He brushed himself off and walked over to her, umbrella in hand.

"How much did you see?" John asked.

"I saw you fall flat on your *** with a cat in hand." Kassie responded.

The only thing he could truly stand about Kassie was anytime she was away from her parents she had a sailor mouth. Everything else was just a nice front she put on to no avail. The only person that could put on that front successfully was Violet, but he cracked that image in only a matter of time.

He kept his mind off that day cause even though he was delighted Violet wasn't a hero, that day sent a wave of guilt nostalgic terror down his spine. He somehow managed to get sidetracked so bad that he regained his senses when he saw a brief flash of Kassie snapping her fingers in front of his face.

"You there fuckface?" Kassie asked oh so rudely.

"Yeah I'm here crotch goblin. Just don't tell anyone what you saw."

Kassie laughed silently to herself. He snarled at her causing her to react back.

"What don't you want me to tell them? Mister edgelord is a person that actually cares about his fellow human beings."

John nodded to Kassies surprise. She was wanting to get a rise out of him but to no avail. She sighed and held up her umbrella. It was big enough to fit the both of them as long as they stayed close together. John grunted unenthusiasticly but still got underneath with her. After all they were going to the same destination at the end of the day.

...----------------...

It took only around ten minutes for John and Kassie to reach Camden's home. John walked up the stairs no longer caring about the rain. He rung the doorbell as Kassie quickly caught up. He couldn't hide his dirty clothes from Camden's parents, but knowing them they would take this chance to spread their false gratitude.

The door opened and the person that stood in the doorway was Camden's Dad. He was a scrawny man with a mustache that always had the appearance of beginning to grow in but never fully reaching maturity. The dad's eyes widened as soon as he saw John in his clothes.

"What happened here John my boy."

Of course that annoying phrase of his came out. Anytime he talked with anyone below his age he'd call them "my boy" or "good girl." It drilled into John's brain to where it was annoying but he knew it was a dumb annoyance, even for him.

"He tripped and fell into the dirt walking over here." Kassie barged in without letting John speak for himself.

John called her every name under the bus in his mind as Camden's dad let them in. The front door led into a hallway that led into either the kitchen if they walked to the right, or living room to the left. The walls were painted with a sickingly bright red giving the place a feel as if it came out of a children's cartoon.

"You should go in the shower and I'll get you some fresh clothes." Camden's dad told him. "You're Camden's size right?"

"Yeah." John answered as he rubbed his shoes on their carpet and took them off at the front door.

"Kassie good girl, could you let your friends know what happened as John gets in the shower."

"Yes can do sir." Kassie said giving an overexaggerated salute.

Kassie walked over to the right and into the kitchen. At the very end of the kitchen, right next to the oven, was a door that led into Camden's room where he was most likely at now. She walked up to the door and knocked loudly enough for anyone to hear.

"Anyone home?" Kassie asked.

"Come in!" Kassie heard Violet yell through the door.

Kassie slowly opened the door and shut it behind her. Camden's room was the same red as the rest of the house, but the only difference was his room had carpet where as the rest of the house had plastic tiles.

The T.V was on lighting up an otherwise dark room with a little bit of light. Camden's and Violet's faces were illuminated by the glow making Kassie feel uneasy with how creepy they looked under a blue glow.

"What were you two doing in here with the lights off?" Kassie asked putting emphasis onto her every word.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Violet joked.

Kassie laughed quietly to herself as she sat besides Violet on Camden's bed. Her face became masked in the glow the T.V produced as she saw what they were watching. It was one of those shows that always came on at night during the weekends on the cartoon channel. She remembered the genre was anime and although she wanted to watch it herself there was no T.V where she lived.

"So why are we here?" Kassie asked.

"Cause the new episode of a show both me and Camden are a fan of comes on today and I thought we could make this a group experiance." Violet answered.

"Yeah but why here and not at your house." Kassie asked.

Violet put a finger over Kassie's mouth and shushed her.

"Quiet it's about to be on in a few minutes." Violet said enamoured by the box with pictures.

"Where's John at?" Camden asked. "He texted Violet earlier that he would be here."

"I came with him and he's currently taking a shower in your bathroom." Kassie answered

Violet's cheeks flushed which was a new thing out of her. Usually anytime John came up she's usually indifferent, but now she blushed after hearing he was in a shower. Kassie couldn't help but shiver of the implications of that.

"What happened?" Violet asked.

"Don't tell him I told you but he was saving a cat from a tree."

Camden choked on a drink he was swallowing as laughter erupted from him. Kassie couldn't help but laugh in return.

"John did! The same John that said that animals were inferior creatures. That John?" Camden asked through his laughter.

"Yeah surprising but he did."

"I don't think that's too surprising." Violet defended him.

Kassie couldn't help but roll her eyes. John wasn't a good person, but there was always a facade he seemed to carry around. After all he tried way too hard to be seen as the angry kid next door that it exuded a sense of falseness. However, that didn't really excuse him from making all of their lives miserable because he wanted to have fun.

Violet was too nice for her own good, Kassie knew that. She was bright, optimistic, and Kassie had only seen her mad once. That time was also John's fault apparently but they wouldn't explain what had happened. After that day they went on like normal but they stayed a bit more distant from each other. Violet still kept him around and Kassie wondered why. She shivered to think it was because she actually liked the man but it was becoming more and more like that lately.

"Anyway, what do you want to watch?" Violet asked to Kassie.

"Didn't you say that the show was going to come on soon?"

Violet didn't say anything. Instead another noise sounded outside the door to break up the silence. Footsteps approached the door and Camden held the remote in his hand as tight as he could. If the person out there turned out to be his parents then he'd have to change the channel quickly before they spotted it. It was very juvenile but that was how he had to live just so he could watch his shows without being punished.

The door knob turned and it creaked open slowly. Camden put more pressure on his thumb which was on the channel button. It opened all the way and in the doorway stood John with a towel on his hair. He was wearing Camden's boot camp clothes from when he went a year ago and they allowed him to bring the clothes back.

Camden loosened his hand on the remote and sat it down beside him as John closed the door. Although the threat of danger was gone the lighthearted atmosphere shifted to something much colder. The single action of one person entering a room seemingly dropped the temperature of the room by twenty.

"How you feeling John?" Violet asked not noticing how uncomfortable both Camden and Kassie were.

"Doing good." John said sitting down on the floor at the foot of the bed. "What did Kassie tell you about what happened?"

Kassie sweated in anticipation. She had forgotten to tell Camden and Kassie what the cover story was. John was a person behind a facade but he wanted to keep that facade up as much as possible. Even if he had to exaggerate the amount of mad he was he would do it in order to sell the character. It didn't matter if it annoyed anyone, to him it was fun amd games that kept his mind away from his troubles.

"Oh she just said you tripped on some mud." Violet came in with the save.

John exhaled deeply and grinned. His persona was safe and there was nothing that could break it as of yet.

"So what are we doing here exactly?"

They talked for quite a while as the afternoon went into evening. Despite the day passing on like normal the rain didn't let up and instead actually grew stronger. The tiny pats of rain turned into a straight out waterfall. Thunder roared through the air after lightning crashed to the ground destroying whatever it touched.

Violet looked out the window and saw a brief lightning strike flash through the window. She began counting and could only get to a single second before thunder erupted. She couldn't help but feel nervous as the thought of lightning managing to strike the house became a real possibility. It may be a small chance but it was still a chance to occur.

She had also noticed everyone's moods switch more as the day went on. Camden became much more quiet as the show went on, but that was standard for him. The real trouble came down to John and Kassie. John obviously wasn't enjoying himself as he usually does. He always loved to disobey his parents and anyone he saw as an authority figure. Usually he'd be smiling since he was staying out much later than his parents wanted him to.

As for Kassie, Violet couldn't help but sense something ominous from her. She was pretty good at reading the atmosphere and that still hadn't changed about her. At first she could tell she was uncomfortable around John, but that slowly vanished as the day went on. However, she retreated into her mind more and more as the day went on to the point she was rarely talking.

"You okay Kassie?" Violet asked.

Kassie didn't respond as if she had never heard her in the first place. John heard her though and was actually becoming worried too. Then again this wasn't the first time something like this happened so he just accepted it as more daily routine. He brought his fingers in front of her eyes and snapped them like she did to him.

"Kassie, wake up." John said.

Kassie blinked several times and looked over to him. Her eyes were somewhat red and it was obviously stained from crying. He didn't have the exact know how on what to do in this situation so he just pointed to Violet hoping that she could fix her up.

Kassie turned to Violet who was looking at her with a worried smile. It was a smile that made Kassie feel better, but she couldn't help but retreat back into the despair in her stomach. The thunder supported that as it boomed through the sky once again.

"You okay?" Violet asked.

Kassie smiled a weary, tired smile. It was a smile that made Violet crumble inside. She wanted to support her friends since if her friends were happy than Violet could be happy too. However, here was one if her friends smiling against pain that should never have been there to begin with. What did they do to deserve the worlds cruel hammer of darkness.

"Yeah, just thinking." Kassie said on the verge of tears.

Thundered roared overhead again. The house vibrated from the power that the gods themselves heald over them. Gods that smiled when looking down at broken teenagers having to grow up early in order to make the best of their unfortunate lives.

When the home finished shaking and everything calmed down, only Kassie was the last person vibrating. She held her arms with her legs tucked in like a toddler losing their favorite toy. Kassie lost more than her toy though. She lost the remaining twig of a life she cared for all her days. Now it was gone and all that was left was a hollow shell, crying but failing to water anything substantial.

Violet got off Camden's bed and hugged Kassie as softly as she could. She leaned Kassie's head onto her should and patted her head hoping to comfort her. Through bursts of tears Kassie tried to mutter her troubles.

"I'm homeless." She managed to get out at long last.

Violet wasn't the only one to hear those words. Both John and Camden picked up on it straight away. Camden was already worried but now he was straight up terrified for her. John wasn't too worried at first since this wasn't the first time one of them broke into tears, but this was the first time in a while that such a serious topic came up.

John couldn't believe what he had heard. First he was just confused at it because although her parents were horrible people, they still had some semblance of care for her. As Kassie's fit never stopped and it only grew in proportion only anger filled his soul. He clinched his fist and grinded his teeth trying to keep the anger down but it wasn't working. His face swelled and reddened in a madness he had only felt once before.

Violet saw John's peril right away and knew that if she didn't diffuse his emotions then he would end up regretting his choices. The consequence for acting like a jerk for so long gave him the personality of one. Despite his acting in the first few years he truly became one with his role.

Violet let one of her hands fall to John's knee. She caressed his knee until he could feel her touch. John turned his head toward her and when she saw her eyes the red faded from his skin and all that was left was a sympathetic sorrow.

Camden got down off his bed as well. He wasn't going to let Violet shoulder the burden for caring for them any longer. He was going to do his best, from now and forever, and actively try his best for the people he cared about. With one swift embrace he hugged Kassie as her cries grew louder.

John looked at them hesitantly. Thunder once again roared outside after the brightest light of lightning lit up the room. The light overpowered even that from the television. The entire room was cast with a bluish white glow that both terrified and amazed John.

Violet looked up and stared at John waiting for his response. He wasn't an absolute jackass no matter how many times both Kassie and Camden tried to convince her. She was going to prove that here once and for all. To Violet, even the darkest of individuals had some light within them. No matter how many times others and himself could shrug that off she knew in her heart that he had a soul that had a story to tell. A story of trial and hardship that led him on his path to hiding pain behind coldness.

John looked at Kassie as her wails never softened. A pang in his heart rang out, and without him even having to think about it, he wrapped his arms across someone he considered his friend no matter how many times he picked on her.

One more lightning strike and bellowing thunder. The electricity inside the house shut off and the noise from the television hushed for good. All that was sounding around was Kassie's cries to a dead God, rain that would put the healthiest of people to an endless thunder, and thunder that called out the anger of the heavens. Still they heald on to each other and never let go. They were there for one another as the world abandoned them.

If they lived past that day then they would stay by each others side through the thick and thin. They would offer a shoulder to cry on and ears for complaints and regrets. They would be the heroes of their own story. Even if they were to one day die and there was no trace of a heaven or hell, then they'll find each other in the darkness and sing there joys and woes for the rest of eternity.

Indeed this would last an eternity, cause lightning struck once again. It was too close to hear in time though. They had no ears to hear the thunder after all. All that was left of them were burnt knubs from a lightning strike that were no good for anything.

However, darkness wasn't what awaited them. Instead a whole new world of possibilities opened up to them. Possibilities that possessed both light and darkness. They would be exposed to heavens gate.