The injections hadn't been bad for a couple days now, so of course I was expecting a horrible one soon. Other than a sore behind, today was fine. It was only really a pain when I was sitting down, which was kind of problematic seeing as I was going to spend a long torturous day in a prison like building, where I'd be asked to sit all day.

      In other news it was Bella's birthday, and I was going to make damn sure I saw her. I thought it'd be nice to see her again before my potential death day. I had given up on trying to destroy the Sphere or prevent the injections. I had a busy weekend, but all of my attempts to destroy the Sphere were in vain. I threw it on a train track, threw it into the back of a random truck hoping it'd get shipped far away. I gave it to Mr. Andrews to throw off the twenty-story building he was working on. I even took out Colton's old lacrosse things. Armed with equipment and a lacrosse stick, I tried to catch and dodge the small metal of rock that was the injection... That didn't work out. I broke a lamp, and made a fool of myself in front of Andrews who happened to walk in. And the brilliant cover story I came up with? A fly. I told him there was a fly in my room, and that's why I was wearing Colton's old, and nasty smelling equipment. I don't think I've ever felt so stupid. Of all the disgusting insects I could have chosen, I chose a fly. I'm allergic to bees for God's sake! He'd have believed me, had I said bee. Now he mocked me every time we saw a fly.

      Knowing very well of Andrews' fear of my mother, I approached him warily.

      "What do you want?" he chuckled.

      "What makes you think I want anything?"

      "You're being nice, and you're doing the puppy eye thing."

      "I'm always nice."

      "Sure," he said sarcastically. I refrained from telling him that he had cafeteria mashed potatoes on his cheek.

      "It's Arabella's birthday," I eventually said. Andrews nodded, waiting for me to continue. "I was thinking of going to see her tonight."

      "And that's alright with your mother?"

      "It most definitely is not."

      "You're going to sneak in?" he laughed nervously. Obviously, he was hoping his suspicions were incorrect. Unfortunately for him, I nodded.

      "The house is surrounded with alarms, and a six-foot-tall gate!"

      "Yes, but there's a safe spot next to the oak tree." I had lived there my whole life; I knew my way around the yard.

      It took some convincing, and he still looked unsure, but eventually Andrews gave in. He knew there was no stopping me. I had my mind set on going and go I would.

      "What about your parents?" I asked, addressing the real problem.

      "What about them?" He frowned. "Oh," the moron continued, remembering our living arrangement. His parents were somewhat responsible for me. If they didn't want Andrews out after curfew, I'm sure they wouldn't be keen on letting me out too, and I didn't want to disrespect them. "It's going to be a late visit, right?"

      "Yes, Laine has to be asleep."

      "They definitely will not want you to go, especially since your mom will have you arrested if she sees you."

     As much as I liked and respected them, there was no way I was missing my sister's birthday. "What they don't know, won't hurt them."

     "You want me to lie?"

     I mean it wouldn't be the first time we've lied to them.

     "No, just don't say anything." I'm seventeen years old, and not their child. It's not like Anna and Jim tucked me in before bed. As long as Andrews didn't mention it, they wouldn't notice my absence. It wasn't odd for me to go to bed early.

      "Fine," he grumbled, caving reluctantly. "But how do you plan to get past my parents?"

      The window was really my only option. They stayed in the living room pretty late, I'd have no choice but to leave before they went to bed. I didn't care that it was a school night, but Bella may find it difficult to wake up, if I paid her a visit at two am. Plus, if I arrived after midnight, it technically wouldn't be her birthday anymore.

     "The window of your third story room?" Andrews demanded. I nodded plainly, though I thought he was being pretty dramatic today.

      "Clara, come on?" he started, incredulously. "You can't possibly—"

      "Colton used to do it. I'll manage."

      Still, he shook his head, but argued no more. I was going, there was no negotiating it.

      As I had thought, sneaking out was easy. Painful, but still easy. I merely crawled out the window, launched myself onto the closest tree branch, then carefully made my way towards a lower branch, only to have it collapse under my weight. Hitting a few branches on my way down, I landed flat on my back. As much as it hurt, I really should have felt more pain. I laid there motionless, for a few minutes, coming up with ways I could get revenge on the ground. I was so infuriated with nature, that I almost walked through the Andrews front door, tempted go back to bed. But it was Bella's birthday. And so, I got up, brushed the leaves out of my hair, and began my ten-block walk.

      Muttering under my breath, I attempted to climb the overly high fence. The black bars were slippery and cold, nearly impossible to grasp properly. And if that wasn't enough, Mom just had to choose the sharped topped gates. I used to be embarrassed to have Andrews over, felt like I was bringing him into a prison cell.

      Managing to make it into the yard without setting off any alarms, I stood in the night's darkness, grinning proudly. My hands were blistered, back bruised and clothes grass stained from my nearly three-story fall, but I had gone unnoticed.

     Bella's room was on the second floor. Not bad. Difficult, but not impossible. Double checking that the light in my mother's room was off, I surveyed the side of the house, planning my entrance. The closest thing I had to a ladder was the twins' hockey net, which I dragged under my desired windowsill. Standing on top of the net, I could just reach the window ledge. Gripping the top of the rotting window ledge, I pulled myself through the frame, and into her room. I actually did a pull-up. I didn't know my weak, flabby arms could handle the weight of my body. Maybe the injections were working. I didn't see how a chin-up was going to help me win a fight, though.

      I had been worried on finding a way to wake Bella without making any noise. I was worried that I'd scare her, and her scream of terror would wake Laine. I'd never have guessed that she'd still have been awake past elven thirty pm. Poor kid. It was cold out, so I had pulled on the hood of my black sweater. So not only does the five-year-old witness someone sneaking into her room late at night, but this person's identity is also a complete mystery. Paralyzed with fear, with tear-filled eyes she sat on her bed clutching the book in her hands, face as white as her nigh-table, incapable of even making move to scream. I sure knew how to get someone a great birthday gift.

      "I'm sorry." I yanked the hood away. "It's just me."

      Blinking in surprise, the quiver on her lips slowly stilled to transform into a grin, a grin so big I was afraid she'd squeal excitedly.

      "Shh." I placed a finger to my lips, keeping my voice low. "Mom can't know I'm here."

      She nodded eagerly and threw her arms around my neck. "I knew you'd come."

      "Of course. I'd never miss your birthday."

       Her little arms lingered around my neck for many moments, holding on tightly, seemingly afraid to let go. I had never gone this long without seeing the kids.

      "How come you're up so late?" I asked.

      Mom would flip if she knew she wasn't sleeping. I'm surprised Bella would risk the punishment, or mom's disappointment. I guess I was right to assume that she was angry with our mother.

      She answered my question by handing me the script of Cornwall Church's annual Christmas play. By the way she had highlighted Marie's line, I assumed she had gotten the role. What am I saying? Of course, she had.

      "Bella, that's in two months." I put the script aside. "You don't need this much practice." There weren't many lines, and Bella was smart enough to learn them, the night before. There was no need to stress about it; even I had managed to somewhat pull off the role.

     "But I need to be as good as you, people still talk about you playing Marie." Olive green eyes shone with urgency. "No one remembers that Laura did it. If I'm not good they'll forget me too."

     Out of curiosity I was tempted to ask who Laura was, but I thought it wise to keep my mouth shut.

     "No one will forget you," I promised. "You'll do great."

     "But I need to be as good as you."

     Recalling the play, I had nearly ruined, I chuckled. I laughed until I realized she was serious. My performance had been far from portraying the perfect Marie.

     "I was far from great—"

      Bella who shook her head, interrupting me. I don't know where she got off thinking I did a good job. She wasn't even alive when I played the part.

     "Mr. Thompson was talking about you playing Marie, just last week. You did it twelve years ago, and they still remember you."

      "Bella, honey, the only reason they still talk about it, is because I dropped baby Jesus' head, and cursed in front of the entire church."

     My failure reassured her; eyes blown wide she fell into a fit of giggles that I was almost afraid would wake mom.

     We chatted for about an hour, before I figured I should leave. There was a lot of drama in her small kindergarten class, but it was getting late, and it was a school night.

      "Don't be so hard on momma, okay?" I forced myself to say, as I shuffled towards the window. I didn't agree with what my mother had done, but she wasn't a cruel person. She had good intentions. She was only trying to protect the rest of her children. Bella didn't share my opinion.

      She shook her head, eyes filling with angry tears. "She hurt you."

      "She's not doing it by purpose. She thinks she's doing the right thing."

      "So, you did do something bad?" Dark brows furrowed, reconsidering who she really ought to be angry with.

      "No, but she thinks I did."

      "Tyson and Tyler are always bad," she protested.

      "She thinks I did something really bad, something sinful."

      As much as I hated to admit it, Laine was mostly a good mother, she didn't deserve to be hated by her children.

      "She's stupid for thinking you'd that," Bella maintained. She was almost as stubborn as I was, so I didn't fight it. Maybe if the kids were rude, they would knock some sense into mom. I dropped the subject and handed her Andrews' gift, as well as mine.

      "I'll try to come back every week," I promised. Olive eyes had teared up as I swung my legs through the window, and I panicked. I felt awful for making that promise, considering my death was expected in less than two days, but I didn't like tears.

      Getting out of the yard was as easy as it was getting in, and by easy, I mean a complete pain in the ass. By the time I got back home it was almost two am. I was too tired to try to climb the tree, nor did I feel like I was capable of doing it without evoking an injury or injuries. Not wanting to go through the front door either, Anna and Jim's room too close to it, I settled with breaking into Andrews' room. I was getting tired of using windows as doors. I was also going to grow the habit of locking my own bedroom window.

      "Clara?" a sleepy voice asked.

      Although he only spoke my name, his tone made it clear that he was annoyed with my presence. You do not mess with Andrews' beauty sleep.

      "You're lucky I'm not a serial killer. You really need to start locking your window." I shuffled over his discarded clothes.

     Though his carelessness had been handy tonight, I preferred not to be of easy access to my Asian nightmares. Andrews obviously wasn't pleased with my answer, I received a pillow to the head. I threw it right back at him, earning a grunt in response, and another pillow thrown my way. I darted out of the room, two more pillows missing my head by inches.

     As soon as I stepped out of Andrews' room, Anna stepped out of the bathroom. With sleepy eyes, she faced me.

     "I'm too tired for explanations," I said heading towards the stairs. We could talk about this in the morning.

      Anna's lips twitched into a smile; eyes narrowed pointedly. She was giving me a knowing look. What she thought she knew? I had no clue. What's with the smirk, and the resisting a laugh look? I was aware that, having fallen down a tree, I looked like a complete mess, but I'm sure I didn't look that funny.

     "Goodnight," I told her, frowning one last time in her direction.