I wake up at around 8:30 the next morning. I look around, feeling a bit disoriented, since I'm not at my house. It takes me a bit to remember that I stayed the night at Arin's last night. I yawn and stretch, ready to take on the new day.

I somehow manage to heave myself out of the extremely comfortable bed that exists in the guest room. Rubbing my eye, I walk out of the room, seeing that Arin, Suzy, and Dan are having a somewhat serious discussion at the kitchen table.

I hang back for a bit, just in case it's about me. I hide behind a wall that isn't visible from where they're sitting.

   "Really, Dan?" Arin's voice says, an exasperated edge to it. "We said that you could make a move on (Y/N). Not weird her out and then leave without even following through."

   Ooh, they're talking about last night. Heat rushes to my face as I remember what happened.

   "I know, Arin!" Dan sighs. "I don't know what I was thinking, okay? I didn't know how to make a move, so—"

   "So basically attempting to force a kiss on her and then leaving because of your own anxiety is what you resorted to?" Suzy mumbles, annoyed.

   "I know, it wasn't the best way to swoon her," Dan says. "I just..."

   "I don't know how you got any girls in your life if that's what you were like around them," Arin breathes out.

   "I wasn't like that around them. I was very confident. But something about (Y/N)...just makes me nervous," Dan says. "Maybe it's because she's in a delicate place right now, or maybe it's because I know that she's totally out of my league. But either way, I've never felt this way about a girl before."

   That statement makes me feel a bit proud of myself for making Dan experience a feeling he's never felt around girls before. I let a smile slip. I think it's safe to say Dan likes me. And that makes me happy, since I like him too.

   "Not even Ashley?" Suzy asks, knowing that his relationship with the beautiful blond known as Ashley Anderson was his longest lasting relationship. They broke up after about two years of being together. (I actually approve of Dan and Ashley's present relationship, but for the sake of the story, they won't be together.)

   "Not even Ashley..," Dan says softly. "I loved her. A lot. But even when she wasn't yet mine, I wasn't this nervous to do romantic things with her."

   "Well you better get yourself together if you want (Y/N) as your own," Arin says. "Because this strategy of being awkward and weird won't work on her. Or anyone, for that matter."

   "Got it," Dan mumbles, obviously ashamed.

   Silence coats the room, and I sense that that's my cue to enter, since I've heard all I need to hear.

   I walk in, a bit jittery from the information I was just told.

   Everyone hears me come in and looks up at me. "Hey, (Y/N)!" Dan says casually, as if the entire conversation about me or the incident last night never happened.

   "Hi, guys," I say, sitting in the chair next to Dan and across from Arin and Suzy.

   "Sleep well?" Arin asks, smiling at me.

   I shrug. "Eh. Took me a little bit, but once I was out, I was out."

   "Same. Was too excited by these," Arin says, pulling out his phone and showing me the comments from the Power Hour episode that I was featured in.

   I scan them, and all the ones that I read were super nice and positive. The fans were saying how pretty I was and how I should be a third Grump.

   "Awesome, right?" Arin asks as he sees the dumb smile that makes its way into my face. "Well, look what one person said."

   He scrolls down and shows me a comment that says, "Dan x (Y/N), anyone?"

   And I see that fifty thousand people have liked it.

   "Jesus!" I say, laughing.

   "What is it?" Dan asks, leaning closer to me so that he can see what Arin's showing me. He whisper-reads the comment and immediately turns bright red. He shakes his head and chuckles. "We can always count on the lovelies to create ships."

   Suzy takes Arin's phone out of his hands and reads the comment also. She smirks and gives it back. "We certainly can, Daniel." She winks at the floofy boi, making him grit his teeth in frustration.

   "So," I say, hoping to distract Suzy from making Dan feel like an embarrassed heap of floof, "I think I'm gonna get ready. After that, can one of ya'll bring me home?"

   "Yeah, of course!" Arin smiles. "I'll take you!" He glances back and forth between Suzy and Dan. "Do you guys wanna come with? We can listen to Rush on the way~"

   Needless to say, Dan was sold on the idea. "Hell yeah I'll come! Rush and hanging out with some cool people sounds great!"

   "I'll go too!" Suzy says, smiling.

   "All right, cool!" Arin says, and we all split up to get ready.

***

   "Okay, (Y/N), this looks like your stop," Arin says, pulling up in front of my house. "We need to hang out again, all right?"

   "Definitely!" I smile and unbuckle my seatbelt.

   "Bye, (Y/N)," Dan says with a handsome smile. "I hope to see you soon."

   "Same!" Suzy chimes in from the front seat.

   I laugh and push open the door. "I hope to see you guys soon too," I say as I get out of the car. "Bye!" I say with a wave as I shut the door.

   The three most amazing people ever wave from inside the car, Arin driving away after.

   I sigh and watch the car speed away. A certain emptiness weighs on my heart. I'm all alone now. I never realized how much I like the company of other humans. Well, I guess the Grumps don't really count as "other humans". They're different.

   I saunter over to my front door and fish through my bag for my house key. I find it, and I open my door with it.

   I step inside, and my house is quiet and empty. Such a contrast to Arin's house. There was constantly someone there with you to brighten up the room.

   So I pull up GameGrumps on my phone and watch them all day. Hey, I have nothing else to do. And then, at around 11:30, I get into bed and fall asleep as soon as my head hits my pillow.

***

   I'm walking to my room, watching a good NSP video. It's the video for "Cool Patrol" and I smile to myself as Dan covers his shirtless body in peanut butter and ham. It's weird, but oddly attractive.

   But then, I hear the click of a loaded gun in front of me.

   I shut off my phone and slowly look up, my heart hammering in my chest.

   Some random dude is standing in my room, pointing a handgun directly at me.

   "Who-who are you?" I stammer, putting my hands up. I don't know what else to do.

   "Hey, (Y/N)," the dude says with a smirk. "My identity isn't important. What's important is you dying."

   "Wh-what?" I ask, trembling uncontrollably. "Why do I have to die? What have I done to you?"

   "You haven't done anything. But your parents have done something unforgivable to me. That's why I killed them," the man says, an evil smirk lining his face. "I don't want you following in their footsteps, though, and becoming an awful person, so I'm gonna prevent that from happening."

   "What did they do to you..?" I whisper, my voice hoarse from fear.

   "Why the hell do you need to know?" the man hisses.

   I don't really have an answer from that. So instead of giving an answer, I say, "Look, we can talk this out. But please, don't—"

   But I was cut off by a pain I've never experienced before in my chest. I look down, and blood is scattering across it. I look back up at the man, and his smirk is wider than ever.

  "Sorry, but you don't deserve a conversation. Neither did your parents," he says lowly.

***

   I sit bolt upright in my bed, panting loudly. Sweat drips off my body, and I'm looking around, searching for any sign of the man that killed me in my dream.

   Of course, he's not there. But the dream makes me feel so scared about being alone that I begin to sob. I feel like the murderer of my parents is gonna come for real this time if I don't have someone with me...

   So, without a second thought, I pull out my phone and call Dan. Yeah, it's 3:30 in the morning, but I'm actually having an anxiety attack right now.

   I'm shaking as I'm waiting for Dan to pick up. Praying for Dan to pick up...

   Eventually, I hear a groggy voice say, "(Y/N)..? It's 3:30. Why—"

   But I cut Dan off. "Danny you've gotta come over please I had a bad dream about my parents' killer and I feel like he's gonna come into my house please just come over!" I sob into the phone, my vision blurred due to my tears.

   Dan's grogginess is gone as he says, "I'll be right over. Can I get your address? I don't remember it."

   "Yeah...it's (your address)," I answer, sniffling a little.

   "Okay, thanks," Dan says. "Just hang in there. I'll be there in a bit. You're strong. You can do it."

   I nod. "Okay...bye, Dan."

   "Bye, (Y/N)," Dan responds. Then he hangs up.

   I turn on the light, thinking that it'll make me feel less scared, since I'll be able to see if someone's in my room. It works a little, but there's still an unsettling vibe that the room is giving off.

   I curl my knees up to my chest and cry a bit more.

   Please, hurry, Dan...