[b][u]Fun Ghoul’s POV[/u][/b]
[i]Okay... Here we go...[/i]

I couldn’t quite bring myself to tell him everything, so instead I did the only other thing I could think of. I loosened my grip on his shirt slightly so I could lean back a little, and when he did the same I pushed my lips up against his own softly. His lips were soft and cold and I shivered a little as the chilling feeling passed through my body before pulling away to look at his face, and if I had to be honest, I’d say that he looked as pale as a ghost – [i]literally.[/i]

I bit down on my lip slightly as I waited for him to reply, and I had to dare myself to take a quick glance at everyone else in the room who were now staring at us, but mostly me.

Kobra Kid – who was sitting next to me a few seconds ago – was now standing up with his mouth hung open a little, and he had to blink a few times before he looked like he fully understood what had just happened.

I then moved my gaze to Show Pony and Jet Star who were standing by the door, and I swear Jet had almost dropped the first aid kit that just about rested on the tip of his semi-gloved fingers as he snapped back into reality. Show Pony however just had this strange expression on his face, and I had to suppress myself from letting a giggle slip out.

When I took a glance over at Dr. D, though, he just smiled at me, and I suddenly felt both proud of myself for finally [i]showing[/i] Party how I’ve been feeling for years, but also quite nervous while awaiting his reply. I turned back at him to find that he hadn’t blinked once, and I began to feel a little worried as I shook him slightly.

“P-Party...?” I asked, mentally cursing at myself for giving away just how nervous I really was. He also blinked a couple of times like Kid, and then he eagerly searched my eyes with his own to find a reason why I had done what I did, I guess.

“I-I...” He started, and he loosened his grip on me slightly as he thought of what to say. “I-I need fresh air...” He breathed, before letting go of me and leaving the room. I physically felt my shoulders drop as I sighed, and a wash of rejection and hurt came over me when I knew he didn’t [i]like[/i] me back in the way that I wished he would.

“Jet, Kid, Pony, can you please leave the room for a little while? I need to speak to Ghoul here.” Dr. D asked after clearing his throat a little, and I swung my legs over the side of the bed before putting my head in my hands and whimpering slightly. The others left slowly, and when the door had shut I let it all out.

“I’ve ruined everything!” I exclaimed as I started to sob, my body wracking through anything I could think of to keep myself calm. “I’m so fucking stupid!”

I heard the wheels of Dr. D’s wheelchair roll onto the wooden floor as he came closer to me, and then felt something soft and wet rub against my right arm, making me take in a sharp breath through my teeth.

“Sorry Ghoul. I’m just clearing up your arms so you’re not blood-stained. You look like you’ve just murdered someone-” He said, chuckling a little before clearing his throat again and making me look up at him. “Listen, you haven’t ruined anything. Party isn’t like that, sunshine.” I sighed, refusing to even try and stop my flowing tears.

“Then what is he like? Because right now it looks like I won’t be speaking to him for a while, a-and...” I cried, and he pulled me into his large arms. He tried hushing me, but I couldn’t help thinking of Party and what he would say – or even do – to me when I saw him again. “...I-I... I [i]like[/i] him, D... I really do...” I whimpered, feeling the urge to just crawl back into bed and cry myself to sleep, which I was pretty sure would happen anyway.

“I know, Ghoul. I know...” He whispered slightly, rubbing my back to make me let it all out.

[b][u]Jet Star’s POV[/u][/b]
I stood with Kid and Pony outside of the medical room listening to what Fun Ghoul and Dr. Death-Defying were saying, and I sighed.

“Will you people ever stop sighing?” Show Pony asked in an annoyed tone, and I chuckled a little before running a hand through my hair.
“I’m sorry, it’s just... He’s just woken up y’know, and to wake up to something like this...” I trailed off, feeling sorry for the young boy who was now crying about how he had supposedly ruined everything.
“I guess... But still, can [i]we[/i] try not to be all depressed about this? I mean... It doesn’t involve us, right?” He stated, putting his hands on his hips.
“Sure. But I still want to help.” Kobra Kid said, leaning back against the cool wall. “He is my brother after all, and I want him to know that I’m there for him.” Me and Pony nodded, and then made our way outside, where Party was pacing around his Trans Am.

“Party?” Kid asked, walking up to his brother and resting a soft hand on his shoulder. Pony and I stayed close to the Diner, just in case either Dr. D needed some help, or Kid. Either way, we were in the middle of this problem, and I didn’t really like it.

“So, what do you wanna do, Jet?” Pony asked, skating around in circles in front of me to try and distract me from Kid and Party speaking.
“Anything, I guess.” I said, walking back towards the van to put the first aid kit back under the seat with Pony following close behind me.
“Hmmm...” He thought aloud, “Does the van need any fuel?” He asked, and I wondered why he asked such a random question, but checked anyway.
“It’s not full, but I don’t think it would really last long...” I explained, and he clapped his hands together with a happy expression on his face.
“Great! Then can we can go and get some fuel?” He cheerfully pleaded, even though I took it as a ‘we can go and get some fuel!’.
“Sure.” I simply said, and I chuckled as he jumped in the air.

“Alright!” He exclaimed, “I’ll just go and tell Dr. D!” He said a little too excitedly, and I smiled and nodded an ‘okay’. While he skated down to the Diner again I jumped in the driver’s seat and switched the ignition on before following him down the sandy track.

I pulled up just outside the Diner and beside the Trans Am, and I jumped out to see Party as Kid had disappeared. He was leant on the car with a hand through his hair, and he almost jumped out of his skin when I slowly reached out to touch his shoulder.

“Geez, Jet!” He gasped, clutching his shirt where his heart was supposed to be. I laughed a little and he punched my shoulder playfully before I leant against the car next to him.
“How are ya doin’?” I asked, and he turned to face me with a worried kind of expression on his face. “C’mon, Party, you really don’t know what to do?” I asked again, not giving him enough time to reply before.
“Well... I...” He tried coming up with an excuse, but he just lowered his head and bit his lip a little before shaking his head whilst his fiery red hair covered his face. I was just about to ask him how he felt, when Show Pony come flying out of the front door of the Diner and skated into me.

“C’mon Jet, time to get going!” He dramatically exclaimed, pointing a finger into the air once he had gained his balance back. He then hurried off into the passenger’s side of the van, and we both just stared at him for a little while before I laughed a little and he smiled.
“Who gave him caffeine?” Party asked, and I chuckled.
“I didn’t, and this is why!” I laughed a little, and he chuckled too quietly. “He must have found your secret stash of it, but anyways. Go and talk to Ghoul... I’m sure you two’ll be fine.” I smiled to comfort him after placing a hand on his shoulder, and he smiled back at me.
“Thanks, Jet.” He said, and I just nodded before walking to the driver’s seat. “Hey, when will you be back?” He then called, and I wound down the window and leant over Pony to reply.
“Umm... I’m not sure. Give us 2 or 3 days. And like I said, you’ll be fine!” I quickly spoke before Pony started nagging me to hurry up and drive already.

[b][u]Party Poison’s POV[/u][/b]
I watched as the white van sped down the cracked road, and I sighed when it was out of sight. [i]What do I even tell him...?[/i] I thought to myself as I lifted my arms to place my hands at the back of my head, [i]I don’t even know if he wants to speak to me after what I just did... Man, I’m such an idiot...[/i]

I took in a deep breath before deciding to walk back into the Diner, although I wasn’t going in to see Ghoul; at least, not yet.

I looked around for Mikey, though I think I can faintly remember him saying something about going in to check on Ghoul...

[i][b][u]Party Poison’s POV, Earlier Today[/u][/b]
“Party?” I heard my brother’s voice as I kept walking across the length of the Trans Am, running my hands through my hair as I did so. When I walked past him he had taken a firm grip on my shoulder to try and make me stop, and when I looked up at his face I could only make out confusion. I couldn’t say much, though; I was just as confused.

“What... What happened back there?” He asked, trying to word his question out properly. I was going to reply, but I really couldn’t speak right now. It was like... I was too ashamed to speak, and if I did, I’d start to cry at the sound of my voice, so instead I just lowered my head and sighed. It’s weird, right?

“C’mon, bro...” He quietly said, and I knew he was expecting a reply from me before he left me alone, so I thought about getting it over with now, and clearing up a few things that maybe he could help me with...

“I-I don’t know, Mikes... I really don’t...” I started, lifting my head again. “I... I mean... He...” I stuttered, suddenly not knowing what to say. I noticed that Jet and Pony were making their way to the back of the Diner where the van was kept, and tears started to threaten me; threatening that they would fall with no warning.

I then felt his arms wrap around me, and my mind just blew at that point. Everything was so confusing right now... And why was Mikey so sad or even worried?

“Mikey...?” I asked quietly, holding him gently as he took deep breaths against my chest. “Mikes, speak to me...” I almost pleaded; he was only like this when he was having a bad flashback or something... “C’mon, Mikes, you’re scaring me...” I whispered as he sniffed a little, and then he pulled away, only to avoid my gaze.

“I’m going to see if Ghoul is okay... I’ll be back in a few minutes.” And with that, he turned and left me in the heat of the sun blazing down on California. Oh how I hated summer at this point...

I leant back against the Trans Am for a few minutes as I held my head in my hands, and I didn’t even realise Jet walk up behind me...[/i]

[b][u]Party Poison’s POV, Present[/u][/b]
I sighed. Was it something I did, other than walking out on Ghoul?

I walked into Dr. D’s radio room and sat down on his spare chair, before crossing my legs and holding my head up with the arm that rested on top of his mahogany desk. I then slowly began to think over what had happened, and why he did it... Or how I didn’t notice him acting funny around me before.

[i]And then it hit me.[/i]

I had to go speak to Ghoul as soon as possible to confirm my thoughts though... [i]Or even now... That sounded like the best option...[/i]

[b][u]Fun Ghoul’s POV[/u][/b]
After Dr. D and I had talked everything over I began to feel a little better, but it still wasn’t enough to make me happy again; I don’t think I’ll ever feel the way I used to.

“D...?” I asked after a moment of silence. Kid had come in to join us a few minutes ago, and after both Dr. D and I had explained everything, he seemed to realise why I had kissed him.
“Yes Ghoul?” He asked, turning to face me.
“...How long was I... You know... Unconscious?” I asked. I knew it was random at this point, but I was really curious.
“Almost 2 weeks.” He stated, and I bit my lip. The last half hour or so has just been me asking many questions, but I really couldn’t think of any others to ask. I just wanted to get my mind off of Party, and I also wanted to pass the time so I could go to sleep. Even after 2 weeks or so of sleeping, I still felt tired...

I pulled my legs up to my chest and rested my chin on the top of them, breathing a little loud compared to the silence of the room. I felt myself trying to quieten down the little noises that erupted from my throat, but it only made me feel as though I wasn’t breathing enough, and it made me feel a little light-headed.

“Are you okay, Ghoul?” Kid asked, and it was only then that I noticed that my eyes were closed and my head was resting on top of my legs. I looked up making a small noise that made sure he knew I was okay, and he leant back in his chair. “It looked like you were about to pass out again.” He smiled, and I returned it, hoping they would leave soon... In a non-offensive way, of course.

I turned my head to focus on something else, but the only thing in this room was the Cardiac Monitor that was now switched off, a bunch of needles on the floor with wires coming out of them to connect to a machine, chairs, a bed and a small window at the end of the bed. I sighed quietly and opted for the window, staring out into the hot desert with the sun beating down and creating small heat waves that moved a little bit of sand every now and again. You could even see the heat rise from the road, and I could have sworn that I had just seen a scorpion scuttle across it.

We all then jumped and turned to face the door that had started to open, and after a steady hand appeared to hold the door, a body followed close after, and everyone turned to me.
“Party...” I breathed, loosening my grip on my legs as my hands shook slightly.

“Hey, Dr. D... Kid... Can I...” He started, but he was unable to finish his sentence. I slowly edged further onto the bed when Dr. D nodded and wheeled out of the room, and then Kid followed seconds after, smiling at me a little before leaving too. Party then slowly shut the door, and my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest because of its speed – [i]God... Kill me now...[/i] I thought as he turned to face me, and out of nowhere, I snapped.

“P-Party, I... I’m so sorry!” I cried, grasping at the hair on the sides of my head whilst closing my eyes. I didn’t hear him speak, so I just continued. “I-I don’t know what c-came over me... I...” I sniffed, trying to hold in my tears that would make me look even weaker than I already looked, “I-I didn’t mean to... Well... I did... B-But... I’m sorry...” I ended up whispering as I let go of my hair, and I hid my face in my arms and legs, scared of what he was going to say. My whole body was shaking, and I now knew what it was like to feel broken. [i]Completely broken.[/i]

I felt like I had torn myself up into tiny shreds and then thrown the pieces onto the hottest flame; watching from below as I burnt to my slow, painful death...

“Ghoul?” Party asked, although it sounded like an echo at first. I jumped when his hand made contact with my cheek carefully, and my eyes shot open as my whole body froze. “Shhh, Ghoul... Come here...” He cooed; sitting on the bed beside me and pulling me onto his lap; holding me close with one hand tangled in my hair and the other rubbing slow circles on my back. I don’t know what had just happened, but my whole body was now feeling wet, and I was shaking worse than before. Did I zone out or something...?

“P-Party...” I whispered into his shoulder; wrapping my arms around him tightly and closing my eyes tight as the tears fell more freely. I could feel myself starting to sob, and as I hid my face in his chest I felt him hold onto me tighter and pull me closer against him.

It took several long hours for me to finally calm down and stay silent; I actually think that I have run dry right now.

My eyes felt blotchy and swollen, and they burned whenever I blinked, causing me to whimper every now and again, which made Party stroke my back for a few seconds.

We were silent for another few minutes until I was completely silent, and all we could hear were the faint voices of Kid and Dr. D, a shuffling noise or our own breathing. I practically jumped when he had started to speak.

“Can we speak to each other now?” He asked, chuckling a little. I blushed; he had been sitting there for hours just listening to my worthless sobbing... Great.

I nodded slowly and tried to pull away to look at his face, but he refused and held me closer.

“Don’t move, just listen...” He said quietly, and I relaxed in his arms as he spoke to me.

“Do you remember that time when Dr. D first got me the Trans Am after finding it stranded on the side of a dirt track?” He asked, and I nodded slowly, wanting to know what he was getting at. He then chuckled a little before continuing, “And I was too scared to drive it because I thought I wasn’t ready...”

“I dragged you in the car by your hair and sat next to you in the passenger’s seat...” I continued, smiling at our little memory. I felt him nod and smile against the side of my head, and I listened to him carefully as he continued again.
“I refused to drive fast... Well, that was until you shoved your foot down on the gas when I wasn’t paying much attention... I ended up loving it; and I could tell you did too, you even stood up when we spun around a corner, you crazy bastard...” He smiled wider, and I couldn’t help but giggle. I then started to wonder why he brought it up, and I let my thoughts get the better of me.

“Why did you bring that up...?” I asked curiously, and he sighed, before furrowing his eyebrows together in thought.
“Well... That day, I...” He struggled to speak, and I was finally able to lean back and look at his face when he loosened his grip a little. His hazel eyes were shining in the dim light that hung above us, and I suddenly realised that it was now dark outside, and everything apart from our conversation had fallen silent. “I felt... Alive, I guess... Like, I had a purpose...” He explained, and I smiled a little.
“What made you feel alive?” I then asked, and he smiled, as if the answer was as simple as breathing itself. He didn’t answer back though; he just kept that cheesy grin on his face as I giggled. “C’mon, what was it?” I asked again, but this time he caught me off guard, and before I could do anything my body was up against his again with his mouth so close to my ear, that even his breath threatened to create a soft moan from my mouth.
“You.” He whispered slowly, and I shivered a little as I felt him smile against my ear.

“M-Me?” I stuttered a little, and he nodded as my blush felt more noticeable.
“I don’t know... It was like you taught me the ‘way of life’, or something... And I know it sounds cheesy, but... I...” He took a deep breath before saying the words that I had been waiting 8 years to hear.

[i]“I think I fell for you, Ghoul...”[/i]