Chess

Carolyn and Lizzie were on a mission. They had seen Samantha 'talking' (she was actually threatening and yelling) to a kid, and they had decided; Samantha needed to go out. Even before they moved, she had been acting...strange, to say the least. They had noticed, but only lately.

They had asked around the school, and now were knocking on Luke's door.
~!!~
Vivian smiled, but lost her focus, and fell flat on her face then.
~!!~
Elianna and Leanne untied the tree from the trunk. "You take that end," She called over to Elianna. "Patrick, can you get the middle?" She asked.
~!!~
"You can stay with me," Sam said suddenly.

Luke stood up from his bed, and walked down stairs, and opened the door. The whole time he was still reading. "Yeah?" He asked, not looking up, and flipping the page. "What do you need?" He still didn't look up. He was so frocus into his book. He didn't even know who he was talking to.

~!!~
Roza giggled, and offered her a hand up.

~!!~
"Yeah." He said, doing as he was told.

~!!~
Willow smiled. "That's sweet , Sam. But what would your dad say?" She asked. "You can't just hide me."

"My dad is never home," Sam reminded her. "He gets home at early hours of the morning, and leaves again at 6 am. Sometimes he pulls all nighters," He said quietly. "He hardly even notices me, why would he notice you?"
~!!~
Vivian took her hand, but just ended up falling again, this time taking her down with her.
~!!~
Carolyn and Lizzie both started talking quickly, but Carolyn held up a hand, looking at Luke.

"We saw you talking to our sister the other day," She said.

"Samantha," Lizzie chimed in.

"Yes, Samantha," Carolyn finished. "And she's been really weird lately since we moved, and we were wondering if you would take her out tomorrow night," She finished. Neither one knew about the reputation she had built up lately. She yelled at anyone who even crossed her path.
~!!~
Leanne soon lifted, at the same time as Elianna. It was much harder than it looked, but after being turned, she found she was stronger. She slowly began to move, soon inside the door. She led them to the corner of the family room, grunting with effort.

"Okay, now turn it," She grunted. Elianna nodded, and soon it was standing up straight, the stand underneath it where Leanne had placed it before.

Willow frowned. "I don't know, Sam." She said softly, she didn't want to get him in truble.

~!!~
Roza laid on the ice laughing.

~!!~
Luke finally looked up from his book. "Samantha? I don't know any Samanthas." He said. HE thought for a moment. "Are you talking about that crazy chick that was yelling at me?"

~!!~
Patrick took a step back. Suddenly he looked at Leanne. "I forgot to tell you. I might not be here on Christamas. Maggie is bugging me to go vist."

"Where would you go, then?" Sam asked quietly.
~!!~
Vivian didn't get up, either, instead looking up at the sky and laughing. She hadn't laughed this much in years!
~!!~
They both blinked in surprise. "Um....I don't think she was yelling at you...but brown hair? About to here? This high? If so, then yeah...." Lizzie said. Carolyn was frowning. "So will you??" She asked. "She really needs it."
~!!~
Leanne frowned. "You won't be here...?" She asked sadly. She quickly shook it off. "It's okay," She said, smiling at him. "Family is more imp ortant. If I could, I'd---" She cut herself off, and just smiled at him. Elianna was looking up at the large tree in front of them.

"Are you going to decorate it?" She asked suddenly, turning to Leanne. Leanne held up the camera, and then nudged the box with her foot, grinning. Elianna looked confused.

Willow looked down. "I don't know." She admitted. "I have no where to go."

~!!~
"Get off the ice!" Sergei suddenly yelled from the snow. A crack was froming near the two girls. Roza stood up quickly, helping Viven to her feet.

~!!~
"You are asking me to go on a date with the girl who told me to go -" he cut himself off, with a frown. "When all I did was run into her?"

~!!~
Patrick bent down and opened the box. He started to pull out the dercoration. A smrik crossed his face when he pulled out one of picture decorations. It was of Leanne when she was a baby. "Hey Leanne, you made a cute baby."

Carolyn frowned. "That hardly sounds like her," She said.

"Yeah," Lizzie interuppted. "Maybe she was just having a bad day." They had no idea.
~!!~
"So come back with me," Sam said quietly. "Willow, I can't lose you again," He whispered. "Not again."
~!!~
Leanne's cheeks flushed bright red, and she quickly grabbed the decoration from him. "I----I didn't know that was in there," She stammered. Elianna laughed. Leanne took out the lights, and frowned. "There's no outlets, but these are connected to this," She pulled out a small black box. "Which is battery operated. But I don't know if they're dead or not," She said.
~!!~
Vivian stumbled to her feet, but couldn't get her balance. She clung to Rosa, and tried to make her way to the edge, but she was going slow, far too slow. And just as she got close, she lost her footing again, and fell.

Luke was frowning. "You don't even know your sister do you?" He asked, then he started listing off times she yelled at people, that he knew of.

~!!~
Willow smiled weakly. "Fine." She said.

~!!~
Patrick was smriking still. "I can get barrties form my room."

~!!~
The crack was spreading. Roza was on the snow already. Sergei skated back, and lifted her up. Moments later he dropped her on the snow, just as the ice broke beneath him. He fell into the ice cold water.

Carolyn and Lizzie were both frowning. Finally, Lizzie cut him off.

"Just please?" She asked. "I don't think any of that is true, but if you say so..." she said. Carolyn shook her head.
~!!~
Sam smiled slightly at her. "You don't have to, if you don't want to," he said quietly.
~!!~
Leanne smiled and nodded. She grabbed her camera.

"First, pictures!" She said. She grinned.
~!!~
Vivian fell on the snow, and looked up just as he fell in. Her eyes widened, and a scream escaped her lips. She fumbled to get her skates off.

"Sergei!!" She shouted. In her mind, she was calcuating the probablity that he would make it out. The odds made her move faster. "Sergei!!!" She shouted again, moving as close to the ice as she could.

Sergei's head appear the water, his teeth were chattering. Moments later he was sitting in the snow, shivering violently.

~!!~
Patrick laughed. "Okay." He said. "

~!!~
Willow shook her head. "I'll stay." She said.

~!!~
Luke frowned. "I'm not really someone that anyone would date." He said.

"Not really date, just one date," Lizzie said.

"To make her come out of whatever it is she's in," Carolyn added.

"We're just worried about her, is all," Lizzie said.

"And we think this would help," Carolyn finished.
~!!~
Soon Leanne was knocking on Tobias' door, then ran down and knocked on Draven's, then Michi's. Elianna was right behind her. She stood in the middle of the hall then, waiting.
~!!~
Sam smiled. "Thank you," he whispered, and suddenly was shivering again. He was wearing short sleeves.
~!!~
Vivian ran over to him, and knelt down next to him, eyes wide. "You can't stay here," She said quickly. "Hypothermia will set in within minutes if you don't get warm, and now," She said. She started thinking; she had learned a lot about this at school, and yet she couldn't think of anything to do?!

Monique came running in after Justin rubbing her arms. She had a long sleeve shirt on but had forgotten her jacket in case the sun had come out for a short time. She saw teh tree and looked at it.

Justin saw the tree but didn't pay much attetnion to it, and went upstairs.

Luke frowned. "And she would just agree?" He asked.

~!!~
Tobias stepped out and frowned. "What's going on?" He asked.

~!!~
Willow grabed his wrist, and started to pull him to ward his house. "We need to get you want."

~!!~
Sergei stood after Roza put his tennis shoes back on for him. "Come on." Roza said. "Viven your house is closer." She yelled over her shoulder dragging Sergei.

"We can make her," Carolyn said.

"Please," Lizzie said. "We're really worried about her."
~!!~
"Picture time, is what!" Leanne said. "Don't ask questions; just stand by the wall," She pointed. "And Draven---" She started, just as Draven opened his door. "Stand next to Tobias," She said. Draven glared at her.

"Why?" He asked. She pointed to her camera. Elianna giggled and dragged Draven to where she pointed.
~!!~
Sam nodded slowly. It felt so good to feel her touch, even if she was so...cold.
~!!~
Vivian nodded. She ran over to her, leaving the ice skates lying in the snow. She would come back for them later. She helped her keep him up, walking as fast as she could.

"I don't know." Luke said,

~!!~
Michi stpped out. Sh was pinning hr hair in a bun. Sh slipped the last pin in. She was giveing them a qustioning look.

Tobias, had a small frown on his face.

~!!~
Willow stopped in front of his door.

~!!~
Sergei kept stumbling.

Sam opened the door, and let her in before going in after her, closing the door behind them.
~!!~
Draven smiled softly at Michi, and Leanne saw this. She grinned.

"Okay, family picture first!" she said. Once Elianna had pushed Tobias into line, she said 'Smile!'. Elianna did. Draven didn't. Then she took the picture.
~!!~
Soon they came to her house. Vivian opened the door, and helped drag Sergei in.

"What do I do, what do I do," She kept mumbling. She couldn't remember exactly how to help. She shut the door behind them, and turned to them.

"You need to get out of your wet clothes," She said quickly. "I can run a really, really hot bath....that could help...you're freezing," She said this all in one breathe. She knew just how much danger he was in right now.

"Can you feel anything? Are you numb anywhere?" She asked quickly.
~!!~
"Please?" They both asked at the same time, begging with their eyes.

Willow played with the cloth of her dress as she walked in to the liveing room. A sudden grin appeared on hr face. "You arn't alone no more." She said, her back to him, as she walked toward the sofa.

~!!~
Michi had smiled softly back, but know she was frowning again.

Tobias, too, did not smile. "I want to brak that thing." He said, dully.

~!!~
"Everywhere." Sergei said.

~!!~
Luke looked away. "Where do I have to take her?"

Sam smiled slightly. "Yeah..." He said slowly. That was a nice thought; he spent every day alone. He followed her. He was curious; what was it like...to be dead? He didn't feel as though he should ask, though, so he reamined silent.
~!!~
Leanne ignored him. "Draven, I want one of you and Michi," She said. "You two would make a cute couple, you know," She laughed. Draven looked like he wanted to strangle her, but Elianna was laughing as she dragged Draven over to Michi. Leanne took out the now developed photo, and laughed at the look on Draven's face before placing it in the pocket of her jacket carefully.
~!!~
"Anywhere," Carolyn said.

"Movies, whatever," Lizzie added. "Just please....she really, really needs this," She said.
~!!~
Vivian bit her lip. "Not good, not good," She mumbled. "Rub your arms, try to get some feeling in them," She said. "I'll be right back," She said, and ran upstairs, turning the water in the tub on as hot as it would go. She placed a hand in, and flinched. It burned. She knew that this wasn't the best idea; body heat would help more, but.....

She shook off the thought, and ran back downstairs.

She carefully sat down, and smiled at him. "What do you do all day anyways?" She asked.

~!!~
"Why are you taking a pictrues?" She askd, her ace impassive. She inogred hr comment about them making a cute couple.

~!!~
Sergei started to rub his arms slowly. He couldn't stop shivering.

~!!~
Luke frowned. "Fine, I'll take her to dinner in a movie, but nothing more, got that?"

"Yes!" Lizzie said. "Thank you so much!!!"

They both were smiling now. "You have no idea how much this means to us," Carolyn said. "And don't worry, we'll make sure she goes," Lizzie added. They grinned.

"We live right down the street," They said, and gave them their adress quickly. "Come at 7; we'll make sure she's ready," They said. Then they turned and left, talking excidetly.
~!!~
"Christmas tree," Leanne said, taking the picture once Elianna had them next to each other.

"What?" Draven thundered, but she already had the picture.

"Thanks, bye!" She squealed, running down the hall. Draven looked furious.

"Lighten up," Elianna mumbled.
~!!~
Sam shrugged, and sat down next to her. "This. Sit," He said simply. "And lately....I've been doing nothing," He mumbled, thinking about all the days he spent staring out the window.
~!!~
"Roza, please help me get him upstairs," She said. She sighed when she saw him. "No, that's not going to help," She said. She walked over to him, and rubbed one of his arms quickly and hard. "It'll hurt, but it's worse if you can't feel it at all," She said.

Sergei nodded. Roza frowned, and started to pull him towards the stairs.

~!!~
"OH." Willow looked down. "That sounds really boring." She said.

~!!~
Michi frowned. "Christmas tree?"

~!!~
Luke frowned and slamed the door closed.

Vivian helped her, and opened the bathroom door. "Umm...you need to get out of your wet clothes, and get in. Once you get your temperature up a bit you can get out, and I'll give you some dry clothes of my dad's.....and then you need blankets....lots of blankets.." She mumbled. "Hurry," She said. "If he needs help, help him, Roza," She said. She turned her back now.
~!!~
Draven shrugged. "That stupid girl is always doing things like this," He mumbled. Elianna glared at him.
~!!~
Leanne went through the rest of the house, taking a few surprise pictures as she went.
~!!~
Sam nodded. "And it is," he said quietly.

Roza nodded and helped him out of his jackets, then left, closeing the door behind her. With tembling hands he unbuttoned his shrit, and undressed. Quietly he steped in. The water was hot, but he couldn't tell.

~!!~
"Oh." Michi said quietly.

~!!~
Willow frowned. "What is today?" She asked suddenly.

"The 12th," Sam said. "I think. Why?" He asked.
~!!~
Vivian came back a few moments later with a pair of old jeans and a shirt that her father no long wore. They would be big on him, but it didn't matter, not now.
~!!~
Leanne kept running around the house, and took a picture of Gem, then kept going. Gem blinked from the flash, confused.

She shurgged. "I just wanted to know how long I been dead. Is it December or Januray?"

~!!~
Roza took the from her, and knocked on the door. "Sergei, I'm coming in." She said.

A strange sound came from inside. It sounded a lot like a 'uh huh'.