I’m so sorry, it’s not like me.

"Did you hear that mermaid ghoul got taken?" Danny's spine went rigid, but she continued to scribble in her notebook. Not notes of course- she couldn't focus on those. They were just doodles. Swirls. Her pen moving back and forth because she wasn't paying attention to the class in the least. Every few seconds her eyes would flick over to Roch. He just sat there staring with the same blank expression she did.

He was a mess. The boil looked like he was going to fall apart any second, big bags under his eyes. Danny hated it. She couldn't do a thing to make him feel better- not unless Amphi magically reappeared. Moments later her eyes were back on her paper. She wished she shared some classes with Rikki more often. The woes of being a hob dating a knob.

"Yeah dude, total shame." It really was. Not in this non-chalant way the two werewolf boils behind her were talking about. Danny set her pen down, rolling one hand in the other. Relax. This was no place to start a scene. Odd, this strange maturity Danny had garnered in the past few days.

"Totally. She had a nice rack."

Danny blinked a few times, not realizing what she'd done, her chest heaving. Her notebook was very firmly planted in the werewolf's face, sliding off and then onto the ground. The entire class was staring at her, she could feel it. The teacher stood flabberghasted for a moment or two, but quickly recovered. Danny looked down, but not embarrassed or angry as she was sent into the hall. Roch hadn't budged an inch.

All in all, she had no idea what had prompted the action. She didn't hate the werewolves. Amphi did have a pretty nice rack. It was an innocent comment. She stared numbly at the wall.

It's maturity.

"Please if you've seen any of them-"

"For the last time screech, there hasn't been anyone like that around here.

"Okay. Sorry to bother."

She turned the corner and went to sit on the corner. The boogies had no idea where they'd gone. Danny had been diligent, checking back every day. She told herself not to visit the underground. Not alone at least.

It was odd, mere months ago she would've run down to the caverns and shouted, banging lockers and screaming for her friends. Now she held her tongue. Restraint. It was an odd, new concept that she was trying to figure out.

The same thing had happened with Nuru. She found herself in a position of authority that she'd never really established before. Sure the odd joke about teasing snots came up every once in a while, but no one ever acted on it. It was the unspoken authority that came with being knowledgeable, closer to earning your passport. Having people look up to you. It was terrifying.

Oersted was the one people looked up to, not her. She was just ... Danny. There wasn't anything special about that.

She heaved herself off the curb and dusted off her knees. There was no reason for her to sit idly. Amphi wouldn't do that for her. Yin would never sit still if Alex or her were in danger. She kept reminding herself of that. They wouldn't wait for her. She wouldn't wait for them.

That I'm lacking.

Rikki pulled her close, as she pressed her nose into his chest. He rubbed her back in small circles, but it didn't do anything for her. It was odd, she hadn't cried at all. All she could do was stare at mundane things and not think.

But she was weak. Little things upset her and sent her on a tangent. Exciting things didn't excite her. Smiles were harder to come by. It was the subtle changes in Danny that were bizarre. Someone who met her on the street wouldn't think anything was wrong, but those who knew her well knew something was off.

"They-" Rikki looked down at her expectantly. Any talking he could get out of her was good. It was lucky that he was the one who was best at getting her talking. "They're not coming back," was all Danny said, just looking at him straight in the eyes. He gave her a pained expression and kissed her softly. There was nothing he could say to that. He couldn't dispute it. Couldn't tell her "don't give up!" Neither of them could.

Hours later Rikki had fallen asleep, cradled around her. She could feel his heavy breathing on her shoulder as she lay there. Words subsided, feelings didn't. All she could do was stare into space and wait for it to stop.

It didn't.

Sometimes she slipped out and went to Roch's dorm and just sat in front of the door. There was something strangely comforting about the spot, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. It hurt to think Amphi would never come running down the hall and bust into the room, interrupting whatever stupid thing they were doing at the moment. Yin would never get in another glaring competition with Roch. She'd never get to know where Mei had bought those shorts.

She put her arm on Rikki's and traced a claw down his tattoos. It didn't wake him up, but it kept her busy. By the end of the week she knew them by heart.

So Don't, Don't let me go.

Dialtone. She called again. It rang once, twice. "Danny- what's up? I'm kind of busy ..." She could hear metallic noises in the background. Was he doing something with his chains? Roch sharpened Desiree sometimes- it wasn't unusual for reapers to fiddle with their weapons.

"I just uh. I love you, okay?"

She could hear a low chuckle in the phone and then, "Love you too, screech." He took a breath and said, "Now did you just call me to tell me how great I am?"

Danny smiled, she couldn't help it. Even now, at the doorway of death in Arel's office, Rikki could always make her laugh. "No, because you're not!"

"Ouch, that stings."

She laughed, but it faded and the frown returns to her face. She sighed and said, "No, I'm just ... I'm going underground to try and find clues about Amphi an-"

The metallic noises stopped all at once. "No you're not."

Danny had expected as much. "I have to know Rikki. I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"What happens if you get caught too?" His voice was unusually quiet.

"I won't."

"What if? What the jack am I supposed to do?"

"Rikki ..."

"What about Roch? He supposed to just sit with a dead ghoulfriend AND best friend?"

Danny pursed her lips. She had no argument to that. She hadn't thought about the consequences. She'd just been thinking of the captured three. Her death had played on her mind, but she hadn't thought about what it would do to other people.

"Just ... It's not worth it. Don't go Danny, please." She could hear the desperation in his voice, even over the phone.

"I won't," she said, turning away from the office. "I ... sorry," she said glumly.

Just let me know.

She knocked on his door for what seemed like the eightieth time. Class was starting soon and Roch still hadn't stepped out of his room. She'd made it her own official duty to escort him to class, because no one else would check on him as adamantly as Danny. It was a best friends thing. Somehow, she'd silently sworn to keeping Roch in one piece.

When he finally came out, they walked in silence. It was bizarre, to say the least. These two were nearly the most boisterous students at Amityville, yet they were walking in complete silence with each other. No words came anyways. If conversation happened, it was small, necessary things. Did you do this homework? Have you eaten lunch? Most of it came from Danny.

She didn't blame him though. It wasn't frustrating. It didn't worry her. Roch was heartbroken, and Danny was doing her best to at least keep up. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if Rikki disappeared. All things considered, Roch was taking it well. Danny would've burned down a few buildings by now.

Everything was messed up. Amphi wasn't supposed to go missing. Yin was supposed to train with her come Frightsday. This wasn't how the course of events was supposed to flow.

If only they had even a hint. That's all Danny wanted. Part of her was glad though. Maybe not finding out was better. She could dream up that they were all together on a far away island, safe and sound. She could dream they'd transferred to a private school and had no interaction with the outside world. Not the hunters.

That growing up goes slow.