Well... long time no see. My only excuses are school and fatigue. Thanks a lot for your continuous support despite my sh*tty update intervals Q_Q. Anyways, please enjoy :)

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Shawn and I agreed to meet in the park around an hour after we were let go by the police. That way I could call my mom about Shawn staying over, and he could get some things, as well as fabricate an email to send to my mom while pretending to be his parents.

When we were finally allowed to leave everyone dispersed in different directions to wait for friends, walk home, or get their cars. Shawn headed to the parking lot while I slowly walked off campus along with other students, headed to the park.

When I was about halfway there, walking along the sidewalk, I took out my phone to call my mom.

It rang about three times before she picked up. "Jake? Why are you calling? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" She asked with a hint of concern.

I cleared my throat. "Um, yeah, well, we were let off early." I said.

"Did something happen?" She asked gravely.

I paused a moment before answering. "Yes. We had a lockdown and the police came and escorted us out of our classrooms."

She gasped in shock. "What happened? Was anyone hurt?!"

I contemplated whether or not I should tell her about the murder. I technically wasn't even supposed to know myself. Deciding that it was better to tell her sooner than later, I told her what Matt told me, summarizing it to sound a bit more tame, not that murder was very tame itself.

"...Oh my, poor Matt... I can't believe things like this keep happening at your school. Children shouldn't have to experience things like that! You already lost a classmate and now three faculty!" Her voice was beginning to crack at the other end. "What on earth are the police doing? And why didn't they increase the security after that first poor woman passed? It's ludicrous!" She said in anger. "I-I'm so sorry that you and your friends have to go through things like this..." She apologized.

My heart broke when I heard her concerned and sad voice. "We'll be okay mom; I'm sure that this will be resolved." I said calmly, trying to reassure her.

She let out a weak laugh. "It's good to see that you're so optimistic. Yes, I'm sure that it will be figured out too." She said. "Oh, and where are you right now?"

"Headed to the park actually." I explained, knowing she'd want me to go straight home.

"Why there? I'd feel better if you came straight home."

"Oh, I'm actually going to meet a friend there. He lives alone, but after all these murders he's been really scared by himself. He said that every noise in his home make him feel on-edge, and that he can hardly sleep at night." I said, trying to make Shawn sound as pitiful as possible.

"He lives alone? Where are his parents?" She asked.

"They live in another state. He said that he would move back, but that it would ruin his academics to move to another school system. So...," I paused. "I was wondering if he could maybe move in with us for a while- only until the whole thing is resolved. He said that he would do any chore you asked of him and that he would pay for his own groceries." I said, pulling out any possible appeal that I could think of.

"Well... could I meet the boy first? And contact his parents?" She asked, a little unsure.

"Of course. Actually, my friend said that his mom or dad would email you today." I explained.

"Hmm, alright; but I won't tolerate it if he causes any trouble." She said sternly.

"Don't worry, he's one of the least troublesome people I know." I said with a fake laugh. I don't think I ever told such a big fucking lie in my life.

My mom sighed. "When will he be over?" She asked.

"In probably about an hour." I answered.

"Okay, I'll be heading home right now to meet you two."

"Mom, it's okay, finish your work." I urged, not wanting to cause her trouble.

"Honey, a man at your school was just killed; I'm coming home to see you." She said firmly.

I sighed. "Okay mom, see you soon. Love you."

"Love you too." She replied before ending the call.

I slipped my phone into my back pocket and continued to walk towards the park. While walking, thoughts about the murder started running through my head. Did Shawn know this murderer just like he knew Spike? Did this one also have some sort of vendetta against Shawn? But how the hell did I come into play? Were they going to use me to get to Shawn too? I sighed; I had too many questions and not enough answers.

Just when I was nearing the park, I stopped in my tracks. There wasn't much of a reason to meet up and discuss anything now; my mom already pretty much said yes to having him over. I took out my phone and called Shawn.

"Hey Jakey, why'd you call?" Shawn's jovial voice asked. He was probably happy that I called him without him prompting me to...

"Do you want to just come over to my house in thirty minutes? My mom basically said yes already." I said unenthusiastically.

"That's good; I'll see you in half an hour then." He said before quickly adding, "Oh, and be careful."

"Of what?" I asked, confused.

"Of getting nabbed off the fucking street again, that's what." Shawn grumbled.

I scoffed. "It's broad daylight and there are cars everywhere, I don't think anything bad is going to..." I trailed off when I suddenly thought about when Spike abducted me the first time; in broad daylight with cars everywhere. "You know what, never mind."

I heard Shawn chuckle at the other end of the phone. "I'll see you soon; I love you."

"Bye." I said, hanging up the phone.

About fifteen minutes later I arrived at my house. I was surprised to see that my mom's car was already in the driveway; she must have driven home as soon as we finished our call. I raised my hand to knock on the door, but my mother opened it before I had the chance. She pulled me inside and then tackled me in a hug

"Welcome home honey." She said warmly.

I smiled and hugged her back.

A few moments later she suddenly pulled away and looked around us anxiously. "Jake, where's your friend?" She asked in confusion.

"Well, since you said yes, I figured that it would just be easier if we both came straight over." I explained.

"Right now!? I need to clean the house!" She yelled, frantically rushing back inside. Whenever someone came over, no matter who it was, mom would always need to clean the downstairs where guests would be. It was a compulsive urge of hers.

"Mom, seriously, you don't need to do anything to impress this guy." I said, following her into the house. It would only bug me if my mom started catering to Shawn.

"Jake, your friend will be a guest; we need to be accommodating as possible." My mother lectured, rushing over to the sink and grabbing some dishes to wash. Little did she know our 'guest' would have fucking kidnapped me if I didn't invite him over!

"Mom, really, he's just a normal guy. Besides, he lives by himself; just your yummy cooking and hospitality will be more than enough for him." I said.

She didn't answer, and was looking out the kitchen window in bewilderment with her mouth slightly open. I frowned and walked over to where she was standing. "What is it?" I asked. My expression mirrored hers when I saw a black Porsche pull into our driveway. Was... was that Shawn? Since when did Shawn own a damn Porsche!?

My mom's head snapped in my direction. "Jake, I don't know much about cars, but I think your friend's car costs almost as much as our house!" She yelled in a panic.

I tried to keep my composure. "N-now way mom...that must be... an imitation Porsche?" I said weakly, trying to convince myself of it too.

"A Porsche? That is a fancy car..." She trailed off when she looked outside again, her eyes widening. Oh crap, what now?

I looked outside to see Shawn unloading a duffel bag from his trunk. Nothing surprising there... "Uh, mom, what's wrong?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing... except when I envisioned your friend, it wasn't as a tall, athletic-looking young man, that's all." She explained feebly.

"In other words?" I goaded.

"Son, your friend looks like a young sportswear model." She deadpanned.

"Psh, he's normal looking. Matt's athletic looking too, right?" I asked.

Before my mother could answer, the doorbell rang. My mother walked to the door and swung it open with a smile on her face. "Welcome, please come in." She said, opening the door wider to reveal a smiling Shawn.

"Thank you." He said in return, stepping inside.

My mother turned to me. "Jake, may you introduce us?" She asked.

Oh, yeah, I didn't give Mom a fake name for Shawn yet! "Uh, sure. Mom, this is...Astly. Astly, this is my mom Veronica." I said, just deciding to pick Shawn's old nickname.

"Nice to meet you Veronica." Shawn said, shaking my mom's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too." She said. "Now, I want to talk things over with you two if you staying is going to work." Mom said, taking a more serious tone.

"Of course." Shawn said, a smile still on his face.

We all moved to the dining table and sat down. I sat next to Shawn on one side of the table and mom sat on the other. I couldn't believe that Shawn was sitting next to me with my mom at my dinner table. I would've never thought that something like this could happen a few weeks back...

"Alright, first, I was wondering when your parents would contact me about you staying." Mom said.

"Email is their preferred method of contact. As soon as they get your email, I'm sure they'll contact you right away." Shawn said smoothly.

"Oh! Of course; they probably don't even have my number! Would you give them my email address Astly?" Mom asked, dropping her serious tone and reaching in her purse to grab her business card that had her email on it. Really, my mom had a hard time keeping up a strict and stern impression.

"Sure." He replied affably, accepting the business card.

"Okay, now, I have a couple of house rules that I expect everyone in this house to follow." Mom said, attempting to go back into a stern tone. "You cannot be outside after dark. Because of what's been happening recently, I don't want you two to...get hurt, so please, don't go out late." Her said anxiously. If she said it like that, it sounded more like a request than a demand...

"That sounds really reasonable." Shawn said, nodding. "Anything else?"

"Yes; make sure to do your chores, lock the doors and windows for safety... and, uh, don't leave the toilet seat up." She said, though by the end, all the seriousness of her previous words disappeared.

"Mom... you suck at being strict." I said, unable to restrain myself.

She sent me a small glare, and then turned back to Shawn. "Astly, would you like me to buy a cover for your car? I don't think our garage has enough space, and I don't want to see your car get damaged!" She exclaimed with concern.

He shook his head. "Please don't worry about it, I'm happy enough that your giving me space in your driveway." He said thankfully. Damn, what a sweet-talker! Shawn was starting to freak me out with his 'kindhearted' behavior.

My mom smiled. "Oh no, it's the least I can do. I really do insist that you get that covered though."

"Really it's alright, though if you really insist, I could buy it myself. I'm really just happy to have somewhere to stay." He said graciously, a kind smile on his face.

"Oh, I could never force you to buy it when I'm the one who isn't providing enough space for it." My mother insisted. This conversation was going nowhere!

"Mom!" I yelled suddenly. "It's alright, Astly's car will be just fine. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?" I asked her.

She frowned and thought for a moment. "Nothing that I can think of... Oh! Astly, where would you like to sleep? We don't have an extra bed, but we have a spare mattress we could lay out somewhere." She pondered.

"That would be great, thank you." Shawn said. "And if it's alright, do you think it would fit in Jake's room? The last couple nights have been tough, and having company would be nice." He said smoothly, pulling a sad expression.

Of course, being the empathetic woman she was, my mom immediately agreed. "Of course! Now, if you want to go upstairs and put down your things, I go find the mattress." She said, standing from the table and heading in the direction of the garage.

"Oh, would you like me to help you carry it up?" Shawn asked, standing from the table as well.

"Yes, that would be very helpful." Mom said.

I sighed to myself and got up from my chair. "I guess I'll head upstairs and clear out some space then." I said.

"Ah, wait, we might need some help down here Jake." Shawn said with a friendly tone.

I frowned. "You're strong enough to carry the..." I stopped when Shawn sent me a sharp look when my mom's back was turned. "On the other hand, I can help carry up your stuff once you find the mattress." I suggested.

"Thanks Jake, that'd be swell." Shawn said. Did he just use the word 'swell'?

When mom found the mattress Shawn took hold of one side and began to help her transport it upstairs. I stepped over to where Shawn's duffel was and swung it over my shoulder. I almost fell over; it was so damn heavy! What the hell did Shawn put in there!?...Fuck, I probably didn't want to know.

I struggled to keep the large heavy bag on my shoulder and slowly walked up the stairs to my room.

When I got inside, Mom and Shawn were putting sheets on the large mattress that now covered most of the floor. I lugged Shawn's bag over to the foot of the mattress and set it down.

"Astly, do you think this will be okay?" My mother asked, stepping away from the mattress to study it.

"Of course." Shawn said with another friendly smile.

"Oh good." She said. She then walked to the door. "Well, if you two need anything, I'll be on the computer downstairs doing work."

"Alright, see you." I said as she went out my room door and shut it. After I heard mom walk down the stair, I turned to Shawn to ask him about the damn Porsche. I froze when I saw him glaring at me.

"Hand it over." Shawn suddenly demanded, holding out his hand.

I blinked in confusion. "Hand what over?" I asked with a frown. Usually I at least knew what he was mad about...

Shawn rolled his eyes. "The damn note; did you think that I'd forgotten about it?" He sneered. "Now give it to me before I take it from you." He threatened.

I thought for a moment before I abruptly remembered that I stuck the note into my sock. With everything else going on, I sort of forgot about it. "Yeah, okay. I forgot that I even had it." I said simply, reaching down into my shoe and grabbing the folded piece of paper.

I held it out to Shawn, who was looking at me in disorientation. "That's it?" He asked, taking the paper.

"Yes?" I said, feeling confused again.

"So you weren't planning on using it as blackmail or incriminating evidence?" Shawn clarified.

"That never even crossed my mind... Besides, why would I try to use a note against you when I have all of your freaky texts?" I asked.

"I'd delete them all and kidnap you before you got the chance." Shawn scoffed. "And by the way, you're lucky that you're not kidnapped right now after what just happened."

I frowned at him. "And you're lucky that I'm letting you sleep in my room." I grumbled. Not that I really had a choice.

Shawn's eyes brightened. "Oh yeah, what did you think of my acting?"

"Along with the car, you gave my mom and I a heart attack." I said. "How the hell are you so filthy rich?" I asked. "Ah, fuck, never mind. Knowing you, you were probably some bounty hunter or assassin for hire."

Shawn smirked. "Maybe, who knows?" He said vaguely.

"Figures." I sighed in response as I sat myself down at the foot of my bed. Shawn sat right next to me a moment later. Usually I would scoot away from him, but I was just so tired and done after such a stressful day that I didn't really care.

Shawn noticed. "What's the matter with you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly at me. "Normally you avoid me like the godamn plague."

I shrugged. "Just tired I guess." I mumbled, flopping down on my back. I still couldn't believe that there was another murder, and that I was directly connected to it.

Shawn nodded understandingly, lying down next to me silently. I was surprised; Shawn was being... comforting. We remained there for a few moments; it was surprisingly peaceful.

Shawn broke the silence suddenly. "Hey, I never got the chance to ask about what happened with Jade." He said, sitting up.

I groaned. "Seriously? We were having a calm moment for once." I complained. "And I'm seriously not in the mood for this." I said.

"Yeah, I know, but I've been waiting to catch you alone again to ask for details." Shawn said apologetically.

I rolled my eyes in aggravation. "You already know what happened; you were there for part of it. What else do you need to know?"

"I need to know why exactly he didn't kill or beat you... I'm worried he might be getting interested." He scowled.

Well, if I remembered correctly, Spike did use the word interesting to describe me. "It seemed to me like he was more interested in you than me. I was basically just a tool." I shrugged.

"No, I fucking swear that he's starting to get into you." Shawn persisted.

"Godamnit Shawn, don't we have more important things to think about right now? Like the current murder, and not the half-dead one?" I exclaimed in frustration. "You can be paranoid later, let's just get past this, okay?" I insisted.

Shawn sighed. "Yeah, yeah, you have a point." He admitted. "...but now that you saved his life again he'll be twice as interested, you precious fucking dumbass." He snapped angrily.

"Shawn." I grumbled angrily. "Now's not the time." Why couldn't he just let this go!?

Shawn glared at me indignantly for a moment, then sighed in defeat. "You're right, sorry, this doesn't matter right now. It's just been bugging me lately." He explained. "We should be looking into the new asshole trying to threaten me. The ace in blood was obviously a message for me, meaning they know who you are to me. But who the hell knows me well enough to know that you were ace of hearts? And who is capable of breaking into school during hours and performing such a complex murder and message without getting caught?" He pondered. He suddenly looked at me in realization. "Unless is wasn't a message for me at all, and the killer is into you!"

I gave Shawn a deadpan stare. That didn't even make any fucking sense. "Shawn, not all killers are after my ass like you."

"I don't know, you do have a pretty fine ass." Shawn leered.

"That's it." I got off the bed and walked to the door. "Let's get back to this when you can fucking focus, I'm going downstairs." I could already tell, this was going to be a hell of a long... however fucking long Shawn was staying.

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And there we have it! I REALLY hope you guys liked it. Next chapter will have something you guy's will like.... a *charming* family dinner with Jake's mother (what? you wanted the frickle frackle? ....psh, that can wait.)

Also, I'll be resuming monthly updates! (Winter break is looking *very* promising)

Again thank you all!!!