*A/N Told Y'all I'd Update The Book Next Year! Didn't think I'd do it around Midnight (at least in my time zone) on New Years, did ya? Anyway, in the last chapter, I promised a lil summary just in case reading every detail was too much for ya so here goes. Laura and Michael talk in the basement and she learns that Mr. Mell has been doing this for about 2 years, coming home drunk and beating his wife. Mrs. Mell loves him so much, she got used to it. After Mr. Mell passes out, Laura helps Mrs. Mell realize this whole thing is harmful and needs to be stopped and calls the police. Mr. Mell is arrested, Mrs. Mell goes to bed after the long day she's had, and Michael and Laura celebrate by going downstairs to play video games. end summary. THERE YA GO, NOW LET'S GET TO SOME GAMES, SHALL WE?*

 As they played Level 10 of 'Apocolypse Of The Damned,' they talked.

"That was.. interesting."

"I'm just glad someone finally called the cops. I mean, I tried but my mom would never let me."

"Wait seriously? But.. but she let me?"

"Yeah."

"Huh.. why?"

"You were able to convince her that there was someone else out there who'd treat her right. I never thought about that. I was just focused on getting her ba**ard ex-husband outta here."

......Laura and Michael just played in silence after that.......

"Hey, you never answered my question," Michael broke the silence and paused the game. "Why did the fire spook you so much last night?"

"...oh, right... That... heh... where to start with this... well, remember when I said how my dad died?"

"Yeah?"

"Well.... One night, when I was much younger, I found a picture of a man in our house. I had no idea he was my father. I stayed up pretty late to ask my mom just who he was. She told me the full story of how he died. When I was 8 months old, my dad.... he was found on the side of the highway... in a burning car... intoxicated and... and without a pulse... Ever since then, every single time I see or smell or hear or-or even THINK about fire, I can just feel... feel the fire from that car consuming me..."

"Dude, why didn't tell me last night?"

"You were having a bad enough night, Michael."

"It wasn't THAT ba-"

"-I literally heard you sobbing in the bathroom and babbling about how you could stay right there or disappear and no one would even notice at all but you know what? I would notice."

"... Thanks. I'd notice if you were gone too. I know from experience that no one deserves to be forgotten or to disappear." Laura, who was now smiling cheerily, tried her hardest to not blurt out the rest of the Dear Evan Hansen song her friend just quoted without realizing.

"... I just made a musical reference, didn't I?"

"Yeah! Wait... How'd-"

"Your gleeful smile. Go ahead, just do it. Sing your heart out." She then jumped up onto the couch and blurted out 'Disappear' with passion.

"Bravo! Bravo, Laura!" Michael cheered and applauded her.

"Thank you! Thank you! I'll be here all week," Laura said as she did a little bow, then hopped off the couch and plopped onto it, panting. "You have no idea how good that felt!"

"Well, now that THAT'S out of your system, let's go back to the game, shall we?"

"Actually Michael, I need to talk to you about something...."