"I'm back!"

"Hey Gar."

"Oh hello Gar! What took you so long?" Kori gives him a bone crushing hug.

"Jeez Kori how many times did you go to the gym this week? Like 8?"

"No! 6!" She smiles.

"Here dude." Garfield hands Dick the bag of groceries. "Sorry. Had to happen the bread for something."

"What'd you do Gar?" Dick asks accusingly.

"Nothing bad! I just met a girl in the park today."

"Why did you need bread for that?"

"She was trying to get a bird to come down. I used the bread and gave the bird to her to hold. I dunno why she wanted the bird in the first place though."

"Ooh! Garfield you have met another girl! Please do not tell me she is like...Terra?" She narrows her eyes when she says the name.

"No. Actually the opposite. She was wearing an indigo hoodie. She's quiet and seems to be kind of shy. She asked a lot about the house and what it's like. I didn't get her name though."

"That is wonderful! I like the name!"

"And suspicious. Why was she asking about the house?"

"I brought up you guys being my roomates and she asked about the house. I didn't drop any names. It didn't sound like she was gathering intel on the house. More like she was just generally curious."

"She didn't ask about the cost or anything?" Garfield shook his head.

"Dudes, I don't think she has a house. Might be why she was asking about it. I mean we have an extra room. Maybe we could..."

"No. Absolutely not. Why don't you get more information about her first then maybe I'll reconsider."

"Great! She asked me to meet her in the same spot at noon tomorrow. Should I tell her about it or..."

"No. Don't get her hopes up. Just try to find out everything you can about her ok?"

"Fine."

"Garfield, please tell us, what did she look like?" Kori asks.

"All I saw was like really pale skin and purple eyes. Couldn't really see the rest of her head. She had the hood of her hoodie up whole I was talking to her."

"Pale skin?" Asks Dick.

"Like grey pale." Garfield replies.

"How peculiar. Grey skin. Perhaps it is a condition of some sort?" Kori thinks out loud. "You do not think she could be the escaped patient do you?"

"Probably not Kor. The patient has dark blue eyes. Hers were like, purple. Wait, you guys saw it? The news story came on after you left."

"The school had us watch it so we knew." Dick explains. "But how do you know they weren't colored contacts? If her eyes were dark blue all she'd need are red ones to make them look purple."

"Yeah, but one: if she was the patient I doubt she's have any money to buy them with, two: Ashland, Oregon dude. And three: they said her skin was pale, not grey."

"Garfield has a point Dick."

"I'd listen to your girlfriend bro. Sounds like she knows what she's talking about." Garfield smirks.

"Fine. We'll just see how tomorrow goes. I got homework to do."

"I don't!" Yells Kori. She scoops up Silkie and hugs him. The poor cat looks like it's in agony.

"Hey Kor can you help me with something? And maybe give Silkie some mercy?"

"Oh. Sorry my little bumgorph." She let's the cat down. It seems to almost glare at her and stalk out of the room.

"Bumgorph? Where'd you get that word from?"

"I made it up. What do you want me to help you with?" She asks as she ties up her hair. She wraps a ribbon around it that she had in her pocket and sticks her hand back into her skirt pocket.

"I wanted to like, make her something."

"Why?"

"I dunno." He shrugs. "I wanna be friendly. She seems nice."

"Oh. Very well! What did you have in mind?"

"I'm not sure. I was thinking you could help me since you're a girl."

"Of course!" She grabs Garfield's wrist and yanks him towards her room.

"Ow! You can let go of me now Kori."

"Oops! Sorry!" She releases her grip.

"Based on how you described her, I think she possibly enjoys being alone. But that could also just be a generic stereotype. Was she wearing any type of jewellery?"

He opens his mouth to say no, but then he remembers the bracelet she was wearing.

"Yeah. I think she was. A bracelet. It was gold with red jewels I think."

Kori walks over to her drawers and takes put a large bag filled with strings, gems, and beads.

"Isn't that from your old crafting kit?" She nods as she takes out a golden chain.

"I was saving this, but I forgot exactly for what."

"Why don't you use something else if you were saving it?"

"It is alright friend. I doubt I will need it in the future." Garfield looks out the window at the street as Kori rummages through the bag. He let's his mind wander again. He can't help it. She was just too mysterious.

He started to think about what she could look like under that hood. He could hardly even see her hair. The shadow on her face was ominous in a way. Was her hair short? Long? Maybe it was in some sort of updo?

He started to think about her eyes. He wondered how they were purple. Were they contacts? Maybe she was just born like that? He heard of this mutation called Alexandria's Genesis that can give a girl purple eyes naturally. Obviously people thought it was a myth. Maybe that's what he has? Or are they actually contacts?

She seemed to like him. She stayed and kept talking after all. She clearly didn't seem like the one to strike up a conversation with anyone, let alone strangers.

What is her name? He's almost stressed about it. He's never been good with names, so this isn't easy.

"Garfield!!"

"Wah! Who?! What?! Oh. Sorry Kori."

"You were spacing out again. You have much time to think. Some might say you have too much time to do so." Garfield rolls his eyes.

"Alright alright mom." Kori laughs and shows him what she's done.

"Nice!"

"You can finish it. I must go tend to Silkie." Take the bag and go on the couch. Just leave them on the bed when you are done!" She smiles as she hands him the chain and the bag.

"Thanks Kor."

"You are very welcome friend!" They both leave the room.

Wow. She's good at this. Looks a lot like the bracelet. Hope she likes it.

Sitting down on the couch he finishes what she started.

"Hey Gar." He jumps at the voice, once again lost in thought as he makes the piece of jewelry like a machine. Doing the same, menial task, over and over again. Just copying what another did.

"Gah! Oh. Heeey Vic."

"Wow you're jumpy. You day dreaming again bro?"

"Uh yeah." Her face flashes in his mind.

"What are you doing?"

"I met this girl in the park earlier. Kori helped me make something for her." He shows him.

"Nice. That her old crafting kit? Wait...a girl?"

"Vic..."

"Didn't take you long to get over Terra did it?" Vic teases.

"Its not like that Vic. And I dumped her. Not the other way around." Garfield says a bit irritated.

"I'm just messing with ya." Be pats his friend on the back, but Garfield just chuckles and gets back to it. "What's her name? What's she look like? C'mon gimme the info!"

"Relax dude. There isn't much. She didn't tell me her name and I hardly saw her face. I just know that she had purple eyes and greyish skin."

"Grey? That's odd. And purple eyes?"

"I asked her and she said they weren't contacts. I asked her about her name and she didn't tell me. She had a hood on dude. Somehow the shadow covered pretty much all of her face other than like her mouth."

"And you're still making her something?"

"She asked me to meet her in the same place tomorrow, so obviously she doesn't hate me."

"So mysterious girls are your type then?"

"What? No dude!"

"You started dating Terra because she was new."

"Thats...not the point..." he blushes. "Why does everybody keep bringing her up?" He moves his fingers quicker. "Done I guess. I think I did this right. How's it look?"

"Looks good Gar. What have you been fiddling your fingers more than usual? I don't remember you being this dexterous."

"What?"

"Nevermind man. I gotta do my homework. See ya later." Vic walks away, leaving him alone in the living room.

He looks at his creation.

The dark blue-purple gems that he put into the chain sparkle in the light, but the large matching pendant with the gold trim is the clear centerpiece of the necklace.

Good think Kor put a lot of the tiny gems in before she handed it off. Otherwise I would've been here forever.

He gets up and grabs his keys and places his hand on the knob, but stops. He goes to the kitchen and grabs a pen and a paper Vic left on the counter to scribble a not.

Went out for a walk. Be back before dark. ~Gar

–•–•–•–

Amy, Gabrielle, Lara... None of those sound right...

"Agh!!" Stupid tree!! Then, out of the blue, he feels a hand touch his shoulder.

"Still running into trees huh?" He turns around and the bane of his existence is standing there, clad in a T-shirt and a jean skirt.

"What is it Terra?" He runs his hands through his hair as he turns around. One of his nervous tells.

"I was just out shopping and I saw you out here. You should really pay attention to where you're going." She plants a hand on her hip.

"What do you want?"

"Oh nothing. I can't just talk to my ex normally?"

"Yes. If you were a normal person who isn't clingy."

"I'm not clingy!" She notices something in his hand. "What's that?" She reaches for it but he moves his hand away. He is starting to despise this girl the more she talks. She never leaves him alone and its getting to a point where he can make it legal. He even caught her sitting in the bushes outside the appartment.

"None of your damn business Terra." He shoots.

"Hey don't be like that! What've you been doing lately?" He smirks.

"Actually, I've been meeting new people. A new person."

"Who?" You can practically feel the jealousy and she doesn't even know who he's talking about.

"That isn't your business either. This is for her, not you."

"It is a girl! Who is she?"

"Why do you care? She's not my girlfriend and neither are you."

"I...thats not an excuse! I can still care!" Garfield spies her lips purse. Her telltale sign of jealousy.

"Doth I sense a bit of jealousy?" He says a regal as he can.

"What? No! I've never met this girl. Uh...Nevermind!"

"Terra, please leave me alone. Were done ok? Go find someone else to manipulate. I won't be mad." He remembers the bushes. "Oh yeah and if I or any of my friends catch you sneaking around our house again I'm having someone call the cops." He strides away. But he doesn't know what he just unleashed.

A strong hand grabs his wrist and whips him around to a looming blue-eyed terror.

"Don't play with me Garfield. I will find a way to make you regret dumping me. I'll show you that whatever you do has consequences. Major consequences." She throws back his arm and marches off.

Threatening her might not have been the best idea.

He keeps walking down the road. Sounds of police sirens blaring and children playing makes him a bit restless. He speeds up his pace and heads towards home.