The two helped Francis back to his feet and helped him walk back to his room. After helping Francis get to his room, Chris and Heather sat down and began talking.

“Where the hell did you learn how to fight like that,” said Heather with a curious look on her face. Francis nodded in agreement, also wanting to know the answer.

“It’s a lengthy story,” replied Chris, not wanting to get into it.

“It’s not like I’m going anywhere, so you might as well tell us.”

“Well, I guess I have no choice,” asked Chris. Heather and Francis nodded their heads in response. “It started when I was in seventh grade. There was this one kid, I can’t really remember his name too well, I think maybe Jerome or something. Anyway, he was an ass. We got in a few fights, but I didn’t stand a chance. I would come home every day with bruises covering my face and chest. From what I had heard, Jerome had come from a rich family and was paying the principal to keep quiet. It tore apart my father every time I’d enter the room, beaten and bruised, so he signed me up for a self-defense class of my choice. I chose the art of the sword or sword arts. I studied a variety of different sword arts and techniques before one day confronting Jerome in the schoolyard. There was a tree with some fallen branches nearby in case things got ugly.

I politely asked him to leave me and the rest of my class alone. He refused, grabbed a stick, and swung at me. I fell back. There was a kid next to me who handed me a stick the size of my broadsword. I stood up and engaged Jerome, not just beating him, but beating him so badly that I broke his arm and cracked a rib. Needless to say, I got expelled. As a result, my family moved out here to Kentucky where I began school again. People have asked me over time, if I could go back, would I have changed what I did. My response, no, I did what I could to teach that son of a bitch a lesson.”

“Damn, I didn't know you had some superhero level backstory,” stated Francis in shock and awe.

“Don’t say that, we should feel sorry for him,” replied Heather with a tear rolling down her cheek.

“No, don’t be.”

Chris didn’t like it when people felt sorry for him. It made him feel hopeless.

“But tha-”

“Did I stutter,” snapped Chris.

“Sorry.”

The three kids talked for hours until it was time for dinner.

“Come on old man, let’s get you out of bed,” snapped Chris.

“Let me remind you that you did this to me.”

“Hurry it up you two, I’m starving,” yelled Heather from halfway down the hall.

“You know, you could lend me a hand.”

It was too late. Heather was already in the dining room. The two boys followed shortly after. Dinner, as usual, was great. They ate shepherd's pie.

The time was 7:30. Since Francis had a long night ahead of him, he decided to call it a night early. Chris and Heather went to take showers and go to bed as well. The crickets were chirping loudly. Heather was staring at Chris as his eyes wandered around the room.

“Whatcha thinkin bout, buddy,” asked Heather in a playful tone.

“I was thinking. Most girls in our grade are dating someone yet, I’ve never seen you with anyone but me or Francis. Basically, what I’m asking is, do you have a boyfriend?” replied Chris seriously.

“I can’t believe you would think that. No, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Have you ever thought about us becoming a couple?”

“No, I haven’t. I’ve only ever thought of you as a friend, but maybe one day.”

“One day. That seems so far away,” whispered Chris falling asleep.

Heather could not sleep that night. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Chris said.

“He was so serious. Does he really feel that way about me? Did he mean it?”

Sunday: Project Eden launch -12:00:00

DING!

Heather turned over to turn off her alarm.

“5:30, it’s still so early. And I couldn’t sleep at all last night.”

She looked over to Chris, who was still sound asleep. Realizing what today was, she got dressed and walked over to Chris’s bed and stood on it with his feet in between hers.

“Wake up, sleepyhead!” she yelled.

“Huh. Heather, you’ll break the bed if you stand there. Distribute your weight!” after saying that Chris lifted both legs and kicked Heather in the back of the knee causing them to buckle. As a result, she fell face-first on to Chris, landing on top of him. Chris tried to push her off of him, but because she was lying on him at an awkward angle, he couldn’t move her.

Although he couldn’t see because she covered his face in her black hair, he could hear the door open. It was Francis.

“What the FU-”

“It’s not what it looks like, I swear,” yelled Chris now flailing his arms. “She came to wake me up and somehow she ended up falling asleep on me.”

“Sure,” said Francis, unconvinced, but still helped him move her off of him.

“I guess she didn’t sleep last night.”

“She was probably excited.”

“No, I don’t think that was it. But anyways, once you get her awake, breakfast is ready in the dining room. We’re having pancakes today.”

Chris shook Heather by the shoulders until she woke up again.

“Who’s the sleepyhead now, huh?”

“Shut up.”

“Breakfast is ready, why don’t you go down a while.”

“What about you?”

“I still need to get dressed.”

“I can wait.”

Chris was beginning to get weirded out by Heather’s recent attitude. He wondered if it had anything to do with what he said last night.