Eventually, Valerie fell asleep, but despite getting some of the illness off of her chest to her family she still woke up from a nightmare and had trouble going back to sleep. Laying silently on her bed staring at the ceiling in her room she had thought a sense of dread would terrorize her as it had many times back in Japan, but instead her mind wandered over her list of things she needed to get done. Going through the list carefully put Valerie back to sleep, but she awoke uncomfortably to her alarm for her medicine again and decided she needed to make a longer lasting dose or dosing device, otherwise her sleep was going to suffer because of it. After administering her medicine she tried going back to sleep again, but her real alarm went off. 

Valerie ate a plain oatmeal breakfast and worked on researching the renovation contractors that the realtor had emailed to her. She found one that had appealing bathroom styles that she liked and regularly installed lifts/elevators and chose to contact them. They were available for a consultation the rest of the week and she told them she’d call them right back when she checked with her roommate what day would work for him as well. 

She phoned John just before lunch, “Hey, it’s Valerie. Are you free to meet with the renovation contractor some time this week?”

“Yeah, I’m free tomorrow morning. Can I bring the guys, we are going out afterwards?”

“Sure, do whatever you want. I just need someone to explain what needs to be changed upstairs for me,” Valerie explained. 

“I understand. Oh, do you want to go together? I can drive us all there and you can hang out with us later or find your own way home after,” he trailed off. 

“Sure, I’ll ride with you. Thanks. See you tomorrow, bye,” Valerie hung up. 

She called the contractor back and confirmed the time and texted it to John. A smile crept across Valerie’s face and Reina who was working on lunch had to ask, “What is that smile about?”

“I don’t know, I’m just really excited about this house. We’re getting it renovated and it’s just going to be a major part of this new start for me and it’s going really well,” Valerie gushed. 

“Don’t forget to invite us to visit,” Reina reminded Valerie. 

“I won't, I promise. Although I bet Dr. Griffin knows all about it already,” Valerie shuddered. 

“Yeah he has his people research stuff for him. I saw one of them once at my school during an after school event and he was actually really good looking and nice and we dated for a bit,” Reina rambled. 

“You dated one of Dr. Griffin’s henchmen? How was it?”

“Well Dr. Griffin started learning things about me that should have been private and I had to break up with him because of that. He couldn’t separate his work from his private life, unfortunately,” Reina explained. 

“You’re engaged though, right?”

“Yes, we live together normally, but I wanted to be here for you to help you transition back here.”

“Yeah, thank you for your help and everything, it’s been really good for me having you here.” Valerie stood up and gave her big sister a hug from the back since her hands were occupied with food. 

“I’m very happy you’re back, Valerie,” Reina replied. 

“By the way, when am I going to meet your fiance?” Valerie exclaimed. 

“Yes, we’ll have to plan on dinner or something, but only when you’ve adjusted!” Reina exclaimed. 

“Okay, okay,” Valerie released Reina and checked her phone. She saw the time and returned to her room to take her medicine. While in the restroom Valerie took a good look at her face and wondered if she had the freedom too, whether she too could be engaged to someone she loved. In her opinion her straight black hair and dark brown eyes and thin figure were fairly attractive when she didn’t look as pale as Ju-On. Returning to the dining table for lunch, Valerie was bored having scheduled the contractors early. 

“Do you have any plans later?” Valerie asked Reina.

“No, I’m pretty free. What’s up?”

“I don’t have much to do now that I figured out the contractors. So, I was wondering if we could hang out and go do something?”

“Sure. I have my car in Dad’s garage. Do you have any where you want to go in particular?”

“I don’t really know. Um, what do young people do around her these days?” Valerie asked, unsure of what’s changed and what remained the same. 

“Well John and his friends have been going to his Dad’s lake house every day, or so he told me when I asked if he could pick you up,” Reina explained. 

“This is the same lake we used to all go to together?” Valerie asked with interest. 

“Yes, it’s actually really close by car. Do you want to check it out?” Reina was becoming excited as well, since she also hadn’t been to the lake or lake house in years. 

“We have to be back before dinner, though,” Valerie warned Reina. 

“No problem, we can just walk around and see what’s new in the area.”

“Okay, let me get my purse.”

Valerie walked to her room and packed her medicine-filled syringe and an extra dose in her purse in case they didn’t make it back home in time for administering the third dose. When she was ready she headed to the garage and found Reina there waiting for her in the driver's seat. Hopping into the front passenger seat Valerie patiently and quietly observed everything around her, from what her father had stored in the garage to the going ons of the side of the road. The neighborhood seemed busier with young people in sports cars and Jeeps, reminding her of John and his gang. 

Ten minutes later Reina and Valerie arrived at a very busy parking lot for the general use of the lake and its facilities. Reina drove around to a side road with a No Trespassing sign on it and drove down it passing a few boat houses before turning down the marker for the fifth one. There was only one other car there and it looked like John’s black SUV and Reina parked right beside it on the gravel parking lot in front of the house. 

“I guess the boys are here,” Reina noted. 

“I think so,” Valerie agreed. 

They hopped out of the car and Reina searched around the front of the house. When she found what she was looking for, she pointed out the path that led down to the lake and she followed it with Valerie behind her. As they traveled down the level and well trampled path the shouting they had heard at the back of the house became louder. The source of the shouting was as expected, John and his crew and a few girls were playing drinking games on the beach.

Not like that my ass, Valerie commented in her mind when she recalled John saying that they didn’t have house parties.Well maybe that’s because they party here instead?

Greg noticed Reina and Valerie first, running up to them to say hi.

“Hi, girls. Here to swim?” Greg asked brazenly. 

“No, just checking the place out. We haven’t been here in a long while and Valerie was bored looking for something to do,” Reina explained with a look of disgust on her face. 

“What? I was just wondering okay?” 

John walked over and sent Greg back to his girlfriend, “just ignore him. Do you want to join us or want a drink?”

“I’m fine. Valerie, what do you want to do?” Reina asked. 

“Uh, I can’t drink alcohol, because… you know. And I think we’ll just walk around on our own, thanks,” Valerie replied to John. He shrugged okay and returned to his friends.