★ Cho - Story of a CS Dog ♥ / you may post!

[ri bird.]

I love this. Stalker for life in the house. c:

Yes, another one! :D

[ri bird.]

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Mrs. Elroy strolled down the rows, inspecting the homework one desk at a time. I sank
in my chair nervously. Laura glanced at my desk, her eyes widening when she saw I hadn't
brought my homework. "Cho!" She whispered. "Where's your homework?"

I shrugged. "I don't have it."

"But you always have it!"

"Well, not today!" No need to rub it in my face.

Laura stared at me, concerned, then turned away.

I sighed. I knew she hadn't meant to irritate me, but I was already on end from what was
happening at home. This morning was just like a normal morning, and Mother had driven
me to school with Nora. But that was the problem - it was wrong, acting like these
strangers were my family. It's like they expected me to slowly accept it and to integrate
them into my life, like moving on was the right thing to do.

I had to put up with it for now though, as there obviously wasn't anything I could do.

"Where's your homework?" Mrs. Elroy peered down at me frostily, pursing her red lips.

"Um..."

I felt the gaze of the class swivel towards me. Cho, the straight A student had forgotten
her homework. Why, this ought to be interesting.

"I don't have it." I felt heat crawl up my neck onto my face, blushing with embarrassment.
I didn't know why Mrs. Elroy had to inspect homework individually instead of collecting
it like a normal teacher.

"Why not? I gave you the whole weekend to do it, didn't I?"

I nodded.

"That's a shame, Cho. I expected better from you. Mrs. Elroy shook her head, tutting in
disappointment before moving on to the next desk.

I crossed my arms. I knew she was right to be mad at me, and it was my fault for
opening the window, but how was I supposed to know my homework was going to
float away? The class promptly turned their attention away to the next student, and I
sighed, letting my head sink down onto my desk. Everything was just getting worse and
worse. My parents are stuck in a photograph, I have strangers as replacements, my
sister's being brainwashed, and I bet whoever was watching me hadn't stopped.

They're all tied together, aren't they? I thought. I mean, obviously my parents
and the impostors were related incidents, but The Watcher and Mr. Maple - they must
be related to all this too, just differently. If I solved one problem, it should be easy to
fix the rest. Well, less difficult, at any rate.



I didn't eat at lunch and just sat there staring at my pizza. Usually the food the lunch ladies
was okay, but I wasn't really hungry.

Evelyn and Annalise chattered about Saturday, hardly even noticing me.

"And when Will tripped when he was doing that dance - oh my gosh, it was hilarious!"
Annalise was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe, and she gripped the table for
support.

Evelyn giggled with her. "I know! And-"

"Oh, you were there too?" I said, trying to shuffle my way into the conversation. I felt
awkward, like I didn't belong there. But Evelyn and Annalise were my best friends-
why were they acting like I was just the third wheel?

Evelyn turned toward me as if only just realizing I was there. "Oh...yeah. It's too bad you
missed it, Will just said the funniest things!"

I shrugged. Making me jealous was one of Evelyn's...quirks.

"Oh, and guess what?" She said slyly. "Quinn was there too." She leaned forward
on her elbows, smirking conspiratorially. "I think they're going out."

I picked at my pizza, waiting for her to say more.

"They were holding hands," Annalise added. "It's obvious they are."

Annalise and Evelyn looked at me, waiting for a reaction.

I didn't give them any except to throw my tray in the trash.

On my way to the next class after lunch, I saw Will and Quinn in the halls. They were
laughing and talking with each other. I felt hurt and a little embarrassed for ever thinking
Will ever liked me. After recent events, it didn't seem like as big a deal as it would have
been last week, but still... What was more upsetting was how my friends were just
ignoring me during lunch except to throw a few comments on Will and Quinn going out.
So I guess I'm just the third wheel now, huh?

[ri bird.]

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After school I ducked into the bathroom, locking myself in the stall. Great- I didn't know
what to do now. Every part of my life was such a tangled mess, and nothing seemed to be
going right for me.

"Feeling sorry for yourself again?" Mr. Maple popped into the stall, his arms crossed and
eyebrow raised sternly.

"You're not supposed to be in here!" I hissed. Good thing I wasn't actually doing anything.

"I'm not supposed to be in most places I go."

"Yeah, but this is the girl's bathroom."

"Doesn't matter. Can't I do anything I like?" He soared up into the air, turning a cartwheel
above the bathroom stalls. "The point is...you're feeling sorry for yourself again, Cho. Life
happens. Get over it."

I glared at him. "I don't want your advice!" I yelled. His remark stung, and even more so
because I knew it was true.

"Oh, don't be such a baby. It doesn't hurt to take criticism every once in a while. In fact,
sometimes it helps make a better person." He landed next to me and dusted his impeccable
gloves. "Find your own solution instead of waiting for one." He wiggled an eyebrow at me
and disappeared.

Why does he do that? I wondered. He just pops in the most unexpected places and
doesn't even stay long enough for a real conversation. And can't he just walk out the
stall like a normal person? Almost absentmindedly, I drifted out the stall, pondering what
he meant.




I waited outside the school impatiently. When was Mother going to pick me up? It was already
three thirty - school had ended a half hour ago. I checked my watch again and sighed
dramatically, tapping my foot for added effect.

"They just don't drive fast enough, do they?" Mitch smirked, walking up next to me.

I flushed and stopped tapping my foot.

"So is your mom late?"

"Yeah, she must've forgotten about me," I said dryly. "Jeopardy reruns get awfully distracting."
Where the heck did I get that from? That's often why my mom was late, but I doubted
that's why Mother was.

He laughed. "Is that your ride?"

A silver car rolled up with Father behind the wheel, his black eyes taking in me and Mitch.
The way he observed us made me uncomfortable. "Yeah, it is." I glanced at Mitch, who was
staring at Father.

"Is that your dad?"

"No," I said automatically.

Mitch gave me an odd look. "So he's your creepy uncle?"

I realized the awkward situation I just put myself in, and shrugged. "I meant...yeah. No. He's
my dad's friend."

"Oh." Mitch continued to stare at Father, and they gazed at each other coldly.

"Friendly guy," Mitch commented. "You sure you know him?"

"Yeah. Well...see you." I headed towards the car, only looking back once I got in. Mitch
looked like he was memorizing my license plate. I guess he really doesn't trust Father.
Secretly, I felt a little comforted that he was worried for me. But why didn't Father just
hypnotize Mitch into thinking he was really my dad? Did their mind powers only work close up?

Father started the engine, and the car drove off past Mitch and the high school. "Who is that
boy? Your boyfriend?"

Coming from dad it would've been an awkward, but normal question coming from him. But
from Father it sounded something more dark.

"No," I said carefully. "Why?"

"He's like you."

What did he mean? I stared at the back of his bowler hat. He's like me? I waited for
Father to elaborate, but instead he said, "Are there any more like you?"

"Um...no. I don't know."

"Nevermind." Father sounded uncomfortable, and he pressed the gas pedal even harder, the
car's speed accelerating. I looked back in my seat at the high school, already a small brown
smudge in the distance.

[MO(PleaseDelete)]

Really good. As usual. (:

[cookies.]

Its so awesome!!!!!! <3 Thanks for the quick chapters. :3

back to table of contents

After school I ducked into the bathroom, locking myself in the stall. Great- I didn't know
what to do now. Every part of my life was such a tangled mess, and nothing seemed to be
going right for me.

"Feeling sorry for yourself again?" Mr. Maple popped into the stall, his arms crossed and
eyebrow raised sternly.

"You're not supposed to be in here!" I hissed. Good thing I wasn't actually doing anything.

"I'm not supposed to be in most places I go."

"Yeah, but this is the girl's bathroom."

"Doesn't matter. Can't I do anything I like?" He soared up into the air, turning a cartwheel
above the bathroom stalls. "The point is...you're feeling sorry for yourself again, Cho. Life
happens. Get over it."

I glared at him. "I don't want your advice!" I yelled. His remark stung, and even more so
because I knew it was true.

"Oh, don't be such a baby. It doesn't hurt to take criticism every once in a while. In fact,
sometimes it helps make a better person." He landed next to me and dusted his impeccable
gloves. "Find your own solution instead of waiting for one." He wiggled an eyebrow at me
and disappeared.

Why does he do that? I wondered. He just pops in the most unexpected places and
doesn't even stay long enough for a real conversation. And can't he just walk out the
stall like a normal person? Almost absentmindedly, I drifted out the stall, pondering what
he meant.




I waited outside the school impatiently. When was Mother going to pick me up? It was already
three thirty - school had ended a half hour ago. I checked my watch again and sighed
dramatically, tapping my foot for added effect.

"They just don't drive fast enough, do they?" Mitch smirked, walking up next to me.

I flushed and stopped tapping my foot.

"So is your mom late?"

"Yeah, she must've forgotten about me," I said dryly. "Jeopardy reruns get awfully distracting."
Where the heck did I get that from? That's often why my mom was late, but I doubted
that's why Mother was.

He laughed. "Is that your ride?"

A silver car rolled up with Father behind the wheel, his black eyes taking in me and Mitch.
The way he observed us made me uncomfortable. "Yeah, it is." I glanced at Mitch, who was
staring at Father.

"Is that your dad?"

"No," I said automatically.

Mitch gave me an odd look. "So he's your creepy uncle?"

I realized the awkward situation I just put myself in, and shrugged. "I meant...yeah. No. He's
my dad's friend."

"Oh." Mitch continued to stare at Father, and they gazed at each other coldly.

"Friendly guy," Mitch commented. "You sure you know him?"

"Yeah. Well...see you." I headed towards the car, only looking back once I got in. Mitch
looked like he was memorizing my license plate. I guess he really doesn't trust Father.
Secretly, I felt a little comforted that he was worried for me. But why didn't Father just
hypnotize Mitch into thinking he was really my dad? Did their mind powers only work close up?

Father started the engine, and the car drove off past Mitch and the high school. "Who is that
boy? Your boyfriend?"

Coming from dad it would've been an awkward, but normal question coming from him. But
from Father it sounded something more dark.

"No," I said carefully. "Why?"

"He's like you."

What did he mean? I stared at the back of his bowler hat. He's like me? I waited for
Father to elaborate, but instead he said, "Are there any more like you?"

"Um...no. I don't know."

"Nevermind." Father sounded uncomfortable, and he pressed the gas pedal even harder, the
car's speed accelerating. I looked back in my seat at the high school, already a small brown
smudge in the distance.

Is the part where Father said "He's like you" supposed to be like that or it is a mistake? xd

[ri bird.]

Thanks! ^^

And yep, I knew the phrasing would be awkward so I tried to have Cho repeat what he said so it wouldn't sound like a typo.

[cookies.]

Awesome! When would the next chapter come out already? D: EXCITED.

[ri bird.]

Probably tomorrow. I felt like my writing got kind of sloppy so I'll have to back and tidy up the last few chapters. - sigh - But if it doesn't take me too long I might have another one out by tonight.

[✿Maragold✿]

Awkward moments of Cho. XD These chapters were awesome to read, keep it up!

[ri bird.]

Honestly, I was afraid my last few chapters weren't so good, I hought they might have chased away a few potential readers. I'm glad you liked them! ^^