*There's a side you'll never get to know, unlike the one that's there for show*

The text was unexpected. For a minute or two Tyler just stares at her phone, not wanting to respond."She can't be serious. Fuck. Fuck!"

Ty, help

Not even a period, just 'Ty, help'. After looking at it for the next minute, she hits a button to call, heart beating rapidly. Help. Help. Goddamn you Chel! Help? What the fuck is wrong?

"Pick up, pick up...pick up..." Her feet tap against the ground. The not-so-gentle sound of Kitty snoring is enough to put her on edge, that and the never ceasing ringing. "Pick up...pick-"

"Ty?"

"Chel." Flat toned, she sits up straighter, despite knowing that she can't be seen. Hair pulled up in a skewed bun, eyes crusted, and nightclothes askew...she's definitely not in the mood for a sob story.

"Ty! Oh, Jesus...I screwed up." Chel's voice is high pitched and wavering, as if she's been crying.

"Just now noticing that?" The ice is impossible to miss, sharp and snapped. Tyler rubs at her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to erase the sleep she's been caught in.

"Oh, shit, you're mad. Please, please don't be mad. I screwed up, I did! I'm sorry, okay! I'm sorry as hell! I-I don't want it to be like this." Her voice hitches and a sob is heard on the other end. "Please, Ty, don't think about what I've done wrong right now. Just be my friend, I need you."

"For?"

"Wes broke up with me!" She starts crying, loud and off-pitch just like everything else about her. "I caught him sleeping with another girl! That little douche-"

"Chel, I'm about to tell you something that's going to solve everything."

Chel sniffles, "What?"

"Just listen to me, okay? Don't say a damn word, just listen." Tyler pauses, only silence is to be heard. Good. "Wes was my boyfriend. He cheated on me with you. What in hell's name made you think that he wouldn't cheat on you? The more you stay with guys like him, the more you'll be hurt by them."

Chel sniffs again, "But-"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Tyler cuts her off, "no talking, remember? Okay. You, Chelsea Matthews, are a good person. You're filled with a bunch of issues, got about a billion and two flaws, a bitch at times, a sucky actor, a terrible friend, and downright rude at times. But you're not bad. Everyone has issues, I'd be a hypocrite if I said I'm perfect. But here's a little fact about life: It's going to screw you over no matter what. Whether you're perfect, good, bad, or whatever, crap will hit the fan. How you deal with it is up to you.

"Wes isn't a good person either, he's screwed up like you. But you deserve better than him, even with all your issues. Everyone deserves better than to be cheated on. Don't you cry one more damn tears over him, and don't you throw a fit over it. Be a better person, and quit being a bitch. Okay? Maybe then you'd have friends to actually go to instead of having to talk to the girl you screwed over for a boy that's not even worth it."

Chel doesn't respond for a moment, and Tyler can hear sounds of things moving around in the background. More sniffles come, then a slight gasp, and things move again. Finally, Chel responds, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now don't text me again, and you'll be sorry if you don't listen to me. It'll happen again if you don't stop it. Bye, Chelsea."

"Bye Tyler. Kisses." She hangs up first, leaving Tyler alone with the phone.

Headfirst she falls back onto her pillows, laughing. At what, Tyler has no clue, but the intoxicating, bubbly laughter erupts the more she tries to tame it.

Sleep envelops her like a snake devouring it's prey, the second her laughter stops she's out, drowning in a soft, pleasant darkness. Shapes form, dancing figures. Cutouts, she dimly knows, cutouts of figures put in front of light, dancing to a voiceless music. Tyler sways along with it, taking with her the world, slowly rocking back and fourth in her dreams. One step, two step, three step, four...they dance in tune to an old song, one she couldn't recall if she wanted to. Forever they seem to dance, never growing weary, or bored, forever happy. Tyler smiles in her sleep.

By the time her eyes manage to peel themselves open it's ten in the morning. She can hear Kitty talking loudly to someone over the phone in the next room.

"Yeah? Yeah, really? No, no, no, trust me, it's cool! We can, uh...go over lines. That sound good?" Small pause, "Yeah, 'course! I have a new roommate, but I doubt she'll be here long. She seems busy." Another pause, then, "Yeah, it's weird really. I mean, out of the blue two guys show up, and they're totes crazy for one another. And they've got this girl, probably a cousin or something, and well, she needed a place to stay." Another pause, this time longer. "Uh huh. Tyler, how'd you guess?"

Confused, but eager to hear the answer, Tyler crawls out of bed. Her feet hit the ground light, and by the time she's got the door open Kitty is well into another hundred or so words, eagerly talking about some script. "Who's that?" Tyler mumbles, rubbing at her eyes.

Kitty jumps at the sound of her voice, blushing deeply, "N-no one! Uh, sorry, I gotta go, roommates up! Bye bye!"

"No, seriously, I need to know. It's-"

"People want to know where you're at." There's no question in her voice. Kitty sits with her knees pulled to her chest on the couch, a bag of frosted flakes open next to her. "Trust me, I'd never tell anyone who I wouldn't trust with your life. It's..." She sighs, raking her hands through her multicolored hair, "it's this girl I like. She's really amazing, apparently she knows you from school or something. She's like super nice though! It's no big deal, trust me..."

Tyler sighs in relief, her shoulders slouching a bit, "Okay, thank you. Sorry about the distrust...it's just..." She trails off, and Kitty nods swiftly.

"I understand." She smiled widely, "So, let's go over some rules, okay?" Kitty jumps up, stretching her long legs as she walks into the kitchen, "First, no girls, guys, whatever your into, while I'm here. Second, you will get a job and help pay rent. Third, every third day is what I call 'festival day'. Meaning, bring a snack home. Be it a small cake, pie, brownies, some cookies, cheese, anything. That'll be supper and snack. Since you just got here, I'll start it over so tonight is the first day. Do what you want today, but by six you better have something."

"Umm...okay. Is that all?"

"You can't do anything illegal. Wait! Wait. I do have to tell you, I've got sparkling grape juice in the fridge. That is mine, and is only to be drunk when celebrating our little festival days, okay? But any of the sodas or tea is free game. If you want lunch, make it yourself or go out for it." She reaches into the fridge and pulls out a can of Cola, "It's really cool having you here, and I hope you don't mind the craziness. I just find that scheduling activities will make life easier, plus it's a chance for us to really get to know each other."

Tyler nods, "That makes sense. So, do you label everything in here?"

"Pretty much. I like things to be clear."

"What if someone breaks in?"

Kitty laughs, setting her can down on the counter. "And steal what? Well, I guess they'd know exactly where the nothing is for them to take!"

Tyler cracks a smile, leaning against the counter next to her. "That's...positive thinking, I guess. So, are you an actress?"

"Not exactly. But for the most part, no. I'm in a play because this amazing girl is in it. I get one line, and it's actually pretty fun. I'm in college though, going to be a social worker. Well, that's the plan. I'm taking a summer course now, haven't started just yet, but in two months I'll be all in!" She sighs, reaching up into a cabinet and pulling out a box of cereal snack bars, "Want something to eat?"

"Sure." Tyler takes one, studying Kitty as she does so. Though she couldn't have been up for very long, she's not only completely awake, but her makeup is applied as well. "So, what's your plans for today?"

"Nothing, really. What are yours, Ty? Mind if I call you Ty?"

She chuckles, "Nah, don't mind. And my plans are to get a job. So, you have a job list chart or something?"

Kitty nods, motioning to the sticky notes stuck on her board, "Several. Any ideas?"

"Anything but waitress." Tyler laughs, running a hand through her still messy hair. "It's just, like, cliche, you know...?"

Kitty smiles, "I know. So, awesome! That leaves, um...six jobs? I haven't checked in the last few days, but most likely this is all. There's an opening at Wally World, a babysitting job, a hired maid of sorts job, and others in selection of stores."

"Okay..."

"You know what? Go get dressed before we do anything, take a shower, the works. You need to be clean and refreshed to start anything, okay? I'll still be here when you get out." She shoo's Tyler off, too chipper to be up in her mind.

She's certainly something else, that's for sure. As she showers Tyler hums, feeling alive. I'm free. "Free..." her word is hardly a whisper against the water, the hint of hope. "I'll be free. For good."

By the time she's out and dressed, Kitty is stirring something on the stove, loud country music playing. "Hungry?"

"Didn't we just eat?"

"That was an hour ago, besides, this has awhile to cook. Pasta salad, and I'm making burgers later. Cool?"

"Cool." Tyler sits down on a chair, smiling as she takes in the new place. "So, you're a country fan?"

"Sometimes! It changes each time I wake up." Her laugh is infectious, "I mean, what's the point in liking just one thing? It's just not for me. My family thinks I'm crazy; I am. But I mean, this is my life, why shouldn't I enjoy it?"

The morning is swift, and before too long the girls are on their way out. Meal eaten, stomachs full, and minds clear, the two are completely refreshed. Tyler finds herself drawn to Kitty, reminding her of Alise in strange ways. This girl...God. No. I can't do this, I can't be her best friend. I can't lose another person. She's just someone I know.

Halfway to Kitty's car Tyler stops, hand on her back as pain shoots up it. "One moment, Kit." She tells her. Tyler's face scrunches up in pain, her limbs tightening. "I hurt my back, remember?"

"Oh, shoot..." Walking back over to her Kitty gently puts a hand to Tyler's shoulder. "Want me to get you some medicine? I have Tylenol. It's extra strength, and normally helps me when I've done something stupid."

"I'll...be fi-" she rethinks herself, "yes, actually, thank you."

Kitty smiles warmly before bouncing back inside, long legs putting themselves to good use. Tyler relaxes a bit as the pain subsides for a moment, but it returns before she can take a breath. It toys with her, the sane as Don did when he first gave her the wounds. Sitting down on a bench a few feet away, she looks about her, trying to get used to the new place. While she's been nearly all over the city, Tyler's never been to this part of it. Not quite the slums, the average, or the richly. She watches a bird jump across the parking lot, little wings carefully folded. It's head looks everywhere about it, jumping and turning in different directions. Something about the bird catches her eye, in the way the blue catches the sunlight-

"Here you go!" Kitty scares off the bird by her feet, but she doesn't mind.

Tyler smiles, accepting the medicine and the bottle of water she'd brought back with it. The water is cold, refreshing against the back of her throat. "Thank...thanks."

Though still hurting, and knowing that the medicine will take awhile to start working, Tyler stands up again, forcing a smile onto her face. Kitty looks dubious though, with her narrows eyes and folded arms, "Sit down, wait for it to subside the pain."

"'Subside the pain'? Where'd you get that crap of knowledge?"

"I'm taking college classes, remember? Just because I don't act like I know everything doesn't mean I don't." Kitty rolls her eyes, pushing Tyler back down with one hand.

Not wanting to fight, Tyler submits, back on fire from her movements. Traitor! Her body seems to scream at her, demanding the pain to be noticed, to be seen. Traitor! Arching and stretching, she tries to work through it. Kitty, on the other hand, has other plans, and quickly pulls Tyler's hands down to her sides. "Look, you don't know me all that well, but you've trusted me so far. Now, listen to me Tyler, I've got a very important thing to tell you."

She gasps, "What?"

"Stop moving, wait ten damn minutes, and then we're getting you a job. I may look girly, and be girly, because yes, I am a girl. But if you think for one moment being myself means I'll let you do stupid shit, or not listen to me, or think you're stronger because you're more guyish, then you're wronger than my last English grade." Kitty looks her in the eyes, forcing Tyler still in the bench. "I am Kitty Valet, I am stronger than you, and I may not have muscles, but I sure as hell have words. So sit still and wait for your medicine to work."

Tyler nods, eyes wide open.

A laugh breaks the spell a bit, Kitty's hard pressed face morphing into a large smile. "Yay! Good girl. Now, let me go get the car started up while you wait."

*_*

"So, your resume here looks nice. Did you type this all up yourself?" The guy asks, looking over at Tyler. She shrugs, blushing a bit before nodding just so slightly. "Impressive, excellent use of language. I see that you've worked up at your school, and have done community work, but nothing else? No other jobs?"

"No, sorry. I helped out around the house, we've always been too busy for a job."

"Well, if you want the job here, say the word, and you can start working tomorrow morning." He tells her, setting down her papers on his desk and looking at her with a smile. The guy is older, around sixty or so, with a Santa Claus beard and small glasses.

Tyler nearly chokes, "Wait, really? You'll just give me the job?"

He nods.

"Well...um...okay! Yes, I mean, yes, I want the job. What-" Tyler stutters, trying to collect her thoughts, "what time should I be here tomorrow?"

He chuckles, taking off his glasses to clean them on a paper tissue, "Get here about eight in the morning. Wear clothing you don't mind getting dirty, but that's presentable. I want my workers to be well dressed and kind, okay? I'll have Cindy give you a pamphlet about working here on your way out, and you study that tonight. Does that sound okay, Tyler?"

"Yes, yes of course, Mr. Bridsly." She nods quickly, unable to contain her grin as she stands up and holds out her hand for him to shake. "Thank you so, so much for this opportunity."

"Thank you so much for being so kind, Tyler." He shakes her hand and pats her back for a moment, smiling kindly. "You have a good day." His eyes seem to twinkle just the slightest bit, and she can't help but be reminded of her family. Oh my gosh, I just got a job! A real, actual job!

"You too! Bye, Sir!" Tyler walks out, nearly skipping, a grin on her face. Cindy, she supposes, walks over to her with a bored expression. "Are you Cindy?"

"Yeah, I'm Cindy." Man, she's tired. She yawns, "Did he say you're working here now?"

"Yeah..." Tyler scuffs her feet against each other. "He said you'd have a pamphlet to give me? About working here or something along those lines?"

Cindy reaches behind her, yawning again as she hands Tyler a thick leaflet. "Here, this has, like, everything you need to know. Hopefully with you working here I'll not have to work so much." She laughs, sounding like a dying horse. Tyler smiles at her though, laughing a little bit. "Well, have a good day or whatever."

"You too."

She walks out of the shop calm but ready. The knickknacks inside are all polished, and everything is orderly, so it can't be that hard, right? Kitty meets her at the door, pep and all.

"So, so, so?! Did you get the job? Well?" Kitty practically jumps up and down when she nods, "Oh my gosh! This is amazing! And it's only taken three tries! I'm so proud of you, Tyler! Didn't I tell you it'd be amazing? Come on, we have to celebrate now! Let's go pick up our sweets for tonight, get you a good working outfit or two, and then we can go home and get ready for this awesome, awesome night!"

Tyler laughs, starting to walk alongside her down the street. "Sounds great. So, are you finally going to tell me the name of this amazing girl who's coming to dinner?"

Kitty rubs the back of her head, a shy expression on her face. Though just knowing her, Tyler can tell it's something that doesn't happen all that often. "She's..." Kitty blushes deeply, giggling a bit, "it's a surprise, okay? If I say her name she'll pop out somewhere! She's good at that. Just take my word...she's the best girl in the world."

"Man, you've got it bad..." Tyler laughs a little bit.

"I don't have it that bad!"

"Best girl in the world? That's pretty hardcore. You're like...whipped." She giggles a little bit, playfully pushing Kitty. Kitty smiles, giving her a light shove in return. "No, I'm serious! You are. It's adorable. Normally guys get whipped and girls just get...serious. And you're over here, one hundred percent puppy-dog eyed and head over heals for someone. I don't even know who she is, but just from what you're saying, it's pretty obvious you're not just playing around. It's completely adorable!"

Kitty pushes her again, "Oh, shut it already! Let's get something for dinner, okay? I'm thinking pizza rolls and cake. That fine by you?"

She smiles, "That sounds amazing."

(Oh my god! This chapter is so, SO late! I'm sorry! I can't say much for myself, I'm behind on EVERYTHING. Reading, writing, critiques. So, thank you for sticking by me despite me taking forever and not even being on! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I promise you'll know this 'mystery girl' in the next chapter, and things should start to get more exciting too! I love all you guys! If you happen to have the chance, throw me a little comment telling what you think, or even vote! :D)