Chapter One

Six weeks, that's how long it had been since Buck left to go back to his Dinotopia, and that whole fiasco with us and Sophie. Six good, fairly happy weeks. I had invited Zeke over about three times, and Manny had learned to vaguely trust him.

I had gone back to the human world for Halloween, going to Gillette Wyoming for a party at my best friend Zaygen Blowscowski's place. I'd gone trick or treating with Jayden, Cassandra, and Tina, all other friends of mine. Who, I might add, all may become a part of the I.D.C.A. some time. I know Megan D did, and Ray had it bad for her. Lucky him, she decided to become a Raccoon.

It was a warm day, witch were rare, in November, the day some things went wrong, but others all too right. What I mean is, well, you'll see…

Sophie darted her eyes to a random tree martin we were walking by, once we were past him, she leaned closer to me and whispered, "He's got the hots for you girl."

"Him?" I asked almost skeptically. I still had it bad for Buck, and missed him.

"But…" her voice trailed off.

"But…?" I motioned for her to continue.

Sophie seamed as if she were hiding behind her jet-black emo hair, "He thinks, you see, Christa… he thinks you're a lesbian."

My face flushed white under my red fur, my stomach sunk to my feet. "I… she, oh my… did she really…?" I stopped; I was getting choked up, and I never cried in front of her or anyone else in the ice age.

"I am so sorry red." Sophie said, wrapping me in a hug. I almost burst into tears anyway, but I held back.

"Why does this happen to me?" I said softly, still trying my hardest to hold back tears. More of a statement than a question. "I gotta go!" with that I broke away from the embrace and ran off towards Ray's tree. Well, his old tree anyway, he had moved into a new one. Yet I always went there to be alone, ever since that fight with Sophie the month before.

On the way I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, sprinting towards the hollow tree, ready to cry my eyes out. All I knew was that a nasty rumor had been spread about me, and that Christa would pay through the nose when I got my hands on her, and that nobody would let me baby sit for them again. My mother once let a woman baby sit my brother and I, then she went on the lady's face book and found out she was bisexual, after that she fired her. Of coarse, I am not now nor have I ever been bisexual, but everyone would believe Christa, who acted perfect.

My mother, as I entered the tree I couldn't help thinking about calling her, telling her what happened, and having her pick me up. But this wasn't school, this wasn't the fifth grade where I could go in the bathroom and cry, then call mom to pick me up. This was real… well, kind of. But anyway, I was an adult, and I needed to act like one.

Once I was sat down in the hollow, I didn't cry, I couldn't. Like when you have had a horrible fight with someone you love, and then you don't cry right away, and then you feel as if you can't. And it's replaced by a sickly fatigue. I acted upon this fatigue; I laid my head down, and slowly drifted off.

(Author's note: Sooo sorry about the downer first chapter... Happieness is sure to come!)