Story Contining!

I feel like I'm starting to get a handle of Shannon's story. I know where its headed next, which is great because for a bit there I wasn't sure what to do. Now that it has some direction I feel the writing has improved.

Hopefully after this next hurtle I'll know where its going again. Its no where near complete.

I'm starting to like this story!


Shannon spent the night crying in her room. Fredrick and Meredith tried to talk to her but she was too upset. Every single day until Uncle Arthur came back, Shannon would have to see Eddie. Before school, at school, and worst of all after school. She couldn't escape her tormentor.

She got up early the next morning and left for school immediately. She stopped and met Amanda on the way and told her what happened.

"So you just can't escape the boy huh?" Amanda for the first time since Shannon met her seemed to be lost in thought.

"No matter where I go I'll be forced to be around Eddie!"

"You must've ticked someone off in a past life."

Shannon looked confused at Amanda. "What do you mean?"

"That's what people call, Karma! See, some people believe when you die you're reborn to a new life, but you don't remember the old one. Then if you were a good person in the past life good things happen to you in this life. If you were a bad person bad things happen to you in this life. Karma!"

Shannon didn't like the idea of Karma. If it was true she must've been down right rotten to grow up an orphan and finally find a home that included Eddie Cavanagh.

"But that's neither here nor there." Amanda continued. "I have a plan to help you deal with your Eddie problem!"

Finally an idea Shannon could get behind. "Lets hear it!" she eagerly waited for Amanda to unfold her plan.

Amanda smiled. "This will take a while so settle in for the long road."

Amanda related her plan over the course of the school day. Whenever there was moment they could talk she would fill in without hesitation to when they last left off.

The plan was to keep Shannon as far away from Eddie on all occasions. Starting with school they'd convince one of the other students to switch places with Shannon (with confirmation from Miss. Meriweather, or course). It wasn't that hard, apparently Shirley Adams, who sat next to Amanda, had a crush on Eddie and gladly switched seats with Shannon.

During recess it was fairly easy to avoid Eddie because of how large the playground was and how short a time they had. For lunch they would walk to Amanda's house because she lived close enough they could go there, eat, and come back just in time for class.

After school Shannon would go over to Amanda's house where she would call Fredrick and Meredith and let them know she was spending time with Amanda. She would stay there until dinner and unless she was invited to stay she would head home. Minimizing the time spent with Eddie.

On the weekends Shannon would go to Amanda's for a sleep over from Saturday morning straight through to Sunday night.

"It's the perfect plan." Amanda stated as they headed home.

"I have to admit it does sound like a good plan. But what if Fredrick and Meredith don't let me sleep over?"

"Then we'll just hang out all day and do it again Sunday." Amanda was so confident in her plan that no amount of hole poking would deflate her attitude.

"Well, its worth a shot."

The next day they acted out their plan. Everyday Shannon would spend as much time with Amanda and as little with Eddie. The weekends would go off without a hitch. At first Fredrick and Meredith were nervous sending Shannon off to a sleep over but after the second or third time they became more comfortable with it.

But the end of the school year was approaching, soon their plan had to change.

One Saturday as Shannon packed her bags to go sleep over at Amanda's Meredith came walking up to talk with her.

"You go over there every weekend. I was hoping maybe this weekend you could stay home with us. We barely see you anymore." Meredith looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Its true. Shannon hadn't considered that being away from Eddie also meant she'd not see Fredrick and Meredith. She had to re-evaluate the plan with Amanda.

"I promise I'll stay home next weekend. We can all do something together, as a family! Just the the three of us, right?"

"You mean the four of us. Eddie is staying with us too, Shannon."

"Right." Shannon looked away. She was hoping they'd just leave Eddie behind to fend for himself. "I'll call you when I get to Amanda's" Shannon picked up her bags and hugged Meredith good bye and headed off.

Shannon arrived at Amanda's and they did their usual. They went out all day, saw a movie with Amanda and her family, and at the end of the night the two settled into the living room where they set up sleeping bags and made a makeshift couch fort to hide out in. Shannon approached Amanda about the problems with the plan.

"Hmmm. I never thought about that." Amanda admitted. "I forgot you have parents too."

"I don't think they'll let me sleep over anymore. At least not every weekend." Shannon added. Amanda was lost in thought again. "And with the end of the school year coming, and summer vacation, we need a new plan."

"Well, you can't fault the plan for working up until now. Summer will definitely be a problem. My family and I are going up to our cottage for almost the whole summer. I doubt your parents would let you stay away that long. I hate to admit it but I'm stumped."

"Maybe a summer of dealing with Eddie won't be that bad. After all the Baker family is huge. Maybe he could stay at someone else's place for a bit?"

"Maybe."

Shannon and Amanda sat in silence.

"Well, no sense pouting about something we can't solve right? Lets make this last sleep over the best one we'll have for a while!" Amanda snuck off into the kitchen and came back with a bag of marshmallows.