Aaron didn’t say anything about a new recruit to the orphanage or a visitor or anybody for that matter. He had just went straight to the kitchen after the phone call and made himself a giant mug of coffee, taking a nap straight after.
Crow, wondering where her friend was, didn’t have to venture far to find him being propped up for support by the small chipmunk boy, Thomas.
“Okay man, drag me to my room and I’ll give you some nuts…” Thomas froze.
Crow’s eyebrow twitched.
“Not THOSE nuts. There is no way you’re touching those…no touching ze nut sack. Just bring me to my room dammit!” Owen whined pitifully. Crow just shook her head. Perhaps she should hang out with Jackie more often…
Speaking of which.
“Crow! Get your ass up here and let me do your make-up!”
Crow shuddered as the voice rang through the stairwell. “NO! Go away!” she shouted at the voice of her roommate and ran in the opposite direction. “I’m going to sulk at Owen’s shed!”
Jackie managed ambushing her later.

Later:

Owen was shaken awake, much to his pain and woe from his injuries, and hissed as he opened his bleary eyes to his frantic friend. “Owen! Get the hell up we have visitors!”
“What the hell man? I was dreaming of hot, awesome- whoooa, hi Crow!”
“…Never finish that sentence. Evaaaa! Now!”
Owen was always scared of the drastic change of moods of his friend. He suspected PMSing stages (which he had the unfortunate experience being told in detail by Jackie and probably the rest of the female population in the village…minus Crow…why him?) or even possibly schizophrenia, but it didn’t matter so much at the moment now.
“Anyways, as I was going to say, the person is downstairs!”
“They’re here?” another voice added.
“Dammit Matt! Didn’t I kick you down a stairwell!?”
“Uh…I think that was the other way around you dumb ass. You pretty much propelled yourself to your near death.”
“Shut up both of you! It doesn’t matter! Let’s go Tweedle Dum.” Crow ushered the two out of their beds (much to Owen’s distaste…he was having a nice dream). Crow looked behind her -and instantly wished she didn’t.
“JESUS CHRIST! Put some clothes on…BOTH of you!”
Owen looked down to his prized manhood and had a girly shriek before running back into his bedroom, along with Matt (who unfortunately forgot to put on clothes as well…what can I say? The air conditioning was off.) to grab a pair of TMNT boxers and a night cap…JUST in case anything happened…you never know.
Crow tapped her feet impatiently as the two boys changed. At least she was ready for this sort of thing.
The two boys clambered out and tried to calmly and quietly act as if nothing happened, acting all macho and manly…as humanly possible for them.
“Okay, let’s go,” Crow ushered. Owen murmured under his breath the Mission Impossible theme.
“Owen…” Matt warned as they tried to make their stealthy way down the staircase. “Shut up, or die a painful death due to testicular cancer.”
“Okaaay…fine,” he muttered in a disappointed manner. “Party pooper.”
The death glare was the unfortunate response.
The three quieted down completely as they neared the staircase, all of them sweating in the heat of the building. Perspiration was dripping into Crow’s eyes as she flipped away annoying strands of sweat soaked hair from her eyes. Owen and Mathias stepped precautiously down the creaky stairs, knowing every place to step without making a noise, Crow right behind.
Voices were emanating from the old parlour that was never used anymore. They all held their breaths as they inched closer toward the closed doors, listening as intently as they could. No sound betrayed their presence.
For now, they were clear.
Owen stepped forward (more as a sacrificial lamb, as Mathias and Crow agreed before: Always put Owen first!) and tried to make more sense of the conversation taking place beyond. When nothing happened, the other two joined him, promptly and childishly shoving their ears against the wood as much as they could.
“…stay here until further notice, correct?” The three noted that Aaron was there.
“That is the plan, sir,” came an unfamiliar voice. The three shared faint looks with each other.
“And about your…” Aaron stopped to find an appropriate word. Mathias could just imagining the orphanage caretaker rubbing his earlobe as he did in habit. “Your issues. Do you have a plan set out for that?”
“Not entirely sure, sir. They just told me that this sort of environment would be better for my condition.”
“I understand…” Aaron sighed tiredly. After all, it was going on to morning now. “Well I hope you succeed in your experiment, Artemis. Tonight you will stay in the guest room, and I’ll arrange proper accommodations tomorrow.
The three ‘spies’ (unofficially) crept back from the door, heading back to their respected rooms, waiting anxiously for morning.
The only question on their mind was: Who was this extraordinarily formal and possibly mental person?

“Hey Crow! Whatcha up to?”
The said friend almost slammed her face into closed door, turning to him with a fiery vengeance of pain and death in her grey eyes.
“Ho- shit, man I was just-”
Her hand clamped around his mouth, pummelling him to the ground. “Shut up!” she hotly whispered. “I’m eavesdropping.”
Owen stayed silent and still, as Crow took it that he understood to shut up.
Aaron’s voice trailed out from the door. ”…today is the day. Everything is arranged.” There was a pause. Owen realized that Aaron was in fact talking on the phone, as there was no audible response as he carried on talking.
“But I have to ask you…are you really sure you want to do this? It seems hardly fair for a person to just suddenly change environment like that. And from what you’re telling me, the mental corrections this person will need could be dangerous for all I know. Can they-…No, I’m not saying I can’t-…Yes, there is space for-…” There was a long pause at this. “Yes. Fine I understand. I’ll be waiting.”
Owen and Crow suddenly ran away as they heard Aaron get up from his chair and start toward the door, just making it up the stairs to their rooms in time for the man to walk out right where they were seconds before.
They heard him sigh wearily and then carry on to the stairs descending down to where the din of children playing emitted from. Owen frowned in thought.
“What was that all about? Should we be expecting someone?” he asked Crow. The raven-haired girl shrugged uncertainly.
“Can’t say I know for sure. But if that is in fact the case, then they’re going to probably be completely mental.”
Owen stopped. “Wait, what the hell? When did you get that assumption?”
“When Aaron was talking about the ‘mental corrections’. Don’t you think that implies insanity or something?”
“I dunno. Probably I guess. I’m just excited that we’re getting a new addition! Bring on the welcome wagon!” Owen pumped his fists in the air.
“Someone new is coming?” a new voice was added to the conversation.
The rambunctious two stopped and turned their heads to see Matt standing there, innocently curious.
Owen coughed. Crow scratched the back of her head.
“Uhh…”
“When are they coming?” Matt carried on, already knowing the lies they were going to say otherwise.
Owen shrugged. “We’re not sure. But don’t say anything. We don’t know if he’s going to tell us or sometime later.”
Mathias shared a look, trying to see the truth in what his rival said.
“Well you better not count me out of this welcome wagon thingy.”
“What are you talking about buddy?” Owen said, smiling as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “We wouldn’t want you to miss it!”
Mathias started to beam in happiness. Acceptance at last!Owen sudden happy demeanour fell as they were out of earshot of Crow. “We would want you to come on and then fall off into a pit of fiery magma where you are dressed in nothing but a tutu…”
“This is madness!” Mathias said, backing away from the suddenly sadistic teenager. Owen’s green eyes gleamed in the dim light, smiling crookedly.
“Madness?...THIS IS SPARTAAAAA!!!” He lifted his foot then, kicking Mathias straight in the chest, but instead of kicking him down onto the floor, Owen ended up propelling himself down the stairs, causing several painful injuries on his way down.
“…Ow…”
Mathias shook his head at the idiocy.
“Stupid…” he muttered under his breath. He went to go find something else worth his time.
“I think I broke my spleen…” a weak voice carried up the stairwell from the crumpled form. “Helloooo?....” There was no answer. “…I’m dyyying….” Still no answer. “…crap muffins with margarine. Heeelp meeee…”