Dunno if I'll finish this one. Been planning it for a while, though. I think this will just be an off and on project for when I hit writers block with Dragon Bane. I wrote a poem called California that's actually written for this fic. I just wasn't sure if I'd bother to write/post it. But, why not, eh? Set in modern day, on the East Coast in a New York-like setting. And no, I'm not going to research geography for this, so please, don't bother correcting it. Like I said, it's just an on and off project. Hope you like it.

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Another restless night's sleep in an uncomfortable bed. His dying cellphone lay open on the pillow. He'd fallen asleep on the phone again.

"Jeff! Damnit Jeff! Why do you always fall asleep when we talk about this!?" came the agitated voice of Raphael on the other end. He'd been trying to wake Jeff up for almost an hour now. Finally, an airhorn was pressed against the phone and blew loudly, the resulting sound on the other end causing the sleeping teen to bolt up in bed.

"Villains! Trolls! The lot of them!" he exclaimed as he stared wide-eyed at the wall. He blinked and sighed, falling back onto his pillow again. Rubbing his eyes with one hand, he groped for the phone with the other. Finding it, he put it up to his ear again.

"Sorry about that... How long was I asleep?" he asked tiredly.

"About an hour. Feel better now?" Raphael asked in annoyance.

"Not really. It's fucking cold in here," Jeff replied, glancing out of the bare window at the bright half-moon in the sky.

"Then put on some clothes and get under the blankets."

"Can't. Richard took most of my clothes and blankets to the laundry mat a week ago. Haven't seen him since. Just got the one blanket right now."

"Not that nasty one," Raphael groaned, wrinkling his nose at the thought of it.

"Yeah. Listen Raph, I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed."

"Is that a smart idea? Will you be able to wake up before I come over? I'm not waiting around for you for three hours like last time."

"I'm going to sleep on you if I don't get any sleep now. I'll set my alarm clock for fifteen minutes before you show up. I'll have just enough time for a shower."

Raphael sighed. "Alright, Jeff."

"Bring a jacket for me? Please?" Jeff asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Raphael replied. "Go to bed. See ya in four hours."

"Night Raph," Jeff yawned, hanging up the phone. He closed the phone and laid it under his pillow. Reaching over to the dresser next to his bed, he set his alarm clock. He pulled the ratty old blanket higher up on his body, curling up into a ball underneath it. With a tired sigh, he laid his head back down on his flat, single pillow, and drifted back into an uneasy sleep.