Chloe�

Life was so much easier back when I attended Lincoln High. Back there, I never had to worry about the inner workings of the school. That is, people like the F4 never existed, and I never had to worry about saying or doing the wrong things.

Don�t get me wrong. I try to live my life as honestly as possible, while at the same time restraining from being an insensitive cruel bitch, so to speak. I�ll fight for my beliefs, but I won�t voice them unless absolutely necessary. I�ll fight for others, but only if they can�t fight on their own or are completely overwhelmed.

And that�s where my current problem lay. Ever since my first night at the Bennett�s, my life has revolved around them. My free evenings and afternoons are dedicated to them, and Hank has, as Kevin put it, a monopoly of my time during school. It�s difficult to explain my fascination with them, or why I can�t seem to tear myself away from them. Superficially, I believe it�s because of my concern for Ivy and Sam.

As preposterous as it sounds, I fear the relationship Ivy shares with Sam may be an abusive one. It is not a relationship with physical abuse, but, rather, one with emotional and mental abuse. And it is at both ends. Sam, ever since he lost the use of his legs, has become a bundle of insecurity and self-doubt. Ivy, since Sam�s misfortune, has tried to accommodate his new needs to the best of her ability. But they are fighting a losing battle. Sam can�t control what other male suitors say to Ivy, and, although he can control what he hears, he often chooses not to. Ivy can�t control what these men say to her, and neither can she control what Sam hears and believes. Even worse, she cannot control her own growing self-doubt and insecurity. She cannot stop herself from thinking that she is a �bad� girlfriend for Sam, and that, despite her love, nurse Grace Stanton is the best woman for Sam Bennett. Their fears and insecurities are tearing them apart, and, instead of working together to overcome them, Ivy and Sam have been using them as a springboard away from each other.

Hank believes his older brother and Ivy were, and still are, madly in love. So does Gwen. Ivy and Sam, depending on what day they�re asked, will respond in kind. I am the outsider, the mediator, in this scenario. I am the one who is supposed to have a completely objective opinion. Do I have an objective opinion? Honestly, no. In the short time that I�ve known them, I�ve become close to them. My opinion on their relationship varies day to day. Often, especially after one of their numerous arguments, I feel as if they should just break up already and spare each other the pain and torture that they�ve been subjecting the other to.

But there are times when the two are so peaceful, and so content with the other, that I can�t help but stare. I�m not staring because I think it�s a complete miracle that they�re happy together, but because I�ve never seen a young couple so much in love. Perhaps Shawn and Belle had their moments, but I had never been objective with them, for Shawn had always been the one I wanted.

It is at these times that I think Sam and Ivy are the perfect couple, and that one day, fifty years from now, they�ll look back and reminisce about their high school days. It is at these times that I think they�re the perfect couple. But these times come in rare and few.

Hank seeks my opinion and advice on a regular basis. Kevin thinks that Hank�s interested in me, but I know that can never be the case. I�ve seen the way Hank is with Gwen, and although they do not possess that special chemistry that Ivy and Sam have displayed on occasion, they are in love with each other. Hank simply cannot be interested in me, for he has Gwen, and breaking her heart is the last thing he wants to do.

Hank and I are just friends, as much as Kevin and I are merely friends. It�s just that Hank doesn�t know anyone at school, and if it weren�t for me, he�d have no one to talk to (not to mention he always wants to talk about Sam and Ivy). Besides, it�s not like I stopped hanging out with Kevin. And Selphie is still my closest confidante at the academy. I still hung out with my �posse�, so to speak. Well, except for the F4. They�ve been cutting school regularly, and I think it has to do with Philip�s mother. But it�s not like the F4 and I are close anyway, you know. It�s not like I�m Belle, who happens to be the girlfriend of one of them.

Hank actually said something to me the other day that struck a nerve. He told me that the only reason he had decided to become friends with me was because he was worried that I was in an abusive relationship. Get this- he thought Philip and I were a couple, and, even worse, that he abused me and I was either too scared or too stupid or too blind to get out of it. I mean can you believe this guy? First of all, Philip and I aren�t even a couple. Secondly, he�s never given me something that I didn�t return in full. Thirdly, I will never be too scared or too stupid or too blind to leave something that was bad for me. God- he made me out like one of those pathetically sad women who clung to hopes and ideals, not truths and reality.

Hank apologized to me, of course, and said that since he�s gotten to know me, he now knows that I would never be like what he had initially thought. He said that he now knew that I was a strong and independent woman who didn�t and would never stay in an abusive relationship.

It kind of makes me wonder about his thoughts of Ivy and Sam, and how they are heading towards an abusive relationship, and, arguably, may already be in. Hank probably has a biased opinion, though, because he�s always thought of them as a perfect couple, and I don�t think he�ll be changing his views ever.

It always makes me sad when I think about what had happened to Sam. Sam used to be one of those star athletes who played every sport. At his school, he had played football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and volleyball. His girlfriend, Ivy, was also an athlete. But her favored sports had been tennis, swimming, and golf. And now, Sam can�t do any of those things. And Ivy has dropped out of her sports so that she can spend more time with Sam, whom she never sees at school anymore.

Hank and I don�t spend all our time talking about Sam and Ivy. If Hank and I are alone, or if Gwen is with us, then our conversation would dance around them. But if Kevin and Selphie, two outsiders completely ignorant of what has happened to Sam, are with us, then the conversation centers around other topics of interest.

Lately, we�ve entered a debate about revenge. Kevin and Selphie, pacifists as they are, do not believe in revenge at all. Hank, on the other hand, strongly believes in it. Myself? Hank thought I believed in revenge, while Kevin and Selphie were also inclined to believe the same. What saddens me is that back when I was in Lincoln High School, I was vehemently opposed to revenge. There would have been no question as to where my view on vengeance lay. Back then it had seemed insensible and foolish. Vengeance was a vicious cycle that fed upon itself. But now my closest friends believed that I believed in vengeance. What happened?

In Lincoln High, I protected those who needed it. In Salem Academy, I continued to protect those who needed it. Well, at least I tried to. There were occasions where I took vengeance, but, in those times, I would have hoped my intentions were purer. To take revenge, simply in the sense of an eye for an eye, was the truest form of vengeance. To take revenge in the sense of teaching a lesson or striving to stop the other from continuing to do what he or she had done before was the �purer� form of revenge in the sense that there was less �bloodlust�. If any, that was the vengeance I hoped I was taking. It all boiled down to the intent of the act of vengeance.

Well, at least that was what I told the three of them. I still didn�t believe in revenge, and if it seemed like I did, then either they had caught me at an emotional moment or they had interpreted the past situation and my past actions incorrectly. There was no room in society for the concept of �an eye for an eye�. That was what the judicial courts were for- to protect the innocents and to punish the guilty.

We�ve had other debates, too, of course. Although we never talked about Disney characters and who represented some sort of ideal, we did have some interesting topics. They were usually philosophical, though. We�ve talked about life and death; the meaning of love; the concept of ethics and morality; society�s obsession with beauty and wealth.

Hank�s entry into my life was complete. Although I hadn�t given it much thought, the time I had before spent with the F4 was now time I spent with Hank. He had replaced them, and although I hadn�t consider it a bad thing, I also hadn�t considered the repercussions that would come with it, especially since Hank�s girlfriend Gwen attended another school and no one knew of her existence. Before long, rumors about Hank and I were spread throughout the academy. And nothing could be said or done to dispel them.

Two weeks after Hank�s arrival to Salem Academy, Philip made his presence known once again. He found me by the garden, and, unfortunately, Hank was there with me.

*****

Chloe had heard the rumors. She had seen the curious and wondering eyes. She had rebuked the questions that Kevin and Selphie brought to her. And she had seen and heard Hank do the same.

Yet, the rumors persisted and the probing eyes followed. And one day, as it was bound to happen, the F4 heard about it.

Chloe�s eyes darted between Philip and Hank. Her mouth was dry, and no words came to her lips. She hadn�t been caught doing anything wrong, and, more importantly, she hadn�t done anything wrong! Even if she and Hank were a couple, which they weren�t, it wasn�t like Philip had a right to be angry or upset. But, still, she couldn�t say anything. She couldn�t deny the rumors, and she couldn�t greet Philip with a warm welcome, and neither could she bring herself to ask Hank for help.

It was in his eyes. Philip�s eyes were filled with accusation and hurt, a look that was all too familiar to her. But I haven�t done anything wrong! She and Hank were just friends, and, besides, it wasn�t as if she and Philip were dating.

�It�s been a while,� Philip said, finally ending the awkward silence.

Chloe managed a weak nod. �How�s everything going?�

Hank plucked a violet flower off a bush. He inhaled its scent deeply. He knew who the man standing before them was, and he knew exactly what and why the man was furious with him and Chloe.

Philip pointed at Hank. �Who�s that?� He wasn�t in the mood for small talk.

Without missing a beat, Hank smiled secretively and tucked the flower behind Chloe�s right ear. �I�m Hank Bennett,� he introduced himself. �I�m Chloe�s boyfriend.�

What?!

Chloe felt her world quickly collapsing. First, Hank had thrown her off when he had placed that flower behind her ear, something that felt much too intimate for him to do. Second, he had introduced himself as her boyfriend, and this was a complete lie. Hank was Gwen�s boyfriend. She knew it, Hank knew it, but poor Philip didn�t. She was going to have to say something fast to keep the situation in hand.

But Philip was quicker. �You�re her boyfriend?� he asked coldly.

It sounded so wrong. If Hank wasn�t going to tell the truth, then she was going to have to be the one who did. �He is not-� Chloe protested angrily.

Hank put his arm around Chloe and pulled her closer to his side. �Yeah, I�m her boyfriend.� Hank turned and flashed Chloe a quick smile. He could feel her growing angry with him, and her fury was something he didn�t want or need. �I�m her friend,� Hank smirked, �and I�m a boy. Hence, I�m her boyfriend.�

Chloe grimaced. This was not the type of joke to play on Philip Kiriakis. But, at the same time, Chloe was relieved to find out that Hank hadn�t seen her as his girlfriend, and that it had just been a twisted joke. �Ha ha, Hank,� Chloe forced out. �It�s just like you to make a stupid joke, Hank.� Chloe pushed Hank away in what she hoped seemed like a friendly push. In truth, she pushed harder than she would normally do to her friends.

Philip frowned slightly. Chloe was acting strangely, and he had a bad suspicion that contrary to what Hank and Chloe were claiming, the rumors were indeed true.

�So it wasn�t quite true,� Hank admitted. A slight gleam came to his eye. �I�m only her friend, and I merely happen to be a boy. But I didn�t say I was her boyfriend because I thought it would be a good joke.�

Shut up, Hank, shut up. Chloe had no idea what Hank was up to, but she had a pretty good idea that whatever it was, Philip was going to be the intended victim.

�I said it,� Hank paused, �to remind you that Chloe is not your girlfriend, and that you have no right to expect anything from her. She is not your girl, Philip, and the last thing she wants or needs is your jealousy. In fact, these last two weeks with you nowhere in sight have been heavenly for her.�

�Hank, I can speak for myself,� Chloe growled. �You don�t know me well enough to speak for me.�

Hank ignored Chloe�s comments and kept his eyes focused on Philip�s still smoldering eyes. �You�re in love with her, aren�t you? The great Philip Kiriakis has finally fallen, and, no less, with a girl who can�t even stand him.�

�He�s not in love with me and I don�t hate him,� Chloe interrupted angrily. �Hank, what the Hell do you think you�re doing?�

�You hate it when you don�t know what she�s doing or who she�s doing it with,� Hank continued, ignoring Chloe�s words. �It takes all your will power from stalking her every move to see what she�s up to and who she�s with. Admit it, Philip. One day, you�re going to become her stalker and she�s going to have to get a restraining order against you. But since you�re so rich, you�ll twist the police around and force them to let you do as you please. You don�t know the meaning of disappointment, and you�ll never learn it, because you�re a Kiriakis and anything that gets in the way of a Kiriakis will get trampled over.�

Philip� as a stalker? As my stalker? How preposterous.

Like an angry bull taunted by the red handkerchief and the matador, Philip charged against Hank and picked him up by the collar of his shirt. �You want to be the first one I trample over today?� Philip growled. �Cause, like you said, I�m a Kiriakis and I don�t let pests like you get in my way.�

Hank felt the adrenaline rush through his body. Undoubtedly, Philip was more than able to cripple him. But the words had been said, and the snare was being laid. �You can beat the shit out of me if you want,� Hank jeered, �but no matter what you do to me, Chloe�s not going to change her mind and fall in love with you.�

�Have the two of you lost your minds?!� Chloe demanded loudly. �Philip, put him down this instant, and you, Hank, quit the stupid mind games.�

�Why don�t you ask her yourself?� Hank dared Philip. �Chloe, do you or do you not love Philip? Cause he obviously loves you.�

I can�t believe my ears. What�s gotten into Hank?

�Yes I love him, or no I don�t. There are only two choices, Chloe,� Hank added. He relaxed slightly when Philip lightened his hold on Hank�s shirt.

But it�s not that simple.

�Come on, Chloe, we�re all waiting for your answer,� Hank spoke up. He stretched his toes as far as he could, but, to no avail. Philip was holding him much too high, and he simply could not feel the ground.

�Chloe?� Philip asked quietly.

�Put him down, Philip. This isn�t funny,� Chloe dodged the question.

�Answer the question first,� Philip said softly. �Tell me the truth, Chloe. I can take it.�

This was worse than that Christmas Pageant. It was worse than that crucial basketball game. It was more dramatic than that time when Shawn and Belle had saved her and Kevin from the mob.

�I don�t love you anymore than you love me,� Chloe said slowly, tactfully. Philip had once professed his love for her, but that was long ago, right before the incident with Shawn and right before she and Shawn had become a couple. And although Philip had wanted her to admit to being in love with him, he still couldn�t hold those feelings for her, could he? He had just wanted to feel vindicated, as if his feelings had not been completely wasted and unreciprocated. He had been a terrific friend for her in the past weeks. He had been the reason why her family had been able to survive, and he had been the reason why she had come so close to winning in the Christmas Pageant. But that was all their relationship was to each other- friendship. The two of them were much too different to make a relationship work. The song she had sung in the Pageant had represented her feelings and thoughts of a relationship with Philip plainly.

�You didn�t answer the question,� Hank pointed out. �Philip is madly in love with you. Do you or do you not return his feelings?�

�He is not in love with me,� Chloe retorted. �Maybe he was, once, but that was a long time ago, Hank. And that was none of your business.�

�Admit it, Philip. You�re in love with her,� Hank prodded Philip. �Until you admit it, Chloe won�t answer the question.�

Philip�s eyes probed Chloe�s silently.

�Are you in love with him or are you not?� Hank asked quietly, breaking the momentary silence. �We�re not going anywhere until you answer the question, Chloe.�

He deserves the truth. He wants the truth. He said he can handle the truth.

�I�m not in love with him,� Chloe said clearly. �But that is not to say that I don�t value his friendship or that I am not grateful for everything he�s done for me.�

Philip�s hold on Hank�s shirt loosened enough so that Hank could squirm out of the grip. �Tell the truth about your feelings about the last few weeks too,� Hank told Chloe. �Tell him how great it felt to live a life where he was absent.�

He deserves the truth.

�I won�t lie to you, Philip. I did feel free,� Chloe admitted. �I didn�t look over my shoulder wondering if you were going to charge up to attack Hank the way you did to Kevin. I� I didn�t feel smothered. I didn�t feel as if I was failing anyone�s expectations, or as if I had to pretend to be something that I wasn�t.� Chloe paused momentarily. �All I ever wanted, all I ever wanted to do, was live a quiet life here at the academy. I never wanted the attention, the red tagging, the running or chasing. And, for the past weeks, I�ve had that with Hank. And I�d like for that to continue. To have an ordinary, boring school life.�

�A life without you or the rest of the F4,� Hank pitched in.

�I never said that,� Chloe snapped back instantly. �All I said was that I wanted a quiet and peaceful school life. And although that was denied to me in the beginning, it is still something I can reach and obtain. I�m sure of it.�

�I smother you,� Philip mumbled softly.

�Yeah, that�s what you do to her,� Hank jeered.

�It�s just that I like doing things on my own,� Chloe interjected. �I hate it when I have to depend on others, and, lately, its felt like that. I don�t hate you, Philip, and I don�t want you to disappear from my life. It�s just that, well��

�She needs you to back off and leave her alone. She�s not in love with you and she doesn�t want you hanging around her so much,� Hank jumped in. �So get a clue and get lost.�

�Hank,� Chloe warned icily, �stop twisting my words. Philip, that�s not what I meant.�

But Philip was already leaving the scene. His head, for once, wasn�t being he�d in that tall and haughty way the Kiraikis�s possessed. Rather, it was hung in shame. And his shoulders were hunched over, too.

�It�s better this way,� Hank spoke up. �It�s better that he knows what you truly think, and that he isn�t led on in some twisted and unreal fantasy.�

Was I leading him on? I had thought we were good friends.

Hank put an arm around Chloe�s shoulders. �Come on,� he said cheerfully. �We�ll be late for our next class if we don�t get a move on it.�

Chloe brushed Hank�s arm off roughly. �I don�t know what kind of game you�re playing, Hank, but get this straight. Don�t you ever presume to speak for me again. I choose who I am friends with and who I spend my time with, not you. Philip is my friend, not yours, and if you want to survive the academy, you better remember that pissing off Philip is not the way to go.�

�Chloe-�

�No,� Chloe interrupted sharply, holding up one hand. �I am beyond pissed off right now, Hank, and I don�t want to hear another word from your mouth today. Tomorrow, you and I are going to look for Philip and we�re going to settle everything.�

�But-�

Chloe shook her head wildly and covered her ears with her hands. �Not a word, Hank. Save it for tomorrow.� And, with that, Chloe stormed away following Philip�s path.

Hank turned away defiantly. That hadn�t gone quite the way he had planned it, but, at least the seeds of doubt had been planted.

*****

That night�

Mimi tightened the apron around her slender waist. �Wasn�t it the truth, though? From my viewpoint, Philip does have a habit of smothering you.�

�But that wasn�t the point,� Chloe said exasperatedly. �So he has a habit of smothering. So what? The point was that although I didn�t love him, I valued his friendship. But now, because of the way Hank twisted my words, Philip probably thinks I don�t want anything more to do with him.�

�Do you?� Mimi asked.

�Of course I do!� Chloe said hotly. �He�s done so much for me, Meems, and there�s no way I can just forget it all.�

�He�s also the reason why you and Kevin were outcasts at the academy,� Mimi reminded Chloe. �He does have his good and bad points.�

�But he�s changed for the better,� Chloe pointed out. �He was bad at the beginning, but not anymore. Why would I not want to spend time with him?�

�Then why didn�t you?� Mimi countered. �Why did you spend all your time with Hank and his friends? Why didn�t you make the time to be with Philip or the rest of the F4?�

Chloe closed her eyes and shrugged. �I don�t know,� she muttered. �Hank and his friends were fun. They were new people, and, well, I guess their lives kind of sucked me in.�

�And between school and work, you had no time for the F4,� Mimi reasoned. �And that would give off the idea that you didn�t want to be with the F4, because you chose not to be with them. You chose Hank and his friends over them, Chloe. And, I�m sorry, but that decision says a lot more than any of your words can ever say.�

�But Philip, Jason, Brady, and Shawn were too busy planning their own things,� Chloe argued weakly. �They didn�t have time for me.�

�Did you even try to seek them out?� Mimi countered. �No, you chose to stay with Hank and his friends, Kevin and Selphie. Chloe, even if you did miss the company of the F4, it really didn�t seem like that. If any, it really did seem as if you had fun without them, as if you were glad that they weren�t there with you.�

�But that wasn�t the case,� Chloe protested.

�But that�s what it seems like,� Mimi sighed. �Chloe, you can argue and deny it as much as you want, but your past actions prove Hank�s point. You�ve been neglecting the F4 as much as they have been neglecting you. Yes, they were busy doing something, but, no, you didn�t seek them out. Tomorrow, when you do speak with Philip again, you had better make it clear that you thought they were too busy to spend time with you, and so you gave them the space you thought they needed. Also, at the same time, it had turned out to be a nice breather from the long periods of time you spent with them training for the pageant back in December.�

�You think that will fix everything?� Chloe asked wearily.

�No,� Mimi said bluntly. �But this last thing can�t be fixed easily.�

�And that is?�

�I agree with Hank. I think Philip�s in love with you, and the only thing that will satisfy him is if you admit to being in love with him too.�

Chloe looked away. She had known that would be Mimi�s last point.

�Are you in love with him?�

�I already said I wasn�t,� Chloe said softly. �I told him and Hank that this afternoon.�

�He saved you from being dragged by the car. He was your first date and your first kiss. He told you he was in love with you. He brought you to his tropical island. He was willing to leave for New York to give you and Shawn privacy. He saved you from the freezing cold in Canada. He loaned your parents the money they needed. He was the reason you did so well in the pageant. And nothing?� Mimi asked incredulously.

�Not nothing!� Chloe retorted. �I am heavily grateful to him, but I� I just� I�m not in love with him, Mimi.�

�And why the Hell not? What does this man have to do to get you to fall in love with him?� Mimi demanded. �I�m standing here on the side watching everything, and, Chloe, honey, if I were you, I would have fallen for him already. I would have jumped on him in Canada and we would be a bona fide romantic couple right this moment.�

�But you�re not me.�

�No, I�m not,� Mimi acknowledged. �And I can�t, for the life of me, understand why you don�t want to be his girlfriend. Is it your pride, Chloe? Is that it? Because of the red tag and you becoming an outcast?�

�I�m just not. Why is it so hard for you to understand that I�m just not attracted to him in that way?�

�Because there is no reason for you to not be,� Mimi said airily. �And until you provide a reason why you aren�t in love with him, I refuse to believe otherwise.�

�So what do you believe?�

�That your pride is being a major pain in the ass and is keeping you from expressing your true feelings,� Mimi said matter-of-factly.

�My pride?�

�Yes, your pride. You hate the fact that you needed him to rescue you on a number of occasions, and, even worse, that he�s the reason why you even need someone to rescue you. And, until your pride can accept the fact that you rescue him as many times as he rescues you, and that because of you he�s changed for the better, you�re doomed to a life of denial and loneliness.�

�I am not living a life of denial and loneliness,� Chloe retorted.

�I would give anything to be with you tomorrow when you, Philip, and Hank talk. I think Hank�s been twisting your thoughts, and you need me to counterbalance him,� Mimi fumed angrily. �I don�t know what Gwen sees in that freak.�

*****

A few days later at the academy...

Chloe dragged her feet slowly across the hallway. Mimi�s words, even though they had been spoken a few nights� ago, still rang in her head. Just why wasn�t she in love with Philip? Was it because of her pride? Was it because she just wasn�t, end of story? Was it because there was no spark between the two of them, and no matter how hard Philip tried, nothing was ever going to fan out?

But that was all a crock. Mimi was right- as much as Chloe tried to deny it, there was no reason why she shouldn�t be attracted to or in love with the guy. So they came from two completely different worlds? So he was the reason why she was an outcast at the academy, and was the reason why she needed saving in the first place.

Just why wasn�t she in love with him? Was it a matter of pride? Was it a matter of denial?

Chloe clamped her lips tightly against each other. She had hoped that she, Hank, and Philip would have been able to talk things through and settle their differences. But Philip had been absent from the academy for the last few days, and the rest of the F3 were clueless as to where he had gone. In fact, they had sought her out and had asked her if she knew where he had vanished off to.

Chloe�s frown deepened. The F3 had confided in her that they were worried about their friend, and that he had been acting strangely ever since Monday, the day of her confrontation with Philip and Hank. Could his absence be due to their heated confrontation?

Chloe shook her head slightly. It wouldn�t do her good to think about things like this. That is, the last thing her mind needed was to think about the endless possibilities that had caused Philip�s absence. She would settle things with him when he returned, and until then, she wasn�t going to drive herself crazy thinking about the unknown.

Chloe stopped in front of her locker and began turning the combination for it. If Philip didn�t show up for school today, then she would go to his place and force a meeting between the two of them. She had to clear the air between them, and she wasn�t going to wait a day more.

The red tag dangled from the top of her locker.

No�

In the past, Chloe had prided herself upon her reflexes. But not anymore. A part of her was screaming at herself to shut the locker before anyone else could see the hated and dreaded ribbon, but that part was drowned out by the feelings of hurt and betrayal.

How could he do this to me? It�s like he�s saying goodbye to everything we�ve been through, everything that we conquered. It�s like he�s saying goodbye to me.

�She got another red tag,� a hushed voice spread the news across the academy.

Hank pushed the locker door shut for the stunned and silent Chloe. �I was afraid of this,� he told her softly. �I�ve purposely stayed away from my locker ever since that day.�

�I can�t believe he did this to me,� Chloe mumbled. �I can�t believe I drove him to this. I didn�t think I hurt him that much, Hank.�

�We don�t have time for this, Chloe,� Hank said urgently. �I know that you hate playing the role of maiden in distress, but, unless you start moving right now, that�s exactly the role you�re going to be forced to play. You have to get out of here now before the overzealous and crazy get to you.�

Chloe shook her head. �Philip. I have to see and talk to him. I don�t give a shit about anyone else, Hank.�

�You will when they come for you,� Hank told her softly. He held out a hand to Chloe�s shaking body. �Just trust me, okay, Chloe? I�ll keep you safe, and I�ll find Philip for you. I�ll make him come to you.�

Chloe nodded mutely. When all was said and done, Philip was the key to this mess, and he was the only person who could withdraw the flag and change her status from that of �outcast� back to being a normal student.