Yawning, Chloe shrugged off her winter coat and hung it in her locker. It was only the first week in December, and yet the snow and frigid temperatures had long invaded their town, rendering gloves, sweaters, coats, scarves, and the ever-popular ear-muffs commonwear among Salemites, not to mention instilling a universal sluggishness in body and mind at large. After all, waking up to the cold and dreary weather only persuaded one to pull the covers back over their head and sleep the day away. At least she hadn�t had to negotiate the icy chill and slippery sidewalks that morning or any other recent morning, for that matter, Chloe mused with a glimmer of gratitude.

She gazed affectionately at her fair-haired boyfriend a few lockers down. Following the blizzard of the previous week, he�d announced that he would be her devoted chauffer from that day forward, declaring that she should never, under any condition, have to risk life and limb to make the trip by foot, EVER AGAIN. End of discussion. He�d been so cute about it that she hadn�t had the heart to mention the past ten years she�d risked �life and limb� without repercussions of any kind.

As a matter of fact, walking to school had been one of the more convenient, pleasant excuses for escaping various nightmarish �homes� of her youth. Leisurely strolling the streets alone while humming operatic solos under her breath, she�d dream of her future, the day she�d be free of the system and live life on her own terms, without need for acceptance or allowance. That 10, maybe 15 minute span of time was special in that it was the only span of time set aside for herself. And she truly believed now that that time had singularly kept her sane during that very same period of utter insanity.

Of course, today was another story altogether. For, every minute of every day, including those in the midst of family, friends, and even classmates, was allotted time for herself. She didn�t have to isolate herself and pull inward or away from others to dream�In fact, she dreamt now more than ever in intricate detail propelled by fully developed plot. Dreams had held little significance or power when emotion was lacking, she�d come to conclude, as each newly felt sensation discovered in present added another dimension of richness to flimsy fantasies born from fear and loneliness. Contradicting all prior assumptions, Chloe now felt more alive and free within herself when she WASN�T alone, when she had Philip or Belle or Shawn to share with, to feel with. Therefore, that morning and afternoon tradition went by the wayside as Chloe wholeheartedly accepted Philip�s offer.

Besides, it WAS nice and much easier now that she didn�t have to challenge the elements on her solitary trek to school. And, of course, Philip�s company was always a welcome interlude between breakfast with the Wesleys and the academic load ahead, not to say that his company wasn�t welcome ALL the time�

Slamming his locker shut, Philip glanced up at Chloe and a slow smile spread across his face at the thought that he�d actually caught HER staring. He�d done enough of it himself since she first arrived in Salem to appreciate the meaning behind it. Within two strides, he�d taken hold of her hand and was dragging her off down the hallway.

�Philip! Where are we going? Homeroom�s in the other direction�� Chloe protested, but nevertheless allowed him to lead her around the corner into what appeared to be a closet of sorts.

�Shh, we�ll make it to English�eventually. I just thought we�d enjoy a little quality time together first,� he grinned mischievously as he dropped his backpack to the floor and took advantage of her confusion to grab Chloe�s from her shoulder. Pulling the door closed, he heard her gasp as the tiny janitor�s closet fell into darkness and she grasped his full intentions at last. He reached out for her and she shivered slightly in response.

�Philip, um, I don�t know about this�� she tentatively began, however when his touch ran up and down her arms to soothe, she felt herself relax and she involuntarily leaned into his body.

Philip�s hands moved up to stroke her hair as she rested her head upon his chest, near his heart. Holding one another, they lapsed into silence for a few moments until Chloe released a satisfied sigh then rubbed her cheek against him softly. �You know there�s something so inviting about the dark. It�s like you can just sink right into it,� she whispered ever so quietly, as if for fear of disturbing the darkened silence.

Philip pulled back slightly to cup her face, vainly searching for those beautiful eyes hidden in the shadows. �Why don�t we sink into it together?� Languidly, he lowered his lips to hers, reveling in her taste, her texture�her essence.

The sweetness of their kiss soon faded as passion ignited, reigning above all else. Her arms intuitively circled his neck as his slipped down to her hips, molding her body to his. Philip let out a ragged moan as his mouth slanted over hers again and again, deepening the intensity. They�d kissed many, many times by now, but right then Chloe felt a desire, a need in Philip she hadn�t ever experienced before and it excited her to a frightening degree, creating an ache deep within. Her heart rate escalated as his palms kneaded her back and his lips traveled down to the curve of her neck.

At her soft giggle, he smiled against her skin. �Hmmm, who knew Chloe Lane would be so ticklish?�

Her own smile widened then disappeared altogether as his mouth swept up to claim hers again in a seductive clinch. All sense of reality was lost as they indeed �sank� into each other�s arms. But at the touch of his fingers moving at her waist, fumbling to reach UNDER the back of her sweater, her eyes popped open in alarm.

She brought her hands up between them to place on his chest. �Philip�we�we have to stop,� she stammered out breathlessly, pushing him back a bit with shaky palms.

The sound of her trembling voice stirred him out of his Chloe-induced haze right into a flash of desperate confusion. �Why? What�s wrong, Chloe?� He heard her moving�away from him, it seemed. �Hey�hey, beautiful,� his tone softened as he reached out and found her hands in his again. �It�s okay�I�m not going to pressure you to do anything. You know that, right?�

Chloe nodded hesitantly then registered the need for speech. �Yes, yes, of course, I do. I trust you,� she murmured in the smallest of voices, unsure of exactly how to explain the REAL reason for her abrupt retreat.

�Good,� Philip inwardly smiled, brushing a kiss against her forehead before fully pulling her into his embrace once more.

Surrounded by Philip�s warmth and security, she struggled to push down the words that so desperately wanted to form at this moment of tenderness and understanding. However, fortunately or unfortunately, as the case may be, the bell rang, taking the moment out of her hands.

****

True to his word, Philip had shot some hoops in the gym while she�d rehearsed for her approaching talent show debut with Shawn in the choir room. After an hour of fine-tuning her piece, they had finally decided to call it quits as Shawn was due home to babysit his brother and had nothing but praise to offer concerning her choice of music and interpretation of the selected aria.

A few minutes later, she�d intercepted Philip out in the hallway and he�d smiled sheepishly as if she�d caught him in some misdemeanor. Apparently he�d ambled by early in the hopes of eavesdropping on their practice, it would seem. Chloe had glimpsed the shadow of confusion that had clouded his face when she�d earlier asked that he NOT attend her session with Shawn. He just didn�t understand how distracting his presence could be�how their newfound intimacy didn�t immediately transfer to ease or comfort in all situations.

She would be the first to admit that, in many ways, Philip had become her best friend. He knew her better than any other living soul on the planet ever had, including Belle Black and Shawn Brady. But, the truth was, attraction overrode that friendship and therefore was inclined to put her on edge. With Belle and Shawn, it didn�t matter all that much how each and every aspect she adopted was perceived or valued�though it mattered with Philip. EVERYTHING mattered with Philip because she cared, really cared, about what he thought, what he expected, and mostly what he thought and expected in relation to her.

And so, raising up on her tiptoes to kiss his flushed cheek, she�d promised to meet him out front at his car after a quick visit to the ladies room without acknowledging his guilt-ridden stance in any shape, way, or form.

Resting her purse on the counter, Chloe regarded her reflection thoughtfully. After running a comb through her hair, she reapplied her lip gloss, allowing her thoughts to drift back to the encounter in the closet before school.

It had been too close. She�d always known she�d have to tell him at some point, but when she did share that part of herself with him, there would be no going back. And she had to be sure�

Damn, what was it about the dark? She remembered when she was a child in her room late at night. She�d turn out all the lights and willingly, almost desperately disappear into the nothingness. Except this time, her experience had yielded the polar opposite�She�d found herself in what was not in fact nothingness, but quite tangibly somethingness, when she�d reached out and touched Philip, felt Philip. In the darkness where there�d been no end and no beginning, their sole sense of existence had sparked at their first touch�their shared touch grounding them in the moment�together. At that place of connection, she�d sensed her guard slipping and along with it her controlled center as innermost truths had threatened to escape from their safety within.

Dropping the gloss cylinder into its rightful pouch, her movements stilled as she weighed the respective consequences inherent in revealing all or suppressing the inclination. The restroom door swung open just then, shattering her internal debate and she looked up to see a frazzled Mimi enter, pausing abruptly at the sight of Chloe before shuffling towards a stall with suspicious eyes.

Chloe eyed her curiously, but nevertheless readjusted her backpack and haphazardly grabbed for her purse, pushing out into the hall corridor. Though a few strides further, she tugged at the zipper of her purse only to curse the absence of her comb. Hurrying back into the bathroom, she was brought to a startling halt as she heard a stretch of familiar moans - gagging then purging - echo off the back walls. Like clock work, Mimi emerged only seconds after the flush, however she appeared visibly shaken upon meeting Chloe�s focused gaze.

�Spying on me?� she offhandedly inquired, averting her eyes as she dutifully washed her hands at the sink.

Uneasy, Chloe hesitated a bit as pieces of the puzzle fell into place. �No�no, I just forgot my comb.� As if to prove the validity of her words, she deliberately stooped down to scoop it up off the ground where it had fallen earlier in her haste. �So, you�re doing okay?�

Mimi�s pinched expression projected that sour countenance that never quite masked innate vulnerability. �Not that it�s any of your business, but I�m fine. I just finished practice for the drama club and felt a little sick to my stomach�I guess I have a flu bug or something. No biggie.�

�Ah, that �flu bug� you caught a few weeks back, right?�

�Look Chloe, would you just butt out! I�m sure you have much more important things to ponder than the current state of my health!� Mimi huffed, brushing past her, but Chloe stopped her cold with the strength and candor of her voiced accusation.

�How long have you been bulimic?�

From behind, Chloe could see Mimi�s posture stiffen then jolt after a shocked pause as she whirled around to deny all. �I�m NOT bulimic�I�ve just been�It�s not like I do it all�Never mind.� As she fumbled through, her eyes had darted to and fro before settling on the floor and she�d squirmed, shifting from one foot to the other while catching hold of a lock of hair to finger.

For once, Chloe truly felt her heart go out to the spiteful, immature girl whom Belle had always cherished so. Because, at present, it was not that girl she beheld at all. In her oversized overalls and now noticeably slighter frame, she reminded Chloe very much of the little girl she�d glimpsed in the various Black and Brady camping trip photos framed upon her friends� walls. In that following split-second, Chloe glimpsed another little girl�a vulnerable, weak girl she�d fought so hard to repress all these years. With horror, she recognized her initial disdain of Mimi Lockhart to have little to do with Mimi herself, but with the weakness she so openly betrayed in joining the crowd and seeking others� approval�the weakness Chloe herself could not bear to acknowledge within. Her hatred of Mimi was, more pointedly, hatred of herself, hatred of a part of herself she could never quite abandon. As her world spun at the revelation, Chloe latched onto the one constant in the equation: Mimi.

With sad eyes and voice, she reined in her own raging emotions and attempted the impossible: offering compassion and support to an untrusting, unforgiving foe. �Try me,� she suggested evenly. However, her gesture was destined to fall on deaf ears.

�Gimme a break! Don�t even try that sympathetic, understanding bullshit on me, Chloe Lane, because you don�t have a freaking clue what it�s like to BE me! I�ve been Belle�s BEST friend since kindergarten. And, even then, she was the pretty little princess to my chubby court jester. But, you know what, I was never jealous of her, not for one minute, because I loved her�She was like a sister to me and then YOU had to come along and steal her away from me! And now, NOW, you have the nerve to sit atop your throne as the queen of Salem High and pretend like you care, pretend like you�ve ever wanted to be something that you weren�t already?!�

�Mimi��

�No! I�m done here! Just keep your mouth shut and stay the hell out of my business!� And with that, Mimi stormed out, ignoring all pleas on Chloe�s part.

Defeated, Chloe gripped her purse tightly as she eventually emerged from the bathroom, pausing by the row of lockers to compose herself.

****

Popping a piece of gum into her mouth, Jan bitterly kicked the classroom door shut behind her. Another shit day of detention, another shit day of academic probation, another shit day of publicly spying her boyfriend in a groping frenzy with slut Cynthia�

A slumped figure suddenly lumbered past her, interrupting all self-pity while muffled cries trailed after the girl. Pathetic Mimi. Although, there WAS nothing more uplifting than heckling someone worse off than yourself, Jan�s frown curved into a wicked smirk, but her vulturous radar drew her spite to another figure altogether. Her eyes narrowed in on her target, her prey. She�d been wrong. Maintaining Salem High�s popularity roster was rather unrewarding compared to corrupting it from within�Heckling someone off their pedestal to the nameless depths below would prove to be an even greater ego boost.

****

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Slowly, but surely, she felt her tension begin to recede.

�What do we have here? The former Ghoul Girl�s all alone? Don�t tell me Philly�s already moved on to his next conquest?! I thought for sure he�d ride it awhile��It,� of course, meaning you,� Jan strode up, scanning her nemesis� unusually expressive face. Oh yeah, she�d finally caught Chloe unaware, she decided with triumph. She�d break her this time. She�d break her down once and for all. �Aw, don�t look so doom and gloom, Chloe, I was only halfway serious. Oh, okay maybe more like 80% or so. But still, you should feel so totally honored just having been selected to be one of ole Phil�s ride �em and desert �em flings. I tell ya, there are tons of girls that would�ve switched positions with you in a second, especially if that position just happened to be on top. Hmmm, maybe there�s hope for you yet. After all, there�s always the occasional booty call to keep ya in the game.�

Disgusted, though much too preoccupied to take the bait, Chloe spun on her heel to leave, not having the interest or energy to spar with a twit of Jan Spears� pitiful caliber.

�That�s right, walk away. Can�t take it, can you? But those are the cold, hard facts. You�re nothing but a notch on the K-Man�s belt�a platter served up for him to taste then discard. Ironic, isn�t it? Over a month ago no guy would have touched you with a stick and now look at you. If I didn�t know better, I�d say you were one of those high priced call girls my daddy employs�Oh, who are we kidding? They�re WHORES each and every one of them. So, one wonders, how much DO whores charge nowadays? Maybe YOU could best answer that, Chloe.�

At the mention of that single word, she felt the color drain from her face as a light-headed buzz altered her surroundings. Whore�A god-damned whore�NO! her mind screamed. NO! In slow motion, she wavered then stumbled as she vainly turned away, not from Jan, but from the resurfacing demons within, and blindly forced her steps forward out of the building into the cutting wind.

�I was about to send in a search party�Get lost?� Philip was smirking with a laugh as he approached, but froze when Chloe continued on past him as if she hadn�t seen him.

So numb was Chloe that she failed to acknowledge or even notice Philip�s presence in the least until a hand gripped her shoulder and spun her around.

In that moment, as blue eyes darkened to charcoal, blond hair intensified to silver, Chloe looked upon a monster. A sheen of pure fright swept across her face as she recoiled from his touch in horror.

�Chloe? Chloe, baby, what�s going on? It�s me, Philip,� he reached out for her again, only prompting her to edge further away on instinct. His concern skyrocketed as she gazed at him with such pain, such fear in her eyes.

Little by little, his features returned to that of the boy before her and she was finally able to study him anew in �living color.� His mouth moved while his eyebrows furrowed in what? Alarm? Worry? She vaguely heard a voice, most likely HIS voice, but was unable to take in his words or comprehend the meaning behind them. Though, honestly, for the time being, she really didn�t mind her confusion all that much, that is, until it started to ebb away, dropping her back into present and all that that tumultuous afternoon had thrust forth. Revelation upon revelation cascaded over Chloe, overwhelming her senses until she could only flee, abandoning a perplexed Philip behind in her emotional whirlwind.

Huddling in the corner of the bathroom, she hummed softly to herself as she rocked back and forth. Her eyes were clenched tightly and her balled up frame shook uncontrollably, but she didn�t feel the pain. She felt�nothing, absolutely nothing and it was bliss, pure bliss.

Shouts accented by cries bounced off the walls around her, though she remained lost to everything, save for the cool tiles beneath her feet and the arms that encircled her�arms that very much seemed foreign at the time. Ironic, being that they were her own.

Suddenly, her dinghy surroundings broke away as she now found herself clinging to the frame of a window several stories up. Her legs dangled in the humid air, the warmth inviting her release, her surrender. Freeze frame by freeze frame, she saw her grip loosen then drop altogether. But as she flashed toward the ground, a voice disturbed her peace. A voice that spoke of love and acceptance, a voice that screamed of courage.

And just like that, the pocket of warmth froze to ice, the confidence of fearlessness gave way to stark terror. She wildly grasped for something, anything that would halt her actions, but it was too late. The hiss of traffic split the silence as she plummeted toward her imminent death.

Heart racing, palms sweating, Chloe woke bolt upright with a gasp. As each following second passed, reality gradually set in. She was in her own room, in her own bed�dozing�or fighting nightmares, as it were. It was the third time in the last two days, she�d awoken in such a frightened state, blasted to consciousness by that identical nightmare. Rationally, Chloe reasoned, it must hold some message or symbolism within it she was supposed to gather, but hell if she knew what it was.

Slowly easing back under the covers, she glanced at her alarm clock. 2:45pm...school had already let out for the weekend. Rolling onto her side, she watched the intricate patterns of flakes drift past her window. It was snowing heavily again, the clouds hung low with promise of more to come, and Philip was further away than ever. Further than any physical distance could measure. Though, admittedly, that distance was due in part to her own actions or lack thereof.

She�d feigned illness the past couple of days, coughing left and right, in the vain attempt to put off the inevitable. She�d have to face Philip sooner or later, still she was leaning toward that of the latter.

Luckily, Nancy had been only too willing to cater to her �malady.� After all, a sore throat would never do�Salem High�s talent show committee was counting on her to elevate the quality of the production this year. Sensing her mother�s biased, not to mention self-indulgent beliefs were working in her favor, Chloe had uncharacteristically kept quiet, allowing Nancy to prattle on and on about her talent and the tremendous response she�d surely receive that weekend.

Ring� Ring� Ring�

At the sound of the phone, Chloe nervously checked her caller ID then sighed in relief. �Hey, Belle.�

�Hi, feeling better?� Belle chirped brightly, unwittingly igniting a twinge of remorse within Chloe.

�Uh�yeah, yeah much better,� she muttered as she clumsily settled back into her pillows. White lies never hurt anybody, she inwardly reasoned. In any case, she knew a person of Belle�s character would undoubtedly disapprove. Then again, why shouldn�t she? In Belle Black�s world, there was no need for deception or withholding of any kind. She could afford to be open and honest. After all, she�d nothing to hide�nothing to hide from�

�Gosh, there must be an epidemic or something. Mimi was out today, too,� Belle was saying when Chloe tuned back into their ongoing conversation.

Hesitating, Chloe was slow to respond. �Huh�maybe you should try to reach her. You know, check on her?�

�I don�t think that�s such a great idea. Lately she�s been avoiding me like the plague�� Belle brushed off the suggestion, though in turn emitted an odd laugh devoid of any humor.

�I�m sure it�s nothing personal, Belle.�

�How could it not be?�

After a long pause, Chloe continued, censoring her words with care. �I have a feeling what�s going on with Mimi is a lot bigger than just having to do with you and your friendship with her, Belle.�

�Why would you say that?� Belle stopped cold as a suspicion stirred in the back of her mind. Chloe�s voice seemed particularly tentative, cautious almost, even for Chloe Lane, enigma to all. �Tell me the truth, Chloe. You know something I don�t�something about Mimi��

Met with the deafening silence, Belle felt her blood begin to boil as her fingers gripped the phone to a painful degree. Then, in a tone Belle herself didn�t recognize, she spoke, �I know you think I�m just some na�ve, head in the clouds ditz��

�I would NEVER say that, Belle!� Chloe quickly interjected, but found her breath hitched in her throat as her friend calmly and quietly proceeded to relay her truth, a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless.

�You would never say it aloud, but it�s what you think, Chloe. It�s what everyone thinks. And, to be honest, a lot of the time I am. You�ll probably never understand what it�s like to feel the need to be who and what your parents or friends or classmates expect of you, but I feel it everyday. Sometimes it�s so overwhelming, I feel like I�m suffocating, though it doesn�t change anything. Belle Black is forever destined to be Perfect Girl�the sweet, oh-so-adorable cheerleader who everybody likes, but at the same time no one seems to respect, much less acknowledge�at least not in any real way.

�And before you go into your own sob story and the millions of others who have it SO worse off than the poor little rich girl�don�t. Because I�m not saying it�s the worst thing in the world to be who I am. As a matter of fact, most of the time, it�s so easy to just go with it�it�s comfortable�but other times, like right now, it just�it makes me absolutely furious! I may not act all mysterious or guarded like you, but I don�t wear EVERYTHING on my sleeve as most people seem to think. I can deal with REAL issues. You don�t have to protect me from anything, Chloe.�

Not entirely certain, Chloe pursed her lips in thought before releasing a deep sigh. �Mimi needs your help��

****

�Phil! Wait up, man,� Shawn shouted out, jogging to catch up with his friend in the student parking lot. �Dad took the truck this morning, can I bum a ride?�

�Whatever,� Philip grunted, forcefully throwing his textbooks in the backseat without a backwards glance.

Shawn studied Philip out of the corner of his eye as they drove in silence�Foregoing the teenage right to blare music full blast was definitely a bad sign. �So, Chloe okay? Belle said something about her being under the weather�She�ll be ready for tomorrow�s performance, right?�

Jaw set, Philip merely leveled a broken shrug in response.

�What, you don�t know? How could you NOT�you lovebirds have been practically attached at the hip lately.�

�Look, just leave it alone, Shawn!�

�Trouble in paradise?�

�Something like that,� Philip managed through clenched teeth as he involuntarily stomped down on the gas, causing the residential scenery to blur around them.

�Yeah�� Shawn prompted, concern now overriding innate curiosity.

Something�s going on with her. Something big. And she�s shutting me out, pushing me away when she needs me most, he thought, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

�Like I said before, leave it alone,� Philip kept his eyes on the road as the unshed tears burned on.

****

Chloe hung up the phone with trembling hand. Belle had quite passionately covered the grand scope of reaction in their conversation�from shock to denial back to shock again as acceptance began to seep in onto finally determination to help her childhood friend.

Though amid the outcries and inevitable tears, Chloe had learned one valuable lesson�Belle�s prior exclamations had been duly validated. She wasn�t the stereotypical sweet girl next door she�d taken her for all this time. There was an underlying strength of character that arose in crisis and ultimately made her support and friendship that much more dear. Cursing her hypocritical self, Chloe had been reminded once more of the familiar saying, �don�t judge a book by its cover.� Hell, it�d practically been her motto in the Ghoul Girl days and yet she herself had fallen prey to it and, worse than that, one of her closest friends had been the target.

With a sharp rap on the door, Craig�s head popped in from around the corner. �Nancy�s finishing up her packing�yes, all FOUR suitcases will soon be loaded into the trunk alongside my wee duffle bag. I�ve said it before and I�ll say it again, I�ll NEVER understand women and their loose grasp of the words, �light packing.� The way Nancy was going at it, you�d think we were considering hibernation! So,� Craig stole a brief glance at his watch, �if Nancy steps it up a notch, we should be on the road in the next 15 minutes or so. You know, try and get an early start what with the less than ideal weather conditions we�re having. The hotel number�s downstairs on the fridge and then there�s always my cell if, heaven forbid, there�s an emergency��

�I know, I know. It�s only one night, Craig. I think I can manage,� Chloe countered with a roll of the eye then suddenly stilled. �But if you changed your mind. I mean, if you want to stay the whole weekend for the convention, I�d understand.�

Pushing in past her doorway, Craig towered over her, �No such luck, kiddo. You�re stuck with us. I�m giving my lecture this evening at the banquet which means we�ll be heading out by dawn in order to return in time for your big debut.� His grin widened as it took a turn for the wicked, �Come on, you don�t actually think Nance would pass up the chance to boast and cheer as her one and only daughter brings down the house, do you? Besides, how can we play the proud, doting parents to the talented rising star from afar? Now, that wouldn�t be very satisfying or provide us the arena to gloat. We�ll be there. End of story.�

�Oh, joy,� Chloe murmured with the beginnings of a faint smirk.

�Hmmm, I�m disappointed, Chloe. Your sarcasm�s losing its edge as is that mysterious sore throat that comes and goes at the strangest of times. Needless to say, the strep culture came back negative. Surprise, surprise,� he sang out, eyebrows dancing as his lips quirked this way and that.

Though, all humor faded as he regarded his decidedly somber stepdaughter. No sassy retort followed. Nor the ever-popular icy stare. She simply looked up at him with a mixture of sadness and uncertainty etched within her features.

�You know, he keeps calling, pleading with me to let him come see you. And as I dish out the various excuses you so diligently wrote out for me in that mile long list of yours, he hasn�t lost one ounce of persistence, albeit persistence balanced by good sense. Frankly, I think we should both give the Kiriakis boy a well-deserved round of applause for maintaining his sanity and heeding the unspoken warning to leave your mother out of this�whatever �this� is.� His eyes softened as he lowered to rest on the balls of his feet, purposely seeking out her wavering gaze, �Maybe�maybe you should call him.�

�Craig�� she began, but froze at the lightning-edged glint in his eye.

�It�s fine with me if you don�t like Philip, if you don�t want to date him. However, what�s NOT fine is if you�re letting fear dictate your actions. Believe me, certain things, certain people are far and away worth the risk. And, deep down, you know it.� Straightening up, he bent once more to place a kiss upon her forehead. �Be good. No wild parties, Chloe Lane, I mean it!�

****

Stepping out of the stall into the steam filled bathroom, Chloe slipped into her terry cloth robe. Throughout her lengthy shower, visions from the past few wondrous months had emerged. Each memory fresh and beautiful, each detail remembered in full. Her senses had intuitively kicked into gear as sound, touch, and even taste accompanied the resurfacing emotions within as her tumultuous relationship with Philip Kiriakis played out before her very eyes.

Glancing up to catch Philip�s concentrated gaze that first day back from summer vacation, their eyes locking as time stood still. Philip cradling her weakened body in his arms after caressing away her pain and admiring the vulnerability hidden within her locket. A session gone awry as initial comfort and ease had been obliterated within seconds by the sudden presence of one Shawn Brady. Their conundrum in the woods where she�d later found herself wrapped within his cozy warmth the whole night through, stars sparkling overhead with the slivered moon serving as sole witness.

Philip defending her honor then the heated argument that exploded just after, truths stabbing deeper and harder than either could�ve imagined, being that they sparked forth from the ONE person that mattered most�even though they hadn�t wanted to acknowledge it at the time. The pier revisited where she�d practically bared her soul right then and there, though in the end stopped just short. The indescribable look of awe and wonder that had crept across his face when her �transformed� self had arrived in the hallways of Salem High then the sensitivity and support he�d offered as she�d been thrust into the spotlight, feeling awkward and uncomfortable beyond belief.

Philip whisking her away from the packed mixer to the moonlit park for a first of monumental proportions. The prompted declaration of combined status and, with that, the eventual familial introductions over interminable dinners. The heat and passion in their recent closet rendezvous, followed closely by the return of her oppressive history and a hallucinatory encounter as heightened distress from both Mimi then Jan had nudged her over the edge.

As per her nightly ritual, she blow dried her hair, voices now replacing images in her inner chaos.

�And now, NOW, you have the nerve to sit atop your throne as the Queen of Salem High and pretend like you care, pretend like you�ve ever wanted to be something that you weren�t already?!� Mimi had screeched in disgust. While Belle had likewise declared, �You�ll probably never understand what it�s like to feel the need to be who and what your parents or friends or classmates expect of you, but I feel it everyday.�

Oh, how wrong they were. If they only knew.

�What I�m trying to say is that if you ever just got over yourself and looked around you might finally realize that not all people are the same. Not everyone�s out to hurt you. You don�t have to be so damn scared all the time.�

Running a brush through her hair, Chloe peered in at her reflection. Fingering the all too familiar glasses upon the counter, she haltingly slid them on, mirroring another instance, an instance where her image had first come into focus as personal awareness had shifted to insight. Though before she�d acknowledged her loss of identity, whereas now she denounced her gain. She saw who she was in her entirety and she was ashamed.

�What�s NOT fine is if you�re letting fear dictate your actions. Believe me, certain things, certain people are far and away worth the risk.�

With the flick of her wrist, the black plastic dropped back onto the counter and she reached for the phone.