YA2:06 - Hide and Seek

Author�s Notes: Nicky�s YA Episodes, season 2, episode 6. Revised version 2005.
You can find the commentary for changes to episodes 204-206 here.

Part One

Teaser

The setting sun hovered over the horizon, lending a coppery sheen to the rooftops and gilding the town of Carson with a peaceful glow.

The mood inside Caf� Valentino, though, was anything but peaceful. The small Italian restaurant was well lit and crowded, though not crowded enough that a person wouldn�t see another if they glanced in the right direction. Bella Banks, Will Krudski, Jake Pratt and Hamilton Fleming sat at a table near the back of the restaurant, staring at the figures poised at the door, their faces ashen.

*Will�s voiceover begins*

�What do you do when people come so close to finding your truths? To getting the knowledge that could make all of your world come tumbling down? In seconds, in mere moments, all would be revealed, everything held up to the glaring rays of reality, of betrayal and despair. Why? Because Bella and I are in love. Because Jake is a girl. Because Hamilton really isn�t gay. You might be confused. Don�t worry, I would be too. And here, right in the middle of everything, is where we pick up what we left unfinished.�

�Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,� Bella muttered frantically under her breath as she glanced first at Will, who looked just as stricken as her, then at the door. Scout Calhoun and some blonde girl whom she didn�t know stood there, quickly joined by Ryder Forrest, who promptly grabbed the girl by the arm, looking furious.

Jake snapped out of her astonished stupor and dove under the table, hiding her girly outfit from Ryder�s view. �Guys!� she whispered urgently. �We�ve gotta get out of here!�

Will ducked down beside her. �They�re blocking the door.�

"Well, I can't stay here!" she exclaimed, her voice crackling with panic.

Hamilton and Bella also crouched down, cramming themselves under the table and out of the others� sight. "Jake's right," Bella said. "Ryder can't see her as a girl." Darting a glance at Will, she added, "And if Scout sees us here together, there's gonna be a lot of questions�"

"Questions we�re really not up to answering," he finished for her, knowing full well that, blind that Scout was sometimes, he certainly wasn�t stupid and he would soon put two and two together if Bella and Will continued doing suspicious things around him. Turning up in a romantic little restaurant in Carson while they were supposed to be hard at work studying in New Rawley, for example.

Hamilton was easily the calmest of the four under the table, considering he had nothing to hide in the range of hidden relationships or even hidden genders. "There's a back door," he said, pointing toward the waiter�s station. "It's kinda conspicuous though, I think we might have to make a run for it. There's no other way out."

"Ham's right," Will said, not taking his eyes off Scout, Ryder and the blonde girl sandwiched between them. "We've got to run for it."

"You guys go first," Hamilton offered, rummaging through his wallet and putting a few bills on the table. The last thing they needed was for the wait staff to think they were trying to scam a free meal. "I'll cover you if someone spots us. Whatever you do, don't stop and don't turn around until you get out of here. Especially you, Jake. If Ryder sees you like this, we�re doomed."

***

"Faye! Where the hell's my car?" Ryder demanded at the entrance of Caf� Valentino, grabbing his sister by the arm. "Hand 'em over."

Faye Archer turned, playing dumb. "What?"

"The keys," said Ryder impatiently.

"Come on, I only borrowed them," she whined. "I'll give them to you when we get back to Rawley. Scout and I need to get home, you know."

"I'll drive you two back," Ryder snapped. "Just gimme my keys, I don't want you driving my car."

"Ryder," she rolled her eyes skyward. "You're such a�"

"Read," he said warningly, using her former name, which made her pause. It wasn't often nowadays for him to call her by this name; and when he did, she�d found it best not to temper with his nerves.

"Fine," she said, fishing in her coat pocket and coming up with a set of keys. Holding the key ring in her right hand, she dangled them in front of his face. "Here."

Ryder pursed his lips and grabbed them, and the moment his fingers touched the keys was also the moment that Faye's left hand snaked around his side and deftly withdrew his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. Scout watched, fascinated by the speed and the fluidity of her movement. Ryder couldn't have felt a thing.

But he was wrong. Ryder didn't blink an eye after he seized the keys. "And the wallet," he said, holding out his other hand. Clearly, this wasn't the first time this kind of exchange happened between the siblings.

"Worth a shot," she grinned, handing the wallet back with a shrug. Ryder took it, a satisfied smirk emerging on the corner of his lips.

Scout watched with stupefied admiration, however, as Faye nimbly palmed a few bank notes that she pulled from the wallet at the nick of time. The cash slipped into her sleeve, where it lay concealed and unnoticed by Ryder, and she half-turned her head, winking at Scout, making sure that her brother didn't see.

He grinned back, darting an amused glance at Ryder, though his gaze suddenly wavered when he caught sight of a familiar figure semi-reflected in the restaurant�s glass door. He turned abruptly and saw, to his horror, Jake-Pratt-in-a-skirt sneaking out of the back door, with Hamilton cautiously following behind. Quickly, Scout looked back at Ryder and walked forward a couple of steps, trying to discreetly conceal the sight from the other boy.

Unfortunately that move seemed to have an adverse effect, as Ryder looked quizzically at him, catching sight of Hamilton, who�d just slipped out of the back door. "Is that Hammyboy over there?" he mused curiously, taking a step forward.

"Uh," Scout stuttered, blocking his way. "No� why do you care, anyway?"

"Just get out of my way, Calhoun," Ryder growled, still peering at the door, which was swinging shut. Behind him, Faye mouthed the word �dress� before she slipped off with a smile, oblivious.

"Uh�" Scout racked his brain for something that would buy the others time. "Ryder, why don't you just leave them alone?"

"Whatever," Ryder muttered, pushing past him without a second glance, striding quickly to the back door.

***

"Let's split," Will said as soon as the four of them made it to the safety of the outdoors. He turned to Jake and Hamilton. "You guys are okay getting back to Rawley?"

Jake and Hamilton nodded, and without another word the four went their separate ways, darting out of sight. The sun had begun to set over the treetops in the distance, leaving blazing red and orange imprints on the sky.

Part Two

*Opening credits and theme song*

Carson, outside Caf� Valentino

Jake and Hamilton stood and gaped.

"Oh, my god," Jake finally said, crouching down next to her bike and checking the tires frantically.

"Oh my god," Hamilton echoed, shaking his head in disbelief. "How is it?"

The tires were flaccid as hell. "Punctured," she spat out angrily. "There�s no way we can get back to Rawley on this. I'm gonna kill the bastard who�"

The back door to the restaurant clanged and they gave a start, ducking out of sight. And not a moment too soon, as they peered warily around a wall to see Ryder come out, look around and, seeing nothing, walk back into the restaurant. The door closed behind him.

Jake looked down at her clothes and glanced at Hamilton wearily. "Do you think Ryder did it?"

"I�ll put money on it," he said grimly. "But we better get out of here before he sees you in these clothes. Where are your guy clothes?"

"They're in my backpack," she said, before she clamped a hand to her mouth. "My backpack's still in there!" Swirling around, she took a few steps toward the restaurant before she stopped and looked back. "Do you think it's safe to go in there?"

"Maybe we�d better sneak around the front," he said. "They have glass doors. We can check if Ryder's still in there."

"Bella and Will are gone," she groaned as they made their careful away around the building, fading into the shadows. "I'm stuck in this outfit while Ryder's still in town, and we have no way of getting out of here. Could our situation get any worse?"

They disappeared around the side of the restaurant, and a thickset boy emerged from behind a nearby corner, the look on his face akin to that of someone who�d just won a jackpot lottery.

"Oh, I think it could," murmured Kevin Bryant. "Jake."

***

Scout watched as Ryder barged through the back door, and could do nothing except stand there and cross his fingers. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the corner of a backpack poking out from under a table. Curious, he walked closer.

The label read 'J Pratt'. His eyes widened as he picked the bag up and took a quick peek inside, not surprised to see various items of boy clothing as well as a starched white corset thing which looked very uncomfortable. "She�ll be needing his," he murmured with a good-natured smirk, slipping on the backpack and heading out the back door. He ran into Ryder, who was on his way in, and the two exchanged an unpleasant look on passing.

The door closed behind Scout, leaving Ryder standing in the middle of the restaurant, thrown. Hamilton was nowhere in sight, and whatever it was that Scout had tried to shield from him was gone from close proximity. Sighing in frustration, he walked out the front doors, wondering where Kevin and his sister had disappeared to.

Jake and Hamilton skidded around the corner and shrank into the shadows just as Ryder came out. Once he disappeared in the direction of Main Street, they dashed inside the restaurant and dove under their table. The bag was nowhere to be found. "This is bad," Hamilton muttered. "God, I hope Scout found your bag. Your binder is in there, isn�t it? If Ryder sees that�"

"You�re not helping, Hamilton," she snapped, shooting him an irritated look. Disregarding the curious gazes of the other diners, who were by now utterly amused and confounded by the barrage of coming-and-going people, she banged her fist on the table. "Now what are we gonna do?"

"It's no big deal, Jake," he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder, trying to sound positive. "We'll take the bus back to Rawley. We just need to make sure that Ryder doesn't see you dressed like this on the way." He didn't add that Ryder may well have figured out her charade already, but the thought didn�t exactly bear vocalising. For a moment his eyes darkened with that possibility, and he bit down on his lip, trying not to think about it too hard.

"There's a bus that goes to New Rawley?" she asked as they headed out of the restaurant, ignoring the disgruntled Maitre D� who was heading their way.

"The route opened right before fall semester started," he replied. "Come on, damage control, let's go get you some guy clothes."

***

The truck cruised over the highway, headlights carving a bright path out of the gradual darkness that fell all around them. Will, in the passenger�s seat, glanced at Bella, who was staring straight ahead with both hands clamped tightly on the wheel. "That was too close for comfort," he remarked.

The wind carried a stinging chill even though they were dressed warmly for the weather. She shivered and rolled her window up. "Yeah."

"I mean, I'm gonna tell Scout and Sean. I will. Soon. Just� not now," he murmured. "I don't think they can handle it now, especially if they find out by mistake."

"Yeah," she said curtly, keeping her eyes on the road.

He was silent for a moment before he asked, his voice apprehensive. "Bella, are you mad at me?"

She shrugged, her gaze trained firmly on the highway. "No."

"No," he repeated, his tone one of disbelief. "Then why are you semi-ignoring me?"

"I'm not," she replied, another short answer that clearly carried more than what it presented at face value.

"Are you sure?" he asked again, growing exasperated.

"Nothing is bothering me, Will," she said slowly, stressing every single syllable, her voice taking on an edge.

He sighed and decided to shut up, turning to watch the scenery rush by, a confusion of foliage and dusk. Bella's driving was bordering on abnormally fast, and he chewed on his lower lip, stung by her stony front.

It was all very well for Jake to raise a toast to truth in a little restaurant in Carson, but when it came down to it, nothing changed. The hiding was incessant for people in their situation, and it was eating him up from the inside, like some black carcinogen, a disease that did not stop until it devoured all that was pure and good from this relationship until all that was left was the never-ending secrecy and bitterness.

"We've got to talk about this," he began, thinking of Scout and Sean and everything that was bound to happen, sooner or later. "When are we gonna tell them? I keep trying to wait for some sort of a good time, but it just doesn't seem to�"

Abruptly, she pulled the truck to the side of the road and turned off the ignition. He glanced at her, surprised; and she turned to him, eyes blazing. "God, Will, can you just shut up?"

He looked back at her, stung. But she jumped in before he could say anything. "I can't stand how you're just psycho-analysing this," she fumed, clenching her fist as the words escaped her. "Just� what are you trying to do? Pick a time where they won't feel betrayed and hurt by what we've done? Are you aware that�s not even an option? They're gonna get hurt, no matter what, don't you understand? You have no way around it!"

"I'm�" he stammered, "I'm just trying to make this easier�"

"Easier than what? Easier on who?" she shook her head and looked away, blinking. "I'm not blaming you, Will, I just don't see the point of you trying to soften the blow. Nothing will do it for them. We've laid ourselves on fire now and there's nothing else we could do."

"I'm so tired of it," he murmured, leaning back in his seat and looking up into the sky, where traces of the sunset still remained. "I hate hiding. I hate everything about this."

"Why do you always do this?" she looked at him, her voice strained and bitter. "You're so wrapped up in your guilt that you never see us for who we are anymore. God, do you know I always wonder if you regret that there ever was an us? You certainly seem to think so."

He stared at her, watching the last rays of the sun tint her hair with a misty orange glow. "How could you say that?" he demanded. "Bella, how could you even say this to me? After everything we�ve been through?"

"Because it's true!" she cried, thumping a fist down on the steering wheel before she looked away again, pressing a hand over her mouth as though trying to hold back sobs.

***
Dress shop, Carson

The saleslady bagged the beautiful black dress Faye had been eyeing up earlier, and Faye paid with the cash she took from Ryder�s wallet, smiling to herself. Just as she was about to leave, the door opened and she saw a couple walk in. The girl was lean with short dark hair, pretty in an androgynous kind of way. And the guy� Faye raised an appraising eyebrow, fighting back another smile. Now that was eye candy.

She didn't dwell on it, however, except to give the guy a slow once-over as they walked past. The girl was looking agitated and he seemed to be comforting her as best as he could. �Nice,� Faye murmured to herself as she headed out the door, throwing another glance over her shoulder.

Jake and Hamilton didn't even notice. They headed straight for the menswear section and hurriedly pulled a few things off the racks, not exactly dwelling on Jake dressing to impress anyone. Halfway through their rush she suddenly clapped a hand to her forehead. "My binder's in my bag! God, I had to get that thing custom-made�"

He turned, but before he said anything, spotted Ryder through the plate glass windows, walking past the shop with Kevin in tow. By reflex Hamilton grabbed Jake and they dove behind a rack full of clothes, peering out through the gaps.

"Where were you?" demanded Ryder as he walked past the dress shop. The light from the store window shone on his features, casting harsh shadows about his profile.

"Having some fun," Kevin smirked, looking very secretive.

"What�s going on with you?" Ryder asked irritably. "You look like you�ve just had the canary and the cream."

Kevin merely grinned again and spread his hands. There was no way Ryder could get hot information like Jake�s identity out of him that easily.

Ryder was in any case distracted as he saw his sister come out of the shop, swinging a shopping bag idly in her hand. "Faye!" he called, running forward. "Where are you going?"

"Actually, I was hoping that I'd be able to get a ride with you," she said, sticking a couple of bills in his shirt pocket and patting it for good measure. "Thanks," she absently kissed the air a couple of inches from his cheek. "You're the best. Keep the change."

Ryder looked down at the cash in his pocket and frowned as realisation sank in. "How much did you spend?"

"Nothing that you can't afford," she replied lightly, striding on ahead of him. "And it�s not like you had to work hard for your monthly allowance. Come on, the car's this way."

Ryder motioned for Kevin to follow them, but the other boy declined. "Hey man," he said, "I have to drive my own car back to Rawley, okay? I see you when we get back." Ryder nodded his acknowledgement and Kevin cocked his head, watching the siblings stride away toward Main Street, eyeing Faye's trim figure appreciatively.

He stepped away from the light, satisfied with the knowledge that the day brought, and decided that it was time to go home and plan his next move. However, at that moment he saw Scout run around the corner and, spotting Hamilton and Jake come out of their hiding place behind the clothing racks, waved his arms like a madman outside the window.

Kevin watched, amused, as Jake and Hamilton dashed out, stopping warily at the door of the shop to glance around. Kevin pressed himself against the wall and merged into the darkness.

Satisfied that no one seemed to be within sight, Jake pounced on Scout. "Calhoun, you're the best!" she exclaimed as she wrestled the backpack away from the other boy.

Hamilton followed with a hearty punch to Scout's shoulder. "Thanks, man, we were worried that Ryder had found it."

Scout smiled through a grimace, massaging the arm that Hamilton hit just a little too enthusiastically. "I take it that everything's fine?"

"Thanks to you," Jake grinned at him. "Come on, I've got to get changed, and then let's all get the hell out of here."

"Thank god," Hamilton muttered as they headed down the road. "I�m never coming to Carson again�"

Unbeknownst to them, Kevin followed, slipping between the shadows of nearby buildings, still smiling.

Part Three

"Why are you so scared all the time, Will?" Bella shouted, her hands balled up into fists. The truck was still parked on the side of the road, and darkness had fallen around them, not that she noticed. "I hate it! I hate how we have to hide all the time! You act like there's no escape�"

"There is no escape," he answered, his own voice rising. "We either come clean to Scout and Sean or we don't, there's no halfway. What do you expect me to do? What do you want?"

She covered her face with shaking hands. "I don't know," she muttered, sounding as though she was on the verge of tears. "I can't take it any better than you can. I don't even know what I want anymore. "

He looked at her, melancholy settling over his face. "Well, what about me? Do you still want me?"

She turned and looked him in the eye, her lower lip trembling. For a while they stayed there, unmoving, silent, reading only desperation from the other's gaze.

Their eyes may have spoken much more than words could have allowed, but he couldn't help noticing that she didn't answer his question. Not out loud.

Finally she sighed and turned the ignition back on. "Come on," she said, pulling out onto the road. "It�s late and we�re both tired. Let's just go home."

***
Carson

Kevin watched the public restrooms from a distance. Scout and Hamilton hung around the ladies� bathroom, trying to look casual. Jake had gone in a few minutes ago, probably frantically changing into her guy clothes while her boy-guards stood watch outside.

It was a strange thing, suddenly finding out the issue that triggered all his homophobic activity was nonexistent all along. True, he had never thought of Jake as a man of sorts � the very idea seemed laughable � but he had never thought that Jake could have been an actual girl. The fact certainly explained a lot.

He had hated Jake and Hamilton on sight, seeing how much open affection they had for each other, without any semblance of shame, and he resolved to make their lives miserable on that account. He hated them so much that he was willing to risk himself just to kick Hamilton's ass, and that he had accomplished, although he hadn�t counted on Ryder coming along as part of the deal.

Ryder had blackmailed him into a lot of things, which he realised now to be rather stupid on his part. Immediately after camp the whole school was abuzz with the news of Hamilton's thrashing, and though Kevin didn�t admit it, he got scared. He didn't know that such an uproar would be evoked, he didn't know that so many people thought differently of the couple than he did, and the very fact was unsettling. Ryder had found him at the time when he was most susceptible to influence, and managed to wreck his uneasy fa�ade with a few insouciant words in his ear. Words that shouldn't have had any effect on Kevin normally, but under those extraordinary circumstances, he fell victim to panic and desperation. He turned to Ryder for help and guidance, swearing him to secrecy� with a price, of course. Ryder Forrest ran a hard bargain.

He resented what Ryder did to him, and he resented his own stupidity, but most of all he resented Hamilton and Jake, for it was them who had landed him in this predicament in the first place. Whether Jake was a guy was now, simply put, beside the point. Kevin was out for blood.

The difference now, of course, was that he had an advantage over the little 'gay' couple. He smirked with anticipation, tasting the sweetness of victory in the back of his throat. This was it: the trump card. Something that would undoubtedly knock dead anything they might've ever had on him, or ever would.

His smile widened when he saw Jake, back in her boy disguise, slip quietly out of the ladies� bathroom. Hamilton and Scout greeted her and they set off, heading toward the bus stop in the centre of town. It was time to go home.

***

The Corvette sped along the road, taking the Forrest siblings back to Rawley. The night wrapped itself around Ryder like soft dark fingers unfurling as he exhaled another lungful of smoke. "How's mother?" he asked, glancing at Faye.

"New boy toy on the cards," she shrugged. "I didn't want to hang around to witness the disgusting display of middle-age lust, so I left."

He chuckled. There was a pause, and he cleared his throat. "I missed you, you know."

"Yeah, me too," she replied. "We're gonna have fun, don�t you think? Nightmare team reunited. Although I guess we can�t say the team�s really reunited unless�"

She trailed off, darting a quick look at him. "He�s going to school not far from here, you know," she said quietly, apropos of nothing, her tone uncertain.

"Don�t go there," he said, staring straight ahead, and his voice was suddenly stony.

She nodded and seemed to slip out of her temporary melancholy. "So," she said, mischievous once more. "Anyone you'd particularly like to see publicly humiliated? I could do a couple of those right about now. I've only been here half a day and I'm already bored out of my mind."

"No one I have in mind just yet, but thanks for the offer," he said with a small smile. They passed a parked police car, and he frowned as he saw it turn on its flashing blue and red lights. Glancing over at Faye, he pulled up smoothly onto the side of the road. In the side view mirror he could see a policeman emerge from the patrol car, a clipboard in hand.

"God, what is it now?" Ryder muttered under his breath before he affixed a charming smile onto his face and raised his voice. "Good evening sir, what can I do for you?"

Faye rolled her eyes and coughed, which sounded uncannily like �kiss ass�.

"Licence, please," the constable said, bending down to double-check the number plate.

Ryder handed his driver�s licence over. The constable scrutinised it. "Gregor Ryder Forrest," he read, before he shot a cold glare in the boy�s direction. "I don't know if you remember, but this afternoon, this same car was clocked passing me at a speed that was practically off the monitor."

"What?" Ryder exclaimed, whirling angrily on Faye. She shrugged sheepishly.

The policeman was already scribbling out a ticket. "I think it's pretty lucky for me to run into you on your way back from wherever you were in such a hurry to get to, isn't it?" he said, not looking as though he expected an answer. "I should really take you off your license straight away, but let this serve as a warning and don�t think I�m not gonna run you through the system when I get back�"

"Sir, you don't understand," Ryder stuttered. "It wasn't me�"

"I don't want to hear it," the other man retorted crisply, shoving the ticket in Ryder�s face before stalking off. "If you have any problems, you can call the number on there and bring it up with the department."

Ryder looked at the 3-digit figure on the ticket and gritted his teeth. Faye leaned over for a peek. "Hey," she said nonchalantly. "That's the same price as my dress."

"Bleeding hell, woman!" Ryder exploded. "You just lost me nearly a grand in a day! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You know that�s what I do," she said flippantly. "You know all about it, big brother. Never bothered you before."

"Yeah, when I was twelve!" he shouted. "Look, you can�t still act like that! It�s one thing to be just irresponsible, but to�"

"Point taken, point taken," she interrupted, holding up her hands. "I'm gone."

"What?" he demanded, completely thrown.

She was already jumping out of the car. "Hey, I'm not gonna sit there and let you talk my ear full for the rest of the trip home, I'll catch the bus." She pointed to a place not far up the road, where a bus stop was in clear view.

"What the hell are you blathering on about?" he yelled. "Do you actually enjoy pissing me off? It's dark, I'm not in a mood to argue, get back in the car."

"Of course I enjoy pissing you off," she said as she walked toward the bus stop. "Or was that a rhetorical question? And no. Listening to you rant on about me costing you every penny you've got? No thanks."

"Just get back in the bloody car!" he shouted. "Or I'm just gonna drive off, I'm serious, Faye, I've had it with you today!"

She spread her hands. "Go. I'm taking the bus."

"Fine," he spat out. "You know what? Fine. You�ve really crossed a line today, Read. I hope you�re happy with yourself!"

The engine revved, and he was gone in a cloud of exhaust smoke. Left in the darkness behind the rapidly disappearing taillights, Faye shrugged and continued walking.

***
New Rawley, Main Street

The truck pulled up beside the gas station and Will jumped out before it even came to a complete stop. On the other side, Bella got out and leaned against the door, her eyes dull. "I'll drive you back," she said.

He shook his head and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'll walk."

"Okay," she agreed, and for a moment they stood there silently, avoiding each other�s eyes. "I'll see ya when I see ya," she finally said, lowering her head.

"Yeah," he said quietly and turned to go. He only took a few steps before he turned again, looking over his shoulder. She was watching him. He swallowed and looked away again. "Good night, Bella," he whispered.

"Night," she replied, her eyes filling with tears as she watched him walk down Main Street, toward the majestic grey buildings in the distance.

***

The bus to New Rawley rattled along the highway, dimly lit from the inside. There weren�t many people on board, and Scout, Jake and Hamilton were able to have the entire back section of the bus to themselves. "You guys have a good time in Carson?" asked Scout, looking out the window.

"Yeah," Jake smiled. "Despite everything, I think we kinda did."

"Why were you there?" Hamilton asked curiously. "Who was that girl with you?"

Scout smiled as the bus pulled up at a roadside stop. "Faye? She's, uh� quite a character. She's also Ryder's sister."

"Ryder's sister?" Jake and Hamilton exclaimed in unison. "She's going to Rawley?" Jake added, looking a little apprehensive.

"I am now," Faye, who had just gotten on the bus, answered with an amused expression as she walked up. She grinned at Scout by way of greeting and studied Hamilton and Jake with interest. "I saw you two in Carson," she said, looking Jake up and down, taking in the baggy cargo pants and Rawley sweatshirt.

"Oh?" Jake answered, slightly uncomfortable with her piercing violet gaze.

"You were a girl," Faye replied matter-of-factly. "And now you seem to be a boy."

Jake stared at the other girl, blanching. Scout and Hamilton did the same. Faye didn't seem to notice as she set her bags at her feet and flopped down on the seat next to Scout, stretching out her legs. "It�s been a long day," she sighed. "So, you guys all go to Rawley Boys�?"

"Um, yeah�" Hamilton replied slowly, still thrown by her idle demeanour.

Faye nodded, extending a hand. "Faye Archer."

He shook it uncertainly. "Hamilton. Uh, Fleming."

"Ah, the Dean's famous gay son, " she chuckled, darting another glance at Jake. "So you must be Jake. And I'm guessing that Scout didn't tell me the whole truth when he said that you guys were out of the closet."

Not it was Scout�s turn to be stared at, and he grinned weakly. "Hey, I was just letting her catch up on the local gossip, since someone wasn't there to give the official tour. "

"Yeah," Faye laughed. "He's been feeding me so much crap about people in the school, I could write my own gossip column." Turning back to Jake, she studied the other girl with undisguised interest. "Though there wouldn't be that many people who know about you being a girl, right?"

Jake nodded, still apprehensive at the easygoing enquiry. "Only Hamilton, Scout, Will - another guy who goes to Rawley, a couple of friends in town, and now there's you, I suppose."

"Wow," Faye looked impressed. "How long have you been doing this?"

Jake looked to Hamilton for confirmation. "Uh� A few months?"

"Get out," Faye murmured, shaking her head in amazement. "You must be one hell of an actress. Man, I could never keep something up for that long. Especially something as big as this." She gestured at Jake's clothes. "How do you do it?"

"It gets easier," Jake said guardedly. But it was true, at the same time. This appearance grew less and less like a fa�ade and more a part of her inner psyche every day, a development difficult to verbalise but easy to feel. "Should I be worried?" she asked lightly, trying to sound as though she didn�t care what the other girl would say. "That I�m comfortable with it? All-boys school, gay guy status? You don�t think it�s� freaky?"

"Hey, to each his own," Faye shrugged, lifting her arms above her head for a long, luxurious stretch. "You do what you have to do, you know. And if this makes you happy, then it should be cool, right?"

Jake smiled and glanced at Hamilton. He smiled back, tentatively, planting a small kiss on her temple.

Part Four

Rawley Academy

�So I was like, get out of here, it�s my tree house,� Faye recounted vigorously as they walked back toward the dorms. �And I kicked him, and he fell out of the tree, shrieking all the way down, and broke his wrist.�

The others laughed. �I can�t believe you�re talking about Ryder,� Jake chuckled, obviously having difficulties in picturing Ryder climbing trees, having fun not at others� expenses, and generally getting his ass kicked by his sister.

Faye sighed. �Yeah, me neither. He�s changed over the past few years.�

Hamilton looked doubtful. Having been the butt of many a cruel joke and snippy little quip, he was in no position to conceive the image of Ryder as being nice. �What was he like?� he asked. �You know, when he was younger?�

Faye shrugged. �A lot like me, I�d say. I mean, we�d still get into mischief; that part runs in the family. But� I dunno� with him, it�s like it�s not all in fun anymore.�

The others exchanged knowing looks. �Yeah, I�d say so,� Scout said.

�I should�ve convinced my mother to take his custody after the divorce,� she sighed. �Living with my father� well, let�s just say no kid should ever be forced to do that.�

The others waited for her to go on, but she remained silent until they reached the edge of the lake, where the winding path split in two. �Well, here�s where I get off,� she said, looking over at the lights of the girls� dormitory.

�I�ll walk you over,� Scout offered.

�Nah, it�s cool,� she shook her head with a smile. �I think I need a bit of time alone anyway. Um� I guess I�ll see you guys later.�

She waved at them and set off down the track. �Faye,� Jake called after her, chewing on her lower lip.

�Don�t worry,� the other girl turned and grinned knowingly. �Your secret�s safe with me.�

Jake smiled and watched with the others as Faye disappeared into the night, shopping bags swinging in hand.

***
The gas station

Bella sat outside the shop, breathing in the chilly air and feeling the November night crawl along her skin, dark and alien, like a series of shivers running up the back of her neck in quick succession. She sat half obscured in shadow, not really caring that her cheeks were apple-red with the cold or that her toes were numb. All she wanted to do was to sit there, just sitting there, not doing anything at all.

Now that Will had left, she was finally able to look at herself and her life from an objective, uncluttered angle, and she wasn�t surprised to see what a mess it was.

She had thought, at the Halloween Ball, that things were going to get better after he had declared his feelings. Why wouldn�t it? Love was what made the world go round, right? Now, she wasn�t so sure. The full extent of the pressure that he felt had hit her at full force, making her stagger under the strain.

The guilt was incessant. Every time she saw Scout or Sean amble down the street, she would feel sick to her stomach. The thought of them finding out the truth was so unbearable that she tried shutting that scenario out from her brain altogether, and though she could force herself to not think about the looks that they might have on their faces or the angry words they might utter, she couldn�t stop the feeling of dread that bubbled up in her chest. It was a hollow black anxiety that kept her awake at night and made her break out in a cold sweat without rhyme or reason during the day. She�d be checking the gas pumps or sitting in her afternoon algebra class and for a few moments she�d blissfully forget why there seemed to be a perpetual twist in her stomach, but then she�d remember.

And then there was the everlasting hiding. Wherever they went, there were people watching, listening, seeing what they were not supposed to see. At the best of times it turned out to be people like Jake and Hamilton. They, at least, knew what it was like. But the incident in the restaurant in Carson was too close for comfort.

It was one thing to have a relationship that was in the dark, like Jake and Hamilton�s in the beginning; but it was a whole other thing to have a relationship that was not manifesting at all. There were no places that they could feel safe in, no environment where they could feel relaxed enough to be who they really felt they were as a couple. The suppression was killing them slowly, and they both knew it. At that moment she wasn�t even sure if they had a relationship that was left standing. What sort of relationship was it anyway? Something that hovered between innocent friendship and forbidden love, something that was rock-solid when it was pure and simple and began to crumble as soon as it slid past the point that marked the ending of what was platonic, until it was nothing but a heap of rubble, of love and deceit and betrayal?

She hated the fact that she could see the situation so clearly. Because it certainly didn�t make anything easier. She loved him, and that was what messed everything up. Everything that she saw screamed at her to walk away from this relationship, yet she remained.

She was too preoccupied to notice Sean approaching from around the corner, and his brows furrowed at the sadness that was so evident in her expression. �What�s wrong, Bella?� he asked, walking up with a slight frown.

She looked up and gave a tiny gasp of surprise. �Oh, you startled me.�

�Sorry.� He sat down next to her, �Is something wrong?�

She tried to smile and shook her head. �No. Why should anything be wrong?�

�Well,� he replied lightly. �The fact that you�re sitting out here freezing yourself to death is a good clue.�

She shrugged, lowering her eyes and pressing a hand to her cold cheek.

�Anything you�d like to talk about?� he coaxed gently. �I can listen and just be a friend, you know.�

She shook her head and smiled a little at the irony of the comment. �It�s okay,� she said, standing up. �Look, Sean, I don�t mean to be rude, but I�m kinda tired now and think I should go and lie down for a while. I�ll talk to you later, all right?�

�Sure,� he replied, getting to his feet and trying not to let the dejection show in his voice. She had only taken a few steps before he burst out, much to his own surprise, �You�re not gonna choose me, are you?�

She turned and stared at him, horrified that he would bring this up now, apprehensive at how many secrets she could expect herself to keep. �What?� she asked quietly, hoping to delay the inevitable conversation.

He shook his head, embarrassed. �I just get the feeling that�� he shuffled his feet. �Never mind. I�ll see you later.�

�Sean!� she said, feeling an icy fear grip her stomach. �What do you mean by that?�

�I guess I just feel discouraged, that�s all,� he said slowly, looking startled by her intensity. �It�s been - what? A couple of months? And you still haven�t gotten any closer to a decision. I�m just�� He trailed off, smiling self-consciously. �Don�t worry, it�s cool, I mean, take your time, whatever. I�ll be here.�

She continued to stare. �Wh� what if� Sean, what if I��

�What if you what?� he murmured. �Bella, look, if you�ve decided to be with him, just give it to me straight. I can handle it.�

�I haven�t,� she whispered. �God, I feel so guilty.�

He stepped forward and touched her on the shoulder. �Don�t be guilty, Bella, me and Scout wanted this, so it�s not you who should be guilty, it�s us��

She looked up at him, the expression in her eyes unreadable. �I am guilty,� she repeated, her tone one of weariness and defeat.

�You shouldn�t be guilty,� he said again. �You haven�t done anything wrong.�

She didn�t answer, and she didn�t look at him either. �Good night, Sean,� she said, and with that she turned and trudged back into the shop, not waiting for a reply.

He stared as the door closed behind her, cramming his hands into his pockets. This Bella was so different to the one that he and Scout had fallen in love with. She was no longer bright and beautiful and full of spark, but despondent and weary, an aura of dull misery surrounding her so thickly that he felt he could no longer recognise her for who she was.

�What have we done?� he murmured, turning away.

***
Rawley Boys� Academy, dorms

The digital clock on Jake�s bedside table read 11:45pm, time to hit the showers. Initially she didn�t like the fact that she was forced to shower late at night or unnaturally early in the morning, in order to minimise her chances of being seen, but it was an unavoidable task and she had gotten used to it. It was Saturday night, and although guys were still running around the place, she knew from experience that the action was pretty much focused around the common room, which was a fair way from the showers.

Anyway, she thought with amusement as she got up from her computer desk, she had pretty much perfected the art of two-minute showers. There was a definite plus to wash-and-go hair. Thinking of her hair, she glanced in the mirror. It was getting a little longer than usual, perhaps she should go into town and make an appointment with Will�s mother.

Then again, she had quite liked the floppy hairstyle that she sported. It was her initial preference when she came to Rawley, and it was only due to her paranoia at being found out that she decided to get it shorn off. Now that her gender, albeit gay, was firmly established at Rawley, perhaps she could afford to take a few more liberties with her appearance.

Hamilton, who was fiddling around with his camera, looked up from his side of the room. �Shower?� he asked, having long been accustomed to her midnight escapades.

She nodded and grabbed her toiletries bag, heading out the door. �See ya,� she said, looking over her shoulder with a smile as he went back to prodding the zoom lens.

Wandering down the halls, she noted with satisfaction that the sound of laughter coming from the common room was muted, indicating that not many people were there. She walked into the shared bathroom, finding it deserted as she�d expected.

Still, she checked thoroughly for any sign of human activity around the area. After the embarrassing run-in with Finn in the summer, she had become extra careful about concealing herself. There was just too much at stake if she was to be found out now.

Humming softly to herself, she pulled her Rawley sweatshirt over her head and took off her tank top, leaving the binder on while she poked her head into the shower cubicle to turn on the tap. When she pulled back and turned around, she uttered a short scream of surprise.

Kevin Bryant leaned casually against the doorframe, looking at her.

Too stunned to speak, she instinctively wrapped her arms across her chest and stared at the other boy, who was observing her with the utmost interest, and seemed like he was at no hurry to speak.

"Well, well," he finally said, gazing pointedly at her chest, the binder, and the bra straps that stretched out over her shoulders. "Pratt," he paused, a smirk surfacing to the corner of his mouth. "In� the� flesh."

"No," she murmured, choking on her words. "No, no�"

"I beg to differ," he said lightly, moving toward her. She took a step back, pressing her spine against the cubicle wall, and with shaking arms tried to conceal as much of herself as possible. The cold metal on her back was an icy jolt and she could feel all the fine hairs along her arms and neck stand on end, from the shock, or else fear.

"This is certainly a pleasant surprise," he said, coming closer yet. "Spices things up, doesn't it?" Pulling a cigarette out of his pocket, he stuck it in his mouth and lit it with a silver lighter identical to that of Ryder�s. He inhaled and then blew the smoke in Jake's face, the way Ryder did to him, not too long ago.

She turned away, but couldn�t help coughing as the smoke assaulted her nostrils, her eyes beginning to water. Though she tried to convince herself that this was all a bad dream, the overhead fluorescent lights still shone a little too harshly, the steel of the shower cubicle a little too chill, and the smoke still hung in the air, thick and acrid and suffocating.

"It's funny," he hissed, "how the reason why I beat up Hamilton is nonexistent all of a sudden. His little boyfriend is actually his little girlfriend in disguise. Finn would probably like this; it�s all kinda� Shakespearean, isn�t it?"

She stared at him, trying to stop her teeth from clattering. From the cold or from something else, she couldn�t tell the difference.

"A girl, who would've thought?" he mused as he raised his hand, touching her upper arm.

With a sudden burst of movement she shoved him away. "Don't touch me," she whispered through gritted teeth.

He chuckled, not the least bit taken aback. "Feisty! I like that in a woman."

She folded her arms over her chest once more, hating that fact that she couldn�t stop trembling. "What do you want?" she asked, and even as those words fell from her lips, she knew that no matter what his answer was, it would spell the end of her happy days at Rawley.

He looked as though he was taking time to deliberate, blocking the doorway as he thought. "I wanna make you and Fleming miserable," he said finally.

"But why?" she whispered. "Why us?"

His lips curved up in a slow smile. "Cos it's fun."

She stared at him. "So what are you gonna do? Tell the Dean? Get me kicked out?"

"Now that's the most un-fun thing I've ever heard of," he pretended to yawn and peered at her. "I think I'm already making you miserable, aren't I?"

She didn't answer, but the fact that she was compulsively hugging herself, semi-naked and pressed into a wall of a shower cubicle, was answer enough. Kevin's eyes lingered on her, half appreciative and half contemptuous, making her want to drop her gaze, but she stared back, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her defeated in any way.

"This is going to be interesting," he finally smiled, stepping out of the bathroom, leaving the door to swing shut behind him.

Numbly, Jake slowly slid down the cubicle wall and sat on the cold linoleum floor, hugging her knees to her chest.

***
Will and Scout's room

"She's the strangest girl," summarised Scout as he lay on his bed, staring into the darkness.

Will didn't respond.

"Earth to Will!" Scout called softly. "Hey man, you still awake?"

"Huh?" Will snapped out of his daze over on the other bed. "What? Yeah, you were talking about Ryder?"

Scout rolled his eyes. "Ryder's sister, Will, his sister. The klepto chick. Have you been listening to me at all?"

"Sorry, man," Will's voice drifted over with an air of apology. "I've just had a rough day, and it's kinda hard for me to concentrate right now."

"You think?" Scout replied sarcastically. After a pause, he asked, his tone gentler. "So is everything all right with Bella?"

"What?" This time Will's answer came fast, anxiety evident in his tone. "What do you mean?"

Scout raised an eyebrow in the dark. "You know, the studying. You spent the entire day tutoring her. Did you have a rough time?"

"Yeah," Will's voice came after a pause. "We ran into some problems."

"But it's okay, right?" Scout asked. "I mean, she's got a shot at the scholarship?"

There was another pause before Will replied, his voice quiet.

"I hope so."

***
Jake and Hamilton's room

*Sarah McLachlan's 'Witness' plays*

Hamilton looked up when Jake slowly opened the door to their room. Her shower was lengthy tonight, but she hadn't been gone that long and he figured that he shouldn't worry. But when he saw the expression on her face, he drew in a sharp breath, getting up from his bed. "What's wrong?" he demanded, seeing her close the door behind her and lock it, moving as though she was immersed in water, slow and languid, like she was drugged.

She turned to look at him and blinked, and it seemed that she had to work hard to even place him in focus. "God, Jake, what happened to you?" he asked as he strode toward her, noting with alarm that there were traces of tears in her eyes. Jake wasn't the type of girl to cry in defeat, preferring to battle everything out in force. And yet, there she was, tearful and expressionless.

"He knows," she whispered, not meeting his eyes.

Will we burn in heaven
like we do down here
Will the change come while we're waiting
Everyone is waiting

"Who knows?" he demanded, feeling a bubble of panic growing in his chest. "Who knows what?"

"He knows," she merely repeated, blinking.

"Jake, look at me," he cupped her face in his hands and tried to stare into her eyes. Her gaze wavered, meeting his for a second before it flickered away. He shook his head, a thousand horrible possibilities running through his mind. "Come here," he whispered, leading her to the bed and guiding her to sit down with him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Now, tell me what's wrong. What happened? Who knows?"

Is misery made beautiful
Right before our eyes
Mercy be revealed
Or blind us where we stand

She was silent for a few moments. Then she spoke, her voice hollow. "Kevin. The guy who� at camp� He knows that I'm�"

"A girl?" he finished for her, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach.

She nodded, her lower lip trembling.

"Oh, Jake," he whispered, stunned.

Part Five

Main Street

It was morning again, a time of new beginnings, as Will liked to think of it. He walked briskly toward the gas station, showered in the early sunlight, wondering what he was going to say when he saw Bella.

She was outside the shop, wiping down the windshield of the truck, a mug of steaming coffee sitting by the gas pumps. As he walked closer, his footsteps unwittingly slowed down, letting him take the sight in before she noticed. She was dressed in a white sweater and faded jeans, sweet pastel colours which he found surprising, considering that she was out doing garage work. Her hair was held up with a clip, a cascade of gold-blonde falling neatly past the back of her neck, the sun shining from behind her like a liquid halo. And as he stared at her, the innocence there, the purity, he couldn�t quite believe that yesterday he was thinking of giving all of this up. Giving her up. As though that was even an option.

She stirred under his scrutiny, glancing his way. For a moment there was uncertainty in her eyes as their gazes locked, a hint of apprehension, before she tossed down the towel and straightened, waiting silently for him to reach her.

When he approached the gas station, he took her by the hand wordlessly and led her away from the truck, pulling her toward him. She bit her lower lip and hesitated before she leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing softly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and they stood there for a moment, immobile in the sunlight.

She pulled back, just enough for her to look into his eyes and kiss him, gently, like a flutter of gossamer wings.

"I'm sorry," they whispered in unison, with identical, wistful smiles.

And that was all that needed to be said.

***
Rawley Academy

Jake and Hamilton sat out on the lawns, having spent a sleepless night, too tired to think straight and too choked with worry to rest. Shielding his eyes with one hand, Hamilton looked up at the sky, right into the heart of the glowing sun, as though he wanted to blind himself. Jake noticed, and she pulled him toward her, biting down hard on her lip. With a weary sigh he rested his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes tightly.

"Morning!" called Faye, bounding over from the path with a cheerful grin.

The couple looked up slowly, barely registering that she was speaking to them. After a noticeable lull Hamilton finally responded. "Uh� hi, Faye."

"Whoa, don't get too excited," she teased lightly. "What�s up?"

The two remained silent.

"All right, what's the deal?" Faye asked, taking a seat on the ground opposite the couple, paying no attention to the possibility that they might want to be alone. She scrutinised them carefully, the rumpled clothing from the day before, the dark circles around their eyes.

"I'm sorry, Faye," Jake shook her head. "But we don't really feel like talking to anyone right now."

"Problems are meant to be shared," Faye replied. "So come on, spill, maybe I can help."

"No one can help us," Jake murmured. "It's too late for that."

There was a pause, and Faye looked at her knowingly. "Someone's found out about you, haven't they?" she asked, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "What are they doing? Blackmailing you or something? Who is it?"

"Can you just� leave us alone?" Hamilton said guardedly. Aside from being an almost complete stranger, she was also Ryder�s sister to boot, which didn�t exactly boost his confidence in her character.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I will not leave you alone," she replied. "It's clear that you need help."

"Not from you!" he exploded suddenly, his pent-up frustration getting the better of him. "So stop sticking your nose in other people's business, this is not your problem!" A few passers-by turned their heads at the angry shouting, and he quickly lowered his voice, glowering. "It was probably all your brother's idea anyway!"

"Hamilton!" Jake admonished. There was no clear indication whether Ryder was at all involved in this, although what Kevin did, Ryder was surely likely to share�

To their surprise, Faye grinned. "Okay, now I have to hear this," she said, settling into a more comfortable position on the grass.

"You are so annoying!" Hamilton yelled in frustration. "Why can't you just�"

Jake silenced him with a hand on his arm. "Come on," she said softly. "We don't need new enemies now." She turned to Faye with a sigh. "I'm sorry. We�ve just� really screwed up."

Faye shrugged, impassive, but her eyes darted to and fro between the couple, a keen light shining from behind them.

"We don't know if your brother's involved," Jake continued, her voice tentative. "All I know is that his friend, Kevin, he knows. He kinda� made it clear last night."

Faye nodded. "That was the guy who drove Ryder to Carson. The tall one, right? What did he say to you?"

"That he's gonna make our lives miserable," Hamilton said, still glowering. "The jerk-off thinks it's fun."

Faye made a non-committal noise, still looking at both of them in turn. "This doesn't sound promising, you guys."

"I know," Jake agreed, chewing on her lip. "With this, he could do pretty much anything with us."

Faye didn't answer, and instead she looked up at the pale blue expanse of the late-fall sky, her brows furrowed.

Finn, taking a morning stroll, passed the trio. "Morning, people," he smiled, his gaze fastening on Faye. "You must be new. I'm Finn, no mister necessary; I'm an English teacher here."

"Faye Archer," she replied, shaking his hand.

"So you're Ryder's sister, I hear?" Finn asked, and smiled upon her affirming nod. "I hope you find your stay at Rawley enjoyable."

"Oh, I'm sure I will," she replied with a glint in her eye.

Finn grinned and turned to Jake and Hamilton, who looked uncharacteristically glum today. "Pretty quiet this morning, boys," he said. "Anything on your minds?"

Jake glanced at him briefly before shaking her head. Hamilton did the same. Finn raised an eyebrow, but did not press the subject, partly because he had just seen Kate Fleming cross the lawns. "Okay, I will see you both tomorrow in class," He said hurriedly, turning to Faye, "Pleased to meet you, Miss Archer."

"Likewise," Faye nodded, and the trio watched Finn dash off to intercept Hamilton's mother, exchanging a few words before they parted ways.

Hamilton watched with disinterest, but his mind was on much more pressing matters, which Faye evidently adopted as her own. "All right, so what are we going to do about this Kevin person?" she asked, rubbing her hands together, looking almost pleased at the prospect of a project.

Jake ignored her use of the first-person plural, clearing including herself into the bargain. "Maybe�" she said haltingly, "maybe if Hamilton and me just did what he told us to do�"

Hamilton stared at her, aghast. Appeasement? The Jake he knew did not take this kind of crap. Just how much was she willing to give up in order to stay at Rawley?

"He's gonna play you like mice in a maze until he gets bored, then he�ll go to the Dean to finish you off," Faye replied curtly. "Trust me, you're gonna be booted out of Rawley faster than you can say 'cross-dresser'. Avoiding the problem won�t make it go away. Why don�t you put up a fight? Take the battle to him! Look, the only way that you can remain at Rawley in your disguise would be to bring him down first."

"Easy for you to say," Hamilton muttered.

"Look, what other choices do you have?" Faye demanded. "You can either sit here and be puppets, or you can try to overcome the puppeteer. Which option sounds more appealing? You�ve already hit rock bottom; there�s nothing to lose."

Jake glanced at Hamilton, a small glimmer of hope flickering in her eyes, a hint of the old fire he remembered. He stared at her, trying to fathom her thoughts.

Together, they turned back to Faye, who was leisurely examining her nails. "So," Jake asked tentatively, "how do we, you know, exactly �overcome the puppeteer�?"

The other girl looked up, breaking into a smile. "Funny you should ask that," she said. "Because I've got a few ideas."

***
Rawley Boys Academy, common room

"You idiot!" Ryder hissed. "Why did you go puncturing Pratt's tire without asking me first? It's dangerous, someone could've seen you."

"But they didn't," Kevin replied placidly. "And they can't prove it's me, at any rate." He grinned, savouring the memory of Jake and Hamilton standing by the bike, their mouths hanging open. At the time he was too surprised with the discovery of Jake's true gender to revel, but it wasn't stopping him now.

"You idiot," Ryder said again, sighing as he leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes. "I told you, we've got to bide our time, you can't just toy with them whenever you like, you've got to watch yourself. This is not a free-for-all, you know, you've got to bring them down gradually, have a plan."

"That's what you think," Kevin retorted hotly. "I know more than you do, Forrest."

"Oh?" Ryder opened his eyes. "Do tell," he smirked. "I'm dying to hear what kind of startling revelations you can offer."

Kevin set his jaw. "Not a chance, Ryder. In fact, I've had it with you, it's time that I go have fun on my own, without you constantly dragging me down with all this talk."

"You think you can do better than me, Bryant? I'd like to see you try," Ryder�s lips curled up in a contemptuous smile. "Remember, though, we still have a dirty little secret between us. First-hand memoirs of a certain overnight camp would be of interest to the Dean, would it not?"

"Save it, Ryder," Kevin snorted as he got to his feet. "Go tell the Dean, go tell Finn, see if I care." With Hamilton�s little girlfriend�s very presence at Rawley hanging in the balance, he very much doubted that Hamilton would step up to back Ryder�s accusation. A small leer twisted across his features as he watched a flicker of surprise cross Ryder�s face.

"Fine," Ryder replied crisply. "I think I just might do that."

They glared at each other, the tense moment only interrupted by Faye when she sailed merrily through the doors and flopped down on the couch. "Hey guys," she grinned, giving Kevin a quick once-over.

"What are you doing here?" Ryder demanded.

"Dinner tonight with me," she said. "I hear there's a Friendly's in town, is it okay?"

He shrugged, lighting up again.

"Kevin, right?" Faye smiled at the other boy. "You wanna come? You�re invited too, you know."

"Sure," he answered readily, grinning.

"He�s not invited," Ryder interjected loudly.

"You're so rude, Ryder," Faye whacked her brother on the arm. "I'm inviting you both, so stop it." She turned to Kevin again, smiling apologetically. "Don't mind him, honestly. Okay, Friendly's tonight, is eight good for you?" Kevin nodded enthusiastically. She nodded, "All right, we�ll see you then."

Her phrase had a definite finality to it, which Kevin was � for once � quick to pick up on. "See you at eight," he beamed, walking out of the common room.

Once he was out of earshot Ryder turned to Faye with an expectant look on his face. "What do you want from him," he said matter-of-factly, "and why do you want it?"

Faye's perky front vanished as soon as Kevin made his exit. "He exists, doesn't he?" she replied distractedly. "I'm bored, need a little fun. He just happens to be here." She smirked. "You don't mind, do you? Looks like you were having a bit of a row when I came in."

"Be my guest," he said, rolling his eyes. "And have fun with it." As an afterthought he added, "So do you actually want me at dinner?"

"Nope," she said cheerfully as she stood up to leave. "But book a place somewhere soon, okay? We need to catch up."

"You're paying," he called after her. "Least that you can do after yesterday."

"Need I remind you," she turned with a small pout, "that you left your baby sister out by the highway, by herself, at night?"

His ears turned slightly pink at the tips. "Hey," he said softly, "I� uh. I was mad. I didn�t� mean�"

"Of course not," she said, her gaze softening. "And it�s not like I didn�t see you loitering around the girls� dorms when I got back."

"Well," he muttered, looking away, his blush growing even more pronounced. "I wasn�t waiting for you to show up."

"Of course not," she said again, laughing as she walked out. "You�re paying for dinner, as usual."

"As usual," he sighed in resignation.

***
Main Street

"It's an insane plan," Jake muttered as she hurried down the street with Hamilton, heading toward the diner. "He'll never fall for it."

"We don't lose anything by trying," he replied, though he too wore an expression of utter doubt.

"I just think it's too much to ask everyone to act out such a big scene," she continued as they walked into Friendly�s. "We'll never make it believable. Hey guys," she called to Will, Bella and Sean, who were sitting in their usual booth by the window.

The trio looked up expectantly. "All right," Will said, with a bemused grin. "We're here like you asked. Now will you tell us what's going on?"

Jake and Hamilton exchanged another glance before she sighed loudly, turning back to the others. "Guys," she began, sliding into the seat next to Bella. "We need to ask a really big favour."

***

A couple of hours later, Scout bounded up to the glass door of Friendly�s, holding it open for Faye, who thanked him and walked through. The diner was half full, and they saw the rest of the gang assembled around the counter, sharing identical quizzical looks. "Hi guys," Scout said, taking off his jacket to reveal the Friendly's uniform. "Are we ready?"

Jake and Hamilton looked agitated, while Bella, Sean and Will glanced at each other and shared a sort of collective weak smile. "I dunno," Bella said, fidgeting nervously. "We tried rehearsing but it just feels� wrong. Fake, I mean," she added hastily. "I don�t know if anyone would actually take us seriously."

"Well, it's lucky that Kevin is exceedingly stupid, then," said Faye, emerging beside the gang with a smile. Scout hastily introduced her to the rest of the group. "Faye Archer, this is Bella Banks, Will Krudski and Sean McGrail."

The four exchanged hellos, and Faye continued, "Look, Kevin isn't gonna win any prizes for his smarts, if you know what I mean. He won't get suspicious. We'll just have to be careful, that's all. Try to act as natural as possible."

Will frowned. "How can we act natural if it doesn't feel natural?"

Faye shrugged. "Just be cool, everything's gonna be fine."

"Uh� so who am I supposed to be again?" Sean piped up, looking lost.

"A regular Rawley guy," Faye told him. "Just act like you've got tons of money and� less in the brains department."

"All right, I can do that," he nodded, smirking. "As long as I'm a Scout Calhoun clone, everything's cool, right?"

"Hey!" Scout exclaimed, albeit good-naturedly, while everyone else had a good snigger. Sean patted him on the back, chuckling.

"We should go," Jake said to Hamilton as she glanced at the wall clock. He nodded, looking at Faye uncertainly.

"Okay," said the other girl, taking charge. "It's twenty to eight right now, and if everything goes as planned, you can expect us back by nine thirty, so be prepared by then. We've got your cell number, right?" Jake nodded, and Faye smiled. "Someone will call you when Kevin and I leave Friendly's, giving you about ten minutes to get into position. Now, are you sure you know what you're doing? I mean, not that I doubt your skills, but you haven't had any practice."

"I'm positive," Jake said. "It's a simple wiring system, we can get into it as long as I have the right equipment." Turning toward Hamilton, she asked, "Are you sure we'd be able to get into the workshop classroom to steal their tools?"

He grinned. "Are you doubting my knowledge of Rawley geography?"

"God forbid I do that," she chuckled. "Okay, let's go." Hugging Bella quickly, she exhaled. "I hope this works."

"Go get 'em," Bella told her, smiling.

"I'm counting on you guys," Hamilton said, looking over his shoulder as he and Jake shrugged on their coats and headed for the door.

"We're counting on each other," Faye replied.

"Faye�" Jake paused at the door, looking lost for words. "Thank you."

"Save the thanks until the end," Faye told her, pushing them out the diner. "Keep your fingers crossed in the meantime."

Jake and Hamilton stood outside for a moment, letting their eyes adjust to the darkness. Looking in through the diner windows, they saw that Will and Bella have positioned themselves on the stools, chatting with Scout, who assumed his place behind the counter. Faye had taken a booth not far away, and Sean had disappeared into the kitchen.

"Well," Hamilton breathed out, smiling uncertainly at Jake. "Let's go do some damage."

She smiled, taking him by the hand. Together they walked down Main Street, back toward the direction of Rawley Academy, their figures quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Part Six

The diner

Kevin parked his car out on the street and walked into Friendly's, spotting Faye among the dinner crowd, which was beginning to thin out. She was seated at a side booth and sipping from a glass of iced water, looking rather bored. "Hi," he said, striding up. "Sorry, am I late?"

"No, I was early," she smiled. "Ryder isn't feeling too well, so I'm afraid it's just you and me tonight."

"Okay," he said as he slipped into his seat, fighting back a pleased smile.

"So, Kevin Bryant," she purred, leaning toward him. "I've been wanting to talk to you ever since I saw you in Carson."

He swallowed. "Yeah?"

"Mmm hmm," she looked up at him through lowered lashes. "I have to say, I'm kinda glad that Ryder wasn't able to join us today."

"Yeah?" he said again, blinking.

"It means we get more time to know each other better," she smiled, placing a hand on his arm.

"Oh," he replied with a dumbfounded grin.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to be deterred by his monosyllabic answers. "I'm looking forward to that," she said emphatically, drawing little circles on his arm with her forefinger.

"Uh," he made another attempt at speaking. "Good�"

Scout chose that moment to plonk menus down on their table. "I'll be back to take your order," he informed them, walking back to the counter, unable to resist a peek over his shoulder as he went.

Faye withdrew her hand and began to rifle through the menu. "Boy, I�m starving," she said with a coy grin as she darted a look at Kevin over the menu. He swallowed nervously, looking as though he was trying not to stare at her. She smiled at him before she made a discreet thumbs-up sign to Will and Bella, who were perched on the counter stools, ready for action.

In a flash Will had raised his voice a couple of notches, going from muffled conversation to scripted lines. "So, did you hear?" he asked Bella loudly, glancing in Kevin's direction. "They think they know who beat Hamilton up on our camping trip."

Kevin's head jerked up at the line, and he looked surreptitiously at Will.

"Oh really?" Bella asked. "Who is it?"

Faye rolled her eyes skyward when she was sure that Kevin wasn't looking. Those two were lost causes. Bella spoke her lines in a monotone that was about ten times louder than her usual volume, while Will couldn't help sneaking looks over at their table every two seconds. However, Kevin seemed to be more interested in their conversation than the way it was delivered, which was more or less fortunate, for certainly a more discerning listener would have picked up on the fact that something was slightly off about the whole scenario.

"I don't know," Will replied, eyes involuntarily straying to Kevin again. "I don't think I should say it out here, people might hear us."

Faye rolled her eyes once more. With his volume, someone would have to be deaf not to hear him. Hadn't she told them to act natural? Was this what natural was supposed to look like in New Rawley?

"Oh please," Bella said in her monotone. "I really want to know."

"Well all right," Will answered, and to Faye's relief, put in a little effort and leaned in, so at least he looked somewhat secretive, although his voice remained ridiculously loud. "Do you know Sean McGrail?"

"Sean McGrail from Rawley Academy? Yes, what about him?" Bella answered, looking as though she was fighting down an urge to smile at the mental image of Sean, resident Rawley snob.

Involuntarily, Will glanced at Kevin again. Thankfully the other boy had his head buried in the menu, pretending to read it while he listened, so he didn't pick up most of Will's extremely shifty looks. "That's right," Will continued, gauging Kevin�s reaction. "McGrail beat Hamilton up."

Sure enough, Kevin gave a start, and looked toward Will again before quickly dropping his gaze. Bella gasped, and Faye was exasperated to learn that even her gasps were delivered in a monotone, not the least like what it should've been. She made a mental note not to let Bella act in any further hoaxes ever again.

"Really?" Bella continued. "Sean McGrail? How do you know for sure?"

"He's been telling everyone about it," Will replied. "And from what I hear, he was describing what happened in the woods pretty well. I think it's time that we gave him credit for it. Someone should've taken a stand to those queers a long time ago."

"Yeah," Bella agreed. "Jake and Hamilton are driving me mad, who do they think they are, hanging around town and stuff? We don't need people like that here."

"That's what I'm saying," Will replied. "Someone ought to give McGrail a pat on the back for what he's done. Jake and Ham have been making me sick."

"I thought you were friends with them," Bella said.

"Of course not," Will sounded pained. "Like I�d be hanging with gays out of my own free will. I just thought it�d be a good idea to get on the Dean's good side, you know, maybe get a few perks out of hanging with his son." He tried to laugh cruelly and it came out sounding strangled. "God knows no one else is hanging out with them these days."

"But I thought some Rawley kids are behind them," Bella droned on. "Didn't they have a big confrontation at the Halloween Ball because Hamilton didn't take Jake?"

Will looked disdainfully at her. "It's all for show, Bella. No one wants to get into the Dean's bad books. We're all grossed out, but it takes a real man like McGrail to actually head over and give Fleming a whipping like he deserves."

Bella laughed shrilly, and Faye fought the urge to roll her eyes a third time. It was supposed to be a delighted giggle. At least Kevin seemed to be lapping this right up, she mused, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

At this moment Scout reappeared at the booth, their eyes meeting for a moment before he turned to Kevin. "Can I take your order?" he asked.

***
Rawley Academy, Dean's office

"The juvenile delinquents at work again," Jake murmured as she fiddled around with the PA intercom, carefully avoiding the on/off switch. Discarding the microphone to one side, she unscrewed the top of the control box and, upon opening it, was greeted with a mass of wirework. She glanced over the system quickly, muttering under her breath.

Hamilton stood to one side, holding a flashlight and not doing much else. He had to admit that it was slightly unnerving, having the tech genius girlfriend. Staring at the jumble of wiring, he asked, "How the hell are we going to�"

"Shh!" she admonished, continuing to mutter to herself. He raised an eyebrow and leaned back, looking extremely bored.

After a few minutes she finally looked up, a little smile on her face. "No surprises here," she said. "How long have we got?"

He pointed the flashlight at his watch. "About an hour."

"Piece of cake," she grinned as she picked up a tiny pair of wire cutters and set to work.

***
The diner

It was growing late, and Friendly�s had become empty save for the five people in the charade that was going full steam ahead. Scout had started an argument with Bella and Will while Kevin and Faye watched on.

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Scout exclaimed angrily. "This is insane, McGrail should be punished, not rewarded!"

Will sneered, having settled into his role. "Yeah, okay, Scout, and how many people can you find that will support you on this one? You don't get it. What they're doing is wrong. It's not natural!"

"You don't get it," Scout retorted, face growing red with real or pretend anger, Faye couldn�t tell. "They only love each other, there's nothing wrong with that!"

Will made eye contact with Bella for a fleeting moment before they both looked away. Did Scout really mean what he just said? Because it might make their lives a lot easier if he could still remember it when the day came to tell him the truth�

"And anyway," Scout continued, in his element. "You don't know what you're doing, trust me on this one. There's more to Jake and Hamilton than meets the eye."

Faye glanced at Kevin, who had a little knowing smile playing about his lips. He ate the last of his fries, noticing that she too was listening to the conversation with avid interest. "This argument is getting good," she whispered as she leaned over with a small grin.

"Yeah," he agreed, choking a little as her left foot found its way out of its sling-back sandal and rubbed up against his ankle.

"I can't wait to see this guy McGrail," she murmured. "He sounds like a real character."

"Because he beat up Fleming?" he asked, looking a little disgruntled.

"I like a guy who fights for his morals," she replied simply.

He was just about to agree wholeheartedly when the door swung open and Sean strode in, having sneaked out of the back door minutes earlier. He had been listening to the increasingly passionate charade, ear pressed to the kitchen door, for nearly an hour now, and it was finally his turn to shine. "Hey," he acknowledged the trio at the counter.

Bella pounced on him. "Sean! Is it true that you were the one who� you know� did that thing to Hamilton Fleming?" Her voice actually had hints of enthusiasm to it, Faye supposed that Scout's good acting had been rubbing off on her.

Sean turned. "Who told you this?" he demanded, and Faye's eyes lit up at the way he seemed to grasp his character's reaction. She settled back to enjoy the performance, and with a glance in Kevin's direction, was glad to see that he was scowling.

"It was Will," Bella replied.

Sean whirled on the other boy, his brows furrowed. "Hey man," he hissed, "you were meant to keep this quiet."

Will shrugged, unapologetic. "Why? We're all just saying here how great you were. It�s good that you did it, Sean."

"Wait a minute, I didn't say that," Scout interjected, jaw tightly clenched. "I think what you did was absolutely disgusting!"

"Well, I think it was a cool move," Bella said, a smirk twisting her lips. "Someone needed to teach those gays a lesson, they can't just hang around our town like this. They have no shame�"

"What the hell?" Scout exclaimed, outraged. "Being gay is nothing to be ashamed of!"

Sean frowned at him. "Say that again, Calhoun, and you just might regret it."

"Come on, then," Scout said hotly, starting to undo his apron. "Show us some of the moves that you used, when you sucker-punched Hamilton in the dark! What a hero you are, McGrail."

"You don't wanna fight me," Sean growled, playing the bully to perfection. "What do you think you're doing? Defending gay rights or somethin�? Next thing we know, you�d be parading down the street in them Mardi Gras floats."

"Maybe he's queer himself," Will offered, conjuring a round of giggles from Bella. Faye laughed too, and Kevin quickly tore his eyes away from the looming fight to glance at her. She was leaning forward, apparently enchanted by Sean McGrail.

Scout flung his apron on the counter and charged at Sean. Sean retaliated and they exchanged blows, catching each other's apologetic glance on the way. The irony was not lost on them, that something they did on a regular basis a few months ago could feel so alien now. Will and Bella half-heartedly tried to separate them, while Faye stood up and, with a sidelong glance at Kevin, dashed between the two boys. "Stop it!" she yelled, pushing them away from each other with a little help from Will and Bella. "Scout," she said sternly. "Go home, you've had enough for one night."

Scout looked like he was about to say something, but Faye cut him short. "I think you'll find that no one else agrees with your way of thinking here," she said coldly. "Go back to your queer friends. Maybe that's where you belong."

Scout looked around with narrowed eyes. Without another word, he flounced off to the kitchen, slamming the door.

"Hey there," Faye turned to Sean, smiling seductively. "I don't believe we've met before."

"No, we haven't," he replied with a grin. "And who might you be?"

"My name�s Faye," she replied coyly, walking up to him. Out of her peripheral vision she could see Kevin sitting alone in the booth, seething. "I know who you are," she continued admiringly, turning her attention back to Sean. "I think you're so brave to do what lots of us wanted to do, but didn't have the guts to do it."

Sean shrugged, but his expression was smug. "He deserved it," he sneered. "Hamilton and his faggy little friend."

"What you did was so�" Faye breathed, practically draping herself over him. "So� heroic."

Behind her, Bella gave a snort of laughter, which she quickly disguised as a cough. That set Will and Sean�s straight faces slipping. "I know," Sean said with an odd grimace, looking as though he was trying not to crack up.

"Hey, maybe you and I could�"

Faye's coquettish suggestion was cut short when Kevin abruptly stood up. "Faye," he called, his eyes narrowing dangerously on Sean. "Let's go."

"Uh�" Faye pretended to hesitate, looking at Sean with a hint of longing. Kevin grabbed her by the hand and tugged insistently, and she let herself be pulled along. "Bye Sean," she called in a singsong voice as Kevin dragged her out of the diner.

Kevin was fuming. So much so, in fact, that he did not hear the explosion of muffled laughter coming from inside Friendly�s as soon as he and Faye have gone out of sight. "Faye," he said, and when she didn't respond, tried again. "Faye!"

"Yeah?" She turned and gave him a dreamy little smile. "Isn't Sean amazing?"

"No!" he yelled, finally losing his head. "He's not! He's a fucking impostor! I was the one who beat up Hamilton!"

If he had been looking closely, he would've seen Faye's purple eyes glinting mischievously in the dark. Her tone, however, was laced with doubt and a sudden cold sting. "What the hell are you talking about, Kevin?" she said coolly. "Everyone knows it was Sean. Don�t try to steal his glory."

"I didn't even know who this Sean McGrail person is until tonight!" he exclaimed angrily, opening the door of his car and letting her climb in. "I'm telling you, it was me."

"Oh yeah? Prove it." Faye's voice issued from inside the car, which pulled out onto the street and sped back toward Rawley Academy amidst the squealing of tyres.

***
Rawley Boys� Academy, Kevin's room

"Are you sure this is his room?" Jake asked Hamilton as they peeked around the door. The empty dorm room was cast into darkness, and she threw the light switch, squinting as the bulbs overhead snapped on.

"Of course I'm sure," he hissed, closing the door softly behind him.

"We�re lucky he lives on the ground floor," she remarked as she crossed the room in a few quick strides. "I don't know how we can do this otherwise."

They crouched down next to the bed, and sure enough, quickly found a tiny speaker that was connected to the Rawley PA system. Jake produced an assortment of tools from the small pack she was carrying. "Watch this," she smiled, deftly working to remove the speaker from its fixed spot at the foot of the wall.

He watched her progress with barely concealed awe. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Rigging these things up?" she replied as she rifled through her mini tools. "Oh, forever. My mom was always out of the house, and Consuela�s hobby was pretty much cooking. I had to amuse myself somehow."

"You're amazing," he breathed as she took the speaker away and instead affixed the PA microphone in the same spot, using a few conductor clips to hold the wires in place. The speaker was so small in the first place that the change was sure to go unnoticed. As she leaned back to admire her handiwork, her cell phone rang, causing both of them to spring up in alarm. Casting a slight embarrassed look in his direction, she pulled the phone out of her coat pocket. "Hello?" she said into the mouthpiece.

"Jake? It's Bella. They're coming."

In the background Jake could make out the sound of laughter. Bella seemed to be a pretty cheerful mood too. "I guess your end went well?" Jake asked, balancing the phone between her head and shoulder while she frantically gathered up her tools.

"It was fantastic," Bella laughed. "Kevin was eating straight from our hands. What about you guys? All set?"

"Almost," Jake replied. "I better go now, keep your fingers crossed for me."

"We all will." Bella clicked off.

Hamilton was already at the door. "Ready?" he asked with a nervous grin.

"You bet," she said resolutely as she ran to him, not forgetting to switch off the light as they left the room.

***
Rawley Boys' Academy, dorms

"I can't believe it," Faye gushed as she followed Kevin into the deserted hall. "It was really you!"

"Yeah," he grinned, feigning modesty but not doing a very good job of it. "I dunno what that McGrail kid was doing, but�"

"I can't believe that scumbag!" she said indignantly. "Letting everyone think that he was the one who deserved all the praise, when you go by unnoticed."

With another grin he let her into his room, and as he turned on the lights, she spotted two faces at the window: Jake and Hamilton. They quickly grinned at her before they ducked out of sight, completely unnoticed by Kevin. "I'm just saying," Faye said quickly, turning back to him. "You deserve something for all that you've done."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, a satisfied smirk crawling up his face.

An actress has got to do what an actress has got to do, Faye thought resignedly as she sidled up and pressed her lips on his, grimacing. Putting both her hands on his chest, she promptly sent him staggering backwards, falling onto the bed. He smirked again, his eyes glazing over with desire and a little surprise. After all, it wasn�t everyday that some hot girl practically seduced him in his own dorm room.

She crawled over him, placing her palms on either side of his head and hiding a smile when she saw a thumbs-up sign floating out in the darkness beyond the windowpanes.

Outside, Hamilton waved his thumb around energetically, knowing that Kevin probably wouldn�t be focusing on the window view right about now. He saw Faye nod briefly, staring straight at him for a split second, before she smiled down at Kevin. That was the go-ahead.

"Hit it," he whispered to Jake, who promptly pressed the 'on' button on the PA system control box, which she had unscrewed from the Dean's desk and taken with her.

"Tell me again," Faye's voice was silky. "Kevin Bryant, tell me how you did it."

"Aw, it was nothing," Kevin said, positively beaming. "You know how I hate Fleming and Pratt. All I did was bide my time."

"And how did you do that?" Faye's voice was echoing all over campus, drowning out the sound of stereos and idle conversations. In all the rooms of both the boys' and girls' dorms, people sat up, stopped talking, listening to the voices issuing from their individual speakers with equal parts confusion and curiosity.

"My big chance came at camp," Kevin said, brushing away strands of Faye�s hair that was grazing his nose. "Once Finn had gone, all I had to do was wait for either of them to be alone. Fleming was taking a leak in the woods, and�" he laughed. "It was too easy."

"What did you do to him?"

The voices continued to blast out of the speakers. In Finn's room, he raised his head from where he was lying on the couch, looking rumpled but fully attentive. A moment later, a woman's head popped up from the couch as well, her lipstick smudged, eyes glazed, blonde curls escaping from her messy ponytail.

It was Kate Fleming.

"I punched him, of course. Gave him a pretty impressive black eye, if I do say so myself." Kevin Bryant's pride was evident despite the distance it had been transmitted. "That's exactly what these queers deserve."

Ryder sat on the windowsill of his room, gazing into the night outside, an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth. The voices floated up to him from the speaker, and he smiled as he listened.

"Faye," he murmured to himself. "You've really outdone yourself this time."

Back in Kevin�s room, Faye carefully positioned herself on top of the boy so that her elbows were on either side of his face, one knee lying by his hip and the other one between his thighs. "Brilliant, Kevin," she breathed. "Just brilliant."

Then she brought her knee up.

Most of the people listening on campus did not understand what the following funny little squeak was, and continued to wonder about it for a long time. However, Ryder was laughing uproariously in his room, while Jake and Hamilton high-fived each other outside Kevin�s window. Jake pressed the 'off' button on the control box, her eyes wide. "We did it!" she exclaimed, turning toward Hamilton with a giant grin.

Faye clambered off the bed, dusting herself off before she looked back at Kevin, who was doubled up, clutching his crotch region with an expression of abject pain on his face. "See you around, Kevin," she said lightly.

At that moment Finn burst into the room. "Bryant," he yelled, his usual composure completely shattered. "You're getting expelled if that's the last thing I ever do!"

Faye's smile widened and she raised an eyebrow at Kevin�s writhing form on the bed. "Then again," she said thoughtfully, "maybe I won't."

She sauntered out of the door, blithely past Finn, high heels clicking on the wooden floor.

***
The diner

They were all assembled in the diner, squashed into the corner booth. Faye was half-sitting in Jake�s lap, while Scout and Sean were so crammed together that neither seemed able to move unless the other one moved also. But they were all laughing regardless, the discomfort of their seating arrangements only serving to emphasise the intimacy of the situation, the bonds of friendship old and new alike.

*Will's voiceover begins*

'Life isn�t simply a game of hide and seek. True, there are often secrets, and truth as well; but it�s also made up of knowledge and how we may use it to further understand ourselves. In the end, the seekers will always find what they were looking for; but for what it's worth, the hider isn�t always powerless. There's strength hidden in the harbouring of secrets, the strength to face up to our worries and ourselves alike. Sometimes all that we need to do is find that strength, and things will turn out okay in the end.'

"To us," Jake held up a glass of soda, grinning. "For overcoming the puppeteer."

The rest of the gang beamed at each other and raised their glasses. "To us," they chorused.

The End

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