YA3:09 - Suddenly Strange

Acknowledgements: This time to another Harry Potter fanfic writer, Cassandra Claire of the Draco series fame, without whom (and which) creativity would�ve been absolute absent and this episode would�ve been sure to come out sometime in April 2005.
Author�s note: Hmm, seeing that I�ve gone into Harry Potter overload lately, I apologise for the fact that a cameo had popped up unexpectedly and that Ryder is doing a very bad (and I feel somewhat camp) impression of Draco Malfoy.

Part 1

Teaser

The sun had barely risen over the horizon, Rawley Lake a dark glimmering mass below the first rays of dawn. The trees surrounding the lake were black indistinguishable shapes, as were the buildings of Rawley Academy, standing just a little off shore amidst sprawling green lawns.

Will and Scout�s room

Both Will Krudski and Scout Calhoun�s beds were empty and neat, indicating that neither boy had slept in it the night before. The dim light of a lamp illuminated a corner of the room, where Will was slumped over his desk, resting his head on folded arms and he was snoring lightly. Books, folders and loose pieces of paper were strewn all over the desk, he evidently having fallen asleep while attempting to read over the mountain of work that he was buried under - nearly literally, judging by the overflowing state of his desk.

*Will�s voiceover starts*

�How often have you gone about your daily business, only to suddenly look up and realise that nothing�s the same as it were? Without us really noticing, situations and people turn strange in a heartbeat. Though you may anticipate it, you�ll never fully understand it until the experience comes upon you, overwhelms you, and eventually drags you down.�

The door creaked open, Scout treading stealthily into the room. Yawning, he shook his head with a smile as he caught sight of Will. Striding to where his friend sat, he shook the other boy�s shoulder gently, � Hey, Will, wake up.�

� Mrrphh.� Will mumbled and Scout shook him harder, � Man, wake up, we�ve got to get to crew practice.�

At the sound of �crew practice�, Will jerked awake with a start, � What? What? Are we late?� He looked around wildly, jumping up from his chair. A loose piece of paper was stuck to his left cheek, which hung there for a second or two before disengaging itself and fluttering down to the floor.

� Calm down.� Scout laughed, � We�re not late. We just need to get dressed�� He gestured at Will, � Or in both our cases, changed.�

Will rubbed his eyes, blinking repeatedly as he stumbled over to the closet, � Where you at Faye�s again?�

� Yeah.� Scout answered as he reached past Will and pulled out his crew T-shirt, � I think she�s feeling sorry for me having to sleep in her armchair all the time, so I got upgraded to sleeping in a bed for once.�

Will turned around, raising an eyebrow in the semi-darkness.

� Leah�s bed.� Scout clarified, � You know, her roommate?�

� So� you�re now upgraded to sleeping in your girlfriend�s roommate�s bed?� Will chuckled, changing into his crew shirt as he spoke.

� Leah wasn�t in the bed.� Scout laughed, � She�s not back from Spring Break yet.�

� But school starts tomorrow.� Will pointed out.

� There�s time.� Scout answered lightly.

Will groaned, � Please don�t rub my face in it, Calhoun.�

� Yeah, sorry.� Scout shook his head, � Falling asleep at the desk again? That�s the third time this week, Will.�

� I know.� Will yawned, � But there�s just too much stuff to go through. I had to rework some of the scripts for the production, draw up another rehearsal schedule for all the people coming back, and on top of that I thought I should get some study in��

� You don�t need to study,� Scout said, amused, � You�re like, Scholarship Guy.�

� Not for much longer, by the look of things.� Will turned to him, eyes clouding over, � I�m only Scholarship Guy if I manage to pull a B+ average for finals. Otherwise it�s goodbye scholarship; Goodbye Rawley.�

� Jesus,� Scout stared at him, � How come I didn�t know this?�

Will grinned wryly, � I had no time to tell you, of course. Come on, we�ve got to get to practice.�

Part 2 - Opening credits and theme song

Carson

Jake Pratt and Hamilton Fleming sat in a large waiting room, both looking extremely nervous. Jake was wearing girls� clothes and a touch of lipstick, staring blankly into space and occasionally running a hand through her hair self-consciously. There was a prominent gap between the two of them, Jake having seated herself further away from Hamilton than she normally would.

Hamilton gazed around the room, his gaze travelling over the tasteful interior d�cor and coming to rest upon a framed Rorschach inkblot on the wall. He squinted slightly, looking at it with a puzzled expression.

� Miss Pratt? Mr Fleming?� A receptionist asked, walking up to them. Jake looked up sharply, startled out of her thoughts. Hamilton turned his eyes away from the picture on the wall and instead focused them on the receptionist, who smiled warmly, � Dr Perkins will see you now.�

� Thanks.� Jake said, getting to her feet. Hamilton followed suit, and the receptionist led them out of the waiting room, walking down a short stretch of a hallway before stopping in front of a half-open door. Discreet gold letters on the frosted glass read �Dr H.J. Perkins,� followed by a long list of fine-print credentials that they didn�t get to see, since the receptionist gestured for them to go in. When they obliged, she closed the door softly behind them.

The room wasn�t spacious, but was comfortable-looking. Several large windows let in plenty of sun, and several oversized armchairs were placed around the room in a haphazard fashion. Colourful weavings in exotic designs were draped over the chairs, and a few more were hanging from the walls as adornment. Jake noticed that the walls, aside from the weavings, also held an impressive number of certificates and plaques.

A small oak desk stood to one corner of the room, on which a laptop was placed. As the couple entered the room, the man who sat behind the desk stood up, pushing round wire-rim glasses further up his nose. He looked a lot younger than Jake and Hamilton had expected, with dark hair and a boyish face that seemed to somewhat undermine his reputation as an acclaimed psychologist in the area.

In a few easy strides he crossed the room, offering a handshake and a friendly smile, � Hi, you must be Jacqueline Pratt and Hamilton Fleming. I�m Hamish Perkins.� He shook first Jake�s hand, then Hamilton�s, and gestured around the room, � Why don�t you have a seat?�

The two shared an apprehensive look, sitting down in a couple of armchairs that were placed side-by-side. Dr Perkins returned to his seat behind the laptop and typed a few words before sliding out from behind the desk on his swivelling office chair, coming to a stop in front of them, armed with a small notepad and chewing on a pen.

Smiling at the tense look on both their faces, he said, � Please don�t be nervous, I�m only here to help you through the things that you want to be helped with.� Training his eyes on Jake, he emphasised, � I�m not going to force you to do or say anything that you don�t feel comfortable doing or saying.�

Jake managed a small smile while Hamilton looked suspiciously at the psychiatrist.

� Now, I have a basic idea of what you�re here for,� Perkins settled back in his chair, � So how would you like to start by telling me a little about life in general? I suggest that we get a little better acquainted before trying to approach anything that might require more than a little trust.�

* * *

Friendly�s

A loud crash and subsequent loud swearing made Bella Banks look up from her food. She swivelled around on her seat by the counter, just in time to see Will raise a weary hand to his forehead, standing white-faced amongst a circle of the shattered remains of a tray of plates.

� Will, are you okay?� She exclaimed, sliding off her stall.

He exhaled shakily, holding out a hand to stop her from advancing further, � I�m fine, don�t move, there are shards everywhere. I�ve got it.�

She bit her lip, retreating a little as he stepped delicately out of the circle of fragments and walked into the broom closet at the back of the diner to get cleaning supplies.

Vicki, the owner of Friendly�s, chose the moment to scurry out of the kitchen and gasped in surprise as she saw the mess on the floor. � Oh, not again?� Turning slightly, she caught Bella�s eye, � Will?�

� Again.� Bella affirmed with a sigh.

� He�s not well, Bella.� Vicki said worriedly, � He�s really disoriented, I think you should just take him home. Poor boy needs some sleep.�

� I know.� Bella sighed, � But he insisted on finishing the shift.�

� That�s okay,� Vicki answered, checking her watch, � We�re going to close up soon anyway, why don�t you just take him back to school? I�ll clean this up, tell him not to worry about it.�

� Worry about what?� Will asked, emerging from the back of the diner with a broom.

� Cleaning up.� Vicki told him, � You look sick, Will, why don�t you just let Bella take you back to Rawley? I�ll close up here.�

� No�� he started to protest, but Bella caught his arm, � Will, look at yourself. You can hardly stand upright.�

� But�� he didn�t get to finish his sentence as Bella started dragging him away, � No buts, you need to get home and sleep, okay?�

He only had time to grab his bag from the counter before she pulled him out of the door, still talking, � Don't forget school starts tomorrow, you need to get some rest or you�re going to get sick, don�t you understand? You need to start taking better care of yourself�� The glass door swung back into place, muffling her ensuing words.

* * *

Faye�s room

� You need to get some rest.� Scout pulled back from kissing Faye Archer long enough to murmur against her lips, � You�re still injured, you know, and there�s school tomorrow, you should take it easy.�

� I think this is taking it very easy.� She chuckled, kissing him again, � A lot more fun, too.�

He grinned, not one to argue. Moving closer, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, seeking her lips passionately with his own. She kissed him back, her fingers tangling themselves carelessly in his hair. Without thinking, his arm slid down past her shoulders and snaked around her waist, gathering her to him.

� Argh!� She pulled back with a pained cry, � Ow, ow!�

� Oh my god!� He exclaimed, jumping back as if stung, � I�m sorry, I�m sorry, I forgot for a minute��

� No, it�s all right.� She looked up at him, grimacing and placing a hand over her side. She had fractured her ribs in a car accident a week ago, and although improving, they had not yet healed.

� It�s not all right!� He exclaimed, beyond contrite, � God, I can�t believe I completely forgot! I could�ve seriously hurt you!�

� You haven�t, Scout.� She told him, � Calm down. See?� She gingerly took her hand away, � It doesn�t even hurt anymore.�

He looked at her disbelievingly and she winced, putting her hand back on her side, � � much.�

He sighed and looked down, � I�m sorry.�

� Scout,� she was growing exasperated, � How many times do I have to tell you that none of this is your fault? You just forgot for a moment, big deal, I forget all the time.�

� But I can�t stand hurting you.� He stood up from his seat on the bed, � This is driving me crazy, Faye. I know that I really shouldn�t even be touching you, because touching you means I have a chance of hurting you and I don�t want that.�

� This is not that serious!� She started to laugh, then grimaced again as she realized that laughing was probably the worst thing she could do, given the cracked state of her ribs, � Look, it�s nice when we touch, all right? And it�s not like you�re that crazy X-Men chick who�s gonna suck my life out through your fingers. We just have to be careful, that�s all.�

� But I can�t be careful when I�m with you.� He told her, � I tell myself to, but when I kiss you, it�s like all my reason disappears and all I think about is how good it feels to have you in my arms and there�s always this need to hold you closer, and then��

� And then I scream.� She finished for him, wincing yet again.

* * *

Sean�s house

A series of taps on the window startled Sean McGrail, who had just gone to bed. Sliding out from under the covers, he frowned suspiciously as he walked over to the window, snapping up the blinds.

Ryder Forrest was outside, smoking a cigarette and tapping carelessly on the windowpane. The light from street lamps outside glinted across his blond hair, and threw a wide sliver of his shadow across Sean�s face.

Sean yawned as he opened the window, � What are you doing, Forrest? I thought you had school tomorrow.�

� Screw school, I�ve given up on graduating this year.� Ryder grinned at him, � Summer session�s still going to be there, isn�t it? There�s this party in Carson, thought you might want to tag along.�

Sean yawned again, � Why would I want to do that?�

Ryder looked at him as if he were crazy. Sean stared back, shrugging, � I�m tired, and I want to go to bed.�

� I�m terribly sorry for interrupting your nap, granny.� Ryder said dryly, stepping away from the house�s shadow. But he paused and stepped back again, � I mean, it�s not even like you�ve got school to go to tomorrow morning, unlike the rest of us.�

Sean narrowed his eyes at him, � And do I need to remind you whose fault that is?�

Ryder�s �cunning� plan a while back that entailed hacking into Edmund High�s student files and altering Sean�s less than stellar grades had backfired outstandingly, leaving Sean with a week-long suspension, and made Ryder rethink his plans of altering his own grades at Rawley. Not that it looked like he was going to work any harder in order to graduate, he looked perfectly happy to stay at the school for another year, despite the fact that he never let up an opportunity to remind anyone and everyone that he hated life in America and the Academy and could not wait to get back to England to wreck havoc there.

Although Ryder never said anything of the sort, Sean suspected it was because Faye was now at Rawley, along with Josh Sutherland: two people who, he was fairly certain, were by far most important in Ryder�s life. And being Ryder Forrest, that was saying a lot.

� Well, are you coming or not?� Ryder asked again, � Townie sluts and vodka are awaiting.�

Sean sighed with resignation, � Fine, fine, just let me get some clothes on.�

� We�ve been talking all this time and I didn�t even realise you were naked?� Ryder drawled, eyeing Sean�s T-shirt and boxers. Sean scowled, drew the curtains in the other boy�s face and went off to get dressed.

Part 3

Rawley Academy, auditorium

Faye and her roommate, Leah Rickard, were onstage rehearsing a scene, in character as Juliet and the Nurse respectively. The auditorium was darkened as usual, a few players milling here and there waiting for their scenes, Will and Finn seated in the first row, following through with the script.

� Alack! Alack, that heaven should practise stratagems upon so soft a subject as myself.� Faye looked as though she had the wind knocked out of her, sitting numbly down on the side of the stage. Turning her head toward Leah, she pleaded, � What say'st thou? Hast thou not a word of joy? Some comfort, nurse!�

� Faith, here it is.� Leah offered, scurrying to her side, � Romeo is banish'd; and all the world to nothing, that he dares ne'er come back to challenge you; Or, if he do, it needs must be by stealth.�

Faye looked like she was going to burst into tears.

� Then, since the case so stands as now it doth,� Leah continued, � I think it best you married with the county.�

Faye whirled upon her with a gasp of terror. � O, he's a lovely gentleman!� Leah said quickly, � Romeo's a dishclout to him, an eagle, madam, hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye as Paris hath. Beshrew my very heart, I think you are happy in this second match, for it excels your first: or if it did not, your first is dead; or 'twere as good he were, as living here��

� Leah, you�re trying to convince your lady to marry someone else,� Will interjected, � Not talk her into a coma. You look like you�re going to fall asleep.�

� Gee, I wonder why.� Leah retorted indignantly, � Could it be that we�ve been up since six o�clock to come to rehearsals on the first day back at school?�

� Miss Rickard.� Finn sounded a little reproachful.

� Yeah, yeah,� Leah sighed, � We�re all in the same boat, blah blah blah. Sorry.� She punctuated the end of her �sorry� with a Death Glare in Will�s direction.

Will ignored her, � All right, let�s pick it up from the previous line.�

Leah sighed, going back into character, � I think you are happy in this second match, for it excels your first.�

Faye turned away from her, blinking. Leah held her by the shoulders and turned her around consolingly, � Or if it did not, your first is dead; or 'twere as good he were, as living here and you no use of him.� She shook her head sadly.

Faye swallowed, � Speakest thou from thy heart?�

Leah nodded, � And from my soul too; Or else beshrew them both.�

Faye was silent for a long time. Leah watched her, her brows furrowed in concern.

� Amen.� Faye managed to choke out, one little word that seemed to drain all the energy from her and she turned away vacantly.

� Wait, wait.� Finn called, � That was good, guys, but can we do the passage again? This time, Leah, stand a bit more to Faye�s left so the audience can see her face and her reaction better.�

Leah obliged, and Finn cocked his head, scrutinising how the two now looked onstage. � What do you think, Will?� He asked.

There was no response. Finn looked beside him, � Will?�

The boy was fast asleep, slumped over the side of his seat, fingers still clutching the script tightly.

* * *

Rawley campus

Lunch break meant that most students got a chance to get together and moan about how much work they got dumped with on the first day back at school. For Scout and Faye, it meant a chance to catch up and make out. No fewer than five passer-bys had muttered, � Get a room� or something to that effect as they walked by the two under the huge oak in the middle of the grounds. Scout and Faye, as usual, paid them no attention.

� So,� Faye managed to recount recent events in between kisses, � Finn tries to wake him up by shaking him on the shoulder, but he just mumbled something along the lines of �shut up, Scout� and rolled over on his seat. So finally Finn gets fed up with trying to wake him up discreetly, and just yelled in his ear, � Krudski!��

Scout laughed, kissing her on the side of her mouth, � And I guess he woke up.�

� Jumped about five feet in the air, shrieking his head off.� She confirmed, chuckling at the memory, � And he was still half asleep, and looks around wildly exclaiming, � I�ve got to get to rehearsal! What time is it?��

� Poor Will.� He shook his head, kissing her again, � He�s so stretched out lately.�

She kissed him back, too preoccupied to continue with the present line of conversation.

� OH, GET A ROOM!� A girl hollered as she hurried past, throwing a disgusted look over her shoulder.

� Six.� Faye murmured, not bothering to open her eyes or remove her lips from Scout�s.

He would�ve laughed if it had not been the fact that laughing would not have meshed well with what he was doing. But a moment later Faye pulled away, screwing up her forehead and biting on her lower lip, � Ow.�

He didn�t have to ask what was wrong, and instead threw his hands up in a gesture of frustration, scooting a little away from her so that he was most definitely clear of her ribs. � How long does it take to heal again?� He asked.

� Something like three weeks.� She answered, � Believe me, I�m counting the days.�

� This thing, this not being able to touch you thing?� He said, � It�s so strange.�

� I know.� She answered.

� Suddenly, it�s like everything I do is not okay, everything I want to do is not okay, everything is strange when I can�t even kiss you properly.� He looked down at his hands.

� Oh, if that wasn�t doing it properly,� she teased lightly, � I would really like to see what a proper Calhoun kiss would be like.�

� Faye, I hate it.� He was suddenly vehement, � This thing�s annoying me so much than it should be, but I just�� He looked at her with a faint blush, � I just can�t stop wanting to touch you. Kiss you. Every moment I spend with you I feel like I�m going to just spontaneously combust if I can�t��

� It�s all right,� she reached out and laid a hand on his arm, � Stop going into flights of clich�d poetic expression, I get it.� She grinned at the look on his face, � And I hate it too.�

� So�� He raised an eyebrow, � Are we going to do anything about it?�

� Suffer, Gay Boy,� she said cheerfully, � Suffer.�

He groaned, falling back onto the neatly manicured grass, � Great. And could you please not call me that?�

� What, Gay Boy?� She enunciated clearly, knowing how much it annoyed him. He glowered at her and she cackled cutely, clutching her side as she did so. But something suddenly flashed in her eyes and she sat up very straight, � Or�� Trailing off, she chewed on her lip thoughtfully.

When he propped himself up by his elbows to look at her, he was ruffled by the devious smile on her face. � Oh, no.� He groaned, � I know that look. The �I�ve got the worst idea possible under the circumstances but it�s a brilliant plan in my opinion and I�m going to coerce you into participating� look.�

� Indeed.� She reached for the bottle of mineral water by her side, taking a swig.

� I don�t want to ask.� He groaned.

� That�s why I�m not asking you to ask.� She grinned, � I�m telling you.�

He waited but nothing came. She was studying him through narrowed eyes. He looked back with apprehension, � Now I�m starting to get nervous.�

� How would you like to play a game?� She asked, a twinkle in her eye.

� Huh?� He said blankly.

� A game.� She repeated, � That might just make our current situation a little more interesting or easier to bear�� A malicious glint had now appeared in her eyes, a reminder that she was still related to Ryder Forrest, despite all their differences, � Okay, maybe not �easier to bear�, but it�s definitely going to make things more fun.�

� I�m listening.� He said, already beginning to have his misgivings.

* * *

Carson

Sunlight pricked at Sean�s eyelids, which felt as though they were leaden. He tried to open his eyes but his entire body felt like it was carved out of stone and he couldn�t so much move an eyelash. His head felt like it was going to crack under the mere exertion of being conscious, and he got a headache that he was sure could never be surpassed unless he got his head run over by a train one of those days.

It took him a good two minutes to open his eyes, and when he finally managed to do so, he was immediately blinded by the bright shafts of sunlight that directly shone into his eyes. With a hoarse groan, he shut his eyes again, and it was another few minutes before he could pull himself together enough to roll over, and labour to a more or less sitting position.

His vision swam as he tried to put his surroundings into focus. He seemed to be in a park of some sort, seeing that there were swings and a large sandbox nearby. He had been sleeping next to a park bench - or perhaps more accurately, passed out next to a park bench - on which Ryder Forrest was residing, evidently also passed out and looking remarkably peaceful.

� Oh, god.� Sean groaned as loudly as his ravaged throat allowed him - which was hardly higher than a whisper, and tried to think back to the previous night. He was vaguely aware of Ryder coming to his house late at night and the two of them catching a cab to some party in Carson. When they got there, everything suddenly swam into a blur of loud noises, chaotic scenes, raucous music and more hard liquor than he had ever seen in one place. But for the life of him and mostly due to the blinding pain in his head that restrained him from thinking too hard, he could not figure out how they ended up passing out on a random park bench.

Though, granted, it wasn�t that hard to figure out.

� Ryder,� he croaked, pushing the other boy as well as he could, considering that his muscles felt like they�ve been encased in cement, � Wake up.�

Ryder remained immobile, breathing evenly and looking docile in the sunlight.

� Fine.� Sean muttered, � Fine, fine�� He tried to stagger to his feet but immediately realised it was a bad idea, a sudden headrush causing him to sit down heavily by Ryder�s feet, feeling a wave of nausea break over him. � God, what the hell were we doing?� He muttered to himself, reaching into his coat pocket for a cigarette. His hand came up enclosed around an empty pack of Dunhills, which he tossed aside in disgust. He needed a smoke� badly.

His eyes fell on Ryder�s still form, and he reached over, patting the other boy�s breast pocket hopefully. Nothing. He reached into the waist pocket of Ryder�s suede jacket and found the other boy�s silver lighter, which he set aside. But no cigarettes.

He made a small noise of annoyance and considered the possibility of finding Ryder Forrest without a packet of smokes. Not damn likely. Eyeing the other boy�s pockets on his corduroy pants, he frowned, then shrugged, what the hell.

He leaned over Ryder - who was still sleeping as soundly as ever - and stuck his hand into the pocket on Ryder�s pants, although he didn�t dare rummage around - he was dying for a cigarette, but he still had some sense. Still nothing. Sean was beginning to get pissed off as he pulled his hand out of that pocket and leaning forward even further, stuck his hand down the other boy�s back pocket. His fingers closed around what felt like a pack of cigarettes. � Finally.� He breathed.

� And would you kindly mind telling me why you�re lying on top of me with your hand on my ass?� Ryder�s sleepy-yet-appalled voice suddenly rang in his ear, causing Sean to start violently and roll off the bench - not hard to do, since he was half lying on Ryder anyway. As his hand was still stuck in Ryder�s back pocket, he managed to yank Ryder down as well, landing on top of him. � OW!� He exclaimed as his back hit hard concrete and Ryder�s forehead hit him on the nose.

� God,� Ryder lifted his head slightly, his unfocused eyes nevertheless still managing to convey his look of utter terror, � This is my worst nightmare.�

Sean gaped at him, since the wind was still knocked out of him, not to mention that Ryder�s dead weight was atop him, making it hard to breathe and ergo form words.

� First of all this looks like a prelude to gay porn,� Ryder looked beyond terrified, � And second, McGrail, your hand is still on my ass.�

Sean withdrew his hand soundlessly, turning crimson.

� Right,� Ryder croaked, rolling over Sean with an effort and immediately clutched his head with both hands as headache-and-nausea set in.

� What the hell happened last night?� Sean demanded as severely as his cracked voice would allow, � I can hardly remember anything.�

If the world wasn�t spinning madly in front of his eyes, Ryder would�ve rolled them, � What do you think, Sean? Do the words �got utterly wasted� mean anything to you? God, I need a smoke.�

* * *

Rawley Academy

Hamilton stood by the lake, looking around anxiously. A moment later, he saw Jake tearing down the grounds from the school, and she was gasping for breath as she reached him, � Hey.�

He checked his watch, � We�re going to be late.�

� Not if I drive fast,� she replied, leading the way into the grove of woods where she hid the bike.

� Cutting class to go to therapy.� He mused as she wheeled the bike out of hiding, � Does that sound even remotely healthy to you?�

� Absolutely not.� She replied cheerfully, mounting the bike, � But I�d rather go to therapy than sit in Mr Greenwood�s history class all afternoon. Anyway, this is important.�

He mounted behind her and gingerly wrapped his arms around her waist, the two of them locking eyes for a moment as he quietly asked �is this okay?� and she bit her lip, nodding.

After all, the reason that they were going to therapy in the first place was that Jake couldn�t deal with Hamilton touching her anymore. Not after what happened to her in London.

But she was dealing with it. She hoped she was dealing with it. She definitely hoped that Dr Perkins could help her deal with it. She didn�t want to shudder involuntarily every time Hamilton�s hands brushed against hers, and she didn�t want to break down whenever he kissed her. When he kissed her, she simply wanted to be kissed, not riddled by waking nightmares, not repulsed by memories that haunt his every touch.

She snapped out of her reverie and nodded to herself, repeating what she said, � Very important.�

The bike zoomed out of the Academy�s gates and skidded onto the road, heading towards Carson.

* * *

Faye�s room

� A wager?� Scout exclaimed incredulously, � You want to make this into a bet?�

� Well, it�s only logical, isn�t it?� Faye explained patiently from her seat on a windowsill, her dangling feet grazing the floor as she swung them back and forth, � I can�t seem to stop calling you Gay Boy, you can�t seem to stop touching me��

He stared at her.

� God, that came out a lot more pornographic than it sounded in my head.� She mused before continuing, � The thing is, that�s not fun. So we make it fun.�

� Did you say it was logical?� He sputtered, � In what universe is that plan termed logical?�

� Mine?� She suggested helpfully. � Trust me, it�ll be�� There was that devious glint in her eye again, � � interesting.�

� I don�t know�� He began dubiously, but she interrupted him, � Look, the terms are simple, yes? We try to hold off on our respective� um, urges� for as long as possible. You don�t touch me, I don�t call you Gay Boy, and we�ll see who lasts longer.�

� Not fair.� He said, � People touch each other all the time.�

She raised an eyebrow.

He grinned, � I see what you mean about the �coming out more pornographic than it sounded in my head� thing.�

� Fine. We�ll make it �non-platonic touching�. Bumping into me doesn�t count, but if you bump into me and cop a feel��

� Faye!� He exclaimed.

� Oh yeah, like you�ve never done that.� She rolled her eyes, � Anyway, if you engage in any non-platonic touching first, I win. If I call you Gay Boy before that happens, you win.�

� And what do I win, exactly?� He raised his eyebrows.

� You get to non-platonically touch me, of course.� She grinned. He threw a pillow at her and missed by several feet - intentionally, since he knew she couldn�t very well duck. � Seriously? I�ll never call you Gay Boy again.�

He looked at her suspiciously, � Ever?�

� Ever.� She emphasised.

� And you won�t come up with other equally annoying replacement words?� He was careful to ask.

Her face fell, � Damn, I was counting on that to be a loophole.�

He laughed, � If you want to play this, you play on my terms.�

� Okay,� she shrugged, � No more Gay Boy and no other replacement names either, you�ve got a deal.�

� Wait, wait,� he interjected, � What if - you won�t, but what if - you win?�

She scrutinised him, � If you fail to hold yourself back before I call you Gay Boy��

He was starting to turn red around the ears, � Why do you have this unbelievable tendency to make everyone around you sound like a sex-crazed maniac?�

She shrugged, still staring at him, � If I win the bet, you�ll have to��

He knew that she was merciless when it came down to making fun of people, and shuddered to think what she had in mind.

� Walk George all the way down the halls of your dorm and back up again.� She decided, � On a leash.�

� George, the tortoise?� He asked, incredulous.

� No,� she said sarcastically, � George, the adorable foreign exchange student.�

� You can�t walk a tortoise!� He exclaimed, and as an afterthought added, � On a leash?�

� I assure you, you can. And you will, should you lose this bet. You�ll have to walk George the tortoise up and down the halls of Rawley Boys� Academy, right after dinner so everyone can get a chance to see you walking a tortoise on a leash.� She grinned, sticking out her hand, � Deal?�

� Why do I feel like I�m getting the short end of the stick?� He asked, ignoring her extended hand.

� Because you are, Gay Boy.� She told him solemnly.

He narrowed his eyes at her, � Argh, I can't stand that name.� Reaching out, he took her hand and shook it firmly.

� Let the game begin.� She tilted her head at him, � The wager takes effect from now.�

� I�m not touching you.� He said with conviction.

� And I�m not calling you what I always call you.� She replied, a twinkle in her eye.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before he said again, � I�m still not touching you.�

� And I haven�t called you that name.� She slid off the bed and started for the door, � Let�s go get something to eat. Face it, I think we�re going to be doing this for a very long time.�

� A very long time?� He called after her, an uneasy look settling over his face.

She turned around in the doorway, tucking a piece of ice-blonde hair behind her ear, � That�s where the fun lies. Plus,� she said airily, � I was hoping that my ribs can heal a bit faster without disturbance for a few days.�

� Oh god,� he muttered as he stood up and followed her out of the door, � I think I just did something very stupid.�

Part 4

New Rawley

Bella had come out of school, and had just reached the fork in the road where, walking back on most days, Sean usually left for his house and she for hers. He wasn�t at school today, despite it being first day back and all, and it made her unsettled. Ever since he had started hanging out with Ryder, he had become nearly a different person. Still nice, that part of his nature couldn�t easily be erased or even concealed, but he had become so much more uncontrollable lately.

She shifted the weight of her book bag on her shoulder and walked onto the street that lead to his house. She was worried about him for a while now and it was as good a time as any to talk to him about all this no-show stuff he kept pulling in school lately.

It was strange how she was feeling immensely guilty about Sean slipping away from her and Will. She knew it wasn�t so much their not paying attention to him than he just wanted to hang out with Ryder, but she still couldn�t help thinking that, if they had included him a bit more in their lives, he wouldn�t have had to resort to hanging out with Ryder in the first place.

And now look where all this hanging out had ended. He wasn�t telling her much these days but she did know that his grades were bad enough to earn him a place in Edmund High�s summer school, refuse him entry into any sports teams, as well as land him in some sort of trouble with the school�s administration - what exactly, she didn�t know. But she was willing to bet that Ryder was, if not a direct cause of that, then at least a heavy influence.

She looked up and discovered that, when she was busy thinking about Sean, her feet had already found their way to his house. She had been to his house plenty of times before, they having been friends since they were only kids. Walking onto the porch, she knocked on the door. � Sean? Are you there?� She called softly.

There was no answer from within. She tried knocking again, and the door suddenly opened, catching her off guard and revealing behind it a very haggard-looking Sean.

� Oh my god, what happened to you?� She exclaimed, rushing forward. He had evidently come out of the shower a short time ago, seeing that his hair was still damp and stood up in dark blond spikes all over his head. Despite being clean, he still looked like hell, with huge black circles under his eyes, which were bloodshot. His lips were dry and chapped, and he looked at her with a squint, as though he couldn�t get his eyes to open properly.

� My guess would be too much gin.� He answered, stepping back to let her inside. Closing the door, he leaned against it with his arms crossed over his chest, � What are you doing here?�

� I� I wanted to see if you are all right.� She stammered.

� Why wouldn�t I be?� He asked, still squinting at her.

� You weren�t in school today.� She said.

� Oh, yeah.� He at least had the grace to sound a little sheepish, � I forgot to tell you. I, uh, got�� he coughed nervously, �� suspended.�

She gaped at him, � What did you say?�

� He said he got suspended.� A voice, laden with equal amounts Cockney and alcohol-induced croakiness, said behind her, � For a week.�

Bella whirled around.

It was Ryder Forrest. Naked. Well, yeah, not quite. He was nearly naked while a very small portion of him was covered in a - tiny, too tiny, she thought frantically - towel. He was dripping water everywhere, the clear liquid running down his hair and onto his face, beading on his eyebrows and eyelashes, which were surprisingly dark, considering his fair colouring.

He smirked at her before speaking over her shoulder, � Sean, have you got another towel? I�m dripping and I would appreciate it if I didn�t have to use this one�� he gestured at the towel he wore around his waist, � � to dry my hair, considering I�d have to take it off��

� Oh my god, what the hell are you doing here?� Bella exclaimed before she could stop herself.

Sean, who had also been somewhat shocked at the sudden emergence of nearly-naked-Ryder in his living room, gaped as Bella swirled to face him, saying again, � Oh my god��

� Oh, no.� He sputtered, � Bella, this isn�t what you think��

� What I think? I don�t know what to think!� She exclaimed, � There�s a nearly naked Ryder in your living room!� She said his name as though he was a new form of bacteria.

A horrified expression settled over Sean�s features, � But you�re not thinking�? What? No, no, what? No, you�ve got it all wrong��

� What�s she thinking?� Ryder asked, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at the two of them with interest. Bella�s eyes darted frantically between Sean to him, then back to Sean again

� No, no no no no, that�s not what it is at all�� Sean stammered, turning beet red, � He�s taking a shower at my house.�

Ryder raised an eyebrow and smiled lopsidedly, waiting for Bella�s reaction.

She didn�t let him down. With an admirable jaw-drop expression, she yelled at the top of her voice, � Oh my god, SEAN! That wasn�t what I was thinking at all, but thank you for the mental imagery!�

Now it was time for Ryder to look horrified, mental imagery? What sort of mental imagery? Actually, scratch that, he knew what imagery she implied, but� this was certainly less fun when he could see mental imagery of him and Sean floating around in the Townie chick�s head.

� Argh!� He exclaimed, � Sean, where on earth did you get that idea?�

* * *

Rawley Academy, Dining Hall

Faye took a bite of her bread roll, staring at Scout intently across the table. Chewing slowly, she tilted her head and examined him from a new angle.

� What are you trying to do?� He swallowed a mouthful of food, � Try to lure me with your hypnotic gaze?�

� Actually, yeah.� She admitted, � Is it working?�

� Not enough that I want to lose the bet over.� He grinned, picking up his glass of water and tilting it in a small toasting gesture before taking a drink from it.

� Damn.� She sighed, � I�ll have to try wearing less clothes from now on.�

He choked, � Are you serious?�

� Depends. Are you more prone to urges when I have less clothes on?� She asked, her lashes fluttering innocently.

He wouldn�t have thought it possible to choke twice in the space of a few seconds. Sputtering, he got up from the table, � I�ve gotta�� He drained his glass of water, but still sported a very red face, � I�ve got to go get some more�� He lurched toward the water pitcher at the end of the table, still coughing madly.

She grinned to herself, picking up his fork and helped herself to a piece of carrot from his plate.

* * *

Carson

Jake and Hamilton emerged from Dr Perkins� office building, squinting against the sudden sunlight. They hadn�t expected it to be so light out, but summer was coming and days were definitely getting longer.

� Well, that was�� Hamilton begun, shielding his eyes as they walked toward Jake�s bike.

� � A lot of talking.� Jake finished for him, giving him his helmet and doing up her own.

� A lot.� He agreed, sitting down behind her on the bike. � Are you sure this is helping? The guy�s a psychiatrist, Jake, shouldn�t he be like, psychoanalysing now? He�s barely said two words through this session.�

� I�m surprised that I had to say so much.� She wrinkled her brows as she started the bike, � I thought, you know, he was going to give us some pointers or something. All we�ve done so far is ramble about anything and everything.�

� Well, you did talk about Grant for a while.� He pointed out.

� Yeah, for about five minutes in between talking about the merits of using beer as shampoo and how to survive as a cross-dresser in a boys� school.� She scoffed, � I�m not sure I like this free-association during therapy, it doesn�t look like I�m going to be getting cured anytime soon.�

* * *

Friendly�s

Bella saw Will - back in his blue uniform - through the window at first, and she hurried into the diner, � Will, what are you doing here again? I thought Vicki said you should take a break from work!�

� I had to cover for Tom.� He explained matter-of-factly, refilling a customer�s cup of coffee.

She followed him, � You know, the whole point of �taking a break from work� is kinda lost if you actually work.�

� I know.� He answered, wiping his hand across his brow. Up close she saw that he was looking unusually pale, his freckles standing out vividly against his white skin. A light sweat had broken over his forehead, and his eyes were heavily shadowed with blue-grey.

� Will!� She exclaimed, � You look terrible!�

� I�m holding up,� he replied tersely, setting the coffee pitcher down and returning to behind the counter. Scanning the diner briefly to see if any customers wanted anything, he looked down, � Excuse me, Bella, I don�t mean to be rude, but I have heaps of stuff that I need to go through��

She leaned over the counter to have a look, � Why are all your books here?�

� I�ve got assignments.� He answered curtly.

� But you�re working.� She interjected.

He glanced up briefly, his eyes looking more than a little unfocused, � I can multi-task.�

The bells above the door tinkled as a few more customers walked in. Will jumped up from his seat, grabbing a couple of menus. Bella followed him with her eyes and sighed with frustration as he stumbled slightly, straightened himself up almost immediately, and went on his way.

* * *

Faye�s room

� Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.� Leah was pacing up and down, her hands covering her face, � Oh my god, I�m so humiliated.�

Faye watched her from her seat on the blue blow-up armchair and said calmly, � You were being very silly, Leah.�

� I was, I really was.� Her roommate agreed, sitting down suddenly on the floor, � Oh my god, I can�t believe I did that! After all this time��

� Ever since Josh transferred to Rawley, you begged me to introduce you.� Faye watched her, not being able to hide an amused smirk, � And when I finally get around to doing it��

� I was nervous!� Leah cried, turning beet-red.

� Even so,� Faye grinned, � I walk up to him, with you tagging behind me, I say, �Josh, my roommate�s a really big fan and she really wants to meet you, Leah, this is Josh�� and I turn around. Now, since you were the one begging to be introduced, I assume you�d be standing there, right? Wrong, you were nowhere in sight.�

� I know, I know,� Leah groaned, burying her face in her hands, � I panicked, okay? He was so close! He was standing right there!�

� Leah, he goes to this school.� Faye retorted, � Of course he�s going to be standing right there! I can�t believe you ran away.�

� I can�t believe it either.� Leah moaned, � God, this is so embarrassing. Now he�s going to think I�m some sort of lunatic.�

� Actually, I told him I think you must have panicked and ran away,� Faye smiled, � And he said to tell you that�s kind of cute.�

Leah�s face emerged from her hands, � Really?�

� And he also said it was flattering�� Faye continued, and seeing a hopeful smile emerge on her roommate�s face, finished with �� in a freaky way.�

Leah wailed and buried her face in her arms again. � Oh god, now he�s going to remember me as the freaky girl who ran away because she was too scared to talk to him!�

� Well, aren�t you?� Faye shrugged.

� I didn�t want him to know that! Look, you don�t know what it�s like to be me, okay?� Leah looked up, almost close to tears, � You�ve known him since you were kids! He�s just� Josh to you, but to me��

� Yes?� Faye drawled, looking interested.

Leah was blushing so violently that her face matched her flaming red curls, � He�s a god.�

Faye�s eyes widened as she burst out laughing, which lasted for all of two seconds before she doubled over, clutching her ribs, � Ow��

� Serves you right.� Leah said huffily, � I can�t believe you�re making fun of me when I�m obviously distressed.�

� Believe me, I�m having no fun right now.� Faye gasped, stumbling over to her dresser and grabbed her bottle of painkillers, � I can�t even laugh properly after the accident.�

� You okay?� Leah asked, pissed off as she was, she was still concerned for her roommate, whose skin had rapidly faded to a pale and none too healthy colour.

Faye popped a pill and turned back to her, � I guess. But back to subject at hand, Leah, I know you tend to over-dramatise, but Josh, a god? You sound like an obsessive stalker.� She giggled again, � This is classic. I can�t wait to see the look on his face when I tell him.�

� No!� Leah exclaimed vehemently, � You can�t! Please don�t.�

Faye looked at her, something flickering in the depths of her violet eyes.

Shaking her head, Leah said softly, � Look, I�ve known about Amnesia since they first started getting popular, okay? I was a fan right from the start and I was totally obsessed with him��

� Still are, evidently.� Faye pointed out.

� You just don�t know what it�s like.� Leah looked up at her, � To have this crazy notion of someone perfect and beautiful, who you�ve always thought of being really far away, really unreachable, and then��

� He suddenly comes here, and becomes more real than you have ever wanted or needed.� Faye finished for her, � Believe it or not, I do get it. It�s not a nice feeling.�

Leah gazed at her, and Faye blinked, looking away for a brief second before grinning again, � And you know what? It�s only going to get worse.�

� What do you mean?� Leah asked, paling.

� Need I remind you that you�re Juliet�s nurse?� Faye smirked, � You�ll have to do a scene with him.� Consulting the production schedule that was pinned up on their corkboard, she smiled, � Oh, would you look at that, the first run-through of�� She paused, running her finger down the list, � Act Two scene four, is at the convenient time of 7pm tomorrow night.�

Leah wailed loudly once more.

A knock on the door, thankfully, distracted Faye from her overwhelming urge to laugh again, � Come in!� She called.

Scout poked his head into the room, � Hey�� Spotting Leah on the floor, he added, � hi Leah.�

� Hey.� Leah mumbled without looking up. Scout walked into the room and glanced quizzically at Faye.

She smiled and said serenely, � She�s suffering from the effects of over-deification, I believe.�

He nodded, knowing Faye well enough not to press the subjects that she kept cryptic. Instead he said to her, � I, uh, left my history book here.�

� Oh, that�s right.� She jumped up and reached across her desk to grab a large book, � I got it.� Handing the book to him with a smile, she was careful to let her fingers linger a little on his hand, sliding her nail lightly across the back of his forefinger. And was pleased to see him step back, looking alarmed.

� Uh, well. Hmm.� Scout said, then cleared his throat, � Thanks. I mean, for the book.� He waved the book at her as if to prove a point.

� Any time.� She grinned, biting back a �Gay Boy� that was on the tip of her tongue.

He stared at her, and she tilted her head again, enjoying the slightly dazed look in his eyes.

� I�ve gotta go.� He suddenly announced, turned and fled, forgetting to close the door behind him in his haste.

Faye watched his back and smiled.

Part 5

Rawley Academy

*Massive Attack�s �Heat Miser� plays, it�s a hypnotic instrumental inlaid with slow drums and soft piano and strings*

It was nighttime and the grounds at Rawley were quiet. Moonlight was washing down on the treetops in sheets of liquid silver, making the inky lake glimmer. Further up the shore, the grey stone dormitories were lit from within, each small window on the walls a luminous square of light.

Normally Will would�ve enjoyed this sight, biking back to the school after a shift at the diner, but tonight he was in no mood to revel in the beauty of the scene. His head was so heavy he was sure that his neck was going to snap under the weight, and his vision blurred as though he was swimming through murky water. All he wanted to do was to get back to his room and fall into bed, and maybe never wake up again. That would feel good.

With effort he pedalled the last of the distance to the boys� dorms and got off the bike, leaving it in its usual place near the entrance. He staggered toward the doors, placing a thumb under the shoulder strap of his book bag - that he had taken to work so he could work and study at the same time - to ease its weight, which was biting into his shoulders.

Walking up the few stone steps in front of the entrance proved to be a much harder task than he had ever found it to be. He was so dizzy that he had to grip the handrail with both hands to steady himself, and they were slipping because his palms were slick with cold sweat. His toe kept banging into the side of the steps instead of stepping on them, tripping him with every step. It felt as though hooks were attached to his eyelids, pulling them down incessantly. His footing was so unsteady that it was a miracle he managed to make his way to the top of the stairs, and for a moment he seriously wondered if he was stumbling across mounds of cotton wool.

He loosened his grip on the handrail and staggered a few steps forward in order to grasp the smooth wood of the main entrance doorway. He wasn�t sure if his eyes were closed or not - he had a feeling that they had shut somewhere along the way, and with an effort he forced himself to open them wide.

The light from overhead chandeliers reflected off the highly polished floor, a sudden and harsh contrast from the night from which he had just come in. The glare caught him off guard and he felt the light explode like fireworks in his eyes.

He could see the faint outline of the entrance hall, of the stairs that led up to the dorm rooms, of the hallways that snaked along either side of him, of the high ceiling and the floor inlaid with wooden panels. Then they were all swirling and melting into each other and bright spots of colour burst into the mix and the fog that threatened to envelop his brain for the past few weeks finally did, thick and grey and it settled over him, warm and gentle and it felt like coming home�

Finn walked along the corridors and turned the corner to the entrance hall just in time to see Will slump to the floor. � Will,� he exclaimed, rushing forward, � Will!�

* * *

Jake and Hamilton�s room

Jake was typing away on her laptop. Hamilton sat near the window, peering out into the darkness. The atmosphere inside the room was tense, although each tried not to show it.

He listened to the sound of her fingertips striking the keys, sometimes pausing, sometimes clacking away at a rapid pace. He didn�t look at her face but he knew that if he did, it would�ve been awash with the light from the monitor, her eyes glinting as she stared intently into the screen, her long fingers flying over the keyboard. He had spent countless times sitting there, just watching her and feeling content.

Of course, that had been before now. Before now, he could watch her and feel the love he had for her surge up in a great big swell in his chest, all warm and tingly and it would seep from limb to limb until he couldn�t resist standing up, walking over to where she was sitting and kissing her. She would tilt her head back in the awkward angle whenever he kissed her like that and she would complain of a crick in her neck afterwards, laughter dancing in her eyes.

But he couldn�t look at her now. Because if he looked, he�d have to get up and walk over and kiss her, and she would shrink away. Probably with tears in her eyes, begging for him not to hate her.

He didn�t hate her. He could never hate her. He just hated what they were doing to each other.

And therapy wasn�t proving to be much of a solution. He thought they�d go in there, explain the situation, and Dr Perkins would solve the problem for them, or at least tell them how to do it themselves. � Take it slow,� he might�ve advised, or even �cool your relationship off for a while�, it didn�t matter. Hamilton just didn�t expect the lack of answers. There were no answers offered by Dr Perkins, no way of approaching this, no way of making their relationship work.

In the couple of therapy sessions they�ve had, they�d barely touched on the subject of why they were there. Perkins made Jake talk, made Hamilton talk. Made them talk about school and motorbikes and what they thought of Third Eye Blind�s last album and whether or not Monica Pratt was going to receive another Tony this year for her role in the European tour of �The Tempest�. He had hardly batted an eye when Jake hesitantly told him that she was masquerading as a boy in an all boys� school, and offered a mere grin when he heard that they both belonged to Rawley Academy�s gay society. Sure, they had talked about their relationship, about the Cotillion at summer session and Logan airport on Valentine�s Day, about breaking up on the first day back after Winter Break and the first time she kissed him on the roof. They talked about everything, and dwelled on nothing.

Where was the �therapy�? If they wanted to talk about random things about life, they could�ve done it with anyone. They were in there because Jake needed to get herself over the fear that was implanted in her ever after her near-rape scare in London, and Perkins had hardly even acknowledged that event, let alone single it out for closer scrutiny. Hamilton didn�t understand what he was getting at, nor was he impressed.

He was getting sick of all the talking.

He just wanted a solution so that their lives could be normal again.

* * *

Will and Scout�s room

Scout sat up in bed suddenly as something thudded heavily against the door. A moment later, it flew open, the light from the hallway illuminating a strangely lumpy-looking figure standing in the doorway.

� What the�� Scout started to say, but the figure staggered in and half of it seemed to disengage itself, and fell on Will�s bed with a groan. Scout blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim light and finally realising that it was Finn, who had been carrying Will before settling him down on the bed.

� Will?� He exclaimed, sliding off the bed, � What happened?�

� Overworked would be my guess. He fainted just inside the entrance hall.� Finn answered gravely, placing a hand on Will�s forehead and nodding as he touched cool skin, � He doesn�t seem to be sick, per se, which I guess is a good thing.�

� Can I do something to help?� Scout asked.

Finn glanced at him wearily, � Can you keep an eye on him through the night? I don�t think there�s much point getting him elsewhere for the time being, we�ll just let him sleep and see how he�s feeling tomorrow morning.�

Scout nodded, � Sure thing.�

� If anything happens tonight, come get me straight away, okay?� Finn told him, � Don't hesitate, I want to keep a close eye on him.�

� Sure.� Scout said again.

� Right.� Finn said tiredly, walking to the door, � Look after him. I�ll come by tomorrow morning.�

Scout was silent for a moment before he looked up, � Finn��

The teacher turned around, leaning against the doorframe. � Yes?�

Scout bit his lip, � You know he can�t go on like this.�

Finn sighed, � I know.�

� There�s just� too much for him to do. He can�t handle it.� Scout said quietly, � Everyone�s been telling him to get his priorities straight, but he just can�t do it on his own.�

Finn looked down, sticking his hands in his pockets, � I guess we�ll have to do it for him.�

� What do you mean?� Scout asked with a sideways glance at Will.

� You know what I mean.� Finn told him.

Scout flinched, � But the production is his life, Finn. He�s been putting so much effort into it and it�s just too unfair to��

� Well, what else do you think we could do?� Finn replied, rubbing a hand over his chin, � He could lose his scholarship if he�s not careful, he said so himself. If he hasn�t got a scholarship, he won�t even be at Rawley anymore, never mind the production.�

� He�ll hate us for this.� Scout sat down by Will�s feet and sighed.

� I know.� Finn agreed, � But it�s for his own good.�

* * *

Bella�s Gas Station

Bella wasn�t expecting Will to show up at breakfast. She herself told him he had to get as much rest as he could and anyway, with crew practice and/or rehearsals before school, it was nearly impossible for him to ride into town, grab a bite to eat at the gas station like he had normally done over the past couple of semesters, and head back in time for class. It was a shame that they were breaking their long-standing tradition, but what else was new? They seemed to be breaking all their traditions lately.

However, Bella was surprised to see Scout at the door of the shop this morning. Watching him stride toward her, she thought he looked grave and definitely more tired than usual. � Scout?� She asked, opening the door.

� Hey.� His tone was strained as he walked inside.

� Is anything wrong?� She asked. That seemed to be her immediate reaction to just about everything these days.

He looked at her, � Now, don�t panic��

� Oh, great way to start telling me something really bad.� She laughed lightly, already feeling her stomach starting to tie into knots, � What happened?�

� It�s Will.� He sighed, sitting down, � He, uh, collapsed last night.�

She jumped up, � Is he okay?�

He reached up and pulled her back down onto the seat, � He�s fine. Well, not fine exactly, but he�s resting. And he�s okay.�

� You know he�s not okay.� She said quietly, settling down again and looking at her hands, � He�s not going to be okay unless he gives something up.� She peered across the street at the diner, � He�ll have to give up his job at the diner, for the time being at least.�

� It won�t be just the job that he�ll have to give up, Bella.� He told her gently.

She glanced at him, � What do you mean?�

� I mean the job alone isn�t going to be enough.� He sighed, � Did you know that he�s going to lose his scholarship if he doesn�t average a B+ in our final exams?�

She widened her eyes at him. He nodded forcefully and she looked down again, her hands twisting at the hem of her shirt.

This was big news, and Will hadn�t told her.

� He just doesn�t have time to go around doing all the things he�s been doing.� He said. � So� Finn�s going to find a replacement for him in the production.�

� What?� She exclaimed, � He can�t do that! Will�s done so much for the play; they can�t just take him away! He�d rather die before he sees that happen!�

Scout looked away, � It�s all about priorities, Bella.�

� And right now the production is the most important thing to him.� She replied angrily, � Finn can�t do that. He just can�t.�

� It�s not the most important thing.� He said solemnly, � Keeping him at Rawley is. Without Rawley, there won�t be any production. Without Rawley, Will is back to Square One.�

She stared at him, feeling her insides twist.

He looked out the window and squinted a little against the light, a thoughtful glaze setting into his blue eyes, � It�s been nearly a year since he first arrived at Rawley, Bella.�

She nodded soundlessly.

� And he�� Scout continued, but she silenced him, � I know, Scout, you don�t have to say it. I�ve seen the changes. We all have.�

� Yeah.� Said Scout, and he was silent. So was Bella, staring hard at her hands. She had started biting her nails again lately, and she absently ran the jagged edge of the nail on her index finger across her thumb.

A movement outside caught their eye, and they looked up to see Faye standing in front of the glass door, waving cheerfully at the two of them.

Bella smiled, standing up to open the door. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Scout also standing up, looking� she turned back sharply, and no, she wasn�t imagining it, he looked horrified.

Confused, she opened the door and Faye bounded in, bright-eyed and all smiles, � Hello, people!�

� You�re cheerful today.� Bella remarked with a hint of jealousy in her voice. It was depressing to see happy people, given her current state of mind.

� Why shouldn�t I be?� Faye replied lightly, �Anyway, just wanted to come and say hi. I�m having breakfast with Ryder and Sean over at the diner.� She grinned at Bella before glancing at Scout with a tiny smile. He looked like a deer caught in headlights. Bella watched, perplexed, as Faye sidled up to him, � Hey, you.�

Bella raised an eyebrow. She wasn�t sure, but did Faye just purr?

Scout stood very still, and turned pink. Faye smiled lopsidedly at him, a lock of hair falling across her eyes.

� Gotta go.� Scout suddenly said in a strangled sort of voice and fled, pushing past Faye and jostling Bella in his hurry to get out of there. Faye smirked, looking very satisfied with herself.

* * *

Will and Scout�s room

Will felt like he had never slept that soundly before.

A whole night of dreamless slumber, deep velveteen depths pulling him down, pulling him in. The darkness was soft and flooded every corner of his mind, soaking up thoughts and fears and leaving behind nothing but peace. Life had lost its hard edge and he was floating in a soft black void that had no end and no beginning, just sweetness, just� sleep.

Sunlight on his face was an altogether unwelcome sensation, and he opened his eyes a crack.

His dorm room was bathed in light, bright and summery. He smiled at the simple pleasure of being there for a brief moment before exclaiming, � Oh, NO!� and leapt out of bed, staggering as blood rushed to his head. Shaking his head violently to clear his vision, he looked desperately at the alarm clock. Why didn�t it go off? Oh good god, it was nine o�clock!

� No, no, no�� He muttered, looking around for clothes and realizing with a start that he was still wearing the clothes he had on last night. What happened to crew? What happened to rehearsals? What happened to Scout? Why hadn�t anyone woken him up?

Finn chose that moment to walk in the door, and seeing Will out of bed, advanced briskly toward him, � Get back into bed, Mr Krudski.� He demanded.

� What? Finn, you know I have things to do�� Will began, but Finn guided him by the shoulders and pushed him to sit down on the bed.

� I�ve arranged for you to take the day off classes.� Finn told him matter-of-factly, � there was no crew this morning, and I covered for you at morning rehearsal.�

� What�s going on?� Will asked, baffled but slightly less anxious.

Finn scrutinised him closely, � You don�t remember last night?�

Will wrinkled his brows. And then he remembered. Struggling up the stairs to the dormitory, seeing the light inside the halls, the leaden weight of his head, the world swirling and spinning out of control.

� I fainted.� He said, not so much a question than a remark.

Finn nodded. � You�re overworked, Will. You don�t need me to tell you that.�

� I know.� Will looked down, � And I am quitting work at the diner, I can promise you that.�

Finn was silent for a long time. Will glanced up, and saw that the older man was looking at him gravely. � What?� He demanded.

Finn breathed in, then breathed out again heavily, as though he was gearing himself up for something. � That isn�t going to be enough, Will.�

� Enough? What do you mean?� Will demanded.

� I mean,� Finn looked like it was taking him a good deal of effort to get the words out, and it wasn�t surprising considering what he had to say, � I don�t think you are in a state to be involved in the production anymore, Will. I�m sorry, but I�m removing you from the student director position.�

� WHAT?� Will exploded, � No! You can�t do that!�

� I have to.� Finn answered calmly, � You just don�t have the time or the energy. Even you have to admit that.�

� I won�t!� Will exclaimed, � I�ve been working my ass off for this production and I�ll be damned if I let you - or anyone else - remove me from the post that I worked so hard at!�

� But you can�t afford losing your scholarship!� Finn shouted at him, suddenly losing control, � Do you want that, Will? Do you want to be sent back home because of a stupid play?�

Will abruptly went quiet, angry spots of colour appearing on his pale cheeks as he laughed hollowly, � No pun intended, right, Finn? I can�t afford it.�

� Listen to me, Will�� Finn began, but Will cut him off angrily, � No, you listen to me. I know I�ve been working way too hard lately. I know I haven�t been getting enough rest. I�ve been falling asleep at rehearsals and breaking more plates than I could count at work, but I don�t care. I�m staying in the production no matter what. I�ve poured my heart and soul into this project and don�t you dare tell me to abandon it halfway through. And you know what? If you had even the smallest bit of faith in me, you�ll know that I can do this and pull off the necessary grades at the same time, you know I can.�

Finn stared at him, � What about crew?�

� I can do it.� Will said with determination.

� You can�t.� Finn said.

Will raised his eyes to the older man, his eyes burning a fervent blue as he gritted his teeth, � I CAN.�

Finn glared at him. Will glared back.

Finn had never seen him this determined. Will was the one who was known for his thoughtfulness, not fierceness. But he was fierce now, and Finn could see that there was nothing that he could do to change the boy�s mind.

Save for force. He had the authority, after all.

He opened his mouth, ready to tell Will that he was off the production, whether he wanted to or not. Damn it, the boy�s grades were slipping at an alarming rate, and Finn never thought that he�d see the day that Will Krudski would put his scholarship in danger with his own hands. Danger from others, sure, like the time at the end of summer session when the funding was removed, but that wasn�t through fault of Will�s own. Unlike he was doing this time, over-committing, overestimating his capacities, if not mentally, then at least health-wise. Finn had to put a stop to it before Will hurt himself in some way.

But he paused.

For he caught something in Will�s eyes. A look, desperate and confounded and lost. And Finn realised he couldn�t do it, no more than he could bear to see Will leave Rawley on the basis of failing to meet his scholarship standards. The boy had thrown so much of himself into the play, his ideas and dreams and his astute brilliance as a writer. The production had the makings of becoming a milestone in Will�s writing career, Finn was well aware of that: perhaps the first significant thing that he had done, committing himself to the art of not only literature but theatre, the magic borne from passion for words.

He set his jaw, � One week.�

� What?� Will looked surprised.

� I�ll give you a one-week trial to see if you�re up to the task.� Finn told him, not without feeling a sense of foreboding, � To see if you could successfully juggle school, crew and the production� mind you, that would have to be a lot better than how you are juggling things now. If I�m not happy with how things are going after one week, you�re off the production, is that clear?�

� Yes.� Will said quietly, a small glint of triumph in his eyes.

Finn nodded curtly, getting up from the bed, � You have the rest of the day off, Mr Krudski, I suggest you get some more rest while you can.�

Will nodded again, suppressing a yawn. He really was very tired. Watching Finn walk toward the door, he called, � Finn.�

Finn turned to look at him, his blue eyes pensive.

� Thanks.� Will managed a small smile, � For giving me a chance to prove I could do it.�

Finn looked at him evenly, � Don�t let yourself down, then.�

Will smiled and watched the door close softly behind the teacher.

* * *

Rawley Academy

Faye and Scout sat under the oak tree in the middle of campus, and Faye was delicately nibbling on a carrot stick. The weather was sunny and warm, a perfect reason for her to keep to her word and not wear a lot of clothes. A small black midriff top and low-slung skirt aside, she was pretty much bare. Her skin was very pale and she was aware of its translucent luminance, something that she was rather proud of. Getting tanned was never top of her priorities� in fact, she avoided the sun as much as possible, it gave her freckles.

Although the lack of clothes was mostly for Scout�s benefit - or rather, her own considering the bet - she still enjoyed immensely the looks that guys all over campus have been giving her all lunch break. And what she enjoyed even more was the look on Scout�s face, which was by now practically murderous as yet another guy walked by, eyeing her up.

� Why did you have to wear that?� He scowled, indicating her outfit with a broad sweep of his arm.

� To seduce you into indecently touching me.� She replied blithely, taking another nibble at her carrot stick.

� How can you just sit here and say that as if you were saying �I�m eating a carrot stick�?� He asked, � Seduce me into indecently touching you?�

� Yes.� She nodded seriously, � Is it working?�

He fumed at her and finally chose not to answer directly, � Well, it�s definitely working on everyone else around us, isn�t it?�

� For them it�s not so much indecent touching as indecent, uh, scrutiny.� She finished her carrot and turned to him, all feigned innocence and smiles, � Or maybe indecent thoughts��

He swore out loud and she grinned, brushing the hair out of her eyes. As she did so, a spaghetti strap from her flimsy top slid halfway down her shoulder. She looked up at him in mock shock, � Oops.�

� Fix yourself up, woman!� He snapped, turning red again and deliberately faced away from her.

She smiled and straightened the strap up. As she did so, Chris Hansen - fellow crew member on Scout�s team - walked past and commented in an (she thought) altogether good-natured way, � Looking good, Faye.�

� Why, thank you, Chris, what a lovely thing to say.� Her smile was catlike.

Scout whirled around, � Okay, that does it.� He seethed, looking as though he was going to explode, � I don�t care about that stupid bet anymore.� Grabbing her roughly by the shoulders, he kissed her.

He had never kissed her as thoroughly as he did this time, grasping her shoulders tightly as his lips met hers with passionate force, spurred by his anger and frustration. Her skin was cold to the touch, and her lips were very cool to begin with, but he could feel them warm under the ferocity of his touch.

Dazed, he inhaled her familiar scent, she smelled like a mixture of blackcurrants and crisp air on snowy days. And it hit him with a pang that he had missed that scent so much in the last - what was it? God, not even 24 hours?

Then she was kissing him back, and he could feel her lips curve in a satisfied smile and knew that this was definitely non-platonic touching and that he was doomed to walk a tortoise up and down the halls come dinnertime but he really couldn�t care less because Faye was kissing him and her little cold fingers were trailing up the back of his spine and the sensation was making him shiver and a burning feeling was settling in his stomach and if she didn�t stop doing that soon then he was about to do something a lot more indecent than this, right here in the middle of campus�

� Ow.� She pulled back and made a face, her cheeks flushed. � You know, I really thought the bet was going to ensure a few days of safe healing for my injury.�

� No such luck.� He said huskily, trailing a finger up her arm.

� No self control.� She said pointedly, grinning at him.

He leaned close to her so that he could whisper in her ear, � Not where you�re concerned.�

Part 6

Carson, Dr Perkins� office

� So.� Hamish Perkins sat back, interlinking his fingers on his lap, on top of his notepad, � We didn�t schedule another session until next week.�

� But we can�t wait that long.� Hamilton told him, his blue eyes darkening. Beside him, Jake bit her lip and nodded lightly. � We had to talk to you.�

� Noted.� Perkins ran a hand through his hair, which was very untidy, and was probably the most prominent reason why he looked so young. � It�s lucky that a regular client just cancelled today at the last minute, otherwise I wouldn�t have been able to fit you two in for an emergency session. Right,� he leaned forward, � You had to talk to me. About what?�

� What do you mean about what? Exactly this.� Hamilton glared at him, � We need answers, Dr Perkins, we need solutions to our problem. That�s what we�re here for, remember? And so far you haven�t even touched on the subject! Aren�t you supposed to help us with this? We didn�t come here just to ramble pointlessly, you know, we came here with a problem that needs to be solved!�

Perkins adjusted his glasses and peered at Hamilton, � And what exactly is that problem again?�

Hamilton looked like he was about to start shouting, but Jake clamped a hand down on his arm. Leaning forward, she looked into the psychiatrist�s eyes and said earnestly, � I can�t bear to have Hamilton touch me. Not after what happened to me in London. That is the problem.�

Perkins had very piercing green eyes, she noticed, as he asked her intently, � And what exactly happened in London?�

� My mother�s boyfriend threw a New Year�s party and she took me to it. When I was there, he dropped a couple tablets of Rohypnol into my drink and I�� She paused, drew a shuddery intake of breath and tried to say something. But nothing came out. She had no idea how to put the ordeal into words.

Perkins raised an eyebrow, � Well?�

She sighed, � Give me a minute.�

� You don�t feel comfortable talking about it?� He enquired, watching both her and Hamilton�s faces keenly.

� Of course not, what did you expect?� Replied Hamilton, looking very cross.

Perkins smiled slightly at him before turning back to Jake, � From what I gathered from our ramblings yesterday, it would seem that it took you more than two months to finally get around to telling Hamilton what went wrong in London.�

Jake held his gaze, � Yes.�

� And four months after the incident, you still can�t really bear to have someone touch you in an intimate fashion.� He continued, adjusting his glasses again.

� Yes.� She said again.

� You two have known me for how long?� He sat back, interlinking his fingers again.

Jake blinked, � Two� three days.�

Perkins nodded, � And here you are, expecting to be magically rid of something you can�t even vocalise for me just yet?�

� But you�re a psychiatrist!� Hamilton exploded, � You�re supposed to be the person who helps us with this! You are the one with the answers!�

� I�m a psychiatrist, yes.� Perkins said calmly, � And yes, I am the person who will help you with this. However, I do not have the answers. I don�t have any answers.�

The couple gaped at him.

He leaned forward again, � Do you think the important thing here is that I�m a doctor? That I�ll take a look at you two, and know what to do? Write down a prescription and make you follow it?�

Their silence suggested that they did indeed think along those lines.

� It doesn�t work like that.� He said earnestly, � What matters in these sessions is not that I�m a psychiatrist or that you were nearly raped and suffering the after-effects, Jacqueline. What really matters is trust. Trust between you and me so that we can eventually talk about what happened that night and after; trust between you and Hamilton so that you can work through this as a couple.� His eyes bore into hers, � I can�t make it go away.� Turning to Hamilton, he continued, � I can only help you in the only way that I know how. You talk, I listen, and you let it all out. That�s the establishing of trust. And eventually, when we�ve established enough trust between the three of us, you�ll find that your problem will disappear, just like that.�

� What, are you saying that I don�t trust Hamilton?� Jake asked, only mildly indignant because Perkins was starting to make sense to her.

� No.� He turned toward him, � I can see that you trust him. What you don�t trust, Jacqueline, is your own mind.�

She stared.

� You don�t know how it would react to being touched by Hamilton again, so you don�t even want to try.� He looked into her eyes, � Minds are complex things, and it�s hard to trust what lies beyond the conscious. Unless you learn to trust your mind, that it won�t start flipping back to suppressed memories at every available chance, you�ll never get rid of this.�

� So what do I do?� She asked quietly.

Perkins looked at her. � Talk.� He said in a soft voice, � Talk about whatever you want. What you�re comfortable talking about. You too, Hamilton. Words are crude ways to build up trust, but it�s our only means of communication. The more you talk, the more I understand; and the more I understand, the more I can lead you to trust yourself and each other�� He paused, � and me.�

* * *

Will and Scout�s room

Will sat up in bed, rifling through a few textbooks on his bed. But his head was foggy and felt thick, not to mention that he got dizzy when he tried to read the books. He sighed and put them down again. Turning to look toward the window, he watched the warm hue of sunset paint the room golden. The gentle sunlight washed over his face and he relaxed against it, settling into the comforting warmth.

He said to Finn that he could do it. But really, he didn�t know if he could. Even with work at the diner out of the way, there were still other things to think about� there was Bella.

He paused. Thinking about her wasn�t hard, but he tried to refrain from doing it. It wasn�t so much the thoughts than what lay beneath them, aside from the constant guilt now that he almost never saw her.

He couldn�t help but think that if he really wanted to see her, he would�ve found a way to, despite all that he had to do lately. He would�ve made sure that he made time for her. Ten minutes, five minutes, two seconds to catch a glimpse of her laughing eyes and press his lips to hers before dashing off again.

But he hadn�t been doing that. The days had run together like turpentine dripping onto paint, and the only things standing out vividly against the faded background of people and times and situations were the notions of work, school, production and crew practice.

He had expected Bella to be another one of those vivid images, but she wasn�t. She was just another blurred shape in the formless landscape that was his days.

Uproarious laughter in the halls jostled him out of his thoughts, and he got off the bed to see what was going on, only too glad that he didn�t have to think more about Bella - thinking about their relationship made him nervous these days.

Upon opening the door, he was confronted by a wall of people, standing on either side of the hall and blocking the view to it. They were nearly all laughing, and Will caught snatches of sentences that sounded like �what the hell is he doing?� and �the guy�s gone insane�.

� Excuse me.� He said, pushing past a couple of guys that blocked the doorway in order to see what was going on. What he saw made his jaw drop.

Scout was no more than a few feet away from him, inching along the halls very slowly. He held in his hand a long piece of purple ribbon, which was tied to� Will began to laugh: the other end of the ribbon was tied firmly around the middle of George the Tortoise, who was crawling in an altogether unhurried pace, taking no notice of the sniggering groups of people who flanked the halls. Scout, however, couldn�t really help but take notice of those people, and he was blushing furiously as George dragged him down the hall at an excruciatingly slow pace.

� Scout,� Will doubled up with laughter, � What the hell are you doing?�

Scout looked up at him pitifully, � What does it look like I�m doing?�

� Yeah, but it�s not clear why.� Will retorted cheerfully, feeling a lot better than he had for a long while. � What in god�s name made you do this?�

� Me.� Another voice rang out, and Will looked up to see Faye leaning against the wall on the other side of the hall, her arms crossed over her chest. The light danced over her ice blonde hair and her eyes looked even more violet than usual. � Gay Boy here placed a very na�ve bet with me.� She grinned, looking extremely pleased with herself, � He lost, obviously. And we�re all hereby entertained.�

� Never bet against a Forrest.� Scout told him sourly, shuffling along as George continued his quest down the hall.

� I told him that.� Faye said solemnly, reaching out as Scout passed her, quickly adjusting his shirt collar that was slightly bunched at the back of his neck, � A long time ago, actually. Pity he didn�t remember in time.�

Scout stuck his tongue out at her in an all too childish gesture and she smiled, cocking an eyebrow, � I�d love to, honey, but it�ll have to wait until you come back from walking George, which could take a while.�

Will laughed out loud and ducked back into his room, catching a glimpse of Scout turning even redder amidst the laughter in the halls.

He had only made it back onto his bed and was considering whether he�d rather take another nap or read over the next portion of production scripts, when the door opened again.

Bella let herself in quickly and closed the door again, shutting out the muffled catcalls from the guys in the halls who had seen her go in. � Why is Scout walking a turtle down the hall?� She asked, bemused.

� He lost a bet.� He said lightly, grinning and sitting up.

� Oh.� She answered, evidently not too interested in the subject. The smile disappeared from his face as he watched her walk over, looking serious.

� What�s wrong?� He asked, concerned.

She didn�t answer for a moment, dragging a chair over from his desk, settling it some distance away from his seat on the bed.

He watched her silently as she sat down, placing her hands on her lap. He couldn�t help but notice that her nails were badly bitten.

� How are you?� She asked quietly.

He started to automatically say that he was fine, but something inside him made him stop, and instead what came out was a wry smile and he said, � Tired.�

� Yeah, well, not surprising considering.� She sighed, looking down. � So� has Finn� I mean,� she glanced up quickly, � This morning Scout told me��

� You mean, have I been kicked out of the production?� He asked, then shook his head, � Finn wanted to. But I ended up convincing him to give me another chance.�

� Really?� She asked faintly.

� It�s going to be hard,� he mused, � but I�m going to try to do things better from now on. Quitting work�� he shrugged, � you know. Just� try to concentrate a bit more.�

She could feel her hands trembling as she spoke. � Is that really going to work, Will?�

� Of course it will.� He answered, not looking at her, � I�ve got a plan to follow. How I go through my days juggling everything - it will work.�

� And that plan�� she asked carefully, � Does it include me?�

She caught a small pause before he replied, almost dismissively, � Yeah.�

She chewed on her lower lip and said, � But I only have a tiny part in it, right?�

He looked at her sharply, � Bella��

� I�m not blaming you.� She said in a hurry, looking down again, � I just� wanted to know.�

He glanced away again, staring out of the window and at the rapidly descending night, � I just don�t have time, Bella.�

� Are you sure it�s not anything else?� The words gushed out before she could stop them. Or maybe she didn�t really want to.

He swivelled to face her, � What�s that supposed to mean?�

She met his eyes evenly, � I can�t help but think, if we tried a bit harder, it wouldn�t have come to this.�

� Wouldn�t have come to what?� He asked, his voice weak.

� Stop it.� She set her jaw, � You know perfectly well what I mean. We�re not even trying in this relationship anymore. We�re just sitting back and watching it make its own path and it�s okay when absolutely nothing�s happening; but now it�s like�� She trailed off.

� So it is my fault.� He said sharply.

� I didn�t say that!� She exclaimed in agitation, � Look, there�s no point in denying it, Will! This isn�t even a relationship anymore, it�s just become habit to us. It�s like you coming over for breakfast each morning, you don�t do it because there�s anything particularly nice about it, you just do it because you kept on doing it all this time!�

� That�s not true.� He said violently, � You know it�s not true. You know I love you.�

She stared at him, � I love you too.�

He stared back and a shudder went through him when she asked softly, � But are we in love anymore?�

*Delerium�s �Innocente� starts to play*

He had no answer to that. Really, he hoped that he did, he wanted to say that he did, but he couldn�t answer - yield either an affirmative or a negative response, because he simply did not know anymore.

She looked toward the window, catching the sun�s dying fire in her eyes before turning back to him resolutely, � I think we should take a break.�

He didn�t answer, but she could see that his hands were balling up on his bedspread, clutching tight fistfuls of the material.

� I think�� she continued faintly, � It�s probably for the best right now. You said it yourself, you don�t really have time to�� she shrugged, � live your life, let alone try to manage a failing relationship.�

� It�s not failing.� He said miserably, managing to convince not even himself.

She looked at him, standing up as she spoke, � Wake up, Will.�

He gazed up at her, at how her long hair lay strewn around her shoulders like misplaced sunlight, her eyes staring intently into his own. He had always loved those strange mismatching eyes, one blue and one green, the eyes that often stared at him with a mixture of innocence and knowledge, the eyes that told that she knew him best. That she loved him most of all.

She shook her head sadly, � Look, we just need some time apart, okay? I think we can still make this work if we just� cool it off for a while. At least until you have most of your things out of the way.�

--�You can�t see my eyes� you can�t see my eyes / and they don�t see yours / Hear me when I say I don�t mind at all��

He looked down again, feeling something cold spread through his veins, flooding his entire being. Neither disappointment nor relief but strangely somewhere in between, and he nodded, breathing out heavily.

� Okay.�

She blinked as though she wanted to keep tears at bay, but she had no tears� none that he could see. � Okay.� She replied, nodding quickly.

--�It�s the rain that I hear coming / not a stranger or a ghost / It�s the quiet of a storm approaching / that I fear the most / It�s the pain that I hear coming / the slightest crystal teardrops to the ground in silence / when my love is near��

� It�s for the best.� He said dully, a bland sort of drowsiness suddenly creeping upon him with unexpected force, as though all the thoughts that had been keeping him awake had suddenly been jerked from him, and all that was left was an incessant desire to fall back into oblivion.

Sleep, sorely missed, forever comforting.

She said nothing more, walking to the door. Once there, she turned around and said not to him, but vacantly to a spot somewhere above his left shoulder, � Bye.�

He watched the door shut behind her through half-closed eyes, whispering, � I�ll see ya when I see ya, Bella.�

--�Darling, when did you fall? / When was it over? / Darling, when, when did you fall? / When was it over?�

* * *

Out in the hall, Scout had maybe made a distance of two feet, if that, from where Will saw him last. Tortoises had never been fast walkers and George was, unfortunately, no exception. The kids who had gathered around the halls for the express purpose of laughing at him seemed to have no apparent desire to get to somewhere else in a hurry, and he couldn�t remember being so embarrassed since he was dumped in the middle of town with only his underwear and Will-in-underwear for company. The end of the hallway looked like an awfully long way away.

The worst part was, once he made it down the hallway, he still had to come all the way up.

Scowling, he turned to glare at Faye, who was still leaning against the wall directly opposite his dorm room. She shrugged nonchalantly, and blew him a kiss.

Despite the fact that he was walking a tortoise on a purple ribbon down the halls of Rawley Boys� Academy, he still felt himself smile.

--�It�s marching through my door now / the stony cold of lonesome / A bell tolls for my heart / and then my lonesome song begins��

* * *

Dr Perkins� office

Jake and Hamilton stood up, shaking hands with Dr Perkins, looking a lot more cheerful than they had in these past weeks.

Dr Perkins took his glasses off briefly to massage the bridge of his nose, walking them out of the office. At the door, Jake turned and smiled at him bashfully.

� Thanks,� she said, � Thank you for�� she shrugged, trailing off.

Perkins put his glasses back on and grinned, � It�s my job.�

Hamilton looked at him, albeit not as suspiciously as before. Begrudgingly, he nodded at the older man, � I�m sorry for��

Perkins held up a hand, � Please, don�t say it. It�s only natural for you to want answers.�

Jake and Hamilton looked at each other, then back at him.

� You won�t have them just yet.� He told them, his green eyes darting back and forth between the two, � But you will. Eventually. If you let yourself, I think everything will turn out just fine.�

The couple smiled at him, and he smiled back.

* * *

Will and Scout�s room

--�Darling, when did you cry? / I couldn�t hear you / Darling, when, when did you cry? / I couldn�t hear you��

Will looked out the window. The sun had just sunk below the dark row of trees that framed Rawley Lake. Directly above it, the sky burned orange, which bled into a fiery pink, and then spread into a delicate lavender further out. Beyond the subtle spectrum of warmth surrounding the sun, cold blue hues darkened, deepened, and unfolded into night.

*Will�s voiceover starts*

�Life�s weird like that. What was, never seems to continue as it should; and even when we think we know what is happening, what actually happens still throw us off guard. Maybe it�s the utter reality of it all, as we come to grips with situations and feelings that manifest themselves beyond what we anticipate, to what we actually feel.�

He leaned closer to the window and looked down, catching a glimpse of Bella as she strode across the quad. Although it wasn�t cold, he could see that she had wrapped her arms firmly around herself, walking quickly away from the school, her head down and her long blonde hair falling like curtains around her face.

--��Darling, when did we fall? / When was it over? / Darling, when, when did we fall? / When was it over? / I suppose it is the price of falling in love / I fear that it�s the price of falling in love��

The End

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