The Thomas Sloane Affair

by crusading-saint

Tom Sloane has to recover some embarrassing photos from Lawndale High, but it won't be quite as easy as he thinks...

The Thomas Sloane Affair.

Tom Sloane walked down the road, not really looking where he was going, lost in thought. The events of the past few weeks were pressing heavily on his mind, and he was trying to sort out exactly how he felt.

For a start, the relationship with his girlfriend, Jane, was definitely entering its final stages. Tom could see that as plain as day, and he wondered if Jane could too. If she did, she wouldn't tell him, he knew that. Their communication had been shrinking practically every day, and when they did talk it was usually only a precursor to an argument.

There had been an incident a few days ago when Tom had inadvertently eaten some Gummi Bears that Jane had planned to use in a sculpture or something, and Jane had blown up at him. Then there had been the dust-up over JaneCam, Jane's ill-advised foray into web cams. Jane couldn't understand why Tom had been upset over that, even though he'd tried patiently to explain it.

But, oh no, Jane hadn't been in the mood for listening and had stormed out - again. In fact, Tom was starting to think that Jane was just looking for any excuse to fight with him, hoping that he'd break up with her. Tom didn't understand that. If she just wanted to break up with him, why didn't she just tell him? It would be a lot easier.

Tom, for his part, was starting to think that breaking up would be a good idea. He liked Jane - he really did. She was smart and funny. He'd liked the first few weeks they'd gone out, but now she was starting to become very tiresome.

He knew that his parents wouldn't exactly be sad to see Jane go. They had always been friendly to her, but with an air of forced tolerance, he felt. Tom knew that they were secretly just waiting for him to get tired of her and dump her, but he wasn't going to give them that small satisfaction just yet. Elsie quite liked Jane, though.

As he was mulling this over, the image of Jane's best friend Daria popped into his head. Now there was a girl who had been coming up in his thoughts lately.

When Tom had first started going out with Jane, he hadn't liked Daria at all, and the feeling was quite obviously mutual. She had reacted with what could only be described as insane jealousy and had steadfastly refused to get along with Tom. Over time, however, the frost between them had thawed a bit, culminating in a chance meeting at the Lawndale High parade a few weeks ago.

They were there for different purposes, Tom to meet Jane, and Daria on an errand for her father. Jane, who was showing her usual lack of thoughtfulness, at least as he saw it, had been caught up in something else (Tom had never found out exactly what) and he had run into Daria.

She was burdened by one of her former baby-sitting charges. He had been separated from his parents and Tom was drawn into the search. It had been fun, to be quite honest, but it wasn't until Tom had met back up with Jane that he had realized quite how much fun it was.

It was so different from his recent times with Jane - no fighting or arguing, just two people having a good time and playing off each other. He and Daria had worked well together, and he had greatly enjoyed her company. As she thawed towards him, it became clear that Daria was quite an interesting person to be with sometimes, and as he had discovered as he was walking away with Jane, attractive, too. She had a beautiful round face, and the nicest brown eyes. Tom had to stop himself from staring that day. Jane wouldn't have been amused to find him staring at her best friend.

The next few weeks had only reinforced his growing rift with Jane, and Tom had been looking at Daria more and more. He now felt comfortable enough now to call her a friend, but he wondered if he didn't want her as more.

That could be awkward, he thought with a sigh.

****

Stacy Rowe was scared. Of course, Stacy was scared most of the time, but now she was practically terrified. The usual concerns of her life were more than enough to get Stacy down, but now things had become infinitely more complicated.

It began when Stacy had, in a fit of rare courage, suggested that perhaps the school yearbook was a great place to promote the Fashion Club. She had been trying like heck to come up with something constructive to add to the club - she always felt like she and Tiffany were considered the bottom two members, and wanted to do something to prove her worth.

Oddly, Sandi had thought this was a great idea (Stacy suspected that she was only saying that to get Stacy out of her hair) and dispatched her to do it right away. So, she had gone to see the person in charge of the yearbook - Ted DeWitt-Clinton.

Ted was an oddity, Stacy had thought. Out of all the people in the school, he was possibly the person least concerned with his popularity.

Well, maybe apart from that weird girl who Quinn claimed wasn't her sister (but who Stacy knew for certain was) but she didn't count.

Ted's complete lack of concern for his own popularity was fascinating to Stacy. She couldn't imagine being like that - it was totally foreign to her nature. She wondered how he did it. Despite not caring about his popularity, Ted enjoyed kind of a weird level of it. He was fairly well-liked among the football players, possibly due to his immense skill with video games and martial arts. Boys always liked those kind of things.

So, Ted stood alone in Lawndale High, a person with his own particular status. This baffled Stacy.

****

Tom sat on the couch, pretending to be absorbed in the movie, even though it was patently stupid. He had come over and Jane had suggested watching a movie. Tom had agreed - anything to avoid another argument. He had even let her pick it.

Of course, now he was deeply regretting it. It was a horror movie, something with more thought placed on the gore effects than on the story. Tom was not enjoying it. Truth to be told, he could barely pay attention to it.

He wanted to be watching something with a little more intelligence. He bet that Daria would have suggested something like that. Catching himself, he realized that he was wondering about what it would be like to go out with Daria - again.

The last part of the drive here had been concerned with that type of thought. More and more, he was wondering if he and Daria would be a more suitable couple. He looked over at Jane on the sofa. She caught his eye, and he smiled at her. She smiled back, a little forced, and went back to watching the movie.

Their relationship now had an underlying tension. Even now, as they watched the movie, he could feel it, an argument was just waiting to break out of nowhere.

He and Jane were finished, Tom thought. They were only prolonging the inevitable now. Tom wished that Jane would just go ahead and pronounce the relationship over, so that they could both move on.

Speaking of other things, he was definitely interested in Daria as more than a friend. He knew that for sure now. He'd been thinking about her for weeks, and now he was sure.

Sneaking a glance over at Jane again, he wondered how Jane would react to that. She could be awfully high-strung at times, especially where relationships were concerned.

Tom was definitely going to have to tread carefully. He'd have to make sure that more than enough time had elapsed between him and Jane, before moving on to him and Daria. He could do that, probably. He wasn't one to make rash decisions before thinking.

The movie ended, and Jane turned to him. "What did you think?" she asked.

"I liked it," lied Tom. No point in starting another argument.

"Me too," said Jane. "Lots of gore. Just the way I like it."

"Don't I know it," said Tom with a smile.

Jane shot him a funny look, but then looked away. "Yeah," she said stiffly.

"Any plans for the rest of the week?" asked Tom, trying to change the subject.

"I don't know," said Jane. She shrugged. "Ted was trying to get me to help with the art direction of the yearbook. Figured I might do that."

"Even less time you have to spend with me, huh?" said Tom, trying to sound funny.

Jane shot him another look. "You don't have a problem with that, do you?" she asked in an odd tone.

"Would it matter if I did?" said Tom. "I mean, your art is obviously very important to you."

"What are you trying to say?" said Jane, her eyes narrowing.

Tom paused. He had trying to be funny. Obviously Jane was not taking it that way.

"Nothing," he said brightly. "Just kidding. So...what would you be doing on the yearbook?"

"Maybe something to do with the art direction, like the photo layouts or something." Jane shrugged. "I don't know. Something to keep me..." She tailed off and glanced towards the TV again.

Tom didn't notice. Something else had just come into his head. The Ted she had mentioned... "Ted?" he asked. "Ted DeWitt-Clinton?"

Jane looked at him, confused. "Yeah. I didn't know you knew about Ted."

"Daria mentioned him once or twice," said Tom. "They used to date or something, right?"

Jane grinned. "Depends on who you ask." Her expression darkened slightly. "I didn't know you'd been so chummy with Daria lately."

Tom ignored her. "So he's in charge of the yearbook?"

"Yeah. He takes most of the pictures too." Jane frowned. "Why are you so interested?"

"Just taking an interest in what you do," said Tom evasively, his mind suddenly overtime. Ted had been that geeky blonde kid from the day of the parade. Assuming they were a couple, he had taken a picture of Daria and Tom, then disappeared.

Tom hadn't thought much of it at the time and neither had Daria, but now that Jane had mentioned this, new worries were coming into his head. Coupled with his growing belief that his relationship with Jane were not long for this world, and his attraction to Daria, this was a worrying prospect.

Tom felt that there was definitely an attraction there. He knew that he and Jane were doomed. He also knew that he had to tread carefully. But...what if that photo got printed in the yearbook by mistake, under the couples section? Even worse, what if Jane saw it before it hit the stands and Ted mentioned how he thought they were a couple?

How would Jane react, in her current emotional state, if she saw that? Would she just assume that they had been carrying on behind her back? Would she assume (correctly) that there was an attraction there, and that Tom was planning to put the moves on Daria after they broke up? Tom somehow didn't think that his plan to wait a comfortable time between the two events would placate Jane.

He and Jane said their goodbyes to each other, and kissed awkwardly. Tom got in his car, and started the drive home, his mind racing. He didn't know when the Lawndale High yearbook was going to printed, or if Jane was even going to take that job. Hence, he didn't know exactly how much time he had to deal with this.

But he was going to deal with this.

****

Ted was different from other guys, Stacy thought. He was, in fact, completely unlike anyone else she had ever met. He was gentle and kind, and knew so much about everything. The first few times she had gone to work on the yearbook, he'd taken her by surprise - she'd assumed he was just acting that way to play a trick on her or something, like so many other guys had done in the past. But no, he seemed to genuinely be a nice, sweet guy.

He'd been only too happy to have her help him on the yearbook, saying that there didn't seem to be that many people willing to help. It was the complete opposite of Stacy's experience in the Fashion Club. Ted treated her as an equal partner, someone whose opinions carried as much weight as his own. He never yelled at her, he never belittled her, he never told her she was stupid, nothing like that.

He also never noticed how badly she was falling for him.

That was probably Ted's biggest fault. His home life had been rather sheltered up to this point, and he didn't really have a great knowledge of human behavior. He was practically a genius, thought Stacy, but he could be so naive sometimes.

She hadn't meant to fall for him. It had been a gradual thing. Every day they would work together, and Ted would amaze her with some new piece of knowledge from out of nowhere, and she would have the most fun she had had in years. Given all that, it was inevitable, in hindsight. One day she had looked at Ted and realized how much she liked him and cared for him, more than any other boy she had known. Except Ted, being Ted, hadn't noticed at all. He continued to treat Stacy more like a close friend, or even a sister, and Quinn had said that if a guy ever said that you were like a sister to him, it was all over.

Of course, Stacy hadn't told Quinn about Ted, nor anyone else. The Fashion Club would not approve of it, and she hadn't the strength to tell them, or even to tell Ted himself.

Because of that, thought Stacy resignedly, it was probably better that he didn't know. If he did, it would open up a can of worms that could completely overwhelm her.

Stacy sighed and walked into Lawndale High. Today she was supposed to meet Ted before school started, to discuss the Fashion Club pages. She smiled a little at the thought. Maybe Ted didn't know how she felt, and maybe he would never know, but seeing him and talking to him still made her feel all warm and gooey inside, and those feelings almost made up for all of her other problems.

Almost.

****

Tom walked down the corridor, looking for the yearbook room. It had been surprisingly easy to get into Lawndale High, despite all the hype that Jane had built up around their headmistress' security procedures. Some charm and an unassuming manner would get you everywhere in this world. Besides, security was mainly for finding real troublemakers, and Tom just wanted to talk.

He would be in a world of trouble if anyone found out that he was here, but the worst that could happen would be that his father would bail him out and smooth over the whole thing. A tongue lashing from his father was well worth this risk. He couldn't have Jane get the wrong idea - it could ruin everything.

He found the room he was looking for and walked inside. There was only one other person in the room - Tom recognized him as Ted DeWitt-Clinton from the day at the parade. Ted turned when he heard the door open.

He was just as Tom remembered - short, blonde, with a totally guileless expression on his face. Tom didn't think it would be too hard to persuade him to hand over the photos.

Tom smiled. "Hi," he said. "This the yearbook office?"

"Yes," said Ted. His voice was high-pitched, naive. This was almost going to be too easy.

"So how's it going, anyway?" Tom glanced around. "Anyone else here?"

"It's still early," said Ted cheerfully. "There's not really many staff members besides me at the moment."

"Oh, right." Tom looked over at some of the sheets pinned up to the wall. It was a collection of shots of various wildlife and plants. "Nice photos."

"Thank you," said Ted. "I took them myself."

"Part of the magazine?"

Ted shrugged. "I'm still going over design stuff right now, the layout and all that. I can't wait until the real stuff starts," he said eagerly.

"Cool," said Tom. "Anyway, I was just wondering if you needed a hand on this. I mean, I'm a sophomore already, and I've never really taken part in anything. I've always had an interest in journalism, especially photography, and..."

"You're lying," said Ted cheerfully. It wasn't an accusation, per se, just an outright statement of fact. He was looking at Tom rather intently now.

Tom stopped in his tracks, taken aback with the sudden collapse of his plan. "I don't know..." he began.

"Your pupils are dilated," said Ted breezily. "Your breathing has changed. Your body language gives it right away. I'm sure if I was to take your pulse, it would be elevated." He grinned. "I've been reading a book on the subject. Seems to be working. Besides," he added, turning back to his work, "I've memorized the entire student body. You aren't amongst them."

"Memorized?" said Tom, curious despite himself. "You..."

"I have a photographic memory," said Ted. "Comes in quite useful sometimes."

Tom glanced around, suddenly somewhat nervous. "Look, Ted..."

Ted frowned and turned around again. "Which of course begs the question, how do you know who I am? I can only assume that Daria told you about me. You are the person I saw with Daria at the parade that day, aren't you?"

"Well, yes..." Tom was totally thrown off guard by this. His whole plan was now dissolving into shreds. He hadn't expected Ted to be like this - Daria had said he was weird, but she'd neglected to mention that he was so smart.

"Look," he said nervously. That was not an emotion he was comfortable or familiar feeling. This situation had to be gotten under control - he hated feeling like he was not handling something. "I know that we've gotten off to a bad start...."

"What's so bad about it?" said Ted cheerfully. "So how is Daria anyway? We used to be friends, I think, but she doesn't seem to want to hang out any more. Very odd."

"She's fine," said Tom. He paused, unsure of how much to reveal. As little as possible, until he got a better handle on this situation, probably. "You know Daria."

"Not very well," said Ted, glancing back towards his work. "I have to admit, I'm very curious as to what you're doing here. You know, you aren't allowed to be."

"Are you going to tell anyone?" said Tom, before catching himself. Idiot, he thought. Don't put ideas in his head.

"Why would I?" said Ted in a confused tone. "I mean, you aren't supposed to be here, but if you wanted to do any harm, you would have tried to do so as soon as I found you out."

"Tried?"

"Tried," said Ted amiably. "I've seen the way you walk. You're not trained in any sort of fighting technique, are you?"

Tom stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say next. Who was this guy, anyway? Everything he did or said had this incredible air of cheerfulness and a complete lack of guile, yet he was knocking down Tom's plans one by one with incredible ease. Tom was completely stymied. He literally had no idea what to do next.

Then the door creaked open.

****

Stacy walked through the corridors of Lawndale High, making her way to the yearbook room. Usually at this point in the morning, she would be heading for the customary Fashion Club meeting, but since working on the yearbook, she had been making that her first priority. Sandi hadn't minded so far, and Stacy was glad. In fact, she was greatly enjoying this. Her usual anxiety about what to wear in the morning was gone.

Of course, now she had that anxiety in the late morning instead of first thing, but any improvement was good, right?

Stacy pushed open the door and was surprised to see someone else there with Ted. She had thought she was the only other person working on the yearbook so far. A twinge of jealousy flushed through her as she wondered if she was going to have to share her time from now on. She hoped not.

"Hi Stacy," said Ted brightly. His smile never failed to perk up her morning, no matter what sort of mood she was in, and if she was in a fairly good mood, like today, it caused her to giggle slightly.

She really hoped that that didn't make her sound too much like a giggly schoolgirl. If Ted noticed it, he didn't say anything, as usual.

The other guy was standing over in the corner, and Stacy turned her attention to him now. "Hi," she said, looking at him more closely. He seemed so familiar, but she couldn't place him.

"Hi," said the guy back, with what seemed to be utter confusion on his face.

"You didn't tell me your name," said Ted, glancing over at him again.

"I really should be going," said the guy nervously. He looked at Stacy again, then back to Ted, then made a fairly quick exit.

Stacy frowned. That had been odd. "Ted?" she asked. "What was all that about?"

Ted shrugged and went back to his work. "I don't know," he said chirpily. "He came in, pretending to be a student interested in joining the yearbook staff."

"Pretending?"

"Well, he's not a student here," Ted continued. "I know that. He's a friend of Daria Morgendorffer."

"Quinn's sister?" Stacy mentally slapped herself. Of course it was Quinn's sister. How many Daria Morgendorffers could there be in the school? She always did that, made a fool out of herself by putting her foot in her mouth.

Ted, though, never pointed it out, and this time was no exception. Yet another reason why she liked him so much. "Yes."

Stacy's eyes went wide. "But...that means he was in the school illegally! Shouldn't we report him or something?"

"I wasn't in any danger," said Ted. "Besides, it's kind of intriguing, trying to figure out what he wanted, and why he couldn't be honest. Did I tell you I've been reading up on basic psychology?"

"No," said Stacy. Ted was really, really smart. She could never keep track of what he was studying at any given moment. He had the most amazing knowledge of everything, and she loved it when he would tell her about different types of plant life, or different animals or birds. He spoke with such authority and never ceased to fascinate her, but never patronized her or spoke down to her.

She often wondered why he was in Lawndale High, instead of some more advanced school, but had never built enough courage to ask him or his parents. And his parents scared the hell out of her.

"It's very interesting," said Ted cheerfully. "Don't worry Stacy, I can take very good care of myself. And you as well, of course."

Stacy couldn't keep herself from melting and giggling again in total infatuation. Ted didn't notice, thankfully.

****

Tom walked quickly down the street, angrily stopping to kick a wall on his way past. He hated this - this was one of the few times in his life when he had been totally out of control of a situation (one not involving his parents, of course). That Ted character was much weirder than Daria had said - and much smarter too.

He sighed and got into his car. Pausing a little, he wondered where to go to now. His plans were all up in smoke and he was upset. He needed some time to cool down. Unfortunately, being with Jane likely would not help his mood, not given how weird she'd been lately. It would degenerate into an argument, and he didn't want that. He wished he could call Daria and get together with her, talk about something other than his perceived faults for a while. Until he got this sorted out, though, it was best to stay away.

That only left his house, and that's where he ended up at a short time later. His parents didn't seem to be home, but he couldn't remember if they had had a function or something tonight. Probably - they had something most nights.

Walking into the main living room, he flicked on the TV, but there was nothing on that caught his attention. As he was flicking through the stations, his younger sister Elsie walked in. "Hey," he said, not looking up.

"What's up your ass, brother dear?" she said, folding her arms and staring at him.

"What makes you think anything's up?" he asked, frowning at her.

"Your expression, for one thing. Looks like someone shot your dog. And we don't have one," she said dryly. "Besides, you're home, and usually you're never home by this time."

"Maybe I wanted some time to myself," said Tom peevishly.

"Hey, don't get so defensive, Tom," she said. "Just asking. Guess there's trouble in paradise, huh?"

"Elsie..." Tom looked back towards the TV. "Never mind."

"Suit yourself," said Elsie with a shrug. "Don't say I didn't ask."

She turned to go, and Tom sighed. "Elsie?" he said quietly. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have someone else to talk to about this.

She turned back to him. "What is it?" she said, sounding surprised at his tone.

Tom looked at her for a second. On the other hand, she did seem to like Jane quite a bit, and maybe if he told her, it would get back to Jane, and that would ruin everything. They had talked in the past, Elsie and Jane, and they seemed friendly. He didn't know exactly what they had talked about, and Jane hadn't told him. Yet another sign that their relationship was over.

"Never mind," he repeated, and turned away.

Elsie shrugged again and walked off, leaving Tom alone with the TV.

****

The next day, Tom tried again. He had mulled over his approach the day before, and he decided that some refining of his technique was in order, obviously. Grove Hills had gotten out for the day, and he was waiting outside Lawndale High for Ted.

Daria and Jane had gotten out earlier, and he had been careful not to let them see him. Ted would be getting out slightly later, he figured. He seemed the sort of person who would have a lot of extra-curricular activities going on, and that would have to delay.

Tom didn't mind. He was willing to wait.

Patience paid off, and soon he spied Ted walking out from Lawndale High, probably on his way home. He had a camera slung around his neck, and was glancing around as he walked. Tom took a deep breath and started walking towards him. Time for a different approach.

"Hi," he said as he approached.

Ted glanced around and smiled as he saw him. "Hello, Tom."

That stopped Tom dead in his tracks. "What? What did you say?"

"Hello Tom. One was a greeting, the other was your name. No need for alarm." Ted beamed. "How are you today?"

"How..." Tom shook his head quickly. "You know my name."

"Of course. I remembered your face, and when I went home last night, I did some research. Your name is Tom Sloane, your parents are Angier and Katherine, you have a sister called Elsie. You go to Fielding Prep, and you're friends with Daria..."

"Stop," said Tom sharply. "Stop right there. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Well, considering you go to Fielding, you really shouldn't have been in my school yesterday, should you? I was curious to see exactly how you were and why you were there." Ted paused. "Especially since you felt that whatever you were after was worth lying for."

Tom stared at him for a few seconds. "Are you threatening me or something?" he asked tentatively. He honestly could not figure out where this conversation was going.

"Oh my, no," said Ted cheerily. He frowned. "Why would I do that? If I did that, I'd never be able to investigate this. And I admit, it's quite fascinating, working on this. It takes a lot to occupy my mind, you know. Not to brag or anything." He glanced over to the side suddenly and raised his camera. "Wow!" he said excitedly. "That's a great shot!"

"What is?"

Ted indicated a bird sitting on top of a branch. "That. Isn't that great?"

Tom shrugged. "Not my sort of thing."

"Oh, I find photography to be a wonderful pastime. It's very exciting, waiting for the right moment to take a shot. Birds I especially love." Ted beamed. "I'm quite gifted, though I don't like to brag."

"Of course not."

"It's always a delight to have something that challenges me. You know, I've been reading a lot of detective stuff, like profiling and other things. Understanding what makes people tick is quite the task. Very fascinating."

Tom didn't know what to say. Had this guy been raised by a cult or something? Did he know how weird and detached he sounded?

"So I devoted my mind to trying to figure out your situation, whatever it is. How am I doing so far?"

"Well, you figured out who I was pretty quickly. No fooling you, it seems."

"That was easy. I just ran through every school in town - assuming your age from looking at you - until I found a matching picture. Once I had your name, a quick look at Lawndale's society pages gave me the rest." Ted paused. "Of course, the friendship with Daria is just a guess, but an educated one, seeing the two of you at the parade like that."

"Like what?"

Ted shrugged. "You were acting like a couple. Body language gives away a lot. That's why I took the picture."

"No offense, Ted," said Tom dryly. "But it doesn't look like you have much experience with couples."

"Well, that's what Stacy says. My partner on the yearbook, that is. She says I'm too sheltered."

"Stacy..." Tom thought back to the previous day. That was that brown haired girl who had interrupted them in the yearbook room. He knew her - well, of her. She was one of Quinn's close friends in the Fashion Club - if you could call them friends without saying it ironically.

"Anyway, this is the perfect opportunity, wouldn't you say? To really try and understand someone's motivations and explore what they do for another person."

"This isn't a game," said Tom irritably. He couldn't believe Ted was treating this so flippantly. "This is serious."

"Really?" said Ted. "Well, that makes it even better - higher stakes and all that. That has a great impact on a person's behavior, apparently." He paused. "Now, when you first came in, you pretended to be a student - very convincingly, I might add."

"I've been in school theater before," said Tom before he could stop himself.

"Thought so. Have you read a lot on the method..." Ted smiled and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm getting off topic. I ramble."

"I've noticed," said Tom. "Look, Ted, this is all very interesting..."

"Sshh!" said Ted. "Don't give me any hints. Anyway, you said you were interested in photography. Putting two and two together, I can only assume that this has something to do my photos - specifically the one of you and Daria. After all, you aren't a student, you risk sneaking into the school, you try to lie to get access to my photo files....it makes sense."

"That's a very interesting guess...but it's still a guess." Tom frowned, and looked at him. "What would be my motive? You don't have that."

"That's true. I only have a theory, but I think it's a good one, and the motive will follow. Unless you want to tell me that I'm wrong."

"You're wrong."

Ted beamed. "You're lying again. You're good at it, but you're lying."

Tom looked away and shook his head in anger. "You're pretty full of yourself, you know that?"

Ted hadn't heard him. "I mean, it's kind of disturbing that you're so good at it. Guess you must do it a lot."

"Shut up," said Tom irritably. "I don't need you to psychoanalyze me, okay?"

"Sorry," said Ted with a shrug. "I can ramble a bit."

Tom took another deep breath. A feeling of powerlessness swept across him. He felt as if this Ted character could not be persuaded or charmed into doing this, and that meant he was in trouble. He didn't have any other methods of getting what he wanted.

Well, there was always the approach of throwing money at him, but Ted was so weird, he doubted that would work.

****

Stacy was at Sandi's house, in the middle of a Fashion Club meeting. She was acting as the secretary, as usual. The meeting was a fairly typical affair, and there wasn't much to write down. She finished taking the notes and glanced at her watch. "Oh my!" she said suddenly. "I'm going to be late. I'm meeting Ted to go over some yearbook stuff."

"Oh, okay," said Quinn, giving her an odd smile.

Sandi looked up and frowned. "Stacy, it seems to me that you're spending far too much time with that geeky Ted guy."

He's not geeky, thought Stacy. He's just sweet and sensitive, but you wouldn't know anything about that, Sandi, would you? She didn't say that, of course. Those were the sort of things she only said in dreams. Instead, she just looked down nervously. "It does take a lot of time, the whole yearbook. I'm sorry about that. It's not interfering with my duties or anything, is it?"

"Not yet," said Sandi snottily. "However, it's the sort of thing that easily could. Isn't that right?"

"Oh yes," said Tiffany lazily, filing her nails and not looking up to see what the conversation was even about.

"It won't!" said Stacy. "I promise. But...I really do need to be going."

"Sandi," said Quinn cheerfully. "I know you're worried, but you wouldn't want the Fashion Club to be misrepresented in the yearbook, would you?"

"Gee Quinn," said Sandi. "I hadn't thought of that, obviously."

"Oh don't be silly, Sandi," said Quinn with a chuckle. "I know that you're just as keen to show the Fashion Club in a good light, and that's why Stacy is doing this."

Sandi shrugged haughtily. "Of course. Anyway, Stacy, you'd better be going."

"Sure!" said Stacy eagerly. She gathered up her stuff and walked out quickly, giving Quinn a grateful glance as she did so. Quinn gave a supportive smile back. As she rushed down the stairs, she wondered if Quinn somehow knew what was going on between her and Ted. Quinn was kind of smart that way.

If she did, Stacy hoped that she didn't tell Sandi. She would not approve, to put it mildly. Stacy sighed. Who was she kidding? Even if something did happen between her and Ted, she'd never have the courage to tell the rest of the club. Then there were his parents...

She put that out of her mind and rushed to meet Ted. There was no prearranged meeting place, but she knew that she'd be able to find him on his way home from school.

After a few minutes, she spotted him. He was walking down the street, accompanied by that guy from the previous day. Stacy frowned. There was something weird going on there, and it made her nervous. The guy looked really familiar, too, but she still couldn't place him.

As he saw her approach, he said something to Ted, and walked off. There had been a very odd expression on his face. Not exactly angry, but...frustrated. Stacy knew that feeling well.

"Hello!" said Ted brightly. He, on the other hand, looked just as cheerful as ever. "How are you?"

"Who was that?" said Stacy. "That's the second time I've seen with you."

"His name's Tom Sloane. He wants something from me, and I'm trying to figure out what. It's very interesting work. I haven't had this much fun in ages - except with you on the yearbook of course."

Stacy blushed and smiled. "Thanks...wait. Did you say Tom Sloane? I know that name..."

"His family is quite rich." Ted lifted his camera again and began snapping some shots. "Isn't that a beautiful bird?"

Stacy glanced over at it and nodded. She paused to think about where she had heard Tom Sloane's name before, then snapped her fingers suddenly. "Oh! I know. He's dating that friend of Quinn's sister. Jane! Jane Lane. Quinn mentioned it before."

"Jane." Ted paused. "Oh yes. Daria's only friend, right?"

"Yes!" Stacy nodded eagerly. "What did he want with you?"

"I don't know yet," said Ted thoughtfully. "But this is an interesting twist. I could have sworn that he and Daria were a couple. They had all the signs."

"You think they're doing something behind the scenes?" said Stacy, her eyes wide. "Wow. I wonder if Quinn knows."

"We don't really know anything yet. It's all speculation." Ted started walking, and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I'll be able to figure this out, though. Plus...I can guarantee you he'll be back. He hasn't gotten what he wanted yet."

Stacy walked beside him, keeping up. "This is really weird. I guess I shouldn't say anything until we know more, right?"

"Probably, but we'll know more soon, that I'm sure of."

"I guess if they are..." Stacy smiled a little. "It's a little romantic, don't you think?"

"What is?" Ted turned his head to her.

"You know." Stacy grinned a little bashfully. "Two people who can't be together, hiding their love behind the rest of the world's backs." She paused, and glanced down to the ground. "Have you...I mean, sometimes...I mean, that's love, isn't it?" She realized she was sweating a little. "Has there ever...you know...been anyone you've felt like that for?"

Ted looked at her for a moment, then he shook his head. "No, not really. You?"

"No," said Stacy quietly, feeling her heart drop. "Nobody."

****

Tom watched Ted and Stacy go, from his hiding place in the trees along the side of the road. How could Ted be so perceptive about everything about Tom's situation, and not notice that that girl was throwing herself at him? He feelings were painfully obvious to Tom, and if anyone else had seen that, he was sure they would have seen it too.

That was good, in a way. It meant Ted wasn't perfect - that he could make mistakes. Tom had been beginning to wonder for a while there. Yet another approach was going to be required for tomorrow.

In spite of himself, Tom actually found himself looking forward to it. Ted had managed to outwit him so far, but Tom was now confident that that had been beginner's luck. Now that all the cards were on the table, he could get what he wanted.

Glancing at his watch, he sighed. He had a date with Jane tonight, one that he really didn't want to go to. There wasn't really much of a choice in the matter, however. He had blown Jane off the night before, and if he did the same tonight, she'd blow up at him.

He sighed and returned to his car. Jane was waiting, and he really should be there, no matter how badly he didn't want to go. The car started and he drove off. As he was driving, he wondered if Daria was going to be there. Hopefully, she would be.

If she was, Jane wouldn't be able to get quite so pissy with him. Plus, it would be good to talk with her again. He hadn't seen her much in recent days, what with all this going on. It would be good to catch up.

Tom smiled at the thought of seeing her, and pulled up in front of Jane's house.

****

The next day, Tom was in the car again. He glanced down at the address he'd gotten from the phone book. Not far now.

Of course, last night had turned out to be a complete bust. Daria had not been there, and Jane had been in a pissy mood as usual. She had been upset about him blowing her off the previous night and had started a huge fight about it.

If she only knew how much he was doing to spare her feelings, thought Tom ruefully, she wouldn't be so hard on him.

She'd also gotten kind of weird when he'd asked her if Daria was coming. Tom suspected that either she thought there might be something going on, or she was just being paranoid. The second option seemed the more likely. Even so, if he didn't get the photo back, he knew for sure that she'd explode and he knew that no one wanted that.

He stopped the car and got out, looking up at the white brick house in front of him. There was corn growing in the front yard, and it had solar panels all over the roof. It certainly matched their personalities, he was sure of that. Walking up to the door, he rang the bell and waited.

After a few seconds, Lesley DeWitt answered the door. "Hello?" she said.

"Hi," said Tom smoothly. "Ms. DeWitt? My name's Tom. I'm a friend of Ted's."

"Oh," said Lesley. "He hasn't mentioned you."

"We work together on the yearbook."

Her face darkened. "Oh, I see."
"I know that you think that the yearbook's crass and representative of everything that's wrong with the school caste system," said Tom sadly. "To tell you the truth, so do I."

"Really?"

"Oh yes. I'm just working on it to try and redress the balance somewhat."

"Well, that's very noble of you." Lesley gestured inside. "Would you like to come in?"

"Of course. Is Ted here?"

She nodded. "He's in his room."

"You know, he really is doing a good job on the yearbook. Trying to weed out all the corruption and empty institutions that used to be there. I think you'd like it."

"Forgive me for saying this," she said, "because I know you're on it too. But I don't like it. He has to use computers, and talk about fashion, and sports, and well...you know what I mean."

"Fashion..." Tom thought for a moment. "I suppose you've met the yearbook's fashion consultant - Stacy?"

Lesley's eyes clouded over. "Yes. I don't trust her."

"Oh?"

"I can see it in her eyes. All she wants to do is corrupt Ted. It's written all over her face." She smiled. "Luckily, Ted doesn't seem to be interested. We taught him well, didn't we?"

"Oh yes," said Tom with a smile. It wasn't that Ted wasn't interested - it was that he didn't have a clue what was going on. His parents seemed to have made sure of that. Maybe that was something he could use.

"She'd only corrupt him anyway. Can you imagine? She's so flighty and totally obsessed with fashion. How shallow can you get?"

"I know," said Tom sympathetically. "Can I go in and see Ted?"

"Of course. Would you like something to drink?"

Tom nodded. "Do you have anything natural? I don't like to drink artificial additives."

Lesley beamed. "We don't have anything but."

Tom smiled and walked into Ted's bedroom. Ted wasn't the only one who could take charge of a situation. Ted was in there, whittling something with a knife. He didn't look up as Tom came in. "I assumed you'd be here before too long."

"Wasn't hard to find." Tom gestured at a nearby chair. "May I?"

"Be my guest."

Tom sat down. The chair was made of solid wood, and it wasn't very comfortable, but he made do. "You know, you're not the only one who can do some digging around. Turns out your parents are quite popular in certain circles. They write a ton of stuff about proper lifestyles and the like."

"Oh yes. Their biggest concern, definitely." Ted looked up and smiled. "You don't mind if I keep doing this, do you? It's not rude or anything, is it?"

"Go ahead. I get the feeling that in a moment you're going to tell me the rest of my problem."

"Are you having an affair with Daria Morgendorffer?"

Tom tried as hard as he could to keep his expression steady. "No."

"But there's more to it than just a no, isn't there?" Ted looked up. "This all has to do with the pictures I took, right? I'm told that you're dating Jane - Daria's friend."

"I know who Jane is."

"Of course you do. Silly of me." Ted paused. "Now where was I? Oh yes - there's more to this, isn't there?"

"Okay," said Tom, his confidence rapidly beginning to vanish. "Let's say I do want the pictures. Daria and I aren't a couple. That means you would have no reason to print them. So...I'd like them."

"Why do you want them so badly? That's the part I don't understand."

"You don't understand relationships, Ted. That's what you don't get." Tom exhaled sharply. "I'm sorry."

"This has got you all worked up, hasn't it?" Ted rubbed his chin. "Hmm. Definitely some strong feelings there, eh?"

"Look," said Tom levelly. "I thought I'd be able to work this whole thing without too much trouble, but it seems that that isn't going to happen. So I'll be completely honest with you - I want those pictures. Please."

"No," said Ted calmly, and went back to whittling.

"Why not?" Tom felt his anger rising.

"Technically, they're school property, aren't they? I can't go around handing them out to anyone who asks for them. Besides, I need the rest of the roll. I could give you copies when I develop them, if you like?"

"No," said Tom. "I need the negatives as well."

"I can't do that. But...you're right, if you and Daria aren't a couple, I have no reason to publish them. So I won't."

"Ted, don't take this personally, but I don't trust you. I don't know you, and I don't trust people I don't know." Or most people that he did know, he thought.

"You have my word," said Ted sincerely. "I've only been doing this to kind of test my intellect..."

"I don't care about that," said Tom peevishly.

Ted looked at him for a moment. "As I was saying, I was only doing this for that reason. I have no reason to hurt you or Daria, so I won't publish them. It's obvious that you have feelings for her, and you feel that the publication of these photos could ruin your situation. I won't do that."

"No." Tom set his jaw. He wasn't prepared to compromise. So much more could still go wrong if he did. What if Jane did end up working at the yearbook? She might still see the negatives. He wasn't willing to put this in someone else's hands, especially someone as weird as Ted.

"That's as far as I'm willing to go, Tom," said Ted, not looking up. "That's my final word on the subject. My photos and my photography mean a great deal to me, and I can't give any of them up."

Tom sat and stared at him for a few moments, anger boiling inside him. Finally, he stood up. "Then I guess we have nothing more to talk about."

"You can trust me," said Ted amiably. "See you around."

"Sure," said Tom sarcastically. "Bye." He took a final look at Ted, shook his head, and walked out. Lesley DeWitt was still in the living room, but now Stacy was with her. Stacy was attempting to convince her that she needed to see Ted, but Lesley wasn't having any of it.

Tom passed them by, said his goodbyes amiably, and walked outside to his car. He'd tried to do this in a civilized manner, but Ted wouldn't comply. Now it was time for some more extreme measures.

****

"Mrs. DeWitt-Clinton," said Stacy timidly. "I do need to see Ted rather urgently."

"It's Mrs. DeWitt," said Lesley coldly. "And I don't see why you need to see him. Haven't you been seeing quite enough of him lately?"

"But...." Stacy didn't really have a good reason for seeing Ted, she just wanted to see him today. Sadly, his parents didn't seem to like her very much, Stacy didn't know the specific reasons for this, but she knew that there were probably lots of reasons for them not to like her. "I guess it isn't that important," she said sadly.

"He's quite busy at the moment," said Lesley resolutely, "but I'll tell him you called. Any messages."

"Not really," said Stacy quietly. "Goodbye."

Lesley didn't reply and Stacy walked out of the house unhappily. She felt herself tear up and she put her head down so that no-one watching could see her. As if anyone would care. She knew Ted's parents hated her, but she didn't know exactly why. How could she ever please them if she didn't know what was wrong?

Of course, she thought ruefully, what was the point? Ted didn't seem to be interested in her that way. Or, maybe he was, but she just wasn't dropping enough hints. Ted was awfully naive. It was one of the reasons she liked him so much - it added to his sweet nature. However, he had very little concepts of relationships. Maybe he really liked her, but didn't know that she liked him.

Stacy thought she'd been obvious enough, but maybe not. That had to be the reason. Otherwise, it meant that Ted wasn't interested in her, and she couldn't take that.

Maybe she should just tell him outright. Stacy sighed and wiped her eyes. What if she did, and he didn't like her? She didn't know if she could take that.

Stacy's eyes teared up again, and she sniffled. Why did her life have to be so complicated?

****

Tom sat in his car across the street from Ted's house, trying to calm down. Didn't that idiot understand anything? How could he ask Tom to trust him, when they had only known each other for a day or two? Didn't he understand anything about people?

The front door opened, and Tom glanced over in curiosity. It was Stacy, tears in her eyes. She walked away from Ted's house as quickly as she could, her head down so people couldn't see that she was crying.

Obviously, Mrs. DeWitt hadn't been keen on her seeing Ted. Probably afraid that she would corrupt him. That was what Jane had said they had been afraid of when Daria was around.

The thought of Daria made Tom smile, and he started the car. She was going to be over at Jane's tonight, so he should probably put in an appearance.

Sure enough Daria was there. Tom saw her as soon as he walked in through the front door. She was sitting on the couch talking with Jane - who Tom noted didn't seem particularly keen to see him.

"Hey," he said cheerfully.

"Oh, you're here," said Jane with mock surprise. "Thought I'd gotten rid of you forever."

"Thought or hoped?" Tom walked over and gave her a quick kiss.

"Must be because of my crowd-attracting ways," said Daria dryly. "I can always pull an audience."

"How true," said Jane, but Tom noted that there was an edge in her voice. He sat down on the chair next to the couch.

"So what are we talking about tonight?" he asked.

"Nothing much," said Daria with a shrug. "We were talking about what movies we'd like to watch."

"I, of course, prefer ones with as much gore as possible," said Jane with a forced-looking smile, "but of course Daria likes movies to have a plot."

"I'm funny that way."

"What were you interested in?" said Tom. "Just out of curiosity."

"I don't know." Daria shrugged. "They have this Fellini festival in a few weeks. That would be kind of interesting."

"Really? I didn't know they were having one." Tom sat back in his chair. "You know, that would be cool. You like Fellini?"

Daria nodded. "Yeah. You?"

"Oh yes." Tom nodded, and as he was doing so, he noticed that Jane was giving him an odd look. Was he being a little too obvious? "A little," he finished. "Anyway..." He stood up. "Daria? May I?" He gestured to the couch.

Daria glanced back in confusion. "What? Oh." She got up and Tom sat down next to Jane. Maybe that would improve the mood. He smiled, and leaned a little closer to her, then continued with the conversation.

****

Two days later, Tom found himself back in Lawndale High. If Ted wasn't going to play ball Tom's way, he'd have to prepare for the consequences. Tom glanced around him quickly. No-one noticed him. Tom figured if he acted normally, no-one would pay him a second glance.

The rest of the security features had been easy to beat. After all, the metal detectors were for people with weapons, and he didn't have any drugs for the dogs to sniff out. If they had dogs - Daria might have been joking on that count. He had even gone to the trouble of getting a fake Lawndale Student ID if anyone stopped to look at it - it was remarkable how many fake IDs you could get these days with a little money.

He had spent the previous day watching the exterior, watching to see what time Ted and Stacy came in. He figured he was safe for at least a few minutes yet.

Of course, he probably should have more than one day observing them, but time was precious. He'd just have to risk it. He knew Daria and Jane wouldn't be here for a while yet, so he was safe on that score.

He had blown Jane off the night before again, wanting to plan this for a bit. He didn't need any distractions, and if Daria wasn't around, they would have argued. Of course, two nights ago, he had sensed some tension even when Daria was around. She might be starting to see things that weren't there. Yet. That just made his plan so much more urgent.

There were cameras all over the corridors, so Tom was keeping his head down. No-one was expressly looking for him at the moment, but he was keeping his face as out of sight as possible, just in case. Keeping his head down would make it almost impossible to make out any sort of real facial features, he figured.

The door to the yearbook room was unlocked, of course - Ted didn't seem like much of the suspicious type - and Tom went inside. Once in, he glanced around, trying to remember what Ted had been doing. There were no cameras in here, though from what Daria had said, it was more from lack of budget than any other reason.

Ted had said he hadn't developed the film yet, so that lessened his search to just the film itself. The camera hadn't appeared to be a digital one, so that meant they probably weren't on the computer.

Tom started searching through the doors and cupboards, trying to find the film. In the back of his mind, he knew this was highly illegal, but he rationalized it by figuring it was a victimless crime, and besides, he was keeping Jane from getting hurt. That meant this was an altruistic act. Plus, if anyone caught him, he had no doubt he could charm or buy his way out.

After just a few minutes of searching, opening one of the drawers revealed that it was full of rolls of film. Tom smiled, and looked though them. They were sorted by date, so he immediately went for the date of the parade.

As soon as he found it, he picked it up and allowed himself a grin. The direct approach had seemed to work very well in this case - except that the plastic container felt a little light.

He frowned and opened it. As he did so, his eyes grew wide with shock. Inside was not a roll of film, but a note. It read:

My research showed you might try something like this, so I've decided to keep the film on myself for safe keeping. I said I wouldn't print them, and I won't. You'll just have to trust me. They aren't in my locker, either, if that's what you're thinking.

- Ted.

Tom's eyes blazed with anger and he crushed the container in his hands.

****

Five minutes later, Tom was in his car, slamming his fist against the steering wheel in anger. How could that little shit do something like that to him? Did he know how utterly humiliated Tom felt at this moment?

The only saving grace was that no-one else knew that this had happened. No-one but Ted, but even that was too much for Tom. He hated to be outsmarted. He hated to be humiliated, and he hated not getting what he wanted.

Now Ted had done all three to him and that could not stand. Tom could not honestly remember the last time he had felt this angry. He was an easy-going guy, he was willing to let things slide, but this was just too much.

A glance at the clock in his car showed him he was going to be late for school, so he reluctantly started the car and began to drive.

****

The following day, Tom once again found himself watching Ted from a distance. Now he was in the park, and it seemed as though he was doing a martial arts lesson of some kind. Tom recognized some of the students as football players from Lawndale High. Obviously Ted enjoyed some measure of popularity amongst them.

Tom had now had time to calm down and he had to admit, Ted did seem to be quite capable at martial arts. It was of a style he didn't recognize at all, but whatever it was, it was effective. No-one else could lay a hand on him.

It was lucky that Tom had taken the time to calm down. His first instinct had been to ambush Ted at the first opportunity and take the film by force, but now Tom had to admit that Ted would have wiped the floor with him. It had been anger talking, not intelligence.

His reaction had been surprising. Tom tried not to lose his temper at all, feeling that it was counter-productive. The force that he had felt the previous day had been quite unlike himself. Obviously, this whole thing was getting to him. What had at first seemed like it would take a few minutes had stretched out over almost a week now.

Tom's eyes drifted away from Ted and over to the figure sitting a short distance away from him. It was Stacy. She was watching Ted with rapturous attention, clearly deeply impressed with his skill. Tom's eyes narrowed. Stacy could be the key to all of this. He knew a little of what was going on with her, and his mind could fill in the blanks. What Ms. DeWitt had told him, the way that Ted reacted around her, what Daria and Jane had told him about the Fashion Club - Tom felt as though he had a very clear idea of what was preying on Stacy's mind right now.

She was about the only person who was close enough to him to be of any real use. The football players had some kind of relationship, obviously, but they were too dim to be useful. Ted's parents were also close, but they were much too protective and suspicious not to blow the whole thing.

No, Stacy was the key. Tom was sick of trying to get through to Ted, so he'd do it via a third person. Tom continued watching the display until it finished. The football players dispersed, and Ted went over to talk to Stacy. Tom couldn't tell what they were talking about, but he never stopped marveling about how Ted couldn't see how obvious Stacy's attraction to him was, even when it was so close.

They split up and went off in different directions. Tom waited until Ted was safely out of sight, and set off after Stacy. "Stacy?" he said after her.

Stacy turned and frowned when she saw who it was. "Tom Sloane?" she said in a confused tone. "What do you want?"

"Just to talk," said Tom, walking up beside her and smiling. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," said Stacy, sounding lost. "Um, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but why do you want to talk to me?"

"I don't know how much of this situation you know about," began Tom.

"You mean all that stuff with you and Quinn's sister?"

Tom swore silently to himself. "Yes, that," he said, keeping his tone cheerful. "I suppose Ted told you most of it."

"He told me the basics," said Stacy, "but I was the one who told him about you and Jane." She caught herself and placed her hand to her mouth suddenly. "Oh! I'm sorry. You're not mad, are you?"

"No," lied Tom smoothly. "There's been a misunderstanding, you see. I don't know exactly what Ted thinks, but I'm not seeing Daria behind Jane's back."

"Okay," said Stacy nervously. "I believe you. So why did you want to talk to me?"

"Ted will not listen to me. I don't know why." Tom paused. "He doesn't really understand relationships very well, does he?"

"No," said Stacy quietly. "He doesn't."

Tom smiled. "He doesn't understand that if Jane saw those pictures, she might get the wrong idea. She may think that there's something going on behind her back. Which there isn't." That was true in most senses of the word, and Tom saw no reason to add to that.

"You know," said Stacy, "Ted was fairly convinced that there was, and he's very rarely wrong."

"There isn't anything going on, Stacy. I told you that."

"Sorry!" Stacy shuddered a little. "I forgot." She paused, then looked up at Tom. "I don't understand what this all has to do with me."

"I need your help."

"You want me to talk to Ted? See if I can get him to change his mind?" Stacy shrugged nervously. "Gosh, I don't know. It isn't really any of my business, is it? It's more something between Ted and you, and I wouldn't want to get in Ted's way."

Tom had figured she'd say something like that. Time to turn the screws a little tighter. "Stacy, I understand how you feel. But...I could make it worth your while?"

Stacy looked at him and frowned. "What are you talking about? Money? That doesn't interest me."

"No. How about help?"

"Help?" Stacy shook her head. "I don't understand. Help with what?"

"With Ted?"

Stacy's head whipped around and her expression froze for a second, before returning to normal. She looked away. "I don't know what you mean," she said unconvincingly.

"I know how you feel about him."

"I'd like you to go now," said Stacy quietly.

"You really like him, don't you?" Stacy said nothing. "I've seen how you look at him, how you act around him. Stacy, trust me, it's obvious. To everyone but Ted."

"Please go," said Stacy, but her voice wavered.

Tom paused for a second. His voice softened a little. "Stacy, I'm not saying this to hurt you or embarrass you. I know what it's like when you have feelings for someone and they don't see it."

"You do?"

"It was a long time ago," said Tom and quickly changed the subject. "Stacy, I know how much you care for him."

Stacy's head fell and she just nodded sadly. "I do," she said softly. "He's not like anyone I've ever known."

Wasn't that the truth, thought Tom ruefully. "It's difficult to be with him when he doesn't even see how you feel, isn't it?"

"It wasn't at first," said Stacy. "I tried...I didn't think it was a good idea..."

"But you just can't help some things, can you?"

Stacy shook her head. "I don't know why I'm even telling you this," she said in a low voice. "I haven't told anyone about this yet. No-one."

"Who would you tell?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "I don't mean to be nasty, but I've see what the rest of the Fashion Club are like. I doubt that Ted's quite their type, is he?"

"Sandi would hate it," said Stacy, almost to herself. "The others wouldn't care, but Sandi would. She'd never let me do it, and I can't..." Her voice cracked and she paused. "I just can't," she finished lamely.

"You could always leave the Fashion Club."

"Oh, I couldn't!" said Stacy in alarm. "I mean, I just couldn't. They're my only friends, and I...I don't know what I'd do..."

"Besides, Ted doesn't even notice you, right?" Tom sighed. "Stacy, I know what you're feeling, I do. You want to tell Ted how you feel, but if he rejects you..."

"I couldn't take that." Stacy dropped her head again. "I couldn't."

"But if he does feel the same way...well, Sandi won't be pleased. It's a no-win situation, isn't it?" Tom paused. "And let's not even mention his parents."

Stacy looked up at him again in shock. "How do you know about his parents?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"I can observe things, Stacy. It's not particularly hard to see." Actually, Tom was getting this from his one meeting with Ted's mother, but there was no reason to tell Stacy that.

"They don't like you either. Just another obstacle to overcome, and that's even if you can get through to Ted, and deal with the Fashion Club.

"What do you want?" said Stacy, shaking her head at him. "How do you know all this stuff, and what does this all have to do with me?"

"I told you," said Tom, looking Stacy straight in the eye. "I think we can help each other."

"How?"

"What would you say if I said I could help you with Ted? I'd be more than willing to run interference for you, tell him how you feel."

"No!" yelled Stacy. "What if...what if he..."

"Then he does. But you'll know how he feels, and I can even put it in such a way that he doesn't know you know about it. He'll just think I'm offering advice."

"I don't know," said Stacy doubtfully. She bit her lower lip in anxiety. "This is all too much for me to handle."

"Stacy," said Tom soothingly. He put his hand on her shoulder gently. "You really like Ted, we both know it. But you do want this to go further, don't you? It's not just a silly crush, is it?"

"No!" cried Stacy. "It's real! I mean, I've never felt anything like this before...and I want him to know and I want him to..." Her voice dropped. "I want him to like me back."

"He likes you, Stacy." Tom smiled. "I don't doubt that. And I bet all he needs is to know how you really feel to show you just how much. Let's face it, Ted isn't the best person with relationships, is he?"

"No," said Stacy, smiling a little.

"I'm friendly with his parents," continued Tom. "Did you know that?"

"I saw you at his house the other day." Stacy shrugged. "She did seem to be a little more comfortable with you than with me."

"She doesn't know you. She thinks that you just want to corrupt her precious son." Tom chuckled. "And that's not true."

"No," said Stacy doubtfully. "It's...not."

"All she needs is for someone to talk to her. I can do that."

"The Fashion Club..." began Stacy.

"Can be convinced. I'm friends with Daria, you know that. Daria can convince Quinn, and Quinn can convince Sandi. You've seen it happen before." Tom raised an eyebrow. "You know she could do it, and Quinn's got a good heart."

"She does."

Tom smiled. "Stacy, I guess you're all out of objections. I can do this for you. All I need is for you to do one thing for me."

"What is it?"

"There's some film that Ted has." Tom sighed. "It's of a personal nature."

"It's the film of you and Daria," said Stacy, her eyes widening in realization. "You want me to steal it?"

"No. Not steal. Just...borrow for a time. Not forever."

"Ted said he wasn't going to print them. You can trust him."

Tom frowned. This was going to be a bit harder than he had thought. "It's not that I don't trust Ted, but that I don't know him. How many people do you trust?"

"Not many," said Stacy quietly, looking away.

"If certain people see those pictures, they might get the wrong idea..."

"I won't steal from Ted," said Stacy firmly. "I don't care what you can do. I won't betray him like that."

"You wouldn't be betraying him. You'd be..." Tom paused, unsure of where to go next with this. "It's not such a big deal."

"No." Stacy frowned. "I'm leaving now."

"Hold on!" Tom maneuvered in front of her as she moved to leave. "Stacy, think about this. Without my help, you'll never be able to do anything with Ted, will you?"

"I..." Stacy closed her eyes. "I won't hurt him like that."

"He would never need to know that it was you," said Tom strongly. "I would never tell him."

"I'd know."

"People can learn to live with the things they do, especially if those things help them in the long run. Stacy, if you would do this, it would help both you and Ted. Don't you see that?"

"I..." Stacy closed her eyes and turned away. She began walking away. "No. I won't do it, okay? I'm not going to hurt him or betray him, not for me, not for anyone."

"Think about it," Tom called out after her. He shouted out his number. "Call me when you make up your mind. Just think it over, and I think you'll see my point."

"I'm going to call Ted," shouted back Stacy. "I'm going to tell him what you asked me to do."

"Just give it some thought." And then Stacy was gone. Tom sighed. That hadn't exactly gone the way he had wanted it to. Nevertheless, he was not disheartened. Stacy could yet come around. Sure, she might tell Ted, but he probably wouldn't be surprised.

Tom turned and walked back to his car. He had to prepare for any eventuality.

****

Stacy walked quickly towards her house, tears flicking into her eyes. Was she that easy to see through? If a complete stranger had noticed her attraction to Ted, didn't it stand to reason that the people who knew her best had also seen it?

Did that mean Sandi already knew? If she did, why hadn't she said anything? Was she just toying with Stacy, just waiting for the right moment? A think sliver of fear crept through Stacy as she wondered what Sandi might do. She couldn't take it if something happened to either he membership in the Fashion Club or her friendship with Ted.

Stacy realized she was starting to hyperventilate, and she paused, trying to get her breathing back under control. This happened so often she was used to it by now.

After a few minutes, she managed to calm herself back down and set back off for her house. Stacy was resolute. As soon as she got home, she would call Ted and expose Tom. He would probably be happy that Stacy was so loyal, and not so willing to betray him. In Lawndale High, that was pretty unusual, thought Stacy. Maybe he might even see how much she cared for him, and...

She sighed. Again, if a complete stranger had noticed, why hadn't Ted? Unless he had, and was just acting like to save her feelings. Which meant...

Stacy shook her head. She could not - would not - believe that.

No, her course was clear. She reached the house and went inside. Luckily, her parents didn't hear her come in. This was not a good night for a lecture, for any of their imagined reasons. Reaching her room, she flopped down on the bed and grabbed the phone. Before she dialed the number, however, she paused. What if Tom was right? What if it was her only chance to be with Ted? What if she threw away this chance and she could never pull up the courage to tell him? Or, what if she did summon up the courage, but then no-one else would approve? She knew that she definitely did not have the courage to deal with everyone else.

Stacy flopped down on her bed. She had no talent for making difficult decisions. The phone filled her vision, and she closed her eyes. She could not betray Ted, that much she knew. Reaching out, she grabbed the phone and dialed. Even if she never managed to get the courage to talk to him, she could take solace in the fact that she had been loyal when it mattered most.

****

The next morning, Ted DeWitt Clinton was walking down the street towards Lawndale High. Stacy was walking beside him, having met him outside his house that morning. That wasn't usual, but Ted was happy for the company. He liked Stacy. She was a good friend to have around. Sometimes her moods fluctuated a bit, but in general she was always a joy to be around.

"I thought," he said, turning to her and smiling, "that you were going to call me last night? You usually do."

"I couldn't get through," said Stacy sadly. "But...there is one thing I do want to tell you. It was something that I wanted to tell you last night. It's important."

"What is it?" said Ted with a slight frown. He hefted his book bag onto his shoulder and looked more keenly at her. "Nothing's wrong is it? I certainly hope not."

"Not really," said Stacy nervously. "Look, it's..."

Ted noticed something out of the corner of his eye, distracting him from Stacy. "Look at that!"

"What is it?" Stacy followed his gaze.

Ted was glancing over to the other side of the street. There was a bird sitting on the sidewalk, strutting around looking for food. He recognized the type - it was very rare, and not a species that should have been out in a city. So why was it here?

Ted glanced around. They were in front of an office building downtown. Not exactly a place he'd expected to see one. Still, if he could catch it, or even get a shot of it - that would be great.

He began to walk over to it. As he was doing so, he hefted his bag tighter to himself. For some reason, he felt that this could be a distraction. He was convinced that Tom Sloane was still on his case. It might just be paranoia, but Tom might have tried to distract him and grab the photos.

On the other hand, he really couldn't pass up the chance to have a more detailed look, and began walking over. It was right in front of the office's entrance. Stacy followed behind him closely. "What is it?" she said curiously.

"It's a bird," said Ted. "A really rare one. I wonder what it's doing here?" He glanced round to look at Stacy. "It's a..."

Almost as soon as he reached it, an ear-splitting shriek filled the air. Ted looked up in alarm as he tried to figure out what it was. A second later, he figured out that it was the fire alarm of the office, and a few seconds after that, the doors were flung open and people started streaming out.

The bird decided to take this opportunity to fly away, irritating Ted, who hadn't gotten a chance to snap it yet. He looked over at Stacy, who was looking particularly nervous with all the people milling around them, so he quickly took her arm and started getting her out of the crowd. He knew that big crowds sometimes made her nervous and he didn't want that.

Another niggling thought about Tom Sloane came into his head, and he made sure to keep an eye out in all the confusion. It would be easy for him to grab his bag in the throng of people. Ted knew that it was highly unlikely that he was behind this, but it would do to be careful. He frowned. It was odd of him to be that suspicious. Obviously recent events had made him a bit more cautious. That was probably a good thing.

Stacy was very uncomfortable, he could tell. This couldn't be easy for her. Still keeping an eye out for anyone odd, he began to move her out of the crowd. No-one he recognized was there, and he slowly made his way to the edge, Stacy clinging to his arm.

They reached the edge of the crowd just as fire engines began to pull up, probably to investigate the fire. Although Ted didn't think there was a fire. He couldn't smell anything, and a glance up to the building didn't show any outside marks of one, which only added credence to his theory that it was a set-up.

"Are you okay?" he said to Stacy.

She nodded quickly. "Sorry," she said softly. "Crowds make me nervous."

Ted smiled. "It's okay." He looked back over at the building, which firemen were now starting to rush into. "I wonder what that's all about?"

Stacy shrugged. "I don't know."

"So..." Ted turned back to her. "You were talking about something before this. What were you going to say?"

"I can't remember now," said Stacy.

"Oh." Ted looked around again. "I suppose we'd better be getting onto school, then." Before he could go, though, a stray thought ran through his mind and he swung his bag round for a look.

"What's wrong?" asked Stacy in a confused tone.

"Nothing," said Ted absent-mindedly, lifting the bag round.

It was open.

Ted frowned. He had definitely closed it. Already suspecting what he was going to find, he opened it and looked for the roll of film. But it was gone.

He looked up suddenly and spun around, trying to see if he could catch any glimpse of Tom. There was no sign of him, however.

"Ted?" said Stacy worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"The film is gone," said Ted. "That film that Tom Sloane wanted. It's gone."

"Gone? How?" Stacy shook her head. "Was it there this morning?"

"Definitely," said Ted distractedly, trying to figure out how he could have done it. It had to have been in the crowd. Someone could have easily opened his bag in the confusion and grabbed it. Ted had been watching for Tom, but he could have easily gotten someone else to do it, someone that Ted wouldn't recognize.

"Oh Ted," said Stacy sadly, her voice wavering slightly as she said it. "I'm sorry." She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I should have seen it," said Ted. "I was looking out for one person, and he knew I'd be doing that." He scratched his chin. "Why didn't I see that?"

"Are you going to tell anyone?"

"About this?" Ted shook his head. "No proof of anything, especially if someone else did it for him. He'd have an alibi all waiting, I think. That would be how I'd do it." Ted scratched his head. "He did essentially break into the school, though. But..."

"What?"

Ted shook his head again. "If we told Ms. Li. she'd wonder why we didn't tell her earlier. You know what she's like." He looked up at Stacy. "She'd tell my parents, and they wouldn't be happy. I might not be able to do the yearbook."

"Oh."

"Besides," said Ted, "you knew, too, and I wouldn't want to get you in trouble." He sighed. "I guess I got caught up in all the excitement and didn't think. I wouldn't want you to pay for that."

Stacy's lower lip wobbled, and her eyes teared up. "That's so sweet," she said softly.

Ted shrugged. "I don't want to make you pay for my mistakes. Friends wouldn't do that." He glanced off into the distance again. "I guess this will just teach me to think about things a little more." He shrugged. "I wasn't even going to use the film anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Shall we go on to school?"

Stacy smiled and nodded, and they continued on their way.

****

That evening, Tom was in his car, driving down the streets of Lawndale, towards its most famous landmark. He reached the giant strawberry and got out. Walking up to it, he checked round the back, exactly where he had said to leave the stuff.

Sure enough, there was a small bag tucked in underneath it. Tom picked it up and stuck his hand in, producing the roll of film. The film he had been trying to get for the past few days, and now it was his.

He pulled it out, checking that it was indeed the right one. Of course, that meant exposing the film, but it wasn't like he was going to develop it anyway. He smiled - it matched. When Ted had been taking the pictures of Tom and Daria, he hadn't changed film, so that meant this was the only one. His problems were over.

He crumpled it up and stuffed it in his pocket, walking back to his car as he did so. A smile crept over his face. It was a relief in a lot of ways - he hadn't realized how tense he had been until it was all gone.

And he had one person to thank for this - a person he really should get in touch with. After all, they had made a deal.

****

Stacy said her goodbye to Ted and started the walk home. She couldn't shake the feeling of nervousness from her stomach. Of course, she normally felt that, but it had been so much more intense over the past few days.

That might, of course, have something to do with the fact that she had essentially contributed to something really illegal. Well, she didn't know if it was that illegal, but the more she thought about it, the less comfortable with her decision she was.

It had been a decision made out of desperation and depression. Two days ago, on that night she had intended to call Ted and blow the whistle, that's when it had happened. She had called Ted, fully intending to tell him. But his mother - the mother who hated Stacy - had answered and refused to let her talk to him. She'd been really nasty, and hung up.

After she had done that, Stacy had collapsed in a crying fit. Everything she had been feeling about Ted, and his parents, and the Fashion Club, had all come out at once. She was convinced then that Tom had been right. She and Ted would not work out, not with the things that were between them. She knew that now.

So, she had called Tom. It had been a spur of the moment thing, with her convincing herself to do it before she chickened out. Tom had been quite surprised to hear from her, but he quickly outlined his plan. He would provide a distraction, something that Ted could not resist, and then he would create a crowd situation. In the crowd, Ted would be looking for Tom, but wouldn't even suspect that Stacy would reach over into his bag and lift out the film. Stacy knew exactly how Ted's bag was organized, so finding the film, even in the few seconds he had been distracted, was easy.

Then, she had left it exactly where Tom had told her. He had said that he couldn't be seen with her, otherwise that might create suspicion if anyone saw them. So she had left it there, with the promise that he would meet her the next day in a more secure location, then he would fulfill his half of the bargain.

It was now the next day, and Stacy felt really funny inside. She knew that this could only improve her situation with Ted. Tom was really persuasive and charming, so she knew he could help her. But the guilt of her actions was still bothering her, now more than ever.

It wasn't so serious, she told herself. It had only been a small roll of film, something Ted barely cared about. He had already stopped mentioning it, and she bet that he wouldn't remember at all in a few days unless someone reminded him. And she was going to make sure that no-one did.

She rounded the corner and kept walking towards her house. The streets were empty tonight, apart from the occasional car passing by, and the sheer emptiness wasn't helping her mood any. She wondered when Tom was going to call.

Almost as soon as she thought that, her cell phone rang. It was still so new (Sandi had insisted on all Fashion Club members having one, what with them being fashionable now) that it took her a few seconds to place the sound. Fumbling for it, she pushed the talk button. "Hello?"

"Hello," said the voice on the other end. "Sorry it took so long for me to call - I know I said I'd call earlier, but..."

"Tom!" said Stacy excitedly. "I was wondering when you would call. So, where do you want to meet, or..."

"We aren't going to meet," said Tom apologetically.

"What?" Stacy was floored. "But you said..."

"I know," said Tom evenly. "But I'm afraid I misled you on a few things. I...I'm not going to be able to do any of the things we talked about."

Stacy felt her heart drop to the ground. Her mouth felt dry. "You're joking. Is this one of those ironic things I never get..."

"No joke, Stacy." Tom paused. "I'm sorry. If I tried to get things sorted out for you...well, it could come back and blow this whole thing up, and I can't have that. This is really delicate, Stacy."

"You promised," said Stacy, feeling herself sink lower and lower with each word.

"I'm sorry," said Tom simply. "I needed those pictures back. You...well, you were there. I needed you."

"You promised!" yelled Stacy, surprising herself with the sheer force of her shout. "You promised me, and I trusted you, and..."

"Nobody forced you. Don't make me out to be the bad one here. We both did some things that I'm sure we'll regret. I know I will, so don't make me feel any guiltier."

"You..." Stacy felt angry tears in her eyes and tried to blink them away. "How could you!" she said venomously. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt that angry. "You made me..."

"Nobody made you do anything, Stacy," said Tom sharply. "I just gave you a choice and you took it, that's all."

"But the things you said...I believed you!"

"And I'm sorry that I deceived you." Tom sighed. "How many times do I have to say it?"

"I'll tell everyone," said Stacy quickly. "I will. I don't care that I helped you, or that I might get in trouble, but I'm going to tell everyone, I swear."

"What about Ted?" asked Tom simply.

Stacy felt the blood drain from her face. "What?" she whispered.

"If you tell anyone...well, your part in all of this is going to come out, one way or another. Don't think I hadn't assumed you'd do this."

"I..." Stacy was lost for words.

"You could tell Ms. Li that I was in the school, but then Ted will get in trouble, won't he? He might be kind of angry with you. I know I would be. And of course, if I get caught, then your actions come right out. I'd make sure of that. Ted would know that it was you that stole the film, that it was you who went behind his back, that it was..."

"Shut up," whispered Stacy.

"You betrayed him. You lied to him. How do you think he's going to feel about that? He's not ever going to be able to trust you ever again, and any chance of a relationship between the two of you will be gone."

"Shut up!" yelled Stacy. "I'll...I'm going to..."

"Remember, Stacy...if I get caught, so do you. And Ted will know. And he'll never trust you again." Tom's voice softened slightly. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Stacy, I really am."

"Go to Hell," mumbled Stacy, and the line went dead. She looked at the phone for a second, her head spinning and her stomach churning. How could she have been so stupid? One stupid, spontaneous action, and now everything was in ruins.

Stacy glanced around the street to see if anyone was there, if anyone could see her and ask what was wrong. She didn't want that. It might be someone who knew Ted, and then he might find out about everything...

She was hyperventilating again. She started taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. It wouldn't do to panic. This didn't have to affect anything. Ted didn't ever have to find out about this, and Stacy was not going to be the one that told him. She thought for a moment. Surely there was someone she could tell, someone who could help her.

No, Tom was right. She couldn't tell anyone without Ted finding out, and then she knew what would happen. He would be so hurt, and upset...and she couldn't take that. What if he never talked to her again? Stacy began to hyperventilate at the mere thought of it, and she knew what she had to do.

This was what was going to happen - she was going to go back to her normal life, and forget that this had ever happened. Maybe Sandi and the others did know about Ted - but it didn't matter now. Nothing would ever come of it. She would tell no-one about this whole incident. That way, it could never get back to Ted. No-one was ever going to know that she had lied to him and betrayed him.

But she would know.

Stacy drew herself and took a final deep breath. Now she was going to go back into her regular life, and this incident would be gone. She took a final look down the street and started on her way home.

Amazingly, she didn't cry.

****

Tom sat in his car and watched Stacy go. He was parked at a safe distance, one that she couldn't see him from. He put his cell phone away and sighed. It had been hard to do that, but it was something that had had to be done. Maybe, in a way, he had even helped Stacy, helped her to see that she shouldn't put her trust so easily with people she barely knew.

Maybe. But he wasn't going to think about it any more. He'd gotten what he came for, and now the whole sorry incident was over. He started the car and began the drive to Jane's house. They had a date scheduled for tonight. He didn't know what was going to happen between him and Jane, but he knew that now she wouldn't get the wrong sort of idea.

Now, whatever was going to happen, was going to happen without any sort of outside interference. He and Jane were going to break up, he knew that. And he was definitely interested in Daria, that he also knew. But would they start going out? Tom didn't know that for sure.

He pulled up to the Lane house and got out. Ringing the doorbell, he waited for a few moments until Jane answered the door. "Oh," she said awkwardly. "Hey."

"Hey," said Tom. He leaned in and gave her a short but deep kiss.

"Mmm," said Jane, smiling. "What was that for?"

Tom shrugged. "Just in a good mood."

"Well, that's..." Jane stopped and shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing."

Tom grinned. "Can I come in?" Jane stepped back and gestured with her arms. Tom cocked his head to the side slightly in amusement and walked in. Right now, he was confident that things would work out for him.

They usually did.

The End.

End Notes:

This story was based on an original idea by MMan, posted on the PPMB in a thread about discarded plotlines. He allowed me to use it, and I thank him.

Thanks to my beta-readers: Robert Nowall, Steven Galloway, Mike Nassour, Kristen Bealer, Ajzin23, and Roger Moore.