A/N: Yes, I am making up my own rules for how the TiMER works. I needed something less mystical than what I gathered from the movie synopsis or my brain wouldn't accept it. Also, I made up the new culture and rules that high schools would adopt after TiMERs were utilized by the majority of the population. It was awesome. XD (like I-had-a-blast-awesome, not I-did-well-awesome. That's up to each of you to judge.) Sorry for the delay! I had to rewrite the lunch scene to be less chaotic. This chapter was checked over by webuiltthepyramids, but not hardcore proofread. I take the blame for any and all mistakes.

Her parents didn't say anything when she arrived home. Her mother didn't even comment on Helena's jacket except to say, "Oh, that looks cute on you." Myka avoided further conversation with the excuse of homework and closed herself off in her bedroom. She had just placed her backpack on her chair when the door opened again. Her sister walked over to the bed without bothering to push the door shut behind her.

"So, I heard your TiMER went off today."

"Tracy!" Myka rushed to check that no one heard her sister's announcement and then shut the door. "You're not supposed to be in here!" she hissed.

"Actually I am. Mom told me to tell you that dinner will be done in five." Tracy sat down on the bed and smirked. "I heard it went off for a girl."

"I'm not talking about this." Myka began sliding off the borrowed jacket.

"Ooo, is that her jacket?"

"Yes. I left my arm band in the school bathroom." She laid the jacket across the back of her chair and dug around for another arm band to wear.

"So she let you borrow her jacket. So chivalrous," Tracy sighed. "It looks really adorable too."

"Leave it alone!" Myka said when Tracy crossed over to take a closer a look.

"A cute jacket is a sign she has good taste," Tracy said.

"Yeah, that's not really important currently." Myka found her blue band and pulled it on over her wrist.

"Uh, duh. Good taste is always important," Tracy said. "You always want a guy to have good taste so that he can buy you nice jewelry and presents. I'm pretty sure that still applies even though your One is a girl."

"She's not my One! People need to stop saying that she's my One."

"Of course she is, you dummy. TiMERs don't go off for your Two. Or your Three."

Myka crossed her arms. "You're hilarious."

"They don't go off for Fours either."

"Tracy!"

"So what's her name? What's she like?" Tracy said. "Her last name's Wells, right? I saw her brother in the hall this afternoon. He was pretty cute so I'm assuming she's cute too." She let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know what you did to score a British chick, but I am insanely jealous. I want someone with an accent! But I totally want a guy, not a girl. Though, I don't know, would I go for a girl if it meant getting a hot accent?" Myka clenched her jaw during this tangent and tightened her fist.

"What part of 'I don't want to talk about this' do you not understand?"

Tracy looked scandalized. "Well I need to get all the details from you! You really expect me to go to school tomorrow without anything to tell? Besides, you're my sister. I want to hear this stuff from you and not from Katie or Shauna or somebody later."

"Oh, yay." Myka rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on! Share with me! Just something. Anything."

"Fine," Myka said. "Her name is Helena. Helena Wells. And that's all you're going to get."

Tracy smiled and bounced on her feet in a way that almost made Myka wish she could be excited about meeting this girl.

"So did you really embarrass the both of you in front of the entire cafeteria?"

And the almost-excitement was gone.

"You know it wouldn't have been that embarrassing if the stupid TiMERs hadn't gone off." Myka huffed. "So stupid. This is all so stupid!"

"Are you kidding me? I'm dying for mine to go off," Tracy said. "But I still have four years. I've decided it's a professor now, by the way. It'll probably go off the first day of class. Or maybe we'll meet at the campus coffee shop. Either way, the college freshman and the professor - or oh! A TA! Yes. Can you imagine the awesome story I'd have?"

A knock interrupted and their mother peeked her head in the door. Myka clamped a hand over her TiMER even though her wrist was already covered.

"Dinner's on the table, girls. It's time to eat."

"Be right there," Myka smiled until her mother walked away. Tracy headed for the door, but Myka held her up.

"Don't tell Mom and Dad about this."

"Uh, this is pretty important. We're supposed to tell them."

"Yeah, I know, but not yet. Please don't tell them yet."

Tracy frowned.

"It's not like I even know her yet," Myka continued. "They're just going to ask a bunch of questions I can't answer."

"Fine." Tracy straightened her back. "But you have to introduce me to her tomorrow."

"Absolutely not!"

"Then I'm going to tell Mom and Dad."

"No!" Myka grabbed her arm. "Come on, please just do this for me?"

"Ugh, then at least tell me if she's hot or not."

"I can't judge that."

"Liar." Tracy rolled her eyes. "I bet her voice was all British-y and gorgeous like golden honey."

"Knock it off!"

"Well, then what grade is she in?" Tracy asked.

"Um." Myka thought back and realized she'd never asked. "Not a freshman?"

"That's seriously all you know? Not a freshman?" Tracy stared at her. "God, you suck at this." She walked into the hallway.

"Tracy!" Myka said, rushing after her.

"Don't worry! I'm not going to tell."

Myka sighed. "Thank you."

"Uh huh, but you have got to talk to her properly tomorrow or I'm going to disown you."

"Promise? Cause I would love to have that in writing."

—

Myka didn't speak to Helena the next morning. In fact, since their paths never crossed, Myka almost forgot the TiMER event happened. School was completely normal. Pete hit her up by her locker first thing, gushing details on the movies he had picked out for their weekly Movie Night (none sounded appealing, but his excitement for them suggested he, at least, would be entertaining to watch tonight). Her English teacher returned and rushed to get them caught up on the material the substitute hadn't covered. She had a quiz in AP U.S. History before the teacher sent them to the library to work on their essay due next week. Such periods were her favorite kind. Myka settled into a groove with her research and didn't want to stop when the bell rang for lunch. Unfortunately, this was high school, and she didn't have much control over her schedule. The bells still dictated how you divided your time. When she arrived at lunch, however, she wished she had broken the rules this once and stayed in the library.

"Myka! Oh my god, you need to come outside."

Myka looked up at the girl suddenly standing at her table. It was Cara from her sophomore chemistry class, but that didn't make Myka less confused. She didn't share any classes with Cara this year, and they had never shared any friends.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because," Cara lowered her voice, "Tracy is outside making out with Ryan Stolte."

Nope. Myka was still confused. "Tracy's not in this lunch period."

"Well, then she's skipping class too," Cara said. "Come on! You have to stop it!"

"What? I'm not Tracy's guardian. If she's skipping class, then let her get caught. Maybe she'll learn something from it."

"Yeah, skipping a class isn't the problem," Cara said.

Myka shook her head. "Then what's the problem?" Pete poked her shoulder, and she turned around.

"Ryan just started hooking up with Lisa Irving," he whispered.

"So?"

"So, that was only like a week ago, and I haven't heard anything about them splitting up yet. If Tracy's making a move on someone's new Makeout Buddy -"

"-then Lisa's going to be pissed and Tracy will get stuck with a bad rep for the rest of high school," Myka finished with a sigh. She weighed the options. She wanted her sister to take school more seriously; she didn't want her to be ostracized for the next four years. "Fine," she groaned. "I'll see what I can do."

"Okay great! Let's go." Cara actually tugged on Myka's arm until she stood up and then repeatedly checked over her shoulder that Myka was still following. It weirded Myka out. She didn't know Cara even knew Tracy, let alone was friends with her. Then again, Tracy seemed to be quickly making friends with everyone in the school.

They reached the vending machine area and the doors leading out to the front lawn. Cara opened the door.

"Okay, I got her!" She held the door open for Myka to walk outside. The lawn was surprisingly empty for the warm day. Only two people were out there, and they weren't Tracy and whatever guy she'd been trying to hook up with.

"Great!" said someone that Myka vaguely recognized as being on the dance team. She looked at the other girl who - Myka was somehow not surprised to see - turned out to be Helena. "Okay, we'll keep anyone else from coming outside. You two enjoy!"

"Here's your lunch." Cara handed Myka her lunchbox that someone had swiped from her table. She smiled and the schemers disappeared back into the school.

Myka glanced at Helena.

"I believe we've just been set up," Helena said.

"Yeah." Myka squinted towards the door but she couldn't see which students were guarding it. If Pete was involved, she was going to gut him. And then not go to Movie Night, Twizzlers be dammed. She huffed. "That's the last time I offer to help my sister out of trouble."

"Hmm, seems there was a theme." Myka frowned in confusion, and Helena explained. "They used my brother to lure me out here. Except they made the mistake of assuming I cared if my brother got himself into trouble."

"If you didn't care, then why did you come out here?"

"Because it was obvious they were lying, and I wanted to know why they needed me outside." Helena sat down at one of the stone tables. "You can sit down, you know. I don't think they'll let us back in until lunch is over."

"Do you always do that?" Myka asked.

"Do what?"

"Just go with things because you want to see how they turn out," Myka said. "Is everything an experiment?"

Helena looked put off guard. "No. I mean, I suppose… I suppose everything is an experiment, or most things are, but I never just 'go with things'. I usually do quite the opposite."

"Okay," Myka drew out. She walked over and sat at the table across from Helena. "So you're only going with the flow with the TiMER then? Did you know this set-up was TiMER related?"

"And how could I possibly know that?" Helena scoffed.

"I don't know. I'm just asking." Myka fidgeted with the zipper on her lunchbox.

"You're quite on your guard about this, aren't you?" Helena said.

Myka fixed her with a stern stare. "I just got manipulated into a private lunch."

Helena smiled. "Yes, you did. As did I."

Myka nodded. "And now we're stuck."

"It's not so bad," Helena glanced around. "It's certainly more peaceful out here than inside the cafeteria."

"It's not normally," Myka said. "Usually all the smokers eat out here and try to sneak cigarettes."

"I see," Helena said. "Then someone must have cleared them out for us."

"Yeah," Myka said. It was silent for a few moments. Myka stared down at the table.

"Oh, I have your jacket by the way," she said, looking back up. "It's in my locker."

"Did it work to hide your TiMER from your parents?"

"Yeah. I guess they didn't memorize the days on my countdown like Pete did."

"Well, at least you were saved from awkward questions last night."

Myka cringed. "Except from my sister. Oh, speaking of her, I'm supposed to ask what grade you're in."

"Year twelve. The senior class here. You?"

"Eleventh. Hell Year as everyone else calls it."

Helena scrunched her nose. "Why would they call it that?"

Myka shrugged. "Because of all the standardized tests, I guess. No one likes taking the ACT. Rumor is the teachers assign more homework to juniors, but I think that's only true because a lot of people slack off their senior year."

"And what's the ACT?"

"The college entrance exam," Myka explained, warming up to this topic. "I'm also taking the SAT this year just to have both." She frowned. "Or in case I totally blow one of them."

Helena continued to look confused.

"Do you not have the ACT or SAT in England?"

"We take A levels at the end of year twelve to submit to universities. Not quite sure how that will work with me in the States now. The administration here looked perplexed when they saw my transcript."

"Yeah, we don't get a lot of students transferring from England," Myka said. "Or any, actually."

Helena smiled. "Well that would explain all the gawking in the halls."

"Plus you triggered a TiMER," Myka pointed out and then winced. Now their TiMER event was back on the table, and she didn't want to discuss that. School had been a much safer topic.

A moment of silence fell again. Myka felt increasingly anxious.

"Aren't you going to eat your lunch?"

"Oh." Myka startled. "Yeah." She tugged at the zipper and glanced at Helena. "Do you not have anything?"

"Oh, I don't really eat lunch." Some kind of concern must have shown on Myka's face, because she was quick to add on. "I do eat. But after a year of boarding school, I've grown weary of anything that's served in a cafeteria."

"You could bring your own lunch." Myka pulled out a banana from her bag.

Helena shrugged. "I used to before boarding school. I suppose I could again, but my uncle insists breakfast is the most important meal of the day and has been cooking up a large spread each morning." She smiled. "I end up not very hungry by the time lunch comes around."

"You're living with your uncle?" Myka asked. "I thought you were with your parents."

"No, they're still in London." Helena said, looking at the table.

"And they sent you and your brother over here to Colorado Springs?" This struck Myka as odd. She was pretty sure her parents wouldn't send her away to attend school in a foreign country. She wasn't even sure if they'd let her leave the state to attend college.

"Yes, well, they couldn't keep me in London, now, could they?" Before Myka could ask anything else, Helena redirected the conversation. "So what about you? You said you have a sister attending high school?"

"Yeah," Myka said. "Tracy. She's a freshman." She pulled a face. "And a pain."

"Mmm," Helena smiled. "My brother is quite the pain, too. He wasn't supposed to come to the States with me, but he insisted. I think his goal in life is to make mine as miserable as possible."

"Ugh, Tracy, too. Especially now. She pestered me all night about you. Must be a younger sibling thing, to enjoy annoying you."

"Not all younger siblings," Helena said, softly. She looked back up at Myka. "But certainly most are like that."

They returned to discussing school after that. Since they knew they shared physics, they compared the rest of their class schedule and looked for any instance of same-class-different-hours. There weren't any, but Myka did learn that Helena was bored by Calculus, amused by the Adult Living class mandatory for all seniors, delightedly challenged by AP Government, and annoyed by the amount of homework MacPherson assigned them.

"Tell the truth, how possible is it to ignore the homework and still get an A in the class?'

"Not at all," Myka said. "Homework is worth 10% of your final grade, but if you don't turn any in, he'll bump you down a letter grade."

"That's bollocks. If he's going to make the homework mandatory like that, he should make it less tedious and much more interesting. It took me over an hour last night to complete today's assignment, and the only problems to provide me with more than a hand cramp were the last two."

"The application problems at the end are extra credit."

"Are you serious?" Helena asked. Myka nodded. "Well, that's even worse then. The only problems that should be required are the application ones. The rest are useless."

They heard the dulled ringing of the bell.

"I wouldn't mention that to MacPherson," Myka said as she cleaned up her lunch. "He'll retaliate by doubling the amount of homework."

Helena muttered something about incompetence under her breath. It both amused Myka and left her feeling nervous. She wasn't a big fan of MacPherson either, but she had never outright criticized a teacher. The presumption that a student might know more than a teacher was a bit of a novelty.

The door opened just as they reached it.

"Bell rang! Oh!" Pete said as he nearly hit them. "Hey, guys. How was lunch?"

Myka said nothing and stepped on by him. She heard Helena murmur a vague response behind her. Myka looked in the cafeteria to see if the rest of her things were still sitting where she'd left them when Pete tapped her arm.

"I've got your stuff." He held up her history book and binder.

"Great." She grabbed it and marched on towards her locker. She did a quick glance around to find Helena but stopped when Pete caught up to her.

"For the record, I had nothing to do with tricking you outside."

Myka side-eyed him but didn't say anything.

"I swear it!" Pete held up his hands. "I didn't know they were setting you two up. I would've warned you."

"Okay, I believe you." They passed the middle staircase, and Pete didn't turn off like he normally did.

"Don't you need to go upstairs?" Myka asked.

"I'm taking the long way around."

"Why?"

"Because I'm your best friend, and I'm dying to know how lunch went," Pete said. "And don't just say it was fine. I want details."

They reached her locker, and Myka entered her combination. "There's not much to tell. It was lunch. We talked."

"Watcha talk about?"

Myka shrugged and traded her history books for calculus and physics. "Just stuff. School mostly."

Pete stuck out his tongue when she shut her locker and faced him again. "Really? School? Were you really nervous or is she a ginormous nerd too?"

"Hey!" Myka glared. "And I wouldn't say she's a nerd. She doesn't really like homework. She does seem pretty smart, though."

"Well, we figured you wouldn't be matched up with an idiot."

A tightness formed in Myka's chest, and she didn't want to talk about this anymore. "I have to get to class," she said and started up the corner staircase.

"Hey, wait!" Pete called out. "I was thinking you could invite Helena to movie night tonight."

"What?" Myka halted on the stairs to the annoyance of some students following her. She pressed herself against the wall to let them go around. "You want me to invite her?"

"I mean, only if you want. You don't have to, but if you wanted to, it's cool by me."

Myka stared at him. "Um, okay. I'll think about it, I guess."

"Alright, that's cool," Pete said. "You better get going before you're late to smart people's class."

"It's AP Calc," Myka said, turning back to the stairs.

"That's what I said, smart people's class."

Myka rolled her eyes. "Bye."

"Later, Mykes!"

—

Myka was still debating Pete's suggestion when she sat down for physics class. On the one hand, she and Helena had been matched up and the group's weekly movie night might be a casual way to hang out and get to know each other better. On the other hand, she and Helena had been matched up and that was weird and awkward and terrifying, and Myka liked the TiMER a lot better as this mystic event that happened to other people but didn't happen to her.

It was a dilemma.

"Mr. MacPherson!" A boy sitting behind Myka called out just before the man could begin class.

"What is it?"

"I can't see the board." Myka looked back. It was Brennan Nickels who sat two seats back from her.

"You can't see the board," Mr. MacPherson repeated. "What, is someone's head in your way?"

"No, I think my eyesight has gotten worse lately. Maybe I need new contacts."

Brennan wore contacts? That was news to Myka. She looked at MacPherson to see his reaction.

"If you need your eyes checked, I suggest you make an appointment with a doctor. There's nothing I can do about it." He turned to the board.

"Well, what if I moved closer?" Brennan continued. "I could switch seats with someone. Hey, Myka, would you switch seats with me?"

Myka whipped her head back around. How did she get pulled into this? "Um… sure?"

"Mr. MacPherson, can I switch wit Myka? She said she's fine with it."

Their teacher fixed them with a stern stare. Then he gave a curt nod. "Yes, alright. Hurry up. We have a lot to cover."

Brennan and Myka each grabbed their things and moved to their new seats. As she passed him in the aisle, he said thanks in a loud voice and then winked at her. He sat down looking pleased with himself and high-fived someone in the front row. Myka didn't understand why until she sat down and realized this new seat put her directly across from Helena. The smirk lurking on Helena's face meant the other girl had already figured this out.

Myka felt the blush burn across her face. This was one of the bad ones that also crept down onto her neck. She propped her arms on the desk, clasped her hands over the back of her neck and tried wishing the blush away. Or wishing the entire class away. Honestly, she wasn't picky.

She sensed Helena lean across the aisle. "You seem quite popular," the girl whispered. Myka just shook her head. She didn't know why the school kept setting her up like this, but it definitely wasn't because she was popular. Everyone must have been bored today.

"Alright, if there are no more objections," MacPherson said, "we'll get started."

Myka's concentration was gone for most of class. She copied whatever the teacher wrote on the board, but she didn't expand on it with notes on her own and caught very little of what was said. Luckily, MacPherson wasn't aware of the TiMER event and seemed convinced that Brennan had been trying to sit closer to his friends. He continually picked the boy out to answer questions and never noticed Myka's distraction. Somehow she managed to refocus by the end of class and raise her hand for a question to save face. She was grateful when the bell finally rang.

The mass exodus left the doorway crowded so Myka hung back a bit. Helena lingered by the desks as well and coolly stepped over into Myka's aisle.

"Duped twice in one day," she said softly. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," Myka replied. To her annoyance, she felt the blush return.

"Think this will continue on next week?"

"No. I don't know." She looked at Helena as they exited the classroom. "I don't remember people interfering this much in a TiMER event. They usually just make bets on the side."

Helena hummed. "Must be because we're the only ones right now."

"Maybe."

"I suppose we'll find out Monday." Helena turned to walk in the opposite direction that Myka needed to go, and Myka felt compelled to call out to her.

"Hey, wait!" Helena spun around looking a bit surprised.

"Yes?"

"So, Pete insists on doing this movie night every week," Myka said, walking a couple steps towards her. "He picks out a couple movies to watch and there's a ridiculous amount of junk food, but it's still pretty fun. I was wondering if you'd maybe want to come tonight."

Helena tilted her head and looked amused. "You said 'but' where most people would use the conjunction 'and'."

Myka frowned in confusion, but Helena only shook her head and took a step forward.

"Would you like me to come to this movie night?"

"Sure," Myka said with a shrug. Helena watched her for a moment.

"Myka." Her name sounded odd spoken aloud, and Myka bit her lip. "You shouldn't feel obligated to invite me out with your friends. I know the school's been pressuring us to speak to each other today -"

"No, it's fine," Myka interrupted. "You can come."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Myka nodded.

Helena thought a moment more. "Alright then," she said. "I'd be happy to spend an evening away from my brother."

"Okay, well we go over o Pete's house right after school. We can give you a ride if you need it."

"Don't you have your cryptography thing after school?"

Myka shook her head. "Not on Fridays."

Helena smiled. "Then, I'll see you after school."

—

She should've taken the out.

That was the repeating theme of Myka's thoughts as she stood behind the school, staring at the parking lot, waiting for her friends. And waiting for Helena.

She should've taken the out. Helena had given her several. She should've said, "No, you're right. I was feeling pressured. I don't actually want you to come." Or she could've said, "Oh dummy me! There is cryptography today. We can't do movie night!" It would have been more desperate, sure, but still effective. Anything to get her out of this horrible position of dreading movie night. She hadn't dreaded it since the very first one Pete had dragged her to.

She was honestly debating the pros and cons of puking on the sidewalk from nerves (con: she hated puking; pro: she could say she was too sick to hang out tonight) when Pete pulled his truck up and parked in front of her. He stood up and hung out his window, hands tapping on the roof.

"Where is everyone?"

"Claudia's still negotiating her grounding with Artie," Myka said. "I think Steve's with her for back-up."

Pete laughed. "Don't know why Artie even tries. Claudia always wears him down." Myka just shrugged.

"So did you ask Helena to come?"

No. No, she didn't so they should go now and definitely not wait around here any longer. Myka held her arms tight against her ribs and stared at Pete.

Her silence spoke for her. Pete's jaw dropped, and he clambered out of his truck.

"Holy crap, you did? And she said yes? Mykes, that's amazing!"

"No, it isn't," Myka said, backing up so he wouldn't hug her.

"What are you talking about? This is huge!"

"Pete!" Myka felt the terror rise. She shook her head. "I can't do this. She can't come."

"What are you going to do, un-invite her?"

"No." She couldn't get away with that. "Whatever, I'll just go home. I can call my mom." She fumbled to get her phone out of her pocket, but Pete placed his hands on her arms.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong is this TiMER and you and the entire rest of the freaking school is shoving me towards Helena, and I don't want it! I just want to be left alone."

Pete's face remained passive. "Is this about Sam?"

"No! God, why would - this has nothing to do with Sam!"

"Well, I don't know!" Pete said. "You've been acting weird since the TiMER went off, and you're not telling me anything. I just thought," he trailed off and shrugged.

"Well, it doesn't." Myka recrossed her arms and stared out into the parking lot. She wasn't acting weird because of unresolved feelings for her ex-boyfriend or whatever it was that Pete had thought. Sam wasn't the issue.

Except he kind of was. Now that he'd been brought up, Myka could feel it. Beneath the burst of anger, the fear was pulling itself into a definitive shape.

"What if I did the tests wrong?" she asked, voice low.

"What tests?"

"The psychology tests you take before you get your TiMER. What if I messed them up?"

"No way." Pete shook his head. "Not possible."

"But I tried for a certain result, and they explicitly tell you not to do that."

Pete shook his head again. "Myka, it is literally impossible to screw up those tests. You can go in, answer the exact opposite of what you actually think, and still get matched up accurately."

Myka wasn't convinced. She stared at the truck, her arms still clenched tight.

"Hey." Pete moved so she had to look at him. "Who are you going to believe: your self-doubt or the guy whose mom works for TiMER headquarters?"

Myka huffed. "It's not like your mom gives you any company insight into how the TiMERs work."

"Okay, so I only know what's advertised," Pete said. "But still!" He tugged to get her to drop her arms so he could pull her into a hug. Myka grumbled but relented.

"You have nothing to worry about," he said, holding her tight. "It'll all work out." Myka nodded into his shoulder. She took a deep breath and began to feel a little calmer.

Pete pulled back. "And remember, there is no absolutely no pressure on you. At the very least, you're getting a new best friend who's probably going to oust me as your ultimate best friend. And then, of course, I'll cry."

Myka shook her head in amusement as Pete kept going.

"And you won't care at all because you'll be too busy hanging out and laughing it up with your new ultimate best friend, and then one day, I'll see you in the hall and be like 'hey Myka! What's up?' and you'll look at me and be like 'who the heck are you?' and that's when I'll know," he finished up solemnly, "that I've been thoroughly replaced."

Myka was grinning by the end. She lightly punched his shoulder. "You're an idiot."

"Are you saying that's not going to happen?"

"No," Myka said and moved to throw her backpack in the truck. She looked back over her shoulder at him. "I'm saying you're not my ultimate best friend to begin with."

"Wow." Pete clasped his hands over heart and pouted. "Wow, that cuts deep."

Myka laughed.

"Oh my god, you guys!" They both looked to see Claudia sprinting down the sidewalk with Steve and Helena walking not far behind. "You totally missed it! It was awesome!" She pounded to a stop beside them and took a breath.

"Okay, so first, Artie was totally pissed at me for cutting cryptography yesterday." She glared at Pete like it was his fault. "He was even threatening to not let me come tonight. I was starting to freak out because I can't miss our movie night! So then Helena suddenly shows up and she…." Claudia waved her hands in the air. "Well, I don't even know! I don't think Artie knows either, but she totally talked me out of trouble and convinced Artie to let me come and it was totally awesome!" Her face wore a large grin and a glow like she had just witnessed a superhero. Or befriended one. "Tell them, Steve."

"It was very impressive," Steve confirmed. "But I think we're going to be paying for it later."

"Who cares?" Claudia said. "I get to go to movie night!"

"Claudia!" Artie shouted as he exited the school and walked towards his car. Claudia sighed.

"Oh yeah, that was part of the deal." She stuck out her tongue. "He has to drive me over to your place. He said he doesn't trust your truck."

"Hey! My truck is perfectly safe." Pete slapped the rusting side of the truck bed.

"Chill! I'm sure he just wants to lecture me some more. See ya in a bit!" Claudia took off running to where Artie was standing and glaring at them. "Steve, wanna ride?"

Steve glanced at the truck, glanced at the three of them still standing by him, and then headed out after Claudia. "Sorry, I'll take second-hand lecture over the back of a pickup truck."

"Man! Everyone's harshing on my truck today," Pete said.

Helena raised her eyebrows at the vehicle. "Can't imagine why."

"No really, this baby is safer than it looks." He looked at Myka who turned to Helena.

"I can vouch for the truck," she said. "I can't vouch for his driving."

"Ugh! You're such a side-seat driver!" Pete walked around to the driver's side. "Are we ready to go?"

Helena looked at Myka. "Are we still on?"

Myka nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Let's go."