AN: Thank you to all of my reviewers! I was worried a story with such an obscure pairing wouldn't get much of a chance, but so far everyone's been very supportive. That means a lot to me and I appreciate it. I also appreciate those of you who have put this on your favorites list or alerts. Even if you don't say anything, it's still support, and it makes me smile to know someone out there likes my writing. I am worried about making Paulina too out of character, but keep in mind she's not where she has to put up a front for the other popular kids right now. We all act differently depending on who we're with.

Anyway, thank you all for reading and giving this a shot. Feel free to tell me if there's anything I can improve on or you have suggestions of some kind. All feedback is appreciated here since I'm new to writing.

Line prompt used in this chapter: the world made sense.

"Where are we going?" Paulina asked softly. Her boots made faint crunching noises in the snow, and falling flakes got caught in her hair. She walked alongside Tucker, looking a little better.

"You didn't eat at lunch today. When was the last time you ate?" he asked quietly. She turned her head so she didn't have to look at him. It was all the answer he needed. He wasn't sure if this was a normal grieving thing, but it wasn't healthy, so he was going to stop it. "Remember the Snack Station?"

"Of course. All the cool middle school kids went there." She considered his logic. It was highly unlikely any high schooler who valued their reputation would step inside the place, and those who didn't care about their reputation weren't likely to be there during the middle of the school day anyway. "You really are smart."

"I thought it might be easier than just rubbing snow on your face and marching back into class." Tucker watched as her eyes brightened slightly at the sight of the old brick building, whose white paint was in a constant state of disrepair. "Hasn't changed a bit, huh?"

"Yeah… remember when we were in grade school and everybody was trying to sneak in here? Like it's some exclusive thing," she chuckled weakly, but her smile was sad. Her eyes were distant for a moment, filled with memories "Everything was simpler back then. The world made sense."

Tucker gingerly touched her arm, unsure how to handle Paulina when she was so unlike herself. Or was this the real Paulina and he had simply never seen it before? Regardless, she rewarded him by looping her arm through his as they crossed the street to the former middle school hot spot. The Snack Station was small, but filled with junk food. A selection of cold sodas and bags of chips took up one wall, an array of candy you could buy by the dollar (by cents if you were low on cash) took up the wall opposite the door, and the far wall was nothing but crazy ice cream flavors. The nacho and hot dog machines, less used, took up the remaining space. It was a poorly lit but clean little building strategically placed inbetween the middle school and the high school, though it was closer to the middle school by far.

When they were middle schoolers they'd all congregated here. Outside of it, inside, by the tables outside, in the alleyway between it and the nearest building. Danny and Sam had always preferred the steps of the library across the street. Dash was less likely to bother them that way. Before school, Tucker had always run in to grab an energy drink. Back then his biggest concern had been when the latest Chzo Mythos game would come out and if he was going to stay the shortest kid in his class forever. Everything had been simpler back then. They'd all thought they were facing insurmountable problems just doing normal things. Now, with ghosts and death and dating facing them down, it seemed more like a dream than memory.

"I used to come here last summer," Paulina admitted softly. "Dash stopped me. He didn't want people to think I was a loser. He didn't want to date a loser. He grabbed my wrist so hard I had to wear thick bracelets for a week to hide the bruises."

Tucker felt a mixture of fear and anger spike up in him at the implications of that last statement. "Paulina-"

"He was so sweet when we were in fifth grade," she continued softly, her voice quiet. "He used to buy me things all the time from here. Rock candy, lollipops, those awful Corn Nut things. I hated some of it. But I always ate it. I didn't want to hurt his feelings. And now… now, you know what he said when I talked to him on Monday? That my mom's none of his business. He just wanted to know if I'm going with him to the winter dance – what're they calling it this year? The 'Snow Ball'?" She chuckled, but it was hollow, plastic, and she shut her eyes tightly.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, since he didn't know what else to do. He was basing his actions on what Sam usually did when she was comforting either Danny or himself. She sniffled, but when she turned to face him, she was still smiling even though her eyes were filled with tears. "Will you buy me something?"

"…sure," he said softly. "What do you want?"

"Chocolate covered potato chips." She paused. "No one's ever asked me that before. What I want, I mean."

Tucker didn't have a reply for that that wouldn't make things worse, so he just walked to the counter and rang the little bell there. A sleepy looking forty something woman appeared to take his order, apparently used to the concept of students skipping school. Business was business. She didn't care. He glanced back at Paulina. The Latina was looking out the window at the table she and Dash used to share. He wondered when Dash had become such a jerk. He hadn't gone to the same elementary school as the two of them, but the way Paulina described him back then was wildly different than the Dash he was used to now. Dash Baxter, fifth grader, had bought candy for a girl he liked. Dash Baxter, high school football star didn't care his girlfriend's mother had died. How did anyone make that kind of switch? And why was she still with him after all that?

The answer was obvious. If she broke up with him the popular kids and gossipy girls in the school would turn it into a shitstorm. Dash's football buddies would turn on her out of solidarity, and the other girls would turn it against her. Anything to climb the popularity ladder. They'd throw their own friend under the bus for a shot at going to that dumb school dance with the football star. She'd be the one hit with the fallout even though he was the one who deserved it. But she'd mentioned he left bruises on her. And that made Tucker angry in ways he'd never felt before in his life. He'd made some dumb comments in his lifetime, said things he wasn't proud of, but he'd been taught all his life to never, ever hurt a girl. The fact Paulina was a thin cheerleader and he was a bulky, tall football player only made it all that much worse. His mind went down to darker places as he watched her place her hand on the window, leaving a foggy outline on the glass. She was no fighter. If Dash got violent, she didn't have a chance.

"Here," he said, interrupting her window gazing with a bag of chips. He needed to quit thinking about this before he made himself sick. "You know, I thought I was the only one who liked these."

"I like these. And pumpkin ice cream," she admitted, to which he grinned.

"Ever tried getting a cream soda and putting pumpkin ice cream in there? It's awesome. You should try one sometime." He smiled as she popped a chip into her mouth, causing her stomach to grumble. "Junk food helps everything."

Paulina was quiet for a moment as they stood there, looking out at the snowfall together. He wondered how long she'd gone without eating. At least he could get her to get something down. He still wasn't sure how to do this whole 'comforting' thing, but skipping meals wouldn't help her. Was she that afraid to face the other popular kids at lunch? Didn't anyone in their group have some sympathy? He thought over the litany of them and it answered his own question. Kwan would be a good guy about everything, because he was the nicest of the group, and everyone else would take aim and fire.

Why did anyone want to be popular, anyway? What was the benefit? Sure, people knew who Paulina was, but they didn't know her, and everything was so tense all the time. Tucker wasn't sure he could take it. He didn't want to be a loser, and he didn't want to be popular. He was content just being himself. There were no lies to tell or acts to put on that way. Paulina was buried in both. This was not only the longest conversation he'd ever had with her, it was the most honest, and to get her to be honest it took a tragedy. For the first time in his life he found himself worried for her. It was an unfamiliar feeling.

"Thank you for this," she said softly. When she turned her head to look at him, her eyes caught the light. They weren't filled with tears anymore. "I mean, like, everything. All of it. You were nice to me. I don't get that a lot. It's probably why I don't give it out a lot, either. I mean, when I moved here from Mexico in third grade, everyone was always taking shots at me. I had to learn how to fire back. And now it's like I can't turn it off. I'm always shooting everyone down."

"You haven't shot me down," he pointed out charitably. "You haven't said a single mean thing all day. I kind of miss it."

She giggled. "That's crazy."

"Yeah," he agreed, taking a chip for himself. "But you look better when you're smiling, even if you're sniping at me."

"I didn't know nerds were so sweet."

"I didn't know the most popular girl in school liked junk food and moved here from Mexico."

"It's better if people don't know a lot about me. Nobody can use anything against me that way." She nearly jumped when Tucker wrapped an arm around her shoulders. His green eyes were dead serious.

"I would never use any of this against you. I promise," he said seriously. And looking into his eyes, she actually believed him. Tucker Foley was many things – geek, computer lover, aspiring technology inventor – but he was never dishonest, at least not that she'd seen or heard of.

"Thank you," Paulina smiled, and it was so good to see her happy Tucker had to smile too. "You're a nice guy, even if you asked out every girl in the school."

He looked at the floor, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "I'm just playing the odds. I mean, there has to be someone out there that doesn't think I'm a loser, right?"

"I don't think you're a loser." She looked like she was about to say something else, but her cellphone went off, and when she caught sight of the number she cringed. "It's my Papa. The school must've told him I skipped. I have to go home now or I'll be grounded. He's probably worried sick."

"Are you going to be okay to walk through the snow?" Tucker asked, noting the flurry outside.

Paulina sighed. "I'll just have my Dad come pick me up. He's probably out driving around looking for me anyway. He's always been overprotective, but after what happened, well - he means well. I guess I get it. Will you stay with me until he comes? I - I don't want to be alone right now."

The request and the admission surprised him, but he nodded nonetheless. "Of course."

After a brief chat with her father, entirely in Spanish, she put her phone in her pocket and held out the bag of chocolate covered chips to him, but the black boy shook his head. She needed comfort food more than he did right now. So they stood together in the cool gray light of the November afternoon, neither one saying a word. But even though he couldn't come up with a thing to say, she seemed less depressed, at least for the moment. And when her father's car pulled up, Paulina smiled at him like he was an old friend, still clutching the bag in one hand.

She kissed him on the cheek before she departed, and Tucker could still feel the sensation long after she was out of sight.