The school day seemed to drag on forever, and more than once Andy found himself wishing he could just skip out on the rest of his classes. But he had a plan, and that plan involved staying here until the end of the day, like it or not. He stared out the windows, focusing on what he intended to do and blotting out just about anything else, only shaking himself from his reverie when he heard the bells ring.

As the final bell rang, he made his way quickly to the front entrance, losing confidence with every step he took. Could he really do this? No, he felt confident he could do it, that was certain. The better question was, should he do this? Maybe it was worth looking a little meeker in the eyes of his peers to just quit while he was ahead. He could come out of the situation with his pride intact, and avoid the uncomfortable confrontation with Pendragon. But something told him to press forward, to go ahead with the ridiculous bet. It wasn't for the money, he realized. It wasn't even really for the sake of his reputation.

I don't want to do this, he repeated to himself, as if convincing his own mind of the thought. I hate Pendragon. I always have. I don't want to do this. Right?

He scanned the throng of students exiting the building, forcing himself to appear more relaxed and confident than he was feeling. Almost immediately, he spotted Bobby and his friends walking together across the grass; Andy began to walk towards them, and hesitated.

I don't want to do this, he thought again. Right? It's just a dumb bet, that's all.

It took a considerable amount of will-power for him to propel himself forward, and by the time he reached the group his calm façade was starting to crack ever so slightly. His hands were shaking lightly, his brow furrowing despite his attempts to appear calm and confident. Bobby noticed the approach, and their eyes locked; the ache in his chest returned, and every fiber of his being wanted to turn and leave while he still could.

Bobby spoke first, a light, confused smile on his face. "Andy."

Andy clenched his teeth, wishing that at the very least the smaller teen would stop smiling at him. It put him on edge, somehow, and made him think of strange places where he'd never been, things he'd never done. "Pendragon." He took a deep breath, repeating once again that it's just a bet as if thinking it enough would make it true. Then he plunged on, well aware of the suspicious glares being shot at him from Mark and Courtney. "I need to talk to you. Alone."

There was no going back now. The bullet was out of the chamber, and there was no putting it back. Bobby raised an eyebrow curiously. "About what?"

"That's… private."