(N): "Hey, thanks to all those who reviewed and to all those who read and didn't review, would it really be that hard to just click that little button on the bottom of the page? Really? And to all of those who aren't even reading this, shame on you!"

!DISCLAIMER!: see Chapter N. 1. ON WITH THE STORY!


Mush ran through the halls, trying to make it to her peer counseling mostly on time. She ran up to the office that was used for the peer counseling sessions. Inside the room sat a boy with brown hair and brown eyes, he was on the short side but he was sturdily built.

"You know, people expect your type to be on time," he said, grinning.

"Hello Anthony," Mush said sitting down across from him. "How are you today?"

"I'm doing just fine toots," he said, now shuffling a deck of cards. "Yourself?"

"I'm doing very well, thank you," Mush said, pulling out a pad of paper. "Now, let's get down to business."

With that Anthony started to deal them each a hand of cards for poker. This was Mush's usual way of "counseling" Anthony, they would play a hand of whatever card game they felt like playing and whoever won the hand asked a question which the loser would answer honestly. Because he had been playing since he was eight, Anthony knew the ins and outs of any card game you care to mention and he used this to his full advantage. But he never cheated, he made this clear the first game they played.

"Gambling is suppose to be about chance," he had said, seriously. "Cheating takes the thrill out of it."

Mush was now looking down at her hand, face straight, eyes focused.

"I'll take two," she said, in level voice.

"Dealer takes one," Race said, giving Mush her cards and then taking his own. He then added "I'll bet you five bucks-"

"No money, that's what got you in trouble in the first place," Mush said sharply.

"Can't blame a guy for trying to make a few bucks," Race said with a wolfish grin.

"We're playing for information Anthony," Mush said.

"How about this, if I win this hand you'll stop calling me Anthony," the young Italian really hated people calling him by his first name.

"Deal," Mush said, laying her cards down, three fives.

"Full house," Anthony said, grinning wildly.

"Very good Mary," Mush said, smirking.

"What?" Anthony said, confused.

"The deal was that I wouldn't call you Anthony, you never specified what I was to call you."

"Nothing gets past you," Anthony said, chuckling.

"I'll call you Racetrack if you answer a question for me."

This was how most of Mush's questions got answered, Race would say something without thinking through every detail and Mush would pick it up and be able to squeeze an answer out of the poor boy.

"You're gonna end up being a lawyer," Racetrack said grumpily. "Alright, shoot."

"What's your favorite baseball team?" Mush asked, she always asked questions like this. They had nothing to do with Race's love of gambling yet there was always some sort of meaning behind it.

"Yankees," Race said, smiling slightly, he always liked baseball.

"Hm, I've always been more of a Phillies person myself," Mush said, now looking down at her pad of paper.

"Eh, to each their own."

"The Yankees shouldn't have beat them in the World Series," she said, more to herself then to him.

"Some would say," Race said, unperturbed.

Mush looked up to Race suddenly.

"Yankees suck," she said blatantly.

Race looked more confused than angered by this remark, Mush didn't usually say the word "suck" unless she was talking about a vacuum.

"Hm," Mush then looked down to her paper and wrote something down. "You know Race, you don't anger easily."

"Is that what that was about?" Race said, reality dawning on him.

"Yep," Mush said as she continued to write on her note pad.

"You are the strangest peer counselor I've ever had," Race said, shaking his head.

"I think I'm going to take that as a complement," Mush said smiling. "And the Phillies really are better."

"Oh I don't think so," Race said back.

"Are so," Mush said, gathering up the cards. "Come on, my deal."


Daisy sat in her choir class, scared out of her mind. She had opted for choir over home economics because of a brownie incident in the 7th grade, it wasn't pretty. The problem was that singing in front of people terrified her, especially Jack, who also opted for choir, but for different reasons. Mainly to smile at Daisy as she freaked out, which is was exactly what he was doing now.

"Looking forward to your solo?" Jack asked, smiling.

"Shut up," Daisy grumbled.

"Leave poor Daisy alone," said Michael Skits, one of the nose guards of the O.L.S. football team.

"Yeah, poor little Daisy," Jake, line-baker, said, sitting down with Skits.

"How is it that the entire football team is in my choir class?" Daisy asked, speaking to no one in particular.

"If it makes you feel any better Spot, Snoddy, Dutchy and Specs aren't here," Itey, full back, said, passing by the group, carrying a pile of music sheets.

"Only because they don't have our amazing voices," Jack said smirking.

"Believe it or not, that doesn't make me feel all that much better," Daisy said dryly.

"Alright class, let's get started!" Said the over exuberant voice of the school's music director, Sister Madeline Lark.

Sr. Lark was quite possibly the happiest and most well loved teacher in O.L.S. her hair was crazy orange and her disposition matched it. She was well known for going out of her way to help any student that asked for it. She also had a strange fondness of football and could be found at every O.L.S. game.

"All right, warm-ups, everyone, let's get going!"


Daisy walked out of her choir class, happy that they hadn't had enough time to cover her solo for the Christmas concert. She saw Mush walking down the hall with Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins, he was well known for starting a gambling rink in the cafeteria. He would have been expelled for it if Mush hadn't stepped in. She had pointed out that Race couldn't be blamed for living his life the way he had been taught to. Race's father had been a compulsive gambler so it wasn't surprising that Race had some of the same tendencies. Now Race was required to read a book from Gamblers Anonymous and attend peer counseling sessions with Mush.

"Hey Mush," Daisy said, as she joined her best friend and the delinquent. (A/N: and I mean delinquent in the most loving way possible)

"Hey Daisy, you know Race?"

"Hello," Daisy said, nodding.

"Heya sweat-heart," Race said, grinning.

"Hey! She's my sweet-heart!" Jack said, magically appearing next to Daisy.

"Oi," Daisy said, banging her head into a locker.

"Come on Daisy," Mush said, grabbing her friend's arm. "I gotta find where Crutchy took Blink."

"Ok," she said. "But I need to find someone to pick up Les for me."

"I'll get him for," Mush said.

"It makes more sense for me to get him," Jack pointed out, following as Mush dragged Daisy along.

It did, Jack lived in the same apartment building as Daisy and her family. Sarah and her parents lived two floors above and the Kelly-Sullivan family lived a floor below.

"Yeah, but me and Mush have been planning on having a sleepover for a long time anyways," Daisy said, mostly because she didn't want Les to become anymore attached to Jack than necessary.

"Hey guys," Crutchy said, walking over with Blink a step or two ahead of him.

"Ah there you are," Mush said, walking over to Blink. "Are your parents coming to get you?"

"My older brother," Blink said, staring off into the space above Mush's head.

"I'll help you to the door," Mush said, turning them both in the direction of the door. "I'll tell my dad that I'll be at your house tonight."

"Ok, make sure you grab the Pick-Up papers from my house before you try to get Les," Daisy said as her friend walked down the hall.

"I will," Mush called back and then she was gone.

"Staying to wait for your cousin?" Jack asked.

"Yep," Daisy said, pulling out a book.

"Need company?" He asked, smirk ever present.

"I believe you have football practice," Daisy said, returning the smirk.

"She's right Jacky," Crutchy said, pushing his friend along. "Let's go, you know how Kloppman get's when we're late."

"Fine," Jack grumbled, walking away from Daisy who was silently thanking God for the head coach's lack of patients for tardiness.

Mush and Blink walked towards the entrance of the school, stopping on the way to talk to Mush's father. Once Mush got her father's ok on the sleepover plans she and Blink made it to the door and waited for Blink's brother.

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to," Blink said, making himself comfortable on one of the stone steps.

"I don't mind," Mush said, sitting down with him.

"I've been blind a long time Mush, I don't need a baby-sitter anymore," Blink said, his voice even and unfeeling.

Mush didn't know what to say to this so she remained silent for a good minute.

"I'm sorry" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It's not your fault," Blink said with a sigh. "I'm the sorry one, I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"No you were right, I'm waiting with because you're blind. I should have realized that you don't want people doting on you because of it."

"There was no way for you to know, don't worry about it."

"No, I should have known," Mush was now getting angry with herself. No matter how good her grades were, no matter how nice she was to the people around her, she always messed up some how.

"Mush, have you ever met a blind person before?"

"No."

"Then how would you've known?"

"I just should have."

"Mush, it's not a big deal-" Blink was cut off by a car honking it's horn.

"That's my brother," Blink said standing up. "You wanna take me to the car?"

"Would you like me to?"

"Absolutely," Blink said, now grinning. "Wait till Skip sees that I got a pretty girl hanging out with me after just the first day."

Mush grinned and walked with Blink over to his brother's car.


Mush waked over to Saint Benedict's Catholic Elementary school, papers in hand. Les was standing with a few boys form his class, comparing make-shift sling-shots.

"MUSH!" He yelled as he saw his sister's friend approaching. "Is Sarah in detention again?"

"Yes," Mush said, hugging the small boy. "Now come on, we're busting you outta this joint."

After Mush got to the Jacobs' apartment building she and Les went up stairs and changed out of their school uniforms, Mush kept some clothes at Daisy's. They then went to the small park that was across the street from the Jacobs' apartment building.


Daisy looked at her watch and sighed, ten minutes to go. She had been sitting in Sr. Madeline's classroom, reading her book and practicing her song for the Christmas recital. It would be her first solo and she was scared to death, she had never been all that great with performing, but at least when you're singing in a group no one can hear you specifically.

Daisy walked over to the door of the classroom that was used for detention. Father Patrick, the school's priest and eleventh grade history teacher, was in charge of watching "the young people," as he liked to call them. He looked over to the door and smiled at Daisy, she had been an alter server when she was younger and knew the priest personally.

"You may go," Fr. Patrick said, looking at the "young people" again. "I'm free for confession if anyone needs it."

"Alright let's go," Sarah said as if she had been the one waiting on Daisy.

"I wanted to say hi to Fr. Patrick," Daisy said as Sarah started to drag her away. Daisy settled for waving her hand enthusiastically at the priest as Sarah dragged her away.

"Let's just go, I'm so sick of this place," Sarah said, now texting Octavia.

Daisy didn't bother replying, Sarah was talking to hear her own voice, saying anything would just fuel the fire. Besides, she wanted to get out of the building before-

The thought was cut off by a large crew of loud, rambunctious boys filtered into the hallway towards them, causing Sarah's eyes to light up.

"Oooomigooood!" she shrieked. "Daisy, be cool, don't say anything. I just know Jack is going to ask me out today!"

Daisy didn't have a chance to point out the flaws in this thought process before they were surrounded by the O.L.S. football team.

"Heya Daisy," came from several different boys.

"Hey guys," Daisy said back, wondering how she got to be so popular with the entire O.L.S. football team.

"Hey Jack," Sarah said, her voice long and drawn out. "What's up?"

"Um…not much," Jack said, nervously.

"Really? Nothing?" asked Sarah.

"Nope," Jack said turning away from Sarah. "Hey Daisy."

"Hello," she replied, from within the huge crowd of football players.

"Come on guy," Jack called, deciding that it was time to go. "Say your goodbyes, we need to shower off."

"Bye Daisy," was called down the hall as the large crowd swept away as quickly as they came.

"I can't believe you!" Sarah yelled as soon as they were out of view.

"What?" Daisy asked, more focused on getting home and out of her darned uniform than on what Sarah said.

"I tell you to play it cool and you just sit there and pout! How was Jack suppose to ask me out when you're just sitting there pouting?"

With that Sarah stormed away towards the school's main entrance.

"I wonder what color the sky is on Sarah's planet," Daisy murmured to herself as she ran after the girl.


(N): "Sorry it's taken me so long to update, I've been sick, but yeah. *grins* I made Medda a nun, straight from show-girl to nun. That's the power of Fanfiction baby! Sorry if Sarah's character it too predictable but it's the only thing that seemed to fit. I'm also sorry if the school stuff is a little off, I'm home schooled so I don't really get all the timing stuff. Either way, hope you enjoyed it