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-Chapter Four-
"Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see life with a clearer view again."
~Alex Tan

Mina's laughter was loud, obnoxious, and completely out of place in the dead hallway. Students slugging across the tiles jumped and shuffled out of the way as she barreled past them.

"You will never believe this," she skidded to a halt, gasping on uncontrollable laughter. She slapped a rolled up newspaper against her knee and gripped Raye's shoulder for support as she tried to gather herself. It wasn't working. "I can't, I just can't."

Lita snatched the paper from her grip and uncurled it. "Campaigns Force Politicians to Step Up?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "What's so funny about that?"

Mina grabbed it back. "Not that." She flapped it open to the sports section and cleared her throat noisily. "The Pack Preys on Galloway."

Raye glanced over at Lita, who shrugged and pulled open her locker.

"The Academy of Holy Angels Wolverines sniffed out and hunted down the Galloway Prep Falcons in a wild soccer thriller that had everyone on their feet since the opening whistle sounded. Fans adorned face paint and cheers while players hustled and...blah, blah, don't really care..." She puckered her lips and skimmed through the paragraph. "Okay, okay, here it is!" She cleared her throat again. "But the biggest surprise of the night was just before opening kickoff, when Academy's starting winger, senior Darien Shields, took hostage of a microphone and made a most peculiar announcement."

Mina looked up to find Lita and Raye staring back at her with dropped jaws. "Unbelievable," Raye rubbed at her forehead. "Does Serena-"

"Let me finish!" Mina glared at the two of them from over the top of the paper. "After stepping to center field and gaining everyone's attention, he turned toward the home bleachers to give a speech to a girl who hid behind a mask of blue paint. Serena Tayse, also a senior at the Academy, listened with an ajar mouth as Shields announced to her his love."

Lita bit off a sharp laugh. When Mina glanced at her, she motioned for her to continue.

"Shields played one of the best games of his high school career. Whether he was fueled by the desire for conquest or by the desire to win over the heart of the girl he knew was for him, as he so chivalrously exclaimed, no one will know. But, we do know that the Wolverines put away another exhilarating victory, and Shields took home more than just another locker room story. With fourteen stitches on his brow bone from a nasty elbow to the face, and a charming, petite blonde hooked to his elbow, what more could this boy come across?" She clucked her tongue. "And then it goes off about playoff positions and boring stuff like that. But wasn't it great!"

Mina beamed a wide smile and turned the paper around so they could see the pictures. There was one with the team in a huddle, another where Darien had the ball trapped beneath his foot as he glared hard at the net, squinting through sweat and blood, and then the final one, with Serena's arms around his neck and her mouth on his, feet up off the ground as he swung her around.

"Unbelievable," Raye said again, snatching it so she could hold it closer to her face.

"Has she seen it yet?" Lita peered over Raye's shoulder to get a glance of her own. "I mean, this is pretty legitimate."

Mina picked a piece of fuzz off her polo. "I already had Zane make a hundred copies of the article so we could hang them up around school." She smiled. "Their love was born to be in the spotlight."

"You were born and were obviously dropped on your head." Raye shoved the article back into Mina's hands. "Get your mind out of the gutter, will you? The two of them probably won't even notice."

She felt her forehead crease. "Why do you already have to ruin things, you old fart?"

Raye snorted. "Just trying to put a little light on the situation, is all." She winked. "Now, who wants to go dress shopping this weekend?"

Mina tucked the article into one of her folders. "I'd love to." She puckered her lips and began to back away slowly. "But a certain boy has yet to ask me to homecoming. Maybe when he grows a pair and finally figures out that I would certainly love to go with him, then-" She jumped and whirled around as she backed into someone. "Mr. Devine!" She smiled, hugged her books to her chest awkwardly. Behind her, Lita and Raye made no attempt to stifle their laughter. "What can I do for you?"

He had a hand tucked in the pocket of his khakis, a grin on his mouth that didn't quite fit with the lines of his face. "Have you all seen Serena this morning?"

The three of them exchanged glances. "She'll probably be here soon," Lita offered with a tilt of the head. "Sometimes she wakes up late."

"Yeah," his smile remained in its place, "I could figure that much when she showed up late a few times to first period chem." Mr. Devine patted Mina's shoulder as he stepped around her. "If you spot her, can you tell her I'm looking for her? I've just got a few minor things to discuss with her."

"Sure," Mina felt her eyebrows arch. "No problem."

He smiled down at them, feet gliding across the floor as he carried himself away, and as he made his way down the hallway, the three stared after him.

"Does anybody else find him a little strange?" Raye cocked her hips and cradled her books on the jutting curve.

"Strange?" Lita pursed her lips. "I don't know."

"Not strange, per say." Mina's lips tightened before they spread into a grin. "Different, I think."


He greeted her with a light kiss to the curve where her neck met shoulder, and as she hefted her bag onto the crook of her elbow, he orbited around to her front and caught her laughing mouth with his.

Around them, the parking lot hummed as students descended the stairs of buses and lingered between cars and rested against the street lamps that towered above them all.

Serena drew her head away, touched her fingertips to the skin just above the line of stitches on his brow. A bruise had formed overnight, and he flinched against the contact. "How does it feel?"

Darien's mouth crinkled into a pout as he considered the question. "Well," he draped an arm over her shoulders. "Right now, it feels like my eyeball was smashed in by a baseball bat. But other than that," he smiled down at her. "It feels fine."

She snorted as their feet padded across the dewy grass of the quad. She slipped her arm beneath the back of his blazer, thinking. "People are going to think we're really weird," she said finally, and the glance he sent her was amusement.

When he laughed, it was light, dazzled, and he pulled open the school entrance and watched her walk in. People pooled out around them, mindless and ignorant as they weaved into the crowd. "How do you figure?"

She puckered her lips. "I don't know. It's hard to explain."

"I don't mind being weird." Darien stopped with her at her locker. "What're you doing this weekend?"

She blinked up at him. "Well," she inhaled slowly and chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I have a job at the bakery. So I'll be there for Saturday." She paused, thought for a quick second. "Sunday, though, I'm free."

Darien hooked a thumb through his belt loop. "A job?" He rocked back onto his heels. "Why the heck would they hire you?"

She smacked him in the arm. "I'm going to be a fabulous waitress."

He laughed out loud, swooped down and kissed her until she started laughing with him.

"Miss. Tayse?"

She glanced down the hallway as Sister Laurel wove her way through a string of students. "Good morning, Sister," she stepped back from Darien and offered her a beaming smile. "What can I do for you?"

Sister Laurel, with her shoulders tightly squared and spine latched straight, fixed her habit as it slid carefully down one side of her head, revealing little tufts of gray hair. "These students." She ran a thin hand over her shoulder blade, removing invisible dust. "They have God awful manners." She blessed herself, kissed her fingertips and lifted them to the Lord. "Why Father Paul ever removed the proper etiquette course from our curriculum will forever keep me up at night."

Serena smirked and shot a glance back toward Darien.

"Mr. Shields, if you will excuse us." Sister Laurel stepped forward to tighten the tie around his neck. "But this is a conversation that I'm sure you can wait until lunch to hear."

He licked his lips and pulled awkwardly at his collar. "Of course, Sister."

"So long, then."

He touched Serena's elbow as he stepped around them.

"And keep your hands to yourself, Mr. Shields." Sister Laurel eyed him sharply as a deep red shaded his face. "This is an educational environment. Not some quixotic foreplay on free-for-all avenue."

Serena had to snap her jaw closed as Sister Laurel shooed him away and turned back to her. "There may be no etiquette course, but there is a health class. And I'm only going to suggest once that you pay attention." She turned on her heel and began walking in the opposite direction. Serena tripped over herself while trying to catch up.

"You should be a devout Catholic, Miss. Tayse. Abstinence and chastity pertain to that. He may be tall, dark, and handsome, but don't do anything you may regret."

"I wouldn't... I mean, I always told myself that I- well, we only started going out yesterday and I don't really think-"

"Preaching to the choir, now, aren't we, Miss. Tayse?" The sister led her back out into the quad and toward the Administration Building. "I have heard it all before, believe it or not. And as devout Catholics, we really do not believe in abortion either."

Serena struggled for something to say. "Sister, I don't really think-"

"This wasn't the reason I came to find you, of course. After all, Mr. Shields is a very nice gentleman. But as a representative of this school, I would like you to do something for me, as well as the rest of the staff."

She let Sister Laurel lead her into the building and back toward Father Paul's office. "Of course. You know I'd do anything for AHA."

"And we realize that. Which is why we think you can handle the subject of the matter." She let her hand rest on the doorknob. "We have a transfer student from the Sacred Savior Private School."

Serena let the name run through her mind. "I don't think I've ever heard of that school before."

"I don't think you have either, Miss. Tayse." Sister Laurel twisted the knob. "It's a school for the visually, vocally, and hearing impaired." And then she pushed open the door.

Three heads swung in their direction. Serena let a beaming smile take over her face. "Good morning, Father Paul," she stepped into the room and glanced over at the two sitting on the opposite side of his desk.

"Always wearing a smile," Father Paul ran an index finger and thumb over his mustache. "Serena, I would like you to meet Mrs. Mason, and her daughter Amy."

Mrs. Mason, dark eyes and hair to match, stood from her seat and extended a hand. "A pleasure."

Serena shook it. "We're glad you decided to send your daughter here. She won't find any better place."

Her white lab coat fell just below her knees and flapped a bit as she shuffled her feet. "So I've heard." She slid back down into her seat. "Father Paul, pardon me for my bluntness, but I've got a cardiothoracic surgery in the next hour and I've got to be prepped by half past nine."

Father Paul nodded. "Sacred Savior wasn't kidding when they said the Masons' were a couple of geniuses."

Serena moved to stand beside him, watched as Amy stared into her lap and kept her fingers tightly laced.

"Serena Tayse is an admirable student at our school. She is a part of our honor's list, and can maintain a very good work ethic. When she really tries to." He smiled up at her before looking back over to the girl across from him. "Amy, Serena is going to be your ambassador for the next few weeks. She'll catch you up to speed and help you around the campus so you can get the hang of things."

Amy finally glanced up, eyes clear blue liquid.

Mrs. Mason tapped the sharp point of her chin. "Serena, have you ever interacted socially with a mute person?"

"A mute..." she glanced over at Amy and watched as her cheeks tinged pink. "Oh. Right." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Honestly, I haven't. But my second cousin Theodore had a gimp hand."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Sister Laurel deflate against the wall with a silent sigh.

Mrs. Mason looked like she was struggling for a reply.

From the intercom, the bell chimed.

Father Paul clapped his hands together. "Saved by the bell, I'd say." He pushed up from his chair. "Mrs. Mason, I'll let you head off to the hospital with a promise that Amy is in good hands. Let's let them wander off the homeroom now." He looked over to Serena. "Just have Amy report back to my office at the end of the day."

"Sounds like a well enough plan." Mrs. Mason stood and bent over to kiss the crown of her daughter's head. "See you later, darling."

When Sister Laurel escorted her out of the office, Father Paul turned to Serena. "Introduce her to Mina and Lita. Raye, too, if you want, but don't introduce her in front of the class, alright? And maybe let her meet that new boyfriend of yours."

Serena felt herself bristle. "How the heck do you know about that?"

He laughed and clapped her shoulder. "I have eyes all over the place. And I heard it was quite the performance he put on last night at the game."

She pressed a hand over her eyes and hoped the sudden wave of embarrassment would pass. "And he doesn't get why I think people will think we're weird."

"Now," he clapped his hands together. "You both have a wonderful day."


"Give us a smile, babe," Jake plopped down on the grass beside Raye. "It'll last longer."

She didn't glance up from her notebook. "I'm busy."

"Doing what?" He leaned up against her shoulder and pressed his lips against her neck.

She flipped over to a clean page and continued writing. "It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing." Jake brushed away a few loose strands of hair from her cheek. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is absolutely peachy."

He puckered his lips and pulled away. "Is there something going on with your gymnastics team again? Because I'm almost certain those girls are just jealous of your uncanny ability to perform a fantastic floor routine and that you could quite possibly end up making it to the Olympics.

She snorted and capped her pen. "No, it's nothing with the team." She closed the notebook carefully. "It's just an ongoing list of things I'm going to do for the New Year."

"Raye, it's only October." Jake nudged the book out of her lap and replaced it with his head. "You've still got plenty of time to figure out all that junk."

She ran a hand through his hair. "No, I don't."

He laughed and shifted around a bit to find a comfortable position. "What, is it going to take three months to figure out whether you want to buy your underwear from Victoria's Secret or from Frederick's? Because honestly, I prefer you without."

"That's not it." She pushed him away so she could push herself up off the ground. "I turn eighteen in April. There are a few big competitions coming up and hopefully I'll be able to place to get the prizes."

He stared at her for a pulsing minute, sitting up on his elbows. "I don't think I get where you're going with this."

"I'm going to win those competitions, I'm going to find a job, I'm going to get a scholarship to my college of choice, and then when I turn eighteen," she stepped between his spread legs and ruffled his hair with her fingers, "I'm getting the hell away from my fucking father and his bitch of a fiancé."

Jake felt his eyebrows shoot toward his hairline. "What?"

Raye laughed sardonically beneath her breath, gripped the edge of her shirtsleeve and lifted it to reveal a handprint bruise, dark purple and rimmed red, wrapped around the skin of her bicep. Silence was his response.

"I'm getting the fuck away from him as fast as I can."

Jake stumbled in his pursuit to stand. "He did that to you?"

She smoothed the fabric back down and picked a piece of lint off the cotton. "Walked in the house last night after a very productive celebration at the bakery for tromping those idiot Galloway Prep kids. He and pretty little Melanie were busy getting it on across the kitchen counter."

Jake pursed his lips to stop himself from commenting.

"I told them to get a fucking hotel room so I didn't have to listen to his bitch squeal like a pig all night."

He watched their footsteps as they passed through a doorway and into the school building, thankful for their third period study hall and the teacher who could care less if they disappeared for the entire class. "And then..."

She lifted a shoulder and rolled her pen against her palm. "He walked over, and that vein in his neck was popping out like it does when he gets really angry. He looked me right in the eye, grabbed my arm and shook me around like I was a ragdoll, then he said I was just like my idiot mother, who apparently never knew when to keep her fucking big mouth shut and was better off in the grave."

Jake came to a stop. "What?"

Raye threw her arms out and offered a sarcastic smile. "I'm getting the hell away from here as soon as I can."

"But..." Jake watched as she brushed past him and down the hallway. He had to jog to catch up. "Shouldn't you report it or something? I mean, that's got to be some form of abuse and-"

"Be quiet Jake. It's not that big a deal."

"It kind of is." He grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her to him. "I knew your father was an asshole, but don't you think this is a little much?"

"This wasn't the first time." He saw something pass through her eyes, so quick and so fleeting that he nearly missed it. "And it probably won't be the last. But until April, I'm just going to have to tough it out. Bruises and all."

He didn't let go, even when she tried to move away. "You can come live with me."

She closed her eyes as he moved her back against the lockers. "I'll be fine on my own." She lifted a hand, felt for his cheek, and when she found it, she brought her lips to his. "I promise."

And that was the end of it.

"So can you, like, do sign language and stuff?"

From where she walked carefully alongside Serena, Amy nodded meekly and Mina watched with blatant enthusiasm.

They turned a corner and began to ascend a crowded staircase.

"Okay, okay," Mina tapped her chin thoughtfully. "How do you say hi?"

Amy's lips tweaked, just a little, and she nimbly lifted a hand to her forehead and offered a salute.

Mina's eyes were bright. "That is so cool."

Serena laughed. "Amy, you've got lit now, right?"

She nodded.

"Okay. I'm going to leave you with Mina. If you need any help, just holler." She let the statement sink in. "Scratch that. If you need any help, run as fast as you can. Mina gets winded pretty easily."

"Hey!" Mina looped her arm through Amy's. "I resent that. I am in perfectly good shape. Unlike you." She poked her tongue out, a finale to the argument, and returned her attention to the girl beside her. "Now, there are a few things you should know about Mrs. Crawford..."

An arm wrapped around her neck and drew her backward. "Who's that girl you were with?"

Zane pressed his temple against hers and stared intently ahead, waiting in silence for a reply.

"That's Amy." Then, after glancing at him from the corner of her eye, she added, "She's a mute."

His bottom lip puckered out a bit. "Interesting," he said. "She has a swimmer's build."

"Zane," Serena warned. "I promised her mom I'd watch after her."

"Did I say anything wrong?" He released her and lifted an eyebrow. "After Marie or whoever she was decided to be diagnosed with 'I'm too lazy and I don't want to swim anymore', we're a swimmer short."

The late bell rang, and the few remaining stragglers bustled in opposite directions. "Don't bother her. She's already shy enough. The last thing she needs is to be traumatized by you."

Zane laughed outright. A teacher poked her head out of her classroom and glared at them. "You two hurry up to class. Now. Or I'll have to issue you a detention."

They both turned away as the door slammed shut, took the next flight of stairs two steps at a time. "She's not emotionally corrupt, Sere-bear."

"Because she hasn't been graced with your corrupting presence, Graham Cracker."

He pulled open the door to the chemistry lab as they came before it, and Zane let Serena enter with a readied excuse. "Sorry we're late, Mr. Devine."

He looked up at his desk, and a few disinterested heads lifted away from diligent work on the assignment.

"Do you have a pass?" He placed down his pen, rested his chin against the heel of his palm.

She fiddled with the edge of her skirt. "I don't . But Zane and I were helping the new student, Amy. She transferred, but I think she's taking physics, so I don't think you'll have her, but that's beside the point. Yeah, we were helping her find her way to lit class."

"Very well," he eyed them as they shuffled past. "The assignment is written on the board."

He waited until Serena was sitting, with her book flipped to page ninety-three and pencil poised against a clean sheet of loose leaf. "And Mrs. Tayse, I'd like to see you after class."

She glanced up. "What?"

He lifted an eyebrow and picked up his pen again. "After class. I'd like to have a talk with you."

She wasn't particularly bothered by the sudden exclamation, but it was the awkward silence that stuttered across the room that had her neck turning red.

But she nodded anyway, turned back to stare at the twenty questions she had to answer. Darien leaned in to nudge her with his shoulder.

She pursed her lips and carefully wrote her name out at the top of the paper.

Voices began to pick up again, one by one until a steady rhythm of talking enveloped the room. "So," Darien was already on the tenth question. "Have you talked to the guidance counselor about colleges yet?"

Serena snorted. "Yeah right. I can barely remember to do my western civilization homework every night. Do you honestly think I've thought about applications?"

He lifted a shoulder. "Just trying to start a conversation."

She smirked down at her textbook. "Then let's try to avoid the topic of schools."

"I've got a conversation starter," from the desk in the row before them, Adrianna twisted around. "Have you seen the newspapers?"

Darien blinked at her.

She snapped her gum. "The sports section, darling. We all know you live off that business crap or whatever." She reached for her folder and pulled out a sloppily trimmed article. "You two have obviously caught some attention."

Serena grabbed the clipping and squinted at the tiny text.

Darien leaned in to read over her shoulder. "Well, isn't that something."

Adrianna smirked and plucked the paper from Serena's grasp. "Yeah. Kind of puts a lot of pressure on the whole relationship thing, doesn't it?"

Serena picked up her pencil again. "It's not that big a deal."

"The caption of that lovely, romantic, kissy-face picture says that you two were destiny." Adrianna sighed, disheartened. "If you ask me, I think you pretty little loverbirds might be a tad bit star-crossed."

Serena stared at her, face pink.

"That's Shakespearean for your relationship is going flop like a fish out of water within the next week." Her smile was wicked. "So I'll hold onto this lovely death sentence for when the funeral comes around."

Serena licked her lips as Adrianna blew a spearmint bubble and twisted back around.

Darien scratched at the back of his neck, whispered from the corner of his mouth, "That was a little harsh."

"She probably just had lit last period," Serena chewed on the eraser of her pencil. "Romeo and Juliet is currently the only thing imprinted on her brain."


Mr. Devine paced in front of her, arms laced tightly behind his back as she sat silently in the desk before him. The rest of the class had long dispersed for lunch, but Serena sat in silence, continued to battle her growling stomach.

"I let it slide the first couple of times." He tapped his fingers carefully along the column of his arm. "The being late to class, the making excuses, the whole nine yards."

Serena furrowed her brow. "I was late, like, three times. And I never made any excuses."

"The first time," he stopped to perch himself on the corner of his desk, "you told me you got your braid stuck in you locker."

She shrugged.

"The second time, you said you dropped your books down the back staircase."

She lifted her finger to defend herself, but Mr. Devine sent her a withering glare, and that sent her recoiling. "The third time, you told me that there was a cockroach that cornered you in the bathroom and you couldn't figure out a way to get escape." He stopped, and silence filled the gap between them. "Need I continue?"

Serena scuffed her toe. "No."

"Good." He picked up a pencil and rolled it between his fingers. "I'm going to issue you three afterschool detentions. And, I'm making it mandatory for you to attend the science trip."

Serena stared at him. "Is that all?"

He seemed taken aback by her response. "Well, yeah."

"So," she glanced around the room, "can I go now?"

Mr. Devine retreated back to his desk and shuffled around some loose papers awkwardly. "I suppose. And bring me your permission slip tomorrow. The trip is next week."

Serena picked up her books and smiled at him. "You got it."

He waited until she had the door closed behind her, until the sound of her footsteps disappeared down a staircase, before he reached for his copy of the morning's newspaper.

He flipped to the sports section, glanced at a particular article, and sighed.


They didn't call her Captain Mina for nothing.

"No! No, no, no! Incorrect! Wrong!" She placed balled fists on her hips and tapped her foot. "Homecoming is at the end of next week, people. If you want to be in the routine, then you better start paying attention!" She knew Saturday morning practices weren't the best idea, but if they wanted to go to Nationals, they had to whip their scrawny butts into shape. "Now, watch and learn, ladies and gents. This is the last time there'll be a demonstration."

Beside her, Raye started the formation, "One!" Hands moved, hips dropped, muscles strained against sports bras and spankies. "Two!" Legs lifted, toes pointed. "Three!"

Mina broke off into a sprint, jumping into a handspring round off. "Four!" With Raye positioned behind her, she bent into a bridge, kicked her feet out from under herself and pulled herself into a handstand.

"That's enough," Raye pushed her over. "I think they get the point."

"Do you get the point?" Mina pushed her ponytail over her shoulder and addressed the group. "It really isn't that difficult at all." She stopped before them. "Learn it, breathe it, live it. Cheerleading should be your life, people."

The football team jogged past, and she glanced over her shoulder. Kennedy was at the front of the pack, didn't even spare her a glance. She frowned.

"Looking good, Mina!" One of them, though, offered an appreciative whistle, and she pulled the frown into a smile. Winked and blew a kiss over her shoulder, because Kennedy had shoved whoever had made the statement.

"See, ladies?" She primped her hair. "If you're good, you get to show off." She grabbed a freshman's shoulder as she made eyes at one of the players. "But until then," she bustled the group over toward their designated cheer area. "Practice."

Kennedy was pissed.

"What kind of shit was that?" He yanked off his helmet and threw it to the ground, wiping away the sweat that had beaded across his forehead. "Did you fucking see that?"

Nathan rubbed the back of his neck. "She's a babe, Kennedy. And her ass is tight in that uniform. Did you really expect her to turn into Holy Mother Virgin Mary after you two hooked up before she peaced out for Canada or wherever the hell she went?"

He swallowed a few mouthfuls of water. "Well why doesn't she just jump around naked, then, if she's going to flaunt herself in front of everyone?"

Nathan laughed. "Dude, you need to chill out. This whole bipolar thing you've got going on is getting a bit old. She's Mina. And let me tell you, if you thought she was going to tightrope walk on her tiptoes for you while you keep her out to dry, then you need a good kick in the balls."

"Screw you," Kennedy lifted an eyebrow. "What does she expect? So I saw her naked. That doesn't make us married."

"Honestly," Nathan clapped him on the shoulder, "she expects you. That's all." He bent over to pick up a football. "At least, that's what Lita's telling me."

He scowled, glanced over toward the cheer squad to watch as Mina jumped onto Raye's back, yelling like a kid on a playground.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Nathan tossed Kennedy the football. "Ask her to homecoming. She'll be on your dick faster than she can do a backhand spring."

Kennedy gripped the football, pretended to throw it. Didn't respond.


Serena could not believe she was up at such an ungodly hour. And dressed in such an ungodly outfit. And actually smiling.

They had stationed her just outside the shop, dressed her in a little white apron and placed a tray in her hand.

"Hi, welcome to the Kane Bakery! Try a sample piece of our new fudge?" The suited man waved her away and motioned to the phone pressed against his ear before slipping inside the bakery. She didn't let her smile falter and turned to face the street.

Kane Bakery was located on a busy street corner, in a quaint town square about five minutes outside the Academy campus. Students came after school, ordered a hamburger- because the Bakery didn't only sell doughnuts, but also had a menu with lunch and dinner items- and just typically goofed off and bothered the high school waitresses.

"Hi, welcome to the Kane Bakery. Would you like to sample a piece of our new fudge?" Serena blinked and watched as the two little girls reached for one of the toothpicks.

"Thank you very much," the mother ushered them inside.

Serena smiled after them and nodded to herself. She could be sleeping right now.

She dropped her free hand to her side, sighed, and lifted the tray to a better angle. "Hi! Welcome to the Kane Bakery!"

Zane poked his head around the corner, careful not to make too much movement. "Oh my God."

Darien looked around Zane. Choked on his own laughter. "Does she know a part of her apron is stuck in her jeans?"

They leaned a little closer, struggling with their laughter.

"Honestly, ma'am, you'll have to check with the owners." Serena smiled at the woman standing before her. "I don't if they take requests for fudge. I was just told to hand out the sample."

"Uhm, excuse me? Waitress?"

Serena turned, a readied smile on her face. "Would you like a-" Her lips dropped into a frown. "What are you doing here?"

Adrianna feigned hurt and pulled her sunglasses of her face. "I just stopped by to get muffin, that's all." She looked around, clucked her tongue. "So I'll take a blueberry muffin and a nonfat mocha latte with one percent milk to go."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Are you serious?"

She snapped her fingers. "Chop, chop. I don't have all day."

Serena bit back a retort, looked over her shoulder at Lita as she filled an insulated mug with coffee. "You have to go inside and tell one of the other waitresses."

Adrianna's smile withered a bit, barely at all, before it snapped back into place. "I know that." She brushed a piece of imaginary lint off her skirt. "You don't have to give me attitude. Don't know why anyone would hire you anyway. You're kind of a dunce."

Serena felt her eyebrows lift, felt her mouth open, response poised against her tongue. "Look, Adrianna, you-"

"Excuse me, miss?"

Serena exhaled loudly, repositioned her fudge tray. "Yes?"

Darien smiled and pulled at her apron. "I noticed you were giving away free samples. I think I'd like a piece." He bent forward, caught her mouth, kissed her until she almost lost her balance and dropped all the fudge.

When he finally withdrew, she wiped at her bottom lip, and Adrianna was pink in the face. "What are you doing here?"

"Zane was craving a doughnut." He hooked a finger through her apron and dragged her one step closer. "And a few of us are getting together later. I wanted to ask if you wanted to join." Caught her mouth again, slanting his lips over hers. Pulling away, taking her breath with him. "What do you say?"

Serena lifted an eyebrow at him then looked down at the tray, considered readjusting the cubes of fudge just to avoid his gaze. "Today's sample is triple chocolate swirl. You said you wanted a piece." Darien laughed, picked up one of the cubes, and popped it into his mouth.

Adrianna made a noise to display her blatant disgust and elbowed past the pair. "You two are repulsive."

Serena smiled, turned to Darien, let her smile widen. "I get off at eleven."


When Darien had invited her to hang out with the group, he didn't mention that the offer was heavily influenced by Zane's persuasion.

And by that, she meant perversions.

She peered over her cards at the rest of them, at Jake who had lost two socks, at Mina who deposited her headband and bent to the middle of the circle to deposit it, and then down at herself as she dropped in a sandal after forfeiting and calling a fold.

She grabbed up her cup and swallowed a mouthful. "Whose idea was it to play strip poker?"

"Is that even a question?" Raye glared at her. "Zane."

Zane folded too, grabbed the hem of his shirt and peeled it off. "It's fun. Used to do it every night at summer camp my sophomore year."

Lita's eyebrow went up. "Wasn't that an all boys summer camp?"

He lifted up his Jack Daniel's bottle. "Those were experimental times, my friends."

Mina's bark of laughter had the rest of them reeling.

"You little fudge bagger," Jake threw in a few chips and glanced around. "You batting for the same team, or-"

"I will confirm now," Zane cut him off and refilled Kennedy's glass as he drank some of it away. "I still prefer tits and twat. But you find yourself holed up in the middle of a forest with twenty other boys for three and a half months and tell me you wouldn't try to experience the joys of buttfucking."

Serena watched Nathan deal out cards again. "Zane. That is more than I would ever like to know about you."

He pretended to hump the air. "Want me to tell you about the time I walked in on the camp counselor jerking off?"


"Hi, Mom?" Serena licked her lips and bent her head into the phone. "A bunch of us are sleeping over at Mina's place tonight. And can you call Aunt Teresa and tell her Kennedy is going to be with-" she burped. "Oh, sorry. But yeah, he's going to be with Jake.

"Yo, papi chulo," Zane had found his way into the kitchen and was digging around in the refrigerator. "Jake is letting me crash at his place tonight. You down with that?"

"Aren't you going to call up your dad, Raye?" Jake bit her neck and slid a hand down the curve of her back.

"Hell no." She turned and kissed him on the mouth.

Darien sighed into the receiver. "Nana, don't worry. I'm fine." He sighed again and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "His parents are at a fundraiser. Yeah, sure, they'll be back. Tell Pop-pop I say hi."

"Mom, no really, I'm serious," Lita sat cross-legged on the floor. "I'm not lying! Mina is seriously right here if you want to ask her!"

"Just do me a favor." Nathan was speaking slowly. "Go into their room. No. No, I don't care if they're sleeping. Just go into their room and tell them I'm over Jake's. Okay? Okay. No. No. Thank you. Jesus, do you have to make things so difficult?"

When phone calls had been accounted for and plans confirmed, Mina began rooting through a stack of DVDs. "Let's watch something cute."

Jake gagged. "Don't be such a freak, Mina," he bumped her out of the way with his hip. "Let's watch something gory."

"No thank you," Lita peered over them and tried to read some of the titles. "Something funny."

Serena collapsed between Nathan and Darien on the couch, flung her arms around their necks. "I'm not as drunk as I thought I was going to be."

Nathan laughed. "Let's keep it that way. The last time you were drunk, you caused utter chaos."

She pinched the back of his neck.

He shoved her away and watched as she tumbled onto Darien.

Kennedy sat on a stool at the kitchen counter, propped his chin against the heel of his palm and looked at Raye beside him. "Can I ask you something?"

Raye shrugged. "Something tells me you're going to say it even if I say no."

"You're right," Kennedy picked up a pear from the fruit bowl there, rolled it across his palm. "Are you going to homecoming?"

"You bet."

Kennedy watched her for a few silent minutes. There were stories about her. Well, actually, he preferred to call them rumors, because he was a good guy, and he didn't like to talk about people.

Raye was a tan-skinned, dark eyed Italian with a shady family life that she refused to talk about. He had heard rumors about her, about her father and his supposed organized crime extravaganzas and about her mother who had died when she was younger and the cause of death was mysteriously unknown.

"Did Jake ask you?" He pressed his thumb into one of the pear's bruises and watched juice bubble out as his nail pierced the skin.

Her eyebrows arched. "We came to a mutual decision, since, you know, we're dating." She tapped her pinkie against her lip. "So what did Mina say to get you all dark and broody this time?"

Sometimes, Kennedy thought he was a little too transparent. "She didn't say anything. And that's the thing. It's what she didn't say."

"And what she didn't say was that she wants you to ask her to homecoming and hopefully ask her out so she can officially tell the entire population of the world that you too are no longer the friends with benefits type, but rather officially in a sexual, girlfriend-boyfriend relationship."

Kennedy let the statement sink in. "We never had sex."

"Oh please." Raye took the fruit from his hand and sank her teeth into it. "Do you think I'm an idiot? You two have had sex."

He looked over towards Mina, watched as she fought with Jake over one of the DVDs. "How do you know?"

"Well, she's been wearing her pushup bra a lot more recently. So either you guys have had sex once and stuck with just shoving your tongues down each other's throats since then, or she's convinced her boob size dropped down to an a-cup."

He frowned.

"Do you not want to be in a relationship with her?"

Kennedy twiddled his thumbs, realized that he probably looked like an idiot doing it, so instead, he dropped his hands to the counter. He could not come up with a reasonable reply.

"Let me tell you," Raye patted his shoulder, "she's not going to wait forever."

"Guys!" Zane hung himself over the back of the couch and tried to throw a pillow in their general direction. "We're watching Scream. So get your asses over here!"

Serena drew her knees up to her chest. "I don't like scary movies."

"Don't be such a chicken shit, Serena." Raye patted Kennedy's back as she passed. He got up with her. "Hey Mina, pop us some popcorn."

Mina nodded and threw the DVD to Jake. She bumped into Kennedy's shoulder when he passed by, turned a little and smiled over her shoulder when he glanced back.

"Help me with the popcorn?"

He shrugged, walked back toward the kitchen.

"The bags are on the bottom self in the pantry." She went to the fridge and pulled out a few cans of soda. "You know," she spoke softly, and after Jake switched off the lights in the other room, her face pooled itself in a golden halo that came from above them, "someone asked me to homecoming after practice."

Kennedy felt his shoulders tighten as he handed her a packet. Didn't say anything.

She put the packet into the microwave, waited until the first kernel popped until she spoke again. "I told him I'd get back to him."

Kennedy picked up the sodas and held onto them with tight fingers. "Mina-"

She reached into another cabinet to get a bowl. "He was a junior, but, you know, I'd rather go to homecoming with a junior than with no one at all."

His mind was buzzing, from thinking too much and drinking too much, and now he realized just how dangerous the combination was, because his heart was racing too quick and his tongue felt like a brick between his teeth. "I'll bring these to the others," he forced out, and Mina's eyes dropped, face fell.

The microwave was buzzing, and he left her standing there, bumping into the counter as he went. It sent a sharp pain through his hip, but it dulled in comparison to the mad beating right against his ribcage.


"So," Mr. Devine leaned back in his chair, smiled at her from across the table. He had taken her to a quaint little restaurant just outside the city, and the science convention had been a snore, but he was paying for lunch and she didn't have to wear her uniform, so she wasn't about to start complaining. "What did you think?"

Serena finished smearing butter onto a roll before looking up at him. "It was interesting."

He made a little noise in the back of his throat, some non-committal, disinterested grunt, and picked up his glass of soda. "Let's not talk about this. It's dreary."

She felt her eyebrows crinkle together. "Okay." The waitress waltzed up to their table and deposited their plates before them. "What do you want to talk about?"

He unfolded his napkin across his lap. "Oh, I don't know." Picked up his knife and fork to cut into his sandwich. "Have any plans for homecoming?"

She shifted a little bit in her chair and watched as he bought a half of the sandwich to his mouth. "Well, Darien's taking me. We got a group of friends to go with and he's renting a limo."

Mr. Devine nodded, chewing the sandwich like it had turned a bit sour. "Buy a dress yet?"

Serena picked up a fry, twirled it between her fingers. "I got it last weekend. It's pink."

"Sounds pretty." He dabbed at his chin with his napkin even though there was nothing there.

She smiled at him before turning to her hamburger. They settled into silence, both chewing slowly and looking everywhere but at each other. Serena tapped her foot, bit into another fry, but then her phone was vibrating in her pocket, and she was fumbling for it, thankful for the distraction.

It was Mina, which was odd, considering it was the middle of the school day and she should probably be suffering in Spanish. But she looked across the table to Mr. Devine and mouthed a sorry before standing up and walking away.

When she thought she was out of earshot, she picked up the call. "What the heck are you doing calling me in the middle of school, idiot?" But Mina didn't laugh. Didn't make a sharp retort or sigh into the receiver. Serena's stomach dropped. "What's the matter, Mina?"

A long pause, a quivering breath. "It's Lita."


"Do you want me to come with you?" Mr. Devine had pulled the car around to the front of the school; students were still in class, minding their business, and Serena was struggling to get a hold on the door handle.

"No, no. Just, fuck. Get this god damn fucking thing open-"

Mr. Devine reached across her body, arm brushing hers, to pull the lever. His eyebrows were up, lips drawn into a thin frown.

She didn't even say goodbye as she stumbled onto the pavement, sprinting toward the doors. The main office receptionist let her in before she could buzz the bell, and Serena was down the hallway, breath hitching painfully in her chest as her shoes slapped against the linoleum.


Father Paul was standing outside the girls' bathroom, fingers clasped tightly around his belly, and Sister Laurel was pacing back and forth.

"She's in there?" Serena didn't bother waiting for a reply as she slowed to a stop, struggling to catch her breath, pressing open the door with a sweaty, trembling palm.

Mina was the first to catch her eye, then Raye, both standing right beyond the doorway, but Serena ignored them. Slipped past them to get deeper into the bathroom.

Her eyes welled when she finally found Lita.

"Leets," Serena's voice broke into a whisper as she dropped to her knees. Lita stared straight ahead, legs sprawled across the floor and back slumped against the wall. Cheeks and lips colorless, eyes red and puffy, face streaked with still-flowing tears. "Babe..."

Lita's breath was hot when she exhaled, shaky and torn. "I don't know how it happened." Serena crawled the rest of the way to her, curled herself against her side, and let Lita slid down the wall until her head was in her lap.

Her chin quivered, eyes overflowing again, nose running and tears falling and fingers twisting into a fist in Serena's shirt. "I told them I loved them. I kissed them before I left for school." Her eyebrows drew together, face scrunched up, and her chest shook with a powerful sob that didn't stop. "I can't breathe. I can't." Her breath was coming out in short, frantic gasps. "My mom said she'd see me later. Dad was taking her to the salon because he wanted to treat her to something special."

It took Serena a moment to figure out what she was saying, because her body was shaking uncontrollably and her words were laced with uncontrolled hysterics and were spoken around a thick tongue, and Serena found her own fingers curling into Lita's shirt.

"It was a car accident." She forced out, because her teeth were clattering together and her mouth was wet with too much saliva. "Father Paul called me to his office. And... I just..." Her voice broke. "I want to see my mom."

Serena was crying now, heart tightening painfully in her chest. "Leets..." And she bent over, buried her face into Lita's back because she would give anything to absorb the pain that had Lita so tattered and torn. "It's going to be okay."

But Lita only cried harder.


Thank you to everyone who expressed their concern for my sudden absence. School was kicking my butt, but now it's summertime, so hopefully I'll be able to commit to Freefalling, as well as some other story projects, more enthusiastically. Please don't be afraid to drop a review; they are honestly the highlight of my day! Also, ignore all mistakes; I edited this at three in the morning and I'm not too keen on rereading it again. Just let me know if you see any glaring mistakes, and I'll fix it as soon as possible!

-Chapter Five-
Preview

The funeral was held a week after the accident, on a windy, bright Monday morning. Lita stood numbly on the other side of the chapel doors, face downcast and breathing coming out in quick, stricken gasps.

Nathan was beside her, one palm stretched lightly along the dip of her back, the other curled into a fist and tucked deep into his pant pocket.

"Are you ready?"

He was referring to the funeral, to the people waiting on the other side of the doors, waiting for her to enter. He watched as she fiddled with the folded piece of paper in her hands, and the creases seemed worn, like she had spent time folding it over and over, maybe even sliding the tip of her nail along the edge in a desperate attempt to make it smooth.

"The truth?" She looked up at him through clear, green eyes, and his heart swelled up into the base of his throat.

"Yeah, the truth."

She exhaled shakily, lips moist and pale, then glanced down to watch her hands as she unfolded the paper again. "The truth is, I'll never be ready for this."

Her eyes closed slowly, she inhaled deeply, and he pressed his fingertips against her back, hoped that she knew he was there for her. That he would always be there for her.

She pressed her lips together and strode for the chapel doors.