Hey everyone! Here it is! The next chpter of AOAI! Enjoy and plez R&R!

Chap. # 5- Something is Wrong!

Despite the male ego, after Squib had finished the story, all of them were a little teary eyed and who could blame them! Nate especially grieved, not only for the two unfortunate tennis players but for their family and friends. As he looked across the table at Squib he reliesed how hard this trip must have been for both him and Adena! Meg and Seb had been their best friends and even though both had regained control of their lives, the memory was still there and always would be.

Rick and Cam were unusually silent. They, not having known the Whole story, were shocked by the immense loss that Cascadia and everyone in it had suffered when the two shining stars had suddenly gone out. Not only were they among the best students that the school had ever been home to, but also among the best people in general that it had ever housed.

"So Bates is really that hard on him, huh?" Tannis asked as the girls waited for the guys to get to the airport.

"Ya, when Nate was a kid, his dad just sort of faded out when he and his Mom moved out. Nate tried everything to get Bates to pay attention, but after awhile, Charles wouldn't even hug him," Adena replied sadly. "We all saw the full out war between them at school but Nate says that he just wanted to be around his dad weather it was in detention or at home,".

"It seems like a something out of a book," Cody said.

"I know how he feels. It's hard to have somebody well within your sight but just out of reach," Sunny said. Everyone look at her. The young blond was never sympathetic, not outwardly at least.

"How would you would you know that?" an unsure, male voiced asked.

All the girls looked up, surprised to see Nate standing in front of them. Sunny, coming out of the shock first, replied in an uncharacteristically kind tone, "You think your parents are busy? Try living with two owners of two multi-million dollar companies! How do you think I learned to yell so loud?"

Nate smiled shyly as he and Adena walked towards the luggage rack. "You don't mind me telling them do you?" she asked warily.

"No, along time ago I would have, but I know now that I can trust them. They are our friends after all; I just hope they realize how lucky they are to have Bates supporting them through everything like he does. He won't even look me in the eye," Nate said sadly.

"At least you lived with both your parent for more than five years," Nate said to Sunny on the plane.

"The only time I ever saw them was on the off chance that we ran into each other at night on a bathroom run! They dropped me off in the nursery slash dungeon with Mary Poppins from hell the moment I stopped nursing then went to a party to celebrate! Besides, the house was so big that I probably couldn't have found them if I tried!"

Nate laughed, "You're making me feel a lot better about my parental issues!"

"So, how ya holding up?" Adena asked Squib.

"Not bad. Just reminiscing a bit I guess, You?" he relpied.

"Same. I was just remembering how much I miss her. Megan I mean. Sebastien too. I guess I sort of started pushing them into the back of my mind,".

"I know what you mean. Hey Adena?"

"Ya?"

"Do you think maybe that this whole thing was just sumthing our brains concocted to keep their memory alive?" Squib asked.

"You could be right. I think all of us began putting them on the back burner until that time of year when we all go to the old cemetery, then forgot them again until next year," Squib said.

"That's a really good theory. Maybe 'they' wanted this year to be different. Today's that day you know," Adena confirmed.

"Oh ya! That's right! I'd totally forgotten. Funny how things turn out isn't it?".

Rick looked over and saw how the old gang had already regained the tightness that once was. The same empty feeling that had been all to present in the old days came back. That feeling of such complete loneliness that he didn't even hear the words spoken around him anymore. Colour had vanished from the seen around him and everything was bleak and grey. No life, no friends, just a pen and clip-board. Sure, he'd had his gang at Cascadia, but they were never really his 'friends'. When they first arrived at Cascadia, he was just the first one to suck them in. Nobody cared about Rick. He was just the nerd. The teachers pet. Not one person had noticed that when the 'stars' had left school, he had risen to become the best person in group 'A'. Nobody cared that beside Sunny, he was the best!

"I need to go to the bathroom," he said. None turned their head. The stars didn't even notice him walking away.

Rick lay curled in a ball in the corner of the tiny, plane bathroom. Tears streaked his face. "I should have stayed at Cascadia where I belong," he said pathetically, "How could I have thought that things would be different now. Just because we're adults doesn't mean anything's changed. I'm so stupid!" he said kicking the wall.

Suddenly he caught a glimpse of something silver. It was a razor blade that someone had left behind. Could he do it? Could Rick Geddes end this terrible pain all now? What was the point of even being here anyway? Nobody had even noticed when he'd left. What was the point?

Cascadia! That was why he lived. To give to the next generation what Bates had given to him. Hope. Hope that someday, somehow, his day would come. Sighing happily, President Geddes sat up and washed his face. Who cared what the stars thought. Thinking back, they had relied on him a lot and they'd been there for him when Cassidy had been killed in that car accident. Maybe life wasn't so terrible after all.

"What's happening?" Adena said turning pale.

"Just the plane making noise," Nate replied trying to comfort her but instead making them all nervous.

The plane had jolted forward, bringing everyone with it. Luckily, they had all had their seatbelts on but the panic could not be so contained. Everyone was anxious and the feeling was only intensified when the stewardess came out at the exact moment that the air masks dropped down to give instructions as to their use. (Despite the situation, Rick couldn't help noticing her long, wavy locks of red hair and her stunning green eyes).

"Don't worry everyone," She assured them, "it's just a strong air current."

Unfortunately, the gang's nerves weren't calmed much for when the young stewardess returned to her cabin in front of them they could hear the conversation distinctly.

"What did the captain say?" the redhead asked her co-worker.

She was pale and her voice shaky when she replied, "It's not and air current. Something is WRONG!"

LOL Jordy, I'd actually finished this chap when i posted the note before. And a note to everyone, I will be deleteing the 'dear reader' in a matter of days so if you want comments, do it now.

Ok, I'm reeeeeeeeely sry it took so long but life is like that sometimes. Oh, and if you don't know who Cassidy is, I guess you haven't gotten that far in the show yet. IF you do know her, then I'm sry I killed her off but I needed to answer that question before I went on. Personally, I LOVE the Rick/Cassidy situation but it was still season two when I started this fanfic. LOL, bye! Plez R&R! (Oh ya, I know the emo rick thing was sortta out there, but it goes with the story, scout's honor!)

Pianoluv

HINT: Poppy is a redhead.