At lunch break Lola, Frankie and Shay came to the table of Maya and the others. Their group had grown to eight. Maya had brought Miles and Jonah to their table and Zoe had convinced Tristan.

"I am through with the gyms", Lola said.

Maya looked up. "Me as well with schools."

"And me with the stages", Tristan added.

Maya looked up them. "Just bring another table. We can talk about it right now. Do you know where Hunter is?"

Miles rose. "I´ll look for him." Tiny rose as well to help them move a third table to their group.

Miles found Hunter alone at a table at the wall playing a game while eating. "Hey, we are having a musical meeting over there."

Hunter looked up moody. "I´m in the middle of a game."

Miles shrugged. "Save it for later."

Hunter was annoyed. But then he sighed, saved his game and took his tray to follow Miles to the three tables, that were moved together now.

They talked at length but the few offers they got were to expensive, to small, not free in the right time and so on. Even if they were disappointed they weren´t ready to give up.

They got in a heated discussion and Hunter started to get frustrated. "Why don´t we just do it at our place - next to the pool?"

"Is there enough space for the audience?", Tristan asked.

"We can empty the pool", Miles suggested.

"We can use the gallery in the back and part of the room next to the pool. And when we just have part of the audience in the back of the pool we can use the front as well. That way, we will have different levels", Zoe said excitedly.

They came up with ideas for their new stage fast. Hunter took out his sketchbook and did a few sketches. Frankie sat next to him and took a look. "That´s really good", she said to him.

He gave her a short smile and she looked up to the others. "I think we can make it look much better than with the stage here at school."

"You better convince your mother then", Tristan said.

Frankie smiled. "Leave that to me."

###

In the afternoon Miles and Hunter were measuring the pool area together. Their mother had been easy to convince by Frankie and they wanted to get started as soon as possible. The set would be bigger and more work.

"Great idea, you know", Miles said.

Hunter looked up at him. "I just wanted to end the stupid discussion."

Miles just grinned. They spend a moment working in silence. "How are you doing without dad?", Miles asked then.

Hunter looked up. "Why would you want to know? You don´t care about him." He sounded pissed.

Miles stopped working to look at him. "I care about you."

Hunter didn´t now what to say. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Then he just went back to his work. Miles watched him a few seconds before he shrugged and joined him again.

###

Later Miles went into the living room watching the last part of the rehearsal. Zoe was upset with her role. "She should be kicking her brother´s ass for not helping her. Instead she is sooo understanding that he prefers talking over fighting."

Tristan had to hide a smile. "If you want to change the script ask Grace."

"I might do that", Zoe murmured. Then she took a look at her clock. "I have to leave early."

Tristan rolled his eyes in amusement. He knew that Zoe was just to pissed to work now. "Okay." He looked to the boy that was playing her brother. "You can leave as well."

The two of them got their stuff and left. Tristan and Miles smiled at each other. Miles threw the basketball he was carrying to Tristan who caught it. "Want to throw a few balls at the court?"

Tristan looked down at himself. "Not in this clothes."

"I can lend you something", Miles offered.

Tristan met his eyes. "Okay."

###

Later they sat on a bench besides the court and shared a bottle of water. "How are things going with your parents?", Miles asked.

Tristan sighed. "They were screaming at each other big time last night."

"I´m sorry", Miles said. He cleared his throat. "If you... if you need someplace to go for a few nights - there is five guestrooms at our place..."

That brought a small smile to Tristan´s lips. "Thanks."

###

Zoe let herself fall on a chair across from Grace at The Dot. "Why is the warrior princess so understanding with her brother? I want to kick his ass!"

That got her an amused smile from Grace. "It´s their way to keep in balance. She is the one fighting, he the one talking."

"You have an answer to everything, haven´t you?", Zoe murmured pissed.

"Not everything." Grace had become serious.

"So what is it you don´t have answers to?" Zoe asked. Their eyes met and Grace let her see a small smile. "For example why the two of us are such a good match."

"Well, I can answer that one", Zoe said holding her gaze, "you bring out the best in me." That caught Grace off guard for a second but then she smiled and took Zoe´s hand that was laying on the table.

"Hey you, let us see some lassie action", a guy from another table called.

Grace wanted to turn around pissed but Zoe stopped her. "Let me." She rose and sat at the table of the guy and his two friends. She smiled at him in her devious way. "So you think you´re ready to play with two girl at once?"

He grinned. "Sure."

Zoe smiled. "And you´re up to the talking as well?"

He was confused. "Talking?"

Zoe looked at him with pity. "One girl in bed doesn´t have someone to talk to but two girls is fun. They can chat all the time."

Now the guy really looked turned off. His two friends snickered and Zoe rose. "If you want to have a threesome without the chatting you might want to ask two guys", she said looking at his friends and then turning around with a big grin on her face. She met Grace´s grin who looked proud of her.

###

It was just a few days later when Tristan heard the screaming of his parents before he even opened the door. He fled to his room, throwing the door close and leaning against it. He was sad and angry and hurt all at once.

Suddenly the front door shut with a big bang and the house went silent - deadly. Now his mother would sit crying in the living room or his father would be on his treadmill and he´d have to pass whoever was there to at least get something to eat.

That´s when he decided that he had enough. He took his sports bag and threw a few things in it. Then he took his school bag as well and went downstairs. He heard the treadmill - so his father was there. He didn´t expect him to realize he was there and was surprised when he heard a voice the moment he wanted to open the front door. "Where are you going?"

Tristan turned around. "A friend´s place."

"You can´t just leave without telling anyone where you go", his father said.

Now Tristan let his anger show. "You don´t care what I´m doing most of the time anyway because you are to busy fighting. So just leave me alone."

He left the house and ignored his father who was calling after him. He took his phone and called Miles. He couldn´t help the tears falling. "Can you pick me up?"

###

When Miles arrived at the bench Tristan was sitting on his tears had dried. He didn´t want Miles to see him crying. He got into the car and gave a sad 'thanks' to Miles. Miles just gave him a sympathetic smile and let him the space of silence while driving.

When they entered the Hollingsworth manor Maya came running from the living room. "Tris." She hugged him closely.

Her presence surprised him but Miles explained: "We were practicing with Jonah when you called." Tristan just nodded.

"Why didn´t you tell me that you had trouble at home?", Maya asked.

Tristan stayed silent and looked at Miles. Maya shook her head. "Well at least you asked for help", she said.

"Did you eat something?", Miles asked breaking the following silence. Tristan shook his head. "Well, then just choose one of the guestrooms I guess. I´ll get some food."

Maya grabbed one of Tristan´s bags and followed him upstairs. He choose the guestroom that came first and just sat down on the bed. Maya sat next to him. "You want to talk?"

Tristan shrugged. "There is not much to tell. They are fighting all the time. Often they don´t even realize when I´m coming or going."

Maya put a hand on his arm. "Did you try to talk to them?"

Tristan shook his head. "I wish they would just divorce. But I can´t tell them to like Miles did."

"Miles wasn´t alone", Maya said, "he had Frankie and Hunter who stood up to their dad as well."

Tristan nodded. "I know."

"What about Owen?", Maya asked, "can´t you ask him to help you?"

Tristan shrugged. "I didn´t talk to him in a while because I didn´t want him to know that something is up."

"Why not?" Maya was taken aback. "He´s your brother. He always had your back."

Tristan looked at her. "That´s the point. I just don´t want to tell him that I can´t handle that on my own."

"You know that it´s okay not to be able to handle that alone?", Maya asked.

Tristan pressed his lips together and she held out her hand. "Give me your cell."

He looked at her incredulously but gave in. She looked up Owen in his address book then she dialled and held the phone to him. He wasn´t happy about it but he took it and greeted his brother.

###

Miles called and they went back to the living room. He had a huge tablet on the table and Maya had to smile. When Miles wasn´t too far into some mess he really could be a caring guy.

The three of them sat on the couch, shared the food and talked about the musical. Now that he knew that he wasn´t alone with his mess at home Tristan was able to forget about it for a while and relax.

Later Maya said goodbye - her mother had come to pick her up. "Are you sure you don´t want me to stay?"

Tristan shook his head. "I´m good. And... thanks." They hugged and Miles went with her to see her out.

At the door she looked at him. "Are you sure it´s a good idea to let him sleep here? He can come to my place."

"We´re just friends", Miles answered the underlying question, "and I want to keep it that way. I´m better at being friends. Obvious."

Maya nodded not really convinced. "Okay." She left and he went back to the living room. Tristan was busy tidying up. "Leave that to me and get some sleep", Miles said.

Tristan stood up and realized how tired he was. "I guess I´ll do that." He went to the door and turned back to Miles. "Thanks for letting me stay."

Miles smiled. "You´re welcome."

###

Zig and Maya entered the rubber room and sat next to Grace while they greeted her. Grace sighed. She wasn´t her sassy self at all. "What´s the matter?", Zig asked.

She tried a smile. "Nothing, Novak."

"Don´t Novak me", he answered, "when you don´t look as if you know everything that is going on around you, something has to be wrong."

Grace looked to Maya. "Can´t you keep your boyfriend from annoying me?"

Maya smiled. "Not when he tries to be a good friend."

Grace rolled her eyes and Zig made a face as if was pondering about something. "Let me think. Could this be about some brunette girl who is playing the main part in the musical - the role you wrote for her?"

Grace sighed. "Listen, you won´t improve the situation like that at all."

"It´s not about you being both girls, is it?", Maya asked.

Grace snorted. "No, of course not."

"She does some really crazy stuff", Zig said. He knew that even if it wouldn´t have been for Maya the oomphchat scandal turned him totally off Zoe.

"Can´t blame her for something I was part of", Grace returned coolly.

Zig and Maya looked at her shocked. "Wait", Zig said, "you sold pictures of your..."

Grace had to grin. "Turn off your head cinema, Novak", she said, "someone had to take care of the tech. That´s been me."

"Wow", Maya said. She nearly couldn´t believe it.

"Didn´t just destroy your picture of me?" Grace had a smug grin.

"No." Maya waved around the rubber room. "We aren´t here without a reason."

Zig leaned back shaking his head and crossing his arms. "You two are a perfect fit then. So what´s the matter? I don´t understand your just friends thing with all the kissing anyway."

"Yeah, a perfect fit as friends", Grace answered, "relationships aren´t my cup of tea."

Before one of the others could respond they were interrupted by the teacher entering the room.

###

When Jonah saw one of the gang members that sold him drugs before, he tried to evade him but the guy saw him and took him aside. "Hey, don´t you need some new pills?"

Jonah tried to look self-confident. "I´m not doing that anymore."

"Hey, come on, guy. You were one of my best customers."

Jonah wanted to pass him. "That´s over."

The guy grabbed his arm and put a sachet with a pill in his hand. "That one is on me." Before Jonah could react the guy was gone.

Jonah looked at the sachet in his hand. He closed his eyes fighting with himself. Surprised he opened his eyes when he heard steps. Zig stopped in front of him equally surprised. "That´s no good place to hang out, man", he said.

Jonah tried to hide the sachet in his hand but Zig saw it. He frowned. "You´re still doing that?"

"No... no", Jonah said, "it´s just one of the guys saw me, and..."

Zig became serious. "And now you´re thinking about taking it."

Jonah hung his head. "It´s just..."

"Hey, look at me", Zig said and Jonah rose his head, "you have better stuff to do with your life than that. Give this to me." He held his hand out to Jonah.

Jonah looked at it and then back at the sachet. Fighting with himself, then he gave it to Zig, who nodded. "Good choice. Okay, and now you can tell me why you thought of taking it."

Jonah shook his head. "You´re right. I have better things to do with my life than that."

Zig accepted that. "Okay. But if you ever even think about doing that again, you got my number. Just call me."

Now that surprised Jonah. "Why are you doing this for me?"

Zig grinned. "You´re a good guy. And besides, we need you at the musical." That got him a grin of Jonah.