The car ride back home was silent. Cosima's father kept his eyes on the road, and the windshield wiper's movement from side to side was the only noise heard. Cosima wanted to say something to her mother, a 'sorry,' or a 'please don't ground me for this,' but she feared if she opened her mouth to speak she would cry.

So they just sat there instead.

When they got home, Cosima's mother was fuming.

"COSIMA TATIANA NIEHAUS." There was a long pause before Cosima's mother continued, much more calmly. "Please tell me you have a good reason for this. Tell me you didn't drag me out of a very important party for no good reason, because if you did, help me lord. It seems like something you would do, doesn't it, Michael?" She looked over at Cosima's dad, who just nodded and mumbled something about needing to check the oven.

Cosima liked to think of herself as an honest person. In fact, she was going to tell her mother the whole story of Delphine Beraud – Cormier, she meant – and who she was. Minus the drinking, of course. She really was. That is, until 'it seems like something you would do,' because firstly who says that to their child and secondly what does that even mean? So, like any sane human being would, she lied. "No reason. Didn't want to be there."

For a second, Cosima didn't know if her mom heard her because she didn't react. For a second, Cosima was okay. It's the next second that really got her, because what happens in that next second was everything. First her cheek was stinging and then she could see her mom pulling out her hand and she wasn't sure why she was in pain until she was. Sure. And when she was sure, she was done. She didn't say a word, she didn't yell or scream or cry, but simply walked out. Not out of the room or out of the area, but out of the house. She was done.

"Cosima, honey!" she heard her mom yell out, like she was going to apologize. Like there's any way she could've made up for what she did with mere words. But Cosima was gone. Cosima was left and Cosima was out and Cosima was free.

She didn't know where she was going, exactly. But she knew she was going somewhere.

She wasn't surprised when she ended up at Scott's house. Whenever anything big happens, she ends up at Scott's house. His spare key was still in the flower pot and so she walked in, like she always does. It's almost midnight, so obviously Scott's mom was still out, drinking to forget her sorrows. Cosima kinda wished she was right there with her.

Cosima yelled out Scott's name and instead of jumping out of bed with a baseball bat and clinging to Denise, his favorite stuffed animal, like he did the first time Cosima showed up, he just groaned as Cosima walked up the stairs. When she got to the top of the staircase Scott was standing there holding Denise tightly and yawning.

"Cos, it's almost midnight. You know I have important classes tomorrow. I need to be rested."

Cosima just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I have news."

"Of course you do." A sigh and an eye roll later, they're inside his bedroom with Scott under the blankets, reluctantly ready to listen.

"Delphine lied to me. She said her name was Delphine Beraud but it's not! It's Delphine Cormier." There was a pause while Cosima waited for Scott to gasp or raise his eyebrows in shock. He didn't. "Dude, this is serious. Why aren't you upset right now? Go on. Be upset for me. I'll wait."

Scott yawned before speaking. "I don't understand why this is such a big deal. It's just a last name, right? Who cares if she's Delphine C. or Delphine B.? Tiny details," he said, closing his eyes.

Cosima waited for five whole seconds trying to restrain herself from hitting him before she gave in to the urge. The result was a satisfying smack and Scott yelling 'ow!' "You're not seriously forgetting? Me? Lies? Secrets? They don't do well. You know this."

Scott murmured something quietly and closed his eyes again.

"Scott!" she yelled, hitting him harder this time. "Are you kidding me? I hate lies! You know this! You don't remember why I hate lies? It's a pretty fucking big reason!"

Scott didn't move from his spot, but Cosima didn't seem to care.

"Remember that time like a year ago I found out something huge about myself? DO YOU? LIKE THAT TIME IN AP BIO I FOUND OUT I WAS ADOPTED AND MY PARENTS DIDN'T BOTHER TO TELL ME?"

Scott scrunched up his face. "Oh. Right. That."

Cosima sighed. "I hate liars."

"As do I, but at this point you should probably see a therapist about your undying hate for them."

"Asshole."

Cosima was rudely awoken by Scott's mother drunkenly making her way in to the house at 4am. At this point, it was too late to go back to sleep anyway, so she pried Scott's arms off of hers and got out of bed. She nodded to Ms. Smith on her way downstairs, who didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, anyway.

Eight eggs, three almost-fires, and two hours later, Cosima gave up on making breakfast. Instead, she poured some cereal for Scott and trudged upstairs to wake him up.

"Scott," she whispered. He didn't move. "Scoooottt." She nudged him with her arm and waited a second before yelling in his ear, "SCOOOTTT!" At this, he opened his eyes and frowned.

"Go away."

"Now that's what I like to hear in the morning: my best friend telling me to get out of his house."

Her snark apparently didn't warrant a response, because he just rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head.

"Fine," she said, walking away from the bed. "I guess you won't get any bacon. Such a shame."

At the word 'bacon' Scott sat straight up in bed and jumped off. "I'm up! I'm up I'm up I'm up!"

Cosima just laughed and raced him down the stairs, where she knew she'd be in very big trouble for not having any bacon.

When he saw nothing but cereal, she got called a few profane words and punched in the arm, but nothing she wasn't expecting. They sat, ate breakfast, copied each other's homework for the day, and by 7:30 they were ready to get out the door.

The only problem was when they opened the door, none other than Delphine Cormier was standing outside Scott's door with a pan of meatloaf.