"Chloe?" Max couldn't believe her eyes. The blue-haired punk was sat on Max's bed, grinning madly at her friend's reaction. "Chloe!" Max rushed over to Chloe, throwing her arms around her, nearly knocking the punk over.

"Whoa there, Maxaroni!" Chloe laughed, hugging the smaller girl back tightly, noticing that her shoulders had begun trembling. She pulled back slightly, and her face fell at the sight of tears streaming down Max's cheeks. She quickly rose, closed the door and found a tissue, sitting back down and dabbing at Max's eyes. "Ssh, Max, I'm sorry, okay?" she said. "Please, don't cry." She put her arms back around her friend and gently rocked her back and forth, letting Max sob quietly in her arms. Eventually, Max calmed down enough to pull back and look at Chloe with her red, streaming eyes.

"You… shit!" She pounded on Chloe's chest with her fists, surprising the punk with her vehemence. "Do you have any idea what I went through last night, thinking you hated me?" Max started crying again. "I even had Victoria in here, wondering what all the screaming was about! And now you just sit there saying 'Hi Max' as if nothing happened? Really?"

"Max, I'm so sorry," whispered Chloe, her own eyes tearing up, "please don't be mad at me. I just didn't know how to handle what you told me last night and I…" she hesitated. "I hella overreacted. But I don't hate you, Max. I can't hate you. You're my best friend in the whole world." She rocked Max back and forth again, and the smaller girl slowly calmed down.

"Chloe, I had such a shit night last night," she said, nuzzling into Chloe's shoulder, breathing in her friend's scent. "I thought you hated me. I thought I'd fucked everything up. I'm sorry, Chloe. I just wanted you to… I wanted us to be friends, like we were last week."

"Yeah, see, you're gonna have to explain a few things to me about that," said Chloe. "I mean, last week I was hella mad at you for coming back to Arcadia without letting me know you were here. But last week for you was… well, I'm not entirely sure. Max, you have to tell me."

"I will…" Max stopped. Chloe was looking at the floor rather awkwardly, refusing to meet her gaze. She recognised that look. "Chloe, what have you done?"

"Okay, Max, you've gotta promise me you won't be mad."

"Chloe? How can I promise that? You've all but told me you've done something that's gonna make me really mad at you." Max sighed. "Just tell me."

"Okay, well… I kinda took a peek at your journal."

"You what? Chloe, you know that…"

"I know, Max, but I was scared, okay?" said Chloe, throwing her hands in the air. "I thought I'd fucked everything up as well, okay? While I waited, I thought perhaps I could find out whether you hated me or not, but instead I found the bit about yesterday." She paused. "It didn't really go to plan, did it?" Max shook her head sadly. "Warren in the parking lot? I didn't see anyone else, you were alone with Nathan when I found you."

"Yeah. Last week we were talking by his car when Nathan showed up, and he took the hit for me, you'd appear then you appeared and we reconnected in the truck on the way back to yours. But I fucked things up with him, too, and he ran off, leaving me with Nathan."

"He left you with that piece of shit Prescott?" Chloe's face began to turn red as her temper rose, but Max forestalled it.

"No, Chloe," said Max, holding up her hands, "he ran off before Nathan appeared. He never saw Nathan." Chloe noisily exhaled, calming down and shaking her head.

"Man, this is complicated as shit," said Chloe. "Talk to me over breakfast? You've got a free period first, right? I vote Two Whales. Joyce would love to see you."

"I…"

"You know already, right? Did we do this last week?" said Chloe, but this time there was a smirk in her eyes. Max nodded shyly. "Damn, you're gonna have to tell me what I can and can't know, as well." She sighed. "Can I trust you, Max? I mean, you're gonna be keeping a lot from me, aren't you?"

"I'll explain why in the diner," said Max, taking Chloe's hand, "and I'd die before I let anything happen to you." She stood up. "Look, there's something I have to do before I come to breakfast with you, okay? Can you wait here for a few more minutes?"

"Uh, sure, Max."

"And please don't read my journal." She sighed. "It's a good thing I didn't write anything else in there last night. But I do need to write in there soon, about what I need to remember for today."

"You are manipulating me, Max." Chloe sounded subdued.

"A bit," confessed Max, "but I'll explain everything I can later on, okay?" Chloe nodded, and Max grinned. "Okay, I have to change, so turn around, Chloe. No peeking!"

"Aww, man!" Chloe faux-complained, but she obediently turned and faced the wall while Max changed into her jeans and t-shirt. "So, Bitchtoria came to see you?"

"Yeah. I know you and her didn't exactly get on last year…"

"… something of an understatement," said Chloe.

"… but… oh, I can tell you this, Chloe. I really connected with her last week and I think we could be friends again this week. Underneath all the bitchy exterior, she's really very insecure and a lovely person. I guess you'll just have to… ow!" she said, hopping around while she tried to get into her jeans, and just managing to hop into her desk. "Just have to trust me on this. She heard I was upset and she actually came into see if she could help. You know," she said, a little breathlessly, "she was right. I was really upset last night, and she said that she'd bet money you'd be in contact this morning, and that you didn't hate me. She was right."

"Well, I'm glad you're making so many friends," said Chloe, sounding a little bitterer than she wanted to.

"Chloe, you're my best friend, and nobody will ever replace you," said Max. "Anyway, you ended up last week with more than me as friends."

"What… you're telling me I made another friend?"

"You did."

"Who?"

Max smiled, knowing Chloe couldn't see her. "That would be telling." While Chloe's back was turned, she slipped a piece of paper into Chloe's jacket pocket.

"Max!"

"No way, Chloe. I can't tell you, otherwise things might not happen. This isn't something I have any control over, nor would I want to manipulate it. That part is totally up to you. And don't grump about it," she continued, knowing that Chloe would be sticking her tongue out at her. "Okay, you can look again," she said, pulling her hoodie over her head, and Chloe turned back around. "Can you give Lisa some water while I'm out, please?" she said, picking up Kate's book (but remembering to move the soda can first) and walking to the door. "I won't be too long."

"Max…"

"Chloe, please don't say anything." Max knelt down in front of Chloe. "I don't have many friends here. In fact, I think I have a total of two, maybe a third soon. You are my best friend, but Kate is my only other dear friend in Arcadia, and she's having a really hard time at the moment. About as hard as it gets, and it's only going to get worse. I need to go see her now, and whatever we do, I absolutely have to be back here for five to eleven. There's can be no missing that, okay? It could be a matter of life and…" She realised and stopped herself in time, but Chloe had heard.

"… death? Shit Max, that's serious." She nodded. "We'll be back here for five to eleven. Promise."

"Thanks Chloe," said Max, walking to the door. "You'll be okay?"

"Yeah, go see Kate," said Chloe. "Oh, one thing first."

"What?"

"Who's Lisa?"

Max laughed. "My plant." She nodded over at her desk. "I keep forgetting to give her the water she needs."

Chloe giggled. "Lisa? You named your plant Lisa?"

"Ssh!"

"Lisa! Oh Li-sa!" Chloe laughed long and hard, drumming her heels on the floor as Max left the room, her voice echoing down the corridor.

Max paused outside Kate's door, remembering to wipe off the 'Will Bang 4 God' comment on her board and replace it with a drawing of a cute bunny. She knocked on the door and patiently waited for Kate to call her inside.

"Max, is that you?"

"Yeah."

"Come on in," she called. Max remembered the way Kate's room had looked, but her heart still sank on entering her room. Instead of the bright colours and joy that had always emanated from inside (Kate's art had a fantastic childlike simplicity and quality that was both heart-warming and very effective), the room was shrouded in dark depression. The windows covered over, the room cold and stale, and the mirror covered with a towel. On the sofa, Max saw Kate's violin carelessly slung into its case, the instrument itself unplayed and sadly silent. Kate was sat at her desk, her head in her hands, still dressed in the same nightclothes Max had seen in the showers; her familiar plain white t-shirt and teal trousers. She looked up as Max entered, and nodded, before looking away.

Max moved the violin case carefully off the sofa, taking care to properly place the violin inside and strap it in before placing the case on the floor. Alice, Kate's white bunny, was snuffling around her cage, quiet and serene as always, although today Kate's mood certainly seemed to be having a detrimental effect on Alice, who seemed quite despondent.

"Hi Kate," said Max, gently. "I brought your book back."

"What did you think?"

"It's the first Bradbury I've read, since we studied Fahrenheit four-five-one in school, so that doesn't really count, to be honest. I don't think I really enjoyed any books we did in school, perhaps why I haven't read any of his other books. I wasn't expecting pure fantasy, but I found myself enjoying it, well, the parts I read." She looked at Kate. "I wouldn't have thought it was really your type of read, Kate."

"We all have our guilty pleasures, Max, don't we?"

"Totally."

Kate spun around in her seat to face Max. "You seem happier than you were earlier, Max. And… and last night."

Max smiled. "Yeah. I didn't have a good night, Kate. I thought my best friend hated me, but she apologised in the sweetest way possible this morning."

"Oh?"

"When I got back from the shower, she'd sneaked into my room and was waiting for me!"

Kate managed a small grin. "That's really cute, Max. Did you forgive her?" Max smiled back and nodded vigorously.

"Of course. How could I not?" She sighed. "She's such a special person, Kate. I mean, we were best friends when I used to live here, but we lost touch when I moved to Seattle. Well," she continued, "I lost touch. I didn't contact her for five years, and we ran into each other just yesterday."

"She sounds lovely."

"She is," nodded Max. "Perhaps you'd like to meet her at some point?"

"Perhaps, Max, but I don't think I'm up to anything new at the moment. It's hard enough just getting through the day as it is."

"Kate, I know you're going through a hard time at the moment," said Max. "Why don't you come over here," she said, patting the sofa next to her, "it's a little lonely over there, isn't it?"

"You have no idea, Max."

"Actually, I think I might have more of an idea than you think. Come on."

Max watched Kate stand slowly, like an old woman. She shuffled across the room and slumped on to the sofa next to Max, immediately placing her head in her hands again. Max said nothing. She knew she had to get Kate talking, but Kate had to start herself. They sat in silence for several minutes before Kate finally spoke.

"Max, are you my friend?"

"What sort of question is that, Kate? You are one of my dearest friends." Max took one of Kate's hands in her own and Kate smiled gratefully at Max. "You can trust me with absolutely anything, Kate, I mean that."

"Thanks, Max. It's good to know I still have one friend who cares."

"Kate, you have more than that…"

"No, I don't, Max. Just you now. But that's okay. They say in times of need, you find out who your true friends are. I'm grateful you haven't forsaken me. Although you might after what I have to tell you."

"I doubt that, Kate."

"Still, I need to talk to someone, I know that. I've tried talking to God, but he's not responding either at the moment. You're all I have left." A small sob escaped her lips and Max barely resisted the temptation to put her arms around her friend.

Wasn't the right move last week, not the right move now.

"I'm here, Kate. I promise I will listen to you, and I promise that I will keep anything you say in the strictest confidence." She paused. "Kate, I'm here for you."

"You've… you've seen the video."

"No, I haven't. I mean, I know of its existence, but I won't watch it. Why would I want to? If I want to see you, I'll knock your door."

"That's… unexpected. Actually that's quite warming, Max, thank you. But do you know what the video is?"

"I only know what I heard Victoria, uh, I mean, Taylor saying this morning. Why don't you tell me? Maybe I can help." Max silently chided herself.

Careful. You've got to get your facts right.

"You want the short or long version?"

"Kate, I want you to talk to me. I know you're hurting, and I want my friend back."

Kate nodded and looked down, playing with and twisting her hands around, before she drew a breath and spoke. When she did so, her voice was low and uncertain. "Max, have you ever been drunk?"

"Not really," said Max, thinking. "Um, there was this one time when Chloe and I were younger. Her parents had gone out and we found a bottle of red wine that we managed to open." She grimaced. "I was horribly sick afterwards. It was the last time I've ever had any alcohol. Actually, the only time. Why?"

"I… went to a Vortex Club party on Friday," said Kate.

"You went to… Kate, why on earth would you go there?"

"I don't know," said Kate, throwing her hands in the air, "Dana convinced me to come along with her. She said I'd enjoy it, and… I mean, I don't exactly have many friends around here, so I went along with her." She looked down, ashamed. "I wish I hadn't."

"What happened?"

"I don't know," confessed Kate, shaking her head. "Soon after I arrived, I was handed a glass of red wine. I only took one sip!" she insisted. "But I don't remember much after that."

"You were drunk?"

"I can't see what else it could be," said Kate. "Although, I mean, I take a sip of wine in church with communion but I don't end up drunk, or wasted, and I can certainly remember the rest of the service. Come to think of it, the wine in church was much nicer."

"How do you mean?" asked Max, already knowing the answer.

"It's sweeter. I remember in the party, the wine tasted a bit bitter and quite salty. It wasn't very nice."

"And you only took a sip…"

"Yes, you mean you don't believe me?"

"Kate," said Max, putting her hand on Kate's knee, "I believe you, I totally believe you. I'm just trying to get the facts straight in my head. See, I know I'm not exactly a connoisseur, but I do know that wine isn't supposed to be bitter or salty. And if you only took a sip, I think someone spiked your drink."

"What? You mean… it was done on purpose?"

"I'm afraid it certainly looks that way. Kate, I think you were drugged. It's the only explanation for what happened to you after just one sip."

"I was… drugged…" Kate seemed as if she was having real difficulty accepting the truth.

"There's this substance called GHB. It's tasteless, so you wouldn't know you'd drunk it, apart from a slightly bitter and salty aftertaste. It causes you to lose your memory, and takes away inhibitions. I think that's what happened to you, Kate. I'm so sorry."

"The video…"

"That's why you can't remember what you did, and it explains why you… well…"

"Why I kissed so many boys."

"Um, yeah," said Max, a little awkwardly. "Do you remember anything at all?"

"Just a couple of odd things. I remember not feeling well, I remember Nathan telling me he'd take me to the Emergency Room."

"You didn't… go with him. Kate?"

"I think so, although I don't really remember. I have a memory of a bright light, probably the hospital, but then I woke up outside my dorm. It was the following morning. It wasn't until later that I found out about the video." She turned to face Max. "You won't watch it, will you?"

"Kate," said Max, taking both Kate's hands. "I won't watch it. I don't want to, I don't need to, and I intend discouraging other people from watching it as well."

"Thanks, Max. Um, this drug…"

"GHB?"

"Yeah, that one. Um, how do you know about it?"

Max had to think quickly. "Um, there was a thing about it back in Seattle. Some guy was caught giving it to a number of girls in bars. It was known as the date-rape…" she stopped immediately, aghast at what she'd said.

"Date… rape…" repeated Kate, dully.

"I didn't mean…" said Max, swiftly trying to backpedal. "It was called that because that's what he was doing. Because they didn't remember they'd… Oh god, Kate, Nathan didn't…"

"Nathan?" Kate looked at Max. "You think that Nathan…"

"No, I just… you said Nathan took you out of the party, that's all," said Max, chiding herself again for revealing too much. "Kate, god, I'm so sorry this has happened to you."

"And to cap it all off, Victoria went and released the video onto the internet. As if I needed even more humiliation. Nobody else knows about the rest of it, they all think I got wasted, and with my beliefs on abstinence and whatnot…"

"Kate Marsh, you listen to me," said Max, authoritatively. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing at all. What happened was not your fault, not your responsibility."

"Try explaining that to my aunt," said Kate, indicating a letter on her desk. Max retrieved it and read it with horror.

'Dear Katie.

No spirit or devil could have prepared me for what you have done in that videotape.

And like a Jezebel you released your harlot image before God's eye.

I will pray with my church for your soul to be saved from Eternal Hellfire.

Auntie Marsh'

"Kate, that is… that's so harsh and unfair," said Max.

"My mother sent me an email saying pretty much the same thing," she said. "The church has seen the video, my mother's ashamed of me. Imagine that, Max, my own mother, ashamed of me."

"Kate, they obviously don't understand what's actually happened. You didn't tell them about…" Max trailed off.

"No, I've told nobody. But it doesn't matter, Max. They don't care about circumstances. They only care that it's happened, and that other people have seen it. Like other people in the church. Max, I could be kicked out of my own church!"

"Oh Kate, I'm so sorry," said Max. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Well…" said Kate, "you could give me some advice. If I ask you something, will you answer honestly?"

"Kate, I'm hurt you'd even have to ask me that," said Max. "Of course I'll answer honestly."

"If what you say is right, and I was drugged by… well, by Nathan, if that's true, then he's… well, it's illegal, right? So, I should go to the police with this?"

The question wasn't an unexpected one, and Max had had enough time to think about her answer. The problem was, she couldn't think of anything different to say, apart from the honest truth.

"I'm sorry, Kate, but I don't think it would do any good."

"Max?"

"Look, the Prescotts own the police. I've already fallen foul of him. I caught him in the bathroom yesterday with a gun. I told Wells, but nothing's happened. Nathan's father obviously got involved, and all Wells did was tell my parents that I've been making false accusations." Max paused. "Anywhere else, I'd take you down the station myself, but here? No, it won't do any good. I'm sorry Kate, I know it's not what you want to hear."

"So that's your advice. Just keep quiet, stay here and let the bullies carry on humiliating me, is that right Max?"

"No, that's not what I…"

"So you'll be fine, of course. Your friend has come back to you," said Kate, obviously getting worked up, "so you don't need to worry about me. Just let me get back to my life."

"Kate…"

"No, it's okay, Max. You've made your feelings perfectly clear. I think you should go, now."

"Kate…"

"Thanks for bringing back my book, Max." Kate rose and shuffled slowly back to her desk, where she sat, turning her back on Max, who sadly got up from the bed.

"Kate, please…"

"Max, just please go," said Kate, her voice starting to crack once more. Max nodded silently and, head bowed, left Kate's room, closing the door behind her and crossing the corridor to her own room, where Chloe was waiting for her. She could see immediately that Max wasn't happy.

"Max?" she said, but Max just shook her head. "It didn't go to plan?" Max shook her head again.

"Let's just get out of here, please, Chloe," she said. "Take me to the diner, please."

"Sure, kid," said Chloe, pulling Max to her in a tight embrace. "Whatever you say."