By the time that Emily finished her courses the next day after discovering the disturbing video, she came to the conclusion that she could not have disclosed one thing that any of the lecturers had mentioned that day. Thinking that meeting a friend would help distract her from her thoughts, she asked Ollie out for coffee but found herself completely unable to follow the conversation.

"And in other news I have decided that I will isolate my apartment, kick my rent-mate to the curb and declare it the sovereign kingdom of Oliver," Ollie said and sipped his coffee. "I have also decided that I need to marry, to get the relation thing going you know? I'm thinking that cute girl from Calculus. What's her name again, Maria, right?"

"Uh-huh, that's a great idea Ollie," Emily said and fiddled with her phone absentmindedly. There was a moment's silence before she snapped her head up. "I'm sorry but what the heck were you talking about?"

"I'm just yanking your chain Emily," Ollie said and let out a cackle. "It was pretty clear that you weren't paying any attention to what I was saying so I just decided to make a game of it."

"I'm so sorry Ollie. I don't know why I'm acting this way," Emily said, juggling her phone between her hands.

"But I think I do know," Ollie said and reached for her phone. "And I think she has a name."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh obsession," Ollie said and snatched the phone from Emily's hand, turning it towards her. "Thy name is Paige McCullers."

"How did you know? You didn't even look!" Emily argued.

"I don't have to. Your face gave it away," he handed her the phone back. "Besides, I don't even know your screen lock. And your reaction confirmed my theory. So, you want to tell me the reason that you're so particularly hung up on her today?"

"Particularly hung up? As opposed to regularly hung up?"

"Yes. And just answer the damn question already. Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll feel better sharing it with someone. So, spill, please and thank you."

Emily tried muttering some words in protest but then gave up with a large sigh before divulging the details of the weekend to Ollie, starting at the point where they had parted ways.

"So, you're telling me that you just drunkenly showed up at her doorstep and the next day she acted like it was a bed and breakfast?" Ollie asked.

"Yeah. She was acting like it was no big deal and insisted that I had been so polite the night before."

"Does that mean polite or polite?"

"No! Nothing like that. I was completely out of it. I basically just crashed on her couch."
"Okay, I don't really see how that's such a big deal."

"Well, that was just the start of it. But when she drove me home I found this on my doorstep," Emily said, fishing the memory stick out of her pocket and handing it to Ollie.

"Yeah, I can see why you find this to be troubling," Ollie said after looking over the video.

"I know. It looks very fishy."

"And not just in the way that you think."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that we don't know the full story. Who is this person that she is having an altercation with and why? What happened before this video was shot?"

"Well, I don't really know how we're suppose to figure that out."

"That's easy. We go snooping."

"Snooping Ollie, really?"

"Oh come on. I won't be going to the cabin with my parents until Friday thanks to my sister somehow managing to break her leg on her skateboard -again, and you know as well as me that this place is a friggin ghost town during Thanksgiving break. We might as well get some detective work done."

"How are we going to do that? Paige isn't even going to be here. She's visiting her family and won't be back until next week."

"You don't snoop by going directly up to people and asking them questions. You ask around. Find people that she knows and get to know their version of her. That helps you paint a bigger picture."

"Well, I don't know any of her friends here. I only know where she works and I doubt snooping around there would be helpful. Besides, they are closed for the holidays."

"Okay. But do you know any place that she frequents, like a club or a bar or something?"

"Well, actually, there was this one place. What was the name? Oh, it's on my newsfeed," Emily said looking at her phone. "She left a message for an event there, 'Thanksgiving at the Inner City'."

"What does it say."

"'Sorry that I won't be able to make it. I hope you guys have a great time this year'."

"Well, that answers your question doesn't it. Do we have to get on some kind of a guestlist?"

"No. I don't think so. I already met some people there and they said that the club was open to all LGBTQI and their allies."

"So, LGBTQI and ally it will be. What time does it start?"

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The hall was already filling up with guests when Emily and Ollie arrived. Some were people that Emily knew from the Halloween party, other faces were new. A volunteer that she had met the last time she came there greeted the two of them and pointed them toward a table. All though having originally planned to use the time to ask around, they both soon got lost in conversation with their seatmates. Emily found out that aparently Thanksgiving was one of the most important events that was held at the center because, like her seatmate, who had introduced himself as Matt, explained to her with some melancholy in his voice "it was the time that many of the attendees felt especially lonely, with many of them not having families to go home to."

"I had no idea it was so bad," Emily said shocked. "I mean, I knew and at the same time I didn't know. I obviously knew it was a reality that a lot of people live with but I have just never been exposed to that reality."

"Well, you don't really believe it until you see it for yourself," Matt said and his eyes skimmed over the tables that were brimming with laughter and conversation. "Many of these kids here have gone through incredible loss and yet they keep on going. Showing up, being out there, living their lives. They are some of the bravest folks I've ever known. Excuse me but I really have to take this."

When Matt disappeared around the corner with his phone Emily caught a glimpse of the conversation that Ollie was having with his seatmate:

"Well, I have to say that your contribution to the buffet was an upgrade, since what I was expecting the person that was suppose to be joining to bring a casserole that was disguised to look like it didn't come from a plastic tray. That's so typically Paige, I don't know if she thinks I don't notice but I totally do."

"Well, we came as acquaintances of Paige, so you could say that technically she is responsible for our generous looking soufflé."

"Wow, you're really going all out with the name and everything."

"Well, I made it so I'd be damned if I couldn't pronounce it."

"And he cooks too. Before you had my curiosity, now you have my attention."

Suddenly, Emily noticed a strange noise, coming from outside the building. She excused herself and headed downstairs to find that the noise was coming from a car alarm. Following the noise, she finally traced its origin around the corner. The alarm was coming from a small, red Toyota that was parked in the alley, and as Emily approached she noticed glass spread on the sidewalk. She thought about running up to the building to tell somebody about what was happening but stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed someone moving inside the vehicle.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she said, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever was bent over in the driver's seat. The figure raised themselves up but no matter how much Emily squinted she could not catch a look of their face.

"Emily? What are you doing?" she heard behind her and saw Oliver exiting the building, followed by the blond woman that he had been sitting next to.

She was about to answer him when she felt a presence and turned around. The figure from the car had gotten out and was making a run for it.

"Hey, stop," Emily said and instinctively stepped in front of them but was knocked out of the way as the figure charged full force into her. She fell into a pile of garbage cans that were piled up against the wall and was trying to pull herself to her feet when she heard Ollie's concerned voice:

"Calm down, I got you," she felt herself being pulled up. The blond woman following him pulled a box from the pile and set it behind her:

"Take a sit, you took a pretty nasty hit."

"I'm fine," Emily said but followed the other woman's advice none the less. "There was someone trying to break into that car."

"Yeah, we saw," Ollie said. "And they tried giving you a concussion while making a run for it. That was a pretty ballsy move Emily."

"I wasn't thinking really. I just jumped in front of them," Emily said. "On second thought maybe I shouldn't have. We need to find out who that car belongs to."

"It's my car actually," the blond woman said. "I should probably call my insurance company."

"Aw, crap, I'm so sorry," Emily said. "I wish I could have done something more,"

"You did plenty," the woman said as she dialed a number on her phone. "But you should probably get your friend to take you inside. You look pretty shaken up."

"I'm fine, really," Emily said.

"Come on Em," Ollie said and extended his arm to her. "I know you like playing the hero but maybe this is enough for today."

She let her friend assist her back into the hall, where they had to explain the events to a couple of curious onlookers who had heard the commotion. They had settled down and Emily was sipping on the glass of water that Ollie had fetched for her when the blond woman came back in and sat down next to them.

"Wow, that was quick," Ollie remarked. "Want some more water Em? I can get you something to drink too."

"Thank you, you're so sweet," the woman said as Ollie jumped up and headed for the drink table. "It should be fine. My insurance is pretty good so I doubt I have to pay anything for the damage. They already sent someone who will notify the police and provide me with a cab ride home. I will probably get a replacement car tomorrow while mine is at the shop."

"That's great," Emily said.

"Could you just write down your details? I might need to contact you since you were the only person that actually saw the intruder in action."

"Sure, no problem. Whatever I can do to help."

"I'm not sure if they need that information but you can never be too sure. I know this might sound sort of up front but I also wanted to ask if I could invite you for coffee later this week, you know, as a thank you for stopping the grand theft auto in action."

"Sure thing," Emily said trying to wrack her shook up brain where she had met the other woman before, because something about her just looked so familiar. "I don't even think we have been properly introduced to one another yet. I'm Emily Fields."

"It's a pleasure Emily. I'm Catherine Phelps."