Since that fateful Thanksgiving Day, the following two weeks had been hell for Kimi. Besides the fact that she got to see some familiar faces that she hadn't in a long time she felt like she was mourning the loss of her friend. Although everyone was still thinking that Kimi was a heartless and manipulative bitch, she did receive more sympathy from her teachers. In fact they seemed to appreciate her a lot more and take her seriously. Kimi didn't know if they just didn't really like Lil and was rewarding Kimi, or if the reason was because she was able to work more now that she didn't have much else to concentrate on. Nevertheless Kimi's grades did improve.

Kimi was sitting in her English class on Friday when the teacher assigned a writing assignment about where the students predicted themselves to be in the next ten years. At twenty-seven years old Kimi wanted to be well into her career, married, and thinking about starting a family as soon as possible. She had sent out various college applications at the end of September, but she wasn't concerned about getting accepted. Right now she was just trying to live in the moment. It was about a half hour into the class when a message came for the teacher to go down to the office. Since the senior class was generally well behaved the teacher stepped out without leaving someone in charge.

This was the same class that had witnessed Kimi and Lil's argument about Tommy a few months ago. If there was any class that helped add fuel to the Finster/Deville/Pickles saga it was this English class. The same people that had cheered and congratulated Kimi for her quick wit was also the same people giving her dirty looks and spreading rumors. The latest was this: Lil fell down the stairs because she fainted when she saw Tommy, and he was only at Kimi's house because Lil had just told him she was pregnant and he wanted some and he knew Kimi was gonna give it to him. Lil miscarried. As much as she tried to ignore it all it was hard. The worst part was that Tommy was in the class with her.

"Did Lil wake up yet?" someone asked loudly. They seemed to seriously want to know, but they didn't want to directly ask Kimi and/or Tommy.

"No she didn't wake up," a girl replied. "If she did you know Kimi and Tommy would be with her begging for forgiveness. That was so grimy what they did to her."

As much as Kimi wanted to dig back into her writing assignment, hearing that had ruined her train of thought. She lowered her eyes, but then she felt someone tap her in the back. She turned around. "Yeah?" she asked the girl.

"Um so yeah…did Lil really lose the baby?"

"What baby?"

The girl looked at her friend next to her and then they both snickered. "Has Tommy been back into your bed now that Lil's out of the picture?"

Kimi turned back around and looked at her writing assignment, which only made the girl and her friend laugh more. She tried to ignore them, but they kept on pestering her until she couldn't handle it anymore. She turned back around. "Shut the fuck up talking about me," Kimi said.

"Ooh, she's mad," the girl's friend sneered. "Leni, we're really getting to her. We must be right and she wants to know how we got our information."

"Actually I couldn't care less about that," Kimi snapped. "I'm just trying to get my work done, and if you do want to talk about me you could say it so I can't hear you. You don't know anything about what's been going on."

"Lil was such a nice person," Leni responded. "Lil was always so nice to you, and you always dissed her. You would go around dressing like a little ho and talking to everybody's boyfriends, all hugged up on them and shit. Then you had to go around and take her boyfriend too. Well now that you have him it doesn't look like you want him. The sad thing is nobody wants you either."

It was hard coming up with a comeback, but Kimi knew that she couldn't just not say anything. Practically everyone in the classroom was listening to their conversation. The drama didn't feel like it was worth it. Lil, her best friend, was in the hospital. Winning any arguments wasn't going to make anyone think differently of her. Kimi knew that by talking to Susie. She couldn't make anyone take her side. She couldn't make anyone understand her. Just as she felt like saying something she heard the loud sound of books closing from the other end of the room. Tommy was standing up after being harassed by classmates too, and Kimi watched as he left the room. The people over by him began clapping and cheering. Leni and her sidekick turned away from Kimi and then yelled across the room to ask what happened. When the two girls left her alone as if forgetting she was there Kimi fought back her tears by putting her head down.

She sat there and pondered everything, but she really wanted to chase after Tommy. Both of them didn't deserve everything that was going on. She really wanted to talk to him. She was just a little too worried at what everyone else would say about it. Yet they had a lot to talk about, starting with the way they felt about each other. Suddenly Kimi was more confused than ever. She knew that she liked Tommy. She was so attracted to him that she felt like she would lose control. She had to catch herself from matching her name with his last name. He was still Lil's boyfriend as far as everyone else was concerned.

Then there was Phil. She really liked him. She always had like him. There just wasn't any spark. They didn't have enough memories that competed with hers and Tommy's. Sure Phil was boyfriend material, but Kimi wasn't his girl.

Kimi needed to talk to Tommy. She was craving the sound of his voice. He was what made her wake up in the middle of the night. His face is what she saw as she downed pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream before purging it down into the sewers. Their conversation replayed over and over in her mind. I had another dream last night. Yeah, you were in it. It's always about how what would've happened in my room if Lil hadn't shown up. Yeah, I care about Lil. She's my best friend. I've just…wanted to taste your lips for awhile. It's been too long Tommy. No, Pete was just a distraction. He never meant anything to me. I'm not lying. I care about you a lot. I always have. Now just give me what I want.

As the door opened students rushed to their seats and their missing English teacher walked back inside. The older woman wasn't one for gossip, but everything that was going on with the students was alluring even to her. She spotted Tommy's missing desk. She was almost curious as to where he had gone but even she was aware of the harassment he was facing. It was almost a form of bullying. The class appeared to be well behaved, yet all she had to do was glance at Kimi before she knew that they were only the opposite of "angels."

"Mr. Pickles is gone?"

Silence.

"Ah well, he was getting ready to leave anyway. And Miss Finster?"

Kimi's head shot up while the students were suddenly alert with curiosity. "Yes Ms. Waters?" God had finally blessed her. She was getting ready to leave. Her heart began pounding in her chest as she thought of what could've happened. Then she realized that maybe leaving wasn't so good. Was Lil okay? She tried reading Ms. Waters' expression, but she was so good at hiding her emotions.

"Your mother is down at the office to pick you up. You're on your way to the hospital."