"For the last time, Ben! Tell me where we're going!"

Benvolio glanced behind him, a big smile on his face. Joy thrilled through him at the sight of Mercutio's semi-annoyed face, a few feet away. He was back! His friend was okay! Benvolio turned around again, and continued dragging Mercutio across the black-top. "Pipe down. I told you, I'll tell you when we get there."

He could already see the people massing around. Some looked up as he and Mercutio approached. Some waved, while others grinned. Two girls started snickering to each other, anticipating what was going to happen. Benvolio dragged his friend toward the middle of the crowd, suddenly nervous. This could be terrible.

Then again, it could be awesome.

He had almost made it to the center, when Mercutio decided he'd had enough. Ripping his arm out of his friend's grasp, he tried to back up. But Benvolio, not to be deterred, gripped his shoulder, shoving him forward. Mercutio threw up his hands in exasperation. "Dude! I just got out of the hospital. For the love of Mike, be more ge-"

Then he stuttered to a halt.

Because the crowd had just parted, shoving another boy into the center. A boy with black hair, cut in the trending fashion - messy and wind-blown in a supposedly-cute fashion. A boy with neatly-pressed jeans and a red sweat-shirt. A boy whose own eyes widened at the sight of the person across from him.

In other words, Tybalt.

When Tybalt saw Mercutio, he tried to push back through the crowd again. But the wall of people behind him pushed him right back. Mercutio, for his part, let loose a stream of cuss words under his breath. "Tell me you're kidding, Benvolio", he muttered. "Tell me you're kidding."

Benvolio shook his head, nerves crawling up his throat. "Sorry, but no. You know the drill. Everybody's friends now. Everybody."

"Yeah, but come on." Mercutio gestured forcefully at the prep, who looked just as uncomfortable. "Remember the last time we talked? Look where that ended up! Both of us in the hospital! This is ridiculous, Ben, I just don't-"

"I didn't mean to."

Both Mercutio and Benvolio glanced up in surprise. Tybalt was staring at his shoes, looking uncomfortable. "I didn't mean to," he repeated. "I just, uh, I don't know. I got, uh, carried away." He waved one of his hands in a vague gesture. "I didn't think it would...didn't see the..."

The crowd was very still. Mercutio glanced at Benvolio, who made the go-on gesture. Mercutio sighed. Then, he shook his black hair out of his eyes, and started forward. Tybalt looked up as he approached, his eyes narrowing. Mercutio stopped, a few feet away from the person he'd been taunting, just two weeks earlier.

Then he took a deep breath. A small smirk touched his lips, as he held out his hand. His eye-brows raised, a dare inside of a question. Well? Will you?

Tybalt straightened up, and faced the emo. His eyes lit up a bit, their old, rebellious flame coming back. They stood there, the two of them, perfectly silent. The crowd was silent too, tense. Waiting.

Then, Tybalt gripped Mercutio's hand in his, and shook it firmly.

The crowd erupted into cheers. Everywhere, people turned excitedly to their friends, talking about what they'd just witnessed. Emos and Emos, preps and preps, and normal people. But, if you looked hard enough, you would see something you couldn't have seen for a while.

Emos and preps talking with each other. Laughing with each other. Giving each other fist-bumps, and high-fives. Or, at the very least, walking by without throwing insults or dirty looks.

As Benvolio watched it, he felt a pang in his chest. He wished Romeo could have been there to see it. Romeo, yeah, and Juliet too. Benvolio didn't know his friend's secret crush that well, but he figured she was a nice girl.

Unfortunately, neither Sophomore could be there. Romeo was still expelled, of course. Doubly so, since he'd broken into a hospital. And Juliet was also expelled, because of what she'd done. She hadn't seemed to upset about it, though After all, she and Romeo were starting in a new school together, a place with no prejudices. Benvolio figured they'd be happy. And anyways, he still had Romeo's number. A silly thing like expulsion wasn't going to get in the way of a friendship.

Capulet and Montague weren't there either. They'd both been suspended for three days, because of the whole hospital thing. And Laurie had also been expelled. She was going to a public school, a little ways from here. Principle Esculus had told her she was lucky. She could have gone to jail for mixing up that drug for Juliet. But Laurie was still staying in the school dorms, so she was still around. Somewhere.

As Benvolio let those thoughts swirl around in his head, he didn't notice Mercutio and Tybalt. The two boys had not moved from their position, even as people celebrated around them. Now, Tybalt stepped forward, and leaned forward so his lips almost brushed Mercutio's earing. Quietly, so only the emo could here, he whispered, "Freak."

Mercutio turned his head toward him, a smile sliding across his face. "Come on, Pretty Boy," he whispered. "What makes you think I'd want to be anything else?"

Tybalt was silent. Then he smirked, and walked away. As he passed Mercutio, he clapped him on the shoulder, just for an instant. Then, he was gone.

Mercutio stood there for a moment, considering. Then, he skipped forward, snuck up behind Benvolio, and put his hands over his friend's eyes. Benvolio yelped, and twisted around, almost crashing into a group of people. They scattered in alarm and annoyance. They were, Mercutio realized, a crazy mix of preps and Emo. And while some did avoid each other, others grouped together, talking. Probably complaining about clumsy Benvolio. It wasn't perfect.

But it was a start.