"Hey Bran…"

He looked over at his sister who dug a spoon in the cookies and cream ice cream. The twins had raided the freezer like old times to get some ice cream. Brandon knew that it wasn't cool to admit he did such a chick thing but right now, he had to deal with some suspicions…

"What is it Brenda?"

She bit her lip after licking the spoon.

"I think Cindy's having an affair."

He blinked his eyes…clearly not the only one having suspicions.

"What makes you say that?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know…I saw her sneaking in way past midnight wearing some pretty mod clothes."

"Maybe she just went out for a drive," he said, "With Jim gone all the time on business, she might feel restless. You know she was never into moving here. "

"I know that but it's kind of pathetic don't you think…being stuck being a stuck up Beverly Hills housewife with no life?"

"Well yeah…but she's got hobbies…"

"Like what?"

Brandon had to think about that a long moment as he dug his spoon in the softening ice cream.

"Recycling…yes…she started that program."

Brenda just rolled her eyes.

"Big deal…Andrea did that and if she did, anyone can."

Brandon crinkled his eyebrows.

"Speaking of secret lives…I'm wondering if she's got one…"

"Everyone knows she cheats the district by sleeping on her grandma's couch trying so hard not to betray her low rent valley trash roots."

Brandon whistled.

"That's not very nice to say."

"It's true and you know it…but I know what you mean. There was this new painting by this rad artist named Gothic Jones and it was all strippers."

"You mean exotic dancers?"

She shook her head clearly impatient.

"No Bran…I mean strippers and I don't know…but I studied one of the pictures real really hard and it looked kind of like her."

Brandon shook his head almost immediately as if it were the most ridiculous thing he'd heard.

"No….no it couldn't be. She's never….not even with me and so how on earth could she be a stripper?"

Brenda snorted.

"One has nothing to do with the other…she still has her V card I'm sure of it…though I think she'll trade it in before Donna…but stripping?"

Brandon sobered up quickly.

"Still…it's got to be some mistake…maybe she just looked like the picture."

Brenda scooped out some more ice cream.

"You're probably right…I mean. Andrea's too boring even to have a life let alone be a stripper. Think of all that could be mined from such a job by a really talented person not a hack."

Brandon paused.

"Don't get any ideas Bren," he said, "the parental units already think you're close enough to the edge of a cliff."

She sighed dramatically.

"I'm not…I'm living the life of my dreams as a talented artist," she said, "I can't believe how unsupportive they are of my growth as an artist and a human being."

"They just want you to finish school."

"I am going to do the test," she said, "I've got too many other things to do that are much more important."

"Like get a job to support yourself?"

She scrunched up her face.

"Do we have to talk about that right now?"

He sighed.

"Bren…I don't want you to get desperate and forced to work as a stripper or even a hooker."

She gasped.

"Brandon, I'm way too smart to get into any of that," she said, "I saw what it did to Julia Roberts."

He thought her a bit naïve and that she had so much to learn about the real world out there, the one he'd discovered when he worked at that restaurant for two nights and witnessed the exploitation of the employees in the kitchen. He'd stood up to the man…well in that case a woman and liberated all the employees of course before sitting at a table with Dylan ordering people around right after quitting.

Then there was that time he'd liberated some oppressed people in the 'hood of East L.A. after taking a wrong turn and getting lost there one time on the way to the Coliseum.

He was a great guy really…not always appreciated for it but that was the problem of the rest of the world.

Brenda seemed more interested in the ice cream.


Andrea saw him across the smoke filled room again chatting with some of the bigwigs that hung out at the club.

Gill.

Damn him, the man who haunted her nightmares always trying to mess with her even while she slept. He never appeared to see her but you couldn't ever tell with him.

"Hey Andrea…"

She froze at the sound of the voice. Damn, her cover had just been blown as it wasn't her stage name here.

"You must have me…."

A chilly laugh and she turned around to see Sue Scanlon.

"What are you doing here?"

Sue just laughed.

"I'm trying to get some work. I need a job and don't feel like working in some stupid store or slinging hash at Mickey Dees. So I came here and who do I see?"

Andrea sighed.

"This isn't the place for you."

"Why not? They hired you didn't they which means they'll hire anyone."

"You're too young."

"They won't care…and I saw that pervert over there who tried to kiss me…"

Andrea frowned.

"Sue we'd gone through all that."

The girl shook her head.

"No not the dweeb Gill," she said, "I mean over there…."

She pointed a finger and Andrea followed it and her eyes widened as she saw what looked like Steve's father, Rush. She'd met him a couple times and thought him a bit overbearing and stuffy but he looked totally different here.

Dressed in faded leather and tatted on his arm.

"Does Steve know?"

Sue shrugged as if she didn't give a damn.

"This could emotionally destroy him if he doesn't," Andrea said, "if Rush has got secrets…"

"Everyone has secrets," Sue said, "My brother Scott had them…I had them and I know you do too."

Andrea blinked her eyes wondering what the girl was getting at with her monotone monologue.

"Secrets?"

Sue smiled.

"Why yes…we all have something we're trying to hide and that someone's trying to figure out…so they'll control us but only the stupid allow that to happen."

"The what?"

"The stupid…the weak," she said, "It makes it easy to be preyed upon by those who punish the guilty."

Now Andrea felt weaker in the knees because this was sounding all too familiar. Hadn't she and her friends been warned about their secrets?

One of them anyway?

A man walked up to her.

"Come on sugar…you're up next," he said, "Better get moving…"

She nodded eager to get away from Sue who just looked at her with a snide look.

"I'll be seeing you later…"