"Bella!" Jake ran down the stark white hallway to hug her friend. She pulled back to look her in the eyes, "Hey, how are you?"

Sniffling, Bella wiped her tears away, "I'm sorry I'm crying. It's stupid really. I mean Scout's going to be fine."

"It's ok." She wrapped her arms around Bella again.

"It's just that, we saw them bring him down the mountain, there was blood everywhere, and we didn't know what happened. So we followed them here." A fresh wave of tears started, "And they wouldn't tell us what happened, 'cause we're not family, ya know? And so I - we didn't know if it was, like, life-threatening or what until just a few minutes ago. I thought he could have been dying and we didn't know."

"It's all going to be ok. Scout's good," Jake patted her back softly, rubbing in soft circle, "Well, except for the massive grounding he's going to receive."

Laughing, Bella pulled back and accepted a tissue from Hamilton. "Me too."

Hamilton put his arm around both girls, moving them into a huddle, "I think that goes for all of us." They remained in this small circle, heads resting together in the center, until Will interrupted,

"Hey, they'll let us see him now."

They follow Will into the hospital room. Scout seemed so small in the bed, swimming in the white blankets they placed over him. His face was swollen and bruised; bandages covered his jaw.

"Hey guys," he tried to smile slightly.

"Hey, how you feeling Calhoun?"

"Pretty good....Okay, not that good. But hey, at least I've made some close new tree friends."

Jake laughed, "Had I known that this was going to happen, I probably would not have made that comment."

"We're glad you're okay." Bending over, Bella tried to hug him without adding further injury.

"Yeah, Calhoun, You sure know how to scare the shit out of us. Another good politician characteristic."

Scout was about to reply to Hamilton's comment when they heard a deeper voice carry over their own, "Yes, it is."

"Dad."

"Senator Calhoun. We're really sorry about all of this-"

But he motioned for Bella to be quiet as he broke through their semicircle around his son and sat next to the bed.

"What the hell did you think you were doing, son?"

"Well..I..we..umm."

The senator broke his serious tone with a smile and leaned over to hug Scout, "I'm just relieved you're not seriously injured."

Scout sat there, stunned, for a moment, before returning the hug. "Me too."

"But you know I'm going to have to punish you for this."

"Yeah, I kinda figured-"

"And thoroughly check into any school related trips before I let you attend them."

"Yes, sir."

"And take away your car."

Scout looked at him pleadingly, but agreed softly, "Yes, sir."

Senator Calhoun turned from Scout to face the rest of the group, who looked prepared to get a severe lecture and/or screaming rant, "I guess all of you need a ride back to Rawley Academy?"

Letting go of the breath she had been holding, Bella spoke for them, "Yes, we do."

"We'll leave when the hospital releases Scout, which I expect to be tomorrow."

"Thank you, Senator Calhoun."

He smiled at the group, "Thought I was going to yell?"

"Honestly...yes."

"I'll leave that for your own parents. I'm sure there will be plenty to go around."

"I can pretty much guarantee that."


"Hamilton, pick up the phone," Jake commanded.

Staring at the pay phone in the lobby, his hand reached out and rested on the receiver, but he didn't pick it up.

"Hamilton, either you can call them now and have them yell and scream, or you can wait for them to find out through someone else and be ten times as angry. Which do you want?"

Standing in silence and frowning at the phone, he thought about her advise.

"Fine! I'll do it." Before he could stop her, she had picked it up and dialed his number, "Here..." she held the ringing phone out to him.

Reluctantly, he grabbed it and twirled the cord around his hand. "Hi dad, can I speak with mom please?"

"Sure, she's right here..."

"Hey mom, umm, how are you?" He was stalling, so Jake pinched him in the side to remind him of what he had to do.

"Oww." He glared at Jake, then turned back to the phone, "Oh, nothing."

"Is something wrong, sweetie?"

"Yeah, you know how I said I was going to New York with Jake?"

"Yes. You didn't...go to New York?"

"Oh, uhh, I-I did pass through it...but...we kindawenttovermonttoskiinstead."

"Hamilton, honey, you're going to have to speak a little slower."

"We. Went. To. Vermont. To. Ski. Instead."

"Oh, so Monica had enough time to take you skiing? That was nice of her. You're going to have to write her a nice thank you note-"

"Not exactly..."

"No exactly what?"

"Monica...Mrs. Pratt, didn't exactly take us skiing."

"Well then how did you get there?"

"We drove."

"Well, I know you drove, dear, I saw you leaving in Scout's car."

"We...we kinda bypassed the whole New York thing and went skiing by ourselves. The five of us."

"Monica must be worried sick. Please tell me you called her so she's not pulling her hair out?"

"She never, really, thought we were going to stay with her. That was a cover."

"A cover for the ski trip."

"Yes."

"So let me get this straight. You lied - you and Jake lied to us. You made up this intricate story about staying with his mom, complete with a...fraudulent email, so you two could go skiing?"

"Five of us."

"What?"

"You said the two of us, but there are five."

"With no adult supervision?"

"No, not technically."

"What does not technically mean?"

"Well, Jake is, um, 18."

"THAT does not qualify as adult supervision. What brought to this sudden need to tell the truth, since you obviously had no problem lying to your parents for the past week?"

"That's the reason...for the call. Scout kinda got injured."

"What?"

"He's ok, it's nothing serious. Just a few stitches."

"Nothing serious? Hamilton, you should know better. If, God forbid, he had died, it would have been our fault. This could have been reflected on the school!"

"Well, maybe I'm sick of always worrying about how I make the school look. 'Hamilton, make good grades.' 'Hamilton, give this person a tour of the school.' 'Hamilton, be perfect so we can show you off to everyone.' I hate it."

"Don't you take that tone with me, young man. You are the one who has done something wrong here. Stop trying to divert the attention. Now, who is up there with you?"

"Why?"

"I need a list of parents to call and explain the situation."

"Will Krudski, Scout Calhoun, Jake Pratt, Bella Banks."

"A girl, Hamilton? God, tell me she's not pregnant."

"Mom, it's not like that, she's my friend. She's just a friend to all of us. That's all."

"Where are you now?"

"The hospital."

"Give me the name and address."

"What for?"

"So we can come up there and retrieve you."

"Wait - Why? You don't need to come up here...we can just drive back down with Scout."

"I need to be there so I can apologize from my son's irresponsible behavior and beg them not to sue us."

"They won't sue, Mom, they're not like that."

"Honey, I know Rawley parents better than you, I think."

"Whatever. The hospital is St. Michael's at 9278 S. Langton Place."

"Okay, we will be up there by tomorrow morning."

"Bye." He slammed down the phone. "God, they drive me nuts."