Carter walked to the cafeteria where Abby was sitting, talking to Susan. "Hey, you two haven't either Weaver or Romano tracked you down yet?" Carter laughed. "NAAA, NOT YET." SUSAN RAN A HAND THROUGH HER BLONDE HAIR. "WHAT'S UP?" SUSAN LEANED FORWARD AND TOOK A SIP OF HER STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE. "DID ANY OF YOU SEE THAT CHEERLEADER IN EXAM 2? DANICA? WITH THE TWO OTHER CHEERLEADERS? ALL PEPPY AND STUFF?" "THE ONE MALUCCI WANTED TO SEE?" ABBY ASKED. SHE BRUSHED HER HAIR BACK FROM HER EYES. "I SAW HER COME IN WITH THE TWO OTHERS, WHY?" "I NOTICED THIS HUGE BRUISE ON HER THIGH AND IT DIDN'T LOOK TOO GOOD." CARTER SAID. HE REACHED DOWN FOR SUSAN'S SMOOTHIE. HE TOOK A SIP OF IT AND SUSAN SNATCHED IT BACK. "HEY!" BUT SHE LOOKED AT HIM AGAIN. "COME ON, CARTER, SHE'S A CHEERLEADER. SHE WAS PROBABLY DROPPED OR FELL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. CHEERLEADING'S DANGEROUS!" "HOW DO YOU KNOW? I DON'T THINK CHLOE WAS A CHEERLEADER, AND YOU WEREN'T." CARTER SAID. "IT COULD BE SOMETHING WORSE THEN THAT. LIKE D-" HE WAS CUT OFF WHEN SOMEONE SAID SOMEWHAT TIMIDLY, "DR. CARTER?" CARTER TURNED AROUND TO SEE TIA STANDING BEHIND HIM. HE FELT THE AIR BEING PUNCHED OUT OF HIM. BUT THERE COULD BE SOMETHING GOOD IN THIS. MAYBE THE CHEERLEADER HAD SOME ADVICE. "YEAH, WHAT'S UP, TIA?" CARTER ASKED HER. SHE LOOKED SOMEWHAT NERVOUS. HE HOPED THAT NOTHING SERIOUS WAS HAPPENING WITH ANY OF THE GIRLS. "UMM, WELL, DANICA ASKED ME TO COME AND GET HER SOME SODA, AND I SAW YOU AND I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU." TIA SAT DOWN AT A TABLE AFTER SHE GRABBED THREE SODAS AND THREE CANDY BARS. "I KNOW THAT YOU SAW THAT THING ON DANICA'S LEG. AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHAT IT IS. I KNOW WHAT IT IS." CARTER WAS AMAZED. TIA WAS ONE SMART PERSON. "WELL, ACTUALLY, I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION. WHAT IS IT?" TIA SMILED BUT THE SMILE DISSIPATED IMMEDIATELY. "IT'S HER, WELL HER BOYFRIEND EVAN. HE'S REALLY, REALLY ABUSIVE. I ONCE SAW HIM BEND HER ARM AROUND HER BACK AND IT ALMOST SNAPPED. WE WERE AT A DANCE AND SINCE SHE COULDN'T MAKE A SHOW, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE LOOK ON HER FACE. IT WAS LIKE, ALL TWISTED IN PAIN." TIA WENT ON. CARTER LISTENED WITH GROWING HORROR. THIS SOUNDED LIKE DOMESTIC. "TIA, DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ELSE?" "YEAH. SHE'S NOT ALLOWED TO TALK TO ANY OTHER GUYS AROUND EVAN UNLESS HE IS AROUND, WITH HIS ARM AROUND HER. HE REALLY SCARES ME, LIKE I SIT NEXT TO HIM IN THIRD PERIOD AND HE IS ALWAYS LIKE BEING REALLY MEAN TO ME. I ONCE MENTIONED IT TO DANICA AND SHE WOULDN'T BELIEVE ME." TIA STARTED TO LOOK UPSET. "I JUST DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO HER. SHE AND MARIA ARE MY BEST FRIENDS AND I REALLY THOUGHT I SHOULD TELL YOU." TIA SAID. CARTER SMILED AT HER. "THANK YOU, TIA, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO DANICA." CARTER STOOD UP. "NOW GO ALONG TO DANICA AND DON'T SAY ANYTHING." CARTER SAID. HE WAITED UNTIL TIA WAS GONE. HE THEN RAN OVER TO SUSAN AND ABBY. ABBY WASN'T THERE. HE FLOPPED INTO HER SEAT. "THAT WAS HER FRIEND. AND HER FRIEND SAYS IT'S HER BOYFRIEND!" CARTER WAS SAYING ALL THIS AT ONE TIME. SUSAN HELD UP HER HANDS. "CARTER, JUST TALK SLOW. THEN I CAN UNDERSTAND YOU." CARTER WENT ON. AFTER SPILLING THE STORY, HE SIPPED THE REMAINDER OF ABBY'S DRINK. "WELL?" "CARTER, HOW ABOUT I TALK TO HER AND THEN I'LL TELL HER WHAT I THINK, THEN YOU CAN TALK TO HER." SUSAN SAID. SHE STOOD UP TO LEAVE.

SUSAN KNOCKED ON THE DOOR OF EXAM 2. THREE GIRLS WERE SITTING, ONE WITH A WRAPPED ANKLE. SUSAN EASILY STARTED TO TALK TO THE GIRLS. "WELL, DANICA, I JUST HAVE TO CHECK OUT YOUR FOOT AGAIN AND THEN WE CAN GET READY TO GO." "OKAY, GIRLS, WELL THANKS A LOT. CAN YOU CALL EVAN FOR ME, MARIA?" DANICA ASKED THE LATINO GIRL. MARIA SMILED AND NODDED. "SURE." TIA GROANED AND WALKED OUT. FINALLY, SUSAN WAS ALONE WITH DANICA. SHE COULD ASK HER. "DANICA, MAY I ASK YOU A QUESTION?" SUSAN ASKED DANICA AS SHE STARTED TO UNWRAP THE BANDAGE ON HER FOOT. "YEAH, SURE." DANICA SMILED. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR THIGH?" SUSAN MOTIONED TO THE LARGE BRUISE ON HER LEG. DANICA'S SMOOTH LOOK SLIPPED A NOTCH. "WHY?" "YOUR FRIEND TIA SAYS THAT IT WAS FROM YOUR BOYFRIEND, EVAN." SUSAN SCRUTINIZED DANICA'S FACE. THE SMOOTH LOOK SLIPPED DOWN TWO NOTCHES MORE THAN IT HAD ALREADY. "YEAH, WELLLLLL, UHHHHHH, UMMMMM." DANICA TRAILED OFF. SUSAN LOOKED IN HER BLUE EYES. "DANICA, DID EVAN DO THAT TO YOU?" SUSAN ASKED. DANICA LOWERED HER FACE. SHE NODDED.