After lunch, there were still a few things that had to be taken care of before the eight of them could leave. The last few periods were devoted to cleaning out their lockers and desks, huge trashcans had been brought out to help.

Cain took out one of the comic books he'd stashed in his locker. Grinning, he remembered the times he'd smuggled it and others like it into a particularly boring class. Mostly Math class, but sometimes only having a comic book with him had kept him from conking out in History.

Ness was picking through scrap paper and assorted pencil stubs. Just my luck I'm such a packrat, he thought with a soft chuckle. Since he wasn't going to keep any of the stuff he was finding in here, Ness just scooped it out and hauled it to the trash.

***

Devon yawned, fighting the urge to ask someone else to deal with his locker so he could go to the nurse's office for a nap. Devon had low blood pressure, which made it hard for him to get going in the morning. It also made him tired very easily. Yawning again, Devon forced himself to get back to work.

***

Finally, everything was done. The various lockers were all cleaned out, and everyone had left the school building.

"Well, it feels good to have that over and done with, now doesn't it?" Cain asked, looking around at his family and friends.

"You can say that again," Fritz said, lying back in the grass.

"Buses are coming," Devon said absently.

The eight of them, since they had already arranged to get a ride to the Carters' home with Conrad, sat and watched as most of the other kids got on the buses.

"Buses are leaving," Fritz commented, as the big yellow vehicles drove off the parking lot.

Cindy snapped her fingers, as if she had suddenly thought of something.

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you guys this. I've joined this new club; it's called The Sharing. I was wondering if any of you guys want to join up?"

"Ignore her," Devon commented from his place on the grass. "She's been trying to talk anyone who'll listen to her into joining."

"Hmm, The Sharing," Ness mused. "Isn't that the weird new cult that's sprung up lately?"

"It is not a cult!" Cindy protested.

"Sure it's not," Cain said, batting his eyelashes. "The people who join up are all saying that their problems disappeared once they became a full member of The Sharing. Now tell me Cind, what do you call a place like that?" Cain's tone was that of someone speaking to a particularly deluded person.

"It is not a cult."

"Maybe this 'Sharing' is a Goa'uld front," Fritz said, grinning. "Maybe they're trying to invade Earth quietly, so by the time anyone at SGC notices them, they've already won."

Everyone laughed, but Cindy's laughter seemed a bit forced. No one noticed.

"I've seen some of the guys who stand guard outside Sharing meetings in those old buildings they have," Ness said mock seriously. "Maybe those are Jaffa."

Everyone laughed again. Stargate: SG-1 was one of their favorite TV shows.

"Hey, if they have Jaffa, maybe they really are Goa'uld," Cain finished.

Just then, the green mini-van that Conrad had driven away in all those hours ago came rolling up. Pulling to a neat stop, Katherine waved to the group from the passenger-side window.

"Need a ride?" she laughed.

They all piled into the mini-van, filling the three rows of seats.

"Who says you get to ride shotgun?" Ness teased Katherine, from his seat just behind the front.

"First come, first served," Conrad said lightly.

Just behind Ness, Cain and Shara, Fritz, Devon and Cindy had claimed the second row of seats.

"Hey, sis? Would you mind if I -?" Devon trailed off, but his intent was clear to anyone who knew him.

"What? Oh, sure," Cindy said.

Devon lay his head in Cindy's lap, stretching out his legs and resting his feet in Fritz's.

"Fritz Wallace, the human footrest," Fritz smiled with resigned amusement.

"Do you mind? I could rest my feet on the floor, if it really bothers you that much."

"Nah. I was only teasing you, Dev. Go ahead and take your nap," Fritz answered, waving his hand and dismissing Devon's concern.

"Thanks," a couple minutes later, Devon was fast asleep.