8. Back to Arcadia

The first week back at school, the nine survivors were the most popular students. A fist full of science nerds and sub-defectives. As Joan, Adam, Luke and Grace stood in line to get through the metal dectors, they kept hearing people saying their names.

"This is getting a little weird.." Joan said, picking at the cast on her left arm.

"I wonder if I'll set off the metal dectors," Grace said, looking at her crutches.

"Well, they're metal, so probably," Joan told her.

"I don't see why they're making me use these. I don't need them," Grace complained.

"Dude, remember when you said that yesterday and tried to walk down stairs without them?" Adam asked her.

"Shut up," Grace muttered. Adam, Joan and Luke laughed when some girl approched them.

"Oh my gosh! Is it true that you, like, got caught in this killer fire?" she asked Joan.

"No commet," Joan said as Iris walked up behind them and took Adam's hand.

"Hey guys," she said, receving a chorus of 'hey's'. "This new found popularity is freaking me out," Iris told them as another person approched them. She looked at the huge gash on Iris's arm, the gauze sticking out from under Adam's beanie, Joan cast and cuts, Grace's crutches and a brused up Luke.

"You guys were in the fire!" she exclamed.

"Yes we were," Grace told her. The whole week played out the same way. Joan, Adam, Luke, Grace, Iris, Glynis, Freidman, Scott and Madison were continousally being asked about the fire and they were all relieved when friday afternoon finally rolled around. Joan was opening Grace's locker for her as Adam walked up behind them.

"Do you know how much this sucks?" Grace asked Joan as Joan punched Grace's locker.

"Yeah. Why does this thing always stick?"

"Not that Girardi. The fact that you've got to beat my locker up for me. I feel so useless, and everyone keeps wanting to do stuff for me. I broke my leg, I'm not helpless!"

"Yeah, but people just want to help," Joan said, punching the locker again as it flung open and smacked her in the face. Grace started cracking up.

"Are you okay, yo?" Adam asked. Joan rubbed her forehead with the hand the hand not in a cast.

"Yeah, great. We studing at my house tonight?" she asked Adam and Grace.

"I'll be there," Grace said.

"I've got plans with Iris, sorry," Adam told her.

"Oh.. Okay.." Joan said.

*

Joan opened the door to her house and she and Grace walked in.

"Did I mention how much this sucks?" Grace asked Joan.

"A few times. But then again, you think everything sucks," Joan told her friend, closing the door.

"I do not."

"You know you do so," Joan told her. Grace picked up her crutch and smacked Joan's leg with it.

"Hey!" Joan yelled, laughing a bit. Helen entered the living room with a stack of papers.

"Hello Joan, Grace," she said, leaning down and picking up another stack of papers on the table. She then went upstairs.

"Ugh, I really do not want to study," Joan said, sinking down on the couch. Grace dropped her crutches and collapsed next to Joan.

"Neither do I," Grace said.

"Wanna order a movie?" Joan asked.

"Sure," Grace said. The living room door opened and Luke ran in, slammed the door and ran over to the couch out of breath.

"Are you okay?" Joan asked her brother. He pointed to Grace and tried to catch his breath.

"Need to talk to you. Alone," he said, panting. Grace raised an eyebrow and grabbed her crutches.

"Fine," she said as they went into the kitchen.

"Okay, what?" Grace asked.

"About when we kissed-"

"It was to prove a point."

"No, not that time. The time in the fire. Why did it happen, what did it mean?"

"Why do you even care?" Grace asked him. "It meant nothing," she said as they made eye contact.

"Nothing?" he asked. Grace broke the stare.

"Okay, so what if it meant something? It doesn't change anything," she told him.

"So it meant something?" Luke questioned.

"Okay, you know what? I like you, but I don't do this," she said, leaving the kitchen. She entered the living room and got her bag then headed for the door and contimplated the best way to open it when Joan came over and opened it for her. Grace muttered 'thanks' and left.