Rory looked horrified at the scene in front of her. The bright red paint stood out boldly from the dark green paint of the matching lockers. Obviously it had not been done too long ago since the red was running down and making new streaks across the door. Getting over the fact that someone had just vandalized her locker Rory took a moment to read what was sprayed on there and suddenly took off, tears already spilling.

The four girls simultaneously disappeared following Rory down the hallway while the guys stood around uneasy and looking for revenge. Spotting the transfer students on the opposite end near the trophy display case they seemed to get the same idea and headed over there with revenge in their minds.

Daryll and Trey, the two bigger guys, grabbed Tristan and Blake by the collars shoving them up against the expensive glass structure. They targeted Tristan because he had been identified as the source of their problems and Blake just because he couldn't seem to stop provoking them. The other three turned on the final two transfers but didn't challenge them as they were uninterested in the scene before them.

The girls minus Paris who was coldly staring Jess down began to shriek in horror and surprise prompting Mr. Dasun, already coming to view the damage, to run from the adjoining corridor.

"Let them down immediately! Exactly were you thinking Mr. Atrum and Mr. Ryder? My office now." Daryll and Trey dropped the other two guys and sullenly walked off in the general direction of the principal's office. "By the time I get done with the two of you, you'd rather plead mental instability than face the punishment I'll be handing out," Mr. Dasun screamed at their retreating backs and Jess could have sworn that he saw them wince.

But his attention was soon diverted when the man of the moment turned on him and immediately began his "responsibility comes with being leaders of your class" speech that Jess had already learned to tune out.

While the principal was lecturing till he literally turned blue Tristan was checking the back of his head which was in serious danger of a major headache and possible concussion. Finding nothing really wrong except for a minor throb from a growing bump he turned to look at his partner in pain. Blake was faring less better than his blonde counterpart since there was a small cut somewhere in his mess of hair and it was at the moment bleeding profusely. He was wincing in obvious pain but stopped the act when the blood flow decreased drastically.

Tristan saw the blood on his friend's fingertips and decided to never again mess with Daryll since he himself was only attacked by Trey. Speaking of the attack, the girls were viewing the damage to the boys while TJ and Brian went to see the effect on their beloved trophy case.

"Oh, damn, look! Daryll broke the glass with that guy's head," shouted Brian who was known to be the loudest of the guys. At this everyone turned and stared at the pair.

Since all eyes were on them TJ just shrugged and answered nonchalantly, "What? He did." Realizing that they were talking about Blake the principal and the rest of the girls crowded around him until Mr. Dasun sent the injured to the nurse's office. The principal excused the rest of the group to classes with the exception of Jess who was sent to the conference room for an emergency meeting of class officers.

He had walked in late and noticed the daggers the senior officers were shooting at him. Glancing around Jess shrugged his shoulders and offered the lame excuse of the principal needing to talk to him. After his half-hearted excuse Jess took a seat at the end of the table and noted with some surprise that Rory wasn't present. The meeting was about an hour long and fifty five minutes too long for Jess' tastes.

He stretched languidly under the bright sun and found his friends in their usual spot during the ten minute break. Jess looked around and again did a head count just to be sure. "Rory left?"

Lane answered him first before the other girls could rush to speak. "Yeah, she went home, like, right after you guys saw her run off."

"And Trey and Daryll?"

This time Jenna beat Lane to the punch and delivered the regretful news. "Yeah, they're suspended. Best estimate: at least a week."

The bell rang sporadically and the remainders of the group slowly took off towards their classes. Lane lagged behind further than the rest because of a freak electronic accident that dumped her in P.E. rather than Design. She let her thoughts shift to that of her best friend and felt sorry for the poor girl. Although Rory got to spend the rest of the day at home, Lane knew that Rory would probably enjoy it more if her departure had been for different reasons

Rory, at the moment, was still on her couch, wrapped in a blanket, and slightly sniffling but generally unwilling to move from her fetal position. Lorelai couldn't come home from the Inn because of an emergency but quite frankly Rory didn't want her to. In her mind, there were more important things to be done. Sadly, she picked herself up and managed to drag herself into her room where she fell onto the floor, inches away from her queen-sized bed.

A sharp clanging alerted Rory from her desperate state and she tried in vain to get up but the blanket was hopelessly tangled around her legs and prevented it.

"Rory, you home?" Lorelai called out tentatively when she heard a thump coming from upstairs. She heard a long drawn out "owwwww" from near the top of the stirs and immediately rushed up the staircase, almost tripping over Rory. Lorelai unrolled her from the blanket and just looked at her daughter questioningly, while trying not to burst out in laughter.

"I was trying to get to you but the evil blanket wouldn't let me go," Rory responded sullenly, still sprawled out on the floor slightly tangled in the blanket.

Lorelai plopped down next to her daughter and gave her a long hug since she had already been informed of the situation from Lane's hurried phone call.

But Lane's situation seemed so much worse than almost falling down a flight of stairs wrapped in a blanket. She could have sworn that they stopped playing dodge ball when kids were still in junior high or most likely elementary school. Yet, the bouncy, red ball nailing her in the shin was definitely not a figment of her youthful imagination. She glared around the gym looking for the perpetrator and glanced right over to the smirking face of Summer.

Obviously this was the girl who Rory suspected of spray painting her locker. Well, she was about to experience the ugly side of spray paint. Another ball slammed right into her stomach and after a moment Lane collapsed onto the floor in mock pain. Worried, the teacher/coach immediately sent her to the nurse's office but Lane had other plans for her free ride out of the pains of dodge ball.

Earlier, she had noticed with distaste that her small little hole of a locker had been assigned directly under Summer's, also known as the same locker she had during freshman year. Being the beginning of the year the combination stuck in her mind and Lane spun the lock expertly. Unsurprised at the amount of makeup pouring out of the locker as soon as she opened the door, she dug through the small tangle of the required uniform and fought her way to the rear of the locker. Even less surprising were the two small cans of red spray paint innocently sitting among some lotion and body spray.

Grinning wickedly Lane grabbed the white polo shirt with the emblazoned school logo along with one of the cans of spray paint. Thinking better of herself she pulled her cell phone out of her new locker and called Rory. Basically given the go ahead Lane began to mirror the obscenities from Rory's locker onto the back of Summer's shirt and blazer. She placed the clothes back into the locker while remaining careful not to smudge anything and at the same time arranging things for the maximum effect.

Lane made sure that her hands had remained devoid of any paint then went out to the vending machine. This is the part that she wouldn't enjoy at all no matter how close her and Rory were. She purchased a bottle of blue Gatorade and proceeded to spill it onto herself. Once that was done, she rushed to the office and asked the receptionist for the spare change of uniform that was always kept in case of emergencies.

By the time her entire plan had been executed, the details relayed to Rory and Lorelai, and the now sticky clothes safely in her locker, it was time for the next class, her favorite of all, lunch. Thankfully for block scheduling, she had lunch with the rest of the gang or at least those who were still in school.

She rushed to their usual spot and quickly asked if anyone had seen any trace of Summer. Jess casually replied, "Dasun called me out again, and on my way out here I heard her screaming about needing a new uniform."

She grinned widely and said, "Perfect." Lane grabbed Jenna with one hand and Eliza with the other and dragged them in the general direction of the administration with the other four trailing behind in curiosity. They arrived just in time to see the end of Summer's tirade at the secretary.

"Oh, this is too perfect."