A/N: I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews and for pointing out the little mistakes. I've gone over this chapter twice, so hopefully there won't be any. To answer the question about Danny and if he is popular-it's answered in this chapter. Feel free to review again and ask questions as needed.

What Is and What Never Should Be

Chapter Two: Teenage Dirtbag

It was now eight-thirty in the morning.

Faye and Chris stood over the couch and watched the person on it. Stark had been lying there, for the last fifteen minutes and Faye was starting to worry that Stark had died. Stark was perfectly still and even when they waved their hands in front of the older girl's open eyes, Stark made no movements.

"Maybe we should get one of the others?" Faye suggested in a hushed whisper. "Oo, Oo, check if she is breathing." Faye shoved Chris forward.

Chris fell forward and caught himself on the back on the couch, so he won't fall on top of Stark. "Don't do that." He hissed. With surprising grace, Chris stood himself up. "I could have fallen on her!"

"That would have been mortifying for you." Faye thought out loud. "Falling on a girl like that." Chris gave the younger girl a look. "What?"

"Is there a reason you two are standing over me?" Faye and Chris looked down to see Stark staring up at them. "Well?" She raised an eyebrow and sat up.

"N-no reason. We- uh," Chris stammered.

"We thought you might be dead." Faye stated matter-of-fact. "Do you know you sleep with your eyes open?"

"Yeah," Stark sighed and pulled her tight Led Zeppelin baby-tee down. "I knew that." She stood up. "I got to pee."

Faye and Chris exchanged a nervous look.

"Wait," Faye called after her. "you can't go!"

Stark whirled around and glared at Faye. She sighed. "Why, Summers?"

"Uh, 'cause Danny went. He's using the bathroom pass. There's only one." Chris filled in. "You can't leave without the pass."

"What are you, a hall monitor?" Stark snorted. "I'm going."

Faye and Chris watched her head for the door.

Masterson sat on the contour, a large volume on history on his lap. He stared down at a picture of Henry the IV and wondered if he was the guy with all the wives. Deciding that he just might be that guy, Masterson had to give the dead king credit. Masterson only ripped half the page out.

"Where you goin'?" He asked Stark. "Off to do something?" He hopped off the contour. "'Cause, I'd love to do something with you." Moving himself closer, the teen wrapped one of his arms around Stark's waist. He pressed her against him. Leaning in he whispered, "We could laugh."

"Mm," Stark leaned into Masterson, their faces hardly an inch apart. "okay. I'm on my way to pee anyway, I can pick it up."

Knowing she knew how to get into his locker, Masterson smiled and gently pushed Stark away. "Don't take forever. Ripping books apart only goes so far."

Stark's responded by rolling her eyes and walking out of the library. Masterson took a moment to take in Stark's back side before going back to work.

On the second level of the library, Sean Clark leaned against the railing and looked down at Masterson. It was well known that Masterson was the raining king of hate and anger at the school. It was also a well known fact that he was just like his father, John Bender. It was something that Sean's parents didn't like to talk about.

"You keep staring at him and he'll end up thinking your gay." Roxy told Sean. She flashed him her beauty queen smile. "He'd make your life hell and you know it."

"I was just watching him talk to Stefina Stark." Sean ignored Roxy's face as it crunched up into a disgusted look. Roxy Ryans did not like people like Stefina Stark or John Bender-Masterson. So, when you talked about both, it was sure to make Roxy upset. "I think she's getting something for him. I bet they have sex."

"First-ew to that thought. Second-you might be right. John Masterson is a total druggie and Stefina Stark is a total whore." The wheels in Roxy's mind began to turn. "I bet they get together, get high, and then have really rough sex. I bet they've taped it and he shows it to his gross friends."

Sean shrugged. "Maybe."

Roxy turned her body to face Sean. "Maybe? That has to be true." She leaned toward Sean and whispered. "I heard that Mary Jo Crawford saw a video tape fall out of John Masterson's locker and it was labeled." Sean blinked. "Labeled with Stefina Stark's name. Hello?! It was a total sex tape!" Sean choked back a laugh; everyone on the first level was looking up at them. Roxy blushed. "What?"

"You sure you're not in special ed?" Masterson called up. "You're sure as hell acting like it." He laughed to himself.

"Shut up!" Roxy looked to Sean to defend her, but he was giggling. "Whatever." She whirled on the balls of her feet and disappeared into the shelves of books.

Sean looked down at the others and shrugged. It wasn't his fault she was a crazy cheerleader.

The hallways of the school were eerily empty. Danny Harris had never been in the empty halls before and as he rolled down then, he prayed he never would again. It was too creepy, too lonely. Somewhere behind him, a door opened and he nearly jumped.

"Easy, Harris. People will think you're a girl, jumping like that." Stark said with a smirk. She slipped her leather jacket back on and kept walking.

Danny rolled after her. "Wait, how'd you get out of the library without a pass?"

Stark snorted. "We're not magically locked in there. Don't go all Johnson on me, you'll lose the inch of cool you have."

"You think I'm cool?" Danny nearly blushed.

"No." She answered flatly. Stopping at one of the lockers in the hallway, Stark started to undo the lock. "So, shut it, huh?" Opening the locker, Stark pulled a brown bag out from behind all the junk and stuffed the bag into her jacket.

Danny's brown eyes nearly popped out of his head. She was taking drugs out of the locker?! "Is that what I think it is?"

Stark slammed the locker and turned to face Danny. "It depends what you think it is." She rolled her eyes and started walking.

Danny rolled after her. "Is that why you're here? You got caught with drugs?"

"No," Stark scoffed lightly. She glanced over and down at Danny. Was he really so naïve? "you don't get Saturday D. for drugs."

"So, why are you here?" He asked her in a curious tone. Danny really wanted to know, he found that he wanted to know a lot about her.

"Because." Stark bit. She fastened her pace.

Danny fastened his speed. "Is it because you did something with Masterson?" He held back his next question for a moment. "Were you two caught doing something, making out?"

Stark shook her head with a laugh. "No."

They went on in silence. Stark enjoyed the silence.

"Do you and Masterson have sex?" Danny suddenly asked. "Is that why?"

The girl stopped walking and stood in front of Danny, her arms crossed over her chest. "You are awfully worried about why I'm here today and what I do with Masterson. You know what might cure that?" Danny looked hopeful that she'd tell him. "If you'd mind your own damn business!" With that said, Stark turned and started walking again.

"Wait." Danny rolled himself after her. "Stefina, come on, I'm sorry. I won't ask about it again. Promise."

Stark stopped. Her back was turned away from Danny and wondered if she was mad at him. "Okay, here's the deal, don't call me Stefina. You call me Stark and you don't ask about why I'm here or about my relationship with Masterson. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good."

They went back to the library, an awkward silence between them.

Sitting alone in the stacks of nonfiction novels was something Roxy thought she'd never do. She was Roxy freakin' Ryans, things like that weren't supposed to happen to her. She put her legs up against her chest and laid her chin down on her knees.

"H-hey." Roxy looked up to see that it was Chris who had spoken. He nervously leaned against the stacks. "I'm sure he didn't really mean it. The special ed comment."

Roxy didn't answer for a minute. She just put her chin back on her knees. "Yeah." She let out a sigh. "I'm just the over reacting type and he figured it out."

"He's a jerk to nearly everyone anyway." Chris told her. "I can't even begin to count the times he's made fun of me."

A thought popped into Roxy's mind. "Me to, right? You can't even count the times me and my friend have talked about you behind your back." She stood herself up. "I bet your glad he's been making fun of me all morning. Pay back, right?"

"W-what? No!" Chris up his hands up in defense. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm sure your boyfriend would have done it, but he's busy or something." Chris looked away for a second. "I think he's actually writing his paper."

Roxy looked at him, her brows knotted in confusion. "My boyfriend? You mean Sean?" She giggled. "We're not, we're not together. I mean, we hang out and talk, but we're not dating or anything. I mean," she leaned toward Chris and half-whispered. "he's a little to into himself. Way to shallow for me. I need to be the shallow one in a relationship, thanks."

Chris shook his head with a smile. "You are really something, Roxy."

Roxy seemed proud at that comment. "Thank you, Christopher."

The doors to the library opened and Masterson was quickly on the two people that entered. "Did you get it?" Stark moved her leather jacket a bit for Masterson to see the bag. He grinned happily. "You are the best, Stark."

"Yeah yeah, do me a favor? Don't do it just yet. It's a bit early for me." Stark took Masterson's belt loop and started to lead him into the AV room. "Come on, we'll hid it again. Plus, I need a favor."

Stark led Masterson away, leaving Danny alone.

Danny looked around, only Sean was visible; Danny rolled over to the table. "Hey."

Sean glanced up. "Hey, Danny."

Danny chuckled. "Don't tell me you're really doing that paper?"

"Come on," Sean said with a laugh. "you know I don't write papers like this. I'm actually writing a letter to the coach."

Danny nodded. He knew Sean played nearly every sport the school had to offer. Back when they had been freshmen, they had even played on a couple together. But that had been before Danny's accident. Now a days, Danny wasn't on any teams and he didn't hang out with his old jock buddies.

"Anyway," Sean cleared his throat nervously. "it doesn't matter. We've all got time to write the papers. So," he put the pencil down and really looked at his ex-friend. "why are you in here anyway?"

"I, uh…did something at the pep rally Friday that I really shouldn't have." Danny gave Sean a grin.

Sean nearly laughed. "Don't tell me. You set off the stink bombs?" Danny thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Dude, seriously, that wasn't cool. I was at that rally. Roxy was to. All my friends were."

All my friends. The sentence played over and over in Danny's mind. He was no longer apart of that crowd, hadn't been for nearly two years, and it was all his fault.

"Yeah, your friends must have been pissed." Danny bitterly spat.

"They were so pissed." Sean laughed. He didn't notice Danny's change in tone and movement. "Jacob was all 'I'm going to kill the ass that did this.' and you should have seen the look on Sarah's face!" The boy shook his head and wiped the tears that were forming from laugher. "Oh man, it was classic. The smoke made some of the sprinklers come on. People were running around like chickens with their heads cut off! Classic. It's going to go down in school history."

Danny's lips started to form a small smile. "You think?" Sean nodded. "To think, me, Danny Harris, will be remembered for setting off stink bombs." He chuckled to himself.

"Actually…no one knows it was you." Sean reminded him.

"I forgot about that." He was defeated. No one would remember him or notice him now.

"Everyone thinks it was a Senior or Freshman prank. I could tell them it was you." Sean finished helpfully. "If you want."

Danny gave his old friend a look. "Yeah, okay, that would be nice. Think you could help me with something else?" Sean shrugged. "There's this girl." Sean smiled at that. "I want to get to know her better, been admiring her from a far for weeks. Think you can help me with that?"

This was it, a time to redeem himself. "Sure, who is she?"

Sean wanted to know, so Danny told him.

The AV room was full of Televisions, VCRs, old films about wars, and a few stereos. Masterson made a mental note to get his friends together later in the week to pay the room a visit. The teen leaned against a shelf filled with old war movies, his arms lazily crossed over his chest, his bored expression on his face.

"So can I?" Stark finished. She was across from him, sitting lazily on the only desk in the room.

"I don't know." Masterson rolled his neck. "Adoptive-Daddy is getting pissed with all the people I invite over."

"This is just dinner." Stark told him. "I'd be there half an hour, tops."

"I don't know, man. I'd like to help you out, but…" He trailed off. "Maybe you could repay me?" Masterson raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

"I'm not doing that." Stark told him flatly.

"Okay, okay." He uncrossed his arms and let them fall to his sides. "I'm to nice for my own good. You can come. I'll take the heat from the adoptive 'rents."

Stark nodded and mouthed a 'thanks'. Masterson was taking a small risk and she won't forget it anytime soon.

"Let's go bug the losers." Masterson smirked. "I'm bored and need something to keep me busy until I can laugh." Stark shook her head, smiling slightly at her friend's words. Masterson led her out of the room.

Back at the tables, Sean was trying to get Danny to see that Stark really wasn't the girl for him. Stefina Stark was angry, tough, bitter, poor, and according to some, a very easy girl. She wasn't, couldn't be Danny's type. Danny was a fun loving guy, a smart and sweet boy that would go far. Sure, they were no longer friends, something that Sean was ready to ambit was his fault, but Danny should have better then Stark.

"She's doesn't…she's not your type. Look, I'll ask Roxy to set you up with someone. You know Catherine Milner? She just broke up with Kyle Longer. Granted, she's a tenth grader, but she's cute. And," Sean snapped his fingers together, thinking of a second selling point. "she's a gymnast." He raised an eyebrow. "Huh, huh, you want me to set it up?"

Danny sat there, a look on his face. Did Sean really think he needed help getting a date? Or that he knew his type. They hadn't been friends for nearly two years. "Look, Sean, that's really nice of you and all, but I'm attracted to Stark."

"Well, who isn't? The girl is hot. But, she's also trouble." He gestured toward where Stark and Masterson were hanging out by the sculpture in the center of the library. "She hangs with guys like him. Dangerous guys."

"That doesn't make her like them. I hang with skaters, but I don't skate." Danny pointed out.

Sean ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, but that's different. You can't skate, she can do what Masterson and his friends do." The second the sentence was out of his mouth, Sean regretted it. "I didn't mean…I didn't mean it like that, Dan."

"Oh no," Danny started to roll his wheelchair backward. "it's cool. Don't-don't, uh, worry about it, man." He shook his head. "You still don't think before you speak."

"I know." Sean agreed with a small smile. "I really am sorry, man."

"Yeah, yeah." Danny nodded. "I know, I'll see you later." With that said Danny turned his wheelchair and rolled himself deeper into the library.

Sean sighed and went back to his letter. He just hoped Danny had really forgiven him; Sean really did want to maybe try and rebuild their broken friendship. And this time, no stupid feelings of shock and guilt would get in the way.

The wristwatch read nine fifteen. It was time for her morning dose of Trileptal. Since the age of eleven, Faye had been forced to take four Trileptal tablets a day; two in the morning and two at night. The 300 MG tablets were small, white, and tasted like chalk. But, they controlled her seizures, so she took them with no real fuse.

Taking a little baggie out from her jeans, Faye opened it up and dumped the two tablets that were in the baggie into her hand. With one movement, the pills were in her mouth. Faye swallowed and made a face-just like chalk.

"What you takin'?"

Faye had been so busy taking her pills that she hadn't noticed that Masterson had sat on the couch across from the chair she was currently sitting in. He was leaning into the couch, lounging really. His piercings and ill fitting clothing marked him as one of the school drug-users. They all dressed like that and yet they dared call themselves individuals. The thought of that made a small grin creep across Faye's lips. Masterson looked like he might laugh.

"Well?"

"My medicine." Faye answered simply. "I have epilepsy." Masterson opened his mouth, but Faye went on. "It's no big deal." Faye shrugged to farther her point.

Masterson stayed quiet for a moment. He leaned forward. "Hey, Faye, I was wondering what you did to get in here. I know why I'm here, why Stark is. Hell, I even know why Clark and his little Sweetness are in here. But, you strike me as the type that never gets in normally. So, I find myself wondering what you did that was so bad?"

"I…" Faye felt a blush coming on. What she had done had literally changed her life forever. She just couldn't talk about it with a guy she didn't even know. A guy she had seen do questionable things. "I'd rather not talk about it, thank you."

"Oh." Masterson laughed to himself. "It was that bad, huh? What did you do?"

"Nothing!"

"No harm meant, Lovely, but you had to have done something." Masterson laughed again. Faye was awfully secretive and that made him want to know more. "Come on, who am I gonna tell?"

Faye moved uncomfortably in her spot. She was not going to tell him. Nope. He could do whatever he wanted, but it was her business and she wasn't about to tell him. Faye stared at Masterson for a moment before getting up and walking away.

"Don't be a baby!" Masterson called after her. Faye chose to try and ignore him.

At nine fifty-three, Masterson found everyone at the tables. They were all just sitting around, looking bored out of their minds and not even paying attention to one another. It was getting to the newbies, it was even getting to Stark. Masterson knew it was time to take action.

Rubbing his hands together, Masterson cleared his throat. "Okay boys and girls," the others glanced over at him. "it's time to stop the boredom before we all die from it."

"What the hell are you on about?" Sean asked with a slight hint of disgust. Masterson was everything Sean wasn't, and that made Sean angry. Masterson could stand up for himself, Sean couldn't.

"Well, it's time to do something. I say…we roof it." Masterson glanced at Stark. "You in, kid?" Stark didn't even think about, she just nodded and jumped out of her chair. "What about the rest of you?"

"I…the roof?" Danny questioned. "I can't get up there."

"Sure you can, Harris. Just got to be creative." Stark cheered him on. "So?"

Giving Sean a quick 'she digs me, ha' look, Danny replied. "I'm in."

"Anyone else?" Masterson queried.

"Me." Chris told him. He stood, a little nervous. "I'm in."

Masterson nodded in approval. The kid could be cool. "Sweetness? Clark? Faye? You three stayin' in the loser library?"

"No," Faye stood up. "I'll come."

"Huh, me too." Roxy jumped up. "I'm not getting left behind."

Everyone turned to Sean. If he stayed behind, he would be the only one.

"Fine!" Sean stood up. "I can't believe I'm following John Bender-Masterson." He shook his head, disappointed in himself. "I'm in."

Masterson looked approvingly over the group. "Great. Okay, everyone follow me."

Masterson led the small group to the double doors, on his way stopping to pick up the bathroom pass and something from the AV room. He told them that both things might come in handy later. Opening the doors slowly, Masterson looked out into the dark and empty hallway. He made a move for them to follow him.

The group was in the hallway in a matter of seconds. They all followed Masterson; Stark walking next to him, Sean and Roxy were just behind them, Chris was an inch behind them, and Faye and Danny were trailing in the back.

"Where are we going?" Sean whispered. He really didn't need to be caught.

"I said we're roofing it." Masterson said in reply. "So, take a guess, genius."

Sean made a face. "Look-"

"Shush." Masterson interrupted. He held a hand up for the group to be quiet and stop-they did. "Stark, time."

Stark looked down at her watch. "Ten oh seven."

"Uh-huh, he'll be bath rooming it in a second." Masterson moved to his right and to the nearest class room door, it was, as Masterson knew it would be, unlocked. "Follow me." Masterson opened the door and walked in. He waited until everyone was inside before closing and locking the door. "Back of the room."

Chris looked around the room as he moved to the back of it with the others. He knew the room, it was his AP Chemistry class. He remembered how proud his parents were when he had told them that he had gotten into a junior class, an AP one at that. They had gone out to eat that night and his father, Brian had never been prouder.

"What are we doing?" Roxy hissed. "Ow Daniel, that was my foot you just ran over!" She pressed herself in between Sean and Chris. They were against the cabinets were the chemicals were kept and she just prayed the chemicals won't stain her new purse.

"We," Masterson moved over Danny's legs. "are hiding out. Every Saturday at exactly ten, ten our dear principal takes a whiz in the restroom just down the hall."

They were all silent. Footsteps could be heard coming from down the hall.

"What if he checks up on us in the library?" Faye questioned nervously.

The others looked toward Masterson and Stark. They hadn't thought of that.

"He won't." Stark assured them. "He only checks in on us at noon and again at two-thirty and once more when we get our freedom."

"You could set your watch by him." Sean whispered.

"I often do." Masterson whispered back. "Now, shut up."

Again, they were all silent.

Sean and Chris were pressed against the cabinets, Roxy in between them. Next to Chris, Masterson stayed against the shelf where the goggles were stored. Danny had moved his wheelchair in front of Masterson. Stark had sat herself against the table in the corner, her legs against the back of Danny's chair. Faye had moved herself under the table that Stark was sitting on. They all held their breathes as the footsteps passed the door and retreated down the hallway.

Once the footsteps had retreated, Masterson cleared his throat. "We got six minutes to get out of this wing of the school." He moved over Danny's legs. "Let's go."

The others followed and in four minutes they were in the other wing of the school and just minutes from where Masterson wanted to be.

TBC