Author Notes: This chapter is a bit all over the place, I dont know where my mind has been latley. Seems like im messed up, always putting violence and lies into my fan-fics... Maybe this is because joan of arcadia is half police drama, but nothing truley tragic ever happens to the main characters... so i try to mix things up. Anyways, heres the next chapter...

Dedication: To Christopher Marquette who is my A|N|T|I|D|R|U|G.

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Joan wasn't suprised when Adam didn't show up for school, she herself didn't want to come. She was, however, suprised when Iris had aproached her before first period.

"Joan, hey, listen I want to talk to you about A...I mean Adam."

"What about Adam?"

Iris got a serious look on her face.

"Can we go outside and talk?"

The two girls made their way out of school and sat on the stairs leading to its entrance.

"I'm going to confide in you because I think I can trust you. I mean, Adam says your a very trustworthy person, so..."

"Yeah?"

"The thing is, when I was 15 I got mixed up with the wrong crowd. There was about five or six people that i thought realy cared about me... but since Adam came along I have found true friendship, you know... so I tried leaving my group, but when I told them why they went crazy. They went after Adam. I finaly got them to leave him alone, but that had hurt him pretty bad. I stayed with him all night, I felt terrible..." Iris' eyes had filled with tears. "He said it wasn't my fault, but he hasn't returned any of my calls, why isn't he in school, Joan?" she cried.

Joan sat in silence listening to all Iris had to say.

"Shes quite a good actress" Joan thought.

"I have to get to class, Iris" she said, standing up and walking inside.

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After school Grace and Joan decided to walk over to Adams. Although she would not admit it to herself, Joan was worried for him.

"So what exactly happened with psyco bitch and Rove?"

"Long story"

"Long walk..."

"Adam broke up with Iris, she got pissed off, she got her friends to beat him up... that simple."

"Interesting"

"What's so interesting?"

"If he called it off with Iris, he's got it worse than I thought?"

"Got what?"

"He wants you, Girardi, dont play stupid."

"Okay, Adam likes me a little, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is you've been moping around for weeks and now you have the chance you've been waiting for... and your going to be an idiot."

"Grace, Adam and I already talked about it. We just aren't ready."

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Adam was, as usual, in his shed when the two arrived.

"hey Rove, I heard your girlfriend hired hitmen" Grace joked.

"She's not my girlfriend, yo."

"Why weren't you in school?" Joan asked "I was worried"

"Really? You worried about me?"

"Of course, we are friends, aren't we?" she smiled.

"Unchallenged." Adam smiled back.

"So are you going to tell him or not?"

"Tell me what?"

"She talked to Pansy today"

"Her name is Iris, Grace"

"Same difference, once a flower, always a flower."

"You talked to Iris, yo?"

"Yeah, she came up to me before school."

"Why? She didn't threaten you did she?"

"It was quite funny actually. She gave me a realy big story on how much she cared for you."

"Did she mention Saturday night?"

"She said something about leaving her, quote un-quote group, for you, and that's why they beat you up."

"You didn't belive her right?"

"She was pretty convincing... until she told me how she had stayed with you all night..."

"Cha, like I would let that happen."

Adams eyes met Joans and he reached for her hand. As if in a hypnotic trance, Joan placed her hand in his.

"Thanks again for caring, Jane." he squeezed her hand.

Joan smiled.

"Get a room" Grace coughed.

The two began to laugh, releasing their grip.

"Study tonight at my house?" Joan asked.

"Sure" Adam and Grace Agreed.

---to be continued---