Chuckie's alarm clock woke him up at seven-o-clock, which meant that he had fifteen minutes to get to the bus. He groaned and finally forced himself up. He jumped into the shower and then woke up Kimi. The two of them made their way down to breakfast with five minutes to eat before they had to get going.

"Chuckie, are you going to help me out at the Java Lava after school today?" Chaz asked his son.

"Um, I guess so."

Chaz took a sip of his coffee. "Thanks, Chuck. That would really mean something. I don't know how I'm gonna be able to handle the shop today with Betty having her tests done at the hospital."

Kimi shot Chuckie a questioning look and he shrugged in response.

"Shouldn't you two be getting to the bus now?" Kira asked.

The kids looked at the clock and finished up their pop tarts as quick as they could. They kissed their mother and their father goodbye and ran off to the bus.

"Hey guys." Chuckie panted when they made it to the corner.

"Hey, Chuck." Tommy and Phil answered.

Angelica, Susie, and Harold were also there, as was Dil.

"So, what time is grandpa supposed to pick us up, anyway?" Angelica asked her cousins.

"I talked to him last night. He said he would try to come earlier than yesterday, but it's only the second day of school." Dil answered her.

"Oh." She paused. "I really wish I could drive my car." She mumbled.

"At least you have a car." Kimi groaned.

"Oh, hey." Phil said to her. "I didn't see you. Where were you yesterday? Tommy said you weren't in sixth period."

"I know. Sorry Tommy." She said to him. "There was something that the guidance counselor wanted to discuss with me. Nothing serious. Just about some classes that they thought I might want to change. I declined though."

She looked to Tommy. "I'll be there today, though. I promise."

Tommy merely nodded to her.

"Grandpa's here!" Dil called when he saw the bus making it's way toward them.

Once Lou stopped for them, they entered the crowded bus. Chuckie and Phil sat together. They made sure that they were at least a couple seats away from where Tommy was sitting.

"So, did you look anything up on the internet?" Phil whispered to Chuckie.

Chuckie nodded.

"Yeah. The facts were pretty clear. But even though some of the facts add up, it doesn't necessarily mean that Tommy's on drugs."

"I know." Phil said. "But if he is doing drugs, then we want to help him. I mean, Tommy would be the last person that I would think was doing crack, he's always so in control. But, it could happen to anybody and I want to help him if that's the case."

Chuckie nodded again.

"Remember Phil, this stays between us. You can't tell Lil or Kimi or even Dil. This is our little secret."

"I know." Phil whispered back.

That was the end of that conversation for the rest of the bus ride. They didn't want to take any chances of Tommy overhearing.

The bus pulled in front of the school within minutes. Chuckie and Phil casually walked up to Tommy, convincing both themselves and Tommy, that there was nothing to hide.

"So...uh, should we head off to homeroom, now, T?" Phil asked, nervously.

"Yeah, sure."

"C'ya later, T!" Chuckie stated.

"C'ya."

Tommy and Phil made their way silently to their homeroom.

"Boy, Tommy, you sure look awful. You've got bags under your eyes and everything. Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah Phil. I'm fine. Thanks, though."

Phil was starting to become really concerned about his friend. He stayed after school yesterday for no apparent reason, he had a black eye and a scratch along the side of his lip, and he looked completely out of it. Phil didn't really think that Tommy was doing drugs, but what else could he be doing?

Tommy and Phil finally arrived at their homeroom. They walked into the class and sat where they sat the day before. Neither one talked very much. Lil walked into the room about five minutes after they did. She glanced at Tommy. He wasn't looking at her. Her jaw dropped once she saw Tommy's eye. She continued to the back of the room where she sat next to Leslie.

"Hey, girl!" Leslie greeted Lil.

"Hey." Lil replied, not taking her eyes off of Tommy.

'What could have happened?' She wondered.

"...Earth to Lil! Hello! Come in Lil!"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah?" She answered sheepishly.

"What's up with you? And what are you staring at, anyway."

"Nothing!" Lil answered, shifting her gaze to the floor. "Nothing at all!"

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, what are your plans after school?"

Lil thought for a second before answering.

"I made plans. I'm hanging with an old pal." Lil answered, almost sarcastically.

"Really. That's too bad. Diane and I are meeting up with Brett this afternoon. Sorry you can't be there."

"Oh. Too bad. I'm really crushed." This time Lil did answer sarcastically.

Leslie rolled her eyes and turned around in her seat. "Whatever."

"You're vocabulary is limited, isn't it?" Lil mumbled to no one in particular.

The first bell rang and Tommy was the first one out of the classroom. He didn't want to be in there anymore than he had to be.

Lil caught up to Phil before he left.

"Hey, Phil." She said as she grabbed him by the shirtsleeve.

"What the hell's your problem?" He snapped.

"I just wanted to ask you something." She said.

"Well, make it snappy."

"Um...well..."

"Spit it out already!"

"Okay, I was just wondering what was wrong with Tommy's eye? Did he get into a fight or something?"

Phil chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Lil spat.

"It's nothing. Actually, it is something. The fact that you've been a complete bitch to everyone of us, especially Tommy, and now you have the nerve to ask what's wrong with him. You know, Lil, what you're expressing, a normal human being would look at as concern, but to you its just gossip. So cut out the shit, and why don't you just keep on snubbing us. We don't need you to step out of our lives and just walk in whenever it's convenient for you. SO JUST LEAVE US ALONE."

With that, Phil walked out of the classroom, leaving an astonished Lil behind.