Another one of those connecting chapters in between two plot events, but not very cheesy this time! Yay! Alright, hope you like chapter 15, and come back tomorrow (or the next day) for the next installment!

"Sophie. Wake up." Katie's face swam in her vision. "Get up. Can you walk?"

Sophie groaned, "I guess. Where are we?"

"Your house," Katie answered as she helped Sophie out of the car.

The two girls made their way up the driveway to Sophie's house. Opening the door, Sophie called out, "I'm back!" and ushered Katie into her room.

Shutting her bedroom door, Sophie walked over to her bed and sat down. Katie went to Sophie's desk and turned on the computer. Sophie asked, "Where were you last night?"

"With Aiden."

Sophie's stomach churned. "With… Aiden. Did you do anything with Aiden?"

Katie laughed, "No, Sophie. You're so paranoid. He told me about himself. Said you already knew," she answered as she typed away.

"Seems kind of dumb to ruin a friendship over a guy," Sophie said.

"We'll worry about that later. We need to rescue Aiden from that mental institute. He doesn't belong there," Katie said over the hum of the printer running.

"I'm not going to break the law," Sophie said, worried about what Katie was planning.

"If everything goes to plan, we won't have to," Katie replied coldly.

"So what about our camping stuff?" Sophie asked, examining the thin cut on her foot.

"It's in my car," Katie answered. "Aiden's stuff, too."

Sophie had a gash on her left foot where she had stepped on something sharp during their early morning episode. Gingerly, she got up and limped to her dresser, where she pulled on a pair of socks. She was still tired from the running and wanted desperately to lie down and sleep. Katie collected the paper she had printed from the printer bed and stuffed it in her pocket. "I'll bring in your and Aiden's stuff. It won't be as safe in my car, and my brother will break the violin if he sees it."

Sophie nodded and curled up on her bed as Katie left her room and came back a minute later with two backpacks and two instrument cases. "I'll call you tomorrow," she said as she set the cargo down and shut the door on her way out.

Sophie climbed under the covers without so much as a thought about how filthy her clothes were. A peaceful and dreamless sleep took over.

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"Sophie! Katie's on the phone!"

Sophie woke to her mother's yell. Slowly, she got out of bed and picked up the phone on her desk. "Yeah?" she said in a raspy voice.

"Sophie? Hey. Listen," Katie's voice said. "We've got some loose ends to tie. How soon can I pick you up?"

Sophie jiggled the mouse on her computer to turn off the screensaver. She looked at the clock in the bottom right corner. It was 10:13. "Pick me up at eleven-thirty," she said into the phone, slightly confused on the reason why she had to go anywhere. What point was there to life if Aiden was indisposed?

Sighing, Sophie got up and showered, wondering what Katie had planned. Sophie got dressed and ate a small bowl of cereal, and was just finishing her makeup when Katie honked her car as she pulled into the driveway.

Throwing her purse over her shoulder and collecting Aiden's belongings, she told her mom she was going out and she'd be back by dinner. Summer vacation is great, Sophie thought, So much freedom. But also so much more time for these dramas, she added to herself wryly.

Stepping out the door, Sophie walked briskly to Katie's car, put Aiden's things in the trunk, and got in the passenger side. "Hey," she said as she sat down and buckled her seatbelt. "What have you got planned for today?"

Katie pulled out of the street as she said, "We're going to rescue Aiden," as she handed Sophie the directions she had printed out yesterday to Green Palms Mental Institute.

Sophie gaped as she took the paper, "And how exactly are we going to do that?"

"Well, first we'll say we need to see him to give him his violin back," Katie said, getting on the highway. "Then we'll ask for a private word with him and we can sort things out. Then we'll ask him how he got out last time and repeat that again."

Sophie nodded, "Okay. It sounds alright until the breaking him out part. I'm not breaking the law, not even for him."

"Then we'll think of something else with him."

"Fine," Sophie said. "Take the exit coming up," she said, pointing.

Katie changed lanes and conversation died down as the girls concentrated on getting to where they were going.

Wow, that was a crappy place to end this chapter, but it had to be done. Review!