AN: My mom took away my internet privilages, but not my genral computer privilages. So I wrote like three chapters for this. Here is the first today.

"Hi Warrick," came the chorus of voices the next day. It was lunch time and Sara, Greg and Archie all had smiles on there faces. Sara was actually happy that their table was getting fuller.

Warrick smiled and nodded at all of them. He was glad to be back and school, to keep going like a semi-normal teenager. Meeting new people, really getting to know them. It was nice, it was fun. He had met Greg and Archie before but they turned out to be even crazier then they first appeared. Sara was relatively normal and she to be pretty much in control of herself.

Fredy warmed up instantly to the other kids. He got along with everyone and didn't mind how crazy and eccentric Greg was. Nick started eating with them also. Greg announced at the end of next week that he had accepted Nick, Warrick, Cassy and Fredy into the official Nerd Squad. Fredy was thrilled, Nick was amused and Warrick was slightly happy. He belonged somewhere again and this was encouraging. Cassy was slightly appalled at first, disregarding it completely. Then she remembered her little change of social standing. And she accepted it.

The new Nerd Squad started going out for ice cream every day after school. It was their ritual. The were sure to bring Kiley along with them also. Warrick actually liked this young girl. For all her appearance of a beaten little rag doll, Kiley was a strong spirit. Kiley warmed up to Warrick also. Something was eating him up inside, she could tell, probably from experience.

The 6 kids crammed themselves into a booth at the ice cream place. Archie and Nick were absent today. It wasn't that hard, because everyone was relatively small. Greg, Sara and Cassy were on one side of the booth and Warrick Fredy and Kiley were on the other side. Kiley was sitting next to Warrick.

Between any other two people, the way Kiley and Warrick talked, laughed, jokes around, would most defiantly be taken as flirting. But Kiley was to young and Warrick was too heart broken. Kiley could see this. She didn't know specifics but she could see generalities. Kiley was smart and she knew how to read people. Sara did too. It came with the territory of being a foster kid. You got so used to your own hardships, you could see them plain as day in other people.

Warrick liked talking to Kiley. She had a way to make you laugh and smile without any effort whatsoever. For Greg it was easy to make people laugh, but he did have to make jokes, intentionally or otherwise. And that was fine, but with Kiley it was different. Kiley just had a smiley face inside her and she shared it with you. It was just in her nature, the way she talked or smiled. And she made you want to laugh and smile too.

Greg was thrilled that he was making new friends. He could've gotten along fine with just himself, Archie, Sara and Kiley, but these other people were cool too. He and Archie actually decided to take up basketball on the weekends with Fredy and Warrick.

Basketball was not a strong point for either Archie or Greg. They were probably the worst kids to ever play on the park court. But they had games lined up for them for the next several years. Greg and Archie were popular, but not in the normal thought out way. Not the way kids strive to be popular in high school. Archie and Greg just did what they did and kids payed attention to them. In no way did either boy try specifically to get all that attention. Actually, both would have preferred if they were left alone.

Greg couldn't shoot and he tripped over the ball on numerous occasions. He was the laughing stock of the basketball court and kids loved making a fool of him. Greg had such self esteem that he didn't care what they said about him. He decided that he loved basketball and so went right ahead playing. Probably from hanging around with Greg so much, Archie developed the same mind set.

The games that Greg and Archie participated it were so far ordinary it was close to being annoying. Greg and Archie never cared about the score, they had no interest in points. But they had so much fun. Once Greg actually jumped on another kids to get the ball. He whopped and laughed so much it was like background music.

Sara loved watching these games. She loved seeing Greg and Archie fool around and have fun. They've never won a single game, but the way Greg and Archie went on, you'd never guess that. In fact, their first games, Greg actually scored a point in the opposing basket.

"Hey guys," Greg said all of a sudden. It was a few days before Thanksgiving. They were all eating their lunch right now. "What are you all doing for thanksgiving?"

Cassy, who hadn't quite gotten used to Greg, gave him a weird look. "Umm...Eating food."

Greg rolled his eyes. "Well duh! But where?"

"Home," Cassy said. Warrick and Fredy both nodded in agreement.

"Wrong," Greg shouted. "You are all coming to my house for Thanksgiving. You can bring your families too." Greg looked like he would burst from excitement.

Fredy shrugged. "Okay," he said. It was just him and his older brother at home. His older brother was his legal guardian since his parents died, and would be no problem to drag out of the house. Warrick considered the offer and then nodded too. What the heck, his Grandmother would probably like it.

Greg turned on Cassy who felt put on the spot. She bit her lip. The first thing that went through her head was that this would destroy her reputation. Then she reminded herself she had no reputation anymore. She turned her head and looked at the table she used to sit at. She saw Catherine and then turned back to the others.

"Sure," she said. How bad could it be?

"Okay, do you guys have tents at home," Greg asked. He very much enjoyed the affect this question had on Fredy and Cassy. It didn't phase Warrick though. Warrick went with the flow.

"No, and my grandmother won't be sleeping over anyway," Warrick said. "But I'll drag her along."

"Dose she cook," Greg asked and Warrick nodded.

"Very well too."

Greg looked absolutely thrilled. "My grandmothers, and aunts love help in the kitchen. They'll be thrilled," Greg said.

"My grandmother loves cooking. I'm sure she'll get along with your relatives," Warrick said, enjoying this idea very much.

"Everyone get's along with Greg's relatives," Archie said. "You have no idea what you are getting into. People everywhere man, it is utter chaos." He was laughing.

"He has so many relatives it's not funny. So many cousins that they are assigned numbers at family gatherings. Cousins number one to 36," Archie continued.

"I'm number 34," Greg said proudly. "And there's 39 this year. Three new babies," Greg said. Already this sounded like chaos. Fredy's and Cassy's eyes widened in shock. Greg nodded. "Yep. We have a empty barn type building in our back yard. We use it specifically for these holidays."

"They have extra tents," Sara pointed out. She and Kiley were borrowing a tent of Greg's.

"Yeah," Greg said. "We have a zillion little pop up tents, or you could sleep under one of the trees in out year. We have a huge, huge yard."

"Okay," Fredy said. "I'm in." It sounded like fun.

"Me too," Cassy said. She'd convince her sister and her parents to go.

Sara ginned. She liked these kids. She knew they used to be friends of the famous Catherine Willows. "Used to" be the key phrase. They didn't tell her, or anyone else for that matter, why, but whenever Catherine came up, Warrick got a sad, cold look on his face. Sara knew that look. It was the look of those who still loved the one who betrayed them. Sara knew that look all to well, and with it gave a vague understanding of what might have happened. But since Warrick didn't want to bring it up, Sara kept her mouth shut.