AN: Yay! another chapter. And there's only like 2 more days left before school. For me anyway. Why the hell wnyone would start school on a wendsday is beyond me. Anyway, enjoy:)

The next day after school, Catherine waited by the door for a specific person. The school and parking lot were otherwise empty when the boy finally came out. His name was Henry Kinkel. A basketball player.

Catherine followed behind him, walking silently. Then she placed a hand on his shoulder and spun him around. Then she shoved him back against the wall of the building.

"What the hell," Henry exclaimed. Then he saw it was Catherine and a smug smile came over his face.

"Why," Catherine snapped. That smug look was drying Catherine insane. She wanted to hit this guy so hard right now.

Henry didn't struggle or move even though he could've easily broken her grasp. "What are you talking about," he asked, still with that smug look on his face.

"Don't fuck around with me," catherine shouted. "He saw your licence plate number. The cops are gonna come to get you. They're gonna throw you in prison for attempted murder and they're going to tack on an extra 5 years 'cause this was a hate crime."

Catherine's eyes were blazing. Her face was hard and there was a look in her face that could freeze fire.

"You're not a kid anymore. Forget about collage. Forget about anything. By the time you get out of prison you'll have wrinkles on your wrinkles. If you make it out of their with your skin still attached to your body."

Henry seriously looked like he would faint. But he gathered himself together and glared right back at her.

"Don't threaten me bitch," he hissed.

"I wasn't," Catherine said in a low deadly voice. "I was just giving you a preview of what your future is going to look like."

Then she pulled her arm back and punched the boy as hard as she could in the stomach. he actually doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach.

"Just a reminder," Catherine said sweetly before walking away. She felt much better now. Much better.

On Halloween the Nerd Squad plus Greg's brothers and sisters all went as either cops or prisoners. And they had an extra bag to collect candy for Fredy.

Fredy was allowed out of the hospital and back to school at the beginning of November. It was a weird transition. Ty had to drive him to school everyday because of the wheelchair. Sometimes Catherine or Cassy would drive him home. Or Nick or Sara, both of whom just got their driver's licence.

Fredy got some very nasty looks from some of the kids. Others smiled at him with looks of pride or joy or gratitude etched in the lines of their faces. Sara found it amazing.

One girl, a freshman, walked up to Fredy and Catherine, who was wheeling him to his next class. The girl tentatively reached out a hand and patted Fredy softly, gently, on the shoulder. She smiled, a real big smile showing all her teeth and said "Thank you," real soft. Then she scampered away like a frightened little mouse.

Catherine spent most he time between classes at Fredy's side, glaring at anyone who gave either of them a dirty look. She was like a weird, snarling guard dog. And, the fact it, Fredy would take her over the meanest pit bull of the litter, any day.

Fredy got caught up in school pretty fast. He was a smart kid, a quick study. Plus he had his friends helping him with anything he got stuck on.

Fredy had to have a lot of therapy sessions. Especially after he got fitted for his prosthetics. One time he actually asked Catherine to come.

"Why," she asked. In truth, she was nervous and reluctant to come. She didn't want to see Fredy in such a venerable state. Didn't want to see him struggling with not having the bottom half of his legs anymore.

"Please," Fredy asked. Catherine couldn't say no. Fredy was one of her best friends and he had asked. So she went along.

"Hey Gene," Fredy said when they went through the door. "I brought a friend today."

Usually Fredy went to his "therapeutic training" alone. Often Fredy didn't even come.

"Gene, this is Catherine. Catherine, this is Gene. My trainer," Fredy said the introductions.

Gene was a rather short man who looked to be in his early 30s. He was wearing shorts and Catherine noticed his right leg was defiantly fake. Metal even.

"Hello Catherine," Gene said holding out his hand and smiling good naturedly.

"Hi," Catherine said back.

"Is Lin-Lin here," Fredy asked. Gene rumbled his brow in thought.

"She's coming in..." he checked his watch. "30 minutes. Give or take."

Fredy turned in his wheelchair to look at Catherine.

"You'll like Lin-Lin," Fredy told his friend.

"Everybody likes Lin-Lin," Gene pointed out.

"True," Fredy admitted.

"Okay we going to start with your session," Gene asked. Fredy grinned and nodded, wheeling himself across the room .Mostly his therapy consisted of getting in and out of his chair with his prosthetics on. Fredy insisted it was a lot harder then it looked or sounded. And Catherine believed him.

The girl called Lin-Lin did arrive about a half-hour later. She was a small Asian girl who looked about 16. Unlike Fredy, she did not come into the building in a wheelchair. She walked in, a little wobbly. But still she walked. Catherine noticed that she was in a similar situation to Fredy. But where Fredy's knees were fake along with her lower legs, the girl's prosthetics started just bellow her knees.

"Hey Fredy," Lin-Lin exclaimed, walking over to them. She waved her left arm around and Catherine realized with a jolt that it was also a prosthetic. She wondered what could have happened to this girl and felt a wave of sympathy.

"Do you have something...um...like a cup," she asked. She was brimming with excitement and for a moment, Catherine was reminded of Greg. Gene hurriedly got up and went across the room. He came back with a cup and held it out.

Lin-Lin put a look of complete concentration on her face and moved her left arm. Catherine saw her fingers flex. Lin-Lin reached out and picked the cup out of Gene's hand. Fredy grinned widely.

"You got it," he exclaimed happily. Lin-Lin smiled proudly.

"I practiced," she declared. Fredy gestured for Catherine to come over.

"Lin-Lin. This is Catherine," Fredy said. Catherine smiled at Lin-Lin. The girl grinned back.

"Do you feel totally weird and awkward yet," Lin-Lin asked. Catherine froze for a moment and looked wildly at Fredy. Lin-Lin laughed.

"That's a yes," she said. "Hey no worries. Plenty of us here make the mere mortals feel awkward."

"She's good at that," Fredy stated. Lin-Lin punched him playfully with her good hand.

"Everyone's got their perks and their faults. My faults are just more visible then others," Lin-Lin said with a shrug. "On the bright side, I have a hard time feeling pain in my feet."

Fredy laughed so Catherine didn't feel bad about laughing too.

"You're good points are more visible too," Fredy pointed out. Catherine could tell that too. And she hadn't even know the girl long.

In the beginning, Catherine felt awkward and out of place, like she didn't belong. But in the end. She was very glad she had come.

About a week after Catherine went with Fredy to his therapy session, Fredy got a very interesting phone call. After this, Catherine was the first person he called.

"They got the guy," Fredy said. He sounded...numb. Shocked and vaguely happy.

"What," Catherine said, not knowing what he was talking about.

"They arrested the guy that tried to run me over," he said. "The uh...district attorney called. They said they're going to court in a few weeks. They need to prep me for the trial."

"That's great," Catherine said happily.

"Yeah," Fredy said softly. "Know who it was?"

"Henry Kinkel," Catherine said confidently. She could tell Fredy was nodding even though she couldn't see him.

"Yeah," he said, still in that state of numb shock. "Yeah."