Franklin paced around the cafeteria nervously, striking interest from Peppermint Patty

"What'cha goin through over there, Franklin," she asked.

"Have you seen Violet, do you know if she's here?"

"Violet? Why are you worried about her?"

"Is she here, Trish," a look of desperation in his eyes.

"I haven't seen her, what's going on, dude?"

Patty and Frieda wait around in the parking lot, looking for Violets Mercedes to appear, when Charlie pulled in.

"Still no Violet," Charlie asked.

"Nope. Franklin is probably losing his shit right now," Patty answered.

"Linus told me what happened last night… this whole time, they hid it so well," Lucy said.

"We should call the cops on them for being so hateful," Sally blurted.

"Yeah, well, it's not that illegal. Shameful but not illegal," Frieda said.

"It should be," she huffed.

"C'mon Charlie, let's go make sure Franklin is okay," Lucy suggested.

They all walk in the cafeteria catching Franklin talking to Marcie, Peppermint Patty has a scowl on her face.

"Nope, she still hasn't shown up," Frieda said.

"He told us what happened. It makes me wonder what they would think about me and Marcie. Better yet; I don't want to know."

"Have you tried to call her," Linus asked.

"Her phones off. I tried, he tried, Frieda tried," Patty explained.

"I'm sure nothing bad has happened to her, if we don't see her by end of first period, maybe we can talk to one of the counselors to call and check in," Linus suggested.

"You just gotta carry on until we can figure something out," Marcie hugged him.

"It's all bullshit," he yelled.

"It is, but be strong, if what you two are trying to build is worth it, I don't think this will stop her from getting to you, nor will it break what could be there," Peppermint Patty said.

"That's actually pretty deep," Lucy said.

"I'm not that stupid, I just hate school."

"Funny, Sally loves school, but she's pretty dumb," Charlie chuckled.

Everybody is worried about Violet, anyone within eyesight of the student parking lot keeps checking for her car, Franklin is zoned out all throughout first period thinking about last night; what her parents put them through and her voice; "I think I love you." First period lets out and he's ready to run to the office. He checks his phone and notices a text from Linus; "Lucy said that she's here at school." He runs up to the third floor, rushing past other students until he spots Lucy and Violet, making his way.

She hugged him with tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry, I fell asleep and my phone died. I wanted to call you so bad."

"You're here. That's a load of stress off my shoulders. I'm so happy to see you," he held her tight.

"I thought you should be the first to know, buuutttt I don't have your number and had to have Linus tell you."

"Thank you, Lucy. What happened?"

"I wouldn't give them my phone, so at the last minute they took the keys to my car… I had to catch the city bus and walk the rest of the way."

"Damn. Well you know you won't need to catch the bus anymore."

"Can we pick up where we left off? I want to spend all the time I can with you."

"Hell yeah."

"I had a lot of time to think about it; me and you, trying to push out the thoughts of what my parents might do, to relax best I could. I want this to work, I've never went against my parents before, but I'm not giving up."

"If Charlie and Lucy work, we can."

"Hey!"

"You said you loved me, I kept thinking about that, and…," he leaned in and kissed her.

"Those lips," she moaned.

Later on at lunch, despite everyone's curiosity, they sat by themselves a bit away from them. Of course the others are checking social media for the recordings Violet made.

"Hey… can you sing," he asked.

"Like a cat in heat."

"Charlie wants to start a band, I wanted to see if you could be in it."

"Lucy's the one that can sing, I'd be a better manager."

"Yeah, he said she could, I was thinking co-singer or something. Any instrument?"

"Ehh… violin, cello… not sure how that could be of use."

"I bet Charlie could think of something."

She pulled out her phone, checking the companies social media pages, "shit. I think it's going viral, I'm surprised my parents didn't have any of it removed yet."

Franklin looked at the comment thread on the Facebook post, "I knew she wanted to call me that, do you know any of these people?"

"Yeah, some of them are employees and such… they are pissed."

"Looks like you got an army on your side on Linked In," Peppermint Patty yelled.

"Violet, is this real," a lunch lady walked up.

"Yeah… that really happened last night because me and Franklin were hanging out together."

"My husband works for your dad, he told me it's spread like wildfire at the warehouse, and it's all on Twitter," she showed them.

"Good. There's nothing they can do about it now, PR won't be able to spin this."

"I hope not, at least he should be an honest business man," she said.

"He's going to get in trouble with his investors, partners and such, saying those things about a high school kid who's never done anything wrong," Violet explained.

"Don't you think this might backlash on you," she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… he could act all sanctimonious for the media, then take it out on you."

"I guess I'll just keep putting the proof out there, everything I can catch behind closed doors."

"Just be careful, Violet."

"My last boyfriend was a loser, I think I can finally be happy, I'm not throwing it away."

"Violet, you really feel that way about me?"

"I know for sure I'm falling in love with you, Frank. If we fall apart, it's because we did it… not him. Yeah I'm stubborn," it's a Grey trait," she smiles.

"People are going to be blowing my accounts up, but I'm going to play this game with your parents."

Franklin was at ease the rest of the day knowing she was at least safe at school. The news spread pretty quick in school with students and teachers alike, it was known that Franklin and Violet were dating, Pig Pen congratulated Franklin on scoring such a bombshell- his words. Neither of the two could freely get to class, the teachers tried to either avoid it, or get the distraction out of the way at the beginning. This went on until school let out.

"S'cuse me, Violet," some student asked, "you might not want to go near the front of the school, a bunch'a kids said your mom was in the office and she looked pissed."

"Yeah, we ain't going that way," Franklin replied.

"Do you know what's going on in the office?"

"All I know is your mom is here and to let you know."

"Good looking out, luckily I drive an I wasn't about to not take her myself."

They quickly made their way to the student lot, letting students know that they knew her mom was there. They rushed out a back door, running to his SUV.

"Every thing okay," Charlie asked.

"Trying to get away before her mom catches us."

"We'll catch you guys later," Violet said.

They jumped in his ride and drove off, taking off away from the school.

"Where should we go," Franklin wondered.

"I don't know. Just away from the school and my neighborhood. I know I'm going to have to go home at some point, but not now."

"How well do your parents even know you?"

"They know just what they expect from me, the person they want me to be. They know my friends. The real me, my friends know, and you… clueless."

"Let's just find something to do across town," he hopped on the highway. "I would like to see the real you… not the Gray Industries poster child."

"I never liked it. Always this image to keep."

"Be you. I got you either way, I just want the happy you, ya know?"

"Yeah."

Franklin pulls off the highway headed towards a park. They walked around chatting, holding hands, at some point found a bench swing, there was comfort when he held her close.