Jen felt her initial nervousness grow into full-blown terror as Michelle described the phone call.

Michelle had picked it up even though the Caller ID read, "Unknown Caller."

"Hello?" she said.

"Michelle?" a voice questioned.

"Yes, who is this, please?" Apparently, Michelle found using her best manners on the phone to be an important part of life (this principle, Jen knew, was derived from Michelle's early years, in which she avidly watched Barney).

"Hi, Michelle. Do you remember me?"

"If I asked who this is, do you think I recognize your voice?" Michelle's voice took on a hard edge. Anyone who started talking like this was never very friendly or well meaning; common sense told her this much.

There was a smirk in the woman's voice as she answered. "I'm crushed. You forget your old pal Rachael?"

"Rachael," Michelle whispered, the name reverberating deep in her bones. Then, gathering herself, she added coolly, "I know quite a few Rachaels. Which one are you?"

"You know," the voice insisted. "So, I hear Jen's been getting our letters."

Michelle's face paled slightly but her voice didn't shake. "And what exactly do you hope to accomplish by calling us?"

"We're sending you a message. We know exactly what you're doing. Give me about ten seconds and I can tell you what you're doing right now, and what just happened."

"Go ahead," Michelle invited.

There was a slight pause before Rachael spoke again. "Jennifer just fainted. Orlando's sitting with her on that nice couch in your living room, which, by the way, is soaking wet because everybody was standing outside in the rain, trying to reason with Jennifer, and then you invited them all to sit down, since 'it'll dry.' Tell her, when she wakes up, it would have been much smarter to run away when she had the chance, instead of running to you. Anyway, Josh is standing by you, looking worried. And you just hit the speakerphone button as I was talking, so everybody could hear. Stop pacing, by the way. It's annoying."

Michelle stopped walking around the kitchen abruptly and clenched the phone tightly. "This could be considered stalking," she said tightly.

Rachael laughed. "Look around," she taunted. "You don't see anybody lurking around outside, do you?"

Michelle tensed. "That isn't the only way to spy on us."

"Thanks for the idea."

Michelle rolled her eyes; Rachael wasn't going to get her with that. "Like you didn't already know."

"I'm surprised you haven't hung up yet," Rachael commented. By her tone, she could have been referring to the weather.

"Why should I?"

"I just wanted to let you know something." When Michelle didn't say anything, Rachael continued. "We just might kill you all now. Except for you- Tobey has big plans for you."

She had hit home with that last remark. Josh tried to wrestle the phone away from Michelle as Rachael laughed, because of course she knew exactly what was happening.

Michelle ducked away from Josh and hissed coldly, "Stay away from us, you-" Several unrepeatable words followed before Michelle hung up.

"We are in serious trouble," Jen commented. Like Rachael, her tone suggested that she might have been referring to the weather.

"No shit," Orli murmured.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Josh wondered.

Michelle spoke to Jen. "That answers your question, then. They're watching us, all right."

"Yeah." Jen was shaking now.

"Well," Michelle said brightly, out of nowhere. "The rain's stopped. Anyone for a drive?"

The other three looked at her like she was seriously fanatical, which she probably was. It took them a minute to understand that she just wanted to get out of the house, didn't want to dwell on the phone conversation, wanted to get away from whatever Rachael had set up that allowed her to see everything that they were doing.

"Sure," Josh responded slowly, still staring at her. "You may want to change. You're soaking wet."

"So am I," Jen interrupted.

"Well, come upstairs with me!" Michelle cried happily. "You can borrow something!"

"Yay," Jen muttered, no match for Michelle's bouncy enthusiasm. She followed Michelle as she raced up the stairs.

"She's messed up," Orlando stated flatly, watching Michelle go.

"She's in shock and denial," Josh murmured back. "Bad combination. She doesn't want to think about what just happened, or what might happen."

Fifteen minutes later everyone was seated comfortably in Michelle's silver, small but practical Toyota Echo (her own personal car, not Josh's at all, although his generous wife did let him drive it). The rain didn't seem about to fall again anytime soon, but the air was heavy with humidity. The sun, out for the first time in over a week, seemed meek and out of place against the heavy gray storm clouds.

Michelle was happily chattering away from the driver's seat. Jen sat next to her and Josh and Orli consented to sitting in the back. Everybody was just listening to Michelle without saying much, except for the occasional driving directions. Michelle was normally an excellent driver, but she just didn't seem to be thinking straight today.

"Michelle, you missed a stop sign." Jen pointed to it as Michelle blew through an intersection.

"Oh." Michelle looked puzzled. She adjusted her sunglasses to glance out the rearview mirror, then carefully shifted into reverse and backed up.

She stopped at the stop sign, smiled in satisfaction and blew through once again, this time legally. "There," she said, sounding pleased with herself. In jeans and a tiny T-shirt, with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, whipping back in the wind, and those sunglasses perched on her adorable little nose, she looked like a teenager again, and this, coupled with the smug look on her face, made Jen unable to keep a straight face.

Michelle glanced over at her best friend. "What?"

"You," Jen gasped, doubled over with laughter.

Michelle slowed to a stop at a red light, then glanced at Josh and Orli in the backseat. "What?"

They shrugged. Neither of them knew either.

"So, where to?" Jen asked, regaining control of herself.

"Anybody hungry?" Michelle suggested.

"Anybody have a better idea?" Josh responded.

"Nope," Orli contributed.

Michelle pulled to a stop at the next restaurant that came into view, which happened to be Bennigan's. "Good enough," she declared as she parked.

"Michelle, you are just not a good driver," Jen decided as they walked inside. "I mean, you could have killed us back there."

"Nah, that was nothing. You should hear what happened to me during my freshman year of high school… Remember, I got rides from my sister and her friends? Chelsea was driving that day, and she's… um… absent-minded. There was this car in front of us. Chelsea's defense when she came within two seconds of rear-ending it was, as told to us as we laughed over it the next day, she didn't realize the car was going to stop… And then there was that stupid, stupid squirrel that just sat in the middle of the road… That was actually the same day. And the time she drove off when Tinsley was still getting in the car and closing the door…" Michelle kept talking as, inside, they were seated instantly, despite long lines ("Celebrity status does have its perks," Josh had to admit as they followed the waitress). But once they were seated, it was like a switch had been flipped. They couldn't get another word out of her; Michelle appeared lost in thought. The only thing she reacted to was Jen's cell phone ringing.

"Hello?… Yes, of course… No, I may need an extension… I understand. I'm working on it, and I have some help… It's coming along, yes… I'm at a restaurant right now, I can't come in at all today… Yes, of course… Of course not… I know, I'm well aware… Yes, I'm working on it, as I said… All right. Thanks. Have a nice day… 'Bye."

"Who was that?" Michelle mumbled, coming somewhat alive again.

"John." Jen rolled her eyes to demonstrate how she felt about this intrusion.

"John, your boss?" Michelle questioned, looking confused.

"Like there's another," Jen laughed, amused at her friend's dazed look. She'd probably worry over it later, but for now, it was funny.

"What did he want?" Orli questioned, sitting opposite Jen.

"Deadlines." Jen rolled her eyes again. "Reminding me that singing isn't as easy as it looks on T.V."

"Are you about to miss something? You mentioned possibly needing an extension…" Josh was speaking now.

"Probably not. I just haven't been working as much as I'd hoped to lately."

Michelle shifted, almost undetectably, in her seat, knowing Jen was referring to the stress over Rachael. She didn't want to think about it, refused to consider the possibility that they were in danger. The four of them were invincible; had proved it time and time again. She hated thinking something had shattered the bubble of happiness and security she blissfully lived her life in. She didn't know how to deal with it. So she refused to. And she did this by retreating into some far corner of her mind, where not even her three best friends could reach her.

"You want to drive home?" Michelle asked Jen, trying to inject some playful enthusiasm into her voice. It was hard.

"Sure," Jen answered, sensing the artificiality of Michelle's brightness and not wanting to challenge it. She took the keys Michelle offered her and started up the car.

"You put one scratch on my baby and I will have your ass," Michelle threatened, imitating Teensy from Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, as she sat shotgun, sounding a little more like her normal self.

Jen just laughed. "Shouldn't have let me drive," she taunted. She had borrowed a pair of Michelle's jeans and wore a regular T-shirt over it; she couldn't borrow any of Michelle's tiny little ones because they were so… well… tiny and little, just like Michelle. Jen was small, and she was taller than her best friend by several inches. With her neat little sunglasses on and her long hair pushed out of her face, whipping about in the wind, she, unlike Michelle, actually looked like a young woman in her early twenties. She was pretty. Michelle could be pretty, but she was more on the cute side.

Josh and Orlando silently watched them from the backseat, smiling to themselves as these very thoughts came to them. They were lucky to have two such great girls and they knew it without taking them for granted. They hated the danger their wives could be in because of them. Something about Jen made Orli love her even in the middle of a screaming match (not that they'd had any yet, but still, he just knew it intuitively). Something about Michelle made Josh want to hold her and protect her. Something about the way they laughed together made both Orli and Josh want to spend the rest of their lives just watching them be happy together.

Orlando was thinking mostly about how he hadn't been there and had completely let his wife down when she needed him the most. He felt guilty for it. Beyond guilty, really.

Josh was busy worrying about Michelle and hating Tobey Maguire every second of the way.

Michelle was still trying to wrap her mind around everything that had just happened and everything that could happen next.

Jen wasn't thinking about anything. She was busy trying to prove she was a better driver than Michelle. In fact, she was trying so hard that she forgot to watch the little things called stoplights.

"That was red, Jen," Michelle pointed out calmly, the first thing she'd ventured to say since they'd first gotten in the car. "Red. Red, meaning don't go. Red, meaning you're going to kill us next time you try to do that."

"Oops," Jen muttered, a little concerned but not overly so. She was beginning to realize that there were worse things than death. Although killing her best friends would be bad, she told herself. That would definitely not be good. It wasn't a good idea to bring everyone down with her, just because she was temporarily colorblind.

They didn't go back to Josh and Michelle's; rather, Jen drove straight to hers and Orli's (the "House of Blooms" or "Bloom House," as Jen and Michelle loved calling it). Once there, they all got out of the car and headed up the walkway to the front door. As Jen fumbled around in her purse for the keys, Orli expertly pulled his straight out of his pocket, playfully smirked at Jen and stuck it in the lock. The door swung open just as Jen triumphantly pulled her keys out. "I found them," she announced to no one. When she realized she was the only one still outside, she shook her head, disgruntled, and stepped through the door.

"Why are we here?" Josh wondered idly, not really caring so long as they were all together.

"You have a better idea?" Orlando countered.

"Nah, but is there any reason particular reason why we're here?" Josh repeated.

"No. There's not."

"Good, that clears it up." Josh smiled, satisfied.

Jen shook her head in disgust, catching the last part of the conversation. "Michelle's a bad influence on you, Josh."

"What are you talking about?" Michelle called from the pantry. "I'm a great influence on everyone! And I never have to search through my purse for five minutes to find my house key!"

"Get out of our pantry!" Jen yelled back, unable to keep a grin off her face.

Michelle, ever obedient, emerged- happily munching a cookie. "I like cookies," she explained between mouthfuls, sounding proud of herself.

Josh smothered a laugh, Orli kept a straight face and Jen, who was dramatically improving with her acting abilities, as Michelle had noticed, barely cracked a smile. Instead she patted her little friend (who was no longer so tall that Jen had to be looking down at her) on the head and said, trying her hardest to sound like a proud mother, "Good girl, Michelle!"

Josh couldn't smother his next laugh.

Michelle looked miffed and a bit hurt. "Well," she started. Words failed her. "Well," she repeated. "Fine then. I'll just leave."

She started to walk out the front door and made it halfway through before turning around with the most puzzled expression Jen had seen in her life seemingly plastered to her face. "Isn't anyone going to stop me?"

"Nah, go ahead. Josh, go with her," Orli said. "Leave Jen and me alone."

"What he said," Jen added, moving closer to her husband and wrapping an arm around him.

Josh shook his head and walked out the door after Michelle.

Jen turned to Orli. "Do you really think they're leaving?"

"That would be asking a bit too much," Orli replied, laughing.

"True." Jen smiled and snuggled up close to Orli. "But for the next few seconds…"

"Yeah," Orli agreed, bringing his mouth to hers.

Michelle banged on the window, making a horrible little face in at them. "Devil," Jen muttered in obvious reference to the other girl.

Josh walked back through the door. "Sorry to, umm… interrupt, but Michelle wants to know if you happened to crash into any trees or bushes or something without us noticing?"

"I think you would've noticed," Jen responded dryly. "Why?"

"There's a- noticeable- scratch on the car that wasn't there when we left. Michelle says she's sure of it."

Orli was beginning to look slightly alarmed. "Is the phone about to ring, with Rachael telling us all about…"

He was interrupted by the phone ringing.

Jen glanced at the Caller ID, nervously. "Unknown caller," she read, then sighed. "I hate unknown callers."

"Do you think we should pick it up anyway?" Josh asked, thinking the same thing as Jen: if they didn't, and it was Rachael, she would keep calling, or leave a message on the machine if they didn't pick up, and it was probably better to be able to actually talk to her, if need be.

Jen's hand hovered over the phone, indecisive. Then, out of nowhere, she snatched up the phone and half-yelled into it, "Hello?" She sounded furious and ready for a fight; she was.

"Jennifer?" came the surprised voice of a man. "Is that you? Are you angry? Is this a bad time?"

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Walters," Jen apologized, relieved and slightly embarrassed. She waved Josh and Orli out of the room.

"Please, call me John," Jen's boss invited.

"I'm sorry, John," Jen apologized once again.

"That's all right. I was just calling to see how you're doing, and if you needed that extension. Would it be possible for you to come in on Tuesday around two in the afternoon just to do some work and see where we are?"

"Tuesday, Tuesday," Jen murmured absently as she began flipping through the desktop calendar she kept by the phone in the kitchen. "Tuesday's fine. You said around two?"

"That's right. It would probably be for a couple hours. Is that all right?" John asked, sounding a bit anxious for some indiscernible reason.

"That's fine," Jen repeated. "I don't have anything to do on Tuesday."

"All right. How's the songwriting coming along?"

"Well, it depends. I have some things, but I'm not the writer. I'm just trying to be! My friend says they're good, but she says everything I do is good, and I never believe her anyway. So I suppose we'll just decide on Tuesday, right? Michelle's written some things too, and personally I think they're better than mine, though you'd never get her to admit it. She pretends she doesn't like anything she writes, but she agreed to help me out anyway…" Jen abruptly realized that she was rambling. Relief, mixed with anxiety and murderous suspense, had evidently loosened her tongue. Jen stopped herself and apologized yet again. After John assured her that it was really no problem, that he also tended to ramble and that it had taken him years to stop doing that on business calls, Jen hung up.

No sooner had she then the phone rang again.

Rachael didn't bother with pretenses this time. "Where's Michelle, Jennifer? Have you lost her?" The smirk in her voice was unmistakable.